Hi Everyone!

This week has been very hard on the YUDKBH Fandom and I have spent a lot of time tweeting for our show. Hope all our efforts beat some fruit!

I could not write as much as usual, but decided to share a shorter update, just to bring a few minutes of relief to all my readers. Also, irrespective of what the channel decides to do, I will complete this FF. I do not want to put my readers through the same crap as the channel.

Thank you all for your support and fingers crossed we will get some good news soon!

Lots of love,

May

The crisp white and yet soft sheets, the extra thick mattress and the deep red rose petals; all welcomed them. The scent of the roses mingled with that of the exotic soap used in the shower, and then add to it the potent musk of her hot-blooded young man, the young wife whimpered as the heady mix assaulted her senses. He moaned Naina... as he kissed her cheeks, chin and then nuzzled against her neck. Every dip and rise on her that had captivated him for long now, could now be freely explored. Naina clung to him, feeling dizzy with love, longing and also the instinctive knowledge that some momentous change was approaching.

His lips lingered where her pulse was beating hot and hectic, and then trailed along her collar bone to her shoulder covered in the pink lace. The satin of her skin was suddenly replaced by the comparatively rough intricate web. Yet, he was excited to be savouring that texture so intimately too. All the while, his one palm and fingers caressed her waist and the soft sensitive flesh of her belly, sometimes gently and at other times with more urgency. The delicate fabric, though rather thin still encumbered his need to feel her freely.

Naina felt like her brain had ceased functioning, while every other cell in her body was on high alert. Whatever effects of his proximity that she had endured before, now seemed to pale. She wasn't sure exactly what she had expected each night to be with him like. She had expected some kissing along with the cuddling, but her version of the kisses had been a lot more vanilla compared to his passionate ones. She stiffened a little as his mouth started moving downwards over the lace along the neckline. But halfway through he stopped and reversed the direction of his kisses.

His breathing had turned heavy as the lace started trailing towards her soft curves. Sanity still prevailed and his lips turned back. Only this time his thumb joined the quest too and after gently stroking her collar bone a couple of times, he pushed the satin away. A black strap contrasting starkly against her luminous skin was revealed. His eyes glazed imagining the black lace hugging her curves underneath. For the moment, he trying to contain his excitement and concentrate on the slim shoulder, lowered his head back and rubbed his lip, cheeks and chin against the shoulder and the sensitive crook of her neck. Few moments later his thumb impatiently tried to push the bra strap away too.

She gasped loudly as her nails dug a little deeper on one of his shoulders through his t-shirt, and she uttered in a very unsteady voice "Sameer..." Some part of his reasoning kicked in, he was skipping steps, some very important ones! Leaving her bra strap alone, at least for now, he drew back a little to savour the sight of his flushed and flustered wife. Her eyes were a little unfocused, just like her whole being, trying to make some sense of the overload on all her senses.

His heart hammering, he admired her dishevelled state, the dazed look in her eyes and her rose lips that seemed to lure him with the promise of his meetha. He tilted her face closer and leaned in bringing his lips closer.

Through a haze of a heady new mix of feelings and sensations, a still not completely lost part of Naina's mind protested and she urgently whispered "Abhi nahi Sameer!" He halted and asked her not comprehending "Kya hua?? Yaha toh koi nahi hai! Naina, abhi nahi toh kab? Aur abhi kyun nahi? Honeymoon pe aaye hai... aur husband wife ke beech toh yeh sab hota hi hai, right?"

She blinked a couple of times as she recalled her conversation with his mother as she was packing to move her stuff upstairs. Well, maybe not a real conversation, cause she had just listened.

