The morning after the reception, Paarth and Namita went to Ahmedabad to bring Naina home for the Pag Pheras. Both were very pleased to see her new home, which they had obviously heard a lot about since the Roka attended by Vimla and Vikas. While they partook of some tea and snacks, their son Aditya scampered around exploring the garden with Munni.

While entering the car, Paarth teased "Naina, your husband is looking so miserable!" The groom muttered "What's the need for this trip to Maa's? She has barely been here for a day..." Namita laughed "You are coming over to collect your wife in the evening! We too need a chance to spend time with our girl, before you whisk her away for ten days..." Vishakha patted his shoulder "Beta, it's a tradition... the last of the rituals related to a wedding."

The newlyweds whispered some goodbyes as Sameer sulked and Naina warned him to not arrive before the decided time of six in the evening!

During the drive back to Khed, Paarth and Namita excitedly shared their impression of Naina's sasural and in-laws. Naina reminisced with her Rakhi-brother about their childhood days. Both took heart from the fact that though they had left home now, Vimla and Rama had at least each other for company.

On reaching her maika, Rama and Malati welcomed Naina as if they hadn't met for months!

The time before lunch was largely spent attending to their neighbors, who kept dropping by to greet Naina. Though most of them had been only interested in seeing how she was settling in her new home, there had been a couple of subtle hints about some nephew or son-in-low looking for a new job and how Maheshwari Textiles might be a perfect opportunity.

As soon as those guests left, Malati warned her granddaughter "Don't start pestering your husband with petitions from all these people! You haven't spent even two days in that house, and they are already trying to see how they can benefit from your marriage..." Smiling fondly, Naina nodded and kissed the forehead of the one person who had always coddled her since the day she was born.

Post a late lunch, couple of hours were spent chatting with her mother while they sorted through the mess created around the house over the wedding period.

Sounding a little anxious, Rama asked "How has his family been behaving?" Naina happily exclaimed "Deepu and Mom are really helping a lot! They are both so caring... Maa, I really feel lucky to have Deepu as my Nanand." Rama smiled "Never forget that Sameer came into your life only because of your friendship with her. And make sure that Deepika always knows that you greatly appreciate it." Without meeting her mother's eye, Naina nodded silently.

Rama probed "And what about the rest of the family? His grandmother seems intimidating..." Not wanting to unnecessarily worry her mother, Naina responded "They are all fine too. I haven't spent much time with Dadiji.... And she will return to Delhi in couple of days. So, don't worry."

Satisfied with this reply, Rama remarked "Ignore her even if she says something. I am happy you are getting on well with everyone else. Sanjana seems nice too. It will help you settle in the new family and place." Naina nodded along, not sure if Sanjana would ever get over her prejudices against the girl who had apparently snatched Sameer from Ishita.

Resolved to not add to her mother's troubles, she muttered "Can you please make some ginger tea? I have been missing it so much!" Rama happily headed to the kitchen to immediately fulfil her newly married daughters wish.

* * *

Noting the time and realizing her husband would be coming over soon, Naina started rushing through the few tasks on her list. Stuffing a quarter century of life into a few bags is not easy and she had left a lot of things back.

Sometime later, rummaging through the locker of her mother's Godrej almari, Naina called out "Maa, I can't find it! Are you sure you kept it in the blue bag?" A muffled reply came from the kitchen "Leave it. I will look for it after I finish making dinner."

When Sameer rang the bell at five minutes past six in the evening, Naina pointedly looked at the clock. He shrugged "What?? Maa said come at six!" Naina sighed and then asked "Kabir caught his flight alright?" Sameer smiled back "There was no chance of his missing it! He is desperate to get back to London. Had it not been our wedding, he would have never left Farhana there by herself."

Rama quickly welcomed Damadji with an aarti and fed him a gulab-jamum. Vimla and family soon arrived too, and the next few hours flew by amid happy conversation.

As Sameer collected a duffle bag and a bulging cotton tote from his wife, he spoke "I will be downstairs. Naniji, jaldi aayenge. Bye Maa, get some rest now. Mom will call you tomorrow."

Sweeping one last glance at her room, Naina asked her mother "Did you find my passport? Dadddyji said we should apply for the name change soon." Rama shook her head "Sorry beta, I can't recall where I put it in all this chaos... I will keep it ready when you come here next time. Anyways you are leaving for your trip tomorrow, so there won't be any time for the application." Naina muttered half-heartedly "Make sure you find it. Sameer will get cross if he finds out it's missing."

That night, Sameer and Naina were up, chatting with his family, till well past mid-night. Most of them were heading back to London over the next few days before the honeymooning couple would get back. Only Vishakha planned to stay on till their return to Ahmedabad.

* * *

The next day, after a frantic last-minute rush as she made sure that she had packed everything deemed necessary, Naina and Sameer bid goodbye to the family. Some extra emotional goodbyes were exchanged between Naina and Deepika!

As the car sped to the outskirts of the city, Naina exclaimed "I can see the signs for the airport! So, we are flying somewhere! Is it Goa??" He winked "Patience sweetheart... you will figure it out soon enough."

Naina's heart dropped in her stomach when the car headed in the direction of the international terminus. When the car stopped, she clutched his arm and muttered in a small voice "Sameer... why are we here?" Quickly drawing some conclusions based on her knowledge of countries that grant a visa on arrival for Indians, she added "Are we going to Thailand?? Why didn't you tell me? I don't have my passport with me..."

Tapping his backpack, he slid out of the car "Don't worry... I have it." Scowling she followed him inside as he pushed the luggage trolly "You have it? How??" He just shrugged in reply and headed towards a certain section of the check-in counters.

Feeling rather disoriented by the sudden turn of events, Naina tried to keep up with him as she looked around the airport with a dazed expression. It was her first time entering it. Everything was new and exciting, and yet in that moment she just found it a little daunting.

Flashing his frequent flyer card, Sameer nudged her in the direction of the priority check-ins counter. The lady behind the counter flashed him a big smile "Good afternoon sir. How are you today?"

Returning her greeting, as he handed over their passports and the folded printed itinerary, Sameer's eyes were focused on Naina's dumbfounded face. He was intently waiting for her reaction, when the airline staff smiled "And would you like to check-in your bags all the way to Cairo?" As he muttered his approval, he was rewarded with a load gasp from his wife "Cairo?? Are we going to Egypt?!" Sameer beamed "Where else? It's always been your dream destination, right? Well, your dreams are my command!"

Taking in Naina's stunned state, the lady behind the counter sounded very surprised too "She didn't know?!" He grinned back "I wanted to surprise her." Noting Naina's bridal look, the lady rightly guessed "It's your honeymoon! This is so romantic sir! I must tell my husband. Ma'am you are so lucky."

"Yes... I am... very lucky." Naina managed to mumble. Sameer had been expecting excitement, joy, and surprise, but was surprised to see his wife struggling to contain her tears.

As soon as they moved away from the counter after the collecting their boarding passes, Naina hugged him tightly and whispered "Thank you... I just can't believe this!

While waiting to board, a still dazed Naina asked "But how did you manage all this? Egypt requires a visa..." Sameer explained that he had roped in Rama and Madhu's help. Rama had handed over Naina's passport plus other essentials like bank statements, while Madhu had sneakily managed to get Naina's signatures on the visa application by slipping it in a bunch of work-related documents.

Enthralled, Naina listened as Sameer explained the itinerary planned for the next few days. Her only disappointment was that other than a small brochure, he had not brought along any travel guides or serious reading material about Egyptian history.

