PART THIRTEEN :
" Veeru !! yeh tune kya kiya? Roka kyun nahi raha usse?" , Naveen asked.
" Nahi Naveen...for me her happiness is important. Par maine abhi bhi umeed nahi chodi hai...I know, woh zaroor lautegi!"
" Veeru, woh kal jaa rahi hai!" , Aalekh said.
" I know....aur kal 'Jhankaar' bhi hai....Meri kismat ka faisla kal ho hi jaayega!"
NEXT DAY, AFTERNOON....
Raj entered Naina's house.
Huda was angry to see him there, but kept quiet as he didnt want to compromise his impression in front of her parents.
Raj came in front of her parents, with his head downcast.
" Uncle...Aunty, I'm Sorry. I know maine bahot badi galati ki hai...I'm really very sorry..I shouldn't have played with your emotions....But, believe me...I'm..."
" Bass Rajveer!", Naina's dad placed his hand on his shoulder, " Naina hamein sab bata chuki hai...Ki tum uski sirf madad kar rahe the...Tumhara ismein koi galat iraada nahi tha."
He looked at her dad gratefully.
" Aur beta, bachpan ki shaitaniyon ko aur Naina ko pareshaan karne keliye bhi maine tumhe maaf kardiya! ", Naina's mom said smiling at him, " Kyunki dosti mein sabkuch chalta hai....aur tum toh Naina ke sabse achche dost ho...Jo uski help karne keliye iss hadd tak ja sakta hai..."
Huda looked at them in shock...
He thought they would give Rajveer a solid bashing and here her parents are showering all their love on him!
" Par kaash...It wasnt a drama...", Her dad started to say and stopped abruptly.
Naina at once looked at her dad, but he looked away.
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Raj then went towards Naina.
" So NAIN ???", he asked smiling, while a tear escaped his eye.
" HEY !!! ", she yelled, " DONOT CALL ME NAIN !!!"
And they started laughing, though tears rolled out from their eyes.
" Can I....Can I hug you? One last time?" , he asked.
" BACK OFF RAJVEER !", Huda lost his patience.
Naina looked at huda, not knowing what to say.
Raj got his answer and he turned, but Naina had caught his hand tightly.
He turned to face her and she hugged him tightly.
" I'll miss you Raj....I'll really miss you a lot.", she was sobbing.
He patted her head and ruffled her hair.
" I'll miss you too, Nain."
and then whispered in her ears....
" Nain, aaj 'Jhankaar' hai....Venue is municipal ground, just besides Airport. I'll wait for you ! I know, tum zaroor aaogi ! Coz...mera mere Pyaar pe yakeen hai....I love you !! And I'll always Love you."
" Naina, I guess hum late ho rahe hai !" , Huda said.
Raj and Naina separated, when Naina held his hand again.
He looked at her in surprise.
" Lucky charm liye bagair hi jaoge? Aaj 'Jhankaar' hai na??", she asked and tied her band on his hand, " Dekhna tum hi jeetoge!"
" Jeetne ki chah nahi bachi.."
" Tumhe yeh comp jeetna hoga....Mere liye...please?"
" I'll try..." , he managed to say and left the place.
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"Boarding Flight Number 637! All passengers please come aboard at this time."
Naina looked out the window of her aeroplane seat, looking at city for the last time.
Huda sat down next to her. He held her hand and gave her a little smile.
"Don't worry sweetie. It'll be okay just as long as we're together."
Naina gave him a weak smile and nodded.
Huda looked at her carefully.
"You sure are pretty today. Remember back then when you were so much like a guy?I mean I couldn't believe that I had dated you back then."
Naina was taken aback.
'Does look always have to matter?' she thought.
She sighed and didn't listen to Huda as he continued talking.
She pulled out of her handbag the book she took from Rajveer.
She didn't know exactly what it was except that it had Raj's name on it.
She opened it up.
'Oh my gosh! I took his Diary!'
She closed the diary instantly. Her curiosity got the best of her. She opened it up.
The Diary was held in place by something.
She took it out and saw the it was a little bundle strand of hair tied together by an ivory ribbon.
