By your side

Always by each other's side

Part 5

A few more days passed by and Naina didn't hear anything about Sameer, she even had a feeling that MP were avoiding her and if they met accidentally, they couldn't look her in the eye. The edginess increased with every passing day, but now every passing minute. The flow of letters, although formal, was also dwindling (since Amrita was on the verge of exhausting the letters, she spaced them out further) and this increased her anxiety even more. She didn't know what to do and how to get hold of Sameer or at least feel a little close to him and know that he was ok and everything was fine at his end. She prayed night and day to her Shivji to help her, show her way, give her some news of Sameer. After several such anxiety-filled, sleepless nights, finally one afternoon she got the most awaited opportunity.

All the elders had to leave for Jaipur for a distant relative's wedding for 2-3 days. Rakesh and Arjun were already away to Baroda for cricket summer camp. Taiji didn't want to leave the girls alone fearing lest they crossed some limits and brought shame to the Agarwal family.

Taiji: Are aise kaise ladkiyon ko yahi chod de 2-3 dinon tak. Kuch unch neech ho gayi toh khandaan ka naam mitti mein mil jaayega.

Chachaji: Par Bhabhji, unke college ke admissions ka samay hai, lists lagne kabhi bhi shuru ho sakte hai, agar wo yahan nahi rahengi toh admission ka samay nikal jaayega. Ek shaadi mein jane ke liye hum unka ek saal barbaad nahi kar sakte. Yeh galat hai.

Taiji: O bai, padh likhar kya collectry karvani hai. Arre 12vi toh padh li, baaki kisi bhi chote mote college se graduation kar lengi, aur kya chahiye... waise bhi wahan shaadi mein bahut log honge...ho sakta hai, kisi na kisi ki nazar hamari ladkiyon par pad jaaye....rishte dekhna shuru karenge tabhi toh saal-do saal mein baat banegi....waise bhi ek kaali hai aur dusri bin maa ki...rishta hone mein toh samay lagega hi...

Chachaji was expasterated but kept his cool: Nahi bhabhiji, mujhe apni betiyon ki shaadi ki koi jaldi nahi hai, we jitna padhna chahe padh sakti hai. Mujhe toh yakeen hai meri betiyan hamare khandaan ka naam roshan karengi. Pooja ka toh bachpan se hi shaadi ka sapna tha, so uski shaadi kara di, par Naina-Preeti ki shaadi tabhi hogi jab we chahengi.

Taiji: O bai...Yeh kya keh rahe ho devarji...ladkiyon ko itni chutt doge toh bhaari padega...

Bela: Bhagwan jhooth na bulvaye Bhabhiji, aapse bhaari toh hamare khandan mein koi nahi hai!

Taiji: Ne vah Bela...Mil gaya mauka tujhe meri burayi karne ka...sab sunayee deta hai mujhe....bhaari hoon behri nahi...

Bela: Bhabhji... main toh keh rahi thi ab hame nikalna chahiye, bus ka tem ho raha hai....aapki pasand ki seat nahi mili toh dikkat hogi naa.

Taiji: Tumhare bhaisab ne AC bus ki booking karavyee hai, Rakeshji ki tarah bus mein latakkar nahi ja rahe hum... ab chalo sab log... and she hollers Pralay to get ready soon....

A while later all left and after ensuring that enough time had passed and everyone would have sat in the bus, Naina came to Preeti who was busy peeling some last mangoes of the season before monsoon set in.

Naina: Preeti, main Sameer ke ghar ja rahi hoon. Thodi der mein aaungi.

Preeti: Kya? Tu Delhi ja rahi hai? Abhi? Fir thodi der mein kaise aayegi?

Naina facepalmed: Delhi nahi...Uske Nanaji ke ghar ja rahi hoon.

Preeti: Par kyon? MP ne kaha tha na ki wo yahan nahi hai, Delhi mein hi hai.

Naina: Pataa nahi...mujhe jane kyon aisa lagta rehta hai ki Sameer mere aas paas hai...shayad main galat hoon aur wo Delhi mein hai. Par main ek baar jakar tassali karna chahti hoon...aur kuch nahi toh uske kamre mein uski cheezen dekhkar uski parchayi ko mehsoos karoongi toh shayad mere bechain dil ko thodi rahat mile.