Naina spends the entire day thinking about her life, her past and her school. At night 7:30 the train reaches Delhi station. A satisfaction was visible on Naina's face which was due to traveling alone from Ahmedabad to Delhi. There was no fear on her face that was seen in Ahmedabad station.

Naina gets off the train and as she put her steps on the platform, the winds here give her a feeling of belongingness, as if someone lives here and is waiting for her. She gets lost in these feeling but the noise of the station there breaks her attention and she come back to her senses then comes out of the station. Where Preeti was waiting for her with her husband Pandit. Preeti runs over to Naina and hugs her and both of them have tears in their eyes. After some time the two separate.

Pandit - to sali ji kaisi rahi journey, after all pahli bar aap akele safar kar rahi thi.

Naina - jijaji ekadam mast full excitement wali thi.

Preeti - tu inki baat chhod...ye bata tujhe dar to nahi laga...kahi kuch gadbad to nahi hui...pata hai tujhe, papa ne jab phone pe bataya ki tu train me baith gai hai, tab se tere yaha pahunche tak kitni pareshan thi...tu akele kaise aayengi...kahi tujhe kuch ho gaya to..ye soch ke meri jaan nikali ja rahi thi... and Preeti touch Naina's face and arm, then believe she is standing in front of her.

Pandit - Ha Naina ye pura din pareshan thi..mai samjha-samjha ke tha gaya kuch nahi hoga par nahi mani...ab tum hi ise samjhao...meri to sunti nahi.

Naina - Preeti dekh mai tere samne hu bilkul sahi salamat...mujhe kuch nahi hua...ab to pareshan mat ho...tere hote huye mujhe kuch ho sakta hai kya...ab to has de...dekh tujhe aise dekh ke jija ji bhi kitne udas hai...pagal... (said with small smile and hiding her saddness)

preeti - ha..ha...mai to pagal hu jo tere bare me itna sochati hu...huuu...and she turn her face other side.

Naina - achchha baba sorry... holding her ear with cute face.

pandit - chalo ab ghar der nahi ho rahi. Mere pet me to chuhe kud rahe hai...aaj tumhari bahan ne tension ke mare mujhe khana hi nahi khilaya...

preeti - liars...abhi to aane se kuch der pahle jo itna sara khaya...wo kya tha.

pandit - wo to...ab sab ladai yahi kar logi kya... are yaar kuch ghar ke liye bhi bacha ke rakho... ab chale...

Preeti - ha ha chalo...Aur aap ko to...Ghar chaliye phir dekhati hu.

Pandit - ha jitna chahe dekh lena par usse liye pahle ghar to jana hoga.

Peeti - Pandittt... aap na.

Pandit - sorry.. tum dono yahi ruko mai car leke aata hu.

Pandit goes to the parking  and brings the car. Pandit is driving the car and Preeti sits on the front seat next to him. Naina sits on the back seat. They leave for home.

*******

Pandit is a very caring, sensible and funny person. He is 3 years older than Preeti and loves her very much. He accompanies her in every decision, and does whatever she wants to do. Preeti also loves Pandit a lot. Their marriage has been two years. Pandit works as an assistant manager in a multinational company in Delhi. Pandit lives in Delhi with Preeti and his parents live in her hometown Jamnagar.

On the way home, everyone was sitting silently inside the car which made the atmosphere heavy. All were lost in their thoughts. Pandit does not tolerate silence for a long time and after some time he broke the silence.

Pandit - Are itne shant kyu baithe ho. Station pe to bada pyaar umad raha tha aur ab..lagta hai pyar hai hi nahi.

Tabhi dono ek sath bolati hain...

Both - jijaji.. pandit.. aap kya jano hamare pyaar ke bare me. Aap jante hi kitna hai hamare bare me.

Pandit - are mai to mazak kar raha tha, tum dono ka moun vart todne ke liye, jab se car me baithi ho tab se chup ho. Mai to situation ko light kar raha hu aur is bahane tum dono kuch boli to sahi...rahi baat tumhare pyaar ki to maine tum dono ka pyaar aur bonding dekha hai.