Vishakha still upset over her son's behaviour and being completely left in the dark had muttered to her bahu "Pata hai, Papa ki bimari ka sunn ke mujhe baar baar bus yahi khayal aa raha tha ke pata nahi tum itna sab akele kaise manage karogi... Nayi bahu ko toh ghar sambhalne mein hi waqt lag jata hai. Yaha toh koi tumhe kuch seekhane wala bhi nahi. Sath tumhara college aur woh internship bhi chalu hai!" Naina had tried to assure her "Nanaji aur Ramdhari bhaiya samjha dete hai sab kuch..." But Vishakha continued "Main toh waha baithke yahi chinta kar rahi thi ke jaane se pehele tumhe doctor madam ke pass le jana chahiye tha, aur family planning ka kuch sochna chahiye tha. Itni choti umar mein bakki sari zimmedariyon ke sath, ek aur bache ki zimmedari uthana bilkul aasan nahi hoga." After a small pause she had continued "Par mujhe kya pata tha, ke yaha toh tum dono alag alag hi rehte ho! Aise toh bacha hone se raha..."

He nudged her "Naina, kya soch rahi ho??" When she didn't immediately respond, he tried again "Dekho, yeh toh humare beech hoga hi na... biwi ho tum meri... and I really love you Naina." Naina felt pulled in two different directions as she remembered her mother-in-law also implying that distance and lack of physical closeness between a married couple was not normal. She acknowledged "Ha, Mummyji bhi yajhi keh rahi thi..." He was stumped "Mummy?? Mummy iss mein kaha se aayi?!"

She cleared her throat and then explained that his mother had not been happy at all that they lived separately, and she had clearly conveyed her displeasure to Naina. He feeling freshly reprimanded for his behaviour of the past mumbled an apology and then went on "Par, ab toh hum iss rishtey ko dil se aage badha rahe hai na... toh jo pehele ki galtiya hai, unke baare mein sochne mein kya matlab?" He was further confused "Par tum ab kyun dur rehna chahati ho?"

A shadow of uncertainty fleeted across her face. She fumbled for the right words "Dur rehne ki baat nahi hai... par... shayad itne jaldi... theek nahi hoga... ke hum itna bhi aage badhe... abhi toh padhayi bhi hai... hum dono ka college khatam hone mein abhi aur chee mahine bhi hai." He couldn't follow "Naina, main kuch samajh nahi raha hu... matlab, humne koi jaan bhujh ke toh college ke chalte shaadi ka plan thodehi kiya hai... ab ho gayi, toh ho gayi... Aur bidai na hui hoti, toh baat phir bhi aur thi. Par ab ek sath reh ke dur rehna... yeh toh nahi ho sakta hai, right?"

She muttered "Par shayad Mummyji bhi chahati hai ke hum itni jaldi aagi ki zindagi shuru na kare... iss waqt jo zimmedariyan hai, pehele unhe hi theek se nibhaye." He was puzzled "Zimmedariyan?! Uska iss sab se kya lena dena??" She blushed "Mummyji keh rahi thi... abhi itne jaldi family shuru nahi karni chahiye. Aur theek hi toh keh rahi thi... Ghar, college aur pahdayi hi balance karna kabhi kabhi bahoot mushkil ho jata hai, mere liye. Toh usme aur bacha... kaise manage karungi main? Maine socha tha Mummyji se baat karungi theek se, par phir yaha aane ka program itni jaldi mein ban gaya ke bhool hi gayi..."

Her husband visibly relaxed finally understanding what the real concern was and where her reluctance was arising from. He went silent for a few moments and then propping his head against a raised arm said "Tum theek keh rahi ho, humme family shuru karne ki koi jaldi nahi karni chahiye." She was relieved hearing him agree, and yet felt a melancholy settle over herself not sure what it would mean for them. He went on sounding a little apologetic "Sorry, yeh sab toh pehele sochna aur discuss karna chahiye tha... Par mujhe toh suza hi nahi." She replied softly "Koi baat nahi... Mummyji kuch na kehti toh mujhe bhi khayal nahi aata..."

He recalled the packet of condoms hidden at the very back of his cupboard and mentally kicked himself for forgetting to pack it. How should he have been so stupid?! It could easily be bought the next day, he decided. But that meant they definitely needed to practice control at least for now. Well, he just needed to follow his original plan... of taking things forward a little slowly. Eyes on her adorable face, especially her tempting lips, he inched closer.

