After his friends were gone, Sameer sat alone in the restaurant, mulling over all that was troubling him. When he summed up everything, the conclusion was the same that he had known all along... ever since Naina entered his life, he was facing one issue after the other. There had been not even a single day of peace, when his mind had been free of her thoughts. And to think of it, his friends believed it to be love.

'As if!' He exclaimed with a sarcastic shake of his head, 'yeh bata diya ki main kabhi kabhi uski taraf attract ho jaata hun toh inhe lagta hai pyar ho gaya. Inhe pata hi kya hai sachhe pyar ke baare mein. Munna, usne kabhi apne context mein naam tak nahi liya, aur Pandit...' He smirked, '...Pandit ko toh har aadhe ghante mein naya pyar hota hai. Agar abhi bhi puchte toh kehta ki jis flight se aaya hai usme koi mil gayi, ya kisi airhostess ko hi pasand kar liya hoga. Pandit ko pyar ki pehchaan tak nahi hai. Mujhse pucho. Yaad bhi nahi kabse yeh sapna apne dil mein basaa ke baitha hun. Jitni thesis maine ki hai na pyar pe, hamari generation mein toh koi aur kar hi nahi sakta. Ek ek situation plan karke rakhi hai. Maanta hun der lag rahi hai par kehte hain na... good things take time. Main khushi khushi time ka intezaar kar leta agar Dadaji ne aisi condition na rakh di hoti.'

He gulped the drink in one go, then signalled the waiter for a refill before texting his mom that he would get late. As a thought struck him, he deleted the message and sent it on the family group.

'Usne bhi text se inform kiya tha na, main bhi aise hi bataunga.' A sinister smile played on his lips, 'Khud ko zyada smart samajhti hai madam. Pata nahi hai kisse paala pada hai.'

It was past eleven when Sameer reached home. Naina was not in the room. He looked around, to find her outside on the terrace adjoining his room. She had her arms crossed against her, and was looking at some faraway point. Keeping himself hidden beside the curtain of glass door, he observed her carefully. Something in the way her shoulders slumped reminded him of the day when he had seen her at the temple. Was she upset, or sad? His curiosity piqued when he saw her further push the hands to wrap around her, kind of hugging herself. Then she let out a deep exhale, nodding slightly. It was as if she was consoling herself, or prepping herself up for what she expected to face.

He wanted to talk to her, to know why she met Sagar, to ask what was stressing her so much. But if he walked out and initiated the talk, it would be as good as accepting that he was wrong. Perhaps he should just make her know that he was back. She would herself say something. And then, he would steer the conversation towards what he wanted to know.

Moving away from the curtain, he noisily looked for his charger, then put his phone on charge, snapped open and shut the drawer a couple of times, dropped a remote... tried a few more tactics to make her aware of his presence. Which she did, and snapped her head to look back towards the room. The shadow of movements and the unmistakable sounds were enough to tell her who was in the room. Taking another deep breath, she ran her palms over her hair to push them back and walked into the room. Without looking at Sameer, she sat on the bed, and picked her laptop. Even when he mumbled something, she neither looked up, nor acknowledged his presence, keeping her eyes and attention on the screen.

With a bang, Sameer shut the door of closet, muttering under his breath, 'Attitude bhi yehi dikhayengi ab. Mat bolo. Main bhi baat nahi karunga.'

After changing into his night clothes, he walked upto the bed. To get her attention, he picked up the jug of water and exclaimed, 'Paani tak ka dhyan nahi rakhta Mohan. Karta kya hai saara din. Bola tha ab garmi hone lagi hai thanda paani rakhey lekin isey toh jaise meri baat sunni hi nahi hai.'

Naina acted as if she was deaf... showing no reaction.

Sameer pulled the quilt and fell on the bed with force, angrily swaying the quilt, 'Ab yeh quilt kyon uljha hua hai? Kitni baar kaha hai theek se fold karey lekin isey bhi hamesha aisa golmol karke rakh deta hai. Kisi ko meri baat ki parwah tak nahi hai.'

Even this did not elicit any response, making him more furious. He snapped shut his eyes, hoping to get some good dreams to forget what nightmare he had to endure while awake.