Naina and Preeti see each other smiling, then both look at Pandit and burst out laugh.

Preeti - jaan hai hum ek dusre ki...kyu naina.

Naina - ha woh to hai...vaise jijaji aap Preeti ke nakharo ko kaise jhelate hai.

Pandit - vaise hi jaise aap ne ise bees saal tak jhela....said this looking at Preeti with naughty smile.

Preeti looked his with her angry face and then turn back and saw naina.

Preeti - huuu...tu bhi ab shuru ho gai.. mai yaha tere liye din bhar se pareshan hu. Lekin tum dono ko to mai pagal hi lag rahi hu..hai na. Sahi kahte hai....aaj kal na logon ko kisi ki kadra hi nahi.

Naina - sorry.. mai to tera mood thik kar rahi thi, par preeti tu na such me pagal hai..kon itni si baat ke liye tension leta hai...ha.

Preeti - mai...aur mai aisi hi hu samjhi. Naina tu meri jaan hai aur agar tujhe kuch ho jata to mai bhi..

But naina cut her between and said.

Naina - mujhe kaise kuch ho sakta hai, jab mujhe itna pyaar karne wali meri bahan aur family hai...Ha bata..

But Preeti does not say anything and sits silently.Pandit feels that the situation can be tense again, so the topic changes to lighten the mood.

pandit - Naina...aur...o bai...kaisi hai.

Then Preeti looked at the pandit while glaring and he said stuttering voice.

Pandit - m..ma..mai to bas aise hi puch raha tha.

On the other hand Naina listening O bai from Pandit's mouth, Taiji's face starts swinging in front of her and the incident of yesterday evening and Taiji's words start roaming in her mind, and she does not reply.

Preeti turn back on not getting a reply and sees her sad and tansed face, then Naina realizes that Preeti is looking at her and she starts smiling and replied. But Preeti feels something is going on inside her which she is hiding with a smile and also hiding from me.

Naina - Ahmedabad me sabhi badiya hai. Aap dono ko bahut yaad karte hai. Iss bar chhuttiyon me jijaji Ahmedabad aaiye na. Sabhi khush ho jayenge.

After listening to Naina, pandit thought something and he said.

Pandit - Preeti tum kya kahati ho iss bar chale Ahmedabad.

Preeti - mai to kab se jane ke liye ready hu, par aap ko chhutti hi kaha milti hai.

Pandit - pakka iss bar mai koshish karuga ki chhutti mil jaye...ab to khush.

Preeti - bahut jyada...thank you Naina tune Pandit ko mana liya...hayeee mera Ahmedabad...mai aa rahi hu...pure ek saal baad.    

Preeti spreads her arms and starts dreaming of her hometown of Ahmedabad, her home and her parents. Pandit and Naina are happy to see that now Preeti is very happy and the tension was vanished from her face.

Naina - tu na puri nautanki hai..

Preeti - koi shak..

Pandit - nahi...

Then they three laughing and after some time they reach home.

*********

After reaching home, Preeti takes Naina to the guest room so that she can freshen up. After a while Naina was fresh and came out of her room, then the three had dinner while talking.

After dinner, Preeti cleans all the dishes and dining area. In this work, Naina starts help her, but Preeti refuses and asks her to rest. Suddenly Naina remembers that she did not call Chacha ji, so she calls him and informs her of reaching safe.

After the call, Naina goes to her room and sits on the bed resting her head on the headboard. She closed her eyes and thinks about the whole day.

Naina's POV

Aaj jab maine Delhi station par kadam rakha to yaha ki hawaon me mujhe ek apnepan ka ahsaas hua, aise laga jaise mai kisi apne ke bahut pass hu. ye ahsaas preeti se milne ki nahi thi, yah ek alag hi ahsaas tha. Yeh Shahar mujhe paraya nahi laga jabki mai to yanha pahli bar aai hu. Aaj jab subah Delhi aane ke liye train me baithi thi to man me koi khushi nahi thi. Lekin ab Iss anjaane shahar se ek alag hi judaaw mahsoos ho raha hai. Pata nahi ye sab kya ho raha hai.

