"Naina, beta tere chachaji keh rahe the ki hum log koshish karenge ghar pe abhi shaadi ke baare mein bina bataye sabko manane ki... warna naya hi tufaan aa jayega... bhabhiji aur Rakesh bhaisaab toh aise bhadkenge ki sambhalna mushkil ho jayega." Bela conveyed her husband's message to Naina.

"Par chachiji, shaadi ka nahi bataya toh koi bhi raazi nahi hoga." Naina was apprehensive.

"Tere chachaji aur Phulla bua milke baat karenge... unhone pehle isliye nahi kaha kyonki woh nahi chahte the ki yahan kisi ko zyada time mile sochne ka aur kuch musibat khadi karne ka... unhone kaha, Naina ke aane ke baad hi batayenge, foran shaadi ki tareekh nikalwayenge aur jhat se shaadi kar denge jisse kisi ki buri nazar na lage tum dono ko." Bela patted her cheek fondly.

Naina felt a warm sensation spread over her... chachaji wanted an early date for their marriage... the dream suddenly looked easier to achieve.

"Naina, kya Sameer ke gharwalo mein se koi nahi aayega? Uski mummy... soutele hi sahi par bhai behen aur uske papa?" Bela asked.

Naina lowered her head. She knew this topic would come up... and Sameer would never be ready to include them in the wedding functions.

"Chachiji, Sameer ki mummy bhi uske saath aisi hi hain jaise mere saath papa hain... yahan toh aap aur chachaji ho jinhone mujhe itna pyar diya ki mujhe kabhi koi kami nahi mehsoos hui... par Sameer ko na pyar mila na parivaar... unn logo ne kabhi usse apne ghar ka hissa maana hi nahi... isliye woh nahi chahta ki unmein se koi bhi iss khushi mein shaamil ho." She explained his point of view.

Bela nodded... she would have never believed that a real parent could ignore his own child like this all their lives... but she had seen the example of Rakesh... in some corner of her heart, she wished they could also take out their trouble creating relatives away from the picture and have a happy, uncomplicated celebration.

"Chal theek hai, ab tum dono so jao." She sighed, getting up.

"Umm, chachiji, main kal subah subah mandir jaungi." Naina quickly informed her.

"Arre beta, aaj thaki hui hai, kal aaram se sona... parson chali jaana." Bela was worried about her health.

"Nahi, kal hi jaungi... balki roz jaana hoga... woh maine mannat mangi hai ki jab tak sab kuch theek nahi hota roz subah jal chadhaungi." She smiled sweetly.

Bela was impressed with her devotion, "Theek hai, chali jaana... bhagwan ko bhi khush kar le."

"Aur jijaji ko bhi." Preeti whispered as Bela closed the door behind her.

Naina widened her eyes at her.

"Main mummy nahi hun jinhe tu bhagwanji ki goli deke budhu bana de... mujhe pata hai roz subah subah jaana hai ka kya matlab tha... arre pyaar nahi kiya toh kya... filmen toh dekhi hain na... sab pata hai mujhe." Preeti gave a knowing wave of head.

Naina hid her face in her palms.

Sameer turned towards the wall. Munna and Pandit were fast asleep already... but he could not stop thinking about Naina. He missed her soft feel beneath his hands. Sleeping without her in his arms was lot more tough than spending the day without her. His arms ached with the need to engulf her... his shoulder wanted her weight on it... his chest wanted her soft, warm hands over it... he wanted her scent around him... her hair on his face...

He wanted her.

Naina was not able to sleep either. She felt incomplete. The pillow was not comfortable... she needed his shoulder. The rhythm of his heartbeat under her ear was her lullaby. His heavy hand on her waist and folded leg over her knee gave her a feeling of possessiveness. His breath fanning her face was the air she wanted to breathe. His rough jaw on her cheek felt more welcome than the soft bedsheet.

She wanted him.

Both spent a long night tossing and turning in bed.

