The girls waited near the door, trying to hear any sound from taiji's house. They didn't want her to tag along, which she definitely would, if she came to know of their shopping trip. When they were sure that the coast was clear, Preeti gestured to Bela and they quietly went down, locking the door.

The shop was a big one, filled with varieties of colours, patterns, designs and motifs... and different types of dresses... suits, sarees, lehengas and many more. It was divided in two sections... this side was for women's wear and right opposite was menswear.

They settled down and asked for suits. The shopkeeper started showing beautiful pieces in soft fabrics when he came to know that they had to buy it for a function.

Both girls selected a few pieces each and went to the trial room. Preeti went in and came out wearing the first suit. It was green in colour but did not look very good. She tried the other two but was not satisfied.

"Chal behen, tu apne try kar, main aur leke aati hun", she walked away, holding the outfits.

Naina was carrying four pieces... yellow, purple, pink and orange. She wanted to buy the pink one, knowing how much Sameer loved the colour. Trying it first, she instantly liked it... there was no need to try anything else.

Just then, she heard Preeti's voice, "Naina, dikha kaisa lag raha hai."

She opened the door and Preeti looked at her in awe, "Haye Naina, badi pyaari lag rahi hai... yehi wala lele... lagta hai tere liye hi bana hai."

Naina smiled and looked down at herself, "Mujhe bhi pasand aaya... aur Sameer ko mujhpe pink bohot achaa lagta hai."

Preeti nudged her, "Haan behen, ab toh sab kuch jijaji ki pasand ka hi legi."

Blushing, Naina went back to change.

She was thinking whether to try the other suits or not when Preeti knocked and whispered, "Naina, ek minute kholna... kuch dikhana hai."

Naina opened the door a creek.

Preeti shoved a heavy outfit in her hand, "Yeh pehen zara... yahan table pe rakha tha... shayad kisi ne try kiya hoga..."

She looked at the lehenga in her hand. It was gorgeous. Peach in colour, it had subtle golden motif of flowers on the entire skirt... the top was same fabric... with short sleeves and... she swallowed and stared at the back... it had delicate doris with cluster of tiny golden beads at the end of each one... there were four pairs of  doris and nothing else.

"Preeti, ye kaise pehnu... tune iska blouse dekha hai?" She called out from inside.

Preeti answered, "Nakhre mat kar... bas pehnke dekhna hai... le thodi rahe hai."

Naina was still skeptical, "Agar chachiji ne dekh liya toh... "

Preeti was losing her patience.

"Naina, tu try kar rahi hai ya nahi, mummy saariyan dekhne mein khoyi hain...woh nahi aa rahi." She shouted.

Left with no option, and since she herself was tempted, Naina pulled on the lehenga and top. She called Preeti inside to tie the doris.

"Ab bahar aake dikha... itne chote kamre mein pata nahi chal raha." Preeti stepped out.

Naina looked around, "Dupatta kahan hai?"

"Dupatta nahi tha yahan... bas itna hi tha", her sister said in a low voice.

Naina peeped out. Seeing no one she stepped out in the passage, looking at her reflection in the long mirror. She held the skirt and twirled around... loving the flair.

Preeti pushed her hair over one shoulder, exposing the back.

"Dekh kitna mast lag raha hai... bilkul Madhuri lag rahi hai." She urged her sister to check out from  behind.

Naina turned her back towards the mirror and cleared it of all hair, glancing over her shoulder. She had to agree that it looked great.

"Apni shaadi ke baad le lena aisa... jijaji toh do din behosh rahenge".

Both giggled at the thought of Sameer's reaction to her dressed up like this.

"Sachhi Naina, agar jijaji dekh lete tujhe toh Swati ki sagai se pehle teri shaadi ho jaati." Preeti teased her.

Naina could feel the colour rising on her cheeks, "Chup kar... aisa kuch nahi hai."

Preeti raised one eyebrow, "Achha, jaise tujhe dekhte hain na woh... Hayee... lagta hai bas abhi baahon mein bharke kiss kar denge."

She earned a smack before Naina hid her face in her hands.

"Bata na... kiss kiya ya nahi... abhi tak tadpa rahi hai unhe?" Her teasing went on.

Naina glared at her with a frown, then smiled and showed her hand.

Preeti looked at her hand, then her face, and burst out laughing, "Bass... jijaji bechare toh apna sar phod lenge ki kaisi behenji palle pad gayi."

They both laughed hard.

Suddenly Preeti's eyes brightened, "Soch agar main Sameer hun aur tu mere samne aise khadi ho toh... "

"Toh?" Naina gave a quizzical look.