Quick calls were made to their parents to appraise them that all the check-in formalities had been completed. Naina squealed in excitement while talking to her Maa and Deepika.

After they boarded the flight, Sameer observed her with an amused expression as she diligently read the safety instructions and listened to the airhostesses giving the demo. When their flight took off, trying very hard to contain her excitement as she tightly held his arm, Naina watched the city, and its occupants grow smaller. Couple of minutes later, she grinned "We are even above the clouds! This so amazing!" And then sneaking a glance around quickly kissed his cheek.

Sameer participated in her excited chatter for some time, sampled the bland airline food, and then closed his eyes to catch a nap.

Naina was far too distracted by her surroundings to care about the food. She spent the flight lasting close to three and half hours dreamily staring out of her window. Egypt, here I come!!!

Of course, before reaching Cairo, they ended up spending a couple of hours exploring the Dubai airport.

Unlike the Ahmedabad airport which was built with utility in mind, Dubai airport screamed opulence and glamour. Not only did it boast all the big brands but was filled be many goldsmiths offering very heavy jewellery. Naina wondered perplexed, Maa switches her everyday gold chain to Bentex while travelling on our railways and here people buy new sets at the airport?? But she was truly flabbergasted when Sameer showed her a vending machine that sold gold biscuits!

Fascinated, she watched the local Arabs dressed their ankle length thobes and head coverings.

The four hours from Dubai to Cairo went by quickly too. After admiring the sky outside as it changed colour in anticipation of dusk, Naina turned her attention to the articles related to Egypt in the flight magazine.

* * *

"Naina! Let's go to bed now..." Sameer called as he turned off the TV and peeped outside. She stood in the balcony staring at the outline of the pyramids. When he hugged her from behind, she whispered in awe "I can see them standing... just from the hotel room..." He smiled "Well, they will still be here when we wake up tomorrow. The tour is booked for ten and we must be in foyer by half-nine. Shall we call it a night??"

She continued gushing "I had no idea when I woke up this morning that I would be looking at them by end of the day. This is such an amazing surprise! I can't tell you how much this means to me!" He murmured huskily against her ear "Then don't tell me... come inside and show me."

The night before Sameer had not initiated any intimacy assuming her body might need some rest and time to recover from the fatigue of the past few days and nights. He had been happy to fall asleep just holding her and she in turn had basked in the feeling of being loved.

Suddenly feeling a little shy, she silently allowed him to pull her inside towards the bed. Gazing at her intensely, he played with her fingers for a bit before drawing one of her palms to his lips. As he kissed it, he inhaled deeply. The fragrance triggered memories of their night together in Desi Mahal from years ago.

He muttered "Every time I saw henna on anyone's hands, it reminded me of you..." Missing the shift in her expressions, he continued tracing the pattern on her hand and spoke sounding a little puzzled "Last year, during Rohan's wedding... why didn't you wear any henna? One of your colleagues said something about you being allergic... I suppose she must have got you mixed up with someone else."

"I... lied to them." her voice sounded scratchy. When his surprised eyes darted to her face, Sameer was further shocked to see her pained expression "Lied? Why?!"

"Sameer... since then... this is the first time... that I have put on henna. I just couldn't. It was too hard." Though he tightly clasped her hand, her voice continued to tremble "Couple of years back, I had attended a friends Mehndi function. But just the thought of applying it on my hands... had me spiraling. The doctor had advised to avoid things that could trigger the panic attacks. I hadn't realized the henna would affect me so deeply."

Deeply shocked, Sameer's barely managed to speak "Panic attacks?? As is... where one can't breathe?" When she just nodded, he asked hoarsely "When did they start? After I left?" She shook her head "No... exactly a year after I miscarried."

He almost whispered "Why didn't you tell me about this before? You didn't say anything that night in the hospital. Neither later whenever we spoke about the baby after I returned to Ahmedabad... nor when we went to the temple this year on that day." She muttered "I find it hard to talk about." And then added "And I didn't want to scare you away..."

He looked lost "Scare me away?? What do you mean?" Not meeting his gaze, she mumbled "I was scared. What if you think something is wrong with me?"

What else has she been holding in? Why couldn't she share with me how badly she has been impacted? Do I even understand her? And have I really tried enough? She has spoken of her ordeal but has never confided of the extent of the impact. When he silently tried to make sense of these revelations, her heart sickeningly thumped. Why did I have to tell him about it? What if he feels that I have some mental problem?

Naina rushed to assure him "But, I am better now. It doesn't happen frequently anymore... In fact, it hasn't happened since I met you again."

"You haven't seen a therapist, have you? Naina, we should have already gotten you some professional help... Why didn't I think of it before?" He questioned both her and him. She uttered anxiously "I don't need a psychiatrist. I am okay."

Sameer caressed her cheek "Shush sweetheart... of course, you're alright. In fact, you're the strongest and bravest person I have ever seen!" Her doe shaped eyes were filled with vulnerability as she asked "So, you really don't think that something is wrong with me?" He embraced her as tight as he could without crushing her bones and whispered "Nothing's wrong with you... In fact, you are absolutely perfect the way you are."

Not sure if his words would be enough, he tenderly and gently made love to her that night, telling her repeatedly how perfect she was. Even after they had both reached their climax, they stayed joined for a long time as Naina clung to him with an urgency that he understood.

But though he managed to overcome her anxieties in that moment, he wasn't convinced that the battle was won.

* * *

Sameer first sleepily searched for her in the bed and then reluctantly opened one eye. Not only the bed, but the room was empty too. The door to the en-suite was ajar and it was unlighted. His confusion grew noting that it wasn't even seven.

He anxiously leapt out of the bed, wondering where she could have gone in a strange place. Her previous night's disconcerting disclosure weighed very heavily on his heart.

Before he could come up with a search plan, he noticed the balcony door was unlocked. He nudged the door open wondering, Maybe, she is staring at the Pyramids again??

But contrary to his expectation, Naina was seated at the small table in the balcony reading from a thick volume and scribbling away into a notebook. Hearing the door, she looked up at him smiling "Good morning! I hope I didn't disturb your sleep. I tried to be as quiet as possible..."

Peering at the book in her hand, he mumbled back "Good morning." Suddenly recalling something from their first trip to Sudhagadh, he teased "Naina, you realize that you are not the guide today, right? Our guide will be sharing the details on the tour!"

She pouted "So what?! I still want to be prepared. Sameer, had I known we were coming here, I would have spent months reading up on the history and architecture! And now I just have hours."

Noting that she was dressed in pastel blue shalwar kameez, he observed sounding uncertain "You are already dressed for the day??" She replied "I had to go down to borrow the book from the concierge. So took a quick shower and got changed." He nodded "Alright... I will get ready, and we can head for breakfast. And don't forget to bring the cap along which I had asked you to pack for the trip."

Before heading inside, he asked her uncertainly "You alright?" She smiled a little too brightly "Of course! We have a big day ahead of us!" Muttering something in acknowledgement he walked away. Naina's eye lingered on his back as she renewed her resolution to not eclipse their honeymoon with shadows of the past.

About an hour later, Sameer glanced at her baffled. Naina was sipping on her tea and munching on a croissant absently as she flipped another page.

When they first arrived downstairs, she had looked at the large breakfast buffet with delight but had soon got engrossed in the book she was reading about the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. Every now and then she would excitedly share some information with him, but mostly she muttered to herself or made quick notes.

