The song is 'Main hun hero tera' from movie Hero

As he lay awake in his bed, Sameer couldn't stop thinking about what Naina had said. He was aware of eve teasing and crude behaviour of people towards women but it was spread at every level, he hadn't realized. If a person could visit a top notch hotel like this, he had to be from an affluent family... which guaranteed a decent educational background. When educated men from eminent families could behave in such manner, he couldn't believe what the girls must be facing when they moved around in general places. Why such basic understanding lacked in men?

His family, mainly nanu, had inculcated good values in him and his siblings. They had never seen any person being treated differently on the basis of gender. Only when he went to college did he realise the cheap mindset of some boys. After spending two years in London, his hatred for such things multiplied, and he asked nanu to put the behaviour clause for the male employees in their office. Not that earlier it wasn't being followed, but making it a rule had helped a great deal. When it was enforced, they could alter their conduct.

He wished same conditions were put up here too. Restricting the guests, who displayed any kind of obscenity, from using the hotel facilities. Though he was at a distance, he could feel the dirty eyes of those boys as they roved over Naina. Gritting his teeth, he punched his palm with the other hand. They were intruding into her personal space.

"Agar Naina dekh leti toh kitna bura lagta usse." He fumed.

The phone in his hand buzzed. He glanced at it, and deleted the promotional message. His eyes fell on the gallery icon, and he opened the folder, to look at Naina's pictures. One, where she was sitting with her head lowered, a pensive expression on her face, reminded him of how she looked when she crossed those boys.

A sharp stabbing pain pierced his heart as his eyes filled up with guilt.
Sameer sat up abruptly... wasn't what he had been doing similar to those boys? He was also invading her private space... by clicking her pictures without her knowledge. She trusted him. Even if she was doing it unknowingly, he knew it was her trust in him that made her send Ayush alone with him, that made her open up to him about her parents. What if she comes to know about this secret folder of his... her trust would be broken.

Sameer wiped off the sweat from his forehead. She would put him in the same category as the men she mentioned today. No, he couldn't do this to her... he won't betray her faith.

The phone was still in his hand but he couldn't bring himself to look at the pictures again. With one tap, the folder was deleted

"Tum mere dil mein ho, Naina. Chahe khuli hon ya band, meri aankhon mein tumhara hi chehra hai. Mujhe maaf kar do. Main tumhara bharosa kabhi nahi todunga." He mumbled in a repentant voice.

Naina and Ayush were ready when Sameer knocked at their door next morning. The breakfast room wasn't much crowded, it being early for people who were here on a holiday. They checked the layout of breakfast buffet and picked up a few items.

"Ayush, pehle corn flakes and fruits. Uske baad milega yeh." Naina whispered to him when Ayush tugged at her arm, pointing at the doughnuts.

He tentatively raised one finger... Naina smiled and showed him two, then pointed at the fruit platter. He happily nodded, and watched as she added different fruits to his plate. At the table, she cut the big chunks into smaller pieces, to make it easier for him to eat.

Sameer was still feeling guilty about the pictures. Though he had deleted the folder, his mind was still slamming him for doing such a thing in the first place.

In his befuddled state, he seemed to have forgotten the alu parantha in his plate, toying with the bowl of curd.

"Sameer sir, aap kha kyon nahi rahe? Hope you're feeling fine." Naina's concerned voice made him look up across the table.

"I'm... I'm fine. Woh main..." He fumbled.

"Aap finish nahi karoge toh aapko bhi doughnuts nahi milenge... two two." Ayush raised two fingers.

He couldn't help but smile, and summoned the waiter, telling him something in a low voice. Then his eyes landed on Naina, whom was still watching him with the same concern.

He lowered his eyes, "Naina, I want to... I'm sorry. Mujhe ab ahsaas hua ki tumhare liye... kisi bhi ladki ke liye yeh sab... I mean... mujhe pata tha... lekin yeh kis extent tak affect karta hai... main ab..."

"Sir, aap yeh sab kya bol rahe hain? Kis baat ki sorry? Kya sab? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha." She was confused at his barely coherent babbling.

He raised his eyes to her, "Jo kal hua. Aur pehle bhi pata nahi kitni baar hua hoga... tumhe aisi nazron ka saamna karna pada hoga... shayad... shayad kuch insulting words bhi sunne pade honge. As a girl, jo tumhe face karna padta hai uske liye... I'm sorry."

The look of disbelief on her face, and the haunting depth of her eyes couldn't hide the way her lower lip quivered before she closed her mouth tight. The column of her throat moved, and he knew she was pushing away the distasteful memories of many such probable incidents.

