Couldn't apologise enough, to my readers who eagerly wait for the updates, for being this late. I announced in my profile two days back that the update will be in a day or two along with the reason for "no updates for a month" but those who don't follow me couldn't get to know. I just couldn't write...a writer's block maybe, for a month, which, I assure you, will never happen again for this long time.

Sorry once again to my fellow readers. You are the motivation for me. Thank you so much!

Happy Reading!

Sameer was busy in packing his stuff, muttering, "Ye dono bhi na kaam ke nahi hai...aise toh din bhar yahi pade rehte the...but aaj mujhe help ki jarurat hai toh dono ke dono gayab hai..."

With this he packed the suitcase and kept it aside. When he opened another one, at the same moment Munna and Pandit entered his room. He glared at both of them.

"Arre wah, itni jaldi kaise aaye tum log? Aaye hi kyu ho? Kal station mein hi milne aa jate mujhse..." He was furious.

"Sameer, wo hum toh..." Pandit tried to clarify but Sameer cut him, "Tu toh chup hi kar....tune hi pakka idea diya hoga rastein mein, ki pehle samose kha lete hai...pet puja kar lete hai...Sameer ka kya hai...usse toh milte hi rehte hai na..."

"Samose kaha se aaye beechme Sameer?" Munna laughed.

"Mujhe na sab pata hai...tum logo ko Samose mujhse jyada pyaare hai...unke saath hi raha karo na din bhar...waise ye bolne ki jarurat nahi thi...tum samoso ke sath mujhse jyada hi rehte ho..." he was complaining like a kid, without any logic to his words.

"Tujhe pata bhi hai tu kya bole ja raha hai?" Munna asked after hearing him.

Pandit was stifling his laugh but when he couldn't, he laughed aloud. After some seconds Munna also joined him and they both were laughing taking Sameer in a hug.

"Matlab tujhe bura laga toh tu gussa karega...tujhe gussa aaya toh bhi tu gussa karega...bahut na insafi hai..."
Munna pointed out how he is always angry when he is upset.

"Mujhe kuch bura nahi laga...samjhe tum dono?" He was clearly the opposite of what he said.

"Haan haan pata hai hume..." Pandit said and they both were again laughing. 

When Munna Pandit turned to Sameer, he was sitting quietly on bed, folding clothes and putting them inside suitcase.

"Kya hua bhai? Sachme gussa hai kya tu?" Pandit walked to him, with concern.

"Nahi kuch nahi...bas kaam bahut saara hai na...isliye frustrate hokar tum logo par chilla diya..." he smiled fakely at both of them.

Munna understood everything, "Hame pata hai tune kyu chillaya...bewakoof mat samjh hame...chal theek hai ek baar ponga ko samjh liya toh...but main nahi hu.."

The seriousness was gone when Munna and Pandit started to fight and the trio ended up laughing hard.

Sameer looked at both of them, "Tum dono ki badi yaad aayegi yaar..."

"Yaad toh hume bhi teri bohot aayegi...par bas kuch dino ki hi toh baat hai..." Munna was consoling Sameer or himself, he didn't know.

"Kuch dino ke liye hi sahi, main toh akela ho jaunga na...tum dono ho ek dusre ke paas...mere paas kaun hoga?" Sameer, as much as he tried, was not able to ignore the fact that Munna and Pandit will not be by his side.

"Tujhe waha bhi koi na koi mil jayega...ya jayegi.." Pandit and Munna started laughing and teasing Sameer.

"Oyee...shut up...koi nahi milne wali mujhe waha...koi chahiye bhi nahi...huh!" Sameer scrunched his face.

"Bhai...tujhe nahi chahiye but ladkiyo toh tu chahiye na...yaha par bhi jab dekho ladkiya mandrati hi rehti hai tere aas paas..." Munna talked about how girls behave with him at PVKM.

Sameer ran his hand through his hair, and said, "Ab mere jaise itne handsome ladke ke pichhe toh ladkiya mandrayengi hi..."

