A local hotel with slow music going on in background. It is almost empty. Barely people are here. As it is around 2300 hours, it is not packed as it could be few hours before.

Naushad is bringing two bowls where Naina is sitting. She has covered herself with her shawl.

He places bowl before her. She has shrunk herself just like a tiny kitten who wants nothing but to hibernate.

'Naina soup pi lo. Its hot. Thanda ho jayega to fayda nahi karega.'

'I dont want.' She whines.

'Then dont sneeze again.'

She makes a face but reluctantly picks up spoon. She though had made face but soup is real good. Soon her bowl is finished. 

She looks up. Naushad is watching her intently. And for second she is all bothered up under his gaze. During that moment she can see his eyes going dark and she has nothing to say...nothing to offer right now.

Naushad averts his gaze and offers her other bowl too. she tells him to have it himself. But he says no.

She smiles but soon

'Aaacchhooo.'

Its her twenty sixth sneeze in past hundred minutes.

'Sorr..Aaaccchhoo.'

Twenty seventh.

And Naushad is laughing hard.

'What?' Her questioning gaze..

He cant speak. He is laughing really hard. Soon he calms down and indicates her to start with other bowl which she never does.

'You were counting your sneezes. Aisa kaun karta he?'

She too smiles. And when both pairs of eyes meet there is hesitancy clouded. Naushad has no other option than going quiet and Naina..She just lets him shift his paradigm to silence.

Soup is still on table..still in question.

'Isko ghar le chalte he na agar Aap ko nahi lena he to.'

'Why dont you have this soup? Jukam me its more effective than antibiotics.'

'Man nahi he. Ek bowl le to liya.'

But he is not ready to listen. Hence Naina herself gets up and gets this bowl packed for home. And she can feel Naushad not happy.

In car she tries to think how to talk him. Not because silence is deafening now a days but she wants to. She wants hear him...as she has been doing now a days.

Recently there has been progress..too much progress. Like they can talk. He sometimes tells her about incidents happened at base e.g. Captain Huda' disastrous performances and He is the one who is doing damage control. Naina' favourite part is when he is telling her these stories but unaware how he himself is smiling. It happened once when she was in his office talking him. He was telling her how Major Dheer slipped on the floor instead of Him. One of junior had gotten polished the last stair too well by orderly and in hurry Major Dheer landed almost a feet away from the actual landing spot. Naina had laughed listening it. The way he was telling her his expressions were all too cute as if he was the one who was not supposed to be plotted against. What was his fault when juniors were going out of line! He had the duty to drag them right, didnt he!

It was a miracle for whole base watching Captain Rizvi going all smiley..One or two colleagues even commented.

Naina has become addict of those moments. She has started coffee in late night so that she can stay awake to hear him. And Surprisingly Naushad is turning to the couch always after entering in bedroom...where Naina is seated.

Right now she wants him to look at her. To spare a glance..She wants an eye contact. She needs it as assurance.

As if Naushad has heard her, he turns. He looks at her briefly. Observes her and..suddenly a car passes by blowing her hair from their place. Her face is covered with black traces. Unknowingly Naushad has reached out to help. His fingers pulls those traces back. They slowly slowly work their way towards her ear. He tucks those curls and she has stopped breathing.

Moment has not passed yet. Mist is still there.

Soon his fingers leave her hair and his index finger traces outline of her cheek. Slowly slowly it goes to her right cheek and then up above. Her nose. Her eyes. Rests on her temple for a moment and then comes back to left cheek....Her lip is quivering. She bites lower lip and suppresses her sighs. She has no idea how to react. Her body is all hot at places she cant ever imagine. And the most important part his finger is still there on her cheek making tiny circles which goes till end of her ear close to cheek.

She cant control her moan when the finger slips to her lower lip and pulls it out. He traces its outline and makes her life hell. She cant breathe properly. Tension is palpable. She wants him to lessen her tension but has no idea how to convey it...

His other hand has held her wrist tenderly. His thumb rubbing it slowly. Her eyes are still shut..

And then in jiffy her lips find other similiar set upon them.

World stops for her. His lips rests there for seconds. Her heart is about to pummel out. She can hear his heartbeats too. It is all so dreamy...for her. 

Her lips are still caged. Naina is drowning.  When his lips move on hers, she searches for support.

He leaves her abruptly when she holds his hand way too hard. Her nail has scratched his wrist.

Nobody meet other's eyes....

And Car has started for home.

Happy new year guys. I am very busy. This update is worse but right now I dont have time. Forgive me please.