Love Me Tonight
Chapter 20: The Promise of a Family

Located in the Prabhadevi neighbourhood of Mumbai, built in 1801, the Siddhivinayak temple is the most popular temple in the city. Everyday hundreds of people would visit with offerings, praying to fulfil their wishes. The Ashtavinayak carving on the wooden door, and the gold roof of the sanctum were a sight to behold, yet often ignored by devotees as they came to simply pray.

Sameer held a small bag and puja thali in one hand and used his other hand to keep a tight grip on his wife, as she navigated the stairs carefully holding up her burgundy saree. This was his second favorite saree from the recent shopping they had done for Naina. The first was the cherry red saree with varli print – it was simple, comfortable and yet looked elegant. This burgundy saree was made of soft tissue silk that gave it a rich look yet made it comfortable to wear throughout the day. The border was floral embroidery of different shades of gold, and Naina had paired it with a beige-gold blouse.

As they crossed the last step, she let go of her saree, making sure the pleats were in place and pulled the pallu up to her head. She smiled at him, gesturing for the thali, which he handed over to her. Upon her insistence, he had dressed up in a plain leaf green kurta, which he had paired with a fitted blue denim. It had been quite a shock for Nanu, who had never seen Sameer in a kurta. Nanu himself was wearing one of his trademark cream kurta and white pyjama set.

The three of them joined the small queue of devotees, and Naina checked the thali one more time. Sameer chuckled, assuring her, “kitni baar dekhogi. Hum log kuch bhule nahi hai.”

She smiled up at him, “jaanti hun… lekin phir bhi. Man ki shanti ke liye ek baar phirse dekh liya. Peela kapda laaye hai na hum yaad se?”

He held up the small jute bag, “haan. Peela kapda, nariyal aur prasad ki mithai – sab isme rakha hua hai.”

Nanu asked the question that he had been thinking about since last evening, “tum log har weekend mandir jaate ho? Peechli baar bhi main aaya tha tab hum Iskon gaye the.”

“Aisa kuch zaroori nahi hai”, Naina answered with a smile, “jab mera man hota hai tab main Sameer ko bol deti hun. Sabse pehle saath me mandir hamari shaadi ke din gaye the… Phir new year pe ek baar. Aur uske baad seedhe aap aaye tab Iskon gaye. Siddhivinayak aaneki meri bahot time se ichcha thi isiliye plan banaya.”

Nanu nodded, “achchi baat hai. Maine bahot suna hai iss mandir ke baare me. Mahalaxmi mandir aur Haji Ali ke baare me bhi paper me kabhi na kabhi kuch chapta rehta hai.”

She happily exclaimed, “haan… woh bhi kaafi famous hai. Mere list me hai woh bhi.” Glancing at her husband, she pleaded, “hum udhar bhi chalenge na kisi din?”

Sameer smiled, lifting his hand to brush his knuckles against her plump cheek, “whatever you say sweetheart. Lekin sab kuch ek din me nahi. Tumhari health zyada zaroori hai.”

Her eyes softened as a blush stained her cheek, “okay.”

Nanu watched the small interplay, amazed at the softness his grandson exhibited whenever he talked to Naina. The utter devotion was obvious and mesmerizing. Soon it was their turn, and Naina offered the puja thali to the priest, asking for the puja to be done in both of their names. Sameer handed over the bag to the priest as well, explaining the contents. The priest sat down to do the puja; both the men watched the process while Naina closed her eyes and prayed, he lips moving as she chanted some mantra silently. In a while the priest offered the thali and the bag now containing half a coconut and few pieces of sweet to them. He also placed haldi-chandan teeka on the couple’s forehead and sprinkled some holy water on them. Sameer stuffed some money in the donation box, and then he held Naina’s hand moving her away, but as he glanced back to ensure Nanu was following them, he stopped.

Perplexed Naina, looked up at him and on seeing his gaze fixed on something behind her, she also turned to look. Nanu had stepped up to the front and was holding up a big bag to the priest. They listened in silenced astonishment as he said, “namaste Panditji… mere pote ki abhi thode waqt pehle hi shaadi hui hai. Haalat kuch aise the ke main unki shaadi me aa nahi saka. Yeh mera aur uske swargwasi Nani ka aashirwaad hai unn dono ke liye. Kya aap isko pavitra karke denge mujhe?” He took out a box of sweets that had an envelope tucked into the rubber band wrapped around it, “aur yeh prasad ki mithai aur aapki dakshina.”

Sameer stood stiff, his hand squeezing Naina’s as he watched the priest open the bag and take out two transparent saree box -each holding a vibrant coloured saree, a blue cardboard box, some velvet boxes that clearly held jewellery and three red bandhni printed boxes which were a mystery to him. The priest chanted some purification mantras, sprinkling the holy water on each of the items and used his hand to waft some smoke from the hawan dhoop on them. He then took a flower from the feet of the big Ganesh idol and distributed the petals inside all the boxes. Keeping all the things back in the bag, he also added some flowers in a newspaper and an assortment of prasad in the sweet box. Giving them back to Nanu, he said, “yeh lijiye. Aapke pote aur bahu ko ab aap yeh de sakte hai. Aur bitiya se kehna ke isme jo phool hai isko ghar ke mandir me rakhe… Bappa ki kripa se unke zindagi se saari taklife dur ho jayegi.”

Nanu thanked the priest, bowing his head one last time in-front of the idol and then walked to the couple who were still standing still in surprise. He smiled, “chale? Naina ko zyada der bhuke nahi rehna chahiye.”

Sameer nodded, still in a daze as he guided them out of the temple. Naina kept stealing glances at the older man wondering if what she had seen had really happened or if it was an illusion. The breakfast place was an old and popular shop that catered to traditional Maharashtrian food. The seating area was divided into a bigger hall with a large quantity of tables and chairs that was extremely busy, and a smaller hall cordoned off by a wooden door that was usually used for families. Upon Sameer’s instruction, the waiter led them to the air-conditioned area, and they were seated on a table for four.

