Hello All ,
As promised, here comes the closure Part 2. With this chapter , the story comes to a close. I take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who took time out to read this story and provide their valuable feed back. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again, thank you so much for all those encouraging words.
Thanks and Regards
Ashwathy
Chapter 1 to 19 is in the below given link
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5047521
Chapter 20 to 23 is in the below given link
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5079361
Chapter 24 - Closure Part - 1
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5100447
Chapter 25
THE NEW MOON NIGHT
“Only in darkness , does a new moon arise, giving hope to a new beginning with renewed strength ”
The light from the morning sun was yet to seep through the drapes of the guest room. Sameer wasn’t back home. She remembered waiting till late in the night till sleep over powered her. Every night ever since they were back from the hospital, she would wait in her room for him to be home, only then she would go to sleep. Their conversation was limited, in fact in the past few weeks they had not come to face to face even for a light conversation. He would try all tricks in the hat to be with her but she would find a way out to hide from him. He still would visit her every night, sit next to her for few minutes before he went upstairs and she would pretend to be asleep. That was not the case yesterday, he wasn’t home. In fact, she didn’t know if he was back home or not. She was angry that she had slept off. She quickly got up and opened her bedroom door.
She saw Parth ,Nanu and some people from the factory , along with Police officers in the living room.
“Nanu what happened? Where is Sameer?? And Parth why are you here so early in the morning"
Nanu walked towards her and said,”nothing to worry. One of our trucks met with an accident and they are here to investigate on that.”
“Where is Sameer Nanu??”
“Beta he is fine don’t worry . He went to Mt. Abu yesterday afternoon. Mr. Saxena had invited us for the opening ceremony of their new resort.”
“But he didn’t tell me that he was going and when is going to be back??”
“Will be back later today. I told him I will go but he thought , it was not good for my health to travel and you were also not well….not in a position to travel so he
decided that he will go and I will stay here with you.”
“OK, I want to talk to him.”
“Naina, he will be driving now, wait till he is here”, said Parth in a hurry.
She knew they were hiding something but she wasn’t sure what. The look on Nanu and Parth’s face clearly said , something wasn’t right and with Police looking suspiciously, she wondered what these men were up to. She understood, she was not going to get information from them and probably her presence over there might put Sameer in trouble as the Police didn’t seem to be very happy.
She slowly walked back to her room. It was 5:30 in the morning and she had no clue where her husband was. This was the first time after marriage he had left the place with out telling her. Even before marriage Sameer always phoned her to tell he wont be in office in case , the next day he was going to some other location. She was irritated that he didn’t tell her ,”how dare he goes without telling me . Let him come back and then he will know who Naina is.” She thought irritated.
“God keep him safe .” Looking at Nanu’s and Parth’s face one thing was sure that nothing has happened to him but what worried her was the presence Police at home. She wondered , if he done something to someone is a fit of anger. “God, was in trouble?? One wrong decision and everything will be doomed.” She said aloud looking at her Kirshna. She knew there was no point of fretting , she had to wait till he was back. She sat on the bed resting the back on the back rest and started praying for his safety.
She wasn’t able to concentrate , she cursed herself for not being with him. She was at fault. First by hiding the truth about his parents and then by alienating him. She knew he needed her just as much as she needed him. Her guilt, that her silence had caused the life of their child pulled her away from him and now it looks he has landed in trouble. The way police were questioning Nanu and Parth it didn’t look like they were on the right side of the law. She was so lost in her thoughts when sheheard a knock at the door. “Yes come in …” it was Kaka with her breakfast. She hadnt realized that it was 9:00 am
“Beta, I didn’t have your breakfast , so Sir asked me to bring it here.”
“Its ok Kaka.. Give me half an hour . I will freshen up and be there.”
“Ok”
“Ramu Kaka is Sameer back from Mt. Abu??” asked Naina , as he was about to leave the room.
“No , he is not back.”
“Ok. Is the police still here ??”
“No they left long back. ”
After an hour , Naina walked to the dining table. The house seemed rather quiet. Ramu Kaka , quickly brought the food .
“Beta , today you are very late. This also means you will be late to have medicines.”
“I don’t have any medicines other than few vitamin tabs.”
“Whatever it is ..medicines are medicines . You need to take it at the time doctor has told you to do so. If Sameer baba gets to know, he will scold all of us. He left saying that we should take care of you till he is back.”
Hearing this Naina smiled. Her Sameer, as always wanted her to be happy no matter what. Even if he was not around, he saw to that she was kept happy and safe. And what did she do to him??!! The very thought filled her eyes. He has always been true to her but she …
“Kaka, when did he leave ??”
“Yesterday morning itself. You were in your room sleeping and he didn’t want to wake you.”
“But Nanu said he left in the afternoon….”
Suddenly Ramu kaka’s face changed as if he got caught red handed while doing something he shouldn’t have but he was quick to respond,”I mean he went to office and then from there he went to Mt. Abu.”
“OK…where is today’s news paper??”
