"Naina, ek baat puchun?"

They were driving back home after the mandir visit when Sameer brought up the question that was floating in his mind since pooja.

"Tumhe kuch bhi poochne ke liye permission chahiye kya?" Naina chuckled.

"Nahi, woh baat nahi hai... main... main janna chahta tha ki tumne panditji ko sirf meri aane wali zindagi ki mangal kaamna karne ko kyon kaha... hum dono ke liye kehna chahiye tha na." He glanced at her momentarily, before looking back at the road.

She half turned in her seat, facing him with a smile, "Meri zindagi toh tum ho... jo tumhare liye maanga woh sab mera hi hua na."

"Aise toh mujhe bhi sirf tumhari khushi chahiye." He reasoned.

"Woh bhi tum ho... meri khushi. Sameer, hamara saath ab kabhi na chootne wala saath ban gaya hai... hum alag thodi hain jo alag alag pooja karwati." She placed one hand on his arm.

"Lekin Naina... " He furrowed his brows.

"Bas... ab koi behes nahi... meri baat maanne ki aadat daal lo... Mr Maheshwari, achha husband wohi hota hai jo apni biwi ki baat sar jhuka ke maan leta hai... sukhi rahoge zindagi bhar." She sat back in her seat, contented.

He smiled lovingly, "Tumhari baat toh main hamesha se maanta hun, meri jaan."

They reached home soon.

After giving prashad to Ramdhari, Naina asked him to keep the box for their friends. She needed everyone's wishes for Sameer's new journey.

The moment they entered the room, Sameer caught her with one hand, shutting the door with the other.

"Arre, abhi sab aate honge." She feigned surprise though she was expecting something like this from him.

"Aaye toh nahi na... aur ek baat tum bhi jaan lo... apne pati ko kabhi pyar karne se mat rokna... saari zindagi khush rahogi." He pulled her closer, her back against him.

She gave a satisfied smile... he had taken the first step.

Sameer had begun to see the wider picture.

But presently, his mind and heart were singing a different tune.

His hand slid around her waist, going under the pallu, "Kitne dinon baad saree pehni hai tumne."

She looked up over her shoulder, "Aur ab change karni hai... doston ke saamne sari pehen ke baithungi kya?"

"Yaar... yeh kya baat hui? Sabka khyal hai tumhe bas mera nahi hai." He brought his other arm around her waist, holding her tight.

"Achaa? Batao zara kaise rakhna hai tumhara khyal?" She placed her hands over his.

He leaned, kissing her neck, "Mere paas bohot ideas hain."

She leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder. This was all the affirmation he needed.

Slowly, he removed the pin from her shoulder, knowing fully well by now that Naina always secured her pallu with a safety pin. Bending his head, he placed his lips on her shoulder, kissing softly. A gasp escaped her lips when his teeth nipped at the same place the next moment. Holding her firmly, he blew over the mark, soothing it with soft kisses again.

"Yeh kya tha?" She shivered in his arms.

"Mera naam... jab bhi tum aaine mein iss nishaan ko dekhogi, toh samajhna main yahan hun... bilkul paas... tumhe apni baahon mein samete hue." He whispered in her ears.

She closed her eyes... he wanted to leave back a part of him when he went the next day...

"Aur jab yeh nishaan halka pad jayega, tab fir se de dunga... iske liye toh humein kahin jaana bhi nahi padega." His voice turned husky.

"Lekin yeh sabko dikhega." She said in a low voice.

"Achha? Toh wahan de deta hun jahan kisi ko na dikhe." His hands moved behind her.

Before she could say anything, he had pulled open the dori, reaching for the hooks.

"Sameer." Her shoulders pushed back involuntarily.

He didn't stop, having undone two out of four hooks.

She turned, facing him, "Kya kar rahe ho?"

"Apne naam likh raha hun tumpe." He pushed the loosened blouse slightly down her shoulder.

"Hato, abhi inn sabka time nahi hai... Ramdhari bhaiya aate honge... maine unhe breakfast taiyar karne ko kaha hai... bhook lagi hogi na tumhe?" She tried to pull back the blouse.

"Isiliye." He held her hand, looking intensely into her eyes.