As they looked at the menus, Sameer said, “lunch 12 baje ke baad se serve hota hai. Abhi sirf breakfast wali cheeze milegi. Aman ne bataya tha ke yahan ka misal-pav bahot achcha hota hai. Dusre items bhi achche, khana overall kaafi tasty hai yahan.”

Nanu queired, “misal-pav bahot teekha hoga na?”

Sameer shook his head, “nahi… isme option hai. Kam teekha wala choose kar sakte hai.”

“Main wahi khaungi”, Naina said, “aur sabudana vada ek plate lete hai share karne ke liye.”

Nanu acquiesced, “main bhi misal-pav hi lunga phir. Aakhir Maharashtra ki specialty hai…”

“Okay”, Sameer called for the waiter and ordered, “teen misal-pav – kam teeka, ek sabudana vada, ek thalipeeth aur teen chai. Aur haan, thoda tari alag se dena chote katori me, agar teekha zyada kam lage hume toh isiliye.”

Naina scrunched her nose, “thaalipeeth kaun khayega?”

“Hum sab”, Sameer smiled, “woh bhi specialty hai, aur garam thalipeeth achchi lagti hai.”

Nanu asked, “tumne khaya hai pehle?”

Sameer shrugged, “jab SJM start kiya tha tab kaafi din bahar hi khata tha. Jahan rehta tha wahan paas me ek chota sa restaurant tha. Raat ko office se jaate hue kabhi vadapav, kabhi misal, aur kabhi thalipeeth kha leta tha. Sasta hota tha aur pet bhi bhar jaata tha. Roz khana banane ka na man hota tha na waqt. Isilye sirf Sunday ko dal-chawal bana leta tha. Baaki poore week me ya toh uss restaurant me khata tha ya ghar pe bread-omlette.”

Naina teased, “aloo bina kaise rehte the?”

He chuckled, “vadapav me aloo hota hai. Aur waise bhi, tumko bataya tha maine pehle bhi… Khaane ke baare me zyada socha nahi kabhi maine. Jo mile woh kha lene ki aadat thi.”

Naina hummed sadly, and Nanu noted another thing that he had not noticed about his grandson. He had never demanded food he liked, nor had anyone, including himself, bothered to find out about his likes and dislikes and pamper him just like a child. He had always been saddled with either neglect or expectations, each more burdening than the other.

The clatter of ceramic cups broke them out of their thoughts, as the waiter placed a cup in-front of each of them, and slid a small pot of sugar so that they could add whatever quantity they needed. Bowls full of hot misal placed on steel plates came next, each of them topped with crispy mixture and coriander. As per Sameer’s request, there was a small bowl of vibrant red liquid tari that could be added to the misal to make it spicier. Another plate of mixture and one more of chopped onions and lemon slices were placed to add as needed. And finally, a dish with 6 pav was placed before them. The waiter informed, “vada aur thalipeeth thodi der me aayega.”

They added lemon and onions to their dish, mixed and tasted. Naina and Nanu were quite pleased with the taste, but Sameer added a couple of spoons of the spicy tari. The buns were fresh and soft, they dipped it into the misal and enjoyed. Nanu compared it to sev-usal that was popular in Gujarat as a street side breakfast option. Naina meanwhile decided to ask Bhavna Tai if this could be made at home. It was healthy and a new variety to add to their usual menu at home, plus she wondered how it would taste if she added chopped up tomatoes to it. She could only eat one pav though, and Sameer was happy to polish off the second one.

The sabudana vada and thalipeeth arrived which they enjoyed with their cup of tea. Nanu liked the thailipeeth a lot but found the vada to be bit oily for his taste. Naina on the other hand found the thalipeeth to be dry and said it would probably taste better with some pickle and curd on the side. Sameer, true to his own words, didn’t mind any of the items and ate everything, not passing any comments on any of the items.

On their drive back to home, they stopped at a market to get some vegetables, oats, fresh bread and some black urad dal, and then at a dairy to get fresh paneer, curd and some khoya as Tai was going to make carrot halwa. Finally, after they had reached home, freshened up and changed, Nanu asked Sameer and Naina if they can talk. Sameer stiffened for a moment, but when Naina placed a hand on his arm, his shoulders loosened, and he nodded.

The couple took the sofa while Nanu sank into the big armchair. The first thing Jaiprakash Maheshwari started with was again an apology.

“I am sorry.”

Sameer didn’t reply, and Naina seemed to be torn between asking an elder to not apologize but also wanting her husband to receive the due consideration. Nanu continued, “jaanta hun sirf sorry kehne se sab solve nahi ho jayega. Lekin yeh sorry peechli baar yahan se chale jaane ke liye nahi hai…” Meeting his grandson’s gaze he continued, “yeh sorry tumhare liye hai Sameer. Mujhe maaf kardo ke tumhe mere saamne yeh businessman SJM banne ki zaroorat padi. Aise mukhaute ki zaroorat padi jo tumhare dil ke jazbaat chehre pe zahir nahi hone dete.  Main tumhara Nanu hun, aur tumhare SJM banne pe mujhe garv hai, lekin I am sorry ke tumhe mere saamne bhi yeh banna pada. Mujhse tumne jo ummeed ki thi usme main kabhi kamyab nahi hua…”

Sameer’s mask slipped a bit, reflecting his confusion, “kya matlab?”

“Jab Vishakha ne Ahmedabad aaneki baat ki tab mujhe tumhari bechaini samajhni chahiye thi”, Nanu confessed, “jab tum London se wapas aaye tab tumhara dard mujhe tumhari aankhon me dikhna chahiye tha. Jab tum Mumbai me reh rahe the tab mujhe tumpe zyada dhyan dena chahiye tha. Lekin main jaane-anjaane me bahot kuch nazarandaaz kar diya. Sirf abhi nahi… tumhare bachpan me bhi. Vishakha ek maa nahi ban paai tumhare liye lekin ek chote se bachche ke dil ka haal maine bhi nahi samjha.”