Naina watched in confusion. Didn't he just agree that they should wait? She fretted internally, Kehte kuch hai, aur karte kuch aur hai! Seeing her looking uncomfortable, he tried to put her at ease "Daro mat... aaj sirf kiss karenge." She thinking she had misjudged the area of his focus, shyly presented her cheek. He blushed a little and placed a few kisses on the cheek and then again adjusting her face moved his lips in the desired direction.

Naina blurted "Sameer abhi toh aapne kaha na ke hum rukenge... Phir kyun?" He was confounded "Phir kyun... matlab??" She stammered " Phir kyun... matlab, phir kaise kiss kar sakte hai? " He asked "Kiss mein kya problem hai? Tumne abhi toh gaal aage kiya tha..." She flushed deeply "Gaal toh theek hai, par hothon pe kaise kar sakte hai?" He responded sounding a little impatient "Naina, maine kaha to sahi, aur kuch nahi karenge. Par kiss toh kar sakte hai.. Promise aaj sirf kiss hi karuga. Baaki sab kal, okay? " It was now her turn to sound mystified " Kya matlab aaj sirf kiss? Aur baaki sab matlab??"

He fumbled "Baaki sab matlab... Wahi jo pregnancy avoid karne ke liye, bina protection nahi karna chahiye." The blank expression on her face did not inspire any confidence in him. He asked uncertainty "Tumhe pata hai na ke husband wife ke beech kya hota hai?" She nervously rubbed her kangan and replied in a barely audible voice "Woh... Maine ek baar padha tha ek novel mein... Uss mein toh sirf hothon pe kiss hi tha... aur kya hota hai??" He lost some colour and gulped uncomfortably, Sirf hothon pe kiss... Isse aur kuch nahi pata?!

After about half a minute of awkward silence, he asked "Tumhe kissine kuch bataya nahi?" She shook her head in negation and the stuttered "Aap ko kisne...aur kya bataya?" He dismissed the idea "Mujhe bhi kisine nahi bataya... Par pata toh hota hai na." She still not sure if she had understood correctly asked "Toh lips pe kiss karne se kuch nahi hota? Matlab... baby nahi? " He muttered "Nahi... Jaisa tum soch rahi ho, waisa kuch nahi hota" and then he lay tight-lipped lost in thoughts.

When a few minutes ticked by in silence, she slowly tidied her nightie and then pulled the sheets over them. When he made no movement, she asked in a tiny voice "So jaaye?" He nodded and reaching out to the switch by his bedside turned off the lights. Naina was profoundly relieved when he slipped his arm around her, as he usually did, and immediately turned to hug him tightly.

Both gripped by some anxiety that night, lay awake in each other's arm for a while. Sometime later Naina felt him remove her arm around him and slip out of the bed. She tried to calm her heart thinking that he was probably just getting some water and was relieved when he headed to the toilet. But few minutes later when he exited it, he did not make his way back to the bed, instead stood by the window gazing outside in the dark for a long time.

Naina soundlessly watched him, the tension in his back muscles unmissable even in the dark. There had been a not so passing flicker of disappointment in his eyes. His revelation that there was much more than what she believed was the definition of marital intimacy, had left her feeling rather lost. She struggled to make some sense of what she was supposed to know. She tried to recall the contents of that novel once again, wondering what she had missed.

Swati's question from couple of months back on the lines of 'such mooch bahoot dard hota hai kya?' had left her confused and wondering why would a kiss hurt? But now she realised, it wasn't about that at all. Should she call Swati and ask her? Seemed like her unmarried friend knew more than herself. But she balked at the idea of revealing her sham marriage of months, especially now that he was actually in love with her. Yes! Why was she so scared? Pyar karte hai woh mujhse! Sirf mujhe kuch pata nahi... isliye unka pyar khatam toh nahi ho jayega. Shayad abhi kuch naraaz hai... par kal tak pakka unka mood theek ho jayega. She tried to reason with herself. Close to an hour later he headed back to bed. She snuggled burrowing her face into his ribcage. He wondered fretfully, had she been awake the whole time?

