Ajeeb Ladki
Chapter 2: Takraar ya Pyaar?

Never before had Sameer Maheshwari been so excited about a Monday morning. He woke up early, happily anticipating the day… He just had to talk to her… He needed to tell her the turmoil inside him. She would be able to understand and sort it out. He would share his thoughts, whatever he had felt and was feeling, and maybe… maybe she also had the same situation as him… What if she confessed that she had also missed him on that day? What if she said that she was just as excited to see him today?

He rushed through breakfast, surprising Nanu with his hurry, and then hopped on his bike eager to reach school. Her cycle was parked at the usual spot, and he grinned. While on his way to class he spotted Kamya who smiled slyly at him, but he ignored and walked away. She wasn’t there inside class… Probably she had gone to the library… Dumping his bag on his desk he started to go out of the classroom, when at the same time she stepped in, almost colliding with him. He controlled his momentum at the last minute, and so did she, but his hand brushed against hers for a fraction of a second, and that was enough to cause burning sensations race across his body.

Damn… Was it for real?

He wanted to hold her hand and check once again if he felt like that. What was he thinking…? Shaking his head to clear the wayward thoughts, he smiled at her, “hi Naina… main tumhe hi dhund raha tha…” She took a step back from him, avoiding his eyes for some reason. He tried once more, “Naina… mujhe baat karni hai tumse… Kya hua tumko? Tum theek toh ho na?”

She looked at him then, and he was shocked to see her eyes were slightly reddish, as if she had been crying. Automatically he stepped forward, extending his hand out to touch her, concern clouding his expressions. Sounds of giggles stopped him, and he saw Kamya approaching the classroom with her band of girls. He shifted his attention back to the girl that concerned him, “Naina… What’s wrong?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, and then just side-stepped to enter the classroom, leaving him standing there without a word. This wasn’t what he had expected from her… What was the matter? Was she angry on him? But why would she be? He hadn’t done anything… As the teacher arrived he went back to his desk, now glad that it was adjacent to hers, so he could look at her. For the first two periods he kept glancing at her repeatedly, but she didn’t even look at him once… They had fallen into a rhythm of smiling at each other sometimes, but today she sat stoically, her entire focus either on the blackboard or in her book. It was as if he didn’t even exist…

When there was gap after the second period, he tried to gain her attention. As he leaned closer suddenly Kamya called him from the desk behind Naina, “Sameer… trip pe bahot mazaa aaya na?”

He scowled, feeling odd at the way Kamya smiled. Was she up to something? A thump made him look at Naina once again, and he saw she looked furious as she piled books on the desk. Her eyes must be glittering, he thought. “Naina…”, he whispered, hoping she would look at him. But she didn’t… She just muttered, “Lochan sir aa gaye.”

He straightened with a sigh, thinking he would catch her during the break time. However, she ran out of the class as soon as the bell rung, and then he couldn’t find her anywhere. Only when the break was done and the next class started did she come back in class. His frustration grew as each time he tried to talk to her, she kept on ignoring. At the end of the day he slumped on his bike, watching Naina quickly pedal out of the gates on her cycle, along with Preeti. What the hell was wrong with her? She had been angry on him so many times, but never had she avoided him, and her behavior hurt…

Munna patted his back, “yaar… school ki itni ladkiya tujpe marti hai, tere shakal ki tareef karte nahi thakti, tujh jaise handsome aur ameer ladke ki girlfriend banna chahti hai phir tu uss Naina ke peeche kyun apna waqt barbaad kar raha hai?”

Sameer had a sad smile on his face as he replied, “tere sawaal me hi uska jawaab hai…”

Pandit queried, “matlab?”

Sameer started his bike, “Naina meri shakal ya mere paise nahi dekhti… woh mujhe dekhti hai… uske saath main khulke saans le paata hun… tum dono ki gehri dosti ka ehsaas bhi usine dilaaya mujhe, tabhi main tumhe apne baare me sab bata paaya… woh pehli ladki hai jisne mere shakal ki nahi mere emotions ki tareef ki hai…”

As he drove out of the school, Munna and Pandit looked at each other realizing that their friend had fallen in love with the most unexpected girl from school.

