The morning wind blew hard as he struggled to climb up the narrow mountain path. On either side of the path nothing was clear, there was mist everywhere clouding his eyes and his thoughts….yes his thoughts too !! He wondered if he would ever reach his destination. He was feeling cold. He was freezing. Suddenly, he felt a warmth inhis palm and could sense soft fingers interlocking with his. All those apprehensions soon melted in the warmth of the hands that held his. Who is this he wondered? Hestrained his eyes to see who was helping him and encouraging him to climb heights. He couldn’t see any one ahead of him …and then as he looked towards his right, he saw ….he saw those obsidian eyes …NAINAAA !!
“Good Lord!! Now she comes in my dreams too!!” said Sameer loudly as he struggled out of his bed. He couldn’t understand why he saw her in his dream. When she was around, he never felt any of this for her. He splashed water on his face and quickly freshened up. The more he tried to forget the dream, the more it played it his mind. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, a well-toned body, wrapped in bath towel. What would she have thought, if she had seen him like this?? Would she have appreciated his looks?? He bit his lower lips as the colour found it was on to his cheeks as he struggled to keep her thoughts away from him. It was only 6 :00 in the morning. He took a deep breath, brewed a cup of hot coffee for himself and walked towards the balcony, enjoying the vast stretch of mountains covered with fog. The sun was finding its way through the horizon, lighting up the mountain peaks which were covered with fog as thick as cotton candy.It was nearly three months since their movie shoot was over.
He had spent a month with his family in Bangalore and then had decided to spend some quiet time in the forest of Waynad….away from lights , away from camera , away from fans , away from his family & friends, …and away from fame too !! The famous actor and heartthrob of millions, was on holiday. Something that he had never done in the past 6 years. Even the producers were shocked, but none complained. He knew some of them didn’t like the idea as they had planned to cast him in their next project. Now they will have to wait for an answer from him. He didn’t care what the world thought about him. At the moment what mattered was that he wanted some lone time. He didn’t plan what he had to do during his stay here at the cottage. Majority of people, thought it was his way of reading through scripts. Only he knew, his mind, for the first time felt restless after the last day of the shoot. It was as though he had lost his soul. He tried to pacify his mind saying “the movie had taken longer time to complete than the others and hence was finding it difficult to let go”. Was it the truth?? He didn’t want to answer that question because if he did then, he might have to answer a lot more questions and at the moment his mind was not in a state to accept anything.
Sameer belonged to a very affluent business family from Bangalore. His father was known as the Spice Lord. Merchants who came from Gujrat and settled in Coorg and Bangalore trading spices. Every son born to the family joined the family business except the Son of Jayaprakash Maheshwari. YES !! Jayaprakash Maheshwari’s ONLY son decided to become a movie star. A decision that was not accepted by his family, especially by his dad. He left home after his college and lived with his best friend in Mumbai, worked with different production houses as spot boy and what not, just to get the feel and to get connected to film making. Evenings he would spend at acting classes and doing small insignificant roles in plays conducted by different drama schools. On one such occasion he got noticed by one of the directors. He gave him, his first role as a young driver. His screen time was just for few minutes but the impact that it left on people and the film fraternity , left them wanting to see more of him. There was no turning back from then on. In the short span of 6 years he had gained a lot but the latest movie left him completely lost….and there was only one reason he could point to…..…NAINA AGARWAL….the owner of those lovely eyes.
Naina , was not the first choice for the movie. The production house wanted a famous heroine, but all her dates were booked for a year and PH was not willing to wait that long. None of the other artist fit the role, hence a new face was needed. Initially when he met her , he doubted her capability as the Genre was ROMANCE and she looked like a kid out of school, but soon she proved him wrong . The way she looked into eyes and said her first dialogue with out any fear showed she was a prowess. He wondered if she ever had to practice in front of mirror before she gave her shots. The only time she wavered or seen nervous was during a honeymoon consummation scene. Everyone in the set could sense her nervousness and in fact she had openly accepted that she was nervous. Her hands would shiver and he could hear her heart beat against his chest. The very thought raised his heartbeat. Sipping his coffee, looking at the misty mountains he wondered if she had managed to hear his heart beat. If she ever sensed his nervousness?? A feeling that he had never felt with any of his co actors, so what was it with her?? He remembered the last day of the shoot, he had told her that he would drop her at her home and she had agreed too but later, he was told that she had left with a guy. The very thought she was with someone else made him angry and irritated. This was the first time he had ever shown this side of him to anyone. He never socialized much. When he partied hard, it was only with selected, close friends from industries. He always kept himself away from his lady co actors. This act of hers to walk away from him without even showing the courtesy of telling him,had pricked his ego. He had decided that he would never talk to her, till he found that the guy who came to pick her was her own brother. Only he knew how happy he felt knowing the fact that it was her brother who picked her from the set.
