14.2.2021

Never before today Naina and Rajveer had any desire for the day of Valentine to come soon. Never before today this day held any importance for the two people who consider themselves as the most unromantic souls in the entire world.

Naina and Rajveer have a lot of times been tagged by their fellow mates as 'souls without heart!' or 'heartless'! Why else would they not get those fluttery feelings upon merely hearing the mention of Valentine's Day?

When people had schedules made different than their usual ones for this day, Rajveer and Naina too had different schedules for this day but those schedules too stood different from rest of the world. They instead of planning to go out and have fun with their 'loved one', made it sure that they indulge into their respective work more than they ever did.

The sudden change in their perspective for this day has everything to do with the lesson they learnt only after Rajveer's sudden disappearance from KMA!

No formal confession has been made yet by either of them. But the sudden change in their rate of heartbeats upon discovering the presence of each other; change in the atmosphere - only around them, are proof enough for them to make them realize of the level of their crave for each other. The minimal desire of touching each other; feeling each other, just like olden times persists even today. All that has changed is their courage to put their desire of being with each other in front of each other, without much hesitation.

As Naina draws her gaze in Rajveer's direction, he muses in pleasure upon witnessing the sudden diluting of her pupils and the gradual turn in the shade of her cheeks. Rajveer doesn't have to let his brain work much to realise the simple reason for her such a reaction. She is affected by his presence! Just like he had thought she would be.

Dressed in red - the colour of love, Naina gives Rajveer a heart warming stare as she silently admires his attire - black - as dark as his feelings for her. The little sweet smile that stretches on Naina's face conveys to Rajveer that she approves of his attire. They skip paying each other the formal compliments. Tonight they have secretly planned to minimize the formality as much as possible.

Walking to the nearby restaurant has never been such a treat to Rajveer and Naina as it is to them this night. Naina wraps her arms around Rajveer's left upper arm possessively. Resting her head on his upper arm, Naina takes a deep sigh of relief. She brushes the little dust on Rajveer's jacket. The air twirls around them that mess up with Naina's hair. In order to mind them, Naina corners her hair, resting them on the right side of her chest.

"Apko har waqt apne ankhon ke saamne dekhne ki khwahish to pehle bhi thi, magar ab apke kuch pal ke saath ki bechaini mujhe chain se jeene bhi nahi deti.",

says Naina, her cheeks turning warm as she conveys her deep emotions for Rajveer openely, her face expression remains serious and eyes down casted.

Rajveer smiles as his heart warms up hearing her, feeling her desire and possessiveness towards himself.

"Tum kaho to Brigadier Chandok se tumhe apne room mein shift karwane ki baat karun?",

teases Rajveer, looking straight ahead, his eyes twinkling with mischief and a naughty smile stretched on his lips.

Naina looks towards him, trying to hide her amusement and shyness hearing him.

"Haan kyun nahi?!",

she surprises Rajveer by her words.

Rajveer immediately turns to look towards Naina, his earlier mischevious smile dropped by a notch, out of shock.

Naina laughs a little, silently upon witnessing his reaction, in which she finds him cute.

Staring her possessively, his tone deep, he says,

"Kitna acha hota na Naina, fir humare beech inn kuch kadmon ka faasla bhi nahi rehta."

Naina stares him seriously, amazed to hear it from him. His words reflect his desire to be with her; to claim her to be his, in front of the whole world. They smile out of love, merely by imagining the possibility of the same.

Walking ahead of her, facing her, holding her left hand, stretching out the arms of their held hands, where on one hand Rajveer begins to take backward steps, staring her throughout; Naina continues with her forward steps towards him, guided by him, maintaining the stare, smiling out of love and excitement.

"Main humesha tumhare agey-agey chalta. Tumhe har museebat se bachata.",

says Rajveer, smiling at her.

Smiling back at him, arching a brow, Naina asks, in order to tease him,

"Wo to aap waise bhi rehte hain mere agey. Mujhe puri duniya se bachane ke liye humesha taiyar."

Rajveer smiles and his heart swells out of pride.

"To uske liye ek hi room mein hone ki kya zaroorat?",

teases Naina, biting her lower lip.

Rajveer stops, staring her all serious,

"Tab subko pata hota ke tum meri ho, sirf meri!"

Naina shudders out of love, hearing that. Her pupils dilute as her emotions raises higher for this man in front of her who is all hers and only hers!

