Sameer Naina OS series: Elements of Nature; Fifth OS; Space...pg 17 - Page 10

The element of Air is vital to human survival, without it we would all perish, its aspects are Thinness, Motion and Darkness and its quality is Active. Air is the manifestation of movement, freshness, communication and of the intelligence. In magical terms, Air is the power of the mind, the force of intellect, inspiration, imagination. It is ideas, knowledge, dreams and wishes. Air is the element of new life and new possibilities and is essential to spells and rituals of travel, instruction, finding lost items, some types of divination, and freedom. Air aids us in visualization, a vital technique in magic.

I would like to dedicate this OS to Minu aka TereLiyeMinu who once wanted me to write this OS. Here it goes...

This OS is set in the school times only and in this I am presuming the bet issue never happened. Sameer has entered the school as a rich guy so he is the Prince charming for all the girls in the school. Naina too had fallen for him ever since she almost bumped into him. But their ways seem to cross repeatedly and they ended up being against each other. Many times Naina got him punished for his habits which were really not acceptable to the teachers of those days. That's why he had started to develop a kind of hatred for her in her heart. But Naina... she was getting attracted to him and it was love at first sight for her. She tried to help him many times but still he always ended up being amongst the bad books of the teachers. Her liking for Sameer was known only to her friend Shefali... who used to guide her... she was much ahead of times in her thoughts and opinions and they both gelled really well.

There was an inter school debate competition which was being organized and as expected Naina was the student chosen to represent their school. Munna and Pandit wanted Sameer to participate in the competition but to their frustration she was chosen instead.

Munna: yaar Sameer yeh librarian ki beti ko har baar bhej dete hain competition mein...unhe dikhta nahi kit u kitni achhi angrezi bolta hai... tujhe bhejte to humare school ka kitna naam hota...kaun samjhaye in teachers ko?

Sameer: chhod yaar... mujhe bhi koi shauk nahi hai competition mein part lene ka... yeh sab na us behenji ke jaisi padaku ladkiyon ke liye hi theek hai...

Pandit: haan wo maniben fir se competition mein first aayegi aur uske librarian baap ka dimaag aur upar chadh jayega...

Sameer: kya tum dono bhi... mujhe na...us behenji mein ya uske baap mein koi interest nahi hai... waise bhi iske jaisi ladkiyan na sirf padayi aur awards ke liye bani hoti hain... isse zyada inme kisi ko kya interest ho sakta hai?

Both Munna and Pandit agreed to this and they all went away teasing Naina for being a boring girl who was just good in studies but never could impress anyone by her looks. Naina overheard their conversation and had tears in her eyes... was she so boring... what was there in her looks that no one would be interested in her? she failed to find out answers to the questions creeping up in her mind. She thought of asking Swati but then decided against as she knew she would herself pass certain comments on her looks as always. Swati always teased her for being a studious girl who never cared to look good. She was very surprised to see Naina in a step cut but when she came to know about the chewing gum incident... She had laughed holding onto her tummy... she found that so hilarious that time and Naina was feeling embarrassed.

So she decided to share everything with Shefali... She was sure that Shefali would help her out and would definitely suggest her something. As she expected, Shefali firstly asked her to calm down... as she just needed to do something that would surprise the students in her school with her looks this time. But she was thinking of an appropriate occasion to change the perception of others about Naina. Naina told her about the upcoming debate competition and it was decided that she would change her looks on that day itself. but she was curious to know what was Shefali planning to do but she didn't reveal her plans.

The day for the debate competition arrived and Shefali had asked Naina to come to her home early in the morning and she did as she had asked her to. Naina was shocked to see Shefali ready with her Mom's saree for her.

Naina: Shefali yeh kya hai? saree... main yeh kaise pehnungi... mujhe nahi aata hai saree pehenna..

Shefali: arey tu chinta mat kar...main pehna dungi na... mujhe bahut achhe se aati hai...

Naina: par main...

Shefali: par var kuchh nahi... Tujhe un sabko surprise dena hai na... to isse achha idea nahi ho sakta...

Naina: surprise dena hai...shock nahi...

Shefali: arey tu bas dekhti ja... Main tujhe aise tayaar karungi... Tera Sameer dekhta reh jayega...

She made her wear the saree and did a light make up along with her hair kept loose. Naina was really uncomfortable in the saree but when she looked at herself in the mirror... She couldn't believe herself that she would look so beautiful in a saree. She tried walking in a saree as this was the first time she was wearing it... she slipped a few times... but later...she was able to walk properly. Now the next problem was to reach the school and she couldn't ride her cycle in this attire... Shefali advised her to go by a rickshaw today and she helped her hire one from the rickshaw stand nearby. Preeti was surprised to see Naina like this and she wondered what made her wear a saree for the competition. She excused herself saying that Kumud teacher wanted her to wear a saree if she was comfortable to wear that as the other girls too were doing the same.

