SAMAINA FF - FATE TWISTED BY LOVE - EPILOGUE UPDATED ON PAGE 30 - Page 3

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I'm back with the next part...

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FATE TWISTED BY LOVE

CHAPTER 6

The next morning Sameer left to office early as he had asked his friend, Neel Oberoi to meet him. He didn't have much time in hands as the marriage would be taking place next week. He paced around his cabin waiting for his lawyer. After ten minutes, his intercom buzzed informing about his arrival.

Within a minute, there was a knock on the door & his friend walked in. Sameer felt relieved after seeing him after a long time. They had studied in the same school, after that Neel had taken admission in the law college. They had met some years back in their school reunion & had acquainted themselves. And now he was happy that they had met.

"Hey Neel. Good morning. Thanks for coming at such a short notice yaar." "C'mon Sameer... Hum friends hai. Main itna toh kar sakta hun tere liye." They both hugged each other & then settled themselves across the table. Sameer ordered coffees & some snacks for them while Neel kept looking at him.

"Toh batao Sameer... Baat kya hai? Tumne itna urgently milne kyun bulaaya mujhe. I hope everything is fine at home?" Neel asked in concern. Sameer was a little nervous but he didn't have a choice right now & only Neel could help him out. "Neel... mujhe teri thodi help chahiye hai. Ummmm... Mujhe prenuptial agreement banana hai."

Neel raised his eyebrows, "Prenuptial agreement? Kyun?" Sameer knew that he would've to be honest to him if he wanted his help. So, he started, "Mere Nanaji ne unke friend se waada kiya tha ki meri shaadi unki naati se karayenge. Aur ab shaadi ho bhi rahi hai next week." He told him everything that happened from the time he came back from London till now. Neel heard him attentively.

"Neel... Main bas itna chaahta hun ki Naina ko divorce ke baad mere property mein se kuch na mile. Isliye prenuptial agreement banana hai. Ummmm... Main ek aur agreement banana chahta hun jisme yeh clearly mentioned ho ki hum ek saal baad divorce lenge aur usme thode aur clauses add karne hai."

Being a lawyer, Neel could read between the lines, "Sameer... Main samaj sakta hun ki tum yeh shaadi zabardasti kar rahe ho, sirf apne Nanu ke wajah se. Aur wohh ladki, ummm... Kya naam bataaya tumne? Naina... Right?" Sameer nodded & he continued, "Naina tumhe pasand nahi hai aur tumne yeh ek saal baad divorce waali baat bhi usse bataa di hai. Tumne usse prenuptial agreement ke baare mein bataa diya hai & she is ready for that too."

"Yes Neel. She is ready for that.", Sameer replied confidently. Without holding back his opinion, Neel spoke, "Are you sure she is a gold-digger as you mentioned before? If she is ready to sign the prenuptial agreement, it clearly shows that she isn't a gold-digger Sameer. Maybe you're getting all wrong about her. I know its not my business but still I would ask you to think about it before making any decision."

Sameer thought, "What's wrong with everyone around me? All of them think that she isn't a gold digger. But I know she is exactly what I'm thinking about her." He turned to Neel, "Maine soch liye hai Neel. Tumhe teen papers ready karne hai, ek prenuptial agreement, dusra divorce papers aur teesra ek aisa agreement jisme mere baaki ke clauses add karoge tum."

Sameer told him the other clauses & Neel was stunned to hear them. He tried to make Sameer understand to not proceed with them but he was reluctant. Neel was about to leave his cabin when Munna Pandit entered. "Arey Neel... Itni subah subah yahaan kya kar raha hai tu? Kuch kaam tha Sameer se?", Pandit enquired. Munna somewhere understood why he was here.

"Arey bas aise hi Sameer ne milne bulaaya tha, usse kuch important kaam tha.", Neel replied while hugging them, "Tum dono kaise ho? Hum last apne reunion mein hi mile the, uske baad toh milna hi nahi hua." Pandit agreed, "Haan yaar... Bas kaam mein hi busy rehte hai. Hum kuch jaldi plan karte hai aur milte hai fursat se." Munna just smiled as his mind was somewhere else.

Neel bid goodbye to them & left the cabin. Munna & Pandit settled down across the table while Sameer was lost in his thoughts. Munna took a deep breath & asked, "Sameer... Tune Neel ko prenuptial agreement banane bulaaya tha na???" His question broke Sameer's thoughts while Pandit gaped at both of them, waiting for his reply.

"Haannn... Main hamare family lawyer se yeh nahi banva sakta tha isliye Neel ko bulaaya tha. Aur wohh papers ready karne ko ready bhi ho gaya. Jab ready ho jaayenge toh yahaan dene aa jaayega. Keh raha tha ki teen-char din mein ready ho jaayenge sab papers." Munna asked again, "Papers? Kitne agreements banvaaye hai tune Sameer?"

Sameer smiled wickedly, "Teen..." his friends sat there dumbstruck after hearing his reply. Pandit was the one to ask first, "Tu sirf prenuptial agreement banvaane waala tha na? Toh fir ab teen agreements kis liye?" Munna continued, "Sameer... Saaf saaf bataa tere iss dimaag mein kya chal raha hai?"

"Arey yaar tum dono itna tension mat lo. Sab normal hi hai. Tumhe toh pataa hai ki main prenuptial agreement kyun banaa raha hun. Waise bhi ek saal baad main usse divorce de dunga toh socha ki main abhi hi divorce papers bhi banvaa lun aur uske signatures le lun taaki usse aage chalkar koi galatfehmi na rahe ki wohh meri zindagi mein hamesha ke liye reh sake."

Pandit queried, "Aur teesra agreement?" Sameer smiled the widest & replied, "Wohhh personal hai bhai. Just husband-wife things you know." He winked & got up, getting back to his businessman mode, "Ab utho... Hume meeting ke liye late nahi ho raha?" Sameer left his cabin leaving his best friends behind. Pandit turned to Munna, "Chenu... Mujhe ab darr lag raha hai. Pehle hi usne maan liya hai ki Naina ek characterless aur laalchi ladki hai, jo sirf uske paise ke liye usse shaadi kar rahi hai aur hum dono bohot acche se jaante hai ki wohh Naina ko galat samajh raha hai. Aur ab uske teesre agreement ki baat sunkar mujhe ghabraahat ho rahi hai. Pata nahi iske dimaag mein kya chal raha hai yaar? Mujhe Naina ke liye bohot bura lag raha hai. Waise hi wohh kitni akeli hai. Koi dost bhi nahi hai uske. Kaise Sameer ko manage karegi wohh?"

Munna seemed to be lost in his thoughts & Pandit tapped his shoulder, "Chenu main tujhse baat kar raha hun? Kis soch mein khoyaa hai tu?" Munna pressed his temple as if massaging the headache that had started throbbing after hearing Sameer's words. "Pandit... Mujhe lagta hai ki hume ek baar Naina se baat kar leni chahiye." They both looked at each other & decided to talk to Naina.

At home, Naina got up late as she wasn't feeling well. She took a tablet to stop her headache but it was useless. She skipped her breakfast & left the house informing Nanu that she was going out. She took the newspaper with her in which she had shortlisted some jobs for her. She gave two interviews, one in a call center & the other for an office assistant post. She denied the call center job as she had to work for shifts which included night shifts too. She tried convincing them if she could only work for the afternoon shift which was refused outright. Now she hoped if she could get the other job of office assistant & she knew that she had no chance as the other candidates were more qualified than her.

The sun was shining bright right above her head & her stomach growled in hunger. She spotted a café just few blocks away & started walking but before she could open the door, she lost her consciousness & fainted right in front of the café. Someone sprinkled some water on her face & she opened her eyes to see a girl fanning her face.

"Thank God... Tumhe hosh aa gaya. Tum thik ho? Pataa hai main kitna darr gayi thi?" Naina kept staring at the girl while she helped her stand & made her sit on one of the chairs in the café. She immediately brought some water for her & Naina drank it silently looking around the café. There wasn't much crowd there but some college students were sitting there at the far corner.

Once she was done, the girl asked, "Tumne kuch khayaa nahi hai na subah se, isliye tumhe chakkar aa gaya. Bolo, Kya khaogi? Main abhi le aati hun." Naina just stared at her as if she knew her already. "Arey baba... Kuch toh bolo..." After a moment, she continued, "Tumhe meri aawaaz sunaai toh de rahi hai na? Tum goongi behri toh nahi ho na?" The girl gestured while acting deaf & dumb.

"Na... Nahi... I'm sorry. Wohh... wohh... pataa nahi main kaise achanak behosh ho gayi.", Naina finally found her voice back. The girl looked relieved & then sat down opposite her, "Ab bolo. Kya khaogi?" Naina smiled at the unknown girl, "Mera naam Naina Agrawal hai. Thanks, mujhe hosh mein laane ke liye." The girl offered her hand, "Main... Preeti Sehgal. Iss cafe mein kaam karti hun." Naina held her hand while she spoke, "Tum ruko main abhi aati hun."

Preeti left towards the kitchen & came back after ten minutes with two steaming coffees & two sandwiches. She placed the plates between them, "Chalo ab kuch khaa lete hai. Mera breaktime hai. Aur bohot zoron ki bhook bhi lagi hai." They both laughed out & started eating. The time went by fast for both of them while they kept chatting.

Naina was happy that she finally found someone with whom she can talk openly. "Ummm... Preeti tum yahaan kaam kyun kar rahi ho? Mera matlab tum toh acche khaase parivaar ki lagti ho? Fir yeh job kyun?" "Arey... yeh café mere papa ka hai. Unke jaane ke baad main aur bhai isse sambhaal rahe hai. Studies aur business ke saath saath hum dono yeh café bhi chalaa lete hai."

Naina got tears in her eyes after knowing that Preeti lost her father recently. Preeti immediately wiped her eyes & said, "Pushpaa... I hate tears... Toh please mere saamne rona mat." Naina saw that even Preeti's eyes had misted & she got up & took her in a hug. Both the girls finally let the tears flow silently.

Someone tapped on Preeti's shoulder & they broke the hug to face the intruder. There stood a six inches tall handsome figure who looked at both the girls suspiciously. Preeti instantly hugged him, "Bhai... Aap aa gaye. Main kab se aapka wait kar rahi thi. Aap kahaan reh gaye the? Itna late kyun hua?" She kept asking him numerous questions while his eyes were locked at the other girl.

Naina fidgeted with her dupatta feeling his intense gaze on her. "Bhaii...", Preeti screamed in his ear & he was brought back to the reality. He moved his gaze away & answered "Wohhh... meeting kuch jyada hi lambi chali isliye late ho gaya. Preeti... Tumne lunch kiya na thik se?" She smiled, "Ab aapka wait karti toh main bhi ab tak faint ho gayi hoti Naina ki tarah."

