Shades of Love - SS: Last Chapter ( 16+) : Page 22 - Page 15

"Stubborn...adamant...foolish...behenji... " Sameer muttered as he left an angry Naina at the library. The qualities which he really celebrated in her were the obstacles today. What an irony! He thought. He always knew, any girl who will be the love of his life need to be adamant, stubborn, and a little crazy. How would she otherwise handle him? She would drown in the tides of his passions, his possessiveness, his demand for her attention all the time. But, damn! He thought. It really is no joy when he was the one subjected to her stellar qualities.

Sameer knew that the time has come for the next phase of his plan. So, he quickly found a telephone booth to call his co-conspirator.

-*-

Naina stormed into her room, fuming with helpless anger.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Shefali asked from behind, having followed Naina into her room.

"Nothing...it is just...nothing.. " Naina mumbled.

"Oh come on! I am your friend and I can see that you are upset. Tell me all about it." Shefali pulled Naina to sit next to her on the bed.

"Nothing happened, Shefali."

"No. Something has happened. Was it Sameer? " Shefali asked.

"Urghh... " Naina threw her pillow across the room, "He is such an idiot!"

"What did he do this time? "

"He..He...leave it. It is of no use. "

"Did he make fun of you, again? "

"Again? What do you mean? "

"Well..."

"Come on Shefali, please tell me. Naina insisted. "

"Okay fine. The other day he was making fun of your Sipahi costume from school. So I thought he must have done something like that again."

"What? He did that? How dare he!!" Naina was enraged.

"What do you expect from him? I always knew...he does not love you as you love him. He never deserved your love. " Shefali added fuel to the fire.

"No..No...it is not like that..." Naina hurried to defend Sameer.

"And I saw him today, flirting with Priya and Diya. What do you see in him?"

"No..you do not understand..."

"Why are you defending him? Did he not make fun of you, that too in front of me? Did he not spend time with those two girls? I tell you, you are better off without him. "

"NO!" , Naina shouted, "You are wrong. He is better off without me... it is I who does not deserve his love.." Naina crumpled onto the bed.

"Please explain this madness... " Shefali asked.

As Naina explained the entire tale, Shefali was left bewildered.

"Hold on..." Shefali stopped Naina, "So, you broke up with him because you think you are not beautiful, you are not rich, and you are holding him back from reaching his potential. Is that it, or did I leave something out?"

Naina nodded her head mutely. She was bone deep tired and just wanted the day to end.

"Everything will be alright. Don't worry. " Shefali reassured Naina and left Naina with her thoughts.

-*-

"She is an idiot!!! " Sameer exclaimed over the phone, "How can she think like that?"

"Come on, Sameer. You know how her family is. And with Preeti's wedding discussion, Naina must have been the victim of her Taiji's bitter tongue. You remember what happened during Pooja's wedding, right? I can bet my new Micheal Jackson's Album 'Dangerous' on this." Shefali said.

"You are right. But still.. how can she think all this? Does she not realize how much I love her? " Sameer was hurt. But then he thought of his own family and how they made him feel unloved. Naina was there to make him believe in love again. Now it is his turn. He quickly explained his plan to Shefali.

"Do you think Arjun will do that?" Shefali asked, "I can do that as well. I know driving."

"No, She will suspect something is up if it is you."

"What about Arjun? Will he agree?"

"I will deal with him. And thanks a lot Shefali." Sameer replied.

"No problem. Anything for a friend. " Shefali kept the phone, and quickly offering a prayer for Sameer and Naina.

-*-

"You want me to do what!!! " Arjun shouted. It was the next day after Sameer and Shefali's talk. Sameer had cornered Arjun in his class.

"Calm down! And do not shout." Sameer placed his hand on Arjun's shoulder.

"How can I calm down! You are asking me to bring my sister to your home this evening! You have gone mad!" Arjun removed Sameer's hand from his shoulder.

"I am mad. Madly in love with your sister. There is no doubt about that! " Sameer smirked.

"No..I will not do it. It is highly inappropriate."

"Well...if you do not bring her to my house, then I will tell everyone that your stole those papers during head boy competition."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Arjun was incredulous.

"Of course I am. Anything for Naina..."

