8.2.2021
Falling in love was never in his priority list. Falling in love with his protégée was out of question for him. Falling in love with his best friend's sister not even for once had crossed his mind. But today everything that sounded impossible to Rajveer is the fact of his life! And how hard might he try, he just cannot deny it.
That ring Huda had been carrying with him since last week, which he brings out every now and then from the right pocket of his trousers, has become the matter of concern for Rajveer. If in the current situation his rate of heartbeat gets compared when he discovers Huda with the ring to his discovering Naina in front of his eyes, his rate of heartbeat in Naina's presence would be nothing to his rate of heartbeat in the presence of Huda in front of his eyes. The constant fear of Huda's proposing to Naina any moment grabs Rajveer and succeeds in drying his throat out of fear.
Rajveer paces to and fro in his room, shaking his head, closing his eyes.
"Main ye nahi kar sakta!",
he tries to make himself understand his situation.
Sighing, his tone changes when he utters,
"Magar agar maine nahi kiya to wo kar dega!"
His heart thumps inside his chest.
"Itni bechaini kyun ho rahi hai mujhe?",
murmurs Rajveer, walking to and fro.
"Magar uske kar dene se kya hota hai? Konsa wo maan jayegi!",
a smile of relief comes on his face.
But soon enough it vanishes as he realises that he is acting like a teenage lover.
"Ye... ye main nahi hoon! Ye mujhe... ye mujhe kya ho raha hai?",
Rajveer closes his eyes and shakes his head to clear his mind.
He keeps his eyes closed for further few moments, calming himself down and in no time in front his eyes floats the image of Naina which succeeds in calming him down further and bringing a smile on his face.
"Naina!",
he utters his name, as if worshipping her; chanting her name.
Opening his eyes slowly, he stares himself into the mirror, smiling calmly.
(Rajveer-Naina flute tune begins)
And as if Naina could hear her Rajveer Sir's call, Naina pushes the door of his room taking him by surprise. He turns to look towards her immediately, surprised. Did she hear him? Their rate of heartbeat race against each other. Naina slowly walks into the room staring him throughout.
"Tum yahan? Iss waqt?",
asks Rajveer, calmly, staring Naina throughout, his cheeks turned warm since the moment he sets his eyes on her.
Naina nods her head in affirmative, slowly, never ending their precious eye contact but doesn't say anything.
Inside, Rajveer fights with his desire to ask her directly. He no longer is able to keep it to himself. He can see her going out of his reach. And for the second time in his life is he scared of losing someone and interestingly this second person is related to the first person he had dreaded to lose once and had lost finally!
"Zaroor aaj bhi aapke paas koi sawaal hoga puchne ke liye. So shoot!",
smirks Rajveer, giving her the first opportunity to speak because deep down he knows that once he would start speaking she would be left speechless!
Staring him throughout, Naina calmly says,
"Hai! Magar samjh nahi aa raha kaise puchun!"
Rajveer could feel his cheeks turning warm under her constant gaze and by the tone of her words.
"Kya baat hai Naina?",
asks Rajveer, calmly as he fails to keep himself unconcerned about her by hearing her.
It is not like she is facing such a situation for the first time where Rajveer has asked this question to her. In fact she has been in such situation time and again. But despite that her current situation stands different from all of her prior situations.
She shakes her head unable to put her thoughts into words in front of him for the first time.
Her this new attitude drags Rajveer's attention and he knits his brows lightly. He gauges her mood and reaction, has she anyhow made up her mind to ask eventually or has she completely given up at her desire to ask him whatever she had in her mind?
Tearing her gaze, she cascades her eyes and says,
"Ahmm... I think mujhe chalna chahiye.",
quickly she turns to leave.
Her heart beating at higher speed than normal. But what she stays unaware of is the fact that tonight she is giving tough competition to Rajveer's rate of heartbeat.
Rajveer could feel that he is missing a golden opportunity to confess her of his feelings for her. An opportunity to propose her! His mind and heart race against each other. Where on one hand his mind warns him to stay quiet and continue keeping his feelings to himself there on the other hand his heart pleads him to let go off all the guards and confess. Simultaneously the rate of his heartbeat and thinking race against Naina's speed of leaving his room. It all happens so quickly that without giving it a second thought Rajveer confesses loud and clear, holding his breath,
"I love you Naina!"
Naina's feet get jammed immediately upon hearing those words.
It now feels as if Rajveer not only has proposed to her but has also has transmitted his anxiety and nervousness to her wrapping them around the four golden words that he dared to utter just now!
