Thanks for waiting patiently guys. You can visit the previous chapter and then come here to get the connectivity.

Enjoy the reading....

***

Sameer adjusted himself in sleep as his peaceful slumber was disturbed by the squawk of a cuckoo. He made the hold on his wife tighter and squeezed her in both his arms, as both were lying on their sides with their bodies entangled with each other's. He was about to fall asleep again but was startled with a sound coming probably from outside of the bedroom. He opened one eye and tried to figure out the sound. He guessed it to be the dropping of a vessel from the kitchen. Is Papa already awake? What's the time? He mused and lifted his head a little to glance at the table clock. 5:50am. His eyes opened wide looking at the time. How was Naina still sleeping at this time? He looked at his wife and a sweet smile took place on his lips. Naina's head was lying on his collar bone and her warm breath was fanning his bare chest. One of her hands had almost got sandwiched between their bellies, while her other hand spanned on his back. But there was a content smile on her lips, her face was glowing as if satiated with her thirst and desire.

He recalled their lovemaking last night. Though it was a usual break of five days of Naina's periods, they felt it as an eternity when they made love. The kind of ecstasy they both had experienced yesterday was just another level. They both were high on desires, experiencing a kind of madness while kissing, while swirling their tongues in each other's mouth, while flipping their positions and blessing their partner's body with passionate kisses. But besides all this, Naina was just a lot more different yesterday than the other nights, and he was a bit surprised to see that. The way she was writhing in pleasure beneath him, the way she was whispering his name in between her moans, the way she had put passionate kisses on his chest and abdomen, everything was arousing him more and more. And the way she was responding.... It had been really difficult for him to control her pleasure filled voices. He would kiss her to muffle her moans but after a point, he too had joined her with his heavy groans. Only they knew how they survived the embarrassment of not screaming during the peak of their pleasure. He smirked after remembering the way they both were breathing heavily after the completion. Their bodies were glistening in sweat, so much so that he had to actually wash his face, full hands and shoulders when gone to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. Ahhh... What a night it was!!

He could have just kept looking at her and fallen asleep again, but it was time to wake up. He didn't want to disturb Naina from her sleep though, so he gently kissed her forehead and turned her slightly on her back while taking his hand off from her. He got up and searched for his shirt in the room. It was found to be lying on the floor and he blushed. Wearing the shirt but not buttoning it, he strolled to the bathroom to freshen up. Returning to the bedroom after ten minutes, he slowly opened the almirah to get his t-shirt and track pants. He was feeling a slight burning sensation on his back since he was awake, maybe near to his shoulder blades. He tried to feel it with his hands once in the bathroom, but his hands couldn't reach the burning spot. What must be that? Did he hurt his back somewhere? He took off his night suit shirt and turned his back to the mirror to check what it was. Narrowing his eyes, he looked carefully and saw a reddish scratch on his left shoulder blade. He thought for a moment what must have caused it and suddenly something struck him. Oh Man!!! This small art was done by Naina, by her nails, when she had scored his back in the daze of her climax yesterday night. He just chuckled on the remembrance of that frenzied moment.

Missing the warmth of her husband's embrace, Naina opened her eyes and her first gaze fell on Sameer, who was standing bare chest near the almirah. A warm smile covered her lips on the sight of her love, who was doing something to those sinewy muscles of his broad chest, his sharp jawline clearly visible to her, which was now darkened more due to his two days old stubble. Well, it was almost a beard now. She loves when he skips his shaving routine sometimes. God!! How can someone look so charming and attractive even in the morning!! She wondered while shifting her gaze from his gorgeous face to his broad chest and then flat belly. But he was checking something by looking behind in the mirror and smiling. Furrowing her brows, she asked, "Kya dekh rahe ho?"

Sameer glanced at Naina and answered, "aa... kuchh nahi..."

Naina just smiled but frowned immediately seeing the t-shirt and pants in his hand. "Tum kaha jaa rahe ho?"

Sameer looked surprised with her question. He shrugged, "jogging karne."

Naina got up listening to his answer and sat crossed legged. "Tum sach me roz jane wale ho jogging ke liye?" She asked innocently.

"Haan... aisa kyu puchh rahi ho?" He queried while wearing the t-shirt.

Her shoulders slumped. "Mujhe laga kal aisehi bahana bana rahe the." She mumbled while making a small face.

He grinned wide while shaking his head and shucked his pants right there. He heard Naina's gasp and looked at her. She was staring at his bare legs with wide eyes. Their eyes met the next moment and he raised his brows in a question, not without putting a mischievous smile on his lips.

Naina closed her mouth and muttered, narrowing her eyes, "kal toh bathroom me jaake change kiya tha."

He shoved his legs one by one in the track pants and replied, "aaj bhi wahi jake pehenne wala tha, lekin sath le jana bhool gaya." Naina just twisted her mouth and he continued, "waise... kal subah tum kuchh aise mood me thi ki mujhpe waise bhi koi kapde bachne nahi wale the. Toh apni izzat bachana bhi zaroori tha na." He laughed while setting his hair.

"Tum na..." Naina gritted her teeth and threw a cushion towards his legs, but he successfully dodged it and laughed again.

Finally, when the laughter subsided, he grabbed a napkin from the almirah and started walking to the door, "aata hu mai, thik hai..." he said.

"Sameer...." Naina called him hurriedly and he stopped in his way. He just raised his brows in a question but she signaled him to sit on the mattress in front of her. Had it been any other morning, he would have just turned it down saying 'baad mein baat karte hai' and left for jogging. But he had denied her wish just yesterday morning. And he knew she wasn't asking for 'that'. So complying to his wife's sweet request, he walked to the mattress and knelt down in front of her.

Naina felt happy to see him sitting in front of her to listen to her, but she then debated whether to talk about it or not. Seeing her going quiet, Sameer held her hands and bent down a little to ask, "kya hua?"

Naina looked at him and smiled. She heaved a deep breath and spoke, "Sameer... tum... yeh pichhle paanch din mujhse door reh rahe the raat me, woh... uss meeting ke wajah se tha?"

Sameer's curious gaze at her softened. How unfair he was to Naina to let her keep guessing about the meeting and not sharing about it for five days. He paused for a moment and answered, "haa bhi... aur nahi bhi..."

"Matlab?" Perplexed, she asked.

