Thank you so much for your patience and support. I am feeling better now, though there still some weakness, but it's fine. The next update is here.
Happy reading :)
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The night that followed after their conversation was silent but not in a negative way. It was easing in its own but not for Sameer though. He hadn't thought much before telling Naina about his mother but now he was feeling that maybe he had shared a little too much. No one likes to mention about their past and that too when it is something which triggers negative emotions in you. Just like that, those harsh memories had flooded his mind again making him disturbed.
"Mom, please aise mat jaaiye."
"Please mujhe chhodke mat jaaiye."
"Mujhe aapki zarurat hai."
"Aap apne bete ko chhodke kaise jaa sakti hain!"
"Mom...please...mom...mom!!!"
His eyes jerked open and he found himself standing in the middle of his room. Walking to the front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection. His eyes were bloodshot, flickering due to the moisture brimming at their edges. He loathed this site. He clenched and unclenched his fingers repeatedly, taking deep breaths to calm himself down before the beast in could wake up. When it too didn't work, he went for another option to calm his nerves down. Placing the brown cylindrical tube between his lips, he lit it up and took a drag before it could ignite properly. Stepping into the balcony, he stood holding the icy cold railing.
Just a few hours back only, he had very easily pacified Naina by telling her to be strong and courageous to let go of the things which bother you, but, what about him? Would he be able to do it? Whatever happened back in the room was the answer.
"It's easy to console others when you are bleeding inside."
He didn't have any idea why he had mentioned it in front of Naina at that time. When people share the most treasured fragments of their life with someone, they take a risk. Risk of how the other person would perceive it after knowing about it. Would they be judgemental or rational? How would they treat you after that? Indifferently or wholeheartedly? He didn't know whether Naina had thought about it or not, but he knew one thing, all these questions never really came to his mind. He had just said it.
Imagine roaming amidst a crowd of people. Each of them having a partner, some with their best friends, some talking about their favorite movie, some with their gossip partner, some with the love of their life, some with their family, chattering happily, not caring about anything. And then, there are you, sad and alone, in search of someone with whom you could share anything, just anything which could create a spark between you two. A beginning to something.
All of a sudden, you collide with someone as lonely and hollow as you. At that moment, relief splashes over you to have found someone who could understand in a flash whatever is going to your mind. The pain. The suffering. The emotional state. An emotional connection sparks between the two which amplifies the urgency to relieve each other's suffering and aid each other's development. It becomes impossible to treat them badly or hurt them intentionally.
Perhaps, he had felt the same when Naina had told him about herself. Though it was just a chunk from the whole pile, the intensity of the pain was equal. He had sensed this urgent need to say anything which could alleviate her.
Pondering over it, he realised, there wasn't any regret inside him, but a flicker of hope or a budding expectation that she would too be by his side whenever he would need someone. 'Ugh, this is getting worse.' Guess the cigarette too wasn't helping to burn his vulnerability into ashes. Out of annoyance, he threw the cigarette butt aside and went back to his room, not before shutting the door behind him with a bang.
Naina who was standing by the glass doors of her room witnessed the whole scene and was now feeling concerned for Sameer. She remembered his disturbed state before he had masked it, not for too long. When they had arrived back at their home, she had gotten a glimpse of his inner turmoil which was apparent on his face when he had directly rushed to his room as soon as they had entered, leaving her there.
His words had impacted her heart deeply. She had contemplated over them a lot after coming back to her room. He was right. It was time to accept the upcoming challenges and changes, forgetting about the past ones. It was obvious she won't be getting the results in a day, but she could try, after all she had a promise to fulfill.
While closing the curtains she had noticed him standing on the balcony from where he couldn't see her. A frown had immediately taken place on her face as she found him smoking, again. His rigid posture had sent a clear signal to her that he was discomposed. She had understood that the reason behind this frigidity was related to his mother which prompted him to get rid of it by any means, be it finding comfort in releasing that greyish white smoke. Yet he had talked about it with her.
