Anand decided that the lunch would be ordered from  some good restaurant today.

"Aaj hum party karenge... hotel chale jaate par buaji thak gayi hain... unhe aadat nahi hai kahin aane jaane ki aur court mein itni der khade rehna pada... isliye ghar mein hi mangwa lete hain." He said when bua dadi had gone to her room to freshen up.

He had brought a camera with him. They had clicked some pictures to keep the memories of the day. Though it could never be erased from Naina and Sameer's mind... each moment would remain alive and fresh... the memories in the form of pictures were needed to show to others. Sameer did not hesitate to wound his arm around his wife's shoulder when chachaji clicked theirs. Naina squirmed initially but when Phulla bua asked her to shift closer, she inched a bit towards him.

"Aisa lagna toh chahiye ki shaadi hui hai... ab college wapas jaana hai isliye sindoor bhi nahi laga sakti... photo mein toh kam se kam biwi ke jaise haq se khadi ho uske saath." She chided Naina.

Sameer's gentle pull made them closer... and Naina shivered at the first touch... of her husband... she could feel the warmth from his body seep into her through the thin saree. They had held hands after the court ceremony but this proximity, that too in front of chachaji... Naina was jittery. After a few pictures, she insisted on clicking with bua dadi and then with chachaji.

"Jab tak khana aayega, main sabke liye nimbu paani bana deti hun." She tried to get some solitude... to let the feeling sink in.

As she entered the kitchen, shrill ring of the phone made chachaji get up and attend. The call was from Ahmedabad. Bela wanted to know if everything was done properly. Chachaji picked up the cordless and walked out to the balcony.

Finding himself alone in the room, Sameer got up to catch a glimpse of Naina.

She was mixing sugar in the jug, her back towards the door. Sameer stealthily moved ahead.

Naina gasped aloud as his hand moved around her waist.

"Sameer, tum yahan kya kar rahe ho... pagal ho gaye ho kya... kisi ne dekh liya toh..." She turned... only to realise that now she was too close to his face.

She tried to move away but Sameer tightened his hold, "Ab kisi ne dekh bhi liya toh kya, Mrs Maheshwari, licence hai mere paas."

Her fingers on his arms dug deeper... she reminded herself of the changed equation... not that she had forgotten... but the enormity of transformation it would be bringing was slowly coming to her.

"Sameer, chachaji... aise..." She stuttered.

"Woh phone pe baat kar rahe hain." His gaze slipped to her red lips.

Naina gulped.

His hand came to rest on her cheek, the thumb tracing the outline of her lower lip.

"Aaj tumhe doosri baar dekha hai iss lipstick mein... tumne toh kaha tha tumhare paas hai hi nahi." His voice was heavy.

"Bua dadi ne di hai... bindi bhi... aur..." She stopped.

"Aur?" He raised his brows.

"Aur sindoor." She whispered.

And his eyes darted to the empty parting of her hair... the memories of the day when he had accidentally put red colour there came rushing back to him.

"Naina, humare saath sab kuch itna alag kyon hota hai... sabki shaadi ek baar mein ho jaati hai... humaari aise tukdon mein... sindoor tumhe teen mahine pehle laga tha... court mein sign aaj kiya hai aur woh aag wali shaadi hum aur do teen mahine baad karenge." He was lost in thoughts.

A smack on his arm brought him back, "Sameer... aag wali shaadi kya hoti hai... usse fere kehte hain... tum bhi..."

"Oh haan, tumne bataya tha... sorry, bhul gaya." He immediately held one ear, seeing the frown on her face.

His action surged a strong wave of love in her... going up on her toes, she placed a kiss on his cheek.

The sound of a door opening made him move away before giving a befitting answer to her.

Bua dadi walked out of her room. Sameer gave her a smile, standing near the dining chair. Chachaji was still talking on phone.

"Naina, beta kya kar rahi hai? Khana toh bahar se mangwaya hai fir kitchen mein kyon lagi hai?" Bua dadi called out.

