"Naina, iske siva koi raasta nahi hai. Main bata deta hun." Sameer picked up the phone.

Naina quickly took the handset from him and replaced it, before he could even start dialling.

"Sameer, har baat mein jaldbaazi nahi karni chahiye. Thoda sochte hain, shayad koi hal mil jaaye." She looked at him, her hand still pressed on the phone.

He held her shoulders, "Humein kis baat ki kami hai, Naina, jo sochna pade... sab kuch itna achha toh hai. Nanu ki factory pehle hi kaafi munaafa deti thi aur ab yeh designers ki deal ki wajah se hamara kaam aur bhi pehchana jaane laga hai. Isse zyada ki humein zaroorat nahi hai. Toh aisi condition kyon maanein?"

They were in his cabin in the office. The frown lines on both their foreheads indicated the severity of the issue in hand. After Mumbai, the lobby of designers from Delhi had also become permanent clients due to the quality they provided at comparable cost, and most importantly, they valued the timely delivery.

One of the famous designers from Delhi had shown their material to a big brand from Singapore. A team from their unit in Singapore had visited the factory in Ahmedabad and had been impressed to a great extent. Now the overseas firm had made an offer which appeared extremely profitable. The terms were acceptable to both parties. When Sameer and Naina were sure of getting the deal finalised, a condition put up by them made Sameer immediately go against it.

The owner of the firm was an old man who wasn't well enough to travel. Their only requirement was that both owners should sign the deal together. Since he couldn't come, Sameer was asked to visit them in Singapore. It would have been no problem at all, if Naina and Sana had passports. It had never occurred to them to get one made. Since the travel program was immediate, there was no time to get it made for them now. Sameer refused to go alone.

Naina made him sit on the chair besides which they were standing. He always got more agitated if he was pacing in the room. To keep him in the chair, she leaned back on the desk in front of him, crossing her arms.

"Yeh bohot badi deal hai, Sameer. Yaad hai na woh pehle jo London wala order tha usse kitna faayda hua tha, sirf ek saal ke contract se? Aur yeh log toh lagatar order denge. Sameer, hamare paas itna achha mauka aaya hai... khud chal ke. Usse hum haath se jaane denge toh bewakoofi hogi." She tried to make him understand.

He looked up, still adamant, "Wohi toh keh raha hun, Naina. Sirf ek mauka hi toh hai... aaj jaane diya toh kal doosra aayega... jaise yeh aaya. Kya farq padta hai agar isse chod bhi diya toh!"

"Farq padta hai. Agar hum shuru se interest nahi lete toh aur baat thi. Lekin ab ek mahine tak baatein karke, meeting karke, sab kuch final karke hum peeche hatenge toh hamara naam kharab hoga. Woh bhi itni choti si baat pe." Naina reasoned.

"Choti si baat nahi hai yeh," Sameer was enraged, "Tumse aur Sana se door jaana mere liye sabse badi aur kabhi na manne wali baat hai."

She pressed his shoulders, "Lekin yeh bolke toh unhe na nahi keh sakte... kuch kaaran batana padega deal reject karne ke liye. Hum kuch bhi kahenge toh market mein naam kharab hoga. Aur aisi baatein bohot jaldi phailti hain... tumhe pata hi hai. Sameer, hum aage badh rahe hain... nanu ke sapne ko nayi udaan de rahe hain... jaise nanu ne tumhare liye yeh virasat banayi waise hum apni beti ke liye ek kal bana rahe hain. Kya tum uske aane wale jeevan ke liye do din ki doori bardaasht nahi kar sakte? Humse behtar kaun jaanta hai ki sab kuch mushkilon se guzarne ke baad hi milta hai... aur yeh koi itni badi mushkil bhi nahi hai."

Sameer pondered for a few seconds over what she said, then frowned, "Agar yeh deal nahi hoti toh kaunsa Sana ke liye koi kami hai, Naina? Mujhe bharosa hai ki hum uske liye ek bohot achha kal bana sakte hain. Fir khud ko aur tumko yeh dard kyon dun?"

She placed a hand on his cheek, "Mujhe bhi bharosa hai... tumpe, tumhari mehnat pe. Lekin haath mein aaya hua aisa mauka chodna bhi sahi nahi hai. Yeh hamari tarakki ki taraf badhte kadam hain... inhe rokna nahi hai. Sameer, agar behte paani ko rok lo toh woh rahega paani hi lekin nishchal nahi rahega."

His eyes clouded with the memory... nanu had mentioned the same words in his diary... thehre hue toh paani mein bhi badbu aane lagti hai, Sameer...

He looked at his wife. She had not read the diary. But she had the same thought... to make him understand. Nanu and Naina had always been so similar in their thinking... and their vision... their foresight was something he could trust with closed eyes. His heart, nonetheless, still ached at the thought of going away for two days.

"Ek sign ke liye bula rahe hain... itni door. Yeh bhi koi baat hai? Aur main hi kyon? Unko chahiye toh main sign karke kisi ke saath papers bhijwa deta hun... woh wahan pe sign kar lein." He brooded.