“It was here somewhere Beta. You have your food and medicine. I need to check the generator as it was not working in the morning .” saying so Ramu Kaka quickly walked away from there. Naina was now very sure that all of them were hiding something. She quickly had her food and medicine, then she tried calling her Chachi but no one picked the phone. She felt like a caged bird. She had every thing but felt tied down and she was responsible for it. No one had tied her down , she had decided to get into a zone where she didn’t want to know what was happening in the outside world. She decided she was going to liberate herself from this self-exile and when Sameer returns, she will confess the truth and gift him, her old self. She looked at the stairs, “Yes , my first step will be to climb the stairs and be home, my bedroom” ,
She held the railings, slowly climbed to their room. As she opened the room, there was this feeling of peace that she could never explain to anyone. Every step towards their four-post bed increased her heart beat. She sat on the bed and looked around. Nothing had changed, everything was just like what it was before. Not one thing was out of place. Even the Jug and glass was on the bedside table. Her her eyes landed on the newspaper on the bedside table, wondered why it was kept there as Sameer always preferred it on his writing table. She picked it up, to place it on the reading table and she realized it was today’s paper “Why it was here when Sameer was not home”.She discarded the negativity that was building with in her and decided to read the newspaper. The front page was all about the accident accident. Seeing the names of people who got injured , her heart stopped beating. It was Tayi Ji’s relative Varun and his friend , who were badly injured in the accident and not only that their vehicle had 12 bottles of liquor . She didn’t have to think much. She knew Sameer definitely had a hand in it and now she understood why Police looked suspiciously at them in the morning. She folded the news paper and sat on the bed worried if he would get caught.
“Beta, you are here. I was so worried. Why did you climb the stairs??”, asked Ramu kaka in a worried and angry tone.
“I am fine Kaka. I was bored so thought of coming here and reading some books.”
“Beta you come down. Don’t sit here alone. Parth and Sir ji will be back home for lunch. And in the evening Sameer baba will also be back.”
“I will come sometime later. I will rest here for a while.”
“OK. But if you need something just call me and don’t go anywhere from here.”
“Alright….kaka….where is Sameer? Tell me the truth, is he safe?? You people are hiding something from me. I know about the accident.”
“Naina Beta, I have known your husband ever since he was born. He knows what he is doing. Its just that the world doesn’t know him at all. He is too smart and trust me, he is fine. He is very righteous person and ever since you have walked into his life , he is a changed person. No more that impulsive boy. He will never do anything that will keep him away from you or his nanu. You need to trust him Beta. I will bring some tea for you. You relax….he will be here in the evening and I am sure he will tell you everything.”
“Ok Kaka….but I don’t want tea…..I will let you know when I need something….”
“Fine…as I said , trust him and relax.”
“Thank you Kaka.”
She trusted him. There were no second thoughts about that but was worried for his safety. The people who got injured were the ones who had attacked her and alcohol was seized from their vehicle. To top it all the accident happened because of Sameer’s factory owned truck which was carrying factory goods . Any one would be suspicious of Sameer. Why anyone she was sure he had a hand in it. He had promised her that he would do anything to get the behind the bars. She could only pray and hope that Sameer would be safe. She took a deep breath and thought about what kaka had said, “trust him and relax”. She drank some water from the jug and decided to continue reading the paper hoping it would keep her mind of unwanted thoughts. She flipped through the pages trying to concentrate on what was written. Her eyes landed on the news about the new resort at Mt.Abu and it didn’t take time to see her husband’s name listed among the high profile guest. She quickly looked for the supplement sheet to see the pictures but the excitement didn’t last long as she saw Sameer in the arms of Tara . There were photos of him with his parents and Tara. Then one with Raghav and Tara .. them having food together. He didn’t look sad at all. He seemed happy being back with his friends. She was wrong. He never belonged to her and never will. Those photos were a proof of that. All the while she was living a life of lie. He only felt pity for her. She was just another responsibility not his love. That’s exactly what she didn’t want from any one. Pity and considering her as their responsibility. There was only one thought that popped in mind. “She had to leave….leave FOREVER.”
She neatly folded the paper, placed it on the reading table and gave one last glance to HIS ROOM. Back in the guest room, she packed few clothes that she had brought from her house into a suitcase. Removed all her jewelry including the mangalsutr which he had gifted her. Nothing belonged to her. She didn’t know where she should go from here. She had no house of her own. This was her husband’s house and the other one was her chacha ji’s house. Thankfully she had some money in the bank which she had saved from her salary. Reality struck hard.
“Ramu Kaka!!”, she shouted at the top of her voice. He came running from the kitchen thinking something had really gone wrong.
“What happened Beta??”
“Kaka do you know where Nanu keeps the telephone directory??”
“It is there under the center table , but what happened ?? Where you crying??” She didnt bother to respond, she grabbed the telephone directory and walked to her room.
Seeing her condition, he called Parth and informed him.
