Usually, every morning comes with a blissful promise of a new beginning, but when the sun came with a message of taking your beloved one step away, morning becomes a haunting moment of life.
Yet that morning came with a jovial laughter of family and friends in that household. Although Sameer and Naina wanted to keep it simple, but still that was fabulous.
The whole white mansion was scented with beautiful flowers and resonated with beautiful blessing songs. Munna, pandit with their respective wives, chachaji, chachiji, Rohan everyone was present with lots of gifts and more than gifts, their blessings and best wishes for the couple.
Draped in a simple but very elegant pastel green saree with light pink border with pearly embroidery. Beautiful flower jewelry was adding the charm in her beauty. When Swati, Preeti, and Anjali brought her in hall, a breath hitched in sameer's lungs. He gasped, looked at her eyes filled with love but with pain too.
Vishakha and Bela made her sit on a comfortable couch. Though it should be low table, but seeing her condition, they all preferred it as couch. Naina looked everywhere, and her eyes gleamed in an unknown happiness. Slowly her eyes moved and she looked at Sameer.
His eyes were already on her. He was observing her keenly as well as admiring her lovingly. Slowly her lips moved and she mumbled an inaudible thank you to him. No-one listen or understand, but he did. Yet he understood but couldn't even feel the joy.
Sameer moved his head, rolled his eyeballs up and looked everywhere but her. Slowly he wiped the corners of his eyes, remembering the joyful days. He remembered the moment when they attended Swati's baby shower function. That dazzling ceremony enchanted her so much that in no time, just casually she expressed all her aspirations from this function in her life.
Though Sameer chuckled on her cute excitement at that time, but in his heart that moment was imprinted so deeply that knowingly unknowingly, despite of his all resentments, he had done all the preparations according to her, though not on that big scale, but still. Choice of flowers to colour theme to menu and even their dresses... Everything reminded her and him of that night.
Sameer was sad, but bound to smile, but she was smiling, maybe overwhelmed by emotions and gratitude too. Her eyes were mis, but gleaming like starry sky. Something pinched sameer's heart again. He averted his gaze from her again, wiped cores of his eyes and sniffed.
However, the ritual started soon. Vishakha came first, did a small puja, aarti. Then she placed a coconut and a gift in her lap. In last she leaned and whispered something in her ears. Naina smiled slightly, but there was a bitterness in her smile. She lowered her eyes, bit her lips as if trying to restrain herself.
Sameer frowned, stared at her deeply, and straighten his back. He thought to, but didn't go near her. Suddenly it's repeated as Bela did the same, and this time in last, she didn't smile bitterly, some drops shone on the tips of her eyelashes, but she restrained again.
This time he couldn't take it, but about to go to her, when all of a sudden, Munna hold him, patted his shoulder and said,"bhabhi udas nhi hai bhai... Shayad thodi bhawuk ho gyi hai... Ye sab kuch kah nhi rahe, bas duayein hai aane wale nanhe mehmaan ke liye..."
Sameer frowned, didn't know how to react on this, but then leaned back on door frame and quietly witnessed the ritual going on smoothly.
After Bela, Preeti, Swati, Anjali and some close friends of Vishakha too came one by one and repeat the same process. Naina's lap filled with gifts and rice. She must be felt uneasy, but Preeti took out all those things from her lap leaving only some rice and a coconut.
Slowly, everyone done with her part and ritual seemed to come on end, when Naina whispered something in Preeti's ear. Her eyes gleamed for a moment and she said,"jijag..."
Sameer straighten his back and looked at her, and she continued,"jijaji... Aap aj Naina ko koi gift nahi doge... Haa haa pta hai ki ye rasam sirf aurato ki hoti hai, lekin aap toh har mauke pr ise itne saare tohfe dete hai, aj nahi denge..."
Sameer smiled slightly and said,"aj tohfa..."
He was about to say something, but interrupted by Swati this time,"kya hua Mr. Romeo... Ab ye mat kahna ki aj tum tohfa hi bhul gaye..."
Elders smiled on banters of friends and sat quietly taking the appetizers.
Here Sameer didn't understand how to reply, so he was just thinking quietly, when Naina said softly,"aisa ho hi nahi sakta ki Sameer ke paas mere liye kuch naa ho... Ek tohfa hai uske paas, jo mujhe kab se chahiye..."
Sameer jerked, looked at her for a long moment and then suddenly he smiled and said,"Naina ne thik kha... Aisa ho hi nahi sakta ki mere paas tumhare liye koi tohfa naa ho... Aj bhi hai... Do minute bas abhi laya..."
