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Originally posted by: SENORITA9999
waiting anxiously.pl update soon.
Thanks... updating soon dear... 😳
Originally posted by: SENORITA9999
waiting anxiously.pl update soon.
Yay thank you so much for converting this into an SS. 🤗
Eagerly waiting for the next update😊
Accidentally in Love
Hi Friends - Apologies to keep you waiting for so long. Here is the next part of this story. Hope you enjoy the read.
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Chapter 3: Accidental to Natural
The rays of the late afternoon sunshine lent an orange hue to the balcony, and the girl standing on the balcony lifted her face upwards as if trying to absorb the warmth. Behind her, the open door gave a glimpse of the room, and scattered things on the floor. Two more girls, and a woman were trying to bring order to the mess, but it seemed they ended up creating more disorder.
"Neva!", another woman strode inside, "sab kuch ab tak bikhra pada hai. Kar kya rahe ho teeno? Aur woh maharani dekho... Balcony me aise khadi hai jaise niche uski baraat aane wali ho."
Preeti chuckled, "bahot jald hi aayegi baraat isi gali me..."
Naina turned, smiled, and walked in, "bahar bahot achcha mausam hai aaj."
Bela picked up a small red ribbon flower, "bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye beta, mausam ko nihaarna chod aur yeh bata ke damadji ke shirt wale tokri me konse rang ka ribin lagau yeh bata."
Naina was perplexed, "mujhe kaise pata hoga?"
Swati made an impatient sound, "ab jijaji ki pasand tujhe nahi pata hogi toh aur kise pata hogi."
Naina was stumped on hearing this explanation. Wasn't Swati right? She was the one who was getting married to Sameer, she should be knowing what are his likes and dislikes. But... she didn't. How could she? It had been five days since she had met Sameer, and tomorrow was their Roka. They had talked... yes... even confessed that they loved each other, but still... did they know each other? She glanced at the cupboard, recalling how Sameer had checked her bag. He knew her dreams, what she wished for, but she didn't know about him. He had told her of his past, of his business, but what about himself, his dreams, his wishes. Why hadn't she thought of asking this to him?
Preeti clucked her tongue, "uff-o Naina... Kitna time legi sochne me? Batana jaldi se..."
"Pink laga de", Naina blurted.
"Pink...!!??", Swati exclaimed, "jijaji ko pink color pasand hai...? Thoda ajeeb nahi hai?"
Naina bit her lip as she thought of a way around, "umm... nahi... unko merepe pink color pasand hai. Aur unpe toh har rang achcha lagta hai."
Preeti grinned, "waah waah... yeh dekho... abhi se jijaji ki itni tareef."
Naina blushed, and started helping the others in packing the gifts that were to be given tomorrow. The house had been decorated, special order of sweets had been placed from the halwai, several dishes had been planned and scratched in order to arrive at the most perfect menu. They all had been informed that Sameer's mother, step-father and siblings were going to come down for the occasion. Naina had never met them, but had only heard that Sameer had a strained relationship with all of them. She realized that this was another part of his life that she was clueless of. Was it okay? She was going to be married to this man, but she felt she knew too little of him.
That night when Sameer called, he did something she had never expected. After the preliminaries, he asked her to wait for a minute, and then the melodious voice of Kishore Kumar wafted through the receiver.
Ek ajnabee haseena se
Yun mulaaqat ho gai
Phir kya hua, yeh na pucho
Kuch aisi baat ho gai
She sat surprised on hearing the lyrics, recalling how they had accidentally met in the movie theater, the almost magnetic attraction that had sizzled between them.
Woh achanak aa gai
Yun nazar ke saamne
Jaise nikal aaya
Ghata se chaand
A smile curved her lips as she remembered how fixedly he had been staring at her when she had come out of her room with Preeti and Chachiji.
Jaaneman jaane jigar
Hota main shayar agar
Kehta gazal
Teri adaon par
Her cheeks flushed with color, the words bringing back memories of how he had stood at the phone booth beneath her balcony, and declared that he hadn't had enough of seeing her. She took a deep breath as the song ended, and whispered, "Sameer..."
At the other end, Sameer smiled, "tumko pata hai, tum jab bhi mera naam leti ho meri dil ki dhadkane tezz ho jaati hai."
She clutched the cordless tighter, "meri bhi."
