Sameer was so lost in her, that he didn't even notice his friend's gaze on himself.....She looked so delicate and so irresistibly beautiful.....she looked more fragile after her dress was stuck to her body like a second skin....He just wanted to go and kiss her senselessly......Wait no...what is he even thinking.....he can't think like this about her...she's too pure for his intentions and also his dark shadow would destroy her....no he can't...he won't....Thinking this, he suddenly turned and stormed out of the room.....

They all looked back at his retreating figure....Swapree were looking at him all confused, whereas Sidmundit and Avi sighed....they knew what exactly he must be thinking....They still remembered how reluctant Sameer was to be their friend when they first met.....Even when Avi joined school, he took a long time to open up to her......He never stopped any of his friends to meet or talk with other people...but he himself maintained his distance.....But with Naina, he started caring about her instantly......but again he was holding himself back...

Swati: Ise kya hua?

Sid: Jb andhera bahot gehera ho naa...to ujala hone mei zada waqt lgta h......

Preeti: Mtlb?

Avi: Sameer ka dard aur darr bahot puraane h....

Pandit: Haan...aur Naina hi uski life ki light bn skti h....

Munna: Haan.....bs Naina ko Jldi realize ho jaaye....

Sid: Kyunki Sameer ko Naina hi mana skti h....

Preeti: Aur agar vo nii mana to?

Swati: Naina ka dil toot jayega....waise b use lgta h ki...

Preeti held her hand and shook her head....they all witnessed the exchange between the friends.....

Avi: Preeti...bolne de naa....

Pandit: Hum b to dost hain tumhaare......

Preeti: hmm...Naina ko lagta h...she's unlucky.....use lgta h ki uski life Mei kabhi pyaar nii aayega....

Swati: Uske dimaag mei aur dil mei baat baith gyi h...ki use kabhi koi pyaar nii kr skta....

Munna: Aise kyu sochti h vo?

Preeti: Taiji ki wajah se?

Avi: Naina ki mom?

Swati: Nii....Naina aur Preeti ki taiji....Rakesh uncle k bade bhai ki wife.....

Preeti: Jb Naina hone waali thi...taiji ne b conceive kia tha....Lekin Naina k paida hone k time p, she miscarried...aur iska poora blame unhone Naina p daal dia...bahot hungama hua tha ghar p.....Kuchh mahine baad mai hui, to taiji mummy ko bolti ki mujhe Naina se dur rakhe...else even I would die, just like her unborn child.....Rakesh tauji k saamne vo zada kuchh nii bolti thi...but akele Mei hamesha Naina ko pareshaan krti thi...vo bachpan se yahi sb sun k Badi hui h..ki use dad ki poori property ka waaris Pralay hoga...I mean humara cousin....just because she's a girl....

Swati: Naina ne hamesha se yahi sb suna h ki.....vo sundar nii h..unlucky h....she won't be loved by anyone...she doesn't deserves to be loved......Aunty Uncle had always tried to keep her safe...but shyd vo b haar gye....

Preeti: Taiji Tauji always tried to keep her safe..and also mom dad....lekin ye sb baatein Naina k dil Mei bahot deep rooted h......and she never even told them...mujhe aur Swati ko b nii batane dia...aur Taiji Tauji k jaane k baad...un logon ne Naina ko bahot pareshaan kr dia tha...apne hi ghar mei naukaron se b zada buri haalat ho gyi thi.....aur vo log uske hi mom dad k paison p aish krre the...isiliye papa ne hum teenon ko yahan bhej dia.....

Swapree had tears in their eyes....while Avi too hugged them, and all the three girls cried.....The boys too became emotional thinking how similar these two souls were...their pain....their loneliness...everything was so similar....yet so different.....On one hand, Sameer's pain was old...and Naina's wounds were still fresh.....Sid came ahead and held Preeti's hand...

Sid: I promise you...ki mai...as Naina ka bhai..kabhi kisi ko use hurt nii krne dunga.....

