Friendship Can be Love

Aar ya Paar

Sameer was totally geared up to win his Naina back. He shaved clean and donned her favorite sky blue shirt and white trousers. This time he was not gonna give up until she relented. After all he was also a stubborn Maheshwari and more so had learnt from Naina only how to be strong-headed. So, now he was prepared to use her techniques on her to get her to understand the power of their love & togetherness and drill some sense into her topper but currently thick brain.

He was waiting in the class for the girls to arrive. As usual, when Naina Preeti arrived, Naina signaled Preeti to go sit with their g**g coz she didn't want her sister to break all ties with their friends because of her. She didn't accept but it was a way of keeping herself connected to their g**g, especially Sameer.

Preeti waved a hi to her Jijaji to which, he responded with a wave and a beaming smile. Naina noticed the exchange and was glad that nothing had changed between the two people she loved the most due to her changed demeanor.

She took a seat on the second bench in the row adjacent to the g**g. Some other girls walked into the class and one of them moved to the bench where Naina was seated, but this time Sameer was prepared. He signaled Swati who engaged the girl in small talk and just before JBR walked in, Sameer hastily took the seat next to Naina. She was shocked at this sudden turn of events and tried to leave, but JBR walked in and now she couldn't change places and attract attention. She waited for him to turn his back before she could move.

As soon as JBR turned to write something on the blackboard, Naina tried to get up. But Sameer, attuned to her expressions and movements, immediately sprang to action and gripped her hand tightly under the bench.

Naina was shocked at his audacity & her eyes rounded in surprise. Sameer smirked at her reaction and leaned close to her ear & whispered "Chup chap yahi baithi raho, warna JBR tumhe bahar nikal dega ya main tumhe nikalwa doonga yeh kehkar ki tum mera haath pakadke mujhe pareshan kar rahi ho! Fir main bhi nikal jaunga aur poore college mein tumhare peeche peeche I love you kehte hue ghumta rahoonga!"

Naina was totally dumbfounded at his actions and miffed that he would trouble her such to seek revenge that she couldn't think logically that JBR would ask Sameer to simply change seats if she troubled him and how would he leave the class if she was dismissed after his complaint. Sameer took advantage of her befuddled brain and enjoyed the moment. After a while, he wrote a chit same as earlier "Naina I love you, tumhare bina nahi reh sakta". She didn't read it but rather crumpled it and threw it out the window.

This irked Sameer, he pulled her notebook & wrote the same thing in big bold letters on the page she was writing notes. Naina was no less; she tore the whole page, crumpled it, and threw it away.

This sparring continued during the entire day, even when she managed to change seats before the other classes. He continued to pass chits with the g**g's help but she didn't respond at all or rather rudely tried to subdue his efforts.

At the end of the day, she hurried home. He tried calling her but got no response from her.

Next day he tried a different method, encashing on her emotional side related to him. Even in her peak of anger, she could never bear to see him hurt and in pain. It had always multiplied manifold & reflected in her eyes.

So, when the class left after the lecture, he blocked her way "Naina, mujhe tumse baat karni hai. Mujhe tumhara faisla manzoor nahi hai".

"Sameer, mujhe koi baat nahi karni...ab baat karne ke liye kuch nahi hai. Iss baat ko samjho aur aage badho, yahi sabke liye achcha hai".

She tried to walk past him when he started to bang the wall with his knuckles. Her expression of indifference changed immediately to that of concern "Sameer, kya kar rahe ho? Chot lag jaayegi".

"Dil pe jo chot lag rahi hai usse toh kam hi hai. Aur tumhe kyon fark padta hai?"

She didn't see a point in arguing and went close to him and placed her palm between his knuckles and the wall so that if he banged again, it would hit her palm that would bang against wall and not his and she would get hurt, not him.

Even at the height of his physical irritation and peak of anger, he wouldn't think of hurting her physically. His hand jerked to a stop as soon as he realized what she did and stormed out in anger as his plan had backfired.

A short while later, in the Red Rose cafe, the girls & boys were seated at separate tables. Sameer was trying to gain Naina's attention but she was pretending to ignore him although she couldn't resist stealing occasional glances to assure herself that his knuckles didn't hurt anymore.

Sameer felt indignant at her behavior abd just to gain attention, he got up and brought the whole plate of sliced green chilies from the counter to his table. He gave her an intense stare and popped one piece in his mouth and immediately clenched his eyes shut as a tear drop fell out and mouth flared with the hotness...