When it came to her, his thoughts were not going in the right direction. He had to get this thought out of his system and that’s why he was here, at a cottage hidden in the forest of Wayanad. Thanks to his school friend, who happily agreed to let him stay at his cottage. But the purpose was not met. What he had come for was not happening, in fact the beautiful misty mountains with its hues of green, the cold winds only added to his misery. The need to have someone that he can call his, the need to have a life partner. After his movie became a big hit, his family happily accepted his decision and him but he couldn’t accept them as they did. He visited them and made his presence felt, just that he was not their same old Sameer. He wondered what would have happened if he had failed becoming an actor, would his family accept him back with a smile??!! He wanted someone in his life , who loved him for who he is . The one who accepted him with his flaws…. probably that’s what he saw in her. From the day one, she was very professional in her behaviour. She was friendly to all but kept her distance and with him, she spoke very less. No one knew much about her. All they knew was, she lived with her chacha chachi in Mumbai. Her chachi would accompany her for all her outdoor shoots. Even during interviews, she was smart to stay away from personal talks. On the day of trailer launch, a lot people wanted to know about her childhood and journey to movies. She had smartly ended in one line, that she was lucky to have a professor who introduced her to director and somehow things worked fine. If someone had to learn how to write history answer ‘s in a single statement, then he would suggest her name. She was a master in giving closed end one liners.
He had once, casually asked her if she had a boy friend, and her answer was “she had lots of friends who are boys.” Now thinking of it , a smile cropped on his face . He was so stupid when it came to understanding his emotions. After the way his family had treated him, his heart had become like a rock. Nothing affected him, till she walked into the sets of the movie YUDKBH to romance with him. Another thing about her was that, she would not shake her head to everything he said. If her perspectives were different then she would voice it out politely. But in spite of all these difference between them, she was very caring - genuinely caring.
He looked at his watch and then at the coffee mug. It was seven on the watch and his coffee had gone cold, just like him. He felt a short walk to the nearby church would help him to relax. He grabbed his jacket, locked the cottage door and informed the caretaker that he will have a late breakfast. The sky was blue, not a single rain cloud was seen, unlike the monsoon mornings. Today the sun was showing off at the horizon, and the misty mountains were basking in the warmth of the early morning golden rays. Sameer carefully treaded down the hill, holding on to silver oaks trees, between tea plantation. By the time he reached the foot hills he was panting for his breath. He quietly walked into the Mother Mary’s Church. Not many came during this hour, most of them came for morning prayers at 10. He sat on one of the corner benches so that no one could see him easily. He watched a young lady lighting the candles. All the candles that she bought were lit, but one which was already there got blown out due to the wind. She took one of her candles, closed her eyes saying a silent prayer and lighted it again. He smiled at this noble act and wished someone would pray for him too. Only he knew that, it required a miracle to fix his wounded heart, he alone can’t do much. There was another person involved and he had no clue, what was on her mind. A solitary tear rushed out his eyes as he accepted the reality. He was in LOVE WITH HER. HE NEEDED HER MORE THAN ANYTHING IN LIFE. He looked around to see if anyone had seen those tears and quickly wiped it off. He thanked god for making him accept it. The feeling of loving someone was beautiful and pure....but the flip side was, he knew that this love was ONLY one sided . She hadn’t even bothered to text him post their trailer launch. He was sure that they would meet again for promotional activities or for some other projects as people loved their on-screen pairing. Till date he had never been shipped by any of his fans with his onscreen lead. This was the first time, it happened, that too even before people watched the movie.
He got up to leave and that’s when he heard some footsteps. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was here. Not that many people knew him in this part of the world as most ppl here were tribal and didn’t watch Hindi movies. But he didn’t want to take risk.Near the alter, close to candle stand there was a side door. He decided to use that door to move out rather than the main door. He quickly walked out and collided with lady who was also in a hurry.
“Oh god !! I am sorry . I was in a hurry. I should have watched my steps” said Sameer as he quickly rushed out even with out looking at her.
