"Iska naam dekh liya hai maine... Ahmedabad jaate hi munshiji se kahunga iski shikayat karein... arre, ticket check karna hi iska kaam... CID samajhta hai kya khud ko... isko dikhane ke liye kya shaadi ke kapde pehen ke aayein? Behen kehta hai... abe, behen hogi teri... nahin, teri toh behen bhi nahi hone dunga... meri Naina ka bhai kya tu toh naukar banne ke layak bhi nahi hai... aise logon ko main apni jaan ka naam bhi na lene dun... dubara kahin dikh gaya na toh chodunga nahi... andha kahin ka... lagti nahi hain shaadishuda... kaise lagna chahiye... kya god mein bitha lun iske jaise logon ko batane ke liye ki meri biwi hai... ya sabke saamne kiss karke dikhaun..."

"Sameer, kya soch rahe ho?" Naina shook him slightly.

Sameer paused the voice ringing in his mind... that was venting the anger he was feeling at the TT.

"Nahi, kuch khaas nahi... bas soch raha tha ghar jaake kya kya karna hai." He said whatever came to his mouth.

Naina looked at him strangely... they were here together and he was thinking about the household requirements... she could not believe this in a million years.

"Achha, toh zara batao, kya karoge." She wrapped her arm around his, taking advantage of the empty seat in front of them as the two people had got off at the previous station.

"Kiss karke dikhaunga." He blurted, still thinking about the TT.

"Kya?" Naina almost fell of the seat, horrified.

"Kya kya?" He didn't realise he had spoken aloud.

"Kiss karke kisko dikhaoge?" She huffed, pulling him towards her to whisper in his ear.

"Mai... maine aisa kab kaha?" He panicked.

"Abhi kaha," she narrowed her eyes at him, "sach, sach batao kya soch rahe the."

He scrunched his nose, rubbing the back of his neck, "Woh main TT ke baare mein... matlab mujhe achha nahi laga woh jaise baat kar raha tha... toh bas wohi soch raha tha."

"Toh usme kiss kahan se aaya?" She prodded.

He slipped one hand behind her back, under the kurta, "Meri har baat janni hai tumhe... toh seedhe seedhe bolo na... main abhi batata hun woh sab jo main sochta hun... aur woh sab kuch tumhare baare mein hi hota hai... chalo subah wali nighty se shuru karte hain... maine socha hai jab tum woh nighty pehnogi toh..."

Her hand covered his mouth as she peeked behind him at the man sharing their seat. Thankfully, he was busy talking to a peanut vendor.

Her face was the colour of the nighty he was talking about. He held her wrist, pulling the hand down so that he could speak again.

"Kya hua... sunna nahi hai... achha nighty ki baat rehne do... umm... saree ki baat karte hain... kya keh rahi thi tum... kamre mein hi pehenni hoti hai... aur nikalni bhi... main soch raha tha kyon na baaki sab kapdon ke liye..." He stopped, seeing her eyes squeezed shut... her lips pressed together.

"Yeh bhi nahi karni... koi baat nahi... yeh batao kaunse phoolon se sajana hai kamra?" He was enjoying the colour on her face getting deeper with each of his sentence.

"Bas karo, Sameer... please." She managed to utter, her voice almost inaudible.

His words along with the soft touch of his fingers in the groove of her spine made her skin tingle, making her see stars as her breathing became ragged.

He gave a mischievous grin, "Abhi toh kuch kiya hi nahi hai madam... zara ghar chalo."

She hid her face in his chest, all thoughts about the surroundings flying out of the window.

"Naina, mujhe pata hai itne handsome pati se door rehna tumhare liye mushkil hai par yeh train hai... mujhe koi problem nahi hai par sab dekh rahe hain." He combed his fingers through her hair.

She sat back instantly... only to realise that there was no one... the person sitting behind Sameer had also gone somewhere... they were alone in the coupe.

"Yahan toh koi nahi hai." She looked up at him innocently.

"Isiliye... mauka hai toh faayda uthana chahiye na." He cupped her flushed face.

"Sameer... koi... koi aa jayega." The words came out with difficulty.

He did not give her another second... leaning to take her lips in a quick but deep, intense kiss... making her melt instantly in his arms.

His one hand still stroked her back under the kurta... with the other, he held both her hands in her lap... not letting her take them around him...

Her mind went blurry... his words had already made the blood heat up in her veins... the kiss, and the restriction to touch made her insane. She pushed her tongue to get control over the kiss, making him tremble. His hand clutched her waist tight, fingers digging into the soft flesh as her teeth lightly grazed his lower lip, tongue still playing in his mouth.

After about a minute, he parted, reluctantly... panting for breath.

He had started the game of teasing... she had given him check mate with one stroke...

His heart hammered so loud, he could hear nothing else... the rumbling of the train, clickety sound of metal wheels over the tracks, loud whoosh of wind as they sped up to their destination, constant chatter of people from other coupes... nothing reached him. Pulling out his hand from behind her, he wrenched the fingers to control the turmoil within.

He looked at her in wonder... without using her hands, she had knocked him out when he was holding her captive both with his hands and his words... what would she do if she herself decided to go all out... his eyes got darker, dilating at the mere thought of the days... and nights... which will be their own...

She turned her face to look out of the window. Before he could say anything, the other man came back, settling beside him.

Naina had her eyes fixed on the running trees... but her heartbeat was faster, thudding against her chest as she reeled from the effect of what just happened.

