Naina stepped out of the washroom, freshly shampooed hair dripping on her shoulders.

Sameer looked up from the chair where he was studying. She had worn a simple red dress.

"Naina, tumne saree nahi pehni?" He got up and came to her.

"Breakfast ke baad pehenungi... abhi baal geele hain... aur saara din pehenni hai toh abhi se mushkil ho jayega." She patted her hair with the towel, to wipe off excess water.

He took the towel from her hand. Making her stand in front of the mirror, he stood behind her, rubbing the towel on her hairline.

"Aise nahi sukhate lambe baal." She smiled, showing him how the hair had to be just patted and not vigorously rubbed.

He started to press sections of hair with the towel, "Jab pehli baar tumhare ghar aaya tha Ahmedabad mein toh tum aise hi baal dho ke nikli thi... main bas dekhta hi reh gaya tumhe... yeh boonde aise atki thi baalon mein ki man kar raha tha aake door kar dun inhe tumse."

"Inse bhi jal rahe the kya?" She teased, knowing the answer very well.

"Aur kya... tumhare paas thi... aur main nahi tha." He looked up at her in the mirror.

"Ab bhi jal rahe ho?" She asked in a low voice.

He smiled, "Ab nahi... mujhe pata hai ab meri jagah kahan hai."

He bent to rub his face in her wet hair, "Yeh khushboo tumhari hai ya uss shampoo ki?"

"Sameer, tum na pagal ho... abhi abhi shampoo kiya hai toh ussi ki hogi na." She reprimanded him for the silly question.

He turned her around in one swift motion, "Yeh tumhari khushboo hai... shampoo kiya ho ya nahi... nahaya ho ya nahi... ghar mein ho ya bahar... aaj ho ya woh pehla din jab tumhe utha ke doctor ke paas lekar gaya tha... issi khushboo se ghira rehta hun... ab toh khud se bhi mujhe yehi mehek aati hai."

She smirked, "Hamesha nahi aati yeh khushboo... jab main koi kaam karti hun jaise kitchen mein kuch ya kapde dhoti hun ya safai karti hun toh sirf paseene ki badbu aati hai... tab tum door bhaag jaoge."

"Tumse door?" He shook his head, "Koshish karogi bhagane ki toh bhi nahi jaunga... bas chipak ke baitha rahunga... tumse hamesha aisi hi khusbu aayegi chahe kuch bhi karo."

He pulled her even closer, plastering her to his chest.

"Achha yeh romance chodo aur jaake naha lo... baad mein jaana bhi hai... hamari wajah se late nahi hona chahiye." She looked up at him.

"Ab romance na ho aisa toh ho nahi sakta... license mil gaya hai ab toh... par haan, abhi jaana padega... main aata hun." He touched his forehead with hers before going for his bath.

Naina was not in the room when he came out and he missed her instantly... her sudden change of expression seeing him in towel, her holding of breath when he went closer, looking at him through the corner of her eyes, hesitant fingers that wanted to touch him but curled up in fists as he brought her hands closer to himself... he missed everything.

She was such a delight... shy at one moment, utterly sensuous the next... scared of his closeness one moment, going all out to make him feel comfortable the next... blushing at the smallest compliment, then being implicitly suggestive...

He would keep discovering her everyday... something new would surprise him every now and then.

With a sigh, he opened the bag to decide clothes for today. Surprisingly, there was nothing that could mark him as married... he wondered why it was so... Naina could be called a married woman when she dressed up in a particular style, wore bangles, mangal... mangalsutra, applied sindoor...

He still looked the same... there should have been some changes in men as well... something to tell the world that they now belonged to one person who mattered to them more than their own lives... maybe he could device something of his own... he looked at himself in the mirror.

The happiness on his face, the glow of love on his cheeks, the shine of being together on his forehead... all these announced his status to the world... yes, he was in love and with his love... forever.

He picked out the white shirt. Naina always found him more irresistible in white shirt... he grinned at his reflection, rubbing the one day darkness on his jaw. He was ready to fasten her heartbeat and he knew it very well.

He was not wrong. The moment she saw him at the dining table, her heart skipped several beats. Rolled up sleeves on his white shirt made him look more delectable. He winked at her, sucking onto his lower lip. She pressed her lips into a thin line.

After their breakfast, Naina and Sonali went back to their rooms to start preparing for going while Rahul stopped Sameer to talk about something.

When he finally reached the room half an hour later, she stood in front of the mirror... hair piled up on top of her head, she had already worn the saree... and was doing some adjustment on her belly. Looking up into the mirror, she was not satisfied and pulled out the bunch in front again, draping it along her fingers.

Sameer leaned on the doorframe with arms crossed against his chest, watching her in fascination.

Holding the folded portions of the fabric, she tucked them in front, and looked back in the mirror. This time she did not take them out. All this time, her pallu was rolled up and carelessly slung on one shoulder. And... he stopped a hiccup in time... the dori of her blouse was open, strings falling on either sides, leaving a vast expanse of her back in clear view.

