"Bhabhi, aapko pakka lagta hai ye plan kaam karega? " Rohan nervously asked Naina who was on the other side of the phone.
"Haan baba, trust me", Naina tried to calm him down.
"Bhabhi, it's not about trust. Agar bhai ko pata chal gaya na ki humne unke saaman me se kuch nikala hai to bohat daantenge, kuch aur socho na", Rohan said, afraid of his brother's anger.
"Nahi, ab kuch aur nahi sochna. Vaise bhi hum kitna kuch to try kar chuke hain pichle kuch mahino me. Iske alawa aur koi option nahi. Ab phone rakho aur jaldi se jo bola hai vo karo", Naina put the receiver down hoping for the things to not get more complicated.
Earlier that day, Rohan had accidentally stumbled across one of Sameer's 6th standard notebooks which, to his utter surprise, had been kept safely inside his cupboard. Though Rohan had made his mind to keep it back, curiosity got the better of him and he decided to check what was so special inside it that his brother had kept it safe since so many years. On reading the content, his eyes were filled with tears. The notebook contained an essay on the topic "Family" written by Sameer for some class test. The essay made him realize the real extent of the pain his brother had gone through in his childhood. Unable to control his emotions, he had gone to meet his Bhabhi. It was then, Naina had suggested letting Sameer's mother and father read that essay. She knew she was asking Rohan to charter into a dangerous territory but she also knew that the only way she could try mending their relationship was to force them into talking to each other, for she always felt that a lack of communication was deteriorating their relationship further. And maybe, this notebook could turn out to be the trigger point to initiate some talking between them.
As per the plan, Deepika went to her parents and showed the notebook citing she had found it in Sameer bhaiya's room and deliberately acknowledged the fact that how Sameer bhaiya was not a bright student like her as he could not write good essays in his childhood. Deepika's mutterings intrigued Vishakha. She took the notebook and asked Deepika to go and study. Once Deepika was gone and she glanced through the notebook, she felt a tug at her heart. She read aloud the essay so that Mr. Somani could hear it as well: " Meri family me meri mummy, papa, chota bhai, dadi aur nanaji hain. Mummy papa vo hote hain jo hume hamesha apne paas rakhte hain. Jab andhere me dar lagta hai, to mummy hume zor se hug kar leti hain aur jab chot lagti hai aur hum rote hain to papa chup kara dete hain. Hamre liye khilone, kapde sab kuch vohi laate hain. Jab school me chuttiyan hoti hain, to vo hume apne saath ghar le jaate hain. Yaha school me sabke mummy papa unhe dher sara pyaar karte hain lekin mere mummy aur papa mujhe hamesha apne se dur rakhte hain. Mere papa mere asli vale papa nahi hain na islie vo mujhe pyaar nahi karte. Aur mummy, vo bhi mujhe pyaar nahi karti. Isilie jab mujhe raat me yaha dar lagta to mai rote rote so jata hun. Lekin vo dono mere bhai se bohat pyaar karte hain. Mai bhi usse pyaar karta tha lekin dadi mujhe uske paas kabhi nahi jane deti thi aur fir mujhe bohat daant ti bhi thi. Dadi mummy papa ko meri shikayat bhi kar deti thi. Dadi to ye bhi kehti hain ki mai ganda baccha hun islie bhagwan ji ne mere papa ko apne paas bula liya aur meri mummy ne mujhe hostel bhej diya. Ye hai meri family." The essay took Vishakha back to the time when Sameer's principal from the boarding school had phoned her and told her that he needed to meet her and her husband to discuss something about Sameer. Assuming that Sameer had troubled someone again, Mr Somani had refused to go there. In order to not hurt her husband and MIL again, she chose the easy way out by not going to meet the principal and hoping that Sameer would mend his ways soon under the supervision of the teachers. She wondered if this was the reason she had been called to the school.
"Kya hua mumma? Bura laga na ek chote se bacche ki notebook me ye sab padh ke. Jis umar me baccho ko apni family ke bare me bas acchi acchi baatein pata hoti hain, Sameer bhai tab ye sab likh rahe the," Rohan, who was standing by the door, entered the room.
"Rohan, tum in sab baaton me mat pado, tum bacche ho", Mr Somani rebuked Rohan.