"Naina... woh meeting ka asar nahi tha... Tumse uske bare me baat na karne ki wajah se tha..." Sameer gently said, "kyunki tumse baat kiye bina, shayad mai tumhare kareeb aa bhi nahi paata..."

Naina was keenly listening to him. She contemplated how Sameer was so truthful to his relationship with her, to the promises he made to her and to the vows he took for her, that he couldn't even unite with her physically and eventually spiritually, with the guilt of keeping things from her in his mind. And yesterday he exercised his rights on her only after sharing about that thing.

"Lekin...." Sameer's addition to his statement made Naina return from her thoughts.

"Lekin kya?" Naina questioned.

"Naina.... Uske pichhe ek aur wajah thi..." He confessed.

"Kaunsi wajah?"

Sameer crossed his legs and sat properly, her hands still in his, "tumhare periods ke pehle din tumhe itne dard me dekha... tumhari jo haalat hui thi uss din... toh mai tumhe aur takleef nahi dena chahta tha..."

Naina frowned for a moment, "takleef?" Her tone reflected surprise. "Sameer, mujhe sirf pehle din dard ho raha tha. Aur... aisa hota hi hai kabhi kabhi..." She tried to ease him.

"Phir bhi Naina... mujhe inn 5 dinon me tumhara khayal rakhna chahiye. Na ki koi zabardasti karni chahiye tumhare sath..." Sameer said earnestly.

This time Naina was taken aback with his choice of words. "Zabardasti? Sameer tum pagal ho? Isme zabardasti kaha se aa gayi? Mujhe bhi woh sab utna hi chahiye hota hai jitna ki tumhe..." She blurted in frustration.

Sameer, who had been looking down till now, suddenly looked up. He saw Naina widening her eyes first and then turning red completely due to the heavy blush on her cheeks, a sign of her mortification for what she had just said. So was it the reason behind Naina being so restless all the nights during her periods? Was it why she was wanting for more after he would cut short their kiss? Was it the reason she was so much driven by her physical needs last night?

A smile crept on his lips and his voice turned a little husky, "kya kaha tumne? Phir se kaho?"

Her eyes were fixed on their hands, their long fingers which were now entwined, "suna toh tumne..." She whispered, not lifting her gaze up.

"Suna... lekin samajh nahi aaya, Phir se samjhao na..." He bent a little to have a look of her blushing face. He just so loved this sight.

Naina knew that he was just teasing her, but if he said that he didn't get her point, then she wanted to make it crystal clear for him. She freed her hands from his hold and crawled a little to climb on him, and by straddling herself on his thighs, she sat on his lap, locking her legs behind him.

"Nainaa.... Kya kar rahi ho..." Sameer was flabbergasted seeing his wife's lioness mode getting activated again. He otherwise would have loved it so much, but it was dangerous for him at least now. He tried to push her a little from his lap, but Naina secured his neck in her arms and resisted the pull.

She stared at his lips for a moment and then uttered looking into his eyes, "Sameer, mujhse door mat raha karo. Jis din mujhe takleef hogi, mai khud tumhe bata dungi..." Leaving her hands from behind him, she grabbed his t-shirt neck and pulled him closer, "Am I clear Mr. Maheshwari?"

Sameer couldn't help but just giggle looking at the avtaar Naina had bewitched. He had discerned what Naina wanted to convey with this gesture and was elated that she had solved his lately developed misery of how he should behave with her in those five days. He just nodded, and the next moment, he felt her soft lips on his. He shuddered with the divine feeling of this morning kiss and his hands instinctively went to hold her waist from beneath her top, crushing her more to him. Her soft breasts got rubbed to his hard chest, arousing them both, and Sameer opened his eyes to get a view of his temptress. Her eyes closed, a few strands of her hair falling on her cheeks and her palms moving to his chest. She was about to push him back on the mattress but he just peered at the alarm clock once and their kiss was broken.

"Nainaaa... mujhe jogging ke liye jana hai... late ho raha hai..." He said while panting a bit.

Naina was piqued, "yeh kya baat hui Sameer... matlab ab tum subah jogging karne jaoge aur raat ko Papa ke saath walk pe bhi jaoge... mere liye toh time hi nahi hai na tumhare paas..."

He pushed some of the locks of her hair behind her ear and caressed her face with his palm, "Naina... raat ko toh mai Papa ke liye jaata hu... woh bhi bass kabhi-kabaar... lekin jogging mai apne liye kar raha hu... apni fitness ke liye... iss industry me rehna hai toh mujhe fit rehna padega Naina... "

Naina pouted her lips at her defeat, because she was convinced that Sameer has to focus on whatever he needs to do to get in films. She slowly got off of him and put a smile on her face, "thik hai... jao..."

"Pakka na?" Sameer asked.

"Haan Baba... Pakka... jao..." She assured him that she was genuine.

A wide smile took place on Sameer's face and he got up to leave for jogging, not before putting a sloppy and noisy kiss on her cheeks.

It was 8 in the morning, and Shubham returned to his bedroom after taking a bath. He was wearing his casual kurta-pajama and crawled on the bed. Taking Preeti's cushion from her side, he placed it on his lap and crossed his legs while resting behind. There was no rush to office today due to the Buddha Poornima holiday. Also, there wasn't any newspaper routine today due to yesterday's Holiday. These two off days in the middle of the week were quite relaxing for him. Sometimes they just work wonders.

Yesterday went so well for him. He became ready to go to school for the flag-hoisting as usual, something he would do as a child and his father would accompany him. He had always attended the celebration in school till his 10th grade, but later due to newly got freedom and also due to studies, he couldn't manage the time for flag-hoisting on 1st May, although his father never skipped it. But since his father passed away six years ago, he resumed going to that school, where his father would go in his absence, just to keep that sweet memory afresh. He had stepped out of his wing and he spotted Rakesh Tauji and Sameer standing on their balcony. There were disappointing expressions on Rakesh's face and he was saying something to Sameer while looking at children standing near the gate. He didn't know what they were talking about or if they were having a spat, but it was his moral responsibility to greet them. Rakesh was casually asking him about his office, and he couldn't comprehend what he felt at that time, but he asked Rakesh to come to school with him.

