A drop of tear fell on the name 'Sneha' on the page of the magazine and Preeti wiped it immediately, not wanting to leave any trace of her vulnerability on such a beautiful piece of work by her sister. Preeti had read Naina's piece of writing when she used to write during school and college, for many times she had found some emotional notes on the last pages of Naina's notebooks in their teens. She knew how thoughtful and articulate Naina's writing is. And today her sister had proved it once again, by bringing tears to her eyes.

Preeti was happy for Naina. Though she was interested in reading only Film magazines and at maximum Grihshobha or Meri Saheli, she knew that Kadambini is a prestigious magazine. And seeing Naina's story getting featured in that magazine meant a lot for everyone. Finding her name in the index and then at the bottom of the last line. If asked by someone what happiness means to her, then she would reply 'this'. She recalled Naina had shown her story two months back, when she had visited Naina and did her haircut. A frown automatically took place on Preeti's face due to the remembrance of that day. She was sure she had read a different story that time, it was about two sisters indeed, but definitely a lot more different than this one.

Did Naina change her story after that?

What made her change it?

She tried to find the difference between the two stories, and she could spot only one. If she placed the two of them as the sisters of the stories, then the previous story was more centered on Preeti supporting Naina, and this one being Naina supporting Preeti. A smile covered her lips.

How the time had changed for both of them!!

Since their childhood, Preeti was the one who stood like a support for Naina, her dearest friend and sister, and sometimes even like a brother. Even in Naina and Sameer's love story, Preeti was the strongest pillar of support throughout. She would do anything for them even now, the way she did for hiding their truth of being married, but the tables seemed to have turned now. At this time, Preeti found herself a bit weaker, taking a step back from the pursuit of following her dreams. She was tied up in the mundane routines of the housewife. Not that she felt it as a burden, but the monotony of her days troubled her more. She had kept the permission part for the parlor course on hold, since Shubham had said that he would talk to his mother in some peaceful time. Though it had been days to that discussion too and she didn't see any step taken by Shubham for this, the small changes in his behavior since a month had raised her hopes. And she had decided to truly wait.

She closed the magazine and heaved in happiness. She need not find herself alone in this struggle now, because Naina was with her. Naina hadn't expressed her support directly to her, Naina didn't say any heavy speech about how she should talk to her family or stay strong and all. But she had subtly conveyed through her story that she was with her, in every stage of her journey to following her dreams. She wanted to meet Naina right now, she wanted to hug her the tightest; doesn't matter if she's ruining a romantic moment between her sister and Jijaji again. She just wanted to thank her.

Sliding her chair back, Preeti stood and almost ran to leave the house again, but things just couldn't go as she always planned, at least after she came here in this house as a daughter-in-law. She found Nirmalaji entering the living room right there.

She halted in her way, taking a deep breath and hiding the magazine behind her instantly.

"Preetiii... kaha ja rahi hai iss waqt?" Nirmalaji queried.

"Mummyji... mai... woh... Naina se milne jaa rahi thi..." Preeti replied hesitantly.

"Preeti Betaaa...", Nirmalaji said in her usual tone. "Ab apna bharoso toh hai, par iss kali jubaan par bharoso koni... ab tumhari behen toh isi society me rehti hai... toh yeh milna-milana hote hi rahega... lekin abhi khana banane ka samay hai, nahi?" Nirmalaji adjusted her pallu and gave a slight jerk to her neck.

Preeti sighed, "Ji.... mummyji..."

Nirmalaji put a smile on her face, "hmmm... toh ek kaam karna... pehle apne ghar ke saare kaam kar le aur apni behen se baad me mil lena... thik hai?"

"Ji Mummyji..." Preeti repeated.

Nirmalaji walked to her bedroom and Preeti ran to hers to keep the magazine. She immediately left for the kitchen to prepare for lunch. She just hoped she gets some time to spend with her sister. But even if they lived just one wing apart in a society, meeting her own cousin whenever she wanted, was never in her hand. 

"Sameer... suno na..." Naina prodded, "sirf do."

"Kya yaar Naina... do se kya honewala hai..." Sameer whined, "aur mere baare me toh socho... kam se kam das-baara toh chahiye na..." He grinned.

Naina gasped while listening to the number, "nahi nahi... pagal ho gaye ho kya?"

"Tch... achha thik hai sath-aath... please na Naina..." Sameer pleaded.

Naina finally gave up. She cannot stick to her guns when Sameer makes a cute face to her, pleading in a gentle voice and making her do whatever he wishes for. She always knew his tricks, but most of the time she would refuse him only to see his cute face, his pouted lips and his kiddish eyes. Rather than enjoying him pestering her to do things, she would love to see his inner child coming out.

"Achchha thik hai..." She said while twisting her mouth, but smiling from her heart.

