Hello friends...

I'm back with the next update...

Sorry... I wasn't well this past week & I'm still not good, & also I was very much busy in the month end work.

So, I didn't get much time to write & update...

Enjoy the update & give your honest reviews...

FATE TWISTED BY LOVE

CHAPTER 40

The next morning, Naina was the first one to get up. What came as a shocker for her was that she was snuggled into her husband's arms. When did that happen? It was a very difficult task for her to wriggle out of his tight hold that too without disturbing his sleep.

As she tried to move, his hold tightened & he murmured in sleep, "Naina... Kya kar rahi ho? Sone do naa..." Hearing his husky voice first thing in the morning brought a smile on her face. She stopped moving & then looking at the time in the clock, she knew it was time for him to wake up too.

She slowly tapped on his cheek twice & whispered, "Sameer... Sameer... Uthiye... Dekhiye aath baj gaye hai." When he didn't make any move to get up, she tried again, "Sameer... Aapko meeting mein jaane ke liye late ho jaayega. Uthiye na Sameer... Please..."

Sameer tried to open his eyes & watching her serene face, a smile crept up instantly. Pulling her back in his arms, he whispered, "Kya hai Naina??? Tum mujhe sone kyun nahi de rahi?" She rested on his chest & replied, "Sameer... aap bhool rahe hai ki aapko aaj bhi meeting mein jaana hai."

Sameer cursed the meeting in his mind & loosened his hold on her. "Haannn... Main toh bhool hi gaya tha ki meri last meeting hai aaj." Saying that, he got up reluctantly & asked Naina to take out clothes for him & order some breakfast for them as well.

By the time, Sameer came out after freshening up, their breakfast too had arrived. Once Naina too had freshened up, they had their meal talking to Nanu over the call & informing him about the next meeting. After they finished the meal, Sameer went for the meeting while Naina entered the washroom to shower.

She remembered what Sameer had asked her to wear before he left for the meeting. She kept the dress out on the chair & wore a simple white top & blue denims for the day. She called up Preeti & Anjali one after the other & chatted with them for a while.

She read a romance novel for next two hours & then she received a text from Sameer asking her to have her lunch on time. She ordered simple lunch for her & then drifted to sleep for some time.

On the other end, Sameer was busy with the important meeting which was about to end in sometime. He wanted to go back to the suite & sleep next to his lovely wife. In the middle of the night, he had woken up to drink some water when he felt something pressed to his body. His heartbeats sped up when he saw his beautiful wife snuggled in his arms. He forgot all about drinking water & closed his eyes, drifting to sleep immediately.

In morning, he had heard her the first time when she was trying to wake him up. Still, he didn't move to see what else she would say or do to wake him up. But when he heard her pleading him to get up, he opened his eyes reluctantly. He hadn't forgotten about his meeting, he just wanted to spend some more time close to her.

Naina woke up with a start when her phone rang incessantly. She picked up the call & talked to Kabir for a while who had called her as the girls in the NGO were missing her. She freshened up after disconnecting the call. There was still time for Sameer to come back so she decided to go to the garden she had visited the previous day. She spent some time in the garden & was happy to breathe in the fresh air.

Sameer was done with his meeting soon & he finally rushed to the suite to take his beautiful lady out for sightseeing. As he reached, he kept ringing the doorbell but there was no response from the other side. He screamed her name many times & continued with the doorbell. At first, he thought that she must've slept like previous day, but even after calling her up on her mobile several times, there was no reply. He was terribly worried now. He could hear her phone ringing in the suite. He hoped that she was all fine.

Sameer ran to the reception & requested them for another key to open the door. The manager had heard his request & handed him a duplicate key. Sameer again ran towards the elevators & prayed for her well-being.

As he unlocked the door, he was shocked to see the suite vacant. There was no trace of his loving wife. Now he was hell worried. He saw her phone kept on the dressing table. He came out to the balcony to check if she was there. But to his dismay, she wasn't there too.

