Thanks for your patience everyone. It has been a crazy few weeks. First I had a really hard exam, then I had friends who came to visit from California, then my mom left. Anyway, I'm a little more relaxed now so hopefully the next update will come sooner. I hope you guys will enjoy this one. There's a Deepali-Karan scene, an extra long Aditya-Neelam scene...and...the Rehaan-Zeenat story is revealed! Enjoy and please comment!
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Recap
Neelam is almost attacked by a dog, but Aditya comes to the rescue just in time. When he walks her back to her house, Hina is waiting. Aditya gets the feeling that Neelam and Hina want to discuss something in private, so he gives them the opportunity. Hina shows Neelam a document that Todd Mitchell left at her door in which Carissa's parents agree to drop all charges against him. Hina and Neelam are unhappy about this but decide that there is nothing they can do about it. Rehaan gets a text from Vincent saying that Zeenat will be coming to Penn in January. While walking to Neelam and Deepali's house, he overhears an argument between Zaid and Samira but cannot figure out what they are talking about. Before they start their group discussion, Aditya notices that everyone seems a little down. When he asks what's going on, Deepali reveals that she is upset at Rehaan for teaming her up with Karan. It turns out that she's just joking. Their conversation of the day is about arranged marriage and each of them present an interesting viewpoint. After the session, Aditya and Zaid walk Hina and Samira to their dorm buildings. When Zaid offers to escort Hina all the way to her room, she kisses him on the cheek.
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Chapter 9: Questions and Answers
The first week of practice for Rehaan's dance went by without a glitch. During rehearsals, Karan and Deepali focused their attention on perfecting their steps and expressions, and apart from a few dirty looks, they were generally quite cordial to one other. The other ten dancers were also working hard, their efforts and enthusiasm earning them plenty of praise from their choreographer. Despite being pleased overall, Rehaan encouraged the group to strive to improve. These comments were most often directed towards the lead pair because Rehaan was certain that with a little more cooperation their chemistry would reach new heights.
On Monday, Rehaan assigned an extra hour of rehearsal for only Karan and Deepali, which would begin at two in the afternoon when the three of them were through with the day's classes. Deepali's last class ended early, so she walked over to the Student Performing Arts House and into the dance room that Rehaan had reserved for them. Finding it empty, she plugged her iPod into the speakers and began practicing on her own.
There could be nothing more natural than dancing for Deepali. She had barely learned the routine when she began to add her own style and attitude to every move, a decision which Rehaan had no objections to. Now that she was comfortable with all the steps, she could direct her attention to small details, like figuring out where her eyes should be focused at every moment of the dance and at which moment she should toss her hair for effect.
After going through the routine once and making a few adjustments, Deepali restarted the song and began again, unaware that she now had an audience. She completed the first few steps of the dance with ease, graceful yet dramatic. Engrossed in the rhythm, she twirled across the dance floor, her knee-length scarlet dress fanning out around her, revealing black leggings underneath. Just before coming to a stop, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. Startled, she reached out and felt her hand enclose on fabric as she spun around and came face to face with Karan. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments, but just as Deepali's initial shock wore off, she felt him lift her off the ground as he continued the routine. Releasing his t-shirt, she raised her arms above her head and turned her face towards the ceiling in an elegant pose. Karan lowered her to the ground, and they proceeded to complete the dance.
When the song came to an end, Deepali promptly turned away from him and headed towards the tables to get her towel. Patting her sweaty neck, she glanced at the time on a nearby clock and narrowed her eyes.
"Yeh Rehaan kahaan reh gaya?" she wondered aloud.
"He sent me a text saying he'll be fifteen minutes late," Karan replied, taking a seat on a table. "He wants us to keep practicing until he gets here."
She found a similar message on her phone when she pulled it out of her backpack. "I don't understand what he expects," she said irately, tossing her phone back into the bag. "If anyone needs more practice, it's definitely not us. I know the routine like the back of my hand."
"Tell me about it," Karan concurred. "I don't think it's possible to be any more in sync than we already are."