Mundit: Hum b....

Sid: Aaj se Naina k teen bade bhai hain...aur apne jija ko to hum mana k rahenge......

Sid held out his hand...

Sid: To bolo re bhai log.....Mission Sameer Naina on?

They all smiled amidst tears and placed their hands on his......

Everyone: Yes....    

Sid: How's the josh?

Everyone: High Sir.....

Saying this, they all started to laugh......in some time, Naina too came back..but now she was shivering.......Preeti and Swati gave her an angry look...to which she responded with a cheeky smile....

Preeti: Lg gyi naa thand?

Naina: Hehehhe...nnn...nii...aacchhhoooo

She started to sneeze continuously.....And Swapreeavi became worried for her.....

Swati: Dekha...isiliye mana krte hain....

Naina: Nii..vo...aacchhhoooo....aacchhhoooo......aacchhhoooo......

Sid: Yrr..lgta h zada sardi lg gyi.....

Munna: Haan...room Mei chalte hain...waise b abhi dinner mei ek ghanta h.....

Avi: Haan...chal Naina....

Naina: aacchhhoooo........aacchhhoooo......aacchhhoooo......

They all took her to the room, whereas boys went to the pharmacy in the school, to get some medicines for her......

Naina was rushed inside the washroom to get a hot shower, which might help her feel better......She came out after 15 mins, but her condition had worsened...she had always been sensitive to cold weather...and the weather in the hilly regions turn more cold after rains....and she had been in the rain for almost half an hour.....

Naina collapsed on the bed like a lifeless person......She was shivering badly.....The girls covered her up with multiple blankets, and then Swati started to dry her hair using a dryer...whereas Avi and Preeti too got dryers to give her shivering body some heat.....But nothing seemed to work....They even increased the temperature of the heater in the room.....but Naina was still shivering badly.....The boys came back in no time with medicines...

Sid: Ye lo...sardi ki dawai... 

Avi: Sid..dekho naa..Naina Kitna shiver krri h....

Munna: Fever to nii aa gaya....

Avi checked her forehead and also her pulse rate...being the daughter of a renowned Dr, and also from biology field...she was aware of such basic things.....

Avi: Nii...but her body have started to warm up....ise bukhaar chadh raa h......

Preeti had tears in her eyes...seeing Naina happy after so long, she didn't have the heart to stop her...and now she's fallen sick...

Preeti: Yrr..sb meri glti h...mujhe ise rokna chahiye tha...mummy ne bola b tha Naina ka dhyaan rakhne....lekin..mai....

Saying this she started crying......she didn't know how to help her sister now....her parents were also not there....

Preeti: Mai..Mai..mummy ko call krti hu....

Swati: Are lekin aunty uncle pareshaan ho jayenge......

Avi: Haan.....hum hain naa....will take care of her.....

Preeti: Hmm....

She agreed half heartedly....all this while, Sameer went to his room directly...and was sitting lost in his thoughts....When a peon came to his room..

Peon:  Aapke ghar se phone h.....

Sameer: Kiska?

Though he already knew, that it would be his Nanu......but still every time he used to ask this, hoping that some day his mother would call.....though he had made up in his mind, that he wouldn't speak with her...and he never did..whenever she called, but still his poor heart could never let go off of his mother...the child inside him still hoped to get the love of a mother......

Peon: Aapke Nana ji ka...

Sameer: Hmm...

Again, all his hopes have shattered......again his mother turned out to be just the disappointment she always was....He was going towards the phone room, when he saw Sidmundit running somewhere...they looked really tensed, and he wanted to go there and ask them the reason, but his Nanu was waiting for him...he thought of asking later and went to speak with his Nanu.....

Sameer: Hello...

Nanu: (cheerfully) Kaisa h mere sher?

Sameer: Achha hu Nanu...aap kaise ho?

