for last three days she has tried her best to be happy but she could not. she tried her best to smile but she could not. she knows it was her decision to leave him. it was her issue that he had not addressed and she had retaliated. then what happened now! she is not able to cope with mismatched colors of pooja' house. she cant blend with alive aroma of life here. she is not able to smile even when pooja is at her best. her lines when able to cause someone heart attack because of intense laughter mixed in it doesn't make her even smile. what is the problem? she should know.

she knows it actually, she knows she still misses that house. and saira too. first day she didn't create fuss cause this was a new place and pooja was familiar to her so she enjoyed. then her excuse of staying for sometime also allured her. she was a little girl who wanted to see new places and enjoy things. but yesterday she cried and her heart broke in million pieces. she when saw herself in mirror, she saw a selfish woman. for her satisfaction and happiness she had brought saira along. she had separated father daughter duo. and she felt horrible. 

her self shame didnt decrease when she heard saira' cries. pooja was at hospital. naina has filed for a leave today. and being such an emergency and dearth of staff pooja has to do overnight tonight.

She hears her daughter crying again.

'Saira kk abbu ke pass jana he. Saira ko Abbu ke pass sona he. Naina lekar chalo na. Abhi chalo. Saira ko abbu ke pass jana he..'

Her heart breaks. Its around nine in night. And she knows he'll be there at home alone with khala or perhaps sulking in his own room. Staring at nothing and still silent. Lost in himself. But she has no guts left to go to him. She is still not at all ready to return. she has been past that house, that man....how far away only time'd tell.

Saira cries again. She too does. She has no other option...Saira is her world, her life. Everything. And she cant see her in pain.

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

His phone is ringing. He is in base. Immersed in files...lost in them.

It rings second time. Naushad is not in mood to pick up. Though he makes an attempt to see caller id.

Naina

He at once receives her call.

'Hello.' He sounds as if he has found oasis  in desert.

'Abbuuu....Saira ko aapke pass aana he. Saira ko pooja masi ke yaha nahi rahna. Saira ko aapke pass sona he. Aap abhi aaoo..' little girl cries.

He breathes in. This is what he has been scared of. Yes, Saira is her daughter too. But she is in pain...and somewhere guilt is to be shared.

'Jaan. Abhi hum base par he. Aur abhi hum nahi aa sakte. Aap ek kaam karna..aap subah yaha aa jana naina ke sath. Theek he?'

'Nahi. Saira ko abhi aana he. Saira ko aapke pass aana he. Saira ko yaha nahi rahna..' she cries harder.

'Aap abbu ki jaan ho Saira. Aapko pata he na ki abbu ko bhi taqleef hoti he jab saira roti he. Aap jid mat karo. Abhi rat me acche bacche bahar nahi jaate.. Aapko malum he na?'

'Lekin...-'

'Jaan. Sirf aaj Rat. Hum kal milenge na aapse. Phir hum sath me ghumne chalenge..wada karte he'

'Nahi. Saira ko kahi nahi jana he. Saira ko abbu ke sath rahna he. Saira kahi nahi jayegi. Abbu ko chhodkar.'

'Aap...Aap abhi so jaao. Phir subah jaldi se uthna aur yaha aa jana...okk?'

'Ha. Jaldi se aa jayenge.'

Girl gets calmed slowly. Naushad tells her about how much work he has to do right now. Saira listens and after some time she sleeps. Her mild snores fills his ear.

First sweet tune in days....

He is still keeping phone close to his ear when abruptly line goes dead. He sighs...

Way too far from something....and someone.

***********

Naina is crying silently. This has been a hectic more like hell week. Whole week she has not gotten a wink of comfort and peace. She is in stress.her inside is in turmoil. Whole world has turned up side down and suddenly she is seeing herself empty and lost. She finds she has gone bankrupt. All her belonging had been snatched away. And she cant complain.....

Neither for her nor for her daughter.

Is she a cruel mom? Selfish mother? Or she has started going rigid whenever its about her equation with him? Naina silently sobs. Fate is cruel. And she has no magic wand to wipe one memory of her life.

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

Saira is too excited. She is jumping all the way. Naina after watching her feels so guilty. If not for her she would have been living with her dad. She has come in her life like unwanted hurricane. What does god want from her? She is clueless. This relation was not need of the hour. And Naveen bhaiya instead of making her life easy jist pushed her in black hole of storms and thunders. She is in maze. And when she wants a way out, she finds another opening for second maze. Directions have been lost. And she is too..

'Naina. Jaldi chaloooo..Abbu agar bhool gaye to! Kitna bhool jate he abbu. Aapko yaad he na. Saira ko bahar le jana bhool gaye the. Phir samar ka bday bhi. Jaldi chalo..Abbu kahi phir se na bhool jaye.' Little girl giggles. Naina finds herself falling lower with her each giggle. Her eyes so full of light suddenly blinds her. Her daughter suddenly makes her uncomfortable.