On the other hand , Naina was looking through address for a working women’s hostel. She only had enough money saved to survive for 5 months with out a job. She was sure she would find some job or the other in that time. Her only aim was to find a place to stay away from every person she knew and to start afresh. She tried couple of places and finally she managed to get one room at hostel near the university college. Once that was confirmed , she quickly finished her packing and decided that she will wait for Nanu to come and then leave. She didn’t think it was right to leave with out telling them. For once she will do it the right way. She didn’t have to wait for long as Kaka had informed them about Naina’s behaviour. Parth and Nanu , walked in and saw Naina dressed in a simple cotton salwar devoid of jewelry and sindhoor. One look at her , reminded Nanu of the day when she had walked into his office prior to her marrying his grandson only difference was that , the will to survive was lost in her eyes. The presence of suitcase next to the sofa, jewelry box on the center table and a bunch of key on top of it didn’t give a
right vibe to the whole situation.
She stood up seeing them, with a tutored smile on her face.
“Naina, where are you going ???”, asked Nanu in a concerned voice,
She knew this wasn’t going to be easy but she had to do it for her own good.
“Nanu , I don’t think I can stay here anymore. Here is the jewelry and keys that you had given me. I need to go.”
“I don’t need any of these Naina. Its all yours…” he placed everything back on the center table and made her sit on the sofa . “ If you want to go and stay with your
chacha ji , Parth and I will take you there. For that you don’t have to return all this. Its ok to visit your side of the family.”
“I am not going there. ” She said avoid his eyes. She got up from there and moved closer to where her suit case was placed.
“Then where are you going Naina?? What should I tell Sameer.”
“Nothing much…just ask him to forget me and move on in life.”
Hearing this Parth lost his patience “Nain why don’t you tell it yourself to Sameer…, just wait till he is back and then you leave.”
“Did he wait for me to get up before he left you Mt. Abu??”
Her answer gave clear indication of the fact that she had seen the photos.
“Silence Parth …nothing to say about that ??”
“That’s not right Naina. You are imagining things. Give us a chance to explain.”
“Not required. I don’t think I am that important that you need to give explanation for his actions Parth. Anyways car is here. I need to go.”
“I will drop you Naina.”
“I need to be alone Parth. Please respect my decision.”
“You think he will not find you ?? It won’t even take an hour for him to find you.”
“I am not running away Parth. If I had to, I would have left before you came. And as far as him finding me…well ..he will know where to find me ..that is if he wants
to find me.”
“Naina beta..don’t take decisions when you are confused. It will only lead to trouble.”
“I know Nanu. My marriage was a very thoughtless decision. I was confused and my emotions over powered my logic. Not even once did I think , if I was worth being his
wife. That’s what lead to all this mess. No one is happy and its all because of me and my impulsive decision.
I won’t repeat the mistake Nanu. I need some time to think . I need to be alone.”
“Then why don’t you go to your chacha ji’s house??”
“I don’t want to burden anyone ..never again Nanu..”
Saying this she touched his feet , took her suitcase and left in the taxi that was waiting outside. Parth and Ramu Kaka was surprised that their Boss didn’t stop his daughter in law from leaving her house, but both didn’t question his decision. All three eagerly waited for Sameer to reach home.
Around 1:30 pm, Sameer reached home. Ramu kaka silently took his luggage to his room. Looking at the cold expression on his Ramu kaka face he understood something wasn’t right. As he walked into the living room, Parth and Nanu got up and looked at each other.
“What happened ??”
“Nothing. You go and freshen up . We will talk after that.” , said Nanu .
“ Something isn’t right?? Where is Naina??” he asked as he walked towards the guest room.
“She left.”, said Parth . On hearing this , he looked at them and took a deep breath. He had this feeling those photos would create problems but he thought the write up would help. He should have known Naina wouldn’t have shown the patience to read after looking at those photos and then relate it to the accident. She could have used the logic to understand that it was more a cover up . What he forgot was how possessive they are when it comes to each other. Even he would not have liked tosee her in her friends arms dancing and being happy , especially after what happened. He should have told her and gone.
“I will go and bring her home .”, he said picking the bike keys from the key holder.
“Do you know where she went ??” , asked Nanu
“Of course,will be at her chacha ji’s house.”
“No, she is not there…”
“Then , where did she go??” questioned Sameer
“We have no clue Sameer. We tried to stop her but she left saying you will know where to find her , if you wished to.”
“What the hell does that mean Parth?? I left her with the two of you and you ppl couldn’t keep her here till I was back??”
“SAMEER !! beta we tried but she is not a kid. She said she wanted to be alone and not a burden to anyone. This is exactly why I asked you to talk to her before you left for Mt.Abu. But you would listen to me. Now pay for it.”
“Sameer, do you know where she went?? Or where she would go ?” asked Parth trying to calm the situation.
“No Parth, she doesn’t have anyone other than us or her chacha ji.”
“Then why was she so confident that you will know where to find her??”
He got up and walked to the guest bedroom where she was staying, trying to look for any clues that she would have left for him. He opened the cupboard and saw she hadn’t taken one single cloth that he had brought for her. All her old cotton Salwars had gone. Knowing that she had returned every piece of jewelry including the mangalsutr wasn’t a great feeling. Even her diary was missing from the writing table. He wondered, how the hell did he was to find her. In place of the diary was the telephone directory. Did she think he was going to call every place and ask if she was there? He flipped through the directory and in between the pages there was a pencil . He looked through the addresses marked with pencil .
