"Tum yahan itni raat ko choron ki tarah mujhe challenge karne aaye ho?" Naina was amazed.

"Itni raat ko, haan... par choron ki tarah nahi... Romeo ki tarah... aur ek test lene aaya hun... dekhte hain tum usmein paas hoti ho ya nahi." Sameer nipped her earlobe as she tried to shrink away.

"Oh Romeo Juliet, khidki meri hai jiske neeche baithe ho... zara dheere bolo... meri neend kharab ki toh sabko jagaa dungi." Preeti's irritated voice floated out as she peeped out of the window.

Sameer slipped further down, pulling Naina in his arms, her upper part of the body completely over him.

"Sameer, chodo mujhe, yeh kya kar rahe ho?" She whispered, her lips close to his jaw.

"Shhh... awaz nahi." He muttered, speaking right on her ear.

His one hand around her waist kept her firmly pinned to his chest while the other one trailed behind her, going up to pull out the hair band that kept her hair tied.

Their faces were just an inch apart, eyes lost in each other... she could feel his breath heating her skin... and her gaze slipped to his lips.

She waited...

His hand moved down from her hair, tracing her spine... then came to her arm... and he held it... pressing a little.

She winced.

"Dawa nahi lagayi na tumne?" He was almost inaudible.

She gulped... waiting for his phone call and then the tension of not being able to speak to him had erased all thoughts about her pain.

He took out the tube of ointment from his pocket. She saw it, and looked up at him in wonder... he had come to apply ointment on her mark.

His hand went behind her neck... and a frown appeared on his face... the kurta had no zipper.

He raised his brows in question... she shrugged... there was no way he could reach the mark.

But then... Sameer Maheshwari was not the one to be deterred by small hurdles.

He held the hem of her sleeve... and ripped it... till the upper arm.

Naina gasped... but the sound was lost in his mouth... as he had closed his lips over hers, anticipating her reaction. She twisted her arm, but he held onto it, not letting her move... his tongue exploring the depths, his teeth nipping her lips.

When he left her a little later, he kept on stroking her back, helping her to get normal.

"Bilkul chup rehna, main abhi dawa lagaunga... agar awaz hui toh Preeti uth jayegi aur yeh..." He pointed at her torn sleeve.

She pressed her lips together. He applied some ointment on the bluish black patch on her milky white skin, blowing on it.

The pain he was trying to soothe was much lesser than the havoc he was creating by everything he was doing.

He blew on the mark a few times... leaned and kissed a little above it. Her arm jerked as his lips grazed the bumpy skin covered with goosebumps.

"Shh Naina... awaaz mat karna." His low whisper against her ear again made her shiver.

He took some more ointment and started to rub on her cheek, with feather strokes, making her insane.

"Tum... tum kya kar rahe ho?" Her restrained voice conveyed the effect he was having on her.

His palm flattened behind her, plastering her to him as he placed his lips on her ear, "Main toh kuch kar hi nahi raha... bas tumhare dard pe marham laga raha hun."

Her one hand was still in his grasp, the other was on the wall next to him, to balance herself. She let it go, leaning more on him, as the free hand now travelled up his chest, moving closer to the button of his shirt.

If he wanted to play a game... his wife was ready to play along... let the competition be equal.

She fiddled with the top button, satisfied when it gave way. When she moved to the next one, he hissed, "Naina... hum bahar hain... tum yeh sab?"

"Shh... dard pe dawa lagane ke liye thank you bol rahi hun." She roughly whispered.

Her lips pressed on him as she tugged hard at the second button... and the threads gave way. His muffled sound was too faint to wake up anyone.

Sameer was a victim of his own plan now... with her in control, hand behind his neck, tongue forcing him till he opened his mouth. His hold on her arm became lose, and she jerked it free, immediately bringing it up to cup his face. As her lips left him, her fingers covered his mouth while she moved down to his throat, till she reached the chest bared by one open and one torn button. She started to place small kisses all over the visible skin, pressing her hand over his mouth to curb any sound.

He groaned against her fingers... he had not intended to take it this far... he was slipping now...

He sat up straight, holding her shoulders to balance her... and brought her face right in front of his, "Aaj kya irada hai?"

She looked into his dark eyes, even darker now... and winked.

He gritted his teeth... the list of incidents for which he would seek revenge later was constantly getting longer.

"Tumse poora hisaab lunga, Naina... yaad rakhna." He fisted his hand in her hair and plundered her mouth with a harsh kiss.

When he got up to go, she held his hand, "Challenge toh bata do."

He gave her a perplexed look... and remembered his plan...

He mentally kicked himself... had she not reminded him, he would have gone back, blank after her attack on his complete system... she was capable of making him lose every ounce of sanity...

"Woh challenge yaad hai mujhe... bas batane hi wala tha... tum zara sa bhi intezar nahi kar sakti." He tried to cover up his folly.

She raised one brow, seeing through his blabbering.

He again pulled her closer, "Toh challenge yeh hai ki kal se tum mujhe ek baar bhi chuogi nahi... kyonki tumhe mujhse koi kaam toh hai nahi... fir shaadi ki taiyariyan karni hai tumhe... toh madam, kal se jo baat kehni ho, bol ke kehna... chipka chipki nahi... main bhi dekhna chahta hun kab tak kaam nahi hota tumhe... samjhi?"

