Samaina OS - Humara - Na Tumhara Na Mera

The gang had stayed back yet again after all the college lectures were over for the day, as they did on most days now. They were all headed towards the staircase at the back of the arts wing which had sort of turned into their hangout area. The lectures in that wing finished much earlier than their own and hence the area would be fairly deserted most late afternoons.

Sameer and Munna were teasing Pandit about his latest crush, some girl from the science stream. Naina had shown her Durga like avatar when she had heard Pandit's plan a couple of weeks back about trying to get back at Mitali by making her fall in love with him. She had given all the three boys an earful about how they seemed to have forgotten just how badly they had hurt her in school with a similar plan. She had been especially miffed at Sameer and it had taken a couple of days and lots of apologising and promises from him and her Devars before things returned to normal.

Preeti was sulking slightly as nobody seemed supportive of her idea of Karthik as her hero. Seeing her sister enjoying this romantic phase, Preeti too had her heart set on finding a boyfriend for herself. And someone just like her Jijaji... dashing and rich!

Earlier that day in the canteen she had been arguing with Naina about this. Sameer had wisely decided to stay out of this argument and had just listened in. On one hand he knew he owed so much to Preeti and would have liked to help her in any way he could... but at the same time based on whatever interactions that he had with Karthik so far Sameer wasn't convinced that he was the right guy for Preeti.

Preeti: Behen, cum se cum mujhe tujhse toh yeh ummeed nahi thi. Maine teri aur Jijaji ki itni madaat ki hai aur tu hai ke..

Naina gently but firmly: Preeti, ek baat such such bata.. kya tujhe Kartik pasand hai?

Preeti fumbling a little with her answer: Pasand??.. ha.. kyun nahi.. matlab itna ameer hai.. aur dekhne me bhi thik thak hi toh hai..

Naina: Wo sab jo ho so ho.. par kya tujhe wo pasand hai? Agar wo ameer na ho toh?

Preeti sounding irritated: Ye achaa hai.. tune toh khud ke liye Jijaji jaisa ladka dhundh liya.. aur aab mujhe aasie sawal kyu pooch rahi hai?!

Naina calmly went on: Aare mujhe jab Sameer achaa laga tab mujhe yeh thodi pata tha ke wo kaun hai...

Kamya interrupted at this point: Kya baat kar rahi hai tu Naina? Jab Sameer peheli baar humare class mein aaya tha tabhi se sab jaante thay ke wo kaun hai. Mujhe to aaj bhi yaad hai jab wo uss din apni car mein school aaya tha...

Naina explained innocently: Aare wo toh baad ki baat hai na... Main toh tab ki baat kar rahi hu jab maine usse pehli baar dekha tha... jab hum almost takraye thay (Naina had a dreamy look on her face as she remembered the magic of that moment once again). Us waqt mujhe wo kaun hai ye thodi pata tha.. aur agar wo Car ki jaga uss din cycle pe aaya hota toh mujhe koi farak nahi padta.

Munna put his arm around Sameer's shoulder and whispered happily in his ear: Yaar, Bhabhi to ekdum peheli nazaar mein hi teri deewani ho gayi thi!

Sameer sat there feeling surreal, watching her in awe. He had known she had liked him from way before he fell for her. But, she had never told him clearly that it was from that first moment that she saw him. She really had fallen for 'just him' in that moment... his family or connections or wealth had played no part in it. He completely believed her when she said it wouldn't have mattered to her if he had come from a family that wasn't that well off. Had he really been worthy of such pure love? Well, he wasn't sure if he had been worthy or not, but he was resolved to make himself worthy of her for the rest of his days.