He sighed, "subah kab hogi Naina? Tumse milna hai wapas. Aise sirf phone pe baat karna kaafi nahi hai."
She frowned, leaning on the balcony, "pata nahi... humko toh shaadi se pehle milne bhi nahi denge gharwale. Aise hi raha toh, mujhe kuch pata hi nahi chalega aapke baare me..."
Naina trailed off as she realized what she was saying, but it was enough for Sameer's attention to sharpen. He sat up straight, "kya matlab? Kuch baat hai kya?"
"Na... nahi toh", she stammered.
His eyes narrowed, "mujhse chupaogi? Batao kya baat hai..."
She was silent for a long moment, biting her own lip as she debated what to say and what not. But then... she had already shared the deepest desires of her heart with him. What was this? So she closed her eyes and spilled, "aaj jab Chachiji ne mujhse pucha ke aapko konsa rang pasand hai, mere paas koi jawab nahi tha. Sabne soch liya ke mujhe toh pata hoga hi... aakhir hamari shaadi hone wali hai. Par humko toh mile hi paanch din hue hai... main toh aapko ab tak thik se jaanti bhi nahi, fir aapki pasand ya napasand kaise pata hogi. Mere sapne toh aapne jaan liye, par mujhe aapke sapne nahi pata... Hum ab tak ajnabee hi hai."
Slightly nonplussed by this situation, he took some time to think, and then said, "main abhi aa raha hun tumse milne."
Naina was shocked, "Kya??"
He stood up, "haan. Main aa raha hun."
Naina had no time to react or object before he disconnected. Panicking at the thought of implications of his turning up at her doorstep, she tried to dial his number immediately. The ring went through, but nobody picked up, and she understood that he had already left. Oh God. What should she do now?
She paced the bedroom, thinking, knowing quite well that she cannot tell Chachaji or Chachiji about it. They were more open-minded than Tauji and Taiji but still... no parent would allow a boy and girl to meet so late at night before their marriage. Frantic at not able to find a way out, she woke up Preeti and shared the news. Preeti's shocked "kya!" was muffled against the hand Naina had placed on her mouth.
Naina placed a finger on her own lips, "shsh... kya kar rahi hai? Puri duniya me elan karna hota toh main hi kar deti."
Preeti nodded, calming down, "jijaji iss waqt kyun aa rahe hai? Tune jhagda kiya kya unke saath?"
Naina shook her head unsure how to explain why he was suddenly coming over. Suddenly a mischievous gleam entered Preeti's eyes, and she wrapped her arms around her sister's neck, "ya fir... apna good night kiss lene aa rahe hai?"
This time Naina almost exclaimed aloud, but bit her lip hard to control herself, "tu... tu pagal hai kya? Sameer toh bas milne aa rahe hai."
Preeti giggled, "achcha thik hai. Pehle dekhte hai ke jijaji kahan se aate hai. Uske baad sochte hai ke maamle ko kaise sambhale."
After around fifteen minutes, Naina heard two honks from beneath her balcony, and she stood up somehow instinctively alerted that the signal was for her.
Preeti asked puzzled, "kahan jaa rahi hai?"
"Sameer aa gaye", she mumbled and rushed out to the balcony followed by Preeti.
Downstairs, Sameer, still seated on his bike, was surprised on seeing the prompt reaction from Naina. They hadn't arranged a code or something, he had just honked hoping she would hear, and she had... she had also understood. He noticed Preeti beside her and waved at both of them, then signaled that he was going to park the bike and would be back. Five minutes later he was back under her balcony, and looking for a way to climb up.
Naina tried to say something to stop him, but Preeti shushed her saying that someone might hear. Sameer pulled himself up on the pipe beside her balcony and slowly but deftly kept climbing up. Naina clutched the parapet in fear, and kept praying under her breath, her mind unfortunately pulling up scenarios where he could fall from the pipe. Objectively, the distance from ground floor to first floor wasn't a lot... but it felt like the longest one to Naina as she helplessly watched him.
Finally, when he slung a leg over the parapet, Naina and Preeti helped him over. He panted slightly, and grinned, whispering a thanks. Naina looked at him, dressed in jeans and cream shirt that was left untucked, and suddenly swayed, her body going limp now that the ordeal was over. Sameer caught her around the waist, pulling her to his side before she could fall, and she fisted a hand on his shirt clinging to him.