The siblings' eyes landed on Naina, "Bhai... yeh hai Naina Agarwal. Thodi der pehle hi café ke baahar behosh ho gayi thi. Toh main usse andar le aayi aur humne saath mein khaa liya." She turned her gaze to her new friend, "Naina... Aur yeh hai mere ek laute handsome Bhai... Kabir Sehgal, Sehgal Industries ke CEO, the most eligible bachelor & also he is awarded the best businessman award this year." Preeti kept praising her brother while he kept staring at Naina. And Naina was nervous & also conscious of his gaze.

Preeti pulled a chair & all the three settled on the table. Preeti ordered a round of coffees again along with chocolate pastries this time. Kabir cleared his throat & asked, "Naina... Tum kya karti ho?" She glanced at Preeti once & replied, "Main Ahmedabad University mein MBA kar rahi hun." "Naina... Main hi kab se bole jaa rahi thi. Ab apne baare mein hume kuch batao?", Preeti asked with a smile.

"Main yahaan Jaiprakash Maheshwari ke ghar mein reh rahi hun. Mere Nanaji unke bohot acche friend the." Preeti asked, "The???" Naina lowered her eyes, "Kuch hafte pehle hi unka dehant ho gaya." "Aur parents?", Kabir asked who somehow already knew the answer when he saw her eyes tearing up. "Wohhh... Mere mummy-papa bachpan mein hi guzar gaye the. Mere Nanaji hi tabse meri family the. Aur ab..." She didn't complete the sentence & the atmosphere turned too serious.

Kabir glanced at Preeti & she blinked her eyes, "Aur ab main hun na... Tumhari ek lauti friend." She stood in front of Naina, "Mujhe apni best friend banaogi. Ek minute... How about soul sisters? Mujhe bhi kisika saath mil jaayega bhai ko tang karne ke liye. Toh bolo Naina... Meri best friend cum soul sister banogi???" Naina chuckled watching her winking at her & immediately took her in a warm hug, "Haannn... Best friends forever... Tum nahi jaanti main aaj kitni khush hun."

Kabir smiled seeing the strong bond that was blooming right in front of his eyes & was very happy with it. Once the girls settled down, Kabir asked, "Naina... Tumne kahaa tum Maheshwari ke ghar mein reh rahi ho. You meant Sameer Maheshwari, right?" the handsome face swam right in front of her eyes & her facial expressions changed to gloomy once again & she nodded, "Haaannn... Unhi ke ghar reh rahi hun main. Unke Nanaji bohot acche hai. Bilkul mere Nanaji ki tarah." Kabir & Preeti had noticed the change of topic but didn't comment. They've just met, so it won't look good if they asked a lot of questions.

While having pastries, Preeti asked, "Waise Naina... College shuru hone mein time hai toh tum yahaan itni dhoop mein kya kar rahi thi?" Naina told them about her part-time job hunt while the siblings sat there in awe after hearing everything. Without waiting for a second, Preeti asked, "Naina... Tum chaaho toh mere saath iss café mein kaam kar sakti ho. Waise bhi mujhe help ki zarurat hai. Aur tumne andat aate waqt baahar ad nahi padha kya vacancy ke liye?"

Kabir coughed a little & Naina forwarded the glass of water to him. He drank it quietly waiting for her reply. She thought for a while & answered, "Thik hai... Main yahaan job karne ko taiyaar hun. Batao... Kya kya karna hoga mujhe?" Preeti jumped in happiness & told her, "Tumhe sirf cash counter sambhaalna hai. Actually, Bhai kabhi kabhi help kar dete the pehle par ab wohhh busy hi rehte hai apne business mein." She said pouting a little while Kabir & Naina chuckled.

"Thik hai... Ummmm... Waise mujhe kuch poochna tha?", Naina asked hesitantly. "Main jaanti hun tumhe kya poochna hai Naina. Tum yahi jaanna chahti ho na ki main itne bade businessman ki behen hokar iss chote se café mein kyun kaam rahi hun?" She understood her unasked question & continued, "Yeh café mere papa ka hai. Unhone mere liye open kiya tha yeh. Aur ab jab wohh nahi hai, toh isse chalaana meri zimmedaari hai. Yeh café mere Papa ka sapna tha aur ab main iss sapne ko sahej kar rakh rahi hun."

The atmosphere again turned heavy but this time Naina spoke, "Waise yahaan kaam karne mein bohot mazza aayega jab mil baithenge do yaar." She raised her eyebrows at Preeti & she instantly exclaimed, "Haannnn... Bohot mazza aayega." It was already four in the evening by the time Naina reached home. She was going to join the café from the next day & she was very much happy that finally she had a best friend now.

Nanu was sipping his tea when Naina entered, "Arey Beti... Kahaan thi? Pataa hai mujhe kitni fikar ho rahi thi?" She sat down beside him & narrated about her day. Nanu immediately asked, "Kahin lagi toh nahi na tujhe? Tune subah bhi kuch khaaya nahi tha, aise hi nikal gayi thi tu. Ab se binaa khaaye ghar se nikalna bandh. Aur agar gayi na toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga."

She replied with misty eyes, "Thik hai. Aap mujhe jo chahiye wohh sazaa de dena par filhaal main fresh hokar aati hun." She left towards her room to freshen up. When she was back downstairs, she saw Mundit already sitting with Nanaji. She went to kitchen & brought coffees for them along with some snacks. They smiled genuinely at her & asked if she was fine.

Naina hadn't told Nanu yet that she was joining the café for a part-time job from tomorrow itself. Now after seeing Munna & Pandit there she was a bit skeptical, but she had to do it so she prayed to the Almighty to give her some strength. She started, "Ummm... Nanaji... wohhh... wohhh... Main yeh kehna chaahti hun ki mujhe... mujhe part-time job mil gayi hai." Nanu & Mundit stared at her while she had closed her eyes in fear. Asking for permission & then finally joining a job were two different things altogether.

Nanu asked, "Naina... Beti... Aankhen kholo." She opened her eyes to see three pair of eyes glued to her face. She again opened her mouth & told them how she landed in the café & how the things turned around in her favor & she got the job as well as her first best friend there. Nanu & Mundit were happy that she found a friend but weren't sure about the job.

Munna & Pandit shared a look with Nanu & he asked, "Kya naam bataaya tumne Preeti ke Bhai ka?" Naina answered immediately, "Kabir Sehgal." He thought for a while & then smiled, "Arey... Main unke papa ko acche se jaanta tha, bohot bhale aur nek insaan the. Aur unke hi gunn uske bacchon mein bhi hai. Mila hun main dono se. Aisa karo Naina, kal jab tum unse milogi toh unhe hamare ghar khaane par bulaa lena. Thik hai."

Naina agreed but still asked a little nervously, "Nanaji... Main café mein job toh kar sakti hun na???" He caressed her head lovingly, "Bilkul kar sakti ho Naina. Usme itna darr kyun rahi ho? Maine pehle bhi kahaa hai aur aaj bhi keh rahaa hun ki tum iss ghar ki beti ho." His gaze landed behind her & he spoke loudly, "Tumhe kuch bhi karne ke liye kisi ki permission ki zarurat nahi hai, na meri na Sameer ki. Tum jo chaaho wohh kar sakti ho."

Naina knew Sameer was standing right behind her. He didn't say anything & marched towards his room upstairs. Mundit didn't follow him as they were here to talk with Naina but it wasn't possible to talk in front of Nanu. So, Munna kept Nanu busy in talking with him while Pandit passed a chit to Naina.

She took it quietly & on the pretext of keeping the cups & plates in the kitchen, she moved away with the paper. Once in the kitchen, she read, "Tumse zaruri baat karni hai abhi." She understood that they wanted to speak to her alone. She made up her mind & went out. She smiled at them, "Nanaji... main thodi der mere kamre mein hun, thoda thak gayi hun toh thoda aaram kar leti hun." She blinked at Mundit & left upstairs.

She was pacing around in her room thinking, "Munna aur Pandit ko mujhse kya baat karni hai, jo unhe akele mein milna hai. Zaroor baat Sameer se related hogi, warna wohh dono aise chit na dete." She was pondering over the reason behind for the personal talk, when she heard a slight knock on the door. She instantly opened the door & Mundit walked in quietly without making any noise.

They sat down on the couch & Naina settled on her bed in front of them. "Tum dono ko koi zaruri baat karni thi kya, jo aise akele mein milna tha?" Munna sighed & spoke, "Naina... hum tumse Sameer ke baare mein baat karne aaye hai." She already knew that & waited for them to start. "Main jaanti hun." She lowered her eyes to hide her tears but still the stubborn tears made its way & Mundit knew it was time to speak for what they had come here.

Munna got up from the couch & stood facing the window. He cleared his throat & grabbed her attention, "Sameer jaisa dikhta hai waisa nahi hai Naina. Usne bachpan mein itna kuch dekha hai ki wohh kisi par bharosa hi nahi kar paata, sivaay Nanu aur hamare." He turned & looked straight at her, "Sameer ke parents ne love marriage ki thi. Par shaadi ke baad Vishakha aunty khush nahi thi. Unke pati roz sharaab peekar aate aur unhe maarte. Sameer jab teen saal ka tha, tab se sab dekh raha tha. Ab uss samay kya samaj aata, par dheere dheere usse sab samajhne lagaa."

Pandit continued, "Jab wohh saat saal ka tha tab uske pita ne dono ko ghar se nikaal diya, taaki unki nayi premika ko ghar mein laa sake. Vishakha aunty Sameer ko lekar yahaan aa gayi. Do din baad jab Sameer unke kamre mein khaana dene gaya toh usne unhe pankhe se latka hua dekha." There was silence for a long time while all the three cried silently.

Munna took a deep breath, "Naina... Sameer tab se kisi par bharosa nahi karta. Hume hi pataa hai hamara dost kaise thik hua hai, kaise uss haalat se ubharke baahar aaya hai. Tum dono ke beech jo bhi hua, hume sab pataa hai Naina. Aur tum yeh mat samajhna ki hum Sameer ki harkaton par parda daalne aaye hai. Hum bas yeh bataane aaye the ki wohh aisa kyun hai. Tum suljhi hui ladki ho Naina, toh hum aasha karte hai ki tum usse samjhogi. Sameer ko choti choti baaton pe gussa aa jaata hai aur jab kisi ke baare mein koi raay banaa leta hai toh usse badalna impossible hai. Tum samajh rahi ho na main kya kehna chaah raha hun?"

