If Naina was impressed by the opulent interiors of the school, she was speechless when Sameer took her behind the building, to the open area which had different sections of ground for different sports. Permanent goal posts for football, perfectly maintained cricket pitch, cemented area with poles for basketball, netted section for hockey... there were arenas for archery, shooting, skating and many more.

"Yeh school hai ya Olympics ki practice karne ka centre? Itne sports kahan hote hain? Itna khelenge toh padhenge kab?" She wondered aloud.

Sameer smiled at her simplicity, "Naina, yeh normal school nahi hai... saara din guzarna hota hai yahan. Aur fir jaise bachhe yahan aate hain, unke shaouk aur unke parents ki demands bhi yahan ki fees jitni bhari hoti hain... isliye yahan saari facilities hain. Jisko jo khelna hai, woh hona chahiye yahan pe. Andar ek gymnastics ki practice ka hall bhi hai."

Naina was totally in awe, comparing it to the meagre, single ground of their school.

The canteen was not very big though, as compared to other places of the school. Still it was a sophisticated food court with seperate counters serving varieties of dishes. There was even a fresh fruit juice stall. Everything was shut at present though.

"Hamara khana toh mess mein hi hota tha isliye canteen zyada badi nahi hai... school ke beech mein aise hi kabhi kabhi aa jaate the students... warna lunch time pe mess mein jaana compulsory tha." He explained.

What Sameer showed her next took her breath away. The massive auditorium, resplendent with plush interiors, thick cushioned chairs, multilevel seating and carpeted floor was not just for functions and performances, it had a huge screen as well... to play movies.

"Haan, yahan movie dikhate the aksar. Maine bas ek, do baar hi dekhi hogi." He shrugged when she asked if they screened actual movies here.

As they came out, her eyes fell on a frosted glass chamber. She had seen a few similar ones installed at other places as well.

"Yeh kya hai, Sameer?" She pointed at it, curious to know what more special offerings were there for the students here.

"Yeh water dispensers hain... paani peene ke liye." He glanced nonchalantly.

She stepped inside to take a look. There were two huge steel dispensers placed opposite each other, with six outlets on each one. Two tall cabinets on either sides held stacks of diposable glasses and paper napkins. The dispensers had options of cold, normal or warm water.

Naina was still in a daze when they came out. From the huge, towering  gates to the imposing structure of school building, colonial architecture in corridors to well equipped classrooms, and all other facilities... this place was a world in its own.

She turned to him, "Yahan ke baad tum PVKM mein kaise aa gaye, Sameer? Inn sab ke beech itne saal reh ke tumhe woh school ajeeb nahi laga? Wahan toh aisa kuch bhi nahi tha."

Her innocent question made him smile wistfully, "Wahan jo tha, Naina, uske liye hi toh main kabse tadap raha tha... jo apnapan wahan jaake mila woh inn paison ki chubhan se sau guna achha tha. Mujhe nahi chahiye thi yeh mehengi cheezen, yeh lambe chaude ground ya saje dhaje classroom aur auditorium... mujhe bas woh saada sa bench chahiye tha jahan mere saath baithne wale mujhse puche ki maine subah naashta kiya ya nahi, mere saath apna tiffin baante, mere homework na karne pe apni copy de dein jisse mujhe punishment na mile... mujhe dost chahiye the, Naina, sirf mere paison ki wajah se mera faayda uthane wale matlabi saathi nahi."

"Lekin yahan toh sabhi ameer gharon se aate hain, fir tumhare paison ki kya zaroorat thi unhe?" She was perplexed.

Sameer gave a sarcastic smile, "Meri maa ke dil mein shayad guilt tha mujhe yahan phenk dene ka, jise woh paison ke neeche dabana chahti thi, khud ko aur mujhe yeh keh ke ki woh kisi baat ki kami nahi rakhna chahti... isliye mujhe sabse zyada pocket money milti thi... fir mere galat shouk bhi nahi the isliye kharcha bhi nahi hota tha."

He realised what he had said when her eyes narrowed.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Woh... woh bottles laate the... aur ciggarette bhi... khud jaa nahi sakte the isliye jisse mangwate woh double rate ki deta tha... kaafi ladke khud ke saare paise ismein hi udda dete the."

She gave him a piercing look.

He quickly pinched his throat, "Kasam se, Naina, maine ek baar bhi apne liye kuch nahi mangwaya... ek do baar cigarette pine ki koshish ki thi par bohot khaansi aayi, aur..."

