Love Me Tonight
Chapter 7: The Man called SJM

Sameer Jaiprakash Maheshwari hated a lot of things in his life, but at that particular moment the thing that was making him furious was the never ending traffic and the insane amount of people on the road. Naina had run away… disappeared somewhere in the short amount of time it had taken for him to come out of the clinic. How was it possible? He was sure she was just hiding around nearby, but where? There were so many shops at both ends, plus those narrow lanes that reached into residential flats or societies. Even a needle in a haystack would be easier to find because at least he would know which haystack to look into. Still… He just had to find her. With renewed determination he started to move towards the nearby sweetshop, but just then his mobile beeped indicating a message, followed by a call. He received the call quickly noticing that it was from the bank manager, “yes…”

“Sir”, the manager’s voice was full of achievement, “address mil gaya sir… maine aapko abhi abhi message kiya hai.”

So that was the message. He closed his eyes in relief… Finally, he had Naina’s address. Careful to not reflect any happiness in his tone, he replied, “that’s a good news… thanks. Main khud check karunga ke address sahi hai ke nahi.”

The manager quickly said, “bilkul sahi hai sir… 100% guarantee… Phir bhi aap tassali kar lijiye… uh… sir… woh… pension scheme…”

“Let me check the address”, he stated in a terse voice, “if it is correct my assistant will contact you next week.”

Having said that he disconnected the call without waiting for any reply, and quickly checked the message… Borivali West… Shivshakti housing society, room number 103… He let out a long breath of relief… Naina was here… Nearby… Oh dear God… Finally he had a tangible location. He took out his car keys, thinking to go there immediately, but something stopped him… His impulsive nature had caused him a lot of trouble in past. Not anymore… He couldn’t take any chances where Naina was concerned. It had taken so long to find her, he didn’t want to screw up the minimal probability he had of forming a relationship with her.

He recalled how she had been shocked on seeing him in-front of her, how she had pushed him and run away… Naina was spooked… Afraid, for some reason… He hadn’t caused her any harm… Well… Nothing apart from sleeping with her in a semi-drunken state and blabbering about one night stands thus giving her an impression that she was also a temporary relief he sought… That had definitely hurt her, but he hadn’t hurt her physically… He hadn’t even thrown her out of his home and life, she had herself walked out leaving him with only a note. She had taken the decision since that night… So why would she be afraid of him? There was no particular reason, was there?

He walked back to the clinic gate, lost in thoughts. Naina had no idea that he had been looking for her, until he told her today. But in those few minutes, he wasn’t even sure if she understood his desperation and sincerity. Maybe she heard the words, maybe she didn’t, he can’t estimate as she had been in complete shock on seeing him. She couldn’t even think that he had been to Ahmedabad to find clues about her from their school, from her family… She would have no idea that he had already met Phulla Bua… She couldn’t know that he had the details of her bank account… So in short, there could be no fear in her that he would take her back to her family. Then why would she run? Maybe she didn’t want to be with him… He closed his eyes, stumbling against the gates, a pain spreading in his heart just at the thought that she might not want to be with him… Dragging in deep breaths he tried to calm himself… He shouldn’t come to any conclusion about her thoughts and wants before talking to her. So should he go to meet her now? Maybe tonight he could just check somehow if the address was indeed correct, and then meet her tomorrow… He didn’t want to spook her into leaving again… That seemed like a right plan… In all his personal troubles he can’t forget about Munna’s mother, and so he decided to collect the file he had left inside the clinic first.

“Sambhalke Madhu”, he heard a concerned voice and turned to look at a couple walking past the gates. The man was firmly holding the hand of his heavily pregnant wife, taking care that she didn’t stumble, and she smiled up at him with all the love shining in her eyes. Sameer felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight… Will Naina ever look at him like that? Will they be together to experience the different phases of life? Getting married, being a father, returning every day to his home to his wife was never part of his life plan… But it was so simple to imagine all of this with Naina, and all these thoughts felt right…

Something nagged his brain into thinking as his eyes moved from the couple to the clinic name… A gynecologist… Why would Naina visit a gynec? Wait a minute… A lump formed in his throat and his heart started to beat in a heavy rhythm… He hadn’t used condoms… Shit… They had made love without protection and now Naina was visiting a gynec… What were the chances that one night, just one night was enough to result into pregnancy? Maybe less… But still there was a chance… Maybe Naina had visited for some other reason, but still there was a chance that the reason was pregnancy… And that thought was enough to make him run inside the clinic and barge into Dr. Suchitra’s cabin without even knocking on the door…

The doctor was seated again in her chair, lost in thought, and was startled on hearing the door bang against the wall. She watched Sameer Maheshwari stride in… There was a moment of silence, and then…

“Is Naina Pregnant?”

“Are you the father?”

Sameer and Suchitra blurted different questions at the same time… Sameer staggered back, reaching out for something to hold. Suchitra stood up, alarmed at the way his face paled in shock, and helped him sit on a chair. She offered him water, and he gratefully sipped. Keeping the glass aside, he combed his fingers through his hair and cursed aloud, “God Dammit…”

Suchitra stepped back to sit on another chair, watching him run through several emotions, rub his hands over his face, his shoulders slumping as if he was tired and sad… It took him a few minutes to gather himself, but then he squared his shoulders, straightened and commanded, “tell me about her… every single thing…”

Suchitra didn’t speak… She just kept watching him wondering what to do now… Personally, she wanted to quickly blurt everything about Naina’s pregnancy simply because the father was sitting before her, and it made sense for him to take responsibility of his baby and its mother. But professionally she was stuck in a deep rut – first of all there is the patient confidentiality protocol, she wasn’t just Naina’s gynec but also she was holding consulting for her, so technically she just can’t hand over the case details to anyone; second, Naina had described the kind of man Sameer was just today, a man used to one-night-stands, a man who would consider the child only an unwanted responsibility which Naina didn’t want to happen, a man who wouldn’t even consider her or her pregnancy to be important, a man who just treated women as a source of pleasure and had no interest in a stable relationship, a man who had slept with Naina on the same day as he had proposed his girlfriend. Objectively speaking, she shouldn’t probably judge the man’s character, but her own reaction towards him proved that he had all the attributes of being a Casanova. The man in-front of her just oozed sex appeal even now when he was visibly distressed and scowling at her.

Sameer kept waiting for the doctor to speak up, but when she just kept looking at him as if assessing him, he let the businessman inside him speak, “don’t even think for one minute that I won’t be able to find Naina if you don’t share her details… Mere paas apne khudke tareeke hai usko dhundneke liye… I have been trying to find since a month, and trust me when I say this, mujhe uski family pata hai, uske friends ke baare me pata hai, aur ab woh kahan rehti hai woh bhi mujhe pata hai.”

She looked skeptical at his declaration… He smirked, “maybe you need proof… Naina Borivali West me rehti hai, Shivshakti housing society… Room number chahiye?”

Suchitra was genuinely surprised… Till date she had only heard of people finding information about others through sources or had seen such stuff in movies. But here was a man who had just proved to her that despite not meeting Naina for a month he had tracked her down… Sameer sighed, “look doctor… I understand ke aap apne professional protocols ke wajah se mujhse cheeze share nahi karna chahti… But… I deserve to know… Main aapse jaan na chahta hun ke Naina kaisi hai… Uski health toh theek hai na… Baby kaisa hai… Koi complications toh nahi hai dono ki health me…”

There was concern and hope in his voice that she wanted to pay heed to, but at the same time the authority and power he displayed made her hesitant. What if the concern was just a show? What if he found Naina and compelled her for an abortion? He seemed to have enough money and power, what if he harmed Naina in some way? Naina was already hurting because of some incidents in her past that she didn’t even divulge to anyone, what if Sameer became the reason of some new irreversible pain in her life? Maybe the right decision was to not divulge anything until Naina gave her consent… She should stick to her professional commitments and talk to Naina first about Sameer wanting to know about her pregnancy. But then… he had asked about Naina’s health first, did that prove that he cared for Naina? And also how could she forget the hug and kisses he had bestowed on Naina, it was as if he had found the most precious treasure on earth… How could she ignore the way he had made a mad dash after Naina to find her when she had run away from the cabin?