Next day was similar to the day before, but Sameer was determined to get her to talk. He didn’t pester her in between the lectures, hoping that would put her at ease, and then he could grab her during break. But once again she went missing during that time… The next period was sports but he couldn’t concentrate at all. Glancing over at the gathered girls he realized that Naina wasn’t there, and he wondered if she was in the library… If she was, then this was the perfect time to talk. He dropped his bat, gave an excuse of headache that he knew his friends saw through, and then dashed inside the school building. As he walked through the corridors to library, his heart skipped beats on noticing a girl walking towards him carrying books in her hand… Naina… Finally…

She was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t notice Sameer until he was there right in-front of her. “Hi”, he breathed. She tried to side-step and leave, but he said, “mujhe chemistry test ke liye tumhari help chahiye.”

Furious, she blurted, “kyun? Kamya ke saath chemistry kam pad rahi hai?”

He stared at her in shock unable to believe what he had heard… Did she… God… Did she somehow get to know that Kamya had proposed him? But how could she? There was no one there… Surely she must have had some misunderstanding.

Naina was also shocked at what she had blurted and quickly tried to flee from there. He was standing occupied in the questions racing through is mind, but as soon as he saw her run away he dashed after her, blocking her way, “what did you say?”

She looked away, her cheeks flushed. He almost smiled, and couldn’t help but tease, “are you jealous?”

She threw him a dirty look and once again tried to move, but he extended his hand out, bracing it against the wall to stop her. Unable to leave, she offered the books to him, “yeh lo… last time… agli baar apni girlfriend ko bolna notes likhne me help karde.”

He didn’t take the books, “main hamesha tumse hi notes lunga.”

Huffing at him, she tried to leave from the other way, but he extended his other hand as well, trapping her in between his arms effectively. “Tumne bataya nahi”, he murmured, staring at her face, “tumhe jalan ho rahi hai?”

She snapped, “jale meri jooti.”

He inched a bit closer, amused when she pushed herself back against the wall, “toh phir gussa kyun ho Naina? Woh bhi itna gussa ke mujhse baat tak nahi kar rahi…”

She was flustered with the proximity. He had never been so close to her. Trying to keep her expressions in control she defiantly stared at him, “tumhe notes chahiye na… main de toh rahi hun… yeh lo aur mujhe jaane do.” When he didn’t say anything, but just kept staring at her, she moved her gaze away, unable to control the slight wobbling of her lips. He understood something was disturbing her, he needed to know what it was; she could scold him as much as he wanted but he couldn’t tolerate her silence and indifferent attitude. Thinking to tease her out of her melancholic mood, he leaned his head closer to her ear, and whispered, “aye chasmish…”

She swiftly turned her head, intending to tell him off for calling her chasmish, however she hadn’t anticipated that he was so close to her… As soon as she turned her head, her lips brushed against his for a second… A very poignant second that caused them both to freeze for a minuscule moment… His eyes widened at the realization of what happened and he jumped back from her… She dropped the books in her hands, her own eyes rounding with shock, and she lifted a trembling hand to her lips… He kept staring at her, his breath suddenly accelerating, that brief second playing in his mind on a loop… As if in a trance, he once more took a step towards her. The shock in her eyes turned to apprehension, she was unable to understand how to react and with a last look at him she fled away.

Sameer stood there, his legs shaky after that… that kiss…? Could it be called a kiss? He knelt on the floor to pick up the books she had dropped. It shouldn’t have happened… He hadn’t meant for it to happen… It was just an accident… But strangely enough he couldn’t regret it. He did, though, regret that this had happened before a proper conversation between them. He still hadn’t been able to share his feelings with her, and he had no idea why she was not talking to him… On top of that, now this incident would only end up complicating things between them. No, he couldn’t let that happen. He had to talk to her anyhow. Grabbing her books to himself, he rushed to the classroom hoping she would be there. Unfortunately, she wasn’t… He had no idea where to look for her… Trailing his fingers on her bag for a few moments, he kept all her books there, except the chemistry notebook which he took for himself. He didn’t really need it, but that would give him an opportunity to talk to her.