He was surprised by himself when he asked Rakesh to join as his first impression of Rakesh Agarwal in his and Preeti's wedding was Preeti's always complaining and a bit khadoos tauji, completely opposite to his own Father-in-law Anand Agarwal. But since Rakesh, Naina and Sameer had come to Mumbai, he had witnessed different tauji altogether. And he was so glad that Rakesh tauji hadn't just agreed to his proposal for the sake of it, rather he too was equally enthusiastic about the flag-hoisting as himself. He could see the smile on Tauji's face when he introduced him to the Principal, not as 'Preeti ke Tauji' but his own Father-in-law. Those two hours spent with Rakesh Tauji were so good for him.

Rest of his day yesterday passed as a normal holiday or how a Sunday would pass; reading the newspaper, or any magazine or watch TV for sometime and spend some good time with Preeti. The get-together at Sahiba and Maan's place also seemed a good chance to meet his society friends, which he couldn't due to everyone's workload. But since they had come back home in the evening, he was constantly thinking about something. Pondering, contemplating, reflecting on something.... something that Preeti had said in the party.

They all were talking about how husband-wife get used to each other over the years of marriage and lose the charm and even the love in it. He was only being a listener to this topic, thinking it didn't relate to his relationship with Preeti since it has been only 9 months to their wedding. He hadn't reacted when Jatin said 'shadi ke kuchh salon baad husband-wife sirf ek-dusre ki aadat bann jate hai', he hadn't thought much when Sejal said, 'bachche hone ke baad husband-wife sirf parents bann ke reh jaate hai', he wasn't even much bothered about it when Vanita said, 'shadi ke kuchh waqt baad couples ek-dusre se baatein chhupane lagte hai aur ek-dusre ke liye thodi zehmat uthana bhi unko mushkil lagne lagta hai'.

But Preeti's answer to it had made him think deeply about it.

"Sameer aur Naina ek-dusre ke liye jitna karte hai, utna koi nahi kar sakta... aur inke rishte me jitni transparency hai utni kisi aur me nahi hai..."

Shubham wasn't thinking much about the transparency part, but the first statement, about Sameer and Naina doing so much for each other. Everyone else was a bit surprised listening to Preeti, as mostly all of them were seeing them as a married couple for just one and half years, even after knowing their story. But Shubham knew that Preeti wasn't talking only about their marital relationship, but about the six years of their love. And having known them closely for almost six months now, he could discern what Preeti wanted to tell, he could see the kind of relationship Naina and Sameer share with each other. He didn't have any problem with Preeti praising them in front of everyone, he was aware that Preeti had witnessed Naina and Sameer's love blossoming, so there's nothing wrong in her looking up to them. He had known how much Preeti loves Naina and how much she admires Sameer. But he wasn't bothered about that either. He was thinking about his own relationship with Preeti.

Since that moment, he was thinking about the 9 months he had spent with Preeti as her husband. He was thinking about 'that thing' that Preeti was idolizing in Naina and Sameer's relationship. He was thinking about the depth of love in their marriage.

Is it really there?

Yes, it of course is! He loves Preeti. And Preeti loves him too.

Has he done anything for her till now?

Yes. He has given her a settled married life.

But does that suffice?

Is it the only thing that Preeti wants from him??

Has he done anything for her beyond his marital duties???

All these questions were running in his mind. He couldn't help but just look at Sameer and Naina, and see how they were head over heels in love with each other. He knew the kind of struggles they both were going through, but the love and respect he could see in their eyes for each other, hadn't diminished a bit. And as if all this wasn't enough, he heard Naina's statement, and started questioning himself again.

The discussion over that topic had soon transitioned to another topic, and people slowly scattered into small groups. He had just gone to take a glass of orange juice when he heard Naina speaking, when she, Preeti and Sahiba were casually chatting on something.

'Pyar ka matlab kisi ke liye apni hadd se chaar kadam jyada chalkar, khudko pasand na hote hue bhi, sirf usse achchha lage isliye, uske liye kuchh cheezein karna....'

He wondered what he had done for Preeti beyond his limitations, beyond his likes and dislikes, beyond his husband duties, that too just out of love and not expecting anything in return. Preeti was already doing so much for him, she had left her home and come here with him, she had accepted his family as hers, she had done everything he had asked for. He had seen some of her college photos where she was all decked in bushirts, skirts, pants with suspenders, keeping her hair open. And here, she was doing all the household chores in tightly braided hair and neatly draped Saree. But she had never complained about anything, she had never asked about anything, except.... Well, the only thing he could remember that Preeti had asked him till now, was to allow her to do a parlour course. And he hadn't even said 'mai sochunga' or 'mai koshish karta hu'.

How was this girl even loving him so unconditionally?? A smile appeared on his lips.

"Kisko yaad karke itna muskura rahe hai?" Preeti's voice fell on his ears. He looked up to see Preeti standing across him, narrowing her eyes.

He chuckled and said dramatically, "hai koi..."

Preeti kept her hands on her waist and said, "achchha? Kabhi milwaiye toh zara usse..."

Keeping the pillow on his lap back on the bed, he grinned and held her hand. "Haan kyu nahi... zaroor milwaunga..." He assured her while pulling her a little towards him.

Preeti twisted her mouth and resisted the pull. "Baad mein... pehle chaliye, nashta tayyar hai..."

"Preeti, aaj nashta yahi laa do na please... " He didn't leave her hand.

Looking at the subtle smile on his face, Preeti couldn't decline his wish. She really wanted him to take rest in these two holidays and she was ready to do anything he would ask for. But pretending a sigh, Preeti left for the kitchen to bring Shubham's breakfast. She was questioned by Nirmalaji midway as to why Shubham wasn't coming for breakfast in the dining, but she had smartly dodged the answer giving excuse of his holiday.

"Yeh lijiye..." Preeti forwarded the dish towards Shubham and he smiled looking at his favourite 'moong dal ke cheele' served with curd. But he wanted to talk to her. So taking the plate from her and keeping it on the side table, Shubham pulled her again and made her sit on the bed across from him.

"Kya kar rahe hai Shubhamji? Mujhe aur bhi banane hai cheele..." She objected.

"Bass 2 minutes." He blinked his eyes and assured her.

Seeing her husband in a different mood today, Preeti didn't even try to protest. Covering her lips in a wide smile, she nodded and signalled him to proceed.

He kept his palm of hers, and gently asked, "Preeti, mai... mai tumhe... matlab, mai tumhe pasand toh hu na?"

