Sameer suggested they go to the same shop where Naina had purchased her farewell saree. She readily agreed, already impressed with their vast collection.

The salesman started to show them the sarees suitable for newly married when they said it was for the first pooja after marriage. Naina was uncomfortable seeing the extremely heavy ones in bright colours.

"Sameer, main yeh kaise pehnungi... yeh toh bohot ajeeb hain... matlab shaadi karne thodi jaa rahein hain." She whispered to him when the salesman got up to get more designs.

He understood her dilemma. Whatever had been shown till now was not to his liking either. He couldn't imagine Naina in any of those heavily embellished yards of fabric.

"Dekhiye, yeh sab nahi, aap waisa kuch dikhaiye." Sameer pointed at a mannequin.

Naina looked back to see a blue chiffon saree with narrow silver border. Though it had some work of stones and thread, it looked manageable. She smiled in relief, once again appreciative of Sameer's choice.

The salesman was finally able to get a bunch of sarees that appealed to her. When he opened a dark pink one with gold border, both of them reached for it together. They looked at each other... and smiled... knowing that this was the choice of the other. Naina picked up a yellow blouse in contrast to go with it. She tried and was satisfied with the fitting.

Once the blouse and underskirt to go with the saree were selected, Naina got up to pay.

Sameer held her hand, "Naina, aaj tum apne pati ke saath aayi ho... tum nahi main iske paise dunga."

She smiled... accepting without hesitation.

Saree shopping done, next was accessories.

"Naina, woh jo Sonali keh rahi thi na... umm... mangalsudhra... woh le lo tum." He tried to recollect the name.

She burst out laughing, in the middle of the road, earning strange glances from passerbys. Sameer looked at her, suddenly conscious.

"Kya... kya hua... aise hans kyon rahi ho?" He asked, knowing for sure it had something to do with him.

"Sameer, woh mangalsudhra nahi mangalsutra hota hai... tum bhi pata nahi kya bolte ho." She said amidst peals of laughter.

He gave a sheepish look, "Ab mujhe kaise pata hoga kya hota hai... par samajh toh aa gaya na tumko."

She held his arm, still smiling, "Main tumpe nahi hans rahi... tumhari iss pyari si baat pe hans rahi hun... kahan se sochte ho tum aise shabd."

He ran a hand through his hair, "Ab batao kahan chalna hai."

"Yahin paas mein ek badi shop hai wahan se le lete hain... sab mil jayega." She showed him the direction.

They decided to walk as it was closeby.

Naina bought a set of glass bangles, along with some golden thicker ones to pair with them. She chose a delicate floral pattern pendent set, some cosmetics, a packet of bindi and a small box of sindoor. In the end, she decided to buy an imitation mangalsutra as well.

"Sameer, yeh main le toh rahi hun par bas kal ke liye... iske baad tabhi pehnungi jab tum shaadi mein pehnaoge." She told him.

"Bilkul madam, aapke liye aisa mangal... mangalsutra banwaunga ki waisa kabhi kisi ne nahi dekha hoga." He leaned closer to her.

When they reached back, Sonali came over to their room to see the saree Naina had bought. Sameer chatted with Rahul in the living room while Naina showed her shopping to her friend who loved everything.

"Sun Naina, tere periods khatam ho gaye na?" She asked as Naina folded the saree.

"Aaj aakhiri din hai." She answered.

"Kal shampoo kar lena... mummy kehti hain pooja karne se pehle kar lena chahiye." She adviced.

Naina accepted without question, chachiji also insisted on the same thing back home.

After dinner, Naina sternly stated that she would be studying for a couple of hours as a lot of time had been wasted in the shopping trip and next day was again to be spent in pooja. Sameer accepted, seeing no option... he didn't want to sleep while she sat at the table.

It was past midnight when she noticed that he had fallen asleep in the chair. Closing her books, she went to him.

"Sameer, utho... bed pe chal ke so jao... Sameer... utho na." She tried to wake him up.

He stirred, opening his eyes to look at her groggily.

"Chalo bed pe so jao aaram se." She pulled him up.

Somehow, she managed to drag him to the bed, making him lie on her side... it was impossible to take him to the other side of the bed.

She switched off the light and came back to adjust his pillow. Lifting his head with one hand, she straightened the pillow when his arms came around her waist. Before she could balance herself, she had landed over him... the moment she fell, he rolled to his side, taking her along.

Her breath hitched as he tightened his hold... her face in the crook of his neck, his breath warming her ear and cheek.

"Sameer, theek se so jao please," she tried to move out of his tight hold.

"Umm Naina... sone do na." He mumbled.

Having no way to free herself from his hold, she tried to sleep, her heart still racing as his even breath fanned her face.

