Hola...First of all, I am sorry for taking such a long break. My new semester classes had made the schedule pretty hectic.
Anyways, the update is here. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your patience.
Also, there might be some errors since I couldn't edit it thoroughly. Hope you understand.
Happy reading ;)
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Sameer emerged out from the bathroom after freshening up and glanced at the wall clock. His eyes rounded when he realized he was extremely late for the office. He walked towards his closet and opened the cupboard to take out his clothes for the day. Just then, his stomach growled in need to be fed. He decided to have his breakfast first and get ready for the office later on though he wanted to take an off for the day. Yesterday's arduous events had left his brain too tiresome to deal with a huge pile of files and paperwork in the office.
Downstairs, Naina was in the kitchen. Although she was physically present, her mental state had been completely thrown out of balance, still reeling from the effect of what happened a few minutes ago. Every nerve of her body was tingling. The way his broad and stiff muscles had felt against her soft and petite frame sent chills down her whole system. It had felt so content that she didn't know how to describe it.
"Bhabhi, aap yeh kya kar rahi hain?" Ramdhari's voice broke her trance. She looked up and found him watching her with a confused expression on his face.
"Aap isey fridge mein rakh rahi hain?" He gestured down towards her hand.
She gazed down and came back to her senses when she realized what she was going to do. She was holding the white porcelain serving bowl which contained the freshly cooked sabzi for their breakfast. It was supposed to be kept on the table but here she was standing in a daze in front of the fridge with its door open. 'Kya kar rahi hai Naina...pagal ho gayi hai kya...' She chided herself inwardly for her stupidity.
"Nahi...woh...main bas dekh rahi thi ki butter hai ki nahi...Sameer lete hain na kabhi kabhi paranthe ke saath..." She stuttered as she tried to conceal her folly. Ramdhari nodded believing in her words and went back to his task of making Paranthas.
Keeping it on the table, she took a deep breath to calm her thudding heart. The sound of footsteps coming from the staircase announced his arrival. He looked much better now but still, his face held weariness. She could empathize with him, knowing how it feels when you find yourself alone in this tangled game of life. His friends too weren't there with him, his self-confidence was faltering, people were cooking stories outside how the only grandson of Jaiprakash Maheshwari was lagging, but no one was seeing the pain he must be going through. No matter what, her heart would always be full of pride for this man. She would always be by his side.
Sameer came taking quick steps going in the direction of the kitchen, checking his phone for any important calls or messages.
"Itne missed calls aaye huye hain Aarav ke...office ke liye bhi itna late ho gaye...Naina tumne mujhe jagaya kyun nahi...?" He put forward his concern.
She placed a plate in front of him and said, "Aaj subah aap bohot gehri neend mein the...mujhe laga hi tha ki kal ke baad aap...matlab...aap subah jaldi nahi uth paate. Toh isiliye maine bhi aapko nahi jagaya..." She fumbled to use the right words.
He rubbed his neck after comprehending what she meant. Oh god...he had been a fool to drink. His senses had definitely been lost somewhere. Anything could have happened, the worse that he could have misbehaved with her. If it wasn't for her patience, even he didn't know what would have gone on. How could he let himself fall so weak that he had to go for alcohol to find solace?
"Umm...Naina...kal tumne jo bhi dekha...main humesha limit mein rakhta hun...kal pehli baar...mujhe kuch samajh hi nahi aya...tum galat mat samajhna..." He tried to rationalize his actions.
She remained silent and just put off the lid of the bowl and using a spatula, poured the sabzi in a small bowl for him, "Life mein bohot saari problems hoti hai Sameer...par sabka solution tab tak nahi mil sakta, jab tak aap unhe face na karo. Yeh smoking aur drinking, yeh sirf pareshaniyo ko aur bada dete hain. Aap please yeh sab mat kijiye...inn sabme apni problems ka solution mat dhundiye. Yeh sab thik nahi hai, aapki health ko bohot affect karega yeh sab, yeh aap bhi jaante hain." There was an urge in her eyes.
