5 days later
Naina is sleeping with her phone lying on bed. Today is her last day here and her work is finished already.
She just needs to brief them and then she is free to go!
But her tickets are for tomorrow evening and she is catching up to her sleep.
But why this sound is coming...
She rolled down to drown that sound away.
But it keeps coming.
"Aaarghhh"
She got up in irritation and slammed the door open to have her eyes wide open.
"Good morning", he said in a good natured manner.
"What the hell are you doing here?", she said rubbing her eyes.
"And that too so early", she asked checking her watch as he gets inside the room.
"Aur Chikki kahan hai?", she asked looking outside the door.
"Chikki school gai hai aur vahan se vo Rishu ke ghar jayegi jahan they are having a night out", Rajveer replied getting rid of his shoes and smiling at her.
"What?", she asked.
"What? You tell me", Rajveer asked with his smirk intact.
"Kyu aye tum yahan? Aur Chikki kahan hai?", Naina asked looking outside.
He smiled and gave her a red rose.
She looked at it and then locked the door. She is breathing heavily leaning against the door, living an old memory.
Past
"Yar Naina.....I am sorry. Darvaza to khol de", Rajveer is knocking the door continuously.
"Nai kholungi. Kal pure 2 ghante badminton court par wait kia maine tumhara aur tab jakar tumhe dhyan aya ki bata du ki busy ho....vo bhi mere itni dafa call karne ke bad", Naina said stomping her foot and pacing here and there behind the door.
"I am really sorry yar...Mai na ...are mere dimag se nikal gya yar ekdum aur achanak se vo meeting aa gai Mishra ke sath...tujhe to pata hai na ki kitni important meeting thi vo", Rajveer is moving here and there trying to convince her.
But she didn't opened.
He knocked for over a hour and then finally she can hear his footsteps leaving.
She waited for him or his call the entire day but he didn't came back.
Naina remembers the feeling of despair ness which engulfed her completely during the entire time.
She spent the entire day in bed without having anything. That was the day she realised how much big, he is in her life. She knew then how much important he is holding over her life. It's like it's incomplete without him.
She wiped her tears looking at her phone screen.
She slept finally during the early hours of the morning.
Being a Sunday, she isn't expecting anyone in the morning. She can sleep late.
But who the hell is knocking her door so early in the day.
She got up in frustration, rubbing her eyes.
She opens the door and saw him smiling in all his glory.
She felt all her sleep vanishing from her eyes.
She wants to jump in his arms but in actuality she closed the door again.
But he anticipated her move and hold the door open a few inches by pressure of his hand.
"Kya hai?", she asked in annoyance still fighting with the door to get it closed.
But a beautiful yellow rose came from the slit of that door.
She smiled but threw the rose of the floor.
Then again, another one came.
She threw it again.
Then another one came.
She threw it again but it hit the door after a couple of seconds.
Another couple of roses made their way through the door until her hold on the door become loose.
He opens the door carefully to find her smiling, crossing her arms.
"Maan ja na please....i am sorry", he said very cutely holding his ears.
Naina wiped her tears before hitting him, "idiot..nautanki...ab bhula n mujhe to...".
He holds her hand, "never".
Present.
Naina's trance was broken by knocking.
She opens the door to find him holding a big bouquet of red roses.
"Maan ja please...", he said holding his ears.
Naina's eyes became teary within seconds. She felt like a long lost dream came true.
This time she didn't hold herself and jumped in his arms. He hugged her tightly and she cried holding him tightly.
"Where is Chikki?", she asked pulling after few minutes.
"Meri bhi beti hai vo....thoda to bharosa karo ki sadak pe to chod kar aya nai hunga usko", Rajveer replied with a smirk but felt so much affectionate inside for her due to her concern for their daughter.
"I am ....tell me na", Naina asked hitting him on chest.
"School me hai aur vahan se she will be going for an overnight stay at Rishu's place. Uska sara gang jama ho rha hai vahan", Rajveer replied.
"Ok. Rishu ki Mom pick karegi na usko? Tumne bat kar li hai na?", Naina asked in concern.
"Han baba....tum khud call karke puch lena once school is done...aur koi sawal?", he asked.
"Hmm...aur tum kyu aye ho yahan?", she asked narrowing her eyes.
"Are abhi to hug kia aur ab sab khatam? I was missing you islie aya aur kislie ayunga", he said frowning.
"To kal to aa hi jati na mai...fir kyu?", she asked.
"Areee.....vapas chala jayu?", he asked getting up when she pulled him back.
"Nautanki mat kar....", she said as he takes his seat back.
"I am sorry ....i reacted very impulsively", Naina said looking at her hands.
"Well....its not the first time....aise bhi I can understand where all this aggression was coming from", he said patting her head lightly.
"Vaise tumne ab tak bataya nahin", she said with a pout.
"Kya?", he asked mischievously.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What are you to me? Are you my dead wife's sister? Or my colleague? Or may be my friend? Oh no how can I forget...you are the substitute mother for your child....right...", he said with a smirk.
She felt her heart drowning with her exact words.
She looked down and pursed her lips.
He holds her hand, "I know you want me to say that you are wife".
She looked up cluelessly, trying to understand what he actually means.