She could see his desire clearly in the dark depths of his earnest eyes. But this wasn't the right time. She knew their friends would not stop from barging into their room if they didn't find the two of them outside... and a locked room at this time of the day would start a spell of teasings that would last for ages.

She placed one hand on his cheek, "Hamare doston ne aaj ka din hamare liye rakha hai... toh humein bhi unke liye taiyar rehna chahiye na... unke aane se pehle mujhe yeh kamra theek karna hai... itna sab jo tumne yahan bikhera hai... Sameer, abhi sahi waqt nahi hai."

He knew what she was saying was right... the group would pull their leg to no end if they arrived to find them locked in the room.

With a sigh, he clutched her waist, "Honeymoon itni jaldi khatam nahi karna chahiye tha... kam se kam ek mahina toh wahan reh ke aate."

She wrapped her arms around him, whispering against his neck, "Kisne kaha honeymoon khatam ho gaya... hamara toh chalta rahega."

He swiftly straightened, looking at her with hopeful eyes, "Pakka? Aaj raat bhi kuch special?"

"Dhatt... tum bohot besharam ho." She buried her face in his chest, colouring at his hint.

He tightened his arms, crushing her, "Tumne mujhe besharam bana diya... aage aage aur bhi banunga... aap taiyar rehna Mrs Maheshwari."

She wondered what he meant by this... was it a threat, or warning... or he was just teasing her...

"Change kar lo... dori toh maine khol hi di hai, kaho toh sari mein bhi madad... " He parted, looking at her with eyes full of mischief.

"Main kar lungi... itni madad ki zaroorat nahi hai." She stepped back quickly.

He started to open the buttons of his shirt.

"Tum kya kar rahe ho?" She was alarmed, thinking he had changed his mind again.

"Main bhi t-shirt pehen leta hun... garmi mein theek rahegi." He was down to the second one.

"Nahi, tum aisa nahi kar sakte." She instantly placed her hand over his buttons, worried.

He gave her a perplexed look, then looked down at her hand on his chest.

A crooked smile spread on his face, "Todne hain?"

She blushed to the roots, lowering her eyes, "Woh... woh nishaan dikh jayega t-shirt mein... shirt hi pehne rakho."

His brows furrowed. Walking towards the mirror, he peered at his neck widening the collar. A round blue mark on the side was clearly visible. He fingered it lightly, loving the dull ache it gave.

He turned, walking slowly towards her, "Ismein bhi tum aage nikal gayi... meri topper biwi."

She tried to run past him. He lunged at her, catching the pallu... and the saree came undone.

She stopped in her tracks, looking down at the heap at her feet with wide eyes. He shrugged, flicking his brows when she looked back at him.

"Shayad sari bhi yehi chahti thi." His wink made her colour even more... and she quickly picked up the dress that she had left on top of her suitcase before leaving for the temple.

Ramdhari arrived with the tray of breakfast when she came out of the bathroom, dressed in a simple cotton dress in blue and white.

"Arre, Sameer bhaiya, aapne saara samaan kyon phenk diya?" He was shocked to see things lying on the floor, worried that something had triggered Sameer's anger again.

"Yeh sab faaltu hai... mujhe inn sabki koi zaroorat nahi hai... tu lejake phenk de... almari mein kabaad bhara hua tha itne saalon se." Sameer gave a disgusting look to the things that reminded him of Nainital.

She had wanted to sort out the stuff, keep some of his old things as memories, try to get more insight into his hostel days... but seeing the abhorrent expression on his face, she decided it was best to remove all the things from his sight as soon as possible.

"Ramdhari bhaiya, aap yeh sab store mein rakh dijiye." She instructed the confused servant.

"Store mein kyon? Inn sabko kachre ke dibbe mein daal do." Sameer said dryly.

She looked at him, placing a hand on his arm, "Sameer, yeh tumhare liye kachra ho sakta hai, par yeh kapde kisi zarooratmand ke kaam aa jayenge... yeh sab bilkul theek thaak hain... agar kisi ko de denge toh woh tumhe duaayen denge."

He looked at the bundle on the floor... the things that garnered nothing but bad memories could bring blessings to him? He glanced at Naina... how could she turn every darkness into sunshine?

