Forever yours

Saat Vachan

Part 6

Naina was confused what to wear. She had tried and discarded several dresses. She also tried out a blue salwar kameez as it was Sameer's favorite colour, but she didn't feel it looked nice.

Finally, exasperated, she sat on the bed and gave up trying to look her best and made a sad face towards Swati. "Yaar kya pehnu kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai, kuch bhi achcha nahi lag raha hai. Tu batana isme mein se kaun sa achcha hai".

Swati: Yaar, tu bhi na! Saare kapde try karke fenk diye. Mere bhi try kar liye.. ab tu bole toh Kamya se uski miniskirt wali dress maang lati hoon, fir wahi pehenle.. Sameer ke toh honsh hi udd jaayenge! She teased Naina cocking her eyebrows.

Naina made a grumpy face indicating "Tu bhi na!" Just then she spotted a red and green chudidaar jutting out of her multicolored trunk. She realized that she had totally forgotten this dress, which preeti had sneaked into her trunk, "in case of a special occasion", as it was bought only during last Diwali and was worn only once yet, and hence, Chachiji had asked her to save it for Pooja's wedding functions, whenever those happened. She fondly remembered Preeti that how unknowlingly also, her sister never failed to support her.

She pulled the delicate fabric out of the trunk and held it out to Swati "yeh kaisa hai?"
Swati was awed: Wah Naina, yeh wali bahut achchi hai, tujhe pe jachegi, tu ruk mere paas matching bangles aur bindi bhi hai. She helped Naina get ready, brushed her hair, till they shone and flew in the wind, just the way Sameer loved it.

Finally, they took a last look in the mirror, and Swati exclaimed "Mast lag rahi hai, aaj toh pakka Jijaji ke honsh udd jaayenge, waise bhi lal toh pyar ka rang hai na, tujhpe mast khila hai!"

Naina turned all crimsom: Buss kar tu, kya Jijaji? Sameer bol.

Swati: Oye hoye...theek hai abhi ke liye Sameer, par aaj shaam ke baad toh pure haq se sirf Jijaji bolungi. This made Naina blush even harder.

It was time to reach the temple and Swati made sure that nobody was lurking out in the corridor or the premise of the hostel, before they managed to sneak out. Upon reaching close to the temple, Swati hugged her, wished her good luck and wandered off to the nearby market.

Naina was excited to see Sameer but nervous at the same time. She went inside the temple, the doors were yet to open, so she walked around the premises looking for Sameer. Well, there was still time for the aarti and she knew, Smaeer was never late, he would be there before the aarti. She imagined so many possible scenarios of how the rest of the evening would pan out, but was totally unprepared at the sight that greeted her. A few minutes into her dreamland and she felt him around.

She turned and saw Sameer climbing up the stairs of the temple in the faintest of pink white shirts and his favourite blue jeans. The shirt sleeves were not folded this time as he usually liked; nevertheless, he looked stunning. Also, now he was used to removing his shoes before entering the temple. She couldn't stop staring at him but something was different. His eyes never left her but something was different in them. Yes, there was this ocean of love for her in them, but also there was a determination, a resolve, and something else that she could not place. Then her eyes fell on his hair and was shocked.

Those long flowing tresses in the wind, those locks, were gone. No, he was not bald, nor was it as short as that of Shahrukh Khan in Fauji, but still short that they would not flow in the wind or drop on his eyes, when he rode the bike, the length that she couldn't stop adoring. The moment he climbed the last step, the inner temple doors opened for the aarti, people started gathering immediately and in a moment, the area was completely crowded. She couldn't get to him, but eye signaled him asking what happened. He just smiled at her and moved on the other side, as the area for men and women was segregated during the aarti. Naina had to wait another 20 minutes before she could actually talk to him, but well, it was enough for her that he was there with her. Nothing else really mattered. So she too smiled in return and focused on the aarti and rituals that followed.