“PARTH!!” he called out from the room.
Hearing this Parth , Nanu and Ramu kaka came rushing to the guest room.
“You call up these numbers, while I try the others. She has gone to some hostel. It must be one these. I cant believe she did this to me. Wait till I find her.”, said Sameer angrily.
All of them, sat and started dialing the numbers. There were nearly 25 of them and it wasn’t an easy task. Finally after 30 mins , Nanu managed to get through the place which said that a new girl named Naina had joined sometime back.
“Sameer , have something to eat and go. Anyways we have found the place. I think she needs some time. Don’t rush her beta.”
“Hell she needs time. You ppl have Lunch . I will have with her Nanu. I need to talk to her. Giving time to Naina will only end up in more problems.”
He picked up the key from the center table and an envelope from his jeep in which he came. Before leaving he told Parth not leave Nanu alone till he returned. It took him nearly, 45 mins to reach the working women’s hostel. He got in and took permission from the matron of the hostel to meet her. One thing he understood was that, his image actually helped at many places. People knew him and the lady who was the matron was around her 50s . She was smart enough not to question any further after knowing that Naina was his wife. She asked him to wait near the waiting area. He looked around, there weren’t many people , probably all away at work but the building and the area around seemed nice and calm. He sat on a bench under a Gulmohar Tree waiting for her. What he didn’t understand is why she chose to stay in hostel and not her chacha ji’s house. He could understand her anger towards him but why towards her chacha ji??!!
“Sameer ..”
There she was in her typical cotton, light pink churidar with no make up or jewelry. He wondered what she was up to. Starting a conversation would be tricky.
“Hi Naina, had lunch??”
“No, will have.”
“Then come, lets go and have something to eat first. We can discuss while we have our lunch.”
She looked at him, not knowing what to answer. This was one thing she hated about him. The way he throws up surprises. Anyone in his place would have got into a fight now but he knew exactly how to turn every event to his benefit. This time, she was sure she wouldn’t give in.
“Well , I am not hungry . You tell me why you are here.”
“Do you want me to lift you and go or would you come with me without throwing any tantrums.”
“Sameer this is not your house or your office.”
“I know but you are my wife and I do have the right to take you away with me. GOT IT?? And I KNOW FOR SURE YOU WILL NOT UTTER A WORD AGAINST ME.” Said Sameer assertively.
From the look on his face she knew he meant every word, “Fine ,I will change my dress and come.”
“NOT REQUIRED. I know you haven’t taken a single dress that I like so for me it doesn’t matter what you wear. It’s all the same.”
They walked towards a small restaurant near the university building. The place had very people , it looked neat. They chose a table near to a window and sat facing each other. He understood that she was into her, “I WONT TALK ” mode.
“What will you have ??”
“Anything is fine..”
“Meals??”
“Ok..”
He ordered for meals and waited for it to be brought to their table. And during this time as expected she was in mute mode looking outside and he kept looking at her for some reaction. Twice her eyes filled up with tears and she some how managed to blink them away. Soon the waiter brought their food. Naina was finding it difficult to eat , though that was not the case with Sameer , she saw him munching away to glory. She couldn’t understand how he could manage to eat so happily when both their lives were falling apart. Then she corrected herself saying she was the only one who was going through this. She was the only one in love with him not the other way around. But what about their child, did he not feel anything for their unborn baby. The very thought was enough for tears to reach her cheeks and he quickly wiped it away with his left hand.
“Don’t Naina. Just relax and have your food.”
They finished their food in absolute silence. Anyone who saw them would never even think that they were husband and wife. He paid the waiter and left the restaurant with her. As they reached his bike that was parked outside the hostel , he pulled out an A4 size envelope and handed it to her.
“When you have cooled down. Look at it and let me know your decision. And please don’t throw or burn it down without looking at it. Because if you do so you will be messing up two people’s life – mine and Nanu’s. If not for me, at least for Nanu , please go through it. I will wait for your response.” She shook her head and took the envelop from him. He thought she would walk back to the hostel, instead she stood there looking at him.
“Do you want to say something??”
“Yes…Rohan had visited us once when you were at office. He had asked me to give you the diary and that he will be always there with you. He also told me that I could read the diary. I got curious and read it. After reading it I felt you wont like what was written and might impulsively do something that would backfire so I hid it from you ….I made a mistake …I should have told you probably that would have saved our child.”
Sameer who was on bike ready to leave, switched of the engine and put the bike back on stand. She seemed totally guilty and he understood she was taking the blame on to herself.
“Naina…what had happened has…”
“No Sameer , you need to know. Deepika is Babitha aunty and your step father’s daughter. She is not any distant relative. And Rohan’s mom thinks your step dad is responsible for your dad’s death.”