"Looks like we found the one thing that we both agree on. Rehaan is a slave driver."
A slight smile appeared on Karan's lips, for the very first time in Deepali's presence. "True. But actually, I believe there's one more thing we agree on -- he's exceptionally talented and we should do everything in our power to make this performance flawless."
Deepali sighed. "Yeah, all right. But what could he possibly want us to improve on?"
"I think it's your expressions," suggested Karan. "Those intense stares and exaggerated smiles. Don't you think it's a little over the top?"
"No," Deepali answered, highly affronted. "Bollywood dances are meant to be dramatic. I think the problem is with your body language. You keep going for that tough guy image, and you're missing the romance in the song completely."
"What?! No way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my body language."
So much for agreement, Deepali thought to herself.
"Actually, you're both wrong." Rehaan was standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. "What I really want is..." he began pensively as he walked towards them. "Actually, I would love if the two of you would get along, but since that's clearly a lost cause, let me suggest something more realistic. Can I see a little more eye contact...please?"
Karan raised an eyebrow, skeptically. "You mean I'll have to spend even more time looking at her face?"
Deepali shook her head, rolling her eyes. "You actually expect me dance with someone so rude?" she asked Rehaan.
Looking down dejectedly, Rehaan turned away from them. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and spoke in a solemn voice. "Maybe pairing you two up really was a bad idea. I just thought...you'd do the most justice to my choreography." Glancing up discreetly into the mirror on the wall opposite himself, Rehaan noticed Karan and Deepali exchange concerned glances behind him.
"Look, Rehaan, I'm sorry," Karan began. "I was just messing around. If it'll improve the dance, I'm up for it."
Rehaan remained silent.
"Me too," Deepali consented.
His eyes lighting up, Rehaan turned towards them once again. "Really?"
"Yes, Rehaan," Deepali with exaggerated exasperation. "But this better be your last request. You can only push us so far." She gave him a knowing grin as she stood up from the table.
Rehaan smiled contently as he watched Deepali and Karan head back onto the dance floor.
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Returning to his apartment that afternoon, Aditya found Zaid settled comfortably on the sofa. There was a large photo album open on the coffee table in front of him, but he was immersed in a phone conversation. With one glance at Zaid's face, it was apparent to Aditya who the person on the other line was.
"You want to meet tomorrow and try to finish the application?" Zaid asked into the phone, as Aditya entered and sat down next to him. Within a minute, Zaid set a meeting time and place with the person he was talking to and ended the call. "Hi Adi," he said cheerfully.
"Hey," Aditya replied. "Date with Hina tomorrow?"
"If you would call revising each other's personal statement for the engineering internship a date."
"Aise hi to pyaar ki shuruaat hoti hai," said Aditya with a smirk. "Furtive glances across the study table, accidentally grazing each other's hands as you reach for your pencils, and then-"
"Adi, please don't start," Zaid interrupted him, shaking his head.
"Theek hai, yaar. I'll give you a break, just this once. So, what's with the photo album?"
"Oh, I was looking through it before Hina called. Mere bachpan ki photographs hain, mostly with my sisters, but there are some friends and relatives as well. You want to see?"
"Of course!" Aditya responded.
Zaid moved the album into his lap and turned to the first page. Taking up the entire page was a large photograph, taken in a studio, of three adorable young children wearing color-matched outfits. The eldest, a boy, appeared about five years old and sitting next to him was a girl about a year younger than him. In the boy's lap was another little girl, a toddler.
"This was taken on Maryam second birthday," Zaid told Aditya. "The first studio portrait of the three of us."
"Samira thodi alag si lag rahi hai," Aditya commented. "Her face used to be rounder and fuller back then. Lekin tum aur Maryam bilkul nahin badle. I recognized both of you right away."
"Achcha?" Zaid stared at the picture thoughtfully. "But I hadn't even started kindergarten."
"You may have gotten older, but your features and expressions are still the same, and your smile hasn't changed at all. Shall we go on?"
