You Are Meant For Me...!!!(RN) Ud Pg 25

"Ek baat batao Raj... tum humesha aise hi zameen ki taraf dekhte hue chalte ho kya...?" Naina asked mischievously.

Raj smiled a little and refrained from commenting. He didn't have an answer to that question. Naina in the meantime resolved not to leave even one chance of teasing him.

Raj and Naina spent a lot of time together during the course of their play. Naina used to tease him mercilessly. The more he tried to shy away from her, the more she picked on him.

One day during one of such practice sessions, Raj was sitting on a chair during a break when Naina came and knelt down beside him on the grass. "Huff..." she was panting.

He scrutinized her carefully. The uniform clung to her figure accentuating her curves. She had her hands on her hips and was trying to control her breath. A few locks of hair had escaped from the pony tail and were falling on her face making her look even more beautiful.....

"Beautiful...." thought Raj.... "Haan.... wo sach me bahut sundar hai..... kitni pyaari lagti hai.... even in uniform.... she is a class of her own....."

To make matters worse for Raj, a cool breeze started to blow just at that moment making the weather even more romantic. It blew away a few more strands of her hair from her face.... making her look even more irresistible...... He felt like kneeling down in front of her and taking her sunshine face in his palms. He felt he could stare at her continuously.

He shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts and tore his eyes away from her with the greatest difficulty. God knows what had happened to him after the anchoring. He felt as if he had got used to her presence around her. He felt so alone without her. She was the only person who had accepted him the way he was.... shy, reserved, reticent... he never felt the need to change himself for her.... Many times in the last few months, he had caught himself staring at her when nobody was noticing him. He would stare continuously at her... without her knowledge and it took Nilesh's jostling to pull him out of his trance.

"Kitna ghurega yaar.... ab rehne bhi de...." Nilesh would often remark making him go red in the face. His shy smile could steal the heart of any girl.... but he never noticed what effect he had on other girls. His only concern was what effect Naina had on him.

He was staring ahead of him as all these thoughts raced through his mind. It was her voice which broke his trance.

"Kya soch raha hai tu.?"

"Haan... nahi...kuch bhi to nahi.... Wo to bas mai aise hi dekh raha tha..."

"Oh come on Raj.... jhuth mat bol.... tu kuch soch raha tha..."

"Achha... tujhe kaise pata?" He asked with a sweet smile.

She loved to see the smile on his face. "Teri aankhen bol jaati hai.... ye kabhi jhuth nahi bol paati... ab bata bhi kya soch raha tha..."

"Kuch nahi re...." he smiled shyly.

"Ohhooo.... bada Sharma raha hai.... kaun hai wo ladki....haan..."

"Bahut.... kya boli.... kaun si ladki......"

Naina had in the meantime burst out laughing. "Dekha...pakda gaya na tu.... mujhse jhuth bolne ka anjaam yahi hota hai..... bata bata....kaun ladki hai...."

"Pagal ho rahi hai kyat u....koi ladki nahi hai...."

"Achha ji....jhutha..... bataega mujhe ya Sneha ko bulaun....?"

"Ab bechari Sneha ko kyun bich me ghasit rahi hai.....?"

"Kyunki ab tere pet se sachhai wahi nikaal sakti hai........ ruk tu...." Naina looked around the ground and spotted Sneha standing in a corner talking to Nilesh.

"Snehaaaaaaaaa...... sunn zara.... jaldi...."

A few minutes later, Sneha joined a visibly shy Raj and an amused Naina in the middle of a fight.

"Kya ho gaya Naina....kitna hass rahi hai....?"

"Tu puch Raj se zara...kaun hai wo ladki jiske bare me sochte hue ye pata nahi kahan kho jata hai..."

"KYa......Raj ke life me koi ladki hai..... Breaking news of the Day..... abhi batati hun sabko...." Sneha rubbed her palm in glee.

"E Sneha....jyada bakwas mat kar." Raj warned her.

"Mai to karungi hi.... tu kya kar lega mera.... haan.... bhalai chahta hai to bata de apni girlfriend ke bare me.... warna abhi pure school me dhindhora peet dungi...." Sneha was laughing uncontrollably as she said this to Raj.

"As if mai bata dunga to mujhe chod degi...huh...."

"Tu aise nahi manega na..... abhi batati hun sabko....Raj ki koi girlfriend bhi hai...."

Akshay who was passing that way heard this and was immediately alerted. "Achha.... hume to pata hi nahi tha.... zara hume bhi to pata chale ki kaun hai wo ladki."

Immediately Naina's face underwent a transition and she grew serious. She had never liked Akshay and she knew pretty well that he was jealous of Raj. Sneha however continued to chatter unhindered.

