"Sh... show... tum pagal ho." Naina turned beetroot as the meaning of Sameer's words descended on her.

Pushing him away, she flipped the fabric over herself, and ran... without looking back once.

Sameer stood holding the yellow saree... smirking... his eyes shining with determination.

When he came down after a few minutes, she was in the kitchen.

"Ramdhari, aaj kya koi mehmaan aane wale hain?" He leaned against the platform opposite of where Naina was chopping something.

"Nahi bhaiya, aisa kyon laga aapko?" Ramdhari stopped his work, confused at the question.

"Aaj kaam hi khatam nahi ho raha kitchen ka... tu kabse laga hai... ab toh khana bhi ho gaya... fir bhi tu kaam kare hi jaa raha hai." Sameer gave a slanting look to Naina who did not turn.

Ramdhari was touched by this concern, "Aapne itna socha wohi hamare liye bohot hai, Sameer bhaiya... hum toh bas Naina bhabhi ki madad kar rahe hain... woh cake bana rahi hain na."

Sameer stuffed his hands in pockets, looking at things kept on the platform as he moved nonchalantly towards Naina, "Cake toh oven mein ban raha hai... isme tujhe kya karna hai? Thoda aaram kar lena chahiye na."

Naina smiled, as she chopped the cherries... his words were addressed to Ramdhari but were meant for her.

"Nahi, nahi bhaiya, aaram hi kar rahe the itne saalon se... humein toh achha lag raha hai ki iss rasoi mein alag alag tarah ke khaane ki mehek phailne lagi hai." Ramdhari gave a wide smile.

"Haan par saara din aise hi phailegi toh main bhi jaldi hi phail jaunga." He said with some annoyance, getting impatient as Naina neither answered nor looked at him.

"Ramdhari bhaiya, inse kahiye thodi exercise kiya karein." Naina spoke up finally.

He inched closer to her, "Ramdhari, keh de teri bhabhi ko, exercise toh bohot karta hun... abhi bhi kar leta agar... "

Naina closed her eyes, pressing lips hard to stop her gasp from making any sound.

Ramdhari, unaware of what was happening, quickly chipped in, "Nahi bhaiya, abhi thodi der pehle hi khana khaya hai... khana khate hi exercise nahi karni chahiye."

Sameer heard a faint chuckle from her.

"Achha, toh kab karni chahiye?" He asked, irked at not getting her attention, even though he was standing next to her now.

"Sabse achha samay toh subah hota hai, uthte hi... waise aap chahe toh shaam ko bhi kar sakte hain." Ramdhari showed off his knowledge.

"Oh, subah uthte hi? Woh toh pakka karunga lekin shaam ko bhi? Shaam toh hone wali hai... kya bolta hai... aaj shaam ko try karke dekhun?" Sameer leaned to pick a glass, grazing his arm against her hand.

Naina was almost frozen by now... she wanted to tell Sameer to stop... but his remark on the terrace had made her extremely shy... and she was unable to look at him.

He poured water from the jug, gulping it down, eyes fixed on the hair that were hiding her face on the side.

"Shaam ko hum bhi chalenge aap ke saath, exercise karne." Ramdhari said excitedly.

The water sputtered out of Sameer's mouth, making him cough as some of it found its way to his wind pipe.

Naina quickly turned to him, rubbing his back, her brow creased.

"Bhaiya, jaldi se cheeni dijiye." She asked Ramdhari who immediately brought sugar canister.

Naina took half a spoon, making Sameer eat it, continuously stroking his back.

"Sameer bhaiya, aap aaram kijiye, exercise rehne hi dijiye." Ramdhari said in a concerned voice as he turned his back to them to put away the can of sugar.

Sameer quickly pecked her cheek, making her eyes go wide.

"Tu theek keh raha hai, Ramdhari, shaam ki exercise rehne deta hun... baad mein kar lunga." He said in a pained voice, then looked at her, "Naina, mujhe kamre tak le chalogi, thodi thakaan lag rahi hai."

She smiled sweetly at him. He was about to wrap his arm around her waist when she dropped the bombshell.

"Aap inhe kamre mein chod aaiye, Ramdhari bhaiya, main kaise sambhal paungi... inko thakaan ho rahi hai na." Her tongue in cheek was not missed by him.

Sameer glared at her as Ramdhari looped an arm around his shoulder, "Chaliye bhaiya, hum le chalte hain."

Naina chuckled as they both left the kitchen. She could almost hear his grumbling.

She brought the cake out from the oven and left it for cooling. The icing was ready in the fridge. She had learnt how to make it once in Mumbai, when she had gone to aunty's restaurant to prepare a surprise cake for Sameer's birthday. Ramdhari came a few minutes later.