Naina worked till well past midnight. She wanted to share Munna's responsibility so he could give more time to his mom. He was reluctant to let her handle the ongoing projects but she had managed to convince him. With a tired sigh, she put aside the laptop and smiled, thinking about Munna and Shravan. Their bond was beautiful... so warm and comforting. Munna was both, a father and a brother to Sharavan. Naina had seen that their house had only the basic necessities, nothing fancy or lavish. In fact, her father's house had been better furnished and equipped. Yet, she would have been happier if there was even a small percentage of the homely feeling that was in Munna's house. But Naina had no complaints anymore. Being here, in this family, she was enveloped in the much coveted warmth. The affection everyone showered on her, mirrored the closeness she had admired between Munna and Shravan. It was comforting and reassuring, making her feel like she belonged. It was a place filled with love and laughter, much like the home she had always dreamed of, much like a family that she craved for. It was the home... except...

Her smile slowly faded as her eyes rested on the form asleep on the same bed. Even in repose, he seemed stiff.

'Pata nahi yeh kaise inn sabke beech mein fit hota hai. Family, dost, sabhi itne ache hain aur yeh...' She twisted her mouth, '...mirchi ka pakoda. Bas dusron mein galtiyan nikalta rehta hai, jaise khud pata nahi kahan ka nawab hai.'

With a resigned shake of head, she pulled the quilt and laid down on the edge of the bed, turning her back to him.

When Sameer woke up in the morning, Naina was nowhere around, like always. Only when he went down after getting dressed for office, he got to know from the conversation of his family that she had left for office early.

'Sameer,' Dadaji looked at him, 'Agar tu chahe toh Naina ko apne saath le ja. Puch le usse agar office se kuch din ki leave le sakti hai toh.'

Ambika brightened at the prospect, 'Arey haan Sameer, yeh toh bohot achha idea hai. Tum dono shaadi ke baad kahin gaye bhi nahi. Mumbai ka kaam khatm hone ke baad wahan ghoom lena ya fir aas paas ki kisi achhi si jagah pe chale jaana. Mumbai ke bahar toh bohot saare resorts hain.'

Instant denial would have sounded suspicious, so Sameer nodded slowly before answering, 'Idea toh achha hai Dadaji lekin Naina se puchna padega. I think abhi woh office mein kuch zyada hi busy hai. Dekhiye na, aaj bhi jaldi chali gayi. Kal bhi mere saath bahar jaane ko manaa kar diya tha. Raat der tak kaam kar rahi thi. Fir bhi, aap log kehte ho toh main ek baar usse baat kar leta hun.'

Dadaji asked with casual humour, 'Agar teri baat nahi maanti toh main baat karun?'

'N... nahi.' Sameer was momentarily confused, checking others before looking back at his grandfather, 'Meri baat kyon nahi maanegi? Meri wife hai. I'll... I'll ask her.'

Girish let out a chuckle, 'Arey yaar papa mazaak kar rahe hain. Tu bhi na, har baat mein declaration deta rehta hai ki teri biwi hai. Humein yaad dilata hai ya khud ko?'

Sameer was taken aback. Why this conversation felt like a confrontation? Did Naina tell them something while he was gone last evening?

Seeing the stress on his face, Ambika interjected before Sameer could get suspicious, 'Achha theek hai tu Naina se baat kar le. Waise mujhe bhi laga woh thodi busy hai aajkal. Puch lena, agar possible ho toh. Warna koi nahi, baad mein chale jaana, ek exclusive holiday. Haina papa?'

Dadaji smiled warmly, 'Aur kya? Dekh yaar, biwi ke saath jitni baar marzi holiday pe jao. Mujhe toh yeh honeymoon ka concept bohot hi bekaar lagta hai, ki shaadi ke baad ek baar ghoom liya bas ho gaya. Kyon bhai? Har saal jaana chahiye. Balki jab possible ho tab chale jao. Kisi nayi jagah pe saath mein time spend karne se rishta aur mazboot hota hai.'

'Ji... ji Dadaji.' Sameer breathed in relief. Had he known that his family was as much into acting as he was, he would have fainted in shock.

Next day being Saturday, both Sameer and Naina were home, but her silent treatment for him continued. He noticed she was with Ambika, insisting to learn some new recipe, then talked to Dadaji about some event happening in the city. Later, she sat with everyone, watching a show on TV, laughing and enjoying as if she had always been a part of the family. Even at mealtimes, she did not utter a word to him. Sunday went by without a glance from her again. The only thing that remained constant was her time at the terrace every night. She would stand there, looking into the oblivion, lost to everything around her. What was possibly wrong with her?