Preeti looked at her sister's pale as paper face, and the sturdy hands of her jijaji supporting her, and felt assured. She smiled, "aap dono kamre me betho, main hall me jaati hun. Koi uthega toh bata dungi."
Sameer nodded, "thank you."
Preeti took a book from the shelf and went outside, so that if someone saw her she could say that she had fallen asleep in hall while reading. He made Naina sit on the bed, and then shut the door behind his saali, and sauntered up back to his would-be wife. Sitting down beside her on the bed, he noticed that she was still pale, and was trembling slightly. Even though he had never done it before, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.
Either she didn't mind, or she was too scared to notice it yet, but Sameer felt delighted when she didn't object, but rather burrowed closer. She stammered, "a..aap aise ka...kaise aaye... agar gir jaate toh... chot lag jaati toh... main kya karti."
He smiled, dipping his head, letting his lips touch her hair, "kuch bhi nahi hota. Tum itna pyaar jo karti ho mujhse." He hooked a thumb under her chin and tilted her head back, "karti ho na?"
She nodded, and a moment later her eyes widened on seeing his face so close to her, and she realized that she was in his arms. Mortified, she blushed and pulled back, slightly surprised when he left her. He waited for a moment, then cupped her face with one hand, "pyaar karti ho toh aaj yeh sab kyun bola? Tumhe wakai lagta hai ke hum ajnabee hai...?"
She bit her lip again, not knowing what to reply. He continued, "agar ajnabee hai hum dono toh tumko kaise pata chala ke niche main horn baja raha tha? Aur main gir jaunga yeh sochke tum itna kyun dar gai? Aur jab maine tumko hug kiya toh tumne mujhe apne itne kareeb kyun aane diya?"
She shook her head, hoping to explain, "main pyaar karti hun aapse. Par... mujhe aapke baare me zyada kuch bhi nahi pata. Sab aisa kyun soch lete hai ke mujhe sab pata hona chahiye? Aur shaadi se pehle bhi agar hum dono ko ek dusre ke baare me sab pata naa ho toh...?"
He understood her dilemma, and hoped he could resolve it within the limited time he had tonight. So he opened up his arms indicating his compliance, "main tumhare saamne hun. Pucho kya puchna chahti ho?"
She was surprised at this sudden opportunity, but hesitantly asked, "aapko khane me sabse zyada kya pasand hai?"
He grinned, "alu aur paneer... lekin main baki sab cheeze bhi kha leta hun sivaay galka aur turia ke. Woh mujhe bilkul achche nahi lagte."
She nodded, "aap free time me kya karte hai?"
"Umm... depends... agar zyada thaka hua hun toh bas movie dekhta hun, yaa gaane sunta hun. Warna boxing karta hun. Kabhi kabhi bike leke bas yuhin ghumne bhi nikal jaata hun", he supplied.
Her brows furrowed as she tried to imagine how he would look while boxing. He gently enquired, "aur kuch?"
She thought, then asked, "aapke sapne kya hai?"
He smiled, and lifted his hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Nanu ka aur tumhara har sapna pura karna."
Surprised by his answer, she stared at him, again loosing herself in his deep brown eyes. Giving in to the temptation he wrapped one arm around her, and whispered, "aur?"
Her body reacted on its own, and she inched closer, "aapki khwaishein?"
Gazing into her eyes, he touched his forehead to hers, "jab bhi main aankhe bandh karu tum mere saath ho, aur aankhe kholu tab bhi. Jab tumhare sapne pure ho tab main tumhare saath rahu taaki main tumhare chehre ki woh chamak dekh saku. Jab tum khush ho tab main tumhare saath hasu, aur jab tum dukhi ho tab main tumhara sahara banu."
Her heart skipped beats as his words soaked into her soul. How could his every dream and every wish be related to her? Hadn't they just met? How could she become so important for someone so suddenly? He shifted to sit on his knees in-front of her on the floor, "Naina... I love you. Maana hum log abhi abhi mile, aur shayad ek dusre ki har ek baat nahi jaante. Par hum ek dusre ko jaante hai." He took her hand and flattened her palm over his heart, "tum mujhe jaanti ho. Sameer ko. Mere baare me janne ke liye puri zindagi padi hai tumhare paas. Aur yeh toh socho... kitna mazaa aayega jab hum dhire dhire ek dusre ke baare me sab kuch janenge. Shayad sab kuch aasan na ho... tumhe meri kuch aadatein pasand naa ho, mujhe tumhari kuch harkate pasand naa ho... par fir bhi hum saath honge, koshish karenge ke ek dusre ke saath adjust karke rahe, ek dusre ka saath de... isika matlab toh shaadi hai na?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she felt the steady rhythmic beat of his heart under her palm. He was so sure... always. Her voice trembled as she asked, "aap mujhse kuch nahi chahte?"
