Library Love
Chapter 2: Wishes Fulfilled

After an impressionable first day, Sameer chose to ditch Munshiji and the car both on second day, and drove his bike to school with Munna and Pandit sitting behind him, and as he parked it he heard a distant sound of two rings of a bicycle bell. It wasn’t unusual, because so many students came on cycle, but he didn’t know why that sound called to him, and he turned to check. Naina was walking along with her cycle, while chatting with two girls, one of whom he recognized as Swati.

As they drew closer Naina again rang her bell twice, and he felt a tug in his heart. Before he could wonder about this new insanity, he heard Swati ask, “kya kar rahi hai Naina?”

The other girl replied, “check kar rahi hogi ke uski cycle ki bell sunke kisike dil ki ghanti bajti hai ke nahi.” Sameer smiled a bit, thinking that the damn bell surely had some connection with his heart, which was total madness.

Swati laughed, “aree Preeti… Naina ki bell sunke bhala kiski ghanti bajegi… Kitaabo ke paas dil thodi na hota hai.”

Sameer scowled on hearing this taunt. What kind of friend Swati was? And finally he also had a face to go with the name Preeti which he had heard so many times yesterday.

Naina rolled her eyes, as usual ignoring the taunt, and said, “kisika dil nahi… meri cycle ki bell atak rahi hai baar baar… wahi check kar rahi hun…”

By now she had drawn parallel to him and his friends, and upon hearing her problem he blurted, “shayad spring atak rahi hogi… main check karu?”

All three girls stopped in surprise, and his friends also glanced at him in curiosity. Swati’s eyes rounded on seeing him, but he ignored her. Naina on the other hand had a faint blush on her cheeks as she shook her head, “koi baat nahi, main ghar jaate waqt dukaan me dikha dungi.”

He frowned, not liking the refusal, and persisted, “zyada waqt nahi lagega… main dekh leta hun.”

Biting her lip she nodded, and he extended his hand to hold the handle bar, noticing how her hand withdrew with just millimeters to spare… Just like that almost collision… so close, yet so far… He rang the bell once, then used a pen to unstick the spring inside, and instructed, “ab nahi atkega… par ghar jaake isme thoda machine oil daal dena… ekdum theek ho jayega.”

“Thank you”, she softly said, smiling up at him, and he grinned, suddenly extremely happy for no reason.

As the girls left he heard Swati say, “yaar… kaash meri cycle kharab hoti.”

And Naina was the voice of reason as she replied, “par tu cycle leke kahan aati hai?”

Sameer chuckled on hearing this exchange, wondering how Naina could be so oblivious. Was she really that innocent? His thoughts however were interrupted by Munna tapping on his back, and querying, “bhai… kya hua hai tujhe? Tu kabse ladkiyo ke cycle theek karne laga… woh bhi iss Maniben ka.”

Sameer rolled his eyes and shrugged, “maine suna uski cycle me problem thi, aur mujhe aata tha theek karna, toh kar diya… usme konsi badi baat hai. Chalo ab andar.”

During the sports period that day, once again he consoled his friends that he would be done soon. As he left for the library he spotted Naina standing near the far end, watching him with sad eyes. But as he looked, she quickly ran away. Why would she be sad? Was it because he was being punished? But then… why would it affect her? It wasn’t like they were friends.

Maybe she is sad because she can’t be in the library today with you.

Ya right… He chuckled, amused at his thoughts. Pankaj scowled at him as he entered inside the library, but he ignored that boy, and tried to focus on the task at hand. The work was still just as boring, and his mind wandered to the previous day as he reminisced how Naina had stopped his friends, and her reasoning. How had she understood that he won’t like it if his friends were punished because of him? She had been so thoughtful and well… helpful as well. And he couldn’t deny… The task seemed to be better when she was here instead of Pankaj. Plus watching her he also learnt that he could be quicker if he logged 2-3 books together and then arranged them rather than doing it individually.

Ten minutes into the period, he heard Lochan sir instructing the peon to call Naina. He saw Pankaj smile, and keep the book in his hands back on the table. But his own face had split in a grin as he thought that now he won’t be bored for the remaining time. Naina might be a teacher’s pet and not-so-good looking, but the one thing she was not was boring. On the contrary she had managed to intrigue him from the time they had that almost collision in corridor. The way she had looked at him… As if she was trying to figure out a puzzle, as if she was looking at something extremely precious, as if she could stare at him for hours without getting tired. That shining deep gaze had intrigued him so much that he had actually thought twice if it was worth running after Pankaj or he should stay back for her… But then the taunt about his mother had rung in his ears and he had sped after Pankaj.

Naina arrived soon, and she was panting a bit as if she had run there all the way from the grounds. Had she? Why? And he could see that she didn’t look sad anymore. Her eyes shone, and she seemed to be controlling a smile as she listened to Lochan sir’s instructions. Did that mean his thinking was right? Had she been sad because she couldn’t be in library with him? Was she interested in him? God… What was he thinking? And why was he thinking? This was insanity…

As soon as Lochan sir left, Pankaj made a mocking sound, and walked out of the library. And once again, Naina silently started to help him. He watched her quite content with the silence as they kept arranging the books. Five minutes later, he saw Naina quickly pick up a story book like yesterday and sit down. He waited, and surely enough in less than a minute the man in safari suit, this time also dark grey in color, walked inside and glared at him. And this time too he wondered what had he done.

The man glanced at Naina, “aaj bhi tumhe bitha diya yahan?”

