Sameer sits back and turned his face to see her while adjusting his seat belt, getting shocked he shout loudly, "Naina...." she looked him strangely and raise her brows to ask, "kya hua Sameer... aise kyun chilla rahe ho..." he touched her forehead slightly and showed her red color in his finger... she too get shocked and got nervous... 

Sameer asked, "Naina... yeh toh... kahin tumhein chot toh nahin lagi... dikhao jara... yeh khoon kaise aaya... tumne bataya kyun nahin..." he tried to touch her head getting panicked to check when she hold his hand in between.... she too touched her forehead and realize her sindoor spread and flown out due to rainwater...

She replied nervously, "voh... voh nahin yeh chot nahin hai... haan shayad subah mandir mein pooja karte huye haath se teeka sar par lag gaya hoga galti se... bas vahi hai... tum bhi na dara diya mujhe bhi..." he nodded but looked her strangely thinking, "yeh teeka maathe par lagati hai ya sar par... paagal ladki... jaan nikaal di meri..."

She turned her face looking out, avoiding his gaze... she wiped a lone tear from her eyes thinking, "Sorry Sameer, aaj tumse sindoor ke liye bhi jhuth bolna pada, par sach bhi toh nahin bata sakti... lekin mein yeh sindoor lagana kabhi nahin chhod sakti... bas aage se jyaada dhyaan rakhna padega mujhe..." he starts engine and move towards home..

It's being after long time when they were together in car alone and probably first time for Sameer in his memory.... Naina was still shivering being fully drenched in rain but majorly due to thinking about Sharad.. what if Sameer would have not come to save her... he saw her from corner of his eyes seeing her still scared and tears keep rolling down from her cheeks... sobbing as quietly as possible.... he curled his fists inward feeling bad seeing her in this condition whereas fuming in anger on Sharad...

He asked in high tone, "kyun roka mujhe... aaj agar voh tumhein haath bhi laga deta toh mein usaki jaan le leta..." she turned to him and said softly looking his anger face, "par tumhein bhi toh lag sakti thi... voh bohot bura insaan hai, uska kya bharosa... bas mein isiliye darr gayi thi.." she keep looking at his face thinking, "aaj ek baar phir Sharad se tumne mujhe bacha liya... jab bhi mein akeli padi hun tum hamesha mere saath hote ho... pata nahin yeh duriyaan kab kam hongi..."

He continued scolding her, "ab aise kya dekh rahi ho... kaha tha na saath chalane ko, par nahin madam ko toh iss baarish mein adventure karna tha... aur karo maje... meri baat sunta hi kaun hai... sabko apni zid karni hoti hai...." he keeps scolding her when she asked, "par tum toh chale gaye the na... toh yahaan kaise..."

He turned his face to her side said furiously, "aur tumhein lagta hai ki mein tumhein aise mausam mein itni raat mein akele chhod kar chala gaya tha... itna bura hun kya mein... voh toh meri gaadi pichhe ruk gayi thi isiliye thodi der lagi theek kar ke aane mein, varna toh uss ghatiya insaan ka saaya bhi nahin padne deta tum par..."

Tears keep flowing from her eyes thinking that still how much he cared for her... he saw her crying, reprimand himself, "shit yaar... poora paagal hun mein, chup karane ki jagah aur rula diya... ek toh vaise hi shayad darr gayi hai aur mein bhi na... aaraam se baat nahin kar sakta tha... bhagwan jaane kab akkal aayegi mujhe... par ab kya karun..."

He stops the car with a jerk... she looked him, "kya hua.. car kyun rok di.." he smiled and pull off his seat belt, "tum yahin ruko mein abhi aaya..." he gets down and went towards the tea stall at roadside...

Naina recall it's the same place where he kissed her first time in rain... recalling their sweet memories, a smile crept on her lips when he came back with one glass of tea, covering with his other hand to avoid dripping raindrops...

He sits inside and give her.. "lo pi lo... tumhein thand lag rahi hai, varna phir bimaar ho jaaogi... dekho kitni bheeg gayi ho... aur vaise bhi baarish mein chai ka maza hi kuchh aur hai..." she took the glass and asked, "tum nahin pioge.. bheeg toh tum bhi gaye ho na..." he smiled and replied casually, "kyun tum mera jhutha nahin pi sakti.... sorry, voh baarish hai baahar toh ek hi glass la paaya..."

She smiled thinking, "jhutha piyenge tabhi toh pyaar yaad aayega..." she took one sip and handed him the glass... he too drink a sip and give it back to her... he turned on the radio and a cute romantic song played and they both lost in seeing each other....

Tip Tip Tip Tip Baarish, shuru ho gayi,

Maane ya na maane meri tu ho gayi....

Mein tera hoon, Tu meri hai, Mein tera hun, tu meri hai....

