"Thank you." Sonali linked her arm with Rahul, walking back to their room.
"Sonali, mujhe sach mein yakeen nahi ho raha... Sameer ki aankhon mein Naina ke liye gehra pyar kabse dekha hai maine, jab usne Naina ko bola tak nahi tha tabse... saath hone ke baad woh ek din bhi Naina ke bina kaise bechain ho jaata tha mujhe pata hai... uske kareeb jaate hi kaise khil jaata tha yeh bhi dekha hai.... mujhe toh darr lagta tha ki shayad yeh Naina se door reh hi na paye... aur yeh shaadi hone ke baad bhi... chalo pehli shaadi jo hamare saath hui uska kisi ko pata nahi, lekin court marriage toh Naina ke chachaji ne karwai thi... aur humne unhe poora mauka bhi diya apne ghar mein... aur woh Lonavala ka trip... he bhagwan, mahaan hain dono... isliye bina kuch pooche maine tumhari baat maan li... Naina ne jo bhi plan kiya hai Sameer ko khushi hi dega... agar inn dono ne itna intezar kiya hai toh uska phal milna hi chahiye... woh bhi sabse meetha wala." Rahul wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder as they went in.
Sameer entered his room. He looked around... Naina was nowhere. His eyes fell on the fans. They were switched on, filling the room with a strong gush of air.
"Subah sabse pehle toh uss Munna ki taange todunga... mere kamre ko godaam bana diya... aur yeh on kyon hain? Naina ne toh nahi kiya hoga... lagta hai kharab hain isliye yahan rakh diya... jaise aur koi jagah nahi hai poore ghar mein iss kabaad ke liye." He was agitated.
Taking his pagdi off, he kept it aside and moved towards the fans, holding a hand against his face to shield himself from the air.
"Usse rehne do, Sameer." Naina's voice reached him from behind.
"Naina, sorry, pata nahi kisne rakhe hain... shayad kharab hain... apne aap on ho gaye... main abhi dekhta hun." Without looking up, he searched for the switch.
"Maine rakhwaye hain." Her words shocked him.
He turned slowly...
Time stood still for Sameer... what he saw was a picture from his dreams...
Naina stood in front of him... in green saree...
THE GREEN SAREE...
Her hair were tied in a pony, though the sindoor gleamed on her forehead... her pallu was flying... the thin saree stuck to her with the heavy gush of air... her makeup was gone... so was the jewellery, except the mangalsutra... but her wrists were filled with green bangles... and hands were adorned with mehendi...
She was so much like that first day... yet so different...
His heart had stopped beating long back... his pulse had gone erratic... his eyes forgot to blink... his mouth was open... his hands held the stand of the fan so hard, the knuckles turned white... his feet were rooted to the spot...
Then she started walking towards him... taking slow steps, her face tilted sideways to save herself from the air...
He watched her sway... the same gait... the same frame... the same delicate beauty... the same soft face that had melted his resolve... the same curves that had jolted him out of his senses...
The same Naina that had not just entered the college gate that day... but had made an entry into his life and was able to knock down the cold walls he had built around himself... with the fire she had lit in him... the raging fire was burning till today... and now she had turned it into an inferno...
As if to match the furore inside him, the outside sky rumbled... and wind picked up speed.
Sameer was oblivious to everything... his eyes only on her... she continued to close the distance between them, with lidded eyes as she looked sideways...
