'You have got to stop doing this!'

Rohit took out his cellphone, and opening the screen, turned it towards the person whispering, his expression turning to one of disbelief.

'Sona?'
He said in a normal voice.

'Ssshhh! Ahista! Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?'
Sonakshi whispered.

'Tum se milne aaya tha. Magar tum aise choron ki tarha kyun ghoom rahi ho?'
He whispered right back.

'Look who's talking! You have got to stop coming here like this!'
Sonakshi hissed at him.

'Lekin, itna andhera kar ke room mein kyun chal rahi thi?'
Rohit turned on the torch of his cell phone, and turned it towards her.
Sonakshi covered her eyes.

'Kya kar rahe ho? Ab andha bhi karna hai kya? Or tum! Iss waqt kyun aaye ho?'

'Sorry! Sorry!'
He switched it off.
'Jaise hi free hua, aagaya. Waise, agar tum yahan ho, to bed pe to Ma hongi. I totally forgot ke woh saath soti hain.  Acha hua I didn't wake her up.'

Just then, a loud snore caught them unawares, and getting startled, they both looked towards the bed. Another snore followed, louder than before.

'Yeh Ma ko kya hogaya hai?'
Rohit whispered, surprised.

'Agar Ma hoti to acha hi hota..'

'Matlab?'

'Rohittt! Woh Papa hain!'

His phone slipped from his fingers, clattering on the floor. The snoring stopped.
'What?'
His voice got louder.

Sonakshi slapped her forehead in the dark.
'Ab marwa hi do tum to!'
Rohit bent down and scrabbling with his hand, searched for his phone, and soon found it.

'Papa! Papa yahan kya kar rahe hain? Tumhare room mein?'
His head was spinning, thinking about what would have happened if he had reached the bed on time.

'It's a long story, or abhi bataane ka time nahin hai. Mein to Arihaan ki feeder lene aayi thi, yahan reh gayi thi. Tum please jao, iss se pehle ke Papa uth jayen..'
Sonakshi urged Rohit, but he didn't budge.

'Unke kharaaton se to nahin lag raha ke uthenge! Guard rakhne ki kya zaroorat hai? Windows khol do, intruder awaaz sun ke apne aap bhaag jayega!'
As if on cue, there was the sound of a loud snore.

Sonakshi whacked him blindly, finding a target on his chest, as Rohit giggled.
'Fine time to make jokes! Ab tum jaate ho yahan se, ke..'

Rohit caught her to him.
'Ke?'

'Shor..machaun..'
Sonakshi almost gasped, as he cupped her buttock, bringing her body to touch his.
'What are you doing?'

'Touching my wife..any problem?'
Rohit brought his head closer, and Sonakshi shivered, as his breath fanned her cheeks.

'I don't have one, but Papa definitely will..'
She smirked in the dark.
'If he wakes up right now!'

'Sona! God, I missed you! Ek hug bhi nahin kiya hum ne, let alone a kiss.'
His lips grazed her cheek, as he ran his hands up her arms, caressing them.

'Whose fault is that? Khud hi itne busy ho. Rohit! Stop this!'
Sonakshi backed a bit, as Rohit put his lips on her neck.

'Come on! Just one kiss! Then I'll go!'
Rohit used his seductive tone, and Sonakshi almost melted.

'Please..'
Sonakshi shifted a bit further behind.

'Yes, please!'
As he followed her, his knee hit the corner of the table in front of the sofas in her room.
'OWWW!'
He quickly clamped his hand over his mouth, and they both turned towards the bed.

The snoring stopped completely. They stood there waiting for any sound, but there was just silence.
Feeling lucky, Rohit moved again towards Sonakshi.

'Kon hai? Kon hai wahan?'
Anil Papa's sleep-filled voice had them freeze in their tracks.

Before they could do so much as move a muscle, the bedside lamp switched on, and both Sonakshi and Rohit, looked like two deer caught in a car's headlights.
Rohit quickly hid behind Sonakshi, crouching, but it was too late.

'Sona?'

Sonakshi had a guilty look on her face.
'Papa..woh..mein..'

Anil sat up in the bed, and rubbed his eyes.
'Sona! Yeh sab kya hai? Aise andhere mein..'

'Papa, mein aap ko batati hun..woh mein..Arihaan ki feeder lene aayi thi..tab hi yeh yahan aa..'
She turned to explain Rohit's presence, and was dumbfounded to see that he had disappeared.
Her eyes widened, and she looked around the room.

'Kya dhoond rahi ho, Sona? Feeder mili ke nahin? Or Mishaye? Woh sogayi?'