"Pata nahi Sameer bhaiya bina baat ke itna gussa kyon ho gaye aaj." He muttered as he went about doing his work of wiping the washed dishes.

"Fir se gussa kiya aapko?" Naina asked.

He looked up in alarm, "Arre nahi, bhabhi, Sameer bhaiya ke gusse ki aadat hai humein... bas isliye thode chaunk gaye the kyonki ab unka gussa naa ke barabar reh gaya hai, aaj pata nahi kaise bhadak gaye."

"Unki taraf se main maafi maangti hun, Ramdhari bhaiya." Naina always felt bad when Sameer was rude to the simple village boy.

"Yeh kya keh rahi hain aap, bhabhi... bhala Sameer bhaiya ke gusse ka bura manenge hum? Hum dono saath bade hue hain iss ghar mein... pehle woh sirf saal mein ek baar aate the, chuttiyon mein... shuru mein unn do mahino mein woh bohot kam baat karte the, bas nanaji se hi bolte the... fir dheere dheere unhone mujhe kaam batane shuru kiye... kabhi kabhi gussa bhi karte the... nanaji samjhate toh maan jaate the... lekin unhe dekh ke hamesha lagta tha woh kisi soch mein doobe rehte hain... fir har saal unka gussa badhne laga... nanaji ne bhi kuch kehna band kar diya... maine kai baar unhe rote hue bhi dekha, kabhi apne kamre mein, kabhi chat pe... aisa aksar tab hota tha jab maalkin ka phone aata tha." Ramdhari told her about Sameer's initial visits.

Naina figured he was talking about Vishakha. She had seen how harsh and insensitive she was to her son earlier. Her heart went out to a younger Sameer, who cried alone.

"Nanu hi Sameer ko sambhalte honge na jab aisa hota tha." She was sure nanu gave him the emotional support.

Ramdhari shook his head sadly, "Sameer bhaiya unke saamne rote hi nahi the... jab nanaji ghar pe nahi hote the bas tab hi woh apna dil halka kar lete the... aur unhone mujhe kaha tha agar maine kabhi nanaji ko bataya toh woh meri haddiyan tod denge."

She wanted to run to Sameer right away, take him in her arms and wipe away the pain that he must have endured at that time.

Unaware of her state, Ramdhari continued, "Jab hostel chod ke woh yahan aa gaye, tabse humne nahi dekha rote hue... par unka gussa bohot badh gaya tha... aksar cheezen tod dete the... ek baar plate itni zor se phenki ki hamare pair pe lag gayi aur khoon aa gaya... Sameer bhaiya ko toh pata bhi nahi chala... woh foran uth ke chale gaye the... nanaji ne ghaav saaf karke patti ki... humne mana bhi kiya ki hum khud kar lenge... par woh maane hi nahi, kehne lage agar Sameer ko lagti toh uski bhi patti karte na... hamare toh aansu hi aa gaye, bhabhi... chot ki wajah se nahi... unke pyar ki wajah se."

Nanu's pure love made her eyes moist too.

"Uss din nanaji ne humein bataya Sameer bhaiya itna gussa kyon hote hain... yeh unke andar ka dard aur itne saalon ki ghutan hai, takleef hai, iss baat ke bebasi hai ki maalkin ke hote hue unhe maa ka pyar nahi mil sakta... nanaji ne samjhaya humein, ki jitna gussa bahar aayega utna hi achha hoga Sameer bhaiya ke liye... nahi toh yeh gussa zehar ban jayega, aur yeh zehar Sameer bhaiya ke liye theek nahi hoga... jitna zeher gussa banke nikal jaaye utna unka dil halka hoga... aur jab dil se zeher niklega tabhi usme kisi ka pyar samaa payega... isliye woh khud bhi kuch nahi kehte the... lekin doosre saal mein unka gussa apne aap hi kam hone laga tha... pata nahi kya hua par humne unhe kai baar akele mein muskurate dekha tha... jahan pehle woh sirf apni uss mukke maarne wali bori pe mukke maarte the, ab woh guitar bajane lage the... gaate bhi the... humein bohot achha lagta tha...  gusse wale Sameer bhaiya bohot kam dikhte the... warna khush rehne lage the... humse zyadatar gusse mein hi bolte the par woh shayad aadat ki wajah se, warna humein apne bhai jaisa maante hain... isiliye unki daant mein bhi apnapan lagta hai."

Naina recalled him telling her that he had started to feel the love in school... in twelfth standard, he had completely fallen in love with her... that must have been the reason for his changed behaviour.

