Naina's breaths came fast and shallow as she stood with her eyes shut, caught between disbelief and a sensation which was completely new for her. The rain poured down around them, each drop cold against her skin. Yet inside, she felt a fierce, raging fire that defied the chill. Her entire body tingled with awareness, as if each raindrop only intensified the heat coursing through her veins. She could not tell anymore if the moment was real or a dream, but every inch of her was alive, ignited.

The only thing that marked it different from any dream was awareness of Sameer's presence. There was still a whisper of distance between their bodies but he was standing so close that she could feel the heat radiating between them even through the downpour. Her heart drummed a wild rhythm, her skin prickling with goosebumps at his touch which lingered on her face and neck. His uneven breath mixed with hers, even after their lips were not touching. Her fingers against his chest felt his rapid heartbeat echoing her own.

Sameer's breath was ragged, an indication of the storm that roared within him. The feel of her soft skin under his palms, her quivering lips against his own, her breath becoming one with his, the touch of her hands clutching him desperately, the veiled eyes that were too shy to meet his dark ones... all this fueled the urge that he had been trying hard to suppress for so many weeks.

He was overwhelmed by the enormity of what the moment meant, in terms of their relationship. It filled him with a new confidence, an exhilarating affirmation of his feelings. The sweet pressure of her lips against his was a salve to his yearning.

Her eyes were shut. His were fixed on her, unblinking. He was utterly mesmerized by the vision before him, her lips swollen and slightly parted, the rise and fall of her uneven breath, the bloom of blush painted on her cheeks, the delicate curve of her neck that burned under his palm. The way raindrops clung to her lashes, she looked unreal, like a painting, that the painter had waited all his life to bring to canvas. Such magical painting had come alive in his arms. Sameer could not have enough of her.

Naina felt his hand move away from her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes, keeping her lashes lowered. She did not have the courage to meet his gaze. She felt his touch though, the tender brush of his fingers as they pushed the wet locks away from her face. The touch was so gentle, so soft that it sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with drenched state.

'Naina.' Sameer called out, making her eyes inadvertently shoot up to find him looking at her.

It was an intense, consuming look that seemed to convey a mix of several emotions while it explored every feature of her face. Naina's breath hitched, but she could not steer her eyes away, as if he had held her captive with just one glance. His eyes were like deep pools of darkness, flickering between hers, searching, probing... confusing her. This kind of silent conversation was unfamiliar for her, yet somehow, the ache in his eyes made her heart race... with anticipation. She tried to figure out the meaning of his unspoken words, understand his profound look, but she was scared to answer her own question.

'Bolo.' Mustering courage to hear out the same from him, she prompted, her voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes held hers, an uncertain vulnerability swirling in them, 'Mujhe... mujhe chorr ke mat jaana. Kabhi mujhse dur mat hona. Main... tumse...'

A shrill sound of his phone ring reverberated between them, putting his faltering words to an abrupt halt. Sameer closed his eyes, drawing in a sharp breath, and decided to ignore the ringing from inside the room.

When it stopped within a few seconds, he looked at her again, with the same intensity. Before he could utter a word, the phone started to ring again. In frustration, he sharply glared back through the open door, at his phone kept on the dresser inside.

Naina stepped away, breaking the spell that had been cast moments back. When he swung his head to look at her, there was a shy, inhibited expression on her face. Before he could fathom, she fled inside the room, through the closet and straight to the washroom, shutting the door behind her.

Sameer sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. The caller could not have picked a more inconvenient time to intervene. Muttering curses under his breath, he walked towards the ringing phone hastily. But the moment he saw the id on screen, his expression changed.

After speaking to the person, he glanced at the closed door of the washroom. Naina was still inside. A slow smile crept across his face as he recalled how she hadn't shown any reluctance, nor withdrawn from his touch. That quiet acceptance, even without words, felt like another step towards his dream. She had willingly given in to the kiss. As the moment played in his mind, a startling realisation hit him.