“I know Naina… I know it all…” he held her hand and walked back to a near by bench, made her sit and sat next to her. “ There is more to it , I found one more diary of hers among the old books which gave a complete insight into their past.….. I will tell you what is not there in the diary you and Rohan read….a past which began beautifully but sadly wouldn’t end that way… Rohan’s mother and Mr. Somani were childhood friends. They met my mom at college and all three became best of friends. Initially everyone had thought that he would marry my mother but then my mom fell in love with my dad and got married to him. Few months later Mr. Somani married Rohan’s mother. For a while everything went well and all were happy but soon my mom was not liking the fact that my dad avoided socializing. He never liked going for parties or organizing dinner etc unlike Mr. Somani. And at that time his business was not doing well and my mom blamed his introvert nature for their business failure. She believed that a business man should be more of a people person. Slowly their relationship started falling apart and Mr. Somani added fuel to fire by bringing in the need to sell the Ooty hotel and to settle down at Mt.Abu. My dad finally agreed to give away the resort for my mom. He was on his way to sign the agreement when the accident happen and my dad died in the accident. As per the diary,this was not something that my mom had ever thought would happen to him. She had written that my mom was completely shattered. They used to have arguments but never hated him or wanted their marriage to end. Mr. Somani started visiting our house with his wife regularly to support her and initially Rohan’s mother didn’t think anything was wrong because all three of them were best friends at college.
Things changed forever when Rohan’s mom came to know about Babitha and Deepika. She questioned him about their relationship and the result ….she ended up with a broken legs. With time her health started deteriorating ..and she didn’t know why. There is no concrete proof that he killed her, but there is enough evidence in the diary I got, about my dad’s death to nail him down. The diary Rohan got was written while she couldn’t move around.”
“Why didn’t Rohan’s mom tell your mother the truth??”
“She did try to indirectly tell her about her husband but my mom always trusted Mr. Somani blindly and believed Rohan’s mom was getting insecure about their friendship hence refused to believe her.”
“Does your mom know about the truth now.”
“Yes, I approached her with evidence , she looked shocked and that’s something I cant believe. I mean how could a person not know the man she has married. How blind can she get . Anyways I have given her benefit of doubt . Today she will fly back to Delhi to stay with Rohan."
“Sameer tell me the truth, where you behind that accident??”
“Naina there are few things that I don’t want you to get involved. They got what they deserved and tomorrow if any more news comes out. Don’t be shocked. I will be using that diary against Mr. Somani. Dont worry you Tayi's name wont be out though she was also involved in getting you hurt. I didnt want your family to be dragged into. But I have warned her that , in case she did something to us , I will not forgive her. "
“Honestly I didnt want you to save her but I understood why you did it...anyways...does your step dad know why your mom is going back to Delhi?”
“NOPE . Rohan called and said he is not feeling well. They all think mom is leaving to Delhi to help Rohan.
Honestly , I don’t care about them. Deepika is the same age as Rohan, so am sure this so called Babitha aunty of Rohan knew exactly what she was doing. She needs to pay the price of her decision to get involved with a married man. It’s not that she is poor. She has made enough out Mr. Somani and my mother. You don’t worry about all that. Remember what I said, don’t tear the envelop, without checking what is in it. When you have decided, give me a call.”
He then got on to his bike and left with out even giving her a glance. What she didn’t realise is , he was looking at her through the side mirror. He wanted to wave but he didn’t . For once, he wanted her to decide. He now understood why Nanu allowed her to go. She needed time to settle things in her mind. The only question that kept hanging in his mind was, why did she not chose to go her chacha ji’s house.
Naina , held the envelop close to her chest and walked back to her room. Yes “HER ROOM” at least till she pays the rent no one is going to question her why she was here. There was nothing fancy about the room. It had a single cot bed, a writing table , a chair and an inbuilt cupboard. The room thankfully had attached bathroom. She had to pay more for it. She placed the envelop on the table and sat on the chair and thought about Sameer’s words. He knew her so well. If he hadn’t told her , she would have burnt it for sure. She decided she would not open it only after she gets a job.
She eagerly waited for next day’s newspaper. As expected, he had got his Step dad arrested. It was front page news. It said the accident victims confessed to their crime of assaulting Sameer and his wife at the behest of Mr. Somani and under pressure of police he confessed to both the murder’s that he committed in the past. Since they couldn’t find any evidence against Babitha , she went scot free. Now , everyone knew she was Sameer’s wife and most people thought she was staying here to be away from the eyes of the media. Matron had given strict instructions not to disturb her. She was sure Sameer had made sure that her stay at the hostel was peaceful.
The next few days went around searching for jobs. Every morning she would check the newspaper for job opportunities and finalise on the places where she needs to apply. Then she would visit those places to handover her CV. Some places had walk in interviews and others would tell her that they will review the CV and let her know. Days passed and there was no call from Naina. Most people were hesitant to give her a job as they were suspicious of why a Business tycoon’s wife should apply in their organization.
Far away from her , Sameer started getting impatient. The only one thing that gave him the confidence was that she was still staying at the same place and attending interviews.
“Sameer why don’t you get a job for her?”
“Its not that I cant. She doesn’t want us to. She wont like it. Let her take her time. Its not easy to get a job especially when you are wife of a Business Tycoon. She will learn it soon.”