"Baccha hun? Dad aapko meri itni chinta hai to kabhi Sameer bhai ke baare me aisa kyu nahi socha? Aapne kaise us chote se bacche ko akele hostel me bhej diya? Aur mumma aap? Aap to unki real mumma hain na? Aapko apne bete par pyaar nahi aya? Aapne mujhe to apni mamta de di lekin bhai ka kya? Jis mamta par sabse jyada haq unka tha usko hamesha unse dur rakha." He turned to his father and continued tearfully "Bachpan se le kar aaj tak aapne bhai aur mujhme fark kiya, unki har khushi ko bas paiso se tola, hamesha unhe apna nalayak beta samjha. Is sabke bavjood jab aapki tabiyat kharab hui papa to sabse pehle aapka vohi nalayak beta aapke liye khada hua. Aap dono ne unhe choti si umar me akela kar diya lekin fir unhone aapka saath kabhi nahi chodha".
"Dekho Rohan, hum maante hain ki humne kuch galat faisle liye the. Lekin ab hum puri koshish kar rahe hain taaki Sameer is ghar me acche se rahe.Hum use bhi tumhari tarah hi to treat karte hain beta", Bobby argued irrationally.
"Maa, papa agar aap log sach much kuch sudharna chahte to bhai se baat karte. Haan bhai aaj bhi isi ghar me rehta hai lekin alag hi to rehta hain. Unki zindagi me kya chal raha hai aapko koi idea nahi hai. Aap unhe apne bete ka darja de ke koi ehsaan nahi kar rahe ho, vo unka haq hai. Aur aaj jo saleeke se unke sath pesh aya jata hai vo bhi sirf isilie kyunki unhone musibat ke waqt aapki madad kari. Ye to len den ho gaya, Papa. Aur maa baap ka apne bete se rishta aisa nahi hota. Mujhe pata hai mai chota hun, lekin bas ek bar bhai ko pyaar de ke to dekho. Itne saalo ki duriyan itni aasani se nahi mitayi ja sakti, lekin koshish to ki jaa sakti hai. Mujhe pura yakeen hai ki aap ek kadam badhaoge to bhai do kadam badhaenge. Agar maa mujhe apne bete se jyada pyaar kar sakti hai to aap Sameer bhai ko kam se kam ek parayi nazar se to dekhna band kar hi skate ho. Aur galti to aap dono ne kari hai to pehla kadam bhi aap logon ko hi uthana hoga", Rohan left the room without waiting for his parents' reply.
That night Vishakha and Bobby could not sleep peacefully. The memories of a small Sameer, crying, not wanting his mother to leave him in the hostel, kept haunting her. Everytime Sameer looked at her in the anticipation of receiving love and attention from her, she had turned him down. How weak and submissive she had been that she let go of her own child for her happiness. This was not the first time her conscience had pricked her, she had spent numerous sleepless nights in this guilt but the fear of losing a family again, had stopped her from going back to Sameer. Rohan, for whom she had ignored her own son, had proved to be more of a family for Sameer than his own mother. Bobby, on the other had, was equally guilty of separating a small kid from his mother. If Sameer had not accepted him as his father, he too had not done anything to bridge the gap between them. If he accepted Vishakha to accept Rohan, he ought to have done that too.
After four hours of pretending to sleep, they both ended up sharing their thoughts with each other and came to the conclusion that the reason they were not able to come close to Sameer was their guilt which had been eating them slowly over the years. They had known all along that they were selfish to build their home over Sameer's happiness. The same guilt has prevented Vishakha from visiting Sameer all these years and Bobby had hidden it in the cover of his ignorance and anger. They knew that every pain Sameer had been enduring since childhood was because of them. The also knew that if they had not abandoned Sameer, he would have never turned out to be a rebellious kid. But they never had the courage to accept their shortcoming as parents or more importantly, as humans. They decided that it was time to bear the brunt of their misgivings and give Sameer the rightful love he deserves. They were thankful to Rohan for showing them the mirror they were evading since forever.
The next morning when Sameer came down to have breakfast, he was greeted unusually by his stepfather "Good morning beta !"
