It was almost one hour since Sameer decided to stay in Naina's room. She had been sleeping in the same position... on her side, her one hand clutching the edge of the pillow, other one under her cheek. He could make out that under the blanket, her legs were folded at knees. He would have thought that she was peacefully sleeping had it not been the frown on her forehead... her brows were still knitted together. Also, he could feel her shudder lightly few times. How he wished he could keep her hand within his palms, to soothe her, to tell her that he was with her.

Her eyes scrunched hard suddenly, and she placed one hand over them, slightly shifting her position. Sameer hurriedly looked up at the bright lights. He got up from the chair, flicking the switches around the room, leaving only the soft lights on around the bed, and in the passage. Naina went back to her previous position.

Sameer tried to think what different food items they had today, which could have led to an allergy... and realised that they had all new things the whole day... typical traditional snacks and meal in Mr Kothari's office, dinner in a new restaurant, and then, kulfi at a place which was known to him, but not to her. She could have developed a reaction to any of these things. But then, she had been fine till they reached back the hotel... rather the lift.

He sat up straight... was it really an allergy... or she had been effected by the incident with those boys! His blood boiled when he recalled their menacing stance and leering expressions. He wanted to go and break down every damn door on the seventh floor, drag them out of their rooms, and throw them down from the terrace above their floor.

"Aise logon ko aane hi kyon dete hain?" He gritted his teeth, filled with seething resentment.

Then he was reminded of Naina's words 'aise log har jagah hote hain'... and was enraged at the gall of such people who thought they could do or say anything... and get away with it. His hand tightened into a fist, which he banged on his leg in frustration.

A soft sniffing sound made him look at her again. Even in the dim light, he could see tears rolling down her eyes, soaking up the pillow. Her lips were moving, as if she's speaking something, but he couldn't understand. Suddenly, pressing her lower lip under the teeth, she  started patting the bed with her palm, as if searching for something... or someone.

Sameer immediately got up and went close to the bed. He kneeled on the floor near her, and tried to understand her soft murmurs.

"Mu... mumma... wohi smell... mumma please... mujhe... mujhe aapke paas aana hai..." Her faint, broken words were meant for her mother... she needed her.

Sameer looked around. He saw a bolster on the small couch. Picking it up, he slowly slipped it next to her, as close as he could. Naina's hand landed on it, and she instantly snuggled into the round cushion, burying her face in it. As more sobs racked her body, it took extreme will power for Sameer to not take her in his arms.

"Bas ek baar Naina... ek baar tum koi ishara de do, jisse mujhe lage ki main tumhare kareeb aa sakta hun. Main tumhe foran apne dil ki baat bata dunga. Aur uske baad tumhe kabhi aise rone nahi dunga... kabhi nahi. Tumhare saare dard mita ke sirf khushiyaan dekhna chahta hun tumhari aankhon mein. Meri Naina ke naino mein aansu nahi dekh sakta. Please mujhe khud tak aane do. Please mujhse baant lo apne aansu." His eyes blurred at her pain.

He didn't have the heart to see her like this. Shifting his chair to face the door, he slumped down heavily in it.

The day had not yet broken in the outer world, but a good part of night had passed when Naina's eyes shot open. She sat up with a jolt.

"Ayush." Her head sprung to her left. As the form of her little brother sleeping peacefully became clear to her dazed eyes, she heaved a sigh of relief. Leaning to the side, she stretched one hand to stroke his hair... but stopped midway.

"Yeh maine kal wale kapde kyon pehne hain? Raat ko change nahi kiya kya?" She wondered, seeing her arms covered with the sleeve of dress she had worn for the evening.

Frowning at her inability to recall the exact reason for being in bed in her evening dress, she turned to get off. Her hands flew to her mouth, which drowned the loud gasp that escaped her mouth at what was in front of her eyes.

Sameer slept on the chair, his head tilted to the side, his arms crossed against his chest and legs crossed at ankles. The angle of his chair showed that he was facing the passage.

But what was he doing in her room? Had he been here whole night? Why? Who let him in? She couldn't remember opening the door to him. How... and most importantly, WHY did he spend the night here in her room?

