Kuchh Ankahi Baatein

Behen

Since it was her first exam, Naina decided to visit the temple before heading to school, hoping to start her day on a positive note. As usual, Preeti was taking longer than expected to get ready. Not wanting to be late, Naina chose to leave early on her own, deciding to go ahead without waiting for Preeti.

Naina : Preeti mein mandir ja rahi hoon aur wahin se direct School aa jaaungi. Tu late mat hona

Preeti : Haan meri Maa... Tu ja aur meri taraf se bhi bhagwan se thodi sifarish kar lena. Waise bhi teri toh hamesha se sunate hai..

Naina laughed slowly: mein sifarish ke liye nahin unhe thank you kehna jaati hun

Preeti asked in cofusion, "aur voh kis liye... aisa kya mil gaya tujhe jo tu har hafte mandir jaati hai thanks kehne..."

Naina with giggling, "mujhe itani buddhu behen dena ke liye... samajhi duffer..."

Saying this, Naina quickly ran out of the room, trying to escape the pillow Preeti had playfully thrown at her. She managed to dodge it just in time, but the pillow didn't stop—it flew straight ahead and ended up hitting Taiji, who was walking in early that morning to borrow some sugar from Bela.

Taiji looked at both of them with narrowed eyes, clearly irritated, and snapped in her usual sharp tone, "O bai... yeh kya hai? Takiye se hawai jahaaj bana kar uda rahi ho tum dono"

Naina immediately lowered her gaze, her voice soft and apologetic. "Sorry, Taiji... woh hum bas masti kar rahe the. Galti se aapko lag gaya," she said, trying to explain without sounding defensive.

But Taiji wasn't in the mood to listen. Her expression hardened, and her tone grew even sharper. "Masti nahin... jaan-boojh kar kiya hai tune!" she snapped accusingly.

Without stopping, she continued, her words cutting deeper than before, "Ek toh subah-subah teri shakal dekh li maine... ab poora din kharaab jayega. Kitni baar kaha hai, subah mere saamne mat aaya kar."

Naina stood there silently, her head bowed, absorbing every harsh word without protest, while the weight of Taiji's bitterness once again settled heavily on her heart.Preeti replied rudely feeling bad for Naina, "Taiji, Naina nahin aap usake saamane aayi ho. ab kya apane ghar mein bhi Naina puchh kar room se baahar aayegi... agar aapko Naina ki pyaari si surat nahin dekhni toh aap pehle se apne aane ka time kyun nahin bata deti... hum aapke saamne aayenge hi nahin..."

Taiji feeling insulted vent out her frustration on Naina, slapping hard on her cheek, "yeh sab teri wajah se ho raha hai... is ladki ki bhi jubaan khul gayi hai... badon ko palat kar jawaab dene lagi hai.. mujhe pata hai tu ne hi yeh galat baatein sikhayi hai isey..."

Preeti shouted loudly pulled Naina towards her, "Taiji, agar mujh par gussa ho toh mujhe maaro, Naina ko kyun thappad maara aapne.. uski kya galti hai is mein... jo maine bola voh mere dil aur  dimaag se nikla hai, Naina ke nahin... voh toh kabhi aapko ulta jawaab deti hi nahin..."

Taiji's anger instantly shot to its peak, her expression turning fierce as she was about to unleash her fury on both the girls. But before she could say anything further, Chachaji arrived just in time, like a savior, cleverly stepping in to diffuse the situation, "bhabhiji mein aapke paas hi aa raha tha. Darasal Bela ne aaj gobhi ke paranthe banaye hai aapki pasand ke... kahe toh Pralay ke school tiffin ke liye bhi pack karwa doon..."

Chachaji subtly gestured toward Naina and Preeti, signaling them to quietly slip back into their room and avoid making the situation worse. Understanding his intent immediately, both the girls didn't waste a second—they quietly tiptoed away, grateful for the timely rescue and relieved to have escaped further scolding.

