It was Friday evening, five days since Richa's Holi party. Seated at the dining table, Naina was helping Vishakha clean a big bunch of Methi, while Nirmala was sipping on some kadha since her throat was experiencing some discomfort.

Over the last few days, Naina had watched Sameer and his antics, feeling a little disconcerted.

His keenness to drop and pick her, anywhere, anytime, has drastically grown! Other than the established Tuesday and Thursday, he had shown up at her college on Wednesday and Friday as well.

Tuesday evening, without any prodding, he had rented one of the latest Bollywood movies, which Naina had been wanting to see, and bought a big bag of her favourite masala potato crisps too. And instead of the usual, expected teasing, when she ended up crying as the heroine was sad, he had offered her his handkerchief.

The other very noticeable change was - he was suddenly very cheerful most of the time.

In fact, so much that, Naina now asked Vishakha "Mumma, aap ko nahi lagta Sameer ka mood kuch jyada hi acha hai aaj kal??" When chuckling, Vishakha asked "Toh iss mein problem kya hai??, she muttered "Problem kya hogi... par suddenly aaisa kya ho gaya? Kal toh khushi khushi mujhe Swati ke ghar bhi drop karne aaya tha!"

Nirmala immediately shared her thoughts "Dekha Vishakha, maine kaha tha na... uske hathon kuldevi ko chadhava karwana! Bechare mere bache ko kisiki nazar lag gayi thi... gaav jaake aaya hai tab se kaise muskura raha hai."

Vishakha nodded "Ji Maaji, maine kaha tha inhe ke donon mandir hoke aane."

"Phir toh humme iss kudkud kumar ko bohot pehele gaav bhejna chahiye tha!" Naina pouted.

Nirmala immediately frowned "Aaisa nahi kehte! Itne toh laad uthata hai tere!", hearing which Naina muttered "Dadi, din mein char baar toh aap usse daatti hai 'Laado ke laad uthaya kar! Laado ke laad uthaya kar!!' Toh, laad toh uthane hi padte hain usse..."

Knowing there was a lot of truth to Naina's words, the older lady sighed "Aare bachon ko aache sanskar dena... achi aadatein lagana... yeh hum baadon ki hi toh zimmedari hoti hai." After a small pause, she continued in a softer tone "Dekh laado, jab bhi woh kudkud kare samajh liya kar ke koi uljhan hogi. Yaad rakhna, ladke har uljhan jaldi se batate nahi, toh humme bhi samajhdari se kaam lena chahiye. Samjhi??"

"Ji Dadi..." Naina nodded, but was grumbling to herself - Dadi ko toh yahi lagta hai ke main toh paide hi hui thi usske mood samajhna aur sambhalne ki koi special chabi leke! Bachpan se dekh rahi hu... chahe kissi bhi wajah se woh naraaz ho jaaye... mujhe bhej deti thi usse samjhane! Innhe kaha pata hai ke Algebra ke toughest paper se bhi difficult task hota tha!

Her lips slowly curved into a smile, recalling all the things she had done over the years to cheer him up.

* * *

Though the conversation about Sameer's suddenly improved mood was abandoned there, Vishakha reflected on his behaviour of the last few days.

That evening and the following morning, she observed him minutely. And she too noticed the differences, especially in his interactions with Naina. Though subtle, there was a slight shift in his tone when he now addressed Naina. There was still a lot of teasing, and some rolling of eyes too when he was irritated with her, but something was different. There was a certain softness in his voice, but a more determined look in his eyes.

The next day, while Sameer and Naina were at college, she called Kashi. After some exchange of pleasantries, she tried to suss out what had been the topic of conversation between Sameer and Kusum. But to her disappointment, Kashi could not provide anything useful. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to focus on the preparations for Rohan's approaching engagement.

* * *

Saturday evening, as per the now established weekly tradition, Sameer was with Munna and Pandit, having a cup of coffee and sandwiches at one of their favourite cafes.

Sameer and Munna had met in kindergarten and had been inseparable ever since. Pandit had joined their school when they were in year seven. The previous school attended by Pandit had been a Hindi medium school, which his father had suddenly decided wasn't the right choice. Not everyone had been as welcoming of the new boy who struggled to speak fluently in English. But when Pandit was made Munna's bench partner, they soon bonded over their common love for pranks. movies and cricket. For Sameer, anyone Munna considered a friend, automatically became his friend too. So, soon Pandit become a part of their little gang. The trio had ended up studying together till they completed their Bachelors in Commerce.