She sighed, "Kal jo bhi hua...uske liye aapko pareshan hone ki zarurat nahi hai...hum sab apne andar bohot si baatein dabaake baithe hain...unhe share karne se zaruri toh nahi hai ki woh solve ho jaayengi, par aapko halka mehsoos hoga...aur aap humesha mujhse kuch bhi share kar sakte hain. Ab aap kal ke baare mein bhul jaaiye. Bas yeh sochiye ki aage kya karna hai. Kaise sabko yeh prove karna hai ki company ko aapse better koi nahi sambhal sakta..."
He exhaled heavily and nodded. His lips curved up at her sincerity, feeling fortunate to have her beside him who won't judge him, unlike his evil mother.
He glanced at her who was taking her seat. A thought passed his mind, "Tumne breakfast nahi kiya?" He voiced out. She shook her head in denial silently and served herself.
"Tumne itna late kyun kiya?" He asked taking a bite. Her hand halted, "Main office ka kuch kaam kar rahi thi." She answered avoiding his curious gaze. He didn't look much convinced but resumed eating anyway. Once satisfied that he had bought her excuse, she too continued eating. How could she tell him that she had deliberately missed breakfast? She had woken up at her usual time. Much to her astonishment, she hadn't felt any discomfort and had slept peacefully on his couch. Coming downstairs, she had found Ramdhari who asked her about whether he should serve for her or not. Being habitual of having breakfast with Sameer, her heart refused to eat and she agreed on waiting for him.
Sameer glanced at her. The flashes of her comforting him, hugging him had gotten more clear now. This time too, she had proved she was different from others. If for any other girl in her place, she might have left him in that miserable state. It's been four months living with her and almost a month to their friendship. The fact that she has understood his state of mind so well in such a short span fascinated him. He really owed her a lot.
Later, while sitting in the living room, he called Aarav. Naina had returned to her room to get herself ready. Two-three rings later, he picked up.
"Good morning, sir. How are you now? Tabiyat thik hai na aapki ab?" He asked sounding worried.
Sameer's brows furrowed, "Tabiyat?"
"Haan sir. Subah main aapko call kar raha tha puchne ke liye ki aap aaye nahi, but you didn't pick up. Fir maine Naina ma'am ko call kiya, tab unhone bataya ki aapki tabiyat thik nahi hai and aap rest kar rahe hain...Are you okay now?" Sameer looked up at Naina who had just descended the stairs.
"Haan, I am feeling better now." A hint of a smile emerging on his face seeing her nervous face.
They both talked about the day's schedule which had to be altered. Some important papers were needed to be signed, but Aarav told him that he would send them at home only. After a minute or two, the call ended. He had finally gotten a day off but seemed like she hadn't as he noticed her dressed up in a saree with her handbag and a file in her hand.
"Tum kahan jaa rahi ho?" He asked putting aside his phone.
"Mujhe office mein kaam hai toh socha second half mein chali jaaun..." She answered.
He realized that she should have been gone in the morning itself and now it was close to noon. Her working pattern was different from his. There was no boundation on him but she was expected to conform to each and every responsibility she was given.
"Umm...okay, dhyan se jaana...aur pahunchke text kar dena..." He said.
She nodded, "Aap lunch kar lijiyega..." He saw her exiting after saying that.
Blowing a whiff of air, he stretched his arms up. Her hardworking disposition was like a stimulant for him. Being home didn't mean he can't work and after yesterday, he was more than determined to work harder. Walking in Nanu's room, he opened the cupboard containing some dusty files. Rummaging through them, he took out two brown ones and left the room not before taking Nanu's blessings.
Entering the study, he took his seat and opened them. They were the old portfolios from when Nanu was overseeing their business. He intended to learn everything in detail about their business from the previous years. For the next few hours, he kept himself immersed in his task and came out only when Ramdhari called him out for lunch.