Nanu: Ek dum young aur dashing.....Hahahaahha

Sameer chuckled softly......apart from his friends, only his Nanu could make him smile...Nanu never forgets to call Sameer every Sunday.......and Sameer too waited for this call, from the only family he had....

Sameer: Kya Nanu..aap b naa....

Nanu: Abe..mtlb kya h tera? Mai handsome nii hu? Are ladkiyan mrti thi mujh p.....Teri Nani b fan thi meri....

Sameer: Haan...jaanta hu..ki kaise aap Nani k aage peechhe ghumte the....Hahahahhaha

Nanu: Badmaash...Nanu ki taang kheenchta h?

Sameer: Who started?

Nanu: Ok..fine...I give up...naa mai teri Nani se kabhi jeeta....naa tujhse.......

Sameer: Vo to h....

Nanu: Aur tere vo sb dost kaise hain?

Sameer: Sb theek hain Nanu.....

Nanu: Aur vo new..special friend?

Yes...Nanu knew about Naina...on the very first weekend, Nanu had known that something has changed within him..his grandson has started to melt...and this was a good change......and after a lot of pleadings from Nanu, Sameer opened up to him about Naina...

Sameer: Kya Nanu aap b? Papa b hns re the mujhpe.....

Sameer said with a cute pout.......Nanu always knew about Sameer's habit of talking with his father..looking up in the sky...and in reality, Nanu was the one who had inculcated this habit in the initial days of his father's demise.....

Nanu: Are kyu bhai? 

Sameer: Vo maine cigarette chhod di naa...isiliye.....  

Nanu: Are waah...us special friend k liye?

Sameer: Kya Nanu aap b...aap dono se baat nii krunga mai...huh....

Nanu chuckled at his cuteness.....The rude and cold Sameer Maheshwari was still a total kid at heart...Nanu was happy that he could preserve the child in Sameer......he was able to fulfill the promise he had made to his late wife....but he was even sad, seeing his own daughter's behavior towards this pure soul......

Nanu: Are..achha sorry...hum dono ki taraf se...aur tere papa ko to mai daant dunga...tu chinta mt kr......Theek h?

Sameer smiled and nodded cutely, but realized it was not a video call.....

Sameer: Haan...ab theek h......

Nanu: Chal achha ab bata b de..kaise h teri vo nayi dost?

Sameer: Theek h...bs bahot sensitive h......

Nanu: Kyu bhai aisa b kya ho gaya?

Sameer told him everything that happened yesterday and also since morning....And Nanu listened to him intently......Sameer didn't share the thoughts that was bothering him.....He didn't wanted Nanu to take stress......

Nanu: Hmm...waise beta...glt to nii kaha usne...aur tune usse kaise baat ki?

Sameer: Sorry Nanu....

Nanu: It's ok...mai jaanta hu ki mera Sameer kisi ka dil nii dukha skta.....aur beta vo bachchi bahot masoom h....uska dil kabhi mt dukhana....theek h?

Sameer: Jii Nanu...

Nanu: Good..good....Achha vo....

Sameer: Kya hua Nanu?

Nanu: Is baar vacations Mei aayega ghar? Bahot yaad aa rii h yrr teri...... 

Sameer sighed...he loved Nanu a lot.....but still he rarely visited him...because his mother too visited him...during holidays, when she got time from her so-called new family....and Sameer didn't wanted to see her......He had last seen her a couple of years ago...when he had been on a school trip to Nainital, and there some boys have said something to Avi.....She was a new student....but still, had become their friend....

He had thrashed the boys..and while running behind them, he had reached a near a resort, where Vishakha and Vivek had come to meet some of their clients......And when those people started speaking about his upbringing......Vivek too started to point out...and then, Vishakha too supported her new husband...and denied him being her son.....She didn't even say for once, that she's his mother.....Sameer left from there crying.....He left for Ahmedabad, where his Nanu lived......But Vishakha and Vivek were already there complaining about his behavior and how he disgraced his new father's name.....That was the first and last time, Nanu had raised his hand on him....And that's when Sameer told him how his mother had disowned him..and didn't call him her son just to save the reputation of her new husband.....After that incident only, Nanu had officially adopted Sameer........And given him his name...Maheshwari.....