Naina didn't know what to say anymore. She was deprived of parents herself so she knew how it felt to be an orphan. But luckily for both of them, they had their grandfathers with them who guided them & brought them up. Pandit continued, "Naina... Hum nahi jaante ki Sameer kyun tumhe characterless aur gold digger samajh raha hai. Hum jaante hai ki wohh tumhe galat samajh raha hai aur humne usse samjhane ki koshish bhi ki par wohh kuch sunn hi nahi raha."

"Naina... I'm sure yeh sab jaanne ke baad tum Sameer ko acche se samajh paaogi. Usse sambhaalna mushkil hai Naina. Toh ab bhi waqt hai ki tum iss shaadi se manaa kar sakti ho." This caught her attention & she looked at Munna who was advising her to break the marriage. She saw their teary eyes & then handed them a bottle of water. They took it gladly & drank it.

Naina thought about their talks while Munna & Pandit waited for her reply. She closed her eyes & made her decision. She looked up at them, "Thanks... tum dono ne yeh sab bataa kar meri bohot badi help kar di. Mere parents toh bachpan mein hi guzar gaye the, mujhe toh unki shakal yaad bhi nahi hai. Aur Sameer ne toh yeh sab unke aankhon ke saamne hote hue dekha hai, toh main samaj sakti hun ki unke mann par kya beeti hogi. Bina parents ki life kaisi hoti hai, wohh mujhse behtar kaun samajh sakta hai. Main Sameer ki jagah hoti toh main bhi kisi par vishwas nahi kar paati, toh wohh jo kar rahe hai wohh bilkul galat nahi hai. Unke liye main ek anjaan ladki hun jo achanak se unki zindagi mein aa gayi aur ab biwi banne jaa rahi hun."

She held Munna's hand, "Agar tumhe lagta hai ki main yeh sab jaanne ke baad unhe akela chod dungi aur shaadi se manaa kar dungi toh tum galat soch rahe ho. Pehle maine yeh faisla sirf hamare Nanaji ki vaade ki wajah se liya tha, par ab main meri marzi se Sameer se shaadi karne ko taiyaar hun. Haann... Mujhe bura lagaa tha jab unhone mujhe galat samjha aur ab main uske peeche ki wajah jaanti hun."

She gestured Pandit to keep her hand on theirs & he obliged without a word, "Main tum dono se promise karti hun ki Sameer ko main bharosa karna sikhaungi, unhe pyaar ka matlab samjhaungi. Hum dono ka dard same hai toh uska ilaaj bhi main hi karungi. Bas tum dono hamara saath dena. Doge na???"

They cried happy tears & took her in a hug. Unknown to them, Nanu stood at the door & wiped his tears. He had made the right choice for Sameer & prayed to God to make everything right between them. He entered the room & the trio turned to look at him. He blessed her wholeheartedly, "Naina... Mujhe tum par bohot garv hai. Tumne aaj prove kar diya ki tumse accha jeevan saathi Sameer ko kabhi mil hi nahi sakta tha. Mera aur Jayanti ka aashirwaad hamesha tum dono par rahega. Jab bhi dagmagaogi toh hum sab yahin hain tumhari madad ke liye."

She bent down & touched his feet. Nanu took the trio in a group hug & murmured, "Main jaanta hun tum teeno mere Sameer ko kabhi akela nahi chodoge. Jeete raho bacchon... jeete raho..." Munna & Pandit left the house while Naina joined Ramdhari in the kitchen to prepare for dinner.

Sameer had come home early as he wasn't feeling a little well. When he got back to his room in the evening, he dozed off without even changing his clothes. He was surprised to see his friends at his home but didn't ponder over it much. His eyes felt heavy & he drifted to sleep immediately as he laid back on his bed.

It was already eight in the night while Nanu & Naina waited for Sameer to join for dinner. They waited for ten more minutes & then Ramdhari went to call him. He came back running & informed, "Nanaji... Sameer bhaiya darwaaza nahi khol rahe aur koi jawaab bhi nahi de rahe." Nanu & Naina were alert with that & made their way to his room.

Nanu knocked on the door several times but there was no reply. Naina turned the doorknob & it opened instantly; Sameer hadn't locked the door. The sight that met their eyes wasn't what they were expecting. They saw Sameer sleeping like a child. Nanu sat beside him & tried to wake him & then he kept his hand on his forehead to check his temperature. His head was burning. Nanu immediately looked up at Naina, she came forward & rested her palm on his forehead. She immediately ran to call up the doctor.

The doctor arrived in few minutes & gave him an injection. "Jaiprakash ji Sameer ko maine injection de diya hai. Bas uska khayaal rakhna aur time par davaai dete rahiyega. Teen chaar din mein thik ho jaayega. Jyada kaam aur stress ki wajah se bukhaar aa gaya hoga. Main ab chalta hu. Khayaal rakhiyega."

Naina brought a plate of hot khichdi for Sameer & handed it over to Nanu. He shook Sameer few times to wake him up & he opened his eyes slowly. Nanu & Ramdhari made him sit on the bed & then Nanu fed him the food. Sameer reluctantly ate & then swallowed the medicines unwillingly. He drifted to sleep immediately due to the effect of medications.

Nanu & Naina ate their dinner quite late. After dinner, Nanu retired to his room while Naina went to freshen up. Once she was back, she tiptoed to Sameer's room. She sat next to him & caressed his hair softly. For the first time she allowed herself to touch him as she knew that he won't wake up right now. When she checked his forehead, it was still burning. She quietly went to the kitchen & brought cold water in a bowl with a white cloth.

She kept putting the cold-water cloth on his forehead for an hour & again changed the water. She did it four more times till it was three at night. She checked his forehead & the fever had gone down. She heaved a sigh of relief & sat beside him, taking care of him. He steered in his sleep & started mumbling, "Nahi... nahi... mummy aap... aap mujhe chodkar mat jaaiye... mat jaaiye..."

Naina didn't know what to do but still she took his hand in hers & started rubbing it. She started talking softly, "Sameer... Mummy kahin nahi gayi hai, yahin hai, aapke paas, aapke dil mein. Ssshhhhh... shaant ho jaaiye..." she kept uttering those words again & again till he drifted back to sleep.

She wiped the tears that had made its way from Sameer's eyes & bent down to kiss him on his forehead. She saw his calm face & whispered, "You will be fine Sameer... I'm there with you..."

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With Lots of Love,

Daksha...❤

Sameer is really gonna regret his decision for making those papers. Let's see how naina make him change his decision. And this Kabir sehgal angle seems interesting. Looking forward for naina preeti's friendship and also the kabir angle. Naina is too selfless. Hope sameer can understand that fast or he is gonna regret

Hello friends...

I'm back with the next part...

On occasion of our hero's birthday, I'm giving this update...

I hope you will like it...

Enjoy reading...

FATE TWISTED BY LOVE

CHAPTER 7

Naina didn't know when she dozed off. Nanu came to Sameer's room to check on him but the sight that greeted him brought a smile on his face. He was happy to see that Sameer had slept on Naina's lap while she was sleeping uncomfortably in a sitting position, her head resting on the backrest of the bed, her left hand resting on his arm while the other rested in his hair.

Nanu walked inside the room without making any noise & shook Naina slowly. He knew if Sameer saw her right now in his room that too in this position, he would again call her names. Yesss... he had heard the entire conversation yesterday. He knew that something drastic had transpired between the two & now he knew what exactly had happened. By calling her a gold digger & characterless, Sameer had crossed his lines. Somewhere he doubted his upbringing. He hadn't taught him to misbehave in this way & treat girls recklessly. Now, Nanu understood why she wanted to take up the part-time job. She didn't want to be dependent & rely on him for anything.

Nanu shook her again & called out softly, "Naina... Utho..." She opened her eyes & saw Nanu first. Then she felt something heavy on her lap & her eyes moved towards the source. Her eyes widened when she saw Sameer sleeping on her lap. When did that happen? And when did she fall asleep? She looked at Nanu & mumbled, "Wohhh... wohhh... main raat ko Sameer ka temperature check karne aayi thi. Unka fever kam hi nahi ho raha tha toh maine thandi pattiyaan rakhi unke sar par, bohot der baad unka bukhaar thoda utar gaya. Par pataa nahi, meri aankh kab aur kaise lag gayi."

Nanu smiled hearing her blabbering & spoke in a low voice, "Tum itna kyun samjha rahi ho mujhe? Maine kuch nahi poocha tumse. Waise tum kuch dino mein Sameer ki patni banne ja rahi ho, fir ab toh tumhara poora hakk banta hai uske paas rehne ka." Naina didn't know what to reply to that. He saw Sameer steering a little & Naina too felt him moving. While he moved his head a little in sleep, she got a chance to move away. She held his head without disturbing his slumber while Nanu slowly placed the pillow under his head & Sameer drifted to sleep again.

Naina instantly left & walked back to her room. She directly entered the washroom to have a long shower. She needed some time to ponder over whatever happened since yesterday. She was so wrong to judge Sameer. Even if he had hurt her by calling her names, she was ready to accept him as her husband & take the relationship forward. She knew it was a difficult task but still she was ready to face it head on.

While she was showering, her mind was occupied with a lot of thoughts. "Sameer toh mujhse agreement sign karvaane waale hai aur unhone kahaa tha ki ek saal baad hum divorce le lenge. Main iss ek saal mein meri poori zindagi jee lungi, pataa nahi uske baad kaise rahungi, kya karungi. Inn kuch hi dinon mein mujhe kitna lagaav ho gaya hai iss ghar se, Nanaji se aur..."

She paused & closed her eyes, "Sameer... Aapne mujhe bohot hurt kiya hai aur main jaanti hun aage bhi aap ek bhi mauka nahi chodenge. Aapka bharosa jeetna itna aasaan nahi hoga, par koshish zaroor karungi. Mujhe pataa hai ki yeh sab karne mein main tootungi bhi par haar nahi manungi Sameer. Iss ek saal mein main poori koshish karungi ki shaadi ko nibhaa saku, jaanti hun bohot mushkil hai. Mere Nanaji hamesha mujhse kehte ki shaadi ek bohot pavitra bandhan hai, jiski neev vishwas aur pyaar hota hai. Aur hamare beech toh aisa kuch nahi hai, fir bhi main koshish karungi ki hamare rishtey mein pyaar ho na ho par vishwas zaroor hoga, taaki aap aage chalkar kisi aur par bharosa kar pao, waapis iss shaadi ke bandhan mein bandh pao."

She finished with her bath & got ready for the day. It was still seven in the morning so she headed towards the kitchen to make breakfast. She handed over the plate of poha & coffee to Ramdhari, "Yeh Sameer ko kamre mein de aaiye bhaiya. Unhe fir davaai bhi deni hai." He walked towards Sameer's room with Naina following him. He knocked once & Nanu replied from inside, "Andar aa jao."

