Na Jaane Kyon...

Dil mein jagah khuda ki khali thi... dekha wahan pe aaj tera chehra hai

Title is the song 'Sapna jahan' from movie 'Brothers'

"Kya... kya kaha tumne?" Naina stared at Sameer, absolutely sure that she heard him wrong.

Sameer went closer to her, and took her hands in his grasp, "Maine wohi kaha jo tum hamesha se chahti thi... Ayush ko hum legally adopt karenge. Ayush ab Ayush Maheshwari hoga... Naina aur Sameer Maheshwari ka beta... hamara beta."

She had not let the tears spill yesterday when Ayush had asked about their parents, she had not cried when she had mentioned her frustrations to Sameer... but she couldn't hold back the flow now. Unabashed, the tears rolled down her cheeks, though her lips curled in a smile. Words, however, were lost... in the lump that constricted her throat.

Sameer leaned to touch his lips to her forehead, before giving a reassuring smile, "Maine sabse baat kar li hai. Nanu, mummy, papa... sab ready hain."

She flung herself in his arms, letting the relieved barrage find a way out of her eyes. He held her tight, not upset by her crying. These were happy tears, and he didn't want to stop them.

When she was able to find her voice, Naina uttered just one word, "Thank you."

He cupped her face, shaking his head, "Thank YOU... mujhe Ayush jaisa pyara beta dene ke liye."

She kept looking at him... intently. He flicked his brows in question, feeling a little uneasy at her unsmiling face.

"Are you... real?" She asked, her eyes filled with wonder, "Ya koi sapna ho? Yeh sab... yeh sab jo ho raha hai... sach hai kya? Sameer, tum... tum sach mein ho na?" She frantically touched his face, his shoulders, hands, chest.

"Naina." He held her wrists, stopping her, "Yeh hamari zindagi hai, koi sapna nahi. Tum, main, Ayush... we are a family... just the way you wanted."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep inhale. He had again weaved his magic. He had done what she thought was never possible.

As a child, and even in her teenage years, Naina had lot of faith in God. Seeing her mom being a devoted follower, she believed everything was in the hands of divine power, and never failed to pray heartily for whatever she wanted. But one turn of fate in her life made her lose all credence in the sanctitude of such belief. The pain that had been sent her way, and made her parents suffer for no fault of them, left a vaccuum in her heart.

Today, Sameer had filled up that empty space. Her faith was restored... not in any invisible deity, but she now firmly believed in just one person... HIM.

He had given her what she had wanted, but not prayed for.

A serene warmth spread through her as she opened her eyes and smiled at him, "Mere liye yeh zindagi sirf tum likh sakte the... main khud bhi nahi. For me, you are above everything... you are God."

"Hush. Aisa nahi kehte. Maine kuch nahi kiya. Yeh toh tumhari hi wish thi na, Ayush ko apna beta banane ki... jab tumne meri itni saari wishes poori ki hain toh main kya ek bhi nahi kar sakta." He chided her lovingly.

She wrapped her arms around him, resting on his chest. The afternoon sun filtering through the glass doors suddenly seemed brighter, illuminating her life with its brilliance.

"Ayush bohot khush ho jayega." She murmured, talking more to herself than to him.

"Khush toh hum bhi hain. Haina?" Sameer said with a contented smile, then remembered something and moved his head back, making her look up at him, "Naina, hum Ayush ka school change karenge. Yahan sabko samjhane ki jagah naye school mein pehle se Ayush ke parents banke jayenge. Theek hai?"