The loving tone in his voice startled Sameer. He returned the wish and sat down quietly to have his breakfast. "Dekho aaj maine sab kuch tumhari pasand ka banaya hai", Vishakha announced as she put his favorite aloo puri in his plate". Without responding to anything, Sameer had his breakfast. In between, Bobby asked him some questions regarding his studies and he kept his answers as short as possible. After finishing the breakfast, Bobby announced that they all would go for a movie in the evening. Unable to control any further, Sameer lost his calm "Ye kya laga rakha hai aap logon ne? Ye itna pyaar kyu aa raha hai mujhpar. Aur meri zindagi me itni dilchaspi kab se hone lagi aap sabko? Kya chal raha hai ye sab?
It was now Vishakha's turn to take things in her own hands "Sameer, hum jaante hain ki hum tumhare gunehgaar hain. Maine aur tumhare papa ne tumhare saath bohat galat kiya hai. Hum vo beeta hua waqt vapas to nahi laa sakte lekin tumse bas ek mauka chahte hain chizo ko theek karne ka. Kya tum hume vo mauka doge?"
"Pehli baat, vo mere papa nahi hain. Aur agar aap logon ko ye lag raha hai ki mai apni khushi se ya aap logon se sath apna rishta theek karne ke liye yaha reh raha hun to aisa kuch nahi hai. Mai sirf mere nanu ki khushi ke liye yaha reh raha hun. Iska aur koi matlab mat nikaliye. Vaise bhi pichle kuch time se aap log mere sath acche se to pesh aa hi rahe hain na. To bas hamare rishte ko utna hi rehne dijiye. Aap dono ko kya lagta hai? Aap ek din achanak se mujhse ek mauka maangoge aur sab theek ho jaega? Mumma, mazaak nahi chal raha ye. Aur please mai subah subah ye sab baatein kar ke apna mood nahi kharab karna chahta. Mai college ja raha hun aur is bare me dubara mujhse koi baat mat karna", Sameer took his bike keys and left angrily.
Meanwhile, Naina was nervously waiting for Sameer outside their college gate "Naina, agar aaj Sameer ko pata chal gaya hoga na tune aur Rohan ne kya scheme lagayi hai tab to taandav machega. Vaise uska gussa to mai fir seh lungi, bas sab theek ho jae. "At that very instant, she saw Sameer's bike aprroaching the college road. Knowing very well that he would find Naina waiting for him, Sameer parked the bike held Naina's hand , gesturing her to walk towards their spot and Naina followed him silently. Sameer sat quietly, pondering over something. His silence was killing her. She wanted to ask him everything but was not able to muster the courage. After a few minutes which seemed an eternity to Naina, he took Naina's hands in his hands and muttered a soft thankyou. "Sameer?", Naina asked, confused over his reaction. "Mujhe nahi pata aaj jo hua vo kyu hua, kaise hua par mujhe ye zarur pata hai ki is sab me tumhara aur Rohan ka haath hai. Isilie thank you.", Sameer gulped hard unable to get a hold of his emotions, "Naina tum sahi kehti thi, in kadwai yaadon ke sath zindagi nahi guzari jaa sakti. Mummy aur Mr Somani se naaraz reh kar mai unke saath nahi balki khud ke saath galat kar raha tha. Baat baat par zabardasti unko apni kabiliyat ka ehsas karana, unki har baat ko kaatna aur gussa karna meri aadat hi to ban gayi thi. Aur is aadat ne mujhse mera chain cheen rakha tha. Isilie aaj maine unhe maaf kar diya. Mai unke saath bilkul normal nahi ho sakta Naina aur na hi mai Mr Somani ko apna papa maan sakta hun. Shayad mummy ke saath bhi mai kabhi vaise na jud paun jaise ek maa bete ka rishta hota hai. Lekin aaj unhe maaf kar ke, apni batmeeziyo ke liye unse maafi maang ke, unki taraf ek kadam badha kar maine apne sir par se ek bojh khatam kar liya. Aaaj bohat accha mehsoos ho raha hai. Dimaag ekdum shaant ho gaya hai. Itne saalo baad aaj khud ko halka mehsoos kar raha hun aur ye sab sir tumhari vajah se". Sameer then narrated her the entire morning incident. He told her how he had first left the house in anger but after a few minutes he had gone back and put the matter to rest for once and forever. He had realized that there was no point in carrying hatred for them in his heart forever. While he made it clear to them that he might not be as accepting as they wanted him to be but he would surely not doubt their intentions and stop them from doing anything. The three of them had found a middle ground and accepted each other with their mistakes and shortcomings.