Before she could decide how to tackle the man in-front of her, her cabin door banged open once more causing her and Sameer to stand up quickly… The 19 year old girl came running inside, grabbing her hand, and pleaded desperately, “please… please do something… save my baby…”

Suchitra steadied the girl, “Priya… tum…”

Her statement was interrupted by two people striding inside, and Suchitra almost let out a frustrated groan, and she said, “Mr. and Mrs. Mathur… Yeh mera clinic hai, aapka ghar nahi… Aap log bahar wait kijiye… Priya meri patient hai, I will talk to her…”

Mr. Mathur sneered, “aap kya baat karengi… mujhe pata hai aap bas time pass kar rahi hai kabse… Priya itni der se behosh thi, achcha chance tha, par aapne kuch nahi kiya.”

“Priya ke consent ke bina main yeh nahi kar sakti”, Suchitra explained.

Mrs. Mathur snapped, “consent? Kaisi consent? Pati hai nahi… Sasural walo ne chod diya… Ab hamare maathe padi hai wapas yeh… Ek toh pehle hi samaj me beizzati karwa di hai, upar se ab yeh musibat iske pet me pal rahi hai…”

Priya sobbed, “mom please… Rahul aur main pyaar…”

“Chup ekdum”, her father roared, “ab tak sharam nahi hai iss ladki ko… Ek lafz aur bola toh dhakke maarke ghar se nikaal dunga… Phir pade rehna sadak ke kisi kone me aur apne Rahul ki yaado se pet bharna apna aur iss lawaris ka… Mere ghar me rehna chahti ho jaisa main bol raha hun waisa hi karo…”

Priya kept sobbing hard, but her voice was strong as she replied, “nahi… main yeh kabhi nahi karungi…”

Mr. Mathur was furious as he stepped forward and lifted his hand to slap his daughter, but his hand was caught in mid-air, and to his surprise a young man stepped in-front of him, shielding his daughter from him… Sameer had been watching the drama standing aside, unable to grasp the situation, but when he had seen the rude man about to slap the girl he had stepped forward… Mr. Mathur tried to pry his hand away, but the grip seemed to be of steel, hard and cold, just like the look in the eyes of the man who had gripped his hand.

Sameer roughly pushed his hand aside, “don’t you dare hit a woman… sharam nahi aati aapko…?” Glancing at Suchitra he asked, “kya chal raha hai yahan pe?”

The girl, Priya, spoke up first from behind him, in a low distraught voice, “mere mom-dad mere bachche ko maarna chahte hai… Abortion…”

Sameer turned around to look at the girl, who looked almost like a college student, “tum pregnant ho?” She nodded, and he further asked, “husband?”

“Vidhwa hai vidhwa”, Mrs. Mathur stated in a vindictive tone, “sasural walo ne toh dhakke deke ghar se nikaal diya hai, aur ab iski galti hume jhelni pad rahi hai.”

Suchitra tried to make them understand again, “dekhiye aap log samajh kyun nahi rahe hai… Priya ek adult hai… Uska pura haq hai decide karneka ke usko yeh bachcha chahiye ke nahi… Bina uske permission ke abortion karwana illegal hai.”

Mrs. Mathur turned to her husband, “maine kaha tha na aapse ke yeh doctor kisi kaam ki nahi hai… Humne kisi chote clinic me jaana chahiye jahan paise dekhke koi sawaal nahi puchega.”

“What the hell”, Sameer fumed, “aapki beti hai yeh… already woh apna pati kho chuki hai… Uska saath dene ke jagah aap log uske pati ki aakhri nishaani bhi usse cheen lena chahte hai? Can’t you see that she loves her child already? Mrs. Mathur aap khud ke maa hoke apne hi beti ke bachche ki jaan kaise le sakti hai?”

Mr. Mathur scoffed, “yeh emotional speech ka koi fayda nahi hai… Aur aap hote kaun hai beech me bolne wale? Hamari beti hai, hume uske saath jo karna hai hum karenge… Ek toh pehle hi iske wajah se badnaami jhelni padi hume… Ishq kiya, bhaagke shaadi kar li… Tab toh isne socha nahi apne parents ke baare me… Aur ab… pet me yeh paap leke wapas aayi hai jab sasural walo ne ghar se nikaal diya. Samjhaya tha humne isko ke Rahul se shaadi na kare, dusri jagah rishta bhi tay kar diya tha… Par suni isne hamari baat? Toh ab jab na Rahul hai aur naa hi uske gharwale ise rakhna chahte hai, toh hamari bhi yahi shart hai… Yaa toh iss bachche ko gira de, ya phir hamara ghar bhi chod de.”

Sameer listened to everything the man had to say and honestly he wasn’t even surprised at the things he heard… He had learnt at a very early age to not have any expectations from family, and since then the experiences he had had only kept reaffirming his thoughts. Naina’s family, Suraj’s family… And now this one standing before him ready to snatch the life of their own daughter… Didn’t they understand that killing the unborn child would mean killing their daughter as well…? Ceasing breath was not the only way to cause death, sometimes the person kept breathing but stopped living, and that would be as good as death. With a firm determination he ignored the vicious parents and turned to the girl who was still hiding behind him… He gently held her shoulders and made her sit, “calm down… tum itna stress logi, toh it’s not good for your baby… right doctor?”

Suchitra looked at the sight before her, wondering what Sameer was up to and nodded. Priya immediately wiped her tears and placed a hand over her belly. Sameer smiled, “you loved Rahul very much, haina?”

Priya nodded, a small smile curving her lips, “jee… school se hi… lekin mom-dad ko manzoor nahi tha kyunki hamara caste alag hai… Unn logo ne meri shaadi kahin aur tay kar di… Rahul ne kitni koshish ki manane ki… Phir aakhir me hamare paas koi aur raasta nahi tha, isiliye humne bhaag ke shaadi karli… Lekin shaadi ke do hafte baad hi Rahul… Car accident…”

Sameer patted her head as she started to cry again, “shsh… I am sorry… listen, just tell me… Tum yeh bachcha chahti ho na?”

She immediately replied, “haan… Rahul ko kho chuki hun, I don’t want to lose my baby as well…”

“Don’t worry”, he assured, “kuch nahi hoga tumhe aur tumhare bachche ko… main…”

Mr. Mathur interrupted, “tum kaun hote ho? Priya hamari beti hai, hamara jo faisla hoga use maan na padega.”

Sameer turned to face the man, his eyes once more cold and hard, his voice laced with an undertone of threat, “don’t you dare take that tone with me Mr. Mathur… And never interrupt when I am speaking. Agli baar main itni sharafat se baat nahi karunga.” Crouching in-front of Priya’s chair, he asked, once more in a calm and gentle tone, “Priya… Tum apne parents ke bina reh paogi?”

“If that means I can keep my baby, then yes”, Priya affirmed.

