Hello friends...

I'm back with the next part...

I hope you will like it...

FATE TWISTED BY LOVE

CHAPTER 6

The next morning Sameer left to office early as he had asked his friend, Neel Oberoi to meet him. He didn't have much time in hands as the marriage would be taking place next week. He paced around his cabin waiting for his lawyer. After ten minutes, his intercom buzzed informing about his arrival.

Within a minute, there was a knock on the door & his friend walked in. Sameer felt relieved after seeing him after a long time. They had studied in the same school, after that Neel had taken admission in the law college. They had met some years back in their school reunion & had acquainted themselves. And now he was happy that they had met.

"Hey Neel. Good morning. Thanks for coming at such a short notice yaar." "C'mon Sameer... Hum friends hai. Main itna toh kar sakta hun tere liye." They both hugged each other & then settled themselves across the table. Sameer ordered coffees & some snacks for them while Neel kept looking at him.

"Toh batao Sameer... Baat kya hai? Tumne itna urgently milne kyun bulaaya mujhe. I hope everything is fine at home?" Neel asked in concern. Sameer was a little nervous but he didn't have a choice right now & only Neel could help him out. "Neel... mujhe teri thodi help chahiye hai. Ummmm... Mujhe prenuptial agreement banana hai."

Neel raised his eyebrows, "Prenuptial agreement? Kyun?" Sameer knew that he would've to be honest to him if he wanted his help. So, he started, "Mere Nanaji ne unke friend se waada kiya tha ki meri shaadi unki naati se karayenge. Aur ab shaadi ho bhi rahi hai next week." He told him everything that happened from the time he came back from London till now. Neel heard him attentively.

"Neel... Main bas itna chaahta hun ki Naina ko divorce ke baad mere property mein se kuch na mile. Isliye prenuptial agreement banana hai. Ummmm... Main ek aur agreement banana chahta hun jisme yeh clearly mentioned ho ki hum ek saal baad divorce lenge aur usme thode aur clauses add karne hai."

Being a lawyer, Neel could read between the lines, "Sameer... Main samaj sakta hun ki tum yeh shaadi zabardasti kar rahe ho, sirf apne Nanu ke wajah se. Aur wohh ladki, ummm... Kya naam bataaya tumne? Naina... Right?" Sameer nodded & he continued, "Naina tumhe pasand nahi hai aur tumne yeh ek saal baad divorce waali baat bhi usse bataa di hai. Tumne usse prenuptial agreement ke baare mein bataa diya hai & she is ready for that too."

"Yes Neel. She is ready for that.", Sameer replied confidently. Without holding back his opinion, Neel spoke, "Are you sure she is a gold-digger as you mentioned before? If she is ready to sign the prenuptial agreement, it clearly shows that she isn't a gold-digger Sameer. Maybe you're getting all wrong about her. I know its not my business but still I would ask you to think about it before making any decision."

Sameer thought, "What's wrong with everyone around me? All of them think that she isn't a gold digger. But I know she is exactly what I'm thinking about her." He turned to Neel, "Maine soch liye hai Neel. Tumhe teen papers ready karne hai, ek prenuptial agreement, dusra divorce papers aur teesra ek aisa agreement jisme mere baaki ke clauses add karoge tum."

Sameer told him the other clauses & Neel was stunned to hear them. He tried to make Sameer understand to not proceed with them but he was reluctant. Neel was about to leave his cabin when Munna Pandit entered. "Arey Neel... Itni subah subah yahaan kya kar raha hai tu? Kuch kaam tha Sameer se?", Pandit enquired. Munna somewhere understood why he was here.

"Arey bas aise hi Sameer ne milne bulaaya tha, usse kuch important kaam tha.", Neel replied while hugging them, "Tum dono kaise ho? Hum last apne reunion mein hi mile the, uske baad toh milna hi nahi hua." Pandit agreed, "Haan yaar... Bas kaam mein hi busy rehte hai. Hum kuch jaldi plan karte hai aur milte hai fursat se." Munna just smiled as his mind was somewhere else.