"If anyone doesn't need to say sorry for this, it's you... and your family." Her voice was throaty when she spoke up, "Maine kabhi expect nahi kiya tha duniya mein aise log bhi ho sakte hain jo genuinely aisi soch rakhte honge. Aapke parents, aapke nanaji... unhone jo upbringing aapko aur Rohan ko di hai, agar 50% log bhi apne beton ko aisa sikhayen toh shayad girls ke liye khud ko sambhalna itna bada effort na ho." When she looked at him, her eyes were filled with respect, "Aap sab bohot achhe hain, sir... and I feel lucky to be working in your office."

If one part of his heart swelled up with her praise, the other still lay buried under regret. He licked his dry lips, and said in a low voice, "Naina, agar meri koi bhi baat, ya harkat se tum offend hui ho toh... toh I'm really sorry. Aur aage bhi kabhi agar aisa feel ho... please, mujhe bol dena. I would never... never want to hurt you."

A small smile curved her lips, "Aap aisa kabhi nahi kar sakte, sir... kisi bhi ladki ke saath. I'm very bad at understanding people, lekin mujhe pata hai aapko samajhne mein koi galti nahi hui. Mr Maheshwari, Rohan aur aap... aap log sirf dikhawa nahi karte, sach mein sabko poori respect dete hain. Aur yeh mera hi nahi, office ki sabhi female employees ka manna hai."

He pursed his lips, "I wish we could do the same for them outside the office as well."

"You can't change the society easily. Hamare yahan paida hone ke time se hi ladkon ko superior hone ka ahsaas kara diya jaata hai. Bada function hota hai agar beta ho toh. Ladki na ho toh koi baat nahi lekin ek beta zarur hona chahiye. Usse ghar mein king ke jaise treat karte hain. Household work, khana banana, bahar aane jaane ki restrictions... yeh sab ladkiyon ke liye hota hai... ladkon ke liye better education, better options... ladki ke toh kapdon pe bhi sab ungli uthate hain. Jin gharon mein yeh preferential treatment milti hai beton ko, wahan se mostly aisi hi mentality wale men society mein aate hain... who think they are much above women in every way. And sadly, yeh sab well educated, respected families mein bhi hota hai. I agree ki aisi families hoti hain jahan beta beti ko equal samjha jaata hai, ladkon ko sirf ghar ki hi nahi bahar milne wali ladkiyon ki respect karna sikhaya jaata hai, lekin yeh percentage itni choti hai, sir, ki society ke men ki mentality change hone mein pata nahi kitne saal lagenge."

The harsh fact she stated made him even more repentant about his little secret.

The contrite look on his face made Naina conscious that she had blurted too much... he wasn't responsible for the flawed mentality of society they lived in.

"Aap please khud ke liye aise mat sochiye. We can only change a few things... not all. Aur aap jitna kar rahe hain, that is huge." Her soothing words made him look up.

Her comforting smile and soft eyes were indeed a solace. He nodded, and went back to twirling the spoon in his bowl.

"Naina, dekho maine sab finish kar liya. Ab doughnuts le sakte hain na?" Ayush pointed at his empty plate.

The moment he said it, waiter appeared with a plate of four doughnuts, smeared with different types of chocolate layers.

"Wow! Aapko pehle se kaise pata chala mujhe yeh chahiye. Thank you." Ayush beamed at the waiter when he placed the plate on table.

The waiter smiled and left, but Naina understood that Sameer had asked for the same earlier, to get it when Ayush finished his food.

When the little boy got busy relishing the one Naina had put in his plate, she turned to Sameer, "Ab aap bhi apna breakfast khatam kijiye. Aapka appetite itna kam bhi nahi hai ki ek parantha tak na kha payein. Please sir, proper breakfast is very important. Aap theek se khaiye nahi toh..."

"Nahi toh?" The words slipped out of his mouth inadvertently.

"Nahi toh main Mr Maheshwari se aapki shikayat kar dungi." She shrugged.

A short laugh escaped him, "Woh toh main hi hun."

"Aap nahi... matlab aap bhi hain... mera matlab tha... aapke nanaji se." She clarified.

Vishakha's words suddenly rung in his ears 'wahan tera koi dhyan rakhne wala toh hai nahi'... and a warm feeling of affinity consumed his heart, at being cared for by Naina.

Ayush waved a doughnut at him, "Yeh bhi tabhi milega jab aap khana finish karoge. Nahi toh Naina tinde khila deti hai."

Her laugh was the tranquil rain on his turmoil, "Aapko tinde nahi khilaungi lekin haan, breakfast kiye bina jaane bhi nahi dungi. Chaliye khaiye. I'll ask for some coffee."

She waved at a waiter and asked him to get coffee for both of them, not forgetting to mention to make it strong. His appetite returned partially... with the way she commanded him. Her observation about his eating habits was another reason to give in. The alu parantha definitely tasted better now.

