Part 21

The night was still young but the starlit sky provided Sameer the tranquility that he so much needed. It had been an exceptionally long day and though he was glad he had achieved the goal he had set about, the sequence of events had actually been emotionally draining. Especially, about coming clean with both his besties. He had explained to them patiently about his newfound characteristics, and though it had amused them, neither had bated an eyelid. They had accepted him as he was but that didn't mean they didn't hypothesise their cutest but stupidest logic to describe him as an immortal with superpowers. They had also asked him if he could scale buildings like Spider-Man or fly away like Superman or see in the darkest of nights like Batman. All they wanted to know was the mechanism of his new operations and how much fun it would be if he could do at least some, even better, if all the above. Sameer pursed his lips and rolled his eyes that such monumental information didn't weigh down on them and here he was worried about unloading such freaky stuff. Their feathers weren't ruffled one bit as they had accepted Sameer with all of himself as he was.

However, the whole scenario had changed when he described about the presence of Anamika. How since childhood days he could breathe in the morning fragrance especially after the nightmare. It had increased with age as that fragrance had calmed him whenever he was sad or anxious or nervous. Until recently, when he established a mental connection with her. Sameer described how he first realised her presence when he felt she was in trouble and thereafter how they connected. Infact, she had been with him the whole day but had taken off for a while and would connect back to him soon as promised. It had helped him get through the day and also inspired to stay focused to do the right thing.

Munna Pandit's eyes had popped out and jaws dropped. They could take in Sameer as he was but someone else was sauntering into their life and waltzing in and out of Sameer's brain, if she was even real, which now they highly doubted, was not as simple to accept and digest. Neither had said a word but done what they did best in times of anxiety.

Both sought to kitchen to seek refuge in their comfort foods, one coz they were hungry; Sameer hadn't allowed them to indulge in sustenance at the wedding and two, it would take their mind off of the impossible. Sameer had given them their space but he was jittery too. Once they were done hogging, they simply made themselves comfortable in the guest room and dozed off.

Since they were gone a long while, Sameer went to check on them after what he thought was enough time to process the unthinkable and had found them snoring softly. Usually, the three would be sprawled in his room, irrespective of the ample space in the big white mansion, but tonight, they chose a bit of distance. One part of Sameer was slightly disappointed that they didn't talk with him or rather shut him down but another part was still glad that even a bit distanced, neither had left him alone and still had chosen to bunk down in his house. He shut the door to their room to leave them undisturbed, hoping that all would be ok on the morrow.

Now he was all by himself in his room and his brain. He recapitulated the events of the day and some guilt still haunted him that he might have acted like a complete jerk towards a girl's dignity. As much as a part of him knew that he had done alright, the melancholy didn't leave him.

Pop came the question suddenly appearing from nowhere in his brain, "itne udaas kyon ho? Mujhe toh laga sab khatm ho gaya aur tum theek bhi the? Fir ab kya hua?"

He smiled at her directness. Although they were still new at this, it was usual for her to skip the initial pleasantries and jump directly to the point without any formalities.

"Kya hua? Muskura kyon rahe ho?" She asked amused, as a second ago, he was all serious and melancholious and was now smiling. She couldn't gather that it was her doing.

"Tumhari wajah se!"

"Meri wajah se? Maine kya kiya?"

"Yahi toh baat hai. Tumhe kuch karne ki zaroorat hi nahi padti. Tumhara hona hi mere liye kaafi hota hai". Now it was her turn to be stumped by his directness. She thought may be he didn't realize what he was implying, little did she know that his words were a direct indication of his feelings.

He knew exactly what he was implying but sensing her fluster and not wanting to put her in dilemma, he amended quickly, "waise maine kaha tha na ki aajka kaam pura hoga toh main tumhe sab kuch bataunga."

"Haan yaad hai...par koi zor zabardasti nahi hai. Agar tum share karne mein comfortable ho toh hi. Warna tumhara mann ab shaant hai yeh mehsoos ho raha hai mujhe aur mere liye itna kaafi hai ki tum theek ho".

Her attempt to put his comfort before her curiosity and that too willingly overwhelmed Sameer. He decided to share whatever he could without alarming her. He told her about his Nanu and his business and how Nanu's sudden departure from the city had put him in a fix with his business associate and how his besties help him pull the ploy. She listened to everything patiently letting him know her rapt attention but not interrupting him with any questions. However, the scenario changed when he started talking about his past with Sunaina and how she had tricked her father with emotional blackmail and weaving marital dreams of a lifetime with him based on lies and deceit. Sensing her discomfort and just a pang of jealousy mixed with anxiety, he quickly corrected that he was never ever interested in any girl before. He had hardly spoken to any girl throughout his school and college.

"Maine kabhi kisi ladki se zyaada baat nahi ki par ladkiyan kabhi kabhi chipakne ki koshish karti thi. Uss din Sunaina ke ghar gaya tha tabhi usne bhi koshish ki par mujhe aisa laga jaise mujhe choote hi use koi bijali jaisa zor ka jhatka laga ho. Par shaadi ke baad jab main ise mubarakbaad dene gaya aur uska haath pakadkar wish kiya tab kuch nahi hua. Badi ajeeb si baat hai". He had cleverly left out all the unexplainable characteristics right from childhood till his recent wound healing but he couldn't help mentioning about the touch.

