"Tumhare peedhi ko mai samajh hi nahi pa raha hu..." Rakesh fumed, pacing in the living room. "Arey tumhe settle hone se itni samasya kyun hai? Jeevan mein thodi si sthirta* aayi nahi ki tum phirse naya toofan khada kar dete ho?"

"Papa isme toofan wali kya baat hai?" Sameer retorted, "mai sirf Naina ke khatir bol raha hu..."

"Lekin woh kar rahi hai na... uska office, uski padhai, uski kahaniyaan... mai sab dekh raha hu..." Rakesh paused, frowning a bit, "uske office se koi shikayat aayi hai uske kaam ke baare mein?"

"Papa, yeh school nahi hai ki koi shikayat kare... Aur Naina ek behtar lekhika hai yeh saabit karne ke liye usse office mein galatiyaan karne ki zaroorat nahi hai... woh har cheez utne hi mehnat aur lagan se karti hai yeh aap bhi jaante hai."

Rakesh didn't find a counter to Sameer's argument. He was right after all. Naina has performed every task given to her with sheer brilliance.

He was certainly mistaken when he assumed that Naina is finding it difficult in the office, when Sameer raised the topic of her articleship a while ago. He thought Naina is making an approach to him through Sameer. But this moment clarified his misconception about his daughter. It was all about Sameer wanting Naina to focus on her writing completely.

"Aur Papa aap yeh kyun nahi samajhte ki yeh baat Naina ke sapno ki hai..." Sameer pleaded, "aapko nahi lagta usse bhi apne sapne poore karna ka utna hi haqq hai?"

He had already delayed telling Papa about it. Naina didn't seem to be in the mood to take it seriously either. But he couldn't stretch it more. On their anniversary in November, he had promised himself to share the burden of responsibilities with Naina. But the fact was he couldn't really execute it as he wanted. Even if he succeeded in easing Naina's tensions out, the financial responsibility was still very much on her. It would be solved only when he starts working as Assistant Director.

A question would often trouble him. Is it really needed for Naina to leave the job to follow her dreams?

It wasn't his mind. It was the society and the 'char log' speaking in his head. It was those people who never dared to choose a different path to walk on in their entire life. It was those people who lived only in the constraints of the box drawn by the society for them and never dared to cross it.

But then he read Naina's articles and short stories again and again. And his belief became only firmer with each passing day.

Naina was meant to be a storyteller... a successful storyteller... and nothing else.

"Haan toh kare na... maine kab mana kiya? Lekin uske liye Naina ko itni achchhi naukri chhodne ki koi awashyakta nahi hai..." Rakesh too fell in the same league.

"Papa—"

"Dekho Sameer, ek toh pehle hi bina kisi anubhav ke tum sab kuchh chhod-chhadkar hero banne yahan chale aaye... abhi tak tumhare hi pair thik se jame nahin hai... aur ab Naina ko bhi mai ussi raaste par dhakelna nahi chahta..."

"Papa aisa kuchh nahi hoga..."

"Maine kaha na... nahi... matlab... nahi..."

"Kya nahi?" Naina appeared from the passage and stopped near the cordless stand.

She was quite lost in her own world that she heard only the last sentence through the open door. Now while looking at the men in front of her– their frowning brows, stiff postures and raging eyes– it only added to her perturbation.

Was there a battle going on between the two? Her breath hitched.

Why do they constantly have to remind her that they can transform into that old 'safari suit' and 'bigdail raeeszada' anytime and pounce on one another just like that?

Her question remained unanswered and she kept on switching her studious gaze between Papa and Sameer.

Rakesh avoided eye-contact and walked to the couch to sit, messing the sofa cover while adjusting the cushion on his back. Sameer took deep breaths to calm himself down, shutting his eyes for a moment and then glancing back at her.

Naina waited for him to utter anything, but he too chose to keep mum. However, she didn't miss his eyes scanning the bags in her hand.

"Ummm... woh... Preeti ke sath shopping karne gayi thi na..." she pasted a grin on her face, avoiding any possible questions coming to her and walking straight to the couch. "Toh Papa aur tumhare liye bhi thodi si shopping kar li."

Taking out a box one by one from the bags, she put them on display for both Sameer and Rakesh.

"Papa, yeh aapke liye..." Naina opened a t-shirt for Rakesh and held it in front of him to match the shoulders of the t-shirt with his.

