Friendship Can be Love

The Savior

Naina came home and rushed to her room before any prying eyes would spot her and interrogate her disheveled state. She locked the room, leaned her head on it and let all hell break loose. She was sobbing uncontrollably when someone placed a hand on her shoulder from behind. She froze and turned around and saw Preeti. She hugged her sister and cried and cried.

Seeing her devastated, Preeti too broke down and tears rolled down her cheeks.

After a few minutes, Chachiji knocked on their door "Arre ladkiyon, callege ke liye taiyyar hui ya nahi?"

They separated and Preeti wiped her tears and Naina's too. "Chal behen, ab agar faisla kar hi liya hai toh fir dard sehne ki aur mukhauta odhne ki taiyyari kar le. Aise royegi aur dukhi shakal banayegi toh sabko shaq ho jaayega aur jis darr ki wajah se tu ne yeh faisla liya hai wo samne aa jayega".

Naina nodded and both started to get ready for the college.

In college:

Sameer had narrated the whole incident to Munna Pandit. His head was hung low and an air of melancholy surrounded him.

"Par bhai, Naina aise kaise kar sakti hai...pyar bhula dena, rishta tod dena itna aasan hota hai kya?" Munna was trying to understand.

"Yaar, tum sab log mujhe ponga bolte ho...par aaj ponga wali harkat toh Naina ne ki hai", Pandit too blamed her.

Just then the girls entered the class and while Preeti Swati took their usual place in front of the boys, Naina sat away on the first bench. Sameer too got up to change his seat and sit next to her so that he could talk to her but another girl walked in, and unaware of his intentions, sat next to Naina. Since JBR walked in, Sameer didn't have a chance to request her to exchange seats with him.

So, he settled diagonally behind and tried to gain her attention. He had already noticed that she was hurting as much as him. He tried pen-tapping, their usual way to gain each other's attention in class and convey "I love you" with the corresponding number of taps, 1+4+3. They usually sat together, but sometimes just to tease them, the girls would whisk Naina away and they would resort to their tapping communications or "chit"-chatting. Naina didn't respond to his tapping signal and so he tried to pass chits "Naina, please tension mat lo, hum har mushkil ka hal dhoondh lenge", "Please ek baar baat sun lo, hum sabko hamare rishte ke liye mana lenge", "Mai tumse bahut pyar karta hoon Naina aur tumhare bina nahi ji sakta". He tried several times but she would just tear or throw them away without reading. She knew she would falter in her resolve if she read any of his love declarations as she was sure what the chits contained.

Sameer tried to gain her attention and talk to her in class, call at her home, even venture out in her colony for the next few days. But Naina had completely shut herself and was bottling up all the pain inside her. She had stopped laughing even smiling, had almost stopped eating, and could hardly sleep because the nightmares haunted her.

Sameer could see this and while he didn't want to give up on her, on their relationship, he was losing ground against Naina's firm resolve. The result was he too stopped paying attention to himself. His beard started growing, he ate only when Munna Pandit forcefully fed a few morsels before he would spit out and leave in annoyance. He continuously shed silent tears when Naina didn't answer his calls or if mistakenly she picked up, would slam down hard hearing his voice. It was taking a great toll on his health.

Preeti was a silent spectator to all this. She wanted to jostle her sister for taking such a stupid step and hurting them both drowning them in unnecessary sorrow. But all hell was broken loose, when one afternoon Taiji announced.

"Maine Ravivar ko ladkewalon ko bulaya hai...Naina, Preeti, uss din ke liye maine sariyan nikal kar rakhi hai....aakar le jana".

"Bhagwan jhooth na bulvaye Bhabhiji, ladkewale? Kiske rishte ki baat karni hai?"

"O bai Bela...Saas ban gayi aur nani bhi...par abhi tak akal maayke mein hi hai....Arre ghar mein dou dou jawan ladkiyan hai...rishta toh unhi ka karna hai na", explained Taiji.

"Par Bhabhiji iss tarah achanak, aapne kisiko kuch bataya bhi nahi", asked Chachaji.

"Ab ismein batana kya hai Anand babu. Main ghar ki badi hoon toh ghar ke bhale ka hi sochungi na. Tai hoon ladkiyon ki toh hamara bhi farz hai. Arjun ke kaand ke baad, maine usi din Jamuna behen ko phone kar diya tha Naina Preeti ke rishte ke liye. Ab samaaj mein baat faile aur jyaada badnaami ho aur kayi yeh laadkiyan bhi kuch galat na kar le, usse pehle inka rishta karva dena chahiye. Jawan ladkiyon ko kab tak ghar bithakar rakhenge? Aajkal unch nich hote der nahi lagti..." Taiji put her point across.

