The previous update had the picture which many of you wanted to see when such a scene was mentioned in one of the chapters. The outfits were different but it did capture the pose... hehe

Naina was seated in office, completely immersed in the project she was presently working upon while everyone wished each other a Happy New year, it being the first working day on January 2. She had a quiet New Year Eve at home, alone, since Natasha had gone on a long flight schedule. Anaya had called her up to invite for a party that was being hosted by one of the families in their circle but Naina politely declined, citing an upset stomach.

It was actually an upset mind. Just a day before, she had received a call from Anuj. The conversation had left her troubled as expected. But more than she had anticipated.

'Kaisi hai Naina?' Anuj had asked.

'I'm good. Aap kaise ho?' She asked formally.

'All good.' Anuj replied without any emotion, then paused before starting with a stammer, 'Woh Naina... ek baat kehni thi... ek problem aa gayi hai toh main... matlab hum... soch rahe the...'

When he did not say more, she felt a sudden fear clutch at her, 'Kya baat hai bhaiyya? Sab theek toh hai na?'

Anuj took a long breath before uttering rapidly, 'Tina ka suggestion hai...aur mujhe bhi theek laga... ki hum dono uske ghar mein shift ho jaayein. Naina, mujhe business set up karne ke liye paise chahiye. Tina ke papa contract dilane mein help kar rahe hain lekin company banane ke liye mujhe investment karni padegi. '

The small spark of fear started to expand in her heart.

Anuj waited for some reaction from her side, but when the only response was her silence, he stated flatly, 'Maine decide kiya hai ki yeh ghar bech deta hun. Bas tujhe batane ke liye call kiya tha.'

He disconnected before she could fully grasp what he had said.

Naina sat with the phone in hand, wondering why it felt like yet another loss. The house was not much of a home for her ever. The flat that her parents bought years back was an abode where she had stayed all her life, with her father and brother, but never felt the warmth of being at a place which was as comforting as a home would be for others. The walls had no pictures of hers, the rooms had no playful memories, no one ever prepared her favourite dishes in the kitchen. As a child, no one pampered her... when she came back from school, no one asked about her day... whenever she got hurt or fell sick, there was no one to nurse her... even her good results were brushed off by her father, saying that as a girl it didn't matter how well she performed because all she was supposed to do was to get married and serve her husband's family. It was the home that never felt like one.

Yet it was everything.

It was where she lived as a child, it was where her mother must have loved her when she was alive. It was the only place that had traces of her mother's memories, even if they did not feature in her own memory span.

Naina closed her eyes and tried to convince herself that it didn't matter, but the thought kept coming back to haunt her. The house was the only connection between her and her mom. Even if she was not staying there, it was still a part of her life. Once it was sold, it would be gone forever. The idea itself made her feel that a part of her was being snatched away.

She spoke to Natasha on phone that night, when the latter landed at Bangalore. Natasha had asked her to talk to Anuj, telling him not to sell the house.

'Naina, woh tere papa ki property hai. Anuj bhaiya ke saath tu bhi uski owner hai. Aise kaise bech sakte hain? Unhe bol tujhe yeh acceptable nahi hai.'

'Aur woh meri baat maan lenge.' Naina let out a bitter laugh, 'Tu jaanti nahi hai kya bhaiya ko?'

Natasha huffed in frustration, 'Tu kisi aur se nahi darti lekin apne bhaiya bhabhi ke saamne chup ho jaati hai. Kyon Naina? Jab woh teri parwah nahi karte toh tu kyon sochti rehti hai ki unhe kaise lagega? Apni baat manwane ke liye jhagda kar, court jaane ki dhamki de, apna hissa maang unse.'

Naina closed her eyes. When she spoke, Natasha could feel the pain in her voice, 'Kaisa hissa Nutty? Papa ki will mein saaf saaf likha hai ki unka sab kuch bhaiya ke liye hai. Na unki zindagi mein mere naam ki jagah thi na marne ke baad koi haq.'

'Toh tu bhi bhool jaa sab kuch.' Natasha hurled in annoyance, 'Tujhe kyon dard ho raha hai? Jis ghar mein tujhe rehne hi nahi diya us ghar ko woh log beche ya charity mein de dein, teri bala se.'

