"Haaahhh ! Finally !! ", he said happily as he cuddled his newly wedded wife...
"What finally?", she was in a bit sombre mood as he had taken out his anger and scolded her in the morning without any reason.
"Arey kya jaanu? abhi tak naraaz ho?"
She gave him a look and he laughed cuddling her more and kissing her cheek.
" Sorry na jaan...ab aap pe gussa nahi utarunga toh kis pe utarunga ?"
She too laughed.
" Yeh achcha hai haan ...Naseeb aapka...aapko mere jaisi ladki mili...koi aur hoti na..."
" Koi aur kaha se hoti...tere liye hi toh ruka tha na...tu mili tabhi shaadi ki."
" ha..ha..ha...very funny ! "
" Hogaya aapka mood achcha?", he suddenly asked.
"huh? haan...matlab..."
" Good ! Time waste nahi karte fir..."
" huh???."
and before she could say anything , her lips were sealed...
He was kissing her...
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"Aaannnk cheee...", Raj sneezed umpteenth time.
Here, Naina was scolding him non-stop.
"Pata hai ki sardi hai...fir bhi ice-cream kha li? how can u be so careless Raj?Kyun khudka dhyaan nahi rakhte? Agar fever hogaya toh?"
and she immediately checked for any sign of fever...
" See Raj...Thodasa garam lag raha hai badan..."
" NAINA !!! Chill ! Koi fever nahi hua...yeh tumhara wehem hai..."
But truly speaking, he simply loved it as she fussed over him...cared for him.
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" Kya kar rahi ho?"
"umm...Investments check kar rahi hoon.Actually i wanted to invest in these shares...but lets see...if its possible this month or not.Abhi toh mujhe..."
" Naina tumhe invest karna hai na? toh main..."
" No Raj... invest karna itna bhi important nahi hai..."
" Tum hamesha hi aisa karti ho...why can't you take my money?"
" Leti toh hoon na..", she smiled.
" ya...that stupid pocket money ! ", Raj rolled his eyes.
" Raj..", Naina said softly as she leaned on his shoulder, " You know na...I love to depend on you, but i want to be independent."
He smiled as he pulled her closer, " And' love you for that."
Raj admired this side in her.
She was a confident woman, who was career oriented and loved to be financially independent. Yet she was traditional and homely and respected him and his opinion a lot.
For him She was...just PERFECT !
And he loved her...LOVED HER SO MUCH !!!!
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" I love you...love you a lottt Naina...please come back.", tears rolled down his eyes.
"Raj! You need to rest..come on..thoda aaraam karlo."
" I'm fine shal...tum jaake so jao."
"RAJ !!! For god's sake kabhi toh baat maan liya karo ! "
And Raj knew..he couldnt deny his best friend, Shalini. She had come as soon as she came to know about it.
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Shalini sighed...She had forcefully made him sleep. As she looked at Raj now,her own eyes filled with tears...
She had never seen him cry before...
Raj Khanna...the dude !! Charming looks, dashing personality, fun loving, happy-go-lucky guy...Who had almost all the female populace of college running after him...
Who lived life on his terms...Could never tolerate 'NO' in return and gave a damn about people who didnt go his way...
Shalini had seen him ' moving on ' without much difficulty as he broke off with Nandini...his Girlfriend then.
But today, as Naina left him...
Her thoughts were broken by Raj's voice...
" Jaan, lights off karo na...I'm having a headache! ", and he turned the side..
Shalini bit her lips to stop a sob...Raj still wasn't ready to believe that Naina isnt there...
Finally Raj got up with a jerk, " Jaanu mujhe headache ho raha hai aur tum..."
He stopped suddenly... Reality dawning on him...
There was no Naina today...
Now there's nobody who would run towards him with a balm on mere knowledge that he is having headache...
There's no one to soothe his pain...who would stay awake and sleep only on ensuring that he is fine and sound asleep...
His 'Jaan' has left him...
Tears clouded his eyes.
Suddenly he found someone touching his shoulder...
he looked at shalini,quickly wiped his tears and gave her a smile...
It pinched her heart to see that fake smile..
She sat near him.
" Raj...I know its gonna hurt you...but please..please say something..."
" Kya sun na chahti ho tum? Shal please...mere liye yeh sab waise hi bardaasht ke bahar hai...main bass...i donno...i just wanna go away...I..."
" Raj..raj calm down...", Shalini took his hand in hers, " Raj, see...to be frank...Naina unn ladkiyo mein se toh nahi hai jo impulsively koi stupid decision le...she is quite mature...toh fir usne aisa..."
" SHE ISN'T MATURE...SHE IS OVER MATURE !!! ", Raj said furiously.
"Huh??'