Oh! How would it feel to be called of Rajveer's? - The thought as heart warming and nerve numbing as it is, also sounds like a farfetched dream to Naina. She gives a wry smile before cascading her eyes.

Rajveer doesn't fail to understand the reason of her reaction. Staring her lovingly, he assures her,

"Aisa hoga Naina! Aisa ek din zaroor hoga."

Naina looks towards him hearing the confidence in his voice. Rajveer smiles looking towards her.

Naina, despite not having high hopes of it, gets charged merely by the thought that if not her but he has hopes of the same. For once she wants to have faith in his trust and hope. Smiling at him, she conveys her faith in him.

Rajveer resumes with his backward steps.

"Mere din ki shuruat tumhe dekh kar hoti.",

he smiles.

Naina blushes and smiles further before she teases him by her reply,

"Meri photo rakh lijiye apne kamre mein."

She laughs, while Rajveer narrows his eyes on her for teasing him.

"Tumhari tasveer to mere dill mein chhapi hui hai Naina!",

he says, slowly, seriously, smiling lovingly at her.

Shivers run down Naina's spine hearing that. She stares him mesmerized.

"Mujhe... mujhe aaj se pehle kabhi kisi ne aisa nahi kaha!",

she reveals, staring him, her brows knit lightly.

Rajveer smiles further as her words touch his heart as much as his words had touched hers.

"Good! Mujhe bura lagta agar kisine kaha hota to.",

laughs Rajveer, despite having revealed the fact.

Naina couldn't help herself from blushing upon feeling his possessiveness.

"Zindagi mein agar kabhi tumhare kadam dagmagate to main humesha tumhare saath rehta tumhe girne se bachane ke liye.",

says Rajveer.

Naina feels protected hearing him.

And the moment he finishes with those words, he stumbles on a stone. Their hearts skip a beat each. Naina holds him tight, pulling him a little towards herself, saving him from a fall. They stare each other and Naina says,

"Main bhi!"

Smile stretches on their lips and their hearts fill with love for each other.

"Har responsibility apki ho ye zaruri to nahi? Jo bhi karenge milkar karenge. Adha-adha batenge.",

says Naina, smiling, staring him deep into his eyes.

"I am falling for you all over again Naina!",

he confesses, out of pure love for her.

Naina let go of his hand for a moment and immediately holds him back - all her plan was just to tease him by her act. And she succeeds in it pretty well as she gets rewarded by his suden widening of his eyes out of shock and fear. He surely had felt mini heart attack, Naina gets assured by his expression. Naina laughs, throwing her head behind. Rajveer's cheeks turn hot of embarrassement. But soon he too ends up laughing, standing up straight.

*****

Naina rubs her hand lightly on the silk clothing draped on the table, self-consciously, after they sit across each other on the table, smiling. Rajveer too could feel butterflies in his stomach. They smile in shyness looking towards each other.

Naina's smile diminishes a little when she finds his orbs reflecting the emotion that she gradually is turning accustomed to, yet it manages to turn her speechless, binding her more to him. Rajveer orders for champaign. Filling their glasses they clink them lightly, staring each other lovingly, before taking a sip from their respective glass. Resting their glasses back on the table, they look around and wave of awkwardness touch them upon witnessing couples all around themselves. Few of them staring each other lovingly; few talking to each other, where their face expression tell Rajveer and Naina that the topic of their discussion must be something romantic; then also there are couples who have their hands held by their partners - their fingers entwined. Rajveer and Naina smile in awkwardness, realising that they never have been so free in expressing their emotions, especially in front of others.

Clearing his throat to clear the air of awkwardness, Rajveer looks towards Naina and asks,

"So, what would you like to have?"

The food gets ordered.

Rajveer notices how suddenly Naina's expression has turned serious. He asks in concern,

"Kya baat hai Naina?"

Naina looks towards him, still perplexed about sharing her reason of tension with him. Deep down she knows that she will have to tell him eventually, but still her hesitation stays.

Rajveer waits for her reply, inside the curiosity of getting an immediate reply irritates him.

"Kuch din pehle Ma ka phone aya tha.",

she begins to open up, hesitantly.

Rajveer knits his brows lightly, realising that there is something serious and worth giving his time to coming up.

"To kya kaha unhone?",

he couldn't help himself from asking, as the curiosity rises inside him.