After dinner Sunday evening, Sameer brought out his small carry bag, to pack for Mumbai trip. Why should he bother about Naina so much... when she did not even wish to talk to him. He would also leave without a word. Let her be happy in the solitude she prefers. When he looked at the time, it occurred to him that it had been two days, fourteen hours and thirty five minutes since the silence between them was not broken. But who was counting... definitely not him.

It was sometime in the middle of the night that Sameer woke up with a start. He was sweating, his throat was parched, and his heart was palpitating as if he had run a marathon. Quickly, he grabbed a glass of water from the side table. After downing it in large gulps, he breathed in and out for a few seconds. Was it really a nightmare... he was running around, looking for Naina, but she was nowhere. He searched for her in the house, at office, even went to the apartment, but there was no trace of Naina. When he asked the neighbours, his family, Munna and others at office, they were clueless... about the existence of anyone by this name.

'Kaun Naina?' Ambika had narrowed her eyes, 'Hum toh kabhi kisi Naina se nahi miley?'

Munna laughed at him, 'Filmein dekh dekh ke tera dimag bhi filmy ho gaya hai. Sapno mein dekha hoga. Kyonki hamare yahan toh Naina naam ki koi ladki kabhi thi hi nahi.'

Anaya had touched his forehead in concern, 'Bhai, aap theek toh ho na? Koi bhoot... ya fir bhootni ke chakkar mein toh nahi pad gaye? Humne aaj tak aapke saath kisi ladki ko nahi dekha toh yeh Naina kahan se aa gayi?'

He tried to remind them, frantically searched for the engagement and wedding pictures, threw open all cupboards in the closet to find her belongings... but she had completely dispappeared, along with all signs of her existence.

He ran to any place he could think of... the coffee shop, the hospital, restaurant, even Munna's house, to ask his mom and brother. They all were unaware of any such girl. Finally, he started to run on the roads, screaming her name, hoping someone would stop him and tell him her whereabouts.

It was a nightmare, no doubt.

Sameer wiped his face, and checked the time. It was four-thirty in the night. Could it be called early morning? There was a sudden hollow feeling in his stomach. Was this a morning dream? The one that is believed to come true? Would Naina... leave him?

With a snap, his head turned to look at the other side of bed. Unknowingly, a smile of relief curled his lips. There she was, rolled up in the quilt, at the far edge of the bed, with a gap as wide as a highway between her and the center of the bed, while he himself had moved quite close to the invisible dividing line they had mutually agreed upon. She was so particular about everything, be it their distance or her work. It was a clear sign that she would honour the contract till the end. He had nothing to fear. At least, not a silly dream.

Only when he was about to slip back under the cover did he realise he was smiling. Instantly, he pressed his lips in a thin line, muttering to convince himself, 'Contract poora hone tak Naina ki zarurat hai. Obviously uske gayab hone se bohot badi problem ho jayegi. Ek saal ke baad woh kahin bhi jaaye, mujhe kya.'

Sameer felt it was just a minute back he had fallen asleep when his alarm on phone started to chime in his ear.

'Ugghh.' Frustrated, he got up and shut the jarring sound, 'I hate morning flights.'

Since it was a habit that he always got up and sauntered to the washroom, without any disturbance, he did the same today, still in the haze of sleep which had to be ended one full hour before a regular weekday time. In the closet area, he pulled off his tshirt and dragged a towel from the rack, turning to enter the washroom when the door opened, and Naina stepped out, unaware of his presence right outside.

She straightaway walked into him, colliding with not much force, but a shock which made her gasp aloud. Snapping out of his stupor, Sameer wrapped his arms around her in reflex, before they both lost their balance. Her mouth agape, she stared at him as if he was a ghost. And he could not move his eyes away from her freshly washed, glowing face, drinking in the sight of her, every detail sharpening as if coming into focus for the first time. Her skin felt cool under his touch. Her damp hair clung to her neck, small droplets of water tracing delicate paths along her skin. She was wearing something like a fitted top, with strings that rested on her shoulders. The expanse of her neck and collarbone was glistening with the aftermath of a shower, accentuating the graceful curve of her shoulders. He felt as if time had slowed, each second stretching out as he memorized every nuance... the way her eyes held a mixture of vulnerability and strength, the soft flush on her cheeks, the slight parting of her lips, as if she were about to speak but couldn't find the words.