Naina nodded, and the man muttered something about laziness of teachers, then looked at the book Sameer was holding and rebuked, “aye ameerzaade… yeh kitaab kitni mehengi hai pata hai? Tum isko aise modke pakad rahe ho… Fatt gai toh kaun laake dega naya, tumhare papa, ya tumhare ameer Nana?

Sameer straightened the book immediately, but his grip was so tight that his knuckles turned white. Anger made him see red, the taunt about father cutting through his senses. Thankfully the man left, and Sameer threw the book on table, “kaisa aadmi hai… khadoos kahinka… Jab jaanta nahi hai mere parivaar ke baare me toh unko beech me laaneki kya zaroorat hai.”

Naina wondered about the sudden anger, and carefully picked up the book he had dropped. He watched her smooth out the cover, then log it, and keep it on shelf. Some of his anger dissipated on seeing her routine, and he asked, “tumko hamesha kaise pata chal jaata hai ke woh khadoos aa raha hai?”

Naina replied without looking at him, “unke joote ki awaz se… Ghar pe aate hai tab bhi aisi hi awaaz hoti hai.”

Puzzled he queried, “ghar pe?”

She looked at him, smiled, and said, “haan… Rakesh sir mere papa hai.”

Sameer gaped at her, his mouth falling open in shock… Her father? Oh God… And he had termed him as khadoos. Dammit. What if she tells him? As she continued to work, he quickly racked his brain for a way to pacify her and also change the topic. Thinking for a moment, he said, “waise… thank you… uss din principal sir ke saamne itni smartly meri help karne ke liye.”

“Maine toh sirf wahi bola jo sach hai”, she offered with a shrug.

He had a thoughtful expression as he mused aloud, “mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha ke tumne mujhe Pankaj ke saath jhagadte hue dekha tha. Meri nazar toh tumpe padi hi nahi.”

Her head snapped up, but as she looked at him she realized that he was occupied with his task, and not paying any attention to her. She had a sad smile on her face, as she uttered almost inaudibly, “zaahir si baat hai.”

He didn’t hear what she said, but turned to her, frowning, “Naina… meri madad karne ke wajah se agar tum mushkil me pad gai toh? Mera matlab… agar woh ladke tumhe pareshan kare toh? Woh log achche nahi hai.”

She ignored his questions, and asked him instead, “tumhe kaise pata woh log achche nahi hai? Lade kyun tum unse?”

He bit his lip, ruffling the papers of a book, hesitating, but then confided, “unn logo ne mujhe meri mummy ke baare me taana maara… achcha nahi tha jo bhi bola… isiliye mujhse gussa control nahi hua.”

She nodded, noticing the mixture of anger and sadness in his eyes, and quickly diverted the topic, “mujhe farq nahi padta agar woh log mujhe pareshan karte hai toh… Waise bhi, sab log hi toh teacher ki chamchi, maniben, behenji, aur pata nahi kitne naam se bulate hai… zyada se zyada woh log koi naya naam rakh denge… mujhe aadat ho gai hai.”

The way she frankly acknowledged the constant teasing she faced, and the matter-of-fact tone she used while rephrasing those insulting terms, surprised him, made him curious. He opened his mouth to ask if this teasing didn’t bother her, but just then the bell rung. Naina sighed, closing the register, “aaj ke liye itna hi… bye.”

She didn’t wait for him to reply, but he quickly pushed a carton aside and followed her. From an onlooker’s perspective, it was just like yesterday when she was following him to the principal’s cabin. While she had been dreamy eyed, staring at him with love, he had a curious expression on his face, but his gaze just like hers, never left her as he followed her through the school corridor. She was like a puzzle that he didn’t want to solve, but also couldn’t rest until he solved. Sometimes she would just merge into the background, become non-existent, but the few minutes she spent with him would leave such a mark on his conscious that even when he was alone he would think of her. He couldn’t figure her out… Based on what he had heard he had thought she was one girl in this school who was not interested in boys but only in books, but from the way she had protected him, and then the sadness on seeing him leave for library, and the happiness after coming inside the library made him feel that maybe it was not true… Maybe she was interested… But she always managed to stump him… She wouldn’t stare at him all the time, wouldn’t stammer in-front of him, wouldn’t try to flirt, wouldn’t talk without reason, wouldn’t make excuses to come closer… If she was interested then why didn’t she use all the normal tactics that every girl used? And if she was not interested then why did she save him and help him? Her smartness allured him, her acceptance of the teasing puzzled him, her obliviousness made him smile, and her innocence called out to some hidden protective part of him that even he didn’t know existed. What was she? How could one girl be so different from every girl he had ever met?

Just outside the class she suddenly halted to let someone pass, and Sameer barely missed bumping into her. His breath tickled her ear, and she shivered, quickly turning to look. Her eyes widened on seeing him so close, and her heartbeats picked up pace… He looked down at her, straight into her soft brown eyes… Such big luminous eyes, he thought…

Koi doob gaya toh bahar kaise aayega?

What the hell are you thinking Sameer?

He had no idea what was happening to him or why did he keep getting such weird thoughts about her. But damn… Standing this close to her he wondered why he had thought yesterday that she was not-so-good looking. Her skin was flawless even without an ounce of makeup, her lips were a shade of pink that made him think she had applied gloss but he knew she hadn’t, her hair was oily but it only made him wonder how would she look if she kept it oil-free and open, and her eyes… Good lord… He couldn’t seem to get enough of her eyes.

“Sameer”, she whispered, her eyes shining with something he couldn’t decipher, but the sound of his name from her lips made his heart thud with an unknown emotion.