Zaid gradually flipped through the next few pages. Most of the pictures were candid shots of the three siblings, and Aditya was amused to find some of the habits he associated with each of them reflected in the childhood photos. There were many photos of a school-aged Zaid shooting hoops in the driveway of their house while Maryam cheered him on enthusiastically from the sidelines. Pictures of Samira in her room revealed that even as a child, she liked to keep everything neat and organized. There were even a couple pictures of her arranging all the books on her bookshelf in alphabetical order.
"Now I know for sure that this is my Munchkin," Adi said with a laugh.
Zaid grinned back. "I'm pretty sure Samira was born with OCD. She was the only toddler I have ever known who actually enjoyed putting away her toys."
Finally they came to another studio portrait, which was taken about five years after the first one. In addition to the three Rehman siblings, there were two other children in this photograph, a boy around Zaid's age and a girl a few years older.
"Yeh dono kaun hain?" Aditya asked with curiosity.
Pointing to the girl, Zaid said, "This is our cousin, Aisha, the one who is currently studying law at Harvard." He then moved his finger to the boy and seemed to hesitate for a moment. "This was her brother, Aamir."
"Was? Oh wait, he's the one who had leukemia, right? I remember you mentioning him once."
Zaid nodded. "He died about a year after this picture was taken, after a ten month long struggle."
"That's so sad." Aditya spent a few moments gazing at the lively eyes and broad grin of the ten year-old boy in the photo. It seemed unjust that someone should be taken from the world at such a young age. Aamir had so much more to live and experience, so much to potentially share with the world. His life was cut way too short. Just like my parents, Aditya thought, feeling a jolt in his stomach at their memory.
"It took us all a while to get over his loss," Zaid continued, "but it was especially hard for Samira, since she and Aamir had been best friends. She became really curious about how cancer works and began reading about it in our father's medical reference books. She was actually pretty young, maybe 11 or 12, when she decided that she wanted to go into medicine. I think that decision helped her move on."
"She'll make a great doctor," Aditya replied. He decided to change the subject to take their mind off the topic of death. "Do you have any pictures of Maryam playing basketball in here?"
"I'm sure I've seen some," Zaid replied, and began flipping rapidly through the album.
Something caught Aditya's eye on one of the pages. "Ek second ruk jaao. Turn back a page," he told Zaid.
Zaid complied, and Aditya stared in confusion at the candid picture of Samira and Maryam. They were seated next to each other on a sofa, Maryam playing a video game and Samira reading a book. Based on Maryam's appearance, she must have been about 10 years old, which would make Samira around 12. There was nothing alarming about the situation per se, but Aditya knew something wasn't right. It took him a few moments to figure it out.
"Zaid, why does Samira look so frail in this picture?" he asked.
The first expression on Zaid's face after this question was one of panic, but he quickly changed it to a look of confusion. "Kya matlab?"
"This picture was taken a few years after the last one, right? But Samira actually looks smaller here, as if she lost a lot of weight in a short period of time. Did she fall ill or something?"
"Maybe. Mujhe theek se yaad nahin. She used to catch the flu a lot, but it was nothing serious."
Aditya frowned, his eyes still on the picture. "This can't be the flu. She looks unnaturally fragile."
"Um...Adi, I just remembered that I have to call my mom," Zaid said as he closed the album abruptly. "Baaqi ki photos baad mein dekh lenge." Rising from his seat, Zaid took the album with him and headed towards his room, disappearing into the hallway.
Aditya stared after him, confused by his behavior. Zaid was definitely hiding something.
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Returning to his dorm room that evening, Rehaan found it empty. Recalling that his roommate had an evening class that day, he took a seat at his desk and dropped his backpack on the floor next to him. Grabbing his Psychology textbook from the shelf above his head, he turned to the chapter that had just been covered in class that morning and attempted to read. As he had expected, he couldn't even make it through the first paragraph before his concentration wavered. There were more pressing issues at hand.