Naina let out an exhale. She knew the rant now was in resignation. He had agreed.

She smiled, "Tumhe pata toh hai aisi deals aamne saamne baith kar hi sign hoti hain."

He saw the smile on her lips... along with the pain in her eyes. It wasn't easy for either of them. Shifting to the edge of his chair, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach. She weaved her fingers in his hair, pressing her lips hard to not let her eyes overflow.

He drew back few seconds later, remembering that they were in office.

"Main agent ko bata deta hun." He picked up the phone.

Naina again took the phone from him and replaced it, "Maine tumhari ticket mangwa li hai. Passport pehle hi bhijwa diya tha. Saare papers aur ticket ek ghante mein aa jayenge."

His eyes widened, "Tumhe yakeen tha tum mujhe manaa logi?"

"Mujhe yakeen tha tum sahi faisla loge." She ruffled his hair, looking at him with love filled eyes.

All he wanted to do was to crush her in his arms and let her taste fill him. He glanced at the door. It was shut but not locked. Also, Naina would not agree to a kiss in office. He would have to wait till they got home.

Next morning, Sameer took a flight to Mumbai, from where he had a connecting flight to Singapore.

Sana was sleeping when he left early morning. He and Naina had spent a sleepless night, though... locked in each other's arms.

Naina glanced at the room... it appeared too big, and empty, bereft of his presence. She swallowed the heavy lump in her throat, fighting tears. Crying would be a bad omen. She didn't believe in all these things, but today, she didn't want to do anything that could remotely affect him in any adverse way. She went out to the balcony. Sky was still painted in myriad of colours, waiting for sun to be out, and spread its gold sheen on what looked like a pallette of a painter. She tried to smile, taking it as a good beginning... varied colours meant happiness.

Sameer saw the same colours from the aircraft. With Naina, he had learned to love colours, which earlier had no meaning in his life. Each shade brought some or other memory, and vivid images of those moments engulfed him. With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat.

Naina was thankful that she had to go to office. Sana seemed to be looking for Sameer once she got up, but got busy with her friends once she reached the playroom. The day went by normally... or so it appeared to everyone else. For Naina, nothing was same. Everytime her cabin door opened, her eyes shot up in hope, expecting to find Sameer, winking at her with a lopsided smile. Even Sana craned her neck to peer behind her whenever she went to meet her daughter.

Back home in the evening, she crawled around, looking for Sameer, letting out a sharp cry at all those places where he hid when he played with her.

"Papa ko dhoond rahi hai meri gudiya?" Naina picked her up, her heart wrenching at the hopeful eyes of her daughter.

Bringing a bright smile on her face for Sana's sake, she twirled her once, stopping abruptly as she felt shaky. Sana gave her a confused look. Realising that she couldn't do it, Naina took her out to the living room. Ramdhari was quick to take Sana from her when the phone started to ring.

"Hello Sameer." Her voice was breathless.

Preeti's chirpy voice did nothing to lift her spirits, "Oho behen, ek ghar mein reh ke bhi phone pe baat karte ho kya? Tumhara romance alag hi hai sabse."

"Preeti, woh Sameer... Sameer..." She fumbled.

"Kya hua, Naina? Jijaji theek hain na? Aise kyon bol rahi hai?" Preeti's voice was laced with concern.

"Bilkul theek hai. Usse kuch kyon hoga? Jahan hai wahan theek hai ekdum." Naina retorted stifly.

"Hain? Jahan hai? Kahan hain jijaji? Tumhara jhagda hua hai kya, Naina?" Preeti was shocked both by her words and her anger.

Naina gulped, squeezing her eyes shut, "Sorry. Pata nahi kyon gusse se bol diya. Jhagda nahi hua. Sameer Singapore gaya hai... ek meeting ke liye. Bas isliye mood thoda kharab tha aur tujhe daant diya."

"Tu sau baar daant le, behen. Taiji ne itna experience de diya daant ka ki ab toh asar bhi nahi hota. Lekin tune bataya kyon nahi jijaji bahar gaye hain? Naina, tu akele kaise rahegi?" Preeti was worried, knowing fully well what Naina must be going through.

She swallowed the rising storm in her throat, bringing a fake smile on her face, "Bas do din ki hi baat hai, Preeti. Parson subah aa jayega. Aaj ka din toh nikal hi gaya, kal ka bhi aise hi kaam mein nikal jayega... tu fiqr mat kar."

There was a silence of few moments before Preeti spoke softly, "Mujhe samjha rahi hai ya khud ko?"

The tears that she was trying to control, spilled out of Naina's eyes. Preeti let her cry her heart out. A little later, Naina wiped her eyes, quickly looking around.Thankfully, Ramdhari had taken Sana out to the garden. She could see her excited face as he showed her blooms of different colours.

When she talked back to her sister, her voice was low, "Tujhe pata hi hai, Preeti, Sameer ke bina har ek din mere liye kitna mushkil hai. Aur Sana bhi miss kar rahi hai usse. Jab uski aankhen charon taraf Sameer ko dhoondti hain toh dil bhar aata hai. Raat ko usse kaise sambhalungi mujhe nahi pata."