Just then a loud call of, “oye Sameer”, from Pandit broke their trance. Naina jerked, her cheeks turning a shade of red, and she fled inside the classroom. Sameer sighed, thinking he must be going mad to stand and stare at her like that, and that too right near the classroom door where anyone could see them. Munna and Pandit came outside, throwing curious glances at Naina, who was now being grilled by Swati on what she was doing with Sameer.

A peon came to ask for the class register, and Naina used the set of keys she had received from Shanti teacher after being appointed as monitor, to open the small metal cupboard in the class and gave the register to the peon. Pandit scoffed, “cupboard teacher ka par chaabi Naina ke paas… sach me teacher ki chamchi hai.”

“Chup kar”, Sameer immediately rebuked, “agar woh teacher ki chamchi nahi hoti toh teachers uski baate nahi sunte, aur main kal hi iss school se jaa chuka hota. Principal sir toh poore mood me the mujhe expel karneke, par Naina ne bacha liya.”

His friends were astonished at how he defended Naina, and Munna queried, “yaar… usne tujhe bewajah sazaa dilwai, library me itni mehnat karva rahi hai, hume bhi teri madad ke liye aane nahi diya, aur tu usiki vaqalat kar raha hai… chakkar kya hai?”

Sameer thought about his strange reactions to her for a moment, and then sighed, “chakkar kuch nahi hai… bas jo sahi hai woh bol raha hun. Sazaa bewajah nahi hai… ladaa toh main tha hi na. Aur main jaanta hun usne tumhe andar nahi aane diya par usne theek kiya. Agar tum log andar aate toh hum masti karte aur kabhi bhi woh librarian ya Lochan sir aa jaate toh hum teeno musibat me padte. Pata nahi kaise… par Naina samajh gai thi ke meri wajah se tum logo ko sazaa milti toh mujhe achcha nahi lagta.”

Pandit patted his back, “bhai… tu theek toh hai na… itne saalo me aaj tak kabhi kisine Naina ke baare me itna achcha nahi bola.”

Sameer’s expressions were a bit puzzled, “pata nahi kyun… woh itni buri nahi hai jitna tum sab log bolte ho. Monitor honeke bawjud woh meri madad kar rahi hai library me, aur mujhse bahot tezz hai woh kaam khatam karne me.”

“Woh toh hogi hi”, Pandit supplied, “saara time library me hi toh rehti hai.”

Sameer pondered that just the thought of such a studious boring girl should have irritated him, but strangely enough Naina only managed to intrigue him, and she was definitely not boring.

**********

Another evening passed and he for the first time enjoyed the delicacies Ahmedabad had to offer. Next day in school, he impulsively looked out for her as soon as he arrived, but she was nowhere to be seen. He frowned, wondering if she was going to skip school today, but then he noticed her cycle. How he recognized it, he didn’t know, but he did, and grinned, immediately asking his friends to go inside. However she wasn’t inside the class as well. He had no idea why he was feeling so agitated, but he just felt like seeing her once. And so he went outside on the pretext of drinking water, but still he couldn’t find her, and finally he did end up near the water taps to drink. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a flash of pink, and his heart thumped of some reason. He straightened, and immediately saw Naina walking along with Preeti carrying a bunch of pink chart papers.

His lips curved in a smile, and a moment later he saw her pause as if she heard something or sensed something, and in the next instant she turned, seeming to search her surroundings and her gaze met his. He gulped, feeling the fine hairs on his body stand up, alerting him to some strange connection. And he had this insane urge to smile at her, go and talk to her… Trying to maintain his sanity, he drew his gaze away from her, and focused on drinking more water even though his thirst seemed to be quenched with her sight. Moments later he fled from there, but couldn’t stop himself from standing behind a pillar and sneak a look at her. What he saw left him dumbfounded… Naina had handed over the chart papers to Preeti, and was drinking water… from the same tap which he had drunk from. His legs felt shaky as he tried to figure out what was this that he was witnessing… Illusion… Infatuation… Attraction… Or something more?

The whole day he kept watching her whenever he got any opportunity, trying to figure her out, and waiting for the sports period where he prayed Lochan Sir would once again call Naina to supervise. His friends watching him with curiosity when he smiled as soon as the bell rung indicating the sports period, and Munna asked, “tu itna khush kyun lag raha hai?”

Sameer immediately controlled his expression, “uh… woh… sazaa jaldi khatam ho jayegi na isiliye.”

“Haan yaar”, Pandit whined, “teesra din hai aaj… thoda jaldi kaam karle Sameer, ya uss madad karne wali Naina devi ko hi bolde speed badhaneko.”

Sameer chuckled, “haan… chalta hun.” He turned once to look if Naina was watching him, but she was nowhere to be seen. Sighing he walked over to the library, and halted at the doorway, blinking in surprise on seeing Naina standing inside with the register. Lochan sir nodded at him and Pankaj who had just arrived, and then left.

He turned to look at Pankaj, and smirked, “andar aane wala hai aaj ya yahin se chala jayega?”

Pankaj glared at him, “main tere jaisa bewakuf aur darpok nahi hun jo iss behenji ke khauf se library me kaam karta rahu…”

Sameer pressed his lips to hide his gleeful smile, and inside Naina turned away from him, hiding her happiness. He walked over to her, and for the first time initiated a proper conversation, “hi…”

She glanced at him in surprise, but then slowly replied, “hi… umm… aaj yeh carton se shuru karte hai.”

He nodded, picking up the paper cutter and slashing the tape to open the carton. Removing a couple of books, he studied the name and started writing in register, “pata nahi itne books kaun padhta hai.”