A smile automatically took place on Rakesh's lips seeing the sparkle in Naina's eyes. Holding the t-shirt in his hand, he observed its colors and patterns. Warmth sought a place in his heart, the usual feeling whenever Naina bought something for him.

Next turn was Sameer's and three shirts were exhibited for him on the table. He lifted a navy blue colored plain shirt and stroked his thumb on its pocket to feel the fabric, it was a fine one. And he discerned how Naina never compromised on the quality of clothes when it comes to him, rather than when she buys for herself.

While Naina was busy putting the kumkum on the newly purchased shirts and blabbering her shopping tales, Sameer felt a stare on him. He raised his eyes to find its source, it was Papa.

Rakesh wasn't only staring at him, he was speaking through his eyes, as if continuing their heated exchange that was left incomplete due to Naina's arrival. Sameer joined the stare competition too, not bowing down simply because Papa was the elder of the house. He wanted to convey he wasn't saying something silly and stupid, but whatever he said had proofs and was valid.

"Tum usse paise kamane ki aazadi chhin rahe ho..." Rakesh accused Sameer through his eyes. "Uske chehre ki khushi sab kuchh bata rahi hai..."

He had these new t-shirts in his hands only because Naina was earning and must have gotten her salary today.

Money gives you confidence and respect. Rakesh knew this. He himself had been through this. When he was being ill-treated at home for not earning, and when he became little acceptable in the house even with bare minimum salary, he had known this very early in his life.

For the longest time, he was against the concept of girls' education and service. But today when Sameer suggested the idea of Naina dropping CA, he found it as if someone was snatching his own freedom of working.

"Nahi Papa," Sameer urged through his eyes in response. "Woh isse kayi guna jyada paise apne kahaniyon se kamayegi... mujhe yaqeen hai..."

How could Papa think that he had a problem with her earning? No....

It was the profession she had chosen to make a living.

But in the end, no words were spoken out loud. The conversation remained incomplete and so did the chance of Sameer to convey what exactly he meant, to get Papa along his side so that they both could convince Naina together.

But he hadn't put his guards down yet.

*****

2nd February 1997

The four occupied tables in the small snacks hotel close to the Sea Queen Society didn't go with the fact that it was a relaxing Sunday afternoon. The tea vessel on the burner kept on refilling while hot and crispy jalebis were taken out from the big kadhai next to it.

So a high table outside the hotel's yard was chosen for the meeting point. Within five minutes, all the five members were assembled, everyone leaving their respective homes with a lie.

Naina and Sameer made an excuse to Papa, of Vanita calling them to the society office for some maintenance issue. Preeti and Tanvi left the house with some blouse pieces in a bag, telling them they need to get it stitched. Aditya left the house on the pretext of meeting a friend.

After Tanvi and Aditya's relationship was revealed to Naina and Preeti yesterday, this urgent meeting was the need of the hour.

Three tea and two coffee were ordered, and people stood around the table, exchanging awkward glances for a minute. But then Sameer took the lead and started pulling the leg of Aditya. Naina and Preeti too then joined in the teasing and the environment was lightened as laughter followed.

Aditya and Tanvi shared how they slowly started developing fondness for each other, finding excuses to meet and then sharing their feelings through letters and gift cards. They were together for almost two years and the information certainly bowled out Naina-Sameer and especially Preeti.

The main problem of going to the next stage was Aditya's no income yet. Naina reiterated how this problem could be solved by Tanvi opting for a job and it started a round of discussion.

First of all Tanvi was asked if she herself was okay with the idea and wanted to work. Everyone smiled when she showed her interest in working. Coming from a family where the girls were not allowed to have much aspirations, she divulged how there was always a small hope that she would get to work just like her brother. She only hoped, but never tried. And it didn't embarrass her in accepting that her hopes had gotten wings after Preeti started her parlour course.

"Lekin, mera ek sawaal Aditya se bhi hai..." Tanvi expressed.

"H.. haan bol na..." Aditya agreed with a nod.

"Aditya, kya tujhe sach mein koi problem nahi hai iss baat se ki mai job karungi aur tu auditions ke liye jayega? Kyunki humne kabhi iss baare mein baat nahi ki."

