'Hey. Aadi.' Sujal waves at a guy. Its Around 10 in morning and Sujal has brought Naina to see one of his friend. And...surprisingly his mom did not questioned them when they left silently.

'Heyyy Sujal. Whats up bro! And who is this pretty lady!'

'Biwi he meri. Sharam kar le. Har kisi se flirt! Sudhar ja. Pit jayega ek din.'

'Pagal he! I was juat asking who is this  beauty!'

Naina comes forward. Shakes hand with aaditya. Aaditya Vermon. He is a painter. Recently landed in ladakh to see some monastry but ended up in piling some heap of paintings of this area. 

'Hello. I am Naina. Actually Captain Naina Singh.'

'Army? Sorry bahan. Majak kar rha tha. Its just...Out of habit, you know.' Scared aadi goes back.. Sujal is laughing hysterically.

'Last time pub me ek army wali ko ched diya tha. Ladke ko three weeks ka bed rest diya tha doc ne.' Sujal clarifies while in tears with laugh.

Naina too smiles.

'Aree..wo pahle khud line de rahi thi. Jab maine us ke figure ko sexy bola to chid gayi. Phir End me bill phad diya..I got angry. Thoda sa dhamkaya...usne to mujhe poora hi phod diya. Aurat ke roop me pishachini thi. Dayan.'

Naina laughs this time.

'Nahi. Sach bol rha hu. I was genuinely complimenting her. Bus uska temper bahut tha. Satkeli thi wo.'

'We agree. Chal. Ab andar chal.'

Adi takes them inside..a small cottage next to some Buddhist Montessori. Everything reminding of effect if Buddha..

Naina roams and sees Aadi' collection of Buddha' figures in a small room Small figurines. Beautiful and peaceful...

Meanwhile Aaditya and Sujal talking in other room..

'Army wali biwi? Bhai bed par left right to nahi karati? Tackle ho jata he? Doctor se to nahi milna padhta baad me?'

'Saale. Main khud inhi logo ke sath business karta hu..Tujje lagta he ki Mujhe doc ke pas jane ki jarurat hoti hogi!'

'Dekh. Professional aur personal me fark he. Wo sab tere clients he. Ye teri biwi. Yaha tujhe padh sakti he...waha koi tujh par ungli nahi utha sakta.'

'I am Leo. I know how to entertain my prey.'

'Ha. Maar le joke. Jab rat ko parade karati hogi...to pata chalta hoga.

Wese...Karan bata rha tha ki....You and wo teri...

You are getting what i mean? Dekh...Its just I am curious. We all knew about that thing. So...'

'Use pata he.'

'Kya?'

'Naina knows about Kashish.'

'Bhai tu jigar wala he. Matlab Captain biwi aur usko bhi tere purane pyaar ke baar me pata he..Bravo!
By the way Kashish married Piyush, right! Us aadmi ko wahi jamti he. Tujhe pata he mujhme aur karan me bet lagi thi...ki Kashish will never marry you. Karan ne Apni car bet me lagayi thi. Sala bach gaya.'

Sujal' eyes about to pop out....

'Aise kya dekh rha he! Iske nakhre dekhe the! I dont like her..wo to teri wajah se hum log chup rahte the.

Waise tujhe na upar wale ka shukriya karna chahiye...Ki you got rid of her. Jo ek date ke liye itne tantrum show karti thi..uske dene me kitne nakhre honge!'

Aditya' talk blowing Sujal' mind. Actually none of his friends like his relation with Kashish.

'Accha tu ruk ek min. Main abhi kahwa laya.'

'Tu kahwa pita he?'

'Baap ne paise dene band kar diye he. Aur sala akele man bhi nahi karta Pine ka. Tujhe pini he kya? What about her?'

'Rahne de. Sham ko hotel aa jana. Main tujhe pilaunga..'

'Darta he biwi se. Fattu!'

'Chup rah.' Aaditya laughs and gets up to bring kahwa for all of them.meanwhile Naina is enjoying with Aaditya' collection of figurines and paintings.

He has tried a duplicate of starry night by Von Gogh and it has come out good.

'Aapko chahiye to le ja sakte ho aap.'

'Huh?'

'Aapko jo painting pasand ho aap le ja sakte ho. As a marriage gift.'

'Are...leave it. I was just admiring them. Kitna accha paint kar lete ho aap. It's so surreal. Mujhe bahut shauk he painting ka.'

'Sach? Wow. You Are really something. Waise aapko pata he..maine Sujal ka ek portrait try kiya tha..'

Suddenly naina so giddy...excited like a kid.

'Kaha he? Mujhe dekhna he. Abhi he aapke pass?'

'He na. Rukiye..Pahle kahwa pite he. Aayiye.'

Both comes to the room where Sujal is sitting.

'Sujal. Your wife admires my work.'

'She has not put her specs on. Galatfahmi ho gayi hogi use.'

Naina wants to slap him..so does Aaditya.

