My somber heart seeks you always

Part 6

He was wide awake laying on his bed. He felt something around him, invisible, something filling him with an unknown feeling. Even after various efforts, he was unable to sleep and reluctantly left his bed and began to stroll in his room. It had been an hour with Naina hiding behind the curtains of his room. She had been waiting for him to sleep so that she would get a chance to escape from her hideout. When she saw him getting up from his bed, she became alert, her heart pounding in her chest hard. Thoughtful, sauntering in his room, he knew, he was not feeling restlessness or agitation but what had stolen his sleep he could not understand. 

He stood in front of the wall, looking at his pictures on the wall, observing, very strange thoughts raced through in his mind. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew open the balcony doors and windows. He went towards the balcony and closed its door. He was about to close the window when something caught his attention, he saw a pair of legs behind the curtains as the wind blew the light curtains gently. 

She caught her breath as she watched him stride towards her. She froze. She was not certain whether she was caught or not. He stood in front of the curtains and drew them aside. She was caught. 

"aap?", he exclaimed. He could not believe and understand why she was there in his room and that too hiding behind the curtains.

Her throat went dry and so tight that she had to force words up and out. "mai.. main.. yahaan..", she tried to find an excuse but was failing hard to say anything.

His eyebrows crossed in confusion and he was just looking at her. "aap? yahaan? mere room mein? kya kar rahe hai?", he asked her again.

"main vo.. haan.. oh mere room mein pani katham ho gaya tha.. mujhe bahut pyas lag rahi thi toh main... galti se aapke room agayi", replied Naina.

"par, aap yahaan, parde ke piche kyun chupe hai?", he asked her still not convinced with her answer.

"main aap dono, I mean Kashish aur aap ko ander aate dekh liya toh mujhe samaj mein nahi aa raha tha ki kya karu, isi liye main yahaan chupi", said Naina stepping a bit forward. But he still looked not particularly convinced by her answer.

"I am sorry, main abhi chalti hun", said Naina and started walking out of his room faster. 

"Ek minute rukhiye", he said. Naina closed her eyes in fear. He walked towards his bed and picked up the bottle of water and a glass from the table beside his bed. He poured water into the glass and walked towards her. Handing her the glass of water, he said, "ye lijiye".

Her hands trembled so hard while taking the glass from his hand. He was observing her each and every movement. She quickly drank the glass of water, "Thanks", she said giving the glass back to him and turned to leave his room.

"Rukhiye", he said again. Naina stopped, her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. 'Why did he stop her again?'

She turned towards him, he gave her the bottle of water and said, "ye aapke room mein rak lijiye".

"Thanks", she replied, she took the bottle from his hand and hurriedly left his room. While she was climbing down the stairs, she looked up to see him watching her, she slipped a stair and was about to fall but balanced herself from falling as she held fast to the railing. He stepped forward instantly in order to help her. She raised her hand in a 'I am fine' gesture. He exhaled his breath in a slow sigh as she composed herself. She, not looking back again, walked fast towards her room.