Sonakshi kept running her eyes around, wondering how Rohit could have left without them seeing him.
'Ji..ji..sogayi..woh mil gayi..magar woh nahin mil raha..ab..'

'Kon nahin mil raha? Beta, tum theek to ho? Neend mein baaten kar rahi ho? Or yeh idhar udhar kya dekh rahi ho?'

Sonakshi quickly turned her head back to look at her father.
'Nahin, kuch bhi to nahin, Papa! Kuch bhi to nahin!'

'To phir jao! Yahan kyun khari ho? So jao jaa ke!'
Anil frowned at her, as she walked to the table to pick up Arihaan's feeder, her eyes still roaming the room.
'Sona? Tum theek to ho? Sach mein? Kuch kho gaya hai kya?'

Han! Rohit! Pata nahin kahan kho gaya..God knows!

'Sona! Mein kuch pooch raha hun! Mujhe lag raha hai Mishaye ke saath saath tumhe bhi na, thand lag gayi hai..'

Sonakshi mentally slapped her forehead.
Rohit! I'm so going to kill you for this! My father thinks I've gone nuts because of you! Magar gaye kahan..

'No, Papa! I'm sorry! Aap disturb hue meri wajah se..mein bas jaati hun..'

'Yehi to kab se bol raha hun. Jao!'

Sonakshi turned, her mind wondering how to deal with Rohit being somewhere in here, while she went down and left him to her father's mercy.
Her father sighed heavily, as she finally walked towards the door.

'Sona! Kuch or to yaad nahin araha? Pata chala phir chali arahi ho..'

'Nahin! Kuch nahin reh gaya..okay, good night..sorry!'
Sonakshi closed her eyes, sending a prayer for Rohit.

She had almost reached the door, when a movement near the curtains caught her eye. As she looked, the curtain moved again, as if someone was about to come out from behind it.

Oh, no!

'NO!'
Sonakshi's father, who had laid back down, got startled, and sat up again.

'Ab kya hua?'

'Papa! I'm sorry..'
Sonakshi came back inside, and moved towards the sofa, behind which were the curtains.
'Woh, mein sach mein kuch bhool gayi thi..aap lait jayen, mein light off kar ke chali jaungi..'

'Hmm..theek hai..'
Her father finally settled down, and Sonakshi rushed to behind the sofas.

'Rohit?'
She whispered, all the while looking towards her father, who now had his eyes closed.

'Sona! Papa?'
He whispered from behind the curtain.
Sonakshi glanced back at her father, but his eyes were still  closed.

'Rohit! Tum ab yahin phansay raho, mein chali!'
She hissed at him again.

'Sona! Sona!'
Rohit grabbed her through the curtain, and pulled her behind it.

Sonakshi was startled to say the least.
'Are you crazy? Papa knows I'm here, and I don't think he has slept back yet!'

'You are not leaving here without me!'
He held onto her arm.

'Kyun? Aaye to khud thay na, ab jao bhi khud hi..'
She scolded him.

'Aisa na karo! I'm shit scared now! Papa ne dekh liya, to aaj to kya hi karenge, kuch pata nahin..'

'Or karo aisi harkaten! Mein kya karun ab?'

'Mujhe bacha lo, Sona! Uss ke baad, I'll do anything you say! I promise!'
He pleaded with her.

Sonakshi raised her eyebrows at that.
'Anything I say?'

'Yes! Anything! Please!'
He folded his hands together in front of her.

'Chalo, itna promise kar rahe ho to maan leti hun..let me check..'
Sonakshi peeped out from behind the curtain, and sighed in relief, as she saw her father in the bed, facing away from them.

She motioned to him, and he tiptoed behind her. Sonakshi stopped as her father cleared his throat, her heart coming into her throat.

Oh, God!

Rohit crashed into her, since he had been right behind her.

'Oooph!'
As his weight landed on her.

'Ssshhh! Pagal ho kya? Ab tum marwaogi..'

Sonakshi turned to glare at him, with a 'if looks could kill' expression on her face. He quickly smiled at her in a pleading way, and she hmphed.
They reached the terrace door, and Sonakshi was about to open it, when their luck ran out.

'I so knew it! Kuch to garrbarr lag rahi thi mujhe kab se. Rohit! Tum yahan!'

They both turned to see Anil standing in the middle of the room, glaring at them.
Rohit, who had had his hands on Sonakshi's shoulders, ducked behind her.

'Acha! To ab biwi ke peechay chupa ja raha hai.'

Rohit peeped at him from behind Sonakshi's shoulder, his look that of someone well and truly caught out.
'I'm sorry, Papa! Mujhe pata nahin tha aap yahan so rahe hain..warna mein aise..'
He began, but wasn't allowed to finish.