Did he really say that? Was it exactly what she came here to hear? No! She didn't come here to hear that! She rather came here to confess her feelings for him. Now what's the difference? Whether it is Naina who proposed or Rajveer, does it really matter? It does! It matters to her a lot because she knows her Rajveer Sir in and out. He is not someone who is courageous enough to blurt out those words that hold his deepest emotions within themselves. He might be courageous enough to face the whole world but when it comes to facing Naina, Naina hasn't failed to notice how he turns speechless at times. How his pupils constrict as he stares her. The sudden change in his rate of heartbeat Naina has noticed by the way his chest expands and contracts in quick succession.
Even if she came to confess she didn't have any hope for any response from him let alone positive! It was becoming unbearable for her to keep her feelings to herself, she just wanted to get rid of it. But hell his presence! It does this to her time and again, affects her deeply, only that she is smart enough to keep her emotions under veil in front of him.
How much time does it take for a man to confess his emotions in front of his special someone? How much courage does it take for him to even accept his emotions for her? What makes one to realise that he is ready to spend every second of his life with the one who has conquered his heart, mind and soul?
'I love you' these words are strong words. Too strong to utter in front of someone. Time, patience and courage it requires all of them before finally one utters those words. But when he finally does, it is a promise! Promise more than to his partner it is to himself that this would last till eternity. 'Love' the word never comes alone! It comes in a package, with the words - trust, faith, promise, sincerity, lasting forever.
As Naina goes through the state of shock and surprise hearing Rajveer, she turns and stares him throughout. Her eyes and brows relaxed! Her lips puffed up, as she drowns into the pool of thoughts about her Rajveer Sir, herself and about them! She gives her heart the liberty to feel the depth of his emotions for her; to feel the depth of her emotions for him, there is no rush; she is tired of rushing things. She wants to stay there; she wants the moment to stagnate forever. Thinking beyond themselves suddenly turns mute! She slowly realizes that he is her key to happiness. Her each day begins with his thought and ends on his thought. The pull towards him wasn't only because she had liked him; loved him it was rather because she could feel the reciprocation from him. To make you feel loved and cherished doesn't always need the utterance of the words 'I love you' time and again. It needs the actions of your partner that hold the strength to vibrate the strings of your heart.
"I love you too Rajveer Sir!"
There! Was it that difficult to put your feelings in front of each other?
What is the need to complicate everything in your life when you have a simple, uncomplicated road to lead towards your destiny?
Not everyone holds a good fate of receiving the reciprocation of their feelings with equal fervor. But here the story is different. Feelings are mutual so why not confess and enjoy each other's company as much as possible without any hesitation.
The first organ of Rajveer's that gets affected by her words is his heart that skips a beat. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, purely because of his shyness.
They stare each other repeating in their respective mind what they did.
Shouldn't she be shouting at him by now for daring to love her? Shouldn't she leave his room out of anger? But nothing of that sort Rajveer finds coming. The thought itself is such relaxing and heart warming. He slowly smiles which soon turns into a wide smile. His eyes twinkle as he stares the love of his life - Naina, without any hesitation and purely out of love without masking his feelings and standing in front of her as strict Captain Rajveer.
They slowly walk towards each other. Their eyes glued to each other. Where on one hand smile continues adorning Naina's lips, there on the other hand Rajveer turns serious, his brows knit lightly. Skepticism about everything that is happening at the moment fills his heart. But for once he doesn't care to give first preference to what he is thinking; he rather prefers listening to his heart that beats only for Naina; that holds emotions for her that he kept under veil for this long but no more!
"Keh diya!",
he says when they reach each other, a safe distance still maintained.
He smiles finally.
"Keh diya!",
she repeats him, calmly.
"Aap humesha mujhe himmat dete hain jab main nervous hoti hun. Magar aaj pehli baar aapne mujhe nervous kiya!",
says Naina, softly, staring him.
Rajveer smiles shyly.
"Tum kya poochne ayi thi Naina?",
asks Rajveer, knitting his brows lightly, keeping aside the intimate discussion they are having at the moment.
"Jo poochne ayi thi uska jawab mujhe bin pooche hi mil gaya!",
Naina succeeds in taking Rajveer by surprise.
All he could manage to utter in his state of shock is,
"Naina....!"
"Main...",
Rajveer musters courage to put his current feelings about this situation into words but gets cut short by Naina who staring him throughout says,
"Aaj jab sarey ladke apne-apne partners ko propose karne ki baat kar rahe the; sari ladkiyan apne partners se proposal expect karne ki baat kar rahi thi tab har pal mere zehen mein aap aa rahe the!"
"Kya mera aapse ye expect karna galat tha?",
asks Naina, knitting her brows, never blinking her eyes.
Her words somehow makes Rajveer to feel guilt for delaying the confession!
Staring her throughout, Rajveer shakes his head into negative in slow motion.