Aditya frowned a bit and peered at Tanvi. She wasn't simply asking if he was okay with her working or not. No. He could read his girlfriend well. She implied something more than what she just said.

Rather than being okay with his would-be wife working, he was being asked if he was okay with her having an income and him still struggling in the industry.

The last time she had talked about her marriage situation at home, they had a fight. He had asked for more time stating one doesn't become 'settled' in this industry simply by doing one show. That there's much more struggle waiting for him ahead to get frequent work and even more to bring stability in life. They had apologized to one another later, promising they would find a way out of it.

Today, they really had a chance.

"Mai jaanta hu Tanvi hamare samaaj mein abhibhi kaafi aise mard hai jinko apni biwiyon ka kaam karna pasand nahi hai... lekin apan aisa nahi hai..." Aditya smiled a little at the end. "Mai toh khush hu ki mere settle na hone ke baawjood tu mujhse shadi karna chahti hai... mai khush hu ki tujhe yeh vishwas hai ki mai kuchh na kuchh zaroor kar lunga... balki... hum dono milkar kuchh na kuchh kar lenge... yeh vishwas hi mere liye sabse badi baat hai Tanvi..."

The three senior fellows, Naina, Sameer and Preeti exchanged glances with one another, a series of raised eyebrows took place at Aditya's dialogues, followed by smiles and nods.

On the other hand, Tanvi's eyes glistened. Stepping into something as big as marriage wasn't only difficult for her, it was difficult for Aditya too. She was the prime witness of how her brother was questioned about his job security, independent bungalow and cars, before Preeti came into his life. She again had seen how her mother was throwing the grueling questions about the prospective groom's income and the property they owned.

Those people might not be fully wrong at their places. Who wouldn't want the security for their daughter? And that was the major reason she was fearing of revealing her relationship with Aditya at home. But as Aditya said, she trusted him. She had faith in his talent and her love for him. Yes, they would certainly make it together.

"Kya baat hai Aditya!!!" Sameer patted Aditya's back, "tu toh badi achchhi achchhi baatein karta hai... I'm impressed."

Aditya chuckled, realizing there were people in here listening to them. "Nahi yaar Sameer... yeh kehna bahot aasan hai... aur Tanvi, tere liye job dhundhne mein mai khud teri madad karunga... lekin kya hamare gharwalon ko yeh baat manzoor hogi? Ki tu job kare aur mai auditions ke chakkar kaat'ta rahu?"

The smiles on everyone's face dwindled. The question put forth by Aditya was valid and deserved attention.

"Haan lekin tumhe bhi kaam milta rahega na," Preeti commented, "tum itna kyun soch rahe ho?"

Tanvi and Aditya nodded, exhaling deep breaths after realizing they have now people around to support their love story. People who were close to them, who they could bestow trust upon.

Naina and Sameer continued to stare at one another. They knew how this industry functioned.

****

Naina folded her legs and grabbed a cushion on her lap, pushing another to her back. She rested her head on the wall and sighed deeply, allowing her body to finally relax after the hectic day today. She had some pending work in the office to finish, so despite it being Saturday today, she stayed till five and completed what was assigned to her.

A week had passed and it was again packed with office, studies and her short stories, while for Sameer it was full of auditions, and visits to casting coordinators. There was also one visit to AK films which she didn't like the idea of, as his purpose of the visit was to inquire about the vacancy of the Assistant Director position he was told before, and not any audition.

Her dose of B12 injections were finally complete. Sameer was very particular about her medicines and the doses of injections. She once had to listen to a full one-hour lecture from him for ignoring her health. According to him, if she packed vegetable salads and fruits for him, then she too was liable to follow the same diet.

He had asked her to join him for the morning jog too. But it was quite difficult to adjust given her day's schedule and then it also came along with him wanting to buy a jogging suit for her and all that. So it was a straight no. She didn't counter it when Sameer insisted on her for the Suryanamaskar's. He was right. She deserved to take half an hour of the day for herself.

They still hadn't come to terms with the sleeping part much as advise. Their night rendezvous would often spoil the schedule set by Sameer himself. A schedule like close the book by 9:30pm, a heart-to-heart talk for half an hour, and then... well, Naina followed it for 2-3 days, only to satisfy the kid in Sameer. Later she had to make him understand that they can't function on the seconds and minutes of the clock.

