"Ab tum jao... warna der ho jayegi." Naina brought Sameer out of his thoughts.

"Hmm... aur tum?" He looked at her in the mirror.

"Main kya? Mujhe toh bas saree pehenni hai aur baal banane hain." She said plainly.

He stepped back, crossing his arms as he leaned against the cupboard, "Pehno na, mujhe bhi seekhna hai."

She smirked, "Saree? Tumhe pehenni hai kya?"

"Nahi, par tumhe toh pehna sakta hun na." His eyes devoured her from top to bottom.

Naina felt herself melting under his gaze. She picked up the saree, holding it close.

"Sameer, please... aise mat dekho." Her eyes could not meet his.

He sensed her reticence... and decided not to force her any more. Picking up his towel, he went towards the washroom.

Naina was about to start wrapping the saree when he turned, "Waise tum saath aati toh achha hota."

The saree fell from her hands.

Whistling the tune of mere rang mein rangne wali, he went in and closed the door.

Holding a hand to her heart, Naina took a few deep breaths... then picked up the saree and went in front of the mirror.

She had just held the corner to start wrapping when the door opened again and his head bobbed out, "Tumhari khushboo hai abhi tak yahan... lag raha hai tum saath mein hi ho."

The saree again fell from her hand.

Grinning, Sameer closed the door.

Naina stood still for a few minutes, expecting him to come out. When he didn't, she finally picked up the saree, wrapping it quickly so that she was dressed before he was out. Pinning it to her shoulder, she adjusted the pallu over her head after brushing her hair. She wore the jewellery and bangles and started to put lipstick when the sound of door opening made her stop. She didn't look back, knowing that he would be in a towel.

After the lipstick, she put a small round bindi and looked at her reflection. And her eyes went to the forehead that had been washed clean. She picked up the small box of sindoor. As she opened it, his hand caught her wrist.

"Yeh main kar deta hun." Sameer took a pinch of the red powder and touched it to her forehead.

She looked up at him, standing with his hair curling at the neck, water droplets still clinging to his body, a white towel around his waist...

A single strand of hair fell on his forehead. He pushed it back by running his fingers in the hair, and a few drops on his shoulder dripped down.

Naina felt her heartbeat quicken. It had been days since she'd seen him coming out like this after a bath.

"Itne din jab tumhare saath nahi thi toh roz yaad karti thi ki tum aise bathroom se bahar aate ho." She said wistfully, placing one hand on his chest.

Sameer was elated to hear that she thought about him like this.

"Aur kya kya sochti thi apne handsome pati ke baare mein?" He held her other hand, bringing it up to his chest as well.

"Sochti toh bohot kuch thi par abhi batane ka time nahi hai... main bahar jaati hun tum aa jaana taiyar hoke." She pulled her hands from his hold and crossed him to go.

Sameer held her wrist and pulled her back, making her land on his chest. His other hand went around her waist.

"Miss toh main bhi tumko karta hun... towel mein dekhne ke liye." He said in a raspy voice.

"Zara time bhi dekh lo, Mr Maheshwari... bahar sab log uth gaye honge... sab kya kahenge." She chided him.

"Tumko dekhne ke baad kuch bhi dekhna yaad hi nahi rehta, Mrs Maheshwari... bahar koi kuch nahi kahega... Ramdhari hi saat baje aata hai... woh chai banata hai toh sab uthte hain... abhi saat nahi baje hain... toh hamare paas time hai." He held her closer.

"Sameer, mujhe taiyari karni hai na sab kuch banane ki... fir pooja bhi karni hai." She pleaded.

"Achha bahana hai... koi nahi... yeh sab toh aaj khatam ho jayega... dekhta hun kal se kya bahana banati ho." He teased.

The next moment his eyes became cloudy, realising that she would not be here the next day.

Without a word, he left her. Naina wanted to comfort him, but she knew he needed more than her few soothing words. And she needed time to do it.

"Jaldi aana." She said softly before leaving the room.

The minute she went out, the room looked empty. Sameer felt the vaccum created by her absence. In just half a day, he had become used to seeing her around him. The thought of a lonely evening and another dark night made him shudder.

Naina noticed there was no one in the living room or the kitchen. She took out the cordless she had brought from their room, and dialled the number.

When Ramdhari came a few minutes later, she had made arrangements for the halwa she was going to prepare. Since it was the first thing she had to cook, she hadn't made tea.

"Naina bhabhi, aap itni jaldi kyon uth gayi? Aur aap subah subah yahan kya kar rahi hain?" Ramdhari was astonished to see someone in the kitchen.

"Namaste bhaiya, main halwa banane ki taiyari kar rahi hun. Jaldi bana deti hun jisse sabke liye uske baad nashta bana lungi." She politely replied.

"Kaisi baat kar rahi hain? Aap kyon banayengi? Hum hain na... sabke liye hum hi banate hain... jo bhi unko chahiye... aap halwa toh rasm ka bana lijiye lekin uske baad kitchen mein nahi aa sakti." He was astounded at her plan.

"Kyon nahi? Mana hai kya yahan aana?" She laughed at his reaction.

Ramdhari smiled sadly, "Aisa hi samajh lijiye... nanaji hamesha kehte the ki jab Sameer bhaiya ki dulhan aayegi toh woh usse achchi cheezein banwa ke khayenge... lekin shuru mein usse kisi kaam ko haath nahi lagane denge... jab tak uski mehendi rahegi... ab woh toh nahi hain, par hum unki baat ka maan zaroor rakhenge... jab tak aapke haathon mein mehendi lagi hai aap kuch nahi karengi... sirf rasoi mein hi nahi, ghar ka bhi kuch kaam nahi karengi... aap humein bata dijiye jo bhi kaam ho... humein khushi hogi agar aap koi bhi kaam bolengi."