It dawned upon him that he hadn't seen her taking lunch with herself and cursed himself for not asking. Calling out Ramdhari, he had asked him to pack something for her. In reply, he had informed him that she had already taken sliced fruits with her. He felt reassured but pouted, 'Sirf fruits se kya hoga, dhyan hi nahi rakhti kuch.'
For Naina, the day passed quite normal except for one thing, her mind wasn't able to let go of that moment when they hugged. It was stuck on it. Last night when she had hugged him to lend him comfort, she hadn't experienced these sensations that time, or if she had, it was all blur. All she saw at that moment was the need to erase the thoughts polluting his sanity.
The fact that his very own mother had ridiculed him of his abilities, that too at the time when he needed support, had displeased her. She didn't know about the reason behind so much bitterness between them, but now, she wanted to know everything. She had seen him equalling days and nights, working hard just to show his Nanu that he was worthy of handling it on his own. The regard for him was more than anything and after last night, she was tenacious to be by his side, no matter what.
* * * * *
In the evening, Sameer called up his best friends after a long time.
"Ohhoooo...dekho koun dikh gaya aaj yeh...kaafi jalfi fursat mili tujhe phone karne ki..." Munna said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"Bhai...bade log hain yeh..." Pandit remarked. Sameer rolled his eyes. Knowing his best friends-cum-brothers too well, he had foreseen such a melodramatic reaction from them.
"Aisa kuchh nahi hai yaar. Main call karne wala tha tumko." His voice didn't come out cheerful like always. The emptiness in his eyes told something was wrong.
"Sameer, tu thik hai na?" Munna voiced out his query followed by Pandit, "Haan yaar, tu aur din ki tarah khush nahi dikh raha, kya baat hai?"
He couldn't hold anymore and let out everything in front of them. They felt anger bubbling inside them as they came to know about the cheap trick his mother had tried to play this time.
"Aisa ghatiya idea aaya bhi kaise unke dimag mein! Pehle toh maa ke farz ki yaad nahi aai, par apne matlab ke liye sabse pehle aage aa jaao! Kounsi maa karti hai aisa?!" Munna fumed in anger.
"Yaar...mujhe nahi pata...jab unka phone aya tha main tab hi samajh gaya tha ki unhone kisi matlab se hi phone kiya hoga." Sameer said in an upset tone. Seeing his state, the resentment melted down.
"Sameer...tu aise udaas mat ho yaar...woh bhi aise logon ke liye...tu kahe toh hum aa jaate hain tere paas..." Pandit suggested.
Sameer shook his head, "Arey nahi nahi. Main bilkul thik hun. Aur tum log apne kaam ka dhyan rakho. Yeh mat sochna ki main akela hun, Naina hai mere saath..." Seeing their questioning faces, he told them how Naina had been so considerate to handle his miserable state, how she had made him understand that it wasn't his fault, and how she had motivated him to do better.
To say, Munna-Pandit were stunned wouldn't be an understatement.
"Pata hai yaar...mujhe toh kuch hosh hi nahi tha ki main kya bole jaa raha hun, kya kar raha hun...but usne itni achi tarah mujhe sambhala. Maine jab jab usse kuch bhi share kiya ho, usne samjha hai mere emotions ko, humesha mujhe encourage karne ki koshish karti hai. I am surprised ki woh kaise itni maturity se sab kuch handle kar leti hai...Khud ko lucky feel karta hun main, uske jaisi itni achi dost ko paakar..." The hint of smile appearing on his face couldn't stay hidden from both of them. Ever since he had gotten married, this was the first time they were hearing something actually positive from his side. Although the "dost" part seemed a bit out of line given that they were husband-wife, they both were glad that their best friend had begun to understand the significance of her presence in his life.
