14th Dec 1998

After enjoying an earlier than usual breakfast, the wedding guests had started gathering in the mandap setup for the Haldi ceremony which was planned for 9:30 am. The bride and groom's mothers were busy issuing some last-minute instructions, while Radhika and her staff rushed around ensuring that everything was up to the mark.

Usually the Haldi ceremonies would have been conducted by the two sides in the privacy of their homes, but the setup was a little different here. Two separate areas for the bride and groom had been setup in the same mandap. The area was adorned with strings of Marigolds and Chrysanthemums interwoven with leaves of the Mango tree. The ground was decorated with many rangoli patterns.

Naina and Vibha were busy ticking off items on the checklists handed by Radhika. Guptaji had recently returned from an errand to fetch fresh betel leaves and few other necessities for the ceremony. He was now relaxing with a cup of hot tea and boasting to Mihir about how he had spent an extra half-an-hour but have managed to procure a discount of twenty-five rupees!

Earlier that morning, when Naina had shown up with puffy eyes and blamed yet another headache, Vibha had tutted in sympathy. But looking at her quizzically, Guptaji had remarked "Just because your parents have named you Naina, does not mean that you will be blessed with good eyesight! I think your frequent headaches are a sign that you need spectacles. Make sure you go to an eye-doctor after we return to Ahmedabad."

While Naina had nodded at Guptaji's assessment of her problem and promised to soon visit a good eye-doctor, her heart had forlornly declared – You need a heart-specialist, not an eye-specialist!

Guptaji had then added beaming "My neighbour's nephew has recently started a new optician's shop. Take the details and mention my name. He will give you a good price!"

As soon as they were on their own, Vibha had whispered, winking at Naina "Guptaji probably gets a commission for sending potential customers!"

* * *

The Haldi ceremony finally started close to 10 am. The women were mostly dressed in ethnic outfits of various shades of yellow, while most of the men had shown up in casuals of any colour without much regard for the occasion.

The rituals were first completed for Rohan, as the Haldi used by the groom is then sent for the bride. Naina stood to one side with the rest of her team, watching the females of the Somani family fuss over Rohan and tease him. Amidst many objections and entreaties, a cheery Rohan was smeared with copious amounts of turmeric paste!

Naina's eyes once again flickered in Sameer's direction. Dressed in jeans and a white cotton kurta, he was grinning widely and capturing the groom's plight on his new video camcorder. Before the rituals started, he had discreetly tried to approach her, but Naina had quickly walked away claiming she was terribly busy.

Post her previous night's decision, she was relieved that they didn't have any plans to meet today. This would give her some time to come up with a plan, to either completely avoid meeting him the next day, or to at least invent a new reason for wanting to meet him.

After applying Haldi on Rohan, an older aunt patted Sameer's back teasing him that it would soon be his turn. Taking a cue from her, some of the other females too turned their attention to the groom's brother.

It was now Rohan's turn to chuckle seeing Sameer grimacing as more and more of his white kurta was covered with yellow palm prints.

As Sameer looked around helplessly while his family teased him, his eyes collided with Naina's. Instantly he smiled at her, but to his surprise instead of grinning back at him, she offered him the smallest smile which didn't even last for a couple of seconds and turned away to talk to some colleague.

Naina thought her heart would burst right out of her chest! He looked so endearingly handsome, in the white kurta smattered with yellow. Almost like a masterpiece that someone had crafted just to wreak havoc on her senses. With supreme effort, she averted her eyes from him and tried to look in another direction for the rest of the ceremony.

Soon, the Haldi ritual was started for Sanjana. Unlike Rohan who was smothered in the turmeric paste, Sanjana was applied just a little to preserve the effects of the facial carried out the previous day.

As if to compensate for the lack of the turmeric, the amount of teasing banter was multiplied. An aunt teased "What is the need for us to apply her any Haldi?! Rohan can just give her a hug!" Another aunt giggled "No no... we can't risk that! We don't want them celebrating the Suhaag Raat before the wedding rituals!" Some uncle remarked trying to sound serious "As you all are aware, there is a huge water scarcity problem in India. So, in favour of water conservation, I think they should get a shower together." Listening to these comments, both Sanjana and Rohan turned very red!

When Ishita squealed "Oh! This is so much fun!!" one of her aunts pointedly looked in Sameer's direction and chuckled indulgently "Don't worry, it will be your turn soon!" Not missing the implications of this comment, and not wanting to endure any further anguish, Naina decided to check on the other on-going preparations and immediately made to leave the area.

But one of Sameer's aunt who was sitting towards the back called out to her. As she walked over, Naina recalled her as being part of a couple of trips that she had conducted over the last few days.

The lady smiled as Naina approached her "Naina, I was part of the shopping trip to the local market the other day..." Naina smiled "Of course, I recognised you. Anjali Masi, right?" The lady nodded "Yes dear! Beta, two of my cousin sisters have arrived just yesterday. They are very keen to visit the bazaar and I would like a pickup a few more things too. I am hoping you can take us there for a quick trip!"

Smiling at the other two women who were expectantly looking at her, Naina agreed "Of course. Should we plan something for tomorrow morning?" Anjali replied "Why tomorrow? Let's go today itself. That way it will be easier to finish the packing too."