Her dedication to making the most of this extraordinary opportunity was evident throughout the day as she attentively listened to every word uttered by their guide and referred to the brochures at her disposal.

Their guide Mohammed, who was a man in his early thirties, was at first astonished to learn that she was guide herself. He mused, Wow! If they can travel overseas, tourist guides in India must be making a lot of money...

But on further questioning realized that Naina was in Egypt for her honeymoon with her businessman husband. Feeling a kinship, he was extremely happy to share all his in-depth insights into the history, culture, and present-day politics of Egypt.

Though Sameer was very intrigued by most of the information and had some questions of his own, his curiosity definitely didn't match his wife's!

Some quick introductions were carried out with the rest of their tour group. Sameer had selected a tour offering a more exclusive experience and their group was made up of ten others.

There was one group of six British, female teachers, who appeared to be in their mid-to-late fifties and now lived in Dubai as their husbands worked there. Noting their attire consisting of wide brimmed hats and loose linen pants and shirts, Naina thought they could have easily jumped off the pages of one of Agatha Christie's books. The women were all very pleased to hear that Sameer was a Brit like themselves and some conversation ensued about the weather back home and when everyone had last visited their families.

An American couple, from Chicago, shared that they had planned this trip to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The lady shared that many years ago, when she had just moved to Chicago, an older colleague had set her up on a blind date with her nephew. The young man had taken her to visit The Field Museum. The first hour had constituted of some awkward conversation, but then they had come across the Ancient Egypt exhibit and all discomfort had vanished as they discovered a shared passion.

The last of the group were two sisters in their early seventies from Cape Town in South Africa. , one spinster and another recently windowed. They mostly happy to keep each other company and engaged in very little interactions with their co-passengers throughout the tour.

On discovering that Sameer and Naina were on their Honeymoon, everyone gushed over the bride's beautiful Henna and then wanted to know how many guests had attended their wedding! And how many days had the wedding gone on for?!

During the drive, feeling awed, Naina alternatively watched the sights outside and listened to her husband easily converse with the other passengers.

When they visited the Pyramids and the Sphinx, after the guide had shared key information and answered some questions from his group, he left them to explore the monuments on their own for a while.

After excitedly posing for some photos with each other Naina and Sameer wandered around on their own, their heart filled with marvel.

Sameer was amazed at the size of the monuments and the idea that they had been constructed thousands of years ago. It was hard to comprehend the amount of effort, time and money spent by generations of Pharaohs. What had they wanted to achieve? Had all this been driven by a belief in the divinity or by a desire to leave their indelible mark on history?

Naina intently studied the structures and avidly read obscure restoration facts from a book that she had borrowed from Mohammed. Every now and then, she shook her head in wonder as she pondered on the fact that not only had they withstood the test of time but had been lost under a vast expanse of sand for centuries. Finally, a Pharoah had dreamt of their existence and then embarked on the endeavor to find and uncover them. Her heart silently thanked the man who had held the conviction of following a dream.

After viewing the Pyramids up close, they drove a little further into the dessert and then rode on camels for about fifteen minutes for so to capture all the pyramids in one frame. Lot of photos were clicked, and the camel ride was great fun too. Every now and then Naina would look around wondering if she would soon wake up from an extraordinary dream. Her only grievance was the outrageous amounts charged for the camel ride!

Next on the agenda was 'The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities'. The museum along with thousands of other priceless relics housed the treasures of the boy king Tutankhamen which were truly exquisite! Thanks to the belief of the Pharaohs that they had to take all everyday essentials with them as they embarked on their journey through after-life, their tombs were filled with everything from a hairpins and combs to crowns and thrones. Though it is now clear that the dead never used any of these, it has helped provide the living a unique insight into the past.

Where most tourists spent close to two hours focusing on just the 'not-to-be-missed' artifacts, Naina decided to skip lunch and requested that she would rejoin the tour an hour-an-half later. Being the supportive new husband, Sameer decided to skip lunch and stick by her side. But thirty minutes later, feeling famished, he lost appreciation for how pots, pans and spears had evolved through the eras! Perched on a bench, he found himself wishing that he had ordered an omelet at breakfast.

On rejoining the tour, Mohammed handed them some packets of cheese and tomato sandwiches. These were eagerly gobbled enroute to their next destination while their stomachs grumbled in response listening to other passengers describe the scrumptious delicacies that they had sampled.

Next on the agenda was the famous market 'Khan El Khalili' which was established in the fourteenth century and is in the heart of Cairo. The bustling bazaar was an arousing assault on all senses! The ancient Islamic architecture of high domes and decorative arches made one feel like they were stepping back in time to medieval Cairo.

Armed with a map, Sameer and Naina set out to explore the area, which resembled a labyrinth. The place overflowed with stalls selling a huge variety of goods - from sparkling silverware, gold artefacts and antiques, to stained glass lamps, incense, handmade accessories, and ancient Pharaoh souvenirs. The handmade carpets on offer were very luxurious. There were special districts for goldsmiths, copper-made things, and spice-selling.

Once again, Naina felt very ill equipped for this experience as she had not put any thought into what she would buy for whom. This of course did not pose any challenge for Sameer, who quickly choose a dozen souvenirs in the shape of the Sphinx and added as way of explanation "This is what Egypt if most famous for! Plus, when we get everyone the same thing nobody will complain!"

Looking around, Naina observed that unlike the other tourists in their group Sameer and she did not stand out as foreigners. Though they did not look exactly like the locals, there was a fair resemblance. The shop keepers astutely targeted the Caucasians and pestered them to buy more of their wares.

Leaving her to select a straw hat for herself with the teachers from their group, Sameer disappeared for a few minutes. When he returned, he offered her some Zalabias, the local equivalent of Jalebis. Both relished the sugary delights as they mulled on how food, fashion, music, language, traditions and so much more had travelled across continents to become an integral part of different civilizations.

The lightshow that night at the Pyramids was quiet riveting, but the travellers were feeling rather weary and hungry. Naina started experiencing jetlag, a phenomenon that she had only heard about before. She now empathized with her clients who at times seemed to be eagerly waiting for the tour to end so that they can rush back to their hotel room for some rest.

Dinner had been organized at a restaurant specializing in catering for tours. The moment the guests arrived they were led to a long table reserved for their group and given a choice of Vegetarian, Chicken, Lamb and Fish for their main.

Feeling ravenous, Sameer quickly ordered the local delicacy of Chicken Kebabs and headed to the restroom to freshen up. Slightly startled, Naina glanced at his back for a few moments and then ordered the vegetarian option for herself.

As assortment of local breads and dips was served as the entrée. The conservation at the table was mostly about the spots visited that day.

Couple of minutes into their mains, Sameer asked Naina "Are you enjoying the Falafels?" She nodded enthusiastically "Very good! They are made from chickpeas. They remind me of our Pakodas... but different!" He smiled "There is a lovely Lebanese restaurant close to my... I mean... our place in London. I am sure you will enjoy it too." She enquired "And how's your meal?" He nodded "The kebabs are nice... but I think I prefer the Lebanese and Turkish version." He raised a brow "Would you like to try some?" She quickly shook her head in negation and stabbed the piece of cucumber on her plate.

Dessert was a novelty called Qatayef. Though it looked like small pancakes stuffed with nuts and cream, it was fried and crispy. Naina couldn't think of an equivalent Indian sweet that she had tried before.

Dinner done, Mohammed dropped the weary tourists back at the hotel with instructions to be ready to check out the next morning at eight, as they were scheduled to fly to Luxor.