Munna and Pandit replied in unison, "Woh toh hai" and winked at each other, successful at changing Sameer's mood.

"Chalo yaar ab packing kar lete hai...bohot saara saman baki hai pack karne ke liye." Sameer announced and three of them started packing his bags for a 6 month stay at his hostel, that is what he thinks.

**

Naina and Khushi were eating their lunch during lunch break, when Aditya came and sat in front of them.

Aditya opened his lunch box and the aroma made Khushi groan in ecstasy.

The content she saw, watered her mouth, "Ah, Aloo puri...".

"Ye lo, tumhare liye hi hai..." Aditya happily passed the lunch box towards her.

Khushi realises her mistake. She smiled embarrassedly, "Nahi...nahi it's okay. Tum khao."

"Mummy ne 6 pooriya daali hai madam, tumhare liye bhi hai aur Naina ke liye bhi.." He looked at Naina. "Maine mummy ko bataya ki tum dono hostel main rehti ho toh mummy ne pack kar diya tum dono ke liye bhi..."

"Thank you Adi. Sach main yaha ka khana kha kha kar bohot bore ho chuke hai hum..." Naina sighed.

When she saw Khushi eating from her lunchbox, without any attention to their talks, she nudged her, "Thank you to bol...pehle hi bhid gayi khane par, bhukkad"

Khushi saw her with puppy eyes and thanked Adi while chewing, "Thank you Adi, you really made my day"

Her cute face, while eating, and her polite and excited words including his name, in her cute voice, was a treat for Aditya. She didn't know, but Khushi was the one who made his day.

He was just looking at Khushi, without blinking, watching her eat enthusiastically. And he was happy to be the reason for her happiness. Naina watched him. Her lips curled up.

He was still watching her dreamily, when Khushi went to another table, where all her team girls were seated, to discuss with them something about the next match and practices that need to be done before the matches. 

Naina sat beside Aditya and asked mischievously, "Bahut cute hai na?"

Aditya nodded, in a trance.

Naina chuckled and continued the game, "Aur sundar bhi?"

"Haan" He nodded again without any realisation. Naina kept a hand to her mouth to stop the laughter.

"Bohot pyaar bhi aa raha hai na?"

"Bohot!" He agreed, still in a trance.

That's when Naina couldn't control and spit out a laughter which broke his trance and everything made sense to him. He looked at Naina in horror while Naina smiled in victory. That's when the bell rang and they had to go to the classroom for next period.

After the school ended, Khushi immediately went for practice. Naina was walking towards her block crossing a large ground which was half crowded, due to their class departure.

Aditya called her from behind, she turned to find him panting hard.

She crossed her arms and asked with a smirk, "Kya kaam hai?"

He scratched his head, "Naina wohh..." and then suddenly he made puppy eyes and joined his hands in front of her, "Please Khushi ko mat batana jo bhi maine bola...woh mujhe maar daalegi!"

Naina laughed out so loud seeing this version of him that she was gaining the attention of all the passersby.

"Adi...yaar...tum..bade funny ho!" She tried to speak in between her laugh.

Seeing her laugh so much, Adi smiled.

After a while they were seated on a bench in the playground, Naina at one corner and Aditya at another.

"Usse lagta hai ki main sirf uske saath mazak karta hu..." he smiled faintly.

"Mujhe pata hai" Naina replied.

"But main usse sach main bohot pyaar karta hu..."

"Mujhe ye bhi pata hai..." Naina shrugged as it was so easy to decipher this from his behaviour that he loved Khushi so much.

Aditya was surprised, "Tumhe pehle se pata tha? Kaise? Maine toh aaj tak kisi ko nahi bataya..."

"Pyar batane ki cheez nahi hai...nahi karne ki cheez hai...pyaar toh khud hi pata chal jaata hai...aur bas ho jata hai..." She said looking at some point at the far end of the playground. She looked at Aditya, "Tumhari aankhon main dikhta hai tum usse pyaar karte ho, sirf uss jhalli ko hi aaj tak samjh nahi aaya.."