Sameer came back inside & called the reception to ask if they saw his wife going anywhere. But he didn't find anything important. He closed his eyes & prayed, "Hey bhagwaan, please Naina jahaan bhi ho, usse sahi salaamat rakhna. Pataa nahi kahaan gayi hogi, kis haalat mein hogi? Bhagwaan, uski raksha karna..."

As he got up to leave in search of his wife, he inhaled deeply & sensed her presence. Before he could open his eyes, he heard her voice, "Sameer... aap kab aaye???" He opened his eyes furiously & strode towards her. Gripping her arms, he shouted, "Kahaan thi tum Naina??? Main kitni der se doorbell bajaa raha tha, tumhe call kar raha tha. Pehle lagaa ki tum kal ki tarah so gayi hogi. Fir mein reception se duplicate keys le aaya. Jab andar aaya toh dekha madam toh room mein hai hi nahi. Phone bhi yahin chodkar gayi thi tum? Itni laaparwaah kaise ho sakti ho tum Naina?"

Naina's eyes misted instantly seeing his outburst on her. Her arms pained as he had gripped them tightly. "Arey bolo... Kahaan thi tum???" She shivered hearing his frantic tone & stuttered, "Main... main... hotel... hotel... ke saamne waale... garden mein thi..."

He continued in his rage, "Toh ek message nahi chod sakti thi ki main neeche garden mein jaa rahi hun. Pataa hai main kitna darr gaya tha? Tumhe room mein nahi dekha toh mera dil hi baith gaya tha Naina. Agar tumhe kuch ho jaata toh main khudko aur Nanu ko kya jawaab deta. Sab yahi samajhte na ki main tumhara thik se khayaal nahi rakh raha."

Sameer stopped when he heard her sobs & he cursed himself for making her cry. He left her arms & pulled her in his arms & hugged her tightly. "Ab rona band karo. Kya main tumhe chilla bhi nahi sakta? Dost hun tumhara aur pati bhi, toh tumhe daantne ka bhi haqq nahi hai kya? Tum aise kahin bhi bina bataaye chali jaaogi toh kya main tumhare liye pareshaan bhi nahi ho sakta? Naina... tum meri wife ho, meri responsibility ho. Agar tumhe kuch ho jaata toh? Socha hai mera kya haal hota?"

Naina understood his point of view but his sudden outburst had brought her to tears. When her sobs subsided, Sameer offered her a glass of water. Making her sit on the bed, he spoke, "Dekho Naina... agar tum Ahmedabad mein aise hi kahin bhi chali jaati toh mujhe itni fikar nahi hoti, kyunki main jaanta hun ki Preeti aur Anjali bhi tumhare saath hote aur tum Nanu ko bataakar hi jaati."

"Main tumhara husband hun, iska matlab yeh nahi hai ki main tumhe control karna chahta hun. Bas kahin bhi jaane se pehle ek baar mujhe bataa deti toh main itna pareshaan nahi hota, bure bure khayaal nahi aate mujhe. Naina... tum yahaan pehli baar aayi ho, toh aise akele ghoomna sahi nahi hai. Tum samajh rahi ho naa Naina... I'm sorry Naina... Mujhe aise nahi chillana chahiye tha, par kya karun tumhe yahaan room mein nahi dekha toh main bohot darr gaya tha, agar tumhe kuch ho jaata toh main khudko kabhi maaf nahi kar paata."

Naina shook her head & covered his mouth with her palm, "I'm sorry Sameer... aapka gussa hona jaayaz hai. Mujhe aapko bataakar jaana chahiye tha. Main agli baar se dhyaan rakhungi Sameer. Main akeli kahin nahi jaaungi. Main bas room mein akeli bore ho rahi thi toh socha main garden mein jaakar thodi fresh ho jaun."

Keeping the glass away, he pulled her in a side hug, "Ab se main bhi tumhe akela nahi chodunga. Har waqt tumhare saath rahunga, fir toh tum bore nahi hogi naa?" He teased her & she punched him lightly on his chest.