"Arey haan Akshay....hai na iski girlfriend..... ab to Raj jab bhi usse milega...yahi gaana gayega.... 'Utha le jaunga tujhe mai doli mai...dekhti reh jayengi sakhiyan bechari....'...."

"Sneha bass kar....bahut jyada ho raha hai...."

"Arey koi jyada nahi ho raha....hai na Raj...." And she playfully hit Raj on his forearm.

"Kyun maar rahi hai yaar bechare ko....." Naina objected at that instant. But Sneha hardly listened to him.

"Bata na Raj....kaun hai teri girl friend..." Sneha asked him again.

"Haan haan...bolo Raj.... hume bhi pata chalna chahiye." Akshay poked him further. By now a small crowd had gathered around them. Raj had been smiling all this while, never losing his temper even once. But Akshay's behavior was getting on to his nerves and by looking at him, Naina could decipher that he was going to snap any minute. She just didn't want Sneha to bear the brunt of his anger.... or rather provocation...whatever you may call it.

But Sneha was always the irrepressible... The more Naina tried to caution her, the more she started to tease him and pick on him. The way she talked to Raj made it very clear to an observer that she was madly in love with him. In the initial days, Naina had thought it was infatuation.... maybe even a crush..... maybe even now it was a crush..... but it had deep rooted feeling's in Sneha's heart.

"Bol na Raj....

"Deewana hai dekho ho oooo...

Sambhalo sambhalo na pyaar ho....

Apna banake dekho dil na chura le wo...

Aisa kyun lage hai bolo na...."

Raj got up from his chair and began to walk away.

"Kahan bhag raha hai Raj...bata bhi..." Sneha stopped him in his tracks.... "Kaun hai wo...?"

"Mujhe kisi ko dhundne ki zarurat thode hi hai.... TU hai na.... aur kisi ki kya zarurat.... tujhe hi utha le jaunga doli me...." And he walked away smiling to himself making Sneha blush furiously in embarrassment. All the while Naina had been rolling down on the floor with laughter.

"Kamina saala... Kuch bhi bolta hai...." Sneha muttered audibly.

"Arey kuch bhi kahan bola...tune jo pucha usi ka jawab diya na usne...." Naina reasoned with her. The crowd had started to thin around them, until only the two of them were left.

"Tu to aisa hi bolegi..." Sneha pouted.

"Obvious hai na dear.... maine sirf tujhe bulaya tha....puri bhid ikathha karne ko nahi kaha tha Sneha.... sabke saamne aise fass jao to kitna ajib lagta hai..... aur tu uss bechare ko sabke saamne hi pareshan kiya jaa rahi thi...."

"Par fir bhi...."

"KYa par fir bhi..... dekh usne tujhse aisa isliye kaha kyunki wo free hai tere saath...warna wo to bin bole hi chala jata.... ab jo kiya wo to bhugatna hi tha.... so stop cribbing.....okay.... aur chal practice me.... sir bula rahen hai tujhe...."

Okay...aaj sham mere ghar chal rahi hai na...."

"Haan re...school ke baad chalte hain.....thik hai...."

"Okay....bye...."

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Naina and Raj spent a lot of time together, which made them come closer than before. Naina spent almost all of her spare time teasing Raj to which he never replied harshly. His only reaction was a shy smile, after which he would look down and sit quietly. Naina found his shyness amusing but it brought her closer to him.

Naina and Sneha too had come closer during this time. They had bonded thickly and it was a routine for Naina to visit Sneha every afternoon after school. Both the girls would lock themselves up in Sneha's room and spend time talking and playing with each other. Naina much to her enjoyment found Sneha falling head over heels in love with Raj. Every word that she uttered, every line that she spoke would invariably be connected to Raj. If it was his inherent shyness which caught her attention and attracted her, his charming smile made her heart go out for him. The way he stood, the way he walked, the way he talked, the way he smiled, the way he laughed.... everything had an effect on Sneha.

Naina had ended up asking incredulously. "Wo hasta bhi hai...?"

Sneha had been irritated at this comment. "Kya matlab hai...har insaan hasta hai..."

"Haan, magar Raj.... maine to usse kabhi haste hue nahi dekha..."

"Kya Naina...tu bhi.... kitna khulke hasta hai....tune nahi dekha...."

"Kab khul ke hasta hai Sneha... kuch bhi bolun... Sharma k ek sweet si smile deta hai aur chup rehta hai...bas...isse hasna bolti hai tu....?"

"Arey nahi yaar...hasta hai wo... dekha hai maine haste hue usse... kamal hai yaar tu itna time bitati hai uske nsaath roz...fir bhi nahi dhyan diya tune...."

Naina laughed and chose to keep quiet instead of retorting.

