SS: Tu rooh ka humnava hai. Yeh jismon ka rishta nahin. Update Page 67 - Page 10

Hey readers,

This chapters will have a few meetings of the trio that will show the progression of Neil and Saira's relationship. Lots of fun moment. Neil and Saira's attraction for each other is growing.
That's all I have to say.

OMG I just couldn't stop writing. I guess that's why it took me forever to finish it.
Hope you enjoyed it as much as I liked writing it, probably because I know what's coming up.

Thanks for reading and your lovely comments. But please, forgive me for the typos and grammatical errors as the chapter was too long to be proofread.

Out of each other's mind, three months have passed smoothly for Neil and Saira. Summer left and autumn came. One Sunday Saira was spending time with her cousin sisters when Neil called her. Surprised and nervous, she picked up the phone. His manly voice that she heard for the first time on the phone sounded music to the ears. He called for Naira's birthday as he wanted to take her to Dubai. He thought about asking her to accompany them as last time they had a great time and she was also Naira's best friend. She requested him to give her one day to think. Once they ended the call, Neil's mood got better hearing her voice again after so long.

The following few days they had a few calls to finalize the trip from booking the flights and hotels and searching about the places to visit. They divided the total cost in two. They requested Naira to prepare herself for a five days trip but didn't tell her where they were going. On the departure day, she came to Saira's place and both took an uber. Naira didn't know if they were going to the airport, the train station or the bus station. When they arrived at the airport, she knew they were crossing the borders. Neil joined them a while later.

« Hey ! », he kissed both the girls on their cheeks to greet them.
« Who are you ? », Saira asked with a straight face.

Neil froze there thinking that she didn't recognize him because of her face blindness disorder. Naira didn't know how to react as she wasn't sure if her friend was joking or she actually couldn't recognize his face. Saira burst out laughing seeing one confused and the other one dumbfounded. Happy that it was just a joke Naira also laughed. Neil looked away and sighed in relief then realized that she took her revenge of the day he joked about it during their last trip.

« Good one. Taking revenge, I see. », he said.

He looked at her laughing proudly at her own prank and smiled. He was so ready for this trip to be as awesome as the last one. With Saira he tried to keep the destination a secret as long as they could but finally when Naira saw « Paris-Dubai » on the screen, she jumped like a kid. Unable to control her happiness she hugged both of them.

They were mesmerized by the view from their hotel. They visited all the places they had planned to visit. They tried the best restaurants and tasted so many different dishes. Naira being a big fan of amusement parks, they went to Motiongate Park. At first Saira refused as she always hated rollercoasters but ended up agreeing to go and even ride them only because it was her friend's birthday.

« Now that I did something that I am not comfortable with, you too have to do something that you aren't comfortable with. », Saira said once they were back to their hotel.
« That wasn't the deal. I know what actually you have in your mind. », Naira replied unhappy.
« Don't be a spoilsports. », Neil was excited to know what was in Saira's mind.

Saira booked a dinner night in the sky. She always wanted to experience it and it was even listed on her bucket list. Naira was scared of heights. She complained the entire day that she didn't want to go but was forced to accept because Saira had already paid it and it was quite expensive. When they were suspended in the sky, Neil and Saira laughed at her reactions and expressions. After some time she started enjoying it too. The view and the food were amazing. Once back to the ground, she thanked her friend as she was happy that she could overcome her fear.

Then it was time for Neil to suggest something daring or adventurous. He looked at Saira and both smirked at the same time. They knew that they had the same idea together. Naira sighed fearing the worst.

« No no no no no no no... I am never gonna ride this... thing. », Naira said.
« Nini don't be a chicken. », Neil made fun of her.
« Lesson learned. Never share your fears with your friends, they will use them against you. It is my birthday and how come I am the one doing all the things I hate while you both are enjoying it ? », Naira complained.
« Because birthdays are full of surprises and surprises aren't always nice. », Saira replied.

Naira started crying dramatically. Neil tried hard not to laugh as he wanted to convince her to accept the dare. Even being a girl from the desert, Naira always feared riding camels. Today she had to overcome her fears in such a dramatic way that Neil and Saira split their sides laughing.