"Kuch nahi bua dadi, bas nimbu paani bana rahi hun." She continued without turning, still blushing.

"Aur tu, jaa muh dho ke aaja." She patted Sameer's arm.

"Maine aane ke baad haath muh dho liya tha, bua dadi." He straightened.

"Haan... par uske baad yeh jo lipstick laga ke ghoom raha hai... yeh dulhan ke liye theek hai, dulhe pe thodi ajeeb lagti hai." She peered at his cheek.

Naina squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lower lip in mortification... the kitchen was a little darker than other rooms and Sameer had to move away the moment she had kissed so she could not see the mark... she was unable to look back at Sameer's reaction.

He stood rooted to the spot at bua dadi's words... eyes rounded as his hand flew to the spot where Naina had kissed.

"Yahin hai... ab jaa... ya Anand se pooch ke jayega?" She smirked.

Sameer ran to the washroom, going red at the prospect of chachaji seeing him like this.

Naina waited till Phulla bua walked away to the balcony where chachaji was talking. Then she rushed to her room.

"Hey bhagwan... ab bahar kaise jaun... Naina, tujhe bhi abhi hi bukhar chada tha... pehle kapde badal ke muh dhona chahiye tha na... ab kya karun?" She slapped her forehead.

"Sabse pehle toh yeh lipstick hata leti hun." She rushed to the bathroom.

The door opened that very moment... and she banged into her husband of few hours.

In the hurry to run away from bua dadi and wash his face, Sameer had entered the room where he had stayed when he was here on Diwali, completely forgetting that it was Naina's room.

And now she was in his arms... her breath fanning his neck... his hands on her waist.

Naina clutched his shirt dearly... shocked... her face buried in his neck.

"Naina, main woh... nishan... yaad nahi raha... sorry." He muttered.

He steadied her, tearing his hands away from her waist to her arms... unwillingly...

All he wanted right now was to take her in his embrace... drown in her fragrance... feel those red lips with his thirsty ones... let his fingers roam freely on her satiny waist... whisper in her ears how much he wanted her.... see her turn beetroot as his lips moved over her skin, beyond the face and neck...

"Sam... Sameer... tum bahar jao, please." She managed to speak.

He gulped, letting his hands fall to his sides.

He was about to step out when her panic ridden voice called our again, "Ruko."

He stopped instantly, looking back to see her coming, hurriedly.

"Kya hua, Naina?" He saw the tension on her face.

She cupped his chin and stared at his neck. And there it was... another mark... from when she had barged into him.

With a corner of her pallu, she rubbed it, "Abhi fir se pakde jaate na... ek aur nishan leke bahar jaate toh..."

Sameer touched the part she had cleaned, cursing himself that he did not come to know when that mark happened.

"Ab jao." She said after observing his neck, cheek and collar carefully.

"Ek aur..." He said in a low voice, touching his lower lip.

Naina pulled his hand down, baffled at the gesture.

"Aaj ke din ka quota ho gaya... zyada bahadur mat bano... dekha maine jab bua dadi ne bola toh kaise tumhare tote udd gaye." She reprimanded him.

"Oh, aur tumhare? Madam, bua dadi ne jo nishan dekhe woh tumne diye the... mujhe... ismein meri kya galti hai... maine toh abhi tak kuch kiya hi nahi... quota toh abhi shuru ho raha hai." Stepping closer, he leaned... kissing the fingers around his wrist.

If Naina was scared earlier, she was now astounded... and shivering with the effect of his words.

He rubbed the tip of his nose with hers, "Ab kiske chidiya, tote, kabootar... sab udd gaye!"

By the time she realised he was teasing, Sameer was gone.

Naina kept standing near the door, holding it for support.

What did he mean? Did he...? No, he couldn't... they would be going back to the hostel... he wouldn't...

She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. Being Mrs Maheshwari wouldn't be easy... for the period of one month that was left for their college.