Naina asked hesitantly "But, aren't you going to be busy with the preparations and then the wedding ceremony today?" "No beta... what preparations do we have to do?! We will need just an hour to change into our sarees and jewellery. And it's only 11 right now... if we head out soon, we can be back in a couple of hours!" Anjali was clearly a woman on a mission. Naina muttered uncertainly "Let me check if the minibus is available... I think Radhika has sent it to fetch some stuff."

One of the other ladies spoke up "Beta, we don't need the minibus. I have brought my car and driver from Baroda. We just felt it will be better to take you along so that we don't have to spend too much time trying to find our way to the bazaar" Anjali added smiling "And in the bazaar also! I told them that you are a pro at helping bag bargains."

This unplanned opportunity of escaping the venue and the people there, suddenly seemed very appealing to Naina. Thinking quickly, she waved Radhika over and presented the request from the guests. Considering that Naina had asked her in front of the guests, all Radhika could do was smile and nod obligingly.

And so, soon, Naina was on the way to the bazaar accompanying Sameer's aunts and their driver.

* * *

Sameer stood in the foyer watching the car carrying her pulling away. The uneasiness that had started gripping his heart since the previous evening when she failed to show up for the Ghazal Night, had been steadily spreading all through him. It had started flowing first into his arteries and veins and had now reached every capillary.

The chat with Kabir as they played pool had left him feeling very unsettled. A part of him knew that Kabir could never want anything but his happiness, and yet he was annoyed that Kabir had asked him to consider Ishita as a life partner. He had never expected this from his bestie!

Sameer was fed up with all the knowing looks and smiles exchanged by his relatives. Though he had pretended to be oblivious to the comments that had been made by their families during the Haldi rituals indicating that their marriage was on the cards too, he was seething on the inside.

Here he was, trying to gather his thoughts and courage to approach Naina with some sort of proposal, and everyone else seemed bent on getting him to commit to Ishita! And to add to this, not only had Naina been maintaining a distance since this morning but had been refusing to meet his eyes too! He couldn't wait for the wedding to be over and then spend some time with her!

Spotting his mother Sameer called out to her and hurried towards her. As soon as Sameer reached her, Vishakha spoke "Thank God, the Haldi is also done! Once tonight's wedding function is completed, I am going to sit down in one place and not get up for a whole day!"

Sameer's eyes lingered on her tired face and his resolve wavered for a moment or two, but then he spoke in a steady voice "Mom, I don't need any more time to think. I have made up my mind... not that there was ever anything that I really needed to consider." Seeing the uncomprehending look on Vishakha face, he elaborated "I am talking about Ishita."

As Vishakha started smiling slightly, he quickly uttered "It's a clear no from my end. Please clarify it to her family." Her face paled and she tried to reason "Beta, why are you rushing into this decision? I told you take a couple of more days... the Rathi's would just like an answer by the pooja in Ahmedabad."

He sighed "My answer is not going to change. I just can't imagine her as my partner. And I don't want to keep her or her family under any illusions. It's very awkward with everyone making assumptions about us."

Vishakha tried to persuade him once again "Sameer, you know they are such close business associates... and now with Rohan and Sanjana's marriage they are practically family beta."

He dismissively shook his head "I don't think that has any bearing on my choice of life partner. When, and if, I choose to marry, it will be only for love. My relationship with my wife will not be a part of some business development initiative! My professional skills are more than enough for expanding the business, and I have already proved it. So, please hear me loud and clear, it's a No."

Vishakha dejectedly watched him walk away. She knew Ishita and the rest of the Rathis would be extremely disappointed by Sameer's decision. But he was a grown independent man and a very bull-headed one at that! Not looking forward to the cold war that was likely to erupt once this news was shared, Vishakha decided to keep it to herself for the time being.

* * *

Overloaded with shopping bags Naina trudged to the car, while Anjali and her cousins trailed a couple of steps behind carrying some more bags! Even now, they were debating if they should have bought a few more wooden spatulas and rolling pins.

Over the past few hours, since they left Dasi Mahal, Naina had been getting a crash course in the dynamics of the Sameer's family. Well, obviously that had not been the intention of the three ladies, who had been gossiping non-stop! And neither was it Naina's intention to eavesdrop on their conversation, but sometimes it's awfully hard to not use our god given ears, right?

So, now Naina knew about Nanaji's nephew who had recently gone bankrupt and moved to Bombay to join his brother-in-law's business. And about the strained relationship between two of Vishakha's cousin brothers over some piece of ancestral land. Naina also learnt that Vishakha's mother-in-law was considered a tyrant by the whole family, and she had apparently created a huge ruckus over Deepika's court marriage.

The gossip sessions were occasionally put on hold, whenever the ladies came across some interesting wares in the bazaar.

After over two hours of haggling with countless vendors, Naina's shoulders had been slumped and facial expressions slightly sullen, when Anjali had uttered shaking her head "I really don't understand why Vivek Bhaisaheb is so keen on getting Sameer married to that Ishita?"

Naina's ears perked up, as Anjali continued "I really don't think she suits him! Such a handsome boy... and exceptionally good natured too. My husband's cousin had gone to Bali last year. I had given him Sameer's reference. He came back praising Sameer's hospitality like anything! Said he had a beautiful condo there."