It's not easy to alter the moods and emotions like switches. How would they even cherish the present moment if they constantly worry about the time? Sameer had pouted but agreed. They can't lose the essence of being a human, of living life simply, with a bit of discipline and a bit of carefreely.

Nevertheless, results started showing up clearly in these three weeks, as Naina was feeling much better these days. She was active and fresh for the most part of the day. The dark circles under her eyes had started fading, the pimples on her cheeks vanished and her skin was back to normal— clean and glowing, also the effect of the skin and hair routine set by Preeti, which included some home-made ubtan and hair-masks.

But was it only because her body received a healthy diet and the necessary vitamin count?

She knew it was a blatant lie. It could be partly physically, but majorly mentally and emotionally. After all, a big mental block from her mind was removed.

She couldn't be more surprised when Sameer told her the interpretation of her dream— her nightmares rather. How couldn't she figure it out herself?

Of course, she couldn't. She was running away from that very thing...

She got more proof in its support as the moment she faced the truth, the moment she realized what was in the darkness when she looked behind while running, she stopped seeing those nightmares.

The answer was crystal clear.

her dreams... no, not the nightmares... but the ones she aspired to become since she was a kid.

Her dream of becoming a writer...

Was it so important to her that it had started haunting her in her sleep?

Wasn't she already writing for the magazine now? Wasn't that enough for her heart and mind to be satisfied about?

Sighh... probably it wasn't.

And Sameer had picked the exact point to convince her why she should focus on her writing fully. It annoys her when Sameer counters her arguments with his street-smart mind and she's left speechless after a point. All this while, when Sameer persuaded her to focus on where her heart belonged, she was left with no further answer... no counter-attack.

Because when he meant she should follow her dreams, he also implied she should drop CA.

Seriously?

She was in this persistent conundrum for a long time, about her heart falling for the kahaniyaan she wanted to tell, and the duties and responsibilities coming towards her as a wife and a daughter. When she had told Sameer to look for articleship, it was in the rage of emotions. When she couldn't put a fullstop to her wandering mind that would think of new concepts and new ideas all the time, rather than looking for avenues that reached the ICAI**.

And how wrong it proved to be when she thought starting her articleship would resolve her dilemma. Fooling her heart and mind didn't produce any yield to stop the drama. It just got worse.

Her body and mind reacted to this sudden change and how!!!

Sameer wanted to take her out of this never-ending race of survival, he wanted her to take control of her life and change its narrative by writing the story of her life herself.

But as easy as it may appear to Sameer, it definitely wasn't for her. Leaving the fixed income to pursue something so volatile? She wasn't a fool to do that.

"Nainaa... yeh kitna saara likha hai tumne?"

Sameer's half-annoyed voice jolted her out from the world of her own and she was back to the present.

She turned to him slightly to pay attention to what he was saying.

Sameer flipped the pages of her notepad, frowning in fear as he counted, he said, "tumhe short story likhni hai Naina. Iss nayika ki zindagi par thesis nahi."

"Areyy yaar..." Naina shut her eyes and massaged her temple, "woh... mujhe soojhte gaya toh mai likhti gayi... toh pata hi nahi chala maine kitna likha hai..." she said grimacing, facepalming herself for over-writing.

Sameer was reviewing the rough copy of the short story she was supposed to submit next week. As per their routine, she handed over her story to him to check, edit and suggest corrections. And his face clearly said there was a lot of re-work to do.

"Woh thik hai Naina, lekin Sulekha ma'am maine jitna kam kiya hai uska bhi aadha karegi..." Sameer marked a few more paragraphs in red.

"Jaanti hu..." Her shoulders slumped and she pouted like a baby.

Shaking his head as he smiled at her small face, Sameer continued to mark the lines that could be filtered. He couldn't stop praising in his mind how wonderfully Naina had portrayed the emotions of the female protagonist, but sadly most of it wouldn't go in the final draft.

"Sameer, mai jab bhi short story likhne baithti hu na, toh mann mein ek dabaav sa rehta hai..."

Sameer stopped reading and by keeping the pen in between the pages, he turned to her. She was speaking while staring somewhere on the wall.

