"Nainaaaa." Preeti screamed her lungs out as Naina entered the door, rushing to hug her.

She had informed her family about coming today but did not mention the time. They were expecting her to come late in the night... like she used to board the train in the evening and arrive late night previously.

"Naina, aa gayi tu?" Bela rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands at the end of her saree.

She hugged chachiji, sniffing.

"Kitni sundar lag rahi hai... Mumbai jaake pehle hi nikhar gayi thi... ab toh shaadi ke baad kisi pari se kam nahi lag rahi... nazar na lage meri bachhi ko." Bela immediately took a dot of kajal from the corner of her eye and applied it behind Naina's ear.

"Yeh kya beta, na koi bindi, na sindoor... aise thodi rehte hain shaadi ke baad...  " She frowned suddenly, looking at her forehead.

"Chachiji, yahan laga ke aati kya? Agar taiji ghar pe hoti toh... aate hi prashad mil jaata unse." She smiled, wiping the tears.

It was easier now... she could easily attribute her tears to meeting with the family after so long.

"Yeh toh tune sach kaha, beta... bas abhi hi gayi hain... bolke ki raat ka khana sab yahin khayenge... unhe pata hai na aaj tere liye maine khaas paneer banaya hai." Bela laughed, never complaining about the extra workload that her co sister dumped on her.

"Mubarak ho, aaj tinde nahi bane hain," Preeti gave a deliberate smile to her mother before turning to her sister with a grumpy face.

"Dekha Naina, meri koi value hi nahi hai... roz tinde khilati hain... aur aaj paneer banaya hai toh sirf teri wajah se... haan bhai... humne kaunsa serial likha hai ya award jeeta hai... humein koi kyon paneer dega... yahan toh saari zindagi tinde ke saath hi bitani padegi." Preeti exclaimed in her usual dramatic voice.

Naina could not help but smirk, "Iski nautanki khatam nahi hui abhi tak?"

Bela exhaled in resignation, "Aur bhi badh gayi hai... lagta hai shaadi ke baad hi akal aayegi isko."

"Woh bhi toh nahi karate aap log... baithe ho maze se... arre bhai dono badi behno ki shaadi ho gayi toh mere baare mein socho na zara." Preeti made a frustrated face.

"Tujhe saari zindagi tinde hi milenge... shaadi bhi tinde se hi kar le." Naina teased.

Laughing at the teasing banter of her daughters, Bela went back to kitchen.

Preeti jumped closer to Naina, whispering in her ear, "Dekh rahi hun... khud toh itne handsome ladke ki biwi ban ke baithi hai aur meri shaadi tinde se... theek hai behen... tune bhi aaj dagaa de hi diya."

"Dagaa de di." Naina said with a straight face.

"Huh?" Preeti looked at her in confusion.

"Dagaa de diya nahi dagaa de di." She corrected her.

Preeti widened her eyes, "Maan liya tune? Matlab sach mein de diya... haan, haan de di... matlab tu bhi bewafa ho gayi... he bhagwan, mere liye ab iss duniya mein kuch nahi bacha... mujhe doosri duniya mein bhej do... nahi, nahi, wahan nahi... mere Amir ya Akshay ke ghar... Shahrukh bhi chalega... bas ab aap hi meri shaadi kara do."

Naina laughed hard at her antics, "Bas kar apna natak... nahi toh chachaji se kehke tujhe Mumbai bhijwa dungi... wahan kisi show mein role mil hi jayega."

Peeti was excited, "Sachhi... toh bol de na papa ko... main heroine ki behen ka role kar lungi... acting tak nahi karni padegi... jo hun bas wohi dikhaungi."

"Naina, beta, apna bag kamre mein le jaa... aur haath muh dho le... main chai bana deti hun." Chachiji called out from the kitchen.

Preeti excitedly picked up the suitcase,  grumbling the next moment, "Hayee, itna bhari hai... jijai ko chupa ke toh nahi le aayi isme?"

Naina shushed her, looking at the kitchen and then, back at the main door.

"Pagal hai kya tu... itni zor se kyon bol rahi hai?" She smacked her sister.

