Cover credit goes to....one and only... @myrainaworld

NAINA

She is feeling cozy warmth. She snuggled more to her blanket. Its so soft. She cant resist smiling...before she even knows she is stretching her limbs out. Night had been too long and good..

But...last night she slept while sitting next to Naushad! He was massaging her feet..

She jumps out of the bed..Surrounding is not familiar.

Its his room! His bed! His...

Soon the prefix his registers in her mind and she rushes to door...

The hallway is empty so the kitchen is. He in nowhere to be seen. She is still covered under layers of clothes. And seeing the house well lit with sun rays, she can understand its not morning now.

She slept too late! And that too in his bed...his room!

She is afraid of his reaction. But he has suddenly disappeared. Out of the scene right now...

She sits on the dinning table. Taking a glass she fills it with water.

Wondering where Naushad can go this early!

Moreover where is Salma Khala and Saira? A smile adorns her lips the moment she thinks of Saira..That girl has lit her life...like sun now. Suddenly the icy coldness between these walls has decided to leave the path...for her.

She doesn't know whether she should check upon her or not. What if Naushad returned and began his chants and scolding!

But her heart has refused to listen him..She has returned with the unsaid unspoken promise to herself...that she has right on Saira..

She stands up and leaves for her room. Fortunately its not locked.

The girl is lying wrapped in sheets..window curtains are down. Her face is covered under shadows...

She goes and pulls the curtain...Making the rays alive in the room once again.

She then goes to her..sits next to her. Poor girl has lost freshness. Her face has gone dull...and all because of her mistake.

Unknown to her tear drops on her cheek...

Saira opens her eyes...and almost squeals...with joy...

'Aap kab aaye? Humne aapko bahut yaad kiya. Aap aise kaise jaa sakte ho Saira ko chhodkar?'

She is pouting. That cute adorable pout alone can melt stone, Naina is certain of it.
She is unable to form words...and the girl is staring at her with her doe eyes..

She kisses her cheeks..then temple..then eyes...then nose...

Saira giggles..

'Abbu bhi aise hi humko pyaar karte he. Aapko bhi Saira se pyaar he?'

She cant resist now...Her voice choked with emotions...

'Ha..beta..Humko hamari Saira se behad mohbbat he.'

To which she turns her face..and asks..

'To phir aap humko yu chhod kar kyu chali gayi? Abbu ne bhi kych nahi bataya. Saira ko bahut bura laga..Saira aapse naraz he.'

She hugs her lying form...and kisses her hair..

'To phir Saira humko btayengi ki Hum Saira ki ye narazgi kaise door kare?'

Saira has turned her face with a new glistening shine in her eyes...Those diamonds are twinkling...

'Aap ..aap wada kariye humko kabhi aise akele nahi chhodengi! Saira ko Aap behad pasand ho. Saira ke sath koi nahi khelta..Khala ko kaam se fursat nahi aur abbu...Abbu ko hamesha hamari fikra rahti he..Aap wada kariye ki aap hamare sath khelengi. Humko ghumane le jaayengi..'

'Ha...Hum wada karte he. Hum aapki har baat manenge..Lekin...Aapne humko pahle kyu nahi bataya ki ice cream aapko suit nahi karti! Hamari wajah se aapko kitni problem huyi? Aapko pata he hum par kya guzri jab humne hamari Saira ko aise dekha?'

Poor girl makes baby face...

'Wo...Hamara dil kiya tha...Ab Hum aage se aisa bilkul nahi karenge! Wada karte he..'

Naina picks her up in her arms..and holds her close to her heart. This girl is not Naushad' biological daughter only...She is now part of hers too...Even though Naushad is so cold to her, his own daughter has opened all doors for Naina..And Naina' heart cant resist her...

Saira is still in her lap...She is rubbing her back and thinking all of sudden life has taken u turn for her. Not even a day back she was not willing to return here...but today she has no intention of leaving these premises.

Suddenly she feels saira going stiff in her arms...

She looks behind...

Naushad is standing on door...looking intently on her as well as saira. Poor girl is afraid of his reaction..

But before she can retort or even ask him anything, he has left..

She turns to her baby...Saira..giving her her full attention.

'Accha...Ab Ye btayiye aap ki Aapko fresh hona he ya nahi? Breakfast khana he to fresh hona padega...chalo...Utho..'

But girl whines...and Naina smiles seeing her protests .

'Saira ko pani pasand nahi.'

'Accha..to Saira kya pasand he?'

'Dhoop. Aur neend..'

'Nahi..Abhi nahi. Abhi Saira ke fresh hone ka time he..'

And she takes her to bathroom...despite of her cute little protests..

Soon she and Saira are on dinning table..

Saoma khala is coming from kitchen....having glass of milk..

Saira whispers to Naina...

'Saira ko dhoodh bilkul nahi pasand. Aap kaise itna sara dhoodh piyoge?'

'Hume bhi nahi pasand...lekin aapke abbu he na...Unki daant se to behtar he ye dhoodh!'

Both giggles... And the glass is coming closer...

Salma khala puts the glass down...and pats Saira' hair..who is still in Naina' lap.

'Dulhan...wo...Nashta thanda ho gya he. Aap jab tak dhoodh pijiye..hum tab tak nashta  garm kar dete he.'

She protests...

'Rahne dijiye na khala..Hum khud garm kar lenge.'

'Nahi Dulhan. Sahab ka hukm he ki Aapko abhi rasoi me kadam nahi rakhne diya jaaye..Aap yahi baithiye..hum abhi aaye..'