He pretended to be hurt & mumbled, "Tumne mujhe maara... apne pati ko maara... ghor kalyug hai..." Naina laughed & he was content seeing the smile back on her face. Rubbing her arm, his eyes moved towards the dress that was kept on the chair.

Leaning a little, he whispered, "Chalo... ab uss dress mein ready ho jao, hume baahar bhi toh jaana hai. Tab tak main bhi fresh ho jaata hun." Sameer left her & went to freshen up while Naina tucked her hair behind her ear & looked at the dress nervously.

As Sameer came out, Naina quietly took the dress & entered the washroom, without glancing at her half naked husband. Sameer got ready in a red full sleeved t-shirt & paired it with black denims. He was standing in front of the mirror & setting his hair, when he heard the click of the washroom door.

As he turned to face her, he stood rooted to his spot. His eyes wandered from her fair slender legs to her sleeveless arms. The red dress that they had shopped last time was of his choice. Naina wasn't ready to wear it in Ahmedabad as it was too short as per her standards.

The red dress ended just below her knees. It hugged her curves at the right places enhancing her figure. Naina had never worn such appealing dresses ever in her life. But today, she was wearing it, just for her loving husband.

Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the mirror & stood ahead of her husband. She combed her hair till it fell in soft curls at the end. She had already applied moisturizer, so she just kohled her eyes & applied red lipstick to go with her dress.

She completed her look by wearing diamond studded earrings with a matching bracelet that she had bought while shopping with Preeti & Anjali. She deliberately kept her nuptial chain in front for everyone to see. She had already decided that she wasn't going to hide her marital status here.

Sameer was noticing all her actions & was mesmerized watching her getting ready. He was stunned when he saw her wearing the high heels for the first time. When had she bought them? Obviously, she must have bought it when she must've gone shopping with her best friends, he thought.

As Sameer kept gazing at his gorgeous wife while sitting on the bed, Naina felt self-conscious of her attire. She was doing this for the first time. Last night, she had seen what those girls had worn. She wanted to look beautiful & sensuous at the same time.

Naina met her handsome husband's intense gaze & spoke, "Chaliye... main taiyaar hun." Picking up her small handbag, she moved towards the door. As she passed by him, he held her wrist & stopped her.

When she turned, Sameer whistled, "Mrs Naina Maheshwari... tum aaj iss red dress mein bohot sexy lag rahi ho..." Her cheeks turned crimson red in just mere seconds. She lowered her lashes to hide her flushed face which hadn't escaped her husband's scrutinizing gaze.

Sameer entwined their fingers & walked out of their suite towards the elevator. Naina watched their entwined hands & felt content. She wasn't sure if she could carry this red dress, but by the looks that her husband had given after she was ready, it confirmed that she shouldn't regret this decision of wearing it for him.

As they reached the reception, Sameer handed over the duplicate keys to the manager & left towards the waiting car. He held the door open for his lovely wife who sat a little self-consciously as she wasn't much comfortable wearing that short dress in front of others. As the car moved ahead, Naina asked, "Sameer... hum kahaan jaa rahe hai???"

Sameer replied without looking at her, "Thodi der mein pataa chal jaayega Naina... I'm very much sure ki tumhe yeh jagah bhi bohot acchi lagegi." Naina was in for a surprise for sure, she thought to herself. She knew wherever Sameer would take her, she would definitely enjoy the sightseeing. She was happy just being with him, then it didn't matter what place they were heading to.

The car stopped after twenty minutes & she shrieked happily looking at the place. She stood at the entrance of the 'Aquarium Of The Bay'. She screamed in delight, "Hum... Hum... aquarium aaye hai???"

Sameer nodded with a smile. Holding her hand, they entered the aquarium. Aquarium of the Bay is located on the historic San Francisco waterfront at PIER 39, the Aquarium is home to more than 20,000 marine animals including sleek sharks and rays, secretive octopus, hypnotic jellyfish, sparkling anchovies, frolicking river otters, and many more.

