When Naina woke up in the morning, there was still some time for Sameer to get up. She looked at the face that meant the world to her. Her eyes travelled from his silky hair falling on the forehead in a delectable mess, his thick eyebrows, the long lashes resting on his rounded cheeks, his sharp nose, the dark shadow that was on his well defined jawline, the lips that intrigued her with the emotions they could invoke in her...

An instant heat flowed in her body, filling her with a heavenly feeling... this man could make her body burn even while sleeping, totally unaware of what he was capable of doing to her.

She sat up, without a thought about covering up. Till now, she had always woken up with some doubts and questions... but today, all she had was warmth and affection for him... the satiation of knowing his feeling for all her imperfections... and gloating in that discovery.

She had finished her bath before waking up Sameer with a kiss, asking him to get ready while she prepared his favourite breakfast. She was out of the room, laughing, as he tried to catch hold of her.

He was reading the report of latest orders of raw materials... frowning at the massive difference in quotes made by their old suppliers and a new company. Munshiji told him this was the company that belonged to Khurana's brother.

"Lekin Munshiji, aakhir Khurana ko kya dilchaspi hai iss company mein... usse kya farq padega agar hum contract kisi bhi company ko dein." Sameer was finding his interest a little suspicious.

"Yeh company sirf naam ke liye uske chachere bhai ki hai... darasal yeh uska khud ka business hai... hamara order uska sabse bada order hoga... aur woh hamara naam leke aur companies ke paas jayega... yeh saari jaankari mujhe abhi kuch din pehle hi mili hai." Munshiji informed.

"Lekin yeh toh galat hai... woh aisa kaise kar sakta hai?" Sameer was aghast.

Munshiji smiled wryly, "Har koi bade sahab ki tarah nahi hota... duniya mein aapko sahi log milenge toh galat logon ki bhi kami nahi hai."

"Munshiji, kya hum kuch nahi kar sakte? Aaj hum uski baat na bhi maane par agar kal ko woh kisi tarah board se yeh order paas karwa leta hai toh woh pakka kuch hera pheri karega." Sameer was sure of his intentions now.

"Abhi tak usne kuch rules ke bahar nahi kiya hai... company uske bhai ke naam hai... supply hamari zaroorat ke raw material ki hai... sample jo usne bheje woh quality bhi match ho rahi hai." Munshiji shrugged.

Sameer was thoughtful, "Inn sab baaton se toh lagta hai woh ek seedha sa business chalana chahta hai, lekin uski harakatein dekh ke iss baat pe yakeen karna mushkil hai."

When he was alone, Sameer brought out the diary. Nanu was the one who could help him now.

He opened a new page.

'Toh mera sher ab kaam mein dil lagane laga hai... lekin aaj samajh nahi aa raha kya kare... haina?

Tu sochega mujhe kaise pata chala... beta, jab sab kuch sahi chalta hai tab toh hum bhagwan ko bhi yaad nahi karte... aaj koi mushkil hai tabhi iss buddhe ki yaad aayi hai... hahaha

Nahi... main mazaak kar raha tha... mujhe pata hai tu mujhe kitna yaad karta hai...

Dekh beta, zindagi mein do tarah ke raaste hote hain... ek aasan, lekin galat... doosra sahi, par usmein mushkilen aa sakti hain... ab yeh tum pe hai ki tum kaun sa raasta chunte ho... ek baat aur, aasan raasta aage jaake bhi aasan rahega aisa zaroori nahi hai.

Mujhe pata hai tu khud kuch galat nahi karega... itna bharosa hai mujhe apni parwarish pe, lekin galat hote dekh ke chup rehna bhi galat ka saath dena hai...

Isliye jo bhi kaam karega, sabse pehle apne dil pe haath rakh ke sochna ki kya mahaul alag hota toh bhi tu yeh kar leta... jisse kal ko tu kisi galat faisle ka doshi haalat ko na maan le... beta, hamari zindagi mein haalat badalte rehte hain... lekin agar hum unke aage jhuk ke apne andar ki awaaz ki dabaa dete hain toh kabhi khush nahi reh payenge.

Tere saamne aaj jo bhi mushkil khadi hai, usse samajh, aur soch ki agar tu saamne wale ki jagah hota toh kya karta... uska nazariya samajhne ki koshish kar... ek baar uski soch ka pataa chal gaya toh tu khud jaan jayega aage kya karna hai.

