It was such a sweet morning. I snuggled deeper into the blanket. I had slept so soundly and blissfully! And I had dreamt that I was sleeping in Randheer's arms. Haaye Rabba! I buried my face in the pillow. It was extremely rare that I remembered my dreams and it was this dream that had stayed back in my mind (thankfully).

tu nazm-nazm se mere hothon pe thehar ja
main khaab khaab se teri aakhon mein jaagu re
tu ishq-ishq sa meri rooh mein aake bas ja
jis or teri shehnai us or main bhaagu re..

But how did I come inside ? The last thing I remember is that I was waiting in the balcony for Randh... I woke up with a start and looked around. Subah ho gayi hai – ab tak te aa hi gaye honge. Main bhi na! I smiled to myself and fell back again. Dwelling on that dream for some time, I got up and went downstairs.
Vashma and Veerji were sitting in the drawing room, preparing the guest list but it seemed some argument was on its way.
'Neelam ko nai bulaana maine vyaah mein!', Vashma whined.
'Arey par vo to changi saheli hai na tum dono ki ?'
'Haan par Amrit ki ladayi ho gayi thi usse kuch mahine pehle', she said with a humph.
'Amru ki ?', Veerji asked with raised brows
'Acha Amrit ki nahi meri!', Vashma accepted, turning her face away.
'Je ladayi ho gayi to kal suljhaa leyi. Aise vyaah mein nahi bulaane se changa thodi lagta hai!', Veerji tried to convince her.
'Maine kaha mujhe nahi bulaana use!', she said with a humph
'Soch le! Teri hi saaliyon ki toli mein ek kudi kam ho jaani hai. Fir mainu kuch na boli!', he said with a shrug.
'Oye saaliyon mein to main akele hi kaafi hoon! Koi toli-sholi nai chahidi mainu!', she said dramatically.
'Ji Mem Sahab. Aap akeli hi bohot ho!', he said accepting his defeat. 'Par fir bhi Vashma. Kyun ladayi rakhni kisise?! Tainu vyaah mein nahi bulaana usnu, to na bulaayi par jhagda to nakki suljha liyo'
'Chal rakhli teri baat. Kal baat karungi usse', she said with a smile. 'Acha ab aage badhe?! Warna yahin dopahar ho jaayegi'
Veerji nodded with a smile.

'Mainu vi dikhao ab tayi tussi kis-kis ka naam likhia', I said as sat down beside Vashma.
'Ae le', Veerji said, handing me the list. 'Rishtedaar nu kisnu bulaawan. Bas tere-mere nanihaal nyota bhijwa dainge. Unha to ilaawa itthe humaare dost-yaaran sahakarmiyaan nu bula laenge.'
'Haan Veerji, inna bohot hai', I nodded in approval, going through the list.
'Tainu kisida naam likhwaana hai to hun likhwa de mainu', Veerji said, taking back the list.
'Ye hai na itthe!', I said pointing to Vashma. 'Iske rehte main kyun dimaag lagau!'
Vashma gave me a pleased smile and I reciprocated it.
'Acha sun Abbu ka telephone aaya tha. Ammi-Abbu dono 15 tareekh tak pahaunch jaayenge!', she said excitedly.
'Aye kinni changi khabar sunai tune Vashma!', I said joyfully and hugged her. 'Aur Abrar Bhaijaan ?'
'Vo to nahi aa payenge! Ghar band nahi kar sakte na! Unhone kehelwaaya hai ki vo kuch dinon baad aake mil lenge hum sab se.'
'Ye bhi theek hai !'
'Tera joda leke aayenge Ammi-Abbu !', she said with a teasing smile.
Looking down, I smiled abashedly.
'Naanu aur Naani Ammi aa rahe hai ?!', exclaimed Kabir from the top stairs and came running down. He jumped into Vashma's lap and gave us both a peck on our cheeks.
'Haan puttar!', Veerji replied.
'Par pichli baari jab telephone par baat hui thi to unhone kaha tha na unhe kaam hai. Vo nahi aa payenge ?', he asked innocently, turning around looking at Vashma.
'Haan puttar par us baat nu to ek mahina ho gaya na. Par abhi to Amru ka vyaah hai na. Isiliye vo samay nikaalke aayenge!', Veerji explained.
'Vyaah ?!'
'Haan vyaah. Jaise Radha Maasi ka hua tha aur voh Maasarji ke saath unke ghar chali gayi thi waise hi!', Vashma explained, putting her arms around him.
'Par vo to humesha se hi Maasarji ke saath hi rehti hai na ?!' he asked utterly confused.
'Nahi puttar', Veerji said slightly laughing. ' Woh pehle yahan humaare saath rehti thi'