Sameer's eyes bore a glint of happiness and he started his work immediately. Within five minutes, the sofa and the sofa chairs were shifted a little to make some space. Keeping the cordless on the television set for a while, Sameer brought its wooden vertical stand and kept it near the cupboard in the living room. He looked around for some time, thinking about something. Then he ran to the bedroom and returned with Naina's red dupatta in hand, and covered the cupboard with it. A flowerpot was grabbed, containing some artificial and some real flowers from the garden and it was adorned on the wooden table.

Naina was standing only like a statue, watching Sameer do all the things. He had warned her not to move from her place. She saw Sameer heaving with a smile and the next moment, she was held on her shoulders by Sameer and taken to the wooden stand. Sameer made her stand in front of the cupboard, which was now covered in red cloth. The balcony door and the window pane were open, letting in enough sunlight in the room.

"Ready?" Sameer asked sweetly.

Naina nodded with a smile and saw Sameer taking his camera out from the cover. Sameer had turned their living room into almost a studio within 10 minutes. Their romantic moment was indeed disturbed by Preeti, but he didn't leave the chance of them being alone at home. And she couldn't stop adoring her hero who was pampering his heroine. He wanted to save this beautiful memory in the form of photos.

Sameer stood near the Kitchen entrance, balancing the light effect properly. Naina slightly turned to the wooden stand, kept her hands on it and smiled, posing for the first capture. Sameer stared at her for a moment as Naina's yellow saari complemented the red background perfectly, producing a contrast effect. Her smile, her glowing face, that traditional nose ring, everything looked bewitching. Positioning the camera vertically in front of his eyes, the first picture was clicked. He suggested some more poses to Naina and she did accordingly, agreeing to her personal cameraman wholeheartedly, where one picture included her sitting on the sofa chair for a royal pose.

After the fifth click, Naina intervened, "Sameer, ab bass... ho gaya na... tum aao abhi warna reel khatm ho jayegi..."

Sameer sulked but he knew it was true when he glanced at the number of photos available now. They had already used 26 negatives of the film roll till now, and he still wanted to keep it for some upcoming moments till they reach 36. Had it been their Ahmedabad lifestyle, he would have spent the entire roll on Naina's solo pictures and then a second roll on their duet ones. But now he was aware that they can't spend money on a new film roll and on the development of several pictures every month.

With a smile, he agreed to her and got the hold on the wooden stand to keep it at the place he was standing. He displaced the sofa chair again and settled the camera with the flower pot and two glasses, and set the timer. Adjusting Naina's position in the frame as she stood, he clicked on the button and rushed towards Naina, stood behind her and locked his hands around her to pose for the first picture. The procedure was repeated twice for two more photos, in one they looked at each other smiling while in another Sameer wrapped his arms around Naina and they touched their foreheads to one another's. After that, Naina's one glare and Sameer finally stopped.

How was it to see all those photos right now? Like at this very moment?

Sameer knew it wasn't possible. He had to wait for don't know how much time to see those developed prints in his hand. He wished something eventful to come very soon and he would spend the rest of the 7 photos on it and give it for development. Because, Rakesh Papa had never shown any interest in getting himself clicked. So yes, seven photos to be clicked yet.

This time Sameer let Naina help him in rearranging the furniture. As the last piece, Sameer kept the wooden stand and the cordless back into its place while Naina encased the camera in its cover and put it back in the living room cupboard. The moment she locked the cupboard, her elbow was caught in a hand and she was turned forcefully, making her crash on her husband's hard chest and get locked in his arms. She was startled due to the sudden attack and tried to protest for a moment but as soon as her eyes matched his, her every pretense fell apart. Even just his pointed gaze made her feel the heat down in her body. Her hands automatically grabbed his arms as she felt the need for support.

"Mere sawaal ka jawab toh diya hi nahi tumne", his husky voice fell on her ears, breaking her trance.

"Kaunsa sawaal??" She didn't know how the words fell out from her mouth.

Sameer tucked her hair behind the ear and traced the same index finger down to her throat and to the collar bone, stroking the beads of her mangalsutra and the pendant. "Yahi... ki iss khubsurati ke sath kya kiya jaaye?"

"Sameeerrrrr...." She mumbled, finding only his name to utter.

"Naina, tum aise saj-dhaj ke mere saamne achanak se aati ho na, toh lagta hai ki..." He restrained the urge to complete the sentence.

"Kya lagta hai?" A mischievous smile took place on her lips unknowingly.

Sameer sighed and changed his tone while loosening his hold on her, "Naina... thoda toh meri jaan ke baare me socha karo... hamesha aise bomb gira deti ho mujhpar..." He faked complaining, twisting his mouth.

Naina finally got some time to regain her lost self, she gasped, "haaww... hamesha matlab? Aisa kab kiya hai maine? Aur aisa kya ho jata hai tumhe?" She lifted one brow.

Sameer smirked, "tumhe idea bhi nahi hai Madam, ki tum mera kya haal bana deti ho... aur aisa toh bahot baar kar chuki ho tum... tumhari woh filmy style entry yaad hai, tumhare GS banne ke baad ke pehle wale din?"