He wiped the drops of tears from her face, "chahta hun na... tumhe... tumhara pyaar, tumhara saath. Mujh jaise pagal ko sambhal lo, yahi chahta hun. Main ziddi hun, gussa karta hun, hamesha sabki baat bhi nahi maanta, apne hi so-called parivaar se jhagadta hun... Mummy toh kehti hai main rishto ki qadar nahi karta. Tum soch lo... aasaan nahi hai mere saath rehna."
She gazed at his handsome face affectionately, "jo ladka adhi raat ko sirf meri choti si uljhan dur karne pipe se chadke meri balcony tak aa jaaye, usko bhala kaise rishto ki qadar nahi hogi. Mujhe toh ab tak yeh ek sapna lagta hai ke main kisike zindagi me inti ehmiyat rakhti hun."
He smiled, but then his eyes narrowed and he lifted his hand to touch her lips, tracing a small mark on her lower lip, "yeh kaise hua? Chot lagi?"
A soft sound escaped her mouth, and he saw her eyes widen and pupils dilate. He had touched her just like that, concerned, but it hadn't been deliberate. But now... seeing her affected by his slight touch, even his body started to respond. Slowly, the situation dawned on him. He was in her room... with her... alone... And he had already hugged her once. Oh God. When he had talked to her over the phone, he had not thought about anything except soothing her worries. He had wanted to reassure her of his love and so he had come over to her. Had he really climbed up the pipe to her balcony? Yes, he had... He sucked in a deep breath, removed his hand away from her, and closed his eyes.
She sat and stared at him, feeling a little dazed. What was this that she was feeling? Why did her heart thud so loudly when he was near her? And what was the tingling sensation that she felt through her body whenever he touched her? With these questions came a barrage of wild thoughts, of things she had read in books, of what she had seen in movies. She wasn't ignorant and her mind raced with scenarios where Sameer was the hero, and she herself was the heroine. She had never felt like this before, and it was a little startling to her.
Sameer took a deep breath, then stood up to sit beside her again, "mujhe chalna chahiye. Kaafi der ho gai hai. Tum Preeti ko andar bula lo, aur so jao."
She nodded, understanding somehow that whatever he had felt and she had felt was a part of this relationship, but the time to act on it hadn't yet come. Then she remembered something, and stopped him as he tried to get up, "suniye... aapka favorite color konsa hai?"
He chuckled, "blue aur black, lekin jabse tumko pink me dekha hai woh rang bhi achcha lagta hai. Par yeh jaanke kya karogi tum... mujhpe toh har rang achcha lagta hai." He combed his fingers through his hair, and she looked surprised, then suddenly blushed. He looked at her flaming cheeks, "kya hua?"
She cleared her throat, "umm... woh... aaj jab mujhse pucha gaya aapke favorite color ke baare me toh maine bhi yahi kaha ke aap pe toh har rang achcha lagta hai."
He laughed, "dekha... maine kaha tha na. Tum mujhe jaanti ho." After a moment he became solemn again, and held her hand, "Naina... kal hamara roka hai. Hamare iss rishte ka pehla kadam. Mujhe bahot achcha laga ke aaj tumne apne man me jo bhi tha woh mujhe bata diya... aage bhi aisa hi karna. Bas itna yaad rakhna main hamesha tumhare saath hun."
She nodded, and smiled. Unable to resist he brushed his knuckles along the curve of her cheek, and then started his descent. She watched again with apprehension, and forgot to breathe until he reached the ground safely. Sameer looked up at her knowing that she must be frightened, so to distract her and also because he wanted to, her blew her a flying kiss. Naina kept staring at his retreating back with her eyes wide open and lips parted.