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

Since the Dubai trip, all of them stayed in touch through phone calls. They couldn't meet up on weekends because Neil got busy with his family gatherings, Saira with a cousin's wedding and Naira with her job. A few weeks before Saira's birthday, Naira planned a trip to the Lapland. It always topped her bucket list. Just like Saira made sure Naira doesn't get to know about the destination till the very end, Naira also made sure Saira doesn't get to know about it. She didn't know that Neil was coming too. They were joined by him and when he greeted jokingly, « Hey girls, Neil Nazareth here », the girls laughed. Saira's face blindness has become a reason to tease each other. Saira opened her mouth wide when she understood that they were going to Tromso. Twinkle in the eyes she was numb. She always wanted to visit Tromso but she never thought she would with these two. When she was a teenager she thought that one day when she will have a job, she will take her parents to enjoy the beautiful experience of Lapland. And if they didn't want to go then she would go with her future husband. But here she was with her bestfriend and a man she hardly knew since a few months.

They spent the first two days in Tromso and experienced the museums, the Arctic cathedral, a reindeer ride and a cable car ride. In between they tasted the best Scandinavian cuisine and enjoyed the long walks to explore the city. They shopped souvenirs and gifts. Neil bought a few things as Christmas gifts for the family and friends. By the end of their second day they packed their bags for Lyngen North. On Naira's demand Neil had booked a Glass Igloo resort to experience the polar lights. Usually those igloos were for two people but during the reservation Neil managed to wheedle the owner with his charm so that all three of them could stay in one resort.

« Nini, are you ready to have an ice bath ? », he asked looking at Naira but leaned against Saira to speak in her ear.
« No way dude. Knowing how sensitive I am to cold, be happy that I am in the Scandinavia. », she replied.
« And you ? », he whispered in Saira's ear.
« No, thanks. », Saira replied.
« Come on, you love cold shower. Then this also would be too easy for you. », he said.
« There is a difference between 15 dgrees Celsius at home and -20 degrees Celsius here. », she replied.
« After your bath, Nini and I will warm you up. », he winked at her.
« I am adventurous but not to that point. Please, you do that if you are deprived of entertainment in your life. », she replied savagely which made him smile.

The owner welcomed them and Neil continued to be flirty with her. The girls giggled seeing him pay court to her. As soon as they spotted the glass igloo, their eyes sparkled like three children. They went inside and explored the enire resort. They could see the sky and the snow from their bed. They dropped their bags and went outside. It was almost dinner time but before that they wanted to have fun outside. They walked for a while and had a huge snowball fight. They made a snowman and clicked many pictures. Then they went to the only restaurant of the area and had one of the best dishes of their Norway trip.

They came back to the resort and waited inside till the polar lights showed up. They went outside to see from close. They clicked pictures and recorded the beauty of it. At one point Saira looked up mesmerized and emotional. Neil looked at her mesmerized by the child in her whose eyes sparkled. He captured her beauty with the polar lights in his phone. Sensing his piercing gaze at her, she turned her head towards him and looked at him questioningly. He smiled and shook his head whispering a « Nothing ».

A couple of minutes before midnight, Naira went inside and came back holding a cupcake with a lit candle on top. She and Neil sang the happy birthday song. Saira startled and turned around, her eyes and mouth both widened in surprise. Naira handed her the cupcake and asked her to make a wish. She closed her eyes and quickly wished something before blowing the candle out. Neil recorded the moment then with Naira they walked up to her and recorded all of them with the greeny and yellowish sky. Saira shared the cupcake with her friends then they went inside the glass igloo when the polar lights glided away.

Comfortably installed in their night suits, Naira and Neil were on the bed. They were playing games on his phone, giggling like two kids. Saira was on the couch staring at the sky, lost in her thoughts. The other two took a break. Naira threw a pillow at her friend jolting her out of her thoughts.

