Dedicated to Anjali_J33

Happy Reading!

Sunlight pricked her eyes and she winced. She wanted to sleep, a little more. She tossed and turned but the sunlight entering from all the windows wasn't letting her sleep. She heard soft footsteps and then a screeching sound. She opened her eyes and saw Sameer shutting the curtains to help her sleep. His back was towards her. She kept admiring his love for her. He turned around and she closed her eyes, immediately. She parted her eyelids, just enough to see Sameer standing near the window, with his arms crossed. He was admiring her sleep. Her husband was her favorite person in this whole world

"Naina!"

She heard someone calling her.

"Naina uth!"

But she didn't want to. She tossed around but immediately felt something wet on her face.

"Bhagwan jooth na bulaye!"

Naina opened her eyes. There was no Sameer, no room with windows all over, no sunshine just her old room with her mom who had thrown a lot of water on her face. She felt her face with her hand, it was all wet but she had a sweet, after dream smile on her face.

"Jaldi uth aur taiyaar ho jaa."

Naina walked to the bathroom in half sleep.

The house wasn't empty like the night Naina, Preeti and Shefali had sneaked off to Swati's home. More and more guests had started staying in their home, in Taiji's flat and in the houses of other people in the society. They weren't going to go back after any function.

"Sukoon bhare dino ko bolein good bye. Do you want some chai?" Preeti asked Naina. She was holding a tray full of tea cups in front of her.

"Itna rush hai! Ye log kab jaayenge?" Naina took a tea cup and asked.

"Jab aap jaayengi." Preeti said, carelessly but watching Naina's smile disappear told her that she had touched a nerve.

"Naina, mai-"

"It's okay."

Naina walked away with her tea cup.

The same atmosphere was spread in
Maheshwari's house except the guests were staying only for the day because they had been given rooms in hotels and guest houses in Ahemdabad.

Sameer, Munna and Pandit were having chai-pakoda in Sameer's room, away from all the guests.

"Kuch bhi kaho yaar, Poonam Bhabhi ke haath me jo swaad hai na!" Pandit said.

"Kya swad hai?!" Munna asked while eating two pakodas at a time.

"Wo swad hai!"

"Yaar!" Sameer sat next to them and began munching the left pakodas. "Naina toh abhi bhi phone nahi utha rahi."

"Rishta tay hone ke baad toh Swati freely phone uthati hai." Munna sipped his tea. "Waah!"

Pandit tsk'ed at Munna and said, "Tumhara jhagda hua tha kya?"

"Nahi."

"Toh fir?" Munna asked. He kept his cup on the table and yawned.

"Hai toh uss Preeti ki behen na, kuch toh screw loose hoga hi." Pandit mumbled and before he could realize two cushions came flying at him.

"Meri saali ko kuch mat bol!" Sameer and Munna said in unison.

"Mai kuch bolu?"

Poonam Bhabhi's voice made all of them turn their heads.

"Bhabhi kuch bhi bolne se pehle ye plate fir se bhar dijiye. Please." Pandit said while forwarding his plate

"Pandit bhaiya, in dono ki shaadi ho jaayegi tab aap kya karenge?" Poonam wondered.

"Aap teeno bhabhiyon ke haath ka khana khaunga." He replied immediately.

"Isko chodiye na Bhabhi. Aap idea bataiye." Sameer insisted.

"Hmmm ... Romeo Juliet padhi hai aapne?"

The three boys scratched their heads.

"Romeo balcony chadhke apni Juliet se milne gaya tha."

"Toh?" Pandit asked.

"Toh Sameer Bhaiya aap bhi Naina se milne balcony se chadh ke jaaiye na. Bahot maza aayega."

"Bhabhi, aapke maze ke liye humara bhai apni hadiyan tudwa le?" Munna defended.

"Thoda toh risk lena chahiye na." Poonam said, thrilled.

"Uske ghar me bhi toh guests honge." Sameer thought out loud.

"Bhai tujhe apni hadiyan tudwani hai, tu jaa. Hum nahi aayenge." Pandit backed out.

Sameer smiled at them, authoritatively and Munna-Pandit knew they had to go out on his adventure with him.

"Marenge." Pandit said.

"Meri toh shaadi hone wali hai." Munna almost cried.

The night had taken over. The sky was the deepest shade of blue without any stars or moon. Sameer, Munna and Pandit sneaked out of Maheshwari house at 11 PM. Pandit was holding a wooden ladder on the top of his head.

They arrived in Naina's street.

"Seedhi lagao." Sameer ordered.

"Aur jaan gavao." Pandit whispered.

"Meri toh shaadi hone wali hai." Munna whined.

They stationed the ladder below Naina's balcony hoping and praying that no one would notice.

"Ek second." Sameer stopped them and ran to the PCO. He dialled Naina's number. It ringed fully before shutting down.

Naina was wide awake in her room reading comic books when she heard the phone ring. With suspicion she went to the hall to pick it up. She slipped mid way and couldn't reach the phone on time.

The phone ringed again, twice and went off.

"Sameer?" Naina wondered.

The phone began ringing again. She picked it up and limped back to her room.

"Hello" They said in unison

"Naina!"

"Sameer? Tum abhi phone kar rahe ho?" She whispered.

"Tum mera phone kyu nahi utha rahi thi?"

"Oh!! Haan!! Mai tumse naaraz hu!" She said, hastily.

"Naaraz? Kyu?"

"Jis din hum Swati ke ghar ke bahar mile the ..."

"... Haa?"

"Uss din tumne mujhse baat bhi nahi ki."

"Bataya tha na ki andar kya hua."

