"Yeh kaisa question hua?" Namrata said a little stridently.
Naina stared at her calmly for a moment, and then let out a deep sigh, saying - "See, main bahut straightforward hoon, ghuma phira kar baat karna mujhe nahin aata hai. So isliye maine sawal bhi directly pucha, agar tum sameer ko like karti ho ya karti thi toh mujhe bata sakti ho. I won't mind it."
Namrata passed a puzzled look at Naina at her uncanny question with no incomprehensible meaning behind it, and asked - "Ek baat batao tumhe aisa kyu lagta hai I like your husband? I mean sameer ne kuch kaha hai kya tumse?"
Naina chuckled gently and replied to her doubtful query - "Nahi, woh kyu kuch kahega? Mere mann me sirf ek sawal aa gaya suddenly, baki aur kuch nahi hai. Tum donon introvert rahe hona school time aur tum dono kitni jagah mujhe similar bhi lagte ho. Isliye puch liya."
Namrata wished it to be true that her thoughts and His thoughts matched, her feelings and his feelings blended well with each other, but it remained incomplete, and now there's no way they are ever going to move ahead with their pure friendship because both of them are married, and she cannot even think of staying disloyal to her extremely loving husband. Sameer might be her first love and perhaps will always be the one but Arnav is her spouse. A man she looks up to spending the rest of her life with, no matter how dominating and rude he is. She cannot deny the fact that he cared for her beyond limits and always considered her privacy, not asking her to get physical with him before marriage.
Sighing slowly. Namrata gave a sorrowful smile as she answered her - "Aisa kuch nahi hai. Sameer sirf mere liye ek acha dost hai aur humesha rahega. I don't know aage jake humari dosti rahegi ya nahi because hum dono apni apni life me busy ho jayege but I will always cherish our good times."
Naina wasn't convinced though. She nodded her head positively and said in a soft voice - "Acha, sorry for asking such a weird question, par ek baat batao. Tumne kabhi sameer se dosti kyu nahi ki? Tum dono kaafi similar ho trust me, aur woh akela bhi tha bahut us time. It would have been really great agar tum uski dost ban jati."
Namrata's eyes welled up with moisture when she basked in extensive guilt and self-realization. She looked away at the beautiful half moon sleeping comfortably on the velvety clouds, blinking repeatedly, and her voice thickened when she replied - "I don't want to lie, but mere baba usi school me teacher the jaha main aur sameer padhte the, aur sameer ke ghar ki history unhe ache se pata thi, toh unhone mujhe strictly warn kiya tha ki main uske saath dosti na karu, dosti chodo. Mujhe ek second baat karne ke liye bhi permission nahi thi. Mere baba bahut strict the ladkon ke mamle me aur Sameer chahe kitna bhi smart ho aur intelligent. We cannot deny the fact ki uske baba ek womanizer the aur unke ghar roz kalesh hota tha. Aise ghar ke ladke se bhala kaunse father is duniya ke apni beti ki dosti karwana pasand karenge yaar?"
Naina heard each word with faint liquid framing her orbs and her heart swam deeply in the dark room of guilt and sympathy for her husband. He had no one in his life to share his unbearable pain and concealed bruises, always gained menacing and disgusting looks from everyone, was deprived of fatherly affection, and didn't find reliable friends who would come ahead to take the burden of his grief on their shoulders. It was totally unfair of God to treat a wonderful human-like Sameer with such vast cruelty.
"Main humesha se sameer se friendship karna chahti thi, uske akelepan ko door karna chahti thi, par mere Baba humesha mujhpe nazar rakhte the, aur agar main courage kar ke unke khilaaf bhi chali jati na toh woh definitely mera admission kisi aur school me karwa dete," Namrata said further with woes in her wounded eyes.
"I can understand, gharwalo ke pressure me aake hum aksar kitni chizein karne ya kehne se ruk jate hai," Naina uttered, in a meek tone, knowing how disheartening those days were when she was firmly and menacingly asked to maintain a distance with Sameer.
