Chapter 2
Sameer was lost. She had just asked him what was his passion a moment ago or so it seemed and he didn't have a reply. What would he say? Did he have something he loved doing?
He racked his brains hard as the teacher entered for the next class and Naina got busy in jotting down relevant points but her eyes still kept drifting towards him wishing she could calm him down, he looked disturbed after she asked him the question, she wished she hadn't done that.
The class ended, the next lecture was her favourite one. She got all excited but the next moment felt him patting her shoulder and a chit slipped in her hands. She opened it and read the note - "Can we please bunk this lecture?"
Naina's eyes widened, she had never bunked a lecture unless an emergency or Preeti's coaxing at times. She glanced around, scared of her reputation but then her eyes landed on him. He looked very hopeful, as if his heart would break if she said No.
She gave him a smile that brightened up his morning. They left the class one after the other, as they approached the corridor their eyes widened seeing the teacher moving in their direction. Naina asked Sameer to save her somehow while Mr. Maheshwari smirked, this was second nature to him.
He hid behind a pillar but was surprised to see Naina stood transfixed to the spot, scared he pulled her with him, making her turn and her head landing on his shoulder. Her hair flew as she hid herself more in him afraid of being caught but the teacher's fear had left Sameer as soon as she had fallen in his arms.
Her scent, her eyes which were so fearful yet looked beautiful and her hair blowing by the wind made him forget where he was and why they were there. He had never experienced this with a girl, of course many girls ran behind him but none had fascinated him. She was so different, he couldn't place why but she had won his heart, whether it was the time she had been concerned for him when he failed or maybe when she had let him keep her Ganesha ji. Maybe it had to do with bunking this class for him or defending him in front of the whole class.
Her eyes widened in surprise and got him out of his reverie. She saw her hands wrapped around his shirt causing wrinkles to spread on it, she was so close to him and his face held a glow. If it was due to her presence or something else she didn't know but suddenly she felt very concious. He had this charm in him that pulled her to him, it wasn't just his looks. The smiles he gave her and the way he would talk to her with a sense of respect, it made her heart react in ways it had never done before.
"Chalein?" She asked removing her hand from his shirt and moving a bit far creating some space between them. This left both of them feeling a sense of emptiness.
He nodded, not quite in a position to speak at the moment, he needed to calm down but with her by his side how was that possible? They started moving towards the cafeteria when Naina asked him, "Can we maybe go someplace quiet?"
"Garden?" He asked, hoping he hadn't offended her. She beamed wide and led the way, making him believe she had the same place in mind. He followed her quietly, reminding himself of what all he needed to tell her.
As they sat down on the bench, birds chirped around enhancing the environment with a peace that was needed by both Sameer and Naina. Naina was feeling awkward now, he had asked her to bunk she wanted to ask why but she didn't mean to look too straight-forward.
"Sameer?" She asked carefully and he nodded. Finally Naina thought it's time they start talking because since they met only their eyes had done the talking. They hadn't really had a conversation.
"Hi. I'm Naina Aggarwal, mujhe lagta hai ek dusre ko ache se jaane bina hi ek dusre par ek ajeeb sa trust aa gaya hai hum dono ko, so pehle thoda jaan lein ek dusre ko? Phir tum bta dena tumhe kya baat karni thi?" She questioned and he was surprised.
"Tum kitni simple ho Naina. I love this!" He blurted out in a daze and both of them were thankful he hadn't said he loved her though that was implied to a certain extent. Naina was blushing hard now whereas Sameer kept looking all around wishing he would get buried in the ground.
"Okay. I'm Sameer Maheshwari! Main tumhe kya btaun apne baare mein? I have failed the last year of college as you know. Mere Nanu ka bahut bada business hai aur main unke saath hi rehta hun. I love him a lot!" He finished with a satisfying smile on his face that reflected on Naina's face.
"Kitna formal sa lag raha hai." Sameer said and both burst out laughing at once, they kept taking glances at each other, it was true their hearts talked so much better.
Naina decided it was time they break that wave of awkwardness existing in between them. "Acha ye batao. Puri zindagi sirf kha sakte ho ya so sakte ho?"
Sameer giggled, this was very tough for him but he knew the answer, "Khana. Mujhe khana bada pasand hai, bhel puri, pani puri, chole chawal. Jaisa bhi khana ho Sameer ko khila do!"
Naina laughed at his answer and he felt happy knowing he was the reason of her happiness, it gave him a different kind of satisfaction. Now Sameer wanted to ask her something.
"Okay meri turn. Tumhare liye dosti upar hai ya pyaar?" He asked, anticipating her to answer pyaar but was surprised when she told otherwise.
"Dosti Humesha!" She answered, he further probed, "Best Friend?"
She was contemplating for a while and he didn't know why but he was more intrigued to know the name now. Was she gonna take a boy's name? Somehow he didn't like that thought!
She finally broke the suspense and said, "Waise koi mujhse ye puchta hai toh main apni best friend Swati ko btati hun par tumse sach bolungi. Preeti meri best friend hai, meri behen hai aur meri sab kuch hai!"
He was touched to know of her relationship with her sister, he longed for someone like that. His ties with his family were so broken that a brother or sister were far-fetched dreams he couldn't hope to come true anytime soon.
Then she broke his thought process and spoke, "Tum btao. Apne Nanu ke alawa apni family mein sabse zyada kisse pyaar karte ho?" She was in a chirpy mode now, talking about Preeti made her cheerful.