Neel bid goodbye to them & left the cabin. Munna & Pandit settled down across the table while Sameer was lost in his thoughts. Munna took a deep breath & asked, "Sameer... Tune Neel ko prenuptial agreement banane bulaaya tha na???" His question broke Sameer's thoughts while Pandit gaped at both of them, waiting for his reply.

"Haannn... Main hamare family lawyer se yeh nahi banva sakta tha isliye Neel ko bulaaya tha. Aur wohh papers ready karne ko ready bhi ho gaya. Jab ready ho jaayenge toh yahaan dene aa jaayega. Keh raha tha ki teen-char din mein ready ho jaayenge sab papers." Munna asked again, "Papers? Kitne agreements banvaaye hai tune Sameer?"

Sameer smiled wickedly, "Teen..." his friends sat there dumbstruck after hearing his reply. Pandit was the one to ask first, "Tu sirf prenuptial agreement banvaane waala tha na? Toh fir ab teen agreements kis liye?" Munna continued, "Sameer... Saaf saaf bataa tere iss dimaag mein kya chal raha hai?"

"Arey yaar tum dono itna tension mat lo. Sab normal hi hai. Tumhe toh pataa hai ki main prenuptial agreement kyun banaa raha hun. Waise bhi ek saal baad main usse divorce de dunga toh socha ki main abhi hi divorce papers bhi banvaa lun aur uske signatures le lun taaki usse aage chalkar koi galatfehmi na rahe ki wohh meri zindagi mein hamesha ke liye reh sake."

Pandit queried, "Aur teesra agreement?" Sameer smiled the widest & replied, "Wohhh personal hai bhai. Just husband-wife things you know." He winked & got up, getting back to his businessman mode, "Ab utho... Hume meeting ke liye late nahi ho raha?" Sameer left his cabin leaving his best friends behind. Pandit turned to Munna, "Chenu... Mujhe ab darr lag raha hai. Pehle hi usne maan liya hai ki Naina ek characterless aur laalchi ladki hai, jo sirf uske paise ke liye usse shaadi kar rahi hai aur hum dono bohot acche se jaante hai ki wohh Naina ko galat samajh raha hai. Aur ab uske teesre agreement ki baat sunkar mujhe ghabraahat ho rahi hai. Pata nahi iske dimaag mein kya chal raha hai yaar? Mujhe Naina ke liye bohot bura lag raha hai. Waise hi wohh kitni akeli hai. Koi dost bhi nahi hai uske. Kaise Sameer ko manage karegi wohh?"

Munna seemed to be lost in his thoughts & Pandit tapped his shoulder, "Chenu main tujhse baat kar raha hun? Kis soch mein khoyaa hai tu?" Munna pressed his temple as if massaging the headache that had started throbbing after hearing Sameer's words. "Pandit... Mujhe lagta hai ki hume ek baar Naina se baat kar leni chahiye." They both looked at each other & decided to talk to Naina.

At home, Naina got up late as she wasn't feeling well. She took a tablet to stop her headache but it was useless. She skipped her breakfast & left the house informing Nanu that she was going out. She took the newspaper with her in which she had shortlisted some jobs for her. She gave two interviews, one in a call center & the other for an office assistant post. She denied the call center job as she had to work for shifts which included night shifts too. She tried convincing them if she could only work for the afternoon shift which was refused outright. Now she hoped if she could get the other job of office assistant & she knew that she had no chance as the other candidates were more qualified than her.

The sun was shining bright right above her head & her stomach growled in hunger. She spotted a café just few blocks away & started walking but before she could open the door, she lost her consciousness & fainted right in front of the café. Someone sprinkled some water on her face & she opened her eyes to see a girl fanning her face.

"Thank God... Tumhe hosh aa gaya. Tum thik ho? Pataa hai main kitna darr gayi thi?" Naina kept staring at the girl while she helped her stand & made her sit on one of the chairs in the café. She immediately brought some water for her & Naina drank it silently looking around the café. There wasn't much crowd there but some college students were sitting there at the far corner.