Her own problems seemed worthless. The need of doing something for him overpowered her brain. Pushing them back at the backseat for a while, she began to think of ways that could uplift him. It was her turn to do something for him now. Immersed in thought, she went towards her bed and called it a night.
******
The next morning, she woke up extra early to cook something nice for him because of two reasons. First, it might be a good idea to uplift his mood. Second, she wasn't a skilled cook. After finishing her morning business, she rushed to the kitchen thinking about what she could cook in a short period of time. Picking up her mobile phone, she began to browse for easy-to-make quick recipes. After much research, she opted for simple Aloo Tamatar as she was told by Ramdhari that he has a great liking for it. One dish wouldn't be enough, so she decided to pair it up with some Masala Bhindi which too was a quick dish.
In a duration of 45 minutes, following the recipes on YouTube, she was done cooking both the dishes. Now came the turn for Rotis for which she had to knead the dough, which she didn't know. But, it wasn't much of a concern, all thanks to the food processor. She wasn't much used to working for so long in this humid environment of the kitchen. The heat waves from the stove were causing a few droplets of sweat visible on her temple, yet she didn't deter from her work.
Sameer had woken up at his usual time. He was back to his normal self although there was still a residue of yesterday's thoughts lingering in his mind. After following his usual morning routine, he went downstairs wearing a white t-shirt and black track pants. While on the staircase, he noticed her in the kitchen and made his way towards her wondering what she might be doing at this time.
Reaching the entrance, he was met by an equally amusing yet confusing sight. All in her glory, Naina Maheshwari was struggling with the rolling pin to make perfect Rotis. By her looks, anyone could tell about her frustration after not being able to come up with a perfect and round shape. The loose strands of her hair escaping out of her hair bun were only adding more to the already rising vexation. A few specks of dry flour were adorning her cheeks and forehead which she was completely unaware of.
Rolling the dough enough, she took a look at it, it was anything but round, resembling the map of god knows which place. Letting out a defeated sigh, she dropped the rolling pin on the slab. All this time, she hadn't even noticed him who was busy observing her. As if sensing his presence, she turned instantly and found him standing there with his arm crossed over his chest, an amused expression on his face.
"Good morning." He said calmly. "G-good morning." she replied hesitantly with fidgeting fingers. Sameer finding her in this state was the last thing she wanted. She had messed it up all. Her cheeks became flushed out of embarrassment which couldn't be hidden from him.
Taking slow steps in her direction, he asked, "Itni subah subah kya kar rahi ho yeh?" His voice was calm.
"W-woh maine socha aaj office jaana hai toh khaana jaldi banana thik rahega, toh bas isiliye..." She said momentarily catching his glimpse. Not saying anything he turned towards the stove and lifted the lids of the pans containing the dishes.
He bent a little to have a look, the sizzling aroma of freshly cooked dish hitting his nostrils, "Hmm...Aloo Tamatar and Kurkuri Bhindi...nice...tumne itni jaldi uthke yeh sab bana bhi liya?" He was impressed but masked it under his casual tone.
"Haan...online recipes follow karke banaya. Pata nahi taste kaisa hoga." She said.
"Khushboo toh achi aa rahi hai. I can see kaafi mehnat kar rahi ho tum." He said taking a look at the slab which was almost covered with a thin layer of the flour. She wanted the ground to swallow her, 'Ek kaam bhi thik se nahi hota tujhse Naina. Kya hoga tera...' She mentally chided herself. His gaze returned to her.
Grabbing a small cloth hanging on the wall behind him, he lifted his hand towards her face. Her heart began to race with anticipation but calmed the very next moment as she found it changing the direction. He raised it in front of her, "Tumhare chehre pe atta lag gaya hai, saaf karlo." He said. She took it and dusted the flour off her face aimlessly. A tiny streak was still left on her right cheek which had gotten missed by her but not by Sameer.
Noticing his intent gaze on her face, she raised her eyebrows in question. He pointed a finger towards the mark. Rubbing the cloth she again asked in the same way. He shook his head a little. Pursing his lips, he held her wrist guiding her hand towards her cheek. His knuckles brushed against her chin as light as a feather, not for her though. A mere touch gave her chills for a millisecond whereas he looked completely unaffected.
