After so much of hurtful events and medicine affect, he drifts into deep sleep.. but still he was so restless and keep on mumbling.. sorry .. sorry ... please mujhe maaf kar do...

The darkness in the room has increased. He realized he had dozed off and now Nanu seems to be back, he must got normal to avoid any doubt and making him worried for him.

But this moment, all his thoughts are haunting him ... thinking about her pains, her sufferings.... He wiped the sweat from his forehead... Mera soch kar yeh haal ho raha hai... usane toh jhela hai.. kaise bardasht kiya hoga.. ya yeh kahun aaj bhi kar rahi hai... akeli...

Nanu came to his room getting concerned when Ramdhari talked about his unwell condition..

Nanu, "Sameer kyaa hua.. teri tabiyat toh theek hai teri" he touched his forehead and gets bit relaxed finding it cool...

Sameer smiled faintly, "yes Nanu, I am fine.. aap chinta mat karo... voh thoda sa sar dard ho raha tha bas.. but now I am okay, aap jo aa jaye ho..."

Nanu (smiling back) : Us nalayaak Ramdhari ne toh dara hi diya tha... har baat itni bada chada kar batata hai... mujhe laga pata nahin kiski nazar lag gayi mere bete ko

Sameer : Nanu, aap daro mat.. mein theek hun... chalo dinner karte hai, mujhe bhookh bhi lag rahi hai...

To avoid any further discussions, he took him out ... he himself wants to get rid of so much, thoughts which keep on disturbing him... he wants to keep himself calm first to think further on ...

Here Naina also to avoid thinking much and feeling hurt keep herself engaged with Preeti... they were playing Ludo sitting in hall...

Taiji : O Bai Bela... kahan hai tu... jara ek cup chai to le aa.. sar dard se phata ja raha hai...

Preeti (in low tone) : agar sar itna phat raha hai to poora phaad kyun nahin deti.... Roj roj silne ke liye mummy se chai banwa kar peeti rehti hai...

Naina hits her slightly to keep her mouth shut.. they both giggled...

Taiji : O Bai... yahaan baithe baithe kya khi khi kar rahi ho... teri mummy kahaan hai..

Preeti replied casually, "Voh Papa ke saath market gayi hai.. samaan lene ke liye... abhi aati hi hongi"

Taiji asked angrily, "toh meri chai kaun banayega... jaa Preeti tu hi bana laa"

Preeti : Taiji, mere haath ki chai peene se achchha to aap sar dard ki dawa hi kha lo... aapko toh vaise bhi mere haath ki chai pasand nahin hai...

Naina : Koi baat nahin... mein bana laati hun..

Taiji scolds her, "haan toh jaldi jaa na.. baithi kya hai.. ek to pehle hi kisi kaam ki nahin thi aur ab toh rahi sahi kasar bhi poori ho gayi... zindagi bhar ka bojh ab humein hi dhona padega..."

Preeti was about to reply but Naina holds her hand, "chal Preeti meri madad kar de kitchen mein..."

Taiji : Haan haan jaa isake saath.. ab isake bas ka akele toh kuchh karna hai nahin...

Naina pulled her into kitchen to avoid any argument with her.

Preeti, "tera dimaag kharaab hai kya .. har waqt unki jail kuti sunati rehti hai... aur mujhe bhi jawaab nahin dene deti... aaj toh man kar raha tha ki chai ki jagah kada bana kar de doon"

Naina : Chhod na.. chal chai banane mein meri madad kar...

Then they both started preparing tea, Anand and Bela enters..

Bela : arey bhabhiji aap yahaan...

Taiji replied rudely, "haan toh ab kya tujhse puchh kar aaungi... ja jaldi se mere liye chai lekar aa... us manhoos se kaha tha par pata nahin ab tak kya kar rahi hai.. itni der lagti hai chai banane mein..."

Bela, "aap rukiye abhi, mein dekhti hoon..." she enters kitchen and see chai was all ready to serve... she took the tray and asked girls to go inside as doesn't want more scoffs for Naina by Taiji...

Naina : Preeti, sun tujhse ek baat karni hai... pehle promise kar tu gussa nahin karegi...

Preeti : Dekh tera yeh emotional blackmail karne ka tarika hai na, isse chhod de... mein koi promise nahin karungi.. tu aise hi bata...

Naina : Dekh mein soch rahi thi... agar... agar tu maan jaye toh kya mein.. mein college chhod dun.." saying this she shut her eyes with fear as knowing Preeti's anger and her outburst.

Preeti calmly hold her hand making her surprise, "Naina, aankhen khol aur idhar dekh... ek baat bata... kya aaj bhi Sameer tere liye itna maayne rakhta hai.. kya aaj bhi teri zindagi, teri soch sab kuchh usse jude huye hai... kya aaj bhi tujhe ummid hai ki tere hone ya na hone se usey koi farq padta hai"

Naina (stammered) : Nahin... nahin Preeti... aisi .. aisi to koi baat nahin hai.. voh voh.. in sab se usaka koi lena dena nahin hai.." she cannot express how much his intense gaze affects her

Preeti said firmly, "hai lena dena aur tu mujhse toh jhuth mat hi bol... nahin toh aaj jab voh saamne khada tha aur jis tarah tu usse dekh rahi thi.. teri aankhon mein ek ummid thi.. par jab voh vahaan se bhaag gaya toh laga tere saare sapne phir se toot gaye ho jaise... maine dekha tha sab.. aur ab yeh mat kehna mujhe dhokha hua .. janati hun mein tujhe.. samjhati hun teri feelings ko aur unki kadra bhi hai mujhe"

Naina lowering her eyes admitted in front of her who knows here better than anyone, "Preeti tu theek kah rahi hai... jhooth nahin bolungi par haan ek pal ke liye mein bahak gayi thi.. par jab voh vahaan se chala gaya bina meri taraf dekhe mein samajh gayi ki ab sab sach mein khatm ho gaya hai... jin sapno ki ek chhoti si ummid baaki thi voh bhi nahin rahi ab... aur mein sach mein aage badna chahti hun... apni zindagi ke baare mein sochna chahti hun..."