Munna Pandit were flabbergasted as Sammer's spice intake level was way below average and he was just doing this to let out his frustration and get a reaction from Naina.

"Kya kar raha hai yaar...muh ke saath saath antadiyan bhi jal jaayegi!" Munna tried to stop him.

"Kya fark padta hai! Dil jalne se jyaada dard toh nahi ho sakta na!" Sameer explained his side while gazing intensely at Naina.

He was successful in getting a reaction from her but he forgot for a second that to feel his pain she would hurt herself or inflict the same pain on herself like she burnt her hand in Mt. Abu just to understand how he felt and that she felt 100-fold more.

She hastily walked to his table, pulled the plate away from him, gathered all the remaining chilies in a handful & before he realized, stuffed it all in her mouth. Four pairs of eyes widened & while the boys jerked up from their seats, Preeti Swati bolted to her.

"Kya kar rahi hai! Pagal hai kya?" Swati scolded her.

"Thuk...thukde jaldi se" Preeti slapped her back & started hitting her lightly on the back.

She had done this so impulsively but now her eyes started tearing, mouth burnt as if on fire & in a moment she sputtered, coughed, and started spitting it all out. Preeti handed her a glass of water while Swati borrowed a cup of sugar from the counter and forcefully fed her a spoon.

She glared at Sameer with an intensity that "dare you hurt yourself and you will see me destroy myself".

Sameer was totally exasperated as his plan backfired again and he didn't understand what to do; how to break the tall walls she erected around her and also closed him out just due to some unknown fear. He stormed out, but Preeti saw him fuming, and entrusting her sister in Swati's care, she followed him hurriedly.

Seeing him, she hollered "Sameer..." and ran after him in the corridor. He stopped & seeing her approach "Preeti, iss waqt please mujhe akela chod do, mera dimaag bahut garam hai".

She clutched his hand & making sure that no one was paying attention to them, she dragged him into an empty classroom, with Munna Pandit following them.

"Jaanti hoon, garam hai! Gussa aa raha hai Naina pe! Par iss gusse ka istemaal khud ko chot pahuchane mein kyon kar rahe ho? Tum khud ko ek chot pahuchaoge toh Naina khud ko sau choten pahuchayegi! Jaante ho na?"

Her words jolted his memory and he remembered how she had burnt her hand, sacrificed her food, taken care of him in mt. Abu staking her reputation. Even today she had hurt her palm and deliberately stuffed all those chilies and then coughed and sputtered violently.

"Jaanta hoon...pagal hai woh...ek toh khud itna bada dard de gayi ab gussa bhi nikalne nahi deti...kya karoon main?" He seemed very frustrated.

"Chot pahuchani hi hai, toh khudko nahi, use dard do...aisi jagah vaar karo jahan sabse zyaada lage!" Preeti advised.

Later at Sameer's home:

Sameer was thinking about Preeti's words. She definitely didn't mean to hurt her sister physically because no matter whatever she could never harm her sister and she very well knew that neither would he.

So it was definitely an emotional attack that he would have to plan.....suddenly something enlightened him & he smirked hard.

"Bhai kya soch ke itna khush ho raha hai?" Asked Munna, who along with Pandit was sitting on the bed & patiently waiting for Sameer to finish his pacing around for the day.

"Naina ko manane ka idea mil gaya! Iske baad Naina kabhi chodkar nahi jaayegi".

"Aisa kya karne wala hai tu? Kidnap?" Pandit supplied his usual ponga idea.

"Nahi...shayad uski zaroorat nahi padegi," Sameer replied confidently.

Next day he waited patiently for Naina to arrive....he had already explained to Swati, who had arrived early on Munna's insistence, to hold Naina back in the class until everyone left. He wanted her alone.

He had tried one last time to talk to her by chits but she didn't respond as usual. So, he decided to use the last tool & murmured to himself when the class was over, "ab toh aar ya paar!"

Swati made an excuse to talk to Naina. "Naina, sun...woh exams ke baad na, hum Indore ja rahe hai, Bua ki beti ki shaadi hai. Toh main jo dresses pehenewali hoon na, uske liye matching jumkhe aur chudiya chahiye. Teri le jaaongi!"

Naina simply nodded. "Kabhi bhi ghar aake le lena".

The class was almost empty, except Sameer. Swati pretended to accidentally drop Naina's bag such that it almost emptied on the floor. She nodded at Sameer and said to Naina "sorry sorry! galati se ho gaya....Naina tu yeh samet ke aaja, main library jakar tujhe Red Rose mein miloongi", and she made a hasty exit.