The answers could be given only by him. She threw aside the blanket, anger building inside her at his audacity... he better have an answer. As she placed her hand on the other side of the bed to get up, her palm landed on the bolster, and she almost lost her balance when it rolled with the pressure.

"Yeh bed pe kaise aaya?" Her brows furrowed. She didn't have the habit of taking any cushion or extra pillow while sleeping. The only comfort she craved for was the warmth of her mother's lap.

"Mumma!" Flashes of her seeking the same last night made her narrow her eyes. She touched her face... then turned to feel the pillow, which was still damp with tears. And some more haze lifted off her mind. She wanted her mom... to hide within her arms, to feel safe from...

It all came back like a jolt of lightening. The smell... the stinking smell in the lift. The moment it had hit her nostrils, her mind went blank. It was the same smell that enveloped her in those horrifying nightmares. She wouldn't know the source, but it was all around her... and it choked her, making her gasp for breath. And she would cry out. That was when mumma would pull her against her bosom, and softly pat her hair, till she fell back to sleep again. She had cried for the same tender and protective solace last night. But who placed the bolster next to her?

Sameer.

Her eyes shot back to him. She had to wake him up. As she moved, the bolster, which was already on the edge, rolled down the bed, knocking the remote from bed side table.

Sameer sprang upright at the noise. It took him a few seconds to comprehend where he was... and why. As his eyes fell on Naina, sitting and looking at him, he was filled with concern.

"Naina, tum theek ho? Abhi kaisa lag raha hai? Doctor ko bulana hai?" Seeing her sitting with wide eyes, he presumed her to be in the same state.

"Main... main toh theek hun par aap... aap yahan... aap mere room mein kaise... kyon?" Her voice was better than what he had heard last night.

Sameer had thought of a dozen scenarios of how she would react when she sees him in the morning... amnesia wasn't one of them.

"Woh Naina... Ayush ne..." He stuttered, not sure how to remind her of her condition previous night.

"Ayush ne? Usne door kaise khola? Maine mana kiya hua hai usko... raat ko mujhe bina bataye door kaise khol diya?" She looked back at the sleeping child.

"Uski koi galti nahi hai. Maine hi phone pe kaha tha. Usne meri awaaz sunke hi khola." Sameer raised his hands, to calm her.

"Kyon?" Her face swung towards him.

Looking at her intently, he asked in a soft voice, "Tumhe kal raat ke baare mein kuch bhi yaad nahi kya?"

Her heart sank... the memory of smell making her shudder.

"I... I need to take bath. Aap jaiye please." She stood up, her hands clasped at her belly.

Sameer got up too, but did not step ahead, "Naina, actually kal raat tension mein room card lena bhool gaya. I've locked myself out of my room. Aur iss time... it's not okay to go and ask for a duplicate one at the reception... I mean, odd lagega ki subah ke chaar baje main bahar kya kar raha tha."

She didn't say anything, but he could see the shaky movement of her entangled fingers.

"I won't be a bother. You... you can go for your bath." He moved more to the corner.

Without another word, Naina crossed him, went to the suitcase stand to get her clothes and almost ran to the washroom.

Fifteen minutes later, when she came out, Sameer noticed that she had washed her hair too. However, what shocked him was that she threw the dress in dustbin. But he didn't say anything.

She went to check on Ayush, adjusted his blanket around his neck, and placed a kiss on his head. Sameer was relieved to see that some colour had returned to her face.

She turned to him, "I'm sorry aapko meri wajah se itni problem hui. You must be tired... aise chair pe baithe baithe raat bhar."

"I'm okay." He shrugged.

"I'll make some tea. Aap coffee lenge ya chai?" Her voice was almost normal as she poured water in the electric kettle.

"Chai." Sameer replied, a little perplexed... there didn't seem to be any trace of the frightened, broken girl he had seen last night.

Handing him his mug, she sat on the bed, her head lowered.

"Naina, kis cheez ki allergy hui thi tumhe? I think doctor ko dikhana chahiye." Sameer wanted to know the reason for her breakdown.

"Allergy?" She looked up sharply, brows pulled together.

"Tum faint ho gayi thi... you said it's an allergic reaction." He reminded.

"Haan... haan woh... mujhe liquor se allergy hai... uski smell se bhi." She said in a low voice, going back to staring at her mug.