It was after 3 weeks and 3 days of struggle that Naina got a job as office administrator at a private residential school. She was happy that she got a job but more than that her wait was over. She rushed to her room to see what was in the envelop. There was a wedding card, a paper cutting, her mangalsutr and a small box filled with Kumkum. The wedding card had Tara and Raghav’s name and the paper cutting was the same that she had seen, the only difference was that Sameer had underlined few lines which read how the old friends celebrated the engagement party. She hadnt bothered to read it completely that day. She saw the pics and had gotten jealous .To make the matters worse she didn’t even allow Parth and Nanu to tell her the truth.
Her insecurity and jealousy clouded her mind. She should have understood that Sameer, had used this event to prove his that he was not in town while the accident happened, more like creating an alibi. No one would doubt his hands in the accident or his step dad getting caught. She got up to call him and say that she was going to come home. But the word “home” stopped her.
Her insecurities slowly creeped back into its place. “What if Sameer really finds a woman who is suited for his family someone like Tara. Then she will be in the same state as she is now. Orphaned, homeless and penniless.” She thought.
She decided she will call him and tell him what’s on her mind. If he wants her in his life then he needs to understand her point of view as well.
Around , 3:30 pm in the evening Sameer waited patiently near her hostel. She had called office and had left a message. He wondered what she had decided. Whatever her decision , he knew he would do everything under the sky to keep her with him. His eyes were fixed at the entrance door of the hostel. There she was, getting down the steps. She was dressed in a Saree , her mangalsutr and sindoor was back where they belonged. A smile found its way on his face and eyes teared up, which he quickly wiped with the back of his hands.
“You are looking beautiful.”
“Thanks. I called to tell, I got a job as an office admin at Saraswathi Residential School.”
“Congrats!! And when are you coming home ??”
“Sameer , I am not coming to your house.”
“What do you mean my house?? Then why did you wear this mangalsutr and sindoor if you didn’t want to be married to me??” asked Sameer in an angry tone.
“Listen, I am not sure how to explain this to you. It’s just that I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.”
“Naina , we need to talk and this is no place to have such a conversation. Come with me to our factory , its just few kilometers away from here. There we can sit and talk in my cabin and I promise to drop you back .”
“Fine.”
Their journey towards the factory was in silence, the only thing that gave Sameer hope was the way she placed her hand on his shoulder. As they reached the factory gate , the security guard was quick to recognize their boss and his wife. He opened the gate with a broad smile. Sameer parked his vehicle and walked ahead with Naina trying to match his pace. People on the way to his cabin wished him and some even did small talks with Naina. He couldn’t blame them because the whole world knew what he and the family went through in last few weeks because of Mr. Somani . It was all in the news. Its after that they were getting to see them together. Finally, alone with her in his cabin, he told the manager not to disturb them. He locked the door and made Naina sit on the chair and he sat on the table facing her. He wanted to pull her into a tight hug but refrained as he didn’t want any act of his, to confuse her already confused mind.
“Tell me Naina,what makes you think that your chacha ji and I consider you as a burden.”
“To beging with why dont you tell me , why do women get married off and is not allowed to stay at their mother’s place.... Well in my case I don’t even have a place to call as my mom’s house.”
He didn’t know what to answer, so he decided to let go that question , “Hmmmm... what made you think, that I thought you as burden??”
“Would you even have thought of marrying me if I was just like any other woman who worked your office?”
“What do you mean??”
“I mean , if my family hadnt behaved so badly with me and if my father hadnt thought of marrying me to Varun. Would you have thought of marrying me??”
He looked at her with a confused expression. She knew he was buying time , trying to give a favorable answer, which she didn’t want. She wanted him to tell the truth.
“Sameer , don’t give me an answer to make me happy. Tell the truth , it’s a pretty simple question.”
“Well Naina, the answer is NO. I hadn’t even thought of marrying anyone for that matter. In fact, I didn’t want to get married but…”
“Exactly!! Our marriage was an impulsive decision of yours to save me because you felt bad for me. Sympathetic towards a girl whom you had hurt with words. But Sameer to hold on to marriage , there needs to be love. Sympathy wont last.”
“Are you saying that there isn’t love between us Naina??”
“There is …but ..not enough to hold on to this relationship Sameer. When issue cropped up , both of us collapsed. Do you realise , we haven’t had a conversation for past three months. ”
“And that’s because of whom?? You know the answer.”
“Yes , I didn’t talk but then why did you not come and talk to me. Did I stop you ??”
“I thought you needed time, after what had happened ..and I was also feeling guilty that all this happened because of my side of the family. True we didn’t talk Naina, both of us was equally hurt that we didn’t have the courage to look at the other. I agree. But that doesn’t mean you are a burden to me. What I own is yours too.”
“That’s not right Sameer. Every one refers to your house as my in laws house. Isn’t that funny when a women stays with her husband and his side of the family , she is at her in laws place and when she stays with her side of the family she is at her mom’s place. Why is that we don’t have a place that can be called ours Sameer?? She always belongs to her father , husband or her son but she has no one to call as her own.
