Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao Part 3

Aag barasti hai savan mein

"Sameer, yeh kya kar rahe ho? Hum din ke time road pe hain." Naina placed a hand on Sameer's chest, stopping him from coming any closer.

He held her wrist, dragging her hand behind his neck and leaned some more.

Naina frantically looked out, checking all sides. There was no one visible till the end of the street. The sudden darkness that had descended in the middle of afternoon made her glance upwards. The sky was overcast with thick, black clouds.

She looked back at Sameer, "Dekho, baarish aane wali hai. Ghar chalo na. Agar kahin phans gaye toh... ghar pe..."

His finger on her lips made the words die down in her mouth.

His voice was heavier when he started to speak, "Nidhi sach keh rahi thi. Aas paas log hote hain toh bhi meri aankhen hat ti hi nahi tumse. Hum ghar pe hote hain toh theek rehta hun lekin kahin aur jaate hi aisa lagta hai tumhe apni baahon mein chupa ke rakhun. Tum ek second bhi nazron se door hoti ho toh bechaini hone lagti hai. Koi tumhe choota hai toh... Naina, mera dil karta hai ussi waqt tumhe gale laga lun jisse sabko pata chal jaye ki tum meri ho."

She noticed the dark rims in his eyes. Her hand behind his neck threaded in his hair.

"Sameer, main tumhari hun yeh sabko pehle hi pata hai. Mere gale mein yeh tumhara naam hai jo sabko dikhta hai. Tum aaj aisi baatein kyon kar rahe ho? Aaj toh kisi ne kuch kaha bhi nahi mujhe... aur na maine tailor ko naap diya hai." Her lips curled into a teasing smile, her fingers touching the mangalsutra with their initials.

His eyes widened. The tailor thing did not cross his mind. He was too preoccupied with the colour, and later on... but she dispelled his fears by telling that the lehenga had a readymade blouse. He was still irked with the other issue though.

"Aaj jab... wahan restaurant mein..." He was sure Naina would smack his head for getting jealous of girls again, but the scene played in his mind and he squirmed.

Her perplexed voice broke his thought, "Restaurant mein kya? Aaj bhi koi dekh raha tha kya? Dekho Sameer, maine dhyaan nahi diya... aur jis tarah tumne kas ke pakda hua tha mujhe, kisi ke dekhne se kya farq padta hai jab yeh nazar aa hi raha tha ki main tumhare saath hun."

"Lekin Nidhi ne bhi toh pakda tha na, itna kas ke... itni zor se kaun gale lagata hai, Naina? Aur itni der tak... yeh nahi dikha ki main bhi hun wahan? Aise kaise woh tumhe kas ke gale laga sakti hai?" He babbled in one go, his brows knitted together with the memory of that moment.

Astounded by his complaint, Naina stared at him in silence for a few minutes. The roar of thunder outside matched the clouds in his eyes.

"Tum... tum yeh sab baatein Nidhi ke ek baar gale lagane ki wajah se kar rahe ho?" Her eyes rounded in disbelief.

He pursed his lips, and nodded.

Naina pulled her hand back from his neck and slapped her forehead, "He bhagwan! Tum kab sudhroge, Sameer? Maine pehle bhi kitni baar samjhaya hai tumhe. Nidhi toh ek ladki hai... woh apni behen samajh ke mujhe gale lagati hai toh ismein kya aafat aa gayi... iss baat ke liye tumhe bura nahi lagna chahiye."

He rested back in his seat, sulking, "Bas lagta hai... bohot bura lagta hai. Kyonki main bohot chote dil ka hun... tumhe nahi dekh sakta aise."

As if to diffuse his anger, thick drops started to fall on the windscreen. Their attention shifted to the patter of raindrops... and within seconds, heavy downpour made the view outside hazy.

Their eyes turned to each other, darkened by the same memory... their first rain in Mumbai.

"Yaad hai, uss baarish wale din bhi tum isliye aaye the mere paas kyonki woh rickshaw wala dekh raha tha... aur tumse bardasht nahi hua." Naina recalled the fury in his eyes.