Trust me, I had planned to give this update yesterday, but my professor chose to give an assignment out of nowhere which required to be submitted by today only.

Okay, enough of my ranting.
Three years ago, I got introduced to two characters which I didn't even expect would become an integral part of my life. 'Blooming Hearts' wouldn't have been possible without them. So, Happy 3rd Anniversary YUDKBH!

Congratulations guys, we turned 3!❤

Without wasting time, let's move to the update. Happy reading :)

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Naina came back to her cabin, only to find Smriti sitting on one of the chairs opposite hers. Smriti turned when she heard the door shut and seeing it was Naina, she passed a cheeky smile in her direction. Anyone could have smelled trouble. Naina gulped being nervous, "Uhh...Hi."

"Hi, Naina. Oh sorry, Mrs Naina Maheshwari. Right?" Not changing her expressions, Smriti replied. Naina fidgeted her hands a little and tried to say, "Smriti mai-"

"Rehne do. Ab bolne ko bacha hi kya hai. Maana mujhe aaye sirf kuchh hi time hua hai par dost toh bann hi gaye the na hum?" Her expression had turned serious before she continued, "Yahi thi tumhari dosti?! Yahi tha tumhara pyaar?!"

Naina had seen this coming. Although it's been a few weeks since she had known her, they had become good friends, but this secret was something she couldn't share with anyone. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she processed her words which were laced with a dramatic tone. The next moment, she saw Smriti bursting into laughter by pointing towards her. Naina didn't how to react and just stood watching her.

"Shakal toh dekho apni...oh god...hahahaha..." Smriti giggled.

As she watched her rubbing off the tears due to laughing, Naina said, "Tum naraz nahi ho?"

Smriti chuckled, "Arey bilkul nahi. Bas maze le rahi thi tumhare." Seeing Naina's confused expressions she continued, "Haan bas thoda naraz thi ki tumne mujhe itni badi baat nahi batayi, but it's okay, I understand." Saying this she kept her hand on hers as an assurance, passing her a smile.

Naina smiled, "Thanks. Sab kuchh itni jaldi mein hua kuchh samajh hi nahi aya."
"Arey chhaddo. Chill yaar. Ab jaldi se baitho yahan." She said as she held Naina's shoulders and dragged her towards her seat while Naina looked at her confused.

Sitting back she rubbed her hands in excitement and said enthusiastically "Mujhe sab kuchh shuru se jaanna hai. Aakhir humein bhi toh pata chale tum dono ki love story. Waise tumhara sahi hai, seedha Kohinoor ke Heere pe hi haath maar liya, The Sameer Maheshwari jiske peeche na jaane kitni ladkiyan peeche padi hai. Lucky huh..."

Not knowing how to answer, Naina cleared her throat, "Uhh...kuchh khaas nahi hai waise. Tumhe pata toh hai hi jo humne bola. Ab isse alag aur kya bolu main..." She averted her gaze down to her lap out of nervousness and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. Smriti took it just as a sign of shyness and smirked, "Hmm...koi sharma raha hai. Chalo koi baat nahi, mat batao. I just want to congratulate you. Main bohot khush tumhare liye." She gave a heartwarming smile to her while saying the last line. Observing the genuineness in her tone, Naina returned a small smile to her.

"Waise, I am still jealous of you haan. Kaash mujhe bhi mera Kohinoor mil jaye, nahi nahi Kohinoor nahi, woh toh tumne rakh liya hai. Hey bhagwan... Humari naiyya bhi paar lagao..." Naina giggled as she saw her joining her hands, face tilted upwards as she kept blabbering about the Knight-in-shining-armour of her life.

Could someone have one in their life who would protect them from every cruel and negative thing? Could someone really be so caring that he'll come running to his love whenever she would need him? Does someone like this exist for real?

Her trance broke as she saw Smriti shaking her hand close to her face and smirked, "Oh madam, abhi se Sameer sir ke khayalo mein kho gayi aap toh..."

