"Thank you." Sonali linked her arm with Rahul, walking back to their room.

"Sonali, mujhe sach mein yakeen nahi ho raha... Sameer ki aankhon mein Naina ke liye gehra pyar kabse dekha hai maine, jab usne Naina ko bola tak nahi tha tabse... saath hone ke baad woh ek din bhi Naina ke bina kaise bechain ho jaata tha mujhe pata hai... uske kareeb jaate hi kaise khil jaata tha yeh bhi dekha hai.... mujhe toh darr lagta tha ki shayad yeh Naina se door reh hi na paye... aur yeh shaadi hone ke baad bhi... chalo pehli shaadi jo hamare saath hui uska kisi ko pata nahi, lekin court marriage toh Naina ke chachaji ne karwai thi... aur humne unhe poora mauka bhi diya apne ghar mein... aur woh Lonavala ka trip... he bhagwan, mahaan hain dono... isliye bina kuch pooche maine tumhari baat maan li... Naina ne jo bhi plan kiya hai Sameer ko khushi hi dega... agar inn dono ne itna intezar kiya hai toh uska phal milna hi chahiye... woh bhi sabse meetha wala." Rahul wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder as they went in.

Sameer entered his room. He looked around... Naina was nowhere. His eyes fell on the fans. They were switched on, filling the room with a strong gush of air.

"Subah sabse pehle toh uss Munna ki taange todunga... mere kamre ko godaam bana diya... aur yeh on kyon hain? Naina ne toh nahi kiya hoga... lagta hai kharab hain isliye yahan rakh diya... jaise aur koi jagah nahi hai poore ghar mein iss kabaad ke liye." He was agitated.

Taking his pagdi off, he kept it aside and moved towards the fans, holding a hand against his face to shield himself from the air.

"Usse rehne do, Sameer." Naina's voice reached him from behind.

"Naina, sorry, pata nahi kisne rakhe hain... shayad kharab hain... apne aap on ho gaye... main abhi dekhta hun." Without looking up, he searched for the switch.

"Maine rakhwaye hain." Her words shocked him.

He turned slowly...

Time stood still for Sameer... what he saw was a picture from his dreams...

Naina stood in front of him... in green saree...

THE GREEN SAREE...

Her hair were tied in a pony, though the sindoor gleamed on her forehead... her pallu was flying... the thin saree stuck to her with the heavy gush of air... her makeup was gone... so was the jewellery, except the mangalsutra... but her wrists were filled with green bangles... and hands were adorned with mehendi...

She was so much like that first day... yet so different...

His heart had stopped beating long back... his pulse had gone erratic... his eyes forgot to blink... his mouth was open... his hands held the stand of the fan so hard, the knuckles turned white... his feet were rooted to the spot...

Then she started walking towards him... taking slow steps, her face tilted sideways to save herself from the air...

He watched her sway... the same gait... the same frame... the same delicate beauty... the same soft face that had melted his resolve... the same curves that had jolted him out of his senses...

The same Naina that had not just entered the college gate that day... but had made an entry into his life and was able to knock down the cold walls he had built around himself... with the fire she had lit in him... the raging fire was burning till today... and now she had turned it into an inferno...

As if to match the furore inside him, the outside sky rumbled... and wind picked up speed.

Sameer was oblivious to everything... his eyes only on her... she continued to close the distance between them, with lidded eyes as she looked sideways...

His eyes glittered with the stars buzzing in his brain when she reached him... and he waited... for her touch...

She came to him... and without a glance, crossed him to walk ahead...

He was stunned, turning back sharply... to see where she was headed.

Naina reached the balcony door, and pushed it open...

The strong wind, combined with fine showers hit her, making her take a sharp breath.

There was another hiss... as Sameer drew in his breath... at the sight of her blouse from behind... the same deep back, dipping to where the blouse ended. He had since then seen her in different clothes... deep necks, backless, bare back, even in a towel... but this sight still made him go weak.

He was next to her in an instant, holding her shoulders from behind, pulling her to himself.

"Naina... tum... tum... aaj..." His voice did not sound his own, nor did it behave like his own... refusing to let him continue.

The touch she was so used to by now sent a current through her veins today... it felt like his first touch... his chest stuck to her back... just like that day...

He turned her, moving to face her as they stood in the doorway, the soft rain hitting them from one side.

Her eyes lifted slowly... the deep, brown pools looking into his dark ones that glittered with the memories of that day.

"Uss din ek safar shuru hua tha, Sameer... chahe humne kuch na kaha ho ek doosre se... par yeh safar shuru ussi din hua tha... sahi mayno mein... ussi din maine pehli baar ek chahat dekhi thi tumhari aankhon mein..." Her soft voice was reminiscing about that day.

"Hamare itne lambe safar mein uss din ki yaad ek pal ke liye bhi dil se nahi gayi... na tumhare, na mere... tum intezar karte rahe, kehte rahe, maine bhi khud ko bohot baar taiyar kiya yeh saree pehenne ke liye... lekin har baar mere haath ruk gaye... shayad isiliye kyonki hamara naya safar bhi issi saree se shuru hona tha... jo kahani uss din shuru hui thi iss hare rang se, ussi hare rang ke saath aaj hum apni nayi zindagi shuru karenge."