Naina narrowed her eyes and recalled the incident Sameer was speaking about. It was the first day in the college after she was chosen as General Secretary of VJN. Preeti had done her haircut once again and as they entered the college corridor, she had asked her to wait. Naina was waiting for the signal given by Preeti, which she didn't know what it could be, but stood near the entrance. Within a few moments, she heard a whoop by all her friends, designating her as a Queen marching towards her throne. She giggled and entered the corridor with full confidence, truly like a Queen. She had noticed that people around had stopped in their route and were looking at her. And not just her fellow mates, but even her close friends and Sameer were staring at her, standing like a statue. Her eyes were primarily focussed only on Sameer, who was gawking at her totally lost. She had seen her friends speaking something, and then saw Sameer smacking on the back of Pandit's head for uttering something he didn't like. She wasn't really keen to know what Pandit had said, she was interested only in Sameer's reaction and after looking at him she knew she had succeeded in it.

Sameer continued, "sab kaise ghoor-ghoor ke dekh rahe the tumhe... yahan tak ki woh Kartik aur Vicky bhi ghoor rahe the... mann toh kar raha tha ki...'', gritting his teeth.

Naina's eyes shone with the remembrance of the incident, but she pretended not to recall Sameer's exact reaction upon seeing her. "Achchha? Woh toh bass aise hi Preeti ne tayyar kar ke diya tha... lekin Kartik ko dekhte hue toh maine bhi dekha tha..." She teased him. "Waiseee.... Tum jal rahe the?" She added, sounding innocent.

"Haan jal raha tha..." He accepted unabashedly that he was burning with jealousy. "Aur meri haalat? Woh nahi dikhi tumhe?"

"Nahi toh... tumhe aisa kya hua tha? Mujhe toh kuchh yaad nahi..." She shrugged.

"Achchha?" He quirked his brows, walking a step closer, "Ab batau tumhe kaisi thi meri haalat?"

"Batao", she said, retreating a step back but not leaving his eyes even for a moment.

Sameer shoved his hands in his jeans pocket and took a stride towards Naina again, while she retreated... again... recalling how Sameer had pulled her into a music room after her entry and how he was walking towards her holding the same desire in his eyes. She shivered under his intense gaze and her breathing accelerated slightly. Three years ago in that music room, her condition was nothing different from what she was feeling today. He wasn't doing anything other than looking at her with so much love, but she felt as if he was peeling each layer off of her and uncovering her primal state to him. She felt naked under his burning desires, but proud of herself too as she was the only woman in the world who pleasured this handsome man and was responsible for his 'this' state.

The distance was short and her back collided with the cupboard just as her moves were stopped by the harmonium table in that music room. Sameer towered her in a moment, leaving just a small gap between their bodies to let the air pass, and that annoyed Naina somehow.

"ये है कशिश-ए-हुस्न कि है हसरत-ए-दीदार

ताक़त नहीं बाक़ी है मगर देख रहा हूँ..."

Sameer ununciated, placing his right hand on the cupboard towards Naina's left. Naina smiled and lifted her brows, giving him an appreciating look for reciting a nazm of a ghazal from Rakesh Papa's cassette collection.

"Kuchh aisi hi haalat thi meri..." Sameer said, "tab bhi thi... aur ab bhi hai..."

Naina giggled, "lekin deedar ki sirf hasrat kyu hai? Mai toh tab bhi tumhare saamne khadi thi aur aaj bhi hu... tab me aur ab koi fark nahi hai Sameer..."

"Fark hai..." Sameer asserted and Naina's eyes twinkled with a beautiful memory with this phrase.

Sameer stated, "Tab tum rules wali, strict aur ek number ki khadoos... college ke General Secretary thi... Lekin aaj tum ek samajhdaar, sabka khayal rakhne wali meri pyaari se patni ho... fark hai..."

Naina gasped initially listening to him calling her khadoos, but she immediately softened hearing the next sentence. She smiled warmly recalling their conversation about this fark three years back.

Sameer continued, "Fark hai kyunki tab tumhare naam ke aage Rakesh Agarwal ka naam lagta tha, jo waise jyada boora nahi hai... lekin aaj tumhare naam ke aage Sameer Maheshwari ka naam lagta hai... aur mujhe iss baat par garv hai..."

Naina could see his eyes, his words and his heart reflecting the same. Respect and pride for her.

"Tab tum sirf College ke liye likhti thi... lekin aaj tum poore samaaj ke liye likh rahi ho... Fark hai..."

Sameer saw her heaving deeply, her eyes were on the verge of turning to moist as she was getting emotional. He could have continued on and on, but he wanted some happy and cheerful moments right now. So he changed his narrative a bit, along with his voice, sounding like a tease, "aur tab kiss ke naam se bhi tumhare chehre ka rang ud jaata tha... aur aaj subah kiss ke naam pe tum mujhpe jo chadhi ho na..." And he giggled.