Ramdhari entered while Naina stood outside the room away from Sameer's sight. Once done with the breakfast, Nanu made him have his medicines. After a while, Mundit arrived as they were informed by Naina that Sameer wasn't well. They stayed for an hour & left to take over the office in his absence.

After everyone left him alone to rest, his mind drifted to last night. He didn't know when he had dozed off. He had got up late night to find himself sleeping on someone's lap. The warmth that he felt was so comforting that he didn't open his eyes & snuggled more sleeping comfortably. He was sure that it wasn't Nanu. So, was she there in his room? No... that can't be. She would never come here late night.

When he got up in the morning, he had seen the bowl of water & the white cloth on his bedside table. He had sensed that someone had been placing that cold cloth on his forehead last night. Just to clear his misunderstandings, he had asked Nanu hesitantly, "Nanu... Kya aapne der raat yeh thandi pattiyaan rakhi thi mere sar par?" Nanu understood that his grandson wanted to know who did that, so he replied casually, "Kaunsi pattiyaan barkhurdaar? Main toh subah hi aaya tha tere kamre mein. Tere sone ke baad main bhi apne kamre mein chala gaya tha, thak gaya tha aur neend bhi aa rahi thi."

Sameer even asked Ramdhari about it & when he too denied that, he was sure that it was HER who had come to his room & done that. He shuddered when he remembered his cuddling on her lap seeking her warmth. 'God... How can I do that?', he cursed himself. 'And what the hell she was doing here late night?", his mind again questioned. He kept her thoughts away for the time being & rested.

Sameer stayed home for the next three days working from home as Nanu didn't allow him to attend the office. Naina had joined the café & went there every afternoon. Preeti & Naina bonded so well that no one could tell that they had met just few days ago. Kabir who used to visit the café once in a day would come twice a day now. Preeti had seen his growing interest in Naina, but kept mum. She wanted him to realize his feelings first. She was very fond of Naina by now so she didn't mind her brother's interest in her. She decided to stay away from it for nowa & let time have its way between them.

Preeti knew that there was something that was bothering Naina but she didn't want to interfere right now. She wanted Naina to tell her on her own so she didn't pester her much. Naina was enjoying her time in the café with Preeti but whenever Kabir was around, she grew anxious. She was aware of his intense gaze on her many times but just for the sake of Preeti, she kept quiet & didn't confront him.

Just two days before marriage, Sameer got a call from Neel that the papers were ready. He immediately asked him if he could visit his office & deliver the papers in person. Neel agreed & told him that he would come in the evening. Sameer wrapped up all his meetings before Neel visited him. He informed his assistant that he should allow Neel to directly enter his cabin as he was free.

Neel came to Sameer's office by five in the evening & handed over all the agreements. He asked Sameer to go through them once, if he wanted to make any changes. Sameer sat down on his couch along with Neel & read the papers twice. Satisfied with everything that was mentioned in the agreements, he spoke, "Thanks Neel... Main sirf tum par bharosa kar sakta hun inn papers ko lekar. Kisi aur se karaata toh wohh Nanu ko bataa dete. Waise I hope ki tum yeh sab kisise nahi kahoge?"

Neel smiled in return & zipped his lips. "Sameer... All the best. Aur fir kisi kaam mein zarurat ho toh I am just a call away." They hugged each other & both of them left the office together. While going home Sameer's thoughts wandered to the last few days. He hadn't seen Naina around. All the meals were sent to his room directly. Nanu & Ramdhari often came to check on him but he hadn't seen her even once. Even today, he hadn't seen her while having breakfast.

Where was she? Had she forgotten that they were getting married in the next two days? He smiled wickedly after glancing at the file next to him. It was time to meet his to be wife today. When he entered the living room, he saw Nanu sipping his evening tea with the same people with whom he had met just a few days ago for giving his measurements.

"Arey... Sameer... Tu aa gaya. Jaa fresh ho jaa aur isse bhi saath le ja. Pehen kar dekh le fitting barabar hai yaa nahi." He walked to his room with the bag & freshened up, but didn't try the clothes. He came down again in search of her but couldn't find her. Nanu asked, "Kapde thik se ho gaye?" Sameer just shook his head without replying & kept looking around.

Nanu understood & smiled naughtily, "Kise dhoond rahe ho Sameer?" He instantly turned conscious as if caught red handed. "Main... main kisi ko nahi dhoond raha. Wohh... wohh... main Ramdhari ko dekh raha tha, ab tak coffee nahi laaya meri." He shouted, "Ramdhari... Meri coffee laa jaldi." Nanu smiled watching his antics. He knew that Sameer was not aware of Naina's part-time job & he didn't even feel the need to reveal it. He wanted him to see for it himself. Certain things shouldn't be said but should be made to realize & that's what Nanu wanted to happen. He wanted Sameer to realize his mistakes by himself.

Naina came a little late & directly headed to her room to freshen up. In her hurry, she didn't notice Sameer sitting in the living room, waiting for her. He had indirectly asked Ramdhari about Naina's whereabouts & was informed that she was out since afternoon. After freshening up, she came down to have her dinner. She directly entered the kitchen & served herself with two rotis & sabzi. She sat down at the dining table & started eating.

She heard someone clear his throat behind her & she turned in an instant. She already knew who it was before her eyes met his dark brown ones. From the last few days, she had kept herself away from him reluctantly. He wasn't well & she didn't want to bother him more with her presence. But she had kept a watch on him & his health. She prepared the breakfast & lunch before she left for the café. She used to remind Ramdhari Bhaiya to serve him food in his room & Nanu would give the medicines. It was as if all the breath had whooshed out from her lungs when she met his intense gaze.

Sameer stood in front of her motionless as he remembered himself sleeping on her lap & the way she had spent that night with him while he was unwell. He took in her appearance slowly. She had worn a white cotton nightwear. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in that simple outfit. He held her stare & ordered, "Dinner khatam karke mere kamre mein aa jaana, tumse zaroori baat karni hai."

When he turned to leave, he saw Nanu standing just behind him. He came forward & sat beside her, "Naina... Maine tumhare kamre mein shaadi ka joda aur gehne rakh diye hai. Dekh lena sab thik hai yaa nahi." He caressed her head lovingly & retired to his room after bidding goodbye to both the youngsters. Sameer stood there for few moments & left to his room.

Naina had lost her appetite but still finished her meal. She finished her kitchen chores & left to his room directly. On the way, she stood before a mirror to see if she looked good. She tied her hair in a bun & walked towards his room, already knowing why he had called her. She stood outside his room, taking a deep breath & preparing herself mentally, she knocked on the door.

Sameer opened the door & gestured her to enter. She took hesitant steps & walked in. He closed the door & locked it. Naina grew nervous at this while he chuckled, "Iski aadat daal lo tum ab se, do din ke baad se tumhe issi kamre mein rehna hai mere saath." He sat down on the couch & asked her to sit, "Baitho Naina..." Her heart skipped beats when she heard her name from him after a long time.

Naina sat down at the other end of the couch maintaining a great amount of place between them. She fidgeted with the hem of her nightwear which was noticed by Sameer. He could see her nervousness & was satisfied with it. "Naina... Tum jaanti ho maine tumhe yahaan kyun bulaaya hai?" She looked at him meeting his eyes, "Haannn..."

"Good... Toh yeh lo." He handed over the file to her & continued, "Iss file mein prenuptial agreement hai aur uske saath aur do agreements banaaye hai maine." She gave him a confused look & he smiled, "Maine divorce papers bhi abhi banvaa liye hai aur dusre agreement mein maine kuch conditions add kiye hai. Usse acche se padh lena kyunki tumhe iss ek saal ki shaadi mein wohhh nibhaane honge."

Naina didn't know how to react but still she asked, "Aap hi bataa dijiye wohh conditions kya hai." Sameer smiled wickedly, "Jaisa tum kaho. Dekho Naina... hum dono yeh shaadi sirf Nanu ke liye kar rahe hain, unka vaada poora kar rahe hai. Warna main tum jaisi ladki se kabhi shaadi nahi karta. Well forget that. Let's get to the points directly. Main tumhe sab agreements samjha deta hun. Acche se sunn lena."

Naina's eyes had misted hearing his taunt & she composed herself. She didn't want him to see her tears, she didn't want to appear weak in front of him. Mustering up some strength, she spoke, "Kahiye... Main sunn rahi hun." Sameer turned fully in front of her, "Prenuptial agreement mein yahi likha hai ki divorce ke baad tumhe meri property aur mere business mein se koi share nahi milega. Divorce ke baad tum meri kisi cheez par apna hakk nahi jama paaogi Naina. You won't get any monetary benefits after the divorce."

She nodded already knowing about it. He continued, his eyes holding her gaze, "Maine divorce papers abhi isliye banva liye taaki tumhe koi aas, koi ummeed na rahe hamari shaadi se. Jaise hi shaadi ka ek saal complete hoga, tum apne raaste aur main apne. Hum dono yeh papers abhi sign karenge taaki main ek saal baad isse court mein submit kar sakun."

Naina again nodded, she hadn't expected this now. But she knew this would happen someday, it was just that she wasn't mentally prepared for this. Keeping her emotions in check, she asked, "Aur teesra agreement?" Sameer was trying to gauge her expressions but couldn't see through her. She had maintained a stoic face, hiding her emotions very well which were unreadable by him.

Without wasting time, he continued, "Teesre agreement banaane ka bohot important reason hai. Jaanna chaahogi Naina?" Did she have a choice? She nodded, "Boliye..." "Tumhe toh yaad hi hoga naa ki tumne mujhe thappad maara tha aur tumne mujhse, The Sameer Maheshwari se shaadi karne ko manaa kiya tha. Mujhse shaadi karne ke liye yahaan ladkiyon ki line lagi padi hai aur tum... tumne mujhse shaadi karne se manaa kiya? Ab iski sazaa toh milegi hi na?"

Naina's gaze didn't waver from him & she sat there in all her calmness. Even if there was a storm building in the pitch of her stomach, she remained unfazed. Looking at her peaceful face with no reactions, Sameer continued, "Sabse pehla condition yeh hai ki tum hamari shaadi ki baat kisi ko bhi nahi bataaogi. Hum sirf iss ghar mein husband-wife honge, sirf Nanu ko dikhane ke liye, baahar nahi. We will be strangers outside. Samjhi???"

There was nothing new in this, she had known this beforehand only. She waited to hear the next conditions & she nodded yet again, "Haannn... Samajh gayi." "Second condition yeh hai ki we won't consummate our marriage. I don't want ki ek saal ke baad iss rishtey se koi baccha ho. Jab shaadi tootni hi hai toh mujhe iski zarurat nahi lagti. Tum mujhse durr rahogi." Naina sat speechless after hearing this, even she wouldn't have done that. But still, it hurt her.