“Its ok…I understand” was the response. The voice was very familiar. He froze , and turned back to see who she was .
“NAINAAA!!??”
“Shhhsshh. No one knows I am here and I don’t want any one to know. That’s the reason I came this early and what are you doing here in this forest??”
“Aha…look who is talking” retorted Sameer. This was another problem between them. They never had a decent conversation. Whenever they had, it always ended up in arguments.
“Anyways let’s leave from here before people start building up stories…” He agreed to this and both quickly marched out to the nearby tea plantation. They walked in silence for nearly 20 mins till they reached a stream and was sure no one would be there.
“Now lady , what are you doing here??”
“Very funny. I am here on vacation before my last semester starts.”
“Not planning to act again Naina?”
“Not till my BA exams are over. It’s my last semester and I want to concentrate on my studies.”
“Bachelors degree in what ??”
“B.A Psychology”
“WOW!!”
“I needed money to study further. I want to do my Ph.D in Psychology and help young under privileged kids and orphans. I didn’t want my family to spend more on my education and besides acting is my hobby. So , why not earn something out of it to fulfill my ambition.”
“Nice…. So your parents ok with it?”
“My chacha ji will support me.”
“Ok…here you are with your parents?”
“NOPE. I am alone, living in one of the cottages here on the mountains”
“You mean, cottages at Greenwood High?”
“Yes, Chacha ji’s family friend has couple of cottages here which he rents out during the festive seasons. Since its off season, he said I could come and stay here.”
“So, you all alone ??”
“…no Sandeep is with me. Their son. He looks after their tea and coffee plantations. Technically I am not alone.”
The name of another man on her lips didn’t bring any joy to him. Within minutes, he was burning inside with jealousy. If the family had sent her alone to stay with this man, it meant they trusted him and so did she. They heard her name being called and she responded to call saying,” Hey hi Sandeep!!.” And with few in mins, Sameer got to see her Sandeep. He was nearly same age as Sameer, probably a year or two older… was tall, nearly 6 feet, well built, a typical business man. The very look of him reminded him of his dad.
“Hi , Sandeep…meet Sameer. “
Both men politely shook hands but it was very evident that Sameer wasn’t as happy as Sandeep about this meeting.
“Its so nice to meet you in real. I am huge fan of yours.”, Said Sandeep happily. Sameer was used to such reactions. If it had been any one else he would have reciprocated with the same warmth but now this situation was different. He tried his level best to act his usual self and responded with a firm “Thank you !!”
“Where are you staying here?? In some resort??”
“No, in one of the cottages at Greenwood High…cottage no.21”
“Oh ok…that’s not far from ours. We are at 27…its just that most of these cottages look far from each other because of the hilly terrain.”
“Sandeep we should get going. Sameer, is here for a quiet vacation …” added Naina as she sensed his restlessness and wanted to avoid any unpleasant scene. She knew Sameer’s temper and this one another reason why she kept away from him. She hated it when he was angry. He would get into a shell and act cold. Now was no different. She didn’t understand the reason behind this behaviour. They had done nothing to cause any change in mood. The best was to leave the place.
Sandeep was smart to take the cue from her and agreed, “Oh yes, I am sorry. Not every day we get to see our favorite actor. I completely forgot this is your personal time. Nice to meet you and hope the upcoming movie is a big hit !!”
“Thank you Sandeep and take care Naina!!” replied Sameer, with his eyes focuing on Naina .
“Bye Sameer!!” waved Naina as she held Sandeep’s hand and walked away.
Sameer leaned on to the Silver Oak tree for Support as his eyes clouded with tears. He wanted to turn but he kept looking at them walking close to each other. He thought at least now, he would be able to let go of her thoughts. It might churn his very existence, even then it will be easy to move on. He saw Sandeep turning back and looking at him twice, whereas she didn’t bother to turn, rather she held on to Sandeep’s forearm even more tightly. He quickly turned away, looking at the riverand wondered, if a river ever remembered every rock that it touched as it moved ahead to its goal.
“SAMEERRRRR” he heard his name being called. It was Sandeep.
“What happened? ?” asked Sameer while his eyes searching for Naina. She was standing a lil away from them.
“I came back to tell you that there is a Krishna Temple festival celebrated by the tribal people living in these hills. Why don’t you join us tomorrow morning? I will send a car tomorrow early morning at 3.00 to pick you. Be ready.”