"Sameer, hum jab kisi ko maaf karte hain na to hum khud ke liye khushio ka raasta nikaalte hain. Aur aaj tumne vahi kiya. I am very happy today. Atleast ab tum sab log ek hi ghar me strangers ban ke to nahi rahoge aur Deepika aur Rohan bhi pareshan nahi honge", Naina replied.
"Naina, mai hamesha sochta tha ki mai bohat unlucky hun. Meri life me kabhi kuch sahi ho hi nahi sakta. Lekin jab se tumse mila hun, aisa lagta hai ki zindagi me koi mushkil reh hi nahi gayi hai. Tum kaun si kahani ki pari ho Naina jo itni asaani se meri har baat smjh jaati ho aur meri har mushkil ka solution de deti ho?" Sameer asked lovingly. His words made Naina blush "Mai koi pari nahi hun. Mai bas tumhe khush dekhna chahti hun aur tumhe ek sukoon bhari zindagi dene ke liye mai kuch bhi kar sakti hun. Infact main aur Rohan kuch bhi kar sakte hain." Saying this she hugged him.
******************************************************************************************
April 1995
The scorching sun had finally set, giving way for the night to roll in. Finding solace in the comforting silence of the night, Sameer sat by his bedside contemplating his and Naina's future.
Sameer's VO : Waqt kaise tezi se guzarta hai, hume pata hi nahi chalta. Teen saal hone ko aaye the meri aur Naina ki pehli mulakat ko lekin lagta aise tha jaise kal hi ki to baat thi jab maine pehli baar Naina ko dekha tha. Ye jo waqt humne sath me guzara tha na vo kisi roller coaster ride se kam nahi tha. Is darmiya Naina me zamaeen asmaan ka fark aa gaya tha. Ab Naina vo pehle vali dari sehmi, sharmili Naina nahi thi. In teen saalon me maine use vo baat baat par nervousness se apna dupatta pakadne vali Naina se college ki President bante dekha tha. Meri Naina ab sirf padhai me nahi balki har chiz me topper thi. Vaise uske saath se badlaav to mujhme bhi aaye the. Padhai se dur bhaagne vala ye ladka ab topper Naina ko kadi takkar dene laga tha. Haina hairani vali baat? Lekin yahi sach hai. Aise hi haste muskurate, har mushkil ghadi me ek dusre ka saahas ban ke humne hamare final year tak ka safar tai kar liya tha.
"Bhai mujhe aapko kuch dikhana hai, chalo na please", Rohan pulled Sameer out of his bed.
"Rohan, aaram se bolta to bhi chal padta mai. Vaise kya dikhana hai tujhe?" Sameer asked, surprised by his brother's not so usual behaviour.
"Bhai jyada sawal mat pucho aur chalo", Rohan dragged Sameer towards the terrace.
"Mujhe na tera kuch samajh nahi ata, vaise to tujhe har kaam time table ke hisaab se karn hota hai aur ab tu mujhe aadhi raat ko chat par le ke ja raha hai, ye sare cartoons na meri hi life me aane likhe the", Sameer said as he followed Rohan.
As they climbed the stairs and reached the door which opened towards the terrace, Rohan turned around and said smilingly " Vaise to mai aapko accha khasa jawab de sakta hun par abhi mai bohat excited hun aur in faltu ki baaton me padna nahi chahta. Ab chalo aur dekho"
"Are vaah tu to mujhe taare dikhane laya hai mere super intelligent bhai," Sameer said teasingly as he walked onto the terrace.
"Bhai, enjoyyy", Rohan said and shut the door behind Sameer not giving him any chance to react.
As Rohan locked the door from outside, the terrace was lit up with lights. Turning around, Sameer saw a table decorated with petals. On the left, there was a mattress with pillows. The unusual setup left Sameer completely puzzled. Suddenly, he heard a faint singing voice. He turned sideways to locate the source of the sound when he saw Naina walking towards him with a cake in her hand. ''Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You'' sang Naina as she took slow steps towards him. The sight in front of him took his breath away. Naina was wearing a black netted saree which perfectly accentuated her curves and exposed much more than Sameer was habitual of seeing. With each step that Naina took, it became difficult for him to prevent his senses from going haywires. Sameer gulped hard, as Naina stood facing him. Seeing him lost and looking at her like a love-struck puppy, Naina held his hand and took him towards the table. She put the cake on it and offered a knife to Sameer.