She realized it was her hair and the ribbon was the same one Raj took from her when he pulled on her pigtails when they were small kids.
Tears fell down her face as she held onto her hair.
'Raj...you had loved me so long ago? Tum ...tum tabse mujhse pyaar karte the?'
She began reading his entries.
September 13th
Too close. I can't believe it. It had all happened so fast that I didn't have time to think. I would have lost Naina if I hadn't seen that fan falling.
If it did fall and kill Naina...then....what would have become of me?
She'll be gone forever, leaving me in this cruel and lonely world.
You would have thought that I would have told her that I loved her right then because I came so close to losing her.
But..... I didn't.
When I pushed her out of the way in time, I also chopped off her beautiful long hair.
I know it was her prized possession.
I said something really stupid and now she hates me forever.
Why must I always hurt the one I love the most?
Naina paused in shock. After all these years, she had blamed Raj for cutting off her hair when all he did was risk his own life to save hers. More tears rolled down her face as she continued reading.
February 14
Ha Ha! Hey, today I was teasing Naina in the cafeteria again. She was so mad.
She hated it when I called her Macho Man.
Is it my fault she looks so much like a guy?
Hmm...but underneath all that she was the still the same Naina that I love.
MY NAIN !!!
It's so hard telling her how I feel coz every time we talk, we end up arguing or dissing each other about something.
It's Valentine's Day today and I don't even have the guts to give her the dozen roses I have right here.
I hope she's not out with some other guy though...
Naina let out a little laugh. She couldn't believe Raj would write something like that. She flipped the book all the way to the last entry.
July 7
I love camping. Yesterday I was out camping with everyone and the most important of all, NAIN.
That stupid jerk, donkey Huda made me fall into a pit but like always, Naina was there for me.
I don't know what to do without her.
We talked about our past together and of course, she reminded me of how I tortured her.
Underneath the moonlight, she looked so pretty.
I began to realize that my childhood happiness was all because of her.
She didn't laugh at me when she found out my fear.
And you know what? Since Nain was down in that dark hole with me I'm not afraid of the dark anymore.
But I'm still afraid to admit to Nain that I love her. What if she rejects me? All I know is that I can't live without her....
Naina shut the Diary. Her mind started rolling fast.....
She looked over at Huda, who was sleeping.
Then she realized it.
All her tears and happiness were all because of Raj.
He was the only one who was able to make her laugh or cry.
She knew right then she couldn't leave......
"Flight 637 is prepared for take-off."
Raj watched the plane for Flight 637 take off.
He was standing at the fence.
Aalekh put his comforting hand over him, " Chal Veeru...woh ja chuki hai....'Jhankaar ' hamari raah dekh raha hai."
He turned back and hug him tightly.
" Mujhe nahi gaana....I dont want to sing...I dont want any thing."
" Veeru, you've promised her, you remember?" , Naveen said patting him, " Come on ! Tumhara pyaar itna kamzor hai kya, ki tum apna promise bhi poora na karsako?"
He walked away form the fence when the plane was no longer seen.
Tears fell down his cheeks as he started to head towards the grounds.
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'It's over.' , Rajveer told himself as he climbed the stage.
Public was screaming on the top of their lungs for him, but nothing matter to him...
He was there, just to fulfill his promise.
Aalekh gave him a thumbs up !
He closed his eyes and Naina's smiling face came in front of his eyes.
Tu Jo Hai To Sab Kuch Hai Na Koi Kami Hai
Hume Tum Se Pyaar Kitna Yeh Hum Nahi Jaante
Magar Jee Nahin Sakte Tumhare Bina
There was a thunderous applause and the crowd went wild with appreciation...
Raj opened his eyes, Aalekh gave him a reassuring smile and he too smiled back thinking about his Nain.....
Hume Tum Se Pyaar Kitna Yeh Hum Nahi Jaante
Magar Jee Nahin Sakte Tumhare Bina
"Toh kya hua agar woh mujhse pyaar nahi karti? Main toh usse karta hoon na?", he thought.
Hume Tum Se Pyaar Kitna
Aalekh gave him a pat on his shoulder...
Yeh Hum Nahi Jaante
Abhi gave him a small salute...
