Extremely sorry to the readers who have been waiting since ten days! I was occupied with my studies as well as the writer's block. I am thankful to all the readers who wait for my update. You are my real motivation ❤️

Happy Reading!

The boy in the photo was standing there. She looked at him and then at his face in her hands...and she hid the photo behind her. Her brain fuzzed, did Sameer listen to her while she was talking to Shefali?

She once again looked at him...and he waved, smilingly. She closed her eyes. Seeing him smile always made her heart flutter. She need to calm down.

Sameer stood beside the bed. The telephone was kept in front of him. She had her back towards him while she was talking on the phone.

Sameer was looking at her with a confused expression on his face. What was she doing? First she was shocked, then she quickly hid something behind her, and now she had her eyes closed. Her all expressions at a time, made him suppress his chuckle. He didn't know Naina Agarwal could be this talented.

"Sameer...tu..tum...yaha?" Naina managed to voice out.

"Haan wo..." he was about to reason when the question slipped out of his mouth, "Naina tumne pichhe kya chhupaya?"

"Mai...Maine...picchhe?? Ku..kuch bhi toh nahi..." She tried to bring a smile to her face while stuttering.

He shrugged as did not want to evade her personal space.

Sameer pointed behind her, "Wo mujhe phone karna tha toh..."

Being alone in a room with a boy was a very big thing for her. The fact that the boy was Sameer, made her relax.

"Tum yaha kitni der se ho?" Naina asked, gauging his expressions, if he had heard something which was not right.

"Abhi aaya just..." with this he moved towards her. Her eyes widened but relaxed the moment he walked past her towards the telephone.

Naina, recalled in her mind, her last few minute conversation with Shefali, and breathed in relief. There was no mention of Sameer.

She looked back. He was standing there, hairs flowing, one hand dialling the number while the other helding the handset. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

The loud hanging up of the handset brought her out of Sameer Zone.

She mumbled to herself, "Pagal hai kya Naina? Agar Sameer ne tujhe ghurte dekh liya toh pata nahi kya sochega..."

"Huh!?" Sameer looked up from the telephone.

Naina was alert, "Kya?"

"Tumne kuch kaha mujhse?" Asked Sameer.

Naina looked at him, horrified, "Nahi..kuch nahi.."

She needs to get out of here, else she'll be in great trouble. Before she could turn, she saw him sigh.

"Kuch problem hai?" Naina asked.

Sameer looked at her and then at the telephone, "Haan woh lag nahi raha phone...I guess busy hai..."

"Achha!" She didn't know what to say further. Not wanting to eavesdrop on his conversation, she decided to go, "Khushi kaha hai?"

"Mere kamre mein..."

"Oh...koi baat nahi main usse baad mein mil lungi..." She was not sure if going into his room was a good idea.

"Tum usse waha jakar bhi mil sakti ho..." Sameer smiled politely.

She nodded at Sameer casually while her mind was doing a victory dance.

Sameer looked at her and suddenly, felt guilty of accusing her without any reason, in spite of the fact that she was the reason that he was standing here safe and sound.

He glanced up from the telephone, deciding to thank her, "Naina..."

And she was lost again, in his voice too.

"Naina?" He called again.

Not giving him any chance to speak, she excused herself, "Main chalti hu..."

"Par..."

"Tum na 5 minute baad call karna...main bhi Ahmedabad phone karti hu na toh thoda time lagta hai..." It seemed like she could not hear his voice.

"Okay...but..." He tried again...

"Bye!" She was not there the next moment.

He looked at the door, weirdly, "Ye ladki hai ya Rajdhani express...rukne ka naam hi nahi hai..."

Khushi was setting his cupboard, when she heard a knock. She turned around to find Naina, knocking on the door that was ajar.

"Aa na..." Khushi smiled widely.

"Tu kya kar rahi hai?" Naina asked, finding the room a whole mess.

"Bhai ka cupboard set kar rahi hu...unse khud se na ho paye..." She chuckled.

"Tu Sameer ka cupboard set kar rahi hai? Jiska khud ka cupboard kabhi set nahi rehta?" Naina laughed.

Khushi pouted, "Aisa toh mat bol.."

Naina shrugged, "Jo sach hai main wo hi bolti hu..."

"Yaar Naina...mazak baadme udana...abhi meri help kar dena..." Khushi pleaded.

"Main? Help karu?" She looked around the whole room...everything was messed...but the thing was...everything was of Sameer.

"Haan...maine josh josh mein bhai ko bol diya...but thoda mushkil lag raha hai..." Khushi stood up and Naina giggled.

"Par Khushi...Sameer ko acha nahi lagega shayad..." She was not a friend of him, like Khushi.

"Arre bhai kyu kuch bolenge? Unko kaam karke mil raha na...ab wo tu kare ya main...ek hi baat hai...aur waise bhi tu meri help hi toh kar rahi hai.."

"Theek hai!" Naina relented.

