Next morning Naina opens the door of her house to pick up the newspaper. She discovers an aged lady in front of her house, staring Naina doubtfully. Naina finds it weird. She stares back wondering what is the matter. The lady leaves after few moments.

Naina was about to get inside when a vegetable vendor happens to reach in front of her house and asks,

"Madamji sabzi khareedengi aap?"

Naina looks towards him, smiling she nods her head in affirmative.

The vegetable vendor looks towards the house and turns all the more gloomy.

Naina notices him staring at the house. Upon receiving almost the same reaction from him as she received from the woman, she wonders what is the reason behind it. She stares the vegetable vendor with knitted brows.
The vegetable vendor upon noticing her stare smiles apologetically and begins to load the vegetables in the measuring tool after asking Naina her desired amount of vegetables and says,

"Yahan bahar aa jaiye aap."

Naina finds his demand weird. It would take only few more steps for him to reach around Naina's doorstep. But it somehow feels like he is not willing to reach around her house. Ignoring smelling something fishy, Naina walks out of her house.

The moment she steps out she feels as if certain baggage has been lifted up her chest. She could breath freely. She smiles. She walks further towards the vendor.

He every now and then looks towards her house; peeps sometimes. Naina doesn't ask him the reason for his doing so but notices everything. Smiling apologetically again, the vendor tells her the total amount she has to pay.

"Bhaiya aap mehnga laga rahe hain. Sahi-sahi lagaiye.",

bargains Naina.

He doesn't disappoint Naina and reduces the price.

Satisfied by the bargain, Naina smiles at him.

Before leaving, the vendor couldn't help himself from saying,

"Dhyan rakhiyega apna."

This comes as a surprise for Naina, she smiles a little in confusion.

●●●●●

"Naina... Naina...",

calls out Rajveer from their bedroom.

"Aayi.",

says Naina, and walks towards their bedroom carrying a tray with a glass of milk with Bournvita added into it.

"Kya hua? Aap chilla kyun rahe hain?",

asks Naina, whilst placing the tray with the glass placed on it at the side table.

"Tumhe kal maine kaha tha ye shirt press kar dena aaj mujhe important meeting ke kiye jana hai.",

says a pissed of Rajveer.

"Haan to kar to diya tha....",

and before she could complete her line, she turns to find Rajveer's clothes all messed up in blue ink.

"Ye... ye kaise...",

she trails off, shocked.

"Wohi to mujhe janna hai ke ye kaise? Dusri shirt pressed bhi nahi hai. Mujhe late ho raha hai. Press karne baitha to bohot time lagega.",

complains a pissed off Rajveer.

"Aap... aap mujhe bus paanch minute dijiye main ye abhi kar deti hoon.",

says Naina.

Rajveer gets a call and he gets busy in that call.

Naina gets busy in ironing a new shirt whilst constantly thinking about the possibility of messing up of the shirt due to ink.

Rajveer returns after having the call and asks,

"Ho gaya?"

Naina smiles and says,

"Hmm.. li jiye ho gaya."

"Thanks.",

smiles Rajveer and turns to leave when Naina stops him holding his upper arm and says,

"Arey rukiye rukiye doodh pi lijiye jaldi se. Phir thodi der mein chaye bana dungi.",

and she takes her hand to pick up the glass of milk when she gets shocked upon discovering the glass empty of milk. The trace of milk still there all around the glass.

"Ye... ye doodh....",

Naina trails off, shocked.

Rajveer too notices.

"Arey doodh thanda karte karte tum khali glass le ayi aur bhari hui glass wahin kitchen mein chorh ayi kya? Kahan dhyan rehta hai aaj kal tumhara Naina?",

asks Rajveer, smiling a little.

"Chalo koi baat nahi abhi late ho raha hoon jaldi se taiyar ho jata hoon phir nikalta hoon main.",

saying so Rajveer gets busy.

Naina keeps staring at the empty glass out of shock!

Shlok appears in front of her at the entrance of the room and wipes the milk traces from around his upper lips area, staring Naina, a challenging smile stretched on his face.

Naina stares Shlok, shocked.

●●●●●

Naina walks to Shanti in anger, holding her by her upper arm she forces her to look towards her. Shanti knits her brows, shocked.

"Kya chahiye tumhe? Kyun pareshan kar rahe ho tum aur tumhara beta humein?",

asks Naina, frustrated.

"Ye ghar humara hai. Humein nahi pasand ke humare alawa koi bhi yahan rahe.",

says Shanti, staring straight into Naina's eyes.

"To khali kiya kyun ye ghar tum logon ne?",

asks Naina, frustrated, raising her voice.

"Shlok ke saath jo hua... jab main neeche gayi bhaagkar tab bhi Shlok ki saansein chal rahi theen. Turant maine usse hospital mein admit karaya. Din ke baad din beet-te gaye magar Shlok ki tabiyat mein koi sudhar nahi ayi. Usse hosh tak nahi aya. Jitni bhi jama poonji mere paas thi, sub Shlok ke ilaaj mein khatam ho gaye.",

says Shanti, knitting her brows in sadness.

"Akhirkar na Shlok mere paas raha na hi ye ghar.",

Shanti looks around the house in sadness and longing.

Naina feels her pain.