Sameer’s jaw clenched at the reminders of his past, “aap maafi kyun maang rahe hai? Aapko toh sharam aa rahi hogi iss baat pe ke main aapka pota hun…”

Nanu was genuinely shocked, “sharam? Kyun?”

Sameer glanced away, “maine aapko peechli baar sab bataya… mera past…”

“Guzra hua kal hai”, Nanu interrupted, “meri soch aur mere sanskaar ke khilaf hai isiliye main shayad poori tarah se maan nahi sakta lekin samajh sakta hun. Agar gharwalo ka saath aur pyaar hota toh shayad yeh sab tumhari life me kabhi hota hi nahi… Jo beet gaya use badal nahi sakta main Sameer, lekin aage se yeh waada karta hun ke tum apne Nanu se sab kuch share kar sakte ho… Bina kisi jhijhak ya darr ke.”

Sameer thought for a few moments, and then cautiously asked, “aap mere past ko acknowledge nahi karna chahte… lekin Naina?”

Nanu smiled, “Naina tumhara guzra hua kal nahi hai… Vartman aur bhavishya hai. Uski baat alag hai. Aur haan, main tumhare past ko nazarandaaz nahi kar raha. Maine aisa nahi kaha ke main bhul jaunga, maine kaha ke main samajhneki koshish kar raha hun… Tum dono jaise mile, aur jaise shaadi ki main uspe tum dono ko judge nahi kar sakta. Kyunki tum dono ka past uss din se juda hua hai aur aaj bhi tum dono se juda hua hai. Toh phir main use ignore kaise karu?”

Sameer sighed, “abhi aap kya chahte hai?”

“Chahta toh hun tumhe pehle jaise gale lagana”, Nanu wistfully replied, “lekin jaanta hun ke ab tak tumne mujhe maaf nahi kiya. Isiliye filhaal, main bas tum dono ko yeh dena chahta hun. Yeh mera aur tumhari Nani ka aashirwaad hai tum dono ke liye, isiliye gusse ko thodi der ke liye bhulake yeh mere haatho se sweekar kar lo.”

The couple looked at each other, silently communicating; after few seconds Sameer looked at his grandfather and nodded. Nanu smiled happily, picking up the big bag and taking out the things, placing them on the table.

First, he picked one saree box and the blue cardboard box, “mujhe saare reeti riwaz toh pata nahi aur maine kisise baat bhi nahi ki iss baare me, isiliye maaf kardena kuch galti ho jaaye toh. Mujhe itna yaad hai ke sabse pehli rasam roka hota hai aur usme shagun me kapde aur paise dete hai.” He took two crisp 500 rs notes from his wallet, and placed one on each box, “yeh Sameer ke liye, aur beta tumhare liye. Mere pote ki zindagi me aane ke liye aur use itni khushiya dene ke liye shukriya.”

Naina accepted the green-purple saree and smiled, “thank you sir.”

Sameer opened the carboard box and saw a material for suit and shirt inside. He also added his thanks, a small smile forming on his lips. Nanu scratched his forehead for a moment, and asked, “uh… Naina beta… tum apna pallu… mera matlab apna dupatta apni god me failaogi? Shayad usme rakhni hoti hai cheeze.”

Naina blushed and nodded, “jee… waise toh saree ka pallu hota hai lekin main…”

“Dupatta enough hai”, Sameer interrupted, “it’s alright. Right Nanu?”

Nanu nodded, “haan bilkul.”

As Naina spread one end of her dupatta on her lap, Nanu gently placed the second saree box and the jewellery boxes on it, “yeh saree aur gehne Sameer ki Nani ke hai. Maine jab wapas aaneka decide kiya tab tumhare liye nayi saare lene gaya. Isse pehle jo diya woh maine akele jaake kharida hai… Fabrics ke business me hun, lekin saree ka itna gyaan nahi hai mujhe. I hope tumhe woh pasand aaye. Gehne bhi kharidna chahta tha lekin woh banne me waqt lagta aur main aur der nahi karna chahta tha yahan aane me.”

Naina smiled, “uska color combination bahot achcha hair sir. Aur naniji ki yeh saree aur gehne bahot hai mere liye. Mujhe aur kuch nahi chahiye.”

Nanu chuckled, “beta dekh toh lo… saree shayad thodi purani lage. Tumhari Nani ne yeh saree pehli baar apne pasand se kharidi thi, hamari shaadi ki pehli salgirah pe.”

Naina gently opened the box, and took out the vibrant tangerine saree with zari work all over it. The fabric was soft and light, but the work was heavy, and it didn’t look old or well-worn, instead it seemed to be safely preserved. She commented, “kitna ujwal rang hai. Aisa lag raha hai kisiki khushi aur hasi ko leke ek rang bana diya ho… Aur yeh bilkul purana nahi lag raha.”

Nanu smiled fondly, “Devika ne yeh saree sirf ek baar pehna… Ghar pe Satyanarayan ki katha rakhi thi usme. Phir ise sambhalke rakh diya yeh kehke ke hamara beta hoga toh uski bahu ko denge, ya agar beti hui toh usko uski shaadi me denge.”

Sameer’s eyes widened, “yeh saree aap Vishakha Somani ke paas se leke aaye?”

Nanu blinked, his smile faltering, “nahi. Vishakha ko yeh saree nahi diya humne. Pata nahi kyun… Vishakha ki shaadi ke waqt ek din Devika aur main jab saraa samaan pack kar rahe the dene ke liye, yeh saree bhi usme thi. Lekin Devika ne kaha ke uska man nahi hai abhi yeh deneka. Jab uski god bharai hogi tab denge. Mujhe koi aitraaz nahi tha, akhir yeh saree uski thi. Phir jab Vishaka ki pregnancy ki news mili tab tumhari Nani ki tabiyat theek nahi rehti thi. Vishkaha ka paanchva mahina laga tab Devika ko hospital me admit kiya… Ek din usne mujhse kaha ke usko aisa lagta hai Vishakha ko beta hoga… Toh uski woh saree aur shaadi wale gehne main sambhalke rakhu hamare pote ki shaadi ke liye. Ghar me bahu aayegi usko denge… Hamare pote ki patni ko denge. Main maan gaya… Aur usi raat meri Devika… hamesha ke liye mujhe chodke chali gai.”

