"Tum aaram se baitho, main chai leke aati hoon." Anita got up to make a trip to the kitchen.
"Nahi aunty, rehne do na, main sirf yeh Sukhdi dene aayi hoon...mummy ne banayi hai." Naina brought out the steel container with a simple smile, and Before anyone could take the container. Sameer grabbed it from her hands and started to relish the sweetness of his favorite dessert.
"Aaram se." Kanisha looked at her brother, hogging the sweet dish continuously.
"Wow! So Tasty." Sameer shared his feedback about Gol Papdi.
"Thank You," Naina replied to him with a sweet smile.
"Tu kyu thank you bol rahi hai, tune banaya hai yeh?" He asked her with a lopsided smile, and She glared at him.
"Meri mummy ne toh banaya haina," Naina said as a matter of fact.
"Haan, toh unse lunga main yeh Thank You...jab tu unke jaisa aisa soft and tasty banana sikh jayegi na tab lena mujhse feedback. Ok, now don't disturb me." Sameer replied to her with a cute smile and put another piece of Indian barfi inside his mouth.
"Mere Sameer ko na mithaiya bahut pasand hai...Desi wali, jaise Mohanthal, Churma Laddu, Sukhdi...Moong Dal Halwa, Ghevar...aur bahut sari hai aisi jise dekh kar yeh bilkul bacha ban jata hai." Anita said with a loving smile, and Sameer blew a flying kiss to his mother.
"Nice," Naina uttered, with an uncomfortable smile.
"Tumhe nahi pasand?" Her mother-in-law asked her surprisingly.
"Not really! I mean zyada nahi pasand...I like Kaju Katli and Dry Fruit Roll." She said normally.
"Acha! Isme se kuch banana aata hai? Mera matlab...koi bhi normal mithai?" Anita asked her with a raised brow.
"Koi sikhayega toh bana sakti hoon." Naina replied to her honestly.
"Oh...shadi se pehle 1/2 mithaiya seekh jana, mere sameer ko chahiye hai compulsory ek hafte me ek baar toh," Anita said with a saccharine smile, and Naina anxiously fiddled with her fingers.
"You know...I just love everything related to Desi cheez." Sameer exclaimed mirthfully, and the container of Sukhdi was almost finished.
"Rehem kar ab...kitna khayega ek din me?" Kanisha took the steel vessel from his hold.
"Main toh pura khatam kar sakta hoon, meri saas ne itni achi mithai banayi hai...upar se unki itni sweet se beti mujhe specially dene aayi hai, mere ghar...toh bina khatam kiye thodi na jaane dunga wapis," Sameer said with a sheepish smile and tried to get the hold of the container.
"Itna acha bacha ban ne ki zarurat nahi hai...hum bhi rehte hai is ghar me." Kanisha scolded him in a gentle voice and went inside the kitchen to hide the Gud Papdi box in a cabinet.
"You have a sweet tooth," Naina remarked.
"Yes, that's why I love to kiss your lips...because they are extremely sweet and tasty." Sameer leaned towards her exquisite face, with a mischievous smile, and Naina lovingly put her arms around his neck, while pulling him closer to her lips.
"Yours is not sweet, but still I love to kiss them because they are hellish crispy." She said in a seductive voice, and before they could experience the ephemeral pleasure of kissing each other. Pihu started to bawl unbelievably loudly, making them drift apart in an instant.
"Awww kya hua baby ko?" Naina hid the crying baby in her arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.
"Pihu...aap toh Mama ki kitni laadli ho, toh fir unka itna special moment kyun kharab kiya aapne?" Sameer asked her with a puppy face, and the Enraged Pihu slapped him on his mouth by using her tiny palm, which coerced Naina to burst into laughter.
"Aur karo aisi shikayatein." She said teasingly.
"Yeh toh uska tarika hai mere liye pyaar dikhane ka," Sameer spoke with an embarrassed smile.