This time Naina's eyes and mouth opened widely and she hit on his arm, making him shriek. "Jao mai baat nahi kar rahi tumse...", she said, trying to move away from him.

"Achchha sorry sorry..." He caught her quickly, placing her back to the cupboard, and they laughed.

As the laughter subsided, Naina asked, taking the cue from his statement, "Sameer... uss din music room me, tum mujhe kiss karna chah rahe the?"

Sameer smiled at her question, "Naina... mann toh hota hi tha... chahe woh umra ke wajah se ho ya tumhare iss khubsurat chehre ki wajah se... lekin mai hamare rishte ki maryada jaanta tha Naina... isliye hothon par toh nahi, lekin gaal par hi sahi... mann toh hota tha..." He pulled her left cheek slightly.

Naina looked at him with dreamy eyes. She could never forget the way Sameer was looking at her that day. His eyes were full of love but full of desires too. She recalled her own condition as she was retreating behind slowly. She was feeling butterflies in her stomach and goosebumps had erupted on her neck. She had clenched her inner thighs, feeling a different sensation altogether down there. Then, it was her lack of knowledge about the concept of physical intimacy and desires. But now, she very much understood that Sameer wanted to kiss her that day and also what all her own physiological responses were indicating. That she too was equally experiencing the desires but just couldn't name that feeling.

"Sameer", she pronounced sweetly, "sahi kaha tumne... fark toh hai... lekin aaj hamare rishtey me koi maryada nahi hai... aur mai dekhna chahti hu ki mai jab aise saj-dhaj ke achanak se tumhare saamne aati hu, toh tumhara kya haal hota hai..." The last sentence came authoritatively and sensually at the same time.

Sameer was surprised to see his wife getting into a lioness mode and also fathomed what she meant and what she asked for. He glanced at the entrance of the house once, checking the door was indeed closed; he had closed it as soon as Preeti had left. He smiled and inched closer to his temptress, cradling her face in his palms he bent down towards her.

The two pairs of eyes got shut as the couple brushed their lips with each other. It was a soft and gentle kiss, more of a thankful one, conveying they were blessed to have each other in their lives. The bangles decked hands were wrapped around Sameer's neck for the leverage and he smiled in between the kiss. As Naina lifted herself on her toes, her soft bosom brushed with Sameer's hard chest, and the kiss turned fierce in a moment. The mouths were opened and the tongues were invaded inside, tasting and sucking the sweet nectar of their partner like a bumblebee. The gasps soon turned into pants and they both knew they were on the edge of losing the sanity. Sameer took the step first and softened the kiss, trying to soothe his wife's fierceness.

When they parted, their faces were embellished with a sated smile. Sameer ran his fingers gently to set Naina's hair and adjusted her saree by himself. He put a soft kiss on Naina's forehead and they heard some known voices just after a few moments. It was Rakesh Papa and Mr. Gadkari speaking in the lobby and Naina felt like she heard her name.

Naina went on to check curiously, opening the door and Sameer too followed her, both standing in the small passage near the door.

"Maine kaha tha na aapko Rakesh bhau... Naina ki kahani zaroor chhapegi..." Mr. Gadkari voiced with a smile, they both had come together climbing the stairs.

"Ji.." Rakesh replied pleasantly. "Yeh lekar jaiye na sab ke liye..." He passed him a box.

"Arey nahi nahi... hum kya karenge itni saari mithai ka..." Mr. Gadkari stated and called his wife to come out with a bowl.

Listening to the word mithai, Naina's eyes shone in contentment and Sameer nudged her with his shoulder, raising his brows for his correct anticipation. Naina giggled and nudged him back.

Mrs. Gadkari came with a steel bowl in her hand and some sweets were transferred into it as Rakesh happily shared the news of Naina's story getting printed in the magazine again.

"Gadkari Sahab, mai aapko patrika la kar deta hun..." Rakesh offered, happiness and pride displaying all over his face.

"Nahi nahi... mai khud sham ko ja kar kharidunga..." Mr. Gadkari refused politely.

Naina and Sameer were just the spectators to the scene occurring in the lobby. While Sameer's face carried a genuine smile, Naina's was more of overwhelming with emotions. She remembered how her father used to boast with pride around society and school when Arjun won the Man of the match award many times, distributing sweets and giving treats of Samosa and Jalebi. He had often bought toffees for her first rank till her 7th grade, but he had started missing it in later years. Also, all his appreciation would be only for her academic grades and not for any curricular achievements. But now, she saw him talking about and celebrating her small achievements.

