Naina sat dazed in her room. How could she not understand?  Of course, he stays here... right here... how else could he come with the umbrella that day... a Sunday. He had seen her from the hostel. Boys hostel overlooked the entrance gate and front garden of the college.

"Uff, itni choti si baat nahi samajh aayi tujhe",  the forehead bore the brunt again.

She started pacing restlessly. It didn't help. Standing in the balcony could also not soothe her. Then her gaze travelled to the huge tree at the end of the ground. Today no one was in sight. But the tree stood there.

Naina quickly went in, grabbing her dupatta and locking the room, she rushed down.

" Kuch to sukoon milta hoga wahan tabhi wo jo bhi hai wahan aata hai...  shayad mujhe bhi thodi raahat mil jaaye",  she took quick steps. As she reached the place, her eyes widened in surprise. From her room, she could make out that the tree was huge but seeing it closely, she was stunned by the size of its trunk. It was spread in a huge circle. Standing behind it, she could not even see her hostel building.

Naina sat down on the ground under the tree. In spite of heavy rains in last few days, the area around the trunk was not wet, owing to the dense cover of foliage.
She rested her back on the left side, so she could see her hostel building if she tilted her head... the feeling of wilderness around making her a little uneasy.

But her mind was soon occupied with the thoughts she was lost in earlier. Why Sameer didn't tell her that he too stayed here in the hostel? He knew she was staying here... that's why he had dropped her in front of her wing. But then, Sameer had never told anything about himself... anything at all. He had not even answered her question as to why he was not staying with his nanu.

One after the other, the barrage of questions invaded her mind. And none had answers. Sameer was a mystery. The more she tried to know him, more he confused her. And this disappearing act was now getting too much. He was missing his lectures regularly. How will he cope up at the time of semester exams? Who will help him? He didn't make any friends. He did not even talk to anyone. If he was so upset here, why he did not go back to Ahmedabad?

The thought made Naina's heart miss a few beats... No, no... he should not go back to Ahmedabad... he should stay here... "Roz kam se kam dekh to sakti hun", she coloured at her thought, realising next moment that she had not seen him for so many days now.

Her chain of thoughts was broken by a sniffing sound. Naina stiffened. She looked around but there was no one. Thinking it to be her imagination, she relaxed but the next moment she heard it again... very clear. Yes... someone was here... or something. She felt a chill run down her spine... one word flashing in her mind... HAUNTED.

She slowly got up, careful not to make a sound. She just had to take a few steps to her left and then her hostel wing would be visible and she could run... she moved a bit.

And then the curiosity reasoned with the fear. " Naina, Tu kabse yeh bhooton mein vishwas karne lagi... aisa thodi hota hai... himmat kar aur dekh ki kaun hai... ho sakta hai wohi ho jo aksar yahan aata hai", she reasoned with herself.

"Par wo to shaam ko ya raat ko aata hai... abhi to andhera bhi nahi hua",  her mind was divided, to have a full fledged discussion.

" Arre, ek baar check to karle doosri side... kya pata koi aur ho",  another part chipped in.

Naina gave in and slowly started moving around the thick trunk of the tree. A few steps and she got the shock of her life.

Sameer sat there... hands folded across his knees... staring straight ahead... face wet with tears.

Before she could stop herself,  Naina ran and kneeled next to him,
"Sameer, kya hua tumhe? Ro kyon rahe ho? Kuch hua hai kya? "

Sameer's face turned white seeing her sitting right next to him. He quickly wiped his eyes and tried to smile... but failed. Rather, fresh tears streamed from his eyes. He bent his head on his folded hands and sobbed hard.

Naina's heart lurched at the sight. She didn't know how to react... she wanted to console him... but how? She didn't even know the reason for his condition. Still... he needed to be calmed... whatever had caused him this much pain, presently it was more important to comfort him. But how?

Naina took a deep breath, and hesitantly placed her hand on his arm, squeezing it a little. She felt his muscles clench at her touch... but she didn't remove her hand. The sobbing stopped after a while. But Sameer didn't look up.

Naina waited.

"Sameer", she called out... almost in a whisper.

He finally lifted his head... and looked at her. Naina's heart shattered into million pieces seeing him like this... her eyes pooled.

He kept looking at her but his eyes seemed to be lost elsewhere... and then a veil seemed to drop in them.

" Naina tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?"
He uttered, getting up with a jerk, her hand on his arm falling to her side.

"Main toh... wo main... aise hi... " she mumbled... and then remembered that she should be the one asking questions.

Standing up and moving in front of him, she directly looked into his eyes, "Sameer, tumhe kya hua hai?"

"Kuch nahi",  he turned to go.

Naina held his arm again. Sameer looked down at her hand and then at her... stunned.

Naina gulped, but did not deter,  " Aaj tumhe baat karni padegi, tum hamesha aise nahin bhaag sakte... aisa kya hua hai jo tum itne dukhi ho? Kyon tum lectures attend nahi karte?"

They stood in silence, looking at each other...

And then Sameer sank to the ground. He could not take it any more.

"Nanu ki yaad aa rahi thi, Naina. Main unhe bohot miss karta hun".

" To tum unhe chor ke yaha kyun aaye?" Naina asked,  kneeling next to him once again.

The time to tell the truth had come.

