Kabhi to nazar milao

Ordeal

Safar mein mushkilen aayen toh jurrat aur badh jaati hai

Koi jab rasta roke toh
Himmat aur badh jaati hai.

The incessant noise from outside confirmed that the unwanted guests had arrived. Naina sat in her room, wrenching her hands and biting her lips. Preeti paced around, fisting her hands each time taiji's fake laughter resonated in the house.

After few minutes, chachiji called out from the door, "Preeti, beta Naina ko le aa."

Preeti gulped and looked at her sister.

Nervously, she pulled her hand, "Chal behen, bula rahe hain."

Naina got up like a robot, as Preeti held her elbow and led her out of the room.

Since Naina did not look up even once, she could not understand why Preeti flinched.

The boy sitting in their living room was none other than the one Naina had collided with... at Swati's engagement.

"Yeh champu", Preeti muttered under her breath.

Chachiji held Naina and made her sit on the swing in front of the boy and his parents. All eyes were on her... she herself did not lift up her gaze.

When taiji asked her to serve tea, she mechanically held the tray in front of everyone, without noticing who she was serving.

"Kya karti ho beta?" The lady, boy's mother, asked her in excessive sweet voice.

Seeing no response coming from Naina, taiji quickly spoke up, "College mein padhti hai... doosre saal ki pariksha di hai abhi."

"Konse college mein?" The boy wanted to know.

Taiji cleared her throat, giving an angry look to Bela, "Mumbai mein."

The lady widened her eyes, "Mumbai mein akeli padhti hai... rehti kahan hai?"

"Wahan college mein hi hostel hai... scholarship pe gayi hai... bohot hoshiyaar hai", Tauji chipped in.

The guests looked at each other.

The boy looked at his mother and signalled something. She nodded lightly.

"Dekhiye Bina behen, humare ghar ki bahu college vollege toh nahi jayegi... aur Mumbai mein akele rehne ka toh sawal hi nahi uthta",  she said in a firm voice, then looked at tauji, " aur bhai sahab, ladki kitni bhi hoshiyaar ho, sambhalana toh ghar hi hai na... ab isse padhai chod ke ghar ke kaam seekhne chahiye."

Preeti could feel her blood boil as her nails caused wounds in her tightly fisted hands.

Chachiji looked at tauji and taiji in panic, not happy with the mentality of the people sitting here, "Woh, behenji, ek hi saal toh bacha hai college ka... iske chachaji bhi chahte hain ki yeh apni padhai poori kare."

Taiji gave a threatening look to her, "O bai, Bela, Anand babu se bade baithe hai yahan... agar sasural wale nahi bhejenge toh kaise college jayegi... aur behenji theek keh rahi hain... sambhalna toh ghar hi hai... phir faltu mei  itna padh ke kya karegi."

She looked at the lady, "Aap chinta mat kijiye, jaise aap log kahenge, Naina waisa hi karegi."

The three people looked at each other in satisfaction.