One of the other aunts muttered "Must have been a rental, right?" Anjali tutted "So what? The flat in London is his own! Vishakha told me he bought it soon after he started working. Of course, there is a mortgage, but so what? Anyway... what was I saying? Yes, about that Ishita. I don't think she will make him a good wife. I have been watching her all this week... definitely not a good match!"

Naina did not notice the knowing look exchanged by the other two aunts as they nodded along, nor did she know that Anjali had a daughter who she believed would make a perfect match for Sameer. But she wholeheartedly agreed with Anjali's opinion that Sameer could do much better than Ishita!

As the driver helped her deposit the bags in the boot of the car, Anjali called out "Naina, beta we need to use the toilets. Can you ask the driver to stop at the closest facilities?"

Thinking for a moment, Naina replied "Anjali Masi, there is a decent restaurant close by. But we will have to buy something there..." "No problem beta, a coffee will be perfect!" Anjali responded.

Nodding her head, Naina smiled warmly at her new favourite amongst Sameer's aunts, and then shared the directions with the driver.

* * *

Lunch had been a simple buffet, considering the evening meal was going to be a much heavier and elaborate affair.

Most of the older generation had retired for an afternoon siesta, while the younger generation were scattered across Dasi Mahal. The girls were sitting indoors applying fresh coats of nail paints to match their outfits for the evening, and the young men were lounging in the garden enjoying the winter afternoon sun. A few kids were tossing some frisbees around.

"What time is your flight for Delhi?" Sameer asked Kabir. His friend replied "It's at 9 am. I will leave with the relatives who are heading back to Ahmedabad tomorrow afternoon. Is your plan finalised yet?"

Biting on his lower lip for a bit, Sameer sighed "I will try to head back with you... and I don't think Mom and Dad will keen to have me around at the moment." Kabir raised his brow "What do you mean?" "I spoke to Mom earlier today and told her to not have any hopes about me and Ishita. Have asked her to clarify it to the Rathis too." Sameer replied staring in the distance.

A few moments later he turned to Kabir with a contented look "I am feeling so much lighter!" Chuckling softly, he added "Like I have dodged a bullet!" Taking in the twinkle back in Sameer's eyes, Kabir's eyes crinkled with joy "It's good to see you happy."

Feeling self-conscious, Sameer mumbled "Thanks..." His next question took Kabir by surprise though "How did you and Farhana make it work when you were working in Dubai? Must have been hard, right?" "Why are you asking this now?" Kabir sounded puzzled. Then he asked uncertainly "Sammy, what's going on man? Did you start seeing someone in Indonesia before you returned to UK?" Sameer rejected the idea immediately "There's no one in Indonesia!"

Seeing that Kabir was still waiting for him to elaborate on the reason for his previous questions, Sameer gulped nervously "I know this is going to seem extremely strange... but, I am thinking of asking someone out. I just don't know how we could make it work. She lives here." Kabir sounded flabbergasted "You met someone during this wedding, who lives in India?" Sameer mumbled "Yes and no... its' complicated."

Deepika walked over "Bhai, have you seen Ollie? I wanted the room keys."

Wanting to get rid of her so that they could continue their very interesting conversation, Kabir quickly spoke before Sameer could reply "He mentioned to me some time back that he was heading back to the room for some rest." Much to Kabir's annoyance, instead of heading to her room, Deepika stood there chatting.

Sameer glanced at his watch and towards the main gate. Excusing himself he walked over to another table and spoke "Rajeev kaka, is your car back yet?" Rajeev shook his head chuckling "You don't know my wife and her cousins! They will spend a whole day trying to save hundred rupees on everything that is easily available in Baroda." Nodding slightly Sameer headed back to his sister and Kabir.

Suddenly everyone's attention was diverted towards the main gate where there was some commotion. A young man, who had arrived on a motorcycle, was honking loudly. The watchman approached him and then rushed towards the lawn. He announced loudly "Someone has come from the village. It seems some of the guests were there, and their car has been in an accident. Do we know the owner of the dark blue Santro?"

Rajeev and few others stepped forward and spoke to the guy on the motorcycle. The guy didn't have much information other than that the car had been hit by a jeep, which was being driven by a novice. As far as he could tell, the car's driver and passengers had endured some injuries and had been taken to a hospital. Sharing the details of the hospital, the messenger rode away.

With a sinking feeling, and with some aid from Kabir, Sameer tried to understand the crux of the conversation. The businessman, used to taking control of various situations with utmost confidence, now incapable of any rational thought, stood immobile for a minute. His heart conjured the worst scenarios in a flash of a second, as his brain decided that the probability of the driver and the passenger in the front seat suffering the worst injuries is always higher. And he had definitely seen Naina getting in the front seat!

Oh God! Please keep her safe... I have just found her again! A wave of sheer white fear passed through him. The idea of losing her again seemed beyond comprehension.

The fear which can incapacitate a person, can also invoke an adrenaline rush. Someone shouted for a car. As Rajeev waited for the car, Sameer announced "Rajeev kaka, I am coming with you too." Rajeev muttered "It's okay beta, you should be here. I will take someone else along." Sameer persisted "I insist. And Kabir will join us too." Turing to Kabir, he uttered shakily "I hope you don't mind... You know, I struggle to follow the language." Kabir patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Deepika tentatively started "Bhai, are you sure? Maybe I should fetch one of our local relatives..." Sameer's voice shook as he responded distractedly "No, they are all our guests. Someone from the family should be there. Deepu, I just hope, Naina isn't hurt too badly. She was in the front seat. She already gets distressed so easily by any accident."