He turned his eyes towards where Naina was seeing outside.... he starts again getting some flashes seeing towards the shed where they were standing last time in rain... images of a girl with boy drenching in rain, having tea one by one from one glass, like the same what they are doing now... he starts getting headache clutching his head from his hands, when she jerked him to stop stressing himself... she gets worried seeing him asked, "kya hua.. tum theek ho na ..." he nodded slightly and smiled.... soon he started driving back to home....

After reaching home, she straight went to get change whereas he sits with Nanu and told him all about Sharad and asked, "Nanu yeh Sharad kaun hai aur Naina ko kaise jaanta hai... kyun usake pichhe pada hai.... pata nahin aisa laga jaise mein bhi jaanta hun isse... bohot ghatiya insaan tha... mein toh usse maar hi daalta agar Naina nahin rokti... meri koi ladaai thi kya usase..."

Nanu tried to calm him, "beta voh ek bohot hi bura aur ghatiya insaan hai, hamesha Naina ke pichhe pada rehta hai, isiliye tujhe itna gussa aaya... par ab dhyaan rakhna padega... darasal voh jabardasti Naina se shaadi karna chahta tha aur ussi kaaran se jail jaana pada... isiliye badla le raha hai us se... aur isi wajah se uske biwi bachche usey chhod kar chale gaye... ab in sab ka ilzaam voh is par laga raha hai...."

Sameer fisted his palms in anger, "agli baar agar Naina ke aas paas bhi dikha toh usaki haddiyaan tod dunga... koi insaan Naina jaisi ladki se kaise nafarat kar sakta hai..." he again gets lost in her dreams when Nanu patted on his shoulder saying, "ab kya karein beta... kabhi kabhi logon ki akal par patthar jo pad jaate hai... kisi ke dil ki achchhai ko dekhne ke liye insaan ko kareeb se janana jaruri hai... aise hi kisi ke baare mein koi rai nahin bana leni chahiye... kehte hai na chot ka nishaan chala jaata hai par shabdon ke teer zindagi bhar chubhate hai... isiliye pehle socho, samjho phir bolo..." Sameer looked at him and recalled his own wrong behavior with her without any reasons... he left for his room feeling guilty for hurting her....

After changing in comfort clothes, he sits back for dinner with Nanu but again she was missing, he enquired from Ramdhari, "teri didi kahaan hai... khaana nahin khaana usse..." he said slowly, "voh shayad apne kamare mein hi khaayengi, abhi toh kuchh kaam kar rahi hai... vaise, pata nahin khayengi bhi ki nahin..." he stood in anger and went straight to her room... she was sitting on her study table and busy in writing something...

He looked at her and shouts, "tum samajhati kya ho apne aap ko.... kabhi khaana nahin khaana.... kabhi saath mein office nahin jaana... office mein bhi seedhe munh baat nahin karni... bolo kya samajhati ho tum... jo man mein aata hai karti ho... auron ke baare mein kabhi socha hai, unhein kitna bura lagta hai jab tum aise parayo ki tarah behave karti ho...."

She remain seated, lift her face with a calm look and replied softly, "Sir, mein aapke liye office ki ek mamuli si employee hun aur ghar mein care taker... toh aapko meri chinta karne ki ya meri parwah karane ki koi jarurat nahin hai... vaise thanks aapne aaj meri madad ki us ke liye, par mein apna dhyaan khud rakh sakti hun... jaise aaj tak rakhti aayi hun..." he dumbfound on her reply and understood she is badly hurt with his behavior calling her care-taker and badly treated in office many times in front of other staff without any fault or reason...

He sighed heavily and closed his eyes to relax himself... taking a deep breath, he forwards his hand towards her, while holding his ear from other hand... he said with his usual killing smile, "Friends...? Na employee na care-taker... just friends..." she smiled looking at him and too extend her hand to shake his hand saying cutely, "Friends"... pulling his hand down from his ear, she said, "dosti mein no sorry.. no thank you..."

They both smiled and lost in each other eyes, still holding their hands.... their trance broke when Nanu called them out for dinner.... they both came out all smiling and sits on dining table joining him... dinner went well with fun and laughter... first time together... Nanu smiled seeing them thinking, "aaj lagta hai mera sapna ek baar phir poora hone wala hai... bhagwan inhein buri nazar se bachaaye..."

After dinner, Nanu went to his room when Sameer followed him hesitantly, "voh... Nanu mujhe aapse baat karni thi kuchh..." seeing him tensed, Nanu gets worried and asked him to come inside, "Kya hua... koi tension"... he smiled a bit and came inside and sit on bed, "voh Nanu... koi tension nahin hai bas mujhe kuchh puchhna tha aapse.."