"Naina, ye sab?", Sameer asked with a confused look on his face. "Ssshhh, sawal jawab baad me, pehle cake kaato", Naina kept her finger on his lips signaling him to keep mum. Sameer, who had by now gone crazy by her actions, cut the cake obediently and both fed it to each other.
"Naina, mujhe to pata hi nahi chala tumne ye sab kuch kab plan kiya. Thank you so much, sweetheart . Ye to meri life ka best surprise hai", Sameer said looking into her eyes.
"Ahaan, aise kaise best hai? Meri baat abhi khatam nahi hui hai janaab; Naina winked and sat down on her knees, taking him by surprise yet again.
"Tu ishq mera, tu hi meri ibadat hai;
Tere saath se roshan ho aashiyan mera, ek bas yahi chahat hai";
"Sameer, jis din se tum meri zindagi me aaye ho, mujhe meri zindagi mukammal si lagne lagi hai. Jab tum mujhe dekhte ho, mujhe aisa lagta hai jaise mai is duniya ki sabse khoobsoorat ladki hun. Tumhara mere liye vo cheesy Bollywood movies dekhna, mere saath shopping par jana, mera mood theek krne ke liye ajeebo gareeb harkaten karna, meri ek awaaz pr bhaage chale aana, meri har khushi me khush hona, mere saare gam baant lena, ye sab mere dil ko choo jata hai. Naina took a pause and continued, chot mjhe lagti hai, dard tumhe hota hai; exams me marks mere kum aate hain, maayus tum ho jate ho; kaamyabi mujhe milti hai, khushi se jhoom tum pdte ho; dil me baat mere hoti hai aur zubaan pr vo tmhare aa jati hai. Maine kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ki koi bina kisi shart ke, bina kisi dikhawe ke mjhe is kadar apna lega. Mujhe nahi pata Sameer ki hum dono ki kismat me kya likha hai lekin agar tum mjhe ijazat do to mai tmhare har sukh dukh ki saathi ban na chahti hun. Nanaji ki bahu, tumhari biwi aur hmare pyaare se baccho ki mummy ban na chahti hun. Mujhse shaadi kroge?" Naina finished and opened her fist which had a ring in it.
To say Sameer was shocked would be an understatement. Emotions took the better of him and his eyes started welling up. His birthdays had never been a special occasion for him. Except for two or three birthdays which he had spent with Nanaji, nobody ever bothered to even wish him on his birthdays. But since the day Naina had entered his life, she had always made it a point to make his birthdays memorable for him. The memories of the last two birthdays spent with her flashed in front of his eyes. She had always left no stone unturned to make him happy on his birthday but this time her gesture took his heart away. His Naina who always became meek and shy when it came to expressing her feelings, was kneeling down in front of him asking him to marry her. What more he could have asked for?
Sameer nodded his head in a yes and Naina slipped the ring in his finger. "Ab ye ring sirf hamari engagement ke time utregi. Samjhe?" Said Naina as she stood up. Unable to say anything Sameer hugged her tightly, Naina ye meri zindagi ka best birthday hai, I love you."
"I love you too Sameer", Naina buried her head deep in his neck. After some time, Sameer broke the hug and pointed towards the sky; "Naina, vo dekho, chaand. Hmari dosti aur pyaar ke har acche bure pal ka gavah aaj bhi hmare is pal ko khoobsoorat banane ke liye maujood hai."
While Sameer was busy admiring the moon, Naina gave him a quick peck near his lips. His eyes widened in shock wondering what had gone into his Naina today. Shyly, Naina turned and tried to run away. But Sameer was too quick for her and held the end of her pallu thus stopping her from moving any further and came near her. Sliding down his hands on her bare waist, Sameer whispered huskily in her ear; "Naina, ye tumne accha nahi kiya, ab tum nahi bachogi".