"N-Nahi, aisa nahi hai." Intending to change the subject, she asked, "Smriti, tumhe yahan aas paas mein koi achha sa Saree Showroom pata hai kya?" Smriti shrugged, "Haan, Bohot hain. Tum batao, what's the occasion?"

Naina bit her lower lip and answered, "Woh ek anniversary party mein jaana hai. I don't have any idea kya pehenu. Tum help kar sakti ho kya meri?"

"Arey yeh bhi koi puchhne ki baat hai! Of course I would help you. Ek kaam karte hain, office ke baad chalte hain. Kuchh badiya khaa-peeke aayenge." She pumped her fist in the air out of excitement. Naina shook her head and chuckled seeing her child-like behavior. But it didn't bother her since she truly had found a good friend in her.

******

It was quite late when she came back home. Three hours of continuous scrambling in different shops just to find the perfect dress had left her exhausted. But she couldn't deny the fact that Smriti's company had proven to be worth it. She was impressed by her knowledge of differentiating between the fabrics and checking out their quality, looking for the best. Her bargaining skills were on-point due to which she was able to get the best clothing and that too at a very reasonable rate. No wonder why she had chosen the sales department.

Belonging to a high-profile family, Smriti was aware of those glitzy parties and the way people would dress, especially the ladies. There wasn't any particular kind of dress code for these parties. One needed to be dressed in a way that would underline their personality and decency. Naina had decided to go for a saree, the reason being it was the safest option and also, she would have to dress as a newly-married woman. Even then, she was confused over the type of Saree she should purchase which would fit into the occasion since she was completely blank in that area. She had even debated with herself into asking Sameer about it but backed off. They still didn't have that level of comfort between them.

To her rescue, Smriti had come and made her opt for an elegant and not-so-flashy Saree. She had also got some cotton and Khadi Sarees, as daily-wear for work. The showroom had this facility to do the alterations in the blouse-piece hand-in-hand if needed any, saving her much time. Being a Financial Accountant had always paid her enough to meet her expenses so that she didn't have to rely on anyone else. But that was until she got married, now, it was adding more to her setback with rising outlays. Keeping in mind to do something about it, she had paid for her stuff and left the shop.

Placing all the bags on one of the sofa chairs, she stepped towards the kitchen to have some water. Feeling hungry, she checked on the pre-cooked food kept in the casserole and found it to be in a relatively lesser amount than normal days as if someone had already eaten half of it. This only meant one thing, Sameer was already home.

Not having much work to do, Sameer had returned home earlier than usual and to his surprise, had found the house too silent and empty making him infer that Naina still wasn't home. It wasn't different as compared to other days when she would be at home before him, somehow he had felt it today. He had just stepped out of the bathroom after having a refreshing shower when he heard the main gate being shut, and involuntarily his gaze shifted towards the wall clock, 9:30 pm.

'Itni late tak kya karne gayi thi?' 'Woh bhi akele?' He wondered as he didn't have any clue about it but found it too awkward to ask. He let it be and walked over his study table to go through the new proposal from a prominent Fashion based company that wanted to collaborate with them for their next workshop. Unlike last time, he didn't want to let anything go wrong. This proposal was a ray of sunshine to recuperate the company's fallen off reputation. He sat on the chair and began his work. After an hour or so, he called it night.

Naina on the other side had her dinner peacefully and picked up her bags to keep them in her room. On reaching the doorway, she turned the knob to open it, in vain. The knob didn't seem to budge. After a few attempts of turning & re-turning, it finally opened. With a sigh, she placed all the bags in the corner of the room. After changing into her comfy clothes and freshening up, she too went to sleep.

******

The next day, a similar morning routine followed and both of them left for the office, together. Decked up in a coral pink Saree paired with an off white blouse, she looked simple yet beautiful. The whole ride again went in silence, not even a single word was exchanged. The rest of the day took off gradually with them being busy with their own work.

The party was in the evening. Sameer had planned to mark their presence at around 8 pm since they weren't very close in relation to the Mathurs. They both reached home 2 hours prior so that they had ample time to get ready. Naina was going up through the stairs when Sameer called out for her, "Thoda jaldi ready ho jana. Time pe niklenge otherwise traffic bohot milega."
"Ji." She replied with a nod and left for her room.

