Sameer Maheshwari 14th April 1996

"Sameer humaare paas time kam hain beta, tumhe naina ko leke aaj jeweller ke paas jaana hoga, ek acchi si ring khareed lena uski pasand ka"

My ears perked up and my spine was ramrod still while I took in this piece of information. Wow! I get to spend time with Naina! Though I sat still my insides did a tango. Wow! Wow! Wow! Naina and me alone in the jewellers shop, before that on the ride there I can take her to the famous Punjab sweets and treat her to kulfis and talk. We really had to talk. But like they say you should never rejoice before victory and hence before I could progress to doing some salsa with my lady love, my mother decided to pur ice cold water on all my imaginations and dreams. Preeti! Yes she was to be our chaperone! Why? Urggghhhh!!!!!!! I was irritated to the power of infinity and while I fumed from within, I tried murdering the bread on my plate with the fork thinking it to be naina's darling sister. Apparently this time my wife to be had requested for preeti to come along. What the hell! Didn't she trust me? If she didn't then why on earth is she getting married to me. My mother followed my expressions in close consternation and couldn't stop her giggles. Though I tried shooting daggers at her yet she wouldn't budge. She loved teasing me. Jhelo ab apni hone waali saali ko Sameer beta! I grumbled and wondered this very chaperone would be there with us in our room for our first night as well. Arghhh! My not so innocent thoughts! Blame them for all the dreams that I have been getting since our roka. And now these dreams are no longer as innocent as they used to be for a 17 year old boy. Rather they had all the makings of not so innocent.

Sameer Maheshwari 15th April 1996

The plan to get a ring together got cancelled yesterday. Preeti twisted her ankle. But wait why am I whistling?! The sun seems to be shining bright and in other people's language a bit too bright and its literally scorching and terribly hot yet I feel light, the smile that I have on my face is bright too. Its as if my face is shining. Am driving with Naina on my side to get the very ring! And this time we don't have a chaperone. I can feel her gaze on me every now and then. She sitting very still and towards the very far corner of the front seat clutching the door for life. Her eyes seems to be having so many queries yet she wouldn't talk and hence I thought its better I speak Punjab Sweets chale"

"kyun?" came her voice, her soft whisper and appeared to be tremulous as if in fear and wait did i just sense doubt in that question? Suspicion may be?

When I looked at her, I saw the same suspicion flitting through her expressions while she knotted her dupatta in circles. What did she think I had in mind? Wait! Did she not feel safe in my company? Did she fear for her integrity? What the hell. As if on reflex my feet reached for the brakes and we are soon stranded in one of the secluded corners of a Delhi street.

This time my eyes were spitting fire since I could feel the flames reverberating within.

I gritted my teeth while I held on to the steering wheel, and the words that I spoke were ' I Know Naina we are yet to know one another, and though our history goes back to the time in school when I silently admired you from across the street while you pedaled your way to school yet I want you to know one thing. I am a respectable man from a respectable family and yet I am attracted to you and hence I wish to marry you. I fell in love with you from the day I first laid my eyes on you but neither then not now do I intend to cross any line or make you feel uncomfortable with my actions. I am not a leper Naina. I am your to be husband, in less then 10 days from today we will be sharing our lives with each other and that includes sharing space as well. We will be life partners in every way and yes I hope you know that after marriage we will be getting intimate as well. Since obviously I want children and they don't fall from the skies."

I took a pause and peered at her and I could see her going still while her face had gone red at the mention of intimacy. Gosh it meant I would have to wait before I take that leap with her. Anyways I never planned to jump her on our first night together but had hoped for some kisses and may be a little fondling and cuddling yet now looking at her expression it felt like a long lost dream. And hence I continued , "you don't have to worry about the same, it would all be at your pace, I would never break any boundaries, before my would be wife, you are a woman and I have always learnt to respect woman and I respect you. Yes I love you and in due time once we are married that is I wish to shower my love on you in every possible way, even physically, but it would all happen when you would want it to be and I promise I would never force you for anything, now since we have a task at hand, that is to get you a ring, lets concentrate on that. And I would like to request for you to sit normally not like am some animal who is about to pounce on you. You can be rest assured that I would maintain my distance. Now shall we proceed to the jeweller, if I have cleared your doubts that is?"

"lekin aapne toh kahan ki Punjab Sweets jayenge, suna hain wahan ki kulfi kaafi achi hoti hain aur khane se garam dimaag Thanda bhi hojaata hai"

When I looked at her I saw her smiling, she was yet again dressed in pink, this time a light pink salwar kameez while the wind teased the strands of her hair that was left open. They cascaded down her back . she looked divine. My reverie was broken by her soft voice.

"waise darr mujhe iss baat ka nahin thaa kia ap mere saath kuch galat na kar de, darr mujhe apni taiji ka thaa, unhone mujhse ghar se nikalne se pehle bada sara lecture diya thaa. Kaise baithna hai kaise baat karni hain, kitni karni hain, karni bhi hai ya nahi.unko humesha darr laga rehta hain ki kahin kuch galat na kar baithu aur yeh shaadi toot na jaye. Unke diye seekh yaad karte karte main darr k ek kone mein baithi thi. Kyunki yahan se waapis jaane k baad who mujhe bahut saare sawaal poochne waali hain aur agar jawaab nahi de payee toh thappad. Bas usikaa darr tha. Aap par poora bharosa hai mujhe."

I was lost in her words, did she just say that she has total faith in me and our relationship. How daft of me to think that she would doubt my intentions. I felt ashamed at my thoughts while I looked on in wonder at the girl who was to be my wife in a few days time. The fact that her aunt hits her made my skin crawl, I had been itching to ask her more yet I controlled since I didn't want to make her anymore uncomfortable and hence I steered the car to our next destination, to treat us to some kulfi.

Her eyes shone in glee, while she eyed the various flavours of kulfis that I bought her. Since I wasn't sure of her choice hence I bought one of each. She preferred the kesar pista one to the strawberry. I smiled at her innocence and her happiness twinkled in her eyes as if I had bought her the world. Little did I know that all the harping about her innocence and sweetness would soon go down the drain and in its place would remain sensuous thoughts, thoughts of devouring her in the not so innocent ways. Why did I even suggest eating kulfis. Those slow moans of pleasure, while she licked hers and I watched in horror. Since the moans triggered my not so innocent demons. And I was trying hard to tame those demons but my mind was in no mood to listen. It was on graphic mode now and I was actually picturing us together in throes of passion where she moaned and I feasted on her luscious..... stop stop stop! You just promised you wouldn't cross any boundaries but here my mind was in no mood to relent. I was not so sure of all the dreams that I was to get after this episode of kulfi. This had to stop or else I don't know whether I would be able to. Hence I cleared my throat and said, "Naina am sorry, but if you could just finish your kulfi fast, since we have to go to the jeweller for your ring and also I have to drop you home by six as promised to your chachaji"

She seemed a bit disappointed since she was really enjoying her moment with the kulfi but if I wouldn't have stopped her then I don't know how would I have stopped myself.

At the jewellers she chose one of the classiest of the ring. It was simple solitaire that twinkled the most. The salewoman tried selling off the more expensive pieces but either were the diamonds too big or the setting too gaudy to naina's taste. I smiled at her simplicity and thanked my stars that unlike all other girls who would have chanced at this opportunity to grabd the most expensive, she valued the emotions more and to her the ring symbolized our relationship which was devoid of any show. God am I lucky? Yes the luckiest! Now I was waiting eagerly for the day to come when she would finally be in my arms.