"Naina, beta, uth gayi tu?" Bela entered the room to find Naina sitting on the bed while Preeti slept with a pillow over her head.
"Yeh ladki toh kabhi jaldi uth hi nahi sakti... pata nahi sasuraal jaake kya karegi." Bela looked at Preeti's sleeping form and muttered in frustration.
"Chachiji, aap pareshan mat hoiye... uth jayegi... woh meri neend khul gayi kyonki Sameer ka phone aa gaya tha." Naina informed her.
Bela sat in front of her, "Naina, kal bada achha laga dekh ke ki tu Sameer se thoda khul ke... umm... achhi tarah baat kar rahi thi... dance mein bhi tune uske choone se aitraz nahi kiya... beta, woh tera pati hai... uske paas jaane se daraa mat kar... uske choone se ghabraya mat kar... shaadi toh tumhari ek mahine pehle hi ho chuki hai par saath rehne ka mauka nahi mila isliye tujhe ajeeb lagta hai... par ab toh tu uske saath hi rahegi... toh aise haath kheechegi jaise uss din angoothi ki dukaan mein kheench rahi thi toh kaise chalega."
Naina stared at chachiji... not knowing what to tell her... chachiji was trying to make her understand the meaning of proximity with her husband... if only she knew, how well Sameer had already taught her...
She swallowed, "Woh chachiji... aisa kuch nahi hai... uss din toh... woh uss din main Sameer se gussa thi isliye... warna... "
"Gussa thi," Bela chachi widened her eyes, "beta, pati se gussa thodi hote hain... Sameer itna pyar karta hai tujhse... dekh Naina, yahan kuch log sirf ungli uthana jaante hain... unse yeh rishta dekha nahi jaa raha... taiyar baithe hain koi kami nikalne ko... beta, ab yeh tere haath mein hai... apne jis pyar ke liye tu sabse ladd gayi, uss pyar ko banaye rakhna... ek baar shaadi ho jayegi toh choti moti baatein hongi hi ghar mein... lekin unn baaton ko kabhi apne aur Sameer ke beech mat aane dena... ek baat ka dhyan rakhna... tum dono ne bohot logon ke khilaaf jaa ke yeh rishta joda hai... woh log poori koshish karenge tum dono mein galatfehmi paida karne ki... kisi ki baat pe bina soche samjhe yakeen mat karna... koi bhi baat ho, aapas mein baith ke uska hal nikalna... agar tum ek dusre se baatein chupane lage toh ho sakta hai tumhara jhagda ho, tum ek dusre ko galat samjho... lekin tujhe samajhdaari se kaam lena hoga... kabhi kabhi jhuk jaane se choti nahi hogi tu... balki tumhara rishta aur mazboot ho jayega."
Naina listened to her, mesmerized at how easily she had summed up the secret of being together with the life partner.
"Bela, usse jhukne ki bajaay yeh sikhao ki usmein galat ko galat bolne ki himmat ho." Anand entered the room, having heard last few sentences of his wife.
He pulled the chair from Naina's study table and sat down, "Do logon ke rishte mein aapas mein aham nahi takrana chahiye... na jhukne ka matlab yeh nahi ki apni zidd pe ad jao... par har galat baat sar jhukakar nhi maan leni chahiye... agar kal tumhe koi baat theek na lage toh uss samay nahi par baad mein Sameer se uss baare mein baat karo... aapas mein baat karke har samasya sulajh jaati hai... kabhi yeh rasta band mat karna... ladai ho toh bhi lad jhagad ke wapas baat kar lo... ab iss kumbhkaran se bhi toh jhagda hota hai na tumhara... lekin thodi hi der mein fir saath ho jaate ho."
"Papa, meri buraai hi karni aati hai sabko... pehle mummy aur ab aap... mujhe toh koi pyar karta hi nahi." Preeti's muffled voice drifted from under the pillow.
"Tu uthi hui hai? Toh chal jaake naha le... fir madad kar thodi kaam mein... aalsi kahin ki." Bela hit her lightly on the leg.
"Ahh, mummy... subah subah pyar se gale lagane ki jagah maar rahi ho... kal meri bhi shaadi ho jayegi toh pata chalegi meri keemat." Preeti whined, throwing away the pillow as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Kaise hogi teri shaadi... teri aadton ko dekh ke toh lagta hai kisi pandit ko bulana padega." Bela exhaled, rolling her eyes.
Both sisters looked at her in shock.
