Sameer Naina OS- Walking on the sinful roads

OS

As I walk beside him after a tiring journey to the room our hands intertwined I smile.

"Kya hua Mrs Maheshwari?" he asks pulling me closer,wraping me in his embrace to protect us both from cold.

Nodding in denial I rest my head slightly on his shoulder.

We had made a trip back to Mount Abu, the place I had once lost my everything to. Myself, my happiness and him;mera shaadi wala pyaar.I had promised to never look back,to never consider loosing myself again but he had come,Sameer Maheshwari my lawfully wedded husband for 5 years now promising to give him one chance stating that he would change it all making Mount Abu my happiest memories of all.

Fate had been lucky to me.The sixteen year old Naina had come to Mount Abu,eyes full of dreams with a friend called 'Sameer' wishing it all to be the 'shaadi wala pyaar' as her best friend Swati had termed it to be.Yes indeed it was the 'shaadi wala pyaar',today 10 year later an adult Naina had come to Mount Abu,eyes full of hope with her husband,Sameer.

***

The next morning Sameer takes me to the temple.Everything there is now different but that one tree and hundreds of hopeful hearts still stand waiting for the leaves to fall on them,making their wishes true.I smile,thinking over how I was once too one amongst them,too innocent and so much in love.Just as I turn aside to call out Sameer,I realize that he is nowhere to be seen.

"Sameer?"

"Sameer kahan ho?"

*ting ting*

*ting ting*

Sound of a bell, twice and making my way as fast as I could I, get inside the temple and stand beside Sameer as he folds his hand and closes his eyes to make a prayer.

"Dear god" he begins. "Kuch saal pehele isse jagha, yahi aadmi ne apse khudki khushi maange the,aaj bhi mein wahi maangta hoon but Naina ke cherehe par.Kyunki vohi mere har khushi hai."

Shaking my head in an overwhelming manner I ask him to come but before he catches up with me, I think I hear him saying 'Kuch galtiyaan ki thee,aaj unhe ko sudharne aya hoon please mera saath dena'.

The rest of the day goes by in haste as we explore the places and enjoy the beauty around that seems to enhance by the mere presence of him beside.

***

At night we are joined by Preeti-Pandit and Swati-Munna who arrived at Mount Abu a day later than us.Swati and Munna had be happily married for a long time now and Preeti-Pandit after a lot of efforts and drama were married for 3 years now.

Sitting by the campfire under the chilly winds,Sameer suddenly comes up with a guitar and starts humming aate jaate,something he had picked up when he was in one of his flirty moods.The song was like the promise ring of our love,our connection.

Tera Woh Yakin Kahin Main To Nahin
Lagta Hai Yehi Kyon Mujhko Baar Baar
Yehi Sach Hai, Shayad Maine Pyar Kiya

And everytime,I looked up I found his eyes looking at me so intently that I found myself melting in love,the love that his eyes were seething.

It was all a different mood,love and warmth was all around.Maybe it was the weather or the heat the fire in front of us was burning,no one never knew but something was definitely special,the night was filled with love.

***

Next morning the boating in Nakki Lake was a fun affair,having Sameer's jacket wrapped around and his shades resting proudly on my nose we peddled away to glory enjoying the breeze,feeling the cool water touching our fingertips.

"Sameer what are you doing in the kitchen baba?" I asked as I heard the clanking of some utensils falling down.

Sameer had taken me back to the guest house where we had stayed 10 years back. The place had changed so much and now every room had a kitchen attached to it. Places changed and so did we but the memories spent here,be it of the scary 'chudail' tales or the right I had given myself to care for an ill him remained the same,so special and so close.

"Shhh Naina,stop being such a chipkoo and sit calm until your charming husband prepares a surprise." Laughing at how Sameer and his obsession with himself hadn't changed much I tiptoed to the kitchen door to look at the surprise my husband was preparing without a caution alert.

And there he was cooking,for me.Covered in sweat and a bit of atta,he was busy kneading the tough for preparing a chappati it seemed. He was so invested in his surprise that he failed to see me standing by the door admiring him and his work with teary eyes.Dating back to the day when I had thought to myself regarding Sameer ever cooking for me like our Principal Sir did,I could feel some tears rolling down my cheeks. I was too overwhelmed to say. Quietly tiptoeing back to the room just like I had come,I sat and waited until the surprise was over.

That afternoon I had the tastiest food .I had never felt this satisfied or full before.

***

'Wake up and meet me at the hill by the toad rock' the note said.

The name itself sent shivers down my spine.It was the same place I had lost,we had lost but that bet had won,snatching away all that had made me Naina Agarwal.

Gathering up myself and my spirits I reached there and saw Sameer sitting on the same spot that he was 10 years back where I had witnessed his first breakdown. Bending down to him I asked for the reason he had called me at the place,it was then did I notice that he was wearing the swater,the same one that I had knit for him and he had refused to wear,throwing it away like it was something dangerous.

"Shhhhh" he whispered as he made me stand along with him.

"Samee-"

"Shhh Naina please let me talk today"

"I know ke bohut dard diya hai meine,dukh bhi bohut pauchaya,isi jagah aur isi sheher mein.I know there are few things that cannot ever be properly healed even if it appears so and that one wound I had given you here in the name of bet.You may have forgiven me and we may have moved on ,finding new moments of happiness and love but still,there is still that fear in your eyes that I see sometimes,fear of our love being a dream,me being all fake and your happiness being temporary. I know I am no one to complain when I am the one who is responsible for your eyes telling the story. I am sorry,so sorry Naina"

"No Sameer" I spoke softly,trying to comfort him as tears now made their way out of his eyes.He was crying,Sameer Maheshwari was crying.

"Bola na Naina,let me speak.Flow mat begado.They say that joh dard deta hai vohi dard wapas leta hai and here I am to make it true,for me,for 'us'. Naina you are the first ray of sunshine that I love waking up to,you are the light to my dark days and the missing piece to me the puzzle. Thanks for completing me and making me Sameer,Naina's Sameer Maheshwar"

"So Mrs.Naina Maheshwari",he said,his eyes fixed on mine and him bending down on his knees."Will you let me write this new chapter in our story?"

"YESSS"

"Will you allow me to author the new addition to our story? I promise to never let you down and not this little one ever too"he said as his hands made it to my stomach and eyes to my face.

"You knew?" I asked fumbling, I was just 6 weeks pregnant and this secret was safe with me and Nanu.

"Yes"

"How?"

"Shhhh leave that for later,come here" he said picking me up in his arms.

And that day all guards were let loose,fear lost and a n prologue was added to a new beginning of a beautiful story.