One day during a free hour in the class, when the rest of the students were busy gossiping, Naina had her head dug in one of the Nancy Drew mysteries. She was so engrossed in the book that she hardly noticed what was going on around her. Neither did she see Prakash come and sit beside her, nor the weird look which Raj directed in her direction nor did she notice that Sneha had seen the look which Raj had passed... which was of curiosity and concern mixed with amusement.... and was jealous of it.

After completing the story, when she finally looked up from her book did she notice that something was amiss. Then she noticed Prakash sitting beside her and was immediately wary of him. That guy was a sore trouble. Flirting and troubling her continuously, he always tried to make a pass at her. Naina was tired of his trials and used to have a hard time trying to control her temper in check. As such she was short tempered, and had been on the verge of losing her temper very badly quite a lot of times. She had scolded him numerous times, but to no avail.

"Hi Naina... kya padh rahi hai...?" prakash asked her sweetly.

"Kya karega jaan kar... apna raasta naap..." she retorted.

"Arey tu gussa kyun ho rahi hai.... mai to bass puch raha hun..."

"Aur mai bhi bas bata rahi hun kit ere matlab ki baat nahi hai...tere palle nahi padega.... ab dafa ho yahan se...."

"Kyun...mai yahan baith nahi sakta...?"

"Teri jagah hai ye....?"

"Nahi...par baith gaya to ho gai meri jagah..."

"Chup chap fut le yahan se Prakash...warna achha nahi hoga..." It was taking all of her self control to stop her from bursting out horribly at him, and sitting in the next bench, Raj was increasingly aware of the dangers if she lost her cool. He looked outside the classroom, his mind racing ahead to see if there was any means by which he could take her away from that situation.

He saw their English teacher going towards the ground and immediately hatched a plan. He turned towards Naina in an attempt to call her, but if only she would listen. Closing his book resolutely, he got up from his chair and approached her.

A touch on her forearm made Naina turn her head in the opposite direction. She found Raj standing near her. "Ma'm ne bulaya hai...chal..."

"Tu chal...mai aati hun..." she replied.

"Nai...abhi chal...fir time nahi rahega.... ye hour khatam hone wala hai. Chal na...."

She couldn't refuse him, his manner was so endearing. With a smile, she got up and left the room with him oblivious to the waging tongues behind her.

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The annual function commenced with a welcome song and then a speech extending welcome to the guests. Naina was dressed in traditional kathakali attire as she read out the speech. Soon after the speech was a dance dedicated to Goddess Saraswati ' the patron goddess of art and dance.

Raj couldn't take his eyes off her all throughout the dance. She looked so beautiful in the traditional dress and ornaments. He walked up to her after her performance.

"Amazing performance Naina...it was awesome."

"Thank you so much Raj..." she smiled at his compliment.

"Bahut hi bsdhiys Naina.... excellent job." Nilesh joined them.

"Thanks Nilesh..."

"Pata hai jab tum dono ko anchoring ke liye nahi liya tha na...to mujhe bahut bura laga tha..." Nilesh said.

"Magar ab nahi lag raha... pata hai kyun?"

"Kyun?" Naina asked.

"Kyunki Raj ko chief guest ko escort karne ko kaha gaya....imagine.... Navy ke chief hain aaj ke guest...."

"Pata hai Nilesh... speech maine hi diya tha na..."

"Haan... aur tujhe speech aur dance karne ko kaha.... isliye mai khush hun."

"Mai bhi Nilesh... bura laga tha mujhe jab mere upar Principal ma'm ne kisi aur ko chuna... magar anchoring se pehle, mere dance se iss function ki shuruat hui hai.... isse badhkar garv ki aur koi baat nahi hai mere liye....." Naina smiled.

Nilesh was a real friend. She treated him more like a brother. Tall, open hearted he was candid to the core. He spoke out his mind clearly but never hurt others. He was really close to Raj and along with him; he had come close to her as well. She was a year his junior and when he came to know of that, he had started treating her as his younger sister.

"Ab next tum dono ka play hai na..." he reminded them.

"Haan.... par time hai abhi...." Naina replied. "Usse pehle humara group dance hai."

"To taiyar ho jao..." Nilesh said.

"Haan...mai ja rahi hun... tum dono bhi taiyar ho jao.... aur Nilesh...teri wo partner dikhe na to usse bol dena jaldi se taiyar hone ko..."

"Teri best friend hai.... tu hi bata.." Nilesh retorted. He didn't like Sneha much...because of her nonstop chatter.

"Meri best friend jab tere best friend ke saamne aati hai na...to sab kuch bhul jaati hai.... siway tere best friend ko ghurne ke aur kuch yaad nahi rehta usse...mai bhi nahi.... isliye usse ya to tu sambhal ya tere BEST FRIEND se bol sambhalne ko....." And she winked at Nilesh before running away from there, leaving him in peals of laughter. It took Raj a few seconds to process what she had said, and by the time he had understood, both Naina and Nilesh had run away from there, leaving him face to face with Sneha.