'Aur ab Randheer - iske raajkumaar aayenge aur ise le bhi jayenge!', Vashma said nudging me.
'Raisahab ?', he asked looking at all of us.
'Puttar Raisahab nahi Fufaji!', Veerji said affectionately.
'Oh! Mainu vi laga vo inne bade main ohnu kya bulau. Aap sab to unko naam se bulaate ho par main to inna chhota hoon. Mainu to kisine bataya hi nahi!' he said with a goofy smile.
'Koi baat nahi. Abki dhyaan rakhna. Waise khoob saare jashn honge! Khoob saara naach gaana hoga!', Vashma said gleefully.
Kabir grinned.
'Ye kaam to abhi kuch der mein ho jaana hai. Iske baad mainu nyote chhapwaane jaana hai', Veerji said.
'Main bhi chalungi tere saath. Kapde-latte lene hai na jaake! Ab tak umeed hai taiyaar ho gaye honge', Vashma chimed in.
'Mainu vi le chalo !', Kabir pouted.
'Tu kya karega wahan –',Vashma tried to talk him round but Veerji stopped her gently and said to Kabir, 'Thik hai puttar, tu bhi chal leyi'. Kabir gave him a broad smile.

'Thik hai fir. Main Mummyji-Bauji nu mil aati haan', I said, getting up.
'Haan haan ja!', Vashma said with a smirk.
I shot her a look and hurried upstairs.

It was a job selecting clothes these days. I'd open the almirah, pull out half a dozen clothes and reject almost all of them and repeat this all over again. Something similiarly was happening today.
After struggling for some time, I picked out a rose-pink organza saree - the one we had bought this week on our shopping spree with Randheer.

Smiling from ear to ear, I got dressed, braided my hair neatly and hurried downstairs. After completing my morning prarthana, I left for Raizada Sadan while Veerji, Vashma and Kabir left for market.

Neero Bhaiya was sweeping the floor. I greeted him happily, 'Satsriakaal Neero Bhaiya!'
'Satsrikaal Babyji!', he replied with a broad smile. Mummyji-Bauji and Neero Bhaiya himself insisted on him calling me 'Babyji' as if I was the daughter of the household. Well, they even considered me so! And I couldn't help but smile whenever I heard it.
I questioned, 'Mummyji - Bauji –'
'Babuji halwai se milne gaye hai, Bibiji ko saath le gaye hai.Unhe bhi bazaar mein kuch kaam tha. Randheer baba so rahe hai. Vo kal raat badi der se laute the na isiliye Bibiji ne uthaane se mana kiya hai. Unki vo tik-tik waali ghadi bhi band kardi hai. Unhe uthaana nahi hai na?', he said it all in one breath.
'Nahi nahi nahi ! Main na upar study mein hoon. Mummyji-Bauji aauna- te tussi mainu bula loge ?'
'Ji ji thik hai', he said assuringly. I nodded approvingly and sprinted upstairs. I looked towards his room for a second – uh huh! Not just yet! I smiled sheepishly and went into the study. I wanted to see if Randheer had painted something.
The room newly smelled of paint and kerosene. The easel was kept near the window on the right corner of the study. The paint-box lay near one of its legs with the palette and brush bag upon it. I walked up it. There was a canvas kept against the wall and another on the easel. Both the canvases had some pencil drawings on them. The wall one had a drawing which seemed like a Haveli. The easel one had a river-side landscape with a boat mid-stream and three standing figures on it. I smiled bashfully. As soon as I touched it, I realized it was painted white. I withdrew my hand at once.
Trying to rub the paint off my fingers, I turned around and bumped into Randheer who stood there hands clasped behind with a big, wide grin on his face. I took a second to catch my breath.
He stood debonairly dressed in housecoat pajamas.
'Aap yahan kya kar rahi hai ?', he questioned with a smirk.
'Ji vo main ...'
'Main voh kya ?', he asked tilting his face.
'Tussi to so rahe the na!', I asked softly
'Oh ! Toh aap mujhse milne nahi aayi hai'
'Nai nai vo main...'
He raised his eyebrows. I was fidgeting with the end of my saree. 'Main paintings dekhne aayi thi'
'Aayi to mere hi liye thi na!', he said with a pleased smile. A soft blush warmed my cheeks.