"Maine toh pehle hi kaha tha ki bhabhi achhi hain." Pandit remarked raising his imaginary collars.
"Yaar...main Naina se thik se kabhi nahi mila, na main uske baare mein thik se jaanta hun, par main itna zaroor jaanta hun ki jo log humare sabse bure waqt mein aapka saath dete hain na, unki humari zindagi mein ek alag aihmiyat hoti hai...Aur agar Naina samajhti hai teri pareshaniyo ko, toh shayad Nanu sahi the..." Munna said with a satisfying smile emerging on his face.
"Mujhe bhi lagta hai...shayad Nanu ko pata tha ki jab bhi aisa kuch hoga toh woh mujhe sambhalegi..." Sameer said with a calm face.
Pandit smiled observing the progression his Bhai-Bhabhi had made since the last time he had visited. That time he had been a bit uncertain about her, but today there was a sort of gleam in his eyes when he was talking about her. He had known Sameer since many years and knew how weak he was when it came to comprehend other's or his own emotions. He just prayed for everything to go right with him and her.
As the portliness of the air subsided, they were back to their usual jesting and joshing. Sameer felt light-headed after talking to them. His heart felt at ease being aware of the people who've got his back, and Naina was one of them.
* * * * *
For the whole week ahead, they both had their hands full. Naina had finally applied for an internship in a renowned publication company, "Ryan Publications", famous for publishing various popular book editions, magazines, journals, etc. She felt complacent taking a step forward towards her passion. Moreover, Sameer was their by her side to help her. It was him who had shortlisted the names of some publishing companies that were carrying out trainings or internships she could apply for. When she had informed Sameer, he had gladly wished her luck. Other than this, there hadn't been any discussion on it as he was engrossed in his own endeavours.
In the past four days, several meetings with different departments had been conducted to take note of everything. Many modifications were made to the older policies while a few new strategies were also introduced. Everyone was seeing a new avatar of Sameer Jaiprakash Maheshwari and were praising it.
Today, the results for the selected writers were to be announced by the publishing company. Throughout the whole day, anxiety had kept her feeling uneasy. She just wanted to go home and check out the results but other side of her mind was stimulating pessimistic thoughts of not getting chosen.
Back at home, they were both done with the dinner when Sameer asked, "Naina, sab thik hai na? Tum pareshan lag rahi ho aaj...office mein kuch hua kya?" He had noticed something off about her, like she was tensed about something but had saved it for later. While having dinner too, he had discerned the lost look on her face.
She kept the dusting cloth at its respective place and contemplated for a second before saying with a little hesitance, "Aaj Ryan Publications se mail aane wala tha internship ke liye...abhi tak toh nahi aya..." Her shoulders were slightly slumped.
"Tumne firse check kiya?" He asked gently.
She shook her head.
"Tension mat lo, abhi bhi time bach raha hai...tumhare articles padne mein woh itne busy ho gaye honge ki mail ke baare mein unhe yaad hi nhi raha..." He tried to lighten the air. "Don't worry. Sab thik hi hoga..." He passed an encouraging smile to which she could only give a faint nod as response. A small smile curled his lips seeing her state which was no less than a student whose boards result was about to be announced.
They both went back to their respective rooms. Naina was completing her office work through the laptop when a mail notification popped up at the bottom right of the screen. She could only read 'Ryan Publications' before it disappeared. Her movements ceased. At first, she thought it was an illusion but as soon as she logged in to her G-mail, her eyes widened, there was indeed a mail from Ryan Publications. Her heartbeat hastened with anticipation as she clicked to open it.
Her hand shot to her mouth, her eyes gaping at the screen as she finished reading the contents. Her articles had been accepted which only meant she had been selected for this internship, "I am selected..." It came out more like a whisper. Still in disbelief she read it again, the words were still the same.
