13A Nottingham Place- A Raj Naina fic updated ch11 - Page 11

Originally posted by: suhana.dixit

Lovely Part Riya.

Naina is missing Raj on her birthday but he gave her a beautiful surprise.😃 Yeah, he is the olny friend she got.

That song is really gud. Naina really loves him a lot..😊 Thank You very much Suhana.

I hope Raj too feels the same for Naina😃 Let's hope so😊

Thanks a lot Suhana for taking out some time from your regular schedule and commenting.

Originally posted by: golu_1677

this was beautiful riya...

loved this part...

Thank You so much.

Originally posted by: dazzling_glory

Nice part

Raj gave naina a wonderful surprise on her Birthday. She has already fallen in love with him.

but does he love her as well

please continue soon

thanks for the PM

Hi!!! Thanks for your comments...yeah, let's hope that he too has fallen for her or else it might turn into a nightmare for Naina.

Originally posted by: shreyamathur_18

very nice part😊

Naina is very sad on her birthday as it will be her first birthday where is pole star or should i say personal pole star would not be there to celebrate with her but she does not know what surprise is Raj going to present her😭😉😊

Should i say silly or her innocence she did not understand if Raj was really there and shut her ears with hands and thought that she was was insane to hallucinate that Raj is in front of her and Raj was really shocked that what happened to her why suddenly Naina is reacting like this 😆😆😆 Yeah you can call her silly if you want to...but she was young.

Naina's birthday and night also have been made special by Raj whi just plays the strings of his guitar and sings a beautiful song for her 😊😉😊 Raj knows exactly how to cheer Naina up.

By the end of it Naina realised her feelings for Raj but did Raj feels the same for Naina or has he found someone else😊😉😕 You have just got to wait and watch.

pls continue soon 😳😊 I will soon. I promise.

shreya😊

Thanks for your lovely comments.

Originally posted by: sainiayshi14

hi riyaa
nice part
naina's birthday scene with raj was very good
naina wants raj to sing for her
ooommmggg naina is in love with raj
hope raj also loves her
cont.soon
ayushi

Hi!! Ayushi...let's see what happens..stay tuned..😉

Originally posted by: awaazilicious

Hey Riya another sweet part indeed Thank You very much Arwa.😊

Wow he gave her a cute surprise and truly anybody wud fall in luv with him for being so compassionate and sweet. Hehehe Raj has always been like this...hasn't he, even back during LRL days...always doing things for Naina...just like Pooja said once..."Woh kuch karte hai to teri wajah se karte hai agar nahi karte woh bhi teri wajah se..."

luved it Thank you once again.

gr8 going

Keep Reading...😊

Originally posted by: Innocent_eyes

hey riya...

m new to ur fic, Shaina pm me about it...loved the fic so far, naina went through so much in such a small age n now adopted by the shekawats, but Raj is here so not to worry about...nice surprise by raj on her birthday...

cont soon n pm me

Hi!! Innocent_eyes..since I don't know your name I am using you ID name instead...thank you so much for liking the story and yes lots of turns and twists are there so keep reading.

Originally posted by: Mrsimisam

Such a sweet update...luved...luved...luved it...👏

raj's surprise was too gud...😍🥳...aww,,,,
n der convo was jst perfect...he kissed her on her forehead..(symbol of pure luv...)...☺️😳
aww naina is in luv wid him...(.(hope raj's too)...😉
luved it to d core...👍🏼

Thank You so much for reading and appreciating..let's see if Raj is in love her or not. Keep reading.😊

HAMLET, OPHELIA AND...A FAREWELL

Knock,! Knock!

As I looked up from my book , there was a faint smile on my face. My heart started skipping with anticipation '.. I was going to meet Raj for the first time since my realization of true feelings for him had set in. As I strode across the room to open the door I heard him impatiently tapping his foot on the floor. As I opened the door I found his face grim and somewhat tormented from some inner hassles.

"Raj!"

"May I come in?"

"Of course you may. What kind of a question was that?"

He kept silent and walked across the room to sit on my narrow and not remotely comfortable bed. The lines of worry on his forehead made me even more anxious. He picked up the book that I had been reading before entered the room.

"Hamlet..?"

"Yes..I am playing Ophelia in school drama..."

"Wow..that's great if you ask me from Cinderella to Ophelia you have actually come a long way time just flies by.. and you can't do anything about it.

