Part 4

He rushed back to the guest house and it was dinner time. All the students had gathered for dinner and Sameer took a seat on the table next to the one on which Naina was sitting...he sat exactly opposite to her such that their backs were facing each other. He took a tissue paper and wrote something on it. He crumpled it up and dropped it down...he coughed twice and Naina looked at him behind...he too looked behind and signalled her to pick up the tissue paper. She did the same escaping being noticed by anyone except Swati...she teased Naina whispering about the love letter. She told Swati that its not a love letter...she asked her what was it then?

Sameer had asked her to meet at the same place where they had met the previous night...he had something very important to share with her. she signalled a yes by coughing twice...he smiled to himself although inside his heart he was very tensed ...thinking how would he tell everything to her and how would she react? But he had no choice but to wait for her to come and meet him.

It was night time and everyone was asleep...Naina slipped out of the room leaving Swati fast asleep. She found Sameer waiting for her before her...both of them smiled to see each other and hesitantly she asked him...why had he called her to meet him...what was so important that he wanted to tell her?

Sameer: wo main...tumhe kuchh batana chahta hu...par usse pehle main chahta hu ki tum mujhe ek promise karo...

Naina: promise...kaisa promise?

Sameer: yeh ki tum meri poori baat thande dimaag se sunogi aur meri baat poori hone se pehle tum yahan se nahi jaaogi...mujhe wo sab kehne dogi jo main tumse kehna chahta hu...

Naina: aisi kya baat hai Sameer? Mujhe darr lag raha hai.,...

Sameer: promise karo na...please...warna main batane ki himmat nahi kar paaunga...

Naina: achha baba promise...ab batao kya baat hai?

Sameer: (facing away from her as he didn't have the courage to look into her eyes)  Naina mujhe pata hai ki tum mujhe like karti ho...mujhpe bahut trust karti ho...

Naina (smiling): haan wo to hai...

Sameer: lekin main is trust ke layak nahi hu Naina...

Naina: kya?? Mujhe kuchh samajh nahi aa raha...

Sameer: main hi nahi jaanta ki main tumhe yeh sab kaise bataaun? Par mujhe na aaj tumhe sab sach batana hai... Naina maine jo tumse yeh sab dosti ki hai... yeh sab sach nahi hai...yeh sab...yeh sab sirf maine...

Naina: tumne...tumne kya?

Sameer: yeh sab sirf ek shart jeetne ke liye kiya hai...wo un ladkon ne mujhse shart lagayi thi ki mujhe tumhe apne pyar ke jaal mein fasana hai jisse tum mujhe sabke saamne hug karke ILU bolo...warna wo log mere baal khud kainchi lekar kaat denge...yeh sab jo maine kiya wo isliye hi kiya tha...apne baal bachane ke liye ...aur kuchh nahi...

Naina was stunned to hear this and felt the earth beneath her feet creep away...she somehow gathere her courage with tears almost dropping down her eyes...she clutched onto a nearby tree trunk for support...but suddenly a thought flashed through a mind and she laughed and said...

Naina: hahaha...yeh joke tha to bahut bura tha Sameer...tum aaj mujhe apne mazaak se buddhu banana chahte ho? Main jaanti hu ki tum aisa kuchh nahi kar sakte...please keh do yeh sab jhooth hai...please Sameer keh do na...yeh jhooth hai...

Sameer: nahi Naina...itne dino mein yeh pehla sach hai jo maine tumse kaha hai... maine yeh shart isliye lagayi thi kyunki main tumse aur tumhare Papa se bahut naraz tha...main unse badla lena chahta tha...Naina main wo nahi ho jo tum mujhe samajhti ho...main bahut bura hu Naina... ho sake to mujhe maaf kar do...

Naina was dumbstruck to know all this ...she burst out in tears and felt as if all her dreams shattered in this very moment...all her world of fantasies ended for her...what she thought of him and what he actually is? How could he do this? Just for a bet...he acted as if I was the most important for him...she couldn't imagine all this in her dreams...she always thought that he was the person of her dreams...who had been made and sent by God for her only...but here she came to know a totally different form of Sameer...she didn't know how to react...so shocked she was...she looked into his eyes...his eyes which were trying to figure out what she was thinking...what was she going through...he knew she was broken into bits and pieces with his revelation...her tears spoke everything... She turned around to leave from there and go back to her room. As she stepped back to leave...he held out his arm and said...

Sameer: Naina...kahan jaa rahi ho? Tumne promise kiya tha...ki tum meri poori baat sunogi...meri baat sun lo please...I request...

Naina turned back and slowly went to a nearby bench and sat there...

