So dearies! Sorry for the longest wait. Here is the part now, high on emotions and the next part will be up soon. I will try today but if not definitely in a couple of days! Thank you for keeping patience and loving this FF so much!

Part 27

The changing season is reflected in the changing weather. The green turns to yellow to red & finally sheds itself as an end of one cycle to make way for a new life. Sameer experienced that this rule of nature was inevitable in everything around him & he had experienced a glimpse of it today in his Naina when she herself had rightfully claimed her front seat position while riding back home with him from the clinic.

The drive back home was a silent one and not once she looked at him, so busy gazing outside the window she was, enjoying the light breeze soothing away her aches and pain, but he had observed a serene tranquility that engulfed her after whatever transpired between them in the clinic. There was an unwavering faith she had placed in him & it did elate his heart more than any words could ever do.

Reminiscing those lovely moments brought a pure joy to his soul and a smile adorned on his face.

"Jab se wapas aaye ho, tab se dekh rahi hoon...kisi khyal mein khokar mand mand muskura rahe ho. Aakhir hua kya hai?" Chachiji's question jolted him back to reality from his La La land when he realised that he was trying to write a few poems for the competition but inadvertently his mind drifted back to his Naina and her happy eyes. Ever since they returned, she was in her room, and he hadn't once seen her but since all the elders were around, he couldn't risk a visit to her room uninvited, lest raising any suspicion, and so he had tried to focus on the other tasks at hand, which in itself was a herculean task.

"Kuch nahi Chachiji...woh toh main competition ke liye kavitayein wagareh soch raha tha!" Sameer made an excuse.

"Achcha theek hai, chalo aa jao sab log, khana taiyyar hai...Preeti chal beta Naina ko leke aaja", Chachiji hollered everyone.

Chachaji also came from his room as he was busy doing some urgent accounting for a client. Since Naina had returned alone with Sameer, she had narrated the entire event to Chachaji that how her Papa & Arjun bhaiya had to leave urgently from the hospital.

She tried to sound just descriptive without accusing her father or brother but Chachaji had heard the hurt in her voice but he had also seen a calm on her face that at least she was not alone. He thanked Sameer profusely for taking good care of his dearest daughter.

Just then Rakesh walked in as if on cue beaming with a wide smile and an elated pitch of voice, which was a rarity given his nature. By then Chachaji, Chachiji, Preeti, & Naina had also gathered around the dinner table. "Achcha hai sablog yahi ho! Khushkhabri hai! Selectors se baat ho gayi hai! Unhe mere Arjun ka pradarshan bahut pasand aaya! Committee chairman ne khud mere bete ki sarahna ki aur kaha ki mere bete mein Sachin se bhi behtar khelene ki pratibha hai. Woh log khud mere bete ki sifarish karenge Baroda mein admission ke liye taaki wahan padh sake aur cricket ki achchi coaching bhi le sake. Buss, ek baar sab ho jaye, fir main shaan se rahunga, koi meri nakamyab zindagi pe tans nahi kas paayega".

Preeti & Naina smiled while their brother was being praised. Naina was happy that her father's eyes gleamed with pride for his eldest child.

Chachiji was also happy as she treated & loved all the Agrawal kids equally. "Mubarak ho Arjun beta. Bhagwan jhooth na bulvaye Bhaisaheb, aaj toh Arjun ne aapke sapne pure kar diye".

"Arre Bela, yeh farz hai iska...aakhir bete hi khandan ka aur apne baap ka naam roshan karte hai".

Naina's face fell hearing this & Sameer who was standing by the deewan as a spectator of the family dynamics instantly noticed her hurt expressions. He wanted to soothe away her worries but he knew it could change only if she gained the same attention and importance in her father's eye like her brother. He started to say something but Chachaji's words stopped him.