Once back in their room, Sameer headed for a quick shower. When he stepped out, he took one look at the mess on their bed and asked sounding rather surprised "What are you doing?! Why have you completely unpacked??" She muttered distractedly "I'm not unpacking... just reorganizing. This morning, first I couldn't decide what to wear and then couldn't find what I wanted!" He frowned "But why tonight? We are checking out early tomorrow morning! You could've easily done this once we check-in on the cruise tomorrow afternoon."

Realizing that her actions had not been very logical, she grumbled "Your surprise has left me all confused! And I am starting to feel jetlagged now..." Sameer turned on the kettle, mumbling "I will make us some coffee and then we can pack."

Close to an hour later after her bag was re-packed, Naina headed for a shower too. Switching on the TV, Sameer sprawled across the bed. Most of the channels were in Arabic but he managed to find a sports channel that was airing an NBA game.

On emerging from the bathroom, Naina was quite surprised to see her husband extremely engrossed in the game. When she enquired "Do you follow Basketball?" He answered, his eyed glued to the TV "Sometimes...It's an important game. The 76ers are playing the Knicks."

While she put their coffee mugs to one side and set the alarm for the next morning, Naina grumbled to herself – Important game?! Why is it important for him? He doesn't live there... doesn't play the game... he probably didn't even know that this game was happening today till ten minutes ago... and still it's important!

As some of her uneasiness from earlier returned, her frown deepened, In fact, how is everything else more important than his wife?!

But he soon squashed her last doubt. A minute after she slipped under the blanket, he turned off the TV muttering "They have stopped for half-time." And then cuddling her, softly kissed her temple "So, Egypt living up to your expectations??" As she hummed back, his kisses trailed to her cheeks and chin, starting to get more sensual. He huskily uttered "Mine too..."

Just as he was about to kiss her lips, she quickly turned away placing a finger on his lips. Sounding surprised he asked, "What happened?!" and then quickly added in a more understanding tone "Are you tired?" She shook her head and then replied in a small voice "At dinner... you ate chicken..."

Sameer blinked uncomprehendingly in the dimly lit room "So??" and then added "You have known I eat non-veg all these months... It's not like I hid it from you... so, what's changed?" She muttered "But not in front of me..." He sounded a little exasperated "I am sure you have seen many people eating non-veg before today!" She retorted "Well, I didn't kiss any of them either!"

He was incredulous "But we are married now. Of course, you will see me eating and drinking in front of you! And if you had a problem with my lifestyle, why didn't you say so before? Why has this suddenly become an issue?"

Not having an answer to his question, Naina turned her back to him muttering "I am tired now. Goodnight." Feeling annoyed, he stared at her back for a few moments and then turned his back to her too. He was fuming on the inside – What the hell?! Why start a conversation if she does not mean to finish it properly?

Tears of frustration gathered behind her closed eyelids. Why is he getting mad at me? I just shared my thoughts... my feelings... couldn't we just talk about it like two adults? Slowly the frustration turned to irritation. If he can't stay away from his chicken, then he better stay away from me!

Acutely aware of the presence of the other person in the bed, neither felt free to toss and turn. Both silently wrestled with their disquiet, as they waited for the other person to break the silence. Their sleep for half the night was fitful, till Naina turning around slipped her arm around him. Sameer immediately turned towards her too and pulled her into a hug. The rest of the night slipped away leaving behind the reassurance that their complaints against each other weren't unsurmountable.

* * *

The next morning was frantic. Post a very early and quick breakfast, check-out from the hotel, travel to the airport and then boarding flight - the visitors were on the go every minute.

As she peered outside the window once again, Naina found it unbelievable that she was on the second flight of her life after just a couple of days. Is this really happening to me??

Slipping her arm around his, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Sorry... about last night." she mumbled into his sleeve. He caressed her fingers "I am sorry too."

Few moments later he spoke "Naina, why were you upset? I didn't hide anything from you. I can't understand-" "I can't either." She interrupted him. She continued after a small pause "I think, I found it unsettling... no... more like surprising. I overreacted."

"Why is it suddenly unsettling?" he wanted to know. When she shrugged, he pressed "You should have said something at dinner last night rather than waiting till bedtime." He countered her silent nod with "Don't just nod along... Is it going to be a problem when I eat eggs or chicken the next time??" Naina shook her head against his shoulder "No... as long as you brush before kissing me." He grumbled "Well, I had brushed last night too... but will keep it in mind going forward too."

Sameer tilted his head back and silently dwelt on their first tiff as a married couple. Once she apologized, he had not wanted to stretch the topic needlessly. He was torn between his instinct to coddle her after learning of her struggles of the past and not allowing her to get into the habit of bottling things up.

Earlier as they were waiting to board, he had noticed her surreptitiously sneaking glances at the young family seating across from them. His heart had palpitated in trepidation wondering if watching the mother cooing to her chubby baby was causing Naina pain. Had things like this triggered her panic attacks in the past? Were there certain situations that I should be looking out for? Things to avoid? She had claimed that she had not suffered from the attacks since meeting him again. But is that proof enough that she has really overcome those anxieties? Or is it just a matter of something else triggering them again?

* * *

Mohammed distributed key cards to his tour group and advised them to grab a quick bite and reassemble in an hour as they were scheduled to visit the famous Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple that afternoon.

Contrary to her expectations, their luxurious cabin was rather spacious. One side was lined with windows which would allow them to gaze at the scenes that would keep unfolding as they sailed up the Nile.

After gazing at the big bed, the little coffee table and chairs, and the sofas next to the window, Naina remarked "We are staying here for four days?! This is so beautiful. When you said a cabin on the ship... I was expecting something with bunkbeds..." He chuckled "You are so funny! Bunkbeds on a honeymoon... seriously??"

Then glancing at his watch, he added "Come, let's go eat something quickly and then freshen up before heading to the foyer."

A buffet lunch had been setup in a huge dining room. There were many dishes, both continental and local. Naina noted with relief that they had many vegetarian options on the menu too. In the interest of saving time, they both choose a simple pasta dish with some garlic bread. Sameer was amused to see her first taste the pasta with great excitement, and then add a lot of chili flakes to make it edible.

Their first destination that afternoon was the Luxor Temple and then the Karnak Temple. Both the structures were majestic and provided an insight into the religion practiced in ancient Egypt.

Mohammed talked about the various Gods that were worshipped in that time and how the importance of those Gods rose and fell based on the ideologies of the Pharaohs that ruled Egypt through the eras.

A lot of the statues of God and Pharaohs were defaced by the Romans who established their rule in the later stages. After all, every ruler tries to leave their mark in history, some by building and some by breaking.

And today, though the huge statues remain and millions from all over the world visit Egypt to marvel at these wonders, those Gods have long lost their significance. Though not forgotten, hardly anyone worships them anymore.

Sameer and Naina clicked innumerable photos, trying to capture the experience to the best of their abilities.

Later as they walked past the stalls selling souvenirs, Naina noticed that even here, the vendors mostly hounded the fair skinned tourists. Though to her surprise, that day she was the recipient of the local's attention for a completely different reason! Every now and then, as she walked by, somebody would call out 'Madhuri Dixit'.

Mohammed explained that Bollywood was very popular with the locals, especially any movies featuring any of the three Khans. And apparently the Egyptian male population was just as susceptible to Dhak-Dhak girl's charms as their counterparts in India.

To start with Sameer smiled indulgently seeing his pretty wife drawing many admiring glances. But after some time, jaw clenching, he possessively held her arm, when yet another group of young men gawked at her.