Sameer: thank you Naina meri baat sunne ke liye...main jaanta hu Naina ki main bahut bura hu... par tum ...tum bahut achhi ho... tumhara dil ekdum saaf hai...bilkul masoom...ek chhote bachhe ki tarah...tumne itne din me jo kuchh kiya...mere liye...mere liye prarthana ki...cake banaya mujhe manane ke liye...sweater banaya...aur ...aur tumne mere Nanu ki help ki...wo Nanu jo mere liye sab kuchh hain...aur maine kya kiya? Tumhare emotions ke saath khela...apne Nanu ko hurt kiya...wo mujhe ek achha insaan bante dekhna chahte hain aur maine...? Main sach me tumhare jaisi ladki ki dosti ke layak nahi hu... Tumne mera itna khayal rakha aur maine itna bura kiya tumhare saath...

Naina( still crying and clencing the bench with both her hands) to ab...ab yeh sab mujhe kyun bata rahe ho...apni shart poori kar lete aur bacha lete apne baal... le lete apna badla...

Sameer: nahi Naina...main aisa nahi kar paya... Kahin na kahin mera dil mujhe kehta raha ki jo main kar raha hu wo theek nahi hai... par maine humesha apne dil ki awaaz ko ignore kiya... Kya karta...kabhi apni Mom ka pyaar mila hi nahi...to jaanta nahi ki pyar kaisa hota hai? mere liye sab kuchh sirf mere Nanu hain...aur koi nahi... Naina yehi mera poora sach hai...ab tum jo chaho mujhe saza de sakti ho...main apna punishment accept karunga...jaisa tum kahogi...wohi karunga...i'm sorry Naina...please ho sake to mujhe maaf kar do...

Naina didn't say anything...she wiped her tears and ran to her room without saying anything...He stood there still waiting if she turns around but she didn't...he felt as if he lost her that moment...his friend...who was there for him to complete him...to take his sorrows and give him her happiness...but he lost her today... but he deserved this only for whatever he did to her...sadly he too went to his room.

Naina came to her room and shut the door close and burst out crying...Swati woke up from her sleep on hearing her cries and was shocked to see her like this...sitting at the door and crying ...not understanding what had happened...she immediately went to her.

Swati: Naina ...Naina kya hua tujhe...tu aise kyun ro rahi hai? bata kya hai?

Naina: sab khatam ho gaya Swati...sab khatam ho gaya...

Swati: hua kya yeh to bata...pehle tu uth...udhar chalke baith...

She took her and made her sit on the bed...she gave her some water and asked her what happened? Naina kept on sobbing and told her whatever Sameer told her about the bet... Swati too was shocked to know all this and she hugged Naina and consoled her...Naina kept on crying and Swati kept on consoling her... but then suddenly a thought came to her filmy mind...and she said...

Swati: Naina ek baat bolu...mujhe yeh baat samajh nahi aayi ki Sameer ne ab tujhe yeh sab kyun bataya? Wo tujhse chhupa bhi to sakta tha na... tu to waise bhi usse itna pyar karti thi...ek na ek din wo shart jeet hi jaata...par usne tujhe batakar apne baalon ka risk kyun liya? Ab wo kya karega?

Naina (angrily) tu meri dost hai ya uski? Tujhe ab bhi uske baalon ki fikr hai?

Swati: nahin Naina...mera wo matlab nahi tha...tu soch zara ki tujhe batane ke baad obviously wo shart haar jayega...ais arisk usne kyun liya? Kahin aisa to nahi ki wo sach mein tujhe like karne laga ho? Ho sakta hai wo badal gaya ho? Tu yaad kar...jab tujhe teacher se maar pad rahi thi...usne tujhe batane ki kitni koshish ki...kit hi na...aur aaj usne tujhe sab sach bata diya... Aisa koi tab tak nahi karta jab tak wo kisi ki real mein care na karta ho...maine filmon mein dekha hai...dekh...wo tujhse chhupa bhi to sakta tha...par usne aisa nahi kiya...usne tujhe sab sach bataya na...

Naina wiped her tears and tried to concentrate on whatever Swati was saying...she herself realised that whatever Sameer did...that made sure that he would ultimately end up losing the bet...then whether he really started liking her? is that the reason that he revealed the entire truth to him. What should she do in this situation? Swati suggested that she should talk to him once again and clarify everything...that was definite that he wasn't a bad person at heart...a bad hearted person would never show so much courage...she thought. Her Chachaji always taught her that lying is easy but speaking the truth takes much more courage than lying. She decided that she needs to speak to her Chachaji once and take his advice ...she would talk to him in the morning and then would talk to Sameer also...she needs to do something...otherwise Sameer would end up losing his hair and his reputation forever...maybe this realisation which made him reveal everything to her with courage acts as a turning point of his life and he improves overall as a human being ...maybe he becomes a person his Nanu wants him to be...he deserves a chance...but I would first talk to Chachaji...let me see what he suggests...

End of this part...hope you liked it?