It was probably the first time in many years that Sameer was waiting impatiently for his mother's call. The last time was the initial years of his hostel.

The call didn't come the whole day. When Munna asked him at night if she had called, Sameer gave a sarcastic smile.

"Jab jo karne ki umeed ho unse woh toh kabhi nahi karti."

Next day also did not bring any result.

When he called up Naina in the night, she was tensed.

"Itni pareshan kyon ho, Naina? Kya ho gaya?"

"Sameer, tumhe phone nahi aaya na... agar woh baat khatam ho gayi toh bhi humein pata toh chalna chahiye... kya tum phone karke puch nahi sakte?" She was upset.

"Umm... Naina main tumhe thodi der mein call karun?" He asked.

She thought maybe he will call up his mother and talk about the issue that was troubling them for the past few days.

"Theek hai." She disconnected.

After about twenty minutes, the phone rang again.

"Hello", she quickly picked up.

"Naina, ab tumhe dekh kar baat karni hai... bahar aa jao." His voice was cheerful.

Naina ran to the balcony. He stood in the phone booth across the road. Seeing her standing there in a light pink kurta, hair tied in a messy bun, loose tendrils falling on her cheeks, face glowing in the moonlight... he forgot everything.

"Sameer, tum yahan kaise aa gaye?" She beamed at him.

He was lost in her beauty.

"Sameer... bolo na... sab theek hai na?" She was worried again, wrinkling her nose at him.

Seeing her expression, he came back to his senses, "Sorry, sab theek hai."

"Toh bol kyon nahi rahe... aise chup rehne ke liye aaye ho?", she complained.

"Naina, tum bohot sundar lag rahi ho", his gaze was fixed on her.

Her anger was gone in a moment and she lowered her eyes... he was sure the red streak had made its way up her neck, covering the face.

"Suno, ye baal khol do na", he wanted her to do what he had always been doing for her.

Her hand went behind her back and next moment the long hair fell in soft waves, some in front, over her left shoulder.

He exhaled sharply.

Naina bit her lip... her action from this distance also made him go breathless.

"Aise mat karo na, please", he said in a hoarse voice.

Naina wanted to run to him... she was seeing him after two days... they had not met after he had dropped her at Preeti's parlour in the afternoon the day before.

"Naina, kya tum neeche aa sakti ho abhi?" He seemed to have read her thoughts.

"Abhi... abhi kaise Sameer, sab honge bahar wale kamre mein..." she looked behind.

He sighed, "Koi baat nahi... kam se kam tumhe dekh to liya."

Her eyes brightened as a thought struck her, "Umm... ek kaam kar sakti hun... par uske liye tumhe ek ghanta rukna padega."

She could see his face change instantly...even from the distance... his smile was wider.

"Saari raat bhi intezaar kar sakta hun", he said with a dip of his head.

She smiled, "Aadhe ghante tak sab so jayenge... fir main tumse chat pe mil sakti hun... par bas thodi der ke liye.... abse theek ek ghante baad."

"Theek hai, tab tak baatein kar lete hain", he leaned back on the panel of phone booth.

"Saari batein abhi kar loge toh chat pe kya karoge? Kuch tab ke liye bhi bacha ke rakho." She said.

Sameer narrowed his eyes, "Tab kya karna hai woh tum mujhpe chod do... mere paas bohot saare ideas hain".

Naina did not miss his wink.

"Achha abhi batao auntyji se baat ki tumne? Kya kaha unhone?" She asked what she wanted to know the whole day.

His face hardened, "Naina, main unhe phone nahi karta... woh jab khud karti hain tabhi baat karta hun... aur unka koi phone nahi aaya."

The tension was back on her face, "Par woh agar phone nahi karengi toh?"

"Toh kuch nahi... jaise sab chal raha hai waise hi chalta rahega." He himself was worried about the same thing but could not say so... he didn't want her to be tensed.