Ramdhari quickly picked up a handful after he nodded at him, "Hum abhi bada wala bag le aate hain, usme sab daal ke rakh denge."

Naina carried the tray out to the balcony. One corner was shaded and cool. There was a fan too. She sat down on the couch, waving at Sameer to sit opposite her. He moved to her side, plopping right next to her, resting his face on a fisted hand, his elbow on the knee.

She chuckled, knowing what he wanted. Breaking a piece of parantha, she dipped in some curd, and took it to his mouth. He ate it with a satisfied smile.

Naina had to feed him the entire breakfast. He did not lift a finger.

"Bachche ho tum... khud nahi kha sakte the?" She chided playfully once they were done.

"Nahi... mujhe tumhare haath se hi khana tha... jaise kabhi kabhi nanu khilate the." He reminisced... and laid down with his head in her lap.

She realised how starved he was... for love... not only her love as a wife, but the motherly love he had craved for all his life... and never got. How could she not understand that vacuum... it had been there in her life too.

With a soft smile, she started to thread her fingers through his hair.

He closed his eyes, the touch filling him up with tranquility.

"Mujhe kabhi bardaasht nahi hota tha koi mere baalon ko haath lagaye... haircut lene bhi main bohot mushkil se jaata tha... nanu kabhi kabhi kehte the ki woh tel maalish kar denge, par maine unhe bhi manaa kar diya... lekin jab tumne mere baalon ko chuaa, aisa laga ki yeh sukoon hi toh dhoond raha tha main... kya jadoo hai tumhari ungaliyon mein, Naina?" He crossed his arms, turning his head slightly to look up at her.

"Koi jadoo nahi hai... baalon mein pyaar se hath pherne se aisa hi mehsoos hota hai... tumne kabhi try nahi kiya na isliye pata nahi chala... ek din main tumhari tel maalish bhi karungi." She continued to run her fingers in his hair.

"Uh huh... main baalon mein tel nahi daalta... suit nahi karta." He pouted.

"Jab main lagaungi tab dekhna, kitna suit karega... aur ek ghante mein shampoo kar lena... tel kaunsa poora din rakhna hota hai." She pinched his cheek with other hand.

He let out a long exhale... this feeling of being taken care of was so serene... he could spend the whole day in her lap, just looking at her face, her fingers tickling his scalp, weaving through his hair.

"Oho, toh yahan hain Laila Majnu... bhai, darwaza band kar lete romance ka mood tha toh." Munna's loud voice from the room made him get up swiftly.

Munna Pandit were standing in the middle of the room, hands on hips.

"Arre, tum log? Bell ki awaaz hi nahi aayi." Sameer entered the room, giving a sheepish smile.

"Chaunk toh aise raha hai jaise hum nahi Amrika ka President aaya ho tujhse milne... abe, bhool gaya kya, tune hi toh bulaya tha." Pandit frowned.

"Agar nahi chahta hum disturb karein toh chale jaate hain... waise bhi bhabhi ke aane ke baad hamari zaroorat kisse hai." Munna sighed, turning to go back.

Sameer pulled him in a quick hug, "Drama band kar... tum dono ko tang kheechne ke alava kuch aata hai kya?"

Pandit smirked, "Aata hai na... baal kheenchna... bhabhi se zyada achhe kheench sakte hain... dikhayen kya?"

Sameer dodged back as Pandit lunged at his hair.

"Baalon ko haath mat lagana." He blurted.

"Wohi toh... humein tu hamesha dhakka maar deta tha jab kabhi galti se bhi tere baal choo lete the... aur bhabhi... " Munna gave a crooked smile, narrowing his eyes.

"Samjha kar Munna, ab apna bhai Sameer Maheshwari nahi raha... Sameer Naina Agarwal ban gaya hai." Pandit looped an arm around Munna's shoulder, speaking seriously.

And thus began the chase, yet again.

Naina watched from the balcony as two of them continued to give a slip to Sameer before all three hugged each other... this was one bond that gave Sameer the happiness she had never seen in his eyes except when he was with her.

And she wanted this bond to always remain this strong.

Next update tomorrow morning