In a jiffy, a smile bloomed on her face. She hadn't felt this much pleased even when she had received her acceptance letter from Maheshwari Industries. She tried to contain the excitement bursting inside her but failed. The contentment was too much. She wanted to share it which is why a few seconds later, she found herself standing in front of his room. Knocking slightly, she waited.
The minute the door opened, she was met with a sight which might be normal for any other person but not for her. Sameer stood there looking fresh and it wasn't hard for her to realize that he had just taken a shower. The musky scent hitting her nostrils awoke sensations that she had never felt. As if it wasn't enough, he ran a hand through his slick hair, which looked slightly wet. An itchiness surged in her fingers provoking her to touch them.
"Haan, bolo Naina..." His voice brought her out of daze.
Getting reminded of the purpose she had come for, she blinked and looked at him. A smile crept on her lips before she said, "Mera Ryan Publications ke internship program mein selection ho gaya."
"Really?!"
She nodded making him smile, "That's great news Naina. Congratulations!" He took her in a brief friendly hug making blood rush up to her ears.
"Thank you!" She said looking at him in a gentle voice tucking a few loose strands behind her ears. There was a glimmer in her eyes which didn't go unseen by him.
"Sirf thank you se kaam nahi chalega. Meri treat kahan hain?" He asked raising an eyebrow. She made a confused expression, "Treat? Umm...okay...aap bataiye kya lenge aap?" The innocence in her tone made him chuckle, "Tumne itni achi news sunayi hai, uske liye ek chhota sa celebration toh banta hai. Right? So ek kaam karte hain, bahar chalte hain...thodi outing ho jaayegi...kuch khaa bhi lenge..." He proposed and stood leaning at the door frame.
She looked down in diffidence, "Abhi se? Abhi toh sirf selection hua hai..." He rolled his eyes knowing very well about this bashful side of hers. His mind began to drill as he pondered over how she was trying to constrain the happiness she was feeling by not expressing it to the full extent. He had observed this before too but hadn't said anything. However, he felt now was the time to do something for her own good. "Offo Naina...tum bohot sochti ho...don't forget, koi bhi achievement chhoti nahi hoti."
"But itni raat ko? Hum toh dinner bhi kar chuke hain..." She said with uncertainty clearly written in her eyes.
"Toh? Raat ko bahar jaane se kisne mana kara hai...tum nahi gayi kya kabhi?" He shrugged in nonchalance. She shook her head in denial.
He chided himself inwardly for asking that. Of course she won't have gone out in the night when she used to live alone. Nevertheless, he wanted to her to experience it, so he replied, "Toh chalo fir aaj...Mumbai mein rehte huye bahar jaake raat ke maze nahi liye toh kya hi kiya...aaj dikhate hain tumko ki tumne kya miss kiya hai..."
"Par-"
"Shhh..." He cut her off, gesturing her to be quite by keeping a finger on his lips. "Naina...life mein khush rehne ka simple sa rule hota hai...bina matlab mein itna mat socho. Aur main hu na tumhare saath. Ab no more questions. Jaldi se saman le aao jo bhi lena ho...main wait kar raha hun..." He stated in a firm voice making her speechless. Not having enough strength to say anything against it, she conformed to him though she was surprised to see him reacting this way.
He watched her retreating back to her room, his gaze dropping down to her slender waist as she walked. It was when she went inside closing the door behind her did he get his reverie broken. Rubbing his neck, he looked here and there, and went downstairs.
Almost ten minutes later, she found him in the hallway busy in his phone. Hearing the sound of her footsteps, he lifted his gaze. She had changed from her night clothes into a pink Chikankari cotton kurta with white salwar and dupatta. He always appreciated her choice of clothes for every occasion. They were always decent and simple yet she managed to pull them off gracefully.
They both stepped outside, Sameer went towards the car to take it out while Naina locked the main door. Settling inside, they both set out to an eventful night.
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It's not over yet ;)
Would be waiting for your reviews and I would appreciate it if they'd be more elaborate...hehe...
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