When she went out after changing into her suit, Phulla bua was in the kitchen, putting the curries in serving bowls. The lunch parcels had arrived.

Hearing a sound, she looked back, "Naina, beta tune kapde kyon badle? Aaj ke din toh dulhan jaisi banke rehti na... kitni pyari lag rahi thi... woh toh achha hua jaane se pehle teri nazar utar di thi maine, nahin toh pakka aate hi bimar padti."

Seeing no trace of teasing on her face or in her words, Naina relaxed a bit.

"Aur tere hero ki nazar bhi atki hui thi tujhpe... nazar hi kya... woh toh door hi nahi reh paa raha." Phulla bua chuckled, coming towards Naina.

Her foot in mid air, she froze. Her grandmother had always been saying things which no elder ever dared to mention... during Pooja didi's wedding, she had often seen Pooja didi going all red when bua dadi whispered something in her ear as they sat together on the swing. But it was still better for Pooja didi... Varun jijaji was not around.

Here, within hearing distance of Sameer... when he himself was no less... Naina was turning into a puddle every few minutes by her grandmother's teasings

Phulla bua lovingly cupped her face, "Arre meri gudiya, main toh bas ched rahi hun tujhe... ab aur koi hai nahi aise masti karne ke liye toh maine socha main hi tum dono ko chida lun... shaadi hui hai toh yeh sab sunna hi padega... agar saara parivaar yahan hota toh Preeti aur Pooja ke saath milke teri aur tere hero ki khoob khinchayi karte... waise main toh tab bhi nahi chodti."

The glint in her eyes made Naina go red all over again.

They together placed the dishes on the dining table. The family of four sat down to have lunch. Chachaji told them how happy Bela and Preeti were and how much they missed being here.

"Naina, Preeti ne kaha hai woh tumhe aaj raat hostel mein phone karegi." He smiled gently.

Naina nodded.

"Aur Bela ne lambi si list batayi hogi ki kya kya karna chahiye... uska woh suhagan puran... yeh pehno... yeh mat pehno... sindoor laga ke rakho... haath khali mat rakho... aur bhi jaane kya kya... Naina, tu yeh sab mat soch... beta, yeh shringar hota hai... apne dil se karne ke liye... pati ka surakshit rehna teri chudiyon ya sindoor pe nirbhar nahi karega... jab tera dil chahe yeh sab pehen... mujhe pata hai college mein aise nahi jaa sakte... tu jaise rehti hai waise hi rehna." Phulla bua again displayed her thinking that was much ahead of times.

"Aap sahi keh rahi hain, buaji. Bela ne aisi kai baatein kahi thi, lekin maine Naina ko kuch nahi bola kyonki main bhi nahi maanta yeh sab... Bela ko achha lagta hai saj dhaj ke rehna aur main kabhi usko rokta nahi... lekin yeh sab majboori mein pehna jaaye aisa nahi hona chahiye... sindoor ya bindi lagane se meri umar nahi badhegi par uske dil ko tassali milti hai... Naina, saari baatein tab tak theek hoti hain jab tak tumhe unpe yakeen ho... agar tumhara dil kehta hai toh karo par yeh yaad rakhna ki tumhare yeh sab na karne se Sameer par koi mushkil nahi aayegi." Chachaji agreed with Phulla bua.

Naina dipped her head to the side...  she herself did not believe in certain things but never had the courage to question them. Now, with the independence and confidence acquired with her achievements, she felt more in control. And with the support of Sameer, she had no doubt that she would be able to live her life exactly the way she wanted. For them, the symbols of marriage would not be these external things... but the love and trust for each other that would not waver... whatever situations they face in life.

She raised her eyes half to look at him... and found him smiling warmly at her.

As if he could read her thoughts, Sameer blinked, slightly bending his head... to convey that he agreed with whatever she was thinking.

He then looked back at Anand, "Chachaji, mujhe aapse kuch zaroori baat karni hai."