Their eyes met for a sec before he turned his gaze again towards the mess. "Toh tumse yeh gol nahi bann rahi. Isiliye pareshan ho na?" He inquired to which she nodded slowly. A smile automatically formed on his face seeing her innocent expression, "Ek minute."
Raising his index finger, he said and pulled out the drawer containing the bowls. Picking one of the medium-size ones, he placed it inverted on the already rolled up dough and pressed it applying even force on all sides before rotating it a little. She watched him with keen interest as he lifted it obtaining a perfectly round Roti exactly the same way she was trying to make for the last twenty minutes.
"Jab ghee seedhi ungli se naa nikle toh tedhi karni padti hai." He remarked taking a glance at her. She smiled making his gaze stay a little longer. "Practice karogi toh apne aap gol banengi. Abhi toh hum dono hi hain. Koi dhyaan bhi nahi dega..." He passed a tight-lipped smile. "Tum bana lo, main bahar newspaper padd raha hun."
She just nodded and mumbled, "Thank you..."
"No problem." He replied and left the kitchen.
An unknown smile made its way to her face as she got back to the task at hand. 'He didn't judge her again', her mind uttered. The rest of the procedure wasn't much time consuming as she knew how to do it. In less than fifteen minutes, soft and perfectly round shaped Rotis were ready. She proceeded to serve their breakfast at the dining table.
To say, Sameer was busy reading the newspaper but he was also busy taking fleeting glimpses at her taking rounds to keep all the things on the table. He wondered why she had bothered herself to wake up early especially to cook when they could have easily arranged for the food. Was it related to last night? She seemed to be in a normal mood which was far better than her melancholic face. He won't admit it but something had tugged his heart when he had seen her crying.
Naina saw him lost in his world. She called out for him, "Sameer..." Coming out of his reverie, he looked at her. She seldom calls him by his name, but whenever she does, he finds it different in a bit good way. Well, he couldn't tell exactly. "Breakfast ke liye aa jaaiye..." She said.
He nodded and got up folding the newspaper. Keeping it back on the table, he stepped towards the dining table and took his seat. He served his plate and waited until she did hers. Tearing a bit of Chapatti, he dipped it in Aloo Sabzi, making a bite for himself, and ate it. She gazed at him with apprehension waiting for his review. He made a twisted face while still chewing it which made her more restless.
Gulping it, he said, "Hmm...It's fine. Bas thoda namak kam hai. Overall achi hai. Tum bhi toh khaao." He coerced her but she dodged it, "Bhindi bhi toh taste kariye..." She was herself surprised by her behaviour while he too wondered why she needed his validation so bad. Pushing it back he tasted it too but halted chewing it. It tasted a bit weird, like she had imbalanced the proportion of spices. Not wanting to put her down, he tried to keep his expressions as normal as possible and gulped it.
Feeling her intent gaze on himself, he said, "Yeh bhi itni buri nahi hai. I guess thode spices disproportionate ho gye hain. But it's okay." He gestured towards her plate.
She sensed something odd in his looks like he was hiding something but began to eat nonetheless. As soon as she was done tasting both the dishes, she went blank. The Aloo-Sabzi didn't taste the way she had wanted it while the Bhindi turned out to be a disaster. And here he was saying that it was okay. Taking a look at her, he knew what she might be thinking.
"Naina listen, I know tum kya soch rahi ho...it's okay...tumne first time khud pura khaana banaya hai. Efforts are more important than the outcome. Isme pareshan hone wali koi baat nahi hai." She had been observing him ever since he had come down that he was behaving normally. One thing which she couldn't pinpoint was how he was able to recognize it so easily whenever her self confidence would waver. Why was he behaving so warm? What had changed? Was it because of last night?
His voice brought her out of her thoughts, "Tumne suna na, it's okay. Aloo ki sabzi sach mein achhi bani hai."