She gazed into his eyes, filled with mischief, "Kya tum reh paoge bina chue?"

He gave a lopsided smile, "Challenge tumhare liye hai," he traced one finger along her hairline, "main jab chahe tumhara kareeb aa sakta hun, tumhe choo sakta hun."

He grazed his thumb over her lip.

She lifted herself and bit on his jaw.

"Naina, yeh kis liye?" He hissed, rubbing his jaw.

"Challenge toh kal se hai na... abhi jo chahe kar sakti hun." She went on toes again and pulled his head to kiss him till his head buzzed insanely.

"Bye Sameer." She left him as quickly as she had pulled him.

He narrowed his eyes... then steppped back, going down the balcony through the pipe.

She knew he would keep this in mind... next few days would be interesting... and challenging.

They both slept peacefully after a long time... the days of being alone were numbered now.

Rakesh had been tossing and turning in bed... the thought of his daughter marrying someone like Sameer Maheshwari... he wasn't even sure if he was annoyed, or unhappy, or didn't care... he didn't know what exactly was bothering him. He had never given much thought to Naina's marriage, except when he had accepted the unsuitable proposal in Baroda... but now that it was being talked about with certainty, he was confused.

Sameer Maheshwari... a rich, confident, and now successful man... another achiever in the family... another person to remind him that he was a failure...

He wondered why he was so unlucky to have got the least in every department... no education, no qualification, no high paying job, no bank balance, no house... even his wife left him long back... and now the struggle for Arjun. He wasn't sure Arjun would be able to achieve his dream or not...

And Naina... the one he never paid any attention to... she had not only been successful all through the school life, but managed to earn a name for herself in a city like Mumbai. All that he wanted for his son was attained by his daughter at such a young age. And now her marriage... he was more frustrated than angry... why no good things came Arjun's way...

Unable to lie down anymore, he got up and walked out to the living room. His bhabhi's voice came out loud and clear as he crossed their door...

"Aap bas yeh sochiye ki iss rishte se aapka fayda hi faayda hai... arre na hi humein koi kharcha karna padega... gussa dikha ke shaamil honge toh shaadi ke hisaab mein bhi Anand kuch nahi mangega... aur aage jaake iss Rakesh babu naam ki musibat se bhi chutkara milega... Naina ko keh denge ki apne nikamme baap ko leja yahan se... kab tak inka aur uss nalayak Arjun ka bojh uthate rahenge hum log... aur fir Maheshwari khaandan ki rishtedari ka faayda aapki wakalat ko aur chamka dega... soch ke dekhiye... main kal jaake buaji ke saamne ghar parivar ke liye apni zid chodne ka thoda natak kar dungi... woh Bela aur Anand naak ragadte aayenge aapke paas... manaane ke liye... bas aap maan jaana... saakh bhi reh jayegi aur apna kaam bhi nikal jayega... aur ek rupaya nahi kharch hoga."

Rakesh expected his brother's voice to roar any moment on his wife... admonishing her for talking like this.

"Baat toh theek keh rahi ho tum, Bina... ab uss ladki ki shaadi kisse ho humein kya lena dena... jiye, mare... jo bhi kare... haan Maheshwari khandaan ka naam agar humse judd raha hai toh iska fayda zarur uthana chahiye... aur sach kahun toh main bhi iss Rakesh ki jhak jhak se pareshan ho gaya hun... chutkara chahiye in baap bete se... saari zindagi ka theka thodi le ke rakha hai humne khairat baantne ka... theek hai, tum kal baat kar lo... Anand aayega toh main badappan dikhate hue uski baat maan lunga."

Rakesh was stunned beyond belief... was this happening for real?

He stumbled back... and a pair of hands immediately supported him.

"Chaliye papa." Arjun quietly escorted him to their room.

He had also been unable to sleep, but was lying with his eyes closed till he saw  his father going out. Thinking that he was upset, he followed... and heard the talks of his taiji and tauji.

He could understand his father's condition... he was alone... all alone...

"Papa... dekh liya na apne... yeh hain hamare apne... jinke liye aap hamesha Naina ke saath itna bura salook karte rahe... inhi taiji ke kehne pe aap Naina ko maa ki maut ka zimmedar mante rahe... bina soche inki her baat pe yakeen karte rahe... papa, Naina bohot samajhdar hai... woh sabko pehchanti hai... aur Sameer ek suljha hua ladka hai... woh dono galat nahi hai... pyar kiya hai aur parivaar ki sehmati ke intezar mein ab tak baithe hain... warna unhe kaun rok sakta tha... kanoonan pati patni hain... bas hum sabke saath yeh khushi bantne ke liye woh itna dard seh rahe hain... kya aap ab bhi usse hi kasoorvar manenge? Usne koi aisa kadam nahi uthaya jisse aapki ya parivar ki izzat pe ungali uthe... lekin aapko lagta hai tauji aur taiji Naina ki khushi ya parivaar ki izzat ke baare mein sochenge?"