Kabhi to nazar milao

Beauty

The clock moved at amazingly slow speed for Sameer. He had to meet Naina at eleven... he had finished everything and was ready only to realise that it wasn't nine yet. He had more than two hours before he could see her.

"Pata nahi gyarah baje ka plan kyon banaya? Nau baje bhi toh mil sakte the na... " He muttered to himself angrily.

Naina had been ready as well. But she was busy giving final touches to the story she had been writing for doordarshan. She had a meeting coming up next week with the channel and she had to be ready by then. The story was complete... now they had to discuss how to break it into episodes for daily telecast.

"Kitna achha hoga na... hafte mein paanch din... roz roz kahani aage badhti jayegi... abhi ke jaise nahi ki aaj dekh liya ab agle hafte tak intezaar karo." Naina was thrilled with the idea of daily telecast.

After finishing the work, she safely placed the manuscript in the cupboard and looked at her watch. It was still half an hour to eleven.

Standing in front of the mirror, she checked her appearance... she had chosen a pink dress today, with a white top. The dress was long and well fitted. Preeti's idea of zip in the dresses had been great. She had left her hair open but carried the band in her bag. She might need it if it gets too hot during the day. Combing her hair one last time, she was ready to leave... then, as an afterthought, took out a pair of silver hanging earrings from the drawer and wore them. Their shine contrasted well with her open hair. She smiled at her reflection.

Since childhood, she had not liked to look at herself in the mirror... believing taiji's words about her appearance.

"Na rang mein na roop mein... " Taiji had always said.

And Naina had taken it as gospel truth... Preeti's assurance had done nothing to change that belief. As she grew up, her own looks and clothes were the last things on her mind. The environment at home and expectations from girls also played a major role. And then, the biggest reason was that there was no reason to worry about herself... no one ever noticed... till she entered class XI... till Sameer Maheshwari entered her life.

Well, not really... he had only entered her heart and mind...

But she wanted to look good then. Sadly, there was no option. She could see him only in school and she could wear nothing but the uniform in school. Also, chachiji made sure that hers and Preeti's hair were always nicely oiled.
So, any thought of making an impression on him flew out of the window.

She had come to the college here, unaware of what destiny had planned for her. Her initial days in college added to the belief about her looks.

And then Sameer came along... making every thought, every belief, every apprehension go haywire. The way he looked at her, the way he praised her, the way he accepted her... her doubts had started to melt away. Sameer, the most handsome boy of her school... rather of the whole city of Ahmedabad... found her to be the most beautiful girl. Suddenly, the image in the mirror started to look better.

It wasn't that she always dressed up for him, in fact, many a times he had seen her in the shabby night suits or her old dresses worn only at home. But his eyes always held the same appreciative gleam. And whenever she took extra effort to wear something special for him, he made sure to express how much he was impressed.

Naina felt her cheeks go red as she remembered how he had come to the restaurant in Ahmedabad and how he had reacted when she had worn jeans to surprise him on his birthday.

Whenever she looked into the mirror now, she saw a girl who was loved madly by Sameer... and she felt good.

"Jaadu toh tum bhi karte ho, Sameer... apne jaadu se tumne ek mamuli si ladki ko sundar bana diya." She checked her reflection one last time before locking up the room.