Sameer had been clutching Naina’s hand while hearing about his grandmother, but upon noticing how his grandfather’s voice cracked while talking about his Nani’s death, he couldn’t stop himself from standing up and going to him, “Nanu…” When the older man looked up with tears in his eyes, Sameer hugged him, “please Nanu… Don’t cry… I am sorry… Main naraaz nahi hun aapse.”

Nanu embraced him tight, “aree pagal… aisa kyun bol rahe ho. Mujhe toh bas Devika ki yaad aa gai.” He pulled back and held his grandson’s shoulders, “aur rahi baat naraaz honeki, toh tumhara haq banta hai mujhse naraaz honeka. Log apno se naraaz hote hai, ruthte hai… parayo pe haq nahi jataya jaata.”

Sameer bit his lip in contemplation, as he asked, “aap sach me… Naina ko… I mean… Koi problem?”

Nanu smiled, “beta main ab tak Naina ko theek se nahi jaanta. School me janta tha ke topper hai, hoshiyaar hai, layak hai… Lekin tab se ab tak usme badlaav toh aaye hain na… Isiliye jaanne me thoda waqt lagega. Lekin itna toh dekh liya peechli baar sirf do din me, ke usko tumhari aur tumhe uski kitni fikar hai… Yeh samajh gaya ke tumhari khushi usme basti hai… Tumhari masti, tumhari khoi hui hasi, yeh sab Naina ne lauta di… Jo tumse itna pyaar kare aur tumhe itni khushiyan de usko main kaise sweekar na karu? Naina meri bahu hai… Aur mujhe iss baat ki bahot khushi hai.”

A huge boyish grin lit up Sameer’s face and he hugged his Nanu, “thank you so much Nanu… Thank you.”

He then turned to Naina, and enveloped her in his arms, murmuring in her ear, “sweetheart… suna tumne?”

She nodded against his chest, her own eyes filled with unshed tears, unable to believe that they had received Nanu’s approval for real. She gathered strength from her husband’s strong embrace, and then slowly peeled away from him. Moving towards the older man, she tried to bend to take his blessings, but Nanu grabbed her arms gently, “nahi… kitni baar yaad dilau ke aise jhuka mat karo.” He placed a gentle hand on her head, “baar baar paav chune ki zaroorat nahi hai. Mera aashirwaad hamesha tum teeno ke saath rahega. Idhar aao betho…”

As she sat down again, Nanu checked all the three red bandhani boxes, and then picked up one, handing it over to Naina, “yeh mata laxmi ki murti hai. Jab se maine business shuru kiya hai tabse inhone mera bahot saath diya. Inka aashirwad hamesha mujhpe raha hai… Sameer ne jab SJM shuru kiya main yeh use dena chahta tha, lekin mera pota bhagwaan me vishwas nahi karta. Isiliye maine socha tha ke jab uski shaadi hogi tab mere bahu ko dunga. Aaj se inki zimmedari tumhari, aur tum sab ki zimmedari inki… Laxmi ji ne jaise apna aashirwaad mujhpe banake rakha hai, theek waise hi tumhare ghar me bhi hamesha laxmi ka vaas hoga. Sukh aur samridhhi hamesha iss ghar ke chaukhat ko chumegi.”

Naina looked at Sameer, recalling that he had told her about this laxmi idol, believing wholeheartedly that Nanu would give it to her as his blessing. It seemed he was right in his belief… She held the small silver idol, marvelling at the finesse of sculpting, and then gently touched it to her forehead before placing it back in the box. She smiled, “thank you sir. Main kal subah puja karte waqt inhe mandir me rakhungi.”

“Hmm”, Nanu hummed, picking up the next box, “waise toh hamesha garbhvati aurat ko balgopal diya jaata hai. Iss aashirwaad ke saath ke ghar pe ek sundar sa krishna kanhaiya paida ho. Lekin maine dekha tumhare mandir me balgopal pehle se hi hai, aur tumne bataya ke tumhari doctor ne tumhe woh diya tha. Isiliye maine socha ke zaroori toh nahi hai ke hamesha kanhaji hi aaye ghar pe… Kholo ise beta.”

Naina gently opened the box and lifted out an intricately carved silver Durga idol. Sitting upon a lion, adorned in gold jewellery contrasting the silver of the base idol, her benign smile felt real, instead of just a carving done by a master sculptor. “Maa Durga”, Nanu whispered, “inke Kushmanda swaroop ko hamare gaanv me puja jaata hai. Hamari kuldevi hai. Mahashakti hai yeh… Adi shakti… Shivji ke ardhnareshwar swaroop ka adha ansh… Urja, Yogyata, Prabalta, Mehnat, Shakti, Kshamta, Mamta, Buddhimata – inn sabka roop hai yeh. Kisi din, jab tum poori tarah se taiyar ho, tab main tumhe hamare gaanv le chalunga. Jode me kuldevi ke darshan karne. Filhaal, yeh isiliye tumhe diya maine ke tumhari god me Kanhaiya aaye ya Durga, mujhe khushi dono me hi hogi. Aur haan… tumhare muh se Nanu sunne me achcha lagta hai. Toh agar tum ready ho toh main bhi ready hun…”

Her eyes widened, the previously unshed tears finally spilling down her cheeks. Nanu panicked, “aree… ro kyun rahi ho? Koi zabardasti nahi hai beta. Tumhara jaisa man ho.”

She shook her head, carefully bowing to the idol and keeping it back in the box, then she reached out for his hand. He offered one hand, confused at the gesture, wondering why she wanted to shake hands. But she grasped his hand in both of hers, and smiled through her tears, “thank you… Nanu.”