He had brought her to a state that had he not kissed her, she would have done it... and he did not let her touch him though his hand was on her back at that time... her fingers still itched... she clenched them into tight fists.

After a few minutes, when she could breathe better, her lips curved in a slow smile, recalling his expression... she had managed to beat Sameer Maheshwari at his game.

"Agar tum soch rahi ho ki tum jeet gayi, toh zyada khush mat ho... main badla lunga." His breath warmed her ear as his low voice reached her.

With a jerk she looked at him... only to feel the brush of his lips going from her cheeks to her mouth in a flash of a second. She tilted her head back towards the window, conscious of the company they had.

There was a strange look in his dark eyes... she could not decipher it, but knew well that his thoughts revolved around her.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Naina... " He started to say something, only to be cut by her.

"Please Sameer... kuch mat kaho... main aur nahi sun sakti... tumhari baatein mujhe aane waali doori se aur dara rahi hain... kyon itna mushkil bana rahe ho isse hum dono ke liye," her hand clutched the front of his shirt, "tumse alag rehna pehle hi itni badi sazaa hoga mere liye uspe tum yeh sab bolke mujhe naye sapne dikha rahe ho." She blurted out every thing that was going on in her mind... without making any effort to hide the burning inside her.

His eyes widened for a moment, then turned soft.

"Main toh bas itna kehne wala tha ki mujhe bhook lagi hai... khana kha le kya... par tum chahti ho toh main chup ho jaata hun... reh lunga bhooka tumhari khatir." He clutched his stomach with both hands, joining his brows in a helpless frown.

She glared for a few moments... then a chuckle escaped her lips at his antics.

"Ek number ke dramebaaz ho tum." She picked up her bag from the small table fixed in front of their seat.

His eyes brightened as she put two paranthas in a paper plate, along with some pickle, and passed it to him.

"Sach kahu Naina, tumhare baad agar mujhe sabse zyada pyaar kisi se hai toh woh alu paranthe hain." He exclaimed in pleasure after one bite.

"Mujhe toh kabhi kabhi lagta hai mere baad nahi alu paranthe mujhse kahi zyada pyaare hain tumhe... dekhte hi muh mein paani aa jata hai." She mumbled with a twist to her mouth.

He leaned, taking another bite, "Meri jaan, tumhe dekhke bhi aisa hi hota hai... bas zara time aane tak ruka hun... mauka milne do toh bataunga kaun kitna pyara hai mujhe."

The piece that she had put in her mouth suddenly gagged her, making her eyes water... he quickly handed her the bottle of water, making her take a few gulps.

"Achha ab aaram se khao... kuch nahi bolunga." He took the bottle from her, putting it away on the metal table.

Naina sat crossed legged, facing him on the seat... he had turned towards her, blocking her from the person sitting behind him.

His eyes never left her even for a moment as she ate, rather nibbled at her parantha. He ate three of them while she struggled with one.

"Tum kha kyon nahi rahi?" He looked at the half eaten parantha in her plate.

"Mujhe bhook nahi hai." She put back the piece in her hand.

He picked up the piece, touched it to the pickle, and took it to her mouth.

Her eyes shot up, looking over his shoulder immediately. She couldn't see behind him... he had completely blocked the view.

Slowly, he fed her whatever was left in her plate.

Putting the used things away, she folded the leftover paranthas and put them back in the bag. Looking at her hands, she realised she needed to wash them.

"Main haath dho ke aati hun." She hurled her legs down.

"Ruko, main bhi chalta hun." He got up along with her.

At the basin, Naina was reminded of their last train journey together when he had made her wash hands, making her go crazy with a simple, routine activity.

As if he could read her thoughts, his arms came behind her, long fingers wrapping the soft ones under the stream of water.

Repeating what he did one year back, he washed each of her finger, cleaning the tips with soap, rubbing her palm, grazing his thumb over the back of hand... making her legs go weak.

Thankfully, he turned off the tap before she melted in a puddle.

Wiping her hands with his handkerchief, and then his... he wound an arm around her shoulder, taking her near the door.

They stood looking at the outside world sweep by in a haze...

"Naina, yaad hai jab pichli baar hum aise hi jaa rahe the toh tumne kaha tha Mumbai jaake ek surprise dogi." He reminisced.

"Surprise nahi, maine kaha tha gift dungi... tumhari rank aane ki khushi mein." She reminded.

"Haan, surprise gift... uss samay mujhe bas ek kiss chahiye tha tumse... aur main yahan khade hokar bohot mushkil se khud ko rok raha tha... dil kar raha tha bas ussi waqt tumhe baahon mein lekar apni gift le lun." His fingers pressed into her shoulder.

She smiled, "Mujhe pata tha... isiliye tumhe ched rahi thi... mazaa aa raha tha... maine soch toh pehle hi liya tha ki jo tumhe chahiye woh Mumbai jaake tumhe dungi, lekin pata nahi tha tum ussi raat aa jaoge mere kamre mein."

The memories of their first kiss under the red dupatta filled him up with a new longing, "Fir bhi tumne uss kiss ko itna khaas bana diya... kya tum hamesha aisa hi karogi?"

She looked up at him, perplexed, "Hamesha? Har kiss dupatte mein?"

He smiled at her naivety, "Har kiss nahi har khaas pal ki baat kar raha hun... hamari zindagi mein aane wala hamara agla khaas pal... hamari shaadi ki raat."