Preeti frowned listening to the question. Why is he asking like this? She softened and kept her other palm on theirs. "Haan Shubhamji... lekin aap aisa kyu poochh rahe hai?"

"Bass aisehi..." He shrugged. "Ab bahot waqt bhi ho gaya na hamari shadi ko.... Toh socha phirse ek baar puchh lu..." He didn't let her know what he was thinking.

"Achchha?? Aur.... Aapko aise kyu lagta hai ki itne waqt ke baad mera jawab badal jaayega?" She said, raising her brows.

"Ummm.... Bahot si wajah hai..." He took a dramatic turn to the discussion.

She frowned, "jaise?"

He started, "Jaise tum mujhse boar ho sakti ho... ya phir mai tumhe khush nahi rakh paa raha hu..."

Preeti was bewildered listening to this. What was he afterall thinking about to say all this? She was bemused looking at the mood he was in. She opened her mouth in a response, but they both heard Tanvi calling her.

"Bhabhi..." Tanvi called her again and walked to their doorstep, "mujhe sikhaaiye na woh cheele banana... aapki madad bhi ho jayegi."

Both Preeti and Shubham smiled looking at her enthusiasm. Preeti turned to answer her, "tum chalo, mai aati hu...."

As Tanvi left, Preeti turned to Shubham again. "Shubhamji..." She gently said, "mai nahi jaanti aap aisa kyu soch rahe hai... lekin... aisa kuchh bhi nahi hai... aap hamesha hi mere favorite rahenge aur mai bahot khush hu aapke sath... aur mera yeh jawab kabhi nahi badlega..."

Putting a wide grin on, which Shubham could see was straight from her heart, Preeti handed him the plate again and left the room. Shubham smiled heartily. He wanted to talk more and more with her. He wanted to tell her that he loves her and he wanted only her happiness. But he couldn't. He was aware that he had chosen probably the most incorrect time of the day to talk to her, the morning time, when everyone just needs Preeti. But he was glad that she could still manage those two precious minutes for him and assured him that she was happy. She indeed was, her eyes could never lie to him. But now, he wanted to do something for her beyond his limits, just for her, just for her happiness. He was slowly preparing himself for the acceptance of her wish.

It was almost two weeks into the month of May now. Everyone was back to their routine. Naina was managing her studies and writing both, she had realized that the writing break of one hour daily was so refreshing, and then she could focus better on her studies. There was a time when she was so lost in writing her story that it almost consumed 2-3 hours of the afternoon for her, and she decided to keep it only one hour a day. Sameer was going for auditions almost daily. He had realized that he shouldn't be dependent only on the audition calls, but should proactively search for open auditions too. He and Aditya would hunt for the places where auditions were being conducted, they would visit production houses and casting coordinators. His jogging was on too, but he would rest himself on Sundays. He didn't want to over-exhaust himself in the process and also he just couldn't miss spending quality time with Naina while cuddling her, on lazy Sunday mornings. Well, loverboy Sameer always won the battle with aspiring actor Sameer for him.

Rakesh continued to go out in the afternoon for 2-3 hours on alternate days, and would return by 4pm. He was a bit relieved that Sameer would be out during that time, because it was only Sameer who could counter his excuses of going out. Naina would question him about the place he was going to, but she was easy to deal with, and he would quickly divert the topic or give any random answer. Preeti never really got any break in those holidays as everyone got. She was the leading lady of the house and everyone was dependent on her. So she was just continuing what she was doing all the time, that is taking care of her family. But she had noticed a slight change in Shubham since those holidays. He was more open to her about his work-related stresses in the office, he was spending more time with her in his free time, rather than just watching television. He was curious to know more about her college life, about her school life and he would share his memories too. And she was loving every single bit of it. Naina and Preeti would sometimes catch up in the afternoon taking the opportunity of absence of Rakesh and Sameer, and talk endlessly.

It was the evening time on the 13th, and Sameer and Naina were sitting relaxed in the living room, waiting for Rakesh who had gone out to the nearest vegetable market. Naina was reading the Kadambini magazine and Sameer was just switching channels on the television. Soon, they heard Rakesh talking to someone on the stairs and guessed that he had arrived.

Rakesh entered through the open door, slipped off his chappals and voiced turning behind, "aaiye na Gadkari Sahab..."

Gadkariji entered the hall following Rakesh, and Sameer and Naina stood up out of respect. Rakesh joined Sameer on the sofa while directing Gadkariji to sit on the single sofa. Naina turned to get water, but Gadkariji gestured her to sit. Both Naina and Sameer were clueless about Gadkariji's visit, as most of the time, he would talk in their lobby itself.

"Woh Gadkari Sahab raaste me hi mil gaye, toh sath me hi wapas aaye hum..." Rakesh said while keeping the cotton bag in his hand on the floor behind him. "Aur baaton baaton me pata chala ki unko Jagjit Singhji aur Chitra Singhji ki gazlein bahot pasand hai..."

Naina and Sameer just smiled at the casual information. "Haan woh mai unke concerts ke cassettes market me dhund raha tha kitne dinon se..." Gadkariji joined in, "toh Rakesh Bhau ne bataya ki aapke yaha pe hai woh cassettes, aur mujhe sath lekar hi aaye ghar par..."

"Nainaa..." Rakesh instructed Naina, "woh hamare paas concert ki cassettes hai na... woh laakar dena toh Gadkariji ko..."

"Jee Papa...." Naina smiled and by keeping the Magazine on the tea-table, she left for the bedroom to get the cassettes.

Gadkariji's gaze fell on the magazine and he picked it up. "Kadambini Patrika? Kaun padhta hai?" He asked curiously.

"Jee... woh... Naina ke liye laayi thi..." Sameer replied with a smile.

"Aree waa!!!" Gadkariji exclaimed. "Bahot achchhi Patrika hai... bahot achchhe lekh aate hai isme, saamajik vishayon pe tippni hoti hai aur bahot achchhi kahaniyaan bhi chhap ke aati hai..."

Rakesh participated in the conversation too, "Haan... woh Naina ne bhi likhi hai ek kahani iss Patrika ke liye."

Sameer gave a look to Rakesh as if asking 'why was there a need to tell this to Gadkariji' and Rakesh coughed to divert Gadkariji's attention.

"Arey wah!! Mujhe pata nahi tha Naina beti likhti bhi hai. Uski kahani chhap ke aayi hai kya?" Gadkariji said enthusiastically and turned the pages of the Magazine to find her story.

