Kabhi to nazar milao

Missing

As Naina stepped out her hostel building the next day, she was surprised to find Sameer missing. This was the first instance he was not there waiting for her. She checked the time... she wasn't early. Deciding to wait for him, she stood near the pillar he always leaned upon while he was here.

The bell rang for the first lecture to begin but there was no trace of him. Naina reluctantly started moving towards the classroom, constantly checking behind.

But Sameer did not come.

Since she had entered the class, she had to sit through it, hoping that Sameer might walk in any moment. He didn't.

The only person who could tell her about him was missing too. Rahul and Sonali often skipped lectures to go out. Today happened to be one such day.

When the lecture ended, she ran out to the entrance of the boys hostel, wondering if she should ask any random person to go and check if Sameer was unwell. But most of the students were in classes now and she could not find anyone. As she was walking back slowly, a voice made her eyes brighten.

"Namaste didi".

It was one of the boys Sameer had threatened on the first day of the new session.

"Suno, aaj tumse ek bohot zaroori kaam hai... idhar aao." She called him.

He was visibly scared, "Didi, aaj maine kuch nahi kiya... maine toh uss din bhi nahi kiya tha... woh toh Vivek hi ulta seedha bol raha tha."

"Arre, main woh sab nahi bol rahi... mera ek kaam karo." She did not ask, just ordered him to run to the first floor of boys hostel and check in the particular room number.

"Dheere se khol ke dekhna, Sameer andar ho toh jaake yeh bhi dekhna ki usse bukhar toh nahi hai." She gave him clear instructions.

As the boy ran inside the building, Naina stood chewing her lip, her forehead lined with tension. Unknowingly, her hands folded in prayer.

In less than two minutes, the boy came back, "Didi, woh room pe tala laga hai."

"Tumne theek se dekha? Koi aur room pe toh nahi chale gaye na?" She was both relieved and disappointed.

He shook his head, "Aapne jo bataya wahi gaya tha... ek safai wala ladka bhi tha usse pucha maine... usne kaha yehi room hai Sameer bh... matlab jijaji ka."

Naina was taken aback at his words, "Yeh kya bol rahe ho?"

He panicked, wondering if he had unknowingly revealed the feelings of his senior to his secret crush.

"Kisne kaha aisa bolne ko?" She narrowed her eyes, sure of his answer.

"Please didi, aap unse mat kehna ki maine bata diya... woh... unhone hi kaha tha bhaiya na bolne ko... kaha ki woh ji... jijaji hain." The boy answered in a shaky voice.

In spite of the tension, Naina smiled, "Daro nahi, theek hi kaha tha usne."

He looked up sharply... then relaxed seeing her expression.

"Main jaun?" He saw a chance to get out.

Naina nodded, "Thank you."

As he dashed without looking back, Naina was anxious again.

"Kahan chale gaye ho, Sameer... bata ke toh jaate", she muttered.

She started counting the reasons that make a person leave in a hurry... family emergency was the first one that came to her mind.

"Jo log uski family mein hain, unke liye Sameer aise bina bataye nahi jaayega", she was sure his equation with his mother and her family was not such.