"Tumhe pata hai," she continued, "mere dimaag mein itna kuchh rehta hai likhne ke liye. Uss kahani ki shuruwaat kaise hui, kahan hui... uske kirdaar, unke swabhaav, unke ateet ki kahani... chhote-chhote palon mein unki kya bhawnayein hai, koi cheez karne ke pichhe unka kya maqsad hai, unke chehre ke badalte haav-bhaav... unke roz-marra ki zindagi ki pareshaniyaan... mujhe itna kuchh likhna hota hai lekin mai likh nahi paati... sirf inn shabdon ki maryada ki wajah se... ab tum hi batao... sirf 10,000 shabdon mein mai itna sab kuchh kaise likhu?"

When she gazed at Sameer, she found him smiling at her. Not smiling, he was grinning like an idiot.

"Kya hua? Aise hass kyun rahe ho?" She asked cluelessly. His grin turned only wider. "Sameer... hasna band karo pehle..." She swatted his knee.

He chuckled and turned fully to her, holding her knees and turning her towards him too. She should have actually discerned till now why he was grinning, but Sameer loved her innocence at this moment. He couldn't resist the urge and Naina's cheeks were pulled hard.

"Aaaaaaaaa.... Kya hai?" She shrieked.

Sameer took his time to laugh out loud with his boyish smile, speaking warmly as his laughter subsided, "mai tumhe yahi toh samjhane ki koshish kar raha tha kabse..."

"Ummm... matlab?" Naina uttered a bit skeptically.

"Matlab yeh meri pyari Naina," he clasped her hand in his, "ki tumhe jo likhna hai, jaise likhna hai tum likho... koi pabandi nahi, shabdon ki maryada nahi, kisi ke instructions nahi... tum ek aisi kahani likho jo sirf tumhari hogi, jaise tum batana chahti ho waise... ek badi si kahani..."

"Woh toh mai likh lungi Sameer... lekin usse padhega kaun? Kaha submit karungi usse? aur sabse badi baat... mere paas itna waqt kaha hai?"

"Wahi toh mai kehna chahta hu Naina... tumhare din ka aadhe se jyada waqt tum uss kaam mein de rahi ho jahan tumhara dil bhi nahi lagta..."

"Sameer tum phir se woh baat shuru mat karo... mai iss waqt bilkul bhi jhagde ke mood mein nahi hu..."

"haan mai bhi nahi hu... lekin mai jo bhi keh raha hu uske pichhe ek kaaran hai."

Naina frowned, she waited for him to continue.

"Aise kaafi kam log hote hai Naina jinko bahot pehle se pata hota hai unko zindagi mein karna kya hai... unke ambitions, unke sapne... sab bilkul clear hote hai... aur tum unhi logon mein se ek ho..." he caressed her cheek, "mai bass chahta hu tum apne aap ko ek mauka do... kyunki yahi sahi waqt hai..."

If she could say he was close to convincing her then she wasn't wrong. With every debate that took place between them, with every argument that Sameer adorned with his love and good wishes, her defense points were weakening. He was pushing her only for her good, and she wasn't away from giving up.

Could she really afford it though?

"Kaunse mauke aur sahi waqt ki baat kar rahe ho Sameer? Mai sirf itna jaanti hu ki iss waqt meri job se mujhe mahine ke hazaar rupaye mil rahe hai... aur mere kahaniyon se sirf 240."

"Lekin agar tumhe ek kahani ke liye 1000 rupaye se bhi jyada mile toh?"

"Pagal ho gaye tum? kaunsi patrika mujhe itne jyada paise degi?" She was surprised that he was still smiling at this and something struck her, "ek minute... tum mujhe novel likhne ke liye keh rahe ho?"

"Novel nahi... TV serial..."

"TV serial??"

"Haan... aaj ke time mein television kitna bada madhyam bann gaya hai... kitne naye channels bhi aa rahe hai... tumhe nahi lagta tumhari kahaniyon ko logon tak pahuchane ka yeh sabse behtar zariya hai? Aur mai jaanta hu... yahan tumhe kaamyab hone se koi nahi rok sakta..."

Naina only smiled at Sameer's statement. His proposal was soothing to her ears and pleasing to her heart, taking her into a dream-world in no time, where she was a successful writer of a television show. Where the dialogues written by her were spoken by the hero and the heroine and the entire nation was watching it on television. There was love and wishes pouring in for her, and she was satisfied with her life.