Sameer had an idea that Naina loved nature a lot & water especially. While shopping many times, he had seen her peeking at the fish tanks that were kept around the mall or in the restaurants. When he had planned to bring Naina for this trip, he had decided that he would definitely visit this aquarium with her.

And now, watching her happiness, Sameer thought that he had made the right decision. The Bay Aquarium is a wonderful living museum with two walk-through tunnels, a variety of species of jellyfish, and a hands-on area that keeps all the visitors entertained.

The first exhibits in the museum show the smaller animals and plants living near the top of the water in the SF Bay. As they continued through the Aquarium, it took them deeper & deeper into the water where more of the larger plants and animals live including starfish, sharks, and other interesting creatures.

Naina couldn't believe her eyes. She was mesmerized with the view. She was falling in love with this place as she passed through the tunnel with her husband beside her with entwined hands. She took in the beautiful view of the fishes which she had never seen, she had only seen their pictures but had never watched them in real.

And now, she was happy & ecstatic watching them. She was very much fascinated & watching her pleased face; Sameer too was happy. Though he too was visiting this aquarium for the very first time, he wasn't much interested in the fishes. He was interested in the person next to him who was very much delighted with this visit.

Sameer walked along with his wife through the tunnel & was fascinated with the enormous view & watch a giant Pacific Octopus, several small sharks, large stingrays, turtles, snakes, an opossum. He too stood beside his wife & watched everything in fascination.

The whole two hours journey through the Aquarium was the best time they spent together. When they stood at the deck of the Aquarium, Naina turned to him & hugged him tightly, "Thank You Sameer... yeh sab se accha surprise tha... mujhe... mujhe bohot bohot accha lagaa... Main... main bohot bohot khush hun aaj..."

Tightening his hold on her, he whispered, "Mujhe bhi bohot accha lagaa aur main bhi bohot khush hun. Poochogi nahi ki main khush kyun hun???" Naina looked at him, still being in his arms, "Aap... aap kyun khush hai???"

Holding her gaze, he replied, "Kyunki jis deal ke liye hum yahaan aaye the, wohh deal hume mil gayi hai Naina..." Hearing the good news, Naina tiptoed a little & kissed him on his cheek, "Congratulations Sameer... maine kahaa tha naa ki yeh contract aapko hi milega, aapne bohot mehnat jo ki thi aur Nanaji hamesha kehte hai ki mehnat ka fal hamesha accha hi hota hai."

Leaning a little, he whispered, "Aur ek wajah hai mere khushi ki... Aur wohh wajah tum ho Naina... Aaj tumhe itna khush dekhkar, main bhi khush hun. Main jaanta tha ki yahaan aakar, tumhe accha lagega, kyunki tumhe yeh sab bohot pasand hai na. Dekha hai maine kayi baar tumhe fish tanks ko dekhte hue. Jab yahaan aaye toh maine tumhe yahaan laane ka mann banaa liya tha. Aur dekho, tumhara chehra kitna khil utha hai."

Naina was dumbstruck hearing his words. Was he so observant that he remembered that she always spent extra time around the fish tanks, wherever she found them? She had never mentioned about this to anyone, not even Preeti & Anjali. And here, without even telling him, he had understood her interest & love for them. She was surely astonished with this fact.

They could clearly see the Golden Gate that they had visited yesterday from the deck. Some giggles broke their trance & they moved away. Holding her hand again, he walked to the waiting car. He instructed the driver to take them to a nearby restaurant for dinner. After fifteen minutes, their car stopped in front of a posh restaurant.

They got inside the Chinese restaurant & ordered Naina's favourite dishes. They enjoyed the meal heartily. As Sameer paid the bill, there was an announcement for couple dance. Sameer forwarded his hand towards his lovely wife & asked, "Will you dance with me???"