“Sorry Sandeep. I don’t think I can get up so early. Besides it would be a trouble for you to pick me up so early.”
“Naina told me you get up early for your work outs and you stay in the same locality as we do, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Well…..” was all he could manage to say as he was lost for words. He wondered what else she had told him.
“Don’t think so much Sameer. According to tribal community , it’s a very auspicious day. We will feel happy if you join us . ”
“Alright , will meet tomorrow morning then.”
“GREAT !! Thank you !!”
Sandeep quickly rushed back to where Naina was waiting for him. On the other hand , Sameer cursed his fate. He could have said no, but that would be rude. Sandeep was very polite and good to him. He knew it was not Sandeep’s fault that Naina was his girlfriend, neither Naina’s…..just that he was not lucky when it came to having someone close to him. He walked back to his cottage , mentally preparing to face them again tomorrow. It wasn’t an easy thing to watch the girl you love in anotherman’s arms. He decided that he will “ACT ” instead of live that moment tomorrow.
On the other hand , Sandeep looked at Naina curiously as she questioned him , “why did you have to call him ?”.
“Care to explain, lil lady. What was all that fore??” He asked avoiding her question. Sandeep knew there was something wrong as she had never called him by name. She had always called him Sandy Bhaiya.
“WHAT ??”
“SANDEEP?? Really ?? when was the last time you called me that .”
“I didn’t want him to think I was alone….you know what I mean.”
“Is he not a nice person. Has he misbehaved with you.”
“NOOOOOOO!! HE IS SUCH A GENTLEMAN.”
“Then?? What were you trying to establish…”
“Sandy Bhaiya I didn’t want him to get wrong idea about me.”
“Wrong ideas?? He has already got the wrong idea that we are a couple.”
She looked guilty and silence said it all.
“Do you love him Naina??”
“Who doesn’t . Every girl in the planet does.”
“Don’t evade . Do you love him??”
“Bhaiya, he is not just an actor. You are forgetting, he is “THE ONLY SON OF Mr. Jayaprakash Maheshwari.”
“The very son who left his father’s kingdom, so that he could find one of his own. Naina, its very difficult to leave all that money and luxury, just to follow his dream. That shows his character dear. ”
“He doesn’t know anything about me Bhaiya. I am just a girl , who was thrown away by her own father because I was unlucky for them.”
“Naina, give him chance …you never know..”
“Bhaiya…I don’t want to talk about this . Lets go, I am hungry.”
Sandeep knew she was back in her shell and she wouldn’t budge. That evening he was in the market, when he saw Sameer sipping black tea in a near by shop.
“Hey Hi !! We meet again.”
“Hi Sandeep!!”
“Do you come here every evening ??”
“No , this is the first time . In fact ,have not ventured much. How come you are here??”
“I come here every day. That shop you see there , that’s ours. We sell spices, tea, coffee and sandal wood oil. Of course, its nothing like your dad’s business.”
Sameer looked at him with a smile and said “to tell you the truth Sandeep…I don’t know what my dad sells…” then after a moment of silence, he continued saying “I amnot a good son.”
Sandeep understood what that meant. There was a time when he had wanted to start a Jeep showroom but no one in his family supported him and eventually he ended up doing what every one did in his family.
“I think Sameer, it’s not about someone being good or bad son…. it’s all about character. You had the confidence in yourself, to survive in a profession of your choice and to let go all that wealth and luxury, just to follow your dream. Whereas people us didn’t have that courage…. ”
Hearing this Sameer laughed a little and asked curiously “So what did you want to become??”
“A mechanical engineer and to have a workshop exclusively for Jeeps.”
“Don’t tell me, you are CAR GUY!!”
“You could say so…” Even though Sameer despised the fact that Sandeep was closer to Naina, he started liking Sandeep. He seemed to be a very nice truthful person.
“So, when is the new film releasing?” queried Sandeep wanting to change the topic of discussion.
“Probably after 2 to 3 months. There is some more pre-production work that’s pending.”
“So , don’t you people have to be there??”
“Nah…what’s left is only promotion activities for us. Probably some interview. All the other task for us is done.”
“Ah..ok… You both look nice together.”
“Yeah…people have liked our on screen pairing .” said Sameer carefully. He didn’t want Sandeep to know what he had feelings for her.
“hmmmm….None of us had thought she would enter acting world. It was a surprise to all us.”
“How long have you know Naina?”