" Shal...shal meri galati kya hai?woh aise kaise mujhe...", Raj was desperate, " main kya karu?"
"Tell me...tell me everything."
And as Raj narrated whole story, Shalini listened with deep concentration.
When finished he leaned his head on the wall and sat...not a single tear escaped his eye...
He was numb with the pain...
" Raj !! ", shalini whispered.
Raj was staring in space,looking lost...
She shook him.
" Raj...please...sambhalo apne aap ko."
The pain in his eyes was...
Raj simply leaned on her shoulder.
" Raj..." , she called softly ruffling his hairs.
Soon shalini heard soft weeps.
" Why???" , Raj uttered in pain, " Why shal?" ,
curling up as if trying to resist the storm inside him. As shalini went on to caress his head, he got a hold of her hand, pressing it tightly into his.
"Cry out Raj''cry" , shal whispered to him, and streams of tears flowed down his eyes.
Shalini sat by him ,as he cried his heart out in silent tears.
" I have lost her shal...I have lost." , Raj said past sobs.
" Raj..." , Shalini said softly, controlling her own tears.
Today as shalini sat beside him, she really seemed worried watching her best friend in pain'..a pain that could not be swayed away that easily. The moans that escaped Raj's lips could tear apart anyone's heart'.he shivered up at intervals.
" Main kya karu shal? Kya karu main? Kaise wapas laau usse?"
" Raj...please sambhalo apne aap ko. we'll find out a solution."
He wiped his tears. Shalini saw his expressions hardening.
" Leave it shal...agar usse meri zaroorat nahi hai...toh mujhe bhi uski zaroorat nahi hai. Woh khud yaha se gayi thi aur ab woh khud hi waapas aayegi."
Shalini could see him seething in pain as he said this...but she knew, he was Raj afterall.
Ruthlessness was also an inseparable side of his personality...
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The setting sun saw Naina sitting lost on the bench...staring into space.
She cried as she was reminded of the day when Raj first confessed that he loved her...it was exactly one and half month after they got engaged.
yes...there's was an arranged marraige.
She remembered how they had chatted just for 15 mins...and she had decided to say yes already because her Uncle felt he is perfect for her... She had lost her parents when she was just 10 yrs old and since then her uncle and aunt had raised her as their own child.
Then their very first phone call when Raj told her of his first love...Naina was shattered within. She had always dreamt of being first and last love of her guy'she had grown up reading stories where no one can forget their first love...
then will she be a second fiddle for him?
Will he be able to love her truly? Doesnt she deserve that much atleast?
But she had decided to put that nagging thought behind...coz Raj has said that was his past..and he had moved on...
But can someone really move on? she doubted...
Both had confessed their love for each other and their relation was running smoothly.
Then came the day when she had asked what he saw in her to say yes...
and he had said," Actually you aren't my type...i mean...beauty wise i'll give you seven outta ten...and you arent that hot n sexy...umm...jo mere criterias the usmein se kuch hai tum me...kuch nahi...par kya kare? Tumhara good luck ! Jo main tumhe mila..."
Naina was hurt somewhere...though she hadnt expected him to say that she came straight outta his dreams, but even this wasnt the answer she thought he would say...
and was he serious???
Doesnt he find her suitable for him...??
But still she ignored that thought forcibly...as till then she had started loving him deeply...and all she knew was she loved him...
Then followed series of incidences which forced her to think that Raj still hadnt forgotten Nandini.
Both of them were just friends now...Nandini was already in a relationship.
But sometimes Raj's words made her think that Raj still has something more than mere friendship for Nandini.
Then came the day of their marraige...
Naina was very happy...and she could see the same happiness in Raj's eyes too...and that made her more happy than anything.
There's was a happy marraige...umm'.near perfect'Yes...there were ups and downs...rough times as well...
Times when they fought a lot...times when silences crept between them...
but they coped...
They tried and overcame all their differences...
And love and understanding between them outdid each bad patch in their relationship.
She had forgotten about Nandini completely and never once did the subject crept between them. Both of them were leading a happy life'
" Naina...chal...andar chal..sardi lag jaayegi.", Aalekh put his hand on her shoulder.
" Aati hoon.mujhe kuch der akela rehna hai."
" Bass...bohot hogaya ab akela rehna.aaj main sabkuch jaan ke hi rahunga. Tujhe mujhe sab batana hi hoga.yeh sab aisa kaise hogaya? Sab kuch toh thik chal raha tha.shaadi ke pehle hum dono iss topic pe baat kar bhi chuke the na? Firse tere dimaag mein who baat aayi kahase?"
Naina took a deep breath.