Hearing Naina's name, Deepika forgot all her previous reservations. The tears and pain that she had witnessed the evening when Naina had confided about her loss sprung to her mind. She couldn't imagine the idea of Naina facing another trauma by herself.

As the passengers boarded the car, to everyone's surprise, Deepika declared that she would be accompanying them too. When Sameer and Kabir tried to dissuade her from joining them, Deepika still barged her way into the backseat with them, saying that it would be good to have at least one female with them as there were four females involved in the accident. Rajeev and Sameer were too stressed to spend more time arguing and prolonging their departure, and just let her join them.

During the journey of close to twenty minutes, the occupants of the car were mostly silent. Only a few words were exchanged between Rajeev and the driver regarding the destination.

Sameer sat in silence, looking very pale, as he prayed for Naina's safety. He tried to assure himself that the cosmos would not have performed this miracle of bringing them together, only to cruelly part them again. Every now and then, Deepika fretted about the welfare of all the victims, but especially about Naina. Unable to make sense of their reactions, Kabir watched both Sameer and Deepika with a contemplative expression.

On reaching the hospital, they learnt that the ladies in the backseat had escaped with some minor scratches, unlike the driver and the other front seat passenger. While Rajeev let out a sigh of relief, Sameer and Deepika tensed even more.

The lady at the information desk advised them that the driver was currently in the x-ray department on the ground-floor undergoing some scans, while the young woman who had arrived unconscious had been taken to one of the rooms on the first-floor. She added that the Nurses station on that floor had called earlier asking to send across the patient's relatives as they needed some information.

After a very quick stop in the area where the three aunts were getting some bandages applied, Sameer asked Rajeev to check on the driver while he headed upstairs to check on Naina. Deepika mumbled that she too would accompany her brother, and Kabir just followed as was expected.

The hospital, though a private one, was very subpar as per the UK habitants. Sameer was the only one amongst them who had ever sampled any healthcare in the third world countries, but even he glanced around with scepticism. Though there was a strong smell of disinfectant, the discoloured walls, the stained tiles of the floor, and the red stains of betel leaf in the corners of the staircase leading to the first floor, did not inspire much confidence in the standard of hygiene maintained.

After some repeated attempts at seeking direction, they finally spotted and approached the Nurses station.

On mentioning the patient, the nurse pulled out a board with some questionnaire and handed it over. Kabir obviously had nothing to offer and took a step back. But neither Sameer nor Deepika had any factual data about the patient. After filling in her name and gender, they stood stupefied. In the place asking for her age they uncertainly wrote 23-25, but had to leave blank all other details like date of birth, blood group, any known medical conditions, etc.

When they tried to get some details of her condition the nurse looked at them uncomprehendingly and then mumbled that the doctor would soon be with them. Sameer pulled Kabir forward "Ask her where Naina is and if she is okay?" The nurse luckily responded to Kabir's accented Hindi much better and shared Naina's current location.

As they started to head to that room, the nurse asked them to stay back as the doctor was heading there for a quick word. Reaching the limit of his patience, Sameer walked away muttering "Deepu, you deal with the doctor, I will go check on her."

* * *

Naina struggled to open her eyes. The throbbing in her head was unlike any headaches she had ever experienced before. Even the dim daylight in the room covered with dark green curtains, felt blinding. The voices around were unfamiliar and puzzling. Some woman was complaining to another about her shift getting extended as someone had called in sick.

After repeated efforts, Naina managed to open her eyes, just slightly. A woman in a white saree was flipping through some paperwork, while another was in a blue saree was wiping the sparse furniture in the room. Not understanding where she was, Naina croaked "Main kaha hu?"

The woman in the white saree who was a nurse immediately dispatched the cleaner to notify the doctor that the patient was regaining consciousness. She then turned to Naina and tried to reassure her that she was in a hospital and that the doctor would be back soon.

The strong smell of medicines hung heavily in the air and the coarse sheets under her reeked of sanitizers. When she tried to move, pain shot through her left arm and shoulder. The nurse cautioned her against any sudden movements while Naina looked around in a daze.

Her presence in a hospital room did not make any sense for some time and then her breathing grew erratic.

A young woman wearing a white lab coat entered the room. She started examining Naina's eyes with a small torch and asked, "Calm down... you are in a hospital. Don't worry you are not badly hurt. Can you tell me your name?" When the patient muttered "Naina Agarwal...", the doctor continued "And do you know why you are in the hospital?"

Ignoring the pain in her arm, Naina touched her stomach and asked the doctor sounding nervous "Mera baby?" The young doctor looked at her blankly "Baby? Baby toh nahi hai..." The doctor's reply only increased Naina's anxiety. Tears started running down her cheeks and soon she started hyperventilating.

Feeling alarmed, the young doctor asked the nurse to fetch the senior doctor and check if the patient's relatives had arrived.

The doctor continued trying to calm down Naina, but without much success. All Naina could think was she had lost the baby. But where was Mrs Patel? Wasn't she with her when they arrived at the hospital? How would she tell Sameer? Sameer... With growing despondency her distressed heart again screamed for him.