"Haan, dikh raha hai." Naina replied to him with a lip-closed smile.
"Forget about it. Where do you wanna go for our Pre Wedding Shoot?" He asked her with an excited smile, and She looked baffled.
"Pre Wedding Shoot?" She repeated his words with a clueless face.
"Haan na, don't you want our children to get a glimpse of our beautiful relationship?" Sameer said enthusiastically while holding her hands.
"Yeah but..." Naina paused for a moment and looked at his euphoric expression. She let out a deep sigh and continued - "Alright, I will tell you in a day or two kaha pre-wedding shoot karwani hai. Ok?"
"Yes fine, main fir photographer book kar dunga." He said simply.
"Video toh nahi banani haina?" She confirmed.
"Mujhe toh banana tha, but time nahi milega itna...isliye pictures se kaam chalana padega." Sameer expressed his grief for not getting enough time to shoot their romantic video, and Naina couldn't tell how relieved She felt after knowing that they just have to click a couple of images for the sake of his happiness. The actual reason for her discomfort was She was reminded of her days with Vivaan when they were supposed to go for a Pre Wedding Photography, but the increasing arguments between them, and their family conflicts put the shoot on hold for a few days, and then It Never Happened.
"Kya hua?" Sameer snapped his fingers in front of her disoriented face, and Naina lightly shook her head.
"Aren't you feeling comfortable?" He asked her sincerely.
"Aisa nahi hai...actually mujhe past ki yaad aagayi, jab main aur Vivaan pre-wedding shoot karwane wale the...uska bhai photographer hi haina, toh usi ko kaha tha sab video wagera record karne ke liye, but fir ladaiya badhti gayi...families ke beech problems hone lagi. So." Naina said with a painful smile on her lips, and gently wiped away the corner of her wet eye.
"Vivaan ka Bhai photographer hai?" Sameer asked her amusingly.
"Haan, woh wedding photography, baby shower photography, maternity photoshoot sabka contract leta hai." She said with a simple smile.
"Acha I see...past ko maar goli, bas mere bare me soch tu." He uttered, in a husky voice, and left a soft kiss on the top of her head.
"Garma garam bhajiye aur chai taiyar hai." Kanisha brought a tray of refreshments, and all-time favorite fritters with a sweet smile, and placed them on the mini table.
"Haye...dekh tere aane se aaj kitne dino baad mujhe itna sab tasty khana mil raha hai ek saath," Sameer said enthusiastically, and put the hot fritter in the coriander chutney, and then slipped it inside his mouth.
Naina also had a small piece of Mirchi Pakora, and it tasted incredibly perfect. No extra salt, No extra stickiness of gram flour. The family was enjoying their tea time with the savory snack served on their plates. Sameer poured a few drops of ketchup over the deep-fried fritters, and his fiance gave a weird look. Who mixes tomato sauce with Mirchi bhajiya? Sometimes his choices and tastes are extraordinary. The number of platters Anita brought out for the hungry children couldn't be counted, everyone was gobbling up the crispy and spicy pakora with a satisfied smile on their faces.
"Tikha lag raha tha kya?" Naina asked her fiance with a teasing smile.
"Nahi toh," Sameer replied to her, finishing the entire bottle of water.
"Toh fir yeh tomato ketchup itna kis khushi me barsaya jaa raha tha pakodo pe?" She asked him with an innocent smile, and He glared at her.
"Woh toh main taste karna chah raha tha kaisa lagta hai," Sameer said with an abashed expression.
"I can see that." Naina amusingly lifted the glass bottle of sauce, and it was half-finished.
"Yaar tujhe ladki hoke kaise mirchi ke bhajiye teekhe nahi lage?" He questioned her with an apprehensive face, and She lovingly patted his puffy cheek, and said in a hoarse voice - "Kyuki aapke saath reh kar mujhe TEEKHA pasand aane laga hai."