She felt big soft palms on her shoulders and she looked back to find Sameer staring at her. Somehow she witnessed the same pride and happiness in his eyes as she saw in her father's eyes. It didn't take her much time to realize how such a small thing like getting her story featured in a magazine can prove as much important for them too. It might be a small thing for her, she didn't want to get carried away with just one story getting published, but it was indeed a big thing for them. They both were utterly proud of the only girl in their life.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, threatening to spill out, but they were carefully collected on the fingertip by her husband. Sameer mumbled, "maanta hu khushi ke aasu hai... lekin yeh liner fail gaya na, toh tum hi darawni dikhogi phir..."

He was instantly rewarded with a tight smack on his arm as Naina burst into laughter, "tum bhi na Sameer..."

As they both noticed the conversation in the lobby to be ending, Naina rushed inside, hiding her overwhelmed state, while Sameer smiled and let her be in her own space.

Rakesh walked into the house within a minute and stepped in the kitchen, finding Naina there. "Naina, yeh le...", Rakesh said, taking out items from the cotton bag, "tum dono ke liye phal aur shakarkand laaye hai... itne me ho jayega na?"

"Haan Papa, ho jayega itne me..." Naina assured him with a smile.

"Aur yeh mithai lekar aaya tha... teri kahani chhapne ki khushi me..." He handed the box to her, "neeche samdhanji mili thi, unke yaha bhi poora eb dabba de diya... mera mann toh samose aur dhokle laane ka tha, lekin tum dono ko aaj hi upwas karna tha..." He was speaking with all the excitement and Naina was just adoring her father.

Keeping all the items on the kitchen counter, Rakesh walked to the living room and picked the cordless. A number was dialed and he spoke elated, listening to the voice at the other end. "Hello Anand?" He said.

Sameer, who was sitting casually on the sofa chair till now, smiled at Papa's happiness. While Rakesh was speaking to Anand, Sameer strolled to the bedroom and came back with the second copy of the Magazine and placed it on the tea-table, so that Rakesh Papa notices after the call is over.

In half an hour, Naina went to Gadkari house to return the saree and the jewelry, thanking them for enlightening her about the day. She received congratulatory messages from Mr. & Mrs. Gadkari and they promised her that they would indeed read her story. She came back with a wide smile on her face and a few upwas recipes in mind shared by Mrs. Gadkari. Sameer entered the kitchen to help Naina prepare the recipes and lunch for Rakesh. Naina would peep from the kitchen to have a look at her father and then would resume her work with a small face. They both actually wanted to give the ample amount of free time and privacy to Papa, so that he picks up the magazine at least, but to their dismay, he hadn't touched it once even after the lunch.

After the post-lunch cleaning, Sameer observed if Rakesh goes out as usual, but he didn't. Rather he switched on the television and got busy watching the afternoon news. The Maheshwari couple sauntered to their bedroom, keeping the magazine for Rakesh Papa to read, whenever he felt like. They sat on the mattress spreading their legs, holding each other in their arms. They both wanted to read the story in the form of the black printed words, touching the smooth page of the magazine where Naina's thoughts were imprinted, but they couldn't. So Naina took her diary where she had written the final draft and with Sameer grabbing her and making her back rest on his chest, they started reading it together from the point of view of every reader of that magazine they thought of.

The story came to its last sentence and Sameer stroked his fingers on Naina's handwriting at the last word. He kissed Naina's temple, that was just an inch away from his lips, he mumbled in her ears how beautifully she had woven the words, he reinstated the fact that her story was selected in the first attempt itself and how proud he is of her for this, he blessed her with gentle kisses on her cheeks and hands, saying how much he loves her without actually saying it. While Naina just enjoyed the pampering by her husband, keeping a wide smile and a blush on her face throughout. Sameer's daily outings for auditions had taken away their personal and leisure time together. So she was completely enjoying this lazy afternoon in his arms.

It was evening and Naina lit the diya in front of Lord Krishna idol and joined her hands for praying. She had seen Rakesh Papa going to the balcony almost 15 minutes before and she wondered if he read her story. Sameer came to her when she was done, and he pushed her to talk to Papa; he was sure Papa had surely read it by now.

Naina sauntered in the balcony, finding her father lost in thoughts. She tried to study his face but she couldn't gauge what exactly was going on in his mind. Her father was such a mystery to her even now. She debated if she should disturb his chain of thoughts and ask him about the story as she just found this sight so pleasant somehow.

She cleared her throat to drive Rakesh's attention, "ahem... Papa, aapko bhuk lagegi toh batana mujhe... mai garma garam rotiyan bana dungi..."

Rakesh looked to his left and found Naina smiling at him. He took a moment to perceive what she said and then replied, "arey nahi uski awashyakta nahi hai... mere liye bass khichdi bana dena..." He said with a smile.

"Ji Papa..." Naina nodded and waited for Rakesh to say something more. But he didn't. She lingered there for some time; sometimes smiling at him, fidgeting with her dupatta, tapping her fist on the parapet wall nervously; but the silence was predominant in the environment. Her courage finally dropped in front of the aura of her father and she took a step to leave.