"Par Bhabhiji, donon abhi padh rahi hai...padhayi puri ho jaeygi, toh shaadi bhi kara denge aur mujhe apni betiyon par pura bharosa hai...wo hamare diye sanskaron ka maan rakhengi, kabhi hamara vishwas nahi todengi". Chachaji supported his daughters.

"Aapko hoga Anand babu, par hum ko nahi hai...Agar Arjun jaise seedhe saadhe ladke ka paanv fisal sakte hai toh fir yeh Naina bhi toh Arjun ki hi behen hai".

Anand started to say something but Rakesh interrupted "Bhabhiji sahi keh rahi hai....aaj main inki baat se sehmat hoon...waise bhi padh likhkar kaun sa inn ladkiyon ko Collector banana hai hume. Karna toh inko chulha chauka hi hai...toh ek baar ladkewalon se milne mein koi harz nahi hai", Rakesh supported Taiji.

"Aur haan...ek baat aur...ladkiyon ki photo nahi thi...issliye maine donon ke liye rishta bola hai...toh donon ko taiyyar kar dena Bela".

"Dou Parivaar aa rahe hai kya Bhabhiji?" Bela asked thinking about the preparations that she would have to do although she was also not in the favor of such a hurried alliance as if they were getting rid of their daughters.

"Nahi Bela, ek hi ladka aur uska parivaar aayenge dono ko dekhne...jo bhi pasand aayegi, uska rishta pakka. Waise koshish toh main pehle Naina ke liye hi karoongi. Aakhir bin maa ki bachchi hai...uska bhala toh hume hi sochna padega na".

While Chachaji Chachiji were surprised and shocked at Taiji's predicament to show off their daughters and allow others to pick and choose, Preeti was furious. She stormed inside with Naina at her heels.

When both were in their room Preeti slammed the door & bolted & crossed her arms firing daggers from her eyes. These were one of the few moments that left Naina quaking in her boots from her younger sister's wrath.

She tried timidly "Preeti..."

"Chup...ekdum chup...bahut ho gaya tera Naina. Tere ek galat faisle ki wajah se aaj hum donon iss musibat mein hai....Taiji hamara rishta karvaneke naam pe hume noomaish pe lagane wali hai. Ki aao aao dekho, parkho, thok bajake achche se jaanch lo...badsurat, besharam, nalayak ladkiyan hai...jo pasand aaye use le jao!" She again fired daggers at Naina.

"Preeti aisa kyon bol rahi hai...Chachaji aisa kuch nahi hone denge".

"Bahar ki aawazen sun rahi na...Papa sabse chote hai...toh wo hamare liye jitna marzi ladle, hoga wahi jo Tauji Taiji chahenge, matlab shaadi".

They heard further raised voices and decided to hear the arguments up close. So, they opened the door and stood near the kitchen away from the eyesight but still in hearing range.

"Bhabhiji, Preeti Anand ki beti hai toh uske baare mein faisla lene ka haq use hai", declared Rakesh.

"Yeh aap kya keh rahe hai Bhaisaheb...Naina bhi toh meri beti hai", argued Chachaji.

"Naina tumhari beti jaisi hai... lekin beti meri hai...aur main Bhabhiji ko haq deta hoon ki wo yeh rishta jama de taaki Naina ki zimmedari se mukt ho jaaon aur jaan chute meri iss musibat se!" Rakesh counter argued.

Chachaji Chachiji were stunned at his address of his daughter as just an unwanted responsibility that he wanted to shed ASAP.

Naina was numb hearing her father's words. She always knew that she didn't mean much to him but she always craved for his affection, hoping and believing that although he might not express he still loved her. But today's words pierced her heart.

Preeti held her hand and pulled her back into the room. "Dekh liya Naina...jis parivaar ke liye tu apna pyar kurban karne chali hai, unki nazron mein teri kya ehmiyat hai? Naina...yeh log layak nahi hai ki tu inke liye apna sachcha pyar kurban kar de".

For a minute Naina was flustered but then the subdued image of her Chachaji hanging from the fan flashed across her eyes. "Preeti, agar Papa aisa sochte bhi hai toh kya main bhi unhe chod doon? Aur Chachaji aur Chachiji....bachpan se Mummy Papa ka pyar unhone hi diya hai...Unka vishwas kaise tod doon?"