" 6 months pehle Nandini ki transfer mere hi office mein hui.And believe me when I say, I genuinely took her as his friend only. I had driven out her past with Raj way back from my mind. You know even she was courteous with me. we both were kinda comfortable as colleagues. And thanks to her mujhe yeh realize hua ki undono ke beech mein aakar main kitni badi galati kar rahi thi. Raj ko apne pyaar aur chahat se dur kar rahi thi..."
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Naina stopped outside the door at what she heard.
" I...I love you Raj...", Nandini said as she took his hand in hers.
" Hosh me toh ho?", Raj took out his hand with a jerk, " Tum jaanti bhi ho tum kya keh rahi ho?"
" Haan ! Haan main jaanti hu main kya keh rahi hoon. Kya galat kaha maine? Shayad bahot late realize kiya maine 'but atleast I accepted the truth ! "
" We are over Nandini."
" No we aren't!"
" Just leave."
" You cannot forget your first love Raj."
" I AM A MARRIED MAN FOR GOD SAKE !!! "
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" Kya matlab?", Aalekh was confused.
" Raj Nandini se bahot pyaar karte the Aalekh. Aur shayad aaj bhi karte hai'.Par meri wajehse who apne aap ko apni chahat se dur rakh rahe the...Woh iss shaadi ko bohot seriously lete hai.", Naina said crying, " Woh bahot achche hai'Par main unki achchai ka galat faida nahi utha sakti. Apne aap ko unki khushiyo ke beech kaise aane du? I love him Aalekh'how can I let him suffer?"
Aalekh took her closer and she cried freely in his arms.
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Raj has gotten used to talking to her on phone. Everyday began listening to her sweet 'Good morning' and night fell when she wished him goodnight. But he wasn't ready to believe it. He couldn't believe that he has gotten 'used' to someone. It was after one month or so after they got engaged, when Naina had her exams, he offered voluntarily not to talk as that would distract her from her studies. Somewhere, he wanted to prove himself that he CAN SURVIVE without talking to her. Her exams were supposed to continue for a month or so.
But...on the very first day..
He got up in the morning and got ready glancing at his cellphone once every 5 min... but her name never blinked on the screen. He shouted at his maid for his tea being little less sweeter, when normally he would have quietly added some sugar to it without a fuss. He had an argument with the traffic police for no good reason. He screamed at his staff for trivial matters and refused to have dinner at all just coz his mum was lil late to bring parathas'.
Next day the same thing continued and his mom got fed up of his irritating behavior and out of frustration asked whether he had any fight with Naina or what? And that struck the chord'.
He fiddled with his cell phone that night, thinking whether he should call or not and finally decided to call.
His call was answered in very first ring itself.
" Hello'", came an eager voice on another side and his heart danced with joy.
" Hi naina'kaisi ho?"
" RAJ !!!"
" Uhh'I know' I had promised not to disturb you but I was'you know'I was missing you and'."
" I missed you too Raj'.", She whispered.
A smiled tugged his lips and they went on and on and on'..until Naina's Alarm went off !! It was 6.30 in the morning ! And Naina realized it was finally the time she said bye,
" Kyun? Itni jaldi?"
" Raj !! Its 6.30 ! meri classes hai aur fir mujhe office bhi toh jaana hai.."
" Hmm'par..baat toh puri karke jaati."
" Itni saari baatein toh karli ! sabkuch aaj hi kehdoge kya?"
" Umm'Sabkuch toh nahi'par kuch hai jo mujhe aaj hi kehna hai."
" Achcha? Aur aisa kya kehna hai aapko??? Mr. Raj ,Aapke paas exactly 5 mins hai !"
" I LOVE YOU NAINA !!!"
There was silence at the other end.
" Hello'.Naina? u there?"
" Ahh'haan'"
"Jawaab nahi dogi?"
" uhh,..woh..maami bula rahi hai'I'll talk to u later, okay?"
" Arey par'.."
" Byeee Raj !" and she hang up.
Raj smirked, " Hmmm'Kehna toh tumhe padega Naina."
He texted her, " You'll have to answer soon or I have ways to get my answer."
And smiled as he got her reply almost instantly, " Best of luck !!"
And he knew he was never happier before'''..
And then came that fateful day'.
" NAINA !!! WHAT THE HELL YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING ??? YEH'.YEH DIVORCE PAPERS ?? TUM SAMAJH BHI RAHI HO TUM YEH..."
He stopped as she hold his hand gently.
" I'm not happy myself doing all this'but'but this is for our own good'for you."
Raj didn't know what to say.
She looked up briefly meeting his eyes and he saw the deep regret in them before she looked away. She was preparing to give him up, he realised, and the thought terrified him'.
" Naina..." , he whispered holding her face in his palms.
She shook her head softly, slipped out of his grasp and she was gone.
"Raj."