It felt like, finally, someone had decided to answer her pleas! Because, just about then, Sameer appeared in the doorway. He swiftly moved forward, his eyes sweeping over Naina, taking in her distraught state, a bandage on her forehead and one arm in a sling.

On reaching her, he bent closer and caressed her cheek. Then sounding very worried, he asked "Naina, are you okay?" Though she seemed a little relived to see him, she didn't reply right away.

Turning to the doctor he asked, "What's wrong with her?" The doctor seemed a little taken aback by his accent, but then replied "There is a tiny cut on her forehead, but it does not need any stiches. It seems the ligament in her left shoulder is slightly torn. That's why her arm is in a sling, but we will need some scans to be sure. She was unconscious for a bit and probably has a concussion. Hence the senior doctor decided to wait for the scans till-"

But the rest of the doctor's explanation was interrupted as Naina pulled Sameer closer to her with her right hand and started sobbing. Shocked and scared, he sat down next to her and rubbing her back started to hush her "It's okay. You will be better soon. I am sure it was scary, but you are safe now. Everyone is safe."

She looked at him disbelievingly and muttered "Par baby toh nahi raha..." "Naina, it's okay... you are alright." not catching what she had said, he tried to assure her. She stammered "It's... not okay. Baby chala gaya Sameer..." She put her right arm around him and buried her head against his chest crying. Through her sobs, Naina lamented "Tum chale gaye... phir Nanaji chale gaye... aur phir baby bhi chala gaya... Tumhe aana chahiye tha! Koi nahi tha yaha..."

He continued to placate her "Naina, calm down. Stop talking and just breathe." But to his dismay she kept talking incomprehensibly "Mujhe bahoot darr lagta hai... Tum bhi Nanaji ko bolo... Baby ko akela na chode... Sameer, mujhe mera baby chahiye..."

At this point, the senior doctor, wearing a white coat with his name printed on it as Dr Kumar, entered the room closely followed by Deepika. The junior doctor reported Naina's ramble about a baby.

Dr Kumar started rechecking her pulse and addressed Sameer who was sitting closest to her "Is there any chance that she is pregnant?" Sameer dismissed the idea "She is unmarried." The doctor nodded and asked "But still, is it possible? She has not experienced any bleeding since she was brought in... She has a concussion. So, she is disoriented, and her memory is probably hazy at the moment. I think she is simply scared of a potential miscarriage as a result of the accident... Let me order some tests to check for a pregnancy."

"She is not pregnant. But she had a miscarriage couple of years back. Could she be confusing that time with the present due to the concussion?" Deepika spoke moving closer to the bed. The doctor muttered "Oh... that could make sense. Nonetheless, we will get some tests done."

Sameer felt like he had been hit in the gut with a cannon. His hold around Naina loosened. A miscarriage? She had got pregnant a couple of years back? I suppose that is one way of moving on...

Rajeev appeared in the doorway wanting to know how Naina was doing and if they were ready to leave. He mentioned that another car had also arrived from Dasi Mahal. Deepika and Kabir spoke to him and it was quickly decided that Rajeev would head back with the ladies who had been declared fit to leave the hospital and the younger three would follow as soon as Naina was a little settled.

All this while the senior doctor had been examining Naina. Though Naina had calmed down a bit she still appeared rather lost. Sameer sat next to her, but he was feeling rather adrift too.

As Deepika approached the bed, Sameer stood up making way for her near Naina. But Naina's clasp on his shirt stayed tight, as she looked at Deepika with a befuddled and wary expression. Deepika spoke to her softly "Naina, it's me, Deepika. Sweetie, you have just been in a small car accident. You are here because of it. Not because of the baby... that was a long time back, okay?"

When Naina did not respond, Deepika tried again "You are not in Ahmedabad... remember you are in Sudhagadh for work. It's my brother's wedding." Looking even more disconcerted, Naina lifted her eyes to Sameer "Sameer??" Unaware what she was thinking, Deepika replied "Calm down and try to get some good rest. You will feel better soon. Okay, sweetie?"

For the next few minutes, sounding hysterical, Naina continued muttering about the baby and pulling Sameer closer. He once again sat next to her and put a comforting arm around her. Deepika and he, both tried to shush her. But this time her every tear soaking through his shirt, felt like it was rubbing salt on his wounded heart.

Later, when he had had more time to dwell on this moment, he would feel ashamed that even when she had been in such a terrible state, a part of him had been wallowing in his own pain of his newly built castle of dreams crashing around him.

Seeing that she was showing no signs of improvement, the doctor administered a sedative. Some ten minutes later Naina drifted off to sleep.

Dr Kumar informed them at she would stay asleep for at least the next six-seven hours. And they would keep her sedated through the night if she appeared to be agitated again. The doctor was fairly confident that she would be much better by the next morning, and the confusion would wane off.

Once the doctors left the room, Sameer slowly freed his shirt that Naina was holding in her fist and moved close to the window.

Deepika gently caressed Naina's forehead, as Sameer stood reeling from the shock of hearing that she had been pregnant. After silencing her, it was his heart's turn to lament – While I have been pining for her, she has been involved with someone else. And not just involved but had been carrying someone else's child!

He desperately tried to remember if she had said anything about being single. Had he just assumed it seeing her unmarried status? Is that what she planned on sharing with me tomorrow? That she is in a relationship...

