January 18, 2000. Ahemdabad

"Kitne baje ka meeting hai?."  "10:30 am ka sir."   "Has she arrived?"  "Her flight must have landed. Aap kahe toh ek baar unhe call car doon?"  "Uski zaroorat nahi hai. It's just 8 am now." "Are you nervous sir?"  "Pata nahi, ajeeb si bechaini ho rahi hai. I hope ki sab acche se ho jaye."    "Sab accha he hoga sir."   "Poornima tum jaanti ho na ki agar yeh deal ho jaye toh sirf unke liye he nahi balki hamare liye bhi bohot beneficial rahega."    "I know sir. Aap chinta mat kijiye sab acche se hojayega."   "Tum jao aur dekho ki meeting ke liye saare arrangements ho gaye hai ki nahi, sare paper works ready ho chuki hai ya nahi."  "Ok sir". As poornima left the man seated on the chair got up and strode to the opposite  wall of his cabin where hung an old man's photo, around which a garland was placed. "Nanu I hope ki yeh merger achhe se ho jaye, I hope ki koi problem na aaye. Pata nahi kyu par aisa lag raha hai ki iss merger ke saath bohot kuch badalne wala hai."

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"Aree tum wahan kyu kaadi, jao jaake aarti ka thal tayar karo. Phone aaya tha uska, abhi pahunchti he hogi. Do saal baad meri beti ghar wapas laut rahi hai. Uski swagat mein koi kaami nahi rahni chahiye." The lady of the house commanded her servant as she was all tensed up with excitement. Just then a car screeched at the entrance of the house and a lady stepped out of it. Dressed in a beige coloured tunic, a denim jeans pant with her long hair wound in a bun. She had worn shades around her eyes and a quilted bag hanging from her arm. Pushing the shades up her hair as she got down the car, she looked at the building that stood in front of her. Nirmal Jyoti Society. The place where she spent her childhood. The place which shaped her into an adult. She looked at the children playing in the playground of the society, remembering the good old days when she used to swing and slide with her cousin and friends. She climbed the steps to the first floor. She proceeded towards a particular flat and rang the bell. As soon as the door opened her eyes turned misty with the sight she was presented. Her chachi was stading with aarti plate in her hand, Preeti, her cousin sister standing behind, her chacha with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes standing beside his wife waiting to welcome his daughter home.

Lighting the camphor, Bela started to circle the plate in front of her daughter. After completing her task, she handing the aarti plate to her maid she spread her arms welcoming her daughter. "Chachiji", Naina said hugging her chachi who was no less than her mother. "Kaisi ho beta?" "Main theek hoon chachi aur aap. "   "Ekdam badhiya, tum aa jo gayi ho."    "Chachaji" saying this Naina proceed to touch her chachaji's feet but he caught her before she could touch his feet. "Itne dinon ke baad mil raha hoon, pehle apni gudiya ko gale laga loon." Hugging his daughter he blessed her "hamesha khush rehna."  "Ahemm", Preeti cleared her throat. "Agar aap dono ka ho gaya ho toh kya main apni behen se mil loon." Naina walked towards her sister and lifted her arms to hug her. Preeti caught her hand and pushed it down and turned her face to the other side. "Itne dinon baad mil rahi ho, baat nahi karogi apni behen se."    "Oh toh tumhe yaad hai ki teri yeh behen abhi bhi zinda hai." "Preeti aise baate math karo na."    "Toh kya karu. Bachpan se hamesha hum saath the, mummy mujhe tumhari pooch bulati thi aur do saal pehle tum apni behen ko chodkar chali gayi Mumbai, ek baar bhi nahi soocha ki mera kya haal hoga."    "Sorry na Preeti. Maaf karde mujhe", Naina said holding her hears and pleading with her eyes. "Maafi", rejected. "Aree aise kase rejected, Sorry", Naina said once again. "Accha theek hai bolo maafi ke badle kya chahiye?"   "Promise."    "Kaisa promise?"   "Promise karo ki mujhe chodkar kabhi nahi jaogi." "Promise baba kabhi nahi jaungi." "Pakka wala?"    "Haan pakka wala." Preeti threw her arms around Naina "I missed you Naina. Tumhe pata hain tumhare bina aisa lag raha tha ki main gaadi chala rahi hoon par uski tyre punctured hai."   "Ab iss tyre main hawa phir se bhar jayega, maina hamesha ke liye aa gayi hoon Ahmedabad, tumhe satane", Naina started tickling her sister and both of them bursted out laughing.