Naina came back when classes started but just like the yesterday she strictly avoided looking at him. By the time school ended, she dashed out, not stopping even for a second when he called out to her. Kamya brushed past him, touching his arm in the process, and he quickly stepped back from her, glaring at her… To his astonishment however she giggled and walked away. What was wrong with the girls of this class? One kept giggling and smiling even after he had strictly said no to her proposal, and the other one, the one he actually wanted to talk to was avoiding him. He sighed, thinking the chemistry note would come handy to talk to Naina tomorrow, and he would do it at any cost… If needed he would corner her again at some corridor or even in the library, safari suit be damned.

He spent the evening with Munna and Pandit, tasting the delicacies of Law Garden, and trying to lighten his mood. But, that night he kept tossing and turning around in his bed, the kiss playing in his mind… Maybe it wasn’t a kiss, really… Just an accidental touch of lips… But damn the effect it had on him… He just couldn’t stop thinking about it, about her… He wanted to talk to her, understand if she also felt the same restlessness as him, if she also liked him the way he liked her. Even though he had talked to Naina so much he had never addressed her as friend, but now he felt as if she was so much more… Could he call her girlfriend? No… He couldn’t… At least not until she also accepted that she had similar feelings for him…

Just then there was a knock on the door, and Nanu asked, “Sameer tum agar jaag rahe ho toh main andar aa sakta hun kya?.”

He sat up on bed, “aaiye na Nanu…” As Nanu entered, he turned on the lights and smiled, “kya baat hai?  Aap aaj itni der raat tak jaag rahe hai?”

Nanu smiled, sitting on the bed beside him, “tum bhi toh jaag rahe ho.”

Sameer shrugged, “mujhe kahan jaldi neend aati hai… aapko toh pata hi hai…”

Nanu nodded, “haan… lekin hamesha tum apna walkman leke sote ho, yar guitar baja rahe hote ho… music… Par aaj… naa Walkman hai naa guitar… Baat kya hai?”

“Bas aisai”, Sameer muttered, “kuch aur soch raha tha. Lekin aap kyun jaag rahe hai?”

Nanu handed over a brown cover to him, “yeh photos aaye tumhare… studio wala aaya the dene, kaha ke tumne urgently develop karwaya reel… koi khaas wajah?”

Sameer immediately recalled the kiss from morning and blushed, “uh… kisiko dena tha.”

Nanu smiled, “koi special friend hai kya?”

Sameer was puzzled, “special friend? Woh kya hota hai?”

Nanu laughed, ruffling his grandson’s hair, “koi aisi jo tumhari dost bhi ho, lekin dusre dosto se khaas ho… jisko tum pasand karte ho…”

Sameer eyes widened, and he looked away quickly, “uh… nahi… aisi koi nahi hai…”

Nanu sighed, “photos dekhe maine… kaafi achche hai… yeh patto ki naav banane ka idea kaise aaya tumhe?”

“Naina ne bola tha”, he promptly replied and bit his tongue.

Nanu was silent for a moment, and then softly said, “aaj tumhari Nani ka janamdin hai… Jab woh zinda thi tab har saal main jalebi banaya karta tha uske liye… bas yeh ek hi cheez banana seekha tha… Kyunki tumhari Nani ko pasand tha… Aur uske chehre pe jo chamak aati thi na jab main jalebi banata tha uske liye, woh dekhke mere dil ko sukoon milta tha…”

Sameer was astounded to hear this… His Nanu cooked…? Made jalebis? Just because it was Nani’s birthday, and because he wanted to see her happy… He recalled how he always wanted to see Naina smiling and happy, how he hated when the shine in her eyes dulled, how he had always tried to argue with her and cheer her up. He remembered how he had done everything she had suggested in Modhera just so that he could go back and tell her and see the beaming smile on her face. A small smile curved his lips, and he spoke absentmindedly, “it starts to matter, doesn’t it…? Kisi aur ki khushi aur hasi ki itni fikar hone lagti hai yeh pehle pata nahi tha mujhe…”

Nanu glanced at him in surprise, and then a satisfied smile curved his lips, “haan… aur aaj kisiko khush karne ki besabri tumhare me nazar aa rahi hai… Shayad uska naam Naina hai…?”

Sameer fidgeted, “Nanu… woh… umm…”

Nanu chuckled, “koi baat nahi… jab man ho tab batana… ab so jao.”