Maintaining her calmness, she agreed, "Thik hai." "Teesra condition yeh hai ki tum mera har chote se chota kaam karogi, jaise ek biwi karti hai. Mere khaane se lekar, mere kapde, mere room ki saaf safaai, sab tumhe hi karna hoga." She looked confused, "Main yeh sab waise bhi karti toh yeh condition kyun add kiya?" Sameer smiled sweetly at her, "Arey poora sunn toh lo. Isme yeh bhi likha hai ki tumhe mere saath har pal rehna hoga, meri assistant bann kar. Office wali nahi huh. Main wohh risk nahi lunga. Jab bhi main kahin outstation meeting ke liye jaaunga toh tumhe mere saath aana hoga. Do you get that? Kyunki mujhe pataa hai ki yahaan rehkar tum Nanu ko apne jhaanse mein fasaa kar, kuch na kuch jaaydaad apne naam karva logi. Jo main kabhi nahi hone dunga. Isliye maine yeh include kiya. Ab meri biwi itna toh kar sakti hai na mere liye?"

Naina didn't know what to say anymore & nodded again. "Thik hai." "I'm impressed Naina... Tumne kisi bhi conditions ko counter question nahi kiya. Good... It's good for you. Ab ek aakhri condition, divorce ke baad tum mujhse, Nanu se yaa Munna-Pandit se koi rishta nahi rakhogi. Koi contact nahi hoga tumhara hamare saath. You will be a total stranger after the divorce materializes."

He stood up & asked, "Bolo... yeh sab manzoor hai tumhe?" She got up too & stood just a foot away from him. Her eyes held his stare, "Laaiye... main sab agreements sign kar deti hun." Sameer's chest burnt somewhere seeing her agree to everything that he had asked for. He had thought that she would reject it outright. But here she was standing in front of him maintaining her self-respect. She seemed unaffected which pricked his heart. He himself didn't know why he didn't like her easy acceptance of everything.

When she saw that Sameer was staring at her & not moving, she herself picked up the file & asked loudly breaking his trance, "Pen please." He got the pen from the bedside table & handed it over to her. Taking a deep breath, she signed the papers. Tears had clouded her eyes but she blinked them away harshly. She couldn't show him her weakness. She would never cry & give satisfaction to him, even if her heart was breaking.

"Tum ek baar sign karne se pehle padh toh lo Naina.", he said looking at her. She met his gaze confidently, "Main aap par itna bharosa toh karti hun ki mujhe inn papers ko padhne ki zarurat nahi lagi. Waise bhi mujhe aapke har conditions manzoor hai toh padhkar kya badalne waala hai."

She handed over the file to Sameer after signing each & every page without even reading a single word & just trusting him by his words. Her hands trembled when he took the file from her. Without uttering a word, she left his room, her head held high. She knew what she was getting into. She was the one who was going to be heartbroken by the end of the marriage. This Sameer Maheshwari was going to ruin her for all the lifetimes.

The minute she closed the door to her room, she sat down & allowed the tears to finally flow. She had signed her destiny of broken marriage herself. Can she blame anyone? Yesss... She blamed only her destiny for this. She was destined to be alone. She had no one to love. She closed her eyes & something flashed in her mind.

She remembered her words that she had spoken to her Nanaji, "Main aapko chodkar kahin nahi jaaungi Nanaji. Agar kisiko mujhse shaadi karni hogi toh usse ghar jamai banna padega, kyunki main aapko kabhi akela nahi chodungi. Iss zamaane mein koi ghar jamaai toh banega nahi, toh meri shaadi kabhi nahi hogi. Iska yeh matlab hai ki main hamesha aapke saath rahungi."

She cried, "Nanaji... Aap hi mujhe pehle chodkar chale gaye. Aur ab jab shaadi ho bhi rahi hai toh wohh shuru hone se pehle hi khatam hone ke liye. Meri shaadi ki toh expiry date bhi hai Nanaji. Kisine aisi shaadi nahi dekhi hogi. Divorce aksar shaadi mein pati-patni ki anban ki wajah se hota hai, par meri shaadi hone se pehle hi maine unn divorce papers par sign kar di hai. Aisa kabhi hua nahi hoga aajtak. Meri zindagi mein aage kya honewala hai yeh mujhe nahi pataa. Haannn... par itna pataa hai ki main kabhi aapki parvarish par ungli nahi uthne dungi Nanaji. Main iss shaadi ko acche se nibhaungi. Ek patni ka har farz hamesha nibhaungi, marte dum tak."

She got up & walked to her bed where she found the bridal wear & jewelry that Nanu was talking about. She didn't have any strength to try it now. She put it away in her cupboard without even seeing what contained in those packages. She switched out the lights & laid down on her bed trying to sleep.

After Naina left, Sameer stood at the same place for almost five minutes. It was the shrill ring of his phone that broke his stupor. He picked up Neel's call & spoke to him, informing him that Naina has already signed the agreements. Neel went silent on the call hearing it & then spoke a little hesitantly, "That sounds good. Ummmm... I think you need to rethink about her seriously. Even without meeting her, I can say she isn't what you're assuming her to be. Her actions are speaking volumes Sameer. Just think about it."

Sameer didn't let Neel's opinions change his mind but he was already on edge now. How could he have two opposite thoughts for the same person? His heart & mind were at war. But eventually his mind won & silenced his heart. He kept the file away in the locker, so that no one could see it. He tried sleeping but couldn't. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw her hazel brown orbs shining at him. He got up with a huff & moved towards the window.

He saw someone's silhouette in the garden. He squinted his eyes to see who it was. The girl's whose eyes weren't allowing him to sleep was sitting on the grass. He slowly moved out of his room & tiptoed to garden. Naina was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize his presence. He sat beside her & gazed at the sky.

It was when he asked her why she was there late night, she came back to reality. She couldn't lie to him, so replied truthfully, "Neend nahi aa rahi thi aur kamre mein ghutan ho rahi thi, toh yahaan aa gayi, khuli hawa mein, inn sitaaron ke beech.", she said while pointing towards the sky. He kept looking at her face for a while & then hummed in response.

Both of them sat there for an hour in silence lost in their own world. No one initiated any talks. Naina was the first one to get back to her room. Sameer followed her after a while. Even if they were silent for the entire hour, they were aware of each other. Naina didn't speak as she knew that she couldn't share anything with him & the same went for Sameer too. But what surprised him more that he found her presence & silence soothing to his heart. That had never happened with him. He regarded her as gold-digger & characterless, yet he found her presence comforting his heart. What was going on with him, he himself didn't understand.

They slept late that night thinking about each other. The next day went fast for both of them. Sameer kept busy the whole day completing his important work & meetings so that he could keep the next day free for himself. Naina informed Preeti that she would not come the next day as she had to attend someone's wedding. That day she left early too, as Nanu had called a girl to apply mehendi on her hands.

The girl drew intrinsic design on both her hands & legs. She wanted to keep it minimal as she didn't want to draw Preeti's attention. But the girl didn't listen to her & followed Nanu's instruction. By the time the mehendi was done, Nanu fed her dinner & she was sent to her room to rest.

Sameer came home late that night & skipped the dinner. It was Nanu who served a plate of food for him & went to his room. He kept the plate at the bedside table when Sameer came out after freshening up. "Nanu... Mujhe aise bhi bhook nahi hai. Aap khaana kyun laaye?" Nanu smiled in return & made him sit beside him, "Bhookhe pet nahi sote Sameer. Thoda sa khaa le." Nanu himself fed him & Sameer hugged him tightly getting emotional.

"Barkhurdaar... Tu aise ro raha hai jaise kal shaadi ke baad tujhe yeh ghar chodkar jaana hai. Beta... Tu Dulhan nahi hai..." Nanu laughed out loudly after seeing his grandson's comical expressions. Naina stood outside his room & saw the scene with teary eyes. Her life was going to change drastically from the next day. She missed her Nanaji a lot.

Nanu saw her standing outside & called her out, "Naina... wahaan baahar kyun khadi hai? Andar aa ja." She didn't come in & left to her room. Nanu found it a little strange & left to meet her. She sat on her bed looking at her grandfather's photo & cried silently. He walked in her room & caressed her head. "Apne Nanaji ko miss kar rahi hai na? Main bhi bohot miss kar raha hun. Kaash wohh aaj hota tujhe Dulhan bante huye aur teri shaadi hote hue dekhne ke liye. Kal hamara kiya hua waada poora bhi ho jaayega. Kaash wohh hota yeh sab apni aankhon ke saamne dekhne ke liye..."

Nanu'e eyes misted & Naina sobbed loudly hugging Nanu. He cried remembering his friend while Naina too cried for the same reason but there were tears for something else too. Those tears were for her broken dreams, her broken life & her broken heart. Sameer stood at the entrance watching the other two with a heavy heart. His emotions were betraying him. He wanted to be strong but that looked like a struggle now. A struggle between his heart & mind who were having different set of opinions for the girl who was crying heartily right in front of his eyes. He went away to his room & opened the locker & read the agreements again. That did it. He was back to his ruthless attitude remembering her slap & her denial to marry him.

The next day everyone woke up early as the couple had to go to the court for registering their marriage & then to the temple to marry in front of the deity & the sacred fire. Both the bride & groom got ready in their rooms. Sameer reached the living room first where Nanu, Munna, Pandit & Mr Purohit were waiting. He joined them & after few minutes Naina too descended the stairs.

Everyone's gazes landed on her & she turned conscious. She had never worn a heavy silk saree before. She went to Nanu directly & took his blessings. He took the couple towards the small temple in their house & did a small aarti. It was time to leave to the court & they left the house.

Nanu & Mr Purohit drove in one car while Mundit accompanied Sameer & Naina in his car. Sameer stole some glances of her. She looked stunning in the red silk saree. Her hair were done in a braid & few small jasmine garlands (gajras) were pinned to her hair & the fragrance was intoxicating. The small golden necklace with matching golden earrings completed her look. There was no make-up on her face except for the kajal & light lip gloss. What caught his attention was the mehendi on her hands & the color had deepened to dark brown. The red & golden bangles matched her outfit. Munna & Pandit coughed together to disturb their friend's lingering gaze on his beautiful to be wife.

Sameer immediately looked away in embarrassment. Naina was very much aware of his stare. She too had checked him out at home while they stood offering their prayers in front of the deity. He looked like a movie star who looked handsome in the cream-colored simple kurta with delicate golden work on the neckline which was paired with a same color churidaar.

There was a different glow on the couples' face when they reached the court. Munshiji joined them there. Everyone waited till their names were called & they stood in front of the sub-registrar. He asked them if they were ready to sign. First Sameer signed the document & Naina followed after him. Nanaji & Munshiji signed as witnesses from Sameer's side while Munna & Pandit signed from Naina's side. The sub-registrar signed the document & sealed it with a stamp.