Her laughter resonated in the empty corridor. He stared at her in disbelief... weren't wives supposed to blow up at such mentions?

"Pine ka toh tum rehne hi do... dekha hai maine tumhari kya halat hoti hai... ek ghoont brandy mein aise ho gaye the ki..." She clutched her stomach, breaking into peals of laughter.

He pressed his lower lip in embarrassment, "Achha, aur tum... tumhara kya haal hua tha woh juice peene ke baad?"

"Do glass aur ek ghoont mein kitna farq hota hai, Sameer... tum agar do glass pi lete toh..." She sniggered, holding a hand to her mouth.

And then, she was sprinting across the passage, still laughing.

"Naina, ruko... tum kho jaogi." He dashed after her.

"Tum dhoond lena." Her clinkling voice floated behind her, leaving a trail of warmth that was pure bliss for him.

"Naina, wahan kuch nahi hai." He ran faster, seeing her turning towards the backyard.

The moment he turned, he literally banged into her as she stood motionless, staring ahead. His arms went around her instinctively, to save her from a fall. But nothing changed her expression... her eyes unblinking, her mouth agape.

Sameer looked at the ground. This area was used for farming. All types of vegetables were grown here. Some fruit trees bore apples, peaches, plums and apricots. In fact, this being the season, several fruit laden trees could be seen. Probably that is what was so fascinating for her.

"Hostel ke kitchen ki zyadatar sabziyan yahi ugaate hain. Yahan ke hawa paani mein aasani se sab lag jaata hai. Yeh phalon ke ped dekh ke hairan ho?" He did not move away, still holding her in his arms.

She slowly lifted her hand, pointing a finger ahead... much ahead of the fruit trees. He followed her direction.

His eyes went as wide as hers. How come he never noticed? How was it not visible to him? Probably because he hardly ever came to this backyard.

Hand in hand, they walked to the far end.

The tree stood in all its glory.

Same type, same size, same dense foliage forming a thick top... it looked like the same tree from their college. Going around it, they felt they were back in Mumbai.

"Tum yahan bhi baithte the?" Har quiet voice made him wonder if he had even noticed it.

"Shayad aaj pehli baar dekha hai maine yeh ped." He touched the thick trunk, instantly feeling the familiar warmth of their favourite place of college.

"Sameer, tumhe nahi lagta yeh saari chhezen jaise tumhe aane wale kal ki jhalak dikhati thi... kahin na kahin tumhe jodti thi uss zindagi se jo aaj tumhare paas hai?" She placed a hand on his arm.

He gave her a perplexed look.

"Dekho na, agar tum yahan nahi aate, Dilli mein hi rehte mummy ke paas, toh woh zindagi kahin zyada dard deti tumhe... paas rehke bhi unse doori badhti jaati... yahan tumne jo bhi seekha, chahe woh cricket khelna ho ya guitar bajana, usne humein kareeb laane mein madad ki... yahan tumne logon ko pehchanna seekha, yeh pata chala ki paison ke liye naqli dosti dikhane wale bhi aa jaate hain... aur iss seekh ne tumhe sachhe dost banana sikhaya... inn sabke beech rehte hue bhi tumne khud ko buri aadton se door rakha, yeh bohot badi baat hai... Sameer, socho, agar tumhare paas yahan ki azaadi nahi hoti toh tum shayad iss azaadi ke liye Dilli mein galat sangat mein pad jaate, aur fir ho sakta hai yeh buri aadten tumhe bhi lag jaati... lekin yahan hone ki wajah se tum akele hi sahi, par apni marzi se jab chahe jahan chahe jaa sakte the, koi bandish nahi thi... yeh jagah kharab nahi hai, Sameer, na yahan rehna galat tha... yahan rehkar toh tum woh bane ho jo aaj ho... Sameer Jai Prakash Maheshwari... nanu ne bhi tumhare andar ka woh thehra hua, samajhdar insaan dekh liya tha isliye woh nishchint the ki tum unka business sambhal sakte ho... iss hostel ne tumhe duniya ke liye taiyar kiya hai."

Her each word seemed to be cutting through the dense fog of his dark past, making things clear in his mind, letting him see everything in a new light.

"Toh kya maine yahan se bhaag ke galat kiya? Kya uss din yeh hostel chod dena meri bhool thi?" A small doubt nagged him as he asked himself.