Before Naina realized, Sameer had closed and bolted the door half such that it could open with a jerky pull & leaned against it, hands folded across the chest, blocking the way.

"Sameer...yeh kya kar rahe ho?"

"I love you Naina", he said with a smile on his face and love in his eyes only for her.

"Sameer, darwaza kholo aur mujhe jaane do", Naina tried again.

"Khud khol lo aur chali jao! Maine kahan roka hai?" He raised his eyebrows, shrugged his shoulders, and smirked hard.

"Mera haath upar tak nahi pahuchta....Sameer please jaane do", Naina pleaded again.

"Nahi Naina, aaj tum aise nahi ja sakti. Ab buss bahut ho gaya yeh natak. Bahut karli tumne apni manmani. Bahut pareshan kar liya mujhe. Ab tumse aur durr nahi reh sakta. I love you Naina", he said firmly but didn't yell, rather his tone only reflected how much he was yearning for her.

Naina was losing ground and seeing that cute face that was saddened because of her, made her curse herself for subjecting him to this pain. But she tried to hold on firmly to the already melting resolve to stay away from him.

"Tumhe kya lagta hai Sameer, yeh sab mere liye aasan hai. Mujhe bhi dard ho raha hai...par yahi sahi hai kyon ki hamari shaadi kabhi nahi ho payegi", she let out a breath as if defeated by fate and averted her gaze from him.

He moved towards her, now annoyed with her thick headedness. "Naina, buss ek baar keh do, I love you Sameer, fir dekhna, sab theek ho jaayega. Yeh Agrawal Maheshwari kab se hamare pyar ke beech aa gaya?"

"Tab se jab se Taiji ne kaha hai. Tab se jab se Arjun Bhaiya ko Jaipur bhej diya. Yeh baat mujhe pehle pataa nahi thi ki mera Agrawal hona aur tumhara Maheshwari hona itna bada problem ho sakta hai".

Sameer was totally exasperated now. He argued in a louder pitch "Aur pataa hota toh? Bolo Naina! Tum toh pehle din se mujhse pyar karti thi na! Bina mera naam jane, mujhse pehli nazar mein pyar ho gaya tha na tumhe? Fir agar tab pata chal jaata toh pyar kar dena chod deti?"

He calmed himself and continued "Nahi Naina...tum mujhse pyar karna kabhi nahi chod sakti. Jis Naina ko main jaanta hoon wo toh mujhse tab se pyar karti hai jab main use theek se jaanta bhi nahi tha. Yaad karo Naina! Tum mujhe tab bhi pyar karti thi jab saara school aur khaskar tumhare Papa mujhse nafrat karte the, mujhe baar baar doshi thehrate the. Tum mujhse tab bhi pyar karti thi jab maine tumhari taraf sirf dosti ka haath badhaya tha, jhootha shartwala pyar jataya tha. Tum mujhse tab bhi pyar karti thi jab naaraz thi aur durr jana chahti thi. Tum woh Naina ho jisne shehron mein duriyon ke bawajood kabhi hamare dilon mein duriyan nahi aane di. Apne gharwalon ko kaise bhi manakar, ek hafte mein dance seekha aur mujhe Delhi tak milne pahuch gayi. Mujhe dhoondhne ke liye ek anjaan sheher ki galiyon mein akele bhatakne nikal gayi thi. Tum woh Naina ho jisne meri bewakoofi wale darr ko bhagaya, mujhe pyar karna sikhaya, pyar par yakeen karna sikhaya. Main jaanta hoon ki uss din ke haadse se tum sahem gayi ho par meri Naina buzdil nahi hai. Usne aajtak mere liye aur hamare pyar ke liye kayi baar risk liya hai, kayi baar hudd paar ki hai. Aur agar fir bhi tumhe lagta hai ki waqt aane par tum gharwalon ke samne kamzor pad jaogi, toh koi baat nahi Naina. Main hoon na! Mera pyar itna strong hai ki hum donon ke liye kaafi hai. Tum chahe sabke samne mera haath na pakad pao, par main tumhara haath bilkul nahi chodunga!"

His words and loud and clear declaration of love got her thinking. It's wasn't that that she didn't trust him but she didn't trust herself. She didn't want to break his trust, falter at the altar, and subject him to a lifetime of desolation.