« What are you thinking about ? », she asked.
« There is a Balkan expression which says that it takes you a kilo of salt to eat together before considering someone a friend. », Saira said looking up at the sky.
« What does it even mean ? », Naira asked.
« It means you have to share many meals with a person before considering him or her your friend, you dumbass. », Neil replied.
« Too philosophical for me. », Naira replied making Neil shook his head.
« But I also believe that when you can go on a trip with someone at least thrice it is friendship. You see the real side of the person when alone. And here we are with three different trips. First one with the historical trip of our beautiful country. The second trip filled with dare and adventure in a blingtastic city like Dubai. And now the third one in a freezing cold Lapland where the sun doesn't show up for days. », Saira continued still looking at the sky.
« Yes and each time I had to do things I am not comfortable with. First one we had to climb so many stares that I almost died. Then you guys forced me to have a sky dinner and ride a camel. Now I am freezing in cold. Why am I the one always going out of my comfort zone ? », Naira asked.
« Jeez, you killed the emotions of such a beautiful thoughts of Saira. », Neil shook his head. « Ahhh Nini what will we do with you ? », he added.

Saira watched the two fall asleep on the bed. She deleted the unwanted pictures from her phone and updated the good ones on social media. She also thanked everyone who wished her on her birthday. She was tagged on Facebook by Neil on the birthday video. Two of her friends already watched the video and wished her there too. One of his friends also commented « Who is this pretty birthday girl ? ». Saira smiled and put the phone aside. Unable to sleep she looked at the sky. It was so mesmerizingly beautiful. Neil jolted out of his sleep and saw Saira still awake. He got up and came to sit next to her.

« You are in love with the sky. And I am jealous of it. », he said.
She smiled and looked down, « I can stay here forever and watch the sky. »
« Uffffff my poor heart, Saira. I just said that I am jealous of it and you are saying that you can spend your entire life with it. », he put his hand on his heart.
She punched his shoulder gently, « Thank you. »
« What for ? », he asked.
« This trip. It was my dream trip. », she said.
« Then why do you look so melancholic. In the last two trips you were so jovial. », he asked.
« I am not melancholic. I am just a little pensive. I always thought I would come here either with my parents or my future husband. But here I am with my best friend and a man I know since a few months and met only thrice. », she explained.
« Are you regretting it ? », he asked.
« No. Not at all. The uniqueness of this place, the beauty of God's creation is making me think about life. How the unplanned things change the planned life in the blink of an eye. », she replied.
« True. Also sometimes there is that one person who enters in your life and shakes your entire way of seeing things and your way of living. What you never liked, you suddenly start liking or vice versa. », he said gazing at her.

She nodded. Both discussed for a while about life and tried to know each other better. This was the first time they were having a serious conversation. They themselves didn't know when they fell asleep. The next morning Naira woke up and found the two sleeping on the couch. His head was resting on her shoulder and his arm wrapping her tightly closer to him. Naira found that so adorable and romantic that she took a picture of them.

They came back to Tromso and took the flight back home.

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

Their Norway trip brought them closer. There wasn't a single day they haven't spent without texting each other. The girls planned a five days Greek Isles cruise for Neil's birthday. When they flew to Greece, he didn't know that they weren't going to Greece only to visit Athens or any Greek Island. It's when they reached the port that he understood they were going on a cruise. The ship traveled through the volcanic islands like Santorini or villages like Corfu and the beaches of Mykonos. The view was breathtaking but the activities on the cruise was itself so interesting.

The day they had an excursion in Santorini, they explored the white and blue town clicking pictures of the beautiful streets and stairs.

« I should settle down here. Get married to a Greek woman and live happily forever. », Neil said.
« What's wrong with you two ? You want a Greek girl, she wants a Norwegian guy. Why so interested in white people ? », Naira asked.
« Says the girl who got married to an useless French guy. », Neil replied.
She looked away and bit her lips, « Oopsss I forgot. But please, he is useless but you don't call him useless. »
« You forgot that you are married ? Wonderful ! », Saira asked sarcastically.

Neil chuckled. He loved Naira's sweet and dumb statements. That's why they were best friends.
They went back to the ship and left Santorini for the next island.

Later that night during dinner Neil remarked, « Such cruises where everyone is too well behaved we are too naughty for them. »
« Here we go, I feel like Neil is going to do something stupid. », Naira said fearing the worst.
« I don't know if both of you have watched... », Saira started then looked at Naira and continued, « I know Naira did, she has watched more Indian movies than I ever did as an Indian. Anyway, in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai Hrithik's friend steals the magician's dress or something to impress Amisha. Neil will do that. »
« For God's sake don't give him such idea. », Naira said widening her eyes.
« Damn that's a f**king brilliant idea. », Neil said looking at the waiters. « Is it me or these waiters have nice buttocks. I think it's their pants carving perfectly their assets. »

Both the girls burst out laughing.