Sameer smiled, “good… now listen to me… I will take care…”

This time Mrs. Mathur interrupted, “yahi bacha tha ab… Woh kambakht Rahul toh mar gaya, ab yeh iss aadmi ke chakkar me pad gai.”

His wife’s rant gave Mr. Mathur courage once more to speak, “tum leke jaoge isko? Aur kar bhi kya sakte ho… Tum jaise aadmi ke liye toh aam baat hogi na… Aaj le jaoge hamari beti ko aur kal phirse raste pe phenk doge istemaal karke… Tum kya jaano parivaar ke baare me.”

Sameer’s eyes seemed to be spitting fire on hearing the words, but he took in a deep breath, controlling his expressions, as he stood up and pulled a chair to sit beside Priya. When he looked at the couple, he seemed to have a sarcastic smile on his face, “funny isn’t it…? Jo aadmi apne grandchild ko maarne ke liye taiyar hai, jo aadmi apne pregnant beti ko ghar se nikaalne ke liye taiyaar hai woh mujhe parivaar ka gyaan de raha hai… And please tell me, aap hote kaun hai mera character certificate dene wale? Do you even know who I am?”

Mr. Mathur sneered, “mujhe jaanne ki zaroorat nahi hai tum kaun ho… Lekin tum mujhe jaanlo toh achcha hoga… Main bahot bada businessman hun… Mere itne contacts hai jitna tum soch bhi nahi sakte… Mumbai me mere kai boutiques hai… Puri stores ki line hai…”

Sameer coughed once, hiding his smile, “you know what… mujhe aapke mediocre boutiques me koi interest nahi hai… And please understand, maine aapke boutiques ko mediocre kapdo ki quality ke wajah se nahi, aapke ghatiya soch ke wajah se kaha hai… Aur haan, flaunt karne se pehle jaan toh lete kiske saamne kar rahe hai… Anyways, forget it… Aap toh mera introduction bhi deserve nahi karte Mr. Mathur.” Swirling his chair towards the girl beside him, he continued, “Priya… Listen to me… Mera naam Sameer Maheshwari hai… I own SJM Enterprise…”

In the brief pause that followed, Suchitra glanced around the room, amused to find an expression akin to horror on the face of the Mathur couple, and astonishment on Priya’s face. To be honest, even she was surprised… She would have never guessed that the owner of one of the biggest fashion firms in India was so young. She had often heard the name SJM in media, the way the business world referred to the owner of SJM Enterprise, but she hadn’t known that she had been talking to and drooling over SJM himself… And Naina… Good lord… Naina had had that one night stand with SJM…!! Did she even know who he was? And SJM was here, in her small clinic, enquiring about his child… Wouldn’t that be a scoop for media…!?

“I understand how you feel Priya”, Sameer continued, uncaring of the ripple of disturbance he had caused with his casual introduction, “dekho… SJM as a company ek shelter sponsor karta hai. Wahan women’s hostel bhi hai… Would you like to stay there?”

Priya stammered, “p…par s…sir main kaise…”

Sameer assured, “I will get you a job… basically something you can work on. Kuch zyada stressful nahi kyunki you need to take care of your baby. Tumhara saara maternity expense SJM ke taraf se hoga, aur delivery ke baad bhi you can continue to stay and work… You will have full freedom… Kisi din agar tum jaana chahti ho, independently kuch karna chahti ho, toh woh bhi kar sakti ho… Ya agar shelter me rehke hi alag se job karna chahti ho, toh that is also possible… I promise uss shelter me tumhara aur tumhare bachche ka pura dhyan rakha jayega.”

Priya thought about it for a few minutes, and then after glancing once at her parents she nodded. Sameer smiled, “great… I will make the arrangements.”

As he stood up to make a call, Mr. Mathur spoke up, “aap aisa nahi kar sakte. Priya hamari beti hai, aap usko nai le jayenge… Agar aapne aisa kiya toh… toh… toh main police me case kar dunga.”

Sameer remained totally unaffected, “sure… go ahead… lekin itna yaad rakhna ke case main bhi kar sakta hun… Abuse ka case, illegal abortion attempt ka case… aur mujhse badtameezi karne ke liye ek defamation ka case free gift hoga. Aur mera naam sunne ke baad toh aapko samajh aa hi gaya hoga ke main yeh jo bhi keh raha hun woh for sure kar sakta hun…”

Smirking at the shocked face of the couple, he dialed a number, and spoke in just a few seconds, “Aman… Mrs. Gupta ko Ashray ke pick-up karke mujhse milo… Jis gynecologist ke clinic ka address diya tha na tumne wahin pe… Yes, I will wait here. Bye.”

In thirty minutes, a younger man came in with a middle-aged lady, both of them greeted Sameer, “hello sir.”

Sameer nodded, “Aman… that was quick… traffic nahi tha kya?”

The younger man, Aman, smiled, “tha sir… lekin main bike pe aaya na.”

Sameer chuckled, “I forgot… Sorry Mrs. Gupta… aapko iss waqt aise bulaya.”

“It’s alright sir”, the woman assured, “zaroor kuch urgent hoga.”

Sameer sighed, “jee haan… yeh Priya hai… Pregnant hai… Husband ab iss duniya me nahi hai.” Gesturing towards the couple he said, “aur iske mom-dad iss bachche ko accept nahi karna chahte. Inki shart hai ke agar Priya ko inke saath rehna hai use abortion karwana padega, jo woh nahi karwana chahti.”

Aman glared at the couple, his expressions a mix of rage and distaste, and murmured, “cowards.”

Mrs. Gupta immediately went to sit beside Priya, consoling her, and started telling her about the shelter. Suchitra could see that Priya quickly calmed down at the kind tone of the woman, and couldn’t help but feel relief at the help Sameer had sponsored out of the blue. Sameer’s next few statements proved that he was an ethical man but a ruthless businessman to the core. He instructed in a firm tone, “Mrs. Gupta, please make all the arrangements for her stay from tonight itself, aur paperwork bhi ready rakhna I will drive by and sign, no matter how late I am. I don’t want to leave anything to chance given the kind of parents she has.”

Once the lady agreed, he turned to the doctor, “Dr. Suchitra, I am sorry aapko clinic me itni der tak rukna pada, and thak you for understanding the urgency. If you don’t mind, can I request you to keep handling Priya’s case? Aap uske background se waqif hai toh aap better tareeke se handle kar payengi as compared to any new gynec we find.”

Dr. Suchitra also agreed, “mujhe koi problem nahi hai… Agar Priya kal shaam ko wapas visit ke liye aa paaye toh main uske appointments fix kar dungi aur counseling sessions bhi… It is recommended given her case.”

Sameer nodded, “sure… Mrs. Gupta will see to it. Priya ke saath uske appointments ke liye hamesha koi saath aayega Ashray se. And payments ki saari formality bhi Ashray ka staff handle kar lega.” Looking at his assistant he continued, “Aman… Mr. Mathur has threatened me with a police complaint for apparently taking his adult daughter along without his consent…”

Aman chuckled, “yeah right… I will see how that gets registered… I will get his full background check done… We will know whatever skeleton he is hiding in his closet, and then we can see if he still wants to play this game.”

Mr. Mathur fumed, opening his mouth to probably say something inappropriate. But before he could Aman warned, “agar main aapki jagah hota toh do baar nahi, sau baar sochunga muh kholne se pehle… SJM ko dhamkee dene ki galti ki hai aapne… I mean, yeh illegal abortion attempt ka case toh ho hi sakta hai, baaki I am sure 2-3 extra cases background check se mil jayenge… You see… aapki kismat abhi aapke favor me nahi hai… So don’t even try to open your mouth right now.”