Nanu watched her in astonishment for some time before using his other hand to gently pat her head, offering her a comforting smile. Sameer who had immediately sidled up to her, noticing her distress, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her softly to offer comfort and support. Sitting there surrounded by both the men; Naina finally felt the reassuring warmth of a family. She had come to believe in Sameer, trusting him when he said he loved her, believing he truly loved and wanted the child. Now, today, she extended that trust to Nanu, someone in whom Sameer believed wholeheartedly, and someone who had apologized despite being an elder showing that his love for his family meant more to him than the status and authority that’s associated with being an elder.

Sameer leaned towards her, placing a soft kiss at her temple. She gasped, letting go of Nanu’s hand, her cheeks filling with color as she turned and hid her face in Sameer’s shoulder. He chuckled, gently teasing her, “aansu ponchne ka achcha idea hai. Lekin sambhalke… T-shirt nayi hai.”

She slapped his leg, making him laugh out loud, as he continued teasing, “waise achcha hua Nanu ne suggest kiya ke tum sir ke jagah Nanu bolo… Bahot cute lag raha hai sunne me tumhare muh se.”

Rubbing her face on his shoulders, she whined, “Sammmeeerrrr…”

His breath hitched on hearing her childish complaining tone, and his mind flashed back to his school days when he had heard her use the same tone on Preeti and her friend Swati. She used the tone when fondly irritated, when she pleaded for something, but mostly only in-front of those who were close to her heart. It was a sign of her older carefree days, when she didn’t carry the burden of betrayal on her shoulders. It made tears spring to his own eyes, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in a tight hug uncaring of watching eyes.

Nanu leaned back in his chair, smiling at the sight, and when his grandson looked at him, he nodded once in pleased approval. Naina mumbled against the shoulders she was tucked in, “chodo mujhe… Nanu hai.”

Sameer huffed, letting her leave the enclosure of his arms, but still kept one arm around her shoulders. He gestured to the last box, “yeh kiske liye hai?”

“Tumhari Bhavna Tai ke liye”, Nanu answered, “bulao na unhe.”

Sameer went to call Bhavna Tai who was busy in cooking lunch. When Tai came Nanu stood up, and said, “Sameer ne bataya tha ke kuch mahine pehle aapke ghar me ek choti si gudiya ka janam hua hai.”

“Jee saheb”, Bhavna tai smiled, “mere bete-bahu ko bitiya hui… Shivani. Aanth mahine ki ho gai ab.”

Nanu offered the box to her, “yeh meri taraf se ek choti si bhet aapke aur aapke parivaar ke liye. Shivani ki zindagi me kabhi koi archan na aaye. Aur aapka shukriya ke aapne mere Sameer ka inte saalo se dhyan rakha, aur ab meri bahu ka bhi rakh rahe hai.”

Bhavna Tai flushed with embarrassment, “haww saheb… kay tumi pan… yeh main kaise le sakti hun.”

Sameer pitched in, “le sakti ho Tai. Aap bhi iss parivar ka hissa ho. Aur Nanu aaj sabko tohfe de rahe hai. Please le lijiye…”

Tai smiled, accepting the box, “shukriya saheb.” Opening the box, she found a small, beautiful silver idol of ganeshji, and immediately raised it to her forehead, mumbling, “om gan ganpatye namah.”

Soon Naina went inside the kitchen along with Tai to help her a bit. As she still felt a little bad for leaving Nanu out of their evening plans, she requested Tai to stay and bit longer and serve Nanu dinner. Tai happily agreed to cook oats cheela and serve it to Nanu for dinner.

Once Naina was in the kitchen, Nanu requested in a low voice to Sameer, “mujhe tumse kuch baat karni hai. Akele me.”

Sameer agreed, “Naina so jayegi uske baad.”

Lunch was once more a jovial affair, which made Nanu very happy. There was dal, rice, roti, alu-padwal sabji and Sameer’s favourite matar paneer, along with freshly cut salad and papad. After lunch, Sameer told her that he wanted to talk to Nanu for some time, and she went to take a nap.

Nanu worriedly asked, “tumne usko bol diya ke mujhse baat karni hai akele me, usko bura nahi lagega? Kuch kaam ka bahana bana dete…”

“Jhooth kyun bolu?” Sameer stated firmly, “Naina se maine waada kiya hai main hamesha usko sach bolunga, aur kabhi kuch nahi chupaunga usse. Waise bhi rishte me agar choti choti baato ke liye jhooth bolna pade toh woh rishta hi kaisa.”

Nanu sighed, “samajhta hun beta. Lekin agar usne tumse pucha ke humne kya baat ki toh…?”

Sameer smiled, “agar baat batane jaisi hogi toh main usko bata dunga. Lekin agar aisi koi baat hai jo main abhi nahi bata sakta usko, toh woh main usko sach bol dunga ke abhi nahi bata sakta lekin baad me zaroor bataunga. She won’t have any problem with it.”

Nanu wondered if that could ever happen, but he didn’t argue further. Rather he confided, “main PVKM gaya tha… Pandey ji ne bulaya tha kuch baat karne ke liye. Jab school me ghum raha tha tab library gaya.”

Sameer straightened, his entire posture alert, and he growled, “aapne Naina ki baat ki?”

Nanu nodded, but upon seeing Sameer’s thunderous expressions he quickly clarified, “maine kuch bataya nahi. Bas parivaar ka haal pucha tab Naina ki baat nikli.”

Sameer demanded, “theek se puri baat bataiye.”

Nanu detailed out the conversation or rather Rakesh’s rant to him, not leaving out any unsavoury bits, no matter how hurtful they were. Sameer listened to it in tense silence, his anger increasing as heard each vile word uttered for his wife. Nanu shook his head, sadly asking, “ek peeta hoke koi apne bachche ke maut ke baare me kaise baat kar sakta hai.”

Sameer scoffed, “ek maa kar sakti hai toh baap bhi kar hi sakta hoga.”

Nanu was puzzled, “maa? Mujhe laga Naina ki maa ka dehant ho chuka hai.”