"Nanaji bhi bohot khush the... kabhi kabhi dono baatein karte toh nanaji unhe chedte the ki zaroor koi ladki aa gayi hai unki zindagi mein," Ramdhari suddenly realised what he had said and quickly looked at her in panic, "Lekin aisa tha nahi... aap yeh mat sochna unhe koi aur ladki pasand thi pehle... unhone kaha tha nanaji se ki aisa kuch nahi hai... woh bas yahan rehne se khush hain... Munna bhaiya aur Pandit bhaiya ki dosti se khush hain."

Naina blushed, "Woh pata hai mujhe."

He continued, "Bhabhi, nanu sach mein chahte the Sameer bhaiya ki shaadi aapse ho... unhone kaha tha humse... ki Sameer bhaiya ke liye koi aisi ladki honi chahiye jiske dil mein na sirf pyar ho balki jo uske dard ko samajh ke uske dil ko bhi pyar se bhar de... saari kadwahat, saara zeher khatam kaar de... aur jab aapse mile toh kaha ki aap waisi ladki hain jisko woh kabse dhoond rahe the."

She widened her eyes in surprise, "Nanu ko milte hi aisa kyon laga?"

Ramdhari gave her an appreciative look before telling more, "Nanaji ke paas jo bhi aata tha, iss baat se bohot prabhaavit hota tha ki unke paas kitna paisa hai... kitni daulat hai... Sameer bhaiya ke baare mein pata chalte hi kitne hi logon ne koshish ki apni beti ke liye baat karne ki, jabki tab toh woh school mein padhte the... nanaji ko lagta tha jaise hi Sameer bhaiya college jayenge, aise aur log bhi unhe gher lenge... aur agar tab tak nanaji ko kuch ho gaya toh Sameer bhaiya kahin kisi galat ladki ke chakkar mein na phans jaayein... lekin jab aap yahan aayi toh aapne ek baar bhi nazar uthakar iss ghar ko ya iski kisi cheez ki taraf nahi dekha... na koi hairani dikhayi itne bade ghar ko dekhkar... doosre din jab aap aayi thi toh bhi aisi koi dilchaspi nahi thi aap me... sirf nanaji ki sehat ki fiqr thi... aapki saadgi se woh bohot khush hue the... aapki baatein unhe achhi lagi thi... school ke Principal se aapke baare mein poocha unhone phone karke... jab pata chala ki aapke papa bhi... "

He stopped abruptly, looking at her with a scared expression.

"Dariye nahi Ramdhari bhaiya, yeh sach hai ki pehle mere papa bhi Sameer ki maa ke jaise hi the... lekin ab woh dono hi badal gaye hain... jaise mummy ne Sameer ko apnaya hi aise hi mere papa bhi ab pehle jaise sakht nahi rahe." She assured him.

He gave a broad smile, "Jaante hain. Dekha tha shaadi mein... aur bohot khushi hui humein toh... warna jab Principal sir ne bataya ki aapki maa nahi hain aur aapke papa kis tarah ka vyavahar rakhte hain toh humein hi nahi nanaji ko bhi bohot dukh hua tha... unhone kaha tha shayad bhagwan ne inn dono bachhon ko itna dard isliye diya hai jisse iss janam ke saare dukh ek doosre ko milne se pehle hi jhel lein... jisse agar yeh saath hon toh inki poori zindagi khushiyon se bhari ho... aur dekhiye, sab kuch waisa hi ho raha hai... aapke aane se har pareshani Sameer bhaiya ki zindagi se nikal gayi hai... unka gussa lagbhag khatam ho gaya... unke andar ke zeher ko aapne pyar mein badal diya."

Naina took a deep breath... she had suffered a lot of pain in her life but it was nowhere comparable to what Sameer had gone through. She could understand why his fears were so deep rooted. Now that they were together, she would make sure his each day is filled with happiness that was so scarce in his life, each moment is filled with love that he had craved so much, there is no hint of the dark shadows that marred his childhood.

Ramdhari spoke again, in a pained voice, "Agar nanaji yeh sab dekh paate toh itne khush hote ki hum aapko bata bhi nahi sakte... par kismat ke khel ke aage koi kuch nahi kar sakta."

"Nanu jahan bhi honge, ab bhi Sameer ko dekh ke khush ho rahe honge... mujhe poora vishwas hai, woh wahan, upar se humein aashirvad de rahe hain." She consoled him, pointing a finger upwards.

Ramdhari smiled happily, nodding, and went back to his work.

"Mujhe yakeen hai tumhare andar ka zeher ab khatam ho gaya hai, Sameer... lekin main uske saare nishaan bhi mita dena chahti hun... jisse tumhari zindagi mein sirf hamare pyar ki mithaas rahe, koi purani kadwahat nahi." Naina promised herself as she started to put icing on the cake.

The cake was ready in fifteen minutes. She placed it back in the refrigerator, to be eaten after dinner.

Next update tomorrow morning