I turned towards the painting on the easel. 'Ae tussi kya bana rahe ye mainu samajh aa gaya.', I said, turning pink. 'Par tussi isnu chitta kyun paint kita hai ?'
'Taaki is par shading kar sakein. Hum kabhi seedhe rangon se shuru nahi karte. Background ko pehle safed paint karna hota hai. Usike baad uspar shading kar sakte hain. Ab in paintings ko kal tak haath bhi nahi laga sakte hum.'
'Tab toh kayi din lag jaate honge na ek tasweer banne mein ?'
'Ji aath-se-das din to aam si baat hai. Haan agar tasweer aasaan si ho to ek ya do din mein ban jaati hai. Waise aapke lessons hum aaj se shuru kar sakte hai, agar aapka mann ho toh!', he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
'Sach!', I asked excitedly.
'Ji ji bas thoda waqt dijiye mujhe.'
Carefully lifting the canvas on the easel with a newspaper , he placed it beside the other canvas against the wall and replaced a fresh canvas on the easel. Quickly taking a drawing pencil from the brush roll, he drew a big leafless tree trunk on one side, covering almost half the canvas area and three horizontal lines across the canvas, at distance from one another. He took out a few tubes of paint, some linseed oil and kerosene in two tiny cups and the widest and one thinnest brush from the lot and placed them on the easel stand with the pallete.
'Lijiye ab is tane aur is zameen ko brown aur baaki ke background ko safed paint kar dijiye. Uske baad uspar shading karenge hum. Dhyaan rakhiyega ki ye lakeerein poori tarah chhup na jaaye!'
I nodded with a delighted smile. Even though I wasn't doing much but holding the brush for the first time was a different feeling altogether. I had seen our art professors and the art students wield the brushes with expertise. I had approached the art department to learn but they didn't want to take up a student who knew nothing – absolutely nothing about painting. And I had to satisfy myself just by looking at them and their paintings.

While Randheer stood leaning against the sofa, arms crossed, I took a deep breath and painted as asked to. The white part was simple. The trunk part was a bit tricky. At places the branches were extremely thin and even where the trunk was thick, my outlines were not smooth.
My heart skipped a beat as out of nowhere Randheer clasped my hand and started outlining the trunk in smooth stokes. I couldn't help but turn and look at him while he was indifferently painting (or atleast I thought so).
'Lijiye aise karna hai !', he said, straightening up, but not releasing my hand. I nodded unmindfully.
'Ab aap kijiye'
I blankly nodded again.
'Amrit ?! Poora kijiye ise!', he said with an amused smile.
I realized I was looking at him rather than at the painting. Mentally chiding myself, I got back to the painting. He had done one half of the trunk and left the other half for me. I tried to outline the branches cautiously. I was a bit better this time.
'Good! Ab aap mujhe dhyaan se dekhiyega. Ek hissa main karta hoon. Aapko ussi tarah karna hai.'
He painted the upper portion of the picture orange – shading it deep at some places and light at others and asked me to paint the middle part yellow in the same manner. I had observed him carefully and tried to do it just like that.
Again without warning, he clasped my hand, shaded some parts and then blended the yellow and orange portions - and I was having a hard time trying to concentrate.
I had picked the wrong teacher. But now there was no looking back. I smiled to myself.

'Amrit muskuraiye mat. Mera matlab hai yahan dekhiye'
Ji-ji mai dekh rahi hoon', I nodded obediently.