But dreams always do appear beautiful and fascinating to a person. They come from the person's innermost desires hidden in the corner of the heart, they come from what the person lacks in real life and secretly wants. And as quickly she dreamed of receiving applause and praise, she was brought down to the land with the harsh reality of this industry.

She heaved deeply, determined not to get carried away with the glamor this industry brings along. "Sameer, please mujhe aise sapne mat dikhao... mai jaanti yeh duniya kaise kaam karti hai..."

"Tum risk uthane se itna darr kyun rahi ho? Agar tum bhool gayi ho toh mai tumhe yaad dilata hu... tum woh Naina ho jo sirf apne liye hi nahi balki dusro ke liye bhi khadi hoti hai... tum woh Naina ho jisne college mein GS banne ke baad na jaane kitne challenges ko poora kiya, college mein kitne badlaav laaye... Tum woh Naina ho jo na kabhi Sunaina ki dhamkiyon se dari aur na kabhi Principal ma'am ki daant se..."

"Yeh college nahi hai Sameer..." Naina snorted, "yeh asal zindagi hai..."

"Haan, mai maanta hu... lekin... mai hu na tumhare sath..." Sameer scooted closer to Naina, their knees almost collided. He tucked the strand of her hair behind her ear, "Naina, mai waada karta hu mai tumhe woh koi bhi galati karne nahi doonga jo maine ki thi... hum un galatiyon se sirf sikhenge... unhe dohrayenge nahi... I promise."

Naina smiled genuinely for the first time in this conversation as Sameer pinched his throat. His eyes had nothing but faith and sheer love.

The Queen Maker.

If there could be a book on Sameer, Naina would have given this title to it. Her man was determined to make her the Queen the day he committed to her. If Sameer wasn't alongside her in the college when Sunaina and her gang challenged them about the Navratri function or when it was about making a sports team of girls, they were impossible to complete.

She didn't have to know he has committed to her for the lifetime. Then why wouldn't he support her and stand like a pillar behind her when it came to the challenges of life?

Nothing was impossible for her when Sameer stood beside her, hand in hand.

"Mujhe sochne ke liye waqt chahiye..." Naina voiced, "yeh faisla mai jaldbaazi mai nahi lena chahti..."

Sameer nodded half-heartedly. But this was nothing less. He was glad that she was at least giving it a thought.

"Tum corrections khatm karo... mai so rahi hu..." she announced, sliding down to her side of the mattress and turning her back towards him.

Sameer acknowledged her need to be in her own space. He pulled the comforter on her and continued the corrections and editing for Naina's short story. After one hour, when he finished his part of work and switched the lights off, Naina was deep asleep. As he slipped closer to her under the duvet, he pulled her back to his chest, staring at her in the dim light.

Her face mirrored peace. The kind of peace when he says 'mai hu na tumhare sath'.

He kissed on her temple and immersed his hand in the mass of her hair, caressing her scalp to relax her further.

It was completely irrelevant at this moment, but he remembered how Naina had knitted the sweater for him, pouring her warmth and care in it; how she had replied Mamiji saying she would live happily wherever Sameer would take her with him; how she pulled his head on her lap the night when Vishakha left the house after the pagphera rasam; how she had transformed herself into a salesgirl while exhibiting their boutique collection to customers, how she dialled multiple calls to chachaji only so that she could convince him for their Mumbai chapter.

The scattered memories... carrying the same emotions...

Her doing anything in her might to make his life better... her telling him that she would be at the receiving end of all the hardships coming his way, becoming his ardhangini...

"Naina... Mumbai aane ke pehle tumne ek sapna dekha tha... mere hero banne ka... aaj mai ek sapna dekh raha hu... tumhare writer banne ka... aur isse mai poora karke hi rahunga..."

He whispered and kissed her cheek, later finding himself submitting to the day's fatigue.

*****

The rest of the February was quite thought provoking for Sameer, Naina, Rakesh and Preeti. It made them question certain beliefs of the society that passed from generation to generation. It made them question their own beliefs, how they imparted those beliefs and mindsets and if there was a scope for any change.

While Preeti was happy for Tanvi for choosing a partner like Aditya, definitely a good boy at heart who would keep Tanvi happy, she was also worried about how the revelation about this relationship would shape up and whether everyone in both the families would agree to the alliance.

