She looked at him lovingly... then lifted her heels, kept her hands on his shoulders... and covered his cheek with kisses.
He closed his eyes... inhaling deeply... her fragrance filled his senses while her touch eased all the tension that was coiled in him since morning. He was amazed at her ability to pull him out of any depth of darkness in an instant... her mere presence around him made everything appear brighter... her words healed his soul... her touch was the remedy for his every wound... her kisses were the elixir for his parched skin...
"Ab theek lag raha hai?" She asked innocently, tilting her head to one side.
"Ahaan... abhi thodi mehnat aur karni padegi... thoda dard baaki hai." He gave a lopsided smile.
"Bohot besharam ho gaye ho tum." She turned her face as he leaned.
That is when he saw... the clear, red prints of fingers on her white cheeks.
"Naina... yeh... kisne... tumhe..." He was at loss of words.
She looked up at him, confused at what he meant... and her hand flew up to the cheek when she saw his gaze resting on it.
"Kisne kiya... taiji?" He hissed, gritting his teeth.
She shook her head... and he knew... the only person who could resort to such brutality was her father.
"Rakesh sir."
She could see the movement of his jaw as it clenched in anger.
"Koi baat nahi, Sameer... yeh sab chodo... main tumhe jo sunane aayi hun woh..." She tried to curb his resentment.
Her words did not register in his mind.
"Tum pe haath kaise uthaya, Naina... main... main... bohot dard hua hoga na?" His eyes welled up as he delicately traced the marks.
She held the wrist of his hand that was close to her cheek, "Nahi hua... yeh pyar ki chot hai... ismein koi takleef nahi hui... tumhe kya lagta hai, tumhi majnu ban sakte ho... Mr Majnu, tumhari laila bhi kam nahi hai... apne majnu ke liye aise kai thappad aur kha lungi."
He crushed her against himself, "Haath toh laga ke dekhe koi tumhe... aaj ke baad agar kisi ne koshish bhi ki tumhe dard dene ki toh main bhool jaunga tumhara unse kya rishta hai... meri Naina koi dard nahi sahegi... kabhi nahi."
She tightened her arms around him, overwhelmed, "Ab tumhari Naina tumhare paas hi aa rahi hai... toh dard ki jagah hi nahi bachegi."
He smiled... yes... she would be coming soon... to him... forever...
"Oh Naina, main bata nahi sakta main kitna khush hun... chachaji aaj iss khushi ke badle mujhse jo maange main de sakta hun." The contentment made him forget the pain that they both had to endure to reach here.
Suddenly, he scooped her up, filled with exuberance, "Naina, Naina, Naina... dil toh kar raha hai abhi le jaun tumhe ghar... ab toh yeh paanch din bhi zyada lag rahe hain mujhe... kal ka koi muhurat nahi tha kya?"
She laughed at his euphoria, "Buddhu, kal ka muhurat hota toh saari rasmein kab hoti? Sabko bulate kaise? Yehi chahte the na hum... ki shaadi mein sab log shaamil hon... haldi, mehendi, sangeet, baraat, phere... sab kuch ho... sab log humein dulha dulhan bane hue dekhein."
He imagined them dressed up for the wedding... lots of people around them, happy and cheerful... blessing them, congratulating them.
"Wapas aa jao... tum toh sapno ke chakkar mein mujhe hi bhool gaye." She smirked, smacking his chest lightly.
He let out a deep exhale, "Tumhe kaise bhool sakta hun, jaan... har sapne mein tum hi mere saath rehti ho... aur jin sapno mein sirf tum hoti ho unmein kya hota hai, sunogi?"