"Naina..." Rakesh stopped her from leaving and Naina turned to look at him with expectant eyes. "Kahani padhi maine teri... achchhi likhi hai bahot..." He had a proud smile on his face.

Naina's eyes smiled along with her heart, "Thank you Papa..." She whispered, feeling breathless due to the happiness.

"Mai jaanta nahi tha ki meri beti shadbon ka prayog itne sateek se karti hai... aur apne vichar ek kahani ke madhyam se saare samaaj tak itne achchhese pahuchati hai..." His voice was a bit heavy, just as his heart, which was full of emotions right now.

Naina heaved again, blinking her eyes to prevent them from glistening. "Aapko pasand aayi Papa?" She wanted to hear more, as if not satisfied with his words at all.

Rakesh turned to her and by placing his hands on her shoulders, he said, "Naina, teri yeh kahani samaaj ke na jaane kitne saare logon ko aaina dikhayegi... aur tu dekhna... yeh jo badlaav tu chahti hai na, yeh ek na ek din sab me zaroor aayega..." He affectionately placed his right palm on her head and tapped it as a token of appreciation.

Naina's eyes glistened and she shook her head, holding all the emotions inside. She just wished Papa would speak more and more, about the story, about her.

"Tune mithai nahi khai na?" Rakesh teased her.

Naina was stunned to know that her father had noticed it. She had deliberately stayed away from it and promised herself that she would eat it only after Papa would read her story. But she failed to reckon that he was indeed her 'baap' and things cannot go unnoticed by him. She just nodded again.

"Ja... leke aa..." Rakesh said gently.

Grinning widely, Naina rushed inside to find Sameer in the kitchen, holding the sweets box for her. Taking the box from him, Naina went to the balcony again and opened it.

Rakesh took a small piece of pedha and fed it to Naina. "Mujhe garv hai tujhpar Naina...", he mumbled with a heavy voice and moist eyes.

Naina sulked for a moment that he said such an emotional line while feeding her the sweet. Her mouth worked to finish it, but her eyes were already pooled with tears. She too broke a piece of sweet and fed it to her father, and hurling her arms around him, she hugged him, letting the dam of emotions open.

How long she had waited to hear these words from her Papa!!

She had felt all his warmth, all his love during this time in Mumbai. She had heard him saying that he would pamper her just like a kid, he had told her how she has taken some qualities from her mother, he had taken care of her in her periods and served her hot chapatis when she was unwell. But she wanted to hear these particular words since she was a kid, since she started craving for the love and appreciation of her father, just like how Arjun would get it. She was praised for the new dishes she learnt here, but she craved to hear the specific words that he finally said today.

That he was proud of her...

Seeing all the pride and love in Rakesh's eyes always made Naina happy. But to actually hear those words coming straight from him, soothed and satisfied the little girl in her, the little Naina who would run to her Papa with her 1st rank report card in hand, who would jump in happiness while showing the small trophy she won, who would wait for some words to be spoken when her father would give her some toffees. That little kid in her cried happily today along with the grown-up Naina, finding herself in her father's warm embrace and feeling his soft touch on her head as a shabashi. She was the happiest person on this planet earth today.

A few meters away from the father-daughter duo, Sameer leaned on the kitchen wall, shoving his hands in his pockets and standing so that only he could see the view. Today, he was so happy for his wife. Such a fulfilling day it has been for them! From seeing her name in the magazine to seeing her getting praised by Rakesh Papa, the day was filled with only happy moments.

He was standing there since the time he pushed Naina to talk to Papa. He couldn't miss this opportunity to overhear some words of praise by the great Mr. Rakesh Agarwal. He chuckled to himself with the thought of calling his father-in-law as great. But he was intrigued by this layered person who, he initially thought, had come into his life to sit on his head. But the more Rakesh Papa opened up to them, the more Sameer's respect grew for him. And today, he was the luckiest person to witness this warm hug shared by the father-daughter, a moment his wife would cherish forever. When Rakesh Papa had finally uttered those words, it was not only Naina but Sameer too who had smiled with contentment. He knew how much this meant to Naina and how much she had waited for this. He wanted to capture this moment in the camera, but soon he realized that some moments are better stored and captured with eyes and heart only. And he definitely didn't want to disturb this personal moment of the duo. With watery eyes, he turned to the kitchen and grabbed the containers of rice and moong dal and started preparing for khichdi.

Shubham was watching the evening news on the television, with sulking Tanvi sitting beside him. She wanted to watch the other channel but Shubham kept her waiting till the news was over. But that was just for the namesake. He wasn't paying much attention to the news either. His eyes were on the television but his mind was wandering somewhere else... Okay, not somewhere else... but on Preeti...