She looked at her green glass bangles that chachiji had made her wear, and smiled, "Chachiji ne jab yeh chooriyan pehnai aur kaha ki har dulhan laal rang mein apne sasural jaati hai lekin yeh hara rang zaroor uske saath hota hai kyonki yeh prateek hota hai aane wale jeevan mein khushiyaan lane ka... tab maine socha hamari kahani isliye khushiyon se bhari hai kyonki yeh hare rang se shuru hui thi... aur aaj bhi, hum nayi kahani shuru karenge... woh bhi apne ghar mein...  toh isse achha kuch ho hi nahi sakta tha...main ussi din ko wapas lana chahti thi, bina kisi fark ke."

He slipped his hands over her arms covered with the sleeves, till his fingers touched the bangles. He liked the clinking sound as his fingers played with them. He lifted one hand, bringing it closer to his face. The bangles slipped to settle in the center of her forearm.

He looked at the mehendi on her palm, "Uss din tumhare haath mein yeh mehendi nahi thi jismein mera naam tha, aaj hai... fark hai... uss din tumhare maathe pe sindoor nahi tha mere naam ka, aaj hai... fark hai... uss din tumhara gala soona tha, aaj mangalsutra hai... fark hai... uss din hum khuli sadak pe the jahan koi bhi humein dekh sakta tha, aaj apne ghar mein, apne kamre mein hain, akele... fark hai... uss din tumhe choone se darr raha tha main, aaj hum dono ka haq hai ek doosre pe... fark hai... uss din tum mere dil ke haal se anjaan thi, aaj tumhe pata hai mera dil sirf tumhare liye dhadakta hai... fark hai... uss din tum ek ghabrayi hui, sehmi hui ladki thi, aaj meri biwi ho jo mere har armaan ko samajhti hai, har sapne ko poora karti hai... fark hai."

She smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder, and pushed him inside the room... her back was now towards the showers.

"Aur yeh biwi jaanti hai ki tum baarish mein nahi bheeg sakte, warna beemar pad jaoge... isliye tumhe yahin rehna hai." She let the hand stay on his chest.

He saw the falling rain making her wet... her pony getting stuck to her back... and he knew how it would be now... just like that day. Her saree was wet too, turning transparent... just like that day. His blood started to pound in his ears... just like that day.

He pulled her to himself, one arm around the waist, "Aaj mujhe bheegne se kuch nahi hoga... tumhare saath hun toh thand kaise lagegi? Yeh bhi maine ussi din jaana tha... uss din ek aag mehsoos hui thi... pehli baar pata chala tha paani mein bheeg ke jalne ka kya matlab hota hai... uss din tumhe choone se jo mehsoos hua tha wohi aaj bhi mujhe hila gaya... Naina, uss din bohot kuch chahta tha main, lekin keh nahi paaya... aaj woh sab bandishe khatm ho gayi... aaj tumhe batana hai main kya chahta tha."

Her stomach tightened at his voice, his tone, his fingers as they dug into her waist.

Her eyes conveyed to him that she was ready to hear what he wanted to tell.

"Tum khoobsurat ho yeh toh main school mein hi jaan gaya tha... lekin uss din aisi saree mein, jab tum pehle tez hawaon mein aur fir bheegte hue mere saamne khadi thi, toh laga tumhare bheege galon ko kiss kar dun." He leaned and kissed her wet cheeks, making her shudder.

"Jab tumne apne hothon se mera naam liya toh dil kiya inn hothon ko mehsoos karun." He brushed his lips against hers, making her hold her breath.

"Jab tumhari peeth par paani ki boonde atak rahi thi toh main unhe pi lena chahta tha." He turned her, placing his lips on her back where the water droplets were stuck to her skin. He sipped several of them, feeling the goosebumps that were suddenly visible on her skin.

"Jab yeh saari tumse chipak gayi thi toh iss kamar ko choona chahta tha, dekhne ke liye ki kya yeh mere haathon ke ghere mein sama jayegi... jiska mujhe yakeen bhi tha." He turned her to face him again, covering her waist his both hands... his fingers rested on each other, her tiny waist fitting in his big palms.

She drew in a breath, surging ahead towards him.

His eyes shifted up from her waist, "Aur janna chahta tha tum kitni nazuk ho." He leaned, placing a kiss on the slightly visible cleft in her chest, through the saree.

Her hands clutched his sherwani.

"Jab tum... " He started when she placed her hand on his lips.

"Bas Sameer... aur... aur nahi." Her breathless voice stopped him.

He looked at her flaming cheeks. Holding her wrist, he placed a kiss on her fingers.

"Abhi se kaise bas, Naina... abhi toh tumhe batana hai ki pichle teen saalon mein maine kaisa mehsoos kiya hai... unn saare palon ka hisaab lena hai jab main tumhare kareeb hokar bhi khud ko rokta tha... tum mujhe kabse sataa rahi ho... unn sab baaton ka badla lene ka time shuru hua hai... ab tumhara yeh pati apni patni ki naa nahi sunega." His voice turned raspy.

Her eyes lowered under his burning gaze.

His fingers grazed her cheek, her shoulder hitched up. His one hand moved from her waist, going behind her, touching the back as it moved up. He reached her pony, pulling out the band. Threading his fingers through her hair he let them fall, framing her face.

"Naina, main tumse bohot pyar karta hun... itna ki main bata bhi nahi sakta... tumhare mann ki khoobsurti ke saath saath mujhe tumhari iss khoobsurati se bhi behadd pyaar hai... ab main aur intezar nahi kar sakta." His throaty voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Sameer scooped her up. Her arms went around his neck. With their eyes locked, Sameer slowly moved towards the bed.