He continued after a deep breath, "voh aaj mein salary cheques sign kar raha tha par us mein Naina ka cheque nahin tha.. phir accountant se puchha toh us ne bataya ki voh salary nahin leti... sorry par maine aapki passbook check ki toh us mein se bhi koi jyaada withdrawals nahin the pichhle kuchh mahino se... mein samjha nahin, toh phir hamare ghar ke regular kharche kahaan se hote hai... aur voh hamare office mein aise bina salary ke kaam kyun karati hai..."

Nanu smiled and replied, "bas itni si baat.. tu ne toh mujhe darra hi diya tha... arey yeh sab ghar kharch toh voh teri Ms Agarwal hai na.. hamari caretaker, vahi sab manage karti hai.."

Sameer make a cute baby face, "Nanu please ab aap mat chidaao... mein usse sorry bol chuka hun... aur ab toh hum dost bhi hain... pakke wale.." he chuckled on his achievement... a step ahead in new relation...

Nanu laughed and said, "voh darasal jab tu yahaan nahin tha na toh sab vahi sambhalti thi... ek din aayi thi mere paas, gussa karne lagi jab maine Ramdhari ko usase paise lene se mana kiya, toh boli ki Nanu agar Sameer koi kharcha karta toh kya aap mana karate, iska matlab aap mujhe apni beti nahin maanate... bas usi din se maine usse rokna bandh kar diya... ab jo bhi kuchh hai voh hi manage karti hai... bas jab mera man hota hai toh mein usake liye apne paas se kuchh le aata hun.... kai baar kaha ki kam se kam salary toh le le par maani hi nahin... boli yeh office ka kaam voh apne man ke liye karti hai, meri madad ke liye, toh iss baat ke paise kaise le sakti hai.."

Sameer got surprised with this revelation, "par Nanu usake paas kahaan se aate hai itane paise..." he replied, "arey tujhe nahin pata.. voh ek bohot famous writer bhi hain... usse toh best youngest writer ka award bhi mila hai, usake articles newspapers, magazines mein bhi chhapate hai... shayad ussi se saara kharcha chalati hai... bohot swabhimaani ladki hai... mazaal hai mujhse kuchh madad le le, ulta sabki madad karti hai..."

Nanu took a deep breathe said further, "logon ko toh lagta hai ki voh iss bade se ghar mein rah kar maje loot rahi hai, aish kar rahi hai, par sachchai toh yeh hai ki voh toh ulta saara ghar dekhna, mera dhyaan rakhna, office ki saari jimmedari, aur apne writing career ko, sab ek saath sambhalti hai... shuru se hi topper rehne ki aadat abhi tak kaayam hai usaki... padai mein bhi state level topper jo thi voh... pata nahin kaun si jaadu ki chhadi hai usake paas, kaise kar leti hai itna kaam, aur chehre par thakaan ka naamo nishaan nahin..." Sameer got awestruck with her achievements .... after some more regular talks he bid good night to Nanu and left from his room after giving him medicines....

Sameer POV

Mera dil toh pehle hi yeh maanane ko taiyar nahin tha ki itni saaf aur nek dil ladki kisi ka bura soch sakti hai.. ya itni lalachi hogi... usake chehre ki masumiyat hi usaki sachchai ki gawahi deti hai... kaise koi iss masoom par ilzaam laga sakta hai... aur mein.. maine bhi kya kiya.. bina soche samjhe bas logon ki baaton mein aata gaya... kitna dil dukhaya usaka, kitna daanta, kitna rulaya, kitne galat ilzaam lagaye.. aur toh aur salary ka taana bhi diya jo voh leti hi nahin... yahaan tak ki ghar se nikal jaane ke liye bhi kaha... kaise mein yeh sab kar paaya, ek baar bhi nahin socha ki usake dil par kya guzarati hogi... kaise sehti hogi meri badtamijiyan...

Par hairani iss baat ki hai ki voh yeh sab sehti hi kyun hai... aisa kya hai jo iss sab ke baad bhi mujhe aur Nanu ko chhod kar nahin gayi... aakhir hai kaun voh... kabhi kabhi aisa lagta hai jaise sadiyon se jaanata hun usako, jaise mere dil ke bohot kareeb hai voh... usako chhuta hun toh ek apnapan sa lagta hai... Nanu ne bhi kabhi nahin bataya, ki voh kaun hai, kahaan se aayi hai, kyun hai yahaan aur Nanu usse itna pyaar kyun karte hai... uski bhi toh jaise jaan basti hai Nanu mein... par bas ab bohot ho gaya... ab mein sab theek kar ke hi rahunga... mujhe sach pata karna hai ki kyun voh log isake baare mein yeh sab kehte hai... aisa kya hai jo mujhe nahin pata... jiska raaz hai mujhse...

Ab mein voh karunga jo mera dil kehta hai, jo mujhe mehsoos hota hai... ab mein aur kisi ke haathon ki kathputali nahin ban sakta... ab mein sirf apne dil ki sununga aur mera dil toh sirf Naina...."

He smiled on his own thoughts; his feelings raised in his heart for her...