Today being Saturday, he had returned home by 2:30 pm. And since the time he had come, he observed a strange behavior by Preeti. She was happier and more cheerful today than usual. But he found her conscious and worried at times too. It has something to do with their bedroom, he was sure about it. When he had gone to their bathroom to freshen up after returning from the office, she had rushed into the bedroom behind him. When he came out, he saw her doing something with the pillow on her side of the bed. She looked a little frightened, as if hiding something from him. He is never a person who would look at his wife in a suspicious way and that's why he didn't pay much attention there. But when he was relaxing and Preeti was in the kitchen, she had visited the room for unnecessary reasons. For a moment, he actually checked if there was something below the pillow, by lifting it slightly, but he found nothing. He didn't really get the peaceful time to talk about it to Preeti, his mother had kept her busy in some way or the other. But he decided to ask her at night.

Shubham was brought back to the present moment by the shrill of the telephone. He decreased the volume of the television and regarded Tanvi, "phone lakar dena toh...", pointing at the dining table.

"Bhaiya aap jakar lo na seedhe..." Tanvi sulked again.

"Tanvi tu paas me hi baithi hai na... jaakar la dena..." Shubham said, irritated with his sister and the ring.

"Aap remote do mujhe pehle", Tanvi offered for trade.

Giving a pointing gaze at her, Shubham passed her the remote control and the cordless was given to him within seconds by now happy Tanvi.

"Hello", Shubham answered the call casually.

"Shubham beta... kaise ho?" Anand spoke from the other end.

"Arrey... Namastey Papaji..." Shubham sat straight on the sofa out of respect. "Mai bilkul thik hu... aap kaise hai?

"Mai bhi thik hu...", Anand replied while smiling, "tumhara office ka kaam kaisa chal raha hai?"

"Ji... sab thik se chal raha hai..."

"Betaa... Preeti se thodi baat karni thi mujhe...." Anand hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Haan haan bilkul... ek minute mai usse bulata hu..."

Shubham placed his palm on the mouthpiece of the cordless and called Preeti, who was in the kitchen. Preeti walked in the living room while wiping her hands on her pallu. She gestured with her eyes, asking him the reason to call her.

"Papaji ka phone hai... Lo baat karo", Shubham passed her the cordless.

Preeti smiled widely, learning about her father's call, but her smile dwindled a little after thinking about something. She took the cordless from Shubham and debated for a moment between the bedroom and the balcony, a place to go and talk peacefully.

Finally she chose the balcony and headed there quickly. "Hello Papa..." She voiced.

"Kaisa hai mera sher?" Anand sounded happy from the other end.

Preeti chuckled listening to the endearment used by her father. She had usually heard him using this for Naina, but listening to that word for herself made her immensely happy. "Mai bilkul thik hu Papa... aur iss sher ke Papa kaise hai?"

"Mai bhi bilkul thik hu... ekdum pusht aur tandurust... Teri Maa ke hath ke bane tinde jo khata hu roj..." Anand laughed.

"Aap toh rehne hi dijiye Papa", Preeti reproached Anand, "Mummy batati hai ki aap ab bhi kitna kaam karte hai aur phir thak jaate hai... ho gaya na Papa ab... kitna kaam karenge? Aap ko pata hai, aap aur Shubhamji ekdum ek jaise hi hai... aise kaam karte hai jaise desh toh aapke badolat hi chal raha hai... Mujhe lagta hai maine na pichhle janam me bahot paise khaye honge kisi ke... isliye do-do CAs mile hai mujhe iss janam me..."

Anand laughed at his daughter's reprimand, "haan toh galat kya hai isme? Hum dono CA hai, yeh hamara kaam hai... aur hum wohi kar rahe hai jisse hame khushi milti hai..."

Preeti's cheerful mood palliated a little while listening to Anand's statement. The latest memory of Naina's story flashed in her mind. She quickly changed the topic, "ummm... pata hai Papa... aaj mai Ghevar banana seekh rahi hu..." She would often share it with Anand if she learnt a new dish.

"Arrey wah!! Yeh toh bahot achchhi baat hai..." Anand appreciated her. "Lekin aaj achanak Ghevar kis khushi me?"

"Woh Naina ki kah...." Preeti blurted out but immediately paused, looking around. "Aisehi bana rahi hu Papa..." She faked laugh.

"Hmmm... Jaanti ho Preeti, aaj maine bhi kuchh naya seekha hai... aur woh bhi aisi vyakti se, jo mujhse umra me bahot chhoti hai", Anand shared.

"Achchha? Kya seekha aapne?" Preeti asked curiously.

"Yahi... ki hamari ghar ke mahilayein, ladkiyaan... sab ghar ka ek mahattvpoorn hissa hoti hai... aur unke zindagi se jude hue faisle khud lene ka unhe poora adhikar hai...", came the reply from Anand.

Preeti's expressions changed. The words now were almost the same and she wondered if her father was talking about the same.

Seeing the delay in Preeti's response, Anand continued, "Haan, mai Naina ke kahani ki hi baat kar raha hu... padhi maine...."

"Nain..." Preeti paused again, "padhi aapne Papa?"