She also pulled out a few books, “students… kitne saalo baad aisi nayi kitaabe aayi hai. Sab hamare trustee sir ke wajah se.”

His brows furrowed, “Nanu ne dilwaye?”

She looked up in confusion, “Nanu?”

“Jayprakash Maheshwari”, he supplied, “iss school ke trustee… mere Nanu hai woh.”

Her eyes widened, “ohh… mujhe nahi pata tha.”

He was puzzled, “really? Iss school me sabko pata hai.”

She shrugged, “main kisise zyada baat nahi karti.”

“Siwaay tumhari uss dost ke”, he rolled his eyes, stuffing two books together on a shelf, “kitni rude hai woh.” Then he looked at her, “uh… rude matlab… badtameez.”

She wondered why he was calling Swati rude but ignored it and chuckled, “mujhe English aati hai.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “umm… mujhe laga…”

“Hindi medium me hun toh English nahi aati hogi”, she completed his sentence, and then gestured around, “tumne dhyan nahi diya shayad… iss library me Hindi aur English dono kitaabe hai.”

He looked around, realizing she was right, and his mouth curved in an appreciative smile, “wow… novels bhi hai. Tum padhti ho?”

She nodded, “haan… mujhe achcha lagta hai.”

Intrigued he asked, “konsi? Romance?”

She paused for a bit, and then cheekily replied, “nahi… murder mysteries.” He was taken aback, and on seeing his expressions, she laughed. He listened to the sound and grinned, thinking that this punishment thing was not bad at all. She checked another book and tried to keep it on the proper shelf but it was so high that she couldn’t reach it even though she stood up on her toes. Sameer saw her struggling, and walked up, “main madad kar deta hun.”

While she still stretched to reach, he reached up to take the book from her hand, and his fingers accidentally brushed against her palm, the split second of touch causing electric sparks through his system. She shuddered, gasping, and then quickly pulled her hand down, lowered her gaze and took two steps back. He also paused with his hand raised; clutching the book tight, his body stiff and he gulped wondering why that small, almost negligible touch felt so significant. What was happening to him? Talking to girls, touching them as friends, shaking hands with them was all normal to him… In Ahmedabad he had understood immediately that the girls were more reserved in many ways, and friendship between girls and boys is not common, but Nainital had a different culture and he had been friendly with girls there. He had no interest in any of them, but shaking hands, or even being playful with them was normal. But here… while some girls flirted blatantly, and some remained reserved, Naina had been on a totally different tangent. In fact today was the first time Naina had talked bit freely with him, and now this touch…

He felt a twinge on his shoulder and realized that he had frozen on the spot. Quickly slipping the book in its place, he drew his hand down, and looked around hoping Naina hadn’t interpreted something wrong and run away. But, he sighed in relief of seeing her occupied with a few more books. However she didn’t look at him, or talk… Guessing that she might be nervous with that accidental touch, he decided to give her space as she seemed to need, and started to work too. The silence between them didn’t feel boring, or disturbing… Usually Sameer only remained quiet when he was playing music, or listening to music… But here in the library it seemed normal to stay silent, and even though he knew Naina was there, he didn’t feel the need of words. The calm surrounding, the ruffling of pages, the scratch of pen on paper as they logged books, the smell of wood varnish and freshly minted books – all of this was new to Sameer yet felt extremely familiar.

Suddenly after ten minutes, Naina huffed as she pushed and empty carton aside and slit open another one, “yeh Pankaj kisi kaam ka nahi hai… Teesra din hai aaj par usne zara bhi mehnat nahi ki. Sab hume karna pad raha hai.”

He chided, “tumne itna dimag lagaya principal ke saamne, par koi fayda nahi hua… Sazaa toh dono ko mili lekin woh bhaag gaya.”

She glanced up at him, “apne karm ke fal se koi bach nahi sakta.”

He frowned, “yeh koi pravachan dene ka time nahi hai Naina… Aur tum kya karogi? Phirse complain karogi? Agar aisa kiya tumne toh woh log tumhe pareshan karenge… Aur ajeeb naam rakhenge tumhara… Tumhe bura nahi lagta jab log tume aise chedte hai?”

She stood up to keep a book and smiled, “nahi… school me toh yeh sab chalta rehta hai… sab masti hai… shayad isiliye hi log bade hoke apne school ke baare me itne pyaar se sochte hai.”

Surprised he asked, “iska matlab tumhe yeh yaad karke khushi hogi ke tumhari school me sab tumhe chedte the?”

She giggled, “nahi… main yaad karungi ke yahi woh jagah hai jahan mujhe meri pehli saheli mili, jahan mujhe nayi cheeze seekhne ko mila, jahan mujhe mauka mila kuch aisa karneka jisse mere papa ko mujhpe garv ho, jahan mujhe itni saari kitaabe mili padhneko, jahan mujhe mera pehla pyaa…”

As she trailed off, he immediately queried, “pehla kya?”

She bit her lip, and she seemed to be blushing, but then she quickly continued, “jahan mujhe mera pehla pyaara sa award mila jo ab tak mere showcase me rakha hua hai.”

He chuckled, turning to his work again, his mind occupied with her words and he couldn’t help but contemplate about the lack of fond memories from his previous school. Could those skating stunts be a memory? Meanwhile Naina let out a breath of relief, and thought, ‘bach gai Naina… warna aaj toh gai thi kaam se… kuch bhi bolne lagti hai.’