As his grandfather stood up to leave, Sameer suddenly stopped him, “Nanu… jalebi banaye?”

Nanu stopped in surprise, “kya?”

“Jalebi”, Sameer repeated, standing up in excitement, “hum dono ko neend nahi aa rahi toh jalebi banate hai… shayad Nani upar se dekhke khush ho jaaye.”

Nanu was amused, “tum yeh sab kabse maanne lage?”

Sameer recalled an earlier conversation and blurted, “Naina kehti hai uski maa aur mere papa taara ban gaye hai… toh maine socha Nani bhi…” He trailed off once more realizing that he had blurted her name… Dammit why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?

Nanu queried, “yeh… Naina… isko bhi jalebi pasand hai kya?”

Sameer rubbed his forehead, since the cat was out of bag now there was no use of denying or pretending. He grinned at his grandfather, “agar abhi jalebi banate hai toh kal pata kar sakta hun…”

Nanu laughed agreeing to the idea. The grandfather-grandson duo spent the next couple of hours making jalebis in the kitchen, ending up quite sticky themselves in the process. Nanu told Sameer about his Nani while they munched on the crispy hot jalebis. Sameer didn’t tell everything, but finally shared the reason of his rustication, and also how Naina had gotten the two boys punished, thus giving him a closure and the courage to share about himself with his friends. It was very late by the time Sameer slept, but this time there was no confusion in his mind… Naina was, as Nanu called, his special friend… And he would get a hold of her tomorrow and talk to her anyhow…

The next morning was similar to his previous days… Naina sitting stiff, only focused on studies, completely ignoring him. By the time break time came, Sameer saw Naina rummaging in her bag for books of next class… Chemistry… He smirked, waiting for her to realize, and asked his friends to go on to the canteen. Students filed out slowly, while Naina kept looking for her book, and only when there was pin-drop silence did she realize that she was alone… or so she thought… A quick sideways glance told her that Sameer was there, and she stiffened recalling that he had asked for her chemistry note. Was it with him? How could she ask?

Suddenly, her notebook fell with a thump on her desk, and his voice sounded low from next to her, “tumhari chemistry ki book.” She sat still, staring at her desk in order to avoid looking at him. Next moment, a steel tiffin box was placed on top of the book, “aur yeh jalebi… tumhare liye.”

She took a deep breath, and then gently pulled out the book from beneath, letting the box fall with a small clink on the desk. In order to avoid any conversation, she slid away from the other side of the desk, and stood up to leave. She had just reached the front of the row, turning towards the door, when his voice stopped her… Or rather it was the pain and disappointment in his voice that stopped her, as he informed, “yeh jalebi maine aur Nanu ne banai thi… kal der raat… Kyunki Nani ka birthday tha aur unhe jalebi bahot pasand thi… Humne tumhare liye bhi banai, socha tumhe achcha lagega. Par tumne…”

Stunned at what she heard, and horrified at her behavior she gasped, finally looking at him. He was still at her desk, his eyes fixed on her… He looked so sad that she couldn’t stop herself from going to him, “Sameer… I am sorry… mujhe nahi pata tha…”

“Tum baat karogi toh pata lagega na Naina”, he interrupted, “why don’t you understand? Iss tarah bhaagne se kuch nahi hoga… Aur kab tak bhagogi?”

She closed her eyes, trying to control herself, “dekho… jalebi wali baat ke liye I am sorry… Uske alawa mujhe tumse koi baat nahi karni.”

He tried arguing, stepping a bit closer, “par kal jo hua…”

This time she interrupted, opening her eyes to glare at him, “kal tumne mujhse notes maange, aur maine tumhe de diye… bas… itna hi hua.”

He softly queried, “aur kuch nahi hua?”

A sarcastic smile curved her lips, “mujhe kya pata… kal shaam jo hua woh toh tumhe pata hona chahiye.” He was puzzled on hearing this, and tried to ask, but she continued talking, “dekho… parso se preparatory leaves shuru ho rahi hai… matlab bas kal ka din hai beech me uske baad hum waise bhi kabhi nahi milenge. Toh baat karneka koi fayda nahi…”

He felt frustrated, “tum itni ajeeb kyun ho Naina…? Kabhi seedhe muh mujhse baat nahi kar sakti kya? Pehle Kamya ko leke gussa hoti ho… uske baad mujhe ignore karti ho… aur kal jab hum dono…”

She hastily interrupts, “please… maine kaha na… main kisi baat pe gussa nahi hun… mujhe bas baat nahi karni kyunki mujhe kuch farq nahi padta… It doesn’t matter… suna tumne?”