Naina hadn't kissed him back.

A dryness gripped his throat. What was he to make from this? Did he force her into it? Had it been so, Naina would have reacted differently. Even after the kiss, she did not reprimand him, or accuse him. She didn't even question him. If anything, he felt her surrender in the closeness they shared. There was no reluctance from her side. Then why did she not...

A slow smile started to break his confusion as another realisation sunk in. She was shy. The strong, fearless Naina, who never hesitated to give him a piece of her mind, who rose up to meet every challenge and who always had a clever comeback ready to whatever he said... today the same Naina had stood before him with a faint blush coloring her cheeks, her gaze flickering to avoid his eyes. It was endearing, almost surreal. This quiet shyness was a sign that she was also taking steps towards him. The realization filled him with a warm, swelling pride. And a craving, stronger than before. The kiss, and now this realisation... it was like a spell that enchanted him, making him powerless to resist the longing that raged within him. But he was aware that he needed to hold onto every ounce of restraint, because he acknowledged the line he wouldn't dare to cross... not yet. But he also knew that if he was alone with her in the room tonight, his resistance might crumble.

The phone call was the perfect answer.

In the sanctuary of washroom, Naina stared at her reflection. Her lips were swollen with the intensity of the kiss they shared. She had no idea a mere touch of his lips would create such upheaval in her system. The contact had left a haunting trail of fire within her. All the past memories flooded in her mind, when she hated Natasha going dreamy eyes over kissing scenes in films and shows. For her, they were atrocious. She found the whole idea extremely gross. How could one pretend to enjoy such closeness with another person. It was unthinkable.

Every notion of hers was eclipsed by what she experienced today. Even if she had put her mind to form some dreamy perception, she could have never conjured how it felt in real. It wasn't a mere brush like last time. Today, the touch of Sameer's lips was a force, a claim. The way his soft yet demanding lips moved against hers, it was a rhythm, a cadence of his compelling desire. It was a soul stirring connection, that reverberated through her, stealing her breath away. The lightheaded feeling persisted as she looked at herself, unblinking. A dizzying mix of confusion and desire shimmered in her eyes.

'Kya sach mein Sameer...' Her tangled thoughts spilled out in a whisper, '... kya Nutty is baar bhi sahi hai?'

Naina was unable to draw any clear conclusion. The depth in his eyes hinted at some kind of intense emotional pull that was new, and unexpected. Yet, uncertainty clouded her mind. He again said that he wanted her to be with him, always. Her heart wanted to interpret the tenderness, the longing, the desperation in his words in a different way. But the truth was, even now, she was as unclear about his real intentions for asking her to continue with the marriage as she was earlier. Nonetheless, the glimmer of hope given by Natasha had started to grow stronger, and she wished that this hope would finally drown out the persistent doubt clinging to her heart.

'Shayad woh keh nahi paa raha.' She comforted herself, 'Aakhir itna aasan thodi hota hoga. Dil sau baar dhadakta hoga aisa kehne se pehle.'

She covered her face in her palms, feeling a shiver pass through her. Then slowly, she pulled down her hands and glanced at her reflection. The face in the mirror, the one staring back at her with flushed cheeks, bright, wild eyes, lips parted and reddened from a kiss was the face of a woman... a woman who was desired. She kindled the hope that it was also the face of a woman who was loved.

When she stepped out after changing into dry clothes, the first thing she saw was a note stuck on the mirror of dresser. She scanned the closet and room. Sameer was not around. She pulled the small piece of paper and read it

I'm going out for an important meeting. Wapas aane mein late ho sakta hai isliye main guest room mein so jaunga jisse tumhe disturb na ho. Tum

Her eyes remained glued to the last word that was struck off. What was it that he wanted to write? Why didn't he?

In a way, Naina was more comfortable at dinner table because of Sameer's absence. Had he been around, she would have been too conscious.