Sameer kept arranging the books in order, and compared the Nainital school with this one in Ahmedabad. Apart from the difference in medium of instruction, there were other glaring differences too… That school was grand, this was humble. He had always felt lonely there, while here he had Munna and Pandit. Girls over there were modern and fast, while here they had different ways of flirting. Also… there had been no one like Naina there. He tucked in the last book in his hand, and then looked around, a confused frown on his face.

She noticed it, and asked, “kya dhund rahe ho?”

He glanced at her, “aur books kahan hai?”

She chuckled, “kitne book chahiye tumhe? Khatam ho gaye sab… Yeh last carton tha.”

He stared at her, slightly shocked, and then blinked, slowly asking, “sab khatam? Iska matlab… ab mujhe yahan nahi aana kal se?”

She shook her head in negative, and smiled, thinking he would be happy on hearing this. He returned her smile hesitantly, and twiddled his fingers, wondering why he wasn’t feeling so ecstatic about it. After all he should be happy… His punishment had ended. From tomorrow he could go out with his friends, and play… He could even try to get entry in the cricket team. Then why was he feeling so dull?

Maybe because Naina won’t be there with you when you play cricket.

And there it was… One more irrational thought… He sighed, trying to figure out his lack of excitement. After a minute he had the perfect reasoning, and said aloud, “Pankaj ki galti mujhse zyada thi… Usne aur uske dosto ne mujhe uksaya tha… Par dekho… Saari sazaa toh sirf mujhe mili.”

She kept aside the empty cartons, “maine kaha na… usne jo kiya hai uski sazaa se woh bach nahi sakta.”

He huffed in irritation, “Naina please… agar tum shikayat karneki soch rahi ho toh mat karna… woh achche ladke nahi hai, aur woh tumhe pareshan karenge toh mujhe…”

She turned in surprise as he stopped speaking abruptly. He swallowed, finishing the remaining sentence in his thought, ‘mujhe achcha nahi lagega…’ And then wondered why he was thinking like that. What did it matter to him if someone teased her?

Gently she asked, “tumhe fikar ho rahi hai meri?”

“Nahi”, he immediately denied, and then thinking that she would feel bad, he added, “uh… mera matlab… tumne meri madad ki hai na yahan toh… Aur waise bhi, mujhe nahi lagta ke complain karne se koi fayda hoga.”

She smiled, “mujhe complain karneki zaroorat nahi hogi.” She grabbed a pen, and tapped the register, “yahan aao… sign karo ispe.”

He moved towards her, “yeh kya hai?”

“Register”, she replied, “teen din se isme kitaabo ke naam likh rahe ho, aur roz ispe sign karna hota hai.”

He looked at the book where he had been entering the names; he recalled Lochan sir drawing a line down the center of pages and asking him and Pankaj to write the names as they arrange the books, but he never really paid much attention to the contents. Now he saw that in all three days, Pankaj had barely entered any names, while his list was long… And his column had two different handwritings, one was his and the other… Naina.

Looking up at her, he queried, “tumne bhi mere column me entry ki hai.”

She shrugged, “main tumhari help kar rahi thi… Pankaj ki nahi. Lo sign karo.”

He took the pen from her hand, and signed on all the pages, still bit dazed. As soon as he kept the pen down, the bell rang, and soon Lochan sir came inside followed by the librarian, Rakesh sir.

Naina told Lochan sir that all books were done, and handed over the register. Lochan sir took a look, and queried, “yeh kya… isme toh Pankaj ne kitne kam naam likhe hai… Aur ek din bhi sign nahi kiya. Kahan hai woh?”

She shrugged, “main roz nikalte time sign karwati thi sir… Par pata nahi Pankaj kahan chala jaata tha.”

Rakesh peered into the book and scowled, then glared at Naina, “isme tumhari likhai kyun hai Naina? Tum iss ameerzaade ki madad kar rahi thi?”

Sameer stiffed, but Naina calmly replied, “nahi papa… mera matlab sir… main toh bas kuch books ke naam likh rahi thi, taaki jaldi kaam khatam ho jaaye. Sameer akela itna saara karta toh pura hafte me bhi khatam nahi kar paata.”

Lochan sir nodded, “haan… theek kaha tumne. Tum dono jao abhi, warna agli class shuru ho jayegi. Main Pankaj ke baare me principal sir se baat karunga.”

As Sameer followed her out of the library, he gaped at her, wondering why in the world other students teased her. She was smarter and much more resourceful than half of the school put together. Still astonished at the way she had dealt with the situation, he asked, “tumne apne apne papa se, Lochan sir se, sabse jhooth bola… aisa kyun?”

“Maine jhooth nahi bola”, she replied, “jo bola sach tha… Pankaj mere saamne library se gaya par mujhe wakai nahi pata tha ke woh kahan gaya. Aur rahi baat tumhari madad karneki toh… maine bas aadha sach bola. Waise bhi maine kahin padha hai ke manzil tak pahonchneke kai raaste hote hai, kuch thode sahi kuch thode galat, par sab kuch nazariye ki baat hai. Mujhe nahi lagta ke maine kuch galat kiya, naa tumhari madad karke, aur naa hi aaj aadha sach bolke. Ab mujhe complain karneki zaroorat nahi padegi, aur Pankaj ko sazaa bhi mil jayegi.”

He pondered over her words, amazed at her understanding and intelligence. Just outside their class, he stopped, and said, “Naina… Thank you. Tum saath thi toh sazaa bhi itni buri nahi lagi.”

Her eyes widened, and suddenly she blushed furiously. He opened his mouth to ask what the matter was, but Swati came over and pulled Naina away making him frown. Soon his friends thumped him on his back and it was then that he realized that many of their classmates had overheard what he had told Naina. Damn… So that was why she had blushed.