''To bachna chahta kaun hai'' Naina hardly managed to speak under the chilling effect his touch was having on her. Naina's words broke sameer's patience which he had been sincerely maintaining since the time they were together. He pushed away her hair on one side and left a trail of soft kisses on her neck. His touch left Naina shivering and wanting for more at the same time. He turned her around and cupped her cheeks with his hands. "Nainu, tum aaj bohat sexy lag rhi ho, he mumbled while softly kissing her left cheek". Hearing his remark, Naina's cheeks turned into the shades of crimson red. As he kissed her right cheek, his eyes fell on those lucious lips which he had wanted to taste since forever . When he saw no traces of denial or apprehension on Naina's face, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. Naina closed her eyes in response. Her silent acceptance boldened sameer and he deepened the kiss. Naina took time to learn but once she got the hang of it , she responded with equal vigour. Their kiss deepened further and their tongues explored each other's mouths. Sameer left her lips and proceeded towards her ear. He nibbled her ear lobe while his one hand explored Naina's bare back and the other hand rested on her waist. As Sameer licked her ear lobe, Naina moaned, unable to control herself. Every moan of hers, drove him crazy. He landed on her lips again, this time with more intensity. Naina responded equally while her hands wandered on Sameer's back. They both broke apart after some time panting heavily. Naina couldn't look him in his eyes and hugged him blushing heavily. "Naina, yae kya ho gaya hai tumhe aaj? Dhamake pr dhamaka kar rhi ho", Sameer said and got a smack on his chest in return. "Naina, ye sab kis liye? Meri khushi ke liye?", Sameer asked, this time albeit seriously.
"Nahi, hamare liye". Hearing her answer, Sameer smiled and decided to tease her, "Vaise jaanu, accha laga?"
"Dhat aise koi puchta hai kya", Naina replied shyly.
"Han to agar tum btaogi nahi to mujhe pata kaise chalega ki jab next time kiss krunga to kuch change krna hai ya nahi". Sameer said causing Naina to break the hug in shock.
"Sameer abhi bohat jyada ho gaya haan", Naina said faking anger.
"Accha baba, theek hai". Pointing towards the mattress, Sameer asked, "ye batao ye gadde kisliye hain yaha? "
"Ye to grihnakshatra dekhne ke liye hain. Dekho aaj tumhare mummy, papa aur dadi to raat me aane nahi vale. Aur Rohan ko padhai se fursat hai nahi. To hum dono yaha sari raat acche se grahnakshatra dekhenge aur dher saari baatein karenge. Haina accha idea?" Naina asked excitedly.
"Sirf baatein karenge?" Sameer sat on the matress indicating Naina to sit beside him.
Blushing, Naina replied "Are, aise nahi baba. Let ke. Tumhe kuch samajh nahi aata. Naina signalled Sameer to lie down. Sameer looked at her wondering when had she gotten so comfortable around him. He lied down and Naina followed suit. She rested her head on his shoulder and put her arm around his chest; "Sameer, sab kitna accha hai na? Ye taare, ye chandaani raat aur hamara saath. Kya ye waqt yahi teher nahi sakta? Ahmedabad vapas jane ke bad to hum dhang se mil bhi nahi paenge"
"To kya hua, chup chup ke milne ka maza bhi to hamari ye judai hi hume deti hai na?" Sameer caressed Naina's hair.
"Vo islie kyunki hume pata hota tha ki thode se time ki judai ke bad to hume vapas Delhi ana hi hai. Ab to pata nahi kab aise ek dusre ke saath waqt beeta payenge"? Naina asked sadly.
"Nainu, tum to aise behave kar rahi ho jaise hum kabhi dubara milenge hi nahi. Abhi final exams baaki hai aur uske baad bhi hum koi na koi tareeka nikal lenge. Tum jyada mat socho", Sameer assured her.
"Tum mere ghar walo ko jaante nahi ho na isilie aise bol rahe ho". Naina looked up into Sameer's eyes and continued "Vaise Sameer mai soch rahi thi ki mai chachaji ko hamare bare me bata dun. Main unse ab aur jhuth nahi bolna chahti"
"Jaisa tumhe theek lage, mai tumhare har faisle me tumhare sath hun", Sameer reassured her.
"Theek hai fir Ahmedabad vapas jaate hi pehla kaam hoga tumhe chachaji se milana. Socho na chachaji jab maan jaenge to sari tension hi khatam ho jaegi", Naina said excitingly.