"Bataun?" She raised an eyebrow.

Naina tilted her head, giving consent.

Preeti flung her hands around her waist and kissed on one cheek, then the other.

They both held their stomach, that had started to hurt because of laughing.

Finally, wiping her eyes, Naina went back to the trial room, to change into her own clothes... and Preeti went to the other one to try the suits  she had brought.

She came out a few minutes later while Preeti came out to show what she was trying.

Once she also had selected an outfit for herself, they went out to show Bela what they wanted to buy.

Done with their shopping, they left the shop.

Everyone failed to notice a young man, almost dying of heart attack.

Sameer had accompanied Munna to select a traditional dress for him to wear at the engagement. The store Munna had decided upon was closed. When they asked around, they were directed to a big shop close by.

The shopkeeper in the men's section helped Munna with a few kurtas.

Munna went to the trial room while Sameer waited outside. He was checking out his hair in the long mirror outside when he caught a familiar reflection. Turning around, he noticed Preeti at the far end... the ladies section was at the opposite side.

Just then Munna came out to show the kurta he had tried. Sameer gave one look and rejected... it was too shiny. He went back to try another one.

Sameer thought of walking up to Preeti when he heard her shout Naina's name, saying something in anger. Realising that Naina was trying clothes... maybe for the upcoming event... he stopped, planning to surprise her by showing up when she came out in a new outfit.

The door opened... he waited.

Preeti went inside... he waited.

Preeti stepped out after a few minutes... he waited.

And then he thought he was dead... his breathing stopped altogether while his heartbeat accelerated to some unknown level... his eyes were ready to pop out...

Naina came out wearing a lehenga... without a dupatta. She looked like a dream... her bare waist shone from this distance... The short blouse had very short sleeves...

And then she twirled... like a kid... holding her skirt... and the speeding heartbeat went faster... if that was even possible...

And then was the time of his death... Preeti pushed her hair away, exposing the back... with just some strings...

He gulped. The sound of  drumming heartbeat was deafening him now.

Naina checked herself... her bare back to be precise... giving him full view of the strings.

He was going to die.

The sisters started giggling over something... he could make out that Naina was feeling shy about what Preeti was saying, as she covered her face with her hands for a moment... then showed her the back of her hand. He was not in a condition to even try to understand what they could be talking.

The giggling started again... as Munna opened the door and walked out in a blue kurta.

Sameer could hardly make out what he was saying or asking. He just smiled and nodded and his friend, satisfied, went back to try the next one.

He looked back in the direction of girls and almost fainted.

Preeti had her arms around Naina's waist...

As he stared with eyes as wide as they could be... she tightly kissed the cheeks that he had been dreaming about everyday...

His mouth went dry... hands fisted... whole body broke into a sweat... there was no heartbeat... he wasn't sure anymore if his heart was still there in his body or jumped out and was lying somewhere around... he could not even look for it... his eyes had lost focus.

When he could see a little, Naina had already changed into her own clothes and waited with a pile of clothes. Preeti came out to show a few suits that she was trying and the girls walked away after a few minutes.

"Sameer... Sameer... Sameeer... "

Munna shook his friend... whose face had turned white. He was sweating and looking in some far off direction with glazed eyes.

Munna rubbed his hands and lightly tapped on the cheeks to bring him out of the state he had slipped into.

"Bhaiya, zara paani lana", he called out to the salesman.

They made him sit and sprinkled some water on his face.

Sameer slowly looked around, blinking hard... and the surroundings started to register in his mind.

He looked up at the worried face of his friend and another unknown person, standing with a glass of water. He snatched the glass and finished its contents in long gulps.

Munna placed a hand on his shoulder, " Bhai, ab kaisa lag raha hai? Theek hai na tu? Ho kya gaya achanak?"

Sameer swallowed hard, "Ku... kuch na...  nahi... bas thoda chakkar jaisa aa gaya tha."

Munna kneeled in front of him, "Ghar chalein? Teri haalat kuch sahi nahi lag rahi."

"Nahi, uski zaroorat nahi hai... ab theek hun", he didn't want to leave his friend's shopping incomplete.

Munna pressed his hand, " Kurta toh ho gaya... tu baith main baaki samaan le leta hun... fir chalenge."

Sameer remained seated, trying to get back to normal... but what he had seen made it difficult for him to breathe. He asked for some more water. A helper boy came with three glasses in a tray and he gulped down all three, one after the other.

Seeing the condition of his friend, Munna decided to ride the bike, asking him to sit behind.