* * *

That evening, post a more elaborate dinner, they explored the three-tiered cruise ship. Apart from the huge dining area on the lowest level, it also offered an indoors lounge with a bar which opened on to the upper deck. The middle level had a cozy reading area with a shelf full of some novels and also tourism guides about Egypt, and also a small entertainment area with a big TV and a Video cassette player with an assortment of cassettes which mostly catered to the tastes of the junior audience.

Naina squealed excitedly and Sameer smiled contentedly at the sight on a small shallow swimming pool on the upper deck. After dipping her toes, Naina declared the water was too cold, but Sameer was determined to make use of it at least a couple of times during their stay.

As they stood on the deck watching the dark water glimmering in the moonlight, Naina snuggled against him. Her voice sounded a little shaky, when she spoke "Sameer... this must have cost a lot... what was the need for booking something so expensive?"

His gaze moved to her face and silently lingered there. Does she not realize that every moment together is priceless?

When he didn't answer, she nudged him "You have just spent so much on the wedding and reception." Caressing her cheek lightly, he replied "All that was more for our families, but this is for me. Long ago... when you had first shared your dream to visit Egypt, my heart saw a vision too. It seemed very odd at that time, but in that moment a longing was born... a longing to see you living your dream."

Overwhelmed by his declaration, she hugged him tight. Kissing the top of her head, he confessed "Naina, after all these years of travelling alone, this journey feels so gratifying... like I am finally with my... I think, the word is Humsafar. Right?"

Tilting back her head she placed a quick soft kiss on his lips and murmured "Sameer, our journey together is just starting. And I hope it will be a very long one."

Though he nodded, the look in his eyes was a little quizzical. After thoughtfully biting on his lip for a few moments, he spoke "Not that I am complaining... but you have suddenly become very affectionate and expressive." She scowled "Suddenly affectionate?? Are you saying I have been mistreating you all these months?!"

Sameer chuckled "Not just mistreating! You have absolutely tortured me by staying so far away." Smirking he added "But since the past two days it's been so nice to have my wife clinging to me at every chance!" She smirked right back "Well, consider this as a honeymoon special bonanza and enjoy your clingy wife for the next few days! Because once we are back in India, I will be back to my tormenter avatar."

He playfully bit her cheek and muttered "Dream on..." She squeaked "Ouch!" and then added grumbling "Junglee Billa!"

"What??" he immediately wanted to know. When she didn't explain it, he rolled his eyes "Junglee, I understand..." and then grinned "But it's okay if you don't want to explain the other bit, because I will be happy to show you all my junglee shades!"

As she playfully tried to push him away, he laughed but then asked contemplatively "But seriously, I was a little confused by the lack of warmth from your end these past few months." She was surprised "I didn't mean to be cold towards you!" He tsked "Not cold... but you seemed reluctant to spend any alone time with me. Or did I misread the situation?"

Seeing her nervously lick her lips, he tried to reassure her "This isn't some sort of interrogation... It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. I just hope the distance was not because of your lack of trust in my feelings or intentions."

Naina spoke in a rush "No! It wasn't about not trusting you. It was all about me not trusting myself." His brow creased "What do you mean?"

She fidgeted with the railing while answering "I... couldn't make any sense... of how I lost all control with you back then. It just wasn't like me. And even after all the heartache that followed, when you came to my room in the middle of the night all drunk... after the cocktail party... I again almost lost control. It was very hard pushing you away! Sameer, I don't trust myself around you."

His eyes twinkled hearing just how much he affected her. Nuzzling her cheek, he muttered "O... so, you find me absolutely irresistible! And here I was worried that my charms weren't working."

Cuddling closer to him, she stood silently for a bit. Suddenly gazing at the moon, she muttered "Promise me that you won't make fun of me if I tell you something." When he hummed, she spoke "For some time I used to think that maybe I am a werewolf. Well, a very small part anyway."

His eyes almost bulged "Werewolf? Why?!"

Colouring a little, she tried to explain "That night... our first time together... it was a full moon. And werewolves can't resist the pull towards their mate on a full moon. It seems to make sense why that happened between us so quickly, right?"

As he listened to her analysis of their attraction towards each other in astonishment, his eyes glinted in hilarity at the vision of them both morphing into large wolves before pouncing on each other.

She continued presenting the rest of her case "And if one mate rejects the other, the rejected mate feels excruciating pain. Just like I felt after you left."

All his amusement instantly vanished at her last statement. Damn! She has really struggled to deal with her actions of that night.

Suddenly feeling a little silly saying all this aloud, she mumbled "I know, it sounds crazy... but for a while, it seemed logical. At least, to me."

Turning her around, he tilted her face up. Then staring into her hypnotic eyes, he responded "Though I highly doubt that either of us is a werewolf, we are still mates. Naina, where you were so quick to accept your feelings for me as love, it took me a long time to make sense of my feelings for you. It seemed highly unlikely that I had fallen in love with a girl I had known for just a few days!"

An uneasiness flited across her face at the idea that he had not felt love for her from the very start as she had.

Reading her murky thoughts, he smiled reassuringly, trying to give their conversation a positive tone "But love it is. And we are mates for a lifetime. Who knows... maybe even many! Wouldn't that make more sense? I mean, compared to us being werewolves?!"

As her eye lit up, he winked "But, if it excites you... I don't mind howling at the moon a for a bit before carrying you off to our cabin to mark you as mine!"

She tried to pull away pouting "You promised me that you won't laugh at me!" Unable to hold in his mirth, he laughed "Sorry sweetheart... but your junglee wolf's behavior is not easy to control!"

They stood there awhile. Sameer teased her and she grumbled that if he didn't keep his word, she wouldn't share anything with him in the future.

When back in their cabin, they discovered a new wild side of each other. The next morning revealed many marks on their bodies that the night had left behind, but their hearts were illuminated with even more love.

* * *

The following day, after an earlier breakfast, their group set out to visit the Valley of the Kings. It was extremely hard to comprehend that these ordinary looking hills held such extraordinary treasures in their wombs in guise of the Pharaohs tombs.

Even in the winter months, the sun shone relentlessly forcing everyone to shield their eyes and heads as they queued up.

Though the royal cemetery has the tombs of over sixty Pharaohs, only eleven were open to the public and considering the time constrains, the visitors only entered the resting place of seven of the Pharaohs.

They first visited the tomb of Ramses IX which is the most Popular Tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and then that of Ramses III which is the best preserved. The paintings on the wall looked like they have been painted few years back instead of many centuries ago. Their guide explained how the fact that the tombs had been designed to be airtight and underground had preserved them in such a pristine condition.

This was followed by the tomb of Ramses IV, who reigned for just a little over six years, but whose tomb is again a great favorite amongst most visitors.

A lot of time was spent first queuing outside the tomb of Tausert and Setnakht and then inside as well. Which is one of the largest and most unusual tombs in the Valley of the King, encompassing two complete burial chambers.

The tourists then headed to the most famous tomb to Visit in the Valley, that of the boy king Tutankhamun. For centuries, this tomb has been shrouded in a great sense of mystery and dread due to the belief that it is cursed. Hollywood has definitely done its bit to add to the propaganda!

Though the chamber itself was quite intriguing, the tomb had a very eerie atmosphere, maybe as it still had the most famous mummy of this era.