Next morning, when Sameer came to their room, Naina had already left for office. He checked the time. It was quite early. With a frown, he decided to have a talk with Munna later. It was not right to make Naina work this hard. As he entered the closet, his eyes fell on a piece of paper affixed to the mirror. It wasn't the one he had put there yesterday. Swiftly, he plucked it

Good morning. Yeh room tumhara hai. Yahan aakar tum kisi ko disturb nahi kar rahe.

A broad smile broke across Sameer's face. This was indeed her acceptance. Clutching the small piece of paper, he threw a punch in the air, his voice brimming with excitement as he murmured, 'Oh Naina, aakhir tumhe mera pyaar nazar aa hi gaya.'

He brought the paper to his lips and kissed it with a giddy intensity before gazing back at it. This exchange of small notes, it felt so different. It was old fashioned, yet refreshing, and electrifying. Texting on phone could never compare to this feeling. This was almost like writing love letters, more personal, and lasting. Hastily he rummaged through his drawer and grabbed the pad of sticky notes, jotting down a quick response.

'Nahi, mirror pe nahi.' He mumbled to himself just as he was about to place it at the same spot, 'Din mein Mohan safai karne ayega. Kahin aisi jagah rakhna hoga jahan koi aur na dekh sakey.'

He contemplated if he could stick it inside Naina's cupboard, then quickly dismissed the idea. It wouldn't feel right to open it. Stepping out of the closet, he looked around till his gaze rested on her nightstand. He reached it and pulled open the drawer. Right on top was the book she had been reading recently. A slow smile spread across his face as he pressed the sticky note onto the book cover. He was about to close the drawer when something caught his eyes... a photo frame. Curious, he lifted it.

It was a simple wooden frame, with a picture of a woman. Both, the frame and the picture looked old. It dawned on Sameer that this was Naina's mother. The woman was young in the picture. She had a round face, with striking features, and a pleasant smile. There was an unmistakable resemblance to Naina. Yet, there was something starkly different. He looked closely. The woman in the picture had a distinct sparkle in her eyes, a light that hinted at pure happiness. Sameer let out a deep exhale. He had never seen such radiance in Naina's eyes.

His chest tightened with regret, 'Main tumhari khushi tumhe wapas laakar dena chahta hun Naina. Bas tum ek baar mujhe apne promise se azaad kar do.'

That evening, he showed up at Munna's office, much before the time to wrap up.

'Kya baat hai bhai, aajkal driver ki naukri pe laga diya kya Dadaji ne?' Munna raised a quizzical brow, his eyes shining with a teasing glint.

Sameer pulled out his hands from pocket and sank in the comfortable sofa chair, 'Apni biwi ko pick karne aaya hun. Uske liye driver kya coolie bhi ban sakta hun.'

A bubble of laughter spurted from Munna, 'O teri. Tune toh Shahrukh Khan se jump lagakar seedhe Govinda ki train pakad li.'

Sameer smiled, 'Nahi Munna, ab mujhe kisi aur train ki zarurat nahi hai. Mujhe apna raasta bhi mil gaya hai aur raaste pe saath chalne wala humsafar bhi.' His eyes turned dreamy, 'Ab mujhe samajh aaya ki jab do log ek dusre se pyar karte hain toh woh ahsaas kitna khoobsurat hota hai.'

Munna's eyes widened, 'Kya matlab? Kya Naina ne...'

Sameer grinned, 'Haan Munna, mujhe poora yakeen hai Naina ko bhi aisa hi feel hone laga hai.'

Narrowing his eyes, Munna gave him a concerned look, 'Aisa tujhe lag raha hai? Matlab Naina ne apne muh se kuch kaha nahi hai?' His forehead creased in anxiety, 'Dekh sameer, tu apne khyali pulao ke chakkar mein kahin koi naya tamasha mat kar dena. Iss baar agar kuch hua toh baat sambhalni mushkil ho jayegi.'