He took couple of steps back from her as the rejection settled in, and his voice had an edge of grief as he said, “so… basically you are saying ke kal uss corridor me jo hua usse tumhe koi farq nahi pada… mere paas hone ya naa honese tumhe koi farq nahi padta… toh itni si baat bataneke liye itni akad kyun dikhayi? Seedhe seedhe bol deti ke main pasand nahi hun… bol deti ke tumko mujhme koi interest nahi hai… bol deti ke itne dino ki baate, hasi, fikar sab jhoothi thi…”

Her gaze softened at his words, and she lifted her hand to comfort him unable to bear the pain in his voice. Just then, there were sounds of chatter, and Naina jerked out of her trance… Looking back she saw Kamya enter the classroom with the other girls, and the bell also started to ring indicating that break time was over… The softness in her gaze disappeared, to be replaced by confusion and anger once more, and she sat back on her desk, ignoring Sameer.

He just felt tired at the unreasonable indifference from her, and hurt at the way she had said that he didn’t matter to her. Sighing in defeat he reached out to take the tiffin box from her desk, but the melancholy from his heart lifted a bit on seeing her clutching the box tight as if she was deciding what to do with it. He held his breath, watching her, trying to note the expressions on her face… She had her eyes closed, her hands clenching and unclenching on the box as if there was some turmoil inside her, she bit her lip so hard that he was sure that there would be marks of her teeth on it… Even though she had hurt him, he still wanted to soothe her pain, he wanted to touch her, cup her face, use his thumb to pull her lip out and then trace the marks…with his fingers, with his lips… And then his heart thumped hard, because she slowly opened the lid of the box, took a deep breath and lifted a jalebi out it, biting into the sweet spiral and licked her lips. Once done, she closed the tiffin box and kept it inside her bag. That was the moment he ditched the thought of giving up on her… Yes, she had hurt him with her words, but maybe there was something that was making her speak that way… He had to know what it was… If she hadn’t cared then she wouldn’t have apologized on refusing the sweet, she wouldn’t have tried to touch him, she wouldn’t have eaten the jalebi… She cared, but something was stopping her… He would surely talk to her again, but not today… Let her simmer in her confusion for some time, he would leverage tomorrow’s farewell to put a closure to her indifference and confess his feelings.

Naina was bit puzzled when he didn’t try to talk to her again that day, even though she had tasted the jalebi. Sameer noted how she turned back once to look at him while leaving on her cycle and smiled to himself… She cared… She definitely did… Hopeful at the prospect of resolving everything between them, he spent the rest of the evening at home carefully finishing everything that he needed for next day, he even drafted out what he had to say to her.

Next day there was only a briefing session in morning where they were given instructions about the examination centers. And then there was the farewell function… Students talked to each other, making promises to meet in vacation, excitedly discussing about college already. There was food and music, photographs were being taken, people wrote each other’s names on shirts as memory of school. Sameer saw Naina chattering with Swati and Preeti, but also noted how her eyes kept straying to where he stood with Munna and Pandit. When Kamya came to talk to him, he observed Naina stiffening, and then turning to leave from classroom… Within a minute he excused himself and dashed out, hoping his calculation would be right and she would go towards the library. That place was her favorite, a solace for her, and he had known since many months now that she always took refuge there… However, last few times he hadn’t found her there, but today… today was the last day in school, and she would surely go there…

He ran through a longer route and entered an empty classroom adjoining the library, waiting hidden behind the wall, peeking out… Soon enough he saw Naina walking towards his direction, mumbling something under her breath and wringing her hands. He smiled, mentally patting himself for the right guess. As soon as she was parallel to the door, he grabbed her hand, and pulled her inside. Ignoring her shriek of fear, he tugged her behind the open door, pushing her back until they were both completely hidden.

