Na Jaane Kyon...

Yeh ishq ki intehaa... lene lagi imtehaan

Title is the song 'Ik vaari aa bhi jaa' from movie 'Raabta'

The jog helped Naina clear her mind. She ran not to work out physically but to pump her heart to tiredness, so that it doesn't overpower her mind again. Had the alarm not gone off when it did, she would have led Sameer to a deception that could ruin his life, and of those he loved as family. Besides promising herself to be more careful about her own feelings, she made a steely resolve to neither get close to him nor get affected by his talks. No, she wouldn't let it bother her... at least, not let him know how much it stirred her.

She had no idea the resolve would fall to pieces that evening itself.

Sikandar was a childhood friend of Vivek who had moved to Europe long back and was settled there for more than twenty five years. He had come to Delhi to sell off some ancestral property which was difficult to maintain from outside the country.

At lunch table, Vivek informed his family, "Maine aaj Sikandar ko dinner pe invite kiya hai. Vishakha, yaad hai Anita se mili thi tum? Sameer chota sa tha jab Sikandar ki shaadi hui thi."

Vishakha raised her brows as she recalled the couple, "Arre haan, Anita yaad hai mujhe. English nahi bol paati thi bilkul, isliye usse complex hota tha hamare kitty group mein."

Vivek laughed, "Woh pachees saal pehle ki baat thi. Ab woh Europe mein rehkar aisi English bolti hain ki hum Indians ko accent hi samajh nahi aayega." He looked at his children, "Tum logon ka koi plan hai kya bahar jaane ka? Sikandar ke bachhe bhi aa rahe hain... ek beti aur ek beta. Tum log ghar pe rahoge toh unhe bhi company ho jayegi."

Sameer smiled, "Ghar pe hi hain, papa. Mera aur Naina ka koi plan nahi hai."

Deepika mentioned she had her tuition class but would be back before dinner time. Rohan sheepishly informed that he had to go out with Preeti.

Vivek chuckled, "Tu toh chala hi ja. Warna Preeti ke gusse se tujhe kaun bachayega."

Rohan blushed as everyone teased him.

Vishakha guided the cooks to prepare a large spread, to impress her NRI guests.

In the evening, Ayush developed a toothache all of a sudden and Naina had to take him to the doctor. Sameer wanted to accompany them but she insisted that he must stay back as it would not look good if none of them are at home when the guests arrived.

Sikandar and his wife were a lively couple, who laughed a lot, and were trying their best to show that they were still Indians at heart.

Sikandar praised the Madhubani paintings in the living room, "Bhai waah, yeh hota hai art. Aur tumhara woh jhoola jo bahar garden mein rakha hai, dadaji ke ghar ki yaad dila deta hai. Kyon Anita, isn't it beautiful?"

His wife gave a bright smile, "It's simply amazing. Typical Indian look hai. Maine wahan bhi apne ghar mein sab kuch traditional rakha hai. Vishakha, you all must come there."

"Why not. Hum log jaldi hi plan karenge." Vishakha smiled back.

"Yaar Vivek, jabse yahan aana final hua, sabse pehle teri aur Vishakha bhabhi ki yaad aayi. Tumhara Sameer paida hi hua tha jab hamari shaadi hui thi, aur uske turant baad hum shift ho gaye. Kuch bhi kaho, video call mein woh dosti mehsoos nahi hoti jo saath baith ke chai peene mein hoti hai." Sikander stated gleefully.

His two children were not really 'children', it turned out. The boy, Nirav, and girl, Niharika, were both younger to Sameer and Rohan but grown ups. Niharika being elder, had just finished her MBBS and was planning to do a specialist course. Her brother was in college. Sameer found both of them to be pleasant company.