"Shukr hai sab achhe se nibat gaya." Phulla bua relaxed back on the sofa.

"Haan, buaji... ek toh Sameer itna samajhdar hai upar se sab log jo uski taraf se aaye the bohot achhe hain... koi nakhre nahi... koi taane nahi... har cheez se khush the woh log." Anand was happy.

"Haan, warna Pooja ki shaadi mein toh uski saas ne kitne naatak kiye the." Taiji made a face.

"Chup kar, Bina... jo muh mein aata hai bolti hai... tune hi dhang se khaana nahi khilaya tha Pooja ke sasuraal waalon ko... upar se unke liye ulta seedha bol rahi thi... sun liye uski saas ne... gussa nahi karti toh kya teri aarti utarti?" Phulla bua scolded her.

"Main toh bas... " Taiji squirmed, conscious at being treated like this in front of all relatives.

"Tu bas hi kar... zyada bola mat kar... jab baat karti hai kante chubha deti hai." Buaji cut her short again.

"Pooja ki saas thodi naaraaz ho gayi thi bhabhiji aur Rakesh bhaisahab ki baat se, warna buri nahi hain woh... ab toh Pooja itne saalon se saath rehti hai toh pata hi hai." Bela defended her daughter's in laws.

"Sab jaante hain, Bela, woh log bhi bohot achhe hain... tabhi toh Pooja ko bhejna chahti thi aaj hi, jabki unke ghar mein bhi kal shaadi thi... achha hua tune mana kar diya... Pooja kal subah aa jayegi toh wahan ka kaam bhi ho gaya aur yahan ki shaadi mein bhi shamil ho payegi." Phulla bua patted her shoulder, making her feel comfortable.

"Ab ganesh pujan ki taiyari kar lete hain, buaji... maine neeche panditji ko bula liya hai... aap log bhi neeche chaliye...shaam ko wahin chai nashte ka intezam kar liya hai."  Anand got up, asking the relatives to come along.

"Naina, beta taiyar hoke aaja ganesh pooja ke liye... ladkiyon, tum sab bhi aao." Bela called out to the girls who were all in the same room.

"Naina didi, yeh ganesh pooja kyon karte hain?" Neelu, a younger cousin, was curious.

"Idhar aa, tujhe aam khane hain ya ped ginne hain... jo bhi ho raha hai usmein maze kar, khaa pike aish kar... doosron ki shaadi mein isliye hi toh jaate hain... yeh Naina ki tarah har cheez mein dimaag mat daala kar... chota sa hota hai... bacha ke rakh... bade hoke kaam pe lagana." Preeti pulled her to one side, giving her advice.

"Rehne de Preeti, sabko apne jaisa bana degi... aur yeh kya har time khane ki baat karti hai... tu bhi Pandit se kam nahi hai... woh bechara waise hi badnaam hai... khaati toh tu hai... usse bhi zyada." Swati chided Preeti.

"Aur yeh madam sirf khane ke shauk ko lekar Pandit ko ulta seedha bol rahi thi. Swati, tu hi bata... agar Preeti bhi Pandit ke saath ho jaaye toh kitna achha hoga na... hum sab hamesha saath reh sakte hain... lekin isko toh Pandit mein burai hi burai nazar aati hai." Naina sat down with Swati.

"Arre haan, Naina, yeh toh maine socha hi nahi... Preeti, kyon nahi pasand tujhe Pandit... itna toh achha hai." Swati was excited at the idea.

Preeti was agitated, "Tum dono pagal ho gaye ho kya? Pehle toh yeh Naina hi Pandit ka raag alaap rahi thi ab Swati tu bhi shuru kar de... arre, tum dono ki ho rahi hai na shaadi... khush raho... mere liye kuch achha nahi kar sakte toh kam se kam bura toh mat bolo."

"Chod isse Naina, iske liye toh chachaji ko hi koi dhundna padega... apne aap koi nahi pasand aane wala isse." Swati let out a sigh.

The girls went down for the pooja along with others.

Sameer had been staring at his ring for more than half an hour when Rahul tapped his shoulder.

"Naina ismein se nikal ke ayegi kya?" He asked with a serious face.

Sameer blankly looked at him... till all three of his friends broke into peals of laughter.

"Tum log mera mazak udda rahe ho? Abhi batata hun." He quietly got up and went out, leaving them confused.

When he walked back with Sonali, Rahul gave him a shocked look.

"Maine suna tum log Sameer ko ched rahe ho?" She narrowed her eyes, hands on waist.

