This one's long
Happy Reading

"Topper" Naina looked out of her room's window and giggled.

"Topper." She mouthed the word again.

The adrenaline pumped into her veins was just not letting her sleep. The proud faces of her parents and her sister, the overflowing delight in Pooja di's voice over the phone and all the good wishes she got from everyone around her, wouldn't let the smile fade from her face.

It was midnight and she was ambling in her room. Preeti had dozed off to sleep immediately after the party was over. It had been a long and tiring day for her too.  Her parents had wished her good night. They were wearing the happiest faces she had seen in the longest time.

She just needed someone to talk to. It was such a surreal feeling and she needed someone to speak to. So, she walked out in the balcony and looked at the moon and stars.

"Hi!" She waved at them but instantly withdrew her hands. "Kya kar rahi hai Naina? Who talks to stars?"

She hit her head lightly and walked over to the kitchen. Even drinking glasses of water couldn't calm her down.

She held the ends of her white duppatta and began dancing in the hall.

Her eyes fell on the cordless near the window from where the moonlight was peeping in.

"Swati phone uthayegi?" She wondered. "Itni late phone kiya toh uske ghar pe problem na ho jaaye. Bina boyfriend ke boyfriend hone ke ilzaam pe Uncle Aunty usko suli pe chadha denge."

She sat next to the phone, on the ground. She decided to listen to some music and played -

Dheere dheere se meri zindagi me aana
Dheere dheere se dil ko churana
Tumse pyaar hume hai kitna jaan e jaana
Tumse milkar tumko hai batana

Sameer, had tried talking to Naina 1000 times but no one was picking up the phone. He had a legitimate license to talk to his would be wife but none of the Agarwals were picking up his phone.

"Pyaar ke dushman." He mumbled and instantly smiled on the unmindful use of the word pyaar.

Pyaar? Love? Isn't it too soon?

He looked out of his room's window and the night sky reminded him of that one night spent with the girl he was going to get married. The moon, the stars and the peace outside raised an upheaval inside his heart, his heart was at unrest.

"Call kar hi leta hu. Agar ghar me kisi aur ne utha liya toh Hello nahi bol ke kaat dunga. Kaun sa kisi ko pata chal raha hai ki Sameer Maheshwari ne phone kiya tha." He thought and convinced himself to give one last try.

He dialled her number, which he had automatically memorised by heart till now.

8 digits, dialling 8 digits made his heart race 800 times.

He felt ... New. Everything felt new.

The dialling tone died and silence fell.

"Koi kuch bolta kyu nahi hai? Ab kaise pata karu Naina ha ya -" He thought.

Just then, he heard some throat clearing noises.

"H-hello?"

"Naina?" He blurted her name, immediately.

"S-Sameer?" She said, unsure. "Tum iss waqt?"

"Kaisi ho?"

"Mai -" She paused for a while. He was calling at this hour!

Right when she needed someone to talk to, he called. Right when she needed guidance the other night, he popped out of the blue and talked to her. He made her go back home. He was part of the reason why her parents were so happy. How could he always be at the right place, at the right time, for her?

While she had paused for a second, the song she was listening to, didn't.

Apna bhi haal tumhare jaisa hai saajan,
Bas yaad tumhe karte hai aur koi kaam nahi.

She immediately stopped the song. Wondering, if he heard it? If he had taken it in any other meaning? Why was it important?

Sameer had heard the lyrics and how fast the song was stopped too. He imagined Naina going all wide eyed, shocked at the timing and closing it at the speed of light. He looked up,smirking.

"M-mai theek hu." She mentally scolded herself for stuttering. "Tum kaise ho?"

"Badhiya."

"Phone kyu kiya?"

"Kyu? Nahi karna chahiye tha?"

"12:10 ho rahe hain, Sameer."

"Tum so rahi thi?"

"Haa ... Mai toh neend me baat karti hu, neend me chalti hu. Subah bhi jab tum aaye the na toh neend me thi isiliye haa bol diya."

"Ooohhh!! Toh koi baat nahi subah jab neend khule na toh apne Papa se keh dena. Naa karne ka toh haq hai tumhe."

Naina smiled at the use of the word haq instead of aazadi. It was her right to choose a life partner and not some free pass given by her father. She was glad he had the sensitivity to understand the difference.

"Photo dekhi tumhari maine." Sameer said. He felt relaxed while talking to her. Like it was the most natural thing to do.

"Yaha aane se pehle nahi dekhi thi? Sakshat ladki hi dekh li thi tumne toh."

"Accha? Kahan? Yaad dilana zara ... Haa! Wo tum hi thi, jhalli si jo ghar se bhaag gayi thi."

"Jhalli!?? Mai tumhe jhalli lagti hu?"

"Nahi nahi."

"Phir?"

"Tum mujhe -" Sameer paused for a while and then, in a small voice, said, "acchi lagti ho."