"Par mujhe kaha itna teekha pasand hai?" Sameer looked at her with a perplexed countenance.
"Oh mere bhole bhandari...Aapko teekha nahin pasand toh kya hua...mujhe toh aapka teekha wala flavor bahut pasand haina. If you know what I mean." Naina replied to her with an enticing smile and collected the empty plates.
He blushed deeply in acknowledgment and saw his helpful fiance taking the dirty vessels in the kitchen. Naina gently put the plates in the washbasin and saw her mother-in-law cutting vegetables for dinner preparations.
"Main help kar deti hoon." Naina went to cut the capsicum.
"Nahi beta, main kar lungi," Anita said sweetly.
"Aap thak gayi hogi...main kar leti hoon na." She wanted to help the poor lady, who has been working in the kitchen for hours.
"Arey isme kya thakan, bacho ki khushi dekh kar MAA kabhi nahi thakti hai," Anita replied to her with a wide smile, and Naina lovingly stared at her mother-in-law.
"I Know...Sameer ki jaan basti hai aap me." Naina said gently.
"Haan, bahut pyaar karta hai woh mujhse, pehle toh woh mujhe akele chod kar school ki picnic pe bhi nahi jata tha...bolta tha Mummy main aapko chod ke kahi nahi jauga, mujhe aapke saath rehna hai...dheere dheere fir bahut samjhane ke baad woh jane laga, uski mujh me, aur meri usme jaan basti hai, aur hum dono ek dusre ki khushi ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hai." Anita spoke with a warm smile while putting the chopped capsicum in the bowl. She glanced at the overwhelmed Naina, and said - "Ek baat kahu?"
"Haan, boliye na," Naina replied.
"Beta, main janti hoon...kabhi kabhi mera bartaav tumhare saath thoda ajeeb hota hai, par mera nature aisa hi hai shuru se. Tum bura mat laga na, mere dil me tumhare liye koi shikayatein nahi hai...mujhe tum sach me pasand ho mere bete ke liye, bas mere Sameer ko humesha khush rakhna, aur uski har khamiyon ko nazar andaaz kar lena...aur kuch nahi chahiye hai mujhe." Anita said with a solemn expression, and Naina blinked her eyes in the assurance that She would take care of her son.
"Aap tension mat lo aunty...Main pura dhyan rakhugi aapke laadle ka." Naina spoke with a gentle smile, and Anita motherly caressed her head.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Kaha the subah se?" Naina asked him with a panicked face.
"Oh lagta hai kisi ne mujhe bada miss kiya," Sameer replied to her in a teasing way, and fastened the seatbelt.
"Main jab rahi hoon." She said annoyingly.
"Oh manchali kaha chali." He sang enthusiastically, and She glared at him for taking her concern for him so lightly.
"Acha sorry...batata hoon, actually mere ek college friend ke papa ki death hogayi aaj subah, toh wahi gaya tha...fir socha thode time uske saath rehta hoon. He will feel good, I am still shocked...uncle bahut fit aur healthy the, daily morning walk pe bhi jate the pata nahi suddenly kya hogaya. Everyone was devastated, especially aunty ji...bahut ro rahi thi woh." Sameer said empathetically, and after listening to him. Naina was feeling uneasy, she lowered her head, and stared at her fingers absent-mindedly.
"What happened?" He asked her.
"Nothing, I was wondering. Life kitni unpredictable hoti hai, aaj koi muskura raha hai toh dusre pal rone lag jayega...aaj koi ekdum fit dikh raha hai, toh kal wohi hospital me ventilator pe apni aakhri saansein le raha hoga. We can never predict how long we will live, still, yeh sab jante hue bhi hum apna present barbad karte hain. We never thank God for whatever we have because of his blessings, we are so selfish...ek wish puri hoti hai toh dusri maangte hai, dusri puri hoti hai toh teesri...hum mandir bhi sirf lalach me jaate hai, jab humein kuch chahiye ho...ya koi mannat leni ho. We never visit him without any motive." Naina said with a disturbed expression, and her fiance looked at her with a composed face. He lovingly placed his hand on her girlish palm and drew a sharp breath.