As they stood in front of the glass enclosure housing Tut's mummy for a few moments, Sameer felt Naina's grasp on his hand getting a little uncomfortably tight. When he asked "Hey, you alright?" She muttered sounding aghast "He was so young... so many dreams and hopes must have been left incomplete." He rubbed her hand comfortingly "Well, at least he went on to achieve the much-coveted fame that all kings aspire to." She shook her head sadly "I doubt if this is what he would have really wanted for himself..." Sameer nodded "I know what you mean. Given a choice, he would have probably chosen to live a long life filled with love and joy in absolute obscurity than have billons flock to see him like this."

Next on the agenda was the combined tomb of Ramses V and VI, which is claimed to be the top best after Seti I's tomb. And then finally they visited Seti I's tomb, which is considered the most spectacular tomb to visit in the Valley of the Kings. Mohammed explained that they always reserved this for the last, as everything else paled in comparison.

It was clear that even days would not be enough to admire the tombs, but they had to make do with just a glimpse into the beliefs of the civilization from thousands of years ago. As their mini-bus sped away, Naina kept glancing back biding goodbye to long gone kings with a heavy heart.

After stopping for a quick meal at one of the roadside restaurants, the visitors returned to their cruise. Sometime later the ship sailed towards Edfu, and Sameer and Naina stood on the deck along with many of their companions watching Luxor fade away.

Before dinner time, Sameer decided to take advantage of the pool on the deck. Prior to him entering the pool, both stood gazing at the passing riverbank for some time.

The palm trees, lush green farms, the minarets of numerous Mosques and small settlements along the bank created an enchanting picture. As the sun started to steal away for the night leaving behind an envious pink tinted sky, the lyrical call for the evening prayer further added to the essence of that moment.

Though not often enough, at times our human hearts are capable of bowing in reverence to the creator of this universe overcoming the barriers of language and other beliefs.

After enjoying the moment in perfect silence for some time, Naina animatedly pointed towards a spot on the banks "Sameer, look they have buffaloes here!" Sure enough, a group of buffaloes were half submerged in the water. A few young kids standing by them, waved excitedly at the passing ship. As the tourists also waved back, Sameer laughed "Didn't I tell you that one day you might start feeling nostalgic about your least favourite animal?!" Naina pouted "I was just showing you... I haven't suddenly grown fond of them!"

When Sameer entered the pool, despite his coaxing, Naina refused to enter the water. She insisted "The water is uncomfortably cold for me. And I don't want to take even the slightest risk of falling sick on this trip!"

She first admired her husband clad in his swimming trucks for some time, and then finding herself a quiet spot and went on to note down her experience and impressions of the morning in the new diary that she had bought after arriving in Egypt.

Post-dinner, both decided to call it an early night and retired to their cabin.

They sort of fell into this routine for the next few days, or at least when it was possible.

* * *

The next morning, they woke up to find that at some point during the night their ship had at docked at Edfu.

After breakfasting on board, they disembarked for a visit to the Temple of Edfu.

Assembling his group in the front yard of the temple, Mohammed shared "This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Until two hundred years ago, the temple was covered in sand which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned. With its roof intact, it is also one of the most atmospheric of ancient buildings. The structure is dedicated to the falcon god Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris."

After the tourists returned to the ship, it sailed to Kom Ombo, where they encountered the twin temple of Kom Ombo, where one half is dedicated to the crocodile headed Sobek, God of fertility and creator of the world, and the other to falcon god Horus.

There, they also visited the museum which was displaying twenty-two mummified crocodiles of various sizes out of forty to have been unearthed in Aswan. The crocodiles were arrayed on a sand hill inside a large glass showcase, allowing visitors to see how crocodiles passed their days in ancient Egypt. A collection of crocodile coffins and wooden sarcophagi, along with crocodile foetuses and eggs, was also on display, in addition to the statues depicting the crocodile-god Sobek, bearing a human body and the head of a crocodile. Replicas of Sobek's original tombs and niches were also on display.

As they stood gawking at the huge animals, recalling something that his grandfather had once said to him, Sameer muttered to Naina "The idea of Sobek must have been conceived out of the fear of these beasts that must have absolutely terrorized the locals. They probably thought praying to a God who represented the Crocodiles might appease their hunger for the humans and their cattle!" Naina replied "That's understandable... what can one possibly do other than start praying desperately if threatened by one of these?!"

By the time they left Kom Ombo, the visitors started feeling like they were fast becoming experts on pagan Egyptian deities and the mythology about their internal power struggles!

Once back on the ship they sailed on towards Aswan. That night, a special evening of entertainment had been planned for the tourists onboard the cruise. They were advised to assemble in the lounge at half past six for cocktails.

* * *

As they were heading to the venue, seeing some of the other guests, Naina uttered "Sameer! They have all dressed up for the evening!"

Sure enough, most of the ladies were in gowns or heavily sequined tops. Some of the more adventurous ones had even donned colourful flowy gowns that they had picked during one of their local shopping expeditions. The American lady, who celebrating her twenty-fifth anniversary, had decided to make the most of the opportunity and had dressed up a Cleopatra and was turning quite a few heads!

Sameer shrugged "Well, we are dressed too. I am wearing a shirt unlike the t-shirts I have been wearing for most of the trip. And your shalwar kameez is also dressy enough... it's a novelty for this crowd anyway." Naina nodded albeit a little half-heartedly "I didn't realize... I would have at least worn more jewellery."

But a minute later, after a quick peek into the lounge, she muttered "You go find us a good spot. I will be back in a few minutes." Sameer thought to himself – And now she will take at least ten minutes to find the right earrings or necklace!

Close to twenty minutes later, when the other guests had almost finished their first free welcome cocktail, Sameer eyed the two untouched glasses on his table. Eager to get the fruity drink out of the way so that he could order himself a scotch, he scowled wondering what was keeping her away for so long.

A group of four men dressed in a traditional grab were playing some local music using percussion instruments. Though most of the audience was tapping their foot or nodding their head encouragingly, everyone eyes, irrespective of their gender, were frequently drifting towards the two belly dancers sitting in the background awaiting their turn.

After impatiently glancing at his watch yet again, Sameer decided that if she wasn't back in another minute, he would have to fetch her from the room. Luckily, he didn't have to, as Naina soon entered the lounge.

She had changed into a shimmering red saree with a sleeveless blouse and had applied a blood red lipstick. He watched her stunned as she first tried to locate him and then made her way towards him. Her open hair mesmerizingly swayed in the soft breeze.

It slowly registered with him that he wasn't the only person staring at her. Her entrance had created quite a stir. Suddenly the people assembled there had a third belly to gaze at!

As she slid into the sofa next to him, Sameer idiotically voiced the evident "You have changed..." She responded sounding excited "Though you had told me to not bring any sarees, I had brought this one along thinking I could wear it for a special dinner. And then seeing everyone had really dressed up for tonight decided to wear it!"

Picking up the cocktail glass, she held it up. Following her lead, Sameer clicked his and muttered "Cheers!" She beamed back "To Egypt!" and then taking a sip turned her attention to the performers. For a few minutes she attentively listened to the unfamiliar tune but soon her fingers were drumming in her lap to the beat.

After some time, a man donning a costume with a colourful skirt started performing the Tanoura, which is the traditional national dance in Egypt. Its peculiarity is that only men perform the dance, and the basis of the dance is a circling artist around its axis, necessarily counter clockwise. Though seemingly simple enough, the technique is very hard to perfect, as the artist moves his body in different ways to create a variety of patterns with his skirt. The music playing was vaguely reminiscent of the dance tunes of the countries of the east.

While most of the audience watched the performer almost hypnotized by his fluid movements, some glanced around distractedly. Few groups were engaged in whispered conversations.

