Sameer turned before she reached him, walking away to the table where the soft drinks were kept.

Naina stopped, surprised at him moving away.

He picked up a cola, flicked off the lid, and gulped down half the bottle in one go.

"Sameer beta, ek minute suno," Rahul's father called him.

He kept the bottle on the table and immediately walked to him, "Jee uncle, kahiye."

Rahul's father spoke to him for a while and went away.

Sameer turned to see Naina standing near the same table where he was earlier. She picked up the bottle he had left and put it to her mouth...

He watched in fascination as the column of her throat moved with every gulp... her head falling back slightly and eyes on him. She stopped after a few sips, walking slowly to him.

"Jhoote se pyaar badhta hai na," her voice was soft, making him go crazy.

She lifted the bottle back to her mouth and finished the rest of the soft drink.

"Ab itna pyar badha diya hai toh thoda jata bhi do." His eyes were already glazed.

"Yahan... sabke samne?" She widened hers innocently.

Sameer groaned, "Kyon sata rahi ho jab tumhe pata hai hum yahan sabke beech mein hain?"

"Oh toh ab meri baatein tumhe satati hain?" Naina frowned, "Shaadi ke baad sab ek jaise ho jaate hain... pehle jo baatein pyar wali lagti thi ab buri lagne lagi hain... dekh liya tumhara pyar Sameer Maheshwari... kuch hi ghanton mein yeh haal hai toh aage jaake kya karoge."

He slid a hand around her waist, resting it on the curve above her lehenga, "Abhi kahan dekha hai mera pyar, Naina Maheshwari... abhi toh tumhe bataya bhi nahi ki tumhare bina mera kya haal hai... tum ya tumhari baatein kaisi lagti hain mujhe yeh zara akele mein milo fir batata hun."

Naina discovered with a gasp that her teasing had gone too far. She twisted to come out of his hold. But Sameer was in no mood to let her go.

"Sameer chodo na, main toh bas chida rahi thi aise hi... koi dekh lega." She looked around.

Sameer ran his other hand through his hair, "Ab tang kiya hai toh sazaa toh milegi."

"Achha baba, de dena par abhi jaane do... itne dino se kuch nahi hua main nahi chahti aaj aakhiri din koi humein aise dekh ke Sonali ya Rahul ke ghar walon se kuch kahe." Naina tried to explain the need to be careful.

He sighed, removing his hand from her waist.

"Main Sonali ke paas jaa rahi hun," she moved away the moment she got the chance.

Naina went to the stage... Sonali was talking to someone. She waited till the guests left and Sonali was seated again. She went and sat on the arm of her chair.

"Sonali, tujhe kuch chahiye kya? Paani ya coffee?" She asked her friend.

"Thanks Naina abhi kuch nahi... par tu thodi der yahin baith jaa... main nervous ho rahi hun," Sonali whispered.

"Tumhari dost ne toh puch liya lekin mera woh nikamma yaar kahan hai? Waise toh hamesha Naina, Naina karta rehta hai aur jab yahan mauka hai toh khud gayab hai." Rahul turned to Sonali.

He looked at Naina, " Tumhe pata hai Sameer kahan hai?"

"Yahin tha abhi... aata hi hoga." Naina said casually, trying to hide the blush his statement had brought on her cheeks.

"Tum kuch loge, Rahul?" Naina asked him.

Rahul looked at Sonali and smiled, "Ab kuch nahi chahiye... sab kuch toh mil gaya.

It was Sonali's turn to blush.

Naina lowered her head and teased, "Yeh toh achha khasa expert hai... tu aise hi keh rahi thi."

"Yeh Sameer ka hi asar hai," Sonali muttered.

"Kya baatein kar rahi ho dono aise... mujhe bhi batao." Rahul leaned towards Sonali.

She pushed him back, "Yeh ladkiyon wali baatein hain."

Rahul instantly held her hand placed on his arm, "Oh madam, ab aap wife ho meri... toh saari baatein batana zaroori hai."

"Oh mister, abhi hui nahi hun... fere
baaki hain abhi... jab ho jaungi tab rob dikhana." Sonali chided him.

"Jab ho jaogi tab bhi rob toh tumhi dikhana." Rahul looked into her eyes.

"Main hun yahan pe... kuch toh sharam karo tum dono." Naina gave a fake cough.

Both started laughing.

"Naina, yeh baatein sunke tum aise keh rahi ho toh Sameer ki baatein kaise sunti ho?" Rahul winked at Sonali as he addressed her.

"Kya matlab?" Naina feigned ignorance.

"Jaisi baatein Sameer karta hai mere saamne usse lagta toh nahi ki woh tumhare saath sirf economics ke chapters discuss karta hoga." Rahul was in full mood to tease her.

He was successful... Naina was already a deep shade of red, giving competition to her dupatta.

"Achha ab meri dost ko aise mat pareshan karo, " Sonali gave him a stern look before looking back at Naina, "Tu usko chod, mujhe bata jab Sameer ne tujhe iss lehenge mein dekha abhi toh kya hua? Hosh udd gaye honge na uske... waise hosh toh uske kai baar udda chuki hai... aaj toh kuch aur hua hoga... bata na... main kabse wait kar rahi hun."

Naina remembered the reaction when he had come to the room... if she was red earlier she had got many layers of the colour now.

"Batayegi bhi ya Sameer se hi puch lun?" Sonali nudged and Naina looked up in alarm.

Sameer was coming up the steps, smiling at her.

"Kya baat hai meri biwi ko kya keh diya jo itni laal ho rahi hai?" Sameer shocked everyone with his statement.