When her retort met with silence from the other side, Natasha sighed, softening her voice, 'Naina, meri jaan, woh Anuj bhaiya ka ghar nahi hai, uncle aunty ka hai... teri mummy ka bhi naam tha uske papers pe. Naveen uncle ne haq nahi diya toh kya, teri mummy toh tujhe tere hisse ki khushi dena chahengi na. Meri baat sun, abhi kuch mat kar, bas bhaiya ko call karke itna keh de ki tu unse baat karna chahti hai. Lekin mere aane tak milne mat jaana. Main aake Advocate uncle se baat karti hun. Dekhte hain kuch ho sakta hai kya.'

Naina let out an exhale, 'Thanks Nutty. Tujhse discuss karke hi halka feel ho raha hai. I'll wait for you.'

She had conveyed to Anuj that she would meet him in the coming week, and tried to keep herself busy, to stop her thoughts from going back to the same issue every now and then. Thus, it was a relief to have a lot of work in hand.

Param entered her cabin, carrying a small box. Naina looked up, her eyes flickering to the box instantly.

He smiled, 'Happy New Year Naina.'

She wished him back, forcing her lips to curl, so that she doesn't appear rude.

Param opened the box and offered, 'Subah jahan ad shoot ke liye gaya tha unhone New Year cake diya hai. Tumhe marble cake pasand hai isliye socha tumhare saath share kar lun.'

Naina glanced at the pieces, showing a perfect swirl of chocolate in each slice. She preferred marble cake over plain vanilla or chocolate. The pairing took the taste to another level.

Picking a single piece, she asked casually, 'Shoot kaisa gaya?'

Param pulled a chair and settled down, excitedly narrating to her about the experience. He had recently started to go for outdoor projects, and was thoroughly enjoying the process.

After Naina came to know that even Sameer got an inkling of Param's liking for her, she had started to keep some distance from him. If Sameer could see it, maybe some more people from office would guess the same. She did not want any undue attention. But in the present situation, telling him to leave would seem impolite.

*****

Sameer was going through his gallery on phone to put a new dp on insta when he came across the picture of him with Naina. A frown marred his forehead. The picture did make them look like a couple. It was such a romantic click, even if the pose was filmy. And the other one, where they gazed at each other with such intensity was even more troublesome. If he was so irked by them, how could Naina just laugh off the matter? How was she okay with her pictures being available for anybody's viewing.

'Akal hi nahi hai isliye ek ke baad ek problem mein pad jaati hai.' He muttered angrily, 'Woh pagal photographer yeh pictures Tarun ki album ke liye de dega, fir sab log dekh sakte hain. Lekin us maharani ko lagta hai in sabse koi fark nahi padta. Nakul bhi toh Tarun ka dost hai. Woh bhi dekhega. How can Naina be okay with this?'

He almost placed the call, but stopped himself. She would again snap at him like last time, because she was obviously allergic to anything sensible. It had been a week since their fight. He had not spoken to her since that night. Not even wished her on New Year. Why should he... they were not really friends or anything. And since they were not, it did not effect him even if she shared her pictures with the whole world.

Shrugging indifferently, he tossed the phone on bed and started to get dressed. He had to meet Munna Pandit for lunch today. After a night long party, they had spent a lazy first day of New year at home, but were getting together for lunch at a new place that had opened in Connaught Place last week. He was nearing the restaurant half an hour later when Pandit texted him to pick Munna or else he would remain busy with work and delay the lunch. Sameer steered his car to Munna's office.

He stepped out of the elevator. The first thing he noticed was Param walking towards Naina's room, with something that looked like a box of sweets.

He scrunched his nose, 'New year pe laddu baant raha hai kya? Ya naukri chod ke halwai ki dukaan khol li.'

Shaking his head, he turned to go to Munna's room. Barely two steps had been taken when his curiosity got better of him, and he took a turn, stealthily approaching Naina's cabin. He heard Param offering cake to Naina.

