Sameer was restless. He wanted to see her... or at least hear her voice. Pacing in the room, he kept thinking and rejecting ideas one after the other.

Munna Pandit sat quietly on the bed, watching his movements.

In frustration, he landed a fisted hand on the punching bag hanging in the room.

"Bhai, itni der se kamre mein pair ghis raha hai... bahar nikal gaya hota toh ab tak Mumbai pohonchne wala hota." Pandit remarked with a serious face.

Sameer shot him a murderous look, "Dekh Pandit, abhi mazak ke mood mein nahi hun."

"Tera mood toh dikh raha hai humein... par yeh bata na iska ilaaj kya hai?" Munna tried to pacify him.

"Wohi toh samajh nahi aa raha... kya karun... kaise karun... Naina se baat karni hai, yaar... please, kuch socho." His frustration was turning into desperation.

"Kehte hain na pyaar karne wale toh dil ki baat sun lete hain... tu bhi bhabhi se dil hi dil mein baat kar le", Pandit showed off his intelligence again.

Sameer threw a cushion at him, "Munna, isse samjha de, warna saara gussa aaj issi pe nikal jayega."

"Haan, haan, bhai, main samjhata hun, tu shant reh", Munna again tried to calm him down, gesturing at Pandit to remain quiet.

Some things are not meant to happen.

"Tu na aisa kar, Preeti se baat kar le... bhabhi naa sahi bhabhi ki behen sahi", Pandit suggested.

Munna had to hold Sameer to stop him from hitting Pandit.

"Arre bhai, poori baat toh sun le", he gave an ingenious look to his friend.

Naina had been sitting upright in the bed, clutching her pillow. She had just come back after dinner and the gloom had surrounded her again. She was not able to breathe... Sameer had been away for two days and it felt like two lifetimes.

A knock on the door made her jump.

"Tumhare ghar se phone hai", the ayah informed her.

She ran down.

"Naina, kaisi hai behen?" Preeti's voice brought some relief.

"Theek hun, tu bata... ghar pe sab kaise hain?" She asked about chachaji and chachiji.

"Yahan sab theek hai... lekin tera haal toh bura hoga na jijaji ke bina", Preeti asked in a low voice.

Naina was suddenly alert, "Preeti, tujhe kaise pata? Sameer aaya tha kya wahan? Kya kaha usne? Kis kis se mila? Pagal hai poora... kyon gaya abhi se ghar pe? Taiji dekh leti toh", her heart shuddered, "Preeti, taiji ne dekha toh nahi na?"

Preeti waited patiently for the barrage of questions to end.

"Ho gaya?" She asked when Naina was finally quiet.

"Hmm", a meek voice was all she heard.

"Ab sun... jijaji nahi aaye yahan pe... unka phone aaya tha... tujhse baat karni hai... ab directly toh ladke ka phone aa nahi sakta na hostel mein... isliye maine phone kiya... ab main rakhungi aur ek minute baad jijaji ka phone aayega... tu yahin rehna... warden ko keh de phone kat gaya... jisse jab bell baje toh tu hi uthaye... samajh aa gaya ya fir se bataun?" Preeti explained the whole plan to her sister.

Naina could not speak, she just nodded.

"Bol Naina, samajh aaya ki nahi", Preeti's voice made her realise that she could not see her nod.

"Hn... haan... samajh aa gaya", she blurted.

"Chal bye, yahin rehna... aur hum dono baad mein baat karenge", Preeti smiled and disconnected.

Breathing faster, Naina stepped out of the booth.

"Kat gaya", she pointed a finger at the phone as the warden looked up from the table where she sat writing something in the register, her glasses perched on the nose.

"Do minute ruk jao, shayad fir se aa jaye", she suggested.

Naina stood like a statue, hoping that the warden doesn't see the sweat patches forming on her kurta.

The ring almost made her jump.

She quickly picked up, "Hello... "

"Hello Naina"

His voice made her want to cry. Swallowing the big lump in her throat, she whispered, "Sameer"

He clutched the phone tighter, closing his eyes, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.

Few seconds ticked away... they heard each other's heavy breathing.

"Kuch bolo", she found her voice.

"I Love You", his deep voice made her shiver.

"Hmm... main bhi", stealing a glance at the warden, she said softly.

"Naina, kaash tumse mil paata abhi... tum soch nahi sakti mera kya haal ho raha hai tumhare bina", he sounded desperate.

"Mera bhi", she knew how he felt.

Cursing her fate that the warden had to be seated right in front today, Naina didn't know how to talk with him... she had to say so many things but restricted herself, praying that the lady remembers some work and goes away.

"Umm.. Preeti, college ka din kaisa tha tera? Jo naye professor aaye hain woh kaise lage?" She asked, hoping Sameer would understand.

He did.

"Maine nayi machine achhe se dekh li aur unka operation bhi seekh liya... factory mein sabse baat ki... yahan sab logon ne mera saath dene ka waada kiya hai jab main factory aana shuru karunga... woh log mujhe dekh ke bohot khush hue", he excitedly told her everything.

Naina wanted to hug the phone... she controlled herself, speaking with difficulty, "Achhi baat hai... kal bhi jaayegi college?"

Sameer smiled, "Kal bhi jaana hai, Naina... kuch paper sign karne hain aur payment karni hai Germany wali company ko... par kal raat ki train le raha hun... parson subah tumhara intezaar karunga."

Her heart leapt to her mouth as she screamed, "Sach?"

The warden lifted her eyes over the glasses to look at her. Naina mouthed a sorry.

Luck favoured her and the lady left her seat, walking up the stairs.

Naina waited till she disappeared, then turned her back to the passage and kissed hard into the phone, "I Love You, Sameer... jaldi aao... tumhari yaad mein pagal ho rahi hun."