After juggling my attention between Randheer and the painting for some time, I completed the sunset painting with his help. It looked so pretty!
'Meri pehli painting!' I exclaimed joyfully and wrapped my arms around him. After a second I thought probably I'd been too jumpy but - Chhado! Hakk banta hai mera!
'Amrit ise na frame karwake apne humaare kamre mein laga lenge!',he said tightening the embrace.
'Nai nai! Isse frame karwa ke to rakhenge par kamre mein nahi lagaenge. Tussi dekhna kuch mahino baad jab mainu thodi aur achi tarah painting karni aa jayegi tab issi ko dekhkar shayad main hasungi.'

'Tab ki tab dekhlenge, abhi to isse frame karke apne kamre zaroor lagaenge'
'Acha thik hai', I said timidly.
'Waise mere lessons ka kya ?'
'Ji ?', pulling away, I looked up at him.
'Aapko yaad dila doon, aap mujhe apni pasand ka khaana banana sikhaane waali hai!', he said in a matter-of-factly tone.
'Uske liye tuhaanu thoda intezaar karna hoga.'
'Ye toh na-insaafi hai! Aap painting seekh lengi aur main intezaar karu ?', he complained.
'Main ki karaan? Mummyji ne kaha hai vyaah to pehle mein itthe rasoi mein kadam nahi rakh sakti', I replied meekly.
'Oh! Itni si baat! Itna intezaar to main kar sakta hoon', he said with a smile.
I took smiled in relief.

'Ik gal poochhu?'
'Ji ji kahiye'
'Ye doosri painting kahan ki hai ?', I asked, moving towards the canvas with a drawing of a haveli and knet down.
'Ji... ye humaari Karachi waali haveli hai', he said in a slightly woeful tone. 'Saaket'
'Saaket ?',
'Ji !', he said with a reminiscient smile, 'Mere Daarji aur Beeji ne ye naam rakhaa tha ! Bhagwaan Sita-Ram ki Ayodhya ka ek naam hai- Saaket. Beeji ne bataaya tha mujhe.'
'Kinna soch ke humaare bade buzurg apne ghar ka naam rakhte hai na!', I said looking at the drawing.
'Haan Amrit.' He too came and knelt beside me. 'Beeji kehti thi ki humaare ghar ka naam hume yaad dilaata rahega ki yahaan kin aachar-vichaar kin bhaavon ka basera hona chahiye'

'Main to kabhi nahi mili apne Daarji-Beeji se.'
'Main bhi bohot chhota tha jab vo dono guzar gaye. Daarji ke saath bitaya waqt to itni achi tarah yaad nahi. Par Beeji ke kisse mujhe yaad hai. Aap jaanti hain – Daarji ke dehant ke kuch hi waqt baad Beeji bhi chal basi. Mummyji bataati hai ki Daarji ke jaane ke baad Beeji bilkul patthar si ho gayi thi – Jaise jeene ki aas hi khatam ho gayi ho', he said in a heavy voice. 'Log pyaar mein saath jeene-marne ki kasme khaatein hai. Daarji-Beeji ne shayad hi aisi koi kasam khaayi hogi par dekhiye...'
I took his hands into mine, 'Pyaar kehne waale, kehne waale to bohot hote hain par sacche wala pyaar to wahi hai na jo nibhaaya jaaye! Jaise Aapke Daarji aur Beeji, Jaise mere Mummy-Bauji!
Rab ki banaayi is duniya ki buniyaad bhi toh pyaar hi hai na!
Kisine sahi hi kahaa hai
'Mohabbat se duniya mein sabkuch sahi hai
Mohabbat nahi toh kuch bhi nahi hai!

Humaare Daarji- Beeji aur Mummy-Bauji zaroor kisi dusre jahaan mein saath honge!' I said with a gentle smile. He nodded with a smile. 'Aur ab toh mainu us painting se thoda zyaada intezaar is painting ke poore hone ka hoga! Tussi Mummyji-Bauji nu batana nahi is painting ke baare mein. Iske poora ho jaane ke baad hi dikhana ohnu!'
'Haan Amrit! Ye sahi rahega!', he said with an endearing smile.

