Naina entered the kitchen to find Sonali filling up bottles from the water filter.

"Good morning, Sonali." She said warmly.

"Arre Naina, tu yahan kya kar rahi hai subah subah? Kaisi hai tu? Aaram karna chahiye na." Sonali turned in surprise.

"Main theek hun... do din ho gaye na... ab itna kuch nahi hoga... main teri kuch help kar dun?" She offered.

"Nahi, nahi, uski zarurat nahi hai... John aata hi hoga, sab kar lega. Main toh bas thoda paani bhar ke rakh rahi thi." She replaced the cap of bottles, putting them on the platform.

"Tu toh ready ho gayi hai naha ke... chal main bhi taiyar hoti hun... aise hi nighty mein aa gayi thi... mujhe laga nahi tha itni subah koi uthega." Sonali pulled the robe tighter over her nighty.

Naina saw the light blue satin night gown... delicate lace pattern on the neck and shoulders gave a hint of thin straps of the inner.

"Tu nighty kaise pehenti hai, ismein sona kitna mushkil hoga." Naina imagined the lenght of panels troubling her every time she turned.

"Toh kya teri tarah salwar kurta pehenu?" Sonali gave a twisted smile.

"Haan, kitna aaram rehta hai... mujhe toh ussi ki aadat hai." She said matter of factly.

Sonali pressed three fingers to her naive friend's forehead, "Aadat badal de buddhu ladki... tere majnu ko pasand nahi aayega aise rehna."

Naina was reminded of his hand under her kurta in the morning... a new sensation simmered in her from head to toe.

"Tujhe kaha nahi kya Sameer ne?" Sonali asked in a low voice.

Naina shook her head.

"Tumhari shaadi aise achanak ho gayi na... isliye... aur abhi toh tum log hostel mein rehne wale ho... Naina, sun na... tum log yahin reh jao na... jab tak tumhara wapas jaane ka time hota hai tab tak toh saath reh lo." Sonali almost pleaded.

Sameer would have been so thankful to her had he been in the hearing distance.

"Nahi Sonali, abhi toh majboori hai isliye yahan hai... exams ke time hum hostel mein hi rahenge... wapas Ahmedabad jaake bhi toh alag hi rehna hai." Naina was aware how much they would study if they stayed together during exams.

"Achha theek hai... par exams ke baad ek baar mere saath shopping chalna... bas hum dono... nighty toh khareed le... Ahmedabad mein kaise legi?" She tried to enlighten her friend.

"Chup kar... mujhe nahi pasand yeh nighty wighty." Naina could feel the colour rising on her cheeks.

"Par Sameer ko pakka pasand aayegi... kuch uski pasand ka bhi toh khyal kar... aakhir itne intezar ka phal khaas hona chahiye na." Sonali pinched Naina in the waist.

"Ahh... Sonali, tu pagal hai kya... kuch bhi bol rahi hai... jaa jaake naha le." Naina tried to hide her inflamed cheeks by pushing Sonali out of the kitchen.

"Pagal tu hai... Sameer hi sambhalega tujhe." Sonali winked before going away.

Naina turned her back to the door, holding onto the platform for support. Sonali's banter had refreshed a memory from sometime back when Sameer had talked about his dreams of her wearing different outfits...

He had mentioned 'pink nighty, satin ki lace wali.'

Her heart jumped to her mouth. Did he expect her to wear such type of satin nighty... will she ever be able to wear it if he asks... and where will she get it from... definitely, she couldn't ask chachiji to get it for her, or go with her to the shop... nor Preeti, she would tease her to no end... in fact, she wasn't even aware of any such shop in Ahmedabad... should she accept Sonali's offer of shopping... but how would she buy even in front of her...

"Main bhi pata nahi kya kya soch rahi hun... hamesha se toh kurte hi pehne hain... fir abhi kyon nahi... main nahi lene wali yeh sab." She said to herself.

But Sameer did mention... does that mean he wants her to wear something like this...

Naina imagined herself wearing a pink satin nighty... like Sonali, it would hug all her curves, showing the skin of her shoulders and back through the net... and Sameer entered her thoughts, looking at her from top to bottom, his eyes lingering on some places longer than others.

She shut her eyes, "Na baba, mujhe nahi chahiye koi nighty."

"Kya nahi chahiye, ma'am?" The voice startled her.

She turned to see the servant, John, standing at the door. Thankfully she had said the last word in a low voice, he didn't hear it.

"Uhh... kuch nahi. Main aise hi zara soch rahi thi." She shook her head and moved out.

Sameer was done with his bath when she entered the room.

"Kahan gayab thi tum itni der se... pata hai kitna miss kiya maine?" He came to her immediately.

"Bas zara Sonali se baat kar rahi thi." She smiled.

"Idhar aao." He pulled her close.

"Kya hua, Sameer... koi aa jayega." She looked back at the door that was open a creek.

Sameer left her and went to latch the door.

"Kuch puchna hai tumse. Bataogi?" He came back, standing at some distance from her.

"Hmm." She wondered what was it that made him so serious.

"Abhi koi dard ya takleef hai tumhe?" He asked.

She shook her head, "Aur ab hoga bhi nahi... bas shuru mein hi hota hai."

"Par Naina, tumhe itni zyada takleef kyon hoti hai... tumne kabhi nahi socha ki doctor ke paas jaana chahiye?" His worries were visible on his face.

"Sameer, tum itni tension mat lo... ladkiyon ko aadat ho jaati hai iss dard ki... aur bas do teen din hi toh rehta hai... woh bhi har waqt nahi... tum iss baat se pareshan mat ho." She tried to pacify him.