'Bhabhi..Jalta he ye mujhse. I know. Iska shauk tha sketching ka. Is se ghanta kuch nahi huya and I am here as painter to he is jealous.

Tu hi gaya tha uchal kar business line me.'

'Ha to..khoon me he business.'

'Tere khoon me to haemoglobin bhi he. Blacksmith kyu nahi ban jata!'

Naina is enjoying this banter. Sujal so carefree...so easily admonished by his friend. It feels like  she has accompanied sujal to alternate universe.

'Bhabhi..'

'Call me Naina.'

'Naina ji bol.' Sujal pips in..

'Tu pit jayega..Chup baith.

Wese Naina...Ek baat puchu?'

'Ha jarur..'

Sujal having idea of whaT is going to come..and he is curious to know instead of being nervous.

'We all know about Sujal and Kashish..aur Karan told me about your marriage. Two days prior to Kashish' marriage. I dont think he was sober when he married you.

Kabhi...Aapko iske sath ghutan nahi huyi? Sorry...but its just...I..I have seen him. Pagal tha ye poora. And looking at you...I dont think it'd have been easy.'

Naina smiles lightly..

'We both were on same track. And we complemented each other.'

Sujal' eyes not leaving Naina for a minute..

'Thank god. He married you. Wese aapko pata he Ki karan aur maine iski shadi par bet rakhi thi?'

'Really?'

'Yes. Aur wo karan jeet gaya. But I am hapoy that he won. At least sujal has this mental peace warna....khair leave it. By the way...You want me to try your portrait?'

'Sacchi! Please please please...' She is jumping like a kid.

Sujal is completely surprised.

'Aap na apni ek pic mujhe de do. I'll make it and send it to you..'

'Mera to kabhi nahi banaya..' sujal complains.

'Jhooth mat bol. Grad last year me tere hi portrait par third prize mila tha. Teri Sadi huyi shakl se haar gaya me.'

'Tujhe paint karna bhi nahi aata tha. Dont try to blame my beautiful face.'

Naina looks at two bickering kids. She sips her hot drink..enjoying the show.

Her eyes roaming here and there. An inquisitive child resides in her. A child who loves coloured paintings,.small items and that laughing Buddha. Her eyes taking in all that they can.

When they leave Aaditya gives her Laughing Buddha as parting gift. And a promise to make her portrait..

Her heart so much filled with joy amd ecstasy that she is afraid if it will burst open...

Sujal takes her to nearby river. So much noise and full of life. Almost ready to crack the earth open..with its energy. They sit at a distance on a rock..watching the river flow.

'I....I hate kahwa.' Sujal tells her so silently for once Naina mistakes it as noise of river.

'Huh?'

'I hate kahwa.'

'Accha hota he. Aur phir Aaditya ne itne pyaar se pilaya...'

'We are together since we are 13. I dated his sister. Sale ne bahut maara tha...when he got to know that i had kissed Aaru. Mera hath toot te toote bacha tha.'

'Bhaiya ke kisi dost ki himmat nahi thi...ki they could even spare me a glance. Dara kar rakha tha sabko..'

Both keep quite. Enjoying the silence.

Suddenly he holds her head and rams his lips on her. Out of nowhere..Her cold lips suddenly warms up with his forced ones. She enjoys his lips on hers..

After some time he parts..

'What was that for!'

'I was testing my lungs.'

Naina makes face but keeps on sitting...her hand solid on his hand while he blabbering about cold weather of Ladakh. Complaining about their arrival at wrong time..complaining too much.

'Sujal.'

'Hmm.'

'Fish khani he...'

'Nadi me hogi. Kood jaao.'

'Tumhe dhakka de du?'

'I have no life insurance. Bina risk cover ke stunt nahi karta main.'

He stands up..

'Kaha ja rahe ho?'

'Machli pakadne..

Hotel chalo. Aaj dinner ka menu he fish. Cooked in three different ways..

Wese ye fish khane ka idea kaha se aaya?'

'My mom' speciality. I vaguely remember our trip to this particular place...hum logo ne fishing ki. Then we cooked them. Dinner from scratch in jungle...

And ab tum mujhe yaha leke aaye to Mujhe wo din yaad aaye...'

She sighs...

'That was awesome. I miss those days..'

Sujal holds her hand and makes her stand.

He brings her back...

And himself cooks Fish for dinner. Meanwhile Naina roams in whole room singing....

However Fish curry is bit salty still Naina happily eats whatever Sujal fixes her in dinner. Her eyes so big and tender just admires Sujal....meanwhile his eyes enjoys that hidden attention silently.

For a moment Naina doesn't want to believe that Sujal loves Kashish. Her heart is there at bridge close to sides...Looking down into open sea of Sujal' emotions. None of the wave till now has been Alien to her. When he kisses her he drenches her in honest tides. His nights with her is not full of raw sex but his heart does beat when she touches him. She feels it. Daily.....And it has shaken her world for now...