It was well-past 10:30 at night. Most of the lights of the society houses were dimmed by now. Rakesh papa was into a deep slumber, but the Maheshwari couple in their bedroom couldn't find a way to sleep.

Sameer was sitting on his side of the mattress, had taken both the cushions for comfort of his lower back, leaning on the wall and his legs spread. Naina had laid her back partially... Well, partially would be so unfair here... She had completely laid her back on his chest, him being just like her personal pillow, his cheeks resting on her head and his stubble doing its favorite job of messing her hair. Sameer had circled his one arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him every now and then, while his other hand had a piece of paper in it. Naina had a book of 'Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning and Statistics' in her hand, folded though, while her other hand too had a piece of paper in it.

They both were staring at those two pieces of papers since the last 10 minutes now. No word had been uttered since the last 5 minutes. But the silence was still so peaceful. Those were the cheques they had received on the day of the ad shoot, which had taken the sleep away from their eyes.

It had been two days since the commercial shoot and they both were in a state of shock since then. Not only Sameer had been paid a good amount for his debut on the Television commercial format, but Naina too was paid an amount of Rs.5000 for her contribution of four lines to the ad.

They both were unbelievably scared when the director had torn the dialogue sheet given to Sameer. Naina was literally on the verge of breaking down as she held herself responsible for Sameer losing his first TV commercial, that too because of her stupid suggestions for the ad. But the next moment, they were put into a big dilemma as Naina was being asked for permission to use her lines.

Why would they ask for Naina's consent to use her lines? They can of course use it. They thought.

And asking for permission wasn't enough shock for them, when Naina was actually paid for it. Paid for using her four lines for the ad. Seriously?

Well, there are certainly good people around here. They felt it cannot be a lie when they say people of Mumbai have a big heart. They indeed have.

After returning home, they had kept their cheques in front of Lord Krishna, thanked god for his blessings on them and prayed for their beautiful future. 14th March 1996, Thursday. They will probably never forget the day when they received their first pay-cheque. But just like a child is obsessed with his new toy, they both were obsessed with their pay-cheques. It was so fascinating for them to see their names on it and of course the amount with it. Not that it was their first earning. They had earned money by themselves in their boutique business. But getting such a big amount for such a little effort was happening for the first time for them. Also it wasn't that they didn't get time to deposit the cheques, but they were still not over with it. And this was their routine for the past two nights now.

"Sameer...." Naina finally broke the silence.

"Hmmmmm..." He responded.

"Yeh cheques bank me jama kar do. Warna hum aisehi ghoorte rahenge isse." She said in a low voice, words hardly escaping through her mouth.

"Hmmmm..." He again just hummed.

She turned her head to look at him. Is he really listening? And she got the answer. She took the cheque from his hand and placed both the cheques in her book.

She sat straightened, turning towards him, "Sameer, kal yeh bank me jama kar dena." She repeated.

"Kal Sunday hai Naina..." he said.

"Haan toh parso kar dena... aur yeh do din aisehi bita diye tumne..." She was irked by now for no reason.

"Haan kar dunga baba, gussa kyun kar rahi ho?" He made a small face, but something flashed in his mind. "Naina... kal Sunday hai..." He said excitedly.

"Haan toh?" She questioned.

He straightened while folding his legs and clutched a cushion in his arms. "Toh mera class nahi hai kal. Chalo na kahi ghumne chalte hai."

"Nahi Sameer. Mujhe padhna hai." She answered while looking down. She probably just made an excuse.

"Naina... humne kya tay kiya tha... Sunday ko no padhai... aur waise bhi... abhibhi kaunsa padh rahi ho tum... bass book leke baithi ho kabse..." Sameer took the book from her hand and kept it on the floor on his side.

He held her hands in his and continued, "Naina, jabse hum yahan Mumbai me aaye hai, hum kahi bahar gaye hi nahi hai ghumne. Bass wo pehle din hi gaye the. Aur agar mauka milta bhi, toh inn jhuthon ke wajah se jaa nahi paaye. Naina, mujhe kabhi toh mauka diya karo tumhe yeh saari khushiyan dene ka?"