"Main nahi woh chor gaye mujhe... Naina, woh chale gaye... hamesha ke liye." The tears were falling freely now.

Naina stopped breathing, "Kab?"

"Jis din hamara board ka result aaya tha. Woh bohot khush the... mujhe aur Munna Pandit ko ghoomne jaane ko kaha... par hum jaate isse pehle hi unhe heart attack aa gaya. Doctors bhi unhe nahi bacha paaye... aur woh mujhe phir se akela karke chale gaye",  His voice choked.

The pain in his voice was piercing her heart.

" Uske baad main uss ghar mein nahin rehna chahta tha isliye yahan aa gaya",  he gave the same excuse to her that he gave to Munna Pandit.

"Sameer,  unke jaane ka mujhe bhi bohot dukh hua... woh bohot achche the... school mein to dekha hi tha... mandir mein bhi jab milte the to bohot pyaar dete the hamesha."

"Mandir mein? " It was his turn to be shocked.

"Haan, main har somvaar mandir jaati thi... nanaji bhi wahan aate the",  she suddenly realised her mistake,  " Sorry, woh unhone hi kaha tha ki main unhe nanaji bulaon, isliye bol diya... abse nahin bolungi",  she said looking at him.

Sameer smiled, "Agar unhone kaha hai toh kyon nahi bologi? Tum inhe nanaji hi bolo. "

She was relieved to see him smile.

"Hum mandir mein baith ke der tak baatein karte the... woh mujhe apne aur naniji ke baare mein batate the... bohot pyaar karte the woh unse, haina",  she smiled.

" Haan, mere nanu bohot pyaar karte the nani se",  Sameer said, lost.

"Aur tumse bhi",  Naina said in a soft voice.

Sameer shifted his gaze to the ground.

" Isliye woh nahi chahenge ki tum unhe yaad karke itne dukhi ho... jahan bhi honge tumhe dekh rahe honge... tum unki achchi baatein yaad karo. "

Sameer was surprised to hear her talk like this. She was so much like nanu.

Naina continued, "Jab bhi tumhara man ho unke baare mein baat karne ka, mujhe bula lena... hum baith ke unki dher saari baatein karenge... par aise rona mat... unhe dukh hoga... aur mujhe bhi", she added softly, lowering her eyes.

Sameer kept staring at her in amazement.

" Naina, ek baat puchun? "

"Haan,  bolo na."

"Tumhe yahan aane ka khyaal kaise aaya?  Iss jagah to koi nahi aata." Sameer gave a voice to his doubt.

"Aur koi to nahi aata par koi ek hai jo aksar iss jagah aata hai. Maine apni balcony se dekha hai. Shaam ke samay... kabhi kabhi to raat tak baithta hai... pehle to mujhe laga kahin koi bhoot to nahi... par phir laga bhoot woot kuch nahi hota",  she was doing it again.

Naina wondered why she blabbered like this in front of Sameer.

Sameer smiled. Then froze.

" Woh first floor wali balcony tumhari hai? "

Naina was perplexed. She nodded.

Sameer scrunched his nose and hit the center of his forehead with his fist lightly, "yahan main hi aata hun... shaam ko... aur maine bhi tumhe dekha balcony mein... kabhi kabhi andhere mein mujhe bhi laga ki kahin tum bhoot to nahi."

They looked at each other silently for a few moments and then burst out laughing.

Sameer had closed his eyes... his hands were still clutching his knees... as he shook with laughter, his hair fell on his forehead. Naina had a strong urge to lift her hand and straighten them. She was staring at him lovingly when Sameer opened his eyes.

She lowered hers.

When he didn't say anything for a while, she looked up. Sameer was so close... and his eyes were soft... they did not show the emptiness like previous times...

"Aise hi hanste raha karo... achche lagte ho.

Later, whenever she thought about this conversation, she wondered how she had said such a thing... and blushed.

Sameer observed the girl in front of him... wearing a simple pink cotton kurta with white salwar and dupatta... her waist length hair tied in a pony, face devoid of any trace of makeup, no jewelry... yet she looked no less than an angel. She had made him laugh today... he did not even remember the last time he had laughed like this... in fact, these days he rarely smiled. But this girl had eased his pain and made him feel lighter, she had shared his grief.

" Naina, tum bohot achchi ho", he could not take his eyes off her.

Naina turned scarlet.

Few minutes ticked by... no one moved.

Then, Naina shifted slowly to get up.

"Sameer chalo, kaafi der ho gayi hai... koi hamein doondhega to pareshaan ho jaayega."

Sameer came back to his senses, "Tum jao... mujhe koi nahi dhoondhega", he was ready to crawl back to his shell.

But not this time.

" Nahin, tumhe bhi chalna hoga... nahin to main bhi nahi jaungi... phir chahe warden gussa hi kyon na kare" Naina pouted.

He smiled again at her cuteness, "Achcha baba chalo",  he got up, dusting his jeans.

As they moved towards their respective hostel wings, Sameer called out, " Naina, kal phir aaogi... yahin par...isi time? "

Her heart jumped to her mouth. She looked back at him and nodded.

As they took a few more steps, Naina called out, "Sameer, kal college aaoge... classes miss nahin honi chahiye na... "

He smiled at her and nodded.

That night, Sameer and Naina slept peacefully.