Unperturbed, Preeti flicked her brows, "Sach mein laayi hai kya?"

Naina slapped her forehead before taking the suitcase from her and walked to the room she shared with Preeti.

The moment she entered, her eyes fell on the mirror... and she recalled how she had seen Sameer's reflection and thought it was her dream... when he had come to this house the first time.

Pressing her lower lip under the teeth, she tried to stop the tears from filling up her eyes again.

"Darwaze pe hi khadi rahegi kya... andar chal na." Preeti nudged her from behind.

She walked in... putting the suitcase against the wall.

The moment she straightened, Preeti jumped in front of her, "Ab bata... kaisa lag raha hai Mrs Maheshwari banke?"

The mention of that name broke the dam, bringing the flood of tears that she had been holding back for days... trying to be strong in front of Sameer.

Preeti engulfed Naina in her arms, letting her cry her heart out.

Few minutes later, when the shuddering slowed down a bit, Preeti stroked her back, soothing her.

"Bas behen, kitna royegi... chal ab muh dho ke aaja... mummy bulane aati hongi." She pacified her sister.

Naina moved back, still sobbing.

"Itni dukhi hai tu jijaji ke saath? Yeh umeed toh nahi thi unse." Preeti said with a straight face, making Naina let out a small chuckle.

"Pagal, uske saath hun isliye nahi ro rahi... usse door hun isliye ro rahi hun." She ran a hand on her cheeks, wiping away the wetness.

Preeti poked a finger on her temple, "Mujhe pata hai buddhu... tujhe hasane ke liye kaha tha... iss pyaar ke chakkar mein meri topper behen ka dimag bhi kaam karna band ho gaya hai kya bhagwanji?"

"Rehne de yeh nautanki... tujhe kya pata kitna mushkil hai aise door rehna... bina yeh jaane ki hum fir se saath kab honge." She sniffed again.

Preeti let out a long sigh, "Mujhe toh sabse zyada pata hai, Naina... door rehna kitna mushkil hai... main toh apne pyar se kabse door hun."

Naina's eyes widened, "Preeti? Kya keh rahi hai? Kaun hai woh?"

Keeping her hands on her waist, Preeti scrunched her nose, "Bas yehi pata lagana baaki hai, behen... isiliye toh door hun... jabse paida hui tabse... main bhi toh bardaasht kar rahi hun na... tu bhi kar legi."

Naina gave an exasperated look to her... and stomped off to the washroom.

After freshening up and a cup of tea, accompanied by chachiji's long list of questions about her damaadji, Naina and Preeti were in their room when the unmistakable loud holler made her jump up.

"Belaaaa... O Belaa." Taiji stormed in the house.

"O bai, chai banayi hai... mujhe bhi dede ek cup... sar kuch bhaari sa ho raha hai... waise itni chai kaise pite ho tum log?" Taiji entered the kitchen and scanned everything in a few seconds.

"Woh Naina ke liye banayi thi." Bela handed her a cup of tea to her.

Naina entered the kitchen at the same moment, "Namaste taiji."

"Haan, haan, namaste," she gave a curt reply to her greeting, looking her up and down.

"Itne saal Mumbai mein rehke bhi shakal nahi sudhari teri... abhi bhi murjhayi hi padi hai... Bela, isko zara kuch ubtan wagerah lagane ko de... ab kal ko shaadi ki baatein shuru hongi toh iss shakal ke saath kaun leke jayega isse?" The disdain in her voice was same as before.

"Kya baat kar rahi hai, bhabhiji... dhyaan se dekhiye zara isse... kitni sundar lag rahi hai... shaadi ke baad aisa roop..." Bela blurted out more than required, in her eagerness to save Naina from further jabs.

"Shaadi ke baad aur bhi roop nikhar jayega... yeh kehna hai mummy ko... haina mummy?" Preeti handled the situation, shifting closer to her mother.

Bela nodded furiously, keeping mum.

Taiji made a sad face, "Pehle koi haan toh kare iss jali kundali wali ko leke jaane ke liye... baap ke paas paisa tak nahi hai ki dahej deke kisi tarah apna peecha chuda le."