"Jee... chhap ke nahi aayi uncle!!" Sameer answered, feeling a bit dejected.

Seeing Sameer's fallen face, Gadkariji tried to cheer him, "haan toh koi baat nahi... agle mahine aa jayegi..."

Rakesh and Sameer smiled listening to the encouragement and both nodded. Naina too joined them at the same time and forwarded two cassettes to Gadkariji. "Yeh lijiye Uncle... 2 volumes hai concert ki," and as Gadkariji accepted it, Naina grabbed her seat again.

"Dhanyawad. Mai isse record karke 2-4 dinon me wapas kar dunga." Gadkariji assured all of them. "Waise Naina beta, inhone bataya tumne kahani likhi hai Kadambini ke liye..."

"Jee Uncle... lekin... chhapi nahi ab tak..." Naina genuinely replied.

"Haan toh koi baat nahi... agar kahani achchhi hogi toh publish ho hi jayegi... mere khudke articles kitne dinon baad publish hote the." Gadkariji shared with a chuckle. "Abhi iss mahine phir se bhejna, aur dekhna phir July mai chhap ke aati hai ki nahi..." He added.

"Jee Uncle..." Naina smiled at the generosity he was talking with. But Sameer frowned hearing something different.

"Uncle, June me pata chalega na? Kahani aayi ke nahi aayi?" Sameer said.

Gadkariji paused for a moment and tried to process what Sameer was saying. "Nahi... July me na... abhi kahani doge toh woh July ke edition me aayegi..." He cleared again.

Both Rakesh and Naina couldn't understand why Sameer was debating over such a small thing. For them, it was just the same.

"Lekin Uncle... Submission date toh abhi bees tarikh ki hai..." Sameer tried to make a point again.

"Haan toh woh July ke liye Sameer... ab tak ke June edition chhap ke ready bhi ho gaya hoga... apne anubhav se bata raha hu mai." Gadkariji again stated firmly.

Sameer's eyes shone with happiness as something struck his mind. A ray of hope was lightened in him again. He didn't let his eyes or his expressions reveal about it to Naina, and, trying to be a good actor, he bridled the urge to share it with Naina.

As Gadkariji left after promising once again to return the cassettes in some days, Sameer hastily picked up the magazine and riffled its pages to reach the information page. Submission date was 20th, he was correct about it, but he realized that there wasn't any mention that the deadline was for the June edition. He fathomed that he might have misinterpreted it as someone like Gadkariji, who has spent years in Journalism and Print Media, won't share any wrong information about it. And he instantly felt elated.

"Nainaa.... " Sameer's attention was diverted by Rakesh's voice. Rakesh passed a cotton bag to Naina, "Yeh le, sabzi rakh. Aur tere liye bhi kuchh laya hai." He took out a paper-bag from the cotton bag.

Naina collected both the bags and dipped her head to check what it was in the paper-bag one. A big smile took place on her lips and she excitedly took out the material in it- three white page notebooks, one of 400 pages and two of 200 pages, 4-5 refills each of all her pens, ranging in colors like blue, black, red, and one absolutely creative and old themed, plain, no-line diary with a press-button on the front page to lock it. She picked the diary in her hand, she already knew that it was expensive.

"Yeh itni mehengi diary laane ki kya zaroorat thi Papa?" She narrowed her eyes and admonished her father.

Sameer just chose to stay away from this father-daughter banter, so he peered into the magazine again.

"Woh... woh hota hai na..." Rakesh searched for an answer. He expected the same emotional reaction from Naina like last time.

"Kya hota hai?" Naina countered.

"Woh... ab tumhe bahot si kahaniyaan likhni hai na... toh ussi ke liye... ak achchhi si diary..." Rakesh finally revealed the true reason, a sense of pride appearing in his eyes for his daughter.

There was no need for Naina to counter more. She was convinced with the answer, because she could see the genuineness in her Papa's eyes. The fact that Papa was ready for everything she wanted to do with her life had stunned her. Had he been her father from the time two years ago, then he would have scolded her for shifting her studies time to writing. But nothing of that sort happened. He had no issues with her balancing between her CA studies and writing, and she was extremely grateful to her father for that. It was sufficient for her that her father was happy about her writing for her happiness. She had also offered her story to him to read, but he had denied it politely stating that he would read it directly in the Magazine and that had just motivated her more to continue her writing.

"Thank you Papa." Naina said heartily and Rakesh smiled straight from his heart. Disappointed by not getting an entertaining banter, Sameer scrunched his nose and kept the magazine back on the table, but seeing a heartfelt exchange of gratitude in both Papa and Naina's eyes, he too smiled.

"Nainaaaaa...." Sameer called his wife as he entered the house with his keys. He took off his shoes and socks and kept the leather bag on the trunk. He had a glance to the wall clock. It was 3:45 in the afternoon.

"Aayi Sameer..."

He heard the sweet voice from the bedroom and sat relaxed on the single sofa, spreading his legs on the floor. The next moment, Naina came running like a whirlwind, paused near the fridge to give him a smile and rushed to the kitchen with the same energy.

So she was writing her story... it should be complete by now...

He chuckled to himself. By this time, he could easily figure out, looking at Naina even from a distance, that when is she studying and when is she writing her story. His wife had no layers... no shades... everything was crystal clear... from her beautiful face and her expressive eyes.

Naina came with a glass of water and handed it to him. "Kaisa raha audition?" She asked after he finished drinking, while sitting on the sofa chair opposite to him.

"Thik tha." He casually replied.

"Kisi pehle wale audition ka jawab aaya Sameer?" She questioned softly.

"Nahi." He was neutral while answering.

"Aaa.... Khana khaya?" Her tone changed, but the questions didn't stop.

"Yes Madam." He too replied animatedly.

"Achchha? Tiffin dikhana zara?" She flicked her brows.