'Babyji daakiya aaya tha aapke liye daak lekar. Aapke ghar pe kisi ko na paa kar wapas laut raha tha. Vo toh acha hua meri nazar pad gayi', Neero bhaiya came speaking rapidly but then stopped dead.
'Aap uth gaye ?! Randheer baba aap jaake so jaiye, Bibiji humpar naraaz ho jayengi !', he said anxiously.
'Neero Bhaiya aaj waise hi uthne mein der ho gayi mujhe'
'Par aap laute bhi toh kitne der se the!'
'Kinne baje laute the ye ?', I questioned worriedly.
'Babyji mujhe ghadi dekhni aati to kya hi baat thi !', he said with a shrug.
I turned towards Randheer. 'Meri vi aankh lag gayi thi kal-' Why had he turned crimson?
'Tussi –?'
'Ji vo kuch nahi, aapko kal neend ache se aayi ?'
Confused, I said, 'Badi meethi neend aayi! Par –'
He smiled sheepishly. 'Kuch nahi, aise hi poochha maine.' I wasn't really convinced but I left that conversation at it.
He turned towards Neero Bhaiya. 'Aap daak mujhe de dijiye. Aur aap befikr rahiye. Mummyji aapse naraaz nahi hongi'

'Ji', Neero Bhaiya replied unsurely. He handed the envelope to Randheer and left. We settled down on the sofa.
'Amrit ye daak to mere liye hai!', he said looking at the envelope. 'Daakiya galat pate par pohonchaane jaa raha the ise'
'Par Neero Bhaiya ne abhi toh kaha ki daak mere liye?', I asked with arched brows.
'Aap khud hi dekh lijiye', he said handing it to me.
The envelope stated 'Mr. Amrit Sahani'. The sender had erroneously written 'Mr.' instead of 'Ms.' 
'Kahiye maine kuch galat kaha ?', he asked with a glint in his eyes.
I looked at him in blank astonishment. What pleasure did he get by casually throwing these statements at me?! He obviously understood the value of what he had said just now, but what it meant to me- Oh what do I even say!
'Mr. Amrit Sahni! Sunanne mein bhi kitna pyaara lagta hai! Nahi?!', he said dreamily, looking at me.

Not finding anything good enough to say, I gently tore off the envelope, trying hard not to blush. Filhal to ye lifaafa frame karke rakhna hai mainu!

It had the developed photographs we had clicked at the Sultanpur mustard fields. And it sabotaged all our attention.
Hardly did we realize that we were not looking at our own photographs at all, we were just looking at each other's photographs.
'Amrit ye tasweer kitni khoobsurat hai!; Is waali mein aap kitni pyaari lag rahi hai !; Ye waali to sabse achi hai!' Randheer was basically raining praises on all my photographs!
'Aap toh har tasweer ki kinni taareef kar rahe hai!', I said whimsically.
'Aap bhi meri har tasweer ko itni pyaar se ghoor rahi hai !', he said softly. I flushed.

After a while we grumbled together, 'Humaari saath mein ek bhi tasweer nahi hai ab tak !'
We looked at each other and chuckled.
Arranging all the pictures in a neat pile again, Randheer asked softly, 'Kya main inhe yahin rakhloon ?'
I nodded timidly with a smile.
I don't think I could say no anything he said, ever - I just wouldn't be able to.

Just then we heard the honking for our car. Mummyji-Bauji were back.