"Lekin Sameer...", Naina tried to stop him, but he ran towards their room in hurry.
Naina was baffled. She wanted to use this chance to save rights of their baby, as his indifference was really upsetting her, but now... His bitter smile and deep eyes unsettled her. She didn't know what... But felt a storm raging towards them.
No one else, but Vivek and Munna too felt a little off about him this time. They too sat in straight and looked at his direction.
Finally he came after a strangely painful wait for 5 minutes and sat before Naina. He had a dark green file in his hand. He didn't know whether he should follow this ritual or not, but just fed a small piece of sweet to her, gave that file in her lap, hold her hands and mumbled, "mubarak ho jaan... Is din ka hi toh intezaar tha naa humein.... I mean tumhe..."
His bitterness shoved into her spine, hands trembled, back stiffened and she looked at him startled.
Vivek stood and about to say something, when Sameer raised his eyebrows to her signalling to open that file. Naina gasped, feeling terribly strange and slowly she opened that file.
"Sameer....",her eyes fell on the content of first page and she took a back. Slowly she continued and murmured in disbelief,"Sameer tum... Tum ye nahi... Nahi kar sakte..."
"Q... Q nahi kar sakta...",he asked back.
"Sameer nahi... Please nhi...", she couldn't even say properly and tears spilled like pouring on her cheeks.
Vivek was witnessing everything quietly till now, but couldn't take it anymore. He took the file from her hand and hurriedly flip over the pages.
"Sameer ye tum...",his eyes widened and he exclaimed in shock suddenly.
Till now, everyone understood the gravity of something that was going on and slowly gathered close to them.
However, indifferent to anything else, Sameer just looked at her, hold her hands and waited for her to say something and she said,"Sameer, ye nahi... Nahi ho sakta..."
"Q Naina... Q nahi...",he asked slowly.
"Sameer please...",she gasped, supressing the extremely restless feeling inside herself and mumbled.
"Kya hai is file me...", Vishakha restlessly asked to vivek, but instead of replying him, he looked deeply at Naina.
"Sameer, Naina ki tabiyat kharab ho jayegi...", Vivek quickly came close, tried to calm down the situation, but seemed like Sameer had decided to finish this war now.
He crouched down on his knees before her, softly cupped her cheeks, looked deeply in her eyes and said,"kya samjha Naina... Agar mai chup hu toh ye sab sweekar liya maine, aur aise hi bas jane dunga tumhe... kaise socha tumne ki bhul jaunga apna waada.... Naina, tumne vaada kiya tha pyar ka, saath jeene marne ki kasme khayi thi naa... Ab tum nibhao ya nahi, ye Sameer Maheshwari apna vaada jarur nibhayega... Saath jiye hai to ab jaayenge bhi saath..."
"Sameer, chup ho jao please...", Naina clutched his kurta on his shoulder and whispered.
"Sameer, please... I am.... Sorry...",she sniffed and whispered again.
"Sorry... Tumse naraz nahi hu mai Naina... Aur dekho ek pita hone ke naate apna farz nibha diya maine... Isse jyada aur kuch nahi hai mere paas... Haa, socha tha wo diary mai bhi likh du, lekin likh nahi paaya, samajh hi nahi aaya ki kya kahu use... Lekin Tum uski fikar mat karo, use kabhi kisi chiz ki kami nahi hogi...",he paused for a moment and continued.
"haa bas maa baap nahi honge, toh it's ok... Kya fark padta hai, aakhir humne bhi toh aise hi jindagi shuru ki thi, lekin dekho, aj hum yha hai... Itne saare logo ke pyar ke saath... Use toh is pyar ki bhi kami nahi hogi Naina... Uske nanu nani, dadu dadi honge, aur Munna, Pandit aur Rohan, mujhe yakin hai mujhse jyada pyar denge use, aur Preeti, Swati aur Anjali, shayad tumse bhi jyada...",he stopped once again.
Everyone stood shocked at the moment. First, they didn't know what's going on, but they probably had an idea now. Munna Pandit strode forward to stop him, but they knew that they couldn't and he continued.