'Acha? Matlab Sona hoti to aise chup chup ke terrace se aane mein koi masla nahin hota..right?'
Anil Papa raised an eyebrow, and folded his arms over his chest.

'No..no..I meant..'
Rohit looked to Sonakshi, hoping for some help, but Sonakshi was trying hard not to giggle.
'Sona, kuch bolo..'

'Sona kya bolegi? Mein hun na, bolne ke liye! Ab agar mein iss waqt Naren ko phone kar ke bata dun, ke unka honhaar beta kya karta phirta hai, to kya izzat rahegi uss bete ki..'

'Papa ko? Kyun? Matlab, Papa ko kyun call karenge aap? Mein to..'

'To phir? Veena ji ko kar deta hun..'

Rohit finally moved towards his father in law, his hands folded together.
'Papa! I'm sorry! Woh bas, Mishaye..woh Sona pareshan thi..to dekhne agaya..mein to..sorry!'

Before Anil could say anything, the sound of a crying baby reached them, and Sonakshi sprang into action.
'Oh, God! Mishaye uth gayi..I have to go..'

Rohit tried stopping her.
'Sona, ruko to..mein bhi chalun..'
He stopped as Anil glared at him.

But before Sonakshi could reach the door, Suman entered with Mishaye, and stopped at the sight that met her.

'Rohit! Tum yahan?'
As Sonakshi rushed to take Mishaye from her.

'Hi, beautiful!'
He gave her a sheepish look, but she frowned at him.

'Tum kab aaye? Bell ki to awaaz bhi nahin aayi..'

'Kyunke yeh main door se nahin, balcony se aaye hain mahashay!'
Anil spoke before Rohit could reply.

'Balcony..Rohit! Phir se?'
Suman slapped her forehead.

'I'm sorry, Ma, Papa..woh mein to bas Mishaye se milne aaya tha..'

'Raat ke 12 baje?'
Suman's tone was sardonic.

Sonakshi looked from one to the other, rocking Mishaye in her arms. The baby quietened down, but the elders were still at it.

'Ma, woh to bas mein..'

'Yeh bolo Sona se milne aaye thay..'

'Nahin..mein to..'

'Please, stop!'
Sonakshi said in between their squabbling.
'I have to go feed the baby, but please aap log larrna band kar den!'

They all turned to look at her, and Rohit gave her a pleading look. But Sonakshi knew Rohit could handle it on his own, so she turned, and went out of the room. Pari's room was the closest to hers, and Sonakshi went inside, to feed the baby.

***************************

The baby finally slept, and Sonakshi left the room to go downstairs, expecting Rohit to have gone by now.

She entered her parent's room and was surprised to see only Arihaan there, asleep. She settled Mishaye in the cot, and hurried up the stairs, her heart racing, wondering what had happened.

As she reached the room, she stopped, astonished at the sight that met her.
Her parents and Rohit were sitting on the sofas, and all had mugs in their hands, her parents listening intently to something Rohit was telling them.

'Or phir Sameer sir, mere director, beech mein aagaye or bolay..Rohit! Heroine ka naam Roshni hai, Sona nahin! To pata chala maine poora intense scene kar liya or har baar heroine ko Sona hi bula raha tha!'

Her parents laughed out loud, and Sonakshi stood there, stunned.
Rohit looked up suddenly, sensing her maybe, and his eyes lit up.

'Sona! Wahan kyun khari ho? Ajao! Apna hi kamra samjho..'

Anil and Suman chuckled at that.
Sonakshi was watching Rohit only, and he grinned back at her.

The ever charmer are we? Ma Papa ko bhi pattaa liya..wah!

Suman beckoned to her.
'Sona. So gayi Mishaye?'

'Ji, sogayi! Mein to samjhi Rohit chala gaya hogaya, magar yahan to party chal rahi hai.'
Sonakshi came and sat on a chair.

'Han, woh mausam acha tha to sab ne bola coffee peeyenge..'

'Rohit! Tum abhi tak ghar kyun nahin gaye?'
Sonakshi asked him now.

'Oh! Sona, tumhe nahin pata na..woh..'
Suman interrupted.

'Ma! Maine Rohit se poocha hai..'
Sonakshi said pointedly.

'Han, magar mein jawab de sakti hun. Hum sab ne mil ke decide kiya hai kuch..'
Suman sounded very enthusiastic.

'Kya?'
Sonakshi looked at Rohit, who was looking mighty pleased about something.

'Yehi, ke ab jab tak tum yahan ho Mishaye ke saath, tab tak Rohit bhi yahin rahega..hamare saath! Isn't that wonderful?'

To be continued...