They got up early... very early. It was still dark outside.

Sameer quickly went for his bath. Looking at himself in the mirror, he rubbed his hand on the cheek, a mischievous smile spreading on his face. Shaving routine was ditched.

He switched on the light of the room, opening the cupboard to look for his clothes.

"Oye, adhi raat ko kya kar raha hai?" Pandit stirred in bed, looking at him sleepily.

"Main bahar jaa raha hun... tu so ja." He whispered.

"Bahar? Chowkidaar ki naukri mil gayi kya?" Pandit rubbed his one eye that was open.

"Mandir jaa raha hun." Sameer waved at him to keep the voice down, scared of waking up Munna.

Pandit sat up, struggling to open the other eye too, "Mandir? Itni raat ko? Sanyaas le raha hai tu? Shaadi se dil bhar gaya?"

Sameer rushed to him, covering his mouth, "Main Naina se milne mandir jaa raha hun... ab tu chup karke so ja... ya fir jaake naha le... tujhe bhi leke chalta hun."

He knew this would definitely work on him.

It did.

Pandit immediately hit the pillow, shutting his eyes, "Tu hi ja bhai... main kyon apni neend kharab karun... itni raat ko mandir ke bahar kachori wala bhi nahi hoga."

Breathing in relief at his soft snoring, Sameer dressed up quickly.

Naina finished her bath and checked the clothes in Preeri's cupboard. She hadn't yet unpacked her suitcase and her old clothes were not good enough for wearing to meet him.

A yellow top with a mustard skirt caught her eye. It was not the type of outfit she wore... the skirt was long and flowy, the top was loose, with sleeves going below the elbow... but the soft fabric felt good.

Naina changed into it... brushed her hair to make them fall smoothly on her back... and it dawned upon her that she could not leave them open, unless she wanted taiji to again bring her in the firing range. With a sigh, she secured them with a rubber band at the base of her neck... she had to look the part if she had to go to the temple.

Sameer waited near the pond, throwing pebbles in the calm water...

He wondered if the water was calm... or still and trapped.

It was so similar to his own life... which was stagnant till Naina came into it. He threw another stone and the strong ripples caused the water to spring with energy. She also brought a new life and energy into him once she hit the stillness of his dark past. And now, when their calm story had reached Ahmedabad, their own dreams had again brought a storm into the tranquility of their love life.

He smiled, noticing the water settle back into the serene, glassy surface... they would also cross every hurdle soon, going back to a pacific life with each other.

A sound of stones crushing made him look back... and he forgot to breathe.

She was descending the stairs in a beautiful, yellow top... her skirt swayed in breeze... her tied up hair filled him up with eagerness to pull out the band...

She slowly reached the lowest step, turning to look at him... and he was surrounded by the bright sunshine as darkness gave way.

She started to take slow steps... eyes fixed on him. He wanted to tell her to watch her step as the path was more uneven than their last visit, when her foot hit a mound of sand and she stumbled ahead... into his arms.

They looked at their own reflection in each other's eyes... giving instant gratification to their restlessness.

"Bhagwanji ke ghar mein itna achha prashad mil gaya... unka ishara hai yeh... tumhe apni sahi jagah pohocha diya." He tucked a lone strand behind her ear, still holding her backward leaning form with one arm around the small waist.

She straightened, not making any effort to move away... his arm tightened as his other hand cupped her face.

His heart was rumbling in his chest... he was holding her in his arms after more than twelve hours... it however felt like a lifetime.

She had one hand fisted, holding the prashad from her pooja... other one rested on his chest, feeling the hammering of his heart... her own no better.

"Meri jaan, tumhare bina ek pal ke liye bhi nahi so paaya main." His gruff voice made goosebumps erupt all over her.

"Main bhi nahi." She managed to whisper.

Her lips quivered, to speak... to feel him... to savour him... she wanted everything at this very moment.

"Yeh prashad hai... tumhare liye." She opened her fist between them, showing the small piece of peda that she was holding.