That stamp made Naina gasp as now she was officially Sameer's wife. The sub-registrar congratulated them & then everyone hurled their congratulations by hugging them with teary eyes. When they left the court, their minds & hearts were full of different set of emotions.

They reached the temple next where Panditji was already waiting for them. Nanaji handed over the prenuptial chain (mangalsutra) to Panditji who kept it on a decorated plate which also included a small box of vermillion (sindoor).

Sameer & Naina sat down next to each other in front of the holy fire after exchanging the flower garlands (varmala). Their hearts thudding as fast as it could. Naina wasn't looking at anyone while Sameer looked at each & every smiling face there. Panditji started reciting the chants. The couple walked seven rounds (pheras) around the sacred fire while Panditji made them aware of the promises that they had to keep in their marriage with every round. The moment Sameer put the mangalsutra around her neck, her eyes misted & when he filled her hairline with the sindoor, some of it fell on her nose. She closed her eyes & a single tear escape her eye.

Sameer saw that & his hand on his accord wiped it away. She immediately opened her eyes feeling his touch on her cheek. Their eyes met & this time it was different. The surreal atmosphere around them had created some magic & they forgot everything. They sat there holding each other's loving gaze.

"Vivaah sampan hua...", exclaimed Panditji & their magical spell broke, bringing them to reality. They took blessings from Panditji & then Nanu & Munshiji too. Mundit hugged them which surprised Sameer that they really hugged her. Both his friends congratulated her, "Welcome to the family Bhabhi..." Sameer stood stunned hearing that while the others seemed happy.

After taking God's blessing & offering their prayers, they left towards home. Naina entered the house after pushing the rice filled pot with her right foot. Ramdhari then brought a wide vessel filled with vermillion water & Naina dipped her feet in it & then walked inside the house. She couldn't understand what she was feeling right now.

Nanu led her to Sameer's room & spoke softly, "Aaj se tum iss ghar ki bahu ho, Sameer ki biwi, toh aaj se tumhe yahin rehna hai. Ramdhari ne tumhara saaman shift kar diya hai. Naina... Main jaanta hun tumhare dil mein aaj bohot kuch chal raha hoga. Main bas itna keh sakta hun ki jo bhi karna dil se karna beti. Tum mere Sameer ke liye ek perfect life partner ho. Bas iss rishtey ko thoda waqt dena, sab thik ho jaayega." He blessed her wholeheartedly & opened the door for her.

Naina too hesitant steps & entered her new room. She was looking around when again the door opened & Sameer walked in. She lowered her eyes & then she heard the most huskiest voice, "Welcome to our room, Mrs Naina Sameer Maheshwari..."

How was the update?

Do vote, comment & share if you like the story...

Ignore the mistakes...

With Lots of Love,

Daksha...❤

Wow an early update. Chalk finally shadi Ho Gaye. But that Buddhu sameer didn't changed a bit. I m feeling bad for naina what is she gonna suffer. Let's see

Loved the whole update so sad for naina she is ready for everything why he is so stubborn to understand her yes nanu was right that certain things should be realized by his own way and i like preena bonding here like the show I'm eagerly waiting for next

Originally posted by: Dharapriya

Wow an early update. Chalk finally shadi Ho Gaye. But that Buddhu sameer didn't changed a bit. I m feeling bad for naina what is she gonna suffer. Let's see

Haannn... Shaadi toh ho gayi ab dekhte hai aage kya kya hota hai. 😜

I'm updating the next part in few minutes...

Keep reading & take care...❤

Originally posted by: Shanayayudkbh90

Loved the whole update so sad for naina she is ready for everything why he is so stubborn to understand her yes nanu was right that certain things should be realized by his own way and i like preena bonding here like the show I'm eagerly waiting for next

Thank you do much dear...❤

Yess Sameer is acting stubborn but lets see what happens after they start staying together in the same room.😜

I'm updating the next part in few minutes.

Keep reading & take care...❤

Hello friends...

I'm back with the next part...

Enjoy reading...

FATE TWISTED BY LOVE

CHAPTER 8

"Welcome to our room, Mrs Naina Sameer Maheshwari...", Naina looked up instantly & met his penetrating gaze. He took deliberate steps towards her while she moved backwards till, she hit the wall. He smirked & entered her personal space, "Maanna padega Naina. Aaj tum bilkul meri biwi lag rahi ho. Waise..." He touched her necklace & then looked straight in her eyes, "Kaisa lag raha hai itne mehenge gehne pehen kar? Aur yeh saree bhi kaafi mehengi lagti hai, pure silk hai na?"

Naina stood frozen hearing his indirect taunts & just lowered her eyes, trying to maintain the calmness. He leaned a little & whispered, "Bolo na. Kaisa lag raha hai? Pehle kabhi itne mehenge kapde aur gehne pehenne nahi mile honge na?" Composing herself, she met his stare head on & answered confidently, "Nahi... Maine kabhi itne mehenge kapde aur gehne nahi pehne aaj tak. Maine bhale hi hamesha se simple kapde pehne ho, par usme kabhi mera dumm nahi ghuta tha, jaise aaj ghut raha hai inn mehengi cheezon mein. Mere Nanaji jo bhi laate the mere liye, uss mein dher saara pyaar hota tha. Par aaj inn mehenge gehne aur saree mein mujhe wohh pyaar zara bhi mehsoos nahi ho raha hai. Farak hai dono mein Mr Sameer Maheshwari."

He stood shocked hearing her reply while she moved away without touching him. She stopped right next to where her luggage was placed & took the change of clothes to the washroom to freshen up. Sameer hadn't expected her to reply back but the words pricked his heart yet again. What was this girl? How could she just say that?

When Naina came out, he saw her dressed in a simple pink kurta which was paired with cream-colored leggings. His eyes roamed over her while she folded & packed the saree in the bag. She stood in front of the mirror & removed the jewelry one by one. Sameer's gaze followed her each & every movement. She kept the necklace, earrings & the gold bangles in the box. The only jewelry that remained on her was the mangalsutra. She wore a single red bangle in both her hands & small diamond earrings she used to wear before, adorned her ears. She kept the saree bag in the upper shelf of the wardrobe & placed the jewelry box on the bedside table.

She cleared her throat while turning to him, "Aap inhe locker mein rakh dijiyega. Mujhe ab inki zarurat nahi hai." Saying that, she walked out of the room. He sat down on the bed like a statue for few more minutes when suddenly he heard a knock on the door. Before he could reply, the door opened & his friends walked in.

"Sameer... Tune ab tak kapde change nahi kiye? Bhabhi toh unke pehle waale avatar mein hi neeche aa gayi. Thodi der aur saree mein rehti toh accha hota. Bohot pyaari lag rahi thi saree mein aaj. Par khair thik hai, unhe kahaan bahaar jaana hai waise bhi.", Pandit kept on ranting. Munna was observing Sameer while he was lost somewhere.

Munna swayed his hands in front of his eyes to get his attention. "Sameer... Kaunsi gehri soch mein hai Bhai? Waise mujhe tujhse kuch important poochna tha." He stared at Munna & without waiting for his reply, Munna asked, "Tune Bhabhi se agreements sign karva liye?" Pandit too waited to hear the reply now.

Sameer stood up & walked to the washroom to change & freshen up, ignoring Munna's question altogether. Mundit exchanged glances once the door of the washroom closed with a loud thud. They smirked as they already got the answer. Sameer's silence had answered them. Mundit didn't wait in his room & headed downstairs where Naina was preparing snacks & coffee for everyone.

When Naina reached downstairs, Nanu frowned looking at her, "Naina... Yeh kya hai? Tumne saree aur saare gehne kyun utaar diye? Aaj ke din toh pehen kar rakhti. Nayi naveli Dulhan ko poore shringaar mein rehna chahiye shaadi ke kuch din baad bhi. Aur tum toh ek hi din mein apne pehle waale roop mein chali aayi."

Naina sat next to him & smiled fondly at him, "Nanaji... Mujhe bhaari bharkam kapde aur gehno ki aadat nahi hai. Main zara bhi comfortable nahi hun unn sab mein. Toh please main aise hi rehna chaahti hun, jaise main pehle rehti thi." Nanu could see through the efforts she was taking to keep her composure, so he just caressed her head, "Thik hai... Jaisa tumhe thik lage Naina. Main toh issi baat se khush hun ki tu ab se mere Sameer ki biwi hai."

Munna & Pandit had heard the entire conversation & they knew the reason behind this sudden change had to be their very own friend. So, they had gone to meet him & found him lost in his thoughts in his room. They were happy that Naina was married to him as they could see some changes in Sameer already. When Sameer didn't answer Munna's question, they were sure that Naina had already signed those agreements which would've have hurt their friend's ego. They knew him enough to understand his silence too.

After changing into white t-shirt & black track pants, Sameer joined his friends & Nanu in the living room for coffee. He drank the first sip & groaned in pleasure. No one reacted as everyone knew that he was addicted to Naina's coffee by now. Sometimes when Ramdhari made coffee for him during evenings, he would shout & asked him to make it again. Naina also knew this as her Ramdhari bhaiya would keep grumbling about it all the time.

After finishing with the evening coffee time, Mundit were about to leave, when Nanu stopped them, "Arey Rahu-Ketu, kahaan chal diye? Aaj tumhare bhai ki shaadi hui hai toh dinner yahi karke jaana." He turned to her, "Naina... Aaj dinner mein kuch meetha banaa dena. Kya hua agar humne shaadi dhoom dhaam se nahi ki, par yeh choti choti khushiyaan toh manaa hi sakte hai na?" She smiled brightly at him & agreed, "Jii Nanaji... Aap fikar mat kijiye. Main raat ke khaane ke saath saath halwa banaa dungi."

She sat with them for some more time & then returned to the kitchen for preparing dinner. With the help of Ramdhari, she cooked a wide range of dishes. Mundit & Nanu ate the dinner heartily while even Sameer too relished it to his heart's content, but didn't voice it out like others. Naina had already expected his silence over the dinner.

Though Mundit kept up with their banters & teased Sameer quite a few times, what shocked the couple most was Nanu's sudden question, "Shaadi toh ho gayi, ab tum dono honeymoon ke liye kab jaaoge?" Sameer coughed while his friends sniggered at his reaction, Naina placed a glass of water in front of her husband who was still coughing & then continued eating her meal quietly.

After coming out of his coughing fit, Sameer replied, "Nanu... abhi kahin nahi jaa sakte. Bohot important projects ke presentations banaani hai, bohot kaam hai. Hum thode time baad chale jaayenge." "Arey Sameer... kaam toh hota rahega. Aur yeh Rahu-Ketu hai na, sab sambhaal lenge office mein. Kyun? Sambhaal loge naa?", he asked turning towards Mundit.