"Kaise socha ki kisi bhi safar me mai tumhe akele jane dunga, hmm... Bolo... Naina, Jo tohfa tumhe chahiye wo nahi mere paas, lekin jo tha wo sab de diya... I promise... Promise ki use... Hamare... Hamare baby ko... Use hamare baad bhi kisi chiz ki kabhi kami nahi hogi, Lekin agar wo din tumhare bina aaya toh... toh mujhe... Mujhe toh hogi naa Naina... Bolo, kaun khyal rakhega mera, kaun khane pr wait karega... Aur khana nahi khane pr wo... Wo pyar wali daant... Wo kaun... Nahi Naina, mujhe hoga wo dard, mujhe darayega wo akelapan us ghar me, mujhe wo.... Mujhse nahi.... Nahi... Mujhse aur kuch... Aur kuch mat maangna, ab toh tumhare Sameer ke paas bhi kuch nahi aur Sameer Maheshwari ke paas bhi..."
Sameer squeezed his eyes, kept his head on her forehead, mumbled incoherently, but couldn't help the tears spilling out vigorously. Even Naina hold his hand tightly, shook her head in no vehemently, but cried inconsolably.
"Sameer, nahi...",she tried to say something but couldn't.
"Sameer... Ye kya bakwas hai...",this time Munna strode forward and refuted.
All others were silent witness, but that time they all cried helplessly. Either it's their friends or family, all of them watched them and their love growing before them. But this time they couldn't bear them sank in their love so much that giving up their life. They didn't know how to stop them, but they couldn't see them going either.
Although Munna refuted, and all of them wanted them to calm down, but they couldn't do anything and just saw them breaking and breaking again.
Sameer stared deeply in her eyes for some moments, slowly kept his lips on her forehead, placed a long longing kiss and murmured again,"Naina aj sabne tumhe aur aane wale hamare baby ko bhut duyaein di hai naa... Ek dua mai bhi karta hu... Hamara saath har janam me aise hi bane rehne ka... Bhagwan kare hum hamesha saath rahe, fr chahe yha, ya fr....",and he got up and walked out for his room.
Naina gawked at him, but she was neither confused nor it was unexpected shock in her eyes, perhaps she had already seen it coming towards her... Them. Well before she could say something, he stopped suddenly and said a bit louder this time,"Naina, ye mat samjhna ki mai use pyar nahi karta... Pyar hai, bhut pyar hai, lekin mere liye kabhi tumse upar kuch nhi ho sakta... Koi nahi... Kabhi nahi..."
Sameer left the scene, perhaps couldn't see her breaking tears, or perhaps couldn't show them his break down. Everyone left behind bewildered, shocked, but helpless. Preeti and Swati hugged her tightly, but couldn't say anything to calm her.
Vivek looked at the file in his hand disdainfully, then flipped it on Vishakha and sneered,"lo, dekho... Aur manao khushiyan... Tumhare bete ne wo kiya hai jo aj tak kisi ne nahi kiya hoga... Marne ka waqt karib dikhe toh wasiyat sab bnate hai... Magar is tarah marne ki taiyari koi nhi karta... Ye jo toofan hai naa Vishakha, ab ise tum nahi samet paogi... Ab baitho aur karo khone aur pane ka hisab..."
Though Vishakha dare not, but Anand pulled the file from her hand and hurriedly took a look.
It was a kind of will, that Sameer had transferred all his property in his child's name and made responsible for property and their baby's care taking to all his guardian angels. Then there was a letter that he was ending his life without any pressure.
File trembled badly in his hand and fell down, and Anand too collapsed on the couch. Everyone watched him going, but no one could stop him. Everyone had teary eyes, but no one had a single soothing word. The hall fell in pin drop silence, only sound of heavy breathing of muffled bitter cries of Naina could be heard.
Finally, as if gathered herself with utmost strength, Preeti hold Naina. Though she wanted to calm her too, but she actually had no words for this pain. She just hold her, make her stood carefully and wanted to make her sit on couch for the sake of her comfort.
Naina was crying inconsolably. Though no one had a courage to console her, everyone wanted her to calm down. She sat on couch, one hand on her belly and other grabbed the hand rest. All of a sudden as if a lightening striked, she felt something. A small contraction hit her spine, but that was so sudden and unexpected that she couldn't understand anything but just felt it like a small passing pain.
However the very next moment shook the entire Somani mansion as her shrill scream resonated in air. She hold her bulging bump with both hands and screamed his name leaning on her knees.
Everything changed in a moment. Everyone came on a high alert in a moment. At first they didn't know what happened suddenly and stood numb, but just next moment everyone ran in different direction.
Naina again scream his name. She clenched her jaw tightly, squeezed shut her eyes, her forehead instantly drenched with sweat drops and she again leaned in front. This time Bela hold her straight tightly and said,"nahi beta, jhukte nahi... Taklif hogi..."
Till this time Sameer too came running like air from his room. He held her immediately and said almost fainted himself,"kya hua... Kya hua meri Naina ko..."
