Akhir Kyun

Chapter 4 : Naina

Current time. DELHI 2003

Miles away from Ahmedabad a girl,approaching 30years old had just returned from her office.She freshened up when another lady in her late 50s greeted her.
Lady: Aa gayi Naina,chai banati hun.Humsab  bhi piyenge.pakode khaogi,banau kya?

Naina:Haan maa,par tum rehne do,main bana deti hun.Paas ke dukan se samose layi hun sabke liye.Toh pakode rehne do.Tum nikalo aur sabko do.Main tabtak chai banati hun.Arjun bhaiya ka phone aaya tha kya?wo aur bhabhi aaj chutti manane Mount Abu gaye honge na.pahuch gaye honge kya wahan?

Lady: Haan kuch der pehle hi pahucha hai.keh raha tha ki bahut achi jahah hai.

Naina smiles slightly and sighs: haan achi jagah toh hai.Bahut kuch hai wahan.
And saying so she becomes nostalgic.

Lady: bahut kuch matlab?aisa kya hai wahan?The lady asked in a confusing manner.

Naina:arey matlab bahut kuch hai dekhne ko,aur bahut achi scenic beauty hai.....Naina tried to cover up.

Lady :Arjun toh keh raha tha ki puri family chalte hai,par tumhare papa ne hi manaa kar diya.Hum sab chalte toh family trip ho jati.Tum toh 11th class me ja bhi chuki ho.par family trip ki baat alag hai.Aur kitne saal se hum kahin gaye bhi nahi hai.Tum bhi toh ab sirf kaam me hi lagi rehti ho.
Meri baat kaun sunega yahan.
The lady complained.

Naina: arey maa chodo na.Thik hi toh hai na. Arjun bhaiya,bhabhi ke sath gaye hai.unhe enjoy karne do na.2 saal ho gye hai shadi ke,ab kuch din me apni family suru karenge toh phir unhe bhi shayad hi mauka miley.
Toh abhi ghumne do na akele.
Aur phir sab jayenge toh kharcha bhi jyada hoga.
Tumhe main phir kabhi ghuma dungi,kisi sea beach pe.waise bhi ab kahan is umar me pahad pe chadhogi.
(Chukles)

Lady complains: Haan ghuma chuki tum mujhe beach pe.phichle 2 saal se bas sapna hi dikha rahi ho.

Naina (giggles): sapna dekhne me koi burayi thodi na hai.Haan uske purey hone ki ummeed waqt aur kismat pe chor do.
Waise kehte hai na ki achi baatein karo.
Mann prasann rahega.
Waise tumhe jana hai toh inke lautne pe kuch din unke paas ho aana Baroda.
Yahan Delhi me main manage kar lungi.

Lady: Rehne do,mujhe kahin nahi jana hai.Ab jahan tum aut tumhare papa,wahin mera sara tourist spot.
Tumhare papa se alag toh main rahungi nahi,aur wo kahin aate jatey nahi hai.unki duniya bas ye ghar,unki kitabein aur unke purane gaanon ka collections.
Meri toh kismat me hi yahi sab hai.

Naina stopped discussing further and changed the topic.:
Dinner me kya bana dun?

Lady: sabzi maine bana di hai bhindi ki ,bas roti banani hai.
Naina:Roti main bana dungi.Tum rest karo.Main room main thoda kaam kar lun.
Saying so,she went into her room after having chai and samosa.

It had been 5 years since Naina left Ahmedabad and came to Delhi and was now working as a buisness analyst in a multinational company.When she came to Delhi,she had just started with a simple job as an accountant in an audit firm since she was an M.Com.But gradually her hard work,experience and good knowledge with academic excellence led her to two job switch overs and was finally working here.Even in Ahmedabad she had worked in an audit firm and that experience opened her gates for the new place.

During  these seven years of her working journney,she had been a very hatd working person and a very important source of income for the family.Though his father had worked as a librarian and she was not the bread earner,but later he had to leave his job. Her income was very important for his brother Arjun's carreer.She spent a major portion of her income in shaping his carreer until Arjun got a government job in Gujrat.He got married two years back and lived in Baroda with his wife.

Arjun visited then in Delhi once or twice every yeaŕ and thus Naina never got a chance to go to Gujrat in these five years.Not that she wanted even.Infact she avoided all possible chances of going to Baroda aur Ahmedabad,since her uncle and Aunt Anand Agarwal and Bela Agarwal still lived there.

Naina entered her room and started arranging her things and keeping them at right places when suddenly she though to check milk data.She took the calender when she suddenly realised something and sighed sadly.

Naina: kal toh saat tarik hai.....
7 saal beet gaye.she stared into the calender for a moment remembering something And a tear rolled down her cheeks.

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Next  chapter published.