Yesterday when I saw the envelop , I just realized that knowing the truth ,didn’t calm my insecure mind. I don’t want to live with the fear that I have to depend on someone. Its not a nice feeling Sameer. It just isn’t. The very sight of seeing you with someone made me realise that if you decide to leave me then , I will be on the street,orphaned, homeless and penniless. A situation I don’t want to be in. I want to earn and save for a small house that I can call as mine, have a secured life.”
He wanted to argue with her but he didn’t because he knew exactly what she meant. He was in the same state of mind years back. It took a long time for him to realise that whatever belonged to his grandfather was his too. Just like the way he belonged to his grandfather, even grandfather belonged to him. He couldn’t blame Naina because like him even Naina had a trouble childhood. They were not brought up by their parents and hence never felt that belonging like other kids felt towards home.
Always felt insecure of loosing people they love.
“Naina, I understand what makes you think this way. It took some time for me to feel that I had a home with my Nanu and I am sure you will realise it too that you have a home along with me. You need to give it some time. So much happened in the short period of time.”
“Till then I prefer to stay in hostel.”
He took a deep breath and looked at her absolutely lost. He didn’t want to let her stay alone away from people who loved her. He thought he should speak to her chacha ji but then decided against it as she may not like it. He had to find a middle path that would suit both of them and Nanu.
“Naina ,is it that you don’t want to be married to me or is it just that you don’t want to be depended on any one??” He asked patiently.
She got up from her seat, walked towards the window, looked at the horizon..and said , “I don’t want to feel that I am a burden to anyone and need to feel that even if people disown me , I will survive and be happy.”
“Ok..got your point. Then let’s rent a house and we will share the expenses. In that way you are paying ,so you wont feel depended on us.”
“But you have a house and I won’t be able to afford such a big house for rent.”
“We will take a small two bedroom house.”
“That wouldn’t be nice . Nanu won’t be happy and what will people say??”
At this he lost his complete cool. He got up and pulled her close to him and caged her in his arms “what are you up to and what is that you want?? You are driving me mad. If you want to stay married to me, we stay together. Got it?? It really doesn’t matter if its in a hut that you own but we stay together. Its only after our marriage I understood the true essence of a family , got a feeling that there is someone whom I can call as mine other than Nanu , someone who loves me for who I am but its sad to know that the person who taught me the concept of family, didn’t feel the same in the house, I brought her into.”
His words struck her hard. How could she have been so blind and selfish. He was in the same situation as she was and he has been telling the same thing again and again...but what about her insecurity?? She kept looking at his face trying to find an answer to her insecure heart. What if he disowns her like how her father had or how her chacha chachi would stay mute when her Tayi ji taunted her. Then how is she going to handle herself. All these thoughts started playing in her mind. On one hand there was this need to be with her Sameer and on the other she was scared of loosing him.
“Say something Naina. I don’t understand your silence. Don’t you see that I love you just as much as you do. It’s true that our marriage was an impulsive decision but I doubt if I would have allowed you to marry anyone else. From the time , your eyes met mine in that corridor , I couldn’t forget you. The reality is I wanted you for myself Naina. Here the problem is not about money or wealth , the problem is you are insecure and you don’t trust me. I know for sure, you will never disown me but you don’t believe the same about me.”
He slowly moved away from her and looked at her with teary eyes, “You know what …you win. I will wait till you change your mind. Go live your life the way you want to and when you feel you have achieved and is confident to start a life with me , let me know.
I will wait for you , till I breath my last because more than you needing me , I need you…so if it means that I have to wait then I will with all my heart.” He wiped his tears and then hers. “Come let’s leave, else it will be late for you at the hostel and won’t look nice.” He unlocked the door and was about to open when she hugged him from back. “You are right Sameer; I don’t want to go back. I want to be with you but I am scared of loosing you. I am scared you will leave me for someone else. What do I do? I am not able to control my mind. I am always living in the fear of loosing you .”
She didn’t have to tell him , he knew it but he was happy that she worded out her fears with out hesitance. He locked the door, he unwrapped her hand so that he could turn and face her , “I know that Naina, I know how you feel. I go through this every day. Only difference is that, I don’t think about another man trying to steal you away from me because I am very sure about your love for me but am I scared of loosing you? Oh!! yes I am. When you collapsed on the floor bleeding, only God and I knew what was going through me. Even today when I remember that moment I struggle to breath. This is because we love each other so much . Our love shouldn’t be our weakness, it should be our strength to face life . I will never leave you. Only when we spend time together and live together we will learn to trust each other blindly. Now tell me , do you want to come with me to our house??”
“Yes. but I want to work at the school . I think its better that way.”
“Fine, What we will do is, every morning before I go to office will drop you at the school first and then in the afternoon, you can come back by car. Will ask Vishwas Bhaiya to pick you up.”
“Ok…so will you come tomorrow to pick me up from the hostel??”
“Why tomorrow? why not today?”
“I need to pack and I don’t think they will allow women to go out in the evening without prior permission.”
“ Well ..you can come with me today and tomorrow we can come to collect your things from your room and as far as permission goes , don’t worry , I will get it for you.