The prior evening, Vincent has sent Rehaan a text message which confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt that Zeenat would indeed be attending the University of Pennsylvania starting in January. Not only had her father's plan to open a new office been finalized, but her transfer application at the university had also been accepted. There was no hope now for any changes from her end. At this point, it was essential for Rehaan to come up with a plan to cope with her presence. Would it work to simply avoid and ignore her? If not, was there something he could say that would make her back off? It seemed that he had tried everything already, but she just wasn't willing to give up.
Rehaan needed advice on the matter, and he knew that no one would be able to help him better than Vincent. As an unabashed flirt, Vincent had more experience with women than any other guy that Rehaan had ever known. In his senior year of high school alone, Vincent had dated and broken up with five different girls. At least two of them had tried in vain to reunite with him. Vincent wasn't a bad person, nor did he find any pleasure in hurting these girls. He just wasn't mature enough to know what he wanted before rushing into a relationship. Rehaan would never even consider taking his advice on how to maintain a relationship, but when it came to getting out of one, Vincent was the authority on the subject.
The only reason that Rehaan was hesitant about calling him was that Vincent and Zeenat were still friends. Unaware as to the reason behind Rehaan and Zeenat's breakup, Vincent was still trying to play mediator between them. Although he wanted Vincent to understand why the relationship could never be repaired, Rehaan knew he would feel guilty if the truth created a rift between Vincent and Zeenat. But now, Zeenat's antics were getting out of hand. Vincent needed to know the whole story.
As Rehaan thought about how to approach the subject, the main events that outlined his short-lived relationship with Zeenat flashed before his eyes, starting with their very first meeting. On the first day of his final year of high school, Rehaan had been walking through a hallway at lunchtime when he noticed a girl rummaging frantically through her locker, her eyes brimming with tears. When he asked her what was wrong, she told him that she had lost a locket that was very special to her. Rehaan helped her search the entire school, and eventually they discovered that a teacher had found the locket in his classroom earlier that day. Relieved to have it back, the girl confided in Rehaan that the locket had belonged to her mother, who had passed away ten years earlier. This was the first and last time that Rehaan saw Zeenat's sensitive side.
Still, the two of them quickly became good friends, and their individual groups of friends united into a larger one. Rehaan instantly found himself attracted to Zeenat's spontaneity. He had never met anyone who made and changed decisions so rapidly, and initially, he found this quality very endearing. They had barely known each other for a month when Zeenat declared her love for him. Rehaan was unsure about how to respond to this at first, but her apparent sincerity quickly won him over. Soon the entire school came to know them as a couple, and Rehaan began to imagine Zeenat as his future wife.
When Zeenat's father discovered their relationship, he was highly skeptical of Rehaan and believed his daughter to be too young to have a boyfriend. It took some time, but Rehaan ultimately convinced him that he intended to marry Zeenat in a few years and that he had been raised with enough principles to understand his limits until then. For the rest of the school year, Rehaan proved to be the most caring and devoted boyfriend any girl could ask for. Despite Zeenat's constant mood swings and the irrational anger she often directed towards him, he always stayed by her side. He learned to recognize her every emotional state and respond to it accordingly. Her jealous tendencies led him to stop talking to other girls and spend all his free time with her. And whenever he was with her, she seemed to want more and more physical contact, and he had to continuously remind her of the promise he had made to her father. Rehaan didn't realize it at the time but being with Zeenat was draining him emotionally.
Despite her jealousy and possessiveness, nothing could prepare Rehaan for what happened on the night of her graduation party. The only thought on his mind when he arrived at her house was regret at his decision to accept the position offered to him by the University of Pennsylvania. Zeenat did not want to leave her home, so she had selected the University of Miami. They both knew that attending Penn was Rehaan's dream since childhood so Zeenat had not protested, yet he still felt like he was abandoning her. Since his decision could no longer be changed, Rehaan decided to make the most of their time together at her party and the summer months before he left for Philadelphia.
