Kabhi to nazar milao

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Naina sat dazed in her room. How could she not understand?  Of course, he stays here... right here... how else could he come with the umbrella that day... a Sunday. He had seen her from the hostel. Boys hostel overlooked the entrance gate and front garden of the college.

"Uff, itni choti si baat nahi samajh aayi tujhe",  the forehead bore the brunt again.

She started pacing restlessly. It didn't help. Standing in the balcony could also not soothe her. Then her gaze travelled to the huge tree at the end of the ground. Today no one was in sight. But the tree stood there.

Naina quickly went in, grabbing her dupatta and locking the room, she rushed down.

" Kuch to sukoon milta hoga wahan tabhi wo jo bhi hai wahan aata hai...  shayad mujhe bhi thodi raahat mil jaaye",  she took quick steps. As she reached the place, her eyes widened in surprise. From her room, she could make out that the tree was huge but seeing it closely, she was stunned by the size of its trunk. It was spread in a huge circle. Standing behind it, she could not even see her hostel building.

Naina sat down on the ground under the tree. In spite of heavy rains in last few days, the area around the trunk was not wet, owing to the dense cover of foliage.
She rested her back on the left side, so she could see her hostel building if she tilted her head... the feeling of wilderness around making her a little uneasy.

But her mind was soon occupied with the thoughts she was lost in earlier. Why Sameer didn't tell her that he too stayed here in the hostel? He knew she was staying here... that's why he had dropped her in front of her wing. But then, Sameer had never told anything about himself... anything at all. He had not even answered her question as to why he was not staying with his nanu.

One after the other, the barrage of questions invaded her mind. And none had answers. Sameer was a mystery. The more she tried to know him, more he confused her. And this disappearing act was now getting too much. He was missing his lectures regularly. How will he cope up at the time of semester exams? Who will help him? He didn't make any friends. He did not even talk to anyone. If he was so upset here, why he did not go back to Ahmedabad?

The thought made Naina's heart miss a few beats... No, no... he should not go back to Ahmedabad... he should stay here... "Roz kam se kam dekh to sakti hun", she coloured at her thought, realising next moment that she had not seen him for so many days now.

Her chain of thoughts was broken by a sniffing sound. Naina stiffened. She looked around but there was no one. Thinking it to be her imagination, she relaxed but the next moment she heard it again... very clear. Yes... someone was here... or something. She felt a chill run down her spine... one word flashing in her mind... HAUNTED.

She slowly got up, careful not to make a sound. She just had to take a few steps to her left and then her hostel wing would be visible and she could run... she moved a bit.

And then the curiosity reasoned with the fear. " Naina, Tu kabse yeh bhooton mein vishwas karne lagi... aisa thodi hota hai... himmat kar aur dekh ki kaun hai... ho sakta hai wohi ho jo aksar yahan aata hai", she reasoned with herself.

"Par wo to shaam ko ya raat ko aata hai... abhi to andhera bhi nahi hua",  her mind was divided, to have a full fledged discussion.

" Arre, ek baar check to karle doosri side... kya pata koi aur ho",  another part chipped in.

Naina gave in and slowly started moving around the thick trunk of the tree. A few steps and she got the shock of her life.

Sameer sat there... hands folded across his knees... staring straight ahead... face wet with tears.