That was the last time he had met his mom.....Next morning after this incident, she had left without even meeting him....Nanu had been very angry on his daughter and also ashamed of his daughter's doings......And since that day, Sameer neither spoke with her or met her....She had once come to Ahmedabad after that with Deepika...and he had returned to Mussoorie even without sparing a glance at her...His reverie was broken by Nanu's voice....

Nanu: Bol naa...aayegaa naa apne Nana se Milne?

Sameer: Hmm..I mean dekhta hu Nanu...

Nanu: Hmm...waise is baar vo log kahin bahar jaa re hain....

Though Nanu didn't wanted to tell and hurt him....He didn't wanted Sameer to feel, that he's so unwanted in his mother's life...but Sameer had lived with this his entire life.....but still he told him, maybe because of that he will come and meet him....

Sameer: Chhodiye naa Nanu...meri family bs aap hain....mai aaunga.....

Nanu: Are waah..ye hui naa baat...dil khush kr dia....jldi aa jaa...intezaar krunga tera.......

 Sameer: Jii Nanu..aapne khana khaya? Aur..aur dawai?

Nanu: Are haan bhai..Ramdhari bana raa h....ab khaunga...tune khaya?

Sameer: Nii Nanu....abhi jaunga...sbko bula k......

Nanu: Chal achha theek h..dhyaan rakhna apna hein?

Sameer: Jii Nanu....

Nanu: Good good.....chal bye 

Sameer: Bye Nanu..and I love you mummy....

Nanu: Hahahahha teri ye bachpan ki aadat nii gyi naa....Love you too mere bachche......

Sameer and Nanu disconnected....where Sameer was happy after talking with his Nanu...Nanu had tears...but he was still happy that Sameer would come soon to meet him.......

After speaking with Nanu...Sameer went back to his room, but Sidmundit were not there...He thought maybe they are in the canteen...but they were not there as well.....He thought of going and checking in the girls' room...but even Naina would be there.....So what? He can't ignore her forever...Sighing he went to the girls' room and was shocked to see the situation there.....

Naina was shivering like anything..and the others were trying to cover her with more and more blankets.....Swapreeavi were trying to give her heat using dryers, whereas Sidmundit were standing with worried expressions...and Preeti was in tears.....

Sameer: Kya ho raa h ye?

They all turned towards him..and Munna explained...

Munna: Yrr...Naina baarish mei bheegi aur chheekne lgi...humein laga sardi h...lekin yre ise to bahot tez fever aa gaya h....

Sameer: (shocked) Kya?

Sid: Haan Naina ko thand jldi lgti h....

Sameer: Aur ye pata hone k baad b tum logon ne ise bheegne dia? Aur Preeti tum to iski behen ho naa....fir b? How could you be so irresponsible?

Sameer was very angry on Preeti's carelessness......and his tone automatically became louder than he wanted to..

Pandit: Bhai shaant ho jaa...aise kyu bol raa h?

Preeti: (crying) Nii Pandit bolne do Sameer ko...mujhe dhyaan rakhna chahiye tha......

Avi: Guys I think we should call the Dr....iska fever badhta jaa raa h yrr.....

Avi said panicking and Sameer rushed towards her...he touched her forehead, which was now burning....

Sameer: Ye to jal rii h...

Sameer didn't wait for another second, and he picked up an almost unconscious Naina along with the blankets and dashed out of the room.....They all followed him...all the students were looking at him with astonished faces...Sunaina being one of them....She was first shocked, but then became more angry and left from there.....

Sameer brought Naina to the same medical room, while Pandit ran and called for the Dr....She came and checked her while everyone except for Preeti was asked to wait outside.....Dr came out informing them,....