"I thought you have left this matter alone and you have gotten over it"

"I have gotten over it. But is it over for you? And your beloved father? Think how will he feel if he comes to know that?"

"No...No...I will not do it..."

"Think about it. If you do not get your sister, I will tell everyone in your family about the this incident. Think how disappointed they will feel!" Sameer straightened the imaginary wrinkles out of Arjun's shirt.

"Okay fine...I will get her...and this is the last time you will blackmail me..." Arjun warned.

"Oh no!! I will use this whenever I want my dear future brother-in-law! At least till Naina is my wife." Sameer patted Arjun's shoulder and left from there.

-*-

"Bhiayya, where are we going? " Naina asked Arjun. He had picked her up as soon as the classes got over.

"Uh...I ...uh..have some work with a friend. And then we will go home..." Arjun replied.

"Oh..Okay... " Naina did not care one way or the other. She was missing Sameer fiercely and she felt as lifeless as she looked on the outside. The vitality of her had gone from her soul. She closed her eyes to keep her tears from spilling.

"We are here." Arjun said after a while.

To Naina's horror, she opened her eyes to see that they have reached Sameer's house. She felt betrayed by her brother and looked at him accusingly.

"How could you? " she asked.

"Did not have choice..really..." Arjun replied, annoyed.

"What?"

"Nothing..just go in, Naina"

"No...No..take me back. I don't want to go..and ... " Naina stopped herself midway.

"And face Sameer? You have to...you owe him that much. Go on..for both of your sake and for my sake, please get inside the house. " Arjun pulled her out of the car, and pushed her into the house. And he left the premises before Niana could get back inside the car.

Naina knew Arjun was right. They cannot go on like this for long. Sameer needed closure, and Naina had to make him understand to let her go, for his own good. She started walking inside the hall, dreading the conversation she would be having with Sameer, at the same time feeling a relief she would unburden herself soon.

-*-

An invisible chord was pulling Naina. She knew he was waiting for her, in his room. The room one day would have been theirs, if not for her decision. She stood on the threshold of the room, taking a deep breath to sooth her nerves. And then she entered.

Sameer stood on the other side of the room, staring at her intensely. Naina stood transfixed, holding herself still. She had planned their entire confrontation, every arguments and counter-arguments. She had expected to be faced with his infamous anger. She had prepared herself to be calm and firm in her resolve. But this silence of his unnerved her. The whole room was charged with electricity of unspoken questions.

After an eternity, he moved. He crept towards her slowly, a predator stalking his prey. This was not how she imagined it would go.

"How many people love you? " Sameer asked her as he circled her. He was within a foot radius of her, without touching. Yet she could feel the heat of his body.

"What? " Naina was confused.

"I asked, how many people love you. Shall I count them?" Sameer replied, "Arjun, Chachiji, Chachaji, Preeti, Swati, Shefali, Pooja didi, Varun jiju, Pralay, Bua dadi, and... " He waited for her to finish his sentence.

"And... " Naina whispered.

"You tell me..." Sameer asked.

"And you... " her voice could be barely heard.

"That is right. A topper as usual. Shall I count how many people love me?" , Sameer continued without waiting for her reply, "Munna, Pundit, and...you."

He held up his hand to stop Naina from replying. "And do you know I will trade all my wealth to just get a moment with my Nanu?"

There was moment of silence as Sameer stood in front of Naina. She, for the first time understood what he always tried to tell her. She felt ashamed to have thrown his richness in his face again and again, all these years. She raised her hand to touch his face, and Sameer moved away from her. She tried to speak, only to be stopped by Sameer.

"I am not done yet... " he said harshly. All the anger he contained within himself was slowly seeping out.

He again started circling her.

"Do you know how many fights I have been in, how times I have failed in exams, and how much I ran away from my problems? Before I came to Ahmadabad? " Sameer asked.

Naina shook her head, unable to speak.

"Even I do not know. I have lost count. But do you know when was the last I got into a fight?" Sameer took Naina by her shoulders. She again shook her head negatively. "It was in Mt. Abu. You remember our trip, right? Right before I broke your heart, I had a fight with those class 12 idiots. " Sameer was lost in the memories of the best and the worst trip of his life. After a minute or so, he again spoke.

