Samaina SS: Hum Aapke Hai Kaun (On Hold)

Ch.2: Tohri Balaiyan

First day! It was his first day in his sasural and what was he doing?! Digging bloody tent poles into the street. And why was he doing this?! Because like a lovelorn fool he had been distracted watching Naina rehearse for Preeti's sangeet. His Naina was another shade of sensual when she danced; her flexible body, swaying hips, expressive face, and teasing waist. Naina dancing was an experience that always ended up with them in bed; their bodies thrusting to the rhythms of their united hearts. 

And today she was dancing wearing that pink chiffon saree which teased him with glimpses of her caramelised dainty waist. If there hadn't been so many relatives here, he would have claimed her right here, right now. Probably on that swing that inspired peculiar fantasies in him. He needed to get a similar one for their house. 

"Ameerzade mera matlab Sameer..uh..uh..Damaadji  tumne suna na?" Rakesh said from next to him on the sofa. They were sitting together talking about arrangement for tents for Preeti's haldi rasam which was going to be soon. 

"Jee, safa..papaji. Mai karlunga." He said, too scared of the man to say anything else especially that he had been thinking of how to make passionate love to his daughter in 10 different positions on that swing dangling there. 

And from there he was now to be found here in the street because he had ended up agreeing to once again helping the labourers set up tent poles. And his Naina was inside the house busy with preparations unaware of what was happening to her poor deewana pati. He was getting tired out now, sweating through his black shirt. But it was his fault after all, this was his punishment for bringing tears in Naina's eyes. Why does he go mad with rage in his jealousy, especially with that lafantar Kartik?! It always ruins things for him. What could he do now to assuage Naina, to mend her heart? It hurt him, burned his heart to see that anger, that hurt floating in her eyes. 

Lost in thought, he didn't see it coming till it was too late. His hand had somehow reached the middle rough patch of the pointy device where uneven coarse metal surface rubbed against his hand, pricking the skin between the thumb and his finger. 

"Sameer!" He heard Naina shout from the balcony and in seconds she was running to him in a flurry of tears. 

"Sameer! Tum pagal ho kya?! Yeh Sab karne ki kya zaroorat hai tumhe? Kitni chot lag gayi hai. Oof tum bhi na. Ekdum Pagal ho sachme. Aao idhar baitho." She said, dragging him to sit with her on the footpath at the cross section of the street. She scolded him 500 words per minute, all the time shedding tears as she examined his wound. It had hurt so much but seeing her pyaar wali dant swirled up emotions that tasted so sweet deep in his belly, he forgot every drop of blood that was lining the dirty grey coloured road. 

She sniffed slightly, her cute button nose reddening like the colour of the dawn he had witnessed with her in Mount Abu. "ssss Tumhe bilkul dhyaan nahi hai na apna. Pata hai shayad tetanus ka injection lagwana pad jayega. Phir kya karoge tum, huh? Pata hai tetanus ke injection se kitna dard hota hai..." and on she went. He had never felt like embracing her more; he wanted to keep her close to his heart, where he could feel the warmth of her precious heart flowing into every inch of his body, healing the wounds that his past and her absence had left behind. 

Glaring at the wounds and the blood that just wouldn't stop dripping, Naina took hold of the pallu of her  favourite most cherished saree and ripped at its seams. "Naina! tumne yeh kyon fada? Yeh toh tumhari favourite hai" He spoke, sad to see his favourite garment on her  tattered at the ends. 

"Tumse zyada anmol mere liye kuch nahi hai. Aur yeh mai thodi fekungi, yeh sochkar sambhal loongi ki maine isse tumhara ek zakham bhardiya." She spoke softly, looking fondly at the tattered ends. And he knew he had been a fool to ever have any amount of insecurity about losing Naina. His jealous burns had been meaningless all along.