TS: Love Hurts and Love Heals

Part 2: Love Heals

Sameer had settled himself outside the hospital on a low rise boundary wall. He was sipping tea he'd brought from a stall nearby, unable to think about anything but Naina. Such was the effect of this girl, that the boy who'd never liked tea, had started drinking it and enjoying it, since the day she'd made it for him on the first day he'd come over to her home. He felt close to her everytime he sipped the beverage.

Munna and Pandit on the other hand were searching for Sameer in the hospital. "Idea Munna...wo Dadi ne to phone kaat diya...par Sameer ke papa ke office me to phone kar sakte hain? Ho sakta hai mausi phone uthaye?" Pandit suggested. "Sahi idea hai Pandat...chal...!"Munna agreed. They ran over to the PCO and dialed the number of Sameer's step-dad's office. After two rings, Mr. Somani picked up the call, "Hello?" "Uncle...hum Munna-Pandit bol rahe hain...Sameer se baat ho sakti hai kya?" Munna asked. "Munna-Pandit? Lekin Sameer to wapis Ahemdabad chala gaya...uski mumma ne use wapis bhej diya ki wo wahan aaram se reh paaye...usne tum logon ko bataya nahi? Wo to aaj subah subah hi nikla gaya hai!" Mr. Somani stated, confused. Munna and Pandit looked at each other- their suspicion that Sameer had indeed been the one who'd brought Naina to the hospital being confirmed now.

As they placed the receiver back onto the slot of the PCO, they were thinking where to find Sameer- was he still in the hospital or whether they should go over to his Nanu's home. As they stepped out of the PCO booth, Pandit stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes were fixed on a young boy, perched upon a railing, sipping tea, lost in thought. He diverted Munna's attention to the spot. "Sameer?" Munna's mouth fell open. There was no mistaking the silky hair, the lean figure, and those light blue, baggy jeans. After all, not many in Ahemdabad wore jeans in the 90s. Munna and Pandit looked at each other before they made their way to where Sameer was sitting. Sameer looked up as he realized someone was standing nearby. "Chai ho gayi ho to baat karein?" Munna's tone was full of rage, while Pandit had crossed his arms in front. Sameer's lips quivered as he realized he'd been caught. "Dekho! Please mujhe jaane do! Naina se kuch mat kehna!" "Aur wo kyun bhala...pyaar khatam ho gaya tera hain Sameer Maheshwari? Ya koi aur mil gayi Dilli mein?" Munna taunted. "Dekho...mujhe is baare mein aur koi baat nahi karni....behtar hoga tum log mujhse door raho!" replied Sameer, not meeting the gaze of his friends. "Haan theek hai...tere jaise ameer logon ko hum jaise gareeb logon ki kya zarurat, haina!" Pandit snapped coldly this time.

Sameer tried to reason with them but to no avail. He finally got up from there, returned the glass to the tea vendor, but Munna and Pandit followed him. They kept on coaxing him to meet Naina. That she wanted to be with him. Since the moment she'd opened up her eyes, she'd been chanting his name like a hymn. Sameer felt his eyes go moist, but with difficulty he collected himself. He immediately hired an auto and as he was about to sit inside, he uttered, "Naina ko samjha dena mujhe bhool jaye...ab meri zindagi mein Amrita aa gayi hai! Bas kuch kaam se aaya tha...do-chaar din me chala jaunga wapis Dilli!" Munna and Pandit were shocked beyond words. They couldn't believe Sameer was saying he'd fallen out of love with Naina. Was it just a fling for him? But then something in Sameer's voice told them he wasn't speaking the truth. "Nazrein chura ke bol gaya Pandat...kuch to gadbad hai!" Munna said as he tried to figure out the reason for Sameer's aloofness.

That evening Naina's chacha and chachi escorted her back home from the hospital. Whenever she got a chance, Naina expressed her wish about wanting to talk to Sameer once, and all of them tried to divert the topic everytime it came up. "Sipahi...dekh Sameer ka na egjam (exam) chal raha college ke liye...abhi usko phone pe bataya to kham-a-kha sab chod ke Ahemdabad aa jayega!" Munna lied. "Exam? Sameer ka? Nahi nahi...use pareshaan mat karna...main jaanti hun wo meri kitni fikr karta hai...use pata chala ki ye zara si chot lag gayi mujhe to sach me bhaag aayega!" Naina said. "Ye zara si chot nai thi Naina...doctor ne bola tumhe kuch bahot tez se laga tha! Tumhe yaad hai kya hua tha?" Pandit asked. "Nahi...shayad mera pair fisal gaya tha class mein...desk ki railing se...fir...fir kuch yaad nahi!" Naina tried to recall. "Lekin mujhe hospital leke kaun gaya...main to school me akeli thi na!" Naina suddenly remembered. "Wo...wo...," Pandit looked at Munna. "Arey wo Naina...humein pyaas lagi thi to hum wapis school aaye the paani peene...wahan tumhari cheekhne ki aawaaz aayi to hum daud ke aaye aur tumhe hospital leke gaye!" He covered up cleverly. Naina smiled at her brothers-in-law in gratitude. "Ab tu rest kar Naina!" muttered Swati. Naina nodded and lied down on her bed to sleep, trying to ignore the pain in her head and instead focusing on thinking about Sameer.