"Arey Nanu... Aap bilkul fikar mat kijiye, hum sab sambhaal lenge.", Munna answered & Pandit continued looking at Sameer & said dramatically, "Jaa... Sameer jaa... Jee le apna honeymoon. Baaki hum sab sambhaal lenge mere bhai..." Everyone burst into fits of laughter other than the couple. Her lips had curved upside a little but she didn't dare to smile which was noticed by him.

Naina saw her husband losing the battle with his Nanu & friends, so she intervened, "Nanaji... Sameer sahi keh rahe hai, hum baad mein chale jaayenge. Abhi unko bhi kaam hai aur meri bhi college thode dinon mein shuru ho rahi hai. Aur maine just abhi job karna shuru kiya hai, abhi se chutti leni lagungi toh accha nahi lagega na. Isliye abhi ke liye yeh honeymoon rehne dete hai, fir kabhi chale jaayenge hum."

Sameer sat there dumbstruck after hearing her replies. Job? What job? When did she join? Why didn't she tell him? He was her husband now, so she had to inform him at least. He knew that she was doing her MBA from the Ahmedabad University, but he had no idea about any job. Before Sameer could open his mouth to question her, Nanu spoke, "Thik hai. Jaisa tum dono chaaho." After the lavish dinner, Mundit left towards their homes & Nanu retired to his room.

Sameer too left upstairs to his room whereas Naina went back to the kitchen to finish the chores, but Ramdhari didn't allow her to do the dishes. "Bhabhi... Aaj hi toh shaadi hui hai, aur aap kahaan yeh sab kaam karne aa gayi. Jab tak aapke haathon se mehendi ka rang nahi utar jaata, aap yeh sab kaam nahi karengi. Main hoon na, main sab kar lunga. Aap jaaiye... Sameer bhaiyaa aapka intezaar kar rahe honge. Thodi bhi der ki naa aapne toh class bhi meri hi lagegi."

Naina didn't argue with him & bid him goodnight. She walked nervously to her new room. When she entered, she found the room empty. Without pondering much, she went to her old room & brought a pillow & a quilt. She freshened up fast & then settled on the couch. She even turned the main lights off & just kept the bedside table lamp on. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She didn't have much energy left in her to face her husband right now.

After dinner, Sameer went to the study room instead of his room to calm down his anger. He stood near the window & looked at the full moon. His heart & mind calmed down a little, but still his heart ached. His thoughts were full of his wife, "Yeh ladki mujhe zara bhi samaj nahi aati. Pehle usne bina kisi shart ke sab agreements sign kar diye, fir aaj usne ghar aate hi saree aur sab gehne utaar diye. Chalo utaar bhi diye par fir mujhe kyun de diye? Wohh khud rakh sakti thi na?"

Then he remembered her words, "Inn mehenge gehne aur saree mein mujhe wohh pyaar zara bhi mehsoos nahi ho raha hai, ghutan ho rahi hai." Her words had hurt him. But why? Why was he getting affected by her? Why was her easy acceptance pricking him? Was he wrong in judging her intentions?

His heart wanted to believe that he had wronged her but his mind wasn't allowing him to accept that. It was more than an hour when he returned to his room to find her wife sleeping on the couch. Again, he felt a prick in his heart watching her sleeping away from the bed. The girl was really following his each & every condition. Somewhere, he was happy with that but yet his heart pained a little. Why was he getting affected? This was what he wanted her to do & she was doing exactly that, then why the pain?

Sameer watched her sleeping uncomfortably on the couch. He was sure if she turned even a bit, she would trip from the couch. He took slow steps towards her & stared at her closely. Her face was glowing under the low lighting in his room. His lips automatically curled upwards watching her calm face. She had a soothing effect on him which he could feel whenever he was around her.

He wanted to wake her up & ask her to sleep on the bed, but his mind opposed the idea. He was about to turn around, when he heard her mumbling. He couldn't understand anything what she was saying so he bent down to hear her clearly. He still couldn't comprehend her words. He leaned more towards her & his hand on its own accord moved to tuck her hair behind her ear which was somewhere blocking his view.

As if Naina felt his touch on her ear even in her sleep, she opened her eyes instantly to meet the dark chocolaty ones. He stumbled behind & she got up with a start. "Aap... aap... Kya kar rahe the?" He maintained a blank face & spoke, "Tumhe neend mein badbada ne ki aadat hai kya? Tum kuch bol rahi thi neend mein, main bas usse sunne ki koshish kar raha tha. Aur... aur... Kuch nahi...", he stuttered a bit & turned towards his bed.

Closing his eyes, he composed his raging heartbeats. What the hell was he doing? She too closed her eyes, his touch still lingering on her mind & heart, her heartbeats racing thunderously. He walked to the bedside table to drink water, only to find that the jug was empty. Naina saw this & got up immediately. She had opened the door, when Sameer asked, "Kahaan jaa rahi ho tum iss waqt?" Without turning to him, she replied, "Wohhh... Main paani lene jaa rahi thi."

She brought another jug full of water & placed it on the table. She was about to move to the couch, when he held her hand. The mere touch made them shudder but no one spoke for a while. "Kya maine tumhe couch par sone ko kaha tha Naina? Toh wahaan kyun sone jaa rahi ho?" She turned facing him, "Yeh shaadi humne sirf Nanaji ke liye ki hai. Aur aapne hi toh kahaa tha ki hamare beech pati-patni ka rishta nahi hoga. Toh fir main kaise aapke saath iss bed par so sakti hun? Yeh hakk uska hai jisse aap poore dil se apni biwi banayenge, jo main nahi hun. Hum sirf papers pe married hai. Aapke saath iss bed par sone ka mera koi hakk hai hi nahi."

She turned again as she was losing the battle with herself & she didn't want him to see her pain. Sameer didn't leave her hand & moved closer to her. "Paper par hi sahi, par tum meri wife ho. Waise shaadi se pehle bhi toh tum mere saath iss kamre mein poori raat rahi ho, aur jahaan tak mujhe yaad hai, tum couch par toh nahi soyi thi tab. Kyun?"

Naina shuddered reminiscing that night. She didn't dare to turn but Sameer pulled her & her back crashed onto his chest. He whispered, "Tumhe kya lagaa Naina ki uss raat mein itni neend mein tha ki mujhe pataa nahi chalta ki tum mere kamre mein thi. Wohh pattiyaan tumne lagaai thi na? Aur main tumhari god mein soya tha, hai na? Mujhe sab yaad hai Mrs Naina Sameer Maheshwari."

She shivered in his arms hearing the intensity in his voice. He left her hand & wrapped his arms around her. He was satisfied when he felt her shiver with this proximity. "Tab tumhe mere bed pe sone ko problem nahi hua. Aur ab toh hamari shaadi ho gayi hai, tab tumhe bed par nahi sona? Ajeeb baat hai." Naina didn't know what to answer to that.

Before she could think of moving, he turned her in his arms. "Waise dekha jaaye toh aaj hamari suhaagraat hai Mrs Maheshwari. Toh tumhe kaayde se mere saath sona chahiye." She looked straight in his eyes & smiled, "Aap aapke banaaye hue agreements bhool rahe hai Mr Sameer Maheshwari." She pushed him & moved out of his arms maintaining safe distance between them.

"Par main bhooli nahi hun kuch bhi. Toh behtar hoga ki aap yeh pati banne ka hakk mujhpe na aazmaaye. Uss raat main aapke kamre mein sirf aapka temperature check karne aayi thi. Aapka bukhaar badh gaya tha, isliye maine wohh pattiyaan ki. Mujhe nahi pataa kab meri aankh lag gayi aur main wahin so gayi. Jab Nanaji subah aaye tab maine aapko meri god mein sote hue dekha. Maine kuch bhi jaan bujhkar nahi kiya tha."

She lowered her eyes unable to meet his intense gaze. "Thik hai. Maan liya maine. Jo bhi hua uss raat sab anjaane mein hua. Par ab toh main tumhara legally wedded husband hun. Toh mujhse tumne job waali baat kyun chupaayi?" He asked her finally what he wanted to know. "Main kuch dino se hi job par jaa rahi hun. Aap bimaar the pehle aur fir office mein busy rehte the, isliye bataane ka mauka nahi mila. Waise bhi aapko kyun farak padd raha hai meri job se?"

He took a step ahead, "Agar tum bhool rahi ho toh main tumhe yaad dilaa deta hun ki ab tum meri biwi ho. Toh tumhara farz banta hai apne pati ko sab bataane ka. Aur main nahi chaahta ki meri biwi ko koi aise kaam karte hue dekhe. Log kya sochenge mere baare mein?" She chuckled, "Aap ek baar agreements waapis padh lijiye Sameer. Hum sirf iss ghar mein Nanaji ke saamne husband-wife hai, poori duniya ke saamne hum sirf strangers honge. Aap khud hi apni banaayi hui condition bhool rahe hai. Toh main baahar kya job karti hun isse aapko koi lena dena nahi hona chahiye."

He stared at her with amusement. Yesss... He remembered his conditions but he wasn't sure if she would follow it. But now, when she had spoken it out in the open, he was amused. The wall clock chimed which broke their stare. "So jaaiye Sameer... Subah jaldi uthna hai. Goodnight." She turned & went back to the couch to sleep. He stood there still in a trance after hearing her remind his conditions. Both of them couldn't sleep a wink the whole night. Both were aware of the other's presence in the same room. They themselves didn't know after how long they drifted to sleep.

The alarm clock rang loudly breaking their slumber. It was still seven in the morning, so Sameer turned the alarm off & went back to sleep whereas Naina got up to get ready for the day. She took her clothes from the luggage & entered the washroom. After forty minutes, she came out to see Sameer still sleeping comfortably. She took a good look of her husband & allowed herself to take in his handsome features.

He moved in his sleep which made Naina to turn away abruptly towards the mirror. She dried her hair & left it open. She got ready in the next five minutes & headed downstairs. Nanu as always was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. She went to the temple directly & did a small aarti. She was about to enter the kitchen when Nanu asked, "Naina... Sameer uth gaya kya? Usse aaj jaldi jaana hai office, koi important client meeting hai."

"Mai abhi uthaakar aati hun Nanaji.", she ran back to her new room to wake up her husband. When she opened the door, she saw him still deep in slumber. She didn't have heart to disturb his sleep, but it was important to wake him up or else he would be late for his meeting. She hesitantly walked to his side, "Sa... Sameer..." she called him softly but he didn't budge. She touched his arm & shook him a little but still he didn't move.