"Bhaisaheb, Arjun ki kamayabi mubarak ho. Hum sabne dekha hai, jitni mehanat Arjun ne ki hai utni hi mehanat aapne bhi uske peeche lagayi hai use yahan tak pahunchane mein. Hum sab bahut khush hai". Rakesh was smiling and patting Arjun's back for being praised.

Chachaji continued, "par Bhaiyya, aap yeh kyon bhool jate hai ki Naina bhi aap hi ki Beti hai. Woh bhi bahut honhaar hai. Aur aaj use sabse jyaada aapki zaroorat thi aur aap use akela chodkar chale gaye. Maa Baap apne bachchon mein fark nahi karte bhaiyya".

"Lo...meri dou pal ki khushi kisi se hazam nahi hoti. Aa gaye tane maarne".

"Main koi taane nahi maar raha hoon Bhaiya, buss yaad dila raha tha ki aaj Naina ko bhi aapki zaroorat thi. Aur agar aap nahi ja sakte the toh mujhe bata dete, main office se jaldi aa jata aur Naina ke saath clinic chala jaata. Kam se kam aise waqt mein hamari bachchi akeli toh na hoti".

"Haan suna le tu bhi Anand ki tu meri beti ko palta hai kyonki main uska palan poshan karne mein saksham nahi hoon. Meri Beti tere aur teri Niwi ke aasre padi hai".

"Bhagwan jhooth na bulvaye Bhaisaheb, Naina aur Pooja Preeti mein maine kabhi fark nahi kiya. Main hamesha se yahi maanti aayi hoon ki meri teen betiyan hai".

"Maanti aayi ho aur aaj tum logon ne jata bhi diya ki mere hote hue bhi meri Beti anath hai". Chachaji tried to interrupt but Rakesh spoke loudly, "rehne de Anand. Sab samajhta hoon main. Avval toh yeh apni laparawahi ki sazaa bhugat rahi hai. Dusri baat yeh ladki hai...uske honhaar hone ya na hone se koi fark nahi padta...kal ko jab rishte ki baat hogi toh iske certificates aur awards nahi dekhe jaayenge...ghar ka kaam kaaj aata hai ya nahi, yahi puchenge. Waise bhi chahe jitna padha lo, ladkiyon ko aakhir karna toh chulha chauka hi hai, ghar sambhalna, bacche palna, yahi kaam karne hai...jab tak shaadi nahi ho jaati, hume yeh jhanjhat sambhalna padta hai. Ladkiyon ki shaadi issiliye jaldi kar di jati hai taaki jald se jald sar se boj tale".

Naina and Preeti were shocked and hurt, tears pooled Naina's eyes. Arjun looked at his beloved sister, he wanted to say and do a lot but fear of his Papa shut his mouth and locked his guts away. Chachaji Chachiji were so dumbfounded that they didn't know what to say. They both knew that for Rakesh, Arjun was everything & he didn't think much of Naina but what they heard today was a shocker as none considered their daughters a burden to be shed at the earliest. In contrast, the other strongest emotion prevailing in the room was anger...from Sameer, he clenched his fists & his jaw ticked, if it was someone else, he would have been beaten black & blue by now for uttering anything humiliating against his beloved Naina. But this was her family and specially, he was her father. As if sensing his tension, she looked at him & without words, her eyes conveyed to let it go & calm down. In response, Sameer closed his eyes for 2 seconds to gulp down his anger and calm himself down before he lost all control and created a ruckus, which might result in him being thrown out of the house. And under no circumstances was he ready to leave her side, especially in this hour of need.

Rakesh's next words jolted him back to open his eyes & face him.
"Aye balon ki dukaan, tumse kaha tha na...Naina ka khayal rakhna! Lekin tumse kya hona hai? Meri Beti ko akela chodkar lag gaye honge kahi awargardi karne mein apne lafange doston ke saath".

"Papa...Sameer mere saath hi tha", was all Naina could say in his defence but it overwhelmed him that even when she was being taunted & humiliated, she chose to take his side when he was being wrongly accused.