She nodded but interrupted him when he was about to go for Bhindi, "Please isey mat khaaiye aap. Kuch bhi taste nahi hai. Main baad mein sahi se masale daalke thik kar dungi." Before he could say something, she picked his bowl along with hers and went into the kitchen to keep them. He tried to find any hint of distress but seeing her calm made him relieved.
Just then, his phone rang and he checked for the caller. It was Aarav. If he was calling this early, then it should be important. He picked it up and got up to go towards the glass doors of the living room to talk properly. Naina had returned from the kitchen and found his plate still having his food unfinished. She took a plate and kept it on his one to prevent it from getting cold.
As she began to have her first morsel, a loud booming voice halted her before she could put it in her mouth. Sameer was yelling at the person on the other side. From his words, she guessed that it was something related to work, the new proposal possibly. He was irritated which was evident as he was pinching the bridge of his nose. He came back after ending the call and sat keeping both of his palms on his face. Sighing heavily, he ran his hands through the hair.
"Kya hua?"-She took a pause- "Kuch hua hai kya office mein?" Her voice was extremely calm.
"Do minute chup rahogi please! Kuch nahi hua hai!" He lashed out making her flinch. Though she had expected this yet she had chosen to test the waters.
"Okay... Sorry..." She whispered and went back on eating silently. He was instantly stricken by guilt. She wasn't the one at fault.
Taking a deep breath, he proceeded, "I am sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you." His tone was much gentle this time.
"It's okay." She replied in a meek voice.
"Actually, Aarav ka call tha. Ab tumse kya hi chhupana. Ek Fashion brand hai, kafi time se unka proposal aya hua hai. They want to invest in our company in return for shares. Unhe humare fabrics ki quality kafi pasand ayi hai. Main thoda confuse hu, abhi company puri tarah stable nahi hai. Waise agar sab kuchh thik raha toh it would prove to be beneficial. But I don't know abhi thik hai ya nahi. Aur aaj unhone ek meeting schedule kari humare final decision ke liye" He told her everything in detail before returning to finish his food. She listened to every word attentively and analyzed the issue carefully.
"Umm...agar aap bura na maane toh main kuch bata sakti hun?" He nodded in approval. "Waise toh aap mujhse zyada jaante hain inn sabke baare mein, aap unhe boliye ki woh apne sabse skilled staff ki ek team bheje. Hum unko 3-6 months ke trial pe employ karenge. Isse aap sure bhi ho jayenge if this could work out or not. And if they'd be great tab aap unhe shares de sakte hain." Her tone was laced with confidence.
He always gets awestruck the way she changes her demeanor whenever it comes to business. Being in the same field of work makes all of her hesitations evaporate. He wasn't expecting a suggestion from her side and that too so convincing. But first, he needed some time to make the actual decision.
"Main sochta hun iss baare mein." Neither did he agree nor did he disapproved of it, leaving her hanging there. A few minutes later, they were done with breakfast. Naina got up taking her plate and reached for his, but before she could pick it, his hand reached out to hold her wrist out of impulse, "Nahi nahi, main le jaaunga." He gently moved her hand away and stood up to go into the kitchen picking his plate leaving her standing there in haze.
The ringing of the doorbell brought her out of the trance. Sameer stepped out from the kitchen and mumbled, "Iss time koun aa gaya? Main check karta hu." He said looking at her to which she nodded and got back to clean the slab.
As he reached the door, he checked for the visitor through the peephole. With newfound excitement, he opened it. Pandit stood there grinning widely and in no time he was taken in a bone-crushing hug by Sameer, while he too reciprocated it with equal zeal. They remained in the same position for a minute before pulling away. Their eyes had become moist.
"Kaisa hai yaar?" Sameer's voice tore a little making Pandit emotional too.
"Main bilkul thik hun bhai. Tu bata..." Sameer pursed his lips tilting his head to the side gesturing that he too was fine. Meeting his best friend after what had felt like ages had alleviated his low spirits.
"Ab andar bhi nahi bulayega kya...?" Pandit returned to his chirpy self. Sameer smiled through his tears picking his bag despite his resistance. Both of them entered the living room.
