Naina wondered if she was doing the right thing by calling at eleven in the night. As if in answer, the call dropped twice. Maybe it was a sign... maybe she shouldn't disturb him at this hour. Sitting in her chair, she rolled the phone in her hand.

"Last try. Agar iss baar bhi nahi laga toh idea cancel. Phir Monday ko hi baat karungi." Coming to a decision, she pressed the same number one more time.

When the phone started to ring again, Sameer gave it a killing look, "Isse samajh kyon nahi aa raha mujhe baat nahi karni. Waise hi dimaag ghooma hua hai. Theek hai beta, aaj tu akhiri baar kisi ko iss waqt phone kar raha hai. Dekh zara kya haal karta hun tera."

"Hello!" Sameer growled.

Naina jumped at his harsh voice. She bit her lip, pulling the phone away from her ear, wondering if it was better to disconnect without answering.

"Ab chup kyon ho? Pehle itni jaldi ho rahi thi baat karne ki ab muh pe taala laga liya kya? Bolo na, aisi kya emergency aa gayi ki iss waqt dusron ko disturb karna hota hai... manners hain ki nahi?" Sameer fumed in an irked voice.

Naina squeezed her eyes shut. If he came to know she was the one calling him up, and had disconnected without speaking, it would present a wrong picture.

Mustering courage, she slowly put the phone back to her ear, and uttered in a shaky voice, "So... sorry sir."

The phone fell from Sameer's hand. There was no mistaking this voice.

SHE... NAINA...

With shivering hands, he picked it up quickly from the bed, and put it against his ear, "No... no... I'm sorry... I'm really so..."

The phone had gone dead. He stared at it. Maybe his finger had touched the disconnect button as he tried to pick it up. Without thinking, Sameer pressed the top most number in his call log.

Naina gulped as the line again went blank after her sorry.

"Bolna hi nahi chahiye tha mujhe. Kya sochenge Sameer sir. Damn... big mistake... ab kaise face karungi..." She could have admonished herself more had the phone not started to ring again.

She stared at the same number flashing on her screen. Not taking the call was not an option after the blunder she had committed.

"Hello Nai... Miss Naina... I'm... I'm extremely sorry. Please aap... aap ek bar poori baat sun lo... main... main aapko nahi keh raha tha... matlab aapko hi keh raha tha par aapko koi aur samajh ke... please aap kuch aur mat samajhna... I'm so sorry... mujhe pata nahi tha yeh aapka number... I'm sorry maine woh sab bola..." He blabbered in a harried voice the moment she connected.

The fear in her subsided a little, "Sir, I am sorry. Galti meri thi jo iss waqt aapko call kiya. Actually main..."

"Oh no no no. Aapki koi galti nahi hai. Aap kabhi bhi call karo. Subah shaam raat... kabhi bhi. Mujhe achha lagega." The words were out before he could analyse them.

There was an awkward silence of a few seconds before they both said together, "I am sorry."

The silence prevailed again, only to be broken by both saying the same thing one more time, "It was my mistake."

Naina slapped her forehead. Sameer rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ek minute. Meri baat suniye. Aap boliye pehle." Sameer quickly said before their chorus game could start again.

"Sunu ya bolun?" Naina blurted, at his strange directive.

Sameer smiled sheepishly, "Aap boliye. Main sununga."

Naina took a deep breath before starting, "Sameer sir, sabse pehle toh I'm sorry itni raat ko call karne ke liye. Mujhe pehle khyal hi nahi aaya. Aur jab aaya toh laga aap shayad apni family ke saath honge. Socha kal baat kar lungi, lekin phir laga ki aapne mere liye itna kuch kiya hai toh mujhe at least aapko thanks toh time pe bol dena chahiye. Waise toh time se late hi ho gaya... wahan office mein hi bolna chahiye tha. Lekin main uss waqt... I mean... mujhe..."

"Miss Naina, aap theek hain na?" He asked in a concerned voice when she paused.

She lowered her head, "Main theek hun. Thank you. Oh, sorry sir... actually maine thank you kehne ke liye hi phone kiya tha."

"You don't have to... matlab phone karna theek hai par thank you ki zarurat nahi hai." Sameer could feel his heart jumping wildly.

"Haan, mujhe Rohan ne bataya tha ki aap kisi ladki ke saath galat behaviour nahi dekh sakte. Lekin sir, aapne aaj meri help ki... meri wajah se aapne usse maara... it means a lot to me. Warna doosron ke liye koi jhagda nahi karta." Her voice was grateful.

Sameer wished he could say aloud what his heart was singing, "Doosron ke liye nahi, Naina, maine tumhare liye maara usse... sirf tumhare liye. Tumhare saath main kisi ko badtameezi karte hue toh kya paas aate hue bhi nahi dekh sakta."