I and Randheer were climbing down the stairs as Mummyji and Bauji entered the house, Neero Bhaiya towing behind them with a big basket in his arms.
I went and touched their feet.
Neero Bhaiya placed the basket near the sofa. It had fruits, sweets and dry-fruits.
'Nyote chhap gaye hai! Aaj hi bhijwaa denge', Bauji beamed.
'Aur ye dagraa?', Randheer asked with furrowed eyebrows.
'Ae dagra tere Mamaji ke liye puttar! Ab bhanje ke vyaah Mama ko to khaas nyoota jaata hai na!', Bauji replied.
'Aur humaare Mamaji hai bhi khaas!', Randheer said grinning.
'Lieutenant General Raghuveer Shergill!', both of them said together.
'Aap mili hai unse ?', Randheer asked turning towards me.
'Ji Randheer . Vo aaye hai yahan do- teen baar.'
I remember him as a proud, no-nonsense, army general, too much in love with his uniform, his duty and his country.
Mummyji said, 'Lahore bhi vo aaye hi the aur humaare saath hi Amritsar pohonche'
'Puttar tainu pata hai, jab batwaare ke waqt hume yahan pata chala ki tune itthe daftar-karkhaane ke bachaav ke intazaam kar diye hai aur rupay-zaver ka tabaadla bhi ka wa diya hai tab unhe badi shaan se kaha "Raisahab! Sadda Munda vadda ho gaya hai !", Bauji said holding Randheer by his shoulders.
'Unhone sach mein aisa kaha ?!' Randheer exclaimed.
'Haan Puttar sach mein aisa kaha!'Mummyji attested to it. Randheer looked as if he had won something really special.
Bauji continued, 'Unhe to us waqt farz bula raha tha isiliye unhe jaana pada par Gautam puttar ko bheja unhone humaare saath itthe, humaari madad ke vaaste. Baaki parivaar ko sahi salaamat Ludhiana wapas bhej diya.'
'Oh! To humaare Flying Officer Sahab ke kya haal hai ?!', Randheer asked eagerly.
'Puttar Flight Lieutenant bol! Ab zindagi bhar Flying Officer thode hi rahega kya vo ?! Tarakki ho gayi hai sadde puttar di!', Bauji said proudly.
'Ji Bauji !', he said with a chuckle. 'Aur Mamiji ? Yash-Keerti ? Vo sab kaise hai ?'
Yash-Kirti were a pair of adorable sixteen-year-old twins.
'Puttar sab ekdum bhale change hai! Aur sab bade khush hai ki hum Dilli rehne lage. Karachi mein to saal dar saal mulakaat hi nahi ho paati thi. Dilli to kinna paas hai Ludhiaane to. Vo bhi samay samay par aate rehte hai – hum bhi milne jaate rehte hain', Bauji said happily.
'Yeh to kitni achi baat hai !', Randheer said cheerfully.
'Mere ghar waale saare bhool gaye hai ki kisine bhi naashta nahi kiya hai abhi tak!', exclaimed Neero bhaiya, standing at the kitchen's door with a big tray in his hands.
'Aap hai na sabko yaad dilaane ke liye!', I said with a smile and took the tray from his hands. Mummyji nodded and went into the kitchen. Randheer picked up the plates from the tray and set them down on the table.
Mummyji brought out another tray and Neero Bhaiya took it from her hands. All of us settled on the sofa; Bauji on his armchair. We had our breakfast, merrily chatting.

'Amrit ? Aap kuch soch rahi hai ?', Randheer asked. I had been silent for a while now. I was indeed thinking something . I nodded gently.
Bauji said, 'Puttar maine tainu kehya na, kuch kehne to pehle inna socha na kar!'
Mummyji said, 'Haan beta. Koi baat hai to batao !'
'Main soch rahi thi ki aap dono ne is ghar ka naam 'Saaket' kyun nahi rakha ?', I said hesitantly.
Both of them looked a bit taken aback. They looked at each other and Mummyji wearily said, 'Hume laga ki kisi din humara baccha bhoola bhatka is ikaale mein aayega to bas turant mil jaaye hume', carressing Randheer's face.
'Par ab toh iski zaroorat nahi hai na Mummyji ?', Randheer asked eagerly.
'Haan Puttar ! Nahi hai zaroorat. Tere vyaah ke baad sabto pehla kaam ae hi karaange !', Bauji said with an emotional smile. 'Humaare is ghar ka naam 'Saaket' rakhaange'
Randheer looked at me as if I returned him a piece of his heart. He mouthed a thank-you and I just returned a contented smile.

After some time Randheer went upstairs to get ready. Eventually I too got up to leave. Just as I moved out of the house, I had Randheer hurrying downstairs, 'Neero Bhaiya, upar mez par ek lifaafa rakha tha. Do- teen tasweerein bhi kam hai. Aapne dekhi kya ?'

I hurriedly crossed the road and pulled out the envelope tucked on the saree around my waist. It had a couple of phtographs of Randheer. I had nicked them when Randheer was not watching hither. I looked at them. 'Aaj bach gaye! Warna pakde jaate!' I smiled foolishly and went inside Prem Nivas.