Naina had expected Sameer to be around when she woke up in the morning. But as her eyes fluttered open, she found his side of the bed empty. It wasn't that he went out every morning these days. Then why did he not skip his jog for the day that he termed as special for him? Or was he hiding somewhere in the room, waiting for her to be up so he could surprise her? For a moment, Naina lay still, staring at the empty space, feeling an odd mix of disappointment and curiosity. Then, slowly, she sat up and looked around the room. It was definitely devoid of his presence.

Letting out a sigh, she swung her legs to leave the bed when her eyes fell to the side. Instantly, the shadows on her face were replaced with a smile.

There was a fresh rose bloom, in red, placed on the nightstand, with a small note stuck to its long stem. The post-it note had just two words - 'Happy Birthday'.

She picked up the flower. It was beautiful. She held it up to read the words again, and could almost hear the voice behind it. She closed her eyes, drawing in the faint, delicate fragrance of the rose while his husky yet calming voice rang in her ears. Getting a fresh rose this time in the morning meant he had taken extra efforts to procure it. Only for her. He must have gone out of his way... waking up way before his time, likely tiptoeing around the house to avoid waking anyone, finding a florist who was open at that hour... just to start her day with something as simple and beautiful as a rose. It was a splendid and thoughtful touch, and it warmed her heart in ways she hadn't expected.

A minute later, when she headed towards the washroom, she spotted another note taped to the door of the closet, along with yellow rose. Her heart skipped a beat when she carefully removed it to discover a longer text

Happy Anniversary. Dosti ka yeh rang hamari pehli mulakat ki yaad mein. Woh shuruat jaisi bhi thi, lekin uski wajah se aaj tum mere paas ho, isliye woh din mere liye hamesha special rahega

The words wrapped her in a whirlwind of memories and emotions. The evening one year back played in her mind, when their lives had collided. The spat of that day was just the beginning of endless bickering, leading to a chaos in her life. It felt unbelievable now, how it had evolved into the present day, in just one year. Even the thought of their squabbles brought nothing but a fond smile on her face now.

Holding the rose, she entered the closet area and bent down to get her towel from the basket under her wardrobe. To her surprise, there was another flower kept over it, which made her eyes widen because she had never seen anything like it. A blue rose. It was rare to see a blue rose. How did he get it? It was not a natural colour, but created by conventional breeding. It wouldn't have been easy to find a florist who stocked such pieces. She could not deny that it looked breathtakingly beautiful. After staring at it for a few seconds, her gaze dropped back to the basket, which also held a note, larger one this time. Her fingers trembled with excitement as she opened the folded paper

Tum pehle din se mere liye ek mystery thi Naina, jaise yeh blue rose sabke liye mystery hai. Tumhari har baat mujhe hairan kar deti thi lekin uss feeling ko accept karne ki jagah main tum mein flaws dhoondta tha. Main samajh hi nahi paata tha ki tumse milte hi tumpar gussa aata hai fir bhi main tumse milne ke liye bechain kyon rehta hun, har waqt tumhara khyaal mere dil dimaag mein kyon rehta hai

Her heart started to race.

Tumhare aas paas kisi ko dekhkar jalan hoti thi, chahe woh Param ho, Sagar ya Nakul. Main tumhe sab se bacha kar rakhna chahta tha, har nazar se chuppa kar. Unn sabke saamne tumpar apna haq jatakar unhe tumse dur karna chahta tha. Nakul ki harkat se mujhe kitna gussa aaya tha main bataa nahi sakta. Uss raat jab usne office ke bahar tumse badtameezi ki thi toh mera gussa kaabu se bahar ho gaya tha. Agar tum mujhe nahi rokti toh pata nahi main kya kar deta... shayad usey jaan se bhi maar deta

Naina's heart jumped to her mouth. She remembered the fierceness of Sameer's anger that night. The force in his few punches had made Nakul incapable of any reaction. But his admission, that he could have killed his own childhood friend for her... it filled her with a strange, overwhelming emotion of awe and gratitude for his protective presence. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she read further

Mera dil tumhe alag nazron se dekhne laga tha par meri aankhen samajh nahi paa rahi thi. Aur isi confusion mein maine bohot baar tumhara dil dukhaya. Sorry nahi bol sakta kyonki humne rule banaya hai

A bubble of laughter spurted out of her at his ability to change from complete seriousness to such kiddish statement.

