Naina stepped out of the washroom, freshly shampooed hair dripping on her shoulders.
Sameer looked up from the chair where he was studying. She had worn a simple red dress.
"Naina, tumne saree nahi pehni?" He got up and came to her.
"Breakfast ke baad pehenungi... abhi baal geele hain... aur saara din pehenni hai toh abhi se mushkil ho jayega." She patted her hair with the towel, to wipe off excess water.
He took the towel from her hand. Making her stand in front of the mirror, he stood behind her, rubbing the towel on her hairline.
"Aise nahi sukhate lambe baal." She smiled, showing him how the hair had to be just patted and not vigorously rubbed.
He started to press sections of hair with the towel, "Jab pehli baar tumhare ghar aaya tha Ahmedabad mein toh tum aise hi baal dho ke nikli thi... main bas dekhta hi reh gaya tumhe... yeh boonde aise atki thi baalon mein ki man kar raha tha aake door kar dun inhe tumse."
"Inse bhi jal rahe the kya?" She teased, knowing the answer very well.
"Aur kya... tumhare paas thi... aur main nahi tha." He looked up at her in the mirror.
"Ab bhi jal rahe ho?" She asked in a low voice.
He smiled, "Ab nahi... mujhe pata hai ab meri jagah kahan hai."
He bent to rub his face in her wet hair, "Yeh khushboo tumhari hai ya uss shampoo ki?"
"Sameer, tum na pagal ho... abhi abhi shampoo kiya hai toh ussi ki hogi na." She reprimanded him for the silly question.
He turned her around in one swift motion, "Yeh tumhari khushboo hai... shampoo kiya ho ya nahi... nahaya ho ya nahi... ghar mein ho ya bahar... aaj ho ya woh pehla din jab tumhe utha ke doctor ke paas lekar gaya tha... issi khushboo se ghira rehta hun... ab toh khud se bhi mujhe yehi mehek aati hai."
She smirked, "Hamesha nahi aati yeh khushboo... jab main koi kaam karti hun jaise kitchen mein kuch ya kapde dhoti hun ya safai karti hun toh sirf paseene ki badbu aati hai... tab tum door bhaag jaoge."
"Tumse door?" He shook his head, "Koshish karogi bhagane ki toh bhi nahi jaunga... bas chipak ke baitha rahunga... tumse hamesha aisi hi khusbu aayegi chahe kuch bhi karo."
He pulled her even closer, plastering her to his chest.
"Achha yeh romance chodo aur jaake naha lo... baad mein jaana bhi hai... hamari wajah se late nahi hona chahiye." She looked up at him.
"Ab romance na ho aisa toh ho nahi sakta... license mil gaya hai ab toh... par haan, abhi jaana padega... main aata hun." He touched his forehead with hers before going for his bath.
Naina was not in the room when he came out and he missed her instantly... her sudden change of expression seeing him in towel, her holding of breath when he went closer, looking at him through the corner of her eyes, hesitant fingers that wanted to touch him but curled up in fists as he brought her hands closer to himself... he missed everything.
She was such a delight... shy at one moment, utterly sensuous the next... scared of his closeness one moment, going all out to make him feel comfortable the next... blushing at the smallest compliment, then being implicitly suggestive...
He would keep discovering her everyday... something new would surprise him every now and then.
With a sigh, he opened the bag to decide clothes for today. Surprisingly, there was nothing that could mark him as married... he wondered why it was so... Naina could be called a married woman when she dressed up in a particular style, wore bangles, mangal... mangalsutra, applied sindoor...
