Sorry for the delay... had a real long, packed day yesterday.
The driver seemed to be going too slow. Sameer contemplated whether he should drive himself, asking the driver to sit back... but decided against it, recalling Munshiji's words that he had to act like the owner at all times.
He eyed the thread, fingering it, "Naina, tumhe kitna bada surprise milega jab mujhe iss waqt dekhogi."
He wondered what she would be doing at this moment. She won't be at the gate for sure... after all, how would she know he was coming early. Probably, she would be taking a nap after lunch.
Suddenly, a frown appeared on his face. Naina could not forget to send lunch for him. Then why did it not arrive? His heart gripped with a new fear... was everything okay at home? Was she fine?
After Sameer left in the morning, Naina had called up munshiji, asking him if it would be okay to let Sameer leave around lunchtime.
"Aaj pehla din hoga toh shayad woh akelaapan mehsoos karein... mera matlab, nanu nahi honge wahan par nanu se judi sab baatein unhe yaad ayengi. Agar aapko theek lage toh khaane pe unhe ghar jaane ko keh dijiye." She had told him.
"Jee Naina beta, aap theek keh rahi hain... yahan aate hi Sameer ko har taraf bade sahab ki hi yaadein milengi... unko kaisa lagega samajh sakta hun... main unhe bhej dunga." Munshiji had accepted her suggestion.
With a sigh of relief, she went back to their room. It seemed empty. But his musky scent lingered everywhere. She stepped ahead to straighten the bedsheet. In its crumpled folds, she could see his passion, could feel her fingers burn, could feel her skin tingle, could hear the pounding blood in her ears... even when he was not here, he could make her melt in a flash.
Keeping a hand on her hammering heart, she stood up, "Paanch minute hue hain tumhe gaye hue aur aisa lag raha hai pata nahi kabse tumhe nahi dekha... I miss you, Sameer."
She touched the thread on her wrist, feeling the warm metal against her throbbing pulse. Bringing it up to her lips, she gave a long, hard kiss.
After her bath, she instructed Ramdhari what to cook for lunch. Back in the room, she opened the cupboard, smiling at the empty shelves. Unpacking her suitcase, she placed all clothes on the lower shelves. While hanging sarees, her eyes fell on the one he had insisted on buying once when they had gone out shopping together before marriage. Pink fascinated him. She kept it aside.
When the suitcase was empty, she asked Ramdhari to put it in the store room. There were still a few hours before Sameer came back for lunch. She sat down at the desk, opening her notepad after the longest break she had ever taken from writing. Going through previous chapters, the link quickly formed in her mind, and she started to scribble furiously, new track developing in her mind with ease. In next couple of hours, she was able to write one complete episode and prepare a sketch of next two. Keeping the pad aside, she went to the washroom to freshen up. Then she started to dress up, preparing to welcome her husband from his first day at office.
Sameer felt his heartbeat quicken as the car turned on the road from where the large, white bunglow was visible. Everything looked calm. As the car neared their gate, his palms became clammy in nervousness and tension about her well being.
He nearly jumped out of the car the moment it stopped.
"Sir, main rukun ya jaun?" The driver asked politely.
"Huh... tum... tum jao." Sameer waved him off, eager to go inside and make sure his Naina was safe.
Heavy wrought iron gates creaked as he pushed them open, revealing the view of broad driveway to his eyes...