And khala is disappeared leaving Naina cursing Naushad under her breath..

This man indeed has split personality. Two days back he was acting like a mad person...and since yesterday he is behaving so strangely..Naina is unable to understand this change in him.

When she saw him on doors of Saira' room, she was afraid of his reaction. What if he told her to go away and mind her own business. As he had told her earlier not to come out of her so called room! Not to mix up with his daughter...not to give her false hopes as she would leave her one day.

She shakes her head. This man is suffering from insecurities. And like a cherry on top he is so silent and isolated...how can someone even understand him! And make him understand anything....So difficult to handle.

Khala is back with food...

'Aap bhi baithiye na khala.'

'Ji nahi Dulhan. Hamara ho gya..Aap khayiye..Aur Saira ko dawai bhi deni he..laayiye unko hum khila dete he..'

Naina denies..and Saira too...hiding under her traces...She is shaking her head..

'Nahi. Saira ko Aapke hath se nahi khana..'

Naina laughs a little. This girl has adopted her so soon...So soon she has embraced her..even faster than this house..people inside it. Saira has poured her all affection on her...The way she is familiar to her, Naina doubts she would be same to her own mother!

And it clenches her heart. How can someone leave this innocence? Even for the biggest reasonable issue or matter..Naina cant even imagine leaving saira ..How pure she is! How innocent she is! And her heart...How big it is! She has bribed Naina...with her affection. She has poured her emotions on her...And the depth of them is too much for Naina. She is unable to not love her back..

She feeds her..and soon both are done.

Naina then puts saira to sleep as she cant go and play..and get excited all of sudden.

She adores sleeping Saira for too long...

Marriage with Naushad has brought her new and heavenly relation with Saira..She has nothing more to ask for..now.

________________________

Naushad is in his room. Bed is undone..and her slippers are still on the door.

How messy this woman is!

And how she has messed up his life!

If it was not for salma khala' promise, he would not have gone to fetch her back. Only he knows how much he drove yesterday..that too in blistering cold wind..

And where he found her? Alone...near Jhelum...that too dipping her legs in ice cold water...

This woman has no sense either.

He clutches his fist. His ordered life is going random now. And cause is none other than Naina.

She is getting close to Saira...And he has nothing but every kind of objection with it. He kept quiet at the door...despite the fact his mind shouted loudly her to stay away from his jaan...Saira is the only piece left in his heart...which is not broken yet. He cant risk her...neither her happiness..

When their own relation has no meaning, how can she even imagine of forming one with his daughter?

He wants to reiterate that Saira is his daughter. He is to take care of her...but khala' become too cunning all of sudden. She has taken promise from him...to behave with her..and let her do what she wants as what he did with her was totally illogical and boorish. 

Naushad is unable to cope with changes...He is afraid of losing once again.

______________________

She is sitting on swing. Saira is still fast asleep..And Naushad...God knows where he is..They had not talked since last night..

She stares at her feet...they are normal. Cold has gone away. Their colour is back to normal. She wonders how that ice man managed to warm her almost dead feet...Because she doesn't remember anything....What efforts he had to put in making blood supply back to normal in her feet? Did he massaged them whole night?

Only god knows...and Naushad..She has no answer to her queries..

Suddenly she feels someone's presence behind her. She abruptly turns...

Salma khala is standing..

'Aayiye..khala..baithiye na.'

Khala sits on the bench..Her eyes has unsaid emotion in them.....

She looks at her...then begins slowly..

'Shukriya...wapas aane ke liye..Humne Naushad ko bola tha...Ki aapko har keemat par wapas lekar aayein..Lekin humko ye ummed nahi thi ki...

Naina can understand what she is referring..Infact she herself was not in mood to return..to this person..

'Hum aapse Naushad ke rawaiye ke liye maafi maangte he. Unko Saira se behad mohbbat he. Wo unka noor he..Unki jindagi me sirf ek hi khushi he wo. Isliye jab.....

She understands it. Infact She feels guilty. What Little saira went through was her fault too..And she is still sorry for that..

'Jo kuch bhi Naushad ne aapko bola uske piche Unki taqleef aur Saira ko lekar bepannaah mohbbat thi..Unko us waqt sirf Saira maayne rakhti thi...Isliye itna sab bol gaye..

Arwa begum ke jaane ke baad se...wo bahut shant rahne lage he. Unke jazbat ya to wo jante he ya khuda. Unki jindagi Saira ke ird gird ghumti he.....Isliye Saira ko choti si bhi taqleef ho to wo apna aapa kho baithte he...

Dulhan..jo kuch bhi Naushad ne aapse kaha...Aap se guzarish he aap un alfazo ko bhool jayiye...Hum aapse ye ummed rakhte he..Pichli baato ka asar apne aaj par nahi padne dengi..Khuda ne agar ye rishta joda he...to iske piche koi na koi wajah jarur hogi.'

Khala has held her wrists...And indirectly she is asking for something. Something which is not easy to give as she herself is unsure of her equation with Naushad..

But...

Naina nods...and holds her hands..Even though she is still waiting for Naushad to apologise,.she can see clearly...that she can wait for that apology....

In these two days she has known...The person whom she married has one more shade...Which is still hidden to her.

And she is ready to wait for that shade to come out...as she is not going anywhere now..She has all time in world...

...and Saira..

Khala has left....She is still in the swing...moving slowly north then south...watching sun...and waiting for night...as his apology is still pending..

....his massage was not enough..She wants verbal assurance.....of her acceptable presence in this house...