« I always knew you were gay. », Naira said.
« It's nothing wrong in admiring some other men's assets. You girls also have girl crushes. Why is it acceptable for girls and not boys ? », Neil asked.
« Eeeeew no way. I never had any girl crush. », Naira replied.
« I agree with Neil. There is nothing wrong in admiring same gender's beauty. If I see a beautiful woman I can stare at her my eyes wide open or can't take my eyes off her. But that doesn't mean I am se*ually attracted to that person. », Saira said.
« See, someone is normal here. Not everyone is jealous like you, Nini. », Neil joked.
« Whatever ! », Naira rolled her eyes.

When one of the waiters came with their food Neil asked, « Excuse me Sir, may I ask a question ? What is the brand of your pants. Your buttocks look awesome in those pants. »

Saira put her hand over her mouth and burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that tears came out of her eyes. She fanned herself then laughed again. Naira widened her eyes and mouth in shock while Neil kept a poker face.

« Oh my God, I am ashamed to have a friend like this guy. », Naira said shaking her head.
« The company provides us our uniforms. I don't know where they buy them from. », the waiter replied trying hard not to laugh.

Saira looked at the waiter's face who turned red from shame and self control and she burst out laughing again. Neil turned his head to chuckle and then faced the girls again with a straight face. Naira was still too shoked to react.

Last day of their cruise, they spent the night watching the night view of the sea. At midnight sharp Saira and Naira winked at each other and shouted « Happy Birthday » in his ears one from each side. He jolted while the girls laughed. He put his arms around their shoulders and squeezed them mischievously and thanked them.

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

It was a sunny Saturday. Neil woke up and made a coffee for himself. After having a croissant he went to his favorite place of the house. He put the coffee mug on the table and opened the window to let the sunlight and the fresh air enter the room. He poured the paints on the palette and dipped the brush into the blue paint. Then he lifted his coffee mug with the other hand and sipped while starting to paint one of his masterpieces. His joy of painting didn't last for long as he could hear his phone ringing.

Saira was sitting on the floor and while drinking her coffee she was applying henna on her hand. It was Eid the next day and she knew there would be a lot of work at night that she won't have the time to apply it. Her phone rang. She looked at the phone. It was a group video call. She accepted it and saw a sleepy Naira still in her nightwear. Neil also looked like he woke up just a few minutes ago. He saw his own face and tried to get rid of the blue paint on his cheek

« Mister painter, what did you paint again this early in the morning ? », Naira asked.
« It's ten o'clock, how is it early ? », Saira asked innocently. « You paint ? », she asked Neil.
« Yeah sometimes when I am inspired. », Neil replied
« Oh you didn't know ? He is a fine painter. You have to see his work. », Naira said.
« No I didn't know but I would love to see his painting. », Saira replied.
« And Neil, Saira is a very good writer. You should read her poems and stories. », Naira informed him.
« Really ? I would love to read your writing if you want to share them of course. », Neil said.
« Yeah sure why not. », Saira replied.
« Ok guys enough of random talks. I called you because tomorrow it's Eid and I would love to have you guys at my place. », Naira said.
« My parents have invited some people at home for dinner. So I don't think I can come. », Saira replied.
« I am inviting you for lunch so you can come. », Naira replied.
« You live way too far. I have to come back by five o'clock. », Saira said.
« I can drop you back home before five, if that's OK with you. I can also pick you up at eleven o'clock. », Neil suggested.
« Ok fine. », Saira accepted.

The next day, Saira joined Neil in her beautiful pink champagne color georgette saree. He was waiting for her near the train station since fifteen minutes, leaned against the the car. When he spotted her approaching him, he couldn't take his eyes off her. For the first time he saw her in a saree in real.

« I am so sorry for making you wait. I had to bake a cake early this morning and then... », she explained talking fast.
« You are looking beautiful. », he interrupted her.
Surprised, she blushed with a half smile, « Thank you and you are looking quite handsome too. », she checked him out as he was in his white shirt tucked in dark blue pants.
« Excuse me ? I am not quite but extremely handsome, OK ? », he joked.

Saira smiled while he opened the door for her.