When Sameer didn't ask further, and silence prevailed in the room for a few minutes, she raised her head, "I'm sorry aapko ismein involve hona pada. I can take care of myself. Kal pata nahi kaise... shayad... shayad zyada reaction ho gaya."

She didn't look him in the eyes. Rather, her gaze kept flickering all around as she fed him the lie.

"Tum apni mom ko miss kar rahi thi." His quiet words brought back the tears instantly. She turned her face to the other side, wiping them on the pretext of smoothening her wet hair.

"Naina, if you want... and if you feel comfortable... tum share kar sakti ho. Yeh sirf ek allergic reaction nahi tha. You were distressed over something. Kya woh ladke... lift mein jo hua usse... tumhe itna dara hua kabhi nahi dekha maine." He prodded gently.

She bit her lip, the incidents vivid in her mind now. She recalled holding Sameer's hand, hiding behind him, going tongue tied... and losing sense of everything around her... smell from the lift pervading her entire body. The smell from her nightmares had become real...

"Naina." Sameer dipped his head a bit, to see her face which had fallen more.

She gulped.

"Don't stress. It's okay if you don't want to share. Lekin please, agar koi medicine chahiye ya doctor ke paas jaana hai toh... don't hesitate. Aur agar tum unn ladkon ki badtameezi se... main aaj hi complain karunga manager se." Seeing her turmoil, he decided not to pressurise her.

Her head slowly lifted, and her eyes met his, "Aise cheap log roz dekhti hun main... sab ladkiyan dekhti hain. Jahan jaate hain, aise log mil hi jaate hain... chahe roadside pe chalne wale ho ya flashy, expensive cars se utarke aayein... unki soch ek jaisi hoti hai. Mujhe aise logon ko ignore karna aata hai... aur agar koi limit cross karne ki koshish kare toh usse uski jagah wapas bhejna bhi aata hai. Lekin kal..."

She blinked a few times, pressing her lips.

Sameer suppressed the strong urge to go and sit with her, wrap his arm around her and let her rest her head on his chest.

"I hate liquor. And I hate those who drink... get drunk." Her voice turned bitter.

He waited.

She stared at a point on the floor for a few seconds before speaking again, "Mujhe yeh smell haunt karti hai... nightmares aate hain... jaise mere har taraf bas yehi ghutan hai. Iss smell se saans nahi aata mujhe. Mumma... mumma apne paas chupa leti thi mujhe jab aisa hota tha."

His heart ripped apart at the image, "Kyon hota hai aisa? Tumne kabhi kisi doctor ko consult nahi kiya?"

She nodded, "Gaye the. Counselling bhi li thi... but it didn't help. Frequency kam hui but the nightmares didn't go away. Lekin mumma papa ke jaane ke baad... kal pehli baar... lift mein aisa laga ki main marr rahi hun... mujhse saans nahi li jaa rahi... kyonki sab jagah bas wohi smell thi. It was... it is... disgusting. Uske baad kuch bhi samajh aana band ho gaya... jaise andhera ho chaaro taraf... jisme gumm ho jaungi main. Shayad kabhi bahar nahi aa paungi."

"Main tumhe kahin nahi jaane dunga... kahin gumm nahi hone dunga." The voice of his heart found words, and came out loud and clear.

She looked up with a jerk, her eyes still clouded.

He pointed at the sleeping child, "Ayush ko zarurat hai tumhari. Uske liye tum sab kuch ho. Aur Ayush mera best friend hai. Main uske liye tumhe kahin nahi jaane de sakta."

Searching her eyes, he hoped he was able to salvage the blunder.

She turned to glance at her brother, "Mere paas bhi toh sirf Ayush hi hai. Uske liye kuch bhi kar sakti hun, koi bhi ladai lad sakti hun... chahe woh khud se hi kyon na ho."

Sameer raked his fingers through his hair, relieved that she didn't see any other meaning in what he blurted.

Naina straightened, her eyes back on him, "I'm sorry aapko... aapko itni takleef di."

