𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴

• 20 •

"Ab itna toh main tumhe jaanne laga hun." He said staring into her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. Averting his gaze, he walked forward leaving her in a daze.

Finding a vacant place away from the hustle and bustle, he climbed up the parapet wall. Turning around, he saw her rooted on her spot, her gaze moving to and fro between her feet and the parapet. The wedges she was wearing were not much comfortable due to which she was now having difficulty to take a step up.

Understanding her dilemma, he leaned and forwarded his hand. She stared at it questioningly and then placed her bowl of kulfi on it. Placing on the ground along with his bowl, he made a face and said, "Haath do apna." Realising her folly, she nervously put her soft hand in his rough one. The contact arose a warm sensation inside her that made her shudder for a fraction of a second. Holding it firmly, she climbed up a step. At the second one, her heels tilted causing her to stagger back. He pulled her back with a jerk just in time. His grip on her hand tightened, the other one going towards her lower back instinctively. His eyes met with her wide ones. The way she was clutching his hand displayed how much she was scared. Her heart was pounding hard. Their gazes moved to their perfectly clasped hands at the same time before coming back to each other. And as they realised the proximity, they immediately withdrew back swiftly.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she mumbled, "Thank you."

"Welcome." He nodded while saying.

"Umm...chalo baithte hain." Saying this, he sat facing the sea, dangling his legs. A moment later, he felt Naina sat beside him leaving a considerable distance in between. She had ditched the saree today. She had paired her black full-sleeved Kurta with a maroon Churidar and matching embroidered Dupatta. He quietly returned her bowl.

Devouring the sweet and chilling Malai Kulfi, they sat being pleased with the breezy weather. True to his words, it had actually uplifted her mood. The sound of waves crashing the shore was producing a soothing effect. The water glistened as the reflection of the white gleaming moon fell upon it.

Both of them were relishing the silence, occupied in their own thoughts. Naina was still feeling giddy inside after what just transpired a few minutes ago. Closing her eyes for a moment, she brought herself back to normal, distracting herself by focusing on the blissful and content weather.

To say Sameer wasn't affected would be wrong, after all it had been like ages since having a girl in his arms. One thing that he was unable to comprehend was why the surroundings seemed to have faded down when that happened. Presuming it to be the whole day's tiredness, he shrugged it off.

"Kaisi hai?" He asked referring to the Kulfi, cutting through the silence.

"Achhi hai." She answered looking at him.

He hummed and said, "Main, Munna aur Pandit bohot aate the yahan par. Isiliye abhi tak un kaka ko mera naam bhi yaad hai. Khub baatein karte the hum unse..." She turned towards him and found him looking towards the sea, a pleasant smile appearing on his face as he reminisced those good times.

"Toh...woh sab tumne plan kiya tha?" He asked taking a glance at her, She looked down and nodded. "Maine expect nahi kiya tha, ki tum kabhi bhi aisa kuch bhi karogi?"

Her eyebrows furrowed, "Matlab?"

"Tum waise toh itna shaant rehti ho, aur ab tumne seedha do logo ki blind date fix karwa di, bina unhe bataye." He said tilting his head looking at her.

She felt shy under his gaze. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she replied, "Woh toh...bas aise hi. Dono hi ek dusre se milna chahte the, toh maine socha..."

He smiled, "Acha hai waise, maine pehle kabhi Pandit ko kisi ladki ke liye aise behave karte huye nahi dekha hai. Jab hum college mein the tab toh pata nahi kitni ladkiyon ke saath raha hai woh. Har mahine nayi ladki. Itni girlfriends thi na uski, par bhav ek bhi thik se nahi deti thi." He laughed recalling those times which made her giggle too and the moment he saw her, he felt strangely appeased.