Kabhi to nazar milao

Ahsaas

Sameer was not sure he heard her right. It was not possible.

He stood transfixed... his heartbeat silent... breathing stopped altogether... he was as good as dead.

Naina kept looking at him, trying to read his eyes, which had a glazed look... he had turned into stone.

"Sameer..." She touched his face.

No response.

His eyes continued to stare at her blankly.

Lifting her heels, she moved close to his ear and said in a low, husky voice, "I Love You, Sameer."

And kissed his cheek.

His grasp tightened on her waist, the cloud lifting off his eyes... he looked at her flushed face, deep brown, innocent eyes... and his heart started beating again... going at a rate that was not normal... finding his breath back was difficult though... the feel of her lips still singed his skin.

"Naina, tum kya... kya... tumne kuch kaha tha kya?" He was not sure anymore whatever he heard was real or he was hallucinating.

"Kaha tha." She whispered.

The pounding of his heart was deafening him, "Kya...  kya kaha tha?"

"I Love You."

"Woh nahi... kuch aur, " he shook his head impatiently.

"Kyon, ab tumko yeh sunna achha nahi lagta?" She asked innocently, now aware that he was unsure about what she had just revealed to him.

"Nahi... matlab yeh toh sunna hai par kuch aur bhi hai jo shayad tumne kaha tha abhi... kaha tha kya?" He was desperate to know the truth.

"Maine kab kuch kaha? Tum hi badbada rahe the pata nahi kya." She confused him even more.

He left her, turning to face the other side, pushing back the falling hair with a tight hand, his mind in a total mess. His only thought was that he is going mad.

And then her arms came around him, her palm resting on his heart as she placed her head on his back.

"Tumne jo suna wohi kaha tha maine." Her voice reached him, making him want to pump his fist in the air.

There were a few moments of extreme elation before his mind was in chaos again.

He turned, holding her shoulders, his eyes wrinkling at the ends as he tried to stop any thoughts from pervading his mind, "Kisne... kisne bataya? Tumne kisse pucha?"

She pursed her lips, shaking her head.

He had to know, "Kisi ne toh bataya hai na? Kisne? Kab? Maine kaha tha na kisi se nahi puchna.. fir tumne... "

"Maine library mein padha," she blurted before he got more hyper.

His mouth fell open again, "College ki library mein yeh sab... "

"College mein nahi... Ahmedabad mein... city library mein." She clarified.

Later when he thought about this day, he wondered how he had even survived so many attacks on his poor heart. He admired his system which must have been real strong to withstand one shock after the other, within a span of few minutes.

For now, he was flummoxed, "Ahmedabad mein? Tumne kab... "

And he remembered the day when Naina had called him to meet and had arrived late herself. Preeti had mentioned that she had gone to the library. They had presumed that it was for her articles. The thought of probing her never occured to anyone as Naina and library had always been an accepted combination.