Shalini brought him back to reality. He didn't turn from his position at the window.
" Raj...Mujhe aaj urgently Delhi jaana pad raha hai'kal shaam tak waapis aajaungi. Woh jaana urgent hai'issliye."
He nodded.
" You..you take care okay?"
He nodded again. Shalini sighed and left.
But she wasn't going Delhi'Shalini boarded a train for Chandigarh'. Coz she was going to meet Naina'
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Naina didn't know what awaited her as she answered the door bell. Shalini was there to confront her. Her head spinned as she heard naina's side.
" Nandini hi Raj keliye perfect hai Shalini'She is beautiful'just the way Raj wanted his life partner to be. And you know she loves him a lot too.."
Shalini frowned.
" Usne khud mujhse kaha. She broke away from her previous relationship coz she loved Raj'Par jabtak Raj ki life mein thi, dono ek nahi ho sakte the na'.Tum hi batao shalini,maine kya galat kiya? "
This was too much for her to tolerate. These two fools were spoiling their beautiful relation in their stupidity. She wanted to go and slap Nandini for all the misunderstandings she created.
" Aur fir'pehla pyaar bhulaya bhi toh nahi jaata na."
" For god's sake Naina just shut up !" , Shalini shouted,
" Aur nahi toh kya? EK aur baar tune woh raddi dialogue bola na toh kaan ke peeche bajaunga !", Aalekh warned.
Naina was shocked and was staring at them.
Shalini sat beside her.
" Tum jaanti bhi ho Raj kis haal mein hai waha? Woh tumse pyaar karta hai Naina..sirf aur sirf tumse !! Tumhe uss Nandini ki baat par vishwaas hai'apne pyaar par nahi?"
" Par'Nandini..."
" Naina..", Aalekh said, " Nandini uska past hai. And do you know what is the best thing about past?"
Aalekh answered himself as both the ladies looked on'
" The best thing about past is that it is NO MORE ! Tum Raj ka aaj ho aur tumhi uska kal. Pehla pyaar bhulaya nahi jaata etc etc yeh sab kitaabi rules tum pyaar par nahi laga sakti.Zindagi ek kitaab nahi hai Naina. Aur pyaar kisi bhi RULES ka mohtaaj nahi'Raj tumse sachcha pyaar karta hai. Ab yeh tumhare upar hai ki tum usse paana chahti ho ya khona."
"Kya'Kya Raj sachchimein sirf mujhse hi pyaar karte hai?", Naina asked Aalekh with hopeful eyes.
As Aalekh was about to answer ,someone pulled Naina with a jerk and slapped her hard across her face.
" RAJJJ !!!!" , Aalekh and Shalini screamed.
They were shocked and so was Naina, who was having her one hand on her cheek.
Raj roughly pulled Naina closer.
" Mera yeh thappad tumhe yeh hamesha yaad dilayega ki main tumse kitna pyaar karta hoon."
Shalini and Aalekh looked at him open mouthed.
" par Raj, yeh kaunsa tareeka hai'tum Naina pe haath kaise utha sakte ho? This is outrageous and'", shalini was scolding him nonstop and when she finally stopped.
" Shal'yeh meri Naina hai na'sabse hatke !", Raj said holding Naina tightly who was struggling to wriggle out of his grasp, " Toh usse samjhane ka tareeka bhi hatke hi hona chahiye."
Aalekh chuckled.
Raj forcibly made Naina look at him. As he looked at those large tear filled eyes, he felt alive for the first time in so many days. Naina saw nothing in his eyes except pure love and longing'And she realized what a big mistake she was about to do. Tears dared to escape her eyes but were stopped by Raj's lips as he kissed her tears. Naina couldn't held back any longer. She hugged him tightly crying in his arms.
" I love you'I love you'I love you a lot lot lot Raj !! I love you sooo much !!!"
Which made Raj laugh through his tears.
Once they were a bit stable, Raj separated only to held her face in his palms, " I don't know who my first love is or what exactly first love is'All I know is YOU are my LAST LOVE Naina'Tumhare alawa , tumse jyaada aur tumhare baad yeh Raj kisise pyaar nahi kar sakta'I love you'I love you so much Naina."
And she hugged him tightly. Aalekh and Shalini looked at each other happily and hi-fived.
" Waise kisine mujhse abhitak ' SORRY' nahi kaha!", Raj said mischievously, still holding Naina in his arms, oblivious of Aalekh and shalini.
Naina separated a little and giving him a angry look,
" Aap already mujhe thappad maar chuke ho'fir main apna SORRY kyun waste karu?"
And the room erupted in laughter as Raj and Naina hugged each other again'''.
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Edited by Revolutionbreez - 14 years ago
Ufff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil
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