"Paison ki Naina ke paas koi kami nahi hai, bhabhiji... usne teen saal mein bohot kamaa liye hain... humse ek paisa bhi nahi leti dhai saal se... balki yahan aati hai toh itna kuch leke aati hai." Bela again came to her rescue.

Taiji's eyes widened, "Achha, aisa kitna kamati hai... aur iss baar kya layi hai zara dekhen toh."

Her eyes roamed around the living room to see if there was anything.

"Woh taiji, samaan kal aayega... humne book kara diya tha kyonki hostel khaali kiya toh thoda zyada tha." Naina replied in a low voice.

"Humne?" Taiji raised one brow.

"Isne aur baaki sab ladkiyon ne... yeh toh sabhi karte hain wahan Mumbai mein." Preeti held Naina's arm to stop her from answering.

Taiji gave an impatient look to Preeti before going back to Bela, "Tere bhaisaab aur Rakesh aate hi honge, khaana taiyar hai na?"

Bela nodded.

After she was gone, Naina took a deep sigh... it would not be easy to face her wrath... being away for so long, she had probably underestimated the venom taiji could spew.

"Tu ghabra mat, kal tere chachaji bhi Dilli se wapas aa jayenge... tab milke Rakesh bhaisaab se baat karenge." Bela stroked her head.

Naina gulped... tomorrow meant one day was wasted... she could not do anything today...

When Rakesh came over for dinner along with tauji, Naina wished her father and his brother. A momentary softening appeared in his eyes, replaced by the same hard look the next second.

"Ho gayi teri padhai khatam?" He asked, settling down on the dining chair.

"Jee papa." Naina replied.

"Achha hai, ab zara ghar ke kaam seekho... kal ko shaadi hogi toh yeh degree kaam nahi aayegi." Tauji instructed in his authoritative voice.

"Arre Naina, tu aa gayi... mujhe pata hi nahi chala." Arjun beamed the moment he stepped in the door, happy to see his sister after so long.

A genuine smile appeared on Naina's face after a long time.

Arjun hugged her before taking a seat next to his father. He conveyed to her through eyes that he would talk after dinner.

Naina and Preeti served to all of them... taiji and Pralay had also joined.

Later, Naina stood in the balcony with Arjun.

"Mujhe bohot gussa aaya tha Naina, jab papa ne uss ladke se teri shaadi ki baat ki thi... par mujhe unhone kuch bolne hi nahi diya... achha hua jo woh baat khud hi khatam ho gayi... main apni behen ke liye achha sa rishta dhoond ke launga." He still felt guilty that the alliance was being considered because of him.

Naina closed her eyes, drawing up courage to start what she intended to do.

"Uski zaroorat nahi hai, bhaiya." She said softly.

"Nahi Naina, main koshish karunga taaki yeh log kisi aire gaire ke saath tujhe na baandh de... pata nahi papa ko bhi teri itni kam fikar kyon hai... par tu ghabra mat... main hun na teri chinta ke liye." He smiled warmly.

"Aur bhi koi hai, bhaiya." Her voice was low but firm.

"Haan pata hai... par chachaji ne toh hamesha tere liye kiya hai... iss baar main bhi kuch karna chahta hun." Arjun looked at a far away point, sad that he could never stand for his sister.

Her next sentence shook him though.

"Chachaji ke alava bhi koi hai jisse meri sabse zyada fikar hai."

He looked at her downcast eyes for a few minutes in silence... then the protective side of an elder brother cropped up.

He held her shoulders, "Naina, tu kisi ki baaton mein mat aana... tu jaanti nahi hai inn bade sheharon ke bigde hue ladkon ko... bohot bholi hai tu... kisi se baat karne ki zaroorat nahi hai... agar koi tujhe behkane ki koshish kare toh mujhe batana... aise awara ladkon ko tere aas paas aane tak nahi dunga."

She looked up at him, "Maine aur Sameer ne shaadi kar li hai, bhaiya."

Arjun's hands fell to his sides, limp with the impact of what he just heard.