When the dancer completed his performance, the musicians declared that they would return after a small break and the serving staff started navigating the tables taking more drinks orders.

Sameer ordered a scotch for himself and asked Naina if she would like to try some. She quickly turned down his offer but then nodded at the waiter when he asked her if she would like a repeat of what she was having.

Slightly surprised Sameer remarked "Looks like you really like Mai Tais!" She smiled "It's every refreshing! The mix of juices is really yummy." Giggling softly, she added "And it looks so pretty too!"

He watched in amusement as she quickly slurped the remaining contents of her glass before accepting the second drink from the waiter. Sameer cheekily resisted the urge to enlighten her about the other contents of the drink. It feels so good to see her lighten up and enjoy herself!

When the performances resumed and the musicians started playing a different more sensual beat, Sameer was only mildly surprised as Naina slid nearer to him and slipped her arm around his. As they listened, she rested her head on his shoulder her fingers absentmindedly stroking his forearm. Enjoying the antics of his frisky wife, Sameer pulled her even closer.

Few minutes later the much-awaited belly dancers joined the musicians. Conversation in the room ceased and all eyes were now focused on the new artists.

Sameer and Naina too watched in fascination the impossible seeming movements of the dancers' bellies. The belly dancers enthralled the guests for the next twenty minutes or so with many alluring moves.

Naina glanced at her own flat belly in utter confoundment, not able to envisage her tummy having those muscles, forget moving them like those dancers!

But she was still much better off than most of the middle-aged women in the room who had long forgotten what it was like to have a flat belly! The poor souls were busy consoling themselves with the thought that though they had lost that slim waist, they now had children and grandchildren to lighten their lives.

The men in the room mostly gawked at the seductively dressed dancers with absolutely no thoughts about their own bellies or potbellies!

When the dancers completed their performance, they started inviting the guests to try it. A number of belly dance scarfs were pulled out from a box and handed out. After some coaxing from the cruise management a few enterprising guests stepped to the front. Tying the scarfs with the pretty silver coins around their waist, they tried following the quick lessons being offered by the two dancers.

As those guests returned to their seats, the British teachers from Naina's group started heading to the front. A couple of them called out to Naina, insisting she was perfectly dressed for it. Amid some protests from her and encouragements from her husband, Naina allowed herself to be pulled along. Selecting a black scarf that she thought would contrast nicely with her red saree, she was soon trying to mimic the simple moves being demonstrated by the performers for the amateurs.

Many years of Garbha, Dandiya and occasionally swinging to Bollywood tunes at wedding related functions, meant Naina was much better prepared for this experience than her other companions. Well, most of them anyways. One of the teachers, Janet, had taken belly dancing classes offered at her gym back home and was quite keen to showcase her moves.

Mohammed was pleased that his group was doing better than the earlier group lead by another tourist company and heartily cheered for them. The rest of the guest also sportingly joined in.

Sameer approached the performers as much as he could without getting under their feet and started clicking countless photos of his wife.

At the sight of Naina tantalizingly swaying her bare waist as the silver coins jingled and sparkled, his long-time fantasies of his Harinakshi with a waist chain pushed to the fore.

She appeared more than a little flushed, both from the dance and the effects of the cocktails. Whether it was the little alcohol in her drinks or just the ambience of the evening, something seemed to have unleashed a more sensual side of her. Sameer groaned internally as she, locking eyes with him, flashed him a shy and yet seductive smile. It was a lethal combination that almost pushed him over the edge.

He watched her for the next couple of minutes with an elemental storm brewing inside him.

Soon along with her other companions, she stepped away from the dance floor untying the scarf from her waist. As they made way to their table, Naina spoke with an expectant look "Did I do alright? It is so hard Sameer! I hope I wasn't making a spectacle of myself." He responded with a slight shake of his head "You were spectacular!" She swallowed a long gulp of her drink and blushed "You are just being nice... I wasn't that good!"

She added sounding a little perplexed "That dance is strange... or maybe it's the music... but I feel a little weird." He wanted to know "Good weird or bad weird?" Her brow creased "Not bad as such... but I felt a little unsteady while walking back."

Flushing in anticipation, he leaned over "Lets head back to the cabin." She was puzzled "But the performance is not over..." He demanded in a husky voice "I want a private performance." She blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment till she felt his one finger suggestively graze against her belly, and then mouthed a 'oh...'

Sameer guided themselves out of the lounge as unobtrusively as possible. Halfway to their cabin, he instructed her "Go on, continue to our room. I will be there in a tick. And don't change."

Naina was a jumble of nerves as she waited eagerly for him to arrive. Where has he gone off to? Maybe he decided to bring back some food so that we can eat here tonight... And what private performance does he expect? I can't really do that... can I?

When he finally arrived instead of any food, he was carrying a small bag with the emblem of the onboard gift-shop.

All nervousness momentarily forgotten, she asked astonished "You went shopping for souvenirs?! And why from that shop?? It is unnecessarily so expensive! Everything is like triple the price of the bazaars."

He pulled out a scarf like the one she had tied around her waist earlier in the lounge. Only this one was red with gold coins. As she stood stunned, he tied it around her and murmured "I couldn't expect you to perform without this. And these moments are priceless, right?"

When she stood still fidgeting with the gold coins hanging from the scarf for a bit, holding her close Sameer initiated a slow dance.

Even after the intimacy of the last few days, this closeness felt inexplicably thrilling. His hold on her waist slowly turned into a caress and then moved to her back. Sameer whispered against her ear as he traced her spine "This blouse is bolder... the back is much deeper." Her voice hitched "I had it especially stitched for the honeymoon!" He replied huskily "You are looking incredibly hot in this."

For the next few minutes, they danced together to the tune of their wildly beating pulses. After their heartbeats slowed down and Naina lost most of the nervousness amid his whispering many endearments in her ear, he slowly pulled away and watched her swaying just for him.

Dinner was forgotten as Sameer ravenously enjoyed her waist, belly and then the rest of her. Though the saree and other items of clothing were discarded over the course of the evening, the scarf was not unknotted till the wee hours of the morning.

Naina's desires reached a new zenith when, in the throes of passion, Sameer shared how this particular fantasy had consumed his senses almost since the day he had first met her.

* * *

The next day when the couple woke-up they found their ship was berthed at Aswan. After grabbing some breakfast, they wearily stumbled to the foyer.

Though Sameer had proposed skipping the itinerary for the day and just relaxing onboard, Naina ruled out the idea of missing any of Egypt!

Both napped on the way to the Aswan High Dam which was the first stop for that day.

As the travellers disembarked the bus on reaching their destination, Janet paused next to Naina and addressed her "You were very good at the dance yesterday for a first timer!" Naina flushed at the compliment "Thank you! It was fun trying it. But you were really good!" Janet smiled "I was looking for you after but didn't spot you at dinner either." Not sure why she felt the need to explain, Naina shared "Oh... we went back to the room early last night." Noting the colour that rushed to the young woman's cheeks at the memories of the previous night, Janet said in a conspiratorial whisper "My dear, I totally get it... Those moves can spice up things in the bedroom and drive the husbands quite mad! Why do you think I have learned it?!"

As Janet winked at her before walking ahead to join her friends, Naina stood stupefied staring at the middle-aged woman. She learnt that dance to seduce her own husband?? And at her age?! She must be at least Maa's age!

Sameer trailed behind while their guide spoke about the Dam. Though he was usually quite interested in the planning and execution of huge projects, that day he barely listened to the information shared by Mohammed.