He slightly turned to his right, and extended his hand backwards to the trunk. And with full on overacting, he pretended as if he's trying so hard but his hand couldn't reach the bag, which by the way was far away from him. Naina giggled looking at the antics of her childish husband. She knew that the bus journeys still exhausted Sameer. She got up herself to get his bag, and took out his tiffin box. Shaking it a little near her ear, she made sure that it was empty, and it indeed was. Happiness could be seen on her face instantly. She had started giving him vegetable salad too in his tiffin box and a fruit in the bag. Today, Sameer had to leave early in the morning for an audition in Goregaon. The reporting time was 9am and so he had to leave by 7:45 am anyhow, given the bus timings. As they both woke up in the morning, Naina had immediately started preparing for the breakfast and his lunchbox too. He had shortened his jogging and returned early at home. He had insisted her to not bother about making lunch, and that he could eat outside, but she was firm. Later on, Papa too had joined her in the preparation and they finished it earlier. The audition was over by 3pm and he aimed straight for home.

"Coffee bana du? Achchha lagega." Naina asked him midway while entering the kitchen.

"Chalega." He grinned like a kid again.

He joined her in the kitchen after freshening up, while she had put milk on the boil. "Poojneey Sasurji bahar gaye hai phir se?" He asked her, knowing the answer.

"Haan..." Naina chuckled, taking out two cups from a shelf.

"Naina, ab kuchh jyada nahi ho raha hai? Tum puchhti kyu nahi unhe woh kaha jaa rahe hai?" He rested his hips on the platform, standing to her right. But his voice was a bit serious.

"Jaane do na Sameer... do-teen ghante ke liye toh jaate hai..." Naina defended her father. "Aur tumne dekha na... woh khush rehte hai aane ke baad."

"Haa toh hum mana thodi na kar rahe hai? Aur mai unke safety ke liye bol raha hu Naina. Kam se kam hame pata toh hona chahiye woh kaha jaa rahe hai?" Sameer put forth his point.

"Haan... lekin woh nahi bata rahe hai na... maine puchha unko kitni baar..." Naina stated.

"Agar aise hi chalta rahega na, toh ek din mere liye Saas lekar aayenge Papa..." He giggled.

Naina went quiet for a moment. She turned the knob off of milk and sighed. "Aisa mazak mat kiya karo Sameer... mujhe achchha nahi lagta..." She mumbled, without matching her eyes to him.

He didn't want to hurt her, he was just joking. But seeing her go meek, he stopped. He held her right arm gently and walked behind her to circle his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder, "Sorry... nahi karunga aisa mazak... thik hai..." He promised.

Naina smiled and nodded. Feeling a bit relieved, Sameer put a kiss on her shoulder and left her. She then grabbed a small container of sugar and two sachets of coffee. As she was making the coffee for both of them, Sameer got reminded of something. He said, "Naina, kahani likh ke ho gayi na puri? Yaad hai na, aaj 15 taarikh hai. Kal tak post kar dunga mai."

"Haa, ho gayi hai. Tum bass ek baar padh lo na. Phir post kar dena." She said as she poured the coffee into the cups.

He lifted his cup and sipped it and while closing his eyes in satisfaction, he moaned a little. Sometimes just a cup of coffee and Naina alongside him could cure his day-long fatigue in a minute, he mused. Sitting partially on the platform and folding his leg a bit, he slightly turned to Naina. Naina too then put her hands on the platform, and lifted herself to sit back on it. Both of them, sitting on either sides of the gas stove, relished the hot coffee while chatting about Sameer's audition experiences. He shared that going for an audition has almost become mechanical for him. That he just goes there, finishes his audition and comes home. He confessed that the dialogues at some of the auditions were so crass, that he didn't even want to deliver them after reading it. He accepted that sometimes he just wants to stay at home with her. He wasn't upset about anything, but just that he wasn't getting any motivation to keep doing it.

"Waqt lagta hi hai Sameer...", said Naina while getting down from the platform as she finished her coffee. "Tum bass auditions dete raho. Kya pata, koi achchhi film mil jaaye sach mein..."

He too stood up and kept his cup in the sink**, "Woh toh thik hai Naina, lekin...."

"Lekin-wekin kuchh nahi Sameer..." She crossed him to reach the sink and started rinsing their cups, "Hume na bilkul haar nahi maan'ni hai. Koshish karte rehna hai... aur dekhna... hum kamyaab zaroor honge...."

He smiled heartily and kept looking at his wife. How instinctively she had said 'hum'!! He always knew he was never alone in his struggle, in his battle. He always knew Naina was his strongest pillar of support. He always knew she would never leave his hand, come what may. He was grateful to the god for blessing him with such a beautiful soul as his 'humsafar'.

"HUM???" He blurted aloud, just reflecting what he was thinking; a gratitude appearing in his eyes for his wife.

Naina, who had finished washing the cups and the vessel, kept it reversibly on the platform and paused. She had heard this 'hum' with a question mark before too; when he had cried like a child holding her and she had pacified him by reading a poem. And at this moment, she heard it again. His tone was definitely different this time, but that question mark she could feel ahead of that 'hum' bothered her more. Okay, she could understand that was afraid of the uncertainty of his career, but was there any feeling of uncertainty about their relationship too? About her being his support? Didn't he believe that she could never leave him alone in his journey of becoming successful? That she would always be standing beside him? She couldn't fathom that even after six years of being in love, he couldn't see the depth of her love.

She washed her hands and wiped them with a cloth. Turning to Sameer, who was leaning sideways on the platform with his hands folded and just admiring her, she looked in his eyes. She couldn't see in his eyes that time too when he had said it, and this time too as she was cleaning. But both the times, his voice penetrated straight to her heart.

She took a step towards him, and queried, "Kyun? isme itni hairani ki kya baat hai? Maine kuchh galat kaha kya?" Her voice was neutral, her face expressionless.

Sameer was back from his dreamland hearing her question. He frowned for a moment. What had he said?

"Kya?" He uttered, freeing his locked hands.

"Sameer, tumhe mujhpar, ya mere pyar par bharosa nahi hai kya ki mai tumhara sath kabhi nahi chhodungi?" She questioned clearly.

What was she saying?? He was totally clueless.

"Aisa kya keh diya maine, Naina? Tum aisi baatein kyu kar rahi ho?" He tried to deduce from her statements.

"Toh tumhare iss 'hum' ke samne itna bada prashna chinh kyu rehta hai?" She was miffed.

"Kya rehta hai?" He scrunched his nose listening to a complex Hindi word.

"Question mark...." She nearly screamed. "Sameer, tumhe aisa kyu lag raha hai ki mai tumhe iss safar me akela chhod dungi... tumhara sath nahi dungi... pichhle baar bhi aise hi kaha tha tumne... "

What had happened to her? Why was she misinterpreting his words? He was startled.