Kabir had been trying to make sense of everything that was happening around him and had been a silent spectator for the most part. He spoke for the first time "Deepu, I think we should ask her colleagues to inform her family. It will be better if they can come over before she wakes up again. It will help her to see some loved ones."

Her loved ones... the thought grated on Sameer's nerves.

Deepika shook her head "No, she wouldn't want anyone to see her like this. Her family doesn't know about the pregnancy."

If all the education and polishing that schools and universities offer, is supposed to create a refined and enlightened version of us, the endeavour seemed to have miserably failed in his case as Sameer experienced a very elemental form of anger and grief imagining her carrying someone else's child.

Sameer suddenly found it hard to breathe in that room and uttered stiffly "We should get going. We have a wedding to get to." Deepika looked a little surprised "Bhai, how can we leave her alone?" He asked brusquely "Are you seriously suggesting that we skip Rohan's wedding?" Before Deepika could reply, he added "Well, tell her colleagues to call her boyfriend. He should be the one sitting here by her bedside!"

"He is not in the picture. He has never been by her side. Not then and not now..." Deepika replied flatly as she stood up. She tidied Naina's blanket and muttered "But, you are right, we have to go back. Mom must be getting hyper."

As he stood in the door, Sameer realised that saying 'let's leave' is much easier than actually leaving. He felt like he was torn into two parts. One that couldn't wait to escape that room and to a time where he had not met her again, while the other wanted to shake her awake and ask her if he had ever meant anything at all to her?

The raw pain in his heart silenced any rational arguments his mind could have offered. She hadn't cheated on him if she had got involved with someone after him, and yet he felt like she had brutally betrayed him.

He uncertainly looked back at the pale sleeping form in the bed. On one hand, he wanted to hold her close to his heart, take care of her, tell her that she was not alone. On the other hand, he wanted to run somewhere far away and lick his wounds while on his own.

Kabir called out from a few steps ahead "Sammy, are you coming?" He nodded and followed them. Lost in their own thoughts, they looked for the car in silence and then boarded it. Deepika and Sameer got in the backseat while Kabir took the front seat next to the driver.

He didn't stand by her? Sameer felt his anger surge that she had chosen to love someone so undeserving. After few minutes into the journey, he asked scornfully "Where did she manage to find such an outstanding guy? Someone who had no interest in staying by her side after getting her pregnant?!"

After a few moments of quiet, Deepika muttered sounding drained "I don't know Bhai... it was a mistake. She didn't know him well enough. He was a client... that she met on a tour. It just happened."

It just happened... With another client too? There... another illusion scattered. I was not an exception in any regard! "Looks like she has a penchant for sleeping with her clients! I would have never guessed. But I guess looks can be very deceptive!" he gritted his teeth, trying to control the despair that threatened to burst out of him in ways he couldn't comprehend and was afraid that he couldn't control.

Startled by his words, Kabir turned to look at his friend. Deepika fumed in silence at her brother's outburst for the next couple of minutes. She could have overlooked Sameer's insensitive remark, but then he further poked the bear, as he huffed "She should have at least tried to be careful and not get pregnant!"

Deepika immediately shot back "Oh... did the responsibility of being careful sit with her only? What about the boy?!" Sameer ignored the last question and asked sounding irritated "And why do you know so much about her love life? Did she not feel embarrassed sharing all this?"

"Exactly which part should she have been embarrassed about? About getting involved with someone? Or about getting pregnant?" Deepika retorted heatedly. Not giving Sameer a chance to respond she went on "Please tell me, what I should have been embarrassed about?!"

Sameer lost some colour "Deepu, don't make this about yourself. There is no comparison! Ollie had always been by your side, and you guys have been together for ages."

"And that just means that Ollie is a better man than that jerk! It doesn't necessarily make her any worse than me." Deepika spat back.

After a long drawn uncomfortable silence, Deepika said sounding disappointed "I didn't quite get it, why she begged me to never share about her past with anyone... I thought it was just about her experience with the people here. But, hearing you judge her so harshly for one mistake without understanding her or her situation... I seriously didn't expect this from you Bhai."

"You are so awfully certain that it was a one-off thing! You are the one being naïve now." Sameer's voice was laced with frustration.

Deepika wasn't in a mood to back off either "Whatever others may blame her for, there's only one thing she's guilty of committing – the folly of love. And, I definitely know her much better than you do!"

"Don't be so sure!" Sameer reflexively scoffed. Extremely annoyed by his remark, his sister shook her head "How can you be so callous about that poor girl, who even in that state was clinging to you for comfort?"

His gaze oscillating between the two, Kabir had been observing the exchange between the brother and sister duo. All the while, trying to put different pieces of the puzzle together. Some bits that Sameer had said to him earlier that day, some from a while back, Sameer's extreme reactions – first his concern for Naina and then his anger at her. He was also trying to put some of Naina's reactions in context.

"I found her crying yesterday." Kabir shared softly. Deepika asked sounding concerned "When?" Kabir replied "Yesterday evening, at the Ghazal Night function." Sameer sounded surprised "But, she didn't attend the function yesterday evening!"

Kabir spoke pondering on something "She was extremely upset. Looked absolutely miserable... almost heartbroken." Then staring at Sameer, he added "And the strange thing is, her expressions were exactly the same when she was looking at you in the hospital now..."