"Nahi darling, hum toh bas angoothi ke baare mein kuch baat kar rahe the... hum Sameer ko kyon chedenge?" Rahul tried to side hug her.

Sonali dodged him, moving towards Munna Pandit, "Toh kyon nahi ched rahe? Arre, yehi toh time hai... abhi iski taang nahi kheechenge toh kya shaadi ke baad isko tang karenge."

Munna Pandit gave high five to Sonali as three of them laughed, leaving a surprised Rahul and frustrated Sameer.

"Sahi baat hai, bhabhi... baad mein toh Sameer shayad humein pehchane bhi na." Pandit exclaimed.

"Bhai, waise tu sach bata, kabhi kabhi toh milne aane dega na... ya teri shaadi ke din se yeh ghar hamare liye paraya ho jayega?" Munna asked.

"Haan re Munna... uss din ek saath kai vidaai hongi... bhabhi ki apne ghar se aur hum sab ki iss ghar se." Pandit wiped his fake tears.

"Yaar Sameer, shaadi kar raha hai ya sanyaas le raha hai jo sabse door hone ki baat kar rahe ho." Rahul scratched his head.

"Sameer aur sanyaas... nahi, nahi... isse toh abhi... " Sonali winked at Sameer.

He cut her sentence, "Main tumhe inn logon ko daantne ke liye laya tha... aur tum inke saath mil gayi... Sonali, tum bhoolo mat mujhe inse pehle se jaanti ho."

"Jaanti hun... isiliye keh sakti hun ki sanyaas se tumhara door door tak koi rishta nahi hai... tumhara yeh prem rog poore college ko pata tha... ho sakta hai poori Mumbai ko bhi pata chal gaya ho ab tak... woh jo tum Mayank ke saath karke aaye ho." Sonali flicked her brows, giving a teasing smile.

"Mayank, kaun Mayank... kya kiya isne? Sameer, fir se kisi ki haddiyan tod di kya?" Munna widened his eyes.

"Fir se? Pehle bhi kamaal kar chuka hai kya?" It was Rahul's turn to be surprised.

Munna Pandit excitedly narrated the case of Sharad, even though Sameer tried to stop them from revealing everything.

Sonali and Rahul told them about TV star Mayank who lost his front tooth, thanks to Sameer.

Sameer silently thanked his stars that no one was aware about his involvement in Sahil's accident.

"Bhai, main toh baal baal bach gaya... warna meri bhi koi haddi tut hi gayi hoti." Rahul exhaled in relief
at the end of their story.

"Teri haddi? Tune bhi... " Munna Pandit widened their eyes, speaking together.

"Nahi, nahi... waise nahi." Rahul clarified quickly, telling them about how Sameer had reacted when he was trying to make Sonali jealous by being close to Naina.

"Oh teri... aise bhi kar sakte hain?" Pandit clicked his fingers.

Suddenly, all attention was on him.

"Tune kisko jalana hai?" Munna narrowed his eyes.

Pandit looked at them sheepishly, "Main toh bas nuskhe ikatthe kar rah hun... matlab jab zaroorat pade tabke liye."

The evening passed in teasings and chatting.

Sameer was desperate to talk to Naina. He couldn't wait till night time, and dialled her number.

"Hellooo... " An unknown voice answered.

He kept the phone back quickly.

Next two attempts met the same fate.

The house was filled with relatives. Anyone might be there... he couldn't ask them to speak to Naina.

"Kya hua tujhe, aise kyon chakkar laga raha hai?" Munna asked as he entered the room.

"Yaar, Naina se baat nahi ho paa rahi... uske ghar mein mehmaan hain isliye bol bhi nahi sakta ki Naina ko bula do." He was exasperated.

"Ismein kya mushkil hai... hum abhi baat karwate hain." Munna picked up the phone, dialling Naina's number.

"Helloooo, ji main saree wale ke yahan se bol raha hun... woh madam jinki shaadi ki saariyan kharidi thi na... woh neeli saari mein kuch kaam karwana tha... zara madam ko bula dijiye." He spoke in a shrill voice.

Naina was on phone in a few seconds, "Bhaiya, humne kaunsi neeli saari khareedi hai... aur kaam karaane ko kab kaha aapse?"

Munna had handed the phone to Sameer the moment she came on line, "Ab yeh din aa gaye hain mere... tum bhaiya keh ke baat shuru karti ho."

The phone fell from Naina's hand... living room was full of relatives... she could not talk to Sameer in front of everyone.

