Friendship Can be Love

Mission Naina's Birthday

Sameer pondered over for a few minutes about how to celebrate her birthday and make it a memorable one too. Afterall, 18th birthday was a lifetime event, when you become adult enough to go out alone, sign your own documents, and caste a vote. Well, for girls, they could get married as well. He went into his dreamland thinking about marriage with Naina, how would it be when she entered his house as his wife and would then stay with him forever, every hour, every minute, everyday they could spend together, without the fear of being caught, without time constraints to worry about the curfew her family had imposed.

"Kahan kho gaye Jijaji?" Preeti called out loudly seeing him lost.

He snapped out immediately as he reminded himself that it was two more years before he turned 21, a legal age to get married for a guy. But till then, he wanted to enjoy this beautiful phase of their love, holding hands, going out, having fun.

"Hmmmm... main soch raha tha ki hum aisa kya kare ki yeh din Naina ke liye yaadgaar ban jaye".

"Toh kuch socha bhai?" quipped Pandit.

"Hmm....Ek idea hai...Naina ke liye yeh din khushi se jyaada dukh bhara hai na, kyonki isi din uski Mummy iss duniya se chali gayi, toh kyon na unhe wapas laaya jaaye?" proposed Sameer.

"Hein....? Yeh kya keh raha tu? Koi jaadu tona jantar mantar karega kya? Bhabhi ki Mummy ko upar se neeche bulane ke liye?" voiced Munna.

"Jaadu tona nahi, sirf jaadu....par iss jaadu ki kamyabi ke liye tum sab ko mera saath dena padega, khaas kar ki Preeti tumhe. Kyonki tumhare bina yeh possible nahi hoga."

"Toh boliye na Jijaji, kya karna hai...Naina ke liye uski behen kuch bhi kar sakti hai", affirmed an excited Preeti as she completely trusted Sameer to make Naina happiest with his out of the box ideas. Swati also nodded vigorously.

"Haan haan... tu bol na bhai.. kya karna hai? Bhabhi ke liye kuch bhi" cemented Munna Pandit.

Sameer was glad that he had a g**g of friends who would go to any lengths and scale any heights for him and Naina.

Sameer started outlining his plan and delegating jobs.

"Munna Pandit, tum logon ko college ka schedule pataa karna padega Naina ke birthday wale din ka. Kaun sa room khali hai aur koi aisa room dhoondhna jahan hum celebrate kar sake classes khatm hone ke baad aur na kisi ko pataa chale aur na hi kisiko disturb ho. Kyonki kahi bahar jane ke liye ya kisi restaurant mein Naina ko le jaana bahut mushkil hoga. Toh tum log room dhoondho aur use bahut achche se sajana bhi hai. Balloons aur confetti se pure room ko colorful banane ki zimmedari bhi tumhari". Both nodded in agreement.

"Main apni Naina ke favorite pink roses or white lilies ka intezaam karoonga aur cake ka bhi", Sameer assigned a task to himself too.

"Swati, tumhari zimmedari hai Naina ka dhyaan bhatkaye rakhna. Ho sakta hai taiyyari ke liye hum bahut saara waqt ek saath na ho, sab alag alag ho, toh Naina ko shaq nahi hona chahiye, hum use surprise denge".

"Aur Saaliji aap....sabse important kaam aapka hai. Naina ka gift".

"Haan, wo toh maine soch liya iss baar Naina ko kya doongi, buss thode paise kam pad rahe hai, thoda mehnga gift hai na...soch rahi thi kuch bahana karke papa se maang loon, par itne saare ek saath mangungi toh pakka sau sawal puchenge".

Sameer rolled his eyes, "Saaliji, aapko Naina ke liye jo bhi gift lena ho apni taraf se le lo, paison ki chinta mat karna, iss baar koi kami nahi rehni chahiye, paise mujhse le lena. Aur tum sab log bhi. Agar Naina ke liye kuch bhi khareedna chahte ho aur paise kam pad rahe ho, toh please mujhse le lena. Gharwalon se maangne ki ya jhooth bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Aur yeh main iss liye nahi keh raha ki hum sab mein se main sabse jyada ameer hoon...apne doston ko paise nahi dikha raha! Jaise mere ghar par, meri cheezon par aur khaas kar ki mere kitchen par Munna Pandit ka haq hai, waise hi tum dono ka bhi hai aur sabse zyaada toh Naina ka hai na...meri har cheez par aur mujhpar" all four smiled & nodded at him and Sameer blushed remembering his dreams of few minutes ago.