The next day dawned bright and clear, but the people in Agarwal house rarely paid any attention to the weather. Chachiji was puttering around in the kitchen, dragging Preeti with her, preparing numerous dishes. Naina had been instructed to apply haldi-chandan lep on her whole body before taking bath, which she did wondering why this was needed for her whole body when people were only going to look at her face. Taiji had brought in boxes of new crockery and dishes wanting to impress the rich Maheshwari family. Lunch was a quick affair, with people barely sitting and eating properly. Her father grumbled about not having proper meal, but when Tauji ordered he quickly got up to help with the arrangements.
In evening Chachiji gave her a maroon bandhej saree with a heavy gotapatti border. Preeti helped her drape the saree and also styled her hair in an intricate fishtail braid with some curled locks of hair left loose at the front. While applying light makeup on her face, Preeti instructed her to learn these tricks now as according to her men loved it when their women dressed up. Naina felt another gap in her knowledge as she didn't know make-up or hairstyle techniques, and neither did she know if Sameer liked it. But nevertheless she paid attention to how Preeti applied the eyeliner, and how much foundation she used.
Suddenly Preeti gasped, "hey bhagwaan... Naina tune toh nail polish bhi nahi lagaya subah se." With this she pulled out another box containing several small bottles, and chose a deep red shade that she said would go with maroon. As she applied the polish carefully, she kept muttering, "yeh mummy bhi na. Pehle se bata deti konsi saree pehenni hai toh main bahar jaake maroon nail polish le aati."
Naina sought to ease her sister's worry, "Preeti... mujhe nahi lagta ke Sameer ko farq pata chalega iss red me aur maroon me."
Preeti frowned, "bhale jijaji ko pata na chale... par tujhe toh pata chalta hai na. Thik waise hi dusri auroton ko bhi pata chalegi. Teri shaadi ke baad tu kitne bade bade logo se milegi, iska andaaza hai tujhe? Tujhe upar se niche tak perfect dikhna hoga."
Naina scoffed, "perfect... Taiji toh kehti hai shakal-surat zara bhi dhang ka nahi hai, aur tu keh rahi hai ke perfect dikhu."
Preeti had always felt frustrated at how it had been drilled in Naina since childhood that she was not good-looking, and Naina believed it too. On the contrary, she thought that her sister was most certainly pretty. She may not be exquisitely beautiful or heroine-material, but definitely she had very nice features... and there must be something in her looks which their family couldn't see. Wasn't that why there were almost 3-4 boys who had tried to express their attraction or love to her in college? If not for her own fierce protectiveness for her innocent sister, those boys might have had the chance to propose Naina. But she had seen to it that they never got a chance to play with her sister's feelings. And then her jijaji... wasn't he attracted to Naina that day in the theater? Given that there wasn't even enough light inside a movie theater her jijaji must have noticed something incredibly striking about her sister to keep staring at her like that. Suddenly she heard Naina's soft voice as she mused, "lekin pata nahi kyun... Sameer kehte hai main khubsurat dikhti hun."
Preeti grinned as her thoughts were confirmed. She turned her sister towards the mirror, "jijaji thik kehte hai... dekh zara apne-aap ko thikse. Tere baal kitne lambe aur mulayam hai, tujhe pata hai, ladkiya khaas har hafte parlor me aati hai apne baal aise rakhne ke liye. Tere chehre pe ek bhi pimple nahi hai... aur tu make-up bina bhi achchi dikhti hai. Mere parlor ki owner hai na, Ritu didi, woh kehti hai ke har ladki khubsurat hoti hai bas uss khubsurti ko pehchaan ne wala hona chahiye. Aur teri zindagi me woh insaan aa gaya hai."
Naina listened in wonder to her sister, and stared at her own reflection. Just like Preeti said, she had always thought her hair to be her best feature. Even though it had been a lot of effort to maintain it, she had never wanted to cut it as even as a kid she had been fascinated with long hair. Now with the makeup in place, Naina thought she did indeed look good, her eyes looked bigger, and there was a certain luminous glow on her cheeks. And the deep matte shade of lipstick looked extremely... bold. Her eyes widened at the word she associated with herself... Bold... she was never bold. Her only bold action was to go for movies without telling at home. But apart from that, she had always been shy and an introvert... except... except when she had met Sameer for the first time. She had laughed, and even quarreled with him. Somehow, he had not felt like a stranger at all. Those accidental touches had felt... natural. Yes... That was the word. Somehow everything between them felt natural. That is why she had not even registered when he had hugged her yesterday. She hadn't felt uneasy wrapped in his arms; in fact his chest and shoulders had felt familiar... as if designed specifically for her to rest her head on.