"Aur agar nahi maane to. Ye to tumne kabhi socha hi nahi na?" Sameer asked and his serious tone baffled Naina. Till now, she had kept herself happy by reiterating a simple fact to herself that her chachaji would do anything to make her happy. But Sameer was right. Being ignorant was certainly not a good thing specially when it concerned their future. After thinking for a few minutes, Naina spoke up "Mujhe pata hai ki mere chachaji meri khushio ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hain. Lekin agar by chance vo nahi maane, to tumhari Naina unhe baar baar manane ki koshish karti rahegi. In order to make the situation lighter, Naina remarked " Vaise bhi abhi thodi der pehle jo itna style maar ke propose kiya hai uski kuch to izzat rakhni hi padegi na".
Sameer nodded in affirmation, " Vo to hai. Vaise madam ye idea aapko aya kahan se ?"
"Tumhari English movies se. Pata hai maine to kab se decide kar rakha tha ki ek din na zarur karungi aisa. Ab tumse to mujhe khaas umeed thi nahi", Naina chided him.
"Ahaan, mujhse umeed nahi thi lekin meri hi kavita suna kar mujhe hi propose kar diya. Very innovative haan Naina. I am impressed" Sameer replied sarcastically.
"To kya hua? Ab tumne mere liye hi to likha tha na. Aur mai koi shayar thodi hun jo khud se kuch likh sakun." Naina replied innocently knowing very well that Sameer would not tease her further.
"Ye sahi hai, ye bholi bhali si shakal banao aur nikal lo. Ekdum pagal ho tum", Sameer laughed.
"Tumhari hi hun, jaisi bhi hun", Naina laughed and again hugged him tightly.
Naina's VO: Hayeee, aaj bhi jab vo raat yaad karti hun na, chehre par apne aap smile aa jati hai. Sameer ka vo birthday, uske birthday par hamara pehla kiss aur saari raat ek dusre ki baahon me baatein karte hue guzarna, aaj bhi miss karti hun mai un palon ko. Chaand aur taaron ka na hamari love story se alag sa hi rishta hai, isilie to lagta hai ki sameer ke birthday ko special banane ke liye usse accha tareeka koi ho hi nahi sakta tha. Sach kehte hain sab pyaar me log pagal ho jaate hain. Hum dono kaa haal bhi bas kuch vaisa hi tha !
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The next few days flew away quickly. Sameer and Naina wrote their final exams with much dedication and diligence. It was the last day of the college and Naina was waiting for Sameer at their favorite spot, under the tree which had seen their love grow. Their friendship had evolved into love in its vicinity, they had their numerous secret meetings and of course their first hug there. It had also witnessed their silly fights and makeup sessions that followed. That tree and the surroundings were the symbols of their undying love for each other. While Naina was lost in her thoughts, Sameer appeared, out of nowhere, wavering a booklet in front of her.
"Ye kya hai?" Naina asked curiously.
"Ye? Ye hai IIM Ahmedabad ka prospectus aur ye hai uske entrance exam ka form." Sameer replied casually.
"Haan to tum kyu le kar ghum rahe ho ise? Aur ye aya kahan se?" Naina asked again.
"Ye kahan se aya vo tumhare matlab ki baat nahi hai. Ye jo form hai na vo tumhare matlab ka hai kyunki ise bharogi tum aur exam dogi, fir select hojaogi aur MBA krogi", Sameer finished his sentence in one go.
"Lagta hai tumhara dimag thoda khisak gaya hai. Mai koi form nahi bharne vali aur na hi MBA karne vali. Graduation karne ke liye to itni mushkil se gharwalon ko manaya tha aur tum chahte ho mai ek aur baar Mahabharat karaun ghar me?" Naina said annoyed.
"Oh hello mai tumse puch nahi raha tha tumhe bata raha tha ki tum ye form bharogi. Aur rahi bat gharwalo ki vo to tum chachaji ko mana hi logi. Ab dekho chachaji se hamari baat to karni hi hai, lage haath ye mudda bhi settle kar lena", Sameer put his head in Naina's lap and lied down on the grass.
Naina shook her head and replied "Sameer, ye nahi ho sakta. Vaise bhi vaha padhai ka kharcha bohat hota hai. Aur mujhe MBA karni hi nahi".
