Kabhi to nazar milao

Faith

Naina waited eagerly for Sameer's call. She checked her watch... it was past 12:30. Chachaji would have left for his office. Sameer should have been home by now...

She could not take the suspense anymore and dialled his number.

"Hellooo... "

The voice belonged to Ramdhari.

Naina contemplated for a moment whether to speak or not... Sameer was definitely not at home... Munna Pandit were not there either... otherwise Ramdhari would not have answered.

"Helloo... ji kaun bol raha hai?" His polite voice encouraged Naina.

"Ramdhari bhaiya... main Naina bol rahi hun... kaise hain aap? "She said softly.

"Namaste, bhabhi... hum maze mein hain", he beamed.

"Namaste... Sameer nahi hai kya?" She came straight to the point.

"Nahin bhabhi, Sameer bhaiya toh kahin bahar gaye hain subah se", he replied.

"Aur Munna Pandit?" They would definitely know where he had gone.

"Woh subah toh yahin the... fir koi phone aaya aur woh bhi jaldi se nikal gaye", he gave all information that he had.

Naina was disappointed and tensed, "Achha, teeno mein se koi bhi aaye toh kahiyega mujhe turant phone karein."

"Jee bhabhi, hum keh denge." He assured her.

She wondered what chachaji had said to him... most probably he only had called up Munna and Pandit. But where were they... and why?

Naina kept moving around in nervousness, wrenching her hands, checking the phone again and again to see if it was working.

Finally, after another hour, the shrill ring ended her wait.

She ran to pick up, stumbling as she hit the chair.

"Hello?" Her voice was laced with fear, concern, anxiety, anger... everything.

"Nainaa... kya hua tumhe? Tum theek toh ho? Aise awaaz mein kyon bol rahi ho?" Sameer was hyper, hearing the pain in her voice.

"Mera chodo... tum batao... tum theek ho na? Kahan the itni der se? Chachaji ne kya kaha? Bolo Sameer... " She was almost crying now.

"Naina, Naina, Naina... mere paas toh ek good news thi... par tum ro kyon rahi ho? Taiji ne fir se kuch kiya kya? Naina, mai abhi wahan aa raha hun." He was about to disconnect when her scream stopped him.

"Sameer ke bachche... yahan kuch nahi hua... tum chup chap baitho... chachaji ne kya kaha? Kya good news hai?" She had started to feel that the meeting had resulted in  something positive.

There was no response.

"Sameer?" She wondered if he was still there.

"Hmm... " His voice reached her.

Naina was irritated now, "Tum bata rahe ho ya main phone rakh dun... fir dobara mujhse kabhi baat mat karna".

"Tumne hi toh kaha chup chap baitho... fir kaise bataun?" He said in an innocent voice.

Naina didn't know whether to laugh at him or show annoyance.

"Sameer Maheshwari... tumhare paas do minute hain apni baat kehne ke liye... agar nahi kaha toh ek hafte tak na main tumse milungi na baat karungi", Naina resorted to the last trick that was sure to bring result.

"Chachaji ne kaha ki iss baar main aur tum saath mein train se Mumbai jaayein kyonki woh mujhpe bharosa karte hain aur unhone mujhe hi ticket book karane ko kaha aur hum shanivaar ko jaayenge aur main abhi hi Munna Pandit ke saath jake ticket leke aa gaya jisse chachaji apna irada na badal sakein", he gave the entire story in one breath.