Sameer waved his head, his smile unfaltering, 'Aisa kuch nahi hoga. Naina ne mere pyar ko pehchaan liya hai. Usne khud kadam aage badhaya hai. Jo usne kiya...' He blushed as he remembered their kiss, '...Munna, ab toh shaq ki koi jagah hi nahi bachi. Naina ne iss rishtey ko apna liya hai.'

Munna breathed in slowly, then let out a long exhale, 'Main toh khud bhagwan se yehi maangta hun. Agar sach mein aisa hai toh main tum dono ke liye bohot khush hun. Par ek baat ka dhyan rakhna Sameer, Naina ki kisi baat ka galat matlab nikalkar aisa kuch mat kar dena jissey woh hurt ho jaaye. Naina ko apni behen maanta hun main. Uske saath kuch galat hota hua nahi dekh paunga.'

'Main Naina ke saath kuch galat hone hi nahi dunga.' Sameer asserted in a confident voice, 'Kabhi nahi.'

Munna looked at him in silence for a few seconds, then cleared his throat and asked hesitantly, 'Us din... us raat... ke baare mein baat clear ho gayi na? Naina... Naina gussa toh nahi hai? Teri kisi baat se...'

'Kuch nahi hua.' Sameer quickly offered the explanation, 'Kuch bhi nahi hua. Agar... agar maine kuch kiya hota toh kya yahan aane ki himmat kar paata, Naina ko pick karne?'

He had a point. Munna nodded once, then let out a relieved breath, 'Main toh sirf yeh chahta hun ki woh khush rahey. Hamesha.'

Had anyone else said it Sameer would have twisted in jealousy. But coming from Munna, it was an expression of brotherly affection.

He had a serene smile on his face as he replied, 'Mere liye Naina ki khushi se badhkar kuch nahi hai Munna.

Suddenly his expression changed, a frown appearing on his brow, 'Ab ek baat tu bata, tumhare office mein Naina ke alava koi kaam nahi karta kya? Roz usey hi kyon jaldi aana hota hai? Tu meri biwi se itna kaam kyon karwata hai?'

Amusement flickered on Munna's face, 'Oho! Toh yeh asli reason hai tera yahan aane ka. Aaj tu mujhse jhagda karne aaya hai.' He chuckled, 'Bhai, kabhi koi shoot scheduled hota hai ya koi deadline hoti hai toh hum log office timing ke pehle ya baad mein bhi kaam kar lete hain lekin mostly main na khud aisa karta hun na apni team se kehta hun. Naina ke liye bhi aisi koi pabandi nahi hai. Woh khud hi jaldi aati hai.' He then quirked up a brow teasingly, 'Kya pataa tujhe avoid karne ke liye ghar se jaldi nikal jaati ho.'

'Mujhe kyon avoid karegi?' Sameer shot back, 'Ab toh hum...' He halted abruptly, realising he was about to say more than required.

Pursing his lips, he got up, 'Main... main khud jaakar puch leta hun. Aur uske baad hum chale jayenge. Jaldi aayi thi toh jaldi jaa bhi sakti hai. Zyada boss banne ki koshish mat karna.'

Munna shrugged, splaying his hands while he suppressed a smile till Sameer rushed out of the room. Once the door closed, he folded his hands in a silent prayer, his eyes brimming with gratification.

Sameer found Naina's cabin vacant.

'Kahan gayi?' He mumbled, craning his neck to look down the passage, 'Munna ke room se toh main aaya hun. Wahan nahi thi toh aur kahan hogi.'

He waited for a few minutes, but when there was no sign of her, he took out his phone and called her. The ring erupted within the room. Startled, he spun around, searching amidst the papers and files on her table till he found her phone. He reached out, picking it up, but as he glanced at the lit screen, an unexpected gasp escaped his lips.

Sorry for the delay. Have been tied up recently so my mind is not in great shape. It was difficult to update today yet I did as I know you guys have been waiting for it desperately. Didn't get time to edit. Let me know of typos or any other mistakes.

Will try my best to update on saturday. Else on Sunday