Par main promise karta hun Naina ki fir se aisa koi mauka nahi aane dunga jab meri wajah se tumhare dil ko takleef ho. Main tumhare kisi dard ki wajah nahi banna chahta

A deep sigh of bliss left her lips. He was promising her what she never had in her life... to be the relation who cared for her happiness, genuinely.

She placed the flower on the dresser, folded the note back and opened her cupboard to get her clothes. There wasn't any flower inside. Nor was she expecting it. Sameer wouldn't open her cupboard without her knowledge. But the moment she entered the washroom, her eyes drifted to the mirror, which had another rose, peach in colour, taped right in the center. And below it was the note. Gently, she peeled off both. The flower was as delicate and fresh as other ones. With a smile on her lips, she opened the folded paper

Naina, tumhe apni girlfriend ki acting karne ke liye puchne se lekar tumse shaadi ke liye haan sunne tak ka safar mujhe achhi tarah yaad hai. Har din ek alag experience tha. Unn do teen mahinon mein maine tumhare alag alag chehre dekhe. Jab tum apne bhai bhabhi se mili thi tab tumhare dil ke toofan ki awaaz tumhari khamoshi mein suni thi maine. Mera accident hone par tumhari fikr, tumhara concern dekha tha. Aur inn sabke beech tumhari nafrat bhari baatein bhi yaad hain, jinhe main hundred percent deserve karta tha. Hamari shaadi hone tak mujhe itna toh pata chal gaya tha ki tum koi aam ladki nahi ho. Sach kahun toh ek do baar mujhe iss baat ke liye pachtava bhi hua ki yeh shaadi ek saal ka contract kyon hai. Lekin tab bhi mera dimag dil ki baat nahi sunn paaya. Khud ko yeh dikhane ki koshish mein ki main tumhare saath koi rishta nahi banana chahta, maine Munna Pandit ke saamne pata nahi kya kya bol diya. Naina, uss din, tumhare jaane ke baad maine jaana ki tumhari kya jagah hai meri zindagi mein. Uss din finally mere dil par jami dhool saaf hui toh samajh aaya ki main tumhe kho nahi sakta

Naina felt a stab in her heart at the memory of that evening, the conversation that she had overheard by chance, and the darkness that had enveloped her at the conclusion that she had formed. It had felt like a mockery of trust that she had slowly begun to place in him. The pain of his betrayal had been worse than all his arrogant perceptions earlier, or his insulting behaviour. It was then that she realised... the pain wasn't completely born out of anger. It had stemmed from the ache of a hope dashed just when it had started to come to life. She gulped as it dawned on her how she had started to feel different about Sameer by that time, unknowingly. Perhaps, by then, her feelings had started to change from hatred to something new. Her eyes went back to the remaining lines on the paper

Uss din se tum meri zindagi ka naya rang ban gayi, nayi khushbu ban gayi. Bilkul inn phoolon ki tarah. Yeh jaankar ki maine tumhe kitna hurt kiya hai, mujhe khud par gussa toh bohot aaya par maine thaan liya ki jo bharosa maine tora hai usey wapas jodkar rahunga. Aur tumhare dil se dard ko mitakar usmein khushiyaan bhar dunga

The sincerity of his simple admission spread a lightness in Naina's heart. He had delivered what he had decided. He was the antidote to all her past pains. He was now her anchor, her happiness... and the home she had always craved for.

