Naina entered the kitchen to find Sonali filling up bottles from the water filter.
"Good morning, Sonali." She said warmly.
"Arre Naina, tu yahan kya kar rahi hai subah subah? Kaisi hai tu? Aaram karna chahiye na." Sonali turned in surprise.
"Main theek hun... do din ho gaye na... ab itna kuch nahi hoga... main teri kuch help kar dun?" She offered.
"Nahi, nahi, uski zarurat nahi hai... John aata hi hoga, sab kar lega. Main toh bas thoda paani bhar ke rakh rahi thi." She replaced the cap of bottles, putting them on the platform.
"Tu toh ready ho gayi hai naha ke... chal main bhi taiyar hoti hun... aise hi nighty mein aa gayi thi... mujhe laga nahi tha itni subah koi uthega." Sonali pulled the robe tighter over her nighty.
Naina saw the light blue satin night gown... delicate lace pattern on the neck and shoulders gave a hint of thin straps of the inner.
"Tu nighty kaise pehenti hai, ismein sona kitna mushkil hoga." Naina imagined the lenght of panels troubling her every time she turned.
"Toh kya teri tarah salwar kurta pehenu?" Sonali gave a twisted smile.
"Haan, kitna aaram rehta hai... mujhe toh ussi ki aadat hai." She said matter of factly.
Sonali pressed three fingers to her naive friend's forehead, "Aadat badal de buddhu ladki... tere majnu ko pasand nahi aayega aise rehna."
Naina was reminded of his hand under her kurta in the morning... a new sensation simmered in her from head to toe.
"Tujhe kaha nahi kya Sameer ne?" Sonali asked in a low voice.
Naina shook her head.
"Tumhari shaadi aise achanak ho gayi na... isliye... aur abhi toh tum log hostel mein rehne wale ho... Naina, sun na... tum log yahin reh jao na... jab tak tumhara wapas jaane ka time hota hai tab tak toh saath reh lo." Sonali almost pleaded.
Sameer would have been so thankful to her had he been in the hearing distance.
"Nahi Sonali, abhi toh majboori hai isliye yahan hai... exams ke time hum hostel mein hi rahenge... wapas Ahmedabad jaake bhi toh alag hi rehna hai." Naina was aware how much they would study if they stayed together during exams.
"Achha theek hai... par exams ke baad ek baar mere saath shopping chalna... bas hum dono... nighty toh khareed le... Ahmedabad mein kaise legi?" She tried to enlighten her friend.
"Chup kar... mujhe nahi pasand yeh nighty wighty." Naina could feel the colour rising on her cheeks.
"Par Sameer ko pakka pasand aayegi... kuch uski pasand ka bhi toh khyal kar... aakhir itne intezar ka phal khaas hona chahiye na." Sonali pinched Naina in the waist.
"Ahh... Sonali, tu pagal hai kya... kuch bhi bol rahi hai... jaa jaake naha le." Naina tried to hide her inflamed cheeks by pushing Sonali out of the kitchen.
"Pagal tu hai... Sameer hi sambhalega tujhe." Sonali winked before going away.
Naina turned her back to the door, holding onto the platform for support. Sonali's banter had refreshed a memory from sometime back when Sameer had talked about his dreams of her wearing different outfits...
He had mentioned 'pink nighty, satin ki lace wali.'
Her heart jumped to her mouth. Did he expect her to wear such type of satin nighty... will she ever be able to wear it if he asks... and where will she get it from... definitely, she couldn't ask chachiji to get it for her, or go with her to the shop... nor Preeti, she would tease her to no end... in fact, she wasn't even aware of any such shop in Ahmedabad... should she accept Sonali's offer of shopping... but how would she buy even in front of her...