Once she was done, the girl asked, "Tumne kuch khayaa nahi hai na subah se, isliye tumhe chakkar aa gaya. Bolo, Kya khaogi? Main abhi le aati hun." Naina just stared at her as if she knew her already. "Arey baba... Kuch toh bolo..." After a moment, she continued, "Tumhe meri aawaaz sunaai toh de rahi hai na? Tum goongi behri toh nahi ho na?" The girl gestured while acting deaf & dumb.

"Na... Nahi... I'm sorry. Wohh... wohh... pataa nahi main kaise achanak behosh ho gayi.", Naina finally found her voice back. The girl looked relieved & then sat down opposite her, "Ab bolo. Kya khaogi?" Naina smiled at the unknown girl, "Mera naam Naina Agrawal hai. Thanks, mujhe hosh mein laane ke liye." The girl offered her hand, "Main... Preeti Sehgal. Iss cafe mein kaam karti hun." Naina held her hand while she spoke, "Tum ruko main abhi aati hun."

Preeti left towards the kitchen & came back after ten minutes with two steaming coffees & two sandwiches. She placed the plates between them, "Chalo ab kuch khaa lete hai. Mera breaktime hai. Aur bohot zoron ki bhook bhi lagi hai." They both laughed out & started eating. The time went by fast for both of them while they kept chatting.

Naina was happy that she finally found someone with whom she can talk openly. "Ummm... Preeti tum yahaan kaam kyun kar rahi ho? Mera matlab tum toh acche khaase parivaar ki lagti ho? Fir yeh job kyun?" "Arey... yeh café mere papa ka hai. Unke jaane ke baad main aur bhai isse sambhaal rahe hai. Studies aur business ke saath saath hum dono yeh café bhi chalaa lete hai."

Naina got tears in her eyes after knowing that Preeti lost her father recently. Preeti immediately wiped her eyes & said, "Pushpaa... I hate tears... Toh please mere saamne rona mat." Naina saw that even Preeti's eyes had misted & she got up & took her in a hug. Both the girls finally let the tears flow silently.

Someone tapped on Preeti's shoulder & they broke the hug to face the intruder. There stood a six inches tall handsome figure who looked at both the girls suspiciously. Preeti instantly hugged him, "Bhai... Aap aa gaye. Main kab se aapka wait kar rahi thi. Aap kahaan reh gaye the? Itna late kyun hua?" She kept asking him numerous questions while his eyes were locked at the other girl.

Naina fidgeted with her dupatta feeling his intense gaze on her. "Bhaii...", Preeti screamed in his ear & he was brought back to the reality. He moved his gaze away & answered "Wohhh... meeting kuch jyada hi lambi chali isliye late ho gaya. Preeti... Tumne lunch kiya na thik se?" She smiled, "Ab aapka wait karti toh main bhi ab tak faint ho gayi hoti Naina ki tarah."

The siblings' eyes landed on Naina, "Bhai... yeh hai Naina Agarwal. Thodi der pehle hi café ke baahar behosh ho gayi thi. Toh main usse andar le aayi aur humne saath mein khaa liya." She turned her gaze to her new friend, "Naina... Aur yeh hai mere ek laute handsome Bhai... Kabir Sehgal, Sehgal Industries ke CEO, the most eligible bachelor & also he is awarded the best businessman award this year." Preeti kept praising her brother while he kept staring at Naina. And Naina was nervous & also conscious of his gaze.

Preeti pulled a chair & all the three settled on the table. Preeti ordered a round of coffees again along with chocolate pastries this time. Kabir cleared his throat & asked, "Naina... Tum kya karti ho?" She glanced at Preeti once & replied, "Main Ahmedabad University mein MBA kar rahi hun." "Naina... Main hi kab se bole jaa rahi thi. Ab apne baare mein hume kuch batao?", Preeti asked with a smile.