Raj slowly moved to the window opposite to the bed and sighed

"To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream; Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life:
For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,
The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely,
The pangs of despised Love, the Law's delay,
The insolence of Office, and the Spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who would Fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn
No Traveller returns, Puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of.
Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all,
And thus the Native hue of Resolution
Is sick lied o'er, with the pale cast of Thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment,
With this regard their Currents turn awry,
And lose the name of Action. Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia? Nymph, in thy Orisons
Be all my sins remembered.^[1]

I was pretty amazed to find him narrate the whole piece without even once glancing at the book lying on the table.
"You still remember the whole of the soliloquy? Ironically it had been Raj who had played Hamlet in his senior year.

"Tum to Horatio banne wale the na??"

"Haan lekin Bob ko chicken pox ho gaya tha so I had to fill in'I was pretty pissed off with Bob even though it was hardly his fault."

Raj smiled at the memory of the olden days.

"Accha hua tha. You deserved it. Tumhi ko to at first title role diya gaya tha."

"Haan...maine mana kar diya tha"

"Yes, I remember, lekin tumne kabhi bataya nahi ki tumne mana kyun kiya tha ?"

"Playing the lead is pretty taxing, you hardly get to relax and also,there's hardly any fun in playing lead roles..according to me. The leads can often act like imbeciles you know."

Yeah right? Didn't I tell you he could sometimes act weird?

In fact Mrs. Sparks loved to gush about Raj's performance which she held as a yardstick for the students who auditioned for the same role in the following years.

Raj turned around to face me and continued.

Raj (HAMLET )
Ha, ha! are you honest?

I raised one of my brows and decided to play along

Me (OPHELIA )
My lord?

Raj (HAMLET )
Are you fair?

Me (OPHELIA )
What means your lordship?

Raj (HAMLET )
That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should
admit no discourse to your beauty.

Me (OPHELIA )
Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than
with honesty?

Raj (HAMLET )
Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner
transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the
force of honesty can translate beauty into his
likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the
time gives it proof. I did love you once.

Me (OPHELIA)
Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.

Raj (HAMLET )
You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot
so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of
it: I loved you not.

Me (OPHELIA)
I was the more deceived.

Raj (HAMLET)
Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a
breeder of sinners?

Raj picked up the book from the table in his hand and continued:

Raj (HAMLET )
Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

Me (OPHELIA)
No, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET )
I mean, my head upon your lap?

Me (OPHELIA )
Ay, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET )
Do you think I meant country matters?

Me (OPHELIA )
I think nothing, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET)
That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs.

Me (OPHELIA)
What is, my lord?

Raj (HAMLET )
Nothing.

Me (OPHELIA )
You are merry, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET)
Who, I?

Me (OPHELIA )
Ay, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET )
O God, your only jig-maker. What should a man do
but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my
mother looks, and my father died within these two hours.

Me (OPHELIA )
Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET)
So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black, for
I'll have a suit of sables. O heavens! die two
months ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's
hope a great man's memory may outlive his life half
a year: but, by'r lady, he must build churches,
then; or else shall he suffer not thinking on, with
the hobby-horse, whose epitaph is 'For, O, for, O,
the hobby-horse is forgot.'

Me (OPHELIA )
What means this, my lord?

Raj (HAMLET )
Marry, this is miching mallecho; it means mischief.

Me (OPHELIA )
Belike this show imports the argument of the play.

Raj (HAMLET )
We shall know by this fellow: the players cannot
keep counsel; they'll tell all.

Me (OPHELIA )
Will he tell us what this show meant?

Raj (HAMLET )
Ay, or any show that you'll show him: be not you
ashamed to show, he'll not shame to tell you what it means.

Me (OPHELIA )
You are naught, you are naught: I'll mark the play.

Raj (HAMLET )
Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring?

Me (OPHELIA )
'Tis brief, my lord.

Raj (HAMLET )
As woman's love.

Raj paused as we finished with the dialogues and threw away the book which landed on my bed with a thud. Just by looking at his forlorn face I could see that something was definitely wrong. I didn't need the brains of Shakespeare to tell me that. He sat down slowly on the couch with an empty expression on his face.

"Naina...I Lost." He blurted out as I was about to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What did he say ?"

"Just what I had expected. Dad being dad refused to hear any of my pleas. He is adamant about his decision. He thinks I am being unreasonable enough to consider..." He trailed off.

I knew what he meant. Raj had always wanted to be singer. He had a dream of conquering the entire world with his band. This was one of the two reasons why he had gone off to Ireland. It used to be his dream to do an extensive research on the Irish folk songs and music. The other reason was, just to be free from the clutches of his father. But Sir Shekhawat had some entirely different plans for this bright son of his. He wanted Raj to pursue LAW at Harvard University.Just to appease his father Raj had also given the entrance exam which he had passed with flying colors...which was hardly a surprise if you ask me because he was a genius and all that. But I knew deep in his heart he still wanted to be a singer. I sighed.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Is there anything left for me to do Naina? You of all people should know why I ran off to Ireland when I could have easily gotten into any college here?" He asked me bitterly. Raj had scored straight A+s throughout his school life so it was pretty obvious.