She blushed at her own thoughts as she slid on bangles on her wrist. And now began the wait... because this evening it wasn't just Sameer and his Nanu, but also his whole family from Delhi. Would she be able to gain their approval? And would it matter to Sameer?
Most of the people in their society had stepped out to see the arrival of Maheshwari clan in the modest looking Nirmal Jyoti society. Dressed in expensive and precise clothes a couple of people stepped out from the first car, and the older woman wrinkled her nose. She tucked her hair behind her ears, glad that none knew she was wearing a wig, "Jayprakashji, aapko Sameer ke liye wakai koi aur bade ghar ki ladki nahi mili? Yeh log toh hamare status ke zara bhi nahi lag rahe."
The lady's son, Vivek Somani, nodded, "mummy thik keh rahi hai. Maana Sameer itna achcha nahi hai padhai aur business me, lekin dikhne me toh thik-thak hai. Isse achcha rishta mil sakta tha."
Jayprakash Maheshwari glanced at his daughter, hoping she would reply, but she stayed silent as usual, so he sighed, "behenji, Vivek... mujhe Sameer ke liye ek sanskaari ladki chahiye thi, jo hamare ghar ko aur Sameer ko sambhal le. Mere liye toh yahi achcha rishta hai. Rahi baat paiso ki toh, bhagwaan ki kripa se Sameer aur mere paas itne paise hai ke hume aur paiso ki zaroorat nahi hai. Main ummeed karta hun aap log andar jaake aisi baate nahi karenge."
Sameer's car came to a stop just behind the first one, and dressed in a light green kurta with copper churidaar, he stepped outside. Munna came out from the door on the other side, and Pandit stepped out with Rohan and Deepika from the back seat. Sameer glanced briefly at Rohan, and his lips thinned in a grim line at having to bear this compulsory company. Deepika glanced around, and queried, "Sameer bhaiya... bhabhi yahan rehti hai?" Sameer nodded, not bothering to reply in words, even though logically he knew that his anger on this little girl was not justified at all.
The Agarwal family welcomed all of them, and were happy to see that Brijmohan had also accompanied them. Nanu and Brijmohan did most of the talking, a strategy on their part to not let the Somanis talk so that there wasn't any problem. Sameer sat frustrated, his nerves frayed by the constant clashes since morning. He had not anticipated that dadi would come along, but she had... now thinking in hindsight he knew he should have expected it. After all, how can she leave any chance to spoil his happiness?
The mahurat for Roka came, and Preeti brought out Naina. Sameer felt that some of the grey clouds shifted and lightness penetrated his heart. He sighed, drinking in her sight, and his eyes glittered on seeing the dark shaded lipstick. He would have never thought that she would choose that color. He was so happy that he didn't even feel a twinge of anger when Rohan nudged him and said, "bhai, kahan kho gaye? Jaiye wahan bethna hai aapko."
As if in a trance, Sameer walked up and took his place beside Naina. The rituals were fulfilled by each family member, if Sameer felt Naina's father to be a little aloof he didn't pay much attention, and Naina didn't question when dadi didn't place a blessing hand on her head. Sameer watched with eagle eyes when Vishakha came forward, but to his relief nothing untoward happened.
There was a moment after the roka ritual when dadi voiced a little loudly about if Naina would be able to manage a bigger house after staying here for all her life, but even before Sameer or Nanu could answer, Vishakha replied, "koi baat nahi Mummy. Woh toh Naina ka apna ghar hoga na, sambhal hi legi achche se."
He noticed that Deepika and Rohan had been talking to Naina, and wondered what they were up to. He inched closer, and was in time to hear Deepika asking, "Bhabhi aap hamesha saree pehenti ho?"
Naina smiled, "nahi toh... main dresses aur jeans bhi pehenti hun." Deepika exclaimed a wow as she had never seen her mom wear dresses and jeans, so had assumed that married women won't wear such clothes.
Rohan gently spoke, "Bhabhi, aap shaadi ke baad Delhi zarur aana. Main aapko aur bhai dono ko ghumaunga. Waise toh bhai kuch mahine reh chuke hai Delhi me..."
Naina's curiosity peaked, "achcha... toh aap dono saath me padhte the?"
Rohan's smile faltered, "haan... same school thi. Bhai ek class aage the. Ghar pe hum room share karte the... lekin... hamari kabhi zyada baat nahi hui."
