Sameer reached library half an hour last as per his promised time... being lunch time luckily no one was there except her. He saw Naina was sitting quietly near window seat which was also not visible easily from gate. He came and sat by pulling a chair close to her. He feels something is bothering her and her eyes are also bit red like she had cried.

Sameer asked casually hiding his concern to ask reason for her gloomy face, "Hi Naina, kya padh rahi ho... koi course ki book hai kya"

Naina looked at him nervously, "voh.. voh kuchh nahin... bas mein.. haan voh mein yeh topic complete kar rahi thi..." she was so lost in her thoughts that didn't realize his presence earlier

Sameer smiled looking her cutely, "Naina, tum itani talented ho mujhe pata hi nahin tha.." he holds the book in her hand and turned it upright, "tum ulti book se bhi kitne achchhe se padh leti ho kya baat hai yaar... aur ek hum hai jinhein seedhi books mein jo likha hai voh bhi samajh nahin aata" he clapped and laughed on her silliness who was so lost in her thoughts

Naina, "shut up... voh bas aise hi mein kuchh soch rahi thi... aur... aur tum kahaan the... itani der laga di aane mein" she asked diverting his mind from her

Sameer leaned slightly towards her asking, "kyun mera intzaar kar rahi thi.. bahut yaad aa rahi thi kya meri... pehle bata deti toh mein jaata hi nahin"

Naina hiding her smile replied showing fake anger, "bakwaas bandh karo aur padai par dhyan do, samjhe... varna ghar jaakar phir se Rohan ko pareshaan karoge"

Sameer, "yaar aise daant kar padaogi toh mere dimaag mein kuchh nahin jayega... tumhein pata hai mera ek childhood problem hai..."

Naina asked worriedly, "kya..... kya problem hai tumhein, tumne toh kabhi bataya hi nahin... kuchh serious toh nahin na"

Sameer suppressing his smile on her cuteness, "voh problem yeh hai ki jo bhi mujhe pyaaaaaar se kuchh samjhata hai voh mein jhat se samajh jaata hun aur jo daanta hai, usse mein bahut pareshaan karta hun... ab tum batao tum kya chahti ho... pyar se padana ya mujhse pareshaan hona... apni choice bata do aur baad mein mujhe kuchh mat kehna..."

Naina understood his tactics smiled, "ab bas bhi karo na... kyun pareshaan kar rahe ho mujhe... ek toh der se aaye ho aur lagta hai aaj padai ka mood nahin hai tumhara..."

Sameer smiled, "sach Naina, mere bina kahe hi tum samajh jaati ho mere man ki baat.. aaj bahut thak gayaa hun practice se aur padne ka bilkul man nahin kar raha..."

Naina, "arey toh pehle bolna tha na..." she starts wrapping the books lying on table and trying to stand, "chalo chalte hain... tum ghar jaakar aaraam kar lena..."

Sameer holds her hand to stop her, "arey padna nahin hai par ghar bhi nahin jaana... thodi der ruko na please... tumse baatein karke saari thakaan dur ho jayegi..."

She smiles and sits back again, keep her bag back on table, "okay baba, thodi der mein chalenge... ab bolo kya baat karni hai tumhein..."

Sameer, "arey maine koi list thodi hi banai hai... bas aise hi thodi der baithna chahta hun tumhare saath... akele... vaise bhi tumhare saath baatein karne ka mauka hi nahin milta kyunki har waqt koi na koi tumhein ghere rehta hai"

Naina suddenly asked in a serious tone, "vaise Sameer, tumse ek baat puchhu... dekho naraaj mat hona pehle promise karo..."

Sameer smiled assuring her, "Naina tumhein mujhse kuchh bhi puchhane se phel izazat maangane ki jarurat nahin aur vaise bhi mein tumse kabhi naraaz nahin ho sakta, toh puchho kya puchhna hai"

Naina nervously tingling her hands asked, "voh.. actually, mein kah rahi thi ki jaise Munna Swati ko like... matlab they love each other... tumhein kisi se kabhi pyaar nahin hua... I mean kabhi dekha nahin tumhein kisi ke baare mein baat karte huye... koi ton hoga jo tumhein pasand aaya ho, shayad Delhi mein ya Mussoorie mein..."

Sameer got surprised with her sudden asking about his love life, "tum yeh sab kyun puchh rahi ho... I mean kisi ne tumse kuchh kaha kya... (in his mind: kahin Rohan ne toh kuchh nahin bak diya, vaise bhi voh mujhse jyaada excited hai Naina ko mere dil ki baat batane mein... aaj nahin bachega yeh ladka)

Naina, "nahin baba, bas aise hi.. hum dost hai na... toh socha agar koi tumhein pasand ho toh... vaise hamare college mein kitni saari sundar ladkiyaan hai, tum kisi se dosti kyun nahin kar lete..."