"Thank God Ayush ne mujhe call kiya. Naina, woh darr gaya tha jab... jab tum ne khud ko bathroom mein band kar liya tha. Isliye aaya tha main. In fact, I'm sorry ki tumse bina puche yahan aaya aur... aur raat bhar yahin ruka... lekin... I was worried about Ayush... and you." He said slowly.

"I can understand. Aapne toh bas help karne ki koshish ki. I can't thank you enough." Her voice was indeed grateful.

She had gone to the bathroom previous night to get rid of the smell from her body, her clothes. But as she looked at herself in the mirror, it dawned on her that when she would go out after the bath, her mom would not be there to hide her in her arms, to talk away her fears, to keep her protected from the haunting dreams... she broke down, and cried bitterly, losing all track of time. Only when repeated banging on the door and Sameer's threat of calling hotel staff, or breaking open the door fell in her ears, did she gather herself enough to go out, the bath forgotten.

"Ek baat puchu, Naina, if you don't mind?" He gave her an unsure look.

She nodded.

He pointed at the dustbin, "Kal unn ladkon ne jo kaha... kya uski wajah se tumne yeh dress phenk di? Agar aisa hai toh..."

She didn't let him finish, her firm voice cutting him, "Mere kapde kaise honge yeh sirf main decide karti hun. Aise unknown aur worthless logon ke kuch bhi kehne se mujhe koi farq nahi padta. Woh hote kaun hain mujhe kapdon ke basis pe judge karne wale. Yeh mere kapde hain, mera character nahi."

Sameer was overawed by her words, and the assertiveness of her views.

"Mujhe nahi pata aap inn sab baaton se mere baare mein kya sochenge. I mean, ek taraf mera kal ka reaction... aur doosri taraf aisi baatein. Shayad aap mujhe pagal wagal samjhenge." She let out a dry laugh.

"Nahi Naina. I feel you're very strong. Tum na sirf bahar walon se lad rahi ho par apne andar ke demons ko bhi akele face kar rahi ho. But I'm glad ki tum logon ki baaton se effect nahi hoti." Sameer said earnestly.

"Agar duniya ke kehne ke according chalne lage toh roz naya raasta dhundna padega." She flicked her head to the side, showing that she didn't care.

"Duniya kab chup rehti hai. Kehne do jo kehti hai." Sameer uttered softly.

"Tha..." She started to thank him again when he raised a finger to his lips, making her go silent.

"Ek aur baar thank you bola toh main naaraz ho jaunga. Aur main agar ruth jaata hun toh easily maanta nahi hun... aisa Rohan aur nanu kehte hain." He said with a serious expression.

Her face broke into a smile, "I don't think aap kisi se naaraz ho sakte hain."

"Main bhi yehi kehta hun nanu ko... ki mujhe kahan gussa aata hai... gusse ka G bhi nahi aata mujhe. Lekin woh maante hi nahi. Tum thoda support karna mujhe nanu ke saamne... jisse meri baat mein zara dum aaye." He crossed his arms against his chest, leaning back in the chair.

Her smile got wider, "Thoda nahi poora support karungi. You can count on me."

He felt a weight lift off his chest. Her smile, her easy manner, her promise... the dark night was over and a new day was breaking at the horizon.

"Umm... if you don't mind, mujhe ek cup chai aur chahiye." He raised his brows hopefully.

"Yeah sure. Main abhi banati hun." She put the mug aside.

"Iss baar order kar do. Ask them to send to your room. Also, kya yeh curtains hata dun... subah hone lagi hai." He pointed at the window.

Telling him to go ahead, Naina went to the side table, and bent down to dial room service. Sameer stood up. As the curtains parted, brightness poured into the room. Outside sky was clear blue, the sun not yet visible but spreading its effulgence all around.

Smiling at the feeling of happiness it brought, Sameer took a step back.

Ending her call after placing the order for tea, Naina straightened, and flicked her damp hair back.

The wet hair ends flapped his face as Sameer turned to his side at the same moment. His eyes shut involuntarily, his heart missing several beats. Before she could realise, Sameer moved away, turning his back to her. He needed a few seconds to find his breath back... and he wanted to keep the drops of water on his face preserved for as much time as possible.

Sorry for a heavy update. As you could see that things improved by the end, next one would be another good day in Jaipur... with a surprise.

Next update on Monday