She saw something on the bedside table & smiled. She came out of her room & stood outside. Exactly after two minutes, the alarm started ringing. Inside the room, Sameer woke up with a jerk after hearing the alarm that was kept right next to his ear. He switched off the alarm & saw the time. He rushed to the washroom & got ready in a jiffy. Naina left smiling when she heard the washroom door close with a thud.

At the dining table, Sameer joined Nanu while Naina served them breakfast. She had made aloo parathas that morning & served him quietly, but Nanu deliberately teased her, "Arey waahhhh Naina... Shaadi ke baad se ab roz Sameer ke favourite aloo parathe hi banenge kya?" Sameer's eyes caught Naina's blush while she continued her breakfast. Once done, she went back upstairs to study while he made an excuse to Nanu that he had forgotten an important file.

When Sameer entered his room, he didn't find her around. He moved to check on her in her old room & saw her frowning at her book. He couldn't control his smile & entered without knocking, "Naina...", he called softly & she looked up at him. "Aap... aap... yahaan kya kar rahe hai? Aapko late nahi ho raha meeting ke liye."

He kept staring at her, mesmerized seeing her in a simple light blue dress with her open hair swaying in air. She walked to him & asked, "Kuch kaam tha aapko? Kuch chahiye hai kya?" Without warning, he pulled her, "Tumne hi wohh alarm mere kaan ke paas rakha tha na?" Her lips curved upwards & she nodded, "Wohhh... Nanaji ne kahaa ki aapko important client meeting mein jaana hai aur aap uth bhi nahi rahe the. Maine kitni koshish ki par aap nahi uthe, isliye maine aapko aise uthaaya."

"Acchaa... Toh ab aise uthaane ki sazaa bhi bhugat lo." She looked at him in confusion & he smirked. He leaned down & pecked her cheek, "Thanks for the yummy breakfast." Saying that, he was gone. Naina stood there like a statue unable to comprehend his actions. She touched her cheek slightly & trembled feeling his touch yet again.

She stood in front of the mirror & looked at herself. "Yeh Sameer bhi na ekdum meri samaj ke baahar hai. Kitna weird behave kar rahe hai kal se. Khud ne hi itne conditions rakhe hai aur khud hi usse follow nahi kar rahe. Main kya karu mujhe kuch samaj nahi aa raha. Gussa bhi aata hai, dukh bhi hota hai aur pyaar bhi aata hai."

She looked at herself again, "Pyaar? Yeh kahaan se aaya? Nahi nahi... Mujhe unki inn harkaton ko band karana hoga. Unhe mujhse durr rakhna hoga. Mujhe iss ghar mein sirf ek saal hi rehna hai toh Sameer se doori banaakar rakhni hogi. Wohhh kuch bhi kare par mujhe khud ko sambhaalna hoga."

Taking a deep breath, she tried to concentrate on her studies which seemed useless. After lunch she left to café. She had hidden her mangalsutra inside her dress in such a way that it wasn't visible to anyone. She had applied a little amount of sindoor & had hid it too by parting her hair in a side partition.

When she entered, she saw Preeti taking orders. She took her place at the cash counter & Preeti joined her in few minutes after serving the customers. "Naina... Aaj tujhe dekhkar jaan mein jaan aayi." She looked at her in concern & asked, "Kya hua Preeti? Sab thik hai na? Tu itni thaki hui kyun lag rahi hai? Aur aaj tu orders le bhi rahi hai aur serve bhi kar rahi hai. Swati kahaan hai? Wohh aayi nahi kya?"

"Yaar Naina... Kya batau tujhe? Kal se Swati ki tabiyat thik nahi hai isliye wohh nahi aa rahi. Main kal se sab sambhaal rahi hun. Isliye aaj tujhe dekhkar thoda hosla mil gaya, ab saare kaam manage ho jaayenge." Naina looked worried, "Ab Swati kaisi hai? Aur tune pehle kyun nahi bataaya, main subah hi aa jaati na. Akele kitna manage karegi tu? Chal aaj main teri help kar deti hun. Tu orders le aur main serve karti hun."

Preeti sighed in relief & hugged her, "Thanks Naina..." She hit her arm & said dramatically, "Dosti mein No Sorry No Thank You..." They both laughed out loud & got back to their work. After two hours of continuous work in the café, Kabir walked in. He took over the counter while the girls managed the orders.

In the evening, Sameer was done with his back-to-back meetings & had gone out with his clients & Mundit to a nearby café. When he entered the café, he asked to combine two tables for them. Preeti immediately arranged it & took their orders. Naina was busy in the kitchen helping the cook.

Preeti nudged her, "Yaar... Kya handsome ladka aaya hai hamare café mein. Salman Khan ko bhi takkar de de. Kya baal hai yaar uske. Ye le jaldi se order ready kar aur serve bhi tu hi karna. Wohhh uss table par grey suit mein baitha hai." She winked at Naina & left mumbling yet again, "Kaash mera boyfriend aisa hota."

Naina smiled at her antics & helped the cook. Once the order was done, she went to serve the order. Her steps faltered when she saw Mundit sitting there. They had spot her even before she approached their table with the tray. Their smiled awkwardly at her & then their eyes connected with their best friend who was sitting right opposite to them.

Sameer didn't know why but he had started feeling her presence around him the moment he had entered the café. He had even searched around but he didn't find her. He thought he was hallucinating. But right now, when he saw his friends smiling at someone behind him & then they were looking at him in concern, he knew it was her.

Before he could turn, she was standing next to him. She served the coffees, sandwiches & pastries on their table without meeting anyone's gaze, Sameer though was looking at her keenly. She glanced at him once before leaving the table. Mundit kept the conversation going on their table while their best friend was lost in someone's thoughts.

He still couldn't believe that he had kissed her cheek while leaving for office. What had gotten into him since last night? His actions were making him lose his control on himself. He reminded himself that he had married her only for the sake of his Nanu, then how can he behave strangely with her? How can he lose his control over himself whenever she was around? Yesterday night too he was this close to kiss her & today he just did that. He reprimanded himself the entire day that he should try to stay away from her, from her thoughts, from her proximity. But their fate was bringing them together.

After seeing her here, working in this small café, his blood boiled. How could she work here? She is his wife? But he controlled his rage & participated in the conversation with his clients. He was taking a sip of his coffee & he groaned. He knew Naina had prepared the coffee. The clients looked at him stunned & he mumbled, "Coffee achi hai na?" They agreed & continued with their conversation.

Someone tapped on Sameer's shoulder & he turned to look at the intruder. Looking at the man standing in front of him, he smiled & then took him in a hug. "Hey Kabir... Kaise ho?" "I'm fine Sameer... Tum batao, tum kaise ho?" "Arey main toh ekdum thikthaak hun. Yeh batao tum yahaan kya kar rahe ho Kabir?" "Arey yeh mera hi café hai, bas roz apni behen ko thodi help karne aa jaata hun."

Sameer thumped his shoulder & said, "Proud of you... Itna bada business sambhaalte sambhaalte, tum ab iss cafe ko bhi sambhaalne lage? Great work yaar." He just smiled & called, "Preeti... Yahaan aao..." She joined them after serving the other customers, "Preeti... Yeh hai Sameer Maheshwari, mera bohot accha friend, hum college mein ek saath padhte the." He turned to Sameer, "Aur yeh hai meri pyaar si natkhat behen Preeti. Yahi iss café ko sambhaalti hai full time. Main bas thodi der ke liye aa jaata hun apni behen se milne."

Naina didn't dare to come out from the kitchen when she saw Kabir & Preeti talking to her husband. She knew if she went in front of them, Sameer would definitely react aggressively. He had seen her in the kitchen hiding herself. He was angry on her but the sight he saw in front of him just blew his mind away.

She was wearing white jeans paired with a baby pink top which had the café's logo printed on it. She had even worn a white apron; her hair was tied in a high ponytail. She looked stunning in this. Sameer had never seen her dressed this casually, he was watching her for the first time in such attire. He had always seen her in a dress at home & saree on her wedding day. But this, this was splendid. Did anyone tell her that she looks hot in this outfit?

He was so lost in his thoughts that Kabir had to literally shake him by his shoulders to bring him back to reality. Kabir even talked with Mundit for a while as he knew them too. Once they were done with their chats & eating, they left from the café. Sameer paid the bill & left the café. As he came out, he bid goodbye to the clients & Mundit too. They didn't say anything as they knew that their best friend would wait up for his wife.

And he did exactly the same. He waited for her outside the café. The café closed after fifteen minutes & Kabir came out with Naina & Preeti. Sameer saw the bond between the girls, but he also saw that his wife had maintained a considerable distance from Kabir. He smiled seeing that but there was something that he noticed very clearly.

Kabir's gaze was stuck on Naina the entire time. Sameer came out of his car & stood facing them. Naina stopped abruptly & the siblings looked at him. Then it dawned on them that Naina is staying at the Maheshwari residence. Preeti nudged her, "Pehle nahi bataa sakti thi ki yeh Sameer Maheshwari hai, jinke ghar reh rahi hai tu. Tu bhi na sacchi paagal hai. Main teri jagah hoti na toh isse mere haath se kahin jaane na deti. Shaadi kar leti iss handsome hunk se."

Naina's eyes bulged out after hearing her friend's thoughts. Preeti didn't knew that she was so close to the truth. Sameer came forward & spoke, "Chalein Naina??? Main tumhara hi wait kar raha tha." Kabir & Preeti raised their eyebrows in surprise while Naina just bid them goodbye & settled in the passenger seat of his car.

The entire drive to Maheshwari Mansion was driven in silence. Both of them lost in their own thoughts. Once at home, Nanu was surprised to see them entering together & asked, "Arey waaahhh... Aaj tum dono saath mein aa gaye?"

Sameer just shrugged & replied, "Haannn Nanu... Jis café mein main clients ke saath gaya tha, Naina wahin waitress ka kaam kar rahi thi. Toh socha isse main saath hi le aaun." Saying that he marched to his room while Nanu & Naina kept gaping at his retreating figure.

How was the update?

What do you think how Sameer will react to Naina's job in a café?

Do vote, comment & share if you like the story...

Ignore the mistakes...

With Lots of Love,

Daksha...❤

What a update it was simply super and amazing and sameer if fighting byen his mind and heart and nanaji is simply rocking 1st marriage and now honeymoon i loved the way naina is giving back to sameer which he didn't except from her and i loved the whole cafe scene let's wait and see how he will react for her job.wairing for next

Amazing update. Loved naina so much. She gave superb reply to sameer. He himself forgot his condition she must make him remember always. I m scared how he will react in the next update regarding her job. He taunted her that's stupid of him. He wanted her to not use his money than why taunting her. Will be eagerly waiting for next update dear.