After that, Munna had joined his father in their family business of plywood wholesaler. Knowing it was what had been expected, from a young age, he had never considered any other career options even though the business had never held any special appeal for him. This had left with him wrestling with restlessness and resignation.

Unlike Munna's father, Vivek had encouraged the children in the Maheshwari household to figure out what they would like for themselves. When Rohan had expressed an interest in studying software engineering, Vivek had supported his decision. Though Sameer had the same freedom, the idea of joining his father's business and then taking it to new heights excited him. Hence, he had decided to pursue a Master's in Business Administration.

Not sure what he wanted to do, Pandit had enrolled for a Masters in Commerce in a bid to buy some more time and appease his parents at the same time.

Over the last year and a half, the trio had slowly settled in with the routine of meeting on Saturday evenings. Sometimes, they would watch a movie, or head out for dinner. But most of the time, they would have a long chat over some hot drinks and snacks.

This was the first time they had met after Richa's party, as they had all been busy with their routine.

Once the waiter walked away with their order, Pandit grumbled "Yaar, abhi college khatam hone mein che mahine hai... par Papa toh abhi se mere peeche job applications ke liye pad gaye hai! Roz kissi jaan pehechan wale ka phone number thama dete hai, aur kehete hai ke call karke poocho ke koi opening hai unki office mein!" Turning to Munna, he added "Yaar, maana padega tujhe! Tu toh do saal se business hi sambhalne laga hai! Mujhe toh roz subhe uthke office jaane ke khayal se hi sar ghoomne lagta hai!"

Munna chuckled "Bhai, yeh toh na woh wali baat hoti hai... ab chahe sar phute ya matha, galle pe toh baithna hi hai!"

For a minutes the guys reminisced about the carefree ways of their childhood days. Everything used to be so much simpler.

Suddenly, changing the topic, Munna asked "Sameer, tune baat ki Naina se?" When Sameer muttered "Kiss baare mein?" Munna first scoffed "Mere naye truck ke loan ke baare mein!", after a pause, he stated in a softer tone "Matlab baat nahi ki ab tak."

"Aare, pehele toh itna utaavla hue ja raha tha. Aur ab jab sab kuch clear ho gaya toh baat kyu nahi kar raha hai?" Pandit expressed his surprise.

Sameer sighed "Yaar... dar lag raga hai ke kahi baat karne se koi bada problem na khada ho jaye... matlab abhi do hafton mein Rohan bhaiya aayenge... sab log unki sagai ki tayari mein lage hui hai. Uss mein agar Naina naraaz ho gayi... toh pure ghar ka atmosphere bilkul function ke time pe kharab na ho jayega."

"Toh phir??" Munna raised a brow.

After nervously twirling the fork placed next to his plate for about thirty seconds, Sameer shrugged "Toh, kuch nahi... bus yeh sagai ka function ho jaye toh phir baat karunga uss se." Reading the surprise on his friend's faces, he added "Ab jab itna intezaar kar hi liya hai toh thoda aur kar hi sakta hu, right?"

As Pandit nodded his approval, Munna muttered "Ha, yeh bhi thik hai." Trying to boost Sameer's moral, he added smiling "Aur kausi Naina kahi bhagi ja rahi hai! Tu bhi yahi hai, aur woh bhi yahi hai!"

Just then the waiter arrived with their food, and Pandit announced "Par iss sandwich ki koi guarantee nahi hai! Toh isse jaldi khatam karte hai." Chuckling at his antics, the trio set out to demolish the big multi layered club sandwiches.

Halfway through the sandwich, sounding uncharacteristically solemn, Pandit asked "Sameer, Naina ne kuch bola Preeti kab aa rahi hai?"

Sameer shrugged "Nahi toh... last I heard, job change kiya tha ussne. Par usse bhi do-teen mahine toh ho hi gaye honge."

Frowning, Pandit muttered "Aare do-teen nahi... woh toh June mein change kiya tha!" Putting down the leftover piece of his sandwich, he continued "Yaar, do mahine ho gaye koi khaat bhi nahi aaya! Last letter mein ussne kaha tha ke Christmas aur New Year season khatam hone ke baad aane ka plan bana rahi hai. Toh ab tak toh tickets book kar leni chahiye thi na. Naina ko bhi letter nahi bheja kya ussne? Sab thik toh hoga na??"

