"Kya hua Naina?" Carefully resting his hands on either side of her shoulders. Sameer asked his wife.
"Nothing," Naina said indifferently, still not looking into his worried eyes.
"Naina tum itne din apne ghar reh kar aayi ho phir bhi tumhara mood kharab hi hai? Why do you dislike me so much?" Sameer didn't know why he blamed her in a low voice with disbelief marring his countenance, and Naina was staggered to know what her husband was thinking because she was quiet.
"I don't dislike you. Sameer, tumse yeh kisne keh diya ab?" Naina replied to him with bafflement, seeing him letting out a discontent sigh.
He tenderly drew her body closer to him, asking her in a heavy voice while cupping her chin - "Toh phir itna indifferent kyu behave kar rahi ho mere saath?"
Naina closed her irked eyes to gain endurance to see his weird/aggressive reaction after knowing why she was upset and looked at his impatient expression with dismay. Accusing him in a polite voice - "Kyuki tumne mera mazak bana kar rakh diya mere Bhai ke saamne."
"What?" Sameer exclaimed shockingly, not able to decipher how he made fun of his wife in front of her brother, and damn why he would do such a sickening act?
"Haa, maine ishaara kiya tha na tumhe ki kuch mat bolna unhe. I'll handle the matter, phir kya zarurat thi sab batane ki?" Naina asked him acutely and realization knocked on the door of his slow brain, converting his bewilderment into guilt.
"Because he was asking you. He was restless to know isliye maine sab bata diya." Sameer reasoned out, earning a derisive smile from his wife.
Naina simply drew away his hands, replying to him with a sardonic look, thoroughly hurt by his impromptu decision to reveal everything to her brother - "Oh really? Phir mujhse kyu kaha tha ki apne gharpe humare jhagde ke bare me kisi ko mat batana? Smile ke saath rehna unke saamne? Agar tumhe itna hi shauk hai humare personal matter gharwalo ko batane ka toh batao, waise bhi humare dost toh sab kuch jante hi hai, but mujhe nahi pasand hai humari baatein dusro ko batana. Maine toh apni aai ko bhi for the first time itne saalon me bataya ki humare beech kya hua tha, woh bhi puri baat nahin. Just a little part of the story."
Sameer was surprised to know his mother-in-law was aware of the terrible fight he had with her daughter, his face describing how flustered and disheartened he was after realizing that Naina kept it hidden from him and lied to him that she hadn't told anyone about the traumatic experience. Anger refilled his composed mind, and he asked her with torturing pain stabbing his heart - "Tumne apni aai ko bata diya? Seriously? Agar unhe tension ki wajah se kuch ho jata toh? And one more thing. Tumne mujhe bataya bhi nahi ki tumhari aai already janti hai us ladai ke bare me. How can you do this to me, Naina?"
Naina knew her husband's statement and fears were well grounded. It would have been surely disastrous to see her mother suffering from a lethal disease for taking too-much tension and burdening her sensitive heart with mammoth restlessness. She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself ever for being the reason behind her mother's illness, but she wasn't in the right state of mind at that time, not knowing what to do and what not, how to hide the reality and how to deal with the disturbing circumstance. She was feeling way too scared, irritated, and perplexed that she didn't realize when the truth of that tragic occurrence escaped her mouth and she told her mother everything, although hiding the fact that Sameer has transformed into an overprotective man who cannot tolerate his wife talking with a guy because he doesn't like it and doesn't trust the man.
"Mujhe kuch samjh nahi aa raha tha kya karu main us time pe. Main bahut hi disturbed thi, mujhe sirf mere aai baba ka khayal aa raha tha us waqt, aur main aai ko batati bhi nahi agar unka jabhi phone na aata. Unhe meri aawaz sunkar hi pata chal gaya ki main dukhi hoon, royi hoon, pareshan hoon. She insisted on me to say what was bothering me, isliye I told her ki humara jhagda hua hai." Naina said with a rueful expression, keeping her gaze fixated on his mirthless visage.