"Par woh tumhari shaadi karwana chahti hain ya nahi ye toh pata lagana padega", she prodded.

"Woh kya chahti hain isse koi fark nahi padta..." He said in a bitter voice.

"Agar tumne faisla kar liya hai ki unki baat nahi manoge toh humein apni shaadi ke baare mein abhi sochne ki zaroorat hi nahi hai." She said flatly.

He saw her point, "Naina, yahan baat mere faisle ki nahi hai... unke faisle ki hai... jab unhe lagega ki main unke faisle ke khilaaf isliye jaa raha hun kyonki tum meri zindagi mein ho toh woh har koshish karengi tumhe mujhse door karne ki".

He stepped a little ahead, opening the glass door of the booth to get closer to her, even if it was by one step, "Aur agar tumhe koi nuksaan pohochane ki koshish ki unhone... toh main kya kar dunga mujhe bhi nahi pata."

Her eyes pooled up at his intense voice, "Tum hamare baare mein unhe sab bata do... ye bhi ki chachaji iss rishte ke liye maan gaye hain... agar tum unhe yahan bula loge toh chachaji unse mil bhi sakte hain."

He gazed at the sweet, innocent girl. She had no idea that his mother was not a normal loving mother who would value her children's happiness. Well, not her eldest child's at least. She was more interested in her other family's status and reputation... wrapped up in fulfilling the needs of her other two children.

"Tum nahi samajh paogi unhe... main hi nahi samajh paya... bas itna janta hun ki meri khushi ya meri marzi unke liye koi mayne nahi rakhti... shayad woh mujhe apni zindagi mein chahti bhi nahi... bas ek majboori hai... jisse woh nibha rahi hain... aaj kuch fayda nazar aaya toh unhe meri yaad aa gayi... warna..." His voice trailed off.

The streetlight directly opposite the phone booth made the glistening wetness of his eyes visible to her.

They stood lost in each other... wanting to give comfort, draw strength, be together...

They spent another thirty minutes waiting impatiently... Sameer walking around in the small garden at the end of the street and Naina pacing her room. She had told Preeti about her plan to meet Sameer on the terrace after everyone slept.

"Tu chinta mat kar... main bahar table pe baithti hun... jab aayegi to halki si thak thak karna... bas do baar... main bhi andar se wohi karungi fir darwaza kholungi." Preeti explained.

Naina gave a puzzled look to her, "Tu kyon thak thak karegi? Seedha darwaza khol dena."

Preeti dug her three fingers in her sister's forehead, "Woh isliye ki agar galti se koi uss time uthke paani peene aaya ho aur teri awaaz sun le toh tujhe chup jana hoga... jab tak andar se mera signal na mile."

Naina raised her brows,marvelling  at Preeti's intelligence.

When the streets were totally deserted and the windows of almost all houses turned dark, Sameer quietly walked through the gate of Naina's society. With soft steps, he started to climb up the stairs, stopping briefly at Naina's floor, wondering if he should wait for her. Deciding against it as it seemed risky, he went up another two floors till he reached the terrace, slightly out of breath.

Naina sneaked out of her house as Preeti waved at her and closed the door soundlessly.

She was on the terrace few minutes before Sameer and was waiting, hiding behind a water tank. She saw him enter through the narrow door, bending a little to save his head from banging, not that the door was low but it gave the impression of less height as the ceiling of passage was quite low.

She walked up to him, taking in the sight of his blue shirt with sleeves folded till the elbows, slightly darker shadow on the jaw, his rapidly moving chest, slight beads of sweat on the forehead.

"Itni si seedhiyon mein thak gaye? Bade kamzor ho", she teased.

His gave a crooked smile and took two long steps to close the distance between them.

Without moving his hands, he bent and rubbed his forehead on her shoulder, "Kamzor toh bilkul nahi hun... bas thak gaya hun intezaar mein."

He raised his head and looked into her eyes.

She waited for his arms to come around her... but he didn't move.

