Love in Mt. Abu- A SamAina FF

Part 8: Maine Pyaar Kiya

"Arey Sameer...kahan khoya hua rehta hai tu aajkal? Kuch problem hai kya? Apne Nanu ko nahi batayega?" Nanu asked anxiously. "Nahi Nanu, bas aise hi mood nahi hain", Sameer replied. "Kya mood nahi hai? Aisa lag raha hai buddha main nahi tu hai! Dekh tujhe cheer up karne ke liye main kya laaya hun". Nanu was waving an envelope in front of him. "Tere Mount Abu ke photos jo develop karne ke liye diye the na, wo aa gaye hain. Photos kaafi ache aaye hain. Tere dost bhi bade ache lag rahe hain. Khas dost bhi", added Nanu slyly. "Nanu, aapne mere photos dekh liye?" Sameer was alarmed. "Arey photos hi to hain. Aur dekhte nahi to hume kaise pata chalta ki camera tum apni photos kam, apni special dost ki photos khinchne ke liye le gaye the", Nanu winked. Sameer gave a shy smile, despite the sadness inside him. "Chal tu photos dekh aur apna mood theek kar", said Nanu and went outside.

Sameer looked down at the envelope. With slightly shaking hands, he took out the developed photos. One was from his reel. The other was from Naina's. The first photograph was enough to set his heart racing. (La la la la...YUDKBH theme music plays). There she was- smiling, looking beautiful in that blue churidar. Her hair was flowing in the wind. And those earrings! He could see them in the photograph. She was looking mesmerizing. The Chandni photograph! He was lost in thoughts of last week- wo mandir wali date. She was so happy with him just a few days back. And he...he too was happy, wasn't he? With a sigh, he kept down Naina's photo and saw the next. It was their first couple picture. That was a candid click, if there was one. He and Naina were gazing into each other's eyes. Sameer was himself startled to see how lost he seemed to be in her. Had he really been this involved in the bet? Or was it something else. Deep down in his heart, he knew- for many days, that it wasn't really about the bet. That girl had unimaginable control over him. She just felt right. Photos upon photos progressed. That night at the campfire! There was a picture of them dancing together. How happy both of them looked! Sameer was surprised; most of the pictures he had taken; were of Naina or of them both. There were a few of his solo pictures, again most clicked by Naina, few pics of Munna, Pandit and Swati and two to three school group photos. As Sameer was going over the photos, his hurt was increasing more. He felt he had been betrayed once again. But he knew, this time, it was he who was the culprit. Naina had trusted him, loved him, cared for him. And when she had said, "I Love You Sameer", he'd felt there could be nothing better than hearing those three magical words from her. Was that happiness because of winning the bet? No, said a voice in his head, the bet wasn't even on his mind at that time. He was just lost in Naina and she in him. Perhaps this is why he had said, "I Love You too" to her. And then the kiss he'd dreamt of. This was another thing which was eating him up from inside. Was it possible? Had he really fallen in love with Naina? Was Pankaj correct in assuming that Naina ko pyaar karate karate, wo khud hi usse se pyaar karne laga tha? Lekin ye ho kaise sakta hai. Wo to life me kabhi bhi serious nahi hua. Aur Naina ke liye ab ho bhi gaya ho to kya. Naina to na ab usse pyaar karti hai na uski shakal hi dekhna chahti hai. A tear trickled down his cheek.

***

Sameer joined his Nanu for dinner. The plate was set in front of him, but Nanu noticed he hadn't eaten a single bite. His face was morose and his thoughts were somewhere distant. "Vaise wo wali photo badi achi aayi hai Sameer, jisme tune apni special dost ke kandhe pe haath rakha hai aur tum dono ek dusre ko dekhe ja rahe ho", said Nanu teasing him. "Mujhe to teri nani ke sath bitaye huye din yaad aa gaye!" he added. Sameer blushed. "Nanu, ye cheating hai! Wo meri personal pics hain," he said. "Arey, Nanu se kya chupana, usme kya personal?" pacified Nanu. "Vaise us photo me Naina badi hi sundar lag rahi thi. Khas tere liye tayyar hoke aayi thi na?" prodded Nanu. Sameer smiled and nodded. "Aur wo jo sweater usne tere liye banaya- main to dang reh gaya...aaj ke zamane me use teri itni fikr. Beta, main bahot khush hu. Usse achi ladki tere liye ho hi nahi sakti. Use mujhse kab milwa raha hai- matlab aise to main mil hi chuka hun, lekin teri special dost ki tarah milna chahta hu." "Nahi dekh tune promise kiya tha," added Nanu, as Sameer was about to protest. "Ab to wo mujhse bhi nahi milna chahti Nanu", he responded gloomily. "Oh...to ye baat hai. Tum dono ka jhagda hua hai trip par? Isiliye jab se wapis aaya hai tera muh latka hua hai", said Nanu. Sameer nodded with a sigh. His eyes held the same sadness he had when his mother used to shun him.