"Magar ab ye ghar humara ho chuka hai Shanti. Tum chaho to yahan reh sakti ho humare saath. Tum... tum reh bhi rahi ho.",

Naina folds her hands in front of Shanti and requests her,

"Magar please... please humein iss tarah tang mat karo."

"Aap log yahan se shanti se chale jaiye. Hum kuch nahi kahenge aapko.",

says Shanti, with new determination in her eyes.

Naina stares her shocked.

"Ye ghar humara hai. Aur hum yahan se kahin nahi jayenge.",

Naina states clearly.

Shanti smiles and challenges Naina,

"Theek hai to ye ghar humara bhi hai. Aur hum bhi yahan se kahin nahi jayenge.",

Shanti too states it clearly.

Naina stares her shocked.

●●●●●

After washing Rajveer's shirt, Naina sits to iron it. The ringing of her mobile phone which is placed at the dining table distracts her. Naina, placing the press vertically - in a standing position, on the shirt goes to receive the call.

A smile of adoration comes on her face upon witnessing Pooja's name.

"Hi Pooja!",

smiles Naina.

"Hi Naina, kaisi hai?",

smiles Pooja from the other end of the call.

"Main theek hoon. Tu bata tu aur Ali kaise hain?",

replies Naina.

"Ahmm... hum... hum theek hain.",

says Pooja.

Naina knits her brows realising the hesitation in Pooja's voice.

"Pooja, sub... theek hai na? Ali aur tere beech mein?",

asks Naina, concerned.

"A... haan-haan Naina. Sub... sub theek hai humare beech.",

replies Pooja, immediately.

"Phir tu itni disturbed kyun sound kar rahi hai?",

asks Naina.

"Bus zara tabiyat theek nahi lag rahi thi.",

says Pooja.

"Tabiyat theek nahi hai? Main aaun kya?",

asks Naina.

"Nahi! Nahi tu yahan mat aaiyo.",

comes Pooja's immediate reply.

Naina's heart skips a beat hearing her reply, more like a warning.

Pooja shuts her eyes tight realising that she must not have said like that.

"Mera... mera matlab hai ke abhi kuch din busy hain hum - Ali aur main, kaam hai thoda. Main bulati hoon tujhe aur Rajveer Sir ko jald hi apne ghar.",

smiles Pooja.

"Ahmm... theek hai...!",

says Naina, hesitantly.

"Aur bata kya chal raha hai?",

asks Naina, mustering courage to share about Shanti and Shlok with Pooja.

Naina gets greeted by silence!

"Pooja?"

"Haan!",

Pooja comes out of her reverie.

"Kya hua? Tu chup kyun ho gayi?",

asks Naina.

"Nai...na agar main... main tujhe kuch kahun to tu mera mazak to nahi udhayegi?",

asks Pooja, hesitantly.

That drags Naina's attention. She understands that something is surely amiss! She understands that Pooja needs her. She gets curious to know what is it that is causing disturbance to Pooja.

"Nahi Pooja. Main mazak kyun udhaungi? Tu bol tujhe kya kehna hai?",

Naina encourages Pooja, talking to her calmly.

"Naina... Naina mujhe lagta hai... mere... mere ghar mein.... koi.... hai!"

And the call ends, all Naina could hear is beep sound.

"Ko...n...!",

"Hello! Hello Pooja.".

Silence!

Naina tries to call her again but nothing happens - no ringing of phone could be heard; no beep could be heard. Silence! Absolutely silence!

Naina's heart throbs inside her chest.

Naina calls Ali.

"Hello Ali.",

says an anxious Naina.

"Ji Nainaji boliye.",

says Ali, calmly.

"Ali Pooja..."

"Pooja ji! Kya hua Pooja ji ko?",

asks an anxious Ali.

"Ali tu please jaldi Pooja ko call kar. Wo mujhse baat kar rahi thi phone par phir achanak chup ho gayi! Koi awaz nahi aa rahi thi.",

says Naina, anxiously.

"Kya?!",

exclaims shocked Ali.

"Kya keh raheen theen wo aapse?",

asks Ali.

"Yahi ke tumhare.... ghar mein koi hai...!",

says Naina, confused.

Ali gets shocked hearing it.

"Jabse hum ghoom kar aaye hain ye sub kuch tabse ho raha hai!",

says an angry Ali.

That skips Naina's heartbeat.

"Ghoo...m... kar...??",

asks Naina, holding her breathing, hoping that whatever she is thinking isn't true.

"Haan Nainaji. Jabse Mussorie se aaye hain tabse Poojaji ajeeb-ajeeb baatein kar rahi hain.",

says Ali, irritated.

"Kya keh rahi hai Pooja?",

asks Naina, suspiciously.

"Ya...hi... ke... unhe koi budhi aurat nazar aa rahi hai, jo Mussorie se unka peecha karti hui yahan tak aa gayi hai.",

shares Ali, pissed off.

"Aur kamal ki baat to ye hai Naina ji ke wo budhi aurat sirf Pooja ji ko hi nazar aati hai!",

Ali shakes his head, dismissing the entire idea of some old lady lingering around their place.

"Hum... hum karte hain unhe call.",

says Ali, getting worried all over again for Pooja.

"Haan dekh zara. Aur jaise hi teri usse baat ho ek baar usse mujhe call karne ke liye kahiyo.",

says Naina.

"Ji theek hai Naina ji.",

Ali quickly ends the call and dials Pooja's number.

...to be continued