Sameer pulled out the chit that he had handwritten and the prescription. "Sir, aapne Naina ke zimmedari itne vishwas ke saath mujhe di thi. Toh main kaise na nibhata. Yeh dekhiye, nayi dawaaiyon aur ointments ki prescription aur baaki haath ki care karne ke saare instructions maine isme likhe hai". He tried to forward the chit to Rakesh.

"Haan theek hai theek hai. Koi ehsaan nahi kiya. Yeh tumhari sazaa hai. Theek se kaam karo. Muft ki rotiyan todne ke liye nahi rakha hai".

"Ji sir, aap chinta mat kijiye. Main puri zimmedari se khayal rakhoonga Naina ka". Then he muttered under his breath "aapki sazaa mein hi mera mazaa hai...Naina ke paas jo reh sakta hoon".

"Kya badbada rahe ho", Rakesh bellowed.

"Kuch nahi sir, buss yahi ki Doctor ne khud kaha hai ki Naina jaldi theek ho jayegi. Aap dekh lena aur main aapko yakeen dilata hoon ki aapki, school ki aur saare teachers aur Principal sir ki ummeedon ko pura karegi iss competition mein jeetkar. Saara school jaanta hai ki Naina mein aapke sanskaar hai, issliye woh bahut intelligent aur talented hai. Jab iss baar hamara school jeetega tab sabko yakeen ho jayega ki betiyan boj nahi hoti".

Rakesh felt contrite but didn't show "Arjun khana kha ke jaldi so jao" and he left.

Sameer looked at Naina but she didn't express anything at his taking a stand for her and for girls in general, but the one happiest was Jijaji's ardent fan. She whispered to her sister, "aaj pehli baar kisi ne Tauji ki bolti bandh kar di hai aur woh bhi bina unki beizzati kiye".

Naina's heart unknowingly swelled with pride for what he did for her. No...she never wanted to insult her father or tell him to give her more importance than he wished for but she felt joyous that someone other than her Chachaji understood her unspoken craving of her father's love. She was overcome with emotion & unknowingly her heart softened for him further.

Later after dinner, Sameer had given her the notes he had taken down in class for her to read and revise coz she could memorise everything easily. Everyone was asleep and he took his place in the deewan, but sleep was far from his eyes. He couldn't forget the incident of the day, it continued to haunt him as flashbacks; how a father abandoned his child in her hour of need just like his mom had done to him for another child. At least Arjun was Rakesh's own son and he was partial to son rather than daughter but his mom was partial to her stepson and had willingly bequeathed her duties and obligations to boarding schools and hostels. Thank God for giving him at least Nanu who he could call his family just like Chacha Chachi were Naina's family. But the major issue was that Naina was a girl child and hence her achievements didn't matter to half her family especially her papa. How he wished he could do something to change that, make her father realise her importance, appreciate her and feel proud of her achievements.

Lost in thoughts, he penned down what he felt in his free flowing but heartfelt words in the form of a poem.

On the other side, sleep evaded Naina too, a lot had happened during the day and a lot more occurred during the past few days. Her heart and mind were in turmoil. She was restless and yet didn't know what made her feel so. She wished she could share her thoughts with someone. Her heart was getting pulled towards her object of affection, his efforts weren't going down the drain and she knew that he knew that she was softening. She was again inadvertently opening her heart to him or rather he decreed it his right to march into her heart and embrace her soul. There was not much she could do to fight him any longer, his feelings, she already knew were genuine for her. His heartfelt apology had shook her from within and not once he had imposed himself on her, neither before nor now...& hadn't she herself said that she accepted what he did to her in exchange for all the wrongdoings her family inflicted on him.

