It was just after dinner that the phone started to ring. Rahul took the call, listened for a moment and looked at Sameer.

"Tumhare liye hai, Ahmedabad se... Naina ke chachaji." He said in a serious tone.

Naina looked at Sameer, her palms going damp... the news about her father's reaction was here... and the fact that chachaji wanted to speak to Sameer and not her made her more nervous.

Blinking at her in assurance, Sameer got up to answer the call.

"Namaste chachaji, kaise hain aap?" He greeted Anand.

The next few minutes were hardest for Naina... she kept looking at him, searching his face for any sign that could indicate what chachaji was saying.

The entire conversation was from the other side, with just a few "Jee chachaji" interspersed by Sameer.

Naina sat with bated breath... the scenario seemed more grave than they had expected.

Sonali and Rahul were equally tensed, worried about the fate of their friends.

Sameer did not look up even once during the whole talk, keeping his eyes fixed on a point on the floor... neither did he show any expression.

When Naina could bear it no more, she got up to go near him... Sameer stopped her...  holding up his hand towards her without looking in her direction.

Naina fought back the tears, blinking hard.

He disconnected after a while.

Three sets of eyes peered at him.

"Sameer, kya... kya kaha ch... chachaji ne?" Naina asked in a shaky voice.

He took a step towards her.

"Please bata do kya hua... meri jaan nikal rahi hai." Her voice was choked.

Sameer took two long strides and cupped her face, beaming, "Naina, Naina... jo tum soch bhi nahi sakti woh hua."

This was not the expression other three expected from him. They stared dumbfounded.

"Tumhare papa ne tumhari shaadi karwa di." He said excitedly.

It was a jolt to Naina... and he was jubilant about it.

"Sameer, tu pagal ho gaya hai kya... bol kya raha hai?" Rahul asked in confusion.

"Main sach mein pagal ho gaya hun... khushi se... aur woh khushi mujhe Naina ke papa ne di hai." He seemed to be ecstatic.

Naina felt she would faint... his words made no sense... the joy he showed did not match his words...

He had definitely gone insane.

Rahul walked up to him and roughly shook his shoulder, "Sameer... hosh mein aa aur bataa kya hua hai... yeh drama band kar... Naina ki haalat toh dekh."

Sameer gave a look to his friend, not able to wipe off the wide smile from his face... and turned back to Naina... crushing her in his arms.

She would have collapsed had it not been for his tight hold.

"Naina, tumhare papa nahi aayenge... na hi unko humari shaadi ke baare mein kuch pata chala... aur jo woh karwana chahte the uski kahaani bhi khatam ho gayi." He stated.

Naina felt she could breathe again... she pushed at his chest, "Saari baat batao, kaise hua yeh sab."

He made her sit on the chair, sitting down on the floor in front, resting his arms on her knees, "Arjun aur Rakesh sir Rajkot gaye the na, match ke liye... wahan Arjun ne apni haarti hui team ko double century maar ke jita diya... aur naya record banaya sabse jaldi itne run banane ka... wahan Chief Minister aaye hue the... unhone Arjun ko award dete hue usse state team ka captain ghoshit kar diya aur kaha ki woh uska naam national team ke liye aage bhejenge."

Naina was extremely pleased with the news... Arjun bhaiya had toiled all his life for this recognition... and she was glad he got this well deserved chance.

But the question of her own story still remained unanswered.

He continued,"Inn sab mein ek achhi baat hui... selection board ke chairman se ab baat karne ki zaroorat khatam ho gayi kyonki seedhe CM ne hi Arjun ko team mein jagah de di... isliye usne himmat karke tumhare papa ko kaha ki woh tumhare saath jo kar rahe hain woh galat hai... aur Rakesh sir bhi maan gaye... aakhir jiss cheez ke liye woh tumhe istemaal karna chahte the woh toh unko aise hi mil gayi."

A huge weight seemed to lift off her chest... the room suddenly looked brighter... but blurred... as her eyes pooled up.

Sameer smiled, knowing how big a relief this was for her.

"Lekin ab Naina ke papa uss matlabi chairman ko kya kahenge... Sameer, aise log bohot khatarnak hote hain... kahin usne Naina ke bhai ko koi nuksaan pohochane ki koshish kari toh?" Rahul made Naina tensed again.

Sameer looked back at him, "Naina ke papa ko tum log jaante nahi ho."

Turning back to her, he gave a lopsided smile, "Iss baar mere sasurji apni hoshiyari mein mera faayda kar gaye."

In spite of her fears and confusion, Naina coloured visibly at his statement.

"Woh kaise... ab tum poori baat bata do, Sameer... itna suspense main nahi jhel sakti." Sonali could not take it anymore.

"Unhone chachaji ko kaha hai ki agar kisi ka bhi phone aaye toh keh de ki Naina ki shaadi ho gayi." His words dropped a bomb on other three.

"Matlab... unhe pata chal gaya?" Rahul asked, his eyes wide.

"Abhi toh usne kaha ki uncle ko nahi pata chala inki shaadi ka, dhyaan se suna karo na." Sonali hit his arm, frowning.

"Rakesh sir seedhe seedhe mana karke unke saath koi dushmani nahi lena chahte... isliye bahana banaya... unhone chairman se kaha ki chachaji ne apne kisi dost ke bete se tumhari shaadi karwa di hai... aur achanak aisa kiya kyonki dost ki tabiyat bohot kharab thi aur woh apne bete ki shaadi dekhna chahta tha... Naina, tumhare papa waise kaafi filmy hain... maine socha nahi tha woh aisa naatak bhi kar sakte hain." Sameer pinched her cheek.

She herself could not believe her father indulging in such planning.

He carried on, "Ab hamare sar se Rakesh sir ki talwaar hat gayi hai... woh na toh yahan aayenge na tumhare liye koi rishta taiyar karenge."