Magar Jee Nahin Sakte Tumhare Bina
He looked at her band..and kissed it...
Tu Hi Dil Hai Tu Hi Jaan Bhi Hai
He walked little bit ahead...
Tu Khushi Hai Aasra Bhi Hai
He opened his arms wide and looked skywards....
Teri Chaahat Zindagi Hai
He blew a kiss skywards...where she was in the plane...
Tu Mohabbat Tu Aashiqui Hai Tu Aashiqui Hai
The crowd was simply roaring !!
Raj was playing the guitar madly....his fingers were bleeding, but he didnt care...
Huda's face came in front of his eyes and his expressions hardened...
Tumhe Koi Aur Dekhe To Jalta Hai Dil
Badi Mushkilo Se Phir Sambhalta Hai Dil
Kya Kya Jatan Karte Hai Tumhe Kya Pata
He walked upto Aalekh and Abhi and swayed with them...
Yeh Dil Bekaraar Kitna Yeh Hum Nahi Jaante
Magar Jee Nahi Sakte Tumhare Bina
A girl tried to hold his hand while he bent over the ramp towards his fans...
He playfully pulled out his hand...
Hume Tum Se Pyaar Kitna....
He was reminded of how he pulled Naina up on the ramp that day.
He began playing the same tune, as tears rolled down his cheeks, in a hope that wherever she is she would hear it and come back running to him .
Aalekh , Abhi and Naveen too turned teary looking at their friend.
Suddenly, Naveen saw someone pushing through the crowd.
He wiped his tears and rushed forward to get the person.
Raj who was playing guitar with eyes still closed.
He had thought, he can survive without Naina, thinking about her happiness and well being....But it was impossible for him...
'If we were meant to be together, then Naina will show up right now.', he thought and sang...
Suna Gum Judai Ka Uthate Hai Log
Jaane Zindagi Kaise Bitate Hai Log
Aalekh and Abhi too saw Naveen with that person.....
They couldnt believe their eyes and didnt know how to react.
They looked at Raj, who was still unaware...
Din Bhi Yaha To Lage Baras Ke Saman
Suddenly Naveen pushed Naina up the ramp.
Raj was shocked to see her there!
Euphoria, ecstatic, happy, excited....these words couldnt describe his state then...
He had stopped singing long back and hugged her tightly and spun her around.
Aalekh and Abhi hi-fived.....They cared a damn about winning 'Jhankaar'...
All that mattered was Raj and Naina were together...
But how could the people who loved him, let Raj lose?
They took over the song, everyone singing together...
Hume Intezar Kitna Yeh Hum Nahi Jaante
Magar Jee Nahi Sakte Tumhare Bina
Hume Tum Se Pyaar Kitna Yeh Hum Nahi Jaante
Magar Jee Nahi Sakte Tumhare Bina
While Raj and Naina leaned their foreheads together, crying and laughing at the same time....
There was a thunderous applause as they all went back stage.
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" Nain...tum yaha..kaise....I mean...matlab...", He didnt know how to say.
" Aalekh, kaisa ajeeb ladka hai yaar?", Naina said, " Jab jaa rahi thi, tab rukne ke liye keh raha tha, ab waapis aayi hoon toh aane ki wajah pooch raha hai..."
" NO...No...", he said hurriedly, " I didnt mean that!"
Aalekh, Abhi and Naveen began laughing at him.
" Tum sab log yaha kya kar rahe ho? Dekh nahi sakte do beechde premi mile hai! Chalo...phooto yahase.."
" OHKKKK !!!", they said and left laughing.
He looked at Naina.
"I don't get it! Your plane left already! I mean how?", he asked.
Naina smiled, " Don't worry !! Parachute leke nahi koodi hoon! I got off the plane before it took off. Maa Baba bhi bahot khush the. "
He smiled and pulled her closer by waist, " Hmmmm...But I thought you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you fell in love with first?"
Naina gazed at the face of the person she knew she wanted to see every day.
She leaned over to kiss him.
Then she whispered," Mera pehla aur aakhri pyaar tum ho... SIRF TUM...HAMESHA."
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