During the party, Zeenat had to entertain relatives whom she hadn't seen in years, so she wasn't able to spend time with Rehaan. Understanding her situation, Rehaan spent his time catching up with some of his friends. As midnight approached, most of the guests trickled out and ultimately, Rehaan was left with only Emily, a friend of his since Freshman year. He talked with her just as he had talked with everyone else, never suspecting that Zeenat was giving them dagger eyes from across the room. The moment all the other guests had finally left the house, Zeenat approached Rehaan, shaking with anger. She questioned him on his relationship with Emily and what their private conversation was about. Though he was stunned with disbelief at her insinuation, Rehaan tried to reason with her to the best of his ability. But instead of being receptive to him, she then proceeded to ask a question which left him speechless and shattered his heart into a million pieces: "You're sleeping with her, aren't you?" It took a few moments for Rehaan to recover from this allegation, but as soon as he realized the implications of it, he knew that they could never be together again. He ended their relationship then and there and left her house, never to return again.
Rehaan was certain that this story would irrevocably change the way Vincent viewed Zeenat and probably end their friendship, but he knew Vincent wanted and deserved to know what had happened. Taking his cell phone from his desk, Rehaan dialed Vincent's speed dial code. Finally, the truth would be disclosed.
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Samira was pacing her dorm room, angry and upset. Unable to figure out what else to do in this state, she finally sat down on floor, knocked all the books off her bookshelf and began to place them back one by one, this time reorganizing them by size instead of title. She tried to distract herself, but soon the thoughts that were troubling her resurfaced once again.
One of the several things bothering Samira was Carissa's parents' decision to drop all charges against Todd Mitchell. Almost a week had passed since this news had first been confirmed, but Samira still found herself fuming over it. The idea that someone could drive recklessly and almost kill another human being yet still get away with it scared her. Carissa had been fortunate enough not to suffer any lasting injuries, but what if Mitchell hit someone else in the future? Samira could not understand how Carissa's parents could be okay with the guy who hit their daughter completely escaping punishment.
Even more than Carissa' case, Samira was troubled by the recollection of the conversation she had had with Zaid the previous week. She knew that Zaid cared about her and his concern was genuine, but she hated being made to feel like a child. Why couldn't her brother understand that she was well aware of how to take care of herself? After all, she was the most practical and sensible member of her family. What happened seven years ago was different. She was younger back then and didn't understand what she was doing. But now, at the age of 18, she didn't need anyone else to watch over her. She was absolutely fine on her own.
Once all the books were in their place, Samira stood up and found herself face to face with her reflection in the mirror on her wall. Looking into the mirror, she analyzed her appearance. After a few moments, she came to the sudden realization that Zaid was absolutely right. She had missed all the signs before, but now they were clear as day. There was definitely reason for concern.
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After entering her dorm building, Hina walked past the student lounge, giving the two first year boys standing in the doorway a friendly smile. As she approached the elevator, she heard one of them whispering to the other.
"Dude, she's hot," he said.
Spinning around rapidly, Hina found them both grinning roguishly. "You might want to wait until I leave the vicinity next time," she snapped at them.
Appearing embarrassed, they apologized profusely. Rolling her eyes, Hina walked into the elevator and hit the number for her floor. As she stepped out on her floor, she noticed a familiar figure heading down the hallway. She could only see his back, but the brown leather jacket was unmistakable. What was Todd Mitchell doing on her floor?
When she saw him take a left at the end of the hall, her curiosity prompted her to go against her better judgment. Passing the door of her own room, Hina continued to the end of the hall and peered around the corner. Mitchell was standing a few doors down, his arms crossed in front of him. The door in front of him opened a crack, then a little more. Hina caught of a glimpse of a dark-haired guy whom she had seen in the building often but did not know. The two men argued in whispers for a few moments, but Hina could not make out a single word. Then Mitchell handed the other guy a sealed envelope. The dark-haired guy disappeared into his room for a moment, then returned and handed Mitchell a small white paper bag. Mitchell turned in place, and as the door shut behind him, he began walking towards where Hina was hiding.