Preeti inside the room : Unaki himmat kaise hui tujhpe haath uthane ki... samajhti kya hai voh apane aap ko...

Naina : "Shant meri lady Bheem" and hug her tightly to soothe her anger

Naina : Chal ab jaldi taiyar ho ja.. saath mein hi chalte hai.. vaise bhi der ho gayi ab mandir jaaungi to late ho jayega

Preeti stomped off toward the washroom, still fuming with anger, her irritation clearly visible in every step she took. Meanwhile, Naina stood there, struggling to hold herself together. Her eyes were brimming with tears she had been trying so hard to control, but they were now on the verge of spilling over.

Just as she was about to break down completely, Pooja didi quietly came up from behind and gently held her, wrapping her arms around Naina in a comforting embrace, offering the support she desperately needed in that moment.

Pooja gently placed her hand over Naina's mouth to quiet her sobs, "Naina, shhh... chup ho ja. Aaj tera paper hai na. Aise rote huye jayegi toh sab bhool jayegi," she said softly, trying to calm her down.

Naina took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Didi, aap chinta mat karo... mujhe aadat hai. I am fine now," she replied, though her voice still trembled slightly.

Saying this, she quickly wiped away her tears and forced a faint smile, trying to reassure Pooja that she was okay.

Pooja looked at her firmly, not convinced. "Nahin, Naina... yeh galat hai. Is tarah sab sehna sahi nahin hota. Agar tu khud apne liye nahin ladegi na, toh zindagi bhar aise logon ke taane sunti rahegi. Aaj Taiji hai... kal koi aur hoga," she explained, her concern clearly reflecting in her voice.

She continued gently but firmly, "Kab tak tu sabki galat baatein bardasht karegi? Aur ek baat yaad rakh... galat karne wale se zyada galat woh hota hai jo galat seh leta hai."

Naina looked at her, deeply moved by her words. Overwhelmed, she stepped forward and hugged her elder sister tightly, finding comfort in her warmth.

Just then, Preeti returned from the washroom, her anger now somewhat settled. Seeing the two like that, she quietly joined in, wrapping her arms around them. For a few moments, the three sisters stood there together—sharing a silent bond, comforting each other, and gathering strength from one another before stepping out to face the day again.

Pooja stood there, still holding Naina close, her eyes softening with concern as a heavy thought crossed her mind, "jaane kab tak tujhe yeh sab sunna padega... uss galti ke liye jo tune ki bhi nahi hai" she thought helplessly, her heart aching for her younger sister.

Her grip tightened slightly, as if trying to silently promise protection, "ab toh main bhi yahan se jaane wali hoon... par teri chinta hamesha rahegi mujhe... hamesha" she admitted to herself.

A faint sadness lingered in her eyes, hidden behind her calm expression, as she gently stroked Naina's hair—trying to give her strength for now, even though she knew she wouldn't always be there to shield her.

Later, Naina and Preeti left for school to appear for their exams, while Sameer, Munna, and Pandit also arrived, fully prepared and determined. The entire week turned out to be a mix of excitement and chaos for everyone. There was an air of nervous energy around them—last-minute revisions, shared doubts, and constant hustle filled their days.

Naina remained deeply focused on her studies, putting in all her effort while also going out of her way to help her friends whenever they struggled. Her calm and sincere nature made her someone everyone relied on. 

On the other hand, Sameer found himself distracted in a completely different way. Despite trying to concentrate on his exams, his mind often wandered toward Naina. He kept looking for chances to see her, to quietly admire her from a distance, and steal a few moments of closeness.

But every time he gathered the courage to approach her, someone or the other was always around, leaving him with nothing more than unspoken thoughts and fleeting glances.

These two souls, still unaware of what they truly felt for each other, found themselves slowly shedding their inhibitions. Their hearts were beginning to speak a language they hadn't yet understood—a silent connection growing stronger day by day, even though neither of them had fully realized it.