"After that, I never fought. I got serious about my studies. I became responsible. You know what was the difference between the Sameer who left Ahmadabad to Mt. Abu, and the Sameer who came back? " Sameer looked into Naina's eyes, "You...You made all the difference..."

Naina's eyes widened at this revelation. She understood that Sameer already knew every reason she had for breaking up with him and he was prepared with his own arguments. She never stood a chance against his resolve. She would bet her entire book collection on that. And this is a bet she would happily loose. The irony of the bet was not lost on her though. All the while she was thinking to herself, Sameer had let go of her shoulders and was looking at her intently. And then she really looked at him.

Something shifted in his eyes, as if sensing the change in her heart. There was different kind of heat in gaze. He circled her, again. A wolf cornering his lamb. Every nerve of her was ignited, her entire being taut with tension. Everywhere his eyes touched her, she felt naked. A slow heat began to build inside of her.

All her senses were engaged. Her eyes was held captive by the wildness in his eyes. His breath touching every inch of her neck when he stood behind her. Her ears was devoid of all the sounds except the heaviness of her breath. His feathery touch, here and there, set her skin on fire. She could smell the passions surrounding them. She could taste the barely suppressed desires in the air.

And then she was being caged against the wall. His one hand was tugging at her hair with some force, and the other holding her against him, tightly. After a moment, he kissed her hard, almost bruising her tender lips. Everything he wanted to say to her came pouring through his kiss. He kissed her with all the anger he felt, all the frustration he felt. He kissed her with all the love he had for her. He punished her for all the hurt she had caused. Naina took everything he had to give. All her reasons, all her world,all her being, faded away. The only truth she knew was Sameer.

Naina could not hold back her moan, when Sameer bit her lips and traced his tounge to sooth the bruise. He growled in response and pulled her even more tightly. She never knew this side of Sameer. She had always felt he had held himself back whenever they were together. She had always felt a flash of something in his eyes whenever they had kissed before, but she never understood. But, now she knew. There was something primal in the way Sameer was kissing her and she could not get enough of it. The beast was unleashed and there was no holding him back now.

Again and again he kissed her, and she lost herself completely. She was helpless in front of the torrent of his passion, and she just surrendered to him. He kissed her jaw, kissed that delicate spot near her ear. He traced her neck with his lips, leaving a scorching skin behind. And when he bit her neck hard, marking her, Naina let out a loud moan.

Suddenly Sameer stopped whatever he was doing to her. Before Naina could recover, Sameer pulled her in front of the mirror.

Naina looked at herself while Sameer stood behind her, holding her close to his body, circling his arms around her waist.

"Do you see youself now? " he asked, "This is the Naina I always see."

Naina observed herself. Her hair was mussed, her lips swollen and red, there was red mark on her neck, her dress creased; in short she was mess. But her eyes sparkled like starts. Her face was lit with an inner fire. She felt peaceful, yet aroused. She felt bound, yet as free as a bird. She felt powerful when she felt the proof of his desire for her, at her back. She felt shy, yet bold. She felt loved. She felt beautiful.

Overwhelmed with everything, Naina tuned inside his arms, and leaned into him. Then she cried. With every drop of her tear, she let go of everything. She let go of her insecurities, her doubts, her misery, and everything that held her back. Sameer pulled her into his chest tightly, top of her head barely reaching his chin. He let her cry.

"I am so sorry..." Naina repeated this again and again like a mantra, all the while drenching his shirt.

"Shh...it is okay...it is fine..." Sameer replied, holding her close.

For a long while the only sound in the room was Naina's cry. Slowly she stopped, her breathing ragged. Sameer took her face in his hands. He then kissed her forehead with reassurance. He kissed her eyelids with tenderness. He kissed her cheeks with affection. He kissed her nose with playfulness. And he kissed her lips with all the love he had for her.

It was Naina's turn. She took his face in her hands. She kissed his forehead with an apology. She kissed his eyelids to heal his hurt. She kissed his cheeks with a promise to take care of his heart. She kissed his nose with a promise to bring joy in his life . And she kissed his lips with all the love she had for him.

Then they hugged, at peace in each other's arms, as the sun set across the western sky.

And finally, they were home, a soothing presence of the shadow after a long walk across the desert.

- THE END -