Naina slowly smiles. Rajveer smiles back.
(Rajveer-Naina happy tune begins)
Unable to resist anymore they embrace each other into a tight warm hug.
Ending the hug, Rajveer stares Naina intimately before cupping her face and kissing her forehead softly. Naina closes her eyes and feels the touch of his lips against her skin. She holds his hands that are resting on her face, lightly. They stare each other after Rajveer completes with the kiss. Inside, their rate of heartbeat accelerates afresh.
*****
They relax on his bed. Rajveer keeps her embraced by a side hug. Naina rests her head against his chest, shy smile stretched on her lips.
Taking a deep breath, Rajveer apologizes,
"Sorry Naina, mujhse wo typical proposal nahi hota, preparation wagerah karke."
Naina laughs silently hearing him,
"Maine expect bhi nahi kiya tha ke aap mujhe kabhi uss tarah se propose karenge."
"Uff... Mera impression aisa hai tum par?",
asks Rajveer, feeling sad.
Naina laughs out loud at that.
Rajveer laughs too.
"Isse bhi bura hai.",
teases Naina.
Rajveer arches his right brow, smiling.
"Nahi samjh aata apki iss baat par mujhe gussa zyada aata hai ke pyar!",
says Naina, softly, looking towards Rajveer.
Rajveer smiles further and cascades his eyes.
Entwining his fingers to hers, Rajveer, staring their interwined fingers, says,
"Naina, itna darr mujhe aaj tak nahi laga jitna ke aaj tumhe ye batate hue laga ke mere dil mein tumhare liye kya juzzbaatt hain."
Naina knits her brows lightly as his words succeed in making her to fall for him all the more.
"Tumhe khone ka darr kabhi mujhe chain se jeene nahi deta!",
says Rajveer, opening up gradually in front of Naina.
"Mujhe to laga tha aap juzzbaati nahi hain.",
says Naina, staring him, her brows still creased.
Rajveer smiles and looks towards her.
"Mujhe apne juzzbaaton ko dusro se chhupana aata hai Naina. Par kabhi kabar mujhe aisa lagta tha ke tumse chhupa nahi pata.",
says Rajveer, staring her, smiling.
Naina keeps staring him silently for a brief moment before she says,
"Haan, ye jo aapki aankhein hain, apke dil ko dhokha de dete hain. Warna apka dil to maahir hai juzzbaaton ko khudke ander qaid rakhne mein."
Her words reflect her anger and frustration towards his act of keeping his feelings to himself for this long.
Looking deep into her eyes Rajveer promises Naina,
"Ab meri zindagi ki koi bhi baat tumse chhupi hui nahi rahegi. I promise."
Naina's heart flutters hearing him.
Rajveer bends into her to kiss her on her lips when Naina stops him by covering his lips with her four fingers. Rajveer knits his brows in disappointment.
"Mere paas apke liye ek proposal hai!",
she says, laughing and removes her hand.
"Ek aur proposal?",
teases Rajveer, arching a brow.
Naina laughs further and nods her head in affirmative.
Laughing a little, Rajveer says,
"Acha batao!"
"Aap mujhe apni zindagi ka ek raaz batayenge uske badle....",
she acts to be thinking then resumes,
"Aap mujhe ek kiss de sakte hain!"
"Bus ek kiss?!",
exclaims Rajveer, widening his eyes.
"Ek raaz.... ek RAAZ bataunga jo kabhi kisi ko nahi bataya uske badle at least do (2) to bante hain.",
Rajveer tries to negotiate, smiling, wrinkling his nose.
Naina laughs and shakes her head into negative.
"Acha theek hai aap do (2) de dena.",
laughs Naina, showing off fake attitude to him.
Rajveer shares a secret with her. He chooses a simple and light hearted one not wanting to disturb Naina's joyful mood by any means.
Naina widens her eyes hearing that in disbelief, laughing, enjoying his secret and the tone he uses deliberately to make her laugh out loud. Rajveer too laughs with her.
"Acha ab to de sakta hoon na main... kisssss???",
he asks, teasingly, staring her with his eyes filled with naughtiness.
Naina stares him, the residue of her laughter still on her face, her eyes twinkling. Her heart beating loudly.
Rajveer showers her with kisses starting from her left cheek; then the right one; followed by her forehead; her nose - that makes her to laugh. Then finally he tastes her honey lips; keeping it slow. Giving her time to feel his lips and the sensation that they are sending down her nerves. Naina holds him tight by his shoulders to maintain the equilibrium of her body. Rajveer could feel the tightening of her hold in response to the increase in the amount of pressure he puts on her delicate lips, slowly.
If proposing his Protégé was a great task for him then the end result of this difficult task is the most satisfying one for both of them.
-THE END-