There was darkness everywhere. And no sound. Naina tried to move ahead, taking support of the wall, searching for some light. She treaded very slowly, with halted breath, sweat dripping from her face. As she moved a tentative foot ahead, she tripped and fell... but there was no surface. She kept going down... it was water. She had fallen in water... her throat constricted... breathing became difficult... the darkness around got even thicker...

Naina got up with a gasp. She looked around. It was still dark, but not dark like her nightmare. It was her hostel room. She switched on the lamp. Looking at herself, she realised she was covered in sweat, still breathing hard. Getting up, she instantly opened the door and stepped into the balcony. The cool breeze felt good... outside was not as intimidating. She could see the faint hint of light at the horizon. It will be day soon. A new day.

Her thoughts shifted to the previous evening... the shock that had resulted in her nightmare.

She trembled again... and it was not due to the cold breeze. The ground under her feet had slipped away at the sight of Sameer Maheshwari. She had stared without blinking... till the time the bikes had roared away amidst loud cheers. And then too, it took some time for her to move her legs... taking leaden steps to her hostel building. She had no appetite left for dinner. After lunch, she had skipped dinner too... and her evening cup of tea as well. Where was the place for food when her inner turmoil clouded every ounce of sanity she had been trying to maintain. Questions stormed her mind... what was he doing here, was he in this college? That couldn't be as she had not seen him in the past week.

Was he visiting somebody... but his friends were Munna and Pandit who were in Ahmedabad... if he had taken admission here, why was he not in her class... why was he tormenting her with his presence?

Naina slapped her forehead, feeling her resolve wavering again... just one glance and her efforts of past few months slipped away from her being.

"Why Sameer why? Why you have to be here... back in my life?"

She sat down heavily on the floor... her legs not able to support her weight anymore. Once the tears started, she couldn't stop the flow for a long time, crying bitterly.

"Back in my life?" She thought with a grimace, "Sameer was never in my life in the first place."

Another part of her screamed, "But he was in my heart, in my mind, in my every cell."

Fresh tears rolled down her eyes.

It took an enormous amount of effort for Naina to get dressed and walk towards the college. The thought of breakfast not crossing her mind even once. She reached her classroom and without looking at anyone, quietly occupied her seat. For the first time since she had joined, Naina did not pay any attention to what was being taught. When Sonali and Komal tried to talk to her, she mumbled something about a severe headache and kept away from all the chatter.

Next period being free, Naina got up to go to the library. She had just taken a few steps in the corridor when she felt the darkness enveloping her again... and before she could do anything, she had fainted.

As Naina opened her eyes, she tried to recognise the surroundings but everything was unfamiliar. She tried to move and immediately felt a hand on her arm, trying to stop her.

"Chupchaap leti reh... abhi uth nahi paayegi", Sonali's voice surprised her.

"Main yahan kaise aayi? " Naina enquired.

"Arre, ye thodi poochna tha... tujhe poochna chahiye 'Main kahan hun'." Sonali's dramatic reply brought a smile to Naina's lips.

Sonali looked at her with a sombre expression, "Naina, tune kabse kuch nahi khaya hai?"

Naina lowered her eyes in guilt.

Sonali's voice was full of concern, "Shayad kal se... tu behosh ho gayi thi. Kuch students ki help se tujhe yahan medical room me laayi hun. Doctor ne kaha tune bohot time se shayad kuch khaya nahi isliye chakkar aa gaye. Naina, sab theek hai na?"

Naina couldn't stop the tears seeing Sonali's care and concern.

"Please Naina, kuch problem hai to bata na... hum sab help karenge. Komal aur Nisha bhi yahan the par doctor ne kaha sirf koi ek hi tere paas rahega isliye wo chale gaye. Koi bhi baat ho tu hame bata sakti hai." Sonali spoke softly, holding Naina's hand between her palms.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai." Naina tried to smile.

"Bas kal ghar ki yaad aa rahi thi to khane ka man nahi kiya." She lied.

Sonali gave her a long look, "Theek hai, nahi batana hai to mat bata par khane pe gussa mat kar. Chal ab ye Glucose banaya hai tere liye, isse pikar canteen chal aur kuch khaa le".

Naina quietly drank the glass of Glucose water. As she tried to get up from the bed, her head spinned again. Sonali held her, making her sit back on the bed.

"Tu baith, main tere liye sandwich leke aati hun... hilna nahi yahan se." Sonali left her with strict instructions, coming back shortly with a packet.

Naina ate the sandwiches and had one more glass of Glucose water before she felt some strength to move. She asked Sonali to help her go to the library as she was not in a state to attend lectures. Once there, she urged her concerned friend to carry on with her classes, trying to convince her by saying that she will borrow notes from her. Sonali reluctantly left her, reminding Naina that she'll be back after the class and will go home only after dropping her at hostel.

"Ek aur Swati mil gayi", Naina smiled fondly.

As Sonali left, the knot in her stomach returned, remembering the events of previous evening. Now she was not sure though, maybe she had only imagined and not actually seen him. Since Sameer was always on her mind, maybe she had hallucinated.

"Yes, that must have been the case." She convinced herself.

She got up to go and stand near the window to clear her mind when the giddiness struck again. This time she felt someone hold her shoulders to support her. Settling back on the chair, she looked behind, expecting Sonali again.

"Abhi to behosh hui thi aur ab phir se sair karne chal di." A new voice surprised her.

The boy gave her a warm smile, "Hi, main Rahul. Tumhaari hi class me hun par hamare lectures doosre wing me hote hain kyonki hum cricket practice ke liye jaate hain... ab tum sochogi ki mujhe kaise pata ki tum behosh hui thi."

He continued without giving her a chance to speak, "Hum log apni class se nikle hi the ki tumhe samne landing karte hue dekha. Koshish ki hosh me laane ki par tum to saare gadhe ghore bech ke ekdum flat thi."

Naina couldn't help smiling at his description. But his next sentence drained the colour from her face.

"Jab dekha ki ab to tum lambi gayi to doctor ki yaad aayi aur jaldi se Sameer tumhe utha ke medical room me le gaya".

"K.. Ka.. Kaun le gaya?" Naina tried to be coherent.

"Sameer... Sameer Maheshwari. Woh bhi hamare saath class attend karta hai aur cricket practice mein jaata hai... Yaar, hum sab same course mein hain."

Sonali found Naina sitting like a stone... looking straight ahead. She tried to shake her, realizing that her body was ice cold. "Naina, Naina", her repeated chants brought Naina out of her trance. She looked at Sonali with blank eyes.

"Naina kya hua? Phir tabiyat kharab lag rahi hai kya? Hospital chalna hai tujhe?" Sonali said with a worried expression. Naina held her hand tightly and made her sit on the next chair.

"Sonali, mere behosh hone se aankhen kholne tak kya kya hua sab bata mujhe." She said in a desperate voice.

"Kya hua matlab? Tu behosh hui, hamne try kiya tujhe hosh me laane ka lekin tu hili bhi nahin, phir kuch boys ki help se tujhe medical room le gaye, doctor ne check karke bataya ki khana na khane ki wajah se tujhe bohot weakness hai. Thodi der baad tujhe hosh aa gaya." Sonali narrated the entire sequence.

"Mujhe upar kaise laye? Class to ground floor pe thi aur medical room first floor pe hai." She was frantic.

"Woh ek ladka hai na cricket wale section ka... Sameer... usne ekdum se tujhe utha liye aur bina ruke upar le aaya." Sonali clarified.

Naina was tongue tied.

The nightmare was real.

Sameer Maheshwari was here.