He stepped closer to her, "Naina, mujhe kuchh samajh nahi aa raha hai tum kya bol rahi ho... aur maine pichhle baar kab kaha tha aisa?"

"Uss din jab maine tumhe woh kavita padh ke sunayi thi... uss din bhi aisehi kaha tha tumne..." She tried to remind him. "Sameer, mai hu tumhare sath... har waqt har kadam par... mai tumhe kisi bhi mukaam par akela nahi padne dungi..." Her voice turned heavy at the end.

Sameer narrowed her eyes and tried to process the information. As he recalled, he discerned that it was the day when he had cried holding her and fell asleep in her lap. And yes, he had said something like that. He wasn't in the proper state of mind at that moment to think what kind of impact his words might have caused to Naina, but now he certainly could see it.

He quickly reached to her and by holding both her arms, he turned her so that her hips rested on the platform. "Shshshsh..... shant ho jao Naina...." He stroked her arm affectionately.

Naina softened instantly with his calm and composed demeanor and his love-filled eyes. The heaviness in her chest started mollifying slowly and she breathed deeply.

"Naina, uss waqt mai apne complexes ke neeche daba hua tha." He shared looking into her eyes, "mujhe laga tha yeh saare darr, yeh struggle, yeh naakamyabi... sirf mujhe hi mila hai yeh sab... uss raat jab mai akele sadkon par chal raha tha, tab laga yahi sab likha hai meri taqdeer me.... Aur... tumhe toh maine hamesha top karte hue hi dekha hai... toh lag raha tha ki sirf mai hi fail hua hu zindagi me... lekin uss din jab tumhari kahani ko magazine me jagah nahi mili, tab pata chala yeh struggle hum dono ke naseeb me hai...." He gave her a gentle smile.

"Sameer, hum dono ke beech me kab se yeh mera aur tumhara shuru ho gaya?" She asked innocently.

"Mai maanta hu Naina... mujhe aise sochna nahi chahiye tha..." He accepted his folly without hesitation. "Lekin woh sab shayad mere andar chal rahe toofan ke wajah se ho raha tha... mai sambhal hi nahi paa raha tha khud ko... lekin phir... tumne mujhe sambhala... mujhe sanwara... mujhe vishwas dilaya ki mai bhi kuchh karne ke kaabil hu... yeh sab sirf tumhare wajah se hai Naina... sirf tumhare wajah se..."

A warm smile crept her lips and her eyes became teary. She closed the distance between them with a warm hug and rested her head on his heart. He too wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair.

He put a kiss on her head and whispered, "I love you..."

"I love you more...." He heard her murmuring on his chest and he chuckled.

Drawing himself back from the hug, he wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and caressed her cheeks. "Tumhare liye kuchh kahu?" He sought permission.

Instant smile was guaranteed on her lips, a shine surfacing her eyes and she chirped, "irshaad...."

His palms travelled down from her cheeks to her shoulders, to her arms and finally holding her hands in his, he entwined their fingers.

He rendered,

Tumhare pyar ke inn gehraiyon mein, maine apna aasman paaya hai,

Tumhare narm aagosh mein, iss bechain dil ka sukoon paaya hai,

Tum har kadam jo sath ho mere, aur maine saara jahaan paaya hai....

Naina heaved a deep breath of happiness. She had no questions, no skepticism in her mind. Everything was right there in front of her; her love, her world, her place of comfort, her home. And it was none other than Sameer, the answer to her every question. She wondered how this shayari was suitable for both of them. Whether he recited it for her or she said it for him, they meant the same for each other.

"Bahot achchhi shayari hai Sameer," she complimented him.

He smiled, "Jaanta hun... tum pe jo bani hai..."

And before she could come up with something on this, he walked closer to pin her to the platform and put a kiss on her forehead. She blushed heavily and tried to react, but she realized that her hands were locked with his, and she was unable to free them. His lips then trailed to her cheeks and lingered there, slowly travelling to the corner of her lips now. She could do nothing but stand there and enjoy the sweet sensual torture.

Her gaze fell on the wall clock in the living room. It was 4:15pm. How did Papa not arrive yet? She thought for a moment. "Sameer... Papa ke aane ka time ho gaya hai..." She mumbled.

"Hone do..." He whispered, moving to her other cheek and put soft but sensuous kisses again.

Taking her hands behind her, he inched closer to her plump lips, her quivering lips almost inviting him. But before their thirsty lips met, they heard a ring. Not the doorbell ring, but the telephone one.

Sameer made a frustrated sound and freed their hands, "yeh phone na Papa ko takkar de raha hai... mere pyaar ka dushman banne me..."

Naina giggled, keeping her palm on her lips. "Jao... phone uthao..." She pushed him a little and herself turned back to the countertop to wipe the rinsed cups and vessel with the cloth.

"Hello..." Sameer sounded cranky. "Hellloooo... " he repeated as no response could be heard from the other side.

He realized it must be the blank call that disturbed their sweet moment. He closed his eyes in annoyance and muttered, "kaun hai yaar... kya chahiye hum se..."

He just waited to see if there would be an answer lest he disconnected the phone, but his attention was diverted to the sound of the latch opening. He eyed at the door and saw Rakesh coming in. He could have just got back to the phone call, but before he could do it, he observed that Papa was limping and a panic took over him.

His eyes widened and he yawped, "Papaaaa...."

Sameer immediately rushed to hold Rakesh, with the cordless in his hand, and gave him support. "Kya hua Papa? Nainaaaa.... Papa ko dekho kya hua hai...." He called Naina while taking Rakesh to the sofa.

"Arey kuchh nahi hua hai bhai... bass thodi moch aayi hai..." Rakesh tried to assuage his son-in-law's panic.

"Papaaa...." Naina too immediately joined them and aided her father from the other side. Sameer turned the sofa chair towards them and assisted Rakesh in sitting on it.

Naina asked in a fluster, "kya hua Papa? Aap gir gaye kya phir se?"

Sameer hastily kept the cordless on the glass table, and crouched near Rakesh, " Papa, aapko jyada chot lagi hai kya? Doctor ko bulana hai kya?"

Seeing the pain on Papa's face, Naina examined Rakesh's legs and voiced, "dekha... phir se usi pair ko chot lagi hai... Papa kaise lagi yeh chot?"