“I know her from the time, I was 10. Her Chacha and my dad are best friends. Her Chacha used to come to our house to help my grandfather with the accounts and soon my dad and chacha ji became friends. First time I saw her was when her chacha ji brought her to our house.”
“They live in a joint family??”
“No Sameer. She lives with her Chacha chachi. She lost her mom at the time of her birth and her dad didn’t want to take her responsibility. This was supported by majority of their family members. They thought she was unlucky…reality is that no one wanted a girl. Thankfully her chacha ji agreed to take care of her along with his girls. Till her 12th grade they were in Ahmadabad after that , her Chacha ji on the name of job moved to Mumbai as he feared she would be forcefully married off to someone. In order to save her he came to Mumbai and that’s when we also moved to Coorg as my dad had a fall out with his brothers.
But we have kept in touch with each other all these years. In short I have known her from her diaper days.”
“Now that she is famous , is her dad willing to accept her back??”
“I don’t know. I have not asked her about it , as you know , she is a person with less words.”
“Oh yes…very less words…at least that’s how she is with me.”
“Ok Sameer , got to go . Do you want me to drop you at your cottage??”
“No thank you Sandeep. I want to walk back.”
“Alright , bye for now and meet you tomorrow morning.”
That night sleep was a far dream. He kept tossing and turning in his bed thinking about Naina. One way he was happy that she had finally managed to find some one who loves her for who she is , on the other hand he was sad that , he was not that person in her life. For their happiness , he had to go and be a part of their festivity.
Around 3.15 in the morning , Sandeep came to pick him up. He also brought the typical Keralite dhothi to wear for the occasion.
“Sandeep, I hope this wouldn’t fall off..”
“Don’t worry, it won’t Sameer. If you don’t feel that confident, you can wear a belt . No one is going to see as your shirt will cover it.”
“Oh good. I will do that then….” He could see Sandeep controlling his laughter, but he ignored it. Though the previous night he didn’t want to go, now he was feeling all excited about this occasion. Around 3:30 am they reached the temple along with Sandeep. The moment he reached, some youngster recognized him and wished him. They were all very nice and wanted to know more about the film industry. Thankfully, Sandeep came and rescued him saying there is someone who wants to meet him. He noticed that only very less women were there at that hour and mostly older crowd. Sandeep then took him to a nearby pavilion and the only face he recognized was hers. She wasstanding with another lady probably as old as him.
She was wearing , the typical cream Saree with Golden jerry that most women of Kerala wore during such festivals. She wore a dark green silk blouse to go with it. There was no make up just a small red bindhi and gloss on her lips. Her hair was wet and left open with just two hair pins on either side to keep the hair away from face. It’s the first time he was seeing her hair in full glory, probably he never noticed it. During the shoot , they had styled her hair differently and they interacted very less after that. She was looking angelic but her eyes didn’t reflect the festive spirit that was seen in everyone’s eyes. He was not able to take his eyes away from her but he had to. He had promised himself , that for her happiness , he will not let his emotions over take him. She smiled when their eyes met and murmured “Good Morning”
“Good Morning Naina.”
“Only for her and no good morning for me ?” Questioned the lady next to her.
“Of course, good morning to you as well” he responded with a smile.
“Oh , I forgot to introduce you to Lakshmi and Laksh , I don’t think he needs an introduction.” Said Sandeep.
“Of course, we all know him but why did you not introduce me properly. Well Sameer, I am his one and only Fiancée. We are planning to get married next year after my final year exams are over.”
The moment he heard this from Lakshmi, he looked at Naina’s face. There was guilt written all over it, but Sandeep seem extremely cool . He was happy to have all of them there for the festival. He wondered if Naina knew about Lakshmi prior to this. His brain said she knew Lakshmi but his heart was not willing to accept. Was she hurt knowing that Sandeep was engaged? Is that why she looked sad? There were so many questions running through his mind. By then the sound of the sacred conch sounded loud breaking the silence of the early morning .
Sandeep came closer to Sameer and whispered in his ears , “I know what you are thinking…” Hearing this Sameer looked at him with surprise.
“Don’t look surprised. We will talk later on this . Come lets get into the temple.”
The temple door opened and the bell rang along with the beats of drums. Once they were in the temple, Sandeep held Sameers hand and made him stand next to Naina . The temple priest chanted the sacred prayers while the drums and trumpets reached its crescendo. The entire area smelled of camphor and incense sticks. He stood folded hands next to her with closed eyes and only one prayer in his mind, her happiness. He opened his eyes gave a sideways glance. There were tears flooding down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped it with the edge of her Saree.