Naina wasn't prepared for this. She kept her hand in his a little hesitantly. As she walked with him, she whispered, 'Sameer... main... main thodi nervous hun." Pulling her close, he too whispered, "Don't worry Naina... main hun na tumhare saath..."

As they reached the dance floor, music began. Sameer held her closer to him & wrapped his hands around her waist while Naina rested her hands on his shoulders. They slowly moved to the romantic slow songs that were played back-to-back.

Sameer kept twirling her few times & held her close to his heart. These moments were precious for both of them, where there were no one apart from them. They enjoyed each other's company in solitude. There was no disturbance here, they were dancing in sync to those songs as if the songs were only made for them.

When the songs stopped, they realized that they were the only couple on the dance floor. Everyone present in the restaurant were watching them & as the music stopped, everyone clapped heartily for their dance performance.

They got many compliments from the other people in the restaurant. What surprised Sameer the most was the chemistry he had shared with his wife while dancing. This was the first time that he had danced in full view of the public. He was changing, he was doing everything for the first time & also all his firsts were somehow shared with Naina, his wife.

As they got seated in the car, Sameer asked the driver to drop them at the hotel. Once they were back in their suite, they freshened up & got ready to sleep. Naina was back in her red night suit & slept next to her husband who was updating his best friends about the deal.

After Sameer ended the call, he saw Naina was already asleep. Smiling to himself, he kissed her on her forehead & mumbled, "Goodnight Naina..." Pulling the thin sheet over her, he too drifted to sleep instantly as he too was tired.

The next day was very much busy for the couple as they visited two museums, one after the other. They visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art first. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a and located in , . A non-profit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art, and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to . The museum's current collection includes over 33,000 works of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts, and moving into the 21st century. The collection was displayed in 170,000 square feet (16,000 m2) of exhibition space, making the museum one of the largest in the United States overall, and one of the in the world for modern and contemporary art.

Founded in 1935, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was the first museum on the West Coast devoted to modern and contemporary art. From the outset, SFMOMA championed the most innovative and challenging art of its time, presenting the first solo exhibitions of Arshile Gorky, Clyfford Still, Jackson Pollock, and Robert Motherwell, among others. The museum continues to assemble unparalleled collections, create exhilarating exhibitions, and develop engaging public programs about both modern masters and younger, less-established artists.

SFMOMA's internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art includes more than 36,000 works in photography, painting and sculpture, architecture and design, and media arts. These ever-expanding holdings are the basis for original exhibitions featuring key examples of Modernism as well as more recent work that reflects artistic developments occurring regionally, nationally, and around the world. The museum also presents an array of special traveling exhibitions that contribute to SFMOMA's longstanding reputation as a cultural catalyst, a dynamic art center where visitors can learn, reflect, and be inspired.

Naina & Sameer had their lunch in the nearby restaurant & headed to the other museum, the M H de Young Memorial Museum, which is commonly referred as the de Young. It is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, and one of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco along with the Legion of Honor. The de Young is named for its founder, early San Francisco newspaperman M. H. de Young.

The first collections of the museum grew as Young's eclectic tastes over the years acquired a wide range of paintings and objects, mainly from South Pacifici. Eleven years after its opening, the great earthquake of 1906 caused significant damage in the building Winter Solstice, Midwinter Hall, forcing a half year closing for repairs. Soon the museum needed new space to better serve its growing audience. Michael Young said planning for the building that would serve as a nucleus for future installations of the de Young Museum throughout the twentieth century.

The old museum was a bulky structure decorated with ornaments made of concrete, which began to fall and be dangerous, being finally eliminated in 1949. In 1989 the original building was completely destroyed by the Loma Prieta earthquake, his remains were finally demolished in 2002. Through the years, de Young Museum had changed, with adjustments and additions. The most recent restoration was completed in 2005 and conducted by the Swiss architects .