The next morning, as soon as they were up, they bathed and then headed downstairs for the breakfast, just making some small talk. Breakfast was setup as a buffet, one table offering an assortment of jams, cheese slices and butter to enjoy with your toast, some cornflakes and couple of types of fruit juices. Another table had some Indian breakfast options from various regions, Idli Sambhar, Poha, Aloo Parathas and also some Aloo Sabji, Raita and plain parathas for someone looking for something wholesome.

Naina decided on for the Idli Sambhar and Pineapple juice, while Sameer got a bowl of milk and cornflakes accompanied by some toast and orange juice. The waiter offered them a choice of tea and coffee. Sameer choose tea, muttering he was sure they wouldn't make it how he liked it and he would rather stick to tea.

Naina tried to cover up her nervousness and unease by smiling a little too brightly and infusing some extra enthusiasm in their conversation. She gushed over the size of the breakfast room, the numerous options laid out, the little tabs of butter and pretty much anything she could think of. Sameer tried to go along but was still a little on the edge.

Last night he had stood by the window for a long time, trying to make some sense of this new hurdle. He had remembered some boys from his Delhi college once making a plan to visit one of the notorious areas and asking him to join them. One of them had winked and justified the visit saying "Abe yaar, shaadi ke baad kya karna hai kisiko toh pata hona chahiye! Humhare yaha ladkiya toh waise hi ekdum zero hoti hai iss department mein! Kum se kum humme toh kuch experience hona chahiye!" Sameer had not liked the idea at all and trying to disguise his unease had countered it haughtily "Aisi cheezon ke liye main paise dene main believe nahi karta... Asli mard ko aisi auraton ke pass jaane ki koi jarurat nahi padti!" He now wondered if he would have been better equipped for this situation, had he joined them? But then decided, the problem was her ignorance, not his lack of experience.

Still out of sorts, he glanced at her. After trying to maintain a normal conversation for a bit, she seemed to have given up too. Over fifteen minutes, she had managed to finish less than one Idli. Her eyes anxiously darted around the room, not resting on anything in particular. Every now and then she gulped the juice nervously. She was wearing the yellow shalwar-kameez she had worn when they had accompanied his friend and his fiancée to the movie. Only today, she had worn some new dangly golden earrings, her makeup minimal as usual with some eyeliner and a touch of pink lipstick.

His heart contracted with emotions, her simplicity and naiveté, were so endearing. He had fallen in love with her innocence, so why was he annoyed now? No, he wasn't annoyed... he was just at his wits end about how to resolve this issue.

The night before, he had been exasperated at her elders, who had decided to send her to her husband's house so ill-prepared for marriage. He had laughed internally at the irony, how apparently her Chachiji had deemed it necessary to send her to baking and cooking classes to ensure she would make a good wife, but had completely overlooked the fact that marriage meant so much more than just cooking for a new household.

Why did the responsibility of making the wife aware of the basic biology of marital life sit with the husband? It wasn't like he was much more experienced or had taken a course in how to impart this knowledge! But now it was up to him. He tried to think of a few ways he could conduct that conversation, but each left him more anxious, as he could well anticipate her bewildered expressions. Would the chemist have some simple booklet like the one he had been given about periods, he wondered haplessly? Or should he just ask her to trust him and let him lead? But wouldn't it scare her, to follow him down what probably seemed like an unknown dark alley to her?

When she had asked him, who had enlightened him about this part of the equation, he had evaded the question saying it was something that one should just know. But that's wasn't true. He hadn't exactly been born with this knowledge, but had acquired it in bits and pieces over the years. Curiosity and hormones had triggered the quest, which had been then fulfilled by books, magazines and movies smuggled by some of his friends or just some male acquaintances in the hostel. When he thought about it, there was no chance she would have ever had access to any of those resources! So, how was she supposed to know? He decided, whoever else might be responsible for her ignorance, it wasn't her fault.

The Idli was perfectly light and fluffy and the sambhar a little on the spicy side, just the way she liked it, but Naina struggled to swallow it. She had tried to engage him in some mundane conversation, but he was not easily coaxed. Giving up, she drew into her own shell.

She was starting to feel a little annoyed at him now! How was she to blame for not knowing what follows a kiss?? There had been nothing of that sort in any of the textbooks she had laboured over all these years now! And where did he get all this information? Were men born with some extra intelligence in certain areas of life?? She fumed in her mind, as she cast glances at her handsome husband in his maroon t-shirt and light blue jeans.