"You're right, isliye main Aaj me jeeta hoon...because kal kya hoga we never know, that's why I tell you to be happy, to forget your past and move on...because Vivaan ko koi fark nahi padhta tere hone na hone se, par mujhe bahut padhta hai, usne toh tujhe bhula bhi diya hoga, tu bhi usko bhul jaa aur mere saath happily reh," Sameer said with a sweet smile, and She nodded her head in agreement.
"Aaj se I promise you...I will never cry for him, I will never complain, I will be happy with whatever I have." Naina uttered, with a solemn expression, and kept her other palm in his hand. Sameer left a loving kiss on her forehead, and said - "That's like my girl, tomorrow we are going for our pre-wedding shoot...so jo bhi kapde pehen ne hai waha sab kuch pack kar dena."
"Yeah yeah, don't worry." She assured him.
"Good, so should we go now?" He asked her.
"Yup." Naina replied to him with a sweet smile.
| Naina didn't know whom Sameer has hired for their pre-wedding photoshoot. She just wanted to get done with this pending work, so that they could start shopping for lehengas and suits for him. They reached the spot, where they were supposed to snap their pictures. Both of them got out of the car, and Sameer retouched his gray jacket in style. He walked ahead with a constant smirk on his face, and meanwhile, Naina was roaming her curious eyes around the arrangements. There was a white vanity parked under the shade of the tree, and a couple of staff members were wandering here and there with stuff in their hands. She let out a deep sigh, and before she could ask Sameer where the photographer was. She saw Bhavya stepping out of the van with sunglasses on his face. They both looked at each other, but one wasn't surprised.
"Yeh yaha kya kar raha hai?" Naina thought with a confused face.
"Are you guys ready?" Bhavya asked them in a professional tone while wearing the camera around his neck.
"Yeah," Sameer replied.
"Cool! Get your makeup done, then we can start with our shooting." Bhavya said normally, and looked at Naina for a moment, before walking past her.
"There She Is." Sameer pointed his finger at their hired make-up artist, and She approached them with a warm smile.
"She is Myra Singh, and with her. It is Payal Sharma...her partner. Yeh dono tera makeup karegi, and mere liye alag se hai." Sameer informed his fiance, and Naina absent-mindedly nodded her head in yes.
"So aap is kapdo me shoot karegi ya change karna hai abhi?" Myra asked her.
"Well, thode pictures ke liye yahi dress rakhugi...uske baad we will change." Naina said simply, and The girls nodded their heads in understanding.
The work started soon, and Naina was sitting on the chair, while the make-up artists were decorating her beautifully crafted face. Sameer had a smile of victory on his lips, Bhavya was staring at his ex-bhabhi with an unreadable expression, and it gave Sameer relief. Samaina was ready with their outfits and makeup, and Bhavya called his assistants for help. He asked the duo if they have any specific needs about their pre-wedding pictures, and Sameer raised his hand, saying - "I want our pictures to look romantic and beautiful... as you know...We should look like the best couple."
"Yeah, you guys are already killing," Bhavya muttered under his breath.
They both took their position, and Naina was dressed up in a dark red gown, which was sleeveless. She hesitantly placed her hands above Sameer's shoulders and looked into his mesmerizing eyes, which had a hint of amusement and mischief. He wrapped his strong arms around her irresistibly-slim waist, and She closed her eyes in anxiety. Sameer leaned closer to her trembling lips, and Bhavya was feeling too uncomfortable to capture such a romantic picture of his ex-bhabhi. He tried to focus on his work, but nothing seemed to be helping today.