"Sun behen, tu na yahan aaja. Sana bhi Harsh ke saath maze se khel legi  aur tujhe bhi akela nahi lagega. Main toh kehti hun raat ko yahin ruk jaana. Kal Pandit tujhe office chod dega." Preeti was excited at her idea.

"Nahi Preeti. Sameer phone karega. Bas ek baar baat hui thi usse jab wahan pohocha tha. Main uske phone ka hi intezar kar rahi hun. Chal tujhse baad mein baat karungi... line busy nahi milni chahiye usse." Naina did not wait for Preeti to make any more suggestions.

The call she was waiting for came half an hour later.

"Jaan, I miss you." His answer to her hello made her eyes well up again.

"Tum theek ho na?" Her voice quivered.

He let out a sigh, "Kaise theek ho sakta hun... tumhare aur apni doll ke bina. Naina, abhi toh ek poora din bhi nahi hua aur mujhe aisa lag raha hai jaise saalon se door hun tum dono se."

She shut her eyes, filling some of the emptiness inside her with his voice, "Wahan toh der raat ho gayi hogi na, Sameer? Tumne khana kha liya?"

He hummed in response, then his husky voice burned her ear, "Raat ho gayi hai, Naina... aur takiye ko chah kar bhi Naina nahi samajh sakta."

She was sure he could hear the thunder of her heartbeat through the phone.

"Toh?" His one word made her clench the phone tighter.

"Toh..." She gulped.

"Toh... kya?" She could almost see the glint in his eyes as he uttered in a heavier voice.

"Toh... kuch nahi. Ab so jao. Kal meeting ke baad phone karna." Trying hard to sound normal, she directed him.

"Naina, Naina... ruko. Phone mat rakhna." His voice boomed urgently from the other side.

"Nahi rakh rahi, baba. Bolo." She smiled.

He inhaled deeply, "Itna toh bata do main kaise sounga... tumhare bina, tumhari khushbu ke bina."

She shuddered, aware of the need. The same melancholy had gripped her when she was alone in Mumbai last year.

"Tumne apna suitcase dekha theek se?" She asked softly.

He gave a puzzled look to the suitcase lying in the corner in his hotel room. Still wearing the clothes he had left the house in, he was standing near the huge glass window, the bright light of highrises in the city, pouring into the dimly lit room.

"Suitcase ko kya dekhna hai? Usme thodi baith ke aayi ho tum." His voice was gloomy.

"Ek baar kholo toh. Shayad main ussi mein hun." She chuckled.

"Ek minute." He ran to the suitcase, struggling to locate the keys in his pocket.

Tilting his head to balance the phone between his ear and shoulder, he fumbled with the lock. The moment he flipped open the top cover, his eyes widened. Naina's pink dupatta laid neatly folded over his clothes. He grabbed it immediately, sinking his face into it. Her scent drowned him, giving solace to the uneasiness that surrounded his heart since morning.

"Oh Naina, tumhari khushbu ke bina yahan sab kuch khaali lag raha tha. Ab jaake laga jaise main saans le raha hun." He muttered after dragging in a long breath.

She smiled in relief, "Ab apni beti se bhi baat kar lo. Tumhe dhoond rahi hai jab se ghar aaye hain."

Walking upto where Sana was sitting on the floor, playing with her toys, she kneeled and placed the phone against her ear. Aware of the concept of talking on phone, Sana listened intently as Sameer talked to her from the other side. She let out a loud scream when he stopped.

"Papa ko bolo I miss you." Naina prodded her.

She made some incoherent sounds, making a conversation. Sameer talked to her some more. In between, she turned sharply to stare at the phone, expecting to see his face. When Naina took away the phone from her, she let out a shrill yelp, lunging to get hold of the handset.

Naina picked her up before talking again, "Ab tum so jao, Sameer. Thak gaye hoge. Hum kal baat karte hain. Aur kal meeting mein kisi baat pe gussa mat karna. Jiss kaam ke liye humein yeh judaai sehni pad rahi hai woh kaam achhe se ho jaana chahiye."

He nodded, then realised she couldn't see him, "Theek hai, madam. Jaisa aap kahein. Aapka yeh ghulam aapki har baat manega."

She giggled at his submissive tone, "Ghulam ji, good night."

"Aise nahi, jaan. Thodi meethi good night do na. Kuch toh rehem karo ghulam pe." He whined.

She looked at Sana who was watching her with curious eyes, then pursed her lips, "Sana meri goud mein hai. Abhi kaise?"

He groaned, "Meethe ke bina kaise so jaun?"

She placed the phone against Sana's ear and smiled at her, "Papa ko good night bolo."

Sana squealed into the phone.

After dinner, when she found Sameer missing on the bed, Sana finally curled her lips, and started to sob. Naina instantly drew her close to herself, soothing her in soft voice. Her own sadness took a backseat and she consoled her daughter.

As she patted her, Sana mumbled something... and Naina stilled. She lifted her from her shoulder and looked at her, her eyes wide.

"Papa." Sana uttered her first word.

Extra long one today, to make up for extra holiday 😌
Next update tomorrow evening