'Crap. Hina, why didn't you think this through?' she scolded herself silently, as she tried to figure out what to do. Her eyes fell on the door closest to her. She knew that this room belonged to her friend Maya and was pretty sure that Maya would not be back so early in the evening. Still, she took a chance and reached for the doorknob. Turning it, she was relieved to find it open. She quickly stepped in and closed the door behind her. No one was in the room. Putting her ear against the door, Hina heard Mitchell walk past and continue down the hall. Waiting a little longer, she heard the elevator open and close. Finally certain that Mitchell was gone, she opened the door and walked cautiously back to her own room.
Although she couldn't help wondering about the transaction that had occurred in the hallway between the two guys, Hina knew that she had been too curious for her own good. She decided that next time she wouldn't take such a chance. As for now, her priority was figuring out a way to tell Maya that she should keep her door locked.
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As the last rays of the sun vanished from the darkening sky, Aditya made his way up the driveway of Neelam's house and onto the porch. After he had knocked on the door, he went over the ideas he had came up with to help Neelam with her presentation once again in his mind. His goal was to make sure that she was well prepared, but first and foremost, he wanted her to start believing in herself, after which he was certain she would have the confidence to face an audience of any size.
Neelam opened the door, and Aditya was surprised to see her in desi clothes for the first time. Her white churidaar and kameez complimented her slender form perfectly and her straight black hair elegantly framed her face, blowing slightly in the light breeze that entered through the open door. After stepping inside and closing the door behind him, Aditya turned to look at her again, a smile lighting up his face.
Conscious of his eyes on her, Neelam felt her heart begin to race. Turning away from him, she occupied herself with straightening her dupatta and her glasses.
"Chashmish," he called from behind her.
Startled, Neelam turned towards him timidly. Part of her wanted to lower her gaze, but she couldn't take her eyes away from his handsome grinning face. As she stood there, her eyes fixed on his, she silently wondered how anyone could be so attractive.
Taking a couple steps forward, Aditya leaned in slightly toward her. "Yeh shalwaar kameez tum pe bahut achchhi lag rahi hai. You look really nice."
Neelam felt her heart pound and her face become warm. She wanted to thank him for the compliment but at that moment, all she could manage was a slight smile.
"Neelam beta." Her father's voice reminded Neelam that they weren't alone. She and Aditya turned to see him walking over from the family room. He was dressed formally in a suit, but his tie was still hanging loosely around his neck.
"Hello Dr. Mehta," Aditya greeted him.
"Adi, tum kab aaye?"
"Bas abhi abhi. Aap kisi party mein jaa rahe hain?"
Dr. Mehta nodded. "Chancellor ke ghar pe Physics faculty ka dinner hai. Poori family ko invite kiya tha, lekin Deepali apne doston ke saath kahin gayi hai aur Neelam keh rahi thi ke usko tumhaare saath kisi presentation par kaam karna hai. Is liye sirf main aur Mrs. Mehta hi jaa rahe hain."
"Theek hi to hai, Dad," Neelam replied, stepping forward to knot his tie. "Aap aur Mom hamesha har jagah mujhe aur Deepali ko saath le jaate hain. Kabhi kabhi aapko akele bhi jaana chaahiye."
"Akele jaa kar kya karen. Tum dono ke bina kahin humaara dil bhi to nahin lagta."
Neelam smiled. "Apne college ki baatein yaad karenge to dil zaroor lag jaayega." Completing his tie, she took a step back.
"Bahut samajhdaar ho gayi hai meri beti," Dr. Mehta replied, grinning and patting his daughter's cheek affectionately.
As Aditya silently watched this interaction, he smiled to himself, trying to ignore the unexplained longing he felt in his heart.
"Anand, aap tayyaar ho gaye?" Mrs. Mehta walked into the room in a chic dark blue evening gown, her beaming face appearing a lot more youthful than her true years.
"Main to kabse aap ki raah dekh raha hoon," Dr. Mehta responded, his eyes fixed on his wife's face. "Aakhir chand ka deedaar ho hi gaya."
"Anand, kuch ho sharam kijiye!" Mrs. Mehta reprimanded him, though her smile indicated that she was pleased. She finally noticed Aditya. "Arre Adi, tum jaldi aa gaye."