"Main yahaan Jaiprakash Maheshwari ke ghar mein reh rahi hun. Mere Nanaji unke bohot acche friend the." Preeti asked, "The???" Naina lowered her eyes, "Kuch hafte pehle hi unka dehant ho gaya." "Aur parents?", Kabir asked who somehow already knew the answer when he saw her eyes tearing up. "Wohhh... Mere mummy-papa bachpan mein hi guzar gaye the. Mere Nanaji hi tabse meri family the. Aur ab..." She didn't complete the sentence & the atmosphere turned too serious.

Kabir glanced at Preeti & she blinked her eyes, "Aur ab main hun na... Tumhari ek lauti friend." She stood in front of Naina, "Mujhe apni best friend banaogi. Ek minute... How about soul sisters? Mujhe bhi kisika saath mil jaayega bhai ko tang karne ke liye. Toh bolo Naina... Meri best friend cum soul sister banogi???" Naina chuckled watching her winking at her & immediately took her in a warm hug, "Haannn... Best friends forever... Tum nahi jaanti main aaj kitni khush hun."

Kabir smiled seeing the strong bond that was blooming right in front of his eyes & was very happy with it. Once the girls settled down, Kabir asked, "Naina... Tumne kahaa tum Maheshwari ke ghar mein reh rahi ho. You meant Sameer Maheshwari, right?" the handsome face swam right in front of her eyes & her facial expressions changed to gloomy once again & she nodded, "Haaannn... Unhi ke ghar reh rahi hun main. Unke Nanaji bohot acche hai. Bilkul mere Nanaji ki tarah." Kabir & Preeti had noticed the change of topic but didn't comment. They've just met, so it won't look good if they asked a lot of questions.

While having pastries, Preeti asked, "Waise Naina... College shuru hone mein time hai toh tum yahaan itni dhoop mein kya kar rahi thi?" Naina told them about her part-time job hunt while the siblings sat there in awe after hearing everything. Without waiting for a second, Preeti asked, "Naina... Tum chaaho toh mere saath iss café mein kaam kar sakti ho. Waise bhi mujhe help ki zarurat hai. Aur tumne andat aate waqt baahar ad nahi padha kya vacancy ke liye?"

Kabir coughed a little & Naina forwarded the glass of water to him. He drank it quietly waiting for her reply. She thought for a while & answered, "Thik hai... Main yahaan job karne ko taiyaar hun. Batao... Kya kya karna hoga mujhe?" Preeti jumped in happiness & told her, "Tumhe sirf cash counter sambhaalna hai. Actually, Bhai kabhi kabhi help kar dete the pehle par ab wohhh busy hi rehte hai apne business mein." She said pouting a little while Kabir & Naina chuckled.

"Thik hai... Ummmm... Waise mujhe kuch poochna tha?", Naina asked hesitantly. "Main jaanti hun tumhe kya poochna hai Naina. Tum yahi jaanna chahti ho na ki main itne bade businessman ki behen hokar iss chote se café mein kyun kaam rahi hun?" She understood her unasked question & continued, "Yeh café mere papa ka hai. Unhone mere liye open kiya tha yeh. Aur ab jab wohh nahi hai, toh isse chalaana meri zimmedaari hai. Yeh café mere Papa ka sapna tha aur ab main iss sapne ko sahej kar rakh rahi hun."

The atmosphere again turned heavy but this time Naina spoke, "Waise yahaan kaam karne mein bohot mazza aayega jab mil baithenge do yaar." She raised her eyebrows at Preeti & she instantly exclaimed, "Haannnn... Bohot mazza aayega." It was already four in the evening by the time Naina reached home. She was going to join the café from the next day & she was very much happy that finally she had a best friend now.

Nanu was sipping his tea when Naina entered, "Arey Beti... Kahaan thi? Pataa hai mujhe kitni fikar ho rahi thi?" She sat down beside him & narrated about her day. Nanu immediately asked, "Kahin lagi toh nahi na tujhe? Tune subah bhi kuch khaaya nahi tha, aise hi nikal gayi thi tu. Ab se binaa khaaye ghar se nikalna bandh. Aur agar gayi na toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga."