Filled with new energy, she finished her bath, donned a breezy dress that Natasha had bought for her last year, and walked out to the terrace. She had not expected the bright orange rose that was stuck to the clothes stand, along with another note

Meri galtiyaan kam nahi thi. Lekin main bataa nahi sakta mujhe kaisa feel hua jab meri koshishen rang laane lagi. Jab mummy ke accident ke waqt tumne mujhe sambhala tabse mere dil mein umeed aur badh gayi. Aur tumhare liye respect bhi. Tumhara woh support hum sab ke liye lifeline tha. Lekin jab mujhe pata chala ki tumne apni jaan ki parwah na karte hue aisa kiya hai toh meri saansein bhi ruk gayi. Agar uss din tumhe kuch ho jaata na, toh sach maano, shayad main bhi jee nahi paata

For the first time in her life, Naina felt a dampness in her eyes for someone other than her mother. Did he really feel that deeply for her? Since then? She read on to know more

Anyway, aaj hum sad incidents ko yaad nahi karenge. Naina, iss rose ka rang uss khushi jitna bright hai jo mujhe yeh dekhkar mili ki tum meri baat maankar apni health ka khyal rakh rahi thi. Ek baat kahun, main bohot bewakoof hun, par itna nahi ki hamare beech ban rahe connection ko tumhari aaknhon mein padh na paata. Main sab samajh raha tha... woh chote chote moments jinmein tum khamosh thi par tumhari jhuki aankhen aur kabhi kabhi gaalon pe dikhne wala rang mujhse woh keh deta tha jo main sunna chahta tha. Haan Naina, wahan shaadi mein, uss pal bhar ki nazdeeki mein jaise mujhe mera har jawab mil gaya

Her cheeks coloured up at the thought of the near kiss at the wedding he was talking about. She turned the paper. There was no mention of the other kiss. So there would be another note, for sure. She closed her eyes for a moment, pressing both the flower and note to her chest. With these little notes, he had brought alive their entire journey today... on the day they had met for the first time one year back. It did not feel like just a year though. She had lived a lifetime in these months, had been on a roller coaster of myriad of emotions that had plunged her into profound darkness at one time and lifted her to exhilarating highs at other. There had been moments of despair so deep they seemed endless, and others of love so pure they brought a sense of salvation.

Inside, she looked around but did not see any other flower. She even checked her bedside drawer, the study table, and the dresser in the closet. It made her wonder if he wanted to talk about the rest of it in person. Brushing her hair, she gazed at her reflection that had a rosy hue on the cheeks at the mere thought. Keeping a soft smile on her face, she turned to plug out her charger from the socket. There it was, a delicate pink rose... and the much awaited note. With a fresh wave of excitement, she unfolded it with nervous fingers

Iss pink rose ke jaisa rang jo iss waqt tumhare chehre par khil raha hai woh tumhe aur bhi khoobsurat bana raha hai

Naina's eyes widened, shooting up from the paper she held. But the room was devoid of his presence. Surprised, she looked back

Main wahan nahi hun, par itna jaanta hun ki maine jo kaha woh galat nahi hai

Naina bit her lip, her smile deepening as she read on

Tumhare chehre ka yeh rang mujhe bohot pasand hai Naina. Woh baarish wali shaam yaad hai? Yaad toh zarur hogi. Uss din se aaj tak main toh ek pal ke liye bhi usey nahi bhool paaya. Mujhe lagta tha filmon mein sawan mein lagne wali aag ka zikr sirf ek exaggeration hota hai. Uss din samajh aaya ki woh kitna sach hai. Tez baarish ne hamare beech ki aag ko kam nahi kiya, balki usey aur badha diya

She felt a flush of heat spreading across her face, creeping down her neck and settling in her ears at the sheer intensity with which he mentioned that moment. The memory replayed in her mind, making her heart race and her cheeks burn a deeper shade of red. The note did not say more. She wished it did.

Carefully folding it, she tucked it with the others in the deep pocket of her bag. Then she walked to the cabinet, pulled out a delicate glass vase, and filled it halfway with water. One by one, she placed the roses inside, arranging them thoughtfully. Each color seemed to represent a different emotion, a distinct phase of their story. She stepped back to admire the arrangement. Her lips curved into a shy, yet grateful smile at the effort Sameer had made. He must have prepared all these notes much before but for the flowers he must have woken up much earlier than even his work out days. Then he would have placed each one, along with the notes, at strategic places. How much thought he must have put into the arrangement, keeping in mind the order in which he wanted her to get each note, determining the progress in their relationship.