Breaking her line of thought, he asked "Juice acha hai tumhara? Yeh orange wala bhi try karo..." He offered her his glass and then took a sip from hers. Naina's anger and anxiety all started dissipating rapidly. Sameer now resolved to not this new challenge completely ruin their holiday asked "Breakfast ke baad kya karenge aaj? Boating toh sham ko karna chahiye.... Toh kuch socha hai tumne subha ke liye?" She started to thank her Bhagwanji for his mellowed mood, and then announced "Mandir chalte hai! Nanaji bhi keh rahe thay na ke bahoot sundar hai..." He smiled in agreement and then prodded her "Phele nashta khatam karo tumhara... itnasa kyun kha rahi ho? Uss table pe kuch pastries bhi hai. Woh bhi try karte hai."

As soon as the lift door closed, he slipped his arm around her and kissed her lightly on her temple. Naina leaned into him and they stood together till they reached their floor.

Some twenty minutes later, they stepped back into the lift and headed downstairs prepared to go seek the blessings at the Dilwara temple. The receptionist advised that taking a rickshaw would be advisable. During journey of about ten minutes, Naina looked around inquisitively, while Sameer mostly just pondered over the next steps without much luck.

One look at the temple revealed why it was so famous. The hundreds of years old majestic structure stood sparkling white. As they climbed up the stairs, for some time all their dilemmas were forgotten, only in awe of the work done by probably hundreds or maybe even thousands of artists. The people who carved the marble so intricately and beautifully could not be considered labourers; they had truly been artists who had excelled in the art of sculpting.

Naina gently caressed some flowers chiselled in the marble, the very pale grey and pink lines naturally running through the stone made it look real. Surely it must have drawn some insects that had lost its sense of smell over the centuries, she thought overwhelmed by this beauty created by mankind. When she shared this observation with her husband, he remarked "Kitni ajeeb baat hai na Naina... Insaan jab itni khubsoorti create karne ki kabiliyat rakhta hai... Phir bhi destroy karna jyada enjoy karta hai. Socho agar humans mein yeh destructive streak na hota toh, aaj humare pass aur kitne aise sundar mandir, masjid, forts aur pata nahi aur kya kya hota!" She smiled with pride, as she listened to the words of wisdom uttered by her husband.

The interiors of the temple consisted of numerous carved pillars. The was a deep sense of reverence and unrushed calm. A few devotees sat quietly in corners or leaning against the pillars reading from some religious books, or just meditating with a string of rosary beads.

Mr and Mrs Maheshwari stood in front of the deity with hands folded and heads bowed for a bit, each grateful to God for enriching their life with the person standing next to them. This time, Mrs Maheshwari added, Bhagwanji, distinction toh shayad mushkil hai... Par please inhe First Class mil jaye! Of course, some thanks and prayers were offered for the now recovered Nanaji too.

As they descended the temple steps, Sameer asked her in a teasing tone "Woh magical tree kaha hai, jaha Preeti ke liye tumhe ladka mangne jana hai?" She chuckled heartily, but then curiously asked someone for directions. Not unexpectedly, there were a number of girls probably ranging from fifteen to mid-twenties, awaiting their turn to pray under the tree. Every once in a while, a few leaves would fall down.

As she started to head in that direction, he pulled her back "Tum kyun jaa rahi ho? Tum pe toh Bhagwanji ne sirf paate nahi... puri do thaali bhar ke samaan already girah diya hai!" She laughed "Woh toh hai... par dekhte toh hai, patte girte kaise hai!" Circling to the back revealed a couple of mischievous kids sitting hidden in the branches and shaking the branches. Sameer and Naina left the spot giggling. When she swatted away the hand that he tried slipping around her waist murmuring "Sameer... mandir hai..." he countered pulling her into a half-hug "Toh?? Bhagwanji toh har jagah hi hote hai, right?"