But then, she already had the one who could say such things to her, he recalled.

"Sir, believe me, maine aisa kuch nahi kiya jaisa woh keh raha tha. I didn't... I didn't even talk to him properly. Sirf first time uski mom ke baare mein sunke maine help offer ki thi par jabse uska real face saamne aaya maine kuch nahi kaha usko... main iss tarah ki ladki nahi hun." She clarified in a low voice.

Sameer was taken aback by her explanation. Of course he knew how she was... she didn't need to tell him. He also knew how that creep Vikas was.

"Aap kuch galat kar hi nahi sakti, Miss Naina. I know that. Aap please apne aapko justify mat kijiye... woh bhi uss Vikas jaise insaan ke liye." His voice was gentle.

Naina was awashed with relief, "Thank you, sir... thank you for this trust. I'll forever be grateful to you for today. Aapne ek ordinary si employee ke liye itna risk liya... jaante hue ki woh ek criminal hai."

His mind voice roared, "Tum ordinary nahi ho, Naina... tum sabse special ho... mere liye sabse important ho."

Suddenly another realisation hit her, "Sir, aapko lagi toh nahi? Aap theek toh hai na?"

Sameer closed his eyes, absorbing the concern in her sweet voice, "Ab main bilkul theek hun."

"Matlab aapko chot aayi thi? Did he hurt you? Zyada toh nahi lagi na? Hope it isn't paining." She asked impatiently.

Her worry for him made Sameer feel as if he was floating up in the air... but her presumption that Vikas had managed to hit him was like a jolt to his image.

"Mujhe kuch nahi hua, Miss Naina. Vikas ke jaise dus bhi aa jayein toh main handle kar sakta hun. Darta nahi hun kisi se." He boasted.

Naina breathed in relief, "Thank God aapko kuch nahi hua... warna mujhe guilty feel hota."

How he wished he could see her right now, witness the concern for himself in her deep eyes, ease the frown on her brow and assure her that he was absolutely fine... and promise her that he would always be there for her.

"Okay sir. I won't disturb you any more. Once again, thanks a lot. Good night." Her words made him snap out of his dream world.

"Ek... ek minute... abhi mat rakhna." He said urgently.

"Yes sir?" She paused.

He was now at loss of words, not knowing how to prolong this conversation. Scratching his head, he uttered the only thing that came to his mind, "Aap... aapko office mein koi problem toh nahi hai... aap comfortable hain na?"

"Of course, sir. It's a great working environment. I'm enjoying it." Naina said genuinely.

"Oh... good... very good." He muttered.

There were a few seconds of awkward silence again. Sameer wanted her to speak... say anything but something. He just wanted to go on hearing her voice.

"Is that all, sir? Main rakhun?" Her voice was what he heard... the words, however, were not his choice.

But there was nothing left to say that could delay this parting.

"Umm, haan... yes. Okay then, good night... sleep well." He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Thank you once again, sir. And Good night." He could feel her smile at the other end.

Sameer remained seated with the phone stuck to his ear even after the silence prevailed for few minutes... till the phone started to ring again next to his ear, making him jump.

Without seeing anything, he pressed the green icon, going breathless at his good luck, "Hello, Miss Naina..."

"Hain?? Miss Naina?? Yeh kon hai bey?" The familiar voice of his friend, Sanjay, seemed puzzled.

Sameer squeezed his eyes shut, both at the distress of his failed hope and the knowledge that his childhood friend would not leave him till he knew everything about this slip.

Sanjay continued when he didn't respond, "Bol na... invitation dun kya? Yeh kin chakkaron mein pad gaya hai, bhai? Kon hai yeh Miss Naina? Tujhe thode din akela kya choda tune toh galat darwaze khatkhatane shuru kar diye? Ho kya raha hai? Itna desperate kabse ho gaya tu ki aadhi raat ko..."

"Shut up, Sanjay. Naina ke liye kuch bola toh phone mein ghus ke tere muh pe cement laga dunga." Sameer howled, cutting him midway.

"Hmm. Toh yeh baat hai. Aakhir setting kar hi li apne bhai ne." Sanjay let out a knowing chuckle.

"Pagal hai kya? Aisa kuch nahi hai." Sameer flushed.

"Aye hayee tera sharmana. Yeh toh bhai batana padega. Phone rakh main video call karta hun aur Raghav ko bhi leta hun." Sanjay was overexcited.

"Nahi." Sameer sat up straight.

Sanjay frowned at the other side, "Nahi? Yeh kya baat hui... arre apne yaar ne hamare liye bhabhi dhoond li aur hum uska jashn bhi na manayein?"

Sameer rubbed his forehead desperately, "Wohi toh keh raha hun, aisa kuch hai hi nahi. Naina bhabhi nahi hai tum logon ki."