**********

The next week was quite interesting as Sameer slowly started to grasp more of his curriculum, he also had a chance to flaunt his cricket skills, and he explored Ahmedabad with his friends. Conversation with Naina was extremely limited but he felt happy whenever their eyes met and she would smile at him. Couple of times he even asked for her notes, just as an excuse to talk to her, and he enjoyed a lot when she blushed. Naina’s trick to hide the truth had worked and Pankaj had been punished. Since he was in 12^th, he was suspended from the cricket team for the rest of the term. A new trial was held to select a player, and to no one’s surprise Sameer made it in the final official team. He was overjoyed, especially because Nanu was present on the selection day, and when he looked past his grandfather he saw Naina clapping for him and that somehow increased his happiness even more.

A day before his first interschool match, Sameer spend a good few hours in practice, but still felt restless. There was a strange nervousness inside him, and he wasn’t sure why… He was good, he knew, but maybe it had to do with the mild hostility he faced from Pankaj’s friends, or the fact that he didn’t really fit yet with the team, or maybe because he got to know that the captain was Naina’s brother Arjun who, just like his librarian father, didn’t like him much. Feeing lost; he walked through the school corridors, and somehow to his own surprise ended up in the library. As he moved into an aisle, taking in the familiar smell of wood and book, he muttered to himself, “yahan kya kar raha hai Sameer? Zindagi me kabhi library me apni marzi se ghusa nahi aur aaj yahan aa gaya…”

Just then he heard Naina’s voice, “shayad tum kuch dhund rahe ho.”

He almost jumped in surprise, and looked here and there, but couldn’t see her. Was it his imagination? No… Couldn’t be. He tried to gauge where her voice came from, and pulled a few books from the shelf on right side… Kneeling down he peered through the gap, and saw her standing there, on the other side. His heart thumped, gaze softened on seeing her smile, and he immediately relaxed, the jumpiness inside him miraculously subsiding. He asked, “tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?”

Her smile widened, “library hai… main toh yahin houngi na. Sawaal toh yeh hai ke tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

He frowned, stuffing the books back, and then went around the aisle, leaning a shoulder on the shelf as she watched her searching for a book. As she pulled out a book, he queried, “tum saara time yahan hoti ho… apne papa ki tarah librarian banna hai kya?”

She chuckled, sitting down on a table, and searched through the book, “nahi… librarian toh pakka nahi banna. Main yahan aati hun kyunki mujhe achcha lagta hai… sukoon milta hai yahan pe. Shayad tum bhi wahi dhund rahe ho.”

He blinked in surprise, wondering how she understood that he had been restless. However, he didn’t accept it, and instead said, “main koi sukoon nahi dhund raha… main bas aisai aa gaya.”

She smiled up at him, and then devoted herself to taking notes from the book. He kept watching, noticing how her hair looked less oily, and one thin strand had slipped from her pins and kept sliding down her cheek. It seemed to disturb her as she kept pushing it behind her ear repeatedly, but it adamant kept skimming down her cheek. He inched closer, pulled out a chair at the same table, opposite her, turned it backwards and sat down, “main yahan beth sakta hun.”

She glanced up, once again pushing that errant strand of hair back, “tum beth chuke ho.” He didn’t reply, and she went back to her work. Once again the lack of conversation didn’t disturb him, he was okay to just sit there and watch her study.

Naina didn’t know why he was there, but thought that he had looked tensed when he had arrived. Naturally he wouldn’t share why he was worried, but she guessed it was the match. It had been a week since they had been together in the library, and she missed talking to him. When he had sat down she had felt so happy that it was hard to control her smile. But why wasn’t he saying anything? A quick glance told her that he had fallen asleep with his head on his arms that were crossed on the table. She smiled, and subconsciously lifted her hand to touch his hair… Just a fraction of an inch away she stopped. God… What was she doing? Just because she loved him didn’t mean that she had the freedom to touch him. It’s not like he was her friend or cared for her. He probably didn’t even miss her. But then, why was he here if he didn’t think of her? Why did he sit with her? She had no idea of his thoughts… but if sitting here with her could ease his tension in some way then she was ready to be here for hours. However, after fifteen minutes, she knew their time was up. Her father would be here soon and if he saw Sameer sleeping then he would be in trouble.

She closed her books, and softly called, “Sameer… Sameer utho.”

He didn’t respond. She tried a couple of more times, but then on seeing no response from his side, she gingerly placed her hand on his arm and shook, “Sameer… utho please.”

This time he stirred, murmuring something, and then raised his head, looking at her sleepily. She smiled, “hi… utho chalo… Thodi der me papa aa jayenge. Tumhe aise library me sote hue dekhenge to gussa karenge. Jao yahan se… Aur suno… tension mat lo… Maine tumhe khelte hue dekha hai, kal ka match tum hi jeetoge.”

He blinked at her, at a loss of words, the part of his arm she had touched still burning, and his heart full of some emotions he couldn’t understand. Dazed and astonished, he placed his hand over her palm that was still on his arm. She gasped, looking at his hand covering hers, but then jerked glancing at the door, and urgently whispered, “Sameer… papa aa rahe hai. Please jao.”

He nodded, and quickly stood up, sprinting to the door and hiding behind it. As Rakesh sir entered inside the library, he swiftly slipped outside and walked away. That day, even after he went home, he kept thinking of Naina’s words. How did she know what he was worried about? Why did her words soothe her? There was not just assurance in her voice but also conviction as if she truly believed that he would win.