"Waise tune bataya bhi nahi tu aane wala hai. Main khud aa jata tujhe receive karne. Kaise aana hua waise?" Sameer asked putting his back down on the floor.
"Arey koi nahi yaar. Meri khatirdaari toh hoti rahegi ab. Woh humare business ke ek shareholder ke saath meeting hai kal. Usi ke liye aaya hun aur tujhe surprise bhi toh dena tha." Pandit said delightfully.
Naina emerged out from the kitchen adjusting her dupatta to see who had come. Pandit's unexpected arrival took her by surprise. He saw her standing there with an uncertain expression. To ease it out, he came forward and said, "Namaste Bhabhi." Both Sameer and Naina were stunned. She couldn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. As per their relationship, she was his sister-in-law but when his brother still hasn't accepted as her wife, then how come he has accepted her as his bhabhi. Pandit had anticipated this reaction from both of them. He turned to see Sameer who had his eyebrows furrowed.
"Arey kya hua bhyi? Aisa kya bol diya maine?" He asked lightly motioning through his hands. Turning again towards Naina he said, "Bhabhi ko Bhabhi nahi toh aur kya bolunga?" Seeing her fiddling with her fingers, he came a bit more forward and said in a gentle and serious tone this time, "Naina, bhale hi Sameer mera dost hai par main usey bhai se bhi badke maanta hun. Abhi situation kaisi bhi ho, jaise Sameer mera bhai waise aap meri Bhabhi. Aur waise hi main aapka Devar."
She didn't know how to react. Her mind went back to their last conversation two months back when he was leaving. That time too, he had thanked her for being cooperative. He had never shown any disapproval for her even when he too didn't know anything about her. A speck of doubt arose in her mind, Was this really happening with her? Did she deserve this respect and regard? All this was so new to her that it made her emotional.
On getting no reply from her side, he cleared his throat and said, "Bhabhi, itna bura bhi nahi hai aapka Devar jo aap kuch baat bhi nahi karengi."
She chuckled slightly and nodded, "Okay."
Pandit rubbed his hands excitedly and said, "Chalo badhiya hai." Saying so he glanced back at Sameer who had a blank emotion on his face. It looked like he was still trying to wrap his head around what just happened and mentally decided to discuss this Pandit later.
"Bhabhi, kuchh khaane ko milega kya. Pet mein chuhe disco dance kar rahe hain. Yeh plane wale toh pata nhi kaha se aisa khana laate hain." He scrunched his nose running his hand over his tummy.
Naina smiled slightly and looked towards Sameer expectantly with nervousness clear in her eyes. She knew that it would take her time to make something new since she had cooked the Aloo Sabzi for two people only which was now finished, but she couldn't say a direct no to him or to be precise, her Devar.
He knew what was going through her mind. A silent conversation exchanged between them through the eyes followed by an understanding nod from his side.
Before Pandit could say anything, he intervened, "Pandit bhai...actually na humein office ke liye nikalna hai. Meri ek important meeting hai. Tu ek kaam kar na, humare saath hi chal. Wahan canteen mein kuch kha lio." He continued with a teasing voice, "Aur wahan ke Samose bhi bohot mast hain." He wriggled his eyebrows earning a glare from Pandit.
"Aur waise bhi ab tu aaya hai toh yahi pe toh rukega. Chal tera saara samaan apne room mein rakhwa deta hun." He proceeded to pick his bag but this time Pandit reached for it before him, "Abey ohh, baccha nahi hu main. Agar sirf itna bhi bol deta na ki office jaana hai tab bhi kuch nahi bolta main. Samose ka jhaansa dene ki kya zaroorat hai. Itna bhi bhukkad nahi hu main. Huh."
Carrying his suitcase over the stairs, he walked upstairs leaving both of them still at there places. Sameer chuckled watching him go and then turned towards Naina who instantly looked down, "Tum bhi ready ho jaao ab. Aadhe ghante mein nikalte hain." He said gently to which she nodded.