Sameer stood back with a smile, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, enjoying the way his assistant took charge. Hiring Aman was one of the best decisions he had ever made. Mrs. Gupta held priya’s hand, helping her stand up. Aman collected the patient file from the doctor, and then asked, “Ms. Priya… aapko apne ghar se kuch samaan chahiye? We can collect it on the way.”

Priya thought for a minute and nodded, “kuch kapde, mere certificates aur meri shaadi ki photo.”

Aman nodded, “fine… let’s go… And don’t worry Mr. Mathur aap agar humse pehle aapke ghar nahi pahonche toh mujhe darwaza todna bhi aata hai.”

In a couple of minutes the whole group left, with Mr. & Mrs. Mathur scurrying away fast, probably to save their front door from an enthusiastic Aman. Sameer took a deep breath and offered, “do you need a lift doctor?”

Dr. Suchitra stared at him for a minute and then started laughing, puzzling him extremely. She sat on her chair, trying to speak in between chortles, “give me time to digest all this Mr. Maheshwari… I feel like I am in a movie…”

Sameer was perplexed, “huh?”

Suchitra calmed down, “I mean… I can’t believe all that happened. Aaj dopahar se I am so stressed out because of Priya’s case. Aur ab… Wow… Priya is safe, uska baby bhi safe… Mujhe ab sochna nahi padega, how to save that poor girl from her own parents… And the way you dealt with Mr. and Mrs. Mathur… It truly seemed like a movie… Dhamkee, police case, background checks… Like really? Maine kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ke yeh sab kuch real life me bhi hota hai…”

Sameer shrugged, “business world me normal hai.”

“Maybe”, she replied, a tinge of doubt in her voice, “anyways… jab main aapse pehle baat kar rahi thi, I had no idea ke aap SJM hai.”

“I told you my name”, he replied.

She nodded, “yeah… but… Sameer sunke who would connect to SJM… And honestly, maine socha nahi tha ke SJM Enterprise ke maalik itne young honge…” He had no idea what to reply to that and so he stayed silent; after a moment she asked, “why did you do all this? I mean… as a gentleman I suppose kisi ladki pe haath uthte hue rokna aap kar sakte hai… Par baaki sab… Shelter provide karna, expense handle karna, itni urgently apne staff ko bulake sab kuch arrange karna… You totally took on Priya’s responsibility… Why?”

“Because I understand her”, he simply stated, “Priya se milne ke kuch minute pehle hi mujhe pata chala ke main baap banne wala hun… The woman I love is pregnant… And even without knowing anything I just fell in love with my child… Sirf kuch minute me main apne bachche se itna pyaar karne laga ke I would probably even kill to protect both the mother and the baby… Toh phir Priya pe kya beet rahi hogi when she is forced to beg for her child’s life… I didn’t do much, honestly… No one can replace the support her parents could have offered, or the love and care her husband could have provided. Lekin iss situation me Priya ko financial aur emotional support ki zaroorat thi, and my company is capable and successful enough to provide that to people in need. Ashray me she will be happy, she will heal… And hopefully some day she will find someone who will make her fall in love again.”

In that moment Dr. Suchitra was hundred percent assured that Naina never had had the opportunity to know the man SJM was. The man in-front of her was devilishly handsome, and maybe had had one-night stands and some flings, at least one serious enough to propose, but he wasn’t the man who would use and discard women. In fact, despite having a prominent presence in media, never once had she heard about any link-up gossips or scandals. Also, a man’s character is only revealed in times of need, and the way Sameer reacted to the situation today proved for sure that he was man with clean character and deep thought, he was a man of honor and respect, he was a man who loved his woman and his child dearly.

“So, do you need lift?”

His voice brought her back from her thoughts… She smiled, “nahi… that’s alright… Par ek sawaal zaroor hai… Aapne dobara Naina ke baare me nahi pucha?”

He shook his head, “I understood ke aap mujhe nahi batana chahti… Wajah professional hai ya personal mujhe nahi pata… And it’s alright… Main khud sab kuch dhund lunga… Aapse bas itna janna chahta hun ke woh theek toh hai na?”

“She is fine”, Suchitra assured, “thodi vitamin deficiencies hai jo pregnancy me normal hai… blood pressure thoda low rehta hai because she doesn’t relax much… Shayad jo kuch bhi uske life me hua hai woh use chain se sone nahi deta… I started her counselling today, par I don’t think ke usse usko mental relaxation milega… Naina is like a closed book for me… Apne past ke baare kabhi kuch nahi batati, aapka toh naam tak nahi leti… Kehti hai purane darwaaze bandh kar diye kyunki unn darwazo se use bahar nikaal diya gaya tha.”

A sad smile tilted the right corner of his mouth, “ek darwaza aisa bhi tha jahan se woh khud nikal gayi thi…”

Suchitra blinked in surprise, “kya matlab?”

“Kuch nahi”, he deftly diverted the topic, “aap Naina ke baare me bata rahi thi.”

She sighed, “can I call you Sameer?” He nodded, and she smiled, “Sameer… dekho… main tumhe Naina ke case ke details dungi… Lekin you have to assure me ke tum usko nahi bataoge ke tumhe mere paas se information mili hai. Kuch bhi kaho usse, par mera naam mat lena warna woh yahan kabhi nahi aayegi. She is scared… Woh kisise support nahi lena chahti for some reason. Aur tumhare baare me uski soch… How to say…”

“Achchi toh nahi hogi”, he replied, “galti uski nahi hai doctor… Maine kuch aisi cheeze usko bol di thi ke she felt she is not important to me. I failed to make her realize, to express that she is everything.”

Suchitra took the plunge, “she told me you were drunk that night… lekin usko yaqeen hai that you will remember and still not care… usko lagta hai ke tum uske bachche ko ek unwanted responsibility samjhoge. She thinks that uss raat ke baad tumko kai aur ladkiya mil gai hogi jisne tumhe usko bhulane me help ki hogi.” Sameer flinched, closing his eyes, his fists clenched… A sense of repulse for himself coursed through his body. “I am so sorry”, Suchitra softly said, “maybe I shouldn’t have said things like that… par tumhara janna zaroori tha… Agar tum sach me Naina ki madad karna chahte ho, agar tum sach me usse pyaar karte ho then you need to know what she thinks.”

“Excuse me for a minute”, he choked and stood up, pacing the breadth of the cabin, almost hyperventilating. He sniffed, trying to control from breaking down, blinked back the tears and tried to regulate his breathing… “It’s okay”, he swallowed and looked back at her, “maine khud apni impression banai hai, main hi woh badlunga… And trust me doctor, I am not like that… I really love her.”

Suchitra smiled gently, “I trust you Sameer… Isiliye tumhe yeh sab bata rahi hun… Warna nahi batati. As a doctor maine bahot tareeke ke logo ko dekha hai… I don’t claim to be an expert, lekin kamsekam I have fair sense of assessment of characters. But please… whatever you do, take care ke usko stress na ho… Be careful kyunki woh akeli rehti hai…”

He nodded, “aur zyada din ke liye nahi… she will be with me…”

“I will pray that happens”, she assured, “let me get you a copy of her file.” Thirty minutes later Sameer was in his car beneath Naina’s apartment, reading through the pages, getting a proper perspective of her life. She lived alone… She worked in a library that was at a considerable distance from here. The counselling paper mentioned that she travelled by train and bus, and he could imagine how exhausted she must feel by the end of day, especially in this condition. Some person called Anmol and Poonam accompanied her to the hospital alternately, the relationship to patient was mentioned as colleague. It gave him an outlook to what the doctor has mentioned; that Naina was scared of making friends or having relationships. It was a wonder that she had reached out to him that night at the club… Even after being related so superficially with people, Naina had formed a bond with him in very limited time. That told him of the care and possible love she held in her heart for him. If only he had been awake earlier that morning… Today they would have been together, celebrating the arrival of their baby. But now, he even had to wait to meet Naina, even though she was so near. The doctor had warned not to stress her out, so he didn’t think it would be a good idea to meet her right now. But in morning… in morning for sure.