Naina was overwhelmed... he was so attached to the family that he hadn't forgotten a simple statement that nanu must have made once... that too long back.

"Theek hai, bhaiya... nanu ki ichha mere liye bhi bohot maayne rakhti hai... main aaj halwa banane ke alawa kuch nahi karungi jab tak mere haathon mein mehendi ka rang hai." She accepted willingly.

Satisfied, Ramdhari started to make tea and prepare breakfast.

Naina turned to find Vishakha standing in the doorway of kitchen.

"Namaste mummy." Naina greeted her, recalling that she didn't want her to touch her feet.

"Namaste beta, itni jaldi kaise uth gayi tum?" She patted her head.

"Mujhe aadat hai." Naina smiled.

"Ab tumhara pair kaisa hai? Raat ko balm lagaya tha?" She looked down at Naina's foot.

"Pair? Pair ko kya hua?" Naina was befuddled.

"Kal moch aayi thi na? Balm lagaya na tumne? Dekhun zara kahin sooj toh nahi gaya." Vishakha started to bend down to take a look.

"Woh... woh bilkul theek hai... balm lagane se dard khatam ho gaya... dekhiye ab toh main aaram se chal sakti hun." Naina tried to cover up her mistake, hiding her foot by pulling the saree down.

"Chalo achha hua... main toh darr gayi thi ki kahin zyada na lag gayi ho." Vishakha let out a relieved breath.

"Naina, taiyar ho gayi beta? Abhi ganesh pooja karni hai tumko." Rahul's mom came out of her room.

Naina greeted her, and the two women got busy discussing about the pooja.

"Sameer ko bhi utha do beta, usse aadat nahi hai jaldi uthne ki... der ho jayegi agar uska intezar karte rahe." Vishakha turned to instruct Naina.

"Good morning aunty, good morning m... mummy." Sameer walked into the living room, dressed up after his bath.

Vishakha was surprised to see him, "Arre Sameer, tum itni jaldi kaise uth gaye... tum toh kabhi..."

She left her sentence incomplete, trying to recall the last time she had seen him get up in the morning... and she could not remember.

"Sameer hamare yahan bhi jaldi hi uth jaata tha... main toh Rahul ko kehti thi ki seekhe kuch isse." Rahul's mother gave him an appreciative look.

Vishakha lowered her eyes, repentant about her behaviour all these years.

"Chaliye, bachhon se pooja karwa dete hain... sabke uthne ka intezar kiya toh der ho jayegi... hum dono hi karwa dete hain." Rahul's mom tried to change the focus.

Sameer and Naina were asked to stand before the small temple in the house and perform an aarti after lighting a diya together. Then they put the tilak on idols and offered flowers and prashad.

"Naina, Sameer... beta main inn baaton ko zyada maanti nahi hun... par jab baat khud pe aati hai toh mann mein darr baith jaata hai." Vishakha started in a worried voice.

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"Naina, jab main tumhare ghar aayi thi tab bataya tha ki Sameer ki kundali mein teen shaadiyaan hain... woh baat sach hai beta... aur ab mujhe bohot darr lag raha hai... soch rahi hun aaj hi panditji se baat karun iss bare mein... woh shayad koi upay bata sakein." Vishakha was deeply perturbed.

"Iski koi zaroorat nahi hai, aunty." Rahul said as he walked in with Sonali.

"Rahul, aajkal ke bachche nahi maante pata hai mujhe, lekin beta, Sameer aur Naina ka pyar dekh ke main koi chance nahi lena chahti." Vishakha glanced at Rahul.

Rahul looked at Sameer once, then asked everyone to sit down.

"Sameer ki kundali bilkul sahi hai... agar Naina ki kundali bhi theek se dekhte toh shayad yehi kaha jaata... ki iski bhi teen shaadi hongi." Rahul winked at his friends.

"Kya matlab?" Vishakha was perplexed.

Rahul narrated how the first marriage happened accidentally on the day of his own marriage, how chachaji had to get them married in court the second time... and how these two themselves insisted on getting married again with all rituals and blessings of the family.

Rahul's mom was aware of the court marriage but the first one took her by surprise.

Vishakha had also been told about the court marriage... and she was equally shocked to know that they had been tied together in such a manner much before that.

"Mujhe toh yakeen hi nahi ho raha... matlab sach mein teesri baar shaadi ki hai mere bete ne?" She pressed her hands to her mouth.

"Fir toh kisi pandit ki zaroorat nahi hai... sab kuch apne aap hi sulajh gaya." Rahul's mom said happily.

"Aunty, Naina mere liye bohot lucky hai... jabse woh aayi hai meri zindagi mein, har uljhan khatam ho gayi, har pareshani mit gayi... har dukh khushi mein badal gaya... mujhe jo bhi chahiye tha sab mil gaya." Sameer gave a grateful look to his wife.

"Tum bhi mere liye utne hi lucky ho, Sameer... jabse tum mile ho, meri zindagi ko nayi disha mil gayi... jo paane ka sapna bhi darte hue dekha tha woh aasaani se mil gaya." Naina held his hand in both palms.

Vishakha got up and came near them, taking a dab of kohl from her eyes... and touched behind their ears, "Tum dono ko kisi ki nazar na lage."

"Ab teen teen shadiyon ke badle ek baar toh halwa bana de, Naina." Sonali quipped, making everyone laugh.

Naina went to prepare first dish in the kitchen of her own house.