While initially all the Sunaina touching him talk almost agitated her, the electrocution gave her a mildly sadistic pleasure. Even she didn't know that she was capable of such an emotion and that with respect to him, whose real name was yet a mystery to her. She very well kept her thoughts cloaked, but his self-loathing talk about how he light have wronged a girl embarrassing her in front of a whole community prompted her instinct to reach out to him and provide comfort.

She projected the same thoughts. "Anjaana, tumne jo bhi mujhe bataya, usse yeh toh saabit ho gaya ki un logon ne mauke ka fayda uthaya. Aur tumhe apna kaam nikalaane ke liye unke jaisa hi tedha tareeka apnana pada. Par fir bhi tumne kisiki zindagi kharab nahi hone di. Tumhare saath bura karnewalon ki bhi nahi. Bure ke saath unke jitna bura na sahi par tedha karne ki zaroorat pad sakti hai aur jab tak usse kisika nuksaan nahi hota, tab tak sab theek hai".

"Thank you Anamika, mera hausala badhane ke liye. Buss fikr sirf ek baat ki hai. Maana Sunaina ne galat tareeka apnaya par maine bhi uski marzi ke khilaaf uski shaadi karwa di. Agar Kartik usse waise pyar mahi kar paaya jaisa woh daava karta hai ya kahi Sunaina aur Kartik ki shaadishuda zindagi meri zabaradasti ke rishte ki wajah se tabaah ho gayi toh main kabhi khudse ya Nanu se nazrein nahi mila paunga". He seemed to still be wallowing in self loathe and doubt about his decision for someone else's life.

Naina tried hard to focus and remember the previous visions and suddenly it came back to her. It was the image of the same people she had picked up from his thoughts during all the talks. She smiled as she found a way to alleviate him of the burden. "Waise shayad yeh janakar tumhare dil ko sukoon milega ki Sunaina aur Kartik ki shaadishuda zindagi khushiyon se bhari hogi. Maine dekha tha ek bade se ghar mein unke hansi ki gunj aur ek chote se bachche ki kilakariyan aur ek hansta muskurata parivaar".

Sameer was surprised and questioned, "par yeh tumhe kaise pataa?"

She thought for a moment and answered exactly as she thought it would be, "shayad jab tumse uska haath pakda, tab main tumhare dimaag mein thi toh dikh gaya".
She stated it simply but he couldn't process the hows. "Anamika...tum kya bol rahi ho samaj nahi aa raha hai. Pehle toh jab usne mujhe chua toh use current laga par jab maine uska haath pakda toh use kuch nahi hua par tumhe uska aanewala kal dikh gaya. Aisa kaise ho sakta hai?" He himself was surrounded by so many questions that adding more to the list actually unnerved him.

She too had no clue of the hows and whys but sensing his inner turmoil and racing heartbeats in anxiety once again, she decided to calm him down by giving away some secrets that none knew. "Tum pehle shaant ho jao". Sensing him getting a hold of himself, and as she was more rational and thoughtful, she proposed her theory.

"Mujhe lagta hai jab koi tumhe tumhari marzi ke bina chuta hai, khaskarki ladkiyan, tab tumhe achcha nahi lagta aur unhe jhatka lagta hai. Par tumhare dost aur Nanu, matlab ladkon ke saath aisa nahi hota na?"

Sameer thought for a moment and recapitulated his incidences of the past which either he brushed off or didn't pay much attention in the first place. But now, it kind of made sense to him, "shayad tum theek keh rahi ho...par tumhe kaise pataa?"

Now it was her turn again to befuddle and she went in to explain, "actually mere saath bhi kuch aisa hi hua tha". She hesitated but sensing him waiting for further explanation, she described her bus ride incident when such a thing happened first time as she noticed and since, she had tested her theory by touching random people. Now, she was always careful that only two ladies of her family touched her.

She could feel his potent rage and even before she asked, he almost commanded. "Anamika, koi bhi aira gaira tumhe chue ya tum kisi bhi anjaan aadmi ka haath pakad lo, yeh mujhe bilkul bardaasht nahi hai". His icy toned projections scared her and sensing her emotion, he closed his eyes, unclenched his fists which had turned his knuckles white, took in a deep breath and sighed.

"Sorry, main tumpe gussa nahi kar raha tha, buss...hmmm...woh....ajnabeeyon ka tumhe chune ke khayal se bhi chidh ho rahi thi. Sorry...". He apologized again for his barbaric approach but he had no idea why exactly he reacted the way he did. True, in the short span he had come to care for her deeply but who was he to control her life and decisions.

However, to divert the topic, he asked, "achcha woh sab chodo, fir bhi tum jisse mili bhi nahi, jise dekha bhi nahi, uska aanewala kal dekh liya? Kaise?"

"Tumhari aakhon se. Mi toh main tumse bhi nahi hoon par main tumhare dimaag mein thi aur tumne uska haath pakda toh shayad dikh gaya. Main logon ko chukar unka jeevan padh sakti hoon". She threw the last piece of information as if it was not a big deal.

"Par kaise? Yeh normal thodi hai jo kisike dimaag mein rehkar kisi aur ki zindagi padh lo".

She rolled her eyes, "achcha...toh hum jo ek dusre ke dimaag mein rehte hai aur aaram se ek dusre se baat kar sakte hai, woh bhi utna hi share karke jitna karna chahte hai, kya yeh normal hai? Hum pehle se hi normal nahi hai Sameer!"

Hearing his name, perked his brain and he seemed super surprised, "tumhe mera naam kaise pataa chala?" His question left her bewildered.