"Why don't you ask your mother to talk to your dad?"

He looked at me surprised and then he drew a sarcastic smile on his lips.

"Naina, for how long have you been here? You think Mom has the ability to go against dad?"

No I didn't. I knew very well that the option was next to impossible but the thought of parting with Raj was driving me insane enough to suggest anything that could stop him from leaving me.

I kept my eyes down. "I am sorry Naina."

"You are forgiven..." I smiled back. "I can understand how you feel now...I really can...Is there anything I could do?"

"Nothing can be done now. The verdict is out and I have been summoned to get ready for the voyage." He said sadly.

"I don't think I can get you."

"I am leaving for USA in couple of hour's time." He paused. "Dad's coming with me."

I felt a part of me dying in that very moment. "Now?" My voice was so feeble that I was frightened that it would break.

"Yes"

"Oh"

"When can I see you again?"

"I really do not know Naina." He paused. "The course is for 3 years. But I am sure I will be able to come back in-between during Christmas or Easter. "

I kept quiet.

"And you won't have time to miss me. In a few days you will start your exams which I am sure you would do very well, then your senior years will commence and finally in two years you will start off your college. So trust me it's going to be great. You will love your life that's going to unfurl in front of you in few years time. And then we will meet on Diwali or in Christmas. I will write to you . I will mail you. You too will right?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. 3 years...was a long period of time. I could wait for him...I could wait for him for my entire life. But would he? Will he remember me as I will? Why will he? With a stab of pain I realized...he didn't love me as I did. He treated me like his best friend. A friend nevertheless. But I wanted to be so much more than a friend to him. Would he ever realize what I wanted from him?

"Naina?? Are you crying?? " He asked horrified. I responded in negative.

But the treacherous tears welled up in my eyes and started flowing down my cheek.

He took me in his arms. I kept on sobbing ruining his new crisp white shirt. He slowly lifted my face and kissed my forehead as he ruffled my hair..

"Pagal'.ro kyun rahi ho? Main padhne ja raha hoon.War me nahi. Wapas to zaroor aoonga main. Promise me Naina you won't cry. You won't make this even more difficult, than it already is for me.. Promise me that."

"I promise..." I managed to say but couldn't say further. I was anxious to keep my feelings and emotions in check. I shouldn't have acted so irrationally. I cursed myself for that.

So as I looked down my window, I saw him leaving with Sir Shekhawat for his new future that awaited him in the US. As the Honda City drove away I could see him waving back at me from a distance. I stood there with my gaze locked in the same direction for as long as I could. Finally when no trace of that car could be seen through the naked eye, I returned to my reading desk with a heavy heart. Even then It was impossible to think about my world without him in it.

love

Riya

Too good!!!!Awesome!!!!!

It is great that Naina is playing Ophelia in their school drama!!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊 👏 👏 👏 👏

Chalo tab na sahi ab finally Naina ko lead role mil hi gaya!!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊 👍🏼 👍🏼 👍🏼 👍🏼

Wow what a coincidence as Raj had played Hamlet in his senior year!!!!😛 😛 😛 😛 😊 😊 😊 😊

Kya jodi hai unki even though they cannot do it together but still they did the leads!!!!😉 😉 😉 😉 😊 😊 😊 😊

Raj can still narrate the whole piece and it was soo good!!!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊 👏 👏 👏 👏

Yeh accha huya ke mana karne ke baad bhi finally Raj ko hi Hamlet ka role karna padha tha!!!!! 😊 😊 😊 😊

Naina is right that Raj can indeed sometimes act weird!!!!! 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

Raj and Naina rehearsing for the play together was so sweet!!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳

But unlike the last line Naina's love isn't brief, it is eternal!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊 😊 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

It is very sad that Raj is going away to US as per his dad's wishes!!!!!😔 😔 😔 😔 😔

Ireland wasn't that bad but US is very far!!!!!

Naina understands how Raj has to give up his dreams to do this!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊

What will Naina do now that he won't be there and how will she manage without him??😕 😕 😕 😕

Naina is soo upset and Raj tries to console her!!!!!😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭

Raj goes away leaving Naina's world empty!!!!!🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺

Naina is going to miss him and I hope he too misses her and comes back to her!!!!!😭 😭 😭 😭 😭

Waiting for them to meet again!!!!!😊 😊 😊 😊