POV end.

When Naina is lost in her thoughts, then there is a knock at the door.  She opens her eyes and looks towards the door where Preeti was standing and looking at her.

Naina - aa na preeti...aur tu knock kyo kar rahi hai.

Preeti - mujhe laga kahi mai tujhe disturb na kar du.

Naina - kaisi baatein kar rahi hai hamare beech me kab se aisi formality aa gayi.

Preeti - sorry.... tu aaj bahut udas lag rahi thi to mujhse raha nahi gaya aur mai tujhse baat karne aa gayi.

Naina - aisa kuch nahi hai..

Preeti - achchha.. aisa kuch nahi hai to car me jab Pandit ne taiji ke bare me puchha to tu sad kyu hui.

Naina - ma..mai kaha...shayad safar ke karan thaki thi isliye...tujhe aisa laga hoga.

Preeti - achchha tujhe mai pagal lagti hu, tere aankho me mai sab pad leti hu samjhi.. ab jaldi se bata kya baat hai.

Naina Preeti ki baatein sun emotional ho jati hai aur uske gale lag kar rone lagti hai. Naina ko aise rote dekh ke Preeti ke bhi aankho me aansu aa jate hai, par vah apne aap ko control kar uski back ko rub karte huye Naina ko shant karne ki koshish karti hai.

Preeti - chup ho ja please agar tu aisi hi roti rahi to phir mai bhi rone lagungi....

Par Naina ke aansu nahi rukte hai aur Preeti ke aankho se bhi aansu bahne lagte hai. Kuch samay baad Naina shant hoti hai.

Preeti - tujhe nahi batana to koi bat nahi, par please ro mat tujhe aise dekh kar meri jaan nikal jati hai.

After some time Naina composes herself and Preeti sees her condition.

Preeti - Naina tu thik to hai na, maine aaj bhi tere aankho me vahi udasi dekhi hai. please Naina un sab se bhar nikal aur ek nayi zindagi suru kar.

Naina - mujhse nahi hota preeti maine bahut koshish ki, par us din  jo hua uske bad to taiji na jane mujhse kis janam ka badla le rahi hai. Ye do saal maine bahut mushkil se kate hai aur tu bhi to nahi hai mera sath dene ke liye...tujhe pata hai koi din bhi aisa nahi jata jab taiji do char baatein na sunaye ...mai thak gayi hu preeti unke taane sunte sunte, ab aur sahan nahi hota....kal vo ek aur rishta leke aai hai.

Preeti - kya... and she become shocked.

Naina - ha par chachaji ne kaha hai vah sab thik kar denge, bhir bhi mujhe bahut dar lag raha hai.

Preeti - Papa hai na dekhna wo sab thik kar denge. Chal bahut der ho gayi hai..so ja. Tu thak gayi hogi..aur tu in sab ke bare me jyada mat soch....good night meri jaan... and kissed her forehead.

Naina - good night meri hanuman.

After Preeti leaves Naina starts thinking about tomorrow.

Naina (herself) - pata nahi sab kuch kyo uljha uljha lag raha hai, ek taraf dil kah raha hai ye rishta na ho, par mind kah raha hai ki Taiji ke tane sunne se achchha ye rishta ho jaye. Lekin aaj Delhi aane ke baad, jo maine feel kiya usne to aur uljha diya hai. Yeh kaisi feeling thi jo mera pichha hi nahi chhod rahi. Aisa kon hai jiske pass hone ki feeling ho rahi hai. Please bhagwan ji mujhe rasta dikhaiye, mai in sab me bahut uljh gayi hu.

I hope kal ka din ek naya savera aur ek nayi ummeed leke aaye jo mujhe in sab uljhano se bahar nikale.

***********

Hello friends. Sorry for late updates.

So here is the next chapter. Hope all of you enjoy the story.

        🌷🌷 HAPPY NAVRATRI 🌷🌷