Tanvi had taken a promise from her to not disclose it to Shubham yet, and that she herself would tell it to him and her mother. It wasn't easy for Preeti. When Shubham chatted with her about Tanvi on random nights, she was so close to surrendering and divulging everything to her husband. However, the ruckus was meant to happen at home when Tanvi expressed her wish to work one fine night. Nirmalaji had blasted on her, denying it straightaway.

"Sabse pehle tu mhare ko bata ki thare achanak se par kaise nikal aave hai? Kisi ne koi patti toh nahi padha di tanne?"

Nirmalaji had roared, glancing at Preeti in between. Shubham was bewildered too and he questioned how Tanvi wanted to work out of nowhere. Though he asked his questions in a respectful manner, making Tanvi sit down and asking her calmly why she didn't bring this topic before when her graduation was over.

Things had changed for Preeti as well after that night. When her parlor course got completed on the 15th, she had a mixed feeling that day. Since it was a Saturday, Shubham went to receive her in the VLCC Andheri branch and saw her half-hearted smile as she collected her certificate. It unsettled him from within, the smile that he was present there for, was somewhere missing. He confronted her right when they stepped out of the building.

"Arjun bhaiya ki bhasha mein kahu toh... ab tak sirf net practice chal rahi thi jo khatm ho gayi... kyunki mera test match toh ab shuru hoga..."

Shubham chuckled, "kyun? Opposition team se darr gayi?"

"Dari nahi hu... Lekin jahan Tanvi ke naukri karne se mummyji ko itni problem hai, wahan woh mera parlour chalana kaise sweekar karegi?"

"Haan lekin hamein kaunsa pehle ball pe chhakka maarna hai? Humein sirf ek-ek single lena hai aur scoreboard aage badhana hai... Aur waise bhi, Maa ka saamna karna Waqar Younis ki bowling ka saamna karne ke tulna mein kafi aasan hai..."

"Shubhamji, aap yeh sab jo keh rahe hai na... opposition team, saamna, jung ka maidan... mazak ki baat alag hai lekin jinse mai yeh 'ladai' lad rahi hu, woh mere apne hi hai... Aur mujhe apne hi sapno ke liye unse ladna kyun padta hai?"

"Preeti," Shubham grabbed her hand, stroking the back of her palm with his thumb to calm her down, "badlaav ki shuruaat apne hi ghar se ki jaati hai... jis kisi ne bhi usse laane ki koshish ki hai, usse yeh sab sehna hi pada hai... Aur tum chinta kyun karti ho? main hu na tumhare sath?"

Sometimes, some words work like magic, especially when they come from your partner. Preeti had melted into a puddle on Shubham's assurance. He was afterall somewhere right. Human beings aren't wired to 'changes' naturally. Their first reaction to any change is 'resistance'. But it wasn't only about her anymore. It was about Tanvi too. Forget her marriage with Aditya, first of all they had to fight for her job. The women of the house fighting for their rights with another woman of the house.

She recalled again, kya mahilayein hi mahilaon ke dasyatva ka kaaran hoti hai?

Rakesh spent the entire February on thinking about the tiff he had with Sameer earlier. While he was enjoying every single moment of his time working in the Library as the Senior Supervisor, it often struck his mind that somewhere his daughter is spending this time doing her job dutifully and respectfully, but probably not willingly.

Finding an opportunity of Naina's absence, Sameer had again caught him in a conversation. Sameer told him how all this day-long exertion was the reason behind Naina's weakening health and how she wasn't in the happy state of mind in the past few months. This information was enough for Rakesh to find Naina repeating the pattern since she was a kid– falling sick after a mental breakdown.

He recalled how Bela used to inform him about Naina getting down with high fever after crying all night in her mother's memory. How she would have a headache after getting scolded by him if she missed out some marks in tests. How she was burning in high fever and fell unconscious after returning from Mt. Abu.

His daughter had this weird connection in between her mind and body. Today she was a grown up woman. She was digesting the low phases all by herself but her body had to retaliate in some or the other way. He should have known it being her father, if not Sameer.

Sameer's proposition, however, was easy to think of but extremely difficult to execute. Even when he proposed that he was considering working as AD in Aruna Irani's production house. Closing Naina's source of income when their expenses were still very much dependent on her and Rakesh's salary, was a huge risk.

But who was he after all speaking of risks?

