"Maine kaha tha na... andar hi hoga." Sameer touched her ear with his lips, reaching out to cover her hand holding the pendant.

"Sameer, main... mujhe change karna hai." She tried to pull up the fallen part of her saree.

"Kyon... mujhse darr lag raha hai?" He held her other hand as well, making her effort futile.

"Nahi," she did not hesitate, "tumse nahi khud se."

He wound her arms around her waist, wrapping his own over hers.

His voice turned gruff, "Naina, aaj raat ke baad pata nahi kab tumhare saath reh paunga main... please, aaj mujhe mat roko."

He felt her belly go in as she sucked in her breath... he slowly pulled her arms down to her sides, bringing his hands back to her waist, clutching it hard.

"Jab maine tumhe dekha tha uss baarish wale din... toh dil kiya iss kamar ko apne haathon mein le kar dekhun... woh saree bheeg ke tumse chipak gayi thi... aur meri saansein ruk gayi thi... tumhari kamar choone ke liye meri ungliyaan machalne lagi thi... kaise khud ko roka main hi jaanta hun... aur uss din se rok hi raha hun khud ko... itne kareeb aake bhi itni majboori hai, Naina... tumhe apne saamne dekh ke roz mera dil mujhe kehta hai ki sab kuch bhool ke tumhe apna bana lun... biwi ho tum meri... kya karun batao... kaise samjhaun iss dil ko... kaise yakeen dilaun khud ko ki bas kuch din ki hai yeh doori?"

The agony in his voice pierced her heart. She turned abruptly, forgetting about her saree.

"Sameer, sach mein kuch din ki hi doori hai... maine wada kiya hai na tumse ki agar ghar wale nahi maane toh saath din ke baad main tumhare saath chali aaungi... agar sab maan gaye toh jitni jaldi ho sake utni jaldi shaadi ki tareekh nikalwane ke liye bolungi chachaji ko." She placed her hands on his shirtless chest, one hand still clutching the pendent.

"Achha, kya kahogi unse... ki Sameer ek raat bhi mere bina nahi reh sakta isliye jaldi se meri shaadi karwa do fir se." He teased, pulling her even closer... the pain subdued by the sight in front of him.

A new glint made her brown eyes twinkle, "Nahi, kahungi ki main nahi reh sakti Sameer ke bina... na ek din, na ek raat."

Her voice had gone deep, making the blood in his veins heat up... her open declaration of the need for him drove him crazy... she did not just surrender to him... she was equally demanding... showing him her desperation... her raging emotions that were burning for him...

His mind went blank... everything around them went hazy... all he could see was Naina... his wife... in his arms... her plunging neckline without any cover... her bare waist within his hands... the pallu lying behind her... her eyes going dark as they searched his face for the answers of some unspoken questions... her soft hands on his chest searing his skin...

The buzzing in his ears intensified... making everything fade into oblivion...

His hand moved up to her fist, pushing it open till he got hold of the pendant. Taking it away from her, he caught the two ends of chain in his hands, holding it in a V in front of her.

"Main pehna dun?" He asked, though he knew the answer.

She nodded.

He took his hands around her neck, still standing in front. She brought her hair to one side... he tied the clasp, without looking... familiar with the hook by now.

The chain secured in her neck again, he leaned back a bit to glance at it...

His throat went dry... the pendant rested at the edge of her neckline... in the center.

Naina stopped breathing... she clenched the hands on her sides into tight fists, controlling the urge to bring them up to cover herself... her eyes closed in anticipation.

He looked at the alluring image in front of him... not able to take it any longer, he leaned... and kissed the pendant, his lips brushing against the silky smoothness around it.

Her hands shot to his shoulders, digging into the skin... the chest surged forward as a lightening jolt shook her right up to her toes... her head fell back, leaving a wide expanse for him to explore.

He held her with one arm around the waist, enchanted by the way she reacted to his briefest intimate touch... wondering how she would respond when he went further...

He cupped her face, moving his thumb slowly over her lips, coming down, he traced the column of her throat, four fingers gliding over the stretched skin as her head was still pushed back. He started to come down, feeling the chain taper under his touch...

She straightened, looking at him with hooded eyes. His eyes were following the trail of his hand as it went down to rest over the pendent, making her shrink in her shoulders. He looked up at her face... her quivering lips adding to his hunger.