"Beta bhagwan...",bela wanted to reply him, but he didn't listen.
Sameer actually had neither time nor patience to wait for reply, let alone for doctor. In the very moment, he lifted her and ran outside. Before anyone could even understand, he sat in car with her and asked driver to run. Seemed like everyone got a wake-up jolt and coming into senses, ran behind him.
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"Naina... Naina nahi jaan... Bas thodi der... Naina bas jaan... Hum bas abhi... Naina..."
On the whole way to hospital, Sameer tried to pacify her, but all she did that screaming his name. She grabbed his shoulders so tight that her fingers seemed to dug in his flesh and she mumbled apologies to him in between her cries.
Sameer was very anxious at the moment or perhaps very scared. He was angry, upset earlier and did all that in party. Although that was not lie, but he didn't want to tell her in this way. He knew very well that he couldn't stimulate her emotions but he did and now.... He suddenly felt like killing himself.
"Naina, nahi jaan... Thodi si himmat rakho...",he tried to soothe her again but all invain.
She was crying, writhing and struggling with pain and Sameer.. his heart ached like stabbes with thousands daggers at one time. Beside this the timing was also his concern. She had just stepped in her 29th week, and this pain. If it's for labour, then it's a premature one, and was that mean his Naina was.....
No....
He couldn't think much but his body trembled badly and back drenched in cold sweat. Somehow managed to hold her as she needed him, but his own courage started to fail somewhere.
Well, although he wanted or not, the moment had come. They reached hospital and as Vivek had called already, doctors were ready to check her.
Naina was carried to the ward on stretcher still writhing in pain. However the pain didn't lessen, but she was exhausted and hee loud screams turned into muffled cries. Sameer was by her side all the time, trying to assure her, but at this moment his own resolutions were leaving his heart slowly.
He wiped sweat on her forehead, mumbling all the good words but nothing was working. She was getting more and more anxious. Somehow doctor completed his check-up, asked nurse to give her some injection and walked out signalling to Sameer.
Though Sameer didn't want to leave her side, but he had to go to listen the diagnosis results.
Doctor sighed a long breath and said slowly,"Mr. Maheshwari, it's premature labour... But..."
"Lekin kya doctor, ye sab itna achanak q...", Sameer asked somehow.
"I can't say the exact reason, but inka bp achanak se shoot hua hai, shayad isi se contractions aa rahe hai... Ab itne jyada bp ke saath labours aur fr unki complications... I am just...", doctor slowly explained his point.
"Doctor, meri Naina... Please meri Naina ko bacha lijiye... Mujhe aur kuch nahi chahiye... Bas meri Naina...", Sameer trembled badly, his eyes poured again and he stuttered joining his hands before doctor.
Doctor hold his joined hands, patted his shoulders and said,"Sameer, we will try our best... Anyways, abhi ot ready karne me 10-15 minutes hai, jao Naina ke paas... Try to calm her, wo itni jyada restless rahegi toh it's will be more difficult for us..."
Sameer looked at him expectant but all his expectations were falling down one by one. Now he had a task to calm her too. He sighed, wiped his eyes, tried to calm himself first. But all invain, his eyes didn't stopped pouring, neither his trembling stabilized, even his legs shook badly and he stumbled ambling towards her room, but soon two or perhaps four hands hold him.
"Sameer...",all his family mumbled together.
"Naina.... Meri Naina.... Meri Naina wo... Naina...",he couldn't say anything more, but broke in cries.
Anand hugged him tightly, munna tried to calm him, and Pandit cried with him. All had their own ways to deal with the situation, but they couldn't calm him, infact they themselves started to break in tears.
"Sameer...", suddenly vivek said loudly and his voice alerted everyone.
He dashed forward, pulled Sameer from Anand's arms and said,"jao Naina ke paas... Yha aise aansu bhane se kuch nahi hoga... Jao aur sambhalo use, is waqt tum aise bikhar nahi sakte..."
Not only Sameer, but everyone understood . They all instantly wiped their eyes and patted his back as a gesture of assurance.
Sameer heaved a deep breath, wiped his eyes and made his face as normal as he could, but he knew they both didn't need to see eachother's face to peep in eachother's heart. However this was the time and he had to pretend as strong.
He stepped in that room slowly. Naina was not sleeping but resting exhausted and withering in pain. Sameer walked hastily near her, hold her hands and sat near her.
As soon as he hold her hands she opened her eyes, looked at him anxiously and mumbled,"Sameer, please...."