"Par wo sabke liye tha"

"Toh tumne nahi suna tha kya?"

"Suna tha na."

"Fir?"

"Par mai sab nahi hu na, Sameer! Tumne naa hi theek se hello bola aur mujhe bye bhi nahi bola."

She was whining like a little kid.

"Sab nahi ho tum?"

"Nahi." She answered like a little,arrogant kid.

"Fir kya ho?"

"Mai ..." She trailed off and the line went off too.

She was staring at her phone for only a  second when she heard knocks on her door.

"B-bhoot? Balcony ka door kaun knock karta hai?"

She heard the knocks again and shivered with fear.

Knock knock

She slowly removed the curtain of the window to see what it was. The outline of the figure was clear in the night. It was knocking on the door.

"Preeti! Preeti uth na!" Naina was shivering with fear.

"Kya hai?" Preeti said with annoyance.

"Bh- bhoot."

Her eyes shot open and she sat up on her bed.

"Kidhar?" Preeti whispered.

Knock knock

They heard the knocks again.

Naina pointed at the window. Preeti removed the curtain and looked out. She, too, saw the figure.

"Bhh-bhoot pisach nikat nahi aave, mahavir jab naam sunave. Tu bhi bol na Naina"

"Bhoot pisach nikat nahi aave, mahavir jab naam sunave."

"Maine suna hai ki bhoot aag se bhaagte hain. Candle jala kar darwaza khole?" Preeti suggested.

Naina nodded while chanting the verses from Hanuman Chalisa.

With a candle in hand and God's name on their lips, they opened the door.

Sameer was wondering what was taking so long for Naina to come out when the door opened and a scared PreeNa stood literally shivering in front of him, chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.

"Jijaji bhoot ho gaye!!" Preeti shouted.

"Nahi ... Kya? Kaisi baat kar rahi ho Preeti? Mai zinda hu!" Sameer tried to calm her down.

Naina stepped forward and pinched him.

"Aah!!" He winced in pain.

"Zinda hai." Naina assured Preeti.

"Toh fir aap upar kaise aaye?" She asked, unsure.

Sameer pointed down. The girls peeked and found MunDit holding the ladder.

"Waah Jijaji! Maan gaye aapko." Preeti chimed. "Accha tum dono baat karo, mai andar jaati hu. Jaaon na?"

Sameer looked at her with a pleading look. She went inside.

"Toh tum sab nahi ho?" Sameer asked as soon as Preeti closed the door behind her.

"Nahi. Mai Naina Ma- Agarwal hu."

"Naina Magarwal?" Sameer teased her.

"Utro. Jao yaha se."

"Kyu?"

"Baat nahi karni mujhe tumse."

"Kya hai Naina?"

"Tum jao na. Jaakar uss park me ghumo."

"Kaun sa park?"

"Jaha humein lekar gaye the. Jaha koi nahi dekhta. Kisi ko pata bhi nahi chalega agar hum waha jaakar baat karenge. Tumhe itna kaise pata? Kisko lekar gaye the tum?"

"Tum mujhpar shaq kar rahi ho?"

"Nahi. Shakal dekhi hai apni? Koi na koi girlfriend toh rahi hogi na? Lekar gaye hoge usse."

"Naina," Sameer said in between muffed laughs. "tum gussa kar rahi ho ya meri tareef?"

"Girlfriend thi tumhari?"

"Aaa-haaaaa-"

"Dekha! Dekha! Pata tha mujhe!"

Naina was screaming. Sameer covered her mouth with his hand. She freezed in her spot. They were barely inches apart. His hand was covering her lips. She looked down. He removed his hand, instantly. She wasn't going to scream now.

"Sunaina naam tha uska."

Naina crossed her arms and looked away.

"Naina, suno na."

"Ab sunne ko kya bacha hai?"

"Kaafi kuch."

"Jaise?"

"Jaise ye ki mai -"

"Bolo. Bol hi lo aaj tum jo bhi tumhe bolna hai."

"Sunaina aur mai ek doosre ke liye sahi nahi the, ye baat mujhe jaldi hi samajh aa gayi thi isiliye hum zyada din saath nahi rahe."

"Accha?? Park me toh gaye the na." She squinted her eyes.

"Nainaaa ..."

"Naam pata hai mujhe apna."

"Jab mai aur Sunaina ek saath the, tab hi mujhe samajh aa gaya tha ki hum dono ek dusre ek liye theek nahi hai."

"Toh? Aarti utaru aapki Sameer ji?"

"Toh ye ki tab toh mujhe sirf ye samajh aaya tha ki kisi ka saath galat kaise lag sakta hai. Tumne mujhe ye samajhaya ki koi insaan khud ke liye sahi ho toh kaisa lag sakta hai."

Naina still had her arms crossed and was still not looking at him but this time not because of her anger. She was blushing.

"Tumhe mai sahi lagta hu, Naina?" Sameer said in a deep, husky but needy tone.

She looked at him and melted at the sight of love in his eyes.

"Hmmm ... Soch ke bataungi."

"Sameer! Aur kitni der baat karega??" Pandit shouted.

"Mai ... Wo..." Sameer began leaving.

Sameer, I love you. Naina wanted to shout from the top and not let him go but he did leave and she didn't say a word.

Precap - Haldi!!!!!!

I am not getting the time to reply to everyone but I am really, really thankful to each one of you for all the love you've been showering on me. Biggest thaaaaaaaaank youuuuuuu to all of you.

Also, picture abhi baaki hai (:p) The story isn't ending, yet. Some twists and turns are still left. <3