It was not yet morning though the darkness outside had started to wane when Sameer opened his eyes. He had become used to her weight on his shoulder but today seemed different. In the glow of lamp, he saw her sleeping form half on himself. Her hand was around his waist, one leg folded at the knee was on his legs, head under his chin, her half body weight was on his right side. He himself was slightly turned towards her, one hand around her waist while the other was on her upper back.

Sameer almost lost his mind... how did they end up like this... he could not even recall coming to bed... he realised he was on her side of the bed... did he... did he roll over her?

His heart hammered against his ribcage... wondering how he reached here... he tried to shift a little to make her lie on the bed.

Her hand moved, and slid up on his bare chest, from where his t-shirt had bunched up... he shuddered, frozen at the way her hot palm rested in the center of his chest... this was not easy for him to handle.

"Naina... Naina... suno..." Seeing no other alternative, he decided to wake her up.

"Hun na tumhari heroine, sirf tumhari." She murmured... a soft smile on her lips... her fingers curling up on his chest...

Whatever little sanity was holding him, snapped at that moment... all he could see was the moonlike face of his fantasies resting on his chest, surrounded by a halo of tousled hair, her fingers clutching him with full right of a wife...

He hooked a finger under her chin, lifted her face and pressed his lips on hers.

Her eyes shot open... to see his face upon hers... to feel the kiss which was anything but the gentle, soft good morning kiss. It was rough... showing the urgency in him... and her eyes went wide, a gasp that escaped her getting lost in his mouth.

Sameer had closed his eyes... all thoughts, each promise, his dream... everything melting away in the elemental need as he hungrily devoured her, secured in the knowledge that the woman in his arms belonged to him... heart, body and soul.

She was too dazed to respond even when his hands moved inside her kurta to explore her back... going up this time.

As his tongue reached every corner of her mouth, so did his hands, urgently moving over every inch of her skin, over the elastic band, feeling the tight straps over her shoulders, tracing the hollow in the center of her back.

She was wide awake now... sensing the feral emotions that he had surrendered to... she had to stop him... only for himself. His dream was too precious and she didn't want him to give it away in one heated moment...

His fingers played with the contraption at her back and her own thundering heart leapt up to her mouth... the pull of his desire threatened to consume her...

She had to stop him... now...

Realising the position of her hand on his chest, she quickly pulled it out, holding his face within her palms and pushing him away from herself.

It was more of the need of air for his constricted lungs than her push that made him lift his head... through hooded eyes, he saw the wide open ones staring at him.

"Haan, tum ho meri... meri heroine." He whispered against her lips, brushing them as he spoke.

She didn't know he was awake or talking in his dream... was he living a fantasy...

"Sameer, rukna hoga... yeh... yeh abhi nahi." Her own voice sounded alien to her, rough with a primal need that had coiled her nerves to a painful mass.

She shook him again before the buzzing in her mind took over, making her as lost as him.

"Sameer, utho... please... " She tugged at his hands, trying to pull them out.

His eyes opened slowly... and completely... the situation hitting him with full force. He tried to get up abruptly but his hands stuck under her kurta pulled him down. The shock at the position of his hands made his eyes go wider... and he dragged them out immediately, getting up from the bed.

The moment his weight lifted off her, Naina ran to the washroom. Standing against the closed door, she kept one hand on her heaving chest, trying to bring the wildly beating heart in control. Her back still burned from the touch of his fingers... mouth tingled with his plundering kiss... hands shook as she recalled his skin under it... his weight on her had made the pain in the clenched muscles of her belly even stronger... so much that she was finding it difficult to breathe.

She quickly reached the basin, opening the tap to splash cold water on her face. It gave some relief. Holding onto the rim, she stood with closed eyes, calming herself.

Sameer was seated on the chair, head lowered. She saw the slumped shoulders and instantly knew his state of mind. He was again feeling guilty.

With a deep breath, she walked up to him. He looked up with a jerk as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Standing up, he turned to the side, not facing her.

"Naina, sorry, main... main kaise... " He started.

A peck on his lips made him look sharply at her.

"Naina, sach keh raha hun... "

Another peck did not let him complete his sentence again.

"Please, suno toh..."

Her lips brushed over his again.

"Tum galat mat..."

She held his face and kissed over his lips lightly.

He watched silently as she stood gazing into his eyes... no accusation, no anger, no shyness, no hint of any complaint... just pure love reflected for him in the brown soft eyes.

"Mujhse zyada time lagta hai tumhe samajhne mein." She said gently... and he remembered he had done the same to her... she had stayed quiet after three kisses while it took him four.

The confusion and guilt in his mind cleared... he knew now... she was there with him... to take care... to reach the dream together with him... to hold his hand if he faltered... to let him know she was all his and she accepted everything... accepted him... accepted his vision of the beautiful life that would begin with the night of their final marriage.

He pulled her into his arms.

His wife...

She was not his better half... she was his complete being... his existence.