Sameer snapped out of his daze at this, “oh… umm… haan Naina ki mummy nahi hai iss duniya me. Uske janam ke waqt hi guzar gai thi.”

“Toh tum kiski maa ki baat kar rahe ho?” Nanu queried.

Sameer glanced away, looking outside at the front yard the window, “aisai nikal gaya muh se. Mere trust me cases dekhe hai aise.”

Nanu asked once more, “trust?”

Sameer nodded, gathering himself mentally, and told Nanu about Ashray and the kind of shelter it provided. Nanu smiled at him, “yeh toh bahot achcha kaam kar rahe ho tum.” He then diverted the topic back to the matter at hand, “tumhe Naina ke tute hue sagai ke baare me aur kuch pata chala? Police ki baat sunke main thoda ghabra gaya… Bechari bachchi ab tak kisi musibat me na ho.”

Sameer let out a tired sigh, “police ke baare me mujhe bhi kuch nahi pata Nanu. Aur samajh nahi aata ke kaise baat chedu. Apne parivaar ya tute hue sagai ke baare me sochke hi seham jaati hai. I just don’t know what to do… Ek toh waada aur kar diya maine ke SJM wala power use karke kuch pata laganeki koshish nahi karunga. Wait karunga uske bataneka. Aap peechli baar chale gaye uske baad bas usne Preeti ke baare me thodi baate ki.”

Nanu tilted his head, “Preeti… Woh ladki jo uske saath hamesha rehti thi?”

Sameer nodded, “haan… teen ladkiyo ka group tha. Naina, uski saheli Swati, aur uski behen Preeti. Uske chacha ki beti. Naina ki bua-dadi ne bataya ke uski shaadi hone wali hai bahot jald. Lekin aur kuch pata nahi mujhe.”

Nanu asked, “Naina apne bua-dadi ke baare me bhi baat nahi karti?”

Sameer shook his head, “nahi… usko lagta hai bua-dadi usse koi rishta nahi rakhna chahti. Gusse me aake bua-dadi ne usko kaha tha ke Ahmedabad wapas bhej degi usko… Isi wajah se Naina unka ghar chodke bhaag gai, aur mujhe itna waqt lag gaya usko dhundne me. Ab Naina jaanti hai ke main bua-dadi se mil chuka hun, lekin phir bhi kuch puchti nahi hai unke baare me.”

Nanu thought for some time, then proposed, “tumhe lagta hai ke mujhe milna chahiye unse? Shayad unko achcha lage ke kisi bade ka aashirwaad aur saath hai Naina ke zindagi me.”

Sameer considered this, “thoda sochne ka waqt dijiye Nanu. Agar mujhe sahi laga toh main aapko zaroor le jaunga unse milane. Filhaal aap thoda araam kar lijiye, main bhi so jaata hun.”

Going into his room, he climbed in beside Naina, and cautiously hugged her, not wanting to wake her up. However, it was all in vain, as she immediately turned towards him, half-awake, “ho gai baat?”

He hummed, “tum jaag kyun rahi ho ab tak?”

“Neend nahi aa rahi thi”, she mumbled, nuzzling closer, and sighed, “ab theek hai.”

His heart warmed at the thought that his wife was unable to sleep properly without him. She needed him beside her. It was so much more than he had expected a few months back. He placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head, and closed his eyes, settling down for a much-needed nap.

When the work week started the next day, Sameer frankly asked Nanu how many days he would like to stay. Nanu shared that he knew they were leaving for Kolkata on 1^st February, and he would like to stay for the week if possible. Sameer happily agreed, but upon reaching the office, he knew that he had to take some steps to make sure this trip wasn’t cut short. A petty move would be blocking the Ahmedabad number from his mobile, but he knew that was not advisable. Hence, the only remaining alternative was what Naina had suggested.

As a result, on Monday afternoon, when Rohan was happily hanging a photo frame in Ahmedabad office’s main area, Munshiji came up to him to let him know that his brother was on the line at Nanu’s cabin, waiting for him to talk. Rohan stood there frozen in shock, his eyes and mouth wide open, until Munshiji prodded him to go. He nodded, and instructed not to tell this to his father, and then rushed inside Nanu’s cabin. Picking up the receiver he greeted, “hello.”

The voice from the other side was cautious, “Hello… Rohan?”

Rohan’s knees buckled, and he plopped down on the chair, his breath leaving his lungs in a whoosh, “bhai…”

“Uh…”, the voice grew apprehensive, “haan… main Sameer.”

Rohan shook himself out of his surprised stupor, “jee… aapki awaz pehchaan gaya. Aur Munshiji ne bataya ke aapka phone hai.”

Sameer stated, “mujhe baat karni thi tumse.”

“Kya baat hai”, Rohan worriedly asked, “Nanaji theek se pahonch toh gaye na? Unki tabiyat theek hai?”

Sameer queried, “haan woh theek hai. Tabiyat ko kya hoga? Ahmedbad me kuch hua tha kya?”

Rohan hesitated, staying silent, but after a moment, Sameer firmly took his name, just his name – “Rohan” – and he spilled out the entire breakfast incident that had taken place a few days back. He added, “agle din hi Nanaji Mumbai ke liye nikal gaye. Lekin uss din ghar pe raat ko bhi theek se khana nahi khaya unhone. Mummy ki kahi hui baato se bahot dukh hua hai unhe.”

Sameer’s voice held disbelief and anger, “I don’t believe this… Ab tak toh sirf mere saath aisa behave karti thi. Lekin Nanu… How dare she hurt him?”

“I am sorry bhai”, Rohan murmured in a low voice, “meri wajah se mummy ne hamesha aapko hurt kiya, aur ab Nanaji ko bhi meri wajah se…”

Sameer interrupted, “nahi… it’s not your fault. I know bachpan me I used to think ke yeh sab tumhari wajah se ho raha hai. But believe me… Bahot saal ho gaye mujhe iss baat ko samjhe hue ke Vishakha Somani hates me. Isme tumhari koi galti nahi hai, aur naa hi Deepika ki koi galti hai. If anything, I should say sorry… Tumse bada hun… Mujhe pehle hi samjahna chahiye tha ke it’s not your fault.”