Sameer spent the whole day in a dazed state.

Pandit was also surprised to see him like this.

"Bhai, isse kya ho gaya? Jab se aaya hai muh pe taala lagake aise khidki pe khada hai jaise iska samosa bahar gir gaya ho",  he whispered to Munna, still looking at Sameer.

Munna scratched his head, "Pata nahi kya hua... ekdum se aisa ho gaya jaise koi bhoot dekh liya ho... kisi se baat bhi nahi kar raha".

Pandit narrowed his eyes, " Hamare bas ki baat nahi hai... ab toh isse bhabhi hi theek kar sakti hai."

He was not aware how on the mark he was.

Later in the night, Sameer dialled Naina's number.

"Hello", her voice made his heart race again.

"Hello... Sameer?"

The lehenga... the strings... the kisses... everything buzzed in his mind.

"Sameer, tum ho na?" Naina's hopeful voice brought him to present.

"Naina", he whispered.

She was immediately aware that something was wrong, " Kya hua Sameer? Theek ho na tum? Kuch hua hai kya?"

Gathering his courage, he muttered into the phone, "Kya kar diya tumne... kyon? Aisa nahi karna chahiye tha..."

Her heart thudded with an unknown fear, "Ky... kya hua, Sameer? Maine toh kuch nahi kiya... bolo na kya baat hai?"

He closed his eyes, "Woh... woh tumne... aaj... lehenga... woh kya tha, Naina?"

It was her turn to be shocked. Lehenga... how did he know... had Preeti told him... No, not possible... had he, she gasped, had he seen her... how?

They could hear the heavy breathing of each other.

Finally, he broke the silence, "Maine dekha tha... tumhe... aur Preeti ko."

She slapped her hand on the forehead.

He had seen her dressed like that... remembering what all they had been talking and doing, she turned beetroot.

Another thought crossed her mind and she trembled, "Sameer, tum... tumne... kaise... tumne hamari baatein suni?"

"Main samne wale trial room ke bahar tha... Munna ke saath... wahan se dekha".

Her heart sank further, "Jijaji ne bhi... "

Sameer quickly cleared her doubt, "Nahi, Munna ne nahi... bas maine dekha... tumhe... uss lehenge mein... Naina... tum... tumne aaj  meri jaan le li."

She squeezed her eyes shut,"Tumne baatein bhi suni?"

"Nahi", his reply brought some relief.

But only for a moment...

She recollected how they had checked the back of the top, how Preeti had flung her arms around her... and kissed her, pretending to be Sameer... and she almost died.

"Kya tum woh sagai mein pehenogi?"

His question shocked her even more, "Sagai mein... woh lehenga... na... nahi toh... woh toh main bas... woh Preeti ne kaha toh bas try kiya tha... aise hi... woh toh main kabhi nahi pehen sakti."

"Kyon?"

"Kyonki waha rakha tha toh Preeti ne kaha hum kabhi aisa kuch kharedenge toh nahi par ek baar pehen ke dekh toh sakte hain na",  she explained.

Sameer's voice was again a whisper, "Mera matlab tha... kyon nahi pehen sakti kabhi."

She was surprised, "Haww... aise kapde pehen ke kisi ke samne thodi jaa sakti hun."

"Kisi ke samne nahi... mere samne... Naina, mere liye pehenna... sirf mere liye... main kal hi jaake woh lehenga leke aunga... aur intezaar karunga jab tum usse mere liye pehnogi", his voice was hoarse.

Her racing heartbeat stopped instantly... so did her breathing.

He continued, "Aaj jabse tumhe dekha uss  lehenge mein, tabse pagal ho gaya hun... ankhein kholta hun toh tum dikhti ho, gol ghumte hue... ankhein band karta hun toh tum dikhti ho... apne baal ek taraf karke khud ko niharte hue..."

She bit her lip... he had seen everything.

Sameer closed his eyes, reliving the scene, "Tum bohot sundar lag rahi thi, Naina."

Lowering her eyes, she placed one hand on her heart, trying to control it.

His voice rang in her ears again, "Kuch bologi nahi?"

She said in a low voice, "Kya bolun? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha."

He sighed, "Samajh toh mujhe bhi nahi aaya ki main kaise itna pagal ho gaya... bas man kar raha tha ki kaash Preeti ki jagah main hota."

Naina groaned...

His husky voice made her shiver again, "Jis din mere liye pehnogi woh lehenga, uss din bataunga mera man aur kya kya karna chahta tha."

She put the phone down.