Sameer dropped Naina and Preeti well before the given time.

Chachaji asked them how was the party... happy to know that the children had a good time.

Next morning, the day before they were to leave for Mumbai, Naina went to give the morning tea to chachaji who had just picked up today's newspaper from the balcony.

He opened it and glanced at the second page, suddenly excited to read the news.

"Naina, tumhara result aa gaya... dekho tumhara naam chapa hai akhbar mein... fir se tumne top kiya hai... saare purane record tod diye... ninety percent aayein hain tumhare, " his voice was filled with pride.

Naina took the paper from him, checking out the news. As her eyes checked the list of top three achievers, her eyes widened in surprise... Sameer had secured third position in the college with eighty percent marks.

Her eyes pooled up... with elation... Sameer had done what he had promised.

"Chachaji, Sameer ki third position aayi hai", she showed his name in the newspaper to chachaji.

"Arre waah Naina, iska matlab Sameer bhi tumhari tarah hai... school mein bhi aisa hi tha?" Chachaji was clearly impressed.

"College mein aane ke baad Sameer ne mehnat se padhna shuru kar diya... hum dono aksar saath padhte hain", she was proud of him.

Chachaji smiled as he saw that Naina was more happy for his achievement rather than her own.

"Ye sab tumhari sangat ka asar hai", he patted her head.

Chachiji got sweets for everyone as Preeti hugged her sister.

"Ab toh topper behen ke saath saath jijaji bhi topper ho gaye", she winked at Naina.

Her impatience was not hidden from the two elders in the room.

Chachiji looked at her husband and he nodded.

Looking back at Naina, she said, "Sameer ko phone karke hamari taraf se bhi badhai de de... jaa, apne kamre se karle."

Naina forced herself to walk and not run.

"Hello Sameer", her excitement was at its peak.

He himself was bursting with happiness, "Naina, aakhir tumne jaadu kar hi diya... ab toh meri position bhi aa gayi... thank you... aur congratulations, firse top karne ke liye."

"Congratulations Sameer... yeh jaadu tumhara khud ka hai, mera nahi... tumhari mehnat hai jiska aaj ye fal mila hai... tumhara naam newspaper mein dekh kar main toh aaj itni khush hun ki samajh nahi aa raha kya karun." She wished she could see him.

"Jaadu toh tumhara hi hai... yaad hai tumne kaha tha yahan ghar pe... ki tum yeh jaadu kar dogi", he reminded her.

"Tumse milne ka bohot dil kar raha hai", her voice was low now.

"Mera bhi", her voice made him ache for her.

The opportunity presented itself a few minutes later.

As Naina finished her bath, chachiji called out, "Naina, chal beta mandir ho aate hain... akhir itne achhe number aaye hain toh prashad chadana hai."

Naina quickly dressed up, managing to call up Sameer and ask him to come to the temple.

When she reached there, along with chachiji, Sameer was not around but Naina could see the car parked at a little distance.

She accompanied chachiji for the pooja.

Once the main pooja was performed, she looked for a way to meet Sameer, knowing where he would be waiting.

"Main parikrama karke aati hun, chachiji", she said.

Chachiji was happy to see her devotion, "Theek hai, main zara Sarita behen ke paas baithti hun wahan bahar... tu wahin aa jana."

Naina went behind the main structure and ran down to meet him.

Sameer had been waiting for more than twenty minutes when he saw Naina rushing down. Scared that she might fall on the uneven surface, he quickly went to the winding path.

"Sameer", the moment Naina saw him, her face broke into a big smile, making her eyes wet.

"Ye lo... main toh yeh soch ke aaya tha ki tum mujhe pyaar se gale laga ke ek meetha sa kiss dogi aur tum toh rone lagi", he frowned at her.

She pulled his cheeks, "Ro nahi rahi budhu, yeh khushi hai jo aankhon mein utar aayi hai... mujhe aaj tum pe itna garv hai ki kya bataun."

He immediately pulled her to himself, "Toh mera gift?"

Naina narrowed her eyes, "Gift? Arre haan, prashad dena tha tumhe".

She opened her palm and placed the piece of peda in his mouth, "Tumhare liye bhagwanji ko thank you bola tha uska meetha sa prashad hai."

Sameer quickly swallowed the peda, "Yeh to prashad tha... ab gift ki baari."

"Gift yahan leke kaise aati? Woh toh Mumbai mein hai na... mere hostel ke kamre mein... jab wahan jaayenge tab dungi... ab aise bachhon ki tarah zid mat karo", she pinched his nose.

"Kya Naina... bachha main nahi tum ban rahi ho", he pressed her more to himself, lowering his voice, "Kya sach mein tumhe nahi pata main konse gift ki baat kar raha hun?"

His eyes drifted down to her lips.

Naina had one arm on his shoulder while she had fisted the other as it was sticky because of the peda she was holding.

His proximity and his eyes were making her senses go haywire but she knew chachiji was waiting and she couldn't stay here for long.

"Sameer, abhi jaana hai... chachiji wahan mere liye baithi hain... baaki batein baad mein", she tried to move out of his hold.

Sameer pouted, "Achha ek chota sa gift abhi... baaki baad mein."

Naina gave him a nervous look, biting her lip.

His eyes got stuck to the movement.

"Achha ankhen band karo", seeing no way out, she agreed.

Sameer closed his eyes instantly, feeling her rising on her toes. He lowered his head, to make it easier for her.