"Ji," he replied. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding."
She shook her head. "Aisi koi baat nahin hai beta. Actually, now we can get an unbiased opinion." She went and stood next to her husband. "Kaise lag rahe hain hum."
Aditya smiled. "Kya kahoon Aunty, mujhe to lagta hai party mein sab aapko hi dekhte reh jaayenge."
Dr. Anand raised an eyebrow. "Sirf inko?" He gestured toward his wife.
"Nahin...aap dono ko, of course," Aditya replied nervously, causing everyone to laugh.
Mrs. Mehta turned towards her daughter. "Neelam, oven mein ek cake bake ho raha hai. Bees minute mein use nikaal lena."
"Theek hai, Mom."
"Aur jab Deepali ghar aaye to poochh lena ke usne kuch khaaya hai ke nahin. Woh ladki to masti main sab kuch bhool jaati hai.'
"Main yahaan sab kuch sambhal loongi, Mom. Aap jaiye na. Aap dono ko der ho rahi hai."
"Chalo Nandini," Dr. Mehta urged her. "Inko bhi apna kaam karna hai."
As her parents walked to their car and left for the party, Neelam stayed in the doorway for a few minutes, watching them leave. Aditya came and stood next to her. Feeling his arm brush against hers, she couldn't help feeling nervous and conscious once again. Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her.
"Family room mein chalen?" she asked, avoiding his glance.
"Sure," he replied and followed her there.
The moment they entered the room, they saw that the floor was littered with paper. The glass sliding door leading to the backyard had been left open and the wind had blown a stack of papers from the coffee table onto the floor.
"Yeh khula kaise reh gaya," Neelam said to herself, as she knelt down to pick up the papers. Aditya began to help her and soon, they had gathered nearly all of them. As he reached out to grab one of the last remaining sheets, Aditya didn't notice that Neelam had gotten to it first. Instead of the paper, his fingers enclosed on Neelam's wrist. Glancing up in surprise, Aditya found himself staring into Neelam's widened eyes.
Slowly moving his hand away, he smiled at her. "I'm sorry," he said.
"It's okay," she answered softly, lowering her gaze. Picking up the remaining papers, she placed them in a nearby cabinet. After closing the sliding door, she sat down on the sofa in front of her laptop and pulled up the rough outline of her presentation. Aditya sat down next to her.
"I tried to write up something, but I'm not sure if it's complete," she told him, turning the laptop toward him.
"If you wrote it, I'm sure it's great," Aditya answered.
Neelam wasn't convinced. "Ek baar dekh to lo."
Aditya shook his head. "That's the problem, Neelam. You're always doubting yourself, which is why you get nervous in front of the class. Tumhen khud par yaqeen hona chaahiye, apni har baat par yaqeen hona chaahiye. You know, you're one of the most intelligent people I know."
Neelam looked down at her hands shyly. "That's not true," she replied.
"Of course it is," he insisted. "Main tumse kabhi jhoot nahin bol sakta. Tumko mujhpe bharosa hai na?"
One glance into his eyes told her that he was being honest. Finally smiling, she nodded in the affirmative.
"Perfect," he said, returning her smile. "To ab poori confidence ke saath yehi presentation mere saamne deliver karo. Just believe in yourself, Neelam, aur sab aasaan ho jaayega."
As she stood up in front of him, Neelam felt as if a load had been lifted off her shoulders. Aditya's belief in her had raised her confidence substantially. The stage fright had not disappeared completely, nor was she sure that her upcoming presentation in front of the class would go well, but at least she knew what she needed to strive for. She was certain that with Aditya's help, she would give at least one good presentation before the end of the semester.
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Questions:
1. Did I do a better job with Adi-Neelam this time? (I really hope so)
2. Did Rehaan's story surprise you?
3. What do you think Samira and Zaid's secret is?
4. What did you think of the chapter?
Edited by SuhanaSafar - 15 years ago
Marathi TV
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