"Behen! Agar Mummy Papa sach mein tujhe pyar karte hai toh tere pyar ko samjhenge bhi aur support bhi karenge", Preeti tried to reason.

"Nahi Preeti...main koi khatra nahi le sakti!" Naina said firmly.

Preeti was losing her patience already strung on a thin wire. "Theek hai fir kar le shaadi jisse Taiji kahegi. De de apni zindagi mein Sameer ki jagah kisi aur ko".

Preeti huffed and left. She had unwillingly supported her sister's stupid decision for long enough but now it was time to take matters in her own hands. She made a hasty excuse of needing a market trip and since the elders were busy arguing, none paid much heed.

At Sameer's place:

"Sameer, buss kar yaar...jab use teri nahi padi toh tu bhi uska khayal dil se nikal de. Hum tujhe aise nahi dekh sakte. Usne pyar ke upar parivar ko chun liya hai. Tu bhi ab pyar vyar bhool ja!" Munna tried to convince Sameer to let go of the torment.

"Aise kaise bhool jaoon? Naina ne kabhi mujhe nahi choda, jab main usse durr jaane ki koshish kar raha tha tab bhi usne kabhi haar nahi mani. Fir aaj kyon bharosa kho diya? Aur kaise usne itni aasani se sab khatm kar diya? Kya parivaar hi sab kuch hai? Pyar kuch bhi nahi? Aur agar aisa hi karna tha toh pyar hi kyon kiya? Kyon mujhe pyar karna sikhaya?" Sameer ranted with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Main agar uski baat maan bhi loon...tab bhi jitni bhi koshish kar loon, nahi reh sakta apni Naina ke bina!"

"Toh fir rone se kuch nahi hoga, ladna padega...duniya se...lekin sabse pehle meri bewakoof behen se!" Preeti answered from the doorway.

"Preeti tum yahan?" Sameer wiped his tears & suddenly her presence alarmed him. He got up hurriedly from the bed "Naina toh theek hai na?"

"Kamaal ka pyar hai tum donon ka. Jab tum use durr dhakel rahe the, wo tumhara peecha nahi chod rahi thi. Aur ab wo tumhe durr jaane ko keh rahi hai fir bhi tumhe uski fikr hai".

Sameer smirked "Naina aur main ek dusre se kitne hi durr ho, hamare dil hamesha jude rehte hai. Na wo mujhe pyar karna chod sakti hai aur na main uski fikr karna".

"Toh fir theek hai, saari umar dil mein hi pyar aur fikr lekar Naina ka naam japte rehna aur fir jab uske bachche tumhe mama bulayenge na toh sanyas le lena".

Sameer scrunched his face while a bewildered Munna Pandit looked at each other "yeh kya bol rahi Preeti? Jab Naina Sameer ki shaadi nahi hui toh bachche kahan se honge?" Asked Munna.

"Aur Naina ke bachche Sameer ko Mama nahi, Papa bulayenge", corrected a dorky Pandit.

"Chup karo yaar tum dono. Yeh kya keh rahi ho Preeti? Kya hua hai?" Sameer asked her to clarify.

"Wahi jo janamdin ke waqt hua tha...Siyappa! Taiji Naina ke liye rishta lekar aayi hai...." Preeti narrated the whole incident to the boys.

Sameer was stunned and more so angry at Naina for giving in and giving up so easily on their love.

"Dekho Sameer...main toh samjha samjha kar thak gayi par meri topper behen ke dimaag par filhaal taale pade hue hai. Wo mere Mummy Papa ke pyar ko ehsaan samajh kar utarne ke chakkar mein pyar ki kurbani dene chali hai. Ab agar tum nahi chahte ki tumhara pyar uski bewakoofiyon ki bali chadh jaye, toh tumhe hi kuch karna padega. Jab tumhari akal chutti par gayi thi, tab Naina hi use wapas lekar aayi thi. Ab tumhari baari hai uski akal ke taale kholne ki!"

Sameer nodded & his brain wheels started churning "main Naina se durr jaaon, yeh ho nahi sakta aur Naina mujhse durr chali jaaye yeh main hone nahi doonga (Dialog from Dhadkan movie). Itna toh samajh aa gaya hai ki hamari love story ko shaadi tak pahuchane ke liye mujhe poori duniya se ladna padega...aur shuruat khud Naina se karni padegi".

Sameer winked at Preeti and she was glad her magician Jijaji was back with a bounce!