She shuts door and never leaves doorstep. Standing there she can hear Arwa....

Arwa, first wife and love of Naushad' life is back. Naina now is unable to see her reflection in any of window panes of this house.

Her throat feels dry. Her whole body shakes. If this is how heartbreak feels...then perhaps she is dying. Her body has no strength left. This is how Arwa' return has effected her. If would not be a lie if she was not waiting for her return. Arwa was out of her life. Yes. She claimed many times her being Naushad' one true love but never ever in dream she thought of her return. She mentioned her to mend her heart not to break it even more.

She keeps on standing and silently crying.

Earlier being wife of nuashad hurt her but now being second wife is crushing her..slowly slowly.

**************

Naina comes out of her now Naushad' bedroom. Naushad is sitting on dinning table where Arwa is all affectionate to him. She is trying to serve him, feed him and all pleasantries she can do. Naina takes a deep breath and goes to sit on dinning table.

'Hello Naina.'

She curses herself for being here at this moment. This chat with Arwa she cant dream it being anywhere close to civil let alone be sweet. But Arwa has initiated. She has to reply.

'Hello.' She gives a weak reply.

'Wo Mujhe tumhe thanks bolna tha...Meri gair maujoodgi me tumne Naushad aur meri beti Saira ka dhyaan rakha. Wese saira he kaha? Dikh nahi rahi?'

'Wo so rahi he.'

'Ohh accha. I am grateful to you Naina. Sach me...You saved my lives. Naushad aur Saira...Thank you so much. '

Naina is at loss. She has no subtle or defending reply.

'Wese Mujhe Tumhe Thanks kahna nahi chahiye..Tum to meri chhoti bahan ke jaisi ho. He na? Aur bahan ko Thanks nahi bolte...' Arwa holds her hands. A current passes through her body. A thunder if pointed out clearly..

'Hmm.' She weakly tells her.

Meanwhile Khala has brought dinner. Arwa stands up to serve.

'Rahne do..Hum kar lenge.' Khala refuses..

'Nahi khala...Itne dino baad hume wapas se ek ghar mila he. Khud ka ghar..apne log. Aise mehmaan banke nahi rah sakte Hum yaha. Aap rahne dijiye..Hum karte he na.' And she takes the pots and begins serving Naushad.

'Tumhe pata he Naina...Naushad bahut accha khana pakate he. Hamare nikaah ke baad jab humne pahli bar rasoi me kadam rakha to Naushad hi the jinhone hume chai banana sikhaya tha.'

Naina doesn't look up. It is not because she is ashamed or something or flabbergasted. She doesn't want to see aforesaid guy. He, the Captain Naushad Rizvi seems her a complete stranger now.

But it hurts...why!

'Naushad ko kahadi chicken bahut pasand he. Khala aap na kal wahi pakana..Humne bhi kab se nahi khaya.'

Naina picks her plate and decides to leave giving any false excuse. She thinks for a moment if her sudden outburst would make any negative impact on people present there.

The hell if it will!

She picks her plate and leaves for her bedroom...where she used to sleep before.

It is like she was an immigrant bird who just took a flight to his bedroom for saving herself from cruelty of her own room. But in the end she is back there..she was supposed to.

But what was she supposed to do when Arwa herself entered into her(Arwa') territory. Her lawful territory. Naushad' bedroom. After All she is his first wife! Should she have stopped her from going in because that room still holds that bed where she was with Naushad few days ago! Or should she have told her that she mended that room after moving in and it still has a part of her in it!

But her steps stopped themselves when she didnt hear any objection from him.

He has erased her..her pieces from that room. He spent his life with arwa before he spent few nights with her.

Who is she to complain? So she shifted. Back to her abode...her place.

**********

Whole night she is awake. Sometimes crying and sometimes taking a resolve not to cry anymore.

It just amazes her how many times a silent and void man like him can make her pull her hair out in frustration and despair. She has been crying for days. Or since the day she put foot in this house. Was this house ominous? Or she was unlucky girl? Not even a moment of peace. Solace she wants to have never reaches her. She is left to cry every time she has a chance. Is life this much cruel to her!

Or she is a guinea pig who is always butchered every time fate gets a chance!

Talking about fate, she had decided yesterday that she would stop worrying about her equation with him. She left it up To the almighty. And HE decided to change her life upside down. She hoped her life would become more constant and peaceful. But look now....

It has become one more day among thundering thirties. The ocean roaring and shaking her boat...telling her to take one more chance and drown.

Whole night it is either mind or eyes working. Sleep never comes..

Like it stopped coming few days ago.

********

She is silently standing in backyard watching sunlight slowly glazing new buds. Some of them are about to blossom. She snorts. Atleast somewhere she can see spring. Her life has become full of falls. She is unable to collect her feathers. They continue shading.

She spots a butterfly. It flies and sits on one flower. Narcissus....

What a name that flower got! After a Greek guy who fell in love with himself and drowned in river watching his reflection. She wonders what'd be if she sees herself now..anywhere. She is unable to see her reflection since last night. Naushad has changed lights...and Curtains and window panes. They do not see her anymore.

She sighs....

Why the hell she is getting worked herself up on this!

Naushad and her relation as she had thought earlier was just a plain platter. Nothing there except emptiness.

Atleast he has got Arwa now..His one true love. After whom he spent years crying...not even days. It was supposed to be fruitful. His lament. His urge to have her back. His tears. After all he stopped living when she had left. Even though he always gave an agitated reaction on her mention but he did care. He did miss her. What else could be reason he went without telling her and brought Arwa back!

But who is she to tell? They barely had a thing.

Some flashes makes her flinch. It will be a lie if she still doesn't feel his touch. Her skin burns...still burns. But now it is scathing. Like those memories are furnace. She wants a time out now.

Whole thing has been a big white lie. Naushad never cared. She was caretaker of his child...which she chose for herself. Being his wife was not an option. She tried to choose and failed. Now having no place in this closed house she feels nauseating.

But Heart and mind never come along. And her heart still sees something of her in this house....still wants to call it home.

She goes back. It is time for her hospital. She passes kitchen.

'Naina. Beta chai to peeti ja. Nashta bhi taiyar he hai.' Khala calls her.

She knows this lady has mammoth care for her. So she stops.

There is He. Holding two cups of tea. She refuses to see him in eyes. She knows there will be sympathy for her...like he is feeling bad for making her feel ignored or seconded. As he had promised Naveen he is not able to make her happy like he did few months back as a guardian.

Lame!

She is about to reach khala when Arwa appears. She picks second cup from Naushad' hand and chimes.

'Shukriya. Naushad. Aapko abhi bhi yaad he ki hume aapke haath ki chai kitni pasand he!'

She kisses him on cheek.

All the urge of rolling her eyes and snorting is suppressed. She reaches to khala for having her breakfast.

She still has a seat on dining table...Still...