"Madam, aapka jo track record hai na us basis pe to tumhe bohat aaram se scholarship mil jaegi. To kharche ki tension chodho. Aur ye MBA karni nahi keh kar kise pagal bana rahi ho? Maine dekha nahi kya kaisi chamak aa jati hai tumhari aankhon me aage ki padhai ka sun ke. Agar MBA me kabhi interest nahi tha to kyu bar bar mujhse MBA ke colleges ke bare me puchti rehti ho, kyu hamesha business ke bare me jaan na chahti ho. Aur Nainu, tum itni intelligent ho yar. Socho, do saal bad tum Ahmedabad ki gini chunki ladkio me se hogi jinhone MBA kiya hoga. Kitni badi baat hai na. Aurrr, uske bad tum aur mai mil ke nanaji ka business smbhalenge. Soch ke hi kitna maza aaraha hai mujhe to", Sameer replied completely lost in his dream world.
Naina looked at him amused "Tumne kuch jyada dur ki planning nahi kar li hai?"
Sensing that his proposal had not excited her much, Sameer got up and replied " Ji haan kar li hai. Actually maine to isse bhi dur ki planning kar li hai lekin vo mai tumhe baad me bataunga. Agar tum chahti ho ki mai tumse gussa na houn to bina kisi agar magar ke chachaji se baat kar lena. MBA to tumhe karni padegi. Aur tum hamesha koshish karne se pehle haar kyu maan leti ho. Jahan tak mai tumhare chachaji ko samajh paya hun , mujhse milne se jyada to vo tumhari aage ki padhai karne ki iccha ko lekar khush honge. Mai jaanta hun vo sab smbhal lenge. By chance aisa nahi hua to mai shadi ke baad tumse aage ki padhai karwaunga par karwaunga zarur. Meri Naina ka koi bhi sapna kabhi adhura nahi reh sakta chahe koi kuch bhi kahe. Samjhi? Ab is topic par hum koi baat nahi karenge." Before Naina could respond, Sameer spoke up again" Shhh, tum rehne do. Bat ho gayi khatam. Mai samajh gaya ki tum maan gayi ho. Aur suno ek bar fir soch lo na kal vaaps bhi saath me chalte hain na. Chachaji ko mana kar do na aane se. Hum fir se kal apni pehli mulakat vala waqt jeeyenge."
Naina looked at him silently, thinking about how he always managed to read her heart. He had figured out on his own that she was apprehensive of talking to Chachaji for letting her study further, not because she didn't trust him, but due to the fact that she didn't want him to stand against everyone else in the family again. All she needed was to be comforted by and he was there for her, without her asking for it. Blabbering non stop was his way of tricking Naina into his words and he was doing the same that day. She smiled and replied " Tum jaante ho na ye nahi ho sakta. Chachaji nahi maanenge".
"Han baba jaanta hun. I will miss you." Sameer rested his head on her lap once again "Aise hi rehne do thodi der".
Naina lovingly ran her fingers through his hair and closed her eyes savouring the moment.
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Sameer was sitting on his seat, by the window, waiting for the train to depart. His eyes were still moist from the happenings at home a few minutes before. Deepika was not ready to let him go and was continuously crying over the fact that she would not be able to live with her bhaiya anymore. Being elder to her, Rohan tried to coax her but he too ended up crying. In the last three years, these three had become inseparable. Rohan had many a time asked him to stay with them but Sameer had his reasons for going back to his Nanaji and Rohan did understand his situation. With persistent efforts, they could stop Deepika from crying any further. She took a promise from him that he would visit her frequently and call her daily. Also, they had asked him to take the same promise from their Naina bhabhi too. Sameer smiled as he remembered how secretively Deepika had whispered in his ear about Naina. His reverie was broken by some girl's voice which sounded exactly like Naina's to him, "Excuse me, this is my seat".
Sameer turned around and saw Naina standing in front of him smiling, as always, " Naina, tum?"
"Chachaji ko to maine kab se hi aane ke liye mana kar diya tha. Jab is safar ki shuruat humne saath me kari thi, to aaj kaise beech raaste me chodh deti. Aur ab jo ye tumhare chehre pe smile dikh rai hai, ise dekhne ka mauka to mai kisi keemat pe na chodhun", Naina winked and sat beside him.
The train pulled out of the station, taking Naina and Sameer towards a new journey together.
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