"Oye... abhi tak Sonali meri biwi nahi bani hai toh tujhe kahan se milegi teri biwi?" Rahul questioned.

Sameer raised his brows at Rahul, "Main tujhse aage hi raha hun... pasand bhi pehle ki, baat bhi pehle ki, dosti bhi pehle ki, pyar bhi pehle kiya toh ab biwi bhi pehle hi milegi na."

Sonali looked at  Naina with open mouth, "Naina, yeh kya keh raha hai?"

"Sameer, kuch bhi?" Naina gave him an earnest look.

She looked back at Sonali and Rahul, "Aise hi keh raha hai... woh bas dil se aisa mante hain na hum isliye keh raha hai."

Sonali was still a little dazed, "Naina, mujhe laga tha iske hosh udd jayenge, iska yoh dimag hi udd gaya lagta hai."

Naina tried to suppress a smile.

Rahul tugged at Sameer's arm, "Yeh dil wali baat na dil tak hi rakhna, yahan kisi ke samne mat bolna... waise hi Bhavesh uncle puch rahe the Naina ke liye...  "

He bit his tongue.

All three were alert.

"Kya puch rahe the?" Sameer's voice was strained.

Rahul wrinkled his nose, "Yaar, tujhe isliye nahi bola ki kahin tujhe gussa na aa jaye... par maine sab sambhal liya... unko mana kar diya."

"Par keh kya rahe the?" Sameer insisted.

"Woh apne bete ke liye... America mein job karta hai... Naina achhi lagi unko toh tilak ke baad puch rahe the uske baare mein... maine keh diya ki  Naina yahan bohot bade projects pe kaam kar rahi hai aur woh unko chod kar kahin nahi jayegi." Rahul elaborated.

"Kya saari shadiyan aisi hi hoti hain? Meri Naina ke peeche hi pad gaye hain sab... agar main nahi aata toh iski toh pakad ke shaadi kara hi dete yahan pe." Sameer was exasperated.

"Tumhari Naina hai hi itni pyaari... aur yahan toh har din kuch zyada hi khoobsurat lag rahi hai." Sonali looked fondly at her friend.

"Woh toh hai," Sameer forgot everything as his eyes got stuck on her face framed by the soft curls, eyes hidden by thick lashes on hearing her praise from Sonali.

Rahul pressed his hand, "Tu ghabra mat, kisi ke puchne se kuch nahi hota... koi iski zabardasti shaadi nahi karayega.... Naina toh ek din teri hi dulhan banegi."

Naina looked up at him, his eyes had the glint that always made her knees go weak. She was thankful that she was seated on the arm of Sonali's chair.

Later, the couple was escorted to the dining area to have food before the ceremony of pheras started.

Bhabhi asked Naina to get Sonali's dupatta from her room as it would be required for the pheras.

"Main yahan sabko khana khilati hun, tu laake rakh dena. Warna main bhool gayi toh jab panditji mangenge tab daudna padega." Bhabhi told her.

Naina went up the stairs, carefully holding the lehenga. As she started to climb up the stairs, it became more difficult and she had to stop a few times. The moment Naina reached where the bend in stairway kept her hidden from the view of people, two strong hands lifted her.

There was a sharp intake of breath as she recognised the touch and the musky scent that invaded her, being close to his neck.

Sameer had seen her leave the venue and move towards the house. He followed her and saw her struggling with the lehenga while climbing the stairs... and picked her up when no one could see them.

He moved up with ease, their eyes locked with each other. Her hands went around his neck for support, bringing her closer to his face. There was no one in the house. Sameer raised his brows to ask where she wanted to go.

"Ab... ab... utaar do... mu... mujhe Sonali ke kamre mein jaana hai." She stuttered.

He walked in to the room he had seen her come out from two days back. Opening the door with his foot, he entered... still holding her in his arms.

Once inside, he stopped, not showing any inclination to put her down. Her face was so close he could feel her breath on his cheeks. His heart had started beating faster the moment he had picked her up... and when she had put her arms around his neck, his could feel the blood rushing to his ears.

Carrying her like this to the room was making him go insane.

Only... it was not their house, it was not their room, it was not their moment...

Reluctantly, he placed her down, stepping back to stand near the door till she took what she wanted.

Naina took some time to steady herself. She turned her back to him, pressing her stomach to ease the knot that seemed to be getting more painful with each day.

Slowly walking to the cupboard, she searched for the dupatta... front shelf, lower shelf... she looked everywhere. It was not there. As she was thinking of going down to ask bhabhi exactly where it was, her eyes fell on the topmost shelf. The edge of the dupatta was visible. She lifted her heels to reach it but a couple of inches distance remained between her fingers and the fabric.

She gathered her lehenga, planning to jump to get a hold on it when his chest pressed against her back. Sameer picked up the dupatta with ease... and kept standing.

Naina waited for him to move away... to get her breath back.

He didn't.

His arm came around her to keep the dupatta on front shelf... and did not go back once it was free.

Naina shivered as his arm wound around her shoulder in front while the other came around her waist. His head dipped to bury in her hair.

Naina leaned back on his chest, completely giving in to the need to go in his arms ever since she saw him in the white suit.

Sameer played with the pearl necklace, his fingers brushing against the skin of her neck.

"Tum roz itni alag aur pehle se bhi sundar kaise ho jaati ho Naina?" He mumbled against her hair.

"Aur tum har roz itne pyaare kaise ho jaate ho?" She turned her face sideways, speaking against his hair.

He turned her around, holding her by shoulders.

Her eyes reflected his face... he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to crush her to himself, he wanted to drown in her fragrance...

But he could not do anything... her hair, her makeup, her dress... everything had to remain intact as she had to go down again... amidst all the people.