Naina's eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and... maybe the proximity. Sameer's arms were strong and warm around her, and she could feel the rapid thump of his heartbeat against her hands, which rested on his bare chest, while she remained flushed against him. She fisted them, bringing them towards herself to lessen the impact of touch.

'Tum...' She managed to say, though her voice was not more than a whisper, '...tum itni jaldi kaise uth gaye?'

Sameer could not fail to notice the gentle rise and fall of her breath, along with the colour on her cheeks. It was the first time Naina had reacted in some way to their closeness. Another thing, she was still standing in the circle of his arms, caught in the unexpected intimacy of the moment. So was he, because it did not register that she had asked a question.

They stood there for another moment, the tension between them palpable, then Naina repeated her question, twitching a little to show that she wanted to move away.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Sameer let his arms fall to his sides, stepping back just enough to create a sliver of space between them. He cleared his throat, yet his voice turned out husky as he tried to regain his composure, 'Mujhe... flight leni hai. Jaana hai.'

She gave a hint of nod to acknowledge, then apologised in the same hushed tone, 'Sorry, mujhe tumhara time pata nahi tha. Warna aur jaldi uth jaati.'

She gave him a furtive glance, looking away immediately when their eyes met and moved into the room after grabbing a shirt hanging on her cupboard handle. As Sameer watched her go, he couldn't help but feel a rush of varying emotions... confusion, desire, and a deep longing. Shaking his head slightly, he tried to push the thoughts away and focus on something else, but the memory of their brief embrace stayed with him, along with this new image of Naina, radiant and maybe a bit shy.

When he went back to the room few minutes later, she was still there. He caught a flash of surprise on her face to find him ready so soon, but then she went back to gather her things for office, her movements hurried. She was now dressed in a shirt and trouser. Sameer could see the faint outline of the stringy straps under the shirt. So it was one of the inners that girls wore under such dresses. He gulped, realising that one more time, he was knowing what Naina had worn under the clothes.

He lowered his head, scared that she might read the same thought on his face. He had to come up with something... fast... to rid himself of this, and the havoc it was creating inside him.

'Sorry Naina.' He blurted.

She raised her eyes to him, taken aback, but decided not to dwell on what happened.

'It's okay. Tumhari galti bhi nahi hai. Tumhe kaise pata hoga ki main is time uthti hun.' Her voice also had a hint of slight embarrassment.

He looked up sharply, the words falling out before he could consider, 'Tum mujhe avoid karne ke liye jaldi uthti ho? Main tumhe iss type ka insaan nazar aata hun?'

'Nahi.' Her denial was instant, 'I don't mean that. Tumhe koi disturbance na ho... I mean, tumhara ek routine hai, ek time hai jisey tum hamesha se follow karte aaye ho. Meri wajah se tumhe usme change karna pade toh disturb hoge hi na. Kuch mahino ki baat hai. Main thoda jaldi uth bhi gayi toh kya fark padta hai.'

Sameer gaped at her, unable to believe what she was saying. He had to get up early one day and he simply hated it. While she was so easily stating that she would do it for one year, just to keep him comfortable.

Naina smiled awkwardly, 'I should have been more careful.'

A pang of guilt coursed through Sameer, along with a contented realisation that they were talking again.

He took a step towards her, his voice hesitant, 'Uh Naina... uss din maine shayad sahi tareeke se nahi kaha... Sagar wali baat pe, uske liye bhi sorry.'

Her face stiffened, but she did not say anything. He took another step, then another, till he was standing in front of her.

In a softer voice, he urged, 'Please ab uss baat ko khatm karte hain. Uske liye gussa mat raho. Dekho, aaj main Mumbai jaa raha hun. Do din bhi lag sakte hain ya fir teen chaar bhi. Agar tum baat nahi karogi toh har kaam ke liye mujhe mummy ya papa ko call karna padega. Unhe fir se lagega ki hamara jhagda hua hai. Kisi ko humpe doubt nahi hona chahiye na.'

Her expression remained neutral as she listened to him patiently.

His eyes were filled with sincerity, 'Agar tumhe bhi kuch chahiye toh mujhe call kar dena. Kuch bhi.' He hesitated for a second, then asked, 'Tum theek ho na?'

Naina looked at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly, 'Bilkul theek hun. Mujhe kya hoga?'