Naina's cheeks turned scarlet without her permission. Her lips turned up into a smile that reached her eyes, they sparkled.

"Thank you." She brushed off his compliment, not letting him know the effect those two words had on her. "Kaha dekhi meri photo?"

"Newspaper me. Kuch toh likha tha top-top... Yaad nahi aa raha." Sameer acted as if he didn't remember but the reality was that his chest had inflated on reading that Naina had topped.

"Topper." She completed for him. Her hands were on her waist and eyes narrowed.

"Haa. Topper."

There was an expectant silence between them.

"Toh? Aage bhi toh bolo?" Naina sulked.

"Aage kya bolu?" Sameer acted innocent.

"Kuch bhi. Congratulations, badhai ho ... Kuch bhi."

"Mithai toh khilao!"

"Phone pe? Aur bina congratulations ke mai mithai nahi de rahi."

"Accha madam, congratulations. I am very proud of you."

His words felt like a pat on her back. She cheered up.

"Good. Mithai aapke ghar pahuch jaayegi." She replied. He was so easy to talk to!

He hoped she would visit along with the sweets.

"Waise tum kyu nahi soyi abhi tak?" He was looking for ways to lengthen their first phone conversation.

"Neend nahi aa rahi. Mera exam accha hua tha par mujhe nahi laga tha ki mai TOP karungi." She said, animatedly. "Mummy, Papa, Preeti, Pooja didi, Varun jijajee sab itne khush the. Aaj toh Taiji Tauji ne bhi meri tareef ki!"

"Kyu? Wo roz nahi karte?"

"N-nahi. Aisi koi baat nahi hai." She defended her family.

"Tum kyu nahi soye?" She changed the subject.

He was waiting to talk to her but admitting that on their first phone call would maybe creep her out? He had lost control of his tongue in the morning while asking her if the husband could do anything at home. Luckily, she didn't get it but he had to be careful and in control of his emotions because this girl felt precious.

He said, "Neend nahi aa rahi thi."

"Oh!" She said and then it struck her. He, too, would have a lot on his mind. His alliance got fixed today! She wondered, if not for her result would she be sleepless today for a different reason?

"Toh tumhe gaane sunne ka shauq hai?" Sameer asked.

"Haa! Mai aur Preeti toh poore Bollywood ke pankha, cooler ... Sab hai!!"

He could feel her excitement on the mention of Bollywood on his side of the phone.

"Tum gaane nahi sunte? Films dekhe ka shauq hai?" Naina asked.

"Only English."

"Accha? Tumhe kabhi kisi ne bataya hai ki tum kitna kuch miss kar rahe ho?"

"Please!! Kabhi Hindi gaane sune hai? Tum ladki ho ... Mai ladka hu? Ye kaise lyrics hai? Bhai mujhe pata hai tumhare genders, gaane ki kya zaroorat hai?"

"Ek line pe atke rahoge toh kaise pata chalega kitna accha gaana hai? Ruko mai sunati hu."

Sameer looked at the phone in shock. Was she going to sing? Could she sing? How well did she sing?

But Naina brought her small, red coloured, cassette player near the phone and played the song.

Jaane kyu lagta hai meri tumhari pehle se pehchan hai?
Tum maan itna jo de rahe ho, mujhpe ye ehsaan hai.

Sameer wondered if she realised the lyrics were again fitting their situation.

Ehsano ki baatein chodo
Aao humse naata jodo
Aaya mausam dosti ka
Ke aaya mausam dosti ka.

She paused the player.

"Hmm... Theek hi hai."

"Theek hi hai?  THEEK HI HAI?" She was outraged. "Mai na tumhe roz phone karke ek gaana sunaungi tabhi tumhara taste badlega."

"Okay madam."

She couldn't see but he had saluted her like a dutiful soldier.

"Okay kya? Apna number do."

"Redial kar lena, phone lag jaayega."

"Apna number do. Abhi do. Kal subah idhar udhar phone hoga, toh tumhara number gum jaayega na."

He chuckled at how she pressed on getting the number.

"Likho."

"Ruko."

She ran to get a paper pad and pen.

"4-"

He began speaking but she said.

"Ruko. Ruko. Pen nahi chal raha."

She ran back to her room and got a pencil.

"Ab bolo, Mr. Anti Bollywood."

"Toh suno, Ms. Pro Bollywood."

The night dissolved in their words. The moon and stars were a witness to their first conservation. They sat afar in their rooms, connected and talked. Time flew for everyone but them. Nothing magical, nothing special but everything felt important and meaningful. Maybe because this was the journey for Sameer and Naina to become Samaina.

Precap - Journey continues :p

Thank you for the response to the book till now!!

I read everyone's opinion about arranged marriage. I think, any marriage needs respect and trust whether arranged or love but just looking at someone's portfolio or meeting once or twice, feels risky to me. So... Single for life💪💪

Much love <3