Rohan clutched the phone tighter, “bhai… aap mujhse sirf do saal bade hai. Jab main chota tha tab aap bhi chote the. If it’s not my fault, then it’s also not your fault.”

Sameer stayed silent for a moment before asking, “tum roz khana kahan khate ho? Aur Deepika ghar pe hi rehti hai?”

Rohan was puzzled, “huh? Khana? Yeh kyun puch rahe hai aap?”

Sameer urged, “just tell me…”

Still confused at the reason, Rohan answered, “umm… usually breakfast toh ghar se hi karke nikalta hun. Lunch week me teen din Ramdhari office bhijwata hai, aur baaki teen din main office ke canteen me khata hun. It helps to know the employees better… Khana khate waqt sab easily baat karte hai. Aur Deepika college me hoti hai… Toh woh bhi breakfast ghar pe karti hai, aur tiffin me usually jo breakfast me bana hota hai wahi le jaati hai. Ya kabhi college ke canteen me kha leti hai. Kuch fixed routine nahi hai. Dinner hum dono ghar pe karte hai.”

Sameer queried, “peechli baar mixed berry milkshake kyun peeya tha usne? Did she forget she is allergic to strawberries?”

“Yeh galti kaise ki usne yeh toh mujhe bhi pata nahi”, Rohan replied, “usko berries pasand hai lekin jab bhi woh milkshake order karti hai clearly bol deti hai ke strawberry naa daale usme. Uss din toh woh mummy ke saath shopping karne gai thi, aur beech me milkshake peene gaye tab yeh hua. Jab mujhe phone aaya mummy ka… I was so scared bhai…”

Sameer took a deep breath, “ek kaam karoge Rohan?”

“Jee bhai”, Rohan agreed immediately, “boliye na.”

Sameer insisted, “kuch din apne aur Deepika ke khane peene pe thoda zyada dhyan do. Ramdhari banaye ya aur koi… Be careful. Ho sake toh tum bhi office me hi khao. Aur dinner ke waqt… just keep an eye on what is being cooked.”

Rohan took a moment to understand what was being asked of him, “aapko lagta hai ghar me Ramdhari kuch milayega khane me?”

Sameer hesitated a bit before answering, “nahi. Ramdhari aisa nahi karega…”

Rohan queried, “toh phir?”

Sameer just requested, “please… abhi main aur kuch nahi bata sakta. Main jaisa keh raha hun bas waisa karo please. Aur… tum mobile use karte ho na? Apna number mujhe doge?”

Rohan obediently shared his number immediately, and after a moment even promised to do as Sameer asked and keep an eye of his and his sister’s food. A text popped on his mobile, and Sameer said, “yeh mera mobile number hai. Save kar lena… Aur iske baad kabhi agar mujhe baat karni hai tumse, ya tumhe kuch baat karni hai toh mobile use karenge. But don’t tell your parents about this…”

Rohan was surprised, “main… main aapko call kar sakta hun?”

Sameer sighed, “yes… I don’t know kya baat karenge. But if you want to then you can call me.”

“Aur Deepika?” Rohan asked eagerly.

Sameer frowned, “Deepika? Does she even remember me? Main jab Delhi aaya tha she was so small…”

Rohan chucked, “of course she remembers you… Main aur nanaji batate rehte hain usko aapke baare me. Aur aap Ahmedabad aate hai tab aapko dekhti toh hai.”

Sameer shrugged, “kabhi baat nahi ki maine usse… isiliye I thought…”

“Mummy ne usko hamesha kaha hai kea ap bahot gusse wale ho”, Rohan supplied, “but I told her that it’s a lie.”

Sameer scoffed, “is it?”

“It is”, Rohan firmly replied, “maine book me padha tha kabhi kabhi dukh gusse ke roop me dikhai deta hai. I think aapke saath bhi aisa hi hota tha… Mummy ke wajah se aapko dukh hota tha aur uss wajah se aap mujhpe aur Deepika pe gussa hote the.”

Sameer shook his head, “books… sab padhaku hai mere aas paas. Anyways, mujhe ek meeting ke liye nikalna hai. To answer your question, yes, Deepika can talk to me as well. Lekin… mujhe sach me nahi pata ke main tum dono se kya baat karunga.”

Rohan smiled, “shuruwat karenge toh baate bhi milne lagegi. All the best for your meeting bhai. Bye.”

Sameer wished goodbye, reminding him once more to do as he asked before disconnecting. He leaned back in his chair, staring at his mobile that was lying on his desk, still unable to believe that he had talked to his stepbrother, and even taken a step forward by agreeing to stay in touch with him and Deepika both. He had no idea how this was going to pan out in future, but maybe… just maybe… if he was involved a little bit in their lives, he could save them from the selfishness of Vishakha Somani.

While on one side the brothers were trying out the threads of their relationship for the first time in their lives, on the other side Nanu spent as much time as possible with Naina, getting to know her all over again. Naina did go the library for the first three days, but then she took leave for from Thursday in order to keep Nanu company. Nanu even accompanied her to the kitchen at one point, insisting on preparing tea himself. He watched as Naina prepped the masala for aloo paratha, worked with her when she planted the vegetable seeds in the garden, went with her to the nursery in the car Sameer had sent over to get the flower shrubs for the frontyard. He talked to her about his business, about Rohan and Deepika, about whatever happy memories he had of Sameer’s childhood. When Naina asked about Sameer’s father, he told her about Alok and why he had chosen him for his daughter. Naina told him about her college, about the friends she had made, about bua-dadi. When he asked if she didn’t miss bua-dadi, she sadly said that she did, but she was afraid that her pregnancy would be too much for bua-dadi to accept. Nanu didn’t query anything further about it for which Naina was thankful.