Naina & Sameer enjoyed both the museums & then headed towards their last destination for the day, Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze. At first glance, Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze looked more funky than befuddling. The black lights that illuminate its columns and archways cycle through neon colors, and upbeat, dance music thumps through its various turns. The wonderland-like ambiance prompted SF Weekly to list the maze as "possibly the most psychedelic place one can legally reach within the city limits" in its list of Five Places We Wish Bands Could Play in San Francisco.

It was constructed to cover 2,000 square feet, aligning 77 mirrors in counterintuitive corners, dead-ends, twists, and halls. The ultimate goal was to build a nostalgic labyrinth for both kids and adults could explore.

This is possibly the most psychedelic place one can legally reach within the city limits. Black lights set this labyrinth of mirrors a glow, making everyone completely lose track of where they are and where they are trying to go. Plus, they let you stay and trip out as long as you want. Usually the maze blasts dance-y '80s new wave through its ample sound system, but it'd be much more fun to have bands set up in the middle of the maze, start playing, and let the crowd hunt their way through the mirrors to catch the show.

Naina & Sameer had a great time in this maze & enjoyed a lot. As they got of the mirror maze, they headed to their hotel as they both were tired. Once they were back in their suite, Sameer ordered for simple dinner while Naina went to freshen up.

After Sameer too had freshened up, they had their meal recalling their whole day adventure. Naina was too happy with the way their day was spent. More than the museums & the mirror maze, she had enjoyed her husband's company & attention.

She felt his handholds were the best as he would hold her close to him. Sameer had started teasing her a lot & she was enjoying them. Though she would pout or get angry in a fake way, her heart would flip every time he would wink & smile at her.

It was now getting very much difficult for her to keep her feelings at bay. She was afraid that the three magical words would come out from her mouth very soon. She was trying her level best to control those feelings which were now increasing manifolds & were about to come out any moment.

After they finished the meal, Naina asked, "Sameer... hume teen ho gaye hai aaj yahaan aakar, ab kal kahaan jaayenge hum?" Her handsome husband just smiled in response & whispered, "Kal pataa chal jaayega na Naina... Jaise tumne aaj enjoy kiya, waise hi hum kal bhi karenge. I promise Naina, yeh trip main tumhare liye ekdum yaadgaar banaa dunga."

Naina closed the balcony door & Sameer switched off the lights. This was their fourth night together & now they were used to sleeping next to each other. All the awkwardness was gone & they drifted to sleep immediately.

The next morning, Sameer had planned a special surprise for his wife. When they reached the destination after breakfast, Naina was spellbound with the view in front of her. They were standing in front of San Francisco Bay Cruise.

Naina turned to her husband, "Hum... cruise par jaa rahe hai???" Sameer just nodded with a smile. Taking her hand in his, they walked to the cruise. Blue & Gold Fleet is the premier ferry service provider on San Francisco Bay. Visitors to the Bay Area always love an opportunity to see the City's breath-taking views and surrounding marine beauty and Blue & Gold Fleet has been providing these services for over 40 years.

This cruise sailed past the world-famous sea lions at PIER 39, underneath the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, around mysterious Alcatraz Island, past Angel Island State Park, and along San Francisco's historic waterfront.

Sameer & Naina enjoyed the fantastic photo opportunities & breath-taking views while sailing across the city. Naina had worn a pink georgette Anarkali dress. Her dupatta kept swaying in the air & she tried holding it.

Sameer too had caught hold of her flying dupatta a few times. As the time passed & they were enjoying the view, her dupatta flew away in a blink & Sameer ran to get hold of it. The dupatta got stuck a little lower & was not in Sameer's reach. He bent down to pull her dupatta but wasn't successful.

Naina was behind him in a second, but as Sameer tried to get hold of her dupatta, he lost his balance & fell into the sea with a loud splash. Naina screamed, "Sameer..." & without giving a second thought, she too jumped in the water.

How was the update???

Ek hi update mein bohot kuch ho gaya... Hai naa???

So, what do you think, what is going to happen in the next update??? Any guesses???

Next update on Friday...

Till then take care & stay safe...

Ignore the mistakes...

With Lots of Love,

Daksha...❤