He stood holding the cordless, open mouthed at her sudden outburst.

"Sameer?" She thought maybe the line was cut.

He came back to his senses, "Naina... yeh... wahan warden... tum kaise... "

She laughed, "Chali gayi... isiliye toh... thank you... phone karne ke liye... yahan tumhare bina kuch achha nahi lag raha, Sameer... din raat bas tumhara chehra hi dikhta hai... kabhi kabhi toh lagta hai tum class mein mere saath hi baithe ho... shayad sach mein pagal hi ho gayi hun."

He felt the same, "Bas ek din aur, Naina... tumhari di hui himmat hai jo main yahan ruk paya hun... kal raat ki train le raha hun... parson subah Mumbai pohoch jaunga."

"Main intezaar kar rahi hun." She said softly.

His voice turned raspy, "Wapas aaunga toh batana kitna miss kiya mujhe... fir main bataunga, maine kitna kiya."

Her breath hitched at his undertone.

The sound of footsteps announced the arrival of warden and Naina had to say goodbye to him, but not before he gave an equally hard kiss, making her go red.

She ran back to the room, a wide smile playing on her lips. Once inside, she looked around... things looked better. Her reflection caught her eye in the mirror... seeing the red cheeks, she bit her lip... the action reminded her of their kiss on the terrace and she picked up a pillow, hiding her face in it. After a moment, she looked at the pillow and started to dance around with it. Two days of sadness was washed away by his voice... and now that he had confirmed his return, she was on cloud nine.

Sameer felt a lot lighter as he walked back to his room after talking to Naina. He had gone to the living room to be able to talk to her in solitude.

Seeing his smile, Munna Pandit started to tease him again. But it did not annoy Sameer anymore. He blushed at their playful teasing.

Next morning, he reached the factory to see nanu's cabin filled with bouquets of fresh flowers.

"Yeh sab kya hai, munshi uncle?" He was surprised.

Munshiji looked around with a smile, "Beta yeh yahan kaam karne wale logon ki taraf se hai... woh aapke saath party karna chahte hain... aaj ka din toh kaam mein nikal jayega... aap aisa karo, ek din aur ruk jao... kal main sabke saath aapke lunch ka intezaam kar dunga."

Sameer's heart sank. One more day...

He could not survive one more day without Naina.

"Nahi, nahi... ek aur din toh nahi ruk paunga... woh kal college mein ek bohot zaroori lecture hai jo miss nahi kar sakta." He lied.

"Koi baat nahi, beta. Aap chale jao... main inn logon ko bata dunga... woh samajh jayenge" Munshiji always accepted everything with a kind smile, never making a fuss about anything.

Maybe that is why nanu trusted him so much that he left his entire business in his hands for such a long period, Sameer thought.

Was it correct on his part to crash everyone's hopes like this... it was just the beginning of their equation... if he did not give importance to their feelings, will they be as open and receptive as he found them yesterday...

His mind was riddled with doubts.

But staying back for them meant staying away from Naina for another day... the thought itself was intolerable... and how would he break this news to her... yesterday Preeti had helped him to call up but it won't be possible today... the hostel rules did not encourage too many phone calls.

He rubbed his temples, thinking about a way to make everyone happy.

"Naina, tum hoti toh kya karti? Main tumse aur door nahi reh sakta... par main inn logon ka dil bhi nahi todna chahta... batao main kya karun." His mind voice reached out to her.

And sure enough, he got a solution... a perfect solution.

He called munshiji.

"Aap sab logon se kahiye main aaj sham ko unke saath chai party karunga... aap kuch achha intezam karwa dijiye khane peene ka... isse unke saath milna bhi ho jayega aur fir main raat ki train le lunga... jisse kal college ja sakun", he explained the program to the elderly man.

Munshiji was elated at his way of solving the issue, "Yeh aapne bohot achha socha... ab saare workers khush ho jayenge... maina abhi taiyaari karwata hun... aur haan, abse aadhe ghante baad conference room mein meeting hai... Germany se manager aaye hain unki company ke... aapse kuch baat karna chahte hain."

Sameer nodded.

The meeting turned out to be a business proposal. The German company was very impressed with the quality of fabric being manufactured and they wanted to be the distributors for this fabric to European countries. The terms had to be worked out that would be mutually beneficial. After a lot of discussion, a deal was made... approved by munshiji as he had been handling everything till now.

After the visitors left, he blessed Sameer with a new fondness and respect in his eyes, "Nai soch ke saath tumne iss kaam me kadam rakha hai... ab ek din nai unchaiyon tak bhi tum hi leke jaoge... aaj main daave ke saath keh sakta hun ki agle paanch saal mein tum iss business ko kai guna badha doge... ab mujhe retire hone ka koi darr nahi hai."

Sameer immediately held his hand, "Kaisi baatein kar rahe hain aap munshi uncle... abhi se retire hone ka toh sochna bhi mat... abhi toh aapko mere saath bohot saalon tak kaam karna hai... aakhir sab kuch aap hi toh sikhayenge."

He bent down to touch his feet. The hand that gently stroked his hair had the same assurance and belief that he felt in nanu's blessings.

The evening tea party turned out to be a successful interaction with the employees... Sameer was happy to see that they were satisfied with the work and the salaries they were getting. He spoke to several of them, asking about their personal lives briefly. He assured them of a growth in the coming years, promising to share the revenues of this growth with them. His announcement earned a loud cheer.

Finally, it was time for him to leave for home.

Munna Pandit were already there. Sameer quickly packed his suitcase and they left for the station.

He was excited to be able to catch a train much earlier than he had planned.

Though he would reach very late in the night, he was happy to be closer to Naina even if he would be seeing her in the morning.