The evenings were happily spent lounging at home watching TV, chatting about random things, planning for their upcoming Kolkata trip. Nanu mentioned that he had visited several years ago and had enjoyed the delicious sweets and street-side fuchka. Sameer urged to not instil ideas about street-side food in her head as it would be difficult to refrain her from eating unhygienic food. His grandfather instead of listening to him, listed out more items for Naina to try, and then teased him that he could carry his wife away if she was being stubborn. This caused the couple to flush with shyness. It truly felt to Sameer that they were a family now and he was so grateful to Nanu for giving him this chance.

Sameer and Nanu had also talked several times, retouching upon his past, discussing how they would try to talk to each other about their life from now onwards. When Nanu expressed anger towards Sakshi conveying his wish to get some retribution, Sameer was touched but he refused to be stuck in his past even if it was for revenge. He clearly stated, “Sakshi iss layak nahi hai ke main uspe thoda bhi time waste karu. Usko bhul jaana hi sabse bada revenge hai. Let it be… Mera future Naina aur hamara baby hai.”

Sameer had also taken the initiative and texted Rohan first, asking him if he and Deepika were well. Rohan had immediately responded, assuring him that he was being extra careful of the food served to him and his sister. In fact, twice that week he had picked up Deepika from her college, and they had eaten an early dinner outside, which, Rohan informed him, had for some reason upset their mother. Deepika also had had her first shy conversation with Sameer, only sticking to enquiries about health, and she had conveyed that she was happy that her two brothers were talking to each other. The next time they talked, she had hesitated a bit before asking, “can I tell my friends that SJM is my brother?” Sameer had been surprised at this, not sure why she would want to tell that to anyone, but he agreed to it.

During the week, Nanu had been subjected to the sight of Naina’s hunger pangs and pregnancy cravings as well. Almost three times that week, Nanu had woken up to sobbing sounds from the living room, and had found Naina curled up on the sofa, while Sameer rushed about in the kitchen in bedraggled state trying to cook whatever his wife wanted to eat. His eyes had widened when she had made Sameer cook a cheese toastie three times, because it was just not enough crispy and perfectly golden. He had watched Sameer tug his hair when he had been unable to arrange for pani puri in at 2am once and had instead tried to pacify his wife with tomatoes which according to him was something she had never been able to resist during her pregnancy. But that night, instead of being pacified, Naina had squished a few slices of tomatoes on Sameer’s head, soiling his hair. Everyone had turned silent in shock, as tomato juice and seeds trailed down Sameer’s forehead, and then Naina’s lower lip wobbled in distress, before she let out a loud wail in apology. Sameer had ignored his own condition and had hugged her instead, assuring her that it was fine and there was no harm done. She had sobbed, “par tumhare baal… maine bigaad diye… mujhe bahot pasand hai tumhare baal.”

Sameer had hushed her, “shsh sweetheart… it’s alright… main abhi shampoo kar lunga toh mere baal theek ho jayenge. There’s nothing to worry about.”

She had insisted that he immediately go take a bath. Indeed, Sameer had taken a shower at 2:30am, dried his hair, and showed it to her, letting her have a feel. She had been satisfied only after that, and wiped her eyes, eating the tomatoes happily then, much to everyone’s relief. The very next day Sameer had come in early from office with enough pani-puri to feed a small army, and all of them, including Bhavna Tai had foregone dinner after that treat. Nanu had been tense when a day later Naina had demanded tomato soup, but to his surprise Sameer had whipped out a recipe book and set to work in the kitchen. He had watched his grandson chop, boil, blend with expertise, slice bread into even squares and toast them, and then serve a bowl of soup with bread croutons on the side to his wife. That night even he had enjoyed an unexpected late-night snack and marvelled at his grandson’s cooking skills.

In the entire week, Vishakha had called once, to ask him about his return. It was Tuesday night, and he had clearly stated that he had just arrived few days back and hadn’t planned when to return. She had complained about how it seemed he had forgotten about his real family and that his grandchildren missed him. Nanu had firmly told her to not spout nonsense, and that he had talked to Rohan and Deepika already, and they were fine. After that there was no interruption from Vishakha Somani. When the day for his return, 30^th January, finally arrived, it seemed Naina was sadder than Sameer. He didn’t know how to assure her that he wasn’t abandoning them again. Hoping that she wouldn’t start crying, he joked, “itna udaas chehra banaogi toh main zyada din dur nahi reh paunga. Phir har mahine aa jaaya karunga.”

Instead of laughing as he expected, her eyes brightened with expectation, “sach me Nanu? Aap har mahine aayenge?”

Nanu looked at her in awe, wondering if she was truly happy at the prospect of him visiting so frequently, instead of treating it as an inconvenience. He glanced at his grandson, hoping to see some trepidation there, but even his expression had hope written all over it. Swallowing the tight knot of emotions, he softly asked, “tum dono sach me chahte ho ke main har mahine aau?”

Both of them nodded eagerly, and he felt his heart swell with happiness. The chasm between him and his grandson was filling up, and he had also been blessed with a caring and loving grand daughter-in-law. He decided he would do anything for his children, “theek hai. Main Ahmedabad jaake sab arrangement kar lunga taaki har mahine ek hafta yahan tum dono ke saath reh saku.”

Sameer hugged him happily, while Naina clasped her hands tight, rocking on her heels in excitement. Nanu slowly, tentatively gave her a side-hug, patting her head which made her squeal in happiness, making both the men laugh affectionately. While his last trip had ended in uncertainty, this trip ended in a joyful promise.

Sameer kept Naina firmly on his side, a hand wrapped around her shoulder, while they waved to Nanu. He was extremely happy with Nanu’s acceptance of Naina, and how this week had made them a family. Having Nanu’s blessing had led Naina to blossom with excitement and she had started coming out of her shell. Hopefully, Nanu’s continued visits would provide Naina the strength to believe in family all over again, and she would agree to reconcile with bua-dadi, and maybe Preeti as well. Now he hoped that their Kolkata trip would bring them even closer to each other, and she would be able to confide in him about her past, and then they could truly progress in their relationship as husband and wife.