Sameer muttered, "Naina ko bolunga ke Bua ko phone kar ke pooche. Phir batata hu tujhe."

As Pandit expressed his concern, Sameer and Munna exchanged a look of cluelessness. For, they had always struggled to understand the equation between Pandit and Preeti.

* * *

Preeti, was Naina's only cousin and Rakesh's sister Rekha's daughter. She was older to Naina by two years.

Rekha's husband, Ajit, had moved his family to Canada when Preeti had been about eight. Post the move, they had not visited India for about nine years. Hence, while growing up there had been hardly any contact between Naina and Preeti, other than the yearly Diwali greeting card that Vishakha made certain was sent to Rekha with a hand written note from Naina, along with some recent photos of the kids. There had been some sporadic letters from Rekha with some titbits about their life in Canada and blessings for Naina.

But the summer after Preeti finished High School, their family had visited Rajasthan for a wedding on her father's side. Ajit had returned to Canada after two weeks, claiming he could not leave his business unattended for longer, but Rekha and Preeti had stayed back in India for almost three months.

Post Ajit's return to Canada, on Vivek's insistence, the mother and daughter duo had come to stay with the Maheshwari's for a few days. The kids had bonded so well, that Preeti's stay in Ahmedabad had extended to three weeks while Rekha had returned to the village where her in-laws lived in. Sameer, and by extension his duo, had been in-charge of taking Preeti and Naina out to introduce Preeti to the wonders of Ahmedabad.

Though Naina had lot of time with Sameer's cousins over the years, getting to know Preeti had felt monumental. The warmth of an elder sister, combined with the quirky charm of this lively spirit from across the oceans - had been exhilarating! Listening to Preeti talk about her life in the land that literally froze for months every year, had left Naina awestruck. Itni thand mein rehete huye bhi yeh toh bilkul Sunflower ki tarha hai! Ekdum bright and happy!!

Canada had sounded like the place where Santa must live. Almost like an enchanted place from the fairytales she had read. And with a sparkly jewellery and pretty dresses, Preeti seemed to resemble one of the fairy tale princesses.

At times, she had wondered how her life would have been if her Bua had decided to adopt her, and she had grown up with Preeti instead. But it took just one glance at the Maheshwari family, for her heart to know that she was exactly where she needed to be.

Later, over the years, Naina had slowly got to know the real Preeti and her un-fairytale like life.

Those three weeks had proved pivotal not only for Naina and Preeti's relationship, but to everyone's astonishment a very unexpected friendship had blossomed between Preeti and Pandit. And their bafflement grew tenfold when Pandit and Preeti turned into pen-pals post her return to Canada. Munna and Sameer often wondered how she was able to comprehend Pandit's unique flavour of English!

Preeti had planned a three week trip to India, by herself, about a year and half back, majority of which she had spent in Ahmedabad. This had further cemented the bond with the cousin sisters and also between the pen-pals.

Though neither Pandit or Preeti had shared anything indicating that there was anything brewing between them, and Pandit had been dismissive of the idea when questioned a couple of times, Sameer and Munna continued to be sceptical that the friendship was totally platonic.

* * *

That night a little after ten, Naina was working on an assignment, when Sameer entered her room carrying a magazine.

When she asked "Kuch chahiye?", he shook his head "Nahi toh.."

She was puzzled "Toh phir??" but he just shrugged "Toh... kuch nahi."

Putting down the pencil in her hand, she frowned "Kya matlab kuch nahi... kuch toh chahiye hoga na jo yaha aaye ho." Then realising something, she smiled "Acha toh kuch baat karne aaye ho!"

He shrugged nonchalantly "Tum chaho toh kar sakte hai... par jaruri nahi hai. You can continue with your assignment."

"Main assignment karungi toh tum kya karoge yaha?!" Naina's confusion grew, but he just waved the magazine in his hand "Isse padhunga."

"Sameer! Mujhe irritate karne aaye ho kya?? Apna room chodkar yaha kyu magazine padhne aaye ho?" she slouched in her chair.

Sameer tsked "Tumhe irritate karne nahi aaya hu... woh toh Mummy har waqt bijli ke bill ko leke itna lecture deti hai na... toh maine soocha ke jab tumhare room ka light chalu hai toh apne room ka alag se kyu jalau! Bus issilye yaha padhne aa gaya. Don't mind me. Carry on."

Settling on her bed, he got comfortable and started flicking the pages.