Preeti supports her, "haan toh theek hai na... par iske liye college chhodne ki kya jarurat hai... mein hun na tere saath, tu akeli nahin hai.. aur rahi Sameer ki baat toh aaj se voh hamare liye koi maayane nahin rakhta... teri khushiyaan Sameer ki mohtaaj nahin hai"

Naina : Preeti, tu samajh nahin rahi... roj roj yun uska saamna karna.. mujhe pareshaan kar raha hai..

Preeti said ina pleading tone, "Naina, please kuchh din sabr kar... dekhna sab theek ho jayega.. please meri khaatir..." she doesn't want her to confide herself in house and stop living her life fully.

Naina nodded in yes though she is not fully agreed with her thoughts...

Naina POV :

Aaj subah usane mujhse jab baat ki laga jaise kab se mauka dhundh raha ho akele mein baat karne ka.. uske munh se pehli baar apna naam sunke aaj khud apne naam se bhi pyar ho gaya tha mujhe.. Voh do pal ki baat cheet jaise duniya sama gayi ho unmein.. laga waqt thehar gaya ho.. par aisa hota nahin he.. sab aa gaye aur voh chala gaya...

ehsaas hua ki yeh sahi nahin hai.. uska mere liye jhukaav galat hai... isiliye usase bachane ke liye aaj bina bataye hi ghar ja rahi thi ki achanak hamari takkar ho gayi aur jis tarah usane mujhe pakda.. mere kandhe par uska haath, laga jaise current daud gaya ho poori body mein... ek pal ke liye mein hosh hi kho baithi thi aur isi wajah se balance kho kar gir padi... kaise voh ek tak meri taraf dekhe ja raha tha.. usaki voh pyari si muskan.... usake baal maathe par gire huye.... man kiya haath bada kar hata dun.. aur voh ek jhatke mein khada ho gaya...phir achanak kya hua jo usaki muskan usake chehre se gaayab ho gayi.. kuchh samajh nahin aaya aur voh statue bana mujhe dekhe ja raha tha.. totally lost.. aur phir vahaan se bhaag gaya jaise kissi baat se darr gaya ho.. kisise dur bhagna chahta so.. sab kuchh chhod chaad kar.. aisa kya hua kuchh samajh nahin aaya.. ek pal ka khusurat sapna ek dum se darawana sach ban kar saamne aa gaya.. kya tha uski aankhon mein jo mein samajh nahin paayi...

Par lagta hai uska chale jaana hi theek tha.. shayad voh mujhe aise lachaar, helpless dekh kar samajh gaya ki hamara saath possible nahin hai.... vaise mein bhi to yahi chahti thi.. usane subah thodi si baat kya ki mein kaise sab bhool gayi.. apna sach

In night, Sameer came to Nanu's room : Nanu, aaj mein aapke paas so jaun..

Nanu : Haan aa ja par kya hua...

Sameer : Kuchh nahin bas aapke saath rehne ka man tha..

Sameer came and lay besides him hugging tightly...after some time he said: Nanu ek baat batao, aap kabhi mujhse koi galti ho gayi ho to mujhse naraaz toh nahin ho jaoge na...

Nanu (slightly worried) : Nahin beta.. par aise kyun bol raha hai.. kuchh hua hai kya..

Sameer got up and sits beside him, "Nanu, aaj galti se maine kisi ka bharosa, kisi ka vishwas tod diya.. maine anjaane mein aaj kisi ko dukh pahuncha diya hai.. sach Nanu, mera aisa koi matlab nahin tha.. par

Nanu : Sameer, meri taraf dekh... dekh beta mein nahin puchhunga ki kya huaa.. tu bada ho gaya hai, apane faisle apne aap le sakta hai... par ek baat kahunga.. agar anjaane mein kuchh galat tujhse hua hai toh usse theek bhi tujhe hi karna hoga.. agar tu dil se sharminda hai toh ghabra mat aur apni galti ko sudhaar, yahi tera sachcha prayshchit hoga

Sameer : Par Nanu, kya mein sab sahi kar paaunga... galti se hi sahi par kisi masoom ka dil toda hain maine..

Nanu : Sameer, sachche dil se jo karoge voh theek hi hoga... aaj dil toda hai kal jod bhi dena..shayad itna aasaan na ho par mujhe tujh par vishwaas hai.. tu kabhi jaan bujh kar kuchh galat kar hi nahin sakta...

Sameer POV

Nanu ki baaton se, unaki salaah se dil ka bojh kuchh kam ho gaya aur ek naye josh, nayi ummid ke saath maine khud se waada kiya ki jo galti aaj maine ki hai usse theek bhi mein hi karunga.. usaki khoyi hui muskurahat aur uska mujhpar bharosa ab mein hi vaapas launga... Nanu sach kehte hai ki agar galti mujhse huyi hai toh usey sudharna bhi mujhe hi padega... Naina mera pyaar hai, pehla aur aakhiri, jiska saath mein kabhi nahin chhod sakta... shayad raah ab aur mushkil ho gayi hai lekin mera pyaar hamare beech ki har duri ko mita dega... aaj khud se wada karta hoon ki ek din Naina ko apne pyaar ka ehsaas dila kar hi rahunga...