Sameer turned in bed... not able to sleep. He looked at his palm, and smiled. The name gave him immense contentment... he could now announce it to the world... he was indeed 'Naina ka Sameer'.
Keeping the palm on his heart, he folded one hand under his head... smile still on his lips. It was a matter of just one more day... and night. And then, Naina... his Naina... Sameer ki Naina... would be here, with him, in this house... never to go away.
He could not even imagine the time when they would be living together... for real. It was so close, yet so far. He had lived it in the past one month... but had yearned for it... for past one month. She had been with him... still, away from him.
"Kab aaogi, Naina?" He mumbled, pulling the quilt against his chest, hugging it hard.
"Aa jayegi, bhai... abhi bulane se kuch nahi hoga... do din shanti rakh." Munna's sleepy voice stunned him.
"Do din nahi, bas ek din." He blurted.
"Parson shaam ko jaana hai baraat leke tujhe... parson ka din bhi laga le... ya fir sooraj ugte hi ghodi chadne ka irada hai?" Pandit gave him some insight.
"Chup raho... parson ka din nahi ginte... woh shaadi ka din hai... uss din meri Naina dulhan banke aayegi yahan... iss ghar mein... woh khaas din hai... usse judai ka din mat bolo." He grumbled.
"Achha baba nahi bolenge... lekin tu bhi kuch mat bol... chup kar ke so ja... yeh tera bhabhi puraan sun sun ke kaan pak gaye hamare... ab toh tujhse zyada humein intezar hai teri shaadi ka... jisse hum chain se so sake." Munna rose up on his elbow, staring at Sameer with half open eyes.
He pursed his lips, holding his ears.
Munna turned his face to the other side and pulled a pillow over his head... saving himself from any more mutterings of his friend.
"Kaise kar sakti hun aisa... aur mujhe pata tak nahi chala... hey bhagwan... Preeti kya sochegi... agar koi aur hota toh... Pooja didi... yaa... chachiji... " Naina squeezed her eyes shut... mortified at the thought.
"Yeh sab Sameer ke bachhe ki wajah se ho raha hai... agar usne aise sone ki aadat nahi dali hoti toh thodi aisa karti main... upar se abhi bhi aisi baatein karta hai." She muttered, her head under the quilt.
She recalled how he looked at her in the phone booth... how he touched her... and her heart started to thud so hard she was scared Preeti could hear it.
"Sameer, please, ek din bacha hai shaadi mein... mat satao." She groaned.
A tap on the shoulder made her turn... Preeti pulled down the quilt from her face, a forced smile on her lips.
"Behen, pata hai ek din bacha hai shaadi mein... tu bhi so jaa aur mujhe bhi sone de... warna shaadi tak hum dono behosh ho jaayenge... neend aur thakaan se." Preeti folded her hands.
"Good night." Naina gritted her teeth, and closed her eyes, covering herself with the quilt again.
Morning was abuzz with the sound of banging hammers on metal. Sameer got up with a start. He had not been able to sleep almost the whole night... and now it felt as if he had closed his eyes just a few minutes back.
"Yeh... yeh kya hai?" He looked around with puzzled expression.
"Yeh tera sangeet hai." Munna said matter of factly.
"Huh?" He looked up at Munna, more confused now.
"Arre yaar, peeche taiyaari kar rahe hain... contractor tent lagwa raha hai... shaam ko function hai na... ya bhool gaya... raat bhar budbudata rehta hai... subah ullu ke jaise aankhen phad ke baith gaya." Pandit said in an irritated voice.