Sameer was surprised that Rohan had said that they hadn't talked much, instead of saying that he had never talked to him. He recalled the several attempts Rohan and Deepika had done to talk to him, and how he had always ignored them.
Deepika pouted and tears welled up in her eyes, "Sameer bhaiya ko shayad hum dono pasand nahi hai... tabhi Delhi nahi aate aur humse baat bhi nahi karte."
Sameer stood stunned, not knowing that his aloofness affected them so much. Naina understood that there was more to the story which Sameer had told her, but for now she knelt to Deepika's level and wiped her tears, "aisa nahi hai Deepika. Tumhare Sameer bhaiya har baat bolke samjha nahi paate... lekin woh tumse ya Rohan se naraaz nahi hai. Tumko pata hai jis din woh mujhe milne aaye the na shaadi ke liye, tabhi unhone mujhe bataya tha ke unka ek bhai aur ek behen Delhi me rehte hai."
Both Rohan and Deepika cheered up considerably at this revelation, and Rohan grinned, "thanks Bhabhi. Mujhe bahot achcha laga aapse milke."
Finally just before they would need to leave, Sameer desperately asked Nanu if he could talk for some time with Naina. Permission was asked, though he didn't understand what was the need now, after all Roka meant that she was his. It was just like the other day, Preeti escorted them to the room, but this time instead of threatening him she grinned and winked. As Sameer closed the door, Naina sat down on the bed, her heart starting to beat rapidly.
He went and sat down next to her, just like last night, and held her hand, "thank you Naina."
She looked up surprised, "kisliye?"
He sighed, "maine suna tumko Rohan aur Deepika se baat karte hue."
Naina nodded, understanding, "mujhe nahi pata aapke man me kya hai, lekin unn dono se baat karke toh mujhe yahi laga ke woh dono aapse bahot pyaar karte hai aur aapki izzat karte hai."
He was silent for a moment, but then told her about how his mother had left him in hostel to manage her newly married life, and raise up another kid. He said how he had felt that must be some hope still, but then Deepika was born, and he had understood that his mother's family was now complete, and that didn't include him. He let her know about how he had always been academically compared to Rohan, and had been shown the mirror of inferiority. Desperately he stood up, and continued, "jab mujhe Delhi leke gaye tab main 12 saal ka tha, adiyal aur ziddi... thaan li thi ke uss ghar me kabhi nahi rahunga jisne mujhse mera sab kuch cheen liya. Aur fir Nanu mujhe apne saath yahan le aaye. Tum hi batao, itna sab honeke baad bhi main unn dono se achche se baat kaise karu?"
Naina listened to him, her heart aching at what she heard. How could a mother abandon her own child? She didn't know Vishakha's perspective, and for now she didn't even want to. The only person that mattered to her at this moment was Sameer who was standing facing away from her, his shoulders tensed, and his hands gripping the edges of the small dressing table. She went up to him, and placed a hand on his arm, her touch silently calling him. He straightened and turned to look at her, wondering what advice she would have to offer. Over the years there hadn't been dearth of people who had pointed out how flawed he was, how unreasonable his anger was, how horrible his behavior was. He thought Naina would do the same, ask him to understand his mother's perspective, be reasonable, be generous, and most of all forget the past. But to his surprise, she just kept looking at his face for a long moment, before leaning on his chest. As her arms slid around his waist, the pallu from her head slipped; the soft silk whooshing against his hands.
He was so astounded by her action that he just stood numb for a minute, before slowly wrapping his arms around her. What was she doing? Did she know that she was hugging him? Well... of course she did. But... wow... what had he expected and what did he receive? No judgement, no questions, no advice... just love... It was a first for him. And he let the feeling soak in his veins, warmth spreading inside him, around him, like a blanket of security and acceptance that he had always missed.
Still slightly in a state of disbelief, he asked, "kuch puchogi nahi?" She shook her head in negative, against his chest. He sighed, and again asked, "toh fir kuch kahogi?"
She softly whispered, "I love you Sameer."