After the Pooja was over Poojari sprinkled the sacred water on all and placed the prasad in the mandap. After which the aarti was done and then one of the members, distributed the prasad to all. They all had an early morning breakfast in the temple in silence. By 4: 45 , Sandeep asked Naina if she wished to see the full moon from the hill top Gazebo to which she quickly agreed.
“Alright , you two girls wait here, let me check with Sameer.” He walked up to Sameer who was standing a lil away and talking to the drummers.
“Sameer, why don’t you take Naina up the hill to the hill top Gazebo?? Lakshmi and I need to be here for some more time. It’s a beautiful view from the top. You can see the entire plantation and the lake.”
This was not something he had expected. Not that he had a problem with the idea , just that he felt the timing wasn’t right. It was pitch dark every where except the path way that lead to the Gazebo.
“Don’t you think it’s a lil too dark. Is it safe , I mean taking her there at this time….you know what I mean.”
“Don’t worry , then entire plantation is mine. Nothing will move with out my permission. And on the way you will see houses of these tribal people. Any help, just ask them. Trust me its going to be fine. She had always wanted to see the moon from up there. Never got an opportunity to take her there. Now is the best time to see it as well.” Said with a wink.
He wondered what Sandeep was up to, but had to trust him , so Sameer hesitantly agreed.
“Good , let me tell the girls then. By the way Sameer, if you have feelings for her, then tell her. Don’t think she will confess. She has locked her heart and soul in a fortress . To pierce through that will be difficult but if I have ever seen a tiny amount of affection spilling out of that fortress , its been for you. You stay here . I will send her and keep this torch in case the power goes off. Normally it doesn’t but just in case….All the best !!”
All Sameer could do was smile warmly at this young man , who had rightly judged their feelings. After what seemed like 10 mins, he saw her walk towards him with a dark brown shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
“Ok to start the trek” asked Sameer..
“Yes..”
“Have you been there before?”
“Yes , during the day . Never at this time. It’s too dark. I thought all of us will go, but he and Lakshmi had some more work there.”
“ You don’t want to go and see the moon from the hill top??”
“I want to but…..”
“You don’t feel safe with me Naina??”
“NOOOO!!…its not that…don’t you think it’s dark and I have heard, they had spotted wild leopard here ”
“WHAT ??!!”
“Then let’s go back. I am no TARZAN.” Said Sameer in haste.
“Aha…so all this herogiri is only in front of camera…?”, teased Naina.
“Naina, where you joking about wild animals..??”
She laughed at this question and looked at him with a naughty smile, “Well ..a year ago one leopard had ventured into the plantation and killed one of their farm animal….but after that they barricaded the entire plantation with electric fence…though they do face issues with wild elephants once in a while.”
“I think we shouldn’t go alone Naina…lets go back..its not safe and that too in the dark.”
She looked at him, wondering if she should turn back or just enjoy the moment with the man she was in love with. This probably will be the only opportunity that she would ever get to be alone with him and spend some nice moments.
“If you are scared, then you leave, I will go alone because I trust Sandeep. He will never send me to a place which will cause harm to me.”
“I am not doubting his decision, just that we can’t predict animals, can we??”
“I am going , if you want you can follow me ” , Saying so she walked ahead with out giving a backward glance. He had no choice but to follow her. He couldn’t leave her alone besides he also wanted to spend some lone time with her, away from the prying eyes of media. The both silently walked , close to each other. The early morning cold wind blew strong as they started gaining heights. She looked at him with absolute amusement. She knew , he was struggling with the dhothi , to keep it in place as he climbed.
“Don’t laugh. I am wearing this for the first time.”
“Are you not feeling cold. You take this shawl. I have the saree, I can cover using my pallu.”
“Nope , I don’t need the shawl . I am used to this weather. I did my schooling at Ninenital”
“Really? I thought you stayed with your family.”
“NOPE. My dad thought, if I stayed with the family, I would get pampered. So, he wanted me to be self-sufficient…”
“….and you became so self-sufficient that you choose your own path….rt??”
“Yep…that’s what happened….sadly was not appreciated by the family.”
“Hmm….”
“How much more Naina??”
“Another 5 mins and we should be there…”
“OK…”
“Tired??”
“Yep , a lil…I somehow couldn’t sleep yesterday night. Kept tossing and turning on my bed…”
“You didn’t want to come rt??”