Her heart was brimming with happiness when she went down. The elders in the family greeted her with warmth and love, their affectionate smiles and heartfelt wishes making her feel cherished. Ambika had prepared a special halwa which she fed Naina with her own hands. Yet, she couldn't help feel a pang of disappointment to find two people missing. Anaya and Sameer were conspicuous in their absence. Their absence did feel like a faint void in the otherwise perfect morning. Naina gave a subtle shake to her head as she walked out, telling herself that what she was getting was already much more than she had ever dreamt of.

'Madam, Sameer sir ne aapko office drop karne ke liye kaha hai.' The driver approached her before she reached the gate.

Naina gave him a tentative look, 'Sameer ne kaha? Kyon? Nahi, tum papa aur dadaji ko le jaane ke liye late ho jaoge. Main khud chali jaungi.'

The driver insisted, 'Sir ne kaha hai aaj sabse pehle aapko hi drop karna hai.' A look of fear crossed his face, 'Unhone yeh bhi bola ki agar kisi ke bhi kehne pe maine aisa nahi kiya toh kal se aane ki zarurat nahi hai.'

Naina rolled her eyes. Sameer Maheshwari had to show his power, in some way or the other. The driver was a newly appointed one, who had been hired just last month. Naina could visualise how Sameer must have delivered the stern dictat. With a simple nod, she walked to the car, not wanting to be the reason for the man to lose his livelihood.

She was on the way when her phone pinged. Her heart leapt in anticipation and she quickly fished it out of her bag. A smile tugged at her lips as Sameer's name flashed through her mind. When she looked at the screen, the text was from Natasha. Naina frowned. What was wrong with everyone? At home, Sameer and Anaya were nowhere to be found and now Natasha was sending her a message instead of calling her up. She stared at the screen for a moment before sighing and opening the message.

Happpyyyy Birthddddaaaayyyyy meri jaaaaannnn

A wide smile instantly lit up on Naina's face, erasing the lines of frustration. Even in a text message, Natasha had managed to infuse her excitement. She read ahead

I pray to God ki tera aaj ka din bohot pyara jaaye, aur aaj ke baad aane wala har birthday isse bhi achha ho. I also pray ki tere har birthday par Sameer tere saath ho

Naina gave a slight shake to her head. In spite of constantly reminding Natasha that she had no faith in God, the latter never failed to keep praying for her.

And I pray ki tumhari love story laila-majnu, heer-ranjha, mirza-sahiban jaisi bilkul na ho jahan dono ke naam hamesha alag rahey aur kahaniyan adhuri. Tum dono ki love story unique hai aur complete bhi, kyonki tum ab Sameer-Naina nahi Samaina ho *wink*

Naina let out a contented, happy exhale. She loved the name Natasha had given them.

Samaina.

It sounded so perfect, giving a feel of togetherness. Also, what Natasha had stated was coming true. Her day had begun with such a beautiful gesture from Sameer. Those little notes, filled with memories and emotions were something she would cherish all her life. Her heart felt full as she clutched her phone, silently thanking Natasha for being right about so many things.

Within minutes, she received another text, this one from Anaya. Along with the wishes, she had sent an apology for not being able to meet her in the morning as she had to go to office to receive a package of some gems that were being delivered early morning. She promised that she would be home early and help her to dress up for the party.

When Naina reached office, another surprise awaited her. On her desk was a bouquet of a dozen roses... deep, velvety red in colour, their fragrance filling up the room. Her gaze shifted to a folded piece of paper tucked neatly amidst the blooms. She reached for it. Her pulse quickened and cheeks flushed with warmth as she unfolded the note, wondering what exactly Sameer had penned down this time, since he had already covered their entire journey. The note began with the same wish

Happy Birthday Naina. Inn roses ki tarah mera dil bhi mehek utha jis din tumne hamesha mere saath rehne ke liye haan ki. Mujhe ab tak yakeen nahi hota ki tum sach mein meri wife bankar rehne ko taiyar ho. Har subah jab tumhe hamare room mein dekhta hun toh dil karta hai tumhe baahon mein bhar lun. Raaton ko jab tumhare baal pillow par bikhar jaate hain toh dil karta hai unhe samet lun. Tum jab meri taraf dekhti ho toh tumhari aankhon mein kho jaane ko bechain ho jaata hun. Tumhe apne kareeb paakar mujhe darr lagta hai ki kahin aisa kuch na kar baithu jo tumhe naraaz kar de. Naina, saath hokar bhi hamare beech ki yeh duri mujhe pagal karti hai. Main aaj tumhe kiss karke wish karna chahta hun par aisa main tab tak nahi kar sakta jab tak tum apne hisse ka step na lo. Yaad hai na, tumhari taraf se ek kiss abhi baaki hai.

With each sentence her heartbeat accelerated in pace. Even though the words were on paper, she could feel them pulsing with an intensity that was unmistakably Sameer. It was as though his rough, raspy voice was whispering them directly into her ear, reverberating through her entire body. The sensations he conveyed through the letter tingled her nerves as if it was coming from the inky darkness of his eyes that glittered with unknown promises when he was too close to her. Her fingers, that touched the piece of paper that had passed through his hands, trembled as she felt the warmth of his skin, leaving her with a sense of longing to see him.

Unable to wait any longer, she called him up. The song that played in response took her breath away

Ab yeh lamha theher jaaye tham jaaye bas jaaye
hum dono ke darmiyaan...
teri nazar mein nayi si adaa hai
naya sa nasha bhi ghula hai
kai dino se bandha tha baadal jo
tere hi baalon mein khula hai
jahan rahe tu main woh jahan hun
jise jiye tu main woh samaa hun
teri wajah se naya naya hun
pehle kaha na maine
ab yeh tumse kehne laga hun

Naina was so captivated by the song that only when the beep started to sound in her ear did she realise that he had not answered the call. She tried again. All she got was the same song.

As the day wore on, she called up a few more times. But he did not answer once. She contemplated whether to text him. Then decided against it. Looked like he was avoiding her on purpose. It did not annoy her though. He might be planning some different way to meet her. She tried to prod Munna, subtly, but he did not give any hint. By evening, she had started to feel a little restless. When he did not show up to pick her up, her disappointment flared up.

Seated in the car that was sent by him, she fumed silently, 'Likhte waqt toh itni bari bari baatein ki yeh karunga woh karunga, lekin birthday ke din shakl tak nahi dikhayi. Aise khush rakhoge Mr Maheshwari? Aise toh sirf gussa dila rahe ho. Surprise dena hai toh do lekin uske liye gayab hone ki kya zarurat hai. Mujhe nahi chahiye aisa koi surprise jahan na tumhe dekh sakti hun na tumhari awaaz sun sakti hun. Tum na...' She gritted her teeth, '... tum bas jhagde ke hi layak ho. Mujhe tumse pyaar karna hi nahi chahiye tha.'

The moment she uttered it under her breath, she bit her tongue, giving a suspicious look to the driver. His eyes were on the road. She consoled herself that she was too hushed. There was no way he could have heard her. Yet, she needed to keep a check on what she said. She couldn't let out words of her confession in front of anyone before Sameer could hear them.

Ambika gave her a wide smile as she walked into the living room later, 'Aa gayi tum. Achha hua aaj late nahi kiya. Thora rest kar lo fir shaam ki party ke liye ready ho jaana.' She looked at the flowers in her hand, 'Kitne pyaare flowers hain. Inhe vase mein laga kar apne room mein rakh lena. Flowers ko dekhkar mood achha rehta hai.'

Naina craned her neck to check in the kitchen, then the living room before turning to Ambika, her voice laced with hesitation, 'Mummy woh... Anu aur...'

Ambika waved her off before she could say more, 'Arey sab log bhi aate hi honge. Tum jao, fresh ho jao. Main zara kitchen mein check kar leti hun sab ban gaya hai ki nahi.'

With heavy steps, Naina climbed the stairs. First thing she did once she was in her room was to put the flowers in a bigger vase.

She placed the vase on the study table and stared at it, 'Mood flowers ko dekhkar nahi flowers dene wale ko dekhkar achha hoga. Pata nahi kaunse bil mein jaake baith gaya hai.' She checked her phone, then tossed it carelessly on the bed, 'Upar se Nutty ki bachhi ne bhi call nahi kiya. Aaj ho kya raha hai. Mera birthday sabke liye itna busy day kyon ban gaya ki mere liye kisi ke paas time hi nahi hai.'