His heartbeat quickened as her warm breath touched his face... and her lips touched him... on the cheek.

Before he could react, Naina pushed him and ran away.

Sameer opened his eyes to see her already half way up... smiling down at him.

"Iska badla lunga, Naina", he called out, smiling back.

She blew a kiss as he watched her, a hand on his cheek.

At home, Sameer packed his clothes and a few gifts he had bought for Naina.

The phone rang as he was closing the suitcases.

Presuming it to be her, he picked up, adding sweetness to his voice, "Hello".

"Agar itna meetha bol sakte ho toh hamesha aise kadwe shabd kyon nikalte ho muh se", Vishakha's dry voice made him flinch.

"Namaste", he greeted, getting a hold on himself.

"Haan, namaste, aisa kya keh diya tumne Dipti se ki usne saaf mana kar diya tumse shaadi karne ko? Itne dino se gusse ki wajah se maine phone nahi kiya par ab tum kal Mumbai jaa rahe ho toh socha puch toh lun aakhir kya gul khilaya hai tumne." Her angry voice tried his patience.

"Maine kuch nahi kaha... woh khud hi shaadi nahi karna chahti... aur fir mujhe bhi woh pasand nahi aayi", he recalled the conversation he had with Dipti.

"Chaar baaton mein pasand napasand ka pata kaise chalega? Jab maine kaha tha humein woh pasand hai toh tumko ussi hisaab se baat karni chahiye thi na", she was upset over her plans not working out.

"Usko main shuru se hi pasand nahi tha toh main kya karta? Shayad main uske type ka nahi hun", he tried to keep himself in control.

Vishakha was furious, "Jabse tum un desi lodkon ke saath rehne lage ho tumhari koi class nahi rahi... style kaise pasand aayega tumhara? Upar se koi aisi hi desi gaonwali ladki ko chun liya hai... Sameer, bata rahi hun... hamare status ki ladki se hi tumhari shaadi hogi... warna mujhse koi umeed mat rakhna."

He smiled, "Aapse umeed toh maine pandrah saal pehle hi chod di thi... aur jinke saath main ab rehta hun woh mere apne hain... meri khushi ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hain... unke paas apke jaisa status aaj na sahi par kal ho sakta hai... lekin unke jaisa dil aapke paas kabhi nahi ho sakta."

For once, Vishakha was surprised how calmly Sameer was talking to her.

"Waise aapko bata dun aaj mera result aaya hai", he informed her.

"Paas toh ho gaye ho na? Fail hona hamare liye bohot badi embarrassment hoga... sab kahenge ki ek Rohan hai jo itna achha hai padhai mein aur ek Sameer hai jo fail hota hai." She had no hopes from him.

Sameer felt a tightening in his heart at being compared with Rohan again, "Meri poore college mein third position aayi hai, eighty percent marks ke saath... yahan newspaper mein naam chapa hai."

There was a silence on the other side. Then he heard a soft laugh.
"Lagta hai paise khilaye hain tumne examiner ko... warna itne number toh tum kabhi laa hi nahi sakte."

"Aap jo chahe sochiye... mujhe khushi hai ki mere itne number aaye hain... aur ye sab Naina ki wajah se hi hua hai... ussi ne mujhe padhaya hai." He tried to keep his voice in control.

Vishakha sighed, "Dikh raha hai kya padhaya hai... aur mujhe yakeen bai aage bhi padhati rahegi... sikhana padhana toh inn middle class ladkiyon ko achhe se aata hai."

Sameer's resolve to not raise his voice at his mother was on the verge of breaking.

"Aapko jo kehna hai mujhe kahiye... Naina ko nahi... main uske khilaaf kuch nahi sununga." He said through clenched teeth.

"Na tumse kuch kehna hai na uss ladki se... jo chahe karo... tumse toh baat karna hi bekaar hai... rakhti hun." She disconnected.

Sameer wondered why he only had to be so unlucky to get a mother who had no love, no compassion, no faith, no consideration for her son.

The phone started to ring again.

Thinking that she was calling up to say some more bitter things, he slowly picked up and muttered a low sounding "hello".

"Arre, itni mari hui hello?" Naina's sweet voice instantly lifted his mood.

He was not unlucky by any means... god had given him the purest and most gentle girl, no less than an angel... his Naina.

"Sameer... chup kyon ho? Maine toh socha aaj party kar rahe hoge... result ki khushi mein." She drove him out of his thoughts.

He smiled, back in his happy zone, "Party toh karunga par tumhare saath ... Mumbai mein... gift jo lena hai tumse."

"Haan baba, le lena... maine pehle hi kharid liya tha... mujhe yakeen tha tumhare bohot achhe number aayenge", she laughed.

"Tumne kuch khareeda kyon? Tumhe pata toh hai mujhe tumse kaisa gift chahiye." He saw another chance slipping away.

Naina chuckled, "Sapne dekhte raho Mr Maheshwari... jab tak main Mrs Maheshwari nahi ban jaati tab tak sapno se hi kaam chala lo."

He sighed, "Kitna tadpaogi Naina? Aisa na ho ki main tumhe utha ke kisi din seedha mandir le jaun aur shaadi kar lun."

Her heart jumped out of her mouth, the hold on cordless became tighter, her breathing stopped suddenly and  the mouth went dry, the legs refused to support her and she slid down on the floor of the balcony...

Getting no response from her, Sameer brought the phone very close to his mouth and whispered, "Kal subah milte hain... station pe... good night sweetheart."

And he kissed hard.