While Sameer brow creased in uncertainty, Deepika asked confused "Why would she be looking at Bhai like that?" She jeered "Surely she couldn't have guessed what Bhai would have to say about her after leaving that room!"

Looking Sameer straight in the eye, Kabir half stated and half questioned "Because you know her, right?" As Sameer looked a little flustered, Kabir asked him "She is Hiranakshi??" Though slightly bewildered Sameer mechanically corrected him "Harinakshi..."

Deepika was baffled "Who are you talking about?!" Ignoring her, Kabir asked Sameer his eyes glinting with accusation "How could you not tell me that she is here?! All these days... even when I caught you staring at her... not once did you say that she is Harinakshi!"

His voice wavered as Sameer asked Kabir "How do you know? I mean about Harinakshi?"

"Who is this Harinakshi?" Deepika asked, only to be ignored yet again!

Kabir retorted at his friend "How do I know?? Obviously, you told me!" Sameer blinked uncomprehendingly "I told you? When?" Looking at him oddly, Kabir replied "Do you seriously not remember?? I know... you were very high that night... But don't you remember anything about going on and on about her that night in Amsterdam?"

Sameer mumbled "In Amsterdam? When did I talk about her?" Kabir replied impatiently "When we were there for Rick's bachelor party... the last night when just the two of us had stayed back as you were flying back to Indonesia the next morning."

Though he knew which trip Kabir was referring to, Sameer couldn't clearly remember that night. He had some very hazy memories from that evening, but Kabir had not forgotten.

Feb 1998 - Amsterdam

About ten months back, Sameer had flown to Amsterdam for one of his school friend's bachelors party weekend. Ten young men had spent the weekend drinking heavily, reminiscing about the adventures of their school years and of course walking through the famous red-light area of Amsterdam. A few joints were smoked, but the quality hadn't been that great and nobody had been overly high.

The next day had been another story though. That last evening, after the rest of the young men went back, Kabir and Sameer had bought some weed joints from a different place recommended by their waiter that day. And that stuff had been strong! Doing the responsible thing, Kabir had stopped after a few puffs once he realised that Sameer was rather zoned out.

Finding his friend's state funny, Kabir laughed "Looks like you have found your happy place!" Sameer turned to him with an idiotic smile "I found my happy place long back when I found her..." but then looking forlorn the very next moment he added "But I lost it... just like I lost her."

Not sure who Sameer was referring to, Kabir tried to guess "Do you miss Izzy?" His friend responded "Izzy? What does she have to do with my happy place?? Kabir, man I tell you... it is the most beautiful place in the world! Everyone there is happy... Even that old woman was so happy there! And my... my Harinakshi, she was also so happy! She has the most beautiful eyes in the world... they literally speak to you. Do you know Harinakshi means one with eyes like a deer? She is beautiful just like a doe... and her smile is everything that a perfect smile should be! She has the most endearing little dimple near one corner of her lips! And there is a beauty mark near her right ear... as if the gods decided that she needs some permanent protection from the evil-eye."

Amused by his friend's description of some girl he had never heard of before, Kabir asked "Where did you find this doe-eyed-beauty? And why haven't I heard of this new romance of yours?!"

"It's not new... I felt like I had always known her. She felt the same too... she said so! But then I lost her." Sameer's tone turned sombre.

Feeling apprehensive, Kabir probed "Lost her? What do you mean? Did something happen to her?" A look of dread fleeted across Sameer's face before he muttered "Don't say that... She must be fine. She has to be fine! But I don't know why I lost her... she never wrote to me, nor called."

After a moment of silence, the dreamy look was back on his face "I really thought we had something special! She is so special... in fact, it would be hard for anyone to not fall for her! You know what, Nanu liked her too, and you know how picky Nanu was! He absolutely hated Izzy! But he really liked her. In fact, he had warned me to stay away from her."

Then with a sheepish expression he added "But I couldn't. I just couldn't stay away from her, and she couldn't stay away from me too. Kabir, that place in the sugarcane fields where she walks is my happy place. She told me, she was happy there, that she didn't need anything else to make her happy."

"Nanaji liked her? Where did Nanaji meet her??" Kabir wanted to know. "The same place I met her... Sudhagadh. When I had gone to Ahmedabad, just before Nanu passed away. She was our guide on that tour. That place, Dasi Mahal was pretty... but she made it magical! Sometimes I wish, I... we had never left that place. When she walked through those gardens, the flowers seemed brighter. And the tinkling of her bangles... she wore this big bunch and they would tinkle all the time. I had planned a candlelight dinner for us, and she looked so gorgeous that evening! And that night..." Sameer had gone silent with a faraway look.

For a few minutes, Kabir silently sipped on his beer and contemplated on Sameer's confessions about this perfect girl. Kabir then asked, "What happened after?" Sameer spoke sounding sad "I don't know... I had to return. I left my contact details for her. But she never reached out to me." Kabir asked him "Why didn't you contact her then?" Sameer replied "I didn't know how to? I tried calling her workplace but couldn't talk to her."

Kabir sounded incredulous "So, you haven't been in touch with her in any way all this time?" When Sameer shook his head, Kabir muttered "And you are still stuck on her?" Sameer smiled nostalgically "You would understand if you had met her. There is nobody like her! But I didn't get a chance to tell her that... I hope one day you get to meet my Harinakshi."