"We'll go down to the meeting room in half an hour. Ayush ke liye maine play room mein baat kar li hai." Sameer raised his palm, seeing hesitation in her eyes, "Khud jaake check kiya hai. It's safe and has enough staff to take care. Activities hain, toys hain, colouring books aur TV room bhi hai. Ayush ko achha lagega." He informed her when they were going to their room after breakfast.

"Okay." She agreed without asking more.

The phone started to ring as Sameer reached his room. He went in and took the video call from nanu.

"Good morning mere sher. All set? Koi confusion toh nahi hai na?" Nanu beamed at him.

"Good morning nanu. No confusion. Sab badhiya hai." He smiled back.

"Kya baat hai, Sameer? Kuch pareshan lag raha hai? Sab theek hai na?" His quandary could not remain hidden from nanu.

Sameer narrated the incident of previous night, and Naina's views on it, along with what she had mentioned over breakfast.

"Theek kehti hai bachhi. Hamare samaaj mein yeh gandgi iss qadar bikhri hui hai ki iski badbu se koi bach nahi paata. Jab tak bachpan se hi har ladke ke dil mein auraton ki izzat karne ka beej nahi boya jayega, tab tak iss keechad mein phool khilne mushkil hain." Nanu sighed helplessly.

"Nanu, ek... ek galti mujhse bhi hui hai." Sameer chewed his lip, knowing that if anyone could help him to get out of this predicament, it was him.

"Galti? Kaisi galti beta? Tu kisi ladki ke saath misbehave kare aisa main toh kya koi bhi nahi soch sakta." Nanu said in a calming voice.

Sameer told him about the pictures, adding immediately that he had now deleted the folder, and he would not click any more without her knowledge.

Nanu took a deep breath after listening to the whole story, "Hmm. Galat toh kiya tune. Lekin apni galti sudhar bhi li. Waqai agar Naina ko pata chalta toh uska bharosa toot jaata. Par iss baat ke liye tu itna pareshan mat ho. Yeh ek naadani thi... tu sirf usko apni aankhon ke saamne rakhna chahta tha jise tune apne dil mein hamesha ke liye basa liya hai. Koi galat irada nahi tha tera."

"Iraada toh sirf Naina ko unn palon mein dekh paane ka tha jab woh saath nahi hoti. Lekin ab main jaanta hun mera tareeka galat tha." He said with a sad twist to his mouth.

"Ek baat kahun, Sameer... jab koi dil mein itni gehraai tak ghar bana leta hai, toh usse dekhne ke liye kisi photo ki zarurat nahi hoti. Uski tasveer aankhon mein hamesha rehti hai. Hamare samay mein na yeh mobile the na camera se khinchi hui photo turant milti thi. Toh kya hum pyar nahi karte the? Barkhurdaar, tum aajkal ke ashiqon se zyada sachha tha hamara pyar... koi saalon ka intezar karta tha toh koi ek jhalak ke liye har mausam mein ek jagah khade hokar raasta dekhta tha, koi radio par uski pasand ka gaana sunke muskura deta tha aur koi mandir mein poore hafte baitha rehta tha uss ek din ke liye jis din woh mandir aayegi."

"Mera pyar bhi sachha hai, nanu. Aapne hi kaha tha, zamaana koi bhi ho pyar ek jaisa hi hota hai. Naina ke liye mere dil mein jitna pyar hai utni respect bhi hai... uske liye kisi ki galat nazar main bardasht nahi kar sakta." Sameer said firmly.

"Mat kar. Par yeh bhi yaad rakh ki teri nazar galat nahi hai. Uske dil ki taraf kadam badhane ki koshish karne mein koi buraai nahi hai. Usko samajhne ke liye usse dekhna, usse baat karna, uske saath apne aaj, aur kabhi kabhi beete hue kal ko baantna... yeh sab kadam sahi disha mein hain. Aise hi dheere dheere apni manzil tak ka safar tay karna hai tujhe. Bas aisa kuch na karna jisse uske dil ko chot lage." Nanu guided him.

The dilemma that had plagued him since last night melted away with nanu's rational perception.

"Thank you, nanu. You're the best. Ab chalta hun. Meeting ka time hone wala hai. Baad mein call karunga." He flashed a bright smile, before ending the call.

Naina was impressed with the play room when they went to drop Ayush. He was himself eager to try out the new activities, and walked in with caretaker hurriedly.

"Naina, agar tum kuch puchna ya batana chahti ho toh inse keh do." Sameer pointed at the person seated at the corner desk, after giving their names, room number and contact details, along with Ayush's particulars.

"Nahi. It's satisfactory. Aur phir apne check kar hi liya hai." She was convinced with the arrangement.

Next update tomorrow evening