"Tch... Sameer... tumhe kyun aisa lagta hai ki tum mujhe khush nahi rakh paa rahe ho? Kya maine kabhi koi shikayat ki hai tumse?" She asked.

He shook his head in no. "Lekin Naina, tumhara pati hone ke naate mera yeh farz banta hai ki mai tumhe saari khushiyaan doon."

"Nahi Sameer." She interrupted him. "Tum bhool gaye? Tumne hi kaha tha na, ki hum dono me koi kisise kam ya jyada nahi hai. Hum dono barabar hai. Toh phir tum aisa kyun soch rahe ho ki mujhe khush rakhna yeh sirf tumhari zimmedari hai? Aur kya tum yeh sab sirf farz samajhkar karna chahte ho?" She countered.

"Aisi baat nahi hai Naina... Lekin yeh sab mere sapne the... tumhe bahot saare haseen pal, aur dher saari chhoti-chhoti khushiyaan dene ke..." He justified.

"Sameer, yeh zindagi... yeh sapne... sab hum dono ke hai... aur ab toh hamare sapne poore hone ki shuruwaat bhi toh ho chuki hai... aur rahi baat Mumbai ghumne jaane ki, toh tumhara acting class ab khatm hote aaya hai, toh uske baad chale jayenge." She tried to cheer his mood up.

He complied, but to only half of it, "Aaaahh nahi... Bahar toh hum kal hi jaa rahe hai. Naina... tum bhi thoda break lelo padhai se. Mujhe pata hai tumhe bahot padhna padta hai, lekin thoda aaram bhi toh zaroori ha nai... kal hum jaa rahe hai toh jaa rahe hai..." He straightened his legs, adjusted the pillows and slided down the mattress to sleep.

She looked at her adorable husband. Saying no to him was a faraway thing. A gentle smile curved on her lips, realizing that she was falling for this guy again and again. She switched the lights off, adjusted her position and rested her head on her pillow, his shoulder. He too immediately turned to his side, gave a peck on her lips and engulfed her in his arms. He fell asleep within the next few minutes, unaware of the fact that his wife was still wide awake, immersed in some deep thinking.

The Sunday morning was a usual one. Getting up a little late and doing the morning rituals accompanied with the songs from Vividhbharti playing on the radio. Sameer and Rakesh papa headed towards the kitchen as they had decided to let Naina take rest on Sunday mornings. Today's menu was masala pohe, chai and toast.

Naina was so overwhelmed when this decision was taken three months back, by her father and husband, during her periods. They had asked her to rest and were ready to do wonders in the kitchen. But later, it was decided that not only during the periods but she deserves some rest apart from that too. So the three mutually agreed for Sunday mornings, given that Sameer would be free from his class.

The first trial month was a headache for Naina. Spilled tea on the platform, vegetable wastes on the exact same place they were cut at, almost all the utensils taken out for something or other purpose, food with varying tastes. She used to offer them help, but they had persisted with her to allow them to continue. And gradually, they learnt to keep the kitchen clean and managed to cook tasty food just like Naina had learnt in the initial days of her marriage.

Naina sat on the trunk with her book in hand. It was the best place to sit and observe the two most important people of her life... Sameer and papa. How the dynamics had drastically changed between them... There was a time when they couldn't even see eye-to-eye. She had never imagined that papa would even accept Sameer as a part of his daughter's life, his own life. But as they say, time is the solution for everything. And it had worked for them too. Not only papa had agreed to their alliance, but he had also accepted Sameer wholeheartedly in his life. And their glaring eyes on each other and the serious talks were now turning into funny banters.

She kept chuckling when she heard Papa telling Sameer about how this new Manohar Joshi government was working for Mumbai and Maharashtra, while Sameer who was not much interested in politics was only nodding in between. The one-sided discussion then travelled to Papa's childhood telling him how people of Gujarat and Maharashtra were fighting for Mumbai to be part of their state in 1960, and Sameer had completely lost the track by now. He heard a pleasant laughter coming from the living room and turned to look back. His wife was trying very hard to control her laughter with her dupatta. He gave her a 'mai-tumhare-papa-ka-kya-karu' look and again continued chopping the onion.