"Kahan kahan dard hota hai tumhe?" He was not ready to accept her argument.

"Sameer maine kaha na tum... "

He raised his hand to cut her sentence midway.

"Batao, kahan kahan dard hota hai?" His voice was grave.

"Pet mein hota hai, kamar mein bhi." She said with lowered eyes.

"Bas?" He raised his brows.

She dipped her head to the side.

"Par tum toh pairon ko bhi daba rahi thi." He stated.

"Haan, kabhi kabhi pairon mein bhi ho jaata hai." She accepted.

"Aur yahan? Yeh bhi issi wajah se hai ya kuch aur baat hai?" He held a hand to his chest.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach... she had refrained herself from touching there as she didn't want him to question about it, knowing his habit of asking about everything. It appeared that she had unknowingly done it sometime and he had seen it.

"Bolo Naina." He urged.

"Issi wajah se hota hai." She said slowly.

He stepped closer, "Sach bol rahi ho?"

"Jhooth kyon bolungi, Sameer... hota hai dard, bohot zyada... par tumhare saamne maine khud ko rok ke rakha... isiliye jisse tum yeh sab na pucho... pata nahi kab dekha tumne." She blurted nervously, blinking hard to stop her eyes from welling up.

"Raat ko dekha... Naina, maine kaha tha na tumse ki tum sab khul ke bol sakti ho mujhe... fir aisa kyon socha tumne? Agar maine pucha toh kya galat hai... tumse kuch bhi puch sakta hun aur puchunga bhi... tumhare har dukh har takleef ke baare mein janna chahta hun... jahan tak ho sake usse door karna chahta hun... main apni jaan ko aise dard se rote hue nahi dekh sakta." He slid one arm around her waist, cupping her face with the other.

The tears fell freely now. She went into his arms, smiling and sobbing at the same time.

"Tumhare jitna koi nahi sochta hoga, Sameer... tum kaise itna khyaal rakh lete ho?" She was amazed at his observations.

"Auron ka toh pata nahi par main tumhara har aansu mita dena chahta hun... kyonki tumse itna pyar karta hun jitna koi soch bhi nahi sakta... aur sochega bhi kaise... kisike paas Naina jo nahi hai." He kept her close to his heart.

She wound her arms tighter around him, raising the heels to hide her face in the crook of his neck.

"Mere jaisi toh bohot hongi Sameer par tum sirf tum ho... apni tarah ke ek hi... aur tum mere ho... iss se zyada mujhe kuch nahi chahiye." She whispered against his ear.

He tightened his arms, thanking his stars that the only person in the whole world he truly loved was in his arms...

After a breakfast of kachoris, they were back to their room to continue with the preparation of exams. Naina sat with him at the table, not showing any sign of discomfort. He was relieved to see her back to normal. Having lost considerable time due to her problem, Naina was now concentrating on the books without looking up even once. It was decided in the morning at the breakfast table that they all would have lunch of grilled sadwiches in their respective rooms.

When the servant knocked on their door at two, Sameer was happy at the intrusion. He was trying to get Naina's attention for some time but she was too engrossed in the books. Now, she would have to put them away.

"Naina, chalo ab lunch karne aao... baaki uske baad padhna." He called out, placing the tray on the couch.

"Bas do minute, Sameer... yeh ek topic complete kar lun." She said without looking up.

Sameer waited for five minutes. When she did not show any sign of moving, he went to her chair and picked her up.

Naina was taken aback, "Yeh... yeh kya kar rahe ho... main... main aa hi rahi hun."

He pecked her lips.

"Sameer, tum... tum utaro mujhe... " She stuttered.

He again brushed his lips against hers.

"Sameer..."

He kissed again.

She stayed quiet.

"Ab samajh aaya tumhe... chup karke khana khao nahi toh mujhe aur tareeke bhi aate hain." He said in a throaty voice.

She stared into his eyes, nodding without a word.

He walked upto the couch, making her sit in front of the tray, taking the place opposite her.

After lunch, she went out to put the tray back. He used the washroom and went out to the balcony to take his towel. He pulled it from the stand looking down at the road.

Naina's towel behind it fell on the floor. He bent to pick it up and stopped midway. Her inner clothes were lying on the floor. She must have put them under the towel. He contemplated whether to put them back so that she doesn't come to know... or leave them there... he couldn't do that... or maybe pick them and put inside.

He finally picked up the two pieces along with her towel and put them on the bed, going back to the study table.

Naina came in a little later and went straight to the washroom. She came out and stepped into the balcony. She looked around for the towel in surprise. Realising that even Sameer's towel was not there, she rushed in. Her eyes fell on the bed.

Sameer watched as she closed her eyes, mortified at the thought of him picking up her clothes.

He was next to her in an instant.

"Naina, ab kuch mat sochna... main apna towel le raha tha toh galti se tumhara wala gir gaya... isliye maine utha ke yahan rakh diya... baaki sab bhi... ismein koi badi baat nahi hai... jab hum saath rahenge toh aise choti choti cheezon ke liye tum aankhen nahi band karogi." He tried to explain before she could say anything.

She took a deep breath... he was right... they would be soon using the same room, same bathroom, sharing the same cupboard... she could not keep getting embarrassed about everything.

Nodding, she went to the bed, picking up her things and putting them back in the bag.

Though she had accepted his argument, there was an awkward silence between them. Sameer could see that she was feeling shy about the whole thing.

He had to do something.