She was shocked to see the entire clothes. If put one another above, the lump could touch the ceiling of the floor. She was not sure if the almirah would be sufficient. She suggested that clothes should be partitioned in different categories and kept like that. So that he never has to search for his clothes.

Khushi knew him very well as she knew about which clothes he wear regularly and which in special occasions. Naina was glad to know so much about his styling and fashion.

"Sameer! Bhai! Ye toh gazab ho gaya..." Munna exclaimed. "Jis Naina devi ke jaane se hum khush hue the, tu toh uske paas hi pahunch gaya..."

"Haan...mujhe dhyan hi nahi tha ki wo yaha hogi..." Sameer stated.

Pandit chipped in, "Mujhe dhyaan tha...but tum meri suno tab na..."

Sameer declared, "Chhodo na guys mujhe kya karna hai..."

Then he told them about how he met Khushi and Aditya. Munna and Pandit knew about both of them, as whenever Sameer talked about Nainital, Khushi and Aditya were part of most of his conversations. But they were shocked to know that Naina was Khushi's best friend.

"Yaar Sameer...ye behenji toh tere piche hi pad gayi hai...yaha toh pichhe thi hi...ab waha bhi?" Munna scoffed.

Sameer decided to disclose the fact about how she saved her yesterday from a very big accident that could have happened. And how, beside thanking her, he was accusing her in front of Khushi.

"Ab in sab ke baad usse bura bhala bolna mujhe theek nahi lag raha..." Sameer confessed, for the first time.

"Tu aisi ajeeb ajeeb batein kyu kar raha hai yaar? Kabhi hume mana karta tha yaha ki usko kuch mat bolo...kabhi waha usne teri madad ki toh uske bajay usse itna kuch bolna laga...aur ab phirse bol raha hai ki usse kuch mat bolo.." Munna voiced out his thoughts after hearing every version of Naina from his mouth.

"Haan na...matlab ye sahi hai...tu bole toh theek...hum bole toh tujhe galat lag raha..." Pandit stated, the matter of factly.

"Maine kaha na...Khush uski side le rahi thi isliye gusse gusse mein maine Naina ko bol diya waisa...jab Khush ne samjhaya mujhe tab mujhe ehsaas hua ki ye galat hai..." Sameer was still pondering over Munna's words.

"Haan bhai! Galat toh tha tu...Nanaji ko pata chala na toh achi class lagegi teri..."

"Main tum logo ko pehle hi bol raha hu...Nanu ko kal ke hadse ke baare mein kuch pata nahi chalna chahiye...wo faltu pareshan ho jayenge..." Sameer declared. He did not want Nanaji to stress over something which didn't happen.

"Theek hai bhai! Jaisa tu bol!" Both of them compiled without any argument.

"Haan Sameer...aur ek baat...jo Naina ke saath tera panga tha...wo school mein tha...ab usko khatam kar...aur yaha achhe se bartav kar uske saath..." Munna and Sameer, both were shocked at how sensible Pandit was sounding.

"Maine bola na...ki mujhe ahsaas ho gaya hai...kal Naina ko achhe se thank you bol dunga...bad usse jyada kuch nahi hone wala mujhse..."

"Usse jyada kya Shaadi karne bolenge kya hum tujhe?" Munna and Sameer, were relieved in a way that their Pandit was back, with his nonsense talk.

Sameer rolled his eyes, "Abe chamanchuze...mera matlab tha...ye dosti wagera nahi hogi mujhse..."

"Tu tension mat le...tujhe dosti karne bolenge toh hum hi phasenge..." Pandit was the one answering.

"Kyu!?" Sameer and Munna were confused.

"Padhaku Naina ka diya hua Padhaku Sameer wapas nahi chahiye hume..." With this both Pandit and Munna laughed.

"Ho gaya tum dono ka? Bol toh aise raho saari padhai maine uske bolne par ki thi..." Sameer protested.

"Haan toh aur kiske kehne par ki thi?"

"Maine Nanu ke liye ki thi...usne mujhe Nanu ka vasta na diya hota toh kya padhai...kya admission..." He sighed looking out of the window.

It was the truth behind his hard work. The words of motivation were from Naina, indeed. But the real motivator was his Nanu, his Nanu's happiness, which he got to see! Him losing headboy competition never mattered for Nanu. He was happy that his grandson tried his best. The proud look in his eyes was the prize of his hard work. He wants nothing more!

"Aur haan...Nanu ko bata dena main theek tarah se pahuch gaya hu...shaam ko unse baat karne ke liye phone karunga..."

After hanging up the phone, he was still looking out of the window, engrossed in some thoughts. How is destiny playing with him? He never studied his entire life the way he studied in these past months to win a headboy competition, for the woman, who didn't even care to call him. Anyways, he was happy with what he had. A sister like Khushi, a mother like Nanu, two support systems like Munna and Pandit. He should be happy. He is happy.

Or is he just lying to himself?

A short update! I know! Will compensate in next chapter!

Next chapter - Saturday