**********

Next morning, at the grounds, he recalled her words, and smiled at himself as he wondered how her simple words could completely erase his worry. So what if Arjun didn’t like him or Pankaj’s friends bothered him… Naina believed that he would win… How did it matter what she believed or didn’t believe, he had no idea, but he felt good that she was sure he could win today. And so he played… His performance surprised his team, and after he hit the last winning six, they forgot all enmity and enveloped him in a hug and then lifted him on their shoulders. He had done it… Naina was right… He won!

The match had been held in morning, and they had a free period after that and then lunch break. Only the classes after break would be held today. He changed his clothes, freshened up, and then rushed to the library, sure that he would find her there. And surely enough, she was there, at the same place as yesterday, still occupied in some book. He shook his head at her apparent love for library, walked over and sat down just like yesterday.

She looked up as soon as he sat, and smiled, “congratulations.”

“Thank you”, he grinned, “tumne dekha match?”

She nodded, and stared at him for a minute before starting to study again. He checked what was she reading, and saw some chemistry book. Ignoring it, he sat cross armed and watched her, the puzzle he had still not solved. What was it? Did he feel something for her? Why did he like seeing her? Why did her words soothe him and also encouraged him? Why did he want to spend more time with her? He wanted to ask her about herself, her choices, her likes and dislikes… And none of it made sense to him… He had never thought so much about any girl ever… Then why her? Why?

As the time ticked by he knew that the bell for break would ring soon, and then they would have to leave… Once again without any conclusion as to what he felt and why. But then he thought that the urgent questions wasn’t why, but rather how. How could he spend more time with her? That was what he needed to think… He rationalized that if he spent more time with her like he wanted to then definitely he would understand very soon as to why he wanted to spend time with her. And thus he could solve this mystery.

Impulsively, he blurted, “Naina… main iss school me naya hun. Isse pehle convent me padhta tha, English medium. Mujhe hamare books me saari Hindi bhi theek se samajh me nahi aati. Tumhe toh Hindi aur English dono aata hai… kya tum mujhe padhaogi?”

She looked at him in surprise, “kya? Tum padhna chahte ho mere paas? Kyun?”

He shrugged, “aisai… Mere marks kabhi kuch khaas nahi the, par ab Nanu chahte hai ke main theek se padhu… Aur main unki wish puri karna chahta hun.” When she still kept looking at him, he leaned forward slightly, gazing in her eyes, and whispered, “toh…?”

She thought for a moment, then smiled, and nodded, “haan… main padhaungi tumhe.”

“Kab?” He queried, and she replied, “koi bhi free period me ya school ke baad ek ghanta. Yahin library me.”

He grinned, pushing his chair back as the bell for break rang, and stood up, “great… it’s a date!” She sat in shock, staring at him wide-eyed, as he walked out without realizing what he had uttered.

**********

Two years later, inside another library, this time in VJN college, Naina was sitting as usual with a book, and taking notes. And just like school time, Sameer was sitting opposite to her, seeming to think something, and then said, “aisai… Nanu chahte hai main jaau.”

Naina shut the book, and rolled her eyes, irked, “kab tak Nanu ka naam leke apni baate manvate rahoge… seedhe seedhe bolo na kya chahiye.”

He grinned, “okay… theek hai… main tumhe movie dikhane le jaana chahta hun.”

She frowned, “kyun?”

He sighed, “c’mon Naina… tumko pata hai sab kuch phir bhi kyun baar baar yahi sawaal puch rahi ho.”

She stood up, irritated of this repeated conversation with him since the last few months. He never understood what she wanted, and she couldn’t explicitly explain. Frustrated with his dimwittedness, she snapped, “main aisai koi bhi ladke ke saath bina wajah movie dekhne nahi jaa sakti.”

As she turned to leave, he got up, caught her hand and pulled her to him. She gasped at the strong hold of his hand, that she was quite used to now, and her other hand landed on his chest just above his heart. He whispered furiously, “main koi bhi ladka nahi hun… Main Sameer hun.”

Pleased with his anger, she defiantly looked up in his eyes, “toh…?”

His eyes narrowed as he stared at her expressions, and then gave up, “bahot ziddi ho tum… fine… I love you… Ab khush? Kar liya mera plan flop?”

She grinned on finally hearing his confession, “kaisa plan?”

He combed his fingers through his hair, messing them up, and informed, “main tumhe movie ke bahane park me le jaake propose karne wala tha… par tum toh sati savitri ho na… pyaar ka izhaar karne se pehle date pe bhi nahi chalogi… jabki tumko bahot achche se pata tha ke main tumse pyaar karta hun.”

She grinned, reaching up to set his hair back in order like she always did since last one year, “mujhe park se zyada library pasand hai.”

His eyes closed on feeling her touch and he blessed that day in school when he had just pretended to fall asleep and then had been surprised to feel her touch his hair. He had looked up, shocking her, and when she had tried to escape he had caught her hand and said that she was free to touch his hair whenever she wished. Even then, one year ago, they both knew that they loved each other but had never said it aloud. It had taken him only few months since that first cricket match to figure out his feelings, and since then he had tried different methods to check if Naina also felt the same way. And he had known from the way she looked at him, cared for him, the comfort level they shared, that she loved him too. He had touched her hand once more after he had realized she loved him too, to check if she minded… The first time had been accidental, the second time he had been dazed with sleep, but that time had been monumental as he had pretended it to be an accident, and then helplessly blushed himself making her giggle. He had realized she didn’t mind, and since then he had never hesitated to hold her hand whenever they were alone, and it was always in library.