"Mere liye rishte aa rahe hain!",

she spills the beans, shutting her eyes, to escape from witnessing his immediate reaction to her words.

Rajveer's heart skips a beat hearing that and his brows relax for a brief moment before getting knit again. He tears his gaze away from her as the food gets served. They stay silent but inside them two emotions fight against each other - one that they have for each other and the other that this news has succeeded in brewing inside them.

Naina looks towards him hesitantly to gauge his reaction to her words. As the waiter leaves, Rajveer focuses on serving her the food whilst asking,

"Phir?"

Naina stares him in disbelief. How can he act so calm and composed?

"Apko koi fark nahi parh raha iss baat se?",

asks Naina, staring him in disbelief.

Resting his elbows on the table, his hands inverted towards his chest, resting upon each other, Rajveer stares her calmly.

"Nahi!",

he states plainly, staring her.

Naina stares him back, unable to understand how to react to that.

"Kyunki main janta hun ke tum mana kar dogi. To iss barey mein tension kyun lun?",

asks Rajveer, calmly.

"Kab tak? Aur kya reason dungi har baar?",

asks Naina, frustrated.

Rajveer pauses abruptly in his process of serving the food and looks towards Naina such that his forehead creases to form lines of tension. They stare each other - Naina with a desperate questioning look on her face and Rajveer with a calm and serious one.

"Yahi ke tum abhi taiyar nahi ho shadi karne ke liye. Chaho to taalna itna mushkil nahi iss baat ko.",

says Rajveer, calmly.

"Taalna mushkil nahi?!",

exclaims Naina.

"Mere rishte ki baat ye pehli baar nahi ho rahi. Bhaiya ke jane ke baad pehli baat yahi hui thi mere barey mein ke meri shadi kar di jaye. Tab to jaise-taise maine iss baat ko taal diya tha magar ab....",

Naina's throat chokes out of helplessness.

Rajveer stares her, understanding her emotions.

Rajveer prepares a bite and extends his hand towards Naina, smiling lovingly at her, he says,

"Ab bhi hum milkar iss situation se deal kar lenge."

Naina smiles looking towards Rajveer and haves the bite. But her worry and concern stay intact.

*****

Rajveer presents Naina a shimmering bracelet, smiling lovingly at her. As her eyes fall on the bracelet a smile of surprise kisses her lips.

"Ye... aap...",

Naina falls to put her innate feelings into words.

Rajveer smiles further, enjoying her state.

Naina appreciates,

"It's beautiful!"

"Happy Valentine's Day Naina!"

Rajveer wishes her, staring her with his eyes filled with love.

Naina blushes profusely, staring him, smiling throughout, she wishes him back,

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too!"

"Kya such mein tumhe pasand aya?",

asks Rajveer, nervously.

Naina looks towards Rajveer, surprised to witness him nervous.

"Of course!",

she exclaims, staring him, gauging his mood.

Rajveer smiles wide. Naina doesn't miss noticing how he releases his held breath.

"Aap nervous the?",

asks Naina, bowing her head a little, staring him lovingly.

Rajveer blushes, smiles, staring her.

His gesture conveys Naina of his state.

"Actually maine pehle kabhi kisi ke liye aise...",

Rajveer trails off, smiling in shyness, cascading his eyes.

Naina raises both of her brows, surprising and enjoying witnessing his state.

"I love it!",

says Naina, smiling lovingly at him.

Rajveer smiles back at her in gratitude.

"Thank you!",

she smiles in gratitude.

Rajveer takes her by taking her hand in his hand and kissing her each knuckle slowly. Naina smiles and her cheeks turn deep shades of red.

They stare each other, passion flows between them.

Rajveer realises how she is feeling uncomfortable under his constant gaze and his sudden change in attitude towards her.

"Adat daal lo Naina, kyunki ab iss ehsaas ko main humari zindagi se kabhi jane nahi dunga. Balki main har mumkin koshish karunga tumhe ye bharosa dilane ki ke ye jo kuch bhi tum mehsoos kar rahi ho; jo kuch bhi hum mehsoos kar rahe hain, haq hai humein isse mehsoos karne ka! Haq hai humare jeewan ke iss naye badlaw ko apnane ka!",

says Rajveer, staring deep into Naina's eyes.

Naina's heart clenches hearing that. She stares him back with equal emotions for him as he has for her. And his words give her hope of a beautiful future with him.

-THE END-