Mumma toh saalon se electricity ke bill ke baare mein lecture deti hai. Uska asar aaj suddenly kaise hua isspe?! Astonished, Naina stared at him for almost a minute.

Realising that he truly meant it, she turned her attention to the sketches on her desk, thinking - Lagta hai Kuldevi ke darshan ke baad isska dimag kuch jyada hi thikane pe aa gaya hai! Isse toh compulsory har che mahine mein ek baar gaav le jana chahiye!

Few minutes later, recalling the earlier conversation with Pandit's, Sameer raised the topic "Naina, Preeti ka koi letter aaya tumhe? Ussne kuch bataya hai kab aa rahi hai next?"

She replied "Nahi toh... bohot dinon se letter nahi aaya. Naye job ke liye roz lamba drive karna padta hai na... toh thak jati hogi."

Nodding he added "Kal phone karenge usse. Bohot din ho gaye baat kiye, right?"

The idea had her smiling brightly. With international calls being so expensive, such calls were very rare, usually reserved only for birthdays.

About fifteen minutes passed by.

Every now and then, Sameer glanced in her direction over the rim of the magazine. His heart felt both light and heavy at the same time.

Since his return from Raipur, it felt like his heart jumped and twirled every time she was around!

He knew, that like a lovelorn fool, he had been seeking every opportunity to linger around her. From pick-up, drop-offs, watching TV, he had used very pretext possible to spend time with her. It didn't matter if they were joking or arguing, or even just silent. All he needed was to be with her.

But there was fear too.

Though what he had shared with his friends earlier in the day wasn't false, it wasn't the complete truth either. Yes, he didn't want to disrupt Rohan's engagement celebrations in any way. But he knew that his decision mostly stemmed from the fear of her reaction and possible rejection.

The thought of her not reciprocating his feelings, it set his heart on fire.

And if just the possibility had this effect, he didn't know how he would survive if she actually rejected him.

For months now, he had been trying to read her smallest actions and expressions. Though he was completely assured of her affections, he hadn't been able establish if there was attraction too.

Looking at her now, gnawing on the end of her pencil, he tried to assure himself – Sab log yahi kehte hai na ke kissi bhi successful rishte ki neev dosti aur vishwas hote hai, toh phir kyu darru mein? Bachpan se special friends hai hum. Pyar toh use bhi hai hi... aur attraction... agar nahi hai, toh ho jayega.

He smirked thinking – Waise bhi bina kuch kiye hi itni ladkiyan Sameer Maheshwari pe fida ho jaati hai! Toh jaha woh khud try kare, woh ladki reciprocate na kare... ho nahi sakta!

Tearing out a page with some advertisement on it, he folded it into an aeroplane. Kissing it lightly, he launched it in her direction.

The paper plane first hit her head and then landed on her desk. Eyeing it suspiciously, she muttered "Yeh kya hai??", then recalling how they used to be send each other silly messages scribbled on paper planes during their childhood, she expectantly unfolded the plane. After checking both the sides, she pouted "Iss mein toh kuch bhi nahi hai!"

Smiling mischievously, he responded "Bilkul hai!"

Mystified by his remark, she checked the contents again. On one side there was an advert for some latest motorcycle and on another for some men's perfumes. She faked smiled at him "Yeh dono mere kaam ke nahi."

Standing up, he sauntered in her direction. Bending over, he whispered near her ear "Ek vada bheja hai."

His words barely registered, but every syllable uttered blossomed on her skin in the form of a thousand goosebumps. Though her body felt like it was frozen in that moment, something deep inside fluttered wildly like it was waking up from an enchantment.

Instinctively, her eyes questioningly turned to his, as if they trusted him to help her make sense of this moment.

Sameer's gaze darkened, noting her slightly parted lips and the wide-eyed look of innocent arousal. Heartened by the evidence of his effect on her, exercising a lot of restraint, he drew away.

Softly uttering, "Goodnight Nainu.", he walked out of her room.

Only after he had disappeared from her view, did Naina realise that she had stopped breathing. She spent the next few minutes trying to make sense of what, if anything, had just transpired. For nothing had really happened, other than he whispering a few words. He hadn't touched her, or said anything that should provoke such a strong reaction, and yet it felt like he had whispered a hundred promises.

Suddenly recalling his words, she glanced at the paper in her hand. Kya matlab vada bheja hai... Bhagwanji... itne riddles mein kyu baat karta hai yeh ladka?!