These library sessions were a breather for him, he loved being with her, and she somehow managed to make him study too sticking to the original idea of her teaching him. But with time, they had come to an agreement that half of that time was for studying and half for him to sit and watch her, or for them to talk. He had fulfilled every curiosity of his asking her questions after questions about her life, her preferences. When the exams happened, his grades actually improved and Nanu was extremely happy with him. Sometimes he brought chocolate and pepsi-cola for her, and she would admonish him that library was not for eating, but he would cheekily eat in-front of her knowing she won’t complain about him. Their friends had been curious, but they had never answered any questions, so all they knew was that it was a study arrangement. But they managed to steal enough private time for themselves. When the first Diwali break had happened, he had been sad about not getting to meet her, and she had shyly given him a chit with her number. And so the phone conversations had started. He had been very careful with all the attention he received from other girls, always clarifying as soon as possible that there was no chance. Once Swati had tried to talk to him, but just then Naina had arrived, and he had quickly started talking to her pretending as if he had some problem with Math. After that he always avoided Swati.

On the first day of 12^th Naina had brought tiffin for him, and given it to him in the library. He had made so many loud moaning sounds at the taste that she had laughed hard. They couldn’t go out together, so once they had arranged a specific time for eating pani-puri. Naina had brought Preeti over, and Sameer had strategically taken his friends along, and then acted surprised on finding each other there. However, after a few rounds, when none of other were looking, he had quickly exchanged his and Naina’s dishes. They couldn’t share openly, but they could share like this. He had eaten the next pani-puri all the while staring at her, and she had blushed at this simple act. But then when she had eaten the pani-puri from his dish, his heart had also skipped beats. A friends’ gathering at Kamya’s place to watch Maine Pyaar Kiya movie had turned into a mini date for them, as he had pulled her half-drunk cold-drink bottle from her hands, drank from it, and then offered it back to her. She had accepted, making him grin with happiness. When they had sung along to the title song, he had looked at Naina while singing, “yahi sach hai… shayad… maine pyaar kiya”, and found her staring at him too as she sang along. He still considered that day to be their unofficial love confession.

He had wondered so many times as to what her father would think if he knew that their love story had blossomed in the library he was in-charge of. It had been a fascinating journey, but ever since they had joined college he had started wanting to meet outside, take her on dates… Her father and brother were no longer there and so there was no need to hide their relationship… Even their friends knew, and apart from a small tiff between Naina and Swati that had lasted just two days there had been no major incidents, they all had accepted, even her sister Preeti who had become his partner in crime whenever he wanted to trouble or surprise Naina. But when he had asked Naina out for a date, there had been a major roadblock, because she had indirectly but clearly stated that no such thing was happening before he confessed what he felt. And so he was in the library today, trying to use Nanu’s name to blackmail her and severely failed. But he didn’t regret one moment… It felt so damn good to finally tell her aloud that he loved her… God… He loved her so much…

Her hand moved from his head to his unshaved jaw, which he had realized that she really liked, and he smiled, opening his eyes, “pata nahi tum jaisi padhaku ladki se kaise pyaar ho gaya mujhe.”

She chuckled, “shayad tumhe bhi library pasand aa gaya… Ya phir librarian…”

“Apne papa ki yaad mat dilao”, he muttered, holding both her hands, linking their fingers, “maine jo bola uska jawaab do… Ab tumhari baari hai.”

A faint blush tinged her cheeks, “kya bolu? Tumhe toh sab pata hai…”

He pouted, “tumhe bhi sab pata tha, phir bhi mujhse bulvaya, toh ab tum bhi bolo…” She kept looking at him, silently, and his pout turned to a scowl, he threatened, “Naina agar tumne bola nahi na toh main tumhari aadhi padhi hui novel chori karke chupa dunga… phir dhundti rehna chaar din peechli baar ki tarah…”

This made her laugh and reluctantly he smiled like he always did on hearing the pleasant sound of her laughter. Calming down, she looked at him, her eyes shining with love, as she finally said aloud what she had felt on seeing him for the first time, “I love you Sameer. Jabse tumhe pehli baar dekha hai tabse… Hamesha se…”

He dragged in a breath, his heart filling up with love for her until there was no space for any other emotion, “I love you too Naina… mujhe nahi pata kabse… par ab yeh hamesha ke liye hai.”

She blushed, looking away from him, shivering as his thumbs rubbed the back of her palms. His eyes lit up with mischief, “achcha suno… ab confession toh library me ho gaya… Toh park me kya hoga… Kiss?”

She gasped, pulling her hands back, and picked up a book intending to hit him. He laughed and ran around the table with her in pursuit… But after a minute, he turned and caught her hand, once again pulling her close… She paused, immediately affected by the proximity. He took the book from her nerveless fingers, and kept it on the table, knowing she wouldn’t like if it fell down.

“Naina”, he murmured, staring at her.

She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, reading the silent question in his eyes, and took a deep breath before nodding in agreement. Ecstatic with her acquiescence, he gently wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold until she inched closer resting her head on his chest. A blissful sigh escaped his lips when she too hugged him back. God bless the day he had been punished to work in library… and God bless Pankaj for fighting with him. His Naina wouldn’t have been in his arms or in his life if those events hadn’t taken place all those years ago. “I love you”, he whispered once again, tilting his head to rest his cheek on her hair, content with life, and thinking that library was the perfect place in the world for romance. A wishing feather flew inside through the window, floating in the air for a moment, and then swirling past the couple as if it knew they had no need of it now because all their wishes had been fulfilled as they had found each other.

**********

THE END