“Yeah….but I am glad I did… how long have you known , about Lakshmi and Sandeep.”
“From school days….. why do you ask??”
“Nah…. just out of curiosity.”
After that he didn’t talk much. He kept wondering why she looked guilty when Sandeep introduced his fiancée to him. On the other hand, Naina was thinking if she should tell the truth about her and Sandeep. But all these thoughts vanished when they reached the hill top. The view of the plantation under the moon light was mind blowing.The moon shined high gifting every entity on earth a silver lining. He looked at her and there was this yearning to pull her into his arms, but logic cautioned him to stay put.
“It’s so beautiful, isn’t it Sameer?”
“Yes…an absolute paradise for lovers” responded Sameer
“Wishing that you had brought your girlfriend here?”
“My girlfriend?? I don’t have a girlfriend Naina…who told you that I have one??” questioned Sameer in a worried tone.
“Well …we get to read …”
“Ah…gossips…but to tell you the truth , the only lady that I got linked so much , is you my dear…so I guess I am with my girlfriend….don’t you think so ?”
This definitely was not going according to what Naina had thought. She kicked herself for bringing up this topic. Her intention of coming here with him was to spend some nice friendly and happy moments and , not to give him wrong ideas. She tried to put a firm face though her cheeks gave to a beautiful blush that Sameer thought was a sight to witness.
“Well…..sorry I asked that question. It’s your personal life…lets drop that topic….hmmm…how about a hot cup of coffee?”
“Hot Coffee?? I don’t see any shops here….”
She then took out her flask that she was hiding under the shawl… “here we go…come let’s sit on the bench.”
Both settled on the bench as she poured coffee into two small cups that came with the flask . She handed one to him with a smile. Her cheeks had turned red. He wondered if it was the cold winds or his presence , either ways he was enjoying the moment. The hot coffee only ignited his feelings for her. He had to tell her what’s on his mind as he knew there wouldn’t be a better moment than this.
“Sameer what are you thinking? You look lost….”
“No…not really ……”
“Have you signed any new projects…or read any new scripts?”
“No”
“Ok how long is the vacation ??”
“Don’t know”
She didn’t understand why he seemed so quiet all of a sudden. All her questions were returned with monosyllables. It was as though he didn’t want to answer her. She decided that she will sit next to him and enjoy the moonlit night. Both sat next to each other sipping the hot liquid in silence. Soon Sameer sensed her silence. He looked at her and noticed solitaire on her ring finger. It was similar to the one he had made her wear as part of an engagement ceremony in the movie.
“Naina, that ring so similar to the one…..”
“It’s the same one. After the shoot , when PH asked us to take one thing from the set , I choose this one. I never removed it.”
“Oh ok…there is a story behind that ring…” said Sameer with a smile on his face.
“hmmmm” was the only disinterested response that came from Naina. Even then he decided to tell her the story.
“The person who was given the responsibility of the ring had to rush home due to some emergency and in the I ended up getting it.”
On hearing this she looked at him and back at the moon , “I know and that’s why I decided to take it home with me. Not every day you get a hero to buy you a solitaire.”
Sameer looked at her in absolute surprise. Her choosing that ring didn’t surprise him much, but the fact she knew that he had got it because of which she chose the ring made his heart beat faster. He carefully placed his coffee mug on the bench next to him and moved a lil closer to her . He was facing her and she had this unperturbed look on her face.
There were a lot he wanted to tell her but what came out of him was “I LOVE YOU NAINA.”
This definitely caught her attention . It was her turn to look shocked. She was lost for words. She had lots of friends. She went out with them but she never had a boyfriend. During the college days she had yearned to have a boyfriend like some of her close friends but not a single boy approached her.
“Are you saying this because I took this ring home.”
“Seriously , is that the response you give to a man who looks into your eyes and say I LOVE YOU …on a moon lit night??”
“No its just that…”
“Its ok Naina…its not necessary because I have feelings for you ..that you also should feel the same.”
She didn’t respond. She finished her coffee in silence and placed the cup next to her. Then moved closer to him , held his forearm with both her hands and placed her head on his shoulders .
“Everything need not be told Sameer, sometimes you should listen to the heart of the person you LOVE.”
Sameer and Naina sat on the bench wrapped in one shawl at the hill top , till they the Sun reached the horizon, signaling the world of a NEW BEGINNING.
Writer: WeRockTheWorld