After coming into his room, Sameer loosened his tie with a sigh. He was feeling worn out after such a hectic day. Going to a party was the last thing he wanted to do, but was left with no other chance remembering how Mrs Mathur had specially invited him to be their guest. And now with the news of his marriage spreading around, it was even more necessary to show up with his wife. Reminiscing the way she dealt with the interview, he was quite sure that he wouldn't have to bother about her. Still, he was tensed as whatever her actions would be, they would reflect on him and he didn't want it to go wrong. One thing was sure, going with Naina tonight would definitely cease their hopes of setting up Mia with him, for which he was grateful.

He knew why Mrs Mathur was sugarcoating her words when she talked about her daughter in front of him. Her intentions were transparent to him. He wasn't at all interested in their daughter. In fact, he wasn't interested in anyone. Really? He shook his head a little to shut that faint voice behind his head, 'What the hell! Where did that even come from?'  Taking out his clothes for the party, he stepped into the bathroom to have a relaxing shower.

Around half an hour later, he stood in front of the dressing mirror adjusting his cufflinks. Decked up in a white shirt and black pants, he walked over his cupboard to look for a matching tie. Picking up a grey one, he moved towards the mirror but reverted back to the cupboard and chose to go for the wine-colored along with a matching pocket square. It was like his instincts compelled him to do so. Pulling over a black coat, he quickly adjusted his tie and the pocket square. His sleek black hair was perfectly combed adding more to his drop-dead gorgeousness. Taking a quick glance on his look, he picked his essentials and stepped out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Glancing at the door of her room, he thought, 'Abhi tak tayar nahi hui kya? Puchhu kya?'. He debated over it and finally found himself giving a soft knock to the door. Without waiting for her reply he said, "Naina, main niche tumhara wait kar raha hu."
Receiving a light "Okay" from her side, he went downstairs.

Ten minutes later, when he was busy on his phone, the tick-tack of heels broke his scrutiny. He peeked up and was left open-mouthed. Naina was descending down the stairs unknowing of his gaze, her whole attention was on the stairs as she stepped down. She was arrayed in a wine-colored Saree with golden needlework at the borders, pairing it with a matching blouse. Her long and wavy tresses cascaded down till her waist, ears adorning classic Jhumka earrings. She looked aesthetic even without heavy makeup. Her brown eyes outlined with black kohl and red painted lips were enough to mark her beauty. The bangles shimmering in her hands jingled with each step. But what caught his attention the most was the Mangalsutra and her hairline filled with Sindoor which completed her look. He couldn't take his eyes off her even if he wanted too.

Feeling his gaze, she lifted her eyes only to be met by his. Nervousness engulfed her as she thought of his reaction to her attire. 'Dekhe hi jaa rahe hain. Kahi bohot simple toh nahi ho gaya...' Her mind was crowded with many such thoughts as she grew conscious under his gaze. As she footed down the last step, he came out of the daze. That's when she took in his appearance, which made her feel a bit giddy.

Clearing his throat, he finally opened his mouth to say not looking in her eyes, "Chalo chalte hai, warna late ho jayenge."
Saying so, he sauntered out of the house with her on his heels.

He had chosen to drive himself over the possibility of being late at night. A few minutes later, they were on their way to the hotel. As per the invitation, the party had been set up in one of the finest hotels in the city. Naina was sitting at the passenger seat while he drove the car. Both were quiet, none of them knew how to start a conversation. She was growing apprehensive thinking about the party by the minute. 'What if something went wrong? Mujhse kuchh galti ho gayi toh?' She didn't want to get accused of something she wasn't at fault.