He was in a grumpy mood at being forced out of his bed after a rather eventful, awake night. Especially while on a holiday. The sun seemed a tab bit too bright and the conversation around him far too loud. He sullenly watched Naina happily chatting with Janet and wondered a little shocked, Is she not tired? Is her stamina better than mine?!

He momentarily regretted his decision to choose Egypt as their honeymoon destination. I should have taken her to Dasi Mahal instead and spent all the time exploring her rather than an unending number of temples!

The following stop, which was an ancient stone quarry, provided the visitors with an insight into the how the stones required for all the monuments were cut and then later transported down the Nile. The quarry had a humongous unfinished Obelisk, in fact the largest obelisk yet discovered. Muhammad shared that it was unclear why the obelisk had been abandoned.

After stopping for some quick lunch, the tour proceeded to the beautiful Temple of Philae, devoted to the two goddesses Isis and Hathor.

As the temple ruins are located on an Island just south of the old Aswan Dam the tourists had to take a water taxi to get there. While on the motorboat, Mohammed explained "When the Aswan Dam was constructed, Philae Island and the temple perched upon it kept on flooding and at one point were almost completely lost underwater. Later in the 1970s thanks to the efforts of UNESCO and the Egyptian government, the temple was painstakingly taken apart and rebuilt on higher ground, in its current location on Agilkia Island.

Sounding baffled, Naina asked "How was a whole temple moved? What do you mean by taken apart?" Mohammed shared with pride "First of all, a large coffer dam was built, constructed of two rows of steel plates between which one million cubic meters of sand was tipped. Any water that seeped through was pumped away. Next the monuments were cleaned and measured, by using , a method that enables the exact reconstruction of the original size of the building blocks that were used by the ancients. Then every building was dismantled into about 40,000 units from 2 to 25 tons, and then transported and reassembled. Not only was the temple reconstructed, but every effort was made to preserve the layout of the complex and even landscaping the island to match its former location."

As the tourists mulled on this seemingly implausible undertaking, Naina muttered dazed "Sameer why are other countries in the world not taking such drastic measures to preserve their heritage?" Her husband nodded "I know what you mean... But you have to realize that for Egypt these initiatives are not just a matter of preserving their heritage but an essential part of sustaining and boosting the nation's economy." She spoke again forlornly "But it's so sad to think that we could have conserved so many monuments in India too if such methods had been applied. Can you imagine the submerged Dwarka being restored like this?!"

The temple was truly exquisite, and it was unimaginable that the structure had been submerged multiple times and almost lost forever.

That evening, Sameer and Naina had an early dinner. Once again, they retired to their cabin quite soon, but this time with the intent of packing as they were checking out the next morning.

* * *

The next morning, they had a very early start and were ready to check out by seven. Both were equally sad to say goodbye to the cruise ship. After all, so many new fond memories had been forged there!

After checking out, their group was scheduled to visit Abu Simbel and on return from Abu Simbel straight to the airport to catch a flight back to Cairo.

The journey to Abu Simbel which took close to three and half hours was mostly through the desert. After a while, it felt very strange staring at miles and miles of the unchanging surroundings. It was easy to understand how the wanderers in the olden days must have struggled to keep their bearings in a sea of endless barren land.

When the driver took a quick break for the visitors to stretch their legs and use the restrooms, Naina asked their guide "What is that water in the distance?" Mohammed smiled back "There's no water out there. You are seeing a mirage." Dumbfounded, the tourists stood looking around as they experienced a phenomenon that they had only heard of so far.

By the time they reached the temples, Sameer was wondering – Why the hell did the Ramses II build these temples so far from civilization?! Was it meant to be a place of pilgrimage? How many people must have got lost in the desert in the pursuit to visit these temples??

Naina had managed to borrow some reading material from Mohammed and spent a part of the journey lost in it.

When they finally reached the temples, she excitedly pulled Sameer ahead of the rest of the group and announced to him "Since you brought me all the way to Egypt, I have decided to give you a personal tour!" Chuckling she added "Well, I will try till Mohammed gets here and then we can listen to the master."

Fondly recalling the time when he had first seen her in that avatar, Sameer listened to her with a contented heart. Pointing at the enormous structures, Niana shared "The Abu Simbel Temple is actually two individual temples. Both are rock cut structures and were built during the reign of Ramses II sometime around 1200 B.C. One temple is dedicated to King Ramses II, and the second temple is dedicated to his beloved wife Queen Nefertari."

When Sameer asked surprised "Did he have just one queen?" She replied "No, he had many. But Abu Simbel does not include a temple to any of his other wives, only Queen Nefertari. This is because she was his first and principal wife, and he cherished her above all other."

She then continued "Ramses II built these to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. But the intent was also to intimidate his enemies and seat himself amongst the gods. And hence huge statues of him are placed outside the temple. The temple overlooks the river which separates Egypt from the Hittites, it's old-time enemy. His enterprise was a big success, as the much larger than life statues of Ramses instilled an irrational fear in the minds of his enemies that he was a giant who could not be defeated. And there were no more attacks on Egypt during his reign."

Mohammed, who had arrived with the rest of the group, clapped his hands enthusiastically for her and then holding up his hand in mock surrender declared "I will head back to the bus and take a nap now. I think, it's safe to leave you all in the very capable hands with Naina here!"

Naina protested "Please don't say that! I was just telling him a few things." Chuckling softly, Sameer winked back at Mohammed "It's an old habit of hers... showing off her knowledge of history to impress me!" As everyone good naturedly joined the laughter, Janet teased him "Well, so far it seems to be working like a charm!"

The group approached the temples and Mohammed shed light on all the finer details of the monument.

A lot of group photos were clicked before they left Abu Simbel. The tour was soon coming to an end and the time to bid goodbye to some new friends loomed close. Naina assured everyone that if any of them planned to visit India they could count on her to help them with the planning. Some contact details were shared amongst the visitors.

On the way back, Sameer and Naina both dozed off for the most part. Boarding the flight from Abu Simbel and the arrival in Cairo was rather uneventful as well. By the time they reached the hotel it was past mid-night.

* * *

The next morning, fatigued from the constant travel of over a week, the duo slept in. Post a quick brunch, they wandered in the streets of Cairo for a couple of hours.

Since Naina felt that just small replicas of the Sphinx were not enough, some more gifts and souvenirs were purchased for family and close friends after a lot of haggling with the vendors. They also bought themselves some t-shirts to commemorate their visit to Egypt. Sameer cheekily chose a t-shirt for Madhu with the slogan - Someone I know went to Egypt. And all I got was this lousy T-Shirt!

A little after three that afternoon, they checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport to catch the flight back to India.

As the airplane took-off, Naina gazed out of her window and bid adieu to the Pyramids with misty eyes. Seeing her crestfallen expression, Sameer tried to cheer her up "How about we come back here for our Twenty-fifth anniversary?!"

* * *

(Hi Dearies,

Hope you enjoyed this almost 13K honeymoon special update! And of course, considering the idea for this story was conceived in Egypt, Samaina had to go there for their HM!

I found this chapter the hardest to write as it had to be based on so many facts and not just my imagination 😊 I hope I have been able to find a balance and it hasn't turned out just like a travel-log!

I had a lot going on these past few weeks and did not get around to replying to the comments on the last chapter but will start doing soon, now that this chapter is up.

And of course, eagerly looking forward to your feedback on this update.

Take care all of you and stay safe.

Lots of love, May)