Friendship Can be Love

Udhed-bun

Naina couldn't sleep a wink. The moment she tried to close her eyes, the whole scenario of her Papa trying to hang himself played in front of her on repeat mode. Even if exhaustion took her over and her eyes drifted close, the nightmare would haunt her and she would sit bolt upright and stare at the ceiling fan continuously as if she would see her Papa hanging off it.

Finally, after long past midnight, she got out of the bed and started pacing. She didn't know what to do. Shefali's words rang in her ears. She had picked up the phone a zillion times to call Sameer. She had always shared the nastiest news with him, even when she had failed when he was in Delhi. He had come to meet her but left in anger. Even that had not deterred her from giving him the news when he had called. Such was their closeness, but she couldn't bring herself to share this fiasco at her place. She didn't know what to tell him and how. She didn't know what she wanted to do now. What about her and Sameer? She had started thinking on the lines of what would happen when one day she would actually be in the same situation her bother was. She hadn't known much about the caste difference between herself and Sameer. But what if she had known? Would she have thought before falling in love? She had no answers to the million questions cruising her mind.

In the Maheshwari mansion, Sameer was pacing up and down his bedroom. Sleep was far away. An unknown fear was gripping his heart. It was first in several months after their last patch-up that they hadn't had their customary late-night phone convo. Usually, Naina would call him after everyone retired to bed. If she couldn't call, he would understand that people were hovering around her. He would give their usual two-ring signal and let her know that he would be awake until she called. She was like an aphrodisiac to him now, he couldn't sleep without hearing her sweet melodious voice so that he could dream about their beautiful moments and the future they had planned to build together. But today something was unusual. He could feel it in his gut. He had called a few times, but either Taiji or Chachiji picked up. He even tried to talk on the pretext of work, but then he would have to converse with the elders only and wouldn't be able to talk to Naina. Even Preeti had not picked up the phone, which further confirmed his fear that something was wrong at her place.

Impulsively, Naina called him at about 2.00 am. She didn't know what to tell him but her fingers just mechanically dialed him as he was the only comfort of her heart.

Sameer picked up on the first ring. "Naina...."

She didn't miss that tone of frustration of waiting for her call and the relief spread in that one word hearing her ring. But not one word came out of her. She wanted to weep her heart out but exerted a Herculean control or else he would drop everything and come over immediately uncaring about the hour of the night.

She hung up immediately without uttering anything. She didn't give him time to react or gauge her status but made it appear that the phone was disconnected due to line issues. And then she pulled off the wire and wept clutching the phone to her bosom.

Sameer heard the disconnect tone and then tried to call repeatedly but since it kept on ringing, he thought that indeed there were line issues. Finally, he decided to wait until morning and give her a chance to contact him.

Next morning the Agrawal household was in an upheaval.

"Maine Buaji se baat kar li hai aur Arjun ki train ke ticket ka bhi intezaam kar diya hai. Abhi dou ghante mein Jaipur ki train niklegi. Rakesh, tum khud ise station chodke aaoge. Shefali toh sheher chodke chali gayi, ab hum Arjun ko bhi yahan nahi rakh sakte. Waise hi samaaj mein baat failte der nahi lagti. Abhi ise yahan se bhejna hi sahi rahega. Wahan Pratibha bua ki nigrani mein rehkar padhayee bhi kar lega aur cricket bhi khelega. Yahan sab kuch shaant hone mein abhi samay lagega. Naak kata kar rakh di tumhare sapoot ne Rakesh. Abhi jaane kaun karega hamari ladkiyon se shaadi", predicated Tauji.

"Ab tu yahan khada khada kya taak raha hai, ja saaman bandh", ordered Rakesh to Arjun.

Naina and Preeti were astounded that their beloved brother was being sent away.

Preeti mustererd some courage, "Kitne dinon ke liye ja rahe hai Bhaiyya?" She tried to ask the elders.

"Ab yeh wahi rahega Preeti beta....ab yeh yahan nahi reh sakta". Replied Bela.

Naina and Preeti looked in shock at each other "Papa, Tauji, please Bhaiyya ko aise mat bhejiye na....", Naina pleaded "unhone kaha hai na....wo aapki har baat manenge, fir unhe yahi rehne dijiye". Naina pleaded with Rakesh.

"O bai....badi fikr hai apne Bhai ki? Buss ise koi fikr nahi hai...na apni behnon ki, na apne parivaar ki izzat ki, tabhi toh itna bada kaand karne se pehle ek baar bhi nahi socha ki jawan behenon ka kya hoga. Achcha hua Shefali sheher chodke chali gayi, warna uski Maa ko atmahatya karne ke alava koi raasta nahi bachta, itni badnaami hoti".

Naina was flabbergasted that her best friend had left and she hadn't even gotten an opportunity to talk to her or say a proper bye. But she was glad that neither she nor her Mom had taken any drastic steps like her Papa. She couldn't bear what would have happened to Shefali if her mother had also tried to hang herself or worst if she had succeeded. Tears started flowing.

Both she and Preeti tried to plead again with the elders but to no avail. Arjun had to leave and it was final.

"Naina Preeti, apna aur ek dusre ka khayal rakhna". Arjun hugged both his sisters and cried unconsolably.

Then, he turned to Naina, held her by the shoulders "Naina, main jo kar raha hoon, hamare parivaar ki khushi ke liye kar raha hoon. Sahi galat ka toh pataa nahi, par itna pataa hai ki parivaar ki khushi se upar kuch nahi hota. Wo saari zindagi hume jaan se zyaada hifazat se paalte hai toh agar hamari wajah se unki jaan pe baat aa jaaye, toh yeh sahi nahi hai. Apne parivar ke liye toh aise sau pyar kurbaan!"

He looked deeply into Naina's eyes as if trying to convey with his eyes and emotions instead of words. And finally, Naina got the answer to the question that was haunting her since yesterday.