She gaped at him, her eyes wide, unable to speak. He was captivated for a moment, seeing her big round eyes and all he wanted in that moment was to pull her in a hug… But he couldn’t do that… He had to clear the confusion first. He kept his voice soft, gaze steady but his grip on her hand was firm, “Naina… we need to talk…”

She recovered from her shock when he spoke, and immediately replied as if she had practiced the same line in auto mode, “tumse kitni baar kahu… mujhe tumse koi baat nahi karni.”

While yesterday he was hurt by this, today he was ready… He let go of her hand, gratified when she looked surprised that he had given up… Only if she knew that he hadn’t… He smiled a bit, “chalo koi nai… baat nahi karni toh naa sahi… lekin aaj farewell hai Naina… Tum jaanti ho iska matlab? Aaj ke baad shayad hum kabhi nahi milenge…” Her eyes clouded with distress that lifted his hopes. He kept on reinforcing the implications, “main tumse kabhi notes nahi mangunga… hum kabhi library me nahi bethenge… tum mujhe kabhi padhaogi nahi… main tumse kabhi ladunga nahi… samajh rahi ho naa tum?” Her lips wobbled and she lowered her gaze. Gently, he inched a step closer, taking care not to startle her, “aaj aakhri din hoga jab hum ek dusre ki awaaz sunenge… aakhri din jab hum ek dusre ko dekhenge… aakhri din chashmish…” His heart danced with joy when she didn’t even react to him calling her chasmish… It showed that she was too disturbed by the thought of this being the last meeting between them. It reflected the sadness in her heart… the pain of parting from him. With a little lilt to his voice, he proposed, “tumhe baat nahi karni toh main force nahi karunga… lekin, uske badle tumhe mujhe apne shirt pe mera naam likhne dena padega…”

She gasped, looking up at him, “kya? Nahi…!!”

He smirked, “try me…”

Her eyes darted to the side and he gauged that she would try to escape… Just as she took a step he placed his hand on the wall, blocking her way, and with his other hand he grabbed her hand again as if he had full right to do so. She struggled to free herself, but he didn’t let go this time, and gave her an ultimatum, “soch lo Naina… ya toh tum mujhse baat karo… ya toh mujhe naam likhne do apne shirt pe… you only have two options.”

She nervously glanced at him, her lips trembling… He felt bad for putting her in such a spot, but it was needed today… This was his last chance to talk to her… Surely she wouldn’t let him write his name on her shirt… She would opt to talk… But the next moment, he was left stunned when she stammered, “main… kaise… ghar pe kisine tumhara naam dekh liya toh problem ho jayegi…”

He hadn’t anticipated this, but nevertheless grabbed the opportunity… The bond of memories might relax her enough to talk… He softly suggested, “theek hai… main pura naam nahi likhunga… sirf ‘S’ likhunga… Tumhe koi puche toh kisi ladki ka naam le lena, jaise… umm… Swati…”

She seemed to think for a moment, and then nodded. He smiled, “marker nikaalne ke liye haath chod raha hun… lekin agar bhaagne ki koshish ki na toh iss baar aise kaske pakdunga ke kabhi chuda nahi paogi.”

Her eyes rounded for a fleeting second before she nodded in agreement. He kept her way blocked as he left her hand and pulled out a red marker from his pocket. Uncapping it he raised his brows in silent query, and she gulped, lifting her hand, offering her arm to him. He was bit disappointed… When she had agreed he had thought he would get a chance to write on her back or shoulder… But after assessing her position, he decided to make full use of it. He held her wrist, slowly moving his fingers up to her forearm and held her elbow firmly. She gasped lightly at his touch… He felt elated, but didn’t show it… Edging closer he dipped his head low, his forehead almost touching her shoulder as he pretended to concentrate in meticulously writing a ‘S’ on her sleeve.

She felt lost at the proximity… His warm fingers on her hand were generating a heat inside her… His smell was teasing her… His head was so close that her mind automatically flittered back to that accidental kiss in corridors… Her treacherous heart thudded so hard that she felt that it will break free of her body… Subconsciously she lifted her hand touch his hair, thinking to feel the texture… Was it really as silky as it looked? Just an inch away from his head she stopped herself, biting her lips… She had no right to do so… She can’t… She shouldn’t…

After a minute he lifted his head, and grinned at her, “now you turn.”