Preeti and Naina both reached the school by rickshaw and everyone was shocked to see her but she was waiting for the reaction from just one person... For whom she had come to the school dressed up...but he was no where to be seen. Her eyes were constantly searching for him as she was desperate to see his reaction when she heard Munna telling Pandit that Sameer was chosen to compare the entire debate competition as the one who had been selected earlier met with a minor accident the previous day. So he had to prepare at the very last moment so he was busy with that near the stage with the teacher. Naina was disappointed as she will have to wait till the competition and would be missing his reaction now.

She had no other choice but to go towards the stage and take her seat. The competition started and Sameer was doing a good job in comparing the entire session. After 2 students...it was Naina's turn and she got up hesitantly when he announced her name. Sameer who was reading his lines written on a paper while she was coming towards the stage... His eyes went onto her for a moment and got fixed onto her once he saw her... she looked so different today... initially he couldn't believe that it was her... the same padaku behenji Naina whom he was teasing for her boring looks few days back. She looked ethereal today... so stylish... with her hair left loose... he couldn't take his eyes away from her. Naina was looking towards him while she was climbing up the stairs...she knew by his stare that was constantly following her that he was spellbound by her changed look.

Soon she reached close to the mike and Sameer was still busy staring at her... they shared an eyelock for few seconds when Naina gauging the gravity of the situation stamped her foot on the stage twice lightly to bring him out of his trance. He realised that he had to move away and he made way for her... she spoke on her topic and when she finished everyone was clapping for her. As expected... Naina won the competition at the end of the competition and she was busy talking to Swati after collecting her trophy.

When everyone had left Naina was searching for a rickshaw to go back home... Preeti had gone to collect their bags from the class and she was waiting outside the school. Sameer who was passing by on his bike... saw her waiting and stopped at some distance. He came to her and tried to initiate a conversation with her.

Sameer: Congratulations Naina... Tumne competition mein bahut achha bola... Sach mein...

Naina: thank you...(and starting searching for the rickshaw again)

Sameer: tum rickshaw ki wait kar rahi ho... Tum chaho to main tumhe ghar drop kar sakta hu...

Naina: nahi main chali jaaungi...Preeti bhi aane wali hai ... hum chale jayenge...

Sameer: Naina... wo main...kehna chahta tha ki tum aaj bahut different lag rahi ho... ek dum alag...

Naina: thank you Sameer... Lekin yeh main nahi hu Sameer...

Sameer: matlab...

Naina: matlab yeh ki main humesha aise nahi rehti ... Main kal fir wohi school uniform pehen kar aaungi to fir tum mujhe boring behenji kehkar bulaaoge... Haina...

Sameer realised that she had heard their conversation that day and felt embarrassed...

Sameer: wo ...I'm sorry Naina...mera wo matlab nahi tha...

Naina: tumhara kya matlab tha wo to saaf hai Sameer Maheshwari... Tumhari nazar mein sirf ek insaan ki bahri sundarta important hai... wo insaan andar se kaisa hai... uska koi mulya nahi hai... aaj main achhi lag rahi hu to tum meri tareef karne aa gaye... Kal jab main uniform mein aaungi to main behenji ban jaaungi... Tumhari soch kisi ke kapdon ke saath badalti hai ... Yehi sach hai na...

Sameer: I'm sorry Naina...main sharminda hu... mujhe aise nahi bolna chahiye... mujhe maaf kar do... aage se main kabhi kisi ke baare mein aisa nahi bolunga...

Naina: yehi tumhare liye achha hoga Sameer... jo insaan bahar se sundar ho zaroori nahi uska dil bhi sundar ho... aur isi tarah agar wo bahar se itna sundar na ho to zaroori nahi ki wo dil se bhi bura ho... mere Chachaji ne mujhe yeh hi sikhaya hai...

Sameer: I'm sorry Naina and thank you mujhe itni important baat sikhane ke liye...

By that time...Preeti came and both of them went back home in the rickshaw...Sameer too went back home feeling ashamed of speaking like this about her.

The end...

P.S: I related the OS to the air as here Sameer was astonished to see her changed looks... As air drives things coming in its way along with itself... Naina's looks drove away his mind along with her. The wind ...another form of air...when it settles... Causes everything to settle there only which was earlier flowing along with the wind. Here too...when Naina made him realise his mistake...he was ashamed of his act of commenting on someone's external beauty only without looking at her qualities. The qualities of motion and its ability to take things along with it have been used in this OS... hope you all agree to this correlation.