Kiska Hai Tumko Intezaar

Naina Sameer Maheshwari

Ambika noticed the stiffness in Naina's arm when they were at the dinner table.

'Naina, kya hua? Haath mein jhatka lag gaya kya?' She asked with concern.

'Nahi mummy,' Naina quickly straightened her arm to show that she was fine, 'Kuch bhi toh nahi hua.'

Her smile convinced Ambika and others. Sameer was the only one who saw how she clenched the fist of other hand when she stretched the one that was hurt. She was good at hiding her pain. A pang of guilt surged within him. Her undeniable discomfort was because of him. Had he lent a hand of support, she would not have fallen so badly. He lowered his head, feeling miserable, till Dadaji called out to him.

'Sameer, kal kitne baje ayega office? Dilip ka phone aaya tha. Puch raha tha lunch ka arrangement karna hai ya snacks aur coffee ka. Kya bolun usey?'

Perplexed, Sameer looked up, 'