Title is the song 'Rabb ka shukrana' from movie 'Jannat 2'

"Sameer, hum kahan jaa rahe hain?" Naina noticed the different roads.

They had been riding for quite some time, and she had been too riveted in the feel... there was a sense of freedom in letting the wind hit you like this, while the world swept by. It was different than being in a closed car, or for that matter, even in an aircraft. It made you feel like a part of everything around... unlike being enclosed in the metallic safety cocoon. This was her second bike ride in lifetime... but first in true sense. During the first one, she had been hugely awkward and conscious, anxiously hoping that she doesn't fall off the bike, to add to her discomfiture.

Today was different. With her arms wrapped tight around Sameer, she felt no fear. The wind was still cooler, against the warmth that wafted from his body, along with the musky scent that filled her nostrils. It was quite strange that she had not been aware of this strong, overpowering aroma previous time. But then, she was absorbed in her own dilemmas to such extent at that time that she failed to notice anything about him. And now... there was nothing that went unnoticed... from the way his slightly longer than usual hair tickled the back of his neck to the way they fell on his forehead in a wild mess whenever Sameer stopped at a signal, from the way veins on his sinewy forearms protruded when he changed gears to the way his muscles between shoulders clenched when she placed her head there, from the way he adored her through rear view mirror to the way his lips curled up when she purposely brushed her lips over his ear while saying something, from the way his heart pulsated under her palm to the way he drew in a breath when she confessed her love to him yet again.

All this did not let it register to her that they had taken a new direction, and now were in a place that she hadn't seen before.

Sameer tilted his head slightly to answer, "Yeh next surprise hai. You'll know soon."

She watched in wonder. There was a lot of greenery around... some kind of green belt, it seemed. Roads were wide, but not as wide as where they lived. Traffic was lesser too. Soon the structures started to come into view, which were definitely not houses or market complex or anything modern. With old type of architecture, huge black gates and sprawling gardens visible inside, this looked more like a part of some older era. And then she noticed the boards... announcing the identity of these ancient yet beautiful buildings. They were colleges of Delhi University.

Sameer looked over his shoulder, "Maine aur Rohan ne apne college ke teen saal yahan bitaye hain. Preeti, Sanjay, Raghav sab hamare saath the. Aaj yeh jagah itni deserted hai lekin weekdays mein yahan ka crowd dekhne layak hota hai."

"Aaj kyon laaye yahan? Weekday pe aate toh main bhi dekh leti kaisa crowd hai. Delhi University toh bohot famous hai." Naina was actually in awe that so many colleges were in one campus... in such serene surroundings.

"College aur crowd phir kabhi dikhaunga. Aaj kuch aur hai." He grinned, making her more curious.

When Sameer turned into a lane that was much narrow than other roads, she noticed small shops selling food items. More than the place, she was shocked by the person who sprang to attention when they stopped.

With hands on waist, Preeti narrowed her eyes, "Mujhe time pe bula ke khud itne late... raaste mein romance karne ruk gaye the kya?"

Naina gaped at her, "Tum yahan kaise?"

Preeti chuckled, "Achha, tujhe abhi tak bataya nahi. Yeh Sameer bhi na, secrets rakhne mein expert hai. Mujhe agar kal pata hota toh maine pakka bata diya hota pehle hi. Lekin isne aaj subah hi phone kiya."

Naina looked at Sameer. He pointed at a shop around the corner.

It was a chaat shop.

"Shop nahi khareed raha lekin chaat khane toh laa sakta hun na... tumhari doosri pasand." He smiled fondly.

Naina didn't know what to say.

Preeti tugged at her arm, "Chal aaja. Yeh hamare campus ki best shop hai. Inke golgappe toh mere favourite hain. Paanch type ka paani dete hain. Aur inki alu tikki... hayee, non stop khaa sakti hun. Aur papdi chaat... mast khatti chatni ke saath meetha dahi, upar se imli... mere toh muh mein subah se paani aa raha hai."

Like someone in trance, Naina walked with Preeti, various emotions rocking her at the same time. It had been almost two years since she had eaten any chaat, something that was a regular source of happiness when her mom was with her. Standing here today, holding a small disposable bowl with a water filled poori in it, all she could do was stare at it, the memories of innumerable times when she had a competition of eating paani pooris with mumma filling up her mind.

"Naina." Sameer lightly pressed her upper arm. Her eyes shot to him. He noticed the dampness.

Cupping her cheek, he said in a soft voice, "Jis baat se tumhe khushi milti hai mumma kabhi nahi chahengi ki tum usse chodo, woh bhi unke liye. Naina, unhe achha lagega agar tum pehle jaise hi maze lekar chaat khaogi... aur muskura ke unhe yaad karogi."

Naina blinked, and a tear rolled down her cheek. He shook his head, wiping it with his knuckles before it trailed to her jaw. When she nodded, he turned to the person serving, and asked for another bowl.

Preeti widened her eyes, "Tum khaoge? Tumhe toh golgappe khatte, teekhe, unhygienic aur woh sab kuch lagte hain jo edible nahi hota."

Sameer handed the fresh bowl to Naina, "Main nahi kha raha. Naina ki pehle wali plate kharab ho gayi isliye usse fresh de raha hun." He threw the one Naina was holding, which was now full of water and broken pieces of the golgappa that she hadn't touched.

The whole situation felt so similar to her life... as if it was a sign.

Preeti chuckled, "Of course. The Great Sameer Maheshwari aur golgappe... unheard of."

Sameer quickly looked at Naina, "Nahi nahi, aisa kuch nahi hai. Main alu tikki khata tha na yahan se. Bas golgappe hi nahi..."

Her brows flicked up in question.

Sameer scratched his head, leaning towards her to speak in a low voice, "Naina, mujhe darr lagta hai. Try kiya tha maine... itna bada golgappa mere muh mein jaata hi nahi. Aur bite karke khaya toh sab hansne lage."

Naina gave him a shocked look. No one had ever mentioned such a problem ever.

Preeti asked the shopkeeper to start again, with both chutneys. Eyeing the two people with her, she asked doubtfully, "Madam, khana hai ya pati ka saath dene ke liye tujhe bhi golgappe se sanyas lena hai?"

Sameer nudged Naina as one was placed in her plate, "Khaana hai na. Naina ka favourite hai toh kyon nahi khayegi."

Seeing both their eyes on her, Naina carefully picked up the golgappa and put it in her mouth. As its flavours burst in her mouth, she closed her eyes, relishing the taste after so long. Her love for this tangy, spicy snack was evident to Sameer when she devoured a few in quick succession, enjoying each piece with same joy.

"Bhaiya, agla wala sooji ka dena... aur teekhi chutney kam daalna." She directed for the next one.

Before Sameer could understand, she lifted the plate closer to his mouth, daintily holding a water filled golgappa, "Mera naam bolo."

"Nainaa..." Aghast, he uttered her name, and she thrust the fairly smaller piece in his mouth.

Sameer had no choice but to eat what was in his mouth. When he had once tasted it, he had choked on extra spice, besides being laughed at when water splashed on his chin in an attempt to bite into it. Today, however, the size, taste, flavour... everything seemed perfect. It even fit well in his mouth, without any effort.

"Yeh kuch alag type ke golgappe hain kya?" He asked after he gulped it down.

Preeti gave him an artificial, toothy smile, "Haan, alag hai. Custom made... only for you. Kaisa laga? Design approve ho gaya toh order de dein bhaiya ko?"

The person serving them gave her a strange look, "Madam, party ka order lete hain lekin koi design nahi banate. Poori toh aisi hi ayengi."

While Naina stifled a laugh, Preeti quickly shook her head, "Arre bhaiya aapke golgappe bhi perfect hain aur paani ka taste bhi. Yeh hamara dost hi zara tedha hai... aap usko chodo aur humein khilao."

Sameer did not refuse when Naina made him eat a few more, of same size and taste. He couldn't deny that its piquant flavour made him long for more.

After she had eaten to her heart's content, Preeti raised a hand, "Bas bhaiya, ho gaya aaj ka. Ab aur nahi kha sakti."

Naina gave her a challenging look, "Phir toh tumse compete karne mein maza ayega... main hi jeetungi."

Preeti was surprised, "Wow Naina, golgappe se itna pyar? Maine socha tera saara pyar sirf Sameer ke liye hai."

Sameer frowned, "Preeti, maine abhi abhi golgappe ka taste develop kiya hai. Don't make me jealous of it."

Preeti burst out laughing, holding her stomach, "Jealous... golgappe se? Duniya mein aise iklaute ashiq hoge tum... jo khane ki cheezon se jalta hai."

Naina lowered her eyes. Though a smile played on her lips, she could not help a faint colour spread on her face. Preeti had no idea what all could make her Sameer jealous. But she wasn't complaining.

They decided to walk around for sometime, to work an appetite for more goodies from the same shop. Naina came to know that Sameer had called up Preeti today morning, telling her the plan. He wanted to take them to some good restaurant which could serve these items in comfortable interiors.

"Yaar Sameer tum na apna style aur sophistication please yahan mat lagao. Chaat khane ka mazaa roadside pe hi hai." Preeti had instantly snubbed his idea of going to Indian Accent, a high end restaurant that popularly served golgappe with different types of water.

"Aisi kaunsi jagah hai Preeti? Naina ko kisi bhi thele pe thodi leke jaunga." He was not happy with the prospect of jostling shoulder with several other people, as he had seen in the stalls of local markets.

Preeti gave him the perfect solution, "Let's go to North Campus. Aaj Sunday hai, wahan crowd bhi nahi hoga. Aur wahan ki special wali shop toh best hai hi... mujhe bhi kitne din ho gaye uske golgappe khaye hue."

"Tum abhi bhi wahan jaati ho?" Sameer was surprised. He hadn't been to that area in several years.

"Obviously jaati hun. Wahan ke momos, noodles, pasta, chaat aur rolls khane main aur mere friends kai baar jaate hain." Preeti said matter of factly.

It was decided that they would go to North Campus. That is when the idea of bike ride came to Sameer's mind. It was the perfect weather, neither too cold to be uncomfortable nor too hot to get unbearable. And on a closed day, the campus area would be a place to visit, with its colonial buildings and prodigious old trees. Less crowd in market would be an added advantage.

The look of delectation on Naina's face was the reward of all this planning. He had observed how her eyes twinkled at the mention of this particular street food a few times when she had let her guard slip. But she had never expressed a desire to eat it, even after she had accepted their relationship. He wanted her to open up, to express all her likes, even dislikes. He wanted her to have a life she deserved... carefree and happy.

Naina felt a lightness in her heart, as if a curtain had been pulled apart, and light had finally seeped in. She had enjoyed eating golgappe, just as she loved the sessions with her mom. After she was gone, this was the first time Naina had come to a chaat stall... because of Sameer. She blinked hard, to contain the overwhelming tender feelings.

"Kya hua Naina?" His concerned voice made her look up to her side where Sameer was walking along.

She pursed her lips, gulping the emotional lump in her throat, before smiling at him, "Thank you. Aaj aisa laga mumma mere saath hi thi. Hans rahi thi aur keh rahi thi 'Naina, itne mat kha. Pet kharab ho jayega'... Sameer, unhe aise yaad karke mujhe... mujhe achha laga."

Preeti looped an arm around her shoulder, "Hamesha unhe aise hi yaad karna."

Naina took in a deep inhale, "Shayad ab kar sakti hun. Pehle lagta tha unke jaane ke dard khatam hi nahi hoga... aansu kabhi sookhenge hi nahi. Unse juddi har cheez chubhti thi dil mein."

Preeti tightened her arm, smiling wistfully, "Jo chale jaate hain unhe hum har uss cheez mein dekhte hain jiski yaad unse juddi ho... lekin uss yaad ke saath aansu se zyada smile aaye toh shayad woh bhi upar kahin khush honge."

It was the first time Naina had seen Preeti with a forlorn look in her eyes. But before she could ask anything, Sameer said in a loud voice, "Achha aur kya khilane wali ho Preeti? Naina, iske size pe mat jaana. Yeh hamesha se khane mein expert rahi hai. Yahan ki saari famous shops pe toh shayad aaj bhi iski photo lagi hogi."

Preeti rolled her eyes, returning to her normal self, "Very funny."

It was a wonderful afternoon. They walked on the deserted streets in front of college gates. Sameer showed his college to Naina. The red brick building was something she had seen in many movies, but wasn't aware that it was a real institution and not a film set. She expressed her wish to come here one day when all colleges were open, just to see how it felt.

"Aisa hi lagta tha jaisa tujhe lagta hoga apne college mein. Baat toh friends ke group se hoti hai. Achha tere college friends mein se koi Delhi mein hai kya?" Preeti asked.

Sameer didn't have to look at her to know that the question must have filled her heart with bitter memories. He was about to change the topic when Naina slipped her hand in his.

Her voice was plain, "Main college mein zyada friends bana nahi paayi. Papa ki health ki wajah se college bohot kam jaati thi."

"Oh." Preeti nodded, then smiled brightly, "Actually tujhe hamare group mein hi aana tha... destiny you see. Ab hum sab ke hote hue kisi friend ki kami nahi feel hogi tujhe."

Sameer was relieved to see a genuine smile on Naina's face, devoid of pain.

After another round of chaat, which consisted of papdi chaat and alu tikki, they went for some cold milkshakes, then a round of fruit cream from a well known ice cream shop. Later, Preeti bade goodbye to them, saying that she would meet an old friend who lived closeby.

When Sameer started to ride back, he asked, "I hope tumhe mera surprise achha laga."

She shifted closer, her arms around him, with palms on his chest, "Bohot achha laga. Lekin Sameer, tumne mujhe bohot badi uljhan mein daal diya."

"Kaisi uljhan?" He glanced at her through the mirror, his brows furrowed.

Naina tilted her face near his ear, "Tum mere liye itna kuch karte ho. Maine toh kabhi tumhare liye surprise plan nahi kiya. I have no idea main tumhare liye kya karun, jisse tum bhi itna special feel karo jaisa tum mujhe karwate ho."

He grinned, "Tum ek kiss bhi deti ho na, toh mujhe lagta hai main sabse special hun. Bas tum aise hi mujhe pyar karti raho, aur mujhe kuch nahi chahiye."

He wasn't prepared for her to accept it so quick. The kiss behind his ear made him bring the bike to a screeching halt.

"Kya hua?" Naina fluttered her lashes innocently when he looked back at her, zapped.

His eyes were wide, "Road pe?"

Naina checked around them, "Kisi ne dekha kya?"

He could very well see the tease in her coy expression. His gaze fell to her lips, "Shayad nahi. Lekin main jo karunga woh sabko dikhega."

"Sameer nahi." She panicked, leaning back, but clutched his arm quickly when she realised there was no support behind.

Flicking her head to the road, she said in a frantic voice, "Yahan kitne log hain. It looks... indecent."

He kept staring at her for a few seconds, then let out his laughter in spurts, "Look at you Naina. Khud tease karti ho aur itni si baat se kaise darr gayi."

She breathed in relief, punching on his chest,"Tum... bohot kharab ho."

"Ghar jaake bataunga... main kaisa hun." He winked, making her go red instantly.

Sameer was glad to have selected a place that was far from their house. Next half an hour on the road, with her body pressed against his back, was the most ecstatic ride he had ever taken... and he made up his mind to plan more such outings soon... real soon.

(No, he doesn't mean Randeep wala soon.)

Next update on Friday