Sameer got relieved that she is still clueless about his feeling but surpriser on her behavior, "dosti... kya matlab kisi se dosti karne na... kyun tum ho na meri dost... aur baaki sab bhi toh hai hamare saath"

Naina tried to explain him further, "arey buddhu mein tumhari sirf dost hun... mera matlab voh special wali friendship se hai... jo zindagi bhar tumhare saath rahe... like forever"

Sameer got more confused and asked worriedly, "haan toh tum ne bhi toh wada kiya tha ki zindagi bhar saath rahogi, ab kya huya... Naina tum naraaj ho kya mujhse kisi baat par... tum hamari dosti toh nahin todne wali na... please agar aisa kuchh hai toh mein pehle hi maafi maang leta hun.. I am sorry agar meri kisi baat se tumhein dukh hua ho toh... arey tum kahin aaj mere late aane par toh naraaj nahin ho... sachchi practice mein pata hi nahin laga time ka... par promise kal se bilkul time par aaungua... aur..." he got more restless thinking that she might get offended by any of his act and wants to break up with him

Naina cut his sentence in between and put her finger on his lips, "shh shh, kitna bolte ho tum... chup.. ek dum chup..."

He gets shocked on her sudden reaction and keep looking her silently. In a moment she realized their position and removes her finger immediately and turns her eyes down, blushing hardly. Sameer smirks and rubs his neck nervously... after few minutes silence to remove awkwardness, he continued..

Sameer breaking the silence asked, "haan toh ab batao, kya hua hai, aur voh bhi theek se... ghuma phira kar kahogi to mere palle kuchh nahin padega... okay..."

Naina coming back to sense asked slowly, "Sameer mera matlab hai tum koi girlfriend kyun nahin bana lete... I mean tum itane smart, handsome ho, cricket captain ho, exams mein bhi achchha score karte ho, you are best... sab tumhein pasand karte hai, tumhein to koi bhi ladki na nahin kahegi..."

Sameer understood that something is bothering her too much and she is hurt but will surely not disclose her feelings so easily...

Sameer replied casually keeping himself calm, "okay toh theek hai tum ban jaao meri girlfriend... bolo banogi... kaho toh abhi propose kar deta hun... bahut films mein dekha hai toh ideas ki koi kami nahin hai mere paas" he winked flirting with her

Naina got shocked, "tum... tum paagal ho kya.. I mean mera matlab tha ki koi ladki jo tumhare laayak ho, means compatible to you... who can be your soul mate"

Sameer, "toh, tum mein kya kami hai, tum bhi to itni sundar ho, topper ho, nature bhi itna achchha hai tumhara, so what's the problem... sab tumhein pasand karte hai, tumhari baat bhi maante hai aur mujhe bhi tumhare saath time spent karna achchha lagta hai aur tum dekho kaise bina kahe mere dil ki har baat samajh jaati ho... toh huyi na tum mere liye sabse perfect" seeing her depressed he wanted to show that how much she is perfect for him and he valued their friendship

Naina instantly utters without thinking, "par mein tumhare laayak nahin hun... hum mein bahut farq hai... aur"

Sameer's face expression changed immediately and harshly asked, "haan vahi toh mein bhi sunana chahta hun ki kya farq hai.... aisa kya hai jo tum humse alag ho" now he was damn sure that the matter bothering her is definitely related to their relation only, their friendship

Naina replied with slightly frustrated, "tumhein pata hai kya farq hai toh kya matlab phir puchhne ka..." saying this she tries to stand up when Sameer holds her hand strongly and make her sit again....

Sameer asked in slightly raising his tone, "Naina, hum baat kar rahe hain na toh kahaan ja rahi ho beech mein chhod kar... bolo kya farq hai tum mein aur mujh mein ya un baaki ladkiyon mein... aaj mein bhi toh sunu ki tumhare dil mein kya hai aur tum kya sochti ho hamari friendship ko lekar"

Naina looked at him in daze as realized that how much her words hurt him... tears start rolling from her eyes feeling her helplessness as even if she wished she cannot be with him forever.

Sameer melts seeing her crying and reprimand himself for shouting on her. She is so innocent and seems hurt right now for some reason. He took a deep breath to calm himself to handle the situation. Its his responsibility to let her come out from her darkness but politely. He cannot throw his tantrums and shout on her for anything

Sameer turned her face towards him, "Naina, dekho meri taraf... I am sorry mein chillaya tum par lekin please aise ro mat... mujhe nahin pata aaj kya hua jo tum aisi baatein kar rahi ho, par believe me I don't want to shout on you... never"

Naina controls herself and wipe her tears and look to him... she herself is in guilt for raising this topic, "Sorry Sameer, mein bhi na kya faltu ki baat lekar baith gayi... mera dimaag kharaab hai... chhodo canteen chalte hai, sab wait kar rahe honge... tumhein bhi bhukh lag rahi hogi na practice ke baad"

Sameer firmly hodld her hand, "nahin hum kahin nahin jaa rahe hai... pehle batao kya baat hai, aur please jhuth mat kehna ki kuchh nahin hai samjhi... tum jaanti ho mein kitna ziddi hoon aur tum jab tak nahin batati mein tumhein kahin nahin jaane dunga"

Naina initially hesitates but after his repeated request shared him her conversation with Sunaina... he gets very upset and angry on Sunaina to hurt her...