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"Sameer maine saare paper works check kar liya hai sab kuch theek hai." Seeing his friend lost in deep though, he slightly shook him to bring him back to the present. "Tu sun raha hai na ki main kya keh raha hoon." "Haan.... Haan... bolo." "Maine kaha ki maine sare paper works or legal documents check kar liya hai. Tum chaho toh ek baar tum bhi dekh lo." "Nahi Munna mujhe tumpe pura bharosa hai, agar tumne check kar liya hai toh theek he hoga." "Kya baat hai sameer pareshan dikh rahe ho. Mujhe nahi lagta ki tum sirf iss deal ko lekar itne stressed ho, sach batao kya chal raha hai tumhare mann mein." "Pata nahi Munna. Ajeeb sa mehsoos ho raha hai. Aisa lag raha hai ki meri zindagi mein ek bohot bada change aane wala hai." "Haan toh isme ajeeb kya hai. Hamare company ka merger hone jar raha hai, toh yeh ek chooti si change todh na hai." "Nahi Munna main business ki nahi personal life ki baat kar raha hoon. Wasi he bechani hai joh do saal pehle hua tha." "Sameer mujhe lagta hai ki tum bewajah itna stress le rahe ho. Uss baat ko huye do saal ho chuke hai mere bhai, bhool ja usse." "Itni aasan hai kya bhulna. Aaj uski yaad kuch zyaada he aa raha hai." "Dekh sameer dost hone ke nate main tumhe ek salah deta hoon, jitna tum apne past ko pakadkar rakoge na uthna he woh tumhara chain cheen lega. Kam se kam aaj ke din bhool ja woh saare cheezon ko. He nodded his head but still he was internally fighting a battle between his heart and his mind. "Main jaake dekhta hoon ki uss company ki CEO aa gayi hain ya nahi."

After Munna left his cabin, with shivering hands Sameer pulled open the drawer of his desk and took out a frame of a girl who was in her early twenties, dressed in a simple cotton salwar kameez, with no traces of make up, her lips curved in a smile, her eyes twinkled with happiness. She radiated peace and joy, which immediately spread to his heart, making the havoc inside him to subside a little. "Aaj ek bohot important meeting hai mera. Tumhe dekhe bina nahi jaa saktha. All the best nahi bologi." He caressed the frame and placed it back in the drawer once again.

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"Kya?" Kya matlab ki tum hamare saath nahi rahogi. Naina itne dinon baad aayi ho aur itna bada shock de rahi ho. Main kahi jane nahi doongi tumhe." "Par chachi ji..." "Maine kehdiya na bas." "Chachi aap samjhye na yeh mere liye bhi bohot mushkil hain, agar main yahan rahoon toh purani baatein meri peecha nahi chodegi. Chachaji aap samjhayene." "Bela naina theek keh rahi hai. Waise bhi ek he sheher main toh hai Naina, jab chahe mil lena usse. Joh woh karne jaa rahi hai uske liye bohot himat ki zaroorat hai, humme uska saath dena chahiye." "Aur nahi toh kya. Chachi please, bohot mushkil se faisla liya maine ahmedabad aane ka aur agar main yaha rahoon toh aap jaanti hai mere liye aur bhi mushkil hoga. Please chachi. Maan jayeye", Naina looked at her chachi with pleading eyes. "Theek hai, par ek shart par." "Kkaisa shart." "Rooz milogi humse." "Shart manzoor hai", Naina said smiling. "Toh main office ke liya chalun?" "Haan beta," Chachiji reciprocated her smile. "Ek minute Naina mujhe tumse ek zaroori baat karni thi. Zara kamre mein aana, Preeti said going inside the bedroom.