'Tum kuch dino se stressed lag rahi thi.' He wondered whether it was correct to say it, then decided to go ahead, 'Dekho, agar Sagar tumhe kisi tarah ki tension de raha hai toh bata sakti ho. Woh Munna ka bhai hai. Munna usey khud hi seedha kar dega.'

As she opened her mouth, he quickly added, 'I know woh tumhara dost hai par yeh dosti school mein thi. Tab se ab tak logon mein bohot change aa jaata hai, Ho sakta hai tumne usey kuch aur samjha ho par woh tumhari soch se bilkul alag ho. Tumhe usse darne ya kisi obligation mein rehne ki zarurat nahi hai. Mujhe batao, main handle kar lunga.'

Her eyes softened a bit, 'Sagar ko seedha karne ya handle karne ki kisiko zarurat nahi hai. Woh pehle bhi bohot achha tha aur ab bhi bohot gentle aur helpful hai.'

'Toh fir usse milne ke baad se tum upset kyon ho?' Sameer could not help the sharpness that seeped into his tone.

Naina lowered her eyes, her voice getting tight, 'Usmein Sagar ka koi kasoor nahi hai. Mera case hi lost case hai. Kuch nahi ho sakta.'

'Kaisa case?' Sameer was surprised, 'Kya Sagar tumhare liye koi case lad raha hai? Kis baat ka? Koi panga hua hai tumhara? Pehle wali company se ya kisi aur se? Kabse chal raha hai? Uske opposition mein kaun hai? Mujhe pehle kyon nahi bataya? Main bade se bade lawyer se milwata tumhe. Sagar toh abhi practice karne laga hai. Usey kya pataa...'

'It's nothing like that.' Naina raised her hands to calm him, speaking a little louder, 'Koi case nahi chal raha. Ek complicated situation thi jiske liye Sagar ne ek advice diya tha. Usi mein mujhe help kar raha tha lekin...'

She paused, swallowing hard, 'It did not work out. So... it's fine.'

Sameer did not miss how her voice trembled. Whatever this situation was, it had to be something very close to her. He had seen her fighting alone with the tensity, bravely masking the distress when she was with everyone, doing all that she had to do, and more. His heart ached at the thought of her struggling silently, carrying the weight of her worries herself. He knew she was strong, but he also knew that even the strongest people needed support.

Without a second thought, he stepped forward and gently took her in his arms. Naina stiffened, surprised by the sudden embrace.

'Sameer...' She began, her voice barely a whisper, full of vulnerability she rarely showed.

'Shhh.' He murmured, holding her tighter, 'Tumhara problem yeh hai ki tum sochti bohot ho. Main husband hun tumhara. Kuch bhi tha, mujhe bata sakti thi. Ho sakta hai mere paas bhi solution na hota, par tumhara dard toh baant sakta hun na.'

Naina closed her eyes, feeling the warmth from his body soothing her. Her hands still lay at her sides, but her fists clenched. His comforting embrace and reassuring words gave her a sense of tranquility. Sameer felt the slight tremor in her body as she let out the breath she had been holding in.

'Strong hona achha hai.' He continued softly, his hand gently rubbing her back, 'Par har insaan har waqt strong nahi reh sakta. Kabhi na kabhi apna dard bahar aane dena chahiye. Natasha ne mujhse kaha tha ki tumhari aadat hai tum kabhi kisi se kuch nahi mangogi. Lekin Naina, main aaj tumse kuch maangna chahta hun. Will you agree?'

She attempted to move back, but he kept his arms around her, not letting her go, 'Wait. Pehle meri baat sun lo.' He tried to articulate the words in his mind, but nothing seemed good enough to exactly portray what he wanted, so he gave up, and put in simple words, 'Please trust me. Trust me to be with you.'

Then slowly, he stepped back, creating distance so he could see her face. At the back of his mind, he was aware that she had not brought up her hands to hold him. But that was not what he wanted to talk about. Last two days of growing silence, and her indifference while maintaining a brave facade had shifted something in his heart. Natasha had told him after the day of their marriage, that Naina had no one after she was gone. And she wanted him to be Naina's support in her absence. He did not care about anything else at the moment, except that he wanted to assure Naina that he was ready to be what Natasha was to her... he wanted to share the pain, even if he could not ease it... he wanted to give her the comfort of a companion, even if they could not be real partners... he wanted to know her more, even if he would never fall in love with her.

Next update on Tuesday