Meanwhile inside the housing society in room 103, Naina was restlessly pacing the living room. She couldn’t forget the way he had been surprised and shocked to see her, the way he had hugged her… so tight… the warmth of that hug seemed to linger on her body as well as her heart. The way he had tightened his arms even after hugging her, she had felt as if he wanted to hold her forever, to protect her… She touched her cheek… He had kissed her… All over her face… He had also said something… She knew she had heard his voice… But she didn’t remember anything, except that one line…

I missed you so much…

Why? Why had he said that? Why would he miss her? She was no one, right? Just a time pass for one night… Wasn’t that what he had told her? He had mentioned the rules of one night stands… He had told her that he just needed some other girl to help him get over Sakshi… Then how could he miss her?

Staying in the enclosure of his arms had been too tempting, but her brain had alerted her… She couldn’t manage to talk to him in a friendly way, she couldn’t manage another rejection, she couldn’t manage another wound on her heart… And so she had pushed him away and ran for her life… Thankfully Anmol had been waiting for her as she had just gone in to take her file, and she had rushed up him asking him to drive away fast… His bike had weaved through the evening traffic and she had breathed a sigh of relief when they had been at a safe distance. Naturally Anmol had asked her about her condition, but she had avoided answering…

Reaching her flat she had locked herself in, scared to think about him, scared to hope for anything. When her neighbor had rang the doorbell she had almost jumped out of her skin… But then she had chided herself, thinking how would Sameer even know where she lived. It was impossible… And why would he even come here? The visit at the clinic has been accidental… But what if he came to know that she lived here? Panic had hit once more when she had realized that in her haste to escape, she had left the file at the doctor’s clinic… Goodness… What if he found it? What if… What if he got to know of her baby?

She had almost been on the verge of fainting, and had grabbed hold of the chair… That was when she had realized that she was stressing out and it could harm her baby. She had sat down and tried to think with a clear mind. Dr. Suchitra was a professional… Even if Sameer asked for the details, stating that he was the father, Suchitra wouldn’t tell him anything without her consent. The patient confidentiality was important. And she had clearly stated to the doctor that she didn’t want the father to know… Thank God, that conversation had happened.

She had wondered if she should call up the clinic and reconfirm once, but upon checking the clock she had realized the clinic would be closed and she didn’t have Dr. Suchitra’s mobile number. She was safe… Sameer didn’t know anything… But still, she would call up in morning and restate that no one should be given any information about her. Yes, that would be better. Leaving this house was impossible, she was tired of running, and there was no way she could go through another house hunt and shifting in her condition. So it was essential to hide this information from everyone.

Finally she had calmed down enough to prepare a light meal for herself. But after dinner, as the time to sleep had ticked close, she was once more plagued with memories of the hugs and kisses he had bestowed today. She cursed him… After such a long time she had found peace, why did he have to come and mess her mind up… She shouldn’t be thinking about him at all… Not his hugs… Not his kisses… Nothing… Hadn’t she already decided that this baby was just hers? He may have contributed to her pregnancy but that was just a mistake on his part… She needed to chill and calm her mind so that she could sleep.

It was 9:30pm already… There won’t be many shops open, but she was craving ice-cream. Maybe she could try out her luck once… Grabbing some cash, she pulled on her dupatta and slippers and walked downstairs… There was a small grocery shop nearby, which was generally used by the residents whenever they needed something in emergency. The night air was cool and soothing, and she immediately felt her nerves calm. She drew in a deep breath, unaware that just at a distance of few feet a man did the same…

Sameer had parked his car in a nearby lane, and walked up to the society thinking to somehow sneak in and try to see Naina once… Maybe he could ring the doorbell and hide… That might spook her a bit, but she wouldn’t know it was him, and he would get to see her once. He was restless and desperate… But it seemed his prayers were answered because just as he reached the tree near the society gates, he saw Naina walking up towards him dressed in a white chikan salwar-kameez. He quickly hid himself, his heart easing at her sight… He smiled when she closed her eyes and lifted her head up to the sky as if enjoying the night breeze. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, but few fringes were loose near her face, fluttering in the wind. Where was she going? Was she just out for a walk?

He followed at a safe distance, making sure to stay hidden as much as possible. However, it seemed she was oblivious… Maybe she didn’t anticipate that he would find her address. Of course she would be certain that the doctor wouldn’t give out information, and according to her there was no other way for him to find out. Or maybe she thought he wouldn’t put in the effort to find her. Whatever the reason, she was relaxed. He watched her stop at a shop and buy something… She started to walk back and he quickly pressed himself in a niche along the wall… She strolled by, busy in licking the orange ice-candy with a childlike delight. He chuckled at the sight, and realized that maybe she was craving… He wanted to go up to her, hug her, pamper her… But he had to instead control himself… She deserved a peaceful sleep… But tomorrow morning, first thing, he would be at her doorstep.

The persistent ringing of alarm disturbed her fitful sleep… Whole night she had tossed and turned, her sleep upset with dreams. Even the imagination of Sameer’s arms hadn’t given her peace for she had, just earlier that day, realized that the real warmth and comfort of his arms was far more than her imagination. It was 5am… She sighed, knowing it was time to get up and start her daily schedule; else she would be late for the library. There was a slight odd sensation in her throat, something she didn’t understand, but when she started brushing, the sensation increased and she puked… She wrinkled her nose at the sink as she sprinkled water to wash… Thankfully it wasn’t food chunks, but just liquid… This had never happened before… But as she started to brush again, suddenly her eyes twinkled…

Goodness! Is this morning sickness?

Somehow that thought cheered her up… She knew she was pregnant… The tiredness and slight back pain sometimes were the only symptoms until now, and of course she had been puking at the smell of milk and some other odd items. But this… this was another milestone, wasn’t it? Her morning sickness had started… She quickly washed and wiped her face, came out of the bathroom… Opening the small cupboard, she grabbed a journal, and wrote down the date along with the symptom. This journal was her log book ever since that night… All the incidents from 16^th October to now, everything that changed in her life was written in this. And she wanted to capture every moment of her pregnancy, of her motherhood… It would be a memory for her, and in future if something happened to her then her child would have this – he/she would know that she loved her baby always even if she didn’t have the man in her life. The only thing that was missing in the journal was his name… The man was always addressed as “HE” in the journal, for even here she didn’t dare to add his name along with hers… Some dreams were better as illusions only; even words couldn’t give life to them.

The doorbell rang, and she knew it was the milkman… Grabbing the vessel from the kitchen she went to collect the milk… Carefully holding the vessel she closed the door lightly with her leg and moved to keep it on gas to heat it. However, after lighting the gas, when she turned to lock the door, her entire being froze… The dream she craved to see and feared to hope was right there, in-front of her eyes, standing at the threshold of her home, holding the door open with his hand.