The question is do you want to come today with me?”
“Yes !!”
He pulled her into a tight hug ,” I missed you Naina..do you realise it’s been days…no...months since you allowed me near you.”
She placed her head on his chest while she wound her hands around him, “I never stopped you Sameer. You were hesitant to come near me.”
“Hmmm….well now I wont . Shall we leave ??”
“Yes…”
They reached home around 5:30 in the evening. Nanu pulled both of them into a warm hug . He asked them to freshen up and be at living room by 8 as he had invited her family and Parth for dinner. He knew Nanu was happy. They walked to their den and Naina decided to freshen up first. After 15 mins , she came out dressed in the same white chiffon Saree and jewelry that he had gifted her when they were on their honeymoon. Just that she wore a normal white silk blouse and not the tube top. Her hair was tied into a neat bun with one of the pearl hair sticks . She searched for him in the room , he was nowhere to be seen. She saw the door to the balcony opened and saw Sameer standing in the balcony looking at the horizon. He had already changed into a white cotton shirt and a blue jean. He turned towards the door sensing her presence.
“My Queen is back to her usual self , but I would have preferred the designer blouse instead of this one.”
“That was only for you. Now , we will have guest at home hence wore this one….”
“Hmmm….”
“Why are you staring at the horizon Sameer??”
“Waiting for the sun to set and moon to rise.”
“Well today is a new moon…so she will be hiding.”
“ Oh is it , I didn’t realise….but that’s ok. I have my personal moon next to me.”
“Really ??....Tell me why do you hate sun so much?”
“ I used to , probably because I just didn’t want the night to end and face the world. Things changed when you joined the office. I started waiting for the sun to rise so that I could meet you.”
She blushed hearing his statement, “I love my Sun. When Sun rises, he brings in hope and he sets to helps us rest after a tiring day . This energises us to welcome a new day.”
He placed a hand on her shoulders and looked at her , “ Well…I love to wake up in your arms Naina. With you around Night and Day are all the same”
“Hmm….and you know what Sameer, there is another reason why Sun sets...he sets for his moon to rise and shine.”
Hearing this , he pulled her closer to him ,“So does his moon. my dear. They are each other’s cheer leaders. One is incomplete without the other.”
“Love you Naina ..”
“Love you too Sameer.”
They both knew that life wouldn’t be easy, there would be new challenges but they were happy that , they were back together. The greatest lesson they learnt was that love alone doesn’t make a marriage successful. There has to be respect, trust, understanding and total acceptance of each other.
Res..😭
Unres...
Ashu di, this story will be always my one of the most favourite stories here... ❤️🤗!!!! If your health permits,please give an epilogue to this story... I will wait!
Finally,sameer and naina are together for life,they will face problems but solved the problems together!!!
I am speechless... after reading two parts of closure...!!! Surely, I gonna miss this story sooo much!!!
Eager to read your more stories soon,Di🤗 when you will be well!
Take care of yourself Ashu di.... 🤗!!!
With love,Suparna
Edited by Suparna13 - 4 years agoAshu di I loved the chapter
but I have a request if time permits and you are fine health wise
please do give us an epilogue for this one.pretty please
I would wait for it.
The end was beautiful
finally they found each other in their truest sense and the culprits got what they deserved.
thank you for writing this story
This story will always remain one of my favourites here
Edited by munchkinland - 4 years agoWonderful ending and I love your story from first part itself. It was such a pleasure to read this story for me and I love your way of writing. Go ahead with your work and try to write another story like this. It is my kind request to you.
Regards,
Mariarexiline 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😁😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
Ashu Di
I loved this chapter and the ending. It was perfect. ❤️
And you gave a life lesson to all of us about relationships, love, trust and life.
It was one of my favorite stories and will always remain. Feeling sad that I won't get to read more of it but I am happy that you gave a perfect ending to this story for your readers and lots of hugs to you for that 🤗
Please take care and get well soon and give us another beautiful story. I'd love to read more of your work. You are an amazing writer.
Again thank you so much for this wonderful story. ❤️
Lots of love,
Shweta
Edited by shwta16 - 4 years agoIt's a wonderful story.. Was waiting for the update since a long time. Though it's sad that you have ended it, but still better that you didn't leave it incomplete.
Don't remember if I have mentioned in any of my earlier comments, but I think I should tell u about how i loved the way Sameer used to address Naina as my girl or my lady or my queen!!!
Finally, hope we get an epilogue for this beautiful story, and also some other story from you when you are in best of your health and have time enough to write something in between you busy life..
Lots of love
Vandie
Hi Ashwathy
First of all thank you so much for concluding this story inspite of your health issues. I pray that you get well soon and gift us with more beautiful stories.
This story was so beautifully penned. Very well you have portrayed their insecurities, unusual challenges thrown by life, their growth in the relationship,every emotion apt. It showed the reality most of the couples face in married life.
Very rightly said for a marriage to be successful it needs love,trust, respect and totally accepting eachother with all the flaws.
Thanks again for this wonderful story.
Take Care of your health.
Love
Sajida
Edited by Saji79 - 4 years ago