"But you are my wife Naina...mere marriage certificate bhi hai to prove it", he said teasing her.
She tries to get her hand free in annoyance.
"Naina.....listen to me. You are my wife. You are my dead wife's sister. You are a colleague. You are my best friend and you are mother of my child. You are all this and more to me", he said pressing her hands.
Her eyes are filled with tears. He wipes them gently.
"Bas karo na....jab se Radhi gai hai hum bas rote hi rahte hai....bechari uper bhi shanti se nahin rah pa rahi hogi", he said in an attempt to lighten up things.
She chuckled in tears.
"I don't want to replace her Rajveer.....but I feel jealous of her place in your life...jab vo thi tab labh nahin itna bura laga jitna aaj lagta hai...aur fir I feel guilty of feeling so...I am just messed up", she said trying to make him understand her complex emotions.
He pulled her in his arms and patted her head, "pahle kyu nahin bataya ye sab".
"Kaise batati ki apni hi behan se I am feeling in-secured. Kya batati ki I love the man she is married to......tum bhi itna gussa rahte the pichle kuch mahino tak humari shadi ke bad", she said looking in his eyes innocently.
He took a long breath. He is trying to figure out her emotions.
"Naina....tum sabse pahle meri sabse achi dost ho....even with Radhi, you used to be the person I rely so much upon...why are you changing it? Koi naya rishta banne se purana khatam to nahin ho jata? You are my best friend and I always want to be your best friend", he said cradling her face.
She nodded in tears.
"Tu mujhe sab kuch batati thi na...even we used to crib about Radhi together. Why you never shared how much you were suffering? Or now as well, how much you are still suffering?", he asked while she kept listening to him silently.
"You can tell me everything. Even if I am annoying or even if you hated me in that instant", he said wiping her fresh tears with his thumb with love.
"Aur tu pagal hai kya? Radhi ko mai bahut pyar karta hu aur karta rahunga.....you are not replacing her. So stop feeling guilty about it"
She nodded but her heart sinked over the fact he still loved Radhi and didn't mentioned her at all.
He understood as he watches her face changing colour.
"Radhi mera kal thi Naina....mere dil me uske lie pyar kam nahin hoga lekin iska matlab ye nahin hai ki meri zindagi me tumhari jagah kuch kam hai....you are the most special girl after Chikki in my life right now", he said with an emotional kiss on her forehead.
She smiled as she felt his touch on herself.
It's a lingering kiss after which he pulled her in a bear hug.
"Vaise Kamal ki bat hai....itni zinda ladkiyan mujhe bhav deti rahti hai....unse jalan nahin hoti tumhe lekin bechari meri meri mari hui biwi se bada complex ho rha hai tumhe", he joked.
Naina pulled apart and her expression changed to anger in mili seconds. She jumped on him fighting and hitting him continuously.
"Ow...ow Naina....kya kar rahi ho yar", he tried to stop her but it seems difficult.
He holds her hand with difficulty and turned to move her under him.
Naina who is fighting till now becomes completely still.
He looks at her with love and played with her hairs, "ab kuch nahin bologi?".
Naina looked down. She is looking a bit scared.
"Don't worry. I will never do anything without your wish", he said caressing her hairs.
She smiled a little and moved a bit to create some distance.
"It's not like that I don't want this Raj.....it's just I am feeling conflicted. Us din bhi islie maine...", she tried to explain him about new years night.
"Naina...did you feel it here as well?", he asked.
"No...it feel different here", she said truthfully.
"Fir? What's stopping you then?", he asked turning towards her.
"Rajveer...how can I make you understand...see ....", she pursed her lips.
He didn't interrupted her this time.
"I was in love with you since years .....but then you loved someone else and I convinced myself that my feelings are wrong. Every time...everyday...
Now I know that we should move on...I want to...but this heart still feels it's wrong", she said with teary eyes.
Rajveer is stunned on this. He still didn't realised how deep were her wounds.
"I am sorry Naina....agar mujhe pata hota then I would ...", he apologised in guilt.
"To tum Radhi ke sath nahin hote par mere sath bhi to nahin hote na....vo waqt humara nahin tha Raj....vo waqt tumhara aur Radhi ka tha...", she said holding his face understanding his guilt.
"Maine bahut badi galti kar di yar....i should have created distance between after my marriage....may be it would have been easier for you", he said holding her hand.
"May be. Par tab tum nahin jante the....aur agar mai sath na hoti to ye waqt bina Radhi aur mere kaise manage karte tum?", she asked and he realised she is right.
He touched his forehead with hers, " I might not love you the way you wanted then Naina....but at this moment I am in love with you. I know it might not mean as much to you now but I really am saying it with all my heart".
She looked at him parched for this feeling since years.
She touched her nose with his trying to absorb this moment and feeling.
She opens her eyes to see him. He is looking at her. At this second there is no one between them, she can see it clearly in his eyes.
She pecked his lips hesitatingly. He stayed still.
She pecked them again keeping the contact for a couple of seconds.
When she kissed him again this time, he reciprocated too.
"I love you", they said together and smiled against each other's lips.
They slept again in each other's arms, trying to quench a long thirst for peace.
/* story is marked completed here. I might give an epilogue.
Happy new year everyone!!