Wasn't he the same father who had broken Naina's FD for Arjun's cricket kit? It was a big risk too. Then why not be the risk-taking father when it comes to Naina?

His opinion was slowly changing. When he read Naina's stories again and again, his heart told him she deserved to hold the pen for bringing a change in society and not for writing accounts.

Seeing his daughter carry a beautiful smile while writing her stories, he wasn't far from accepting this new change in his life.

Sameer was almost close to finalizing the offer for the AD. As per his visit to the production house, they needed an AD from March, the dates yet to be revealed. What kept him still 'close' to finalizing was Naina's question to him.

She asked if he's compromising on his dream of becoming a hero, something they left everything in Ahmedabad behind and came to Mumbai for, only for her? Or he too wanted to do this from the bottom of his heart?

She challenged him that she wouldn't be pursuing her dream by making him compromise his, that too by throwing a filmy dialogue at him.

"Mujhe bada banane ki liye tumhe yeh sab tyag-wag karke mahan banne ki zaroorat nahi hai... yaha koi picture nahi chal rahi hai..."

Was she ever wrong?

He introspected himself to find an answer to Naina's question. Wasn't he always curious to know the technical details? Didn't he always try to sneak in director-DOP conversations? Wasn't Aruna Irani right when she pointed that out?

In all this to-and-fro between him and Naina, between him and Papa, in all these hated conversations, a good thing happened to him. He had visited a production house with Aditya and they happened to overhear a conversation between two senior men sitting on their adjacent couch.

"Aajkal ke ladkon ko sirf hero banna hai... abhinay ka ata-pata nahi, sikhne ki chah nahi, bass chale aate hai... aur inhe har baat ko jaldi hai... arey bhai iss kala ke kshetra mein kitna kuchh hai sikhne ke liye... tum direction sikho, editing sikho, lights aur camera work sikho... set designing, costume, make-up, post-production... kya yeh sab kala ka hi ek hissa nahi hai? Yeh sab bhi utna hi mahattvapoorn hai jitna abhinay... phir tumhari kala, tumhare gunn (गुण) tumhe jiss disha mein le jaaye usi mein apna career banao..."

While Aditya was busy reading the magazine, Sameer found it as the moment of enlightenment. He went home with film magazines, covering actor's and director's interviews in it. Aditya helped him in managing video cassettes of recorded interviews from film sets and watched them all on a rented VCR on a Sunday.

He perceived that if anything that a person who's working in this industry needs is patience. Being only in his 20s, he was required to keep multiple routes open and explore this industry, rather than putting blinkers on his mind like the horses. He came to know that Amir Khan too had worked as AD in his uncle's production before Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and many such heroes who spent time in learning the basics of film production before jumping into acting.

His days long research helped him in reaching the final decision. He was ready to work as an Assistant Director willingly, from the bottom of his heart.

It was 1st March already. Naina stood in the balcony to stare at the half moon in the sky. While her heart was again conflicted about taking Sameer's suggestion seriously or not, there was one more addition to her thinking department. It was about Tanvi. The day Preeti told about the chaos going in their house regarding Tanvi's marriage and job, Naina found herself guilty about it. She questioned herself if she could have stayed away from it and not pushed Tanvi into the impending storm.

But there was no point of what ifs now.

Aditya's question that day in the snacks corner hadn't left her side till date. A part of the society was still not ready to accept working women in their homes, then how would they really accept a working woman and a yet-struggling man as partners? The society around was slowly accepting changes and turning progressive. But was it ready to accept this?

Would a man be okay with this fact? Aditya showed his readiness happily, but would his and Tanvi's family be okay with that?

Things were certainly not easy. For a male dominant society where men were taught that they were superior and privileged, was this change acceptable?

She recalled the great Rabindranath Tagore's poem's translated version:

'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high'

Did women of the current times fit in it?

*******

*sthirta= stability

** ICAI = Institute of Chartered Accounts of India

Hey peeps, hope you're doing fine. 🤗How was this chapter?

Let me know your views in the comments.

There's a surprise waiting for you all soon. Can you guess it with the hint of the date? 😅 Let's see.

Please do support in the form of votes and comments. It really motivates me.

A lot of readers have stopped voting n commenting. Aise mat karo yaar... 😭 I put in efforts in bringing the chapters for you. I'd be glad if you reciprocate a little.

Love, 

Mugs 💕