"Shhh... Bas ab... Naina... Shant ho jao... Hum... ",He hold her shoulders stopping her to get up and tried to say something.
"Sameer... Ek baar mujhe gale se... Please...",she mumbled interrupting him.
"Naina...",he couldn't say more but lifted her and hugged her.
That was their moment and in this moment he didn't want to even think about anything else. For a moment he forgot her condition, they both forgot that they were in hospital, they forgot everything but just them soaked in their own tears.
"Naina, shant ho jao please...", God knows when his senses pushed him and slowly he whispered to her. Perhaps her togetherness for a moment gave him strength.
"Sameer... Mai...",she started to say something but he stopped her and said,"nahi jyada baate nahi... Jyada mat socho, sab thik ho jayega... Tum thik ho jaogi, okk..."
"Nahi, mujhe baat karni hai... Mujhe please karne do, fr pta nhi shayad...", perhaps she was going to say something, but he clasped her mouth stopping her to say something.
Naina didn't push back his hand but pleaded with eyes. Slowly with a soft sigh his hand slipped and she said again,"Sameer, mujhe jyada kuch nahi kahna, lekin bas itna ki, mere liye is duniya me tumse pehle kuch bhi nahi... Tum... Tumhari narajgi ke saath toh mai is duniya se jaa bhi nahi sakti... Please ek baar kah do ki tumne mujhe maaf kar diya...", Though she wanted to say everything, but this time couldn't say anything much and just asked for his forgiveness.
Sameer stared at her for a long moment but couldn't say anything. God knows what her words gave him, but his heart was seeking an assurance in her.
"Sameer, please mujhe maaf kar do...", slowly she persuaded him again.
And this time before he could say something, nurse and ward boys came to take her. His heart shivered badly and she too restlessly looked at him.
As the nurse came ahead to get her ready, she tightly hold his kurta and said shaking her head vigorously,"nahi... Mai nahi jaungi... Sameer, jab tak tum nahi kahoge, mai nahi jaungi..."
"Naina...",he was about to say something when she said again,"nahi Sameer... Mai aise nahi jaungi... Pehle kaho ki mujhe maaf kiya... Please mujhe maaf kar do..."
"Naina, suno meri baat...",he leaned cupped her cheeks and said looking in her eyes deeply,"maafi chahiye naa tumhe toh aise toh nahi milegi... Jao us room me aur wapas bhi aise hi aana, fr hi maaf karunga tumhe..."
"Aur nahi aayi toh...",she was dazed looking in his eyes and whispered to him.
"Toh... Toh mai tumhare paas aa jaunga, fr tum mujhe maaf kar dena...",he said with same resoluteness.
"Sameer...",she whispered his name again.
"Suno Naina... Sameer Maheshwari ka baby hume tang kare, pareshan kare, sataye ya daraye, itna shaitaan ho sakta hai, lekin wo kabhi meri Naina ko mujhse alag nahi kar sakta...",he said softly trying to calm her too.
"Ab Jao aur jaldi aana... I am waiting...",he anxiously hugged her, then kissed her whole face and even softly nibbled her lips regardless of anyone's presence.
At this moment, even nurse and ward boys eyes were misty. Sameer hugged Naina again as didn't want to leave her, and they actually dare not to ask him. But eventually they had to.
Somehow that nurse came forward and said,"sir, madam ko le jane ka waqt ho gya.. jyada der nhi kar sakte..."
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Naina went in operation theatre, and took his breaths with her too. Everyone was wandering around ot, but standing on a farthest corner, he didn't even have courage to look at the closed doors. At this moment, he felt so numb, that couldn't even understand when doctor came, when and what he explained the procedure, and how he signed on Consent form and when he went and that operation started.
What he all understood, that a nurse came out in hurry and said,"patient ka bp bhut high hai... Shayad khoon chadhana padega... Humne blood bank se khoon mangaya hai, lekin aapme se kisi ko wha jakar badle ka khoon dena padega..."
"Mai jata hu...",Anand said and got up to go.
"Mai bhi chalta hu...", Munna too wanted to follow him.
He nodded and both went in that section.
Sameer was seeing everything but neither understood nor reacted. He was just looking at the doors with wide scared eyes.
Suddenly a nurse came again and said something. He couldn't listen anything. But at that time, Suddenly All looked at him sadly. God knows what he understood, but his eyes widened some more, heart wrenched and he stumbled, took some hasty back steps and ran towards outside.
"Sameer.... Pandit, iske pichhe jaa... Akela mat chhodna use...", Vivek shouted and pandit ran after him.