'Achha, yeh bhi pata hai isey ki Naina ko kaunsa cake pasand hai. Mujhe lag hi raha tha yeh kuch karega. Nakul jaisa na sahi par yeh bhi apne tareeke se chance maarna nahi chodega.' He muttered under his breath upon hearing Param's side of conversation.

When Param started talking animatedly, he was sure it was his way of spending time with Naina.

Sameer walked in confidently.

Naina had her eyes downcast, her attention on the papers spread in front of her. She got to know of Sameer's presence only when it was announced by Param's sudden silence, followed by his change of tone to greet him.

'Oh hi Sameer.' He tried to mask his shock with a forced smile, 'Mujhe nahi pata tha tum yahan ho. Mujhe laga Naina akeli hai.'

Sameer pushed his hands in pockets, keeping the curve on his face intact, 'Mere hote hue Naina akeli ho hi nahi sakti. Main hamesha uske saath rehta hun, uske dil mein.'

He turned his gaze to the girl in question, honey dripping through his voice, 'Right baby?'

Naina cringed at the word. Thankfully, Param did not notice, as he was gaping at Sameer, equally shocked at his endearment.

Getting a hold on herself, Naina replied in a tight voice, 'Hum office mein hain.'

'Exactly.' Sameer's smile did not falter, but his eyes had a steely glare as they danced between Param and Naina.

Few seconds of silence ensued before Param stood up, and forwarded his hand towards Sameer, 'Happy New Year.'

Taking his hand, Sameer wished him the same, adding with a wink, 'Mera new year toh Naina ko dekhte hi happy ho gaya.'

Param narrowed his eyes, 'Saal shuru hone ke baad pehli baar mil rahe ho tum Naina se?'

Without skipping a beat, Sameer responded, 'Not at all. Hum new year pe raat bhar saath the.'

Naina shut her eyes, clenching her fists under the table.

Param mumbled a meek acknowledgement, and walked out of the room.

After he was gone, Sameer turned towards Naina. She was staring at him, her lips pressed into a thin line.

'What?' He shrugged.

The murderous glint in her eyes deepened.

Sameer frowned, 'You like him?'

'Tumhari problem kya hai?' She spat back.

He threw a swift glance behind, then hissed, 'Dheere bolo. Usey sun gaya toh?'

'Do YOU like him?' Naina lowered her voice, not her anger.

Sameer widened his eyes, 'Pagal ho kya?'

'Pagal tum ho.' Naina pushed back her chair and came around to stand in front of him, 'Kya bola uske saamne?'

Sameer quickly dashed towards the door and shut it before coming back to reply, 'Kya bola? Apni girlfriend ko baby bolna galat hai kya? Sab bolte hain. Uske liye chilla rahi ho?'

'Woh bhi.' Naina gritted her teeth, 'Lekin uske baad...' She fell silent.

Sameer pondered over what he had said. He could not understand why she was so upset if he lied to Param that they celebrated the New year's eve together. Isn't it how it should be done if you are in a relationship?

Puzzled, he asked the same. Naina swallowed... was he really that dumb, or was she reading too much between the lines?

Sameer eyed her incredulously, 'Seriously Naina, tumhe yeh namuna sach mein pasand aa gaya kya?'

She let out a sigh of exasperation, 'Us din tumhe yeh problem thi ki kahin main tumhe like toh nahi karne lagi, aaj isliye bhadak rahe ho ki mujhe Param pasand hai. Let me make it very clear. Mujhe na tum mein interest hai na kisi aur mein. Isliye aise sawal puch ke mera time mat waste kara karo.'

Sameer's mouth fell open, 'Main tumhe unwanted attention se bacha raha hun aur tum mujhe lecture de rahi ho?'

Naina rubbed her temples. She already had a headache because of the pressure of work combined with emotional stress. She had no energy or inclination for an argument.

Drawing in a breath, she contented, 'Param aur main ek office mein hain toh baat karenge hi. Tumne usey pehle hi convey kar diya hai ki tum... I mean, hamari relationship ke baare mein usey bata diya hai. I'm sure woh samajh gaya hoga. Isliye please, bina soche samjhe kuch bhi mat bola karo.'