Then snapping himself back, he continued "par Saaliji, main aapki nahi, apne gift ki baat kar raha tha. Main Naina ko ek bahut special gift dena chahta hoon....mujhe Naina ke janam se lekar bachpan ki saari photos chahiye, family ke saath."

"Sorry Jijaji, fir toh aap Naina ko koi gift nahi de paayenge."

"Par kyon?"

"Kyonki Naina ki family ke saath bachpan ki koi photo nahi hai. Mummy toh usi din... aur Rakesh Tauji ko yeh sab pasand nahi. Taiji Tauji bhi saari photos sirf pralay ke saath khichvate hai." Preeti provided him some unbelievable information.

"Matlab bhabhi ki bachpan ki koi photo nahi hai, saari photos buss humne school mein, Pooja Didi ki shaadi mein aur mt. Abu mein hi kheechi thi?" asked Pandit incredulously and Preeti nodded.

"Aisa kaise ho sakta hai Preeti? Theek se socho aur yaad karo, kuch toh hoga. Tum banchpan se Naina ke saath ho, Arjun Bhaiyya, kisike saath koi tasveer toh hogi?" prodded Sameer as he couldn't believe that his Naina was so immaterial to the elder Agarwals. How he wished he could whisk her right away with him.

"Hai na, hum sabke janamdin mein, Naina kahi na kahi toh zaroor kisi tasveer mein hogi, par hamare yahan Pralay ko chodke baaki sabka janmandin paanch saal ki umar ke baad hi manana shuru hota hai. Tauji ke hisaab se, paise barbaad karne ki zaroorat nahi hai kyonki usse pehle bachche ko samaj nahi aata kuch aur na hi yaad rehta hai. Buss Pralay khaas hai aur unka ladla. Naina ki apni Mummy Papa aur Arjun Bhaiyya ke saath koi photo nahi hai. Buss Arjun Bhaiyya ki hai apne Mummy Papa ke saath" supplied Preeti.

"Socho Preeti... kuch toh hoga", prodded Sameer again.

Suddenly Preeti remembered something. "Haan, ek baar papa keh rahe the, jab hum bachpan ki albums dekh rahe the aur Naina ki jyaada photos nahi thi....yeh parampara unhone shuru ki thi...Pooja Didi hum sab mein badi hai na aur teesri peedhi ka pehla bachcha toh jab wo ghar aayi toh unki photo li thi, kyonki 45 din tak photo studio nahi ja sakte, matlab ghar ke bahar nahi ja sakte, toh ghar mein hi kheench di. Waise toh ghar mein sab iske khilaaf the, par Pooja didi mere papa ki Beti hai na toh unhone kisi ki nahi suni aur unki photo kheench li Mummy ke saath. Fir isko riwaaj bana liya, Arjun Bhaiyya aur mere waqt bhi. Par Naina ki Mummy nahi thi na, toh Naina ki akele ki aisi photo hai, bina apni Mummy ke. Taiji ko bhi lagta tha ki Naina hamare parivaar ke liye shraap ho sakti hai isliye unohone meri Mummy ko bhi use apni godd mein nahi uthane diya tha kyonki main paida honewali thi."

Although hurt at her family's attitude towards her, Sameer's brain wheels started churning and an idea struck him. "Preeti tumne kaha na ki Naina ki akele ki photo hai, first picture aur Arjun Bhaiyaa ki Mummy Papa ke saath hai, toh tumhe mujhe wo dono photos aur unke negatives laake dene honge".

Everybody's eyes widened not understanding what Sameer was thinking.

"Unn photos ko toh dhoondhna padega, par aap itni purani photos ka kya karenge?" Asked Preeti.

"Tum buss mujhe wo photos laake do, fir dekho Sameer Maheshwari ka jadoo..." There was a twinkle in his eyes.

"Theek hai main dhoondhne mein lag jaati hoon, par bahut mushkil hoga, agar ghar mein kisiko pataa chala toh hazaar sawal puchenge aur fir behen ko pataa chal jaayega".

"Saaliji....aap Naina ki tarah padhayee mein topper na sahi, par apne Jija ki tarah jugaad mein zaroor topper ho. Aapki akal par mujhe pura bharosa hai, aap kuch na kuch kar hi lengi apni behen ke liye". Sameer encouraged her.

Preeti huffed and smiled at her Jijaji’s confidence in her. "Theek hai Jijaji, jab aap ko itna bharosa hai toh aapki saali bhi peeche nahi hategi".

"Theek hai fir, Mission Naina's Birthday On!"