The whole scenario was too good to gloat over.

"Sameer, papa iss jhooth ko chala nahi payenge... woh jab gusse mein bolne lagte hain toh kuch bhi bol jaate hain... kahin unhone sach bata diya kisi din toh?" Naina was skeptical.

"Lekin sach toh yehi hai, Naina... fark itna hai ki woh abhi jaante nahi... anjaane mein unhone wohi sab keh diya jo hua hai... chachaji ne hi humari shaadi karwayi hai... nanu unke dost na sahi par chachaji unhe jaante toh the... aur nanu ab nahi hain... sabse bada sach hai ki shaadi toh humari ho chuki hai... iss sach ko koi badal nahi sakta." He looked deeply into her eyes.

"Haan Naina, Sameer theek keh raha hai... yeh shaadi har tarah se jaayaz hai... aur sabka na sahi par tumhare ghar ke kuch badon ka ashirwaad toh hai tumhare saath." Rahul gave a relieved smile.

"Baat toh theek hai, Naina... isse badi khushkhabri kya ho sakti hai ki tere papa ke muh se wohi baat nikli jo vaastav mein hua hai." Sonali was elated as well.

Naina gazed at her friends, then looked down at the shining face that had brightened her life... and bent down to kiss his forehead.

Rahul and Sonali smiled softly... and left the room.

"I Love You." She cupped his face, the tension of past few days melting away to send a wave of relief through her.

"And I Love sasurji." He winked.

Naina smirked.

Sameer stood up from the floor, making her stand with him, "Maine kabhi sapne mein bhi nahi socha tha ki main yeh kahunga... aisa kehna toh chodo main toh kabhi unke baare mein bina gusse ke soch bhi nahi paaya aaj tak."

She hugged him, tightening her arms as much as she could.

"Uhh... Naina... kamre mein chalein... fir tum jo chaho kar lena... main mana nahi karunga." He whispered in her ear.

Sudden realisation dawned on her that they were outside... and she looked around quickly, only to find the room empty... no one besides them.

She had no idea when Rahul and Sonali had left them alone... but it was still their living room.

Disentangling herself from him, she ran back to the room, blushing at the thought of showing her love in front of her friends.

Sameer ran his fingers through the hair falling on his forehead and followed her.

He found the room empty. Light of the washroom was on.

He flung himself on the chair, relaxed with a lightness in his heart... the conversation with chachaji was like a new lease of life... he did not let it show but the fear of Rakesh sir landing in college and creating a ruckus had haunted him for last few days. More than anything, he was scared of losing his temper with him. Naina had soothed his anger for many things in the last few years but if someone showed any harshness towards her, he wouldn't have taken that... even if that someone was her father. He had found his behavior unreasonable even in school when he didn't have any feelings for Naina... and intolerable when he had started to fall in love with her... but now, when she was his wife, he would not have spared him. Rakesh sir could not get away with saying that she was his daughter and he had a right on her... rights come only if you fulfill the duties towards your children. Just like his mother had no right on him... that was the reason he had not mentioned anything about his marriage when she had called up the day before they came here.

The call was as dry as the previous ones... the customary questions on studies, behavior and staying away from wrong things so that no bad name comes to her husband's family.

He had heard her out, saying that he  was well prepared for the exams.

"Bas ab tumhari padhai hote hi business sambhal lo... Vivek ne apne circle mein kuch logon se baat ki hai... tumhari help karenge woh business seekhne mein... dekhna, ek din tumhe bhi apne jaisa bana denge woh." She had said with pride that she never displayed for her own son.

"Magar mujhe unke jaisa nahi banna... aur na hi unki madad chahiye... munshi ji hain mere liye... woh sab sikha rahe hain... aur Nai..." He stopped abruptly, not keen to talk about Naina to his mom.

"Oh, toh ab tak uss middle class ladki ka bhoot utra nahi hai tere sar se... koi nahi, ek baar zara business mein set ho jaa, main teri shaadi ek achhi si apne standard ki ladki se karwa dungi." She said dryly.

"Good night, mujhe padhna hai." He had ended the call with clenched teeth.

Lost in thoughts, he did not hear when Naina called out his name softly from the washroom.

She had somehow missed to take her kurta for changing. Having soaked the one worn during the day, she was stuck in the washroom in her patiala. When Sameer didn't answer and she could not see him as he slung low on the wide chair with its back to the washroom, she presumed he was not in the room. Wearing Sameer's red tshirt that he had worn last night, she stepped out to look for the kurta in her bag.

The penstand kept next to the bag dropped on the floor as she shuffled her things.

The sound brought Sameer back to present and he stood up to see what had caused the loud noise.

He saw Naina furiously searching her bag for something... dressed in her salwar and... he watched astonished... his tshirt.

"Naina." He moved towards her.

She looked up with a jerk... startled at his voice.

Seeing him in front of her, she turned to run back to the washroom. Sameer took a long stride and held her arm, making her come flinging to him.

"Yeh kya hai?" He let his gaze slip from her face, slowly going down till her toes.

She tugged at the edges of tshirt, making unsuccessful attempts to pull it down, chewing on her lip.

"Yeh kaise pehena tumne?" He was mesmerized.

"Woh main... kurta... kurta le jaana bhool gayi thi... yeh bathroom mein chodi hui thi tumne... maine tumhe awaaz lagayi thi par tumne suna nahi." She hesitantly explained the reason for coming out in this outfit.

"Tum bahane dhoond rahi thi mujhe bathroom mein bulane ke?" His eyes held the glint that started a churning in her stomach.

"Main... main aisa kuch nahi kar rahi thi... woh kurta nahi mil raha tha bas isliye." She was the colour of beetroot.