"Haan... bahot achchhi likhi hai usne..." Anand said proudly.

"Hai na? Aapne phone kiya ki nahi usse?" She got excited.

"Haan abhi thodi der me karunga usse bhi... Lekin phir socha pehle apni beti se baat kar lu aaj..." Anand's voice turned a little heavy at the end.

Preeti frowned, sensing his voice cracking, "Kya hua Papa?"

Anand swallowed, "Nahi... bass kuchh sawal hai jo shayad tujhse bahot pehle karne chahiye the..."

Preeti feared the inevitable, she stammered, "ka... kaise... sawaal... Papa?"

Anand took a deep breath and started, "beta... har Maa-Baap ko lagta hai ki woh apne bachchon par ek-samaan pyaar karte hai... maine bhi kabhi tujhme, Naina me aur Pooja me fark nahi kiya... lekin woh kehte hai na... ke kabhi-kabhi thoda kam-jyada toh ho hi jata hai..."

"Aap aisa kyun keh rahe hai Papa?" Preeti became a little emotional.

"Preeti, mai jaanta hu mera Naina ke taraf jhukaav hamesha thoda jyada raha hai... Uski padhai, uske sapne, uska Sameer ke sath rishta... maine har baat me uska saath diya hai... Lekin in sab me tujhse teri dil ki baatein karna bhool gaya mai shayad." Anand sounded poignant.

"Kaisi baatein kar rahe hai Papa... aap toh duniya ke best Papa ho... aur aapne Naina aur mujh me kabhi koi fark nahi kiya hai..." Preeti's eyes turned moist.

"Nahi Preeti..." Anand intervened, "mai tab shayad nahi puchh paaya... lekin aaj tujhse puchhna chahta hu... kya kuchh aisa tha jo tu mujhe bata nahi paayi Preeti? Kya tere koi sapne the beta? Koi armaan? Sach batana beta..."

Preeti pursed her lips and shut her eyes, she couldn't hold the tears anymore and just let them flow. She would never agree to her father's claim that he was more biased towards Naina... No! Never!! But listening to the question as it was written by Naina, she felt immensely happy and overwhelmed. She could have dodged the answer easily but at this moment, she realized that her father deserved the truth to be told.

She sniffed, wiping her tears from her cheeks and said, "sapne toh har koi dekhta hai Papa... har koi... phir chahe woh sapne chhote ho, ya bade... bass... kabhi-kabhi unke poora hone ki zidd nahi pakadte..."

Anand felt a sharp pain in his heart, he felt disgusted by himself after listening to Preeti's answer. He huffed, feeling guilty, "Huhh!! Maine kabhi socha nahi tha ki meri beti sapne toh dekhegi... lekin unke poore hone ki ummeed bhi nahi rakhegi..."

"Aisa nahi hai Papa... bass, kuchh cheezon ke liye thoda waqt lagta hai..." Preeti responded positively to Anand's comment.

"Preeti betaa... tu khush hai na waha pe?" Anand asked worriedly.

Preeti smiled, "haan Papa... mai bahot khush hu yaha pe... aap meri chinta mat kijiye... Shubhamji mera bahot khayal rakhte hai..."

Just a few feet behind Preeti, there stood Shubham, just near the balcony door. He was standing there defeated, lost and disappointed. He wasn't interested in the channel Tanvi had tuned in, so he thought of casually dropping by to the balcony and speaking with his father-in-law and mother-in-law, after Preeti was done with her chat. When he had come near the door, he heard Preeti speaking about learning how to make Ghevar. A smile had appeared on his lips and he thought of eavesdropping a little more, before he steps beside her. But the conversation turned emotional and he stood rooted to his place. He could only hear Preeti's side of the conversation, where he could only loosely find some dots, something that was about 'reading' something and also had some connection with Naina.

Later, when he observed Preeti becoming emotional and crying a little, he became alert. He was aware it was her private moment, but he couldn't help but stand there to know the reason behind his wife's misery. And one word caught him off guard.

Sapne...

His wife was speaking about her dreams but wasn't expecting them to get fulfilled. His wife was assuring her father that she was happy here, that he, Shubham, takes care of her. This emotional father-daughter conversation had shattered him from inside. Because of the fact that he knew about the dreams of his wife that probably her father didn't. Because, it was completely in his hands to let them get fulfilled or not. Because it was him who was responsible for Preeti's tears. And she still was defending him, she still was protecting his image in front of his in-laws. He tried to figure out the sudden purpose of this talk between the father and the daughter. He tried to find a connection between the dots like 'padhna', Naina and 'sapne'. But he couldn't. He felt ashamed of himself that Preeti had expressed all her feelings to him and he had done nothing about it. His chest rose and fell heavily as his breathing took a speed, his throat was aching as he was completely choked and his hold on the door had tightened. As he saw, Preeti was smiling again, but he knew he wasn't the reason behind it.

Did he love her enough?

**************

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