She was one more shocked, and blurted, “no… mujhe nahi karna…”

“Don’t be a spoil-sport”, he chided, “tumhe pata hona chahiye, this is two-way process… Maine likha toh ab tumhe bhi likhna padega… Chalo marker lo…”

Hesitating a bit, she accepted the marker from his hand, staring at him up and down apprehensively. He smirked, and tapped a finger over his heart, “yahan chahiye mujhe tumhara naam.”

Her eyes were so wide that she looked like a dear caught in headlights. He hoped she would understand what he was implying. Her gaze flickered to where his finger was still tapping, and he thought that he saw a shine of happiness for a brief second before she controlled herself. As her trembling hand came up to his chest, he closed his eyes, feeling relieved, a sense of peace inside him.

Naina felt she would drop the marker… As if his sudden demand of writing initials wasn’t enough, why did he have to offer his chest to her… That too on his heart… If only… She sighed, thinking to get over the task soon because even the small touch of his body was creating havoc inside her… He moved his own hand away, giving her space to write, and the sight of his shirt pinched her heart… There were so many names there… but one name was belonged to a person that made tears well up in her eyes… Kamya.

Her voice was low and dispirited as she said, “wahan pe pehle se kisi ka naam likha hua hai.”

Not understanding the context and meaning of her statement, he shrugged, “koi baat nahi… tum bhi likh do… bahot jagah hai.”

She felt like pushing him away and yelling on him for putting her through this… But rather she somehow controlled herself, thinking it was no use to talk to him, and quickly wrote an ‘N’ on his chest. Keeping her gaze fixed on the red initial, she murmured, “ho gaya”, and tried to step away.

He quickly grabbed her hand and opened his eyes, noting the tremble in her voice, and was puzzled on seeing the tears in her eyes… She blinked, valiantly trying to control but one errant drop spilled out. He lifted his other hand, wiping the tear drop and cupped her face, “ro kyun rahi ho?”

A little mocking laugh escaped her lips, “I will miss my school… isiliye…”

He searched her eyes, “aur mujhe?” She didn’t reply, but her lips quivered as if she was trying very hard not to bawl her heart out… He couldn’t stop himself… The need to soothe her, to assure her of his affection was clawing inside his body… He used his thumb to flick the marker from her hand, and linked their fingers, holding her hand tight… She closed her eyes, her breath hitching at his action. He swallowed, eyeing her face, her lips, the emotions inside him gathered like a high rising wave, and spilled from his lips in the form of a confession, “I missed you on the trip Naina…”

The deep shuddering voice seemed to come from the depths of his chest, and her eyes snapped open meeting his glittering chocolaty gaze. Time seemed to stop as eyes conveyed what words couldn’t… One more tear spilled from her eyes, and he leaned, brushing it away from her cheek with his lips… She drew in a breath, staring at him wide eyed, as he moved to her other cheek dropping a feather soft kiss there. Her eyes fluttered shut when he kissed the corners, as if asking her not to cry. “Sameer”, she whispered, and he shuddered, his brain shutting down… He groaned at the reactions she caused inside him, and dipped his head, capturing her lips with his own… She stiffened for a brief moment, but as he gently captured her lower lip between his own warm lips, she whimpered, melting against him, her hand coming up to hold on to his chest. Thrilled at her acceptance, he tilted his head, increasing the pressure on her lips and she responded eagerly… However, next moment, as his tongue teased the seams of her lips, she gasped, her eyes opening wide in realization and she pushed him back…

Sameer staggered backwards, almost falling down at the force with which she pushed him, but managed to support himself with the wall. Hurt flashed in his eyes as he saw her wipe her mouth, and then she yelled, “tum aisa kaise kar sakte ho? Yeh galat hai… maine socha bhi nahi tha ke tum mere saath aisa karoge…”

He watched her crying in horror, and for a moment forgot his own pain and reached out to hold her again… But she recoiled from his touch, “nahi… mere paas mat aana…” She dashed out of the classroom leaving him confused, devastated and broken. He closed his eyes, silent tears rolling down his cheeks as he felt his heart shatter in million pieces… She had rejected him… He didn’t mean anything to her… Leaning against the wall, he slid down to the floor, lost in anguish at losing his last chance.

to be continued…