They strolled to the market area, where Naina tried to find souvenirs for their family and close friends. Keychains made using craved wooden alphabets were purchased for Munna, Pandit, Preeti and Swati, while she chose one with a wooden guitar for her husband. Sameer presented her with one with the alphabet M. When Naina looked at it rather confused and muttered "Unke pass N bhi toh hai..." He replied cheekily "Ha... par main toh tumhe M hi dunga... ab tum isse M for Mrs Maheshwari samajh sakti ho... ya M for Maina..." Her brow furrowed "Maina??" He leaned closer and whispered huskily "Maina... Meri Naina." She blushed and happily stowed away her new treasure in the purse.

Naina excitedly pointed in the direction of some wooden name plates that could be hung on the main door "Sameer, woh wala kitna acha lagega na... Mr" He interrupted her sounding a little apologetic "Naina... main samajh sakta hu ke tumhe apna, matlab humara naam ghar pe dekhne ka mann hoga... par acha nahi lagega na... ghar toh Nanu ka hi hai... matlab wasie humara bhi hai... par..." Catching the drift of his word, she clarified "Nahi nahi... main toh keh rahi thi ke Nanaji ke liye hi gift lenge, Mr Maheshwari and Family." His eyes twinkled as he nodded liking the idea, but then grumpily he thought to himself, Junior Mr Maheshwar, aap na, family toh kya, biwi ke bhi sapne dekhna chod dijiye... kyun ki, aap ke naseeb mein toh bus family planning hi hai... aur woh bhi abstinence wali! The door sign was ordered post repeated assurance by the shopkeeper that it would be ready the next evening.

Next Naina drifted to a stall with some local jewellery. Sameer muttered "Tum yeh sab dekho... main bus panch minute mein aata hu." She first nodded engrossed in the designs, but then her eyes curiously followed her husband through the crowd. When he returned few minutes later, she asked sounding concerned "Kya hua? Aap ki tabiyat theek nahi hai kya? Aap kahe toh hum hotel chalke aaram kar le?" He denied "Nahi toh... mujhe kya hona hai..." She was now confused "Toh chemist ki dukkan mein kyun gaye thay? Kya liya?" He fumbled at being caught "Ha... woh toh main bus kuch pochne... matalb dekhne gaya tha. Par mila nahi..." She asked "Aur kya lene gaye thay?"

He coloured and then thinking on his feet replied "Chewing gum lene gaya tha... par mujhe jo chahiye tha woh unke paas tha nahi... koi baat nahi, kahi aur mil jayega!" She accepted this explanation and then started holding the few earrings she had shortlisted against her ears for his feedback. When she started to put them all back with a slightly disappointed look, seeing his lukewarm response, he quickly insisted that two of the pairs were actually quite nice and paid for them.

He trying to ensure that she did not dwell on his trip to the chemist, quickly ushered her towards the line of restaurants asking her to choose the venue and menu for their lunch. Naina overwhelmed by the choices spent the next ten minutes walking up and down the street, and finally decided on a place offering a Rajasthani thali.

While the waiters served them numerous courses over the next forty minutes or so, Sam's thoughts kept returning to his unproductive visit to the medical shop.

He had successfully ordered a packet of condoms, and then asked the man behind the counter in a hesitant manner "Uncle, aap ke pass aisi koi kitab hai, jisme isse kaise use karte hai kuch likha ho?" The man had uttered impatiently "Aare bhai, uss box mein ek chota instructions ka leaflet hota hai. Samjh jayega... itna kuch complicated nahi hai!" Sameer had tried to explain "Nahi... mera matlab isse use karne ke instructions se nahi tha... main pochna cha raha tha ke koi aisa book jis mein... jo kuch... dono ke beech hota hai, woh likha ho." The uncleji who had been scribbling something in a book, had stopped and looking at him rather angrily spoke "Dekhiye, hum yaha dawaiya bechte hai! Assi ashilil kitabe ya magazines nahi!" As a couple of other customers had started looking in his direction, Sameer feeling chastised, had muttered an apology for the misunderstanding and walked away with just the small packet in his pocket.

He now tried to console himself, Koi baat nahi... kum se kum, ab jab bhi jarurat padegi, pass hoga toh sahi!