Twisting her mouth in annoyance, she entered the closet. On the dresser was a large box. Narrowing her eyes, Naina picked it up. The small note on it had just one line

Agar party ke liye isey pehnogi toh mujhe achha lagega

She opened the box. Inside was a beautiful dress, in a soft shade of pink. Pinned on the dress was another note

Meri Naina ke liye

The phrase filled her with a sense of contentment and anticipation, at the same time sending a thrill coursing through her veins at the apparent promise of future, showing the depth of his commitment.

The dress was of a flowy fabric, elegant and delicate. Anaya was there to help her with the long zip at the back that gave the dress a perfect shape, outlining her curves at all the right places.

'Wow!' Anaya's admiration was evident, 'What choice bhabhi.' She joined her index finger with her thumb to show her appreciation, 'Bohot kamaal ki dress hai, jaise aapke liye hi bani ho. Custom made hai na? Itni achhi fit toh customise karane pe hi aati hai. I love it.'

Naina did not tell her it was a gift from Sameer. It would have only resulted in more teasing which Anaya had been subjecting her to ever since Naina asked her about Sameer.

'Hmm. Lagta hai bhai kuch special plan kar rahey hain jo aapse chhup rahey hain.' She had winked mischievously, 'Kyon bhabhi dear, party mein aane wale ho na aap log, ya aap bhi unke saath gayab hone wali ho? Kisi resort mein booking karwayi hai ya hotel mein?'

Naina had turned scarlet, unable to say anything in response. The flowers had brought some more teasing remarks. Thus, Naina stayed silent about the origin of the dress.

As the two of them descended the stairs, Ambika gushed in delight.

'Kitni pyaari lag rahi hai meri beti.' She exclaimed, stepping forward with affection brimming in her eyes. Gently cupping Naina's face, she placed a delicate kiss on her forehead.

Her voice softened as her eyes took in the dress, 'Yeh rang tum par kitna khil raha hai. Bilkul ek gulab ki tarah lag rahi ho.'

Naina blushed under the weight of the compliments, her mind going back to the flowers she had been receiving since morning. All she wanted now was to see the person who had made all this possible.

And she did, the moment she stepped out in the garden.

Anaya and Ambika walked away, leaving Naina alone near the floral canopy that was created at the entrance. Wearing a well fitted white shirt, with jeans, Sameer walked towards her, a lopsided smile gracing his lips. Naina could do nothing but stare at him. Only now, when her heart drummed like crazy in her ears, did she realise she had missed him much more than she actually thought.

Sameer walked up to her, stopping just a few feet away from her and let his eyes rove over her lazily. The pink outfit hugged her till the waist, falling softly after that. The long sleeves, covering up to her elbows, made her slender arms look more elegant. The neck wasn't too deep, but enough to show her well defined collar bones which were partially hidden under her open hair. She had left her wavy hair loose, falling behind till the waist while some locks rested on her shoulder. Her face, in the twinkling fairy lights put up in the garden, looked fresh and glowing. The pink on her cheeks was not makeup, he was sure. It was the same shade that often appeared on her face these days when he was with her. But as his gaze halted at her lips, Sameer felt a dryness grip his throat. A hint of pink gloss made them look more plump and shine invitingly. Hastily, she lifted his eyes to meet hers. With just a swipe of eye liner, her honey coloured eyes were on him.

'Kahan they tum subah se?' She flicked her brows, her voice tinged with complaint.

He stepped ahead, and took her hands in his. Naina's gaze dropped to their joined hands, and then to the goosebumps that were clearly visible on her arms. She gulped.

Sameer leaned a little, to come down to her level, and uttered in a soft voice, 'Meri Naina banne ke liye Thank You.'

Damn! I didn't realise the celebrations would last for more than one chapter. Please bear with me.

Next update on Wednesday

Note : A bouquet of 12 roses is a romantic way to express your love. The number 12 is associated with completeness and perfection, and is a way to show the person you care about that they are the one and only person in your life.