He took a deep breath, and finally captured the image in his camera. Naina looked at her ex-brother-in-law with a restive face, and Bhavya asked them to change their position now. Sameer stood behind his fiance while holding her hand near his rough cheek. Naina stared at him sideways, and his charming smile soothed her unbalanced heartbeats for a moment. In the next picture. Sameer placed his crispy lips on her side face, which was velvety, and Bhavya was feeling extremely awkward in this situation. If it wasn't for his profession. He wouldn't have ever preferred to do such an uncomfortable job.
Later, they went towards the lush green tree, and Naina nervously sat down on the vacant bench, and Sameer willingly lay his head on her lap, their eyes staring at each other lovingly. Her gown was lying carelessly on the ground, and She kept her soft palm on his face for a Romantic Pose. The pictures were taken in a couple of spots, and orientation and Samaina kept changing their clothes back to back for photography. They stood in the middle of the narrow alley, which was embellished with the vibrant shades of autumn leaves, and Sameer stylishly held a black umbrella above their heads, while their outfits gave a flavor of Vintage Look. Naina put a rose on her bun hairstyle, and her elegant white saree looked alluring. She flashed a sweet smile, her hands resting on his chest.
The image looked classic and majestic...and The pallu of Naina's saree was draped over Sameer's face, as they posed for another beautiful picture, her back was facing his front, and His expression was intense and deep. The photographers continued changing their styles of clicking the images, and the assistants showered the petals of roses on the couple by standing on the round table.
There was a well-crafted and ancestral property in the backyard, where Naina rested her back against the wall, decked up in a black skin-tight Kurti, and jeans. She lovingly wrapped her hands around his neck, and Sameer rubbed his nose against her silver earrings. The picture looked like a dreamy silhouette, and the halcyon smile on their visage enriched their pair. The gentle sound of her glass bangles echoed in every corner, and Sameer possessively held her waist, while staring straight into her midnight brown eyes. Naina's breath was gradually becoming unstable, she was trying to pretend to be confident and oblivious of Bhavya's presence, but How could she ignore the fact that this guy, who was capturing her intimate pictures with Sameer, was supposed to become her Best Brother-in-law in the world?
The whole day went in a jiffy and In the Night. The team organized a romantic platform for Samaina, where Sameer was going to propose to his fiance for photography. Naina chose to wear an Indian Outfit, which was a lehenga and blouse with the twinning dupatta. The blouse was designed by her in a contemplative way, it had a lace of golden color on the sleeves, and embroidery of intricate designs near the waist. The turquoise blue lens in her eyes enhanced her beauty, and Sameer was bedecked in a pristine Raymond white tuxedo suit, with a red bow tucked on the top position. The location was overlapped with transparent balloons scattered everywhere. There was a bottle of champagne placed on the satin-covered round table. Samaina took their position, and The photographer motioned them to look at each other affectionately.
Sameer bent down on his knee, drew out the box from the pocket, and revealed a glittering piece of diamond ring in front of his fiance. Naina slapped her mouth in utter surprise, and The photographer quickly seized the moment in his camera. Bhavya took the picture from the side angle, from where they could see Sameer's gleeful facial expressions. The staff members sprinkled the colorful gleaming confetti around them, and Sameer planted a gentle kiss on the back of the skin of her malleable palm.
He stood up and pulled her closer to his chest by sliding his hand against her incredibly-slender waist. They mingled their fingers with each other, and raised their clasped hands, making a heart-shaped pattern. The photographer pinpointed the shimmering ring and clicked it professionally. Another shot was taken by Bhavya, where Samaina's lips were dangerously close to one another...He squinted his eyes in frustration, and it took him enormous courage to frame this romantic image in his DSLR Camera.
The staff people poured a bucket of water on the couple, and Sameer pasted his masculine body against her feminine one from the backside, his hands tightly hugging her dainty figure. He zestfully placed a hard kiss on her aromatic neck, and Naina's nervous eyes were downcast, staring at the red carpet. The continuous drizzle of liquid on their bodies brought more intensity to the atmosphere and the picture, and their dampened faces were deadly brushing with each other.