Sameer…

This has to be another symptom of pregnancy… It was a mirage… An illusion… Close your eyes Naina, it will vanish…

She quickly squeezed her eyes shut, sure that he would vanish… After all how could Sameer Maheshwari land up in her home at 5:30 in the morning? It was impossible… Little did she know that the person in consideration had spent the night in his car, right beneath her apartment. His own fear that she would leave had not let him go to his home that night… He had stayed, keeping a watch, waiting for the morning… And now he was here to let her know that he was in her life to stay, and that she should stop running from him. That’s why when she finally opened her eyes again he was still there, and in those few minutes he had stepped into her home, closed and locked the door, and was now standing leaning against the wall of her kitchen entrance.

“I am really here”, he broke the silence, “you are not dreaming.”

The slight amusement in his voice raised her temper, and she flared, “get out.”

He straightened, a soft smile on his lips, “no.”

She was shocked by the simple stubborn reply, and so she raised her voice even more, “I said… Get out from my home.”

He firmly replied, “no Naina… tum itne dino baad mujhe mili ho… What makes you think I will go?”

“Yeh mera ghar hai”, she gritted her teeth, “mujhe yahan se koi nahi nikaal sakta lekin main tumhe nikaal sakti hun.”

His gaze softened in understanding, and his voice was even softer, “main tumhe nahi nikala tha Naina… Tum mujhe chodke gai thi… Mujhe kuch bolneka mauka tak nahi diya tha.”

Her confidence wavered a bit, and so did her gaze, but she let the mockery visible in her tone as she said, “really? I guess mujhe intezaar karna chahiye tha ke kab tum utho aur mujhe bahar nikaal do.”

He took a step closer to her, “tumne assume kar liya ke main tumhe nikaal dunga… do you really think I would have done that?”

“Yes”, she replied immediately and surely.

He closed his eyes as the surety in her voice hurt him… God… What an impression he had made… Putting aside every scrap of his pride, he informed, “17^th October, jabse maine tumhara letter padha, tabse main tumhe pagalo ki tarah dhund raha hun… Do you know… Uss din jab main utha, I was so happy… Main poore ghar me tumhe dhund raha tha… I was sure, you won’t leave… Bedroom me nahi toh bathroom me hogi… living room me nahi toh bahar garden me hogi… Shayad kitchen me coffee bana rahi hogi… Har ek jagah jahan possible thi wahan dhunda… Phir jab dekha tumhara purse missing hai, aur woh letter, tab… I realized you were gone… Aur tabse main tumhe dhund raha hun.”

It can’t be true… It can’t be true… Why would he look for her? It didn’t mean anything to him… He can’t… He just can’t mean all this…

Every sentence he was uttering was causing a haze inside her brain… A tiny hopeful part of her heart wanted to believe it, but the major bruised part didn’t have the capacity to bear any more… To protect herself, she snapped furiously, “maine nahi kaha tha tumhe ke mujhe dhundo… Kyun dhund rahe the? Aur koi mili nahi kya itne dino me?”

Sameer stayed silent, taking the brunt of that statement on his heart… He knew the disgusting image she had of him, he knew the hurt she had tolerated all these years from her family for some or the other reason, he knew the pain she had felt when he had let her assume that she didn’t mean anything to him, and he knew that all this accumulated hurt and pain was going to be directed as anger towards him… He just prayed and hoped that he would be able to bear the scars on his heart that she would inflict, because he would have to do that to bring her out of misery and to him. He wanted to love her, but she wouldn’t allow him to do that until her pain lessened.

His silence infuriated her further, “chup kyun khade ho? Oh wait… I get it… Itni ladkiya hogi ke gin nahi paa rahe honge… Ya phir shayad yaad hi nahi hoga tumko… Ya Sakshi ne dobara reject kar diya…?”

“Sakshi ka chapter usi din bandh ho gaya tha jis din tum meri life me aai thi”, he replied, “aur tumhare baad naa meri life me koi aayi hai aur naa ayegi.”

She scoffed, “oh wow… suddenly Sameer Maheshwari commitment wali baate kar raha hai. Don’t tell me ke mere saath ek raat bitaake itna bada badlaav aa gaya tum me… Shayad tum bhool gaye tumhare banaye gaye rules… Yaad dilau? Sirf ek raat ki baat hoti hai… No commitments… No second meeting… No dating… Aur kya tha? Haan… Main toh kal kisi aur ke saath chala jaunga… Have fun… Sex… Aur usko bhool juanga…”

“I was drunk”, he quipped in a slightly loud voice.

She had a sad lopsided smile on her face, “yeah… tabhi toh you could do that… you could sleep with me… ek behenji jiske taraf tum dekhte bhi nahi the… sharab ke nashe me tumhari nazar kamzor ho gai hogi… Aur tumhe laga hoga, meri jagah Sa…”

“Don’t”, he interrupted, “don’t say that ever again… Haan maine sharab pee thi… Lekin ghar pahonchne ke baad itne nashe me nahi tha ke kuch yaad naa rahe… Tumhe kiss karne ke baad bhi maine tumhe kaha tha ke I want you… Naina… Tumhara naam uss raat har ek pal liya tha maine… Don’t even dare to tell me ke main tumhare jagah kisi aur ko imagine kar raha tha.”

It was true, she knew… But to make him leave she had to hurt him, and so she turned her head away, “fine… if you say so… par baat ek raat ki hi thi na… toh abhi tumhara yahan koi kaam nahi hai.”

He declared, “main yahan tumhare liye aaya hun… mere saath chalo…”

She rolled her eyes, “oh please… stop all this drama… One night does not make a relationship… Hamare beech jo tha woh usi raat tak ka tha… ab uss raat ki koi yaad ya koi nishaani nahi hai…”

He smiled, “are you sure? Koi nishaani nahi hai?”

Her eyes widened in fear and her hand automatically crept towards her belly, before she controlled herself, but her voice quivered as she said, “I am sure…”

He took a deep breath and dropped the bomb, “toh phir tum gynecologist ke paas kyun gai thi?”

She gasped and took a step back, clutching the kitchen countertop behind her. It took her a few seconds to answer nervously, “ladkiyo wali koi problem ke liye.”

In a flash he pulled her towards him with one hand, turning off the gas with his other hand before the milk could spill over on her skin. “Careful”, he mumbled, and then he cupped her face, his eyes flashing with several emotions, “hamare hone wale bachche ko problem mat bolo Naina… It is such a wonderful thing… Why? Why didn’t you tell me sweetheart?”

Fear of losing her child… Anxiety of being rejected… Trauma of being pushed into the corner all her life… Everything rolled into her being in just matter of heartbeat and she pushed him away from her, “shut up! Just… shut up… Yeh bachcha mera hai Sameer… Tumhe kya lagta hai, achanak tum aise meri life me aa jaoge aur sab cheen loge mujhse? Aisa kabhi nahi hoga… This is my child Sameer… Mine…”

He dragged a hand through his hair, messing it up, as he snapped, “mera bhi role hai iss pregnancy me… I am responsible…”

She interrupted, “responsibility nahi carelessness… laparwahi… one night… sirf ek raat thi woh Sameer… par tumhari laparwahi ke wajah se I am pregnant… Aur ab tum yahan iss bachche pe haq jatane aaye ho? Suddenly tumhe baap banne me maza aa raha hai? Kaan kholke sunlo… mere bachche ki zimmedari main khud utha sakti hun, tumhe yeh sab bekaar ki baato pe padne ki zaroorat nahi hai…” Her tone was scathing as she added, “God knows mujhse pehle kitni ladkiya…”

He flinched, grabbing her shoulders to stop her from speaking. Unable to keep the hurt at bay, he croaked, “bas Naina… bas… I know maine koi bahot achcha impression nahi banaya tumpe… I know mera past kuch khaas nahi hai… I know ke uss raat protection miss karna meri meri galti, meri zimmedaari thi… I know meri wajah se tumne bahot kuch saha hai… But please… main itna bhi gira hua nahi hun ke ladkiyo ko aise use karu… Shayad meri baato pe tumhe vishwaas nahi hoga, but I didn’t sleep around every night… Aur main itna ghatiya nahi hun ke mera kahin pe koi bachcha ho aur main uske saath naa hou…”

She took deep fast breaths trying to calm herself, trying to gather strength to hurt him more… His touch was playing havoc with her sense, the pain in his eyes softening her heart, the pleading in his voice weakening her resolve. “Leave me”, she ordered in a weak voice.