His heart thudded harder, his legs shaky, and he tightened his hold on her. He closed his eyes, relief and happiness rushing through his nerves. His hands at her back, spanned across her delicate frame, and with his fingers found the thick braid of her hair. His brows furrowed in confusion, and he opened his eyes to look down. Her head rested on his chest, she had her eyes closed, her hair was tied in an intricate braid that he was sure must have some fancy name, but he couldn't even begin to think what it could be. He tilted his head and studied the pattern, wondering how he had never noticed or wondered about such things before. It wasn't like had hadn't met girls in his entire lifetime... He had... But he had never given a thought to what they wore, or their hair styles. But now, he recalled how he had seen Naina in ponytail in theater, a loose braid on the day he came to see her, open hair last night, and today this fancy braid that looked like it must have taken hours to set to perfection. His gaze wandered from the braid, to the square cut blouse - the deep color contrasting her fair skin. Unable to resist he let his hand wander to the plait of hair, pushing it aside, and then stroked a finger down her spine so gently it seemed as if he was trying to touch the air.
She shuddered in his hold; the barely-there touch evoking a sudden flood of sensations inside her. What was he doing? His finger traced down to her waist, and she recalled how he had held her the other day when she had swayed, and then again yesterday. But today... it felt different... The day he had come to see her, she had been too overwhelmed to realize how he had held her, how his hand had touched her waist. Yesterday, she had been wearing a kurta... but today... today she was again wearing a saree. And she was very much aware of his finger exploring her skin, and the multitude of sensations it was evoking within her. She felt him hesitate for the briefest moment, before he flattened his palms on her waist, holding her close to him. Her entire body jerked at the searing warmth of his palms, and automatically she drew back to look up at him, only to find him staring down at her with an expression that was unknown to her, yet felt strangely intimate. Her body felt shivery, light, and suddenly too lax for her to hold on by herself, and she could do nothing but lean more heavily on him. He didn't seem to mind at all, rather he gathered her as close to him as possible, his palms still spanning her waist, fingers rubbing her flesh, creating a feverish warmth. In an attempt to control the sound that threatened to erupt from her throat, she bit her lip at the exact same spot she had bitten last night.
His gaze shifted from her eyes, to her lips, and his pupils darkened as he understood the reason behind that mark on her lips that he had spotted yesterday. As if in a trance, his head started to dip, slowly closing the gap between their lips... her eyes widened, yet she didn't say anything... couldn't say anything... a fraction of an inch remained, when his gaze shifted to her eyes again... and he froze. His fingers at her waist clenched and then relaxed, he closed his eyes, straightening and then easing back from her body slightly.
After a minute, he opened his eyes again, and smiled on seeing that her eyes were still wide, "aise mat dekho mujhe... itni badi badi aankhen karogi to usme doob hi jaunga main." Impossibly enough, her eyes widened even more, and then a hiccupping little laughter spurted out of her. He held one of her hand, and lifted it, tracing his thumb on the back of her fingers, "tumko pata hai na ke main kabhi aisa kuch nahi karunga jo tum nahi chahti?"
She smiled, gazing softly up at him, "main jaanti hun."
A mischievous look entered his eyes, "waise abhi toh shaam hai, lekin fir bhi... advance me good night kiss le sakta hun na?" She gasped, her cheeks flushing with color, and he chuckled. Holding her hand, he winked, "chalo bahar chalte hai."
She followed him, lagging slightly behind, her hand secured in his, her eyes fixed on his profile, her mind still replaying how he had been almost on the verge of kissing her but hadn't... He had understood what she hadn't been able to speak up. She couldn't help the pattering of her heart, or the fluttering in her belly, or the small smile that curved her lips, or the shimmering tears of happiness that threatened to blur her vision.
They were halfway across the room, when he felt a tug on his hand, and turned to find that Naina had stopped. He turned, puzzled, "kya hua?"
She didn't say anything; there were no words that could justify what she was feeling at that moment. Instead she lifted their linked hands, and gently let the back of his palm brush across her cheeks. His breath caught at her action, and the love he saw shining in her eyes, that he knew was only for him. Holding her gaze, he inched closer, and brought her hand up to his own lips and dropped a soft lingering kiss on her fingers. Overwhelmed by her acceptance, and the precious moment, he pulled her in his arms again. A moment later he muttered, "matching nail polish kaafi achcha dikh raha hai." She giggled and shook her head, while he remained clueless as to why she would laugh at his comment instead of praising him for noticing the matching colors.
****************
As always... I look forward to reading your thoughts. 😳
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| jasminerahul | 58 | 1713 | ||
| kavitha_r | 11 | 608 | ||
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