R E B E L

CHAPTER 5

"No, it's Sameera!"

"Mocha?"asked Sameer.

"Maybe."shrugged Naina.

"Two mochas."ordered Sameer.

Sameer stared at Naina as she ran her eyes over the pages of the books Sameer had just bought for her.

She looked up at him and asked, "Are you  family?"

Her sudden, innocent question caught him off guard and he frowned.

"Family....?"

"You take care of me. You save me. That's what families do, right?"she asked, her eyes wide and glowing like 400 watt light bulb.

"I... believe they....umm...they do..."he shrugged.

"So you are family!"

He smiled at her and probed on, "Anybody else other than me in your....umm...family?"

"Ummm....."she thought for a while looking up at the ceiling and then at him and said, "I don't know."

"Mother....?"he asked trying to press on, "Father....?"

"Umm..... I...."

"But mumma, I am telling you the truth Vikram maama is really dirty."she insisted.

"What nonsense!"she spat, without looking at her daughter, who stood behind her as she cooked.

"But mumma he...."

"ENOUGH OF THAT!"screamed her mother facing her whimpering daughter. "You have problems with everything and everybody, in school the teachers say you sleep in class, your play mates say that you can't play a simple game, your dad says you cannot study. WHAT THE HELL!"

"But.... mumma....I....I...."she sniffed, shivered a little and tried to talk to her mother in vain.

"STOP THIS SAMEERA!"

"SAMEERA!"she exclaimed.

"Is that your mom?"

"No. No, my mumma used to call me Sameera."

"But your name is Naina, isn't it? How can you...."

"No,"she shook her head, "it's Sameera."she replied showing unknown signs of fear.

"But you...."

"No, no!"she exclaimed. "it's Sameera."

"Okay, okay."he agreed calming her down. "Do you remember your mother's name?"

"Naina."she replied.

Sameer sat thinking with a deep frown.

"Then why do you address yourself as Naina?"he asked raising his head.

"I....I...."

"You don't know?"he asked her.

"Your coffee sir."said the waiter placing the tray on the table.

"I don't think I know."

"Do you not like your name?"

"I do,"she replied "but it's just that I've tried telling mumma so many times but she just doesn't listen to me!"

"What did you tell her?"he asked sipping the coffee.

"Umm....I....I don't remember.."

Sameer nodded and took another sip of the steaming brew.

"How about your dad?"he asked.

"He hates me."

He leaned against the table and pinned his eyes into hers.

"Tell me more."he demanded.

Her deep brown eyes were hooked into his, not once did she blink as she looked at him and said, "He wanted a son."

"Did he ill-treat you?"he asked, his eyes still focused on hers.

"He used to beat me."she replied, falling by each second into a hypnotic trance as she stared into his eyes.

"Did he ever tou..."

"Sir, could I clear the table?"the waiters voice broke the eerie trance.

"Yes."nodded Sameer immediately.

Sameera blinked and looked at Sameer asked, "Do you know Maths?"

"Maths!?"

"Yes."she pouted, "Actually, Shaysha has enrolled me for class 12th exams and I ....."she paused for a breath, "I...don't know Maths."

He burst out laughing at her pitiful face.

She slapped him across his arm and said, "Stop laughing!"

"Okay! Okay!"he chuckled, "I'll help you. You can come in the afternoon, I'll be free at..."

"No, no,"she shook her head "not in the noon."

"Why?"he cringed his brows.

"From tomorrow I'll be working in Café Rose."she smiled.

"Work?"

"Yes, even I want to work, but since I have no qualification I cannot do anything better."she said sounding dejected.

"Oh you will be qualified!"he smiled in reassurance. "So how about your father?"

"Umm....what about him?"she asked shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"His name, something about him...."

"Sameer,"she said turning to him, "I do not want to talk about him. You are the only family I have."

Sameer looked at her feeling a pang of guilt in his heart for asking her the question, but what was he to do? He wanted to cure her, make her smile once more.

"I don't want to loose you....."she whispered and flung herself on him, hugging him tightly.

He froze for a while then hugged her back.

"Neither do I want to loose you."he whispered, like the breeze into her ear.

"You won't leave me right?"she asked, still clutching onto him tightly.

"No."he shook his head. "Never. Promise."

She looked up at him with a beautiful, baby girl smile and placed a peck on his cheek and giggled skipping away from his grip.

He leaned against a nearby pillar and took a deep breath trying to calm his racing heart.

"Damn!"he grunted with gritted teeth.

What are you doing to me Sameera?