"Kisi se nahi!" He said with a flat voice and Naina replied, "Tumhari Mummy?" He stiffened but kept his posture and told her, "Naina iske baare mein kabhi aur baat krenge okay?"
She understood it was something serious and didn't feel it was right to force him so she let it be. In no time he felt a hand touching him, she patted his palm with her soft touch letting him know it was fine. Immediately he relaxed and blinked his eyes mentally thanking her.
Both of them talked some more and the time kept running by, none of them cared what all lectures they missed. This bond that was developing was much more pristine and pure. Then Sameer decided to talk to her about it.
"Naina mujhe nahi pata mera passion kya hai. Kya ye buri baat hai?" He asked in a melancholic tone.
She shook her head and turned to face him, "Sameer. Kya aisi koi cheez hai jo tumhe khush karti hai, jo tum har samay karoge par kabhi bore nahi hoge? Jo tumhe jeene ke liye motivate kregi?" Naina threw questions at him in an attempt that he would find some enlightenment.
He rummaged his brain for ideas, "Umm. Mujhe cricket khelna pasand hai, sona pasand hai aur thoda bahut likhna pasand hai!"
Hearing his options she asked the most important thing to him, "Tumhare Nana Ji ka business?" Obviously his grandfather would want him to take over his business and she wondered how much it would hurt him for Sameer not to do that.
He got up from the bench, plucking a small leaf from the garden, he started peeling it. "Nahi Naina. Woh ek cheez hai jiske baare mein sure hun mujhe nahi karni!"
His clear stance made her want to console him, she knew he was hurting from inside but not showing it to her.
"Toh aisa karo. Try every potential option for sometime. Mil jayega kya karna chahte ho! And I'm sure tumhare Nanu bahut proud honge jab aisa hoga." She said smiling, trying to instill some confidence in him.
Talking to her gave him some hope so he wanted to ask her more. Gathering courage he asked, "Kya tum meri likhi hui lines sunogi?" She nodded enthusiastically, not knowing what all he might be writing.
A girl who smiles all the time, is the one who's never fine.
The boy who surrounds himself with friends, wishes that his life would end.
For those who say they never knew --
The saddest leave the least of clues.
Naina had an awestruck expression on her face which could be mistaken for an expression that said -- "Which alien are you?"
"Do I write that bad or is the recitation the problem?" Sameer asked with so much hope that she felt compelled to tell him the absolute truth about what he wrote.
"Sameer, kya tumne isse pehle kabhi kisi ko apni poems sunayi hain?" Naina asked expecting him to deny, coz if he had then a stupid person had rejected his talent. He shook his head and she hit his head lightly, he laughed at the sudden contact.
"Kyaaa?" Sameer asked still laughing and now rubbing his head in mock hurt. She laughed and she didn't know how or when but she rested her head on his shoulder and said, "Tum bahut acha aur sachha likhte ho Sameer. Par daro mat, I'll be your true friend and soon you won't keep things inside of you anymore."
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, not knowing where she was taking the conversation. "Tumhari poem ki lines, surrounded by friends and still want to die. Woh tum hi ho na?" She asked, totally blowing his cover off.
She nodded in a manner that she understood what all he meant to convey but just when she thought she was winning here, Sameer's voice made her yelp in surprise, "A girl who smiles all the time, is the one never fine. Aisi ladki maine ek hi dekhi hai aur is waqt woh mere kandhe par apna sar rakh kar baithi hai."
Her head jerked and she was suddenly feeling very exposed and embarrassed, exposed as he had read her totally and embarrassed as she had become all too frank with him so soon, it just felt natural to her, being close to him but she hadn't talked to him about her problems.
"You don't have to be so embarrassed Naina. We are both feeling the same, ye bahut natural sa hai! We have a natural chemistry." He joked lightening the atmosphere but both of them knew that deep inside he actually meant it.
Soon Naina realized it had been so long she had been talking to Sameer. How did she miss all the lectures, she giggled to herself at the thought. Sameer saw her laugh and was pulled into the crinkling sound of her laughter.
Her hair disturbed her face, he went close to her making her breath hitch and her laughter ceased, that was when she saw him clearly, his face was lighted up by the sunlight. The wind still played with her hair and as he came closer her eyes closed of their own accord, he admired her face for a moment. He had an urge to touch her cheeks and trace his fingers across her face but then he controlled himself and just settled the strand of hair which was out of place making her eyes snap open.
She smiled to herself understanding what he did, she pushed that same strand of hair back in place making him enjoy the sight of a flustered Naina. She finally got up and said, "Ab mujhe chalna chahiye."
He stopped her at once by stating he would drop her but she politely denied saying she'd go with her sister. He agreed and shook her hand as a mode of goodbye. Both of them loved the touch and Sameer let it linger on for a moment, a moment in which he could soak in her presence and somehow miss her less.
She finally turned to leave but then looked back and spoke, "Sameer apni koi poem apne Nanu ko sunao. Okay?" He passed her a short smile, he didn't know if poetry was his passion or if his Nanu would even like it but he knew who was his inspiration. He knew Naina was the only one who could wake him up! -------------------------------------------
The poem recited by Sameer is titled - "The Lesson" and written by Lang Leav. 😳
Hoping to hear your views on this one guys! :)
Thanks for the love 🤗
Edited by A.Green - 6 years ago
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