Dr: Nothing to worry.....viral hua h..shayad mausam ki wajah se h...she needs proper rest for at least next four days....and I've given the prescription to her sister and will inform the principal and her teachers about the same....Fever is high so keep her warm...and let her rest here for tonight....Or if you want you take her to the room.......

Sameer: Thanks Doc....will take her to her room..she'll be more comfortable there.....

Dr: Sure..just let me give her an injection...usse fever reduce ho jayega...itna tez fever is not good for brain.....

They all nodded and again waited outside......and after about almost an hour, they all were back in the girls' room.......The principal too came to see her...

Principal: Let her take rest..and you girls too can take a leave tomorrow..I know you won't get to rest and need to take care of her....

Girls: Thank you sir...

Principal: No problem...

Sameer: Sir just for two days, can you allow us to come here anytime, so that in case if they need any help?

Even though principal was against the idea of boys visiting girls' hostel at night, he agreed....thinking that may be the girls might need help.......

Principal: Hmm....

Boys: Thank you sir......

The principal left after insuring that everything is fine and he would inform the warden as well as the nutritionist.....and their food will be sent to the room itself.....And in some time, they received their food in the room, along with a bowl of soup for Naina....Meanwhile, Munna too had gotten the medicines from the pharmacy....Naina was still in a semi-conscious state...it was difficult for them to feed her...but even that was necessary...as she had to be given medicines as well.....They didn't know what to do....Naina couldn't sit by herself, and supporting her frame in this condition was impossible for them.......Sameer came forward and he supported Naina by taking her in a side hug...He wrapped his hand against her shoulder and made her sit in a half lying position....They all were looking at him with wide eyes.....

Sameer: Jldi khila do...mai pakadta hu.....

Preeti: Hnn..haaannn......

Preeti fed her a few spoons...and then gave her medicine.....All this while, Naina unknowingly snuggled more and more into him......and her closeness was sending chills down his spine....Sameer made her lie down on the bed, and was about to get up.....but Naina's strong grip on his shirt, didn't let him move away...and she snuggled more into him......She was getting the warmth, she had been seeking for........The warmth of love...warmth of care.....which she got only from her parents......Naina had been continuously mumbling something...though nothing made sense...but one word, that Sameer heard, being closest to her....

Naina: Mumma.....

She found her mother's warmth in his embrace.......He kept looking at her...Preeti came ahead and tried to free him from her grip, but she was not ready to leave him.....

Sid: Preeti rehne de...ummm...Sameer...tu yahin ruk jaa naa?

Sid knew by Sameer's reaction, that he would not wanna leave Naina alone in this condition....And hence he suggested that Sameer stayed back....Sameer looked at him all shocked....though he didn't wanted to leave Naina...still he can't show his vulnerable side to anyone...not even his friends...

Sameer: (loudly) What are you saying Sid?

He got up with a jerk, loosening her grip on him and Naina started sniffing in her sleep.....And moved her hand on the space beside her on the bed......And then curled up..sobbing.....She was not totally aware of her surroundings.....but the missing warmth, what felt like her mother's had gone away from her.....Seeing her sobbing, Sameer and sat next to her, and she again placed her head on his lap.....and cuddled more into him......

Sid: Maan jaa naa bhai please....

Sameer: Lekin agar koi aa gaya to?

Avi: Hum manage kr lenge.......

Everyone: Haan...... 

Sameer sighed and agreed...anyways he wouldn't have been at peace...thinking about Naina......

Hey everyone...surprise weekend update.....hope you all like it...I cannot promise it every week....but Wednesday updates are fixed...I'll try to give in between updates as well...as I've mentioned....and please if you like this story, do vote.....the number of votes on this story are the least...and hence I don't feel like writing long chapters...but I just write for few of you, who actually like this book...so please show some love......and let me know your views in comments......and also take care of yourselves and stay safe....

Any favorite scene?

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Next part soon...✨✨