One look at Naina and he knew what that wrong decision did for him.

It was a wrong that made everything right.... it was the mistake that gave him reason to live... it was the mischief that turned into a blessing... it was a step that showed him the right direction.

He left this place as a dead person... only to find his life at the destination.

"Sach kaha tumne, iss jagah maine bohot kuch seekha, lekin uss waqt apne akelepan ke andheron mein dooba hua tha isliye kuch dikhaayi nahi pada... aaj jab tum meri roshni banke aa gayi ho toh yahan ki yaadein bhi sirf ek seedhi(ladder) lag rahi hain, jo tum tak aane ka zariya thi." His gleeful smile was an indication of his gratification.

The heaviness in his heart was absent when he took her to the hostel wing. Even the appearance of the building looked cheerful. He went to the guard room first, asking if there was a vacant room which they could see as he knew all occupied rooms would be locked. After seeing the permission letter, and presuming them to be someone who was checking the facilities for a new admission, guard gave him the keys for a room on second floor, the same floor where he had stayed for four years. Saying that he was an ex student and he could find his way around, Sameer refused when the guard offred to show them the hostel.

"Yeh mera room... chaar saal tak yahin raha tha main." He pointed to a locked door as they moved towards the end of the passage.

"Chaar saal? Usse pehle kahan the? Kisi aur hostel mein?" Naina was surprised that he never mentioned changing the hostel.

"Yahin tha, lekin sixth standard tak dormitories hoti hain... waise hamare yahan sirf dus bachhon ko ek saath rakhte hain par apna room seventh mein hi milta hai." He clarified.

The vacant room was only lacking in inhabitant... otherwise it was a nicely furnished, cosy room with almost everything that a single person would need. A medium size bed... not a narrow one, an ornate study table with plenty of drawers, a huge, elegant cupboard plus a bookcase, electric kettle and a small hotcase, a storeroom for extra things... and an attached bathroom. There was a full length mirror on the door of cupboard.

"Yeh hostel hai ya hotel?" She gasped, seeing a balcony with a chair and table.

Sameer grinned, "Kaha tha na, sab paison ka khel hai."

"Bilkul aisa hi hai mera kamra bhi, koi farq nahi hai." He stated as she walked around, absorbing everything.

Turning to him, she smiled, "Kamaal hai, jis hostel se tum itni nafrat karte ho, jiske baare mein soch ke hi gussa aa jaata hai, aaj ussi ke liye aise bol rahe ho jaise yahin rehte ho."

And he realised he was using present tense for the room... a room, a place that he left six years back.

Seeing him lost, she came to him, taking his hand in her palms, "Sameer, yeh Nainital hai... jahan se tumhari zindagi sanvarni shuru hui... Naina devi ka woh mandir jahan tumhari muraad poori hui aur jisne tumhe vishwas karna sikhaya... Naini jheel ka woh gehrapan jisne tumhe sab kuch itni gehrai se mehsoos karna sikhaya... yeh unche neeche raaste jinpe tum itni baar chalte rahe ho inhone tumhe jeevan ke utar chadhav ko bardaaht karna sikhaya hai... apno se door rehkar tumhe apnepan ko pehchanna sikhaya... yeh Nainital bhi ek tarah se nanu ki tarah hai... isiliye dono naam itne milte hain... jaise tum nanu ko yaad karte ho, abse isse bhi aise hi yaad karna... khushi aur garv se."

Whatever little murkiness was left in his mind, was wiped out by her one comparison. She was right. Just like nanu never preached but let him learn by trying out himself, he had learnt so much in this place.

And with this thought came another one... like these two N, there was a third one too... that had shaped his life... his Naina.

"Aaj pehli baar iss baat ki khushi hai ki main hostel mein aaya... iss Nainital ne mujhe wahan bheja jahan meri Naina thi, mere nanu ke paas... yeh jagah tum tak aane ka bas ek raasta thi... aur raasta thoda mushkilon bhara bhi ho par manzil tak le jaaye toh sahi hota hai." His black eyes held no pain or bitterness any longer.

Naina left his hand, wrapping her arms around him, "Ab yahan ke andheron ko yaad karke mat darna."

"Ab koi andhere hain hi nahi, jaan." He crushed her against him, feeling the lightness in his heart as her warmth spread over him.

Next update tomorrow evening.