He gulped...

As he stood and wondered whether he should go and help, she held the strings and brought them together behind her neck, tying them up with ease. He gaped with open mouth... for once, not happy with his wife's efficiency. Why couldn't she leave it for him to do...

But her next action made him forget  everything... she pulled down the pallu from her shoulder, opening it up to adjust over her chest. Where he was standing, he could not see her image in the mirror, however, his imagination ran wild as she ran a hand over herself to set it and took it over one shoulder, securing with a pin. Next, she picked up the pendent set, tying it around her neck... and wore the earrings.

Sameer felt his throat go dry as she started to apply kohl to her eyes. He walked in, closing the door behind him. Hearing a sound, Naina looked at the door... and his heart flipped.

Her eyes looked even more dreamy... dark and mysterious.

"Arre, tum aa gaye, mujhe abhi time lagega thoda... aadat nahi hai na yeh sab karne ki... samajh hi nahi aa raha kya kar liya kya baaki hai." She smiled nervously, trying not to look at his rolled up sleeves.

"Main help kar dun?" He asked in a quiet voice, walking slowly towards her.

"Nahi, nahi... tumhe kaunsa pata hai... main kar lungi." The last thing she wanted was him standing next to her.

He came and stood right behind, watching her in the mirror, hands in pocket.

"Sameer, aise dekhoge toh main shaam tak bhi taiyar nahi ho paungi." She swallowed, telling him clearly how he was effecting her.

"Tum apna kaam karo, main apna kaam kar raha hun... aise hi dekhunga main tumhe... aaj, kal, parson, hamesha... please, mujhe rokna mat." His voice was the same as when he had said it first time.

She found her cheeks colouring up without any makeup.

With shaking fingers, she picked up the mangalsutra, trying to open the clasp unsuccessfully.

Sameer stepped ahead, taking it from her hands... he opened the clasp and held it against her neck, "Main pehena dun?"

She nodded... even if was an imitation, it was her first mangalsutra and he had the right to make her wear it.

Sameer secured the clasp at her nape, his eyes slipping to the smooth back visible through a not very deep neckline. It was still much more than her everyday dresses which all had high backs.

She picked up the packet of bindi and plucked one. Sticking it in the center of her brows, she stared at herself, then wrinkled her nose and removed it, picking another one. The small, round, dark bindi made her look like a bride instantly. She was satisfied too, smiling at her reflection. She picked up a lipstick and parted her lips, leaning ahead to get a better look. Sameer fisted his hands as she applied the pink stain on her lips and pouted, rubbed the lips together and applied again.

Was this how lipstick was applied, he wondered... or it was her own special way of torturing him. His racing heart had started to damage his ribcage again, threatening to jump out.

She looked at herself, checking if everything was done... and her eyes fell on sindoor. She picked up the tiny box, opening its cap slowly, wondering how such a normal looking powder could change the status of any woman within a second... like it did for her three months back.

She turned to look at Sameer, extending the box at him. This was one thing he knew about, having done it before, though unknowingly.
Now he had the right to fill up this colour in the parting of her hair. Picking up a tiny pinch, he touched it to the hairline in the center.

Naina closed her eyes again. A ritual that was so pious, finally binding two souls together for more than one lifetime had come to her in the privacy of this room... he had put sindoor on her the second time and again they were the only two people who saw it happening.

One day, it would be done in front of her entire family and all relatives... they would be as happy for her as chachaji and chachiji were now.

Putting aside the box, he looked at her standing with closed eyes.

He held her by waist, pulling closer... her heels went up on their own... making her come up nearer to his height as her arms went up to clutch his shoulders. Bending a bit, Sameer planted a soft kiss on her forehead. A serene smile spread on her face. His arms went around her, pulling her in embrace... her hands slipped from his shoulders, holding him close as she rested her head on his heart, careful not to let the sindoor stain his white shirt.

"Ab main baal bana lun?" She said softly against his chest after a few minutes.

He moved back, holding her by shoulders, "Naina, tum bohot sundar lag rahi ho."

She lowered her eyes, smiling shyly.

He turned her towards the mirror, tugging at her bun till the soft hair tumbled down her back.

She picked up the brush, running it through her hair... the silky curtain stole the view of her creamy back from him.

"Ab ready hun." She looked at her watch, glad to be done with everything in time.

Sameer saw her looking at the time, and held her wrist, "Abhi poori taiyar nahi ho."

She gave him a perplexed look.

Without moving his eyes from her, he picked up the bangles from the dresser, and slipped them down her wrist delicately. She watched as he first made her wear the set in one hand, than the other.

The tinkling of glass bangles was the music that would fill up the silence of his lonely house... making it a home when she would step in.

He looked at her from head to toe and back from down up to her face.

"Ab lag rahi ho meri dulhan." He blew a kiss.

His praise always made her blush.