Ek aur baat... jitna maine Naina ko jaana hai, mujhe lagta hai tu usse apni har uljhan ke baare mein baat kar sakta hai... woh samajhdaar toh hai hi, doordarshi bhi hai... woh tujhe galat rai nahi degi.'

The page was blank after this.

Sameer closed the diary and leaned back in his chair. In his simple words, nanu had shown his faith in him. He could not fail nanu.

When he talked to Naina in the evening, she heard him out with rapt attention, going quiet after understanding the problem. The terms Khurana was offering was making it tempting for the company to accept his offer... but knowing him, there had to be a catch.

After dinner, the idea struck her. Sameer suddenly felt lighter to hear her suggestion. He could instantly see the solution to his problems in it.

At the meeting with board of directors next day, when the decision was to be taken to place orders, as expected, majority of them were in favour of Khurana's company. They were initially apprehensive about Sameer's suggestion but agreed later, knowing how much Mr Jay Prakash Maheshwari encouraged new ideas.

Khurana was surprised when he was summoned to Sameer's cabin later.

"Sir, yeh company mere bhai ki zaroor hai par mera isse koi lena dena nahi hai... woh toh hamari factory ko iss maal ki zaroorat hoti hai aur maine socha aaoka kuch faayda ho jayega isliye maine hi usse kam profit rakh ke saste daam pe supply karne ko bola... aakhir mera bhi iss factory ke liye kuch farz banta hai... Maheshwari ji ki bohot izzat karta tha main." His crafty talks did not deceive Sameer.

"Nanu ne hamesha sikhaya hai mujhe ki jo aapko jitni izzat deta hai usse utni hi izzat do... chahe woh jo koi bhi ho... ab aap iss factory ke baare mein itna sochte hain toh main kaise aapke baare mein na sochun... isliye board ne aapke faayde ke liye ek faisla liya hai... agar aapko usmein koi aitraaz na ho toh hum yeh contract sign kar sakte hain." Sameer gave him a warm smile.

Khurana was perplexed. He glanced at Munshiji sitting on the adjacent chair. He had no expression on his face, looking at him plainly.

"Kya... kya offer hai, sir?" He asked hesitantly.

Sameer took a deep breath, leaning a little ahead, "Hum aapki company ko iss project ke liye partnership offer kar rahe hain."

Khurana was flummoxed. He had wanted to make some small time profit but a partnership... he was too dazed to give a reply immediately. Sameer asked him to think it over and tell them the next day.

Once he had left, Munshiji gave an appreciative look to Sameer, "Kamaal ka idea tha... abhi usse samajh nahi aaya hai... lekin uska shatir dimag kal tak sab samajh jayega... tab dekhte hain uska kya faisla hoga... lekin ab har haal mein faayda humein hi hoga.".

" Shayad isiliye nanu ne kaha tha Naina se baat karne ko... woh jaante hain Naina ki jaadu ki chadi ke baare mein." Sameer proudly  remarked.

Munshiji narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to question, but closed it again. He had seen this trait in senior Maheshwari as well... he used the terms which appeared of no meaning to the listener but had a deep connection for him. Like his nanu, Sameer too seemed to have developed some personal vocabulary.

When he reached home in the evening, the smell reached him before he entered the house, along with the noises.

"Bahar se hi pata chal gaya ki aaj hamare kitchen ki shaamat aayi hai... Pandit jo aaya hai." He grinned, looking at his friends from the doorway.

Some things never change. Both Munna and Pandit jumped on him like before, making him stumble back.

"Bade dino baad yaad aayi apne bhai ki." He complained when they were settled back.

"Humein aa toh gayi... tujhse toh itna bhi nahi hua." Pandit made a face at him.

Munna smiled sheepishly, "Mujhe laga tum log aapas mein mil lete ho bas mujhe nahi batate... shayad abhi bhi naraz ho mujhse."

"Achha, do din pehle kaun busy tha... maine toh phone kiya tha... tune hi kaha bilkul time nahi hai abhi." Pandit scoffed at him.

Sameer frowned, "Munna, abhi bhi tu har waqt kaam mein uljha rehta hai? Swati ko fir se tang karne laga hai kya... dekh, pichli baar toh chod diya tha, ab aisa kuch kiya toh teri taange tod denge hum dono."