Yet he had fallen in love with her, given his forever commitment and was still standing as her rock when she chose to ignore or ward off his advances. He was a silent supporter in all her needs and was her anchor whenever she faltered. She always found him whenever her eyes searched for someone, always her shadow giving her her space and time, no matter how long she took but never leaving her side, not even in the dark hour when her blood family abandoned her. He was that shadow that lurked in the dark waiting to turn into shield and strike if someone dared cause her pain, regardless of who that was. She very well knew, her Papa might have got an earful from him, she had gauged it from his changed demeanour but he chose to act calmly, contrast to his impulsive nature, just for her sake. Yes, she had noticed the subtle but clear change in his personality from day one up to now...when he was just Sameer. Now he didn't shy away from declaring out in the open that he was only Naina's Sameer and belonged solely to her, whether she chose him or not.

Thinking these, she didn't realise when she ventured out to the balcony attached to her room and was gazing at the stars. She was also oblivious to the other restless soul watching her from a few feet away who had ventured to the balcony attached to the living room. His eyes feasted on her serene face that had an ethereal glow in the moonlight. The parched soul was cocooned in the warmth of her love that emanated from her. Without she looking at him, her thoughts and vibes reverberated to him, and he knew it in his gut and heart that she was thinking about him and that too with love. Gone was the anger from those eyes that he had seen on that day when the bet was revealed and the hurt and the feeling of betrayal was replaced with a feeling of care and concern. He knew she still loved him and would always do but this time around, she had astutely masked it with something and for once he couldn't decipher her emotions and expressions.

But he knew time and his persistent efforts would ultimately heal the wound and his love would mend the broken heart and this time he himself would etch both their hearts and souls with each others love and togetherness forever.

As if on cue, she sensed him and turned to face him.

"Sameer tum soye nahi?"

"Tum bhi toh jaag rahi ho!"

"Haan...wo...neend nahi aa rahi thi". She paused but he knew her thought was incomplete yet. He let her take her time to share it with him.

"Sameer, wo aaj jo tumne kiya, uske liye thank you. Aur Papa ki insult na karne ke liye bhi thank you".

He smiled and pursed his lips "Naina, ab tak toh tumhe pataa chal holi gaya hoga ki main tumhare liye kuch bhi kar sakta hoon aur kisi bhi hadd tak ja sakta hoon. Tumhe vachan diya hai ki tumse kabhi kuch nahi chupaoonga aur hamesha sach bataoonga. Rakesh sir ne jo bola uspe gussa toh bahut aaya tha, par pee gaya. Aur jitna tumhare liye tha utna Nanu ke liye bhi tha ki badon ka aise apmaan nahi karte aur fir woh toh tumhare Papa hai. Par Rakesh sir ne galat baat boli toh unhe samajhana bhi zaroori tha. Aur fir koi tumhe kuch bhi galat bolega toh kya mara dil nahi jalega?"

Then he blurted out "Naina, tum dekhna, jab hamari beti hogi na, toh main uske liye world's best papa banoonga".

She was elated but turned crimson that he was completely honest with her. He too blushed realizing what he only dreamt about, their life together.

But in response, she smiled, nodded "Ab so jao, kal bahut kaam hai". Saying that she went inside.

He too carried a satisfied smile on his face, and settled back on the deewan. A new energy ran in his veins that she hadn't gotten angry at his words to her Papa and when he just shared his dream with her. Rather she appreciated his stand and that he honestly confessed his feelings of their togetherness to her. So, there was a lot of hope and if god wished, their love story would soon be back on track. He was charged up with the energy to run 10 marathons, his heartbeat racing. It took him much effort to clam down but the happy serotonin and overflow of adrenaline didn't let him sleep. So, he decided to put the time to good use. Thinking that he brought out the cassette and the book to write down the story Naina had recorded. To avoid noise in the pin-drop silence, he doned his sleek headphones and started to listen.
The story was narrated in her beautiful voice and it was music to his ears. But a few lines into narration and his eyes widened in surprise. He hit the pause button and started breathing heavily. Did she do this on purpose or was it just a coincidence?

P.S: I am evil to pause here after such a long wait. But have patience, the wait will be over in a couple of days this time. Thanks again for loving this FF so much that I get DMs to update it soon. I m sorry to keep you waiting.