"Offo, haath pe tel laga tha, phone hi gir gaya." She smiled for the benefit of those who were looking at her, and picked up the instrument.

"Jee, nahi woh neeli wali nahi, gulabi wali thi... rukiye main dekh ke batati hun." She walked back to her room with the cordless, carrying on the pretense.

"Sameer, tum pagal ho... wahan sab log baithe hain... kisiko pata chal jaata toh?" She blurted the moment she was alone in the balcony.

"Chal jaata toh keh deti ki nahi reh sakta tumhara dulha tumhare bina... ab mil nahi sakta toh baat toh karne do." His sad voice melted her heart.

"Udaas kyon ho rahe ho... dekho aaj ka din nikal bhi gaya... aise hi do din aur nikal jayenge... abhi sab hain na tumhare saath... do din pata bhi nahi chalenge." She tried to cheer him.

"Sab hain par tum nahi ho." He sighed.

"Main bhi yahan hun na tumhare bina." She consoled him.

"Wohi toh... tumhe kuch fark hi nahi padta mere bina... isliye kehta hun tum mujhse itna pyar nahi karti jitna main tumse karta hun... tumhe kabhi meri kami mehsoos hi nahi hoti." He complained.

Naina closed her eyes, "Aisa nahi hai, Sameer... mujhe bhi tumhare paas aane ka man karta hai... tumse baat karne ka man karta hai... tumhari kami kitni mehsoos hoti hai bata bhi nahi sakti... main bhi miss karti hun tumhe... bohot zyada... lekin aa nahi sakti... bas dil ko yeh kehke samjha leti hun ki jab humne itne din nikal diye intezar mein toh ab toh yeh aakhiri kuch pal bache hain... inke doosri taraf ek khoobsurat zindagi hai... jisme hum dono hamesha saath rahenge... kabhi door na hone ke liye."

"I Love You, Naina." He was too overwhelmed to say more.

They held the phone in silence, listening to each other's breathing... feeling no need for words.

"Kal subah haldi hai hamari." She said after a while.

"Kya yeh saath mein nahi ho sakti?" He asked hopefully.

"Nahi... tum wahan lagwana main yahan lagwaungi." She was equally sad.

"Mujhe tumhe haldi lagani hai." He declared.

"Aisa kaise ho sakta hai, Sameer... yahan aane ka koi chance nahi hai." She was worried that he might attempt something.

"Aaj raat ko aa jaun?" He suggested.

"Par haldi ka muhurat toh kal ka hai... aaj kaise laga sakte hain?" She said.

He pursed his lips, not happy with the situation.

They talked for some more time before ending their call.

"Kya hua, behen... muh kyon banaya hua hai... jijaji se ladai kar li kya?" Preeti questioned as she walked into the room with a gloomy expression.

Naina told her the situation.

"Yeh jijaji bhi na... itne pyaare hain ki dil karta hai inki photocopy karwa ke main toh ussi se shaadi kar lun." Preeti pulled Naina's cheeks.

"Ahh... sharam nahi aati tujhe... jab dekho tab mere malai ke katore pe nazar daalti rehti hai." Naina showed fake anger, rubbing her cheeks.

"Malai ka katora?" Preeti doubled up, holding her stomach.

Naina punched her shoulder lightly, "Haan toh hai na woh aisa hi... ismein hansne ki kya baat hai."

"Achha baba, tera malai ka katora." Preeti spoke with difficulty amidst bursts of laughter.

"Tu jaa yahan se... kuch karna hai nahi bas hanste rehna hai." Naina pushed her, annoyed.

"Arre sun toh... maine kuch socha hai." Preeti held her hand to stop her pushing.

"Kya... jaldi bata." Naina was excited.

"Mere paas idea hai kaise tere malai ke katore mein hum haldi ka rang mila sakte hain." Preeti winked.

Naina grinned... and hugged her sister tight.

Hi friends... I want to make a request. The present track that I'm writing is very important for the story as well as for Samaina... I want to make it special... but two updates are not giving me time to add enough moments, for Samaina as well as others... I am not happy and satisfied with both of today's updates... thus, I would be giving only one from tomorrow, in the morning.

Also, I'm going through a rough patch emotionally... no news on season 2 even with the year end is adding to my difficult situation.
Please accept my apologies... I don't want to rush through the chapters... till the marriage track continues, I'll stick to one update a day. As promised earlier, I'll take the story forward even after that... at least for sometime.