She replied with misty eyes, "Thik hai. Aap mujhe jo chahiye wohh sazaa de dena par filhaal main fresh hokar aati hun." She left towards her room to freshen up. When she was back downstairs, she saw Mundit already sitting with Nanaji. She went to kitchen & brought coffees for them along with some snacks. They smiled genuinely at her & asked if she was fine.

Naina hadn't told Nanu yet that she was joining the café for a part-time job from tomorrow itself. Now after seeing Munna & Pandit there she was a bit skeptical, but she had to do it so she prayed to the Almighty to give her some strength. She started, "Ummm... Nanaji... wohhh... wohhh... Main yeh kehna chaahti hun ki mujhe... mujhe part-time job mil gayi hai." Nanu & Mundit stared at her while she had closed her eyes in fear. Asking for permission & then finally joining a job were two different things altogether.

Nanu asked, "Naina... Beti... Aankhen kholo." She opened her eyes to see three pair of eyes glued to her face. She again opened her mouth & told them how she landed in the café & how the things turned around in her favor & she got the job as well as her first best friend there. Nanu & Mundit were happy that she found a friend but weren't sure about the job.

Munna & Pandit shared a look with Nanu & he asked, "Kya naam bataaya tumne Preeti ke Bhai ka?" Naina answered immediately, "Kabir Sehgal." He thought for a while & then smiled, "Arey... Main unke papa ko acche se jaanta tha, bohot bhale aur nek insaan the. Aur unke hi gunn uske bacchon mein bhi hai. Mila hun main dono se. Aisa karo Naina, kal jab tum unse milogi toh unhe hamare ghar khaane par bulaa lena. Thik hai."

Naina agreed but still asked a little nervously, "Nanaji... Main café mein job toh kar sakti hun na???" He caressed her head lovingly, "Bilkul kar sakti ho Naina. Usme itna darr kyun rahi ho? Maine pehle bhi kahaa hai aur aaj bhi keh rahaa hun ki tum iss ghar ki beti ho." His gaze landed behind her & he spoke loudly, "Tumhe kuch bhi karne ke liye kisi ki permission ki zarurat nahi hai, na meri na Sameer ki. Tum jo chaaho wohh kar sakti ho."

Naina knew Sameer was standing right behind her. He didn't say anything & marched towards his room upstairs. Mundit didn't follow him as they were here to talk with Naina but it wasn't possible to talk in front of Nanu. So, Munna kept Nanu busy in talking with him while Pandit passed a chit to Naina.

She took it quietly & on the pretext of keeping the cups & plates in the kitchen, she moved away with the paper. Once in the kitchen, she read, "Tumse zaruri baat karni hai abhi." She understood that they wanted to speak to her alone. She made up her mind & went out. She smiled at them, "Nanaji... main thodi der mere kamre mein hun, thoda thak gayi hun toh thoda aaram kar leti hun." She blinked at Mundit & left upstairs.

She was pacing around in her room thinking, "Munna aur Pandit ko mujhse kya baat karni hai, jo unhe akele mein milna hai. Zaroor baat Sameer se related hogi, warna wohh dono aise chit na dete." She was pondering over the reason behind for the personal talk, when she heard a slight knock on the door. She instantly opened the door & Mundit walked in quietly without making any noise.

They sat down on the couch & Naina settled on her bed in front of them. "Tum dono ko koi zaruri baat karni thi kya, jo aise akele mein milna tha?" Munna sighed & spoke, "Naina... hum tumse Sameer ke baare mein baat karne aaye hai." She already knew that & waited for them to start. "Main jaanti hun." She lowered her eyes to hide her tears but still the stubborn tears made its way & Mundit knew it was time to speak for what they had come here.