"Naina, hum doctor ko bula lete hai... pichhli baar jaisa kuchh hua toh?" Sameer announced.

Rakesh was only trying to open his mouth to speak but he was constantly getting bombarded with the questions from his daughter and son-in-law.

"Arey arey... ruko toh sahi dono..." Rakesh raised his voice to make them listen to him. "Kuchh nahi hua hai, bass pair me moch aa gay hai halki si..." He added.

Sameer stood up, "Aise kaise kuchh nahi hua hai? Aapke chehre pe saaf dikh raha hai aapko dard ho raha hai."

"Tum mujhe baad me daant lena..." Rakesh tried to placate Sameer. "Naina, ek glass paani la do pehle... pyaas lagi hai kabse..."

Both Naina and Sameer calmed down a little. While Naina rushed to the kitchen to fetch water for Papa, Sameer helped him in resting his leg on the table, turning his seat. Naina handed him the glass of water and opened the fridge to get some ice cubes. She prepared an ice pack while Sameer was just standing and observing Papa, as he could see that Papa wasn't matching his eyes with him.

As Naina knelt down on the floor to help Rakesh with the ice pack, Sameer voiced, "Kaise lagi yeh chot Papa?" He was calm but wanted an answer.

Rakesh looked up to see Sameer standing all serious and waiting for his answer. "Woh... wapsi ke dauraan auto rickshaw me chadhte samay pair mud gaya." He replied while averting his gaze.

"Aur aap kaha se wapas aa rahe the?" Sameer folded his hands, his voice turned more serious. Naina didn't even try to interrupt her husband hearing his stern voice, so she remained focussed on applying the ice pack.

"Woh..." Rakesh knew he was caught up in the situation. He hadn't expected Sameer to be at home. "Bahar gaya tha... kisi kaam se..." Rakesh repeated the same answer.

"Kaunsa kaam Papa? Aur kahan jaate hai aap har dusre din? Agar yeh chot badi hoti toh? Ya kuchh ho jata toh?" Sameer berated, his voice raised a little.

"Haan lekin hua toh nahi na. Sirf moch aayi hai." Rakesh countered.

"Dekha Naina... Bachchon ki tarah ulta jawab de rahe hai..." Sameer addressed Naina, while she had no answer to it. "Papa... aap kal se kahi bahar nahi jaa rahe hai... aapko aaram karna hai ghar pe..." Sameer declared.

"Aise kaise kahi nahi jaunga... mujhe jab bahar jana ho mai jaunga..." Rakesh emphasized.

"Aisa kaunsa kaam hai Papa jo itna zaroori hai? Aur hamse chhupate kyu ho?" Sameer was piqued seeing Rakesh's stubbornness.

"Koi galat kaam nahi kar raha hu itna samjh lo bass," Rakesh retorted.

"Papa...."

"Sameer...." Naina interrupted Sameer. She gestured him through her eyes not to scold her father and he acceded with a sigh. "Papa, abhi aapko aaram ki zaroorat hai. Jab aapka pair thik ho jayega tab jaana, thik hai?" She said as gently as possible.

Rakesh looked at his daughter who was sitting near his legs and taking care of him just like the last time. He smiled a little and just nodded.

Sameer couldn't believe how Naina was taking this thing so lightly. "Thik hai, karo apni manmaani...", he muttered and grabbed the cordless to call the doctor who had treated Rakesh during his previous injury.

He went to the TV table to get the phone number diary, and casually put the phone to his ear. He didn't hear the dial-tone. He checked the phone again and put it to his ear. And he registered that the call he had received before Papa arrived, was probably still on. "Helloo..." He tried to confirm it. The next moment, the call was disconnected and he could hear the dial-tone again. So the call was indeed on. Sameer was bewildered. He checked the time. It was almost 4:35pm.

So does it mean that the call was on from the past 20 minutes? He wondered.

Does it mean the person at the other end heard all their family talks? Who must be that person?

He was flabbergasted beyond anything knowing that someone has listened to all their personal talks. But it wasn't important right now. So ignoring it for now, he searched for the doctor's number in the diary and called it.

Thankfully, Rakesh's injury wasn't very serious as the doctor checked him. The doctor advised him to rest for some days and instructed Naina to continue with the ice-pack if swelling is noticed. He also prescribed him a pain killer in case he feels more pain and fastened a crepe bandage on his injured foot.

Though Naina's whole attention was shifted to taking care of her father, Sameer didn't forget to read her story at night and he posted it the next day. He asked Naina if he should skip any audition if she needed any help for Rakesh, but she refused, and even Rakesh assured that he could take care of himself. Sameer was still upset with Rakesh for engaging in a banter with him rather than answering directly, but as days passed and Rakesh was fit again, he too became normal.

Preeti-Shubham visited Rakesh in between to check on his injury, and they were glad that it wasn't severe. Gadkariji also visited them to return their two cassessts and also to enquire on Rakesh's health. He also recommended Naina a fortnightly magazine 'Saras Salil' and told her to check if she can post her stories for that magazine too. Next day, that magazine was brought home, thanks to Sameer.

Naina's periods started on 26th again and this time Sameer was careful with her but also was fulfilling her every wish, just as how he would do before; may it be kissing her at night passionately or letting her kiss him or his body however she wanted. She didn't have to suffer through the pain like last time, and their nights passed in spending time in each other's arms.

It was 1st June, Saturday and Naina woke up Sameer with a kiss. She was a little irked that their morning time had curtailed due to Sameer's jogging, but then there had been days when she had studied in the early morning too. So she made peace with it. Also, she was ready to compromise on anything for Sameer, regardless of anything.

Sameer reached the park at his usual timing. He would nowadays carry some money with him, and often drink coconut water from a stall there. But today, he had extra money with him for some other reason. Completing his ten rounds of the park, he stopped near the small book stall. He purchased a copy of Kadambini magazine June edition and stared at its cover for a moment. He had come with a lot of hopes today. He didn't want last month's scene to be repeated. He wanted to check it first and then only he would take it home. And he exhaled through his mouth to control his excitement. Closing his eyes for a moment, he prayed to God heartily and opened the magazine.

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

** I don't know whyyy I imagined the kitchen sink in the rightmost corner of the kitchen, while it is on the left in the show. Toh adjust kar lo please.... Right me imagine kar lena. 

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