She nods and takes her to base in her car.

'Captain. Rizvi kaha milenge?' She asks one orderly. Everybody now knows that she is wife of Captain Rizvi. Thanks to her stunts. She is red. This seems all so new now all of sudden.

'Ma'am. Sir abhi brigadier sir ke sath he. Aap  ek min unke cabin me wait kariye. Wo aate hi honge.' He shows her his room. She is hesitant. Though orderly has left.

Saira rushes in. Almoat meddling with every item present there she announces her happiness. Naina watches her. And feels her wounds are less deep now.

'Areee...Abbu ke pass itne sare pen! Saira inko le jaayegi. Naina dekho. Ye pink pen. Kitna cute he.' She shows her one pen. Naina smiles and nods.

She is opening his drawers when door opens and Naushad comes in.

Saira shouts at top of her lungs and at once goes to him. In no time she is in his lap. And naushad is kissing her cheek. Hugging her like there is no tomorrow.

Naina watches this. She feels a twig at her heart. She tries to go out.

'Nainaaa....Dekho.. abbu ki beard dekho. Kitni badi ho gayi. Abbu..Saira ko chubhti he aapki beard. Aap saira ko kiss mat karo. Ye phir se chubhegi.'

Naina stealthily observes him. Yes he has gone skinny. He is not as dark as he used to be. His aura has faltered. His eyes seems less sharp. And the biggest change is he has spotted her looking at him. His eyes are showing difference now.

She gets scared on being caught. She turns her eyes and looks down. She makes no attempt of indulging with him.

'Naina..' the moment he calls her out her memories returns. She is once again dangling in air. She is once again facing mammoth giant named heartbreak alone. She is not as strong as she used to be.

'Saira. Aap yaha baitho. Hum abhi aate he. Hospital se urgent call aaya he..' she runs outside. Her heart is thumping. So much is running in her mind. The only thing she can do is stand next to a fence and look around. When there is no one she finds her eyes getting wet.

What a reward of being woman!

Emotions and tears..the treat we get.

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

Saira is nonstop talking. She is telling naushad how big pooja' bed is. That she jumped on it whole day long. That she has two fish. They are blue. And how bad she sang. She also tells him that pooja has a huge injection which is used when a someone trespasses into her house. She describes how pooja checked her pulse when she was feigning asleep. And not only this pooja also taught her how to boil water. She is little but she will learn cooking.

'Aapko pata he abbu. Saira jab badi hogi tab saira aapke liye garam garam kahwa banayegi. Pooja masi ne saira ko bataya ki kahwa kaise banta he.ekin abhi saira chhoti he to chot lag jayegi. Jan saira badi hogi to saira aapke aur Naina ke liye dher sari cheeje banyegi. Aap dekhna..'

Naishad has tears in his eyes. He pecks her daughter's forehead.

'Naina kaisi he? Saira. Wo aapko kahani sunati he?'

'Nahi. Unhone kaha ki wo apni saari kahani bhool gayii. Aisa tjode na hota he. Pooja masi ne saira ko sunayi thi. Bahut gandi story thi. Aur saira ka sara homework galat ho gaya unki stoey sun kar. Unko story nahi aati..'

Little girl plays with her dad' nameplate on his chest..

'Abbu. Aapko pata he. Naina hamare sath ro rahi thi kal. Aur na wo bilkul nahi hasti. Saira ko accha nahi lagta waha. Aap saira ko ghar le chalo. Naina ko bhi waha accha nahi lagta. Naina ko bhi itne bade bed par neend nahi aati. Naina ko bhi saira ki tarah dar lagta he.'

'Koi baat nahi baccha. Aap jaldi hi hamare sath yaha hoge. Aap abhi Naina ke sath jaao..Hum aapko rat me phone karte he. Theek? Aapko school bhi jana he na? Chalo.'

Little girl is not ready to leave but he tries to explain her. His reasons somehow makes Saira understand that she can return only when Naina do. She though wants him to carry her back. Naushad then tells her that he is stuck in base as there is huge task for him to perform. Saira gets and doesn't complain.

She is indeed an understanding child. He is proud of her daughter. But....only if he could explain himself somewhere else too...

Naina is avoiding him Like a plague. He can see it. And it does bother him...

Much if she wants to know.

Naushad takes saira to Naina who seems hesitant. He sees how sad she is when Saira tells her that she doesn't want to live with pooja anymore. Naushad tries to intervene but Naina beats him to it. She tells Saira that she can ask her dad to take her with him.

Naushad denies and manipulates Saira to go with Naina. Saying he cant be home for many days and khala is also absent so its better if ahe stays with pooja. It works somehow and she leaves with Naina.

He is standing there and watching duo go. His daughter gives him a flying kiss...but she doesn't spare him a single glance.