Munna got up from the couch & stood facing the window. He cleared his throat & grabbed her attention, "Sameer jaisa dikhta hai waisa nahi hai Naina. Usne bachpan mein itna kuch dekha hai ki wohh kisi par bharosa hi nahi kar paata, sivaay Nanu aur hamare." He turned & looked straight at her, "Sameer ke parents ne love marriage ki thi. Par shaadi ke baad Vishakha aunty khush nahi thi. Unke pati roz sharaab peekar aate aur unhe maarte. Sameer jab teen saal ka tha, tab se sab dekh raha tha. Ab uss samay kya samaj aata, par dheere dheere usse sab samajhne lagaa."

Pandit continued, "Jab wohh saat saal ka tha tab uske pita ne dono ko ghar se nikaal diya, taaki unki nayi premika ko ghar mein laa sake. Vishakha aunty Sameer ko lekar yahaan aa gayi. Do din baad jab Sameer unke kamre mein khaana dene gaya toh usne unhe pankhe se latka hua dekha." There was silence for a long time while all the three cried silently.

Munna took a deep breath, "Naina... Sameer tab se kisi par bharosa nahi karta. Hume hi pataa hai hamara dost kaise thik hua hai, kaise uss haalat se ubharke baahar aaya hai. Tum dono ke beech jo bhi hua, hume sab pataa hai Naina. Aur tum yeh mat samajhna ki hum Sameer ki harkaton par parda daalne aaye hai. Hum bas yeh bataane aaye the ki wohh aisa kyun hai. Tum suljhi hui ladki ho Naina, toh hum aasha karte hai ki tum usse samjhogi. Sameer ko choti choti baaton pe gussa aa jaata hai aur jab kisi ke baare mein koi raay banaa leta hai toh usse badalna impossible hai. Tum samajh rahi ho na main kya kehna chaah raha hun?"

Naina didn't know what to say anymore. She was deprived of parents herself so she knew how it felt to be an orphan. But luckily for both of them, they had their grandfathers with them who guided them & brought them up. Pandit continued, "Naina... Hum nahi jaante ki Sameer kyun tumhe characterless aur gold digger samajh raha hai. Hum jaante hai ki wohh tumhe galat samajh raha hai aur humne usse samjhane ki koshish bhi ki par wohh kuch sunn hi nahi raha."

"Naina... I'm sure yeh sab jaanne ke baad tum Sameer ko acche se samajh paaogi. Usse sambhaalna mushkil hai Naina. Toh ab bhi waqt hai ki tum iss shaadi se manaa kar sakti ho." This caught her attention & she looked at Munna who was advising her to break the marriage. She saw their teary eyes & then handed them a bottle of water. They took it gladly & drank it.

Naina thought about their talks while Munna & Pandit waited for her reply. She closed her eyes & made her decision. She looked up at them, "Thanks... tum dono ne yeh sab bataa kar meri bohot badi help kar di. Mere parents toh bachpan mein hi guzar gaye the, mujhe toh unki shakal yaad bhi nahi hai. Aur Sameer ne toh yeh sab unke aankhon ke saamne hote hue dekha hai, toh main samaj sakti hun ki unke mann par kya beeti hogi. Bina parents ki life kaisi hoti hai, wohh mujhse behtar kaun samajh sakta hai. Main Sameer ki jagah hoti toh main bhi kisi par vishwas nahi kar paati, toh wohh jo kar rahe hai wohh bilkul galat nahi hai. Unke liye main ek anjaan ladki hun jo achanak se unki zindagi mein aa gayi aur ab biwi banne jaa rahi hun."

She held Munna's hand, "Agar tumhe lagta hai ki main yeh sab jaanne ke baad unhe akela chod dungi aur shaadi se manaa kar dungi toh tum galat soch rahe ho. Pehle maine yeh faisla sirf hamare Nanaji ki vaade ki wajah se liya tha, par ab main meri marzi se Sameer se shaadi karne ko taiyaar hun. Haann... Mujhe bura lagaa tha jab unhone mujhe galat samjha aur ab main uske peeche ki wajah jaanti hun."

She gestured Pandit to keep her hand on theirs & he obliged without a word, "Main tum dono se promise karti hun ki Sameer ko main bharosa karna sikhaungi, unhe pyaar ka matlab samjhaungi. Hum dono ka dard same hai toh uska ilaaj bhi main hi karungi. Bas tum dono hamara saath dena. Doge na???"