* * *

The call to Canada the next day, didn't prove very fruitful as they could not talk to Preeti. Rekha bua shared that since the daily commute was proving quite tiresome, especially since the extreme winters had set in, Preeti had moved in with a colleague closer to her workplace. But promised to pass on the message that Naina was eagerly waiting to hear from her.

The following two weeks, till Rohan's arrival were a blur.

While others in the house were caught in the frenzy of preparing for the engagement, Naina felt extra dizzy trying to balance the excitement of the engagement, her end of term assessments at the college, and Sameer's behaviour. Her rational mind and seemingly irrational gut were constantly at war trying to not read too much into his thoughtfulness, offhand loaded comments and increasing attention.

Even on days when he had a big workload to contend with, he would still pop into her room for a few minutes before she headed to bed. Knowing her habit of heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth as the last thing she did before heading to bed, he would always be in her room when she returned to the room.

For Sameer, these few minutes of idle chit-chat as she cleared her bed of clothes, books and whatever else was scattered around had become like an addiction. It was both enthralling and calming. The simple sight of her in her slightly faded pyjamas, as she prattled on about the things she had managed to tick off her to-do-list for the day and her plans for the next day – felt almost like an end of day meditation for him.

Till it was time to wish her goodnight and leave the room. Then it would feel like he crashing from his high.

Every day, he woke up wondering if it was the right time to confess his feelings. And every night, he would withdraw to his room deciding to play it safe for the time being.

* * *

The arrivals area of the Ahmedabad airport was buzzing with anticipation of the families and friends assembled to welcome their loved ones. It would have been impossible to tell that it was half past three at night. This nighttime energy of Indian airports is a stark contrast to the airports in Europe or USA. Considering, air travel was still highly coveted and wrapped in sense of extreme adventure, people were more than willing to forego the comfort of their bed to be part of the throng lining up to catch a glimpse of the travellers.

Though Rohan's flight was supposed to land at three-fifty, Sameer and Naina along with Vivek were already in the waiting area. The trio was wrapped in thick sweaters and mufflers. Vivek was even wearing a woollen hat. Vishakha had stayed home to keep Nirmala company, and of course to add the final touches to her welcome preparations.

Scanning the surrounding crowd, Naina said "Payal Bhabhi dikh nahi rahi hai... sham mein keh rahi thi teen baaje hi nikalne wali thay woh log airport ke liye."

"Itni bhi kya jaldi hai! Kal subhe nashte pe aa jaati. Aare bhai, ab teen hafte ke liye Rohan yahi hoga... abhi dus minute yaha milke kya hone wala hai!", Vivek muttered, wondering why the youngsters acted so irrationally.

Putting his arm around his father's shoulder, Sameer teased him "Papa, aap na bilkul buddhe ho gaye ho! Issiliye Bhabhi ki excitement samajh nahi pa rahe ho. Aur bechare Rohan bhaiya bhi itni lambi judai ke baad tadap rahe honge Bhabhi ko dekhne ke liye!"

Squaring back his shoulders, Vivek instantly retorted "Buddha hoga tere baap, main toh abhi bhi jawaan hu!" Then realising what he had said, he sheepishly added "Baap se kaad milne laga hai toh kya ab meri hi haasi uddaoge?"

Naina immediately rose to the older man's defence "Kaka-baba, aap isski baton pe bilkul dhayan maat dena! You are still young and handsome! Pata hai, uss din kitty party mein Meena auntie Mumma ko poonch rahi thi ke kya woh aapko kissi special diet pe rakhti hai jo aap itne fit ho." As Vivek's eyes lit up at the thought, she scowled at Sameer, "Aur tumhe bada pata hai Rohan bhaiya ki tadap ka! Tum bhi kissi ko dehkne ke liye tadap rahe ho kya?!" Placing one hand on her hip, she took a step in his direction "Kaun hai yeh jisse itna miss kiya ja raha hai??"

"Miss?? Aaree nahi... main toh... bus... woh... " Sameer started stammering, at this unexpected interrogation.

To his good luck, Payal arrived followed by her father. Running up some stairs, sounding slightly breathless, Payal enquired "Flight aayi toh nahi na?! Aaj hi humare driver ka pet kharab hona tha! Hum kabse uska intezaar kar rahe thay... finally Papa ko hi car chalani padi!"

