"Naina, thodi der bahar chalein, balcony mein?" Sameer suddenly asked after about an hour.
"Sameer, itna saara practice karna hai abhi... aur bahar kya karna hai?" Naina didn't look up from her notebook where she was writing something.
"Chalo na, thodi fresh hawa se dimaag bhi fresh hoga toh achhe se padh lenge." He urged.
Naina glanced out. The wide glass door showed clear blue sky... it did seem bright and fresh.
"Theek hai, chalo." She closed her notebook.
They went out to the balcony. Being late afternoon, the road did not have much movement. A coconut water vendor sat lazily on a chair near his cart. An occasional two wheeler or bicycle passed by in between.
Sameer looked around at the nearby balconies. There was no one outside at this time.
"Yeh sab ghar dekh rahi ho, Naina... har ek mein ek parivaar rehta hai... lekin shayad hi koi humare parivaar jaisa ho." He took in the number of houses in the large society.
"Matlab... humare parivaar mein kya alag hai?" She looked at him with a perplexed expression.
"Mere aur nanu ke jaise... ya fir tumhare ghar jaise, jahan tum apne chachaji ke saath rehti ho aur saath wale ghar mein tumhare papa aur bhaiya tumhare tauji ke saath." He clarified.
Naina nodded... indeed they both had lived their lives in very different ways... it was difficult to find anyone in similar situation.
"Main toh sirf do saal raha hun ghar mein... bachpan ka kuch yaad nahi... isliye main inn do saalon ko hi ghar mein rehna maanta hun." He seemed to be lost.
Naina moved closer to him, wrapping her hands around his arm, resting her head over it.
"Aur humare ghar mein koi ladki bhi nahi thi... matlab jaise sab jagah behen hoti hai ya mummy toh hoti hi hain... isliye mujhe bohot kuch samajh nahi aata, Naina." He placed one hand over hers.
She was still not clear what he wanted to say.
He continued, looking ahead, "Ab sirf tum ho mera parivaar... meri apni, meri sab kuch... aur agar tum mujhse iss tarah hichkichati rahogi toh mujhe lagega tum mujhe alag maanti ho... kyonki maine suna hai parivaar mein toh sab log ek doosre se khul ke baatein kar lete hain... tum bhi toh Preeti se sab share karti hogi na... mana main Preeti nahi hun par main tumhara apna toh hun na... tumhe mujhse chupane ki zaroorat mehsoos ho toh woh meri koi kami hogi ki main tumhe woh apnapan nahi de paya jahan tum bilkul ghar jaisa mahaul samjho."
She could now understand what he wanted to say. And she could feel what he wanted her to know.
"Sameer, tum toh sabse pehle ho mere liye... agar tumhe apna nahi maana toh koi mera apna nahi hai... bas abhi yeh sab naya hai isliye thoda... ek baar tumhare saath rehne ki aadat ho jayegi toh kabhi tumhe aisa mehsoos nahi hoga... aur ek baat hai... hum ladkiyon ko hamesha se sikhaya jaata hai ki kuch cheezein saamne nahi aani chahiye... kisi ke bhi... isliye bhi sab kuch ekdum se share karna thoda ajeeb lagta hai." She put forth her side clearly, because of his encouragement.
He looked at her... the ease with which she explained everything was what he wanted.
"Samajh sakta hun, Naina... lekin main yeh sab nahi maanta ki ladkiyon ko kisi tarah ki bandish honi chahiye... agar mere kapde bahar sookhne daale ho toh kya tum unhe nahi uthaogi kyonki woh mere honge... mujhe pata hai aisa nahi hoga... tum meri har cheez ko foran apna logi... fir mujhe kyon nahi apna sakti ussi tarah... mujhe kyon tumhari cheezon ko haath lagane ki rok tok ho... mere liye isme kuch galat nahi hai... humara ghar waisa hi hoga jaisa hum chahenge... duniya kya sochti hai kya maanti hai mujhe usse koi fark nahi padta... main bas ek aisa ghar chahta hun jahan hum dono ek jaise ho... na koi kam, na koi zyada... dono barabar." He gave her the picture of what their life would be.