They cried happy tears & took her in a hug. Unknown to them, Nanu stood at the door & wiped his tears. He had made the right choice for Sameer & prayed to God to make everything right between them. He entered the room & the trio turned to look at him. He blessed her wholeheartedly, "Naina... Mujhe tum par bohot garv hai. Tumne aaj prove kar diya ki tumse accha jeevan saathi Sameer ko kabhi mil hi nahi sakta tha. Mera aur Jayanti ka aashirwaad hamesha tum dono par rahega. Jab bhi dagmagaogi toh hum sab yahin hain tumhari madad ke liye."

She bent down & touched his feet. Nanu took the trio in a group hug & murmured, "Main jaanta hun tum teeno mere Sameer ko kabhi akela nahi chodoge. Jeete raho bacchon... jeete raho..." Munna & Pandit left the house while Naina joined Ramdhari in the kitchen to prepare for dinner.

Sameer had come home early as he wasn't feeling a little well. When he got back to his room in the evening, he dozed off without even changing his clothes. He was surprised to see his friends at his home but didn't ponder over it much. His eyes felt heavy & he drifted to sleep immediately as he laid back on his bed.

It was already eight in the night while Nanu & Naina waited for Sameer to join for dinner. They waited for ten more minutes & then Ramdhari went to call him. He came back running & informed, "Nanaji... Sameer bhaiya darwaaza nahi khol rahe aur koi jawaab bhi nahi de rahe." Nanu & Naina were alert with that & made their way to his room.

Nanu knocked on the door several times but there was no reply. Naina turned the doorknob & it opened instantly; Sameer hadn't locked the door. The sight that met their eyes wasn't what they were expecting. They saw Sameer sleeping like a child. Nanu sat beside him & tried to wake him & then he kept his hand on his forehead to check his temperature. His head was burning. Nanu immediately looked up at Naina, she came forward & rested her palm on his forehead. She immediately ran to call up the doctor.

The doctor arrived in few minutes & gave him an injection. "Jaiprakash ji Sameer ko maine injection de diya hai. Bas uska khayaal rakhna aur time par davaai dete rahiyega. Teen chaar din mein thik ho jaayega. Jyada kaam aur stress ki wajah se bukhaar aa gaya hoga. Main ab chalta hu. Khayaal rakhiyega."

Naina brought a plate of hot khichdi for Sameer & handed it over to Nanu. He shook Sameer few times to wake him up & he opened his eyes slowly. Nanu & Ramdhari made him sit on the bed & then Nanu fed him the food. Sameer reluctantly ate & then swallowed the medicines unwillingly. He drifted to sleep immediately due to the effect of medications.

Nanu & Naina ate their dinner quite late. After dinner, Nanu retired to his room while Naina went to freshen up. Once she was back, she tiptoed to Sameer's room. She sat next to him & caressed his hair softly. For the first time she allowed herself to touch him as she knew that he won't wake up right now. When she checked his forehead, it was still burning. She quietly went to the kitchen & brought cold water in a bowl with a white cloth.

She kept putting the cold-water cloth on his forehead for an hour & again changed the water. She did it four more times till it was three at night. She checked his forehead & the fever had gone down. She heaved a sigh of relief & sat beside him, taking care of him. He steered in his sleep & started mumbling, "Nahi... nahi... mummy aap... aap mujhe chodkar mat jaaiye... mat jaaiye..."

Naina didn't know what to do but still she took his hand in hers & started rubbing it. She started talking softly, "Sameer... Mummy kahin nahi gayi hai, yahin hai, aapke paas, aapke dil mein. Ssshhhhh... shaant ho jaaiye..." she kept uttering those words again & again till he drifted back to sleep.

She wiped the tears that had made its way from Sameer's eyes & bent down to kiss him on his forehead. She saw his calm face & whispered, "You will be fine Sameer... I'm there with you..."

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With Lots of Love,

Daksha...❤