He dropped his gaze to his hand, continuity his trail, taking his hand down over the fabric of her blouse... he could still feel the depth in the center... his fingers touched skin again as he drifted to her waist, laying his palm flat on the bare part, his thumb circling her navel.

Her hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his neck, going up in his hair as she pushed his head down to her throat, not able to bear the torture he was subjecting her to...

His lips gladly started to fill up every inch of her skin with kisses that added to the tightening muscles that had coiled up in her stomach. His thumb played with her belly button, circling it slowly before dipping in, making her clench her stomach under his hand.

When he reached her lips, she was more than ready... accepting him fervently as his hungry mouth took her for a fierce kiss, not bothered about the nips and cuts as sharp teeth scraped against the soft, plump skin.

Her hands roamed on his shirtless back, feeling the bliss of his hard, toned muscles under her fingers, unknowingly fuelling his desire. The kiss became smouldering as it deepened... he pulled her closer, the need to feel each inch of hers plaster against him.

She answered his need with her own fire, moulding against him, burning under his hands as they grazed over her midriff, traced the back... not stopping him when he pulled the end of her dori, making the two strings fall open on the sides...

But she stiffened when his hand moved down... it was the first time he had gone that far...

He did not leave her mouth, not giving her a chance to break the kiss as his hand pressed on the soft curve at her back.

Her nails dug into his shoulder, her back arching...

She knew he had to stop now... or it would slip out of both their hands...

"Sameer," her muffled voice reached him, echoing from some faraway place.

His lips left her mouth, skimming down her throat again as his hand pressed behind her.

"Sameer, abhi nahi." She managed to blurt out amidst the explosion of sensations his hand was evoking, squeezing her eyes shut.

He lifted his head, breath bellowing from his lungs as he took in her dishevelled look... her cheeks were flushed, lips wet and swollen, her messed up hair framed her face, her breath came out in gasps.

He wanted her now... but he wanted her to be his in a different place, in a different situation...

She opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes were clouded... with desire, with restraint, with doubt, with torment...

"Sameer, itne din se jo sapna sajaya hai uske poore hone ke liye rukna hoga." Her voice was restrained.

He gulped, nodding.

She rubbed his arms, calming him as he closed his eyes, breathing hard.

"Kabhi kabhi lagta hai agar exam khatam hote hi wapas chale jaate toh achha tha... roz roz iss exam se toh nahi guzarana padta." His frustration spilled out.

She went up on her toes, kissing his forehead, "Tum mere hero ho... aur har exam mein achhe number hi laoge... Sameer, please, aisa soch ke khud ko takleef mat do."

His eyes flew open, looking at her intensely, "Naina, kaise na sochu... tumhe aise dekh ke khud ko rokna aasan nahi hai... kaise samjhaun tumhe?"

She held his hands, kissing the back of both, "Samajh sakti hun... mera dil bhi uss baarish wale din tumhe dekh ke paagal ho gaya tha... school mein toh hamesha tumhari ek nazar ka hi intezar kiya tha... kuch aur samajh nahi aata tha... par uss din jab tumse takrayi toh ek ajeeb se bechaini ho gayi... aur jab tumhe baarish mein bheega hua dekha toh laga ki kaash uss safed tshirt ke bina dekh paati ki tum school ke mukabale kitne badal gaye ho... tumhe choona chahti thi... pata toh tab bhi nahi tha par dil kar raha tha tumhare seene se lag jaun toh shayad woh adhurapan jo mehsoos ho raha hai woh kam ho jaaye."

His eyes shone with pride, "Achha, tab pata nahi tha fir bhi itni chahtein thi... ab kaisa lagta hai... ab tum kya chahti ho?"

The glint in her eyes was unmistakable, "Ab main uss din ka intezar kar rahi hun jab tum apna sapna poora karoge... aur mera bhi."

He stared at her... gloating in the realisation that there was an extremely sensuous side to his shy, simple Naina... which would definitely turn his married life into a fiery roller coaster ride. He felt elated to see her express herself so freely in front of him, showing the level of comfort she felt in their growing relationship. She would soon come to make his life a whirlwind of romance with her boldness, he was sure.

Very soon.