Pandit nodded furiously, munching a samosa.

"Nahi yaar, Swati ke saath hi gaya tha... isliye mana kiya... woh itne dino tak usse time nahi diya na, isliye ab roz hi mil leta hun." Munna rubbed the back of his neck, lowering his eyes.

The two friends patted his back in appreciation.

"Tum log baitho, main bas abhi aata hun, fresh hoke." Sameer walked towards the kitchen.

He had not seen Naina since he came. Thinking that she was preparing something, he peered into the kitchen but Ramdhari was alone there. He went to the room. She was coming out of the door when he walked in... and collided with her.

His arm went around her waist. Her hands clutched his shirt.

"Aaj toh bada khoobsurat welcome kiya hai, jaan. Dekhte hi baahon mein... ab aage?" He gave a lopsided smirk.

"Aap toh pehli mulaqat se aise hi aate hain, Mr Maheshwari... hawa ke jhonke ki tarah." She beamed at him... the pleasure of being in his arms after the whole day glimmering in her eyes.

"Hayee... aise dekhogi toh abhi udda ke le jaunga tumhe." He felt his heartbeat quicken.

"Aur woh joh aapke dost bahar baithe hain?" She raised her brows.

"Thoda intezar kar lenge... woh bhi samajh jayenge... subah ka bhooka pyasa unka bhai ab aaya hai toh... " He rubbed her waist with his thumb.

"Bhooke pyase kyon? Tiffin toh diya tha na maine? Khaya nahi kya?" She feigned ignorance.

He leaned, nuzzling his nose in her hair as he nipped at her earlobe, "Yeh tiffin nahi bheja tha na."

Her shoulder hitched up, "Sameer, kya kar rahe ho? Mujhe jaane do... Swati aur Preeti bhi aane wale hain... maine bulaya hai phone karke... tum change kar lo."

"Umm... Naina, jaane se pehle kuch... " He placed small kisses on her jaw line.

"Abhi nahi, koi aa jayega." She tried to lean back to stop his torment on her senses, clutching his shirt harder... and the top button gave in under her clasp.

They both looked down at the button, then at each other. He grinned, while she furrowed her brows.

"Yeh kahan se lete ho apne shirts... ithe kachhe buttons hain... jab dekho toot jaate hain." She whined.

He turned a little, shut the door and put the latch before looking back at her.

"Buttons ko kyon dosh de rahi ho, jaan... saaf saaf kaho na tumse bhi intezar nahi ho raha meri shirt utarwane ka." He pulled her closer with a jerk.

"Sam... Sameer... maine kab kaha aisa." Her cheeks flared up.

His pulse raced at the sight of her flushed face, her lowered eyes, her hesitant words, her warm, feminine softness, her delicate fragrance...

She looked up at him... his eyes were sparkling with intense emotions. The fire between them was unmistakable... and it wasn't a bad idea to get burnt in this fire.

Going up on her toes, she placed her lips on his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

His hand went up in her hair, pulling at the band that confined her lustrous mane. Holding the back of her head to tilt her according to his position, he grabbed the invitation. Though they had been away only for a few hours, somehow, the restriction of not being able to get all the time with each other now because of the company they had, made the need throb in their veins. His tongue explored all corners of her mouth, filling himself with her taste before going down her throat. She did not register when he tugged at the zipper, and pulled her kurta down one shoulder. The sharp sting of his teeth at the beginning of her swell made her gasp in realisation. He kissed over it softly, soothing the pain.

"Sameer, yeh kya kar rahe ho?" She managed to utter, bunching his hair as she held tight on his neck, her legs gone weak with his assault.

He pressed her close, trying to calm the raging emotions, "Pata nahi, Naina, tumhe dekh ke mujhe kya ho jaata hai samajh nahi aata."

They stood holding each other for a few minutes. Then she stepped back.

"Ab tum jaake kapde badal lo... warna woh log kya sochenge." Pushing him towards the washroom, she searched for the band he had pulled out from her hair.

When Naina entered the kitchen, Ramdhari had prepared snacks and cut some fruits. She made cold coffee for everyone.

Sameer joined his friends a little later.

Next update tomorrow morning