Sameer quirked up a brow, 'Kya tum isliye naraaz ho kyonki maine Param ko bhaga diya? You wanted to spend time with him, right?'

'I want to be alone.' Her voice came out as a shaky whisper.

Sameer noticed the frown on her face. She was edgy about something. Maybe she actually wanted to be with that useless guy, who got her supposedly favourite marble cake.

'Fine.' He seethed, 'Tumhari choice hi ghatiya hai toh main kya kar sakta hun. Enjoy karo apna cake aur cake wale ki company. Bula lo usey wapas. Even better, uske saath lunch pe chali jao. Mere paas faltu time nahi hai tumhare liye.'

Maintaining her quiet stance, Naina waved at the door. Replying to him would only mean further exchange of meaningless remarks. It did not matter to her what he presumed, or deduced from the situation.

Sameer walked away in a huff.

To add to his anger, Munna's room was vacant. Bringing out his phone from the pocket, he called up Munna's number.

His voice instantly rang in Sameer's ear, 'Bhai kahan reh gaya? Tujhe late ho raha hai toh main auto lekar chala jaun? Tu seedhe wahin aa jaana.'

'Main tere room mein hun. Tu kahan hai?' Sameer looked around, frustrated.

'Oh!' Munna was surprised, 'Main toh tera wait karke neeche aa gaya. Lekin tu upar kaise pohoncha? Ek lift mein main aaya hun aur dusri operational nahi hai.'

Sameer rushed back to the elevator, 'Tu wahin reh. Main neeche aa raha hun.'

Munna could instantly recognise his miffed expression. He remained silent as they drove to the place, which was not very far. Somehow, he could guess that the reason for his frown was Naina. Of late, Sameer's mood swings had become frequent, but every time, they were related to what Naina said or did... or sometimes, what she didn't do. He decided to wait till they were together with Pandit before asking anything.

Pandit chuckled as they settled across him in the restaurant, 'Raaste mein jhagda ho gaya kya dono ka? Aisi shakl bana rakhi hai jaise vrat ke din kisi party ka bulava aa gaya ho.'

Munna flicked his brows, staying discreet about his intuition, 'Shakl iski bani hui hai meri nahi. Office mein aise sooje hue chehre ke saath hi aaya tha. Pata nahi kahan bhidke aaya hai.'

Sameer ran his fingers through his hair, muttering, 'Office aaya tab tak khush hi tha. Tune hi office mein ek panauti sajaa rakhi hai na. Usse baat karke mood off ho gaya.'

'Kaun? Naina?' Munna asked curiously.

Sameer nodded.

Pandit was amused, 'Tujhe Naina se milne ko kisne kaha tha. Munna ke paas jaata aur usey lekar nikal leta wahan se.'

Sameer told them about the incident, stating that he was helping Naina avoid that obsessed Romeo.

Tongue in cheek, Munna quipped, 'Tujhe itni fikr kyon hai ki Naina mein kisko interest hai kise nahi. Sach sach bata Sameer, kahin tujhe usse pyar toh nahi ho gaya?'

Reminded of Naina's dry behaviour, Sameer answered scornfully, 'Woh duniya ki akhiri ladki bhi ho toh usse pyar na karun. Agar mujhe ek khoon maaf hota to main us Naina ka kar deta.'

Pandit flared his nostrils, 'Aur mujhe aadha maaf hota to tere dimag ka kar deta jisme har waqt itne behuda idea aate hain.'

Sameer was shocked, 'Tu mera dost hoke uski side le raha hai?'

Pandit poked his head, 'Tune Param ke saamne jo bola uske baad main teri side toh bilkul nahi le sakta. Naina ki jagah koi aur ladki hoti toh tere sar pe joota utha ke maarti.'

Sameer looked at him in confusion. Munna explained to him that his words could easily be misunderstood as he had not clarified in front of Param what he meant.

Sameer was taken aback. It had not even crossed his mind that this could be the reason for Naina's annoyance.

Sorry again for being late in posting. Will try to make up for it this week. Next update coming up on Wednesday