******
Pandit was sprawled upon Sameer's bed with his arms stretched out and legs dangling down the edge of the bed. Sameer stepped inside keeping his hands in his pockets. Shutting the door behind him, he walked to his cupboard and opened it to take out his clothes to be worn for the meeting. Rummaging through the shirts, he asked, "Aur bata, business kaisa chal raha hai tera?"
Pandit sat straight and answered, "Badiya chal raha hai. Papa ne kaafi help kari meri. Ab toh company ko expand karne ka soch rahe hain."
Sameer gave an understanding nod still not looking at him. Pandit felt something wrong, "Tujhe kya ho gaya ab? Itna sadaa kyu rakha hai chehra?"
"Nahi aisa kuch nahi hai. Bas thoda office ka workload zyada hai aajkal."Sameer answered simply after shutting the cupboard after taking a grey shirt.
Pandit gave a slight nod.
Sameer couldn't keep himself from asking as he turned around, "Tu mujhe batayega yeh neeche kya bol raha tha tu?" He leaned back on the cupboard folding his arm on his chest.
"Usme kya batana...sahi toh keh raha tha main." Pandit shrugged but composed himself seeing Sameer's stern face, "Aise ghoor mat mujhe. Tune Naina ko wife ki tarah accept nahi kara hai iska matlab yeh nahi ki hum bhi peeche hat jaayein. Itna toh deserve karti hi hai woh. Woh bhi toh hissa hai iss ghar ka. Mujhe lag raha tha ab toh kuch badal gaya hoga tum dono ke beech, par teri gaadi toh shayad wahin atki padi hai." He retorted.
Sameer sighed. He pulled off his Tshirt leaving his upper body bare and sauntered towards the mirror taking the shirt he had chosen. Pulling it on, he began to close the buttons looking towards Pandit through the mirror, "Humari gaadi wahi pe nahi atki hui hai. Pehle se bohot kuch change hua hai. Ek dusre ke baare mein kafi kuch jaan rahe hain hum." His mind went down the memory lane to the time when they had cooked together for the first time, them working in Nanu's room, the time spent at the orphanage, the conversation in the car that night. It was hard to fathom exactly what had caused the transition between them.
Watching him lost in his reverie, Pandit said, "Ohhoooo...toh baat aage badi hai matlab...pasand aa gayi kya tujhe?" He wriggled his eyebrows, a smirk appearing on his face.
"Zyada khush mat ho. Aisa kuch nahi hai. Yeh sab sirf isliye kyuki humne jhooth bol rakha hai that we like each other. Koi problem na ho uske liye ek dusre se baat karni shuru ki hai. Bataya toh tha tujhe." Sameer said keeping his tone as casual as possible.
"Toh kya kya jaana uske baare mein?" Pandit asked with a warm smile.
By now, Sameer was almost dressed up and was adjusting his tie, "Bohot kuch toh nahi. Kaafi shaant nature ki hai woh. Kaafi simple. Par ek baat hai..." - He turned around to look at him- "Woh dil ki achhi hai. Dusron ke dukho ko samajhti hai woh. Aur samjhe bhi kyu na, usne khud itna kuch jhela hai life mein." He said the last line in a daze as the sight of her crying face from the previous night flashed in front of his eyes.
"Kya matlab? Naina ne kya jhela hai?" Pandit asked furrowing his eyebrows. That's when Sameer realised he had blurted out something which he wasn't supposed to. She had shared something with him for the first time and he didn't want to disrespect it by revealing it in front of Pandit, even if he was his best friend. Some things were meant to remain between her and him only.
Naina came out of her room decked up in a lime green cotton saree. She had tied her hair in a ponytail with a crimson lipgloss coating her plump lips and a light streak of Kohl adorning her eyes in the name of makeup. Stepping out of the room with her belongings, she locked the door and was about to go downstairs when the mention of her name inside Sameer's room halted her feet. She shifted a bit near so that she could hear even though she knew it was bad to eavesdrop, curiosity got better of her.
When she heard what they were talking about, panic ran through her body. Will he tell him? She thought it was something private that was for only them to know. What if he tells him?