The breakfast was prepared and they all shifted to the mattress in the living room, chatting on various topics. As Rakesh stood up to fetch something from the kitchen, with the cup of tea in his hand, he stumbled and lost his balance. Though he was saved from falling by Sameer's strong hands, the cracking of the cup into several pieces couldn't be saved.

Looking at his mess, Rakesh mumbled, "Kaash Ahmedabad se ek sofa set bhi laa paate."

But it was somehow heard by the couple sitting on the mattress. They looked at each other and nodded understandably.

It was 5 in the evening. Sameer and Naina were getting ready to go out. Naina was wearing her orange salwaar-kameez and Sameer was decked up in a gray T-shirt and black jeans. After a heavy debate between Juhu beach and Marine lines, they finally settled on Juhu beach, reasoning they would go for Marine Drive for some other celebration. Rakesh too was happy for them as they were finally able to step out as husband-wife without any fears.

As Sameer and Naina stepped out hand-in-hand, they opted for taxi this time, giving themselves an excuse of the celebration of the first pay-cheques.

They reached the Juhu beach and the beautiful view of the big ocean ahead had mesmerized them again. Their minds were crowded by the memories of the first day in Mumbai. It didn't matter if the place was different or the time was different, the scenic beauty of the sea was just the same.

Sameer grabbed Naina's hand and entwined their fingers. They walked without a word being spoken. Nobody was going to ask them now what relation they shared. And it didn't matter to them even. They were least bothered about the people around today. All that mattered to them was the beloved person to their side, the sea and the sun setting down.

They reached the shore and saw the waves coming to their feet. They didn't move back this time. Instead they removed their footwears, held it in their free hand and just walked further in the sea. How soothing was that first touch of the wave! But it can't be just one... And the second wave was gone!! The third wave was gone!!! They were just cherishing the moments.... trying to see as far as possible... noticing the changing color of the sun as the time passed... and still, not a word was uttered between them. They didn't need to... They never really needed words to convey their feelings... Even a glance to each other would always suffice.

With each passing wave, the smile on their face would broaden. It felt like Mumbai was giving them new happiness and taking away all the sorrows, washing away all their lies. They recollected the promise they had made to themselves on the first day, of becoming as big and as powerful as the ocean. This time, they just amended it. To stay as humble, as truthful, as giving and as graceful as the setting sun.

After a while, they went to the food stalls. There were plenty of them, having every kind of food. Naina dragged Sameer towards the chat corners. There too had many items like Sev batata poori, Dahi batata poori, aloo chat and what not. Naina asked for sev batata poori while Sameer chose only bhel, wanting to keep space for other items too. Then they had nariyal pani, pav bhaji and ice gola, all weird combinations. Teasing each other by showing their colorful tongues, they lived their college days again and remained oblivious to the world.

As they were done with the food, they settled themselves on a mat, which was rented to them on an hour basis. They didn't want to miss the last moments with the sun, which was in a hurry to meet the ocean at the horizon. Sameer was noticing the people around him. A family of four, parents and two children under ten were playing in the sea on one side. The father had grabbed his daughter in his arms and twirling her in the air, while the son who looked elderly to the girl was jumping with happiness. A smile crept on his lips without warning. He found the moment so adorable. He shifted his gaze and saw a couple at the other end, who looked in their mid-thirties. And just like him and Naina, they too were walking hand-in-hand. They looked so much in love with each other.

Suddenly, a thought crossed in Sameer's mind. How would they both be like ten years from here? They would be in their early thirties. How many children would they have? Well, the number didn't matter, but he wanted a daughter for sure. He saw himself and Naina in that couple. Still so much in love, and happy and content with life. He imagined himself as a successful hero, who had just got a few days off from his shoot. While Naina seemed to be an owner of a CA firm, who had finally agreed to Sameer to come out after a lot of pestering. Convincing Naina for anything still looked so tough. He mentally noted it, to become sharper with his convincing skills.

