AASRA

Chapter 9

Rajveer is sitting on the empty chair facing their small garden space where Naina is carefully selecting some herbs for the soup.

He is observing her, she is changed a bit. He can't put a finger on it but something about her changed. She is smiling more often, started to ask about his day sometimes and even experimenting little with her clothes.

She finally got all the herbs and took the seat adjacent to his.

Rajveer suddenly found him asking, "tumhe paneer parathe banane ate hai Naina?"

Naina smiled at him so adoringly, he never specifically asked her to prepare anything for him.

Naina nod once and replied, "aapko pasand hai?"

Rajveer said, "Han. Tum banayogi mere lie?"

Naina: Han. Sunday banau?

Rajveer: ok. Breakfast me. Aur mai teen khayunga.

Naina smiled at his enthusiasm, " aapko paneer ke parathe itne pasand hai?"

Rajveer: Han. Pata hai jab mai hostel me tha na tab har sunday parathe hote the breakfast me. Aur month me 1 bar to paneer ke bante hi the, par quantity limited milti thi. Har ek ke lie 2 parathe bas.

Naina is listening to him. Before this he never shared anything about him with her.

Rajveer: mujhe na paneer ke parathe vale din aur ek paraatha khane ka bada man hota tha par kabhi milta hi nai tha.

Naina kept looking at his innocent face. His expressions can show how much he wanted to eat that extra one paratha.

Rajveer : islie is bar I will eat three.

Naina: pakka.

Both of them smiled and then laughed by looking in each other's eyes.
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Finally Sunday came and Naina made paneer paratha for breakfast. Rajveer relished the paratha's with coriander chutteney. Naina kept giving him fresh from pan paratha's and he kept having it. Finally his 3 paratha's are up but when offered one more by Naina, Rajveer smiled guiltily and took it.

He was full and finally asked her to skip making lunch too. Finally Naina made for her and sat to eat when he faced her.

Rajveer: pata hai aise parathe khane ki ikcha pata nai kab se thi dil me.

Naina smiled at him.

Rajveer: itni bar hostel ke bad ghar jane par maa puchti thi ki kya bana de mere lie par kabhi nai kaha maine. Aj pata nai kyu...

Naina pressed his hand, "thanks for sharing this Rajveer"

He looked at her with a small smile wondering, why he shared this memory with her. He never shared this with anyone, he even didn't knew that he still had this memory with him.

Deep down he knew the reason. Naina cared for him selflessly, never from his childhood he had this care ventured for him. His parents busy in their life never made him their priority during his childhood nor anyone else. Ritu understood him but he was never a priority for her too.

Naina made him her priority. She started taking care of his needs and preferences. All of this is making him feel important and wanted.

Naina is not only healing him by her care but also her touches are curing him. Whenever they are involved physically, he felt a bit more lighter, happier and content.

He still can't say it's love. His heart still aches for Ritu. But with every night spent with Naina, made his heart pain a shade lighter. Her soul is so pure and her love so unconditional that she is extending those to him. Slowly but steadily he is moving on, towards Naina and away from Ritu

/* So this year ends. I wish you all have a better year ahead. As promised I am giving update today also for AASRA. Please let me know how you are liking this story. This is very close to my heart and I am sharing a story which is with me from a long time with this */