"Tu yahan kya kar raha hai Raj?" Sneha queried. Her high pitched child like voice was a source of irritation for many...including Nilesh, but Raj found it amusing.

"Pagal Ladki..." he thought to himself.

"Kuch nahi...tu yahan kya kar rahi hai.... taiyar nahi hona group dance ke liye?"

"Arey abhi to uske liye bahut time hai.... chal baith ke thodi der programme dekhte hain...." she pulled his hand.

He pulled her back. "Chal pehle taiyar hoke aaten hain, fir baith ke function dekhenge.... aja chal..." And he started walking in the direction of the dressing room.

She followed him. "Pakka dekhenge na..."

"Haan re...bilkul. Tu taiyar hoke yahin ground me aa jana...mai yahi milunga.... chal ab."

Later in the day, as Sneha lied to Naina and hastened through her makeup, and ran towards the ground, she found Raj waiting for her along with Nilesh at his side.

"Naina nahi aayi tere saath?" raj asked her the moment he saw her.

"Nahi... wo to taiyar ho rahi hai. Chal baithen." Sneha asked excitedly.

"Chal aaja.... baithte hain." He made her sit in between him and Nilesh and sat down. All throughout the next 1 hour she kept chatting and irritating Nilesh all the while laughing, poking and hitting a constantly smiling Raj.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His eyes caught her reflection as she suddenly appeared from around the bend of the stage. She was dressed in a lehenga-chunni with typical rajasthani ornaments and get up. The blender had mixed with her skin giving her a glow, the kohl made her beautiful eyes more attractive while the eye liner and the eye shadow only heightened the beauty of her large eyes.

The red lipstick was a stark contrast to her pearly skin and the perfection with which she had applied it kindled in him a desire to kiss her then and there. He was startled by his own chain of thoughts.... almost ashamed by it...but still he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She looked so beautiful.... so ethereal...

Nilesh poked him hard in his waist. "Kitna ghurega yaar....ab rehne bhi de...."

He looked at him. Sneha was nowhere near them. "Ye ladki kahan gayi?"

"Bhag gayi apni dost ke paas. Tera ghurna bardash nahi hua usse..." he laughed.

"Shut up Nilesh..."

"I will shut up...but can you stop staring at her? Can you stop your heart from racing ahead when she comes in front of you? Can you stop the glow which comes to your eyes when you see her? Can you stop being attracted towards her?"

Before Raj could reply, the announcement for the group dance was made putting a stop to their discussions.

"Saved in time by the announcement." Nilesh commented as both got up from their seat.

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Their play on "The Lady or the Tiger" was an instant hit. While she enacted the part of a beautiful but an equally barbarian princess who was in love with a common soldier with grace, he was equally convincing in the role of her paramour ' the poor soldier. They looked so good together that even the guests were heard saying that they looked fabulous as a couple. Their body language, their acting and their sparkling chemistry added colours to the play.

A lady in the audience whispered to her husband, "If a common soldier is more handsome than a prince, I don't blame the princess for falling in love with him..."

The gentleman smiled at his wife and replied, "One has to admit, that they look good together. They understand each other perfectly and without words.... made for each other...right...?"

"It's too early to predict. They are just children."

"In tenth class darling... hadn't I proposed to you in my 10^th grade...?" he asked mischievously making his wife blush at his comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naina had been walking back towards the dressing room when she was joined by Raj on the way. She smiled at him warmly and he responded with his trademark shy style. Clad in a blue coloured robe befitting a princess, she really looked like a royal lady.

"Bahut achhi lag rahi hai tu aaj." He said.

Naina couldn't believe her ears. Raj was paying her a compliment. "Pata nahi aaj suraj kis taraf se nikla hai..." she thought to herself but smiled at his compliment.

"Thank you..."

"U r welcome.... waise bhi aaj pure function me sirf tere jalwe hi dekhne ko mile hain."

"Matlab?"

"Kya matlab...... speech se shuru karke aakhri play tak.... kamala ki lag rahi thi tu aaj...." he said.

She could understand the genuineness in his words. It touched her to the core. "Bol to tu aise raha hai mano tu bilkul achha nahi lag raha tha.... muft me hi school ka sabse handsome ladka hai kyat u?" she teased him making him blush.

"Tub hi aaj bahut achha lag raha tha... Waise bhi maine humesha dekha hai ki tujh par to kuch bhi suit kar jata hai... fir chahe wo simple sa dress ho ya fir ye soldier ka get up."

She looked at him to find him staring at her. Their eyes met weighing each other, trying to reach into each other's soul... trying to read the thoughts.... Raj clenched his fist to stop himself and then looked down. "Chal change kar lete hain." He said.

She smiled and followed him unable to understand the reason of his sudden departure.

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