Tera Sahara

Chapter 5: Dinner

She waved her hand in front of his eyes. Sujal got out of his thoughts and realized that Naina was sitting next to him.

Naina: kaha khoo gaye the?

Sujal: kahi nahi..bas kuch sooch raha tha..

Naina: Ab chale? Bohot bhook lag rahi hai..

Sujal: Chale? Kaha?

Naina: Ghar! Aur kaha Sujal?

Sujal: Nahi Naina, aaj khana tum mere sath bahar karogi..chalo kisi restaurant mai chalte hai..

Naina: Par Sujal, auntie ne ghar pe jo khana banaya hoga usska kya?

Sujal: arre ha! Mai toh batana hi bhool gaya, Naina, baki sab log kisi function mai gaye hai isiliye ghar pe na koi hai, aur na hi koi khana bana hai..mai aur tum bahar hi khana khaane jayenge!

Naina: phir toh theek hai!

They both drove to a good restaurant.

Naina and Sujal went and sat on a table of two. Sujal ordered their food and they casually taked about their day. Then suddenly the lights went off.

Manager: we are extremely sorry for this inconvenience, the light has been phased out and the inverters are not working to power the lights in the restaurant. Dear customers, we request you your cooperation and hope you can understand the problem. We will be providing you with a candel night dinner except a normal dinner.

Then waiters walked in with candels and small vases with roses. They kept it on each of the tables.

One was kept between Sujal and Naina. The candel light fell on Naina's face and Sujal just kept on looking at her. For him, suddenly the rest of the world had zoned out. He felt as if he was alone with Naina, no one around him. He kept on looking at her beautiful face, how she smiled, how lips curled up, how her eyes lit up, how her expressions changed, every little thing about her.

After the manager had finished his announcement, Naina looked at Sujal, she found him staring at her. Naina felt very shy all of a second. She started to look down when Sujal's hand came to her chin and softly picked her face up.

Sujal: tumhari yeh nazre jhuki hui acchi nahi lagti Naina..bilkul tumhare naam ki tarah, tumhare naina iss duniya ke sabse sundar nain hai..inko kabhi yuh mat jhukana. Yeh aise hi, upar uthe hue sundar lagte hai..

Sujal and Naina were looking eye to eye. Sujal was lost in her eyes. He had never realised before how deep her eyes were. Naina's every feature was highlighted in this candel light. Sujal was interrupted from his thoughts when the waiter gave them the menu card.

Sujal was taking the card when he saw a familiar face. He looked carefully and saw that Piysuh and Kashish were also there to eat their food. He felt pain rise in him once again but then he looked in front of him, Naina, looking effortlessly beautiful, even after being tired from her work. It happened as if he had forgotten of the pain he felt after seeing Kashish and Piyush together upon seeing Naina.

Naina: Sujal, kya khao ge tum?

Sujal: Tumhe..

He realised what he just said. He was red. He was feeling very embarrassed. How could he say something like that! He looked at Naina, she was equally shocked and embarrassed.

Sujal: Mera..mera matlab hai ki..woh..tumhe jo pasand aye woh manga lo, mai wahi khaunga..

He tried to sell his cover up but saw Naina smiling. Naina had got it that Sujal was trying to cover up the slip of his tongue. Naina just looked at Sujal, she had never thought of Sujal saying something like that to her ever..she wasn't angry upon hearing it, rather she was happy, she liked it.

They both then soon finalized their order. Sujal was giving their order. He place the order for their food and then came for the drinks.

Sujal: Naina, tum kya logi?

Naina: Strawberry milkshake.

Sujal: Ek strawberry milkshake aur ek whiskey.

Naina: Sujal! (To the waiter) Bhaiya, whiskey cancel kar dijiye, do strawberry milkshake kar dijiye.

Sujal: Naina!

Naina: yeh hi final hai bhaiya, aap le aaye.

The waiter left. Sujal was in shock, he wanted to have whiskey in order to ignore Kashish and Piyush who were now siting on the next table to them.

Sujal: Naina! I'm talking to you!

Naina: Ha bolo Sujal.

Sujal: Tumne mera milkshake kyu kiya?

Naina: Kyu? Tumhe milkshakes ab pasand nahi kya?

Sujal: Aisa nahi hai Naina..par mujhe whiskey..

Naina: Sujal! Please! Kitna peeoge? Jab dekho peete hi rehte ho! Jaha dekho peete hi rehte ho! It is not good for your health! Sharabi ban chuke ho tum, aur agar abhi bhi thodi kami reh gayi hai toh ban jaoge aise hi peete rahe toh!

Sujal: Par Naina..

Naina: Theek hai, peelo..par yaad rakhna ki phir tum mujhse baat mat karna!

Sujal: arre baap re! Peene ki itni badi saaza? Theek hai yaar nahi peeta bas! Mujhse gussa mat hona!

Naina: Theek hai! Well pata hai Sujal, mai na tumse milne ka kab se sooch rahi thi par mahesha lagta tha ki tum badal gaye hoge sab ki tarah..par pata hai kya..tum nahi badle..aur issi baat ki mujhe khushi hai..

Sujal: Nahi Naina, you are wrong. I've changed..mai ab woh Sujal nahi jiski baat tum kar rahi ho..

Naina: galat..tum wahi ho, bas time ke sath yeh alcohol aur cigarette thoda thoda lene lage hoge par mai jaanti hu, ab mai aa gayi hu na, ab tumhara yeh sab band ho jayega!

Sujal: Naina, zindagi ne mujhe bohot se dukh diye, mai badal chuka hu..mai ab..

Naina: Nahi Sujal, tum ab bhi wahi ho..mai bhi ab bhi wahi hu..chahe hum jitna bhi badal jaye samne se, andar toh wahi rehte hai.. dukh maine bhi dekhe Sujal, shayad tumse kai zyada, par pata hai maine unka saamne kaise kiya?

Sujal: kaise?

Naina: honsla rakh ke. Yeh soocha ki jo bhi ho raha hai meri zindagi mai woh hi mere liye best hai. Sujal, I realized that some endings are the reasons for some beautiful beginnings. I kept on saying this to me whenever something wrong happened with me, and soon I realised that whatever happens, happens for a reason, and that reason is always for the betterment of me.

Sujal kept on hearing Naina, he could see himself in all the statements that she was making. They both finished their dinner and throughout the dinner it was like as if Sujal had forgotten that Kashish was sitting in the same restaurant as him. After dinner, when Sujal asked the waiter for the bill, Piyush saw them. He was shocked to see Sujal and Naina in the restaurant.

After Sujal paid the bill, he and Naina walked outside till the car while holding each others hands. It was by mistake that Sujal had taken her hand but Naina also didn't care correcting it. Near the car, Sujal turned to Naina.

Sujal: Naina..tumhe mai kya batau..tum wapis aa gayi ho toh aisa lagta hai jaise ki mere zindagi mai ab koi problem hi nahi rahi! I feel soo light!

Naina: Sujal! Tum bhi na!

Sujal: Nahi nahi! Mai sach bol raha hu!

Naina: Sujal, pata hai, mai jab bhi tumhare sath hoti hu na, mujhe bhi bohot accha lagta hai..man ek dum prafullit ho jata hai mera!

Sujal: Naina..

Naina: Sujal..

Sujal slowly came near to Naina and hugged her. But this hug was different than the ones they usually did. Sujal was hugging her with all the love inside of him. While hugging, he thought to himself,

Sujal: Kya..kya mujhe Naina se pyar hai?