"Naina please meri help kardo. Bas itna pata lagakar do ki woh mere baare main kya sochti hai. I assure you main usse force nahi karunga...jaise tumne abhi kaha pyaar kiya nahi jata bas ho jata hai...agar woh kuch bhi feel nahi karti hogi..main usse tang karna bhi chod dunga...promise." Naina could see genuine love in his eyes. True love can never force the loved one.

Naina decided not to tell him about the conversation she had with Khushi at the lake. It will tense him unnecessarily. More than that she was sure that Khushi did have some feelings for him that she herself didn't know. Hence she didn't want to break his hopes when there are still chances for them to be true.

Not getting a reply from her, he requested again, "Please Naina...agar tum iss aashiq ka saath dogi toh main bhi ek din tumhari love story main madad karunga...I promise this to you."

Naina smiled at his words. Only if there were a chance...

"Bahut pyar karte ho na usse?"

"Maine kabhi socha bhi nahi tha...utna pyaar karta hu main usse..." his eyes glistened with love. Naina has no doubt of his love, she never had. She just prayed - at least his one sided love story would get complete.

**

"Sameer! Kitna time aur? Train chhut jayegi beta!" Nanaji's voice resonated in Maheshwari Mansion.

"Nanu! I am coming! Just one minute.." came his reply from upstairs.

He descended the stairs, with ramdhari behind him, carrying his bag and suitcase.

When he came and touched his feet, Nanu had his eyes widened, "Beta...teri tabiyat toh theek hai na? Pair chhu raha hai mere?"

"Haan Nanu" His voice was emotional. He hugged Nanu, for a longer time.

"Bas bas...mujhe rula mat ab...ja jaldi.." He patted his head.

"Haan...aapko bohot jaldi hai na mere jane ki...kaha achha lagta hu main aapko..." He grumbled.

Nanu laughed, "Aisa kuch nahi hai...drama band kar apna...aur Sameer mujhe pata ki tu chahta hai teri train chhut jaye...aur tera ye mission main successful nahi hone dunga..." He glanced at Ramdhari, "Iska saman car main rakhwa do...aur tum bhi saath chale jao munshiji ko lekar.."

"Nanu...Munna Pandit?" He noticed their absence, "Wo dono nahi aaye mujhse milne?"

Nanu explained, "Wo tera wait kr rahe hai station par...bol rahe the ki 'Nanaji aap tension mat lo...agar Sameer time par nahi pahuncha toh train ki chain kheench lenge...par train chhutne nahi denge' isliye maine kaha theek hai tum station par hi raho."

Sameer laughed slightly, waving his head at their talks. He hugged Nanu for the very last time, and looked at his watch. Only twenty minutes are left for the train to come.

He rushed to the Railway station, only to find Munna and Pandit their.

"Bhai, vishwas nahi ho raha tu ja raha hai...kitna kam time bitaya tere saath..." Munna's eyes misted.

"Haan Sameer...bohot yaad aayegi teri jab bhi hum cold drink piyenge...ya school main honge...ya bike par ghumne jayenge..." Pandit said while hugging Sameer, along with Munna.

"Mujhe bhi tum dono ki bahut yaad aayegi..." But he smiled, "Aur tum dono tension mat lo, bas 11th ki baat hai...phir toh main aa hi jaunga 6 mahine main..."

Munna and Pandit waved at him and followed him as much as they could, as he stood at the door of the train waving back at them. He stood there for a long time after Munna and Pandit disappeared. A new journey, a new destination. Travelling like he used to do some months back when he came to Ahmedabad, only to settle here, in peace. But, destiny is against him, and his idea of settling, in peace, he guess.

He smiled sadly and went inside the train.

Readerss, if you want Samaina's love story and bored by the one going on, remember that,
"Many love stories contribute to making a single love story successful!"

Next update - this week only.