At the other side of the door, Sameer took a deep breath before replying, "Nothing. Bas thi kuch problems. Main nhi bata sakta."
Naina stood rooted at her spot. Her heart was which was thudding with apprehension was now bouncing with an unknown feeling. A warm one. She gazed at the door as if she could see him through it. A grateful smile appeared on her face. The respect she held for him heightened.
Hearing the shuffling of feet from the other side, she rushed downstairs before they could see her. Sameer opened the door and was met by a unique scent lingering in the air, a familiar one. Before he could discern Pandit patted on his shoulder and said, "Chal jaldi chalte hain." Dismissing the irrelevant thoughts, he made his way downstairs after locking the door.
Both of them found Naina waiting for them. Their eyes met for a moment before Sameer averted his and exited the house. Walking towards the car, Sameer slipped into the driver's seat waiting for the other two to come.
"Tu drive kar raha hai? Mohan ko hata diya kya?" Pandit asked still standing outside.
"Nahi. Usne call kar diya tha subah. Uski wife ki tabiyat kharab hai. Woh nahi aa payega." Sameer said putting on his sunglasses.
Naina was about to open the backside door when Pandit interrupted, "Arey, aap peeche kaha jaa rahi ho. Aapki jagah aage hai."
She said softly, "Koi baat nahi. Aap aage baith jaaiye."
"Bilkul nhi. Mujhe toh peeche fail ke baithna hai aaram se." Without waiting for her response, he swiftly got inside at the back seat sitting in the middle. Not left with any other chance, she finally made her comfortable in the front seat. A frown had nearly appeared on Sameer's face as he tried to discern Pandit's tactics.
As he drove on the highway, Pandit voiced leaning ahead, "Yaar aajkal pata nahi mere Mummy Papa pe meri shaadi ka kya bhoot chadd raha hai. Jabse unhone teri shaadi ka suna hai, mere peeche padd gaye hain. Chain se jeene hi nahi de rahe." He said with a tired face.
"Toh kar le na...Kisne haath pair baandhe hain tere?" Sameer said taking a glimpse at him through the rearview mirror.
"Haan haan kyu nahi, Khud ki toh ho gayi na, ab toh bolega hi. Bhai ladki bhi milni chahiye koi..." He said stretching the word 'koiiiii'.
Sameer chuckled, "Tu ek baat bata mujhe, itna bhaagta rehta hai ladkiyon ke peeche, tujhe aajtak koi mili nahi, aisa kaise ho sakta hai? Kya chahta hai tu?"
"Yaar mujhe na bas meri Sapno ki Malika chahiye. Main jab bhi kisi ladki ko date pe leke jata hun, yahi sochta hu, kahi yeh woh toh nahi. Par jab kuch mehsoos nahi hota, kalti ho leta hu jisse baat aage hi na bade." The same moment he got reminded of Naina's presence. "Bhabhi, aap koi galat idea mat rakhna. Maine yeh sab kafi mahine pehle chhod diya tha. Aur main unhe pehle se hi samjha leta tha ki yeh sirf ek test date hai. Fir baad mein chahe jo bhi ho, woh one-time hi rehta tha."
Her eyes widened as she realised what he meant by the last line, the 'one-time' thing. In his mind, Sameer had already smashed Pandit's head. He glimpsed sideways and found her shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
Pandit was still blabbering about some girl he had taken out once who already had two boyfriends which he came to know about at the date only. Who would say he was the same Pandit with whom he was having a serious talk back at home?
Sameer rolled his eyes and pushed Pandit's face back which was tilted towards Naina, "Bas karega ab. Khatam hi nahi hoti teri kathaayein. Bolne se pehle soch bhi liya kar. Fir kehta hai mujhe Ponga mat bulao."
Pandit made a grumpy face rubbing his forehead, "Toh bol bhi toh sakta hai na yeh baat. Lagi hai mere."