Sameer had talked about her for a bit longer, till he had slipped into oblivion for the night.

Kabir had sat wondering about this girl who had charmed her way into his friends' heart in a matter of few days. He had found it astonishing that Sameer had fallen so hard for a girl he briefly met in India. The way Sameer described her, it sounded like she had been an extraordinary beauty.

The next morning, Sameer left in a hurry to catch his flight and they never spoke of his Harinakshi again.

Sounding impatient, Deepika asked again "What are you guys going on about? Who is this Harinakshi?!"

Turing towards her, Kabir replied "Deepu, we are talking about Naina." Deepika murmured appearing puzzled "Naina has another name? Harinakshi?" Kabir muttered crossly "Apparently so... Sammy had mentioned her to me only by that name!"

As the other two looked at him, seemingly for an explanation, Sameer mumbled "It's not her real name... It was given by me... just something between us."

Deepika was even more puzzled "Why did you give her a name? And when? I haven't even seen you two interacting that much!"

Shaking his head, Kabir replied "He knows her from his last trip to Sudhagadh with Nanaji. That's when they spent time together and he apparently ended up re-christening her!"

That she was shocked would have been an understatement. Deepika started at Sameer unblinking "Bhai, you and Naina, know each other from before? Then why did you not say so?! You never said anything... and nor did she..."

Sameer struggled to find the right words "Deepu... it's complicated... when we parted ways back then... there was a big misunderstanding between us. When we met again, now, we were still mad at each other. It took some time, to sort of clear all that."

"So, you know her... closely... and you are still ready to judge her so easily? While she is hurting so much?!" Deepika was clearly disappointed.

As Sameer stayed silent, Kabir spoke softly "Deepu, he just overreacted. He is hurting at the idea of her moving on with someone else. While all these years, he has been stuck on her, right Sammy?"

After casting a glance full of gratitude at his childhood friend, Sameer turned his gaze outside. He was grateful to Kabir for understanding the turmoil inside him, but the more he thought, his shame at leaving her alone in that state increased.

Few hours before, he had been wondering that if she agreed to give them a chance, how they would make the long-distance relationship work? And yet, in that moment, while standing in that hospital room, his own heartache has overtaken his worries for her.

Isn't love supposed to be selfless and all sacrificing? So, what sort of love did he bear her?

For the next few minutes, the three passengers were silent trying to absorb the happenings of that day and everything new that each had learnt about the past.

As the car pulled up the driveway of Dasi Mahal, Kabir suddenly recalled Naina's incoherent talk from the hospital. His brow creased in uncertainty, he turned back "Sammy, I just remembered something that Naina was saying in the hospital. I was too shocked by her state back then... and also hadn't realised who she really was... so didn't think too much of it... but..." Before Kabir could complete the rest of his sentence, they reached their destination.

The moment their car stopped in front of the foyer, Vivek approached them looking furious "Where the hell have you all been?!"

As soon as she stepped out, Deepika started "Dad, we were at the hospital. Rajeev kaka's car was in an accident. So-"

"Rajeev dropped your aunts back almost an hour back. And left for the police station to complete the formalities for the accident report! So, what were you doing at the hospital?" Vivek demanded sounding very annoyed. Deepika tried explaining "Dad, Naina was in a bad way. We wanted to make sure she was alright before we returned."

"Who is this Naina?!" Vivek looked puzzled. Sameer replied "The guide who was accompanying our guests. She and the driver had to be admitted." Vivek was only more perplexed "It's your brother's wedding today... in fact now! And you have been out making sure some guide and driver are comfortable in the hospital? Since when has that become your job?!"

As Deepika tried protest "Dad, it was important that-" Vivek put his one hand up "That's enough Deepika! I don't want to hear any excuses. You mom has been really worked up about your disappearance. You have a big role to play in the wedding rituals. Go to her immediately and get ready for the ceremonies." Then glancing at Sameer and Kabir disapprovingly, he muttered "Sameer, the same goes for you too. I didn't expect such irresponsible behaviour at least from you. You are the eldest! Act your age." Vivek turned on his heels and headed inside.

Sameer started to follow Vivek, then stopping after a couple of steps he looked back over his shoulder, "Kabir, what were you saying earlier in the car?" Deciding something quickly, Kabir shook his ahead "It's okay, it can wait. You really need to get on with the wedding now. Let's talk after Rohan had successfully tied the knot, alright?" Sameer nodded and left to find his mother.

Kabir stood on the spot his heart thumping wildly, as he pondered on the possible implications of Naina's words – Sameer, tum chale gaye, phir Nanaji bhi chale gaye. Aur phir baby bhi chala gaya... tumhe hona chahiye tha yaha! Koi nahi tha yaha mere pass...

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(Hi All,  Hope you liked this part. I had hoped to cover more of the wedding evening/night in this update, but realised that I had grossly underestimated the size of this update! It is already over 8.5k words... I think it's the longest I have shared for this story yet. So, more of the wedding evening to unfold in the next part :)

I couldn't manage to revert back to all the comments on the last part, but will try to reply soon. Thank you all for your valuable feedback. Means a lot to me!

Hope  you all are in good health. Take care and stay safe.

Lots of love, May)