"Are you sure ki tum yeh karna chahti ho." "Haan Preeti I am sure." "Naina ek baar phir se soch lena." "Isme sochne keliye kuch bhi nahi bacha hain Preeti. Main apne past ko bhula kar ek nayi start karna chahti hoon." "Par nayi shuruat ke liye yeh zaroori nahi hai na." "Zaroori hai Preeti, main kamzor nahi hoon aur agar main ab dar kar apna kadam wapas le lungi toh log toh mujhe kamzor he samhenge na." "Log kya socha yeh sab chod do kya tum sach main iss sab ke kiye ready ho." "Haan", Naina said determinded. "Toh phir theek hai. Yaad rakhna ki main Swati aur Pandit hamesha tumhare saath he hain." "Hamesha yaad rakungi."

A baby started to cry and Preeti looked at her son who just woke up from his sleep. "Lagta hai uth gaya. Arun zarra dehon toh kon aaya hai. Tumhari mousi aayi hai tumse milne. Miloge na apne mousi se." Naina lifted the 6 months old baby in her hand and starts to play with him. "Arun ka papa kahan hai, keh do usse ki main naraz hoon, mujhse milne nahi aaya." "Poocho he mat aaj kal Pandit apna kaam mein itna busy ho chukka ha ki usse time he nahi milta, par usne kaha ki sham ko tumhe milne aayega. Office ke baad seedha yahan aa jana raat ko dinner yahi par kar lena, samajh gayi hain na. Giving Arun back to his mother and kissing his plump cheek naina left for her meeting.

Naina sat in the car and looked out of the window as the car drove her towards her destination. She looked at the lanes and streets that she left behind 2 years ago. The road side shops, the food stalls, all the memories came rushing back to her. How much had she missed this place, how she wished to go back to the past and relive those golden days. Wiping of the tears that clouded her vision, she was determined not to allow her past to affect her anymore. She had to be strong, she had to accomplish her dream, she had to build her career, she had to walk on the path of success and her past was nothing but a roadblock to her success and today she will gain victory over her past. The same past which could have stopped her from growing, was now leading a way to a new future. Future where there was no place for any sorrows from the past, no place for any betrayals, no place for emotional weakness and most importantly no place for HIM.........

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"Sir woh aa gayi hai", Poornima came to inform sameer in his cabin. "Chalo Sameer meeting ke liye der ho jayega", Munna said picking uo the folder from the table. "Actually sir, woh chahti hai ki meeting sirf unke aur Sameer Sir ke beech ho", Poornima told about the client's request. "Par aise kaise, humare staff bhi hone chahiye na meeting main." " Munna rehne do, main usse akele he milne jauonga."

Sameer's heart was pounding in his chest, sweat beads formed over his forehead, closing his eyes he took a deep breath. Never has he felt like this for any meeting in his life. He felt the moment he opens the door his life might change. For the good or for the worse, he did not know that. Silently praying to his nanu and remembering one more important soul of his life, he mustered the courage and opened the door. As soon as he stepped into the room, he found a lady standing with her back facing him. Suddenly he felt as if he has wrapped in a familiar scent. Though the person standing in front of him had her back facing him but he could still make out that she was not a stranger, instead she was an important part of his life. No it can't be her, he thought. Taking slow steps he proceeded towards the lady. "Good morning Mr. Sameer Maheshwari." He stood rooted to the ground after he heard that voice. The voice which he was used to hearing. The voice which he yearned to hear for the past two years. The voice that once called his name, full of love but today it lacked its usual warmth, the tone was cold. It was completely devoid of love, or for that matter devoid of any emotion. It was blank. No depth. No life to it. What was this game that his fate was playing with him.... What he thought was a closed chapter revisited him again. Now he realised the reason for his restlessness. He also realised that the change in his life has already started and once again, just like always because of HER....

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I am waiting for your comments guys.... I really really want to know what you all feel about this story. So please do comment, even a word or two will do... Please share your thoughts