As Sameer assured her "Aare nahi Bhabhi, abhi aur dus minute hai, aur wasie bhi Rohan bhaiya ko luggage collect karke bahar aane mein adha ghanta toh lag hi jayega."

Joining them, Santosh sighed "Payal beta, pura rasta tumhe yahi samjha raha tha ke hum late nahi honge!"

"Daddy, mainne Rohan ko promise kiya hai ke aate hi usse pehela chehera mera dikhega! Kitna bura lagega usse ke woh Dallas se yeha mere liye aaye aur main time pe airport bhi uske liye nahi pohochi toh?!" Payal huffed.

While others indulgently smiled at Payal, Naina unexpectedly felt a little overcome.

About a year back when they had all gone to see Rohan off at the Mumbai airport, his parting hugs had been for her and Vishakha. After he had disappeared from their view, both the woman had hugged each other and tears mingled with some anxiety and fear had flowed from their eyes.

But today when he was coming back, the first glance and hug was all reserved for Payal.

More than the change, Naina was surprised at the realisation that had accompanied it. For till this very moment, she had been extremely excited and happy about Rohan's engagement and looking forward to welcoming Payal to the family. But perhaps only now was she starting to understand how Payal's arrival might displace some other relations in Rohan's life. Or rather change their standing.

Nervously gnawing on her lower lip, she pondered on all other changes likely to follow over the years.

"Kya ho gaya? Thik ho??" Leaning closer to her, Sameer asked her softly. Briskly shaking her head, she replied "Kuch nahi... bus aaise hi kuch... yaad aa gaya."

He asked again "Sure?"

Giving him a quick smile, she moved closer to Payal "Bohot achi lag rahi ho iss dress mein! Rohan bhaiya toh dekhte hi reh jayenge!"

Pleased with the compliment, Payal spent the next five minutes telling Naina about all the outfits she had considered and why she had finally settled on the one she was wearing.

When the plane appeared in the sky, though the chances of Rohan noticing them were next to none, the youngsters enthusiastically waved at it.

Once the passengers started trickling out, Sameer found a spot for Payal at the very front.

Soon, a tall, well-built guy in his mid- twenties stepped exited the airport. The rectangular, wireframed spectacles and dark grey jacket added to his persona of a sincere and serious sort of guy.

Owing to Payal's waving and shrieks, Rohan's gaze immediately landed on her as he exited and both rushed to each other. Aware of their future father-in-law's presence, both shared a restrained hug and shared a few words in a hushed tone before moving in the direction of the rest of the family.

The hugs exchanged with his father and Sameer were much more energetic. As fathers usually do in these situations, pride oozing from every pore, Vivek silently patted Rohan's back a few times as he took in all the changes in his elder son. While, Sameer teased his brother "Kya baat hai.. suit-boot... Aap toh ekdum sahab ban gaye! Ya yeh sab sirf Bhabhi ko impress karne ke liye hai?"

Post a quick introduction by Payal, Rohan bent down to touch Santosh's feet. A few greetings were exchanged and both expressed their joy at finally meeting each other.

Narrowing his eyes, Rohan called out to Naina, who had standing behind the others "Nainaji, aap yaha kissi aur ko receive karne aayi ho, jo itni dur khadi ho??" When she stepped forward with a silly grin, he quickly pulled her into her hug and kissed the top of her head "Kaisi hai humari Laado?!" Taking a step back, he scrutinized her for a couple of moments and then added teasingly, " Lagta hai finally do-teen millimetre height badh hi gayi hai teri!"

Flushing a little, she pouted "Rohan bhaiya! Aap toh aate hi meri height ka mazak uddane lag gaye!"

"Pure ek saal ki kasar jo puri karni hai! Abhi toh sirf shurwat huyi hai..." Rohan chuckled in reply.

Though she glared in response, her heart felt hopeful that some things probably wouldn't change too much.

And it grew even more buoyant when, placing an arm around her shoulder, Sameer declared "Rohan bhaiya, ab aap na Payal Bhabhi pe jyada dhyan dijiye! Naina, jitni bhi... ya jaisi bhi hai... ekdum perfect hai!"

* * *

(Hi Everyone,

Hope you all are doing great! My best wishes to everyone who celebrated Gudi Padwa/Ugadi yesterday. And also Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating Eid this week.

Coming to this part, hope you enjoyed it and are happy to see Preeti's entry! Do share your thoughts.

Take care.

Lots of love, May)