The sun had set and the darkness was slowly covering the sky. Sameer turned to Naina, but he saw her looking far at horizon that wasn't even much visible. She looked so lost in some thoughts. The wind was messing her hair, a few strands of her hair constantly striking her cheeks. But she seemed undisturbed by that. Ugghh... why these hair strands are playing with her smooth cheeks... He scowled.

"Naina..." he called her in a soft voice.

There came no reply. Her hair again stroke on her cheeks and he couldn't control now. Tucking them back to her ear by himself, he broke her stance. "Naina, kya hua?"

Realizing his hand on her cheek, she looked at him. Coming to the present moment, she muttered, "kkuchh nahi... bas samundar ko dekh rahi thi... kitna shant lag raha hai na..." She successfully diverted his mind.

"Haan..." he looked back to the ocean, listening to the pleasant sound of the waves.

He shifted closer to her and expanded his arm around her, asking her silently to rest her head on his shoulder and so she did, not bothering about the people around.

"Naina... kuchh hi mahine hue hai hame Mumbai me aake... phir bhi yeh shaher, yeh samundar... kitna apna sa lag raha hai na..." he said dreamily.

"Haan..." Her tone matched with his.

"Socho na Naina... kahan hum saal bhar pehle Ahemdabad se kabhi na jaane ki baat kar rahe the... aur aaj dekho... hum yahan hai..." He reminisced about their own statements.

She straightened, turning to him, "Sameer, tum dekhna... Tum na ek din bahot bade superstar banoge. Ek mashhoor hero. Aur bahot kamyaab banoge." Her eyes reflected with dreams and happiness.

He smiled on this and adjusted himself while folding his legs. "Sirf mai hi nahi... tum bhi... Naina, mai na soch raha tha... Jaise hi tumhara CA complete ho jayega na, toh hum tumhare liye ek firm shuru karwa denge. Tumhari apni firm. Mai nahi chahta ki tum kisi dusre ke liye kam karo. Tum apne kam ki khud Malkin banna... thik hai?" He looked so excited by the thought itself.

"CA firm...?" She was surprised. The question was more to herself than to him.

"Haan... aur tumhari articleship ship ke liye bhi hum yaha ki best firm select karenge. Mai Shubhamji se baat karunga tumhare liye... woh zaroor achchhi firm batayenge." He was talking animatedly.

"Hh.. hhaann... bb.. bilkuul... Jiju achchha hi batayenge..." She couldn't meet her eyes with him, so she turned again towards the sea, measuring how much bigger was the turmoil inside her, as compared to the sea ahead.

"Sameer... kuchh achchha sa sunao na..." She asked earnestly while resting her head on his shoulder again, after a few minutes of silence.

He smiled. Complying to her and pulling her to him, he recited,

Sham dhal rahi hai,                                                                              Dhalta suraj yeh bata raha...

Mausam badal raha hai,                                                                        Behti hawayein yeh bata rahi...

Kudrat apna khel badal rahi hai,                                                  Shant samundar yeh bata raha...

Lekin Waqt... Woh hum badlenge...                                            Saath chalkar... Aage badhkar...                                                      Hamari kismat yeh bata rahi...

She looked up to see him. His eyes looked comforting. Did he read her mind? She didn't know. But felt relieved after listening to her Shayar husband.

They again went for a walk on the shore and later reached back to home by 9:30pm. Rakesh had already prepared khichdi for them. Though Sameer and Naina were not that hungry, they accompanied Papa, after giving a look at the delicious moong-dal khichdi with tadka.

As they hit the bed some time later in their bedroom, Sameer again fell asleep, holding Naina in his arms. While Naina continued to stay awake at least for an hour more, before finally giving up to the tiredness.

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

Would love to know your thoughts on this Guys...

Do Vote... Do comment... Do Share...