Sameer, "aur tumhein lagta hai ki tumhari wajah se mein apni life enjoy nahin kar paa raha isliye mujhe girlfriend bana leni chahiye... yahi baat hai na..."

Naina looking down hold her tears which were ready to flow down with a mere thought of losing their friendship, but she cannot be selfish to hold him with her when they are not destined to be together, "Sameer, believe me ki mujhe Sunaina ki baaton se farq nahin padta lekin shayad aaj pehli baar usne koi baat kahi jo shayad sach bhi hai"

Sameer replied calmly, "Naina, tumse aisa kisne kaha ki sirf girlfriend hi aapko sachchi Khushi de sakti hai, dost nahin... sachchi Khushi toh sachche dost se bhi mil sakti hai na... aur rahi baat tumhari toh khud ko kisi se bhi kam samjhna tumhari sabse badi galti hai.... mein manta hun ki accident ke baad tum khud ko bahut kamjor feel karti ho, yeh sach hai ki bahut kuchh hai aaj jiske liye tumhe kisi ke saath ya sahare ki jarurat hai, iska matlab yeh toh nahin na ki tumhari baaki saari khubiyaan khatm ho gayi....

He sighed heavily, "pata hai Naina, mein bahut jagah raha hun, kabhi Mussoorie, kabhi Delhi aur ab Ahmedabad par sach mano tum jaisi dost mujhe kahin nahin mili... sach.. jaisi tum ho, tumhara saaf man, tumhari sacchchai, tumhari imaandari, jis tarah tum rishto ko samjhati ho, nibhati ho...... yeh sab tumhein sabse alag, sabse special banata hai...... aur agar tumhein lagta hai ki hum sab dost jo tumhare saath rehte hai, tumhein support karte hai voh galat hai ya tum par koi ehsaan karte hai, to tum kyun sabki padai mein madad karti ho, jaise aaj meri karne aayi ho, kyun hum sab jab sports mein busy hote hai to tum sabke liye notes banati ho, roj roj mere liye apne haathon se bana kar khaana lati ho, kyun karti ho sabke liye agar ye sab tum ehsaan samjhati ho..."

Naina shook her head, "nahin Sameer, mein koi ehsaan nahin karti, tum sab mere dost ho isliye karti hun... aur dosto ki parwaah karna ehsaan nahin hota"

Sameer smiled making his grip firm on her hand, "ab samajh aaya ki hum sab kyun tumhari fiqr karte hai, tumhein help karte hai..... Naina ek dost hi hota hai jo dusre dost ko waqt padne par sambhale, ek dost dusre dost ki har kami ko pura karta hai, aur agar tum hamare liye itna kar sakti ho toh, hum kya itane selfish hai ki tumhein aaj jab hamari sabse jyada jarurat hai toh akela chhod de... tumhein kamjor padne de... aur tumne maan bhi kaise liya ki voh Sunaina koi bhi baat sahi kah sakti hai... jiski khud ki soch itani ghatiya ho aur jo dosti sirf aur sirf apne matlab ke liye karti ho voh kya samjhegi sachchi dosti ke maayne"

Naina feels guilty to hurt him in her emotional state of mind... indeed he was correct that we should ot judge our friend's basis of their physical appearance... she holds her ear from one hand and said cutely, "Sorry"

Sameer smiled, "vaise toh dosti mein kahte hai na NO Sorry NO Thank You .. par aaj jo tumne kaha hai, jo socha hai usake liye toh Sorry banata hai... (dramatically to make her laugh) : I am accepting your Sorry... par last time... samjhi..."

Naina to lighten mood, "b chalein.. yahin baithe rahoge toh mujhe neeche lekar kaun jayega... pata hai tum toh ghar ka khaana kha loge par mujhe bhi toh bhukh lagi hai... so please jaldi chalo na..."

Sameer smiled and both left out from library. She was more confident and relaxed this time on stairs than last day holding his hand, makes him feeling good to get succeed in lessening her pain and increase trust on him that he will not let her harm anymore....

To lighten her mood, he whispers in her ears, "vaise voh girlfriend vala offer abhi bhi hai... chaaho toh accept kar sakti ho" and winked her, in turn gets a slight hit on his arms...