He closed her hand back, "Pehle main apna prashad kha lun."

"Pehle peda." She leaned back, distancing from his leaning form.

"Wohi kha raha hun." His gaze was stuck on the small crumb on the side of her lip.

Not giving her time to understand, he bent, flicking his tongue over her lips before taking them in his mouth. The sweetness of peda, combined with her honeyed taste made his mind explode with need for more.

She closed her eyes, the heart that had stopped beating since last evening found its rhythm again... her hands were restless though. She wanted to feel him... one fisted and one crushed between them did not let her have her way.

She pulled back, making him look in surprise. Without a word, she took the sweet to his mouth, forcing him to take it. He ate from her hand. Wriggling out of his hold, she ran to the pond, bending down to let the cold water wash away stickiness on her palm. Once done, she jerked her hands, and wiped them on the side of her skirt.

He tilted his head, looking at her from top to bottom, standing against the light that was spreading as the sun spilled its rays in the sky. Her own light was enough to brighten his day... he didn't need anything else.

With a smile, he spread his arms... and she came rushing into them, crashing against his chest. Her mouth found his in a fraction of a second... hands going behind his neck... threading in the soft hair, pulling him closer as she pushed her tongue to make him give in.

He did... gladly... enjoying her command.

Pulling out the rubber band from her hair gave a strange sense of complacency...

As she deepened the kiss, his hands went all over her back, trying to feel her more, trying to find some place to touch... there was none. His frustration increased as his fingers did not land directly on her waist... a thick elastic band of her skirt was all he could feel.

In desperation, he moved to her neck, feeling the softness of her nape, stroking the skin behind her ear, tracing her ear. She felt everything inside her melt at his delicate touch... making her shudder in his arms.

When he lifted his head, panting for breath, she leaned heavily against him, her knees too weak to support her. He held her firmly... feeling her heart hammer against his chest.

"Kitna mushkil hai tumhare bina rehna." He murmured against her hair.

Taking a deep breath, she kissed over his heart.

"Yeh hum isliye hi toh kar rahe hain ki fir kabhi door na rehna pade." Her words had a soothing effect.

He held her shoulders to make her stand... to see her face, "Par iss dil ka kya karun... jo tumhe dekhe bina dhadakna hi bhool jaata hai?"

Her eyes drifted down to his heart... her fingers moved up to the buttons, opening them slowly, one after the other, making him tremble with anticipation. She pulled aside the panels of his shirt once it was open up to the waist.

"Aadat ho gayi hai tumhe aise dekhne ki." Her flirtatious wink sent the fire raging in his veins.

She leaned to kiss on his heart directly this time... and continued a trail of small kissed all over his chest. His muscles contracted under her flat palms on his stomach, making her smile up at him.

He was stunned. She knew the effect she was having on him... she was torturing him on purpose... she had turned into a temptress again... teasing him, tormenting him, driving him crazy.

He pulled her hard, plastering her against his bare chest... and took her lips with a raw, uncontrolled force. His impatient hands roamed up and down her sides, over her belly, behind her back... and returned to her waist in annoyance, digging in deep over the elastic band.

She froze for a moment as his mouth plundered hers, melting the very next... kissing him back fervently.

When he parted, gasping for breath, she went up on her toes and nipped his chin, not giving him a chance to speak as she grazed the back of her hand over one cheek while planting small kisses and nips on the other jaw.

He groaned... his plan to entice her had become a torment for him.

Fisting her hair gently, he pulled her head back, staring into the brown eyes before going for her throat.

"Nahi Sameer." She held his face, bending her head back.

He looked up, perplexed.

"Yahan nishan dikh jayega sabko." She said in a low voice.

He contemplated for a moment, then let out a husky whisper, "Toh kal aisa kuch pehen ke aana jisse wahan nishan de sakun jahan koi nahi dekh sakta."

Her flushed face turned many shades darker.