"Oh, toh fir intzaar karo jab tak madhuri se nahi milte... abhi ke liye yeh towel daalo aur chup chaap wahan baitho." Naina glared at him, squirming to get out of his hold.
Sameer gave a lopsided smile, wrapping his arms around her, "Kisi ko jalan ho rahi hai."
She raised her chin, puckering her lips, "Haan ho rahi hai... aise bologe toh nahi hogi kya?"
He could not shift his eyes from her lips... but couldn't let the chance to hear his praise again pass either.
"Tumhari iss jalan ke liye toh main kitna tadap raha tha... ek baar kya kaha tha tumne... woh jab new year pe Rahul ke ghar gaye the?" He narrowed his eyes, pretending to recall though he remembered quite clearly.
"Malai ka katora." She blurted, without seeing through his plan.
His lips curved into a smile, "Haye,
aur kya kya bolti ho mujhe?"
"Tumhe Sameer hi bolti hun... aur kya bolun?" She was puzzled.
"Saamne nahi... mere peeche se... jaise yeh bola... malai ka katora... aise do chaar naam aur batao na." He wrinkled his nose.
"Aisa karna, Madhuri se hi rakhwa lena achhe se naam... mujhse kyon puch rahe ho." She huffed.
"Ussi se toh puch raha hun... meri Madhuri tum hi ho... bua dadi mujhe hero kehti hain par iss hero ki heroine toh tum hi ho... ho na?" He tilted his head.
"Ab makhan mat lagao... pehle jo bola woh yaad rahega mujhe." She tried to hide the blush.
"Achha... mujhe toh kuch bhi yaad nahi... tunhare siva... tumne mujhe aisa lattoo bana diya hai ki meri aankhon tumhe hi dekhti hain... tum saamne nahi hoti tab bhi. " He whispered in a heavy voice.
The shivers his voice was giving her were competing with the heartbeat that had gone erratic to another level...
He tightened his arms.
Naina was again finding it difficult to breathe... new sensations flooding through her with the touch of his bare skin.
"Sameer, tumhari white shirt hai na mere paas, main woh deti hun." She tried to squirm away, glad that she remembered the shirt.
"Kyon?" He looked at her with intense eyes.
"Kyon... matlab thand lag jayegi." She mumbled.
"Tum aise hi paas raho... thand kaise lagegi?" He brought his face closer to her.
"Sameer... chodo please... tumhari shirt... " She leaned on the side, avoiding his tilted face.
"Naina, ab sach mein biwi ho tum meri... ab humari poori shaadi ho chuki hai... khud chachaji ne karwayi hai... ab kyon aise ghabra rahi ho?" He said in a soft voice.
She lowered her eyes... whatever he said was correct... she was legally his wife... they had the blessings of their elders... it was the truth she had to accept... sooner the better.
"Mujhe pata hai, Sameer... par... main... matlab..." She was at loss of words.
He placed one finger under her chin to make her look up, "Meri jaan, tumhara matlab pata hai mujhe... tumhe darne ki zaroorat nahi hai... mujhse toh bilkul nahi."
Leaning against her ear, he whispered, "Lekin khud se darna... apne handsome pati ko aise dekh ke tum door nahi reh paayi toh?"
Naina turned scarlet to the roots... it was like he was reading her dreams... where she had seen him like this... and melted in his arms.
She ran to the cupboard the moment he left her, reaching out for the shirt on the front shelf where she always kept it. As she pulled it out, something fell out along with it.