She turned and walked towards the window and attempted to look unaffected. "Tum par bharosa kar sakti hoon Sameer, par khud par kaise karoon? Kyon ki main apne Chacha-Chachi ka bharosa nahi tod sakti".

Sameer had had enough. She was so stubborn and not ready to budge. She wanted to be a scapegoat for a family's false pride and nonsensical society rules. Well be it then. He was going to make her see what she was resigning herself to. What torment she was going to inflict upon herself, him, and them together. Although even the remotest thoughts irked him to burn with jealousy, blood boiled, hands fisted, and eyes turned into pits of volcano spurting lava, we would have to utter the words to her.

"Theek hai...Theek hai Naina! Tumne taiyy kar liya hai na mujhse durr jane ka. Toh theek hai! Kar lo shaadi Taiji ke laaye hue rishte se. Par jaanti ho shaadi kya hoti hai? Sirf naye kapde, achcha khana, nachna gaana nahi hota".

He continued to speak to her back in a mild soft tone. Shaadi ka matlab ladki ka sirf ek ghar se dusre ghar jana nahi hota. Ek naye parivaar ke saath adjust karna bhi hota hai. Khaaskar uss naye insaan ke saath jo tumhara husband kehlayega. Kya naam hai uss ladke ka?"

He scrunched his face trying to recall if Preeti had mentioned his name or not.

"Haan..yaad aaya...Sharad!" He came more closer and now in a husky tone leaned close to her ear.

He never wanted to do or say this to her as even the thought was abhorrent to him. His Naina's name with someone else as a couple. But this was his last resort. It either had to work or he would lose her to fate.

"Aaj ke baad main nahi...wo kahega, I love you Naina. Aur tum use jawab dogi, I love you too Sharad."

Naina's eyes bulged hearing someone else's name. Not in her wildest dreams had she even thought about any other guy even before Sameer. It was disgusting for her to even think of saying the three magical words to someone other than Sameer. She was an ardent fan of Salman Khan but ever since Sameer she watched every movie of his imagining Sameer only with herself in her favorite "Prem" avatar, so far gone she was in her love for him that she didn't even fantasize about a movie star anymore. It was Sameer and Sameer only.

Sameer knew her body language and could very well see that it did have the expected impact. So, he continued. "Aaj ke baad main nahi, wo aayega tumhare itne kareeb". Sameer let his chest touch her back tantalizingly. "Wo chuyega tumhe itne kareeb se", he slowly encircled his arms around her from the waist and hugged her tight from behind in a very intimate way just like her birthday night.

She stiffened and he knew it was not because of his touch, his touch always made her blush profusely and feel shy but she trusted him with the closeness, loved it even, as it was only that they would share it as their most private moments. No third person was allowed to be a part of it, not even their best friends and now he was relinquishing his rights on her to another guy whom she couldn't even think about.

Sameer felt her strong reaction and hammered the last nail in the coffin of her self-imposed resolve. He continued to hold her and placed his chin on her shoulder and whispered seductively in her ear. "Tumhe woh raat yaad hai Naina, jab hum ek dusre ke itne kareeb the ki hamare beech hawa ke liye bhi jagah nahi thi?"

Her toes curled thinking about the night and her hands of their own volition circled where he was hugging her and rested on her belly. "Tumhare honth mere hothon par...mere hoth tumhare hothon ko chum rahe the...hum ek dusre se alag hi nahi ho pa rahe the...humne pehli baar aisa kuch share kiya jo pehle kabhi kisi aur ke saath nahi kiya".

A shy smile crept up her lips and she blushed thinking about how intimate they were.

"Par ab woh pal hamara nahi rahega Naina kyon ki shaadi ke baad tum woh pal kisi aur ke saath share karogi!"

There, he had said it and felt her react instantly. Her entire journey with Sameer flashed in front of her eyes. Those school days when she stole glances at him, when she taught him, their pen tapping, best of mt. Abu, his staying in her house, their romantic moments in college, and her birthday night. She would have to leave all that behind.

As if sensing what she was thinking "Aur jab tum uske saath hogi, tumhe mere baare mein sochna bhi allowed nahi hoga Naina. Tumhe hamesha ke liye mujhe bhula dena hoga".

She jerked violently & turned around in his arms that he had to let go off his hold, straighten and take a step back.

She gazed in his eyes as if searching something. Then, something clicked inside her, as if brought back to reality. She picked up her bag, pulled open the door and rushed out, leaving a perplexed Sameer behind.