Sameer just shrugged and looked at Naina who at the same time looked at him. Pandit again leaned forward, this time carefully to be out of Sameer's reach, "Sorry Bhabhi. Main na thoda aisa sa hi hun. Kuch bhi bina soche samjhe bol deta hun. Par sachi mein main waise type ka nahi hu jo ladkiyon ka dil bina matlab mein tod de ya unka use kare. Main pura dhyan rakhta hun. Mujhe ab bas ek hi ladki ki talash hai jo lifetime mere saath rahe. Please don't mind."
His tone reflected sincerity this time. Naina turned to look at him and said with a faint smile, "Koi baat nahi. I hope aapko woh jaldi mil jaaye."
Sameer listened but chose to say nothing. A few minutes, their car pulled up in front of the entry gate of the Maheshwari Industries.
******
Pandit was strolling around the building taking in the modifications which had been made after he had left. He missed working here under the guiding hands of Nanaji. Even his scoldings were used to be accepted gladly. He never minded it. Smiling sadly, he walked through the corridor. On the other side, Smriti was scurrying through the adjacent one as she was already late.
Both of them were coming in the same direction due to which Smriti dashed into him causing them both to unbalance. He instinctively held her by her waist, preventing her from falling. His eyes met hers. He couldn't move his gaze from her, neither could she. His face began to tilt as he watched her, completely mesmerized by her beauty. Smriti jolted out off his arms when an employee passed by. The files she was holding had scattered on the floor. She kneeled down and hurriedly began to pick them. Seeing her in such a haste he too joined her. He was still in a daze. The whole scene made him feel like he was in the middle of a romantic movie.
"Hey Wahe Guruji, aapko aaj hi late karwana tha. Ek toh waise hi sir itna chide rehte hain. Aaj fir jaake wahi baatein suno. Pata nahi kya dikkat hai." He watched her in amusement as he heard her mutterings.
Collecting all of them, they both stood up. Pandit asked, "Aap thik hai na? Miss...?"
She nodded, "Thank you & Sorry, mein kaafi jaldi main hu abhi." Saying so, she was gone in a second leaving him rooted to his spot. He didn't know why but he had felt butterflies in his stomach for the first time seeing a girl. His heart was dancing to the tunes of the romantic melodies. For the first time, someone had rung the bells of his heart.
A group of people broke his reverie reminding him about his starvation. He couldn't believe a girl had made him forget about food even though for a minute. He was gone.
******
Sameer was going through all the points to be discussed in the meeting where he was going to meet the executive of that fashion brand company. He was still mulling over Naina's suggestion. It wasn't a bad one but he still needed to see if it could work or not. Reading their brochure for the last time, he came up with the final decision. Aarav entered his cabin informing him about the arrival of officials of the company. He stood up to make his way towards the conference room.
Two hours later, he was shaking hands with them indicating that the deal was sealed. He had confidently put forward all of his conditions to which they were reluctant at first but later agreed on them. The company would send a team of ten members who would be employed based on their area of work for 3 months. The outcome would evaluate if the shares should be issued or not.
As they left, Sameer sat down with satisfaction. This petty issue was troubling him a lot for which he had found an instant solution given by Naina. Even if there were discrepancies in their married life, it hadn't disturbed their professional relationship and he was somewhere thankful to her. There were many girls out there who were dying to get his surname just because of the power it held. And then, there was she, completely unfazed by it. But then he remembered, she wasn't among those 'many' girls. She was different, as simple as that.
One thing he had begun to be sure of was that a sort of companionship had started up to establish between them. Be it handling the press together, cooking food, sharing stuff, and now helping to solve each other's issues. Everything was indicating that he could survive this alliance if this would keep going the same way as it is now.
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I hope you liked this part. It literally took me hours to get it to a satisfactory level.
So, Pandit and Smriti...umhmm...what do you think, would they make a cool couple? Well, according to me, our Ponga Pandit deserved better in the show, so here is a small attempt from my side.
Which one to choose: Smridit or Pandriti (or give your ideas)
What do you want to say about Sameer's changing perception?
Do drop your views and opinion in the comment section. Inline comments are welcomed.
Lots of Love, Sim❣