Finally, their Pre Wedding Photography was over, with a lot of retakes and instructions, and Naina released a long breath in relief. Only her heart knew how awkward and complicated it was for her to pose for romantic pictures in the presence of her ex-brother-in-law. She sensed a blow of discomfort in Bhavya's eyes, which wasn't surprising. Anyone would feel uncomfortable. Sameer was on the call with his friend, and Naina found this opportunity a golden one for her. She saw Bhavya putting the camera in his bag, she fidgeted with her wet fingers hesitantly and cleared her throat to pull his attention.
"I didn't know Sameer ne tumhe humari pre-wedding..." Naina was interrupted by Bhavya, who cleared - "It doesn't matter, we were here for our professional work."
"Personal life ke issues ki koi jagah nahi hai humare kaam me madam." He said in a stern voice and zipped his bag.
"Glad to know," Naina uttered, with a small smile.
"Hmm! You look good with your fiance." Bhavya commented, and hung the bag on his left shoulder.
"Thanks! How's everyone at home?" Naina asked him gently.
"Everyone is good...and Vivaan Bhai is getting engaged next week," Bhavya informed her with a plain smile, and This news unknowingly broke the pieces of her heart.
"N...nnnice. Congratulations." She said with a painful smile.
"Thank You...Congrats to you too, god bless you both." Bhavya spoke with a gentle smile on his face, and in the meantime, Sameer came towards them with suspicious facial expressions.
"Had a great time with you guys. Heartily congratulations to you both for the new beginnings. My best wishes to you." Bhavya professionally shook his hands with Sameer, and both of them had a forceful smile on their faces. Naina stared at her fiance, and then at her ex-devar in restlessness, and wondered Why her destiny was putting her again and again in such a complex plight?
"You'll get your pictures as soon as we complete our editing." He said further in a soft voice, and Sameer replied - "No worries, we aren't in a hurry."
"Cool then," Bhavya said normally.
| Naina was sitting in the car, disoriented. She didn't know where her life was taking her, where her relationship with Sameer was leading to. She just wanted to hide somewhere, away from everyone's eyes...she couldn't pretend to look delighted when her heart was broken beyond repair.
All these months She tried hard to accept Sameer, and pave the path of love with him, but nothing seemed to be working according to her. Today, when Bhavya told her that Vivaan was getting engaged the next week, her heart was shattered into a million pieces...which isn't easy to collect and mend again. She was feeling uneasy, it felt like her heart still wanted him to miss her and their memories, to have longing of getting her back in his life. But it's too late now! Her fate has tied her with Sameer, and no one can change this reality.
She closed her damp eyes and recollected the words of her ex-fiancee who was her boyfriend as well during college days.
"Tum nahi janti main tumse kitna pyaar karta hoon Naina."
"Hum na honeymoon pe Darjeeling jayege."
"Tum Blue dress me bahut beautiful dikhti ho yaar."
"Finally we are getting married. I am so happy for us darling."
"You are slaying in this lehenga Mrs.Soon to be Mehta."
Her chain of thoughts was interrupted by her new fiance, who looked at her with a captivating smile while touching her soft hand. She breathed in nervousness, as He began to end the remaining distance between them.
Naina stared at him in anxiety, and Sameer almost reached to her shivering lips. He could sense hesitance in her eyes, and eerie in her visage which was coated with fresh liquid of sweat.
"Umm...what are you doing, Sameer?" She finally asked him in a barely audible voice.
"I want to kiss you. Naina." He replied to her within a moment, and intensely looked at her innocently-inviting lips.
"Abhi? Kyun?" Naina questioned breathlessly.
"Because I can't wait to claim my possession," Sameer said with enthusiasm overlapping in his husky voice, and She gasped for air.
To be continue...
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