He loosened the grip on her shoulders, gently moving his palms down her arms, holding her wrists to lift her hands up. Dipping his head, he rested his forehead on her clenched fists, “tumhare pregnancy ke baare me mujhe aaj pata chala hai Naina… 17^th October se tumhe dhund raha hun uski wajah yeh bachcha nahi hai… Wajah tum ho Naina… Yes, it was one night… Lekin uss ek raat me you made all the difference… you made me feel special… you made me feel loved… Agar dusre din tum chali nahi gai hoti toh trust me Naina, main tumhe kahin jaane bhi nahi deta…” Lifting his head, he looked into her eyes, “I searched for you because I wanted you… To date you… To tell you how special you are… To tell you that I want a relationship, a commitment… To… To tell you that… I love you.”

She sucked in a breath, her eyes brimming with tears that spilled over on hearing the last line. He left her hands, wiping the tears from her cheeks, softly continuing, “I love you Naina… Aur jab se mujhe pata chala hai ke tum pregnant ho, I love our child too… I love both of you… Main yahan sirf iss bachche ke liye nahi aaya hun… Main yahan tum dono ke liye aaya hun… Aur tum chahe kuch bhi karlo, main tumhare bina yahan se nahi jaunga.”

No! Her mind screamed… She can’t do this… Not again… She can’t love and be rejected all over again… He was just saying all these sweet things because he feels responsible for the child. She was still Naina… Plain, simple, too dull for his taste… There was nothing in her that would bring such a big change in him overnight. This wasn’t love… This was pity… This was responsibility… An unwanted responsibility… She had to be strong… She needed to be strong for her child, for her heart…

“Main tumhare saath nahi aaungi”, she replied, pulling back from his touch, “yeh meri zindagi hai… I will decide what I want… Ab koi aur meri zindagi ka faisla nahi lega… I will not come with you Sameer… Please leave.”

He desperately tried again, “Naina… I love you…”

She retorted mercilessly, “no you don’t… seriously Sameer… jis raat tum mujhse mile usi din tumne Sakshi ko propose kiya tha… You told her you love her… Aur phir kuch hi ghante me mujhse pyaar ho gaya… Yeh kaisa pyaar hai jo har din badalta hai? How convenient is this? Do you even know the meaning of love?”

“Naina… listen to me…”, he tried once more to explain.

But she wasn’t in mood, “just leave… mujhe kaam pe jaana hai… I am not born with a silver spoon like you Mr. Maheshwari. Main bahot aam insaan hun… Simple si life hai meri… Chota sa ghar hai… Yahi meri zindagi hai… Aur meri iss duniya me tumhare jaisa rich, handsome, famous insaan nahi reh sakta… So please… Apna aur mera dono ka waqt barbaad karna bandh karo… Don’t waste your energy in trying to convince me… Usse better hai aaj kisi club me jao, I am sure there will be many girls who are eager and willing…”

He could see that their argument was straining her, and he didn’t want to harm her health. She was already swaying a bit… He grabbed her hand and tugged, “come sit…” When she resisted, he assured, “main aur argue nahi karunga… but you need to take care of your health… please aake betho…”

Keeping in mind the safety of her child, she accepted his support in walking to the small living room and sitting on the chair. He walked back to the kitchen, fetched a glass of water and gave it to her. After she drank it, he softly said to her, “I am leaving…”

She couldn’t help but look up at him in surprise… And his heart thudded on seeing the disappointment and fear somewhere in the depths hiding behind the surprise. He was right, she might not have the courage to accept him right now, but somewhere deep in her heart she didn’t want him to give up. And so he added, “for now… lekin yeh mat samajhna ke maine give up kar diya. I love you, aur main iss baat ka tumko vishwaas dilaake rahunga. I will never leave you and our child. You both are my family. Main bas abhi tumse yeh kehna chahta hun ke stop running from me… Kyunki tum jahan jaogi main tumhe dhund lunga…”

Her eyes widened in question… He answered the unasked, “don’t worry… tumhari gynec bahot professional hai… but you see sweetheart… I have my sources… Mere paas tumhare ghar ka address kal shaam ko hi aa gaya tha… Agar tum mujhe clinic me nahi mili hoti, toh bhi main yahan aata… Mujhe pata hai tum kahan kaam karti ho… Tumne purana bank account bandh karke konse naye bank me account khola hai, yeh bhi jaanta hun… Tumhara account number aur usme kitne paise hai yeh bhi jaanta hun… So don’t even think of running… Tum sirf apna aur hamare bachche ka dhyan rakho… And stay here, because I promise you ke iss baar agar tum bhaagi toh next time jab mujhe milogi, tumhe uthaake apne saath le jaunga… Phir tum chaho ya naa chaho…”

She was stunned… How was it possible? He couldn’t possibly find out all these information. He was lying. He had probably sneaked a look at her file in the clinic yesterday somehow, and that’s how he got her address. But the other information was practically impossible to find.

Sameer was observing the flitting expressions on her face and was astonished at how simple it was to read her… Was it because he loved her so much? Or was it simply because she was too innocent to even mask her emotions? He could see the astonishment, confusion and the doubt on her face… He suddenly remembered how Dr. Suchitra had considered the stuff he did to be too filmy to be in real world… He knew now that Naina was probably also thinking the same, as it was truly impossible for a common man to find out so much information. But he couldn’t let her believe so… He had to make it clear to her that there was no way she was running away.

“Itna mat socho”, he instructed, “if you don’t believe me then ask… Let me clear your doubts… J N Petit Institute library… Is that right?”

Her shocked eyes met his, and he smirked confidently, “tum yahan se chalke train station tak jaati ho, phir wahan se local train leti ho, 6:30am wali… Phir Fort station se bus leke library tak jaati ho… Shaam ko wapas 6pm ya 6:30pm ko library se ghar… right?”

She opned and closed her mouth like a clueless fish out of water… He crossed his arms and continued, “Bank of Maharashtra account number 0345561729 – yeh tumhara purana bank account… Wahan se demand drafts withdraw kiye tumne 17^th October ko, aur phir State Bank of India Borivali branch me new account khole… Tumhara naya account number hai 0156439965… Amount batau?”