Sanjay's excitement had reached extreme level, "Haan toh aise kaise bhabhi ban jayegi! Uske liye toh hum band baaja bajwayenge, tujhe ghodi pe bithayenge, main aur Raghav poore raaste naagin dance karte hue jayenge... tab layenge na doli mein apni Naina bhabhi ko. Tab banegi bhabhi... abhi toh sirf teri..."

"Naina ka boyfriend hai. Woh tumhari bhabhi nahi hai." Sameer disclosed before Sanjay could start planning his honeymoon.

"Hain? Ab yeh kya twist hai? Yeh kaisi kahani hai, bhai? Aisi toh hamare TV show mein hoti hai... teri zindagi mein yeh filmy angle kahan se aa gaya?" Sanjay was clearly shocked.

Hiding anything from both his friends was next to impossible. Sameer narrated everything as it had happened... right from the time he was taken in by her voice when nanu had interviewed her, to the chance encounter at the mall where he didn't see her face still could not take her out of his mind, to the first face to face meeting. He told Sanjay about the realisation of his love for her, and the presence of another man in her life... Ayush.

"Yeh toh zabardast locha hai, yaar. Tujhe pakka hai woh apne uss... uss boyfriend ke liye serious hai? Nahi matlab dost bhi toh ho sakta hai. Tune dekha hai dono ko saath mein?" Sanjay enquired.

The thought of her frequent endearments on phone made Sameer grimace again, "Dost ko kaun baby, babu bulata hai? Pakka wala boyfriend hai... upar se ek number ka kaamchor aur Hitler type ka. Sab kuch Naina se karwata hai, aur punishment bhi deta hai, uska phone nahi utha paati toh. Aise behave karta hai jaise Naina uski... uski..."

Sanjay controlled his chuckle when his friend couldn't even bring himself to address the girl as someone's wife. This was the first time Sameer was talking about some girl with such intense feeling.

"Dekh Sameer, agar woh ladki kisi aur ke saath hai toh tu uska call itni raat ko kyon expect kar raha tha? Bhai, tere dil ka haal samajh sakta hun lekin kisi aur ki girlfriend ke saath itni raat ko baatein karna sahi nahi hai." He tried to put some sense into his lovesick friend's mind.

"Arre yaar mere paas toh uska number tak nahi tha. Aaj pehli baar baat hui hai, woh bhi uski taraf se. Tujhse pehle ussi ka call aaya tha. Bas Naina ne phone rakha hi tha toh tune ring kar diya... isliye mujhe laga ki shayad usne phir se..." Sameer explained.

Sanjay's voice was serious this time, "Agar kisi ladki ka pakka wala boyfriend hai toh woh raat ko usse baat karegi... kisi aur ko kyon phone milayegi. Yahan kuch gadbad hai, boss. Raat ke barah bajne wale hain aur woh tujhse phone pe baat kar rahi hai, apne babu shona ko chod ke toh iska ek hi matlab hai."

"Kya?" Though Sameer flinched at those two words again, his heart fluttered wildly at Sanjay's implications.

He didn't disappoint, "Ki woh single hai. Ho sakta hai tujhe galatfehmi hui ho. Ho sakta hai woh aise hi kisi ko keh rahi ho. Bhai, thodi CIDgiri kar. Aisa kaisa aashiq hai tu... bina lade haar maan ke baith gaya. Hamara naam duboyega kya? Aur sun, agar sachhi mein koi souten ban raha hai tera toh bas tu bata dena ek baar... uske bhi haath paon tudwa denge. Apni bhabhi ko toh apni hi bhabhi banayenge."

Sameer felt his heart would explode at the unexpected happiness that pumped through him. Was it possible... could Naina really be single... did he have a chance?

After a quick goodnight to Sanjay, promising him that he would find out more about Naina's boyfriend, first thing Sameer did was save the number from which she had called. As his fingers typed her name in his contact list, he felt a strange closeness to her. But when he checked on whatsapp, the circle against her name appeared grey in colour. She hadn't saved his number.

"Lekin uske paas mera number kaise aaya? Zaroor kisi se liya hoga. Agar usne itna socha ki mera number pata kare aur mujhe phone kare toh shayad... ho sakta hai Sanjay ki baat sach ho." He was back to his euphoric state almost instantly.

Next, he downloaded Truecaller. Had Naina not called up the third time... worse still, had he rejected the call third time too... his heart lurched. No, he could not afford to commit such mistake again. He needed to know the identity of the caller from now on.

In the very next moment, he was regretting his decision. A flicker of hope given by Sanjay nosedived as the number that Naina had used showed the identity of the owner.

Naina A

And he knew... A was for Ayush.

Still his heart hummed only one name

Naina

Next update on Friday