Unable to bear the distance from his warmth, she wound her hands around him, raising herself on the toes to bury her face in his shoulder... to breathe in the masculine musky smell.

Sameer smiled in satisfaction, he wanted her to make the first move today and she didn't disappoint him.
The pressure of her palms on his back and her nose burying into his neck showed the urgency that matched his.

He encircled the tiny waist, drawing her closer, placing his cheek on her head.

His hands moved to her hair, feeling the silky softness between his fingers.

"Tumhare baal itne sundar kaise hain?" He asked softly.

Naina chuckled, "Ladkiyon ke baal aise hi hote hain."

"Sabke toh nahi hote", he murmured against her hairline.

Her body stiffened, and before he realised, she had stepped away, staring at him angrily.

He was flustered at the sudden loss of her softness, " Kya hua?"

"Kitni ladkiyon ke baalon mein haath dalke dekha hai tumne?" Her angry voice and hands on waist made him realise his mistake.

"Oh nahi, nahi Naina, mera woh matlab nahi tha... main toh keh raha tha ki aise dikhte nahi hai sabke baal", he took a step towards her, smiling sheepishly.

Her eyes narrowed and he knew he had used the wrong words again.

"Matlab tum ladkiyon ke baal dekhte rehte ho?" Her voice was dangerously low.

He slapped his forehead, "Baal kyon dekhunga?"

Her eyes shot daggers at him, "Toh fir kya dekhte ho?"

He opened his mouth to say something but shut it instantly, deciding to remain quiet,  not to create more problems for himself.

He pursed his lips and held both ears... looking at her innocently.

She sighed, his one action melting all her anger.

Seeing the eyes softening, he moved closer, cupping her face, "Tumhare alawa kisi pe nazar nahi rukti... na pehle kabhi, na ab aur na kabhi aage... jitna dekhna hai bas tumhe hi dekhna hai. "

Her eyes looked into his, not doubting him even for a moment, and then, slipped down to his chin. Her hand reached up to stroke the jawline.

Her fascination for his stubble never failed to amuse him. Whenever he looked into the mirror, he was proud of so many things, but the stubble never ever crossed his mind as something to be liked or disliked.

And his girl was mesmerised by it... was it possible to feel jealous of something that belonged to you... he was not sure but he did feel jealous of the attention she gave to the prickly growth on his face.

He leaned and kissed the tip of her nose.

She scrunched it immediately, "Yeh kisliye?"

He smiled, "Isse kareeb aaya toh tumhe chubhega."

Her eyes roamed over his jaw and neck... then she raised herself and placed a hard kiss on his chin.

His hands slipped from her face and clutched the shoulders.

"Naina, tum hamesha mujhe hairan kar deti ho." He whispered.

"Maine kya kiya? Yeh toh mujhe achhi lagti hai... maine pehle bhi bataya tha tumhe", she wondered what was different today.

He smiled and shook his head.

Turning away, she crossed her arms, "Ab batao, kya karna chahiye humein... auntyji ka phone toh aaya nahi...fir chachaji se baat nahi karni chahiye na... unhe bhi tension ho jayegi."

"Umm... theek hai, jab tak phone nahi aayega tab tak chachaji ko kuch nahi batayenge." He agreed.

"Sameer, aisa toh nahi hoga na ki tumhari mummy ek din achanak yahan aake tumhari zabardasti shaadi karwa dengi?" She shivered at the thought.

He wrapped his hands around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulders, "Aisa kuch nahi hoga... woh kuch bhi chup chap nahi karti... unke liye dikhawa sabse zaroori hai... agar yahan aa bhi gayi toh woh sirf mujhe apne saath le jaane ki zid karengi."

She turned her face, lips almost touching his cheek, "Tum jaoge toh nahi na? Main reh nahi paungi tumhare bina... "

He shifted his face slightly, just enough to see her, "Tumhe chod kar kaise ja sakta hun, Naina."