Her fists clenched on her dress, and he could see the sweat forming on her forehead. Giving up his enforcing demeanour, he crouched down in-front of her, covering her shaky fists with his warm palms, “Naina… main yeh sab tumhe darane ke liye nahi keh raha… I just want you to know ke main jhooth nahi bol raha… Jaanta hun tum soch rahi hogi ke yeh sab information mujhe kaise mil sakti hai… Please understand ke main kaun hun… Tumne mujhe sirf Sameer ke roop me dekha hai, but sweetheart… Duniya ke liye main SJM hun… Sameer Jaiprakash Maheshwari… I hope the name rings a bell… If not, toh aaj library me jaake koi bhi business newspaper ya magazine padh lena. Tumhe samajh me aa jayega… Don’t run from me Naina… Calm down and take care… main hoon ab tumhare saath… I will protect you and our baby… I love you…”

Placing a lingering kiss on her hand, he stood up and left from her home, leaving her sitting in a shocked state. Had that really happened? Did he really come here? Did he say all those things? Did he really mean that he loved her? She didn’t want to believe any of it… But oh it felt so good to hear that last line from him…

Main hoon ab tumhare saath… I will protect you and our baby… I love you…

She wanted… She so desperately wanted to believe it… She wanted to hide herself in his arms and let him take all the hard decisions for her… But no… She couldn’t be vulnerable like that… Not again… She had to protect her baby herself…

Somehow she managed to move after checking the time… Lunch was sacrificed today… She would have to eat something outside as Sameer had taken up too much of her time. The temptation to leave was too big… But as she showered and dressed, she realized that even though she clearly didn’t know the reach and fame of SJM, as he termed himself, he had definitely proven to her that he could find her out. What if he reached her family? What if he got to know of Bua-dadi? If he can find out her old bank account, he can definitely find her family as well… She had no clue where he found such information from, but he had… And so she needed to be careful… Plus, like she had concluded last night as well, running, shifting and relocation was not really an option right now. She didn’t have both the financial and physical strength to do it.

She traveled to her work thinking that Sameer had mentioned he was leaving, which surely meant he won’t bother her anymore, at least for sometime. Surely he would go back and evaluate her reluctance to be with him, her statement about the child being hers… Maybe he had been bothered that she could pose a threat to him with the pregnancy, like if he was really famous and all then his reputation in the society would be harmed. Weren’t people always thinking about such stuff? Her so-called family definitely did… And so would Sameer…

That day even her colleagues’ pestering and attempts to converse didn’t cheer her up. She was far too lost in the events of the morning… Remembering Sameer’s words she grabbed as many newspapers as she could from the archive section, going back to few months, and also took out a couple of business related magazines. The name of SJM Enterprise was plastered across every newspaper it seemed, articles were written about the man called SJM, yet there were rarely any pictures of him… She could find only a few pictures that were printed in black and white when he had received awards of youngest businessman of the year, or simply businessman of the year… But the articles were full of accolades of his business achievements, the small companies he had acquired, the new lines of fashion he had started, the forgotten Indian traditional handlooms he had revived. Surprisingly, she could find no news that indicated of many affairs or his frivolous relationships with women, or even his long standing relationship with Sakshi… There were also no details of his personal life, even though she scanned newspapers dating back to a year – nothing about family or hobbies or likes and dislikes or his personal opinions on matters. It seemed as if no one knew of him as Sameer, it was all about SJM who based on these articles seemed to be a larger than life personality. Reading all the stuff Naina really started to wonder if the man she had spent that erotic night with was the same as the teenage boy she had fallen in love with. She truly had no idea how to deal with SJM… She truly had no clue what she had gotten into…

Sometime around 4pm when Naina was gorging on a dish of bhelpuri that Anmol had bought for her, she opened the business section in today’s newspaper and to her astonishment a headline about SJM buying out a fabrics company that was almost on the verge of bankruptcy caught her attention. “A Setback or A Strategy?” – The headlines screamed in bold.

Anmol peeked over her desk, and grinned, “oh wow… SJM strikes again…”

She almost dropped the newspaper in shock, “tum… tum… ja…jaante ho SJM ko?”

He shrugged, “tum itna shock kyun ho rahi ho? SJM ko kaun nahi jaanta… The youngest businessman… And claimed to be one of the most eligible bachelors in India… Sirf kuch saal me SJM ne itna naam kama liya business me ke uske saare competitors jitna usse darte bhi hai utna hi uski respect bhi karte hai… Suna hai, he is ruthless… Jo chahiye haasil karke rehta hai… He only knows how to win…”

The last line didn’t really settle well with Naina… What if SJM was all set to claim his child from her? How would she be able to fight with such a rich man?

In evening she made a trip to Dr. Suchitra’s clinic to collect her forgotten case file, and profusely thanked her for not giving any information out to Sameer. Suchitra assured her, asking to stay calm, and think through what was really beneficial for her and her child. To Naina’s surprise even the doctor seemed to be in a bit of awe with SJM, the man who seemed to have left an impression on her in a short consulting visit that Suchitra told her. As she bought vegetables in the market near her home, she realized that rich and famous or not, Sameer or rather SJM had definitely managed to occupy her mind for the whole day. If his unfathomable access to information scared her, his confident stance from this morning surprised her, and mostly his words of love and assurance of being there for her kept ringing in her ears. She had been so much occupied in his thoughts that she hadn’t even realized that after so many days she had for the first time not been bored out of her mind in the library, and neither had she felt drained out by the end of the day… She missed the fact that Sameer’s reappearance in her life, even if it was only for thirty minutes, abated her mental exhaustion significantly.

Unlocking the door of her flat, she stared at the spots he had stood this morning… She had never ever imagined that he could step in into this small space she called as her home. What had been his thoughts? She had seen the villa he lived in… Had he felt revolted on seeing the not so substantial accommodation? He hadn’t told her anything about her flat, nor had he asked her anything… But surely he must have been disgusted to even stand here… No sofa, no AC… She let out a sarcastic chuckle, as she kept the bags in the kitchen… The main door was left open, and she opened the kitchen door as well, to let the evening air circulate through her tiny residence… Turning on the lights, she went to freshen up in the bathroom, and changed into her comfortable night wear. As she contemplated what to cook for dinner, she suddenly mused about what Sameer would be doing right now… Rolling her eyes at her own thoughts she decided that he was probably scouting some clubs thanking his stars that the woman he had gotten pregnant in an one-night stand didn’t really want to have anything to do with him… Wasn’t that why he had left today morning so abruptly? The rich and famous SJM would surely never ever step in again in her home, in her life…

Just as she concluded this thought with an air of finality, she heard a husky voice behind her, “Hi sweetheart… I hope I am not late for dinner…”

She dropped the potato she was about to keep in the basket, and whirled around… Her eyes widened and mouth fell open on seeing the man at her doorstep… Dressed in a black suit with white shirt, a smirk adorning his face, his eyes glittering in achievement, the man called SJM was standing in-front of her in full glory… Her shocked gaze followed his movement as he stepped in and kept a bag in the living room, then walked over to her, and flicked her nose with his finger…

She took a step back, jerking out of her trance, “tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

He smiled, the curve of his lips increasing her heartbeats, and said, “tumne kaha tha na ke tum mere saath nahi aaogi… tumne mujhe kaha tha ke tumhari life bahot simple hai… yeh chote se ghar me tumhari zindagi hai… aur usme rich and famous businessman ki koi jagah nahi hai… lekin tumhare Sameer ki toh hai… Agar tum mere saath nahi aa sakti, toh main yahan tumhare saath rahunga… Tumhari choti si duniya me apni jagah bana lunga… I love you Naina, aur main tumhe chodke kahin nahi jaa raha… Deal with it…”

She gaped at him, her thoughts scattered at his words, unable to form any coherent statement… Her heart started to dance in a rhythm that she had long forgotten… It was all over that first day of 11^th standard, when she was just 16 and had almost collided with the most handsome boy she had ever seen… Her brain warned her against him, but her stubborn heart was too overpowering… Just when she had thought he would be thankful to leave her, he had declared that he wasn’t going to leave her… He had assured her in morning that he would be there for her, and he had truly come back… He had left only to return to her… Sameer had returned… And he was here to stay?