Therefore, this time she took the edge off the already unrelaxed silence as she politely asked him, "Kya aisi koi baat hai jiske baare mein mujhe pata hona chahiye aaj ke liye?" He was caught off guard as he saw her initiating the conversation for the first time. Taking a quick glance over her, he answered in a gentle voice keeping his eyes on the road, "Nahi. As such kuchh khaas nahi hai. "

Naina opened her mouth in an o-shape and again went back to gazing outside like before. Now that the awkwardness had reduced, he again said, "Achhe log hain woh. Mr. Mathur toh bohot respect karte the Nanu ki. Woh kafi maante the unhe. Bas Mrs. Mathur hai thodi tedi, jaisa tumne uss din dekh hi liya hoga. Woh koi mauka nahi chhodti kami nikalne ka. Bas koi topic chahiye unhe baat badaane ke liye." He glimpsed at her fidgeting fingers and said, "Par agar baat thik se sambhali jaaye toh kuchh nahi hoga. Isi baat ka dhyan rakhna hoga aaj. Aur koi tension nahi hai." She was surprised at how he effortlessly calmed some of her worries but chose to not say anything and just nodded.

The car stopped at the entrance of the lavish hotel. Sameer was the first to step out and immediately rushed to her side as she carefully stepped down holding her heavy Saree. He handed the keys to the valet who had scrambled towards them as soon as he had seen them. Just then, a group of photographers surrounded them, requesting the newly-married couple, in their eyes, to give some good clicks. Naina's nervousness rose due to the flashes of their cameras.

With a few failed attempts of avoiding them, he reluctantly agreed and kept his one hand around her shoulder smiling towards the paps, calming down some of her restlessness. Her gaze involuntarily moved to his hand which lent an unusual sense of comfort to her, making her insides feel a bit more positive and she finally went along with him posing for the camera. After a couple of decent clicks, Sameer muttered a quick 'thank you' and they both walked inside the hotel.

The Mathurs had always been among the few famous ones to throw incredibly opulent parties headlining their name which was evident to anyone who would be a part of them. The hall was spacious and impressive with splendid decoration with a blue-white backdrop. White fairy lights dangled down the walls and the immense candle-and-crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling, illuminating the hall. The blue and white hydrangeas submerged under floating twinkle candles were kept as the centrepieces on the royal blue-white themed round tables, which augmented the already radiating royalty. 

Naina's grip on her clutch tightened as she took in the view of the whole place. Her heart was thumping loud out of anxiety seeing the whole place crowded with rich-class people. She had interacted with some of the industrialists before but that was more on a formal level, unlike today. Standing at the foyer of the hall, they looked around for Mr and Mrs Mathur. That's when they spotted them both standing with a group of people near to their age.

Sameer said, "Mere saath hi rehna tum."
She nodded and they both made their way towards the couple. As they walked together, the stares of other people made Naina conscious of herself. Taking deep breaths, she tried to remain unaffected by them and kept walking. As soon as they both spotted them, they excused themselves from there and heartily welcomed Sameer and Naina.

"Ahh, look who we have here. Thank you so much for coming, Mr and Mrs Maheshwari Maheshwari. Congratulations both of you for your wedding. It's a pleasure to have you both here." Mr Mathur shook his hands with Sameer who just gave a smile in return and gently greeted Naina. Mrs Mathur who looked seemingly excited took him in a formal hug without even conceding Naina's presence.

"Happy Anniversary both of you..." Passing a smile, he handed the bouquet of exquisite flowers which they had bought while on their way. She gladly accepted it and turned to Naina, "Ohh, Mrs Maheshwari. I am so sorry I forgot about you. Nice to meet you." She said with a mocking smile on her smile and forwarded her hand.

Naina feigned ignorance to the sarcasm in her voice and said with a soft smile on her face, shaking hands with her, "Hello. Nice to meet you too."

Mrs Mathur pulled back hers even before a proper handshake. Before anyone could say anything, a man came and whispered something to Mr Mathur. He patiently listened and nodded before turning towards the three, "Excuse me please. I'll catch you guys later." Turning towards Mrs Mathur, he said draping an arm around her waist, "I'll just be back darling." He left after giving a light peck on her cheek making her flush.
It didn't even look like they had a grown-up daughter. It looked like they were newly married. Their open display of affection made Sameer and Naina both smile in content. They were truly in love no matter how different they were from each other.

Turning towards Sameer, Mrs Mathur put on a sweet smile, "Aap special guests hain humare, aapki khatirdaari mein koi kami na ho iska poora dhyan rakha gaya hai. You can see around as well. Just make yourself comfortable and enjoy the party. I'll join you soon." She said in a lofty manner and flicked her hair back. Throwing a scornful look towards Naina, she left to attend the other guests.

In less than a few seconds, there was a tap on Sameer's shoulder out of nowhere which made him and Naina turn. His face lit up with a bright smile as he saw the person, "Kabir!" But, before he could say anything, Kabir forwarded his hand and said formally, "Good evening Mr. Maheshwari." Sameer frowned at this weird behaviour, "Kya ho gaya tujhe ab? Dost se haath milate hain ya gale milte hain?" A smirk formed on Kabir's face, "Dost? Hum dost hai kya?"

Sameer gave him an irritated look and just when he opened his mouth to say something, Kabir smacked his shoulder, "Saale...Dost keh raha hai mujhe. Matlab shaadi ho gayi, yeh tak toh bataya nhi gaya. Aur keh raha hai dost hai mera. Yahi thi teri dosti?!" He said with a disgruntled expression.

"Abey kya kar raha hai?! Yeh toh mat bhul kisi aur ki party mein hain hum." Sameer said as he rubbed the part of his shoulder where he got smacked. "Achhaaa ji. Cover up mat kar ab tu. Chal gale lag pehle." The resentment subsided and was taken over by delight of meeting each other after a long time.

Naina saw the whole exchange in wonder and found the whole scene amusing. She had never seen Sameer talking so casually with anyone except Munna-Pandit. Not having seen him before, she didn't know anything about Kabir. They were still busy hugging each other when she noticed a woman standing slightly behind him who was watching them both with a smile on her face. By her looks, Naina discerned that she was his wife.

After a few seconds, they pulled out off the hug. As if on realisation, Kabir turned towards her, "Hello Bhabhi. Main bhi kitna bada gadha hun yaar. Aap bhi soch rhi hogi pata nahi koun aa gaya. But aapke yeh jo Pati-Parmeshwar hai hi isi laayak." He threw an annoyed stare towards Sameer and again turned towards her with a smile, "Okay. Let me introduce myself first. I am Kabir. Kabir Singhaniya. Aapke husband ka achha sa pyaara sa dost. And this is my better half, Anika." He draped his arm around her shoulders as he introduced her.

Anika greeted by joining her hands, "Namaste." Naina too reciprocated with the same. "Aap kaise ho bhabhi?" Sameer asked Anika gently.

Anika answered softly, "Main bilkul thik hu Sameer. Congratulations aap dono ko. Maanna padega aap dono bohot hi sweet lagte hain saath mein. Aap ek dusre se kitna pyaar karte hain tabhi toh itne color coordinated hain." She passed a teasing smile to both of them. That's when they noticed that they were actually color-coordinated, unintentionally. They both looked at each other out of surprise but instantly concealed it with a smile.

Kabir threw a knowing look towards Anika as they both watched them in admiration.
"Achha baki baatein baad mein. Pehle aap mujhe yeh bataiye ki aapko iss bandar mein nazar kya aaya jo aapne isey pasand kiya?" He playfully looped an arm around Sameer's neck and tapped his chin with the other one. She couldn't help but let out a chuckle on that but the next moment, grew a bit uneasy as he completed his question. Not having an answer, she kept mum and lowered her gaze to the ground.

Kabir took it as her shyness and let out a hearty laugh, "Arey bhabhi main mazaak kar raha tha. Maana mera bhai bandar jaisa dikhta hai, par dil ka bada hi achha hai. Pasand toh aana hi tha. Aapki lovestory toh main fursat mein sununga." Sameer elbowed in his stomach for his words, "Pitna hai kya tujhe?"

"Achha samajh gaya. Gussa mat kar bhai. Bhabhi ke lihaz toh rakhle at least. Waise bhabhi, aapko kabhi bhi yeh pareshan kare na toh main sirf ek call dur hun aapse. Okay?" Kabir said smirking.

"Ji" She smiled. She found Kabir way too comical and nutty. Anika too had a very sweet nature. All the anxiety regarding this party lessened as they both shared various incidents with Kabir leaving no chance to pull Sameer's leg which made her giggle.

She came to know Kabir was a Criminal Investigator in the Law Enforcement Department. He had met Sameer around five years ago in a fundraiser event when he was still under training. Since then, they had been very good friends. He also knew about Munna-Pandit and had also hung out with them many times. Six months ago, he tied the knot with Anika in an arranged marriage but eventually fell for each other. He was abroad for last three months working on a case, the reason why he didn't attend the funeral.

"Chaliye ab aap log baatein kijiye. Tab tak we would just take a stroll around. Thik hai na Naina?" Anika said as she found the boys engrossed in their conversations while they just listened.

Sameer instantly, "Dekha, kar diya na bore bhabhi ko tune. Tab se bole jaa raha hai." Kabir gave a light punch to him, "Beta tu toh bol hi mat. Khud toh yeh nahi ki itne din baad mile hain toh baat kare kuchh. Aaya bada."

Anika giggled along with Naina, "Isiliye keh rahi hun aap log baatein kariye. Hum jaate hain. Chale Naina?" She agreed, "Haan chalte hain."

They proceeded to leave but Kabir held Anika's wrist and pulled her a bit, "Jaldi aana..." He said lovingly making her blush and finally left her hand. Naina saw their endearing moment and felt an odd feeling of spite overtaking her heart. Her gaze instinctively fell on Sameer & surprisingly found him looking back at her.

It's been a month and they still couldn't even define their relation properly till now. Where was it all going? They barely knew each other but were pretending to be in love in front of everyone. What were they doing? How long are they going to be like this for? Are they ever going to live like a normal couple? She wasn't even able to picturise herself with him in the next 5 months. Not being ready to bear another headache, she broke the trance and left with Anika without saying anything.

Kabir observed this and found something off. He needed to get his doubts clarified. Turning towards Sameer, he found him still looking at Naina's retreating back, as if lost somewhere. He called out his name, "Bhai...aa jaayegi Bhabhi tere paas hi."

Sameer let out a nervous chuckle. Studying his face Kabir said, "Chal aa jaa bethte hain kahin. Bohot saari baatein karni hai tujhse."

Giving in to his demand, they both occupied their seats at the bar, ordering for their drinks. Sameer had barely touched his drink and was swirling it in the glass with a tired look. Kabir noticed it all and finally asked, "Kaisa hai tu yaar? I am sorry main uss waqt tere saath nahi tha jab mujhe hona chahiye tha."

"Nahi yaar aise mat bol. It's not your fault. I understand tu busy tha. Main thik hu ab." He sighed as he said that.

"Hmmm. Ab mujhe sach sach bata yeh Naina aur teri Shaadi ka kya scene hai. Main achhi tarah jaanta hu tujhe. Aisa toh ho hi nahi sakta ki tujhe usse ekdum se pyaar ho gaya ho. Bata ab." Kabir asked him to spill the truth to which he said, "Yaar main tujhe abhi kuchh nahi bata sakta. Kisi din alag se milte hain, tab baat karenge."

Sitting amongst so many people, he didn't want to take a risk as someone might hear them. Kabir passed a smile and said sincerely, "Koi baat nahi. It's okay. Bas tu khush reh ab. Naina tere liye sahi hai ya nahi, iske baare mein toh main abhi kuchh nahi keh sakta. Yeh teri company mein Financial Accountant hai na?"

Sameer nodded and replied, "Haan"

"Shayad isiliye thodi nervous bhi dikh rahi hai aaj. Naya mahaul hai uske liye, zaahir si baat hai." Kabir put forward his opinion. The extensive training he had undergone had made him capable to study people thoroughly. Sameer just hummed not sure what to say. He himself had seen her grow nervous when they had entered this party.

After some time, they joined other business officials discussing and touching various subjects, including new policies and strategies. Mr Mathur's voice grabbed everyone's attention. He was standing with Mrs Mathur with his one hand encircled her waist while one hand clasping the mic as he spoke, "Good evening everyone. Thank you so much for gathering here today. It means a lot to us. It's been 35 years since I got married to Prerna. This night definitely calls for a celebration!"

He handed over the mic to Mrs Mathur and grabbed the champagne bottle kept in an ice bucket on the tray which a waiter was carrying. He raised it high and inclining it bit, popped the cork open followed by a fizzing sound. The hall reverberated with the cheers and loud applause as he poured some of it in a flute and raised the toast, "To 35 years of togetherness!"

By now Naina and Anika had returned back to their husbands' side.

"The dance floor is now open for all of you." His gaze fell on both of them standing a bit far and continued, "Also, we have Mr and Mrs Maheshwari among us. I request the newly married couple to grace the dance floor. Cheers to the happy newly-weds!" He raised his flute again to honour them both. All of them clapped and cheered for them, encouraging them to go on.

Sameer peeked towards Naina and then to the people who were watching them expectantly. He held her free hand drawing her attention to himself and mumbled, "Sab dekh rahe hain, chalo." With a pleasant smile, he tugged at her hand, pulling her gently towards the dance floor with him, while she let him do so, not wanting to elevate any misgivings.

By then, Mr and Mrs Mathur were already on the dance floor, followed by some more couples, including Kabir and Anika too.
Naina and Sameer didn't know how to initiate it. She looked around and saw the couples lost in their own world. She couldn't do this. She quietly spoke up, "Sameer, mujhe dance nahi aata. Mujhse nahi hoga yeh."

Sameer saw some people still looking in their direction and wasted no time in clutching her hands, "Koi baat nahi. Sab hume dekh rahe hain. Hume karna hi hoga. Bas follow karo mujhe." He whispered and pulled her a bit towards himself, still keeping a considerable distance between them. Directing her left hand to his shoulder and he clasped the right hand with his left one. Right when he placed his right hand on her waist, it jerked a bit. The pallu of her saree was open and had raised a little as she held his shoulder, leaving that side of her waist bare and visible. He gained his composure and again placed it properly, his hot palm gripping her cold skin. A shiver ran through her spine with his touch. Her heart pounded rapidly, ready to leap out at any moment.

Sameer began to sway them together ever so slowly with the music. At first, they both were avoiding each other's eyes but eventually ended up holding each other's gazes. She had never been in this close proximity with anyone. This was too much to take at once. His condition was no less. He didn't know why these odd sensations were taking over him. Her sweet floral fragrance was meddling with his senses. He blamed it to the alcohol in his system even if he had consumed very little of it.

The dim-lights blended perfectly with the soft instrumental background music, forging a serene environment for all the couples. They both were lost in oblivion, forgetting all of their apprehensions as they moved rhythmically to the tunes. The air around them was no longer awkward and felt calm.

He kept the steps limited to the simple ones so that she could catch up on them easily. Pulling her a bit more closely, he continued swaying while his mind huddled with multiple thoughts. He didn't know this girl properly yet he felt something, something which he couldn't pinpoint, every time he was in close proximity with her. Was this natural? Why Nanu thought they would be perfect for each other? What was in their destiny?

He was in a desperate need of answers but didn't know where to find them.

___________________________________________

Pheww...That was a long one. Do let me know your views on this. Kindly ignore my mistakes, if any, since I didn't proofread it properly. Also, I don't know what to do with this irregular spacing between the paragraphs as it arises on its own. Therefore, ignore it too :)

The night is still left. A little more is gonna happen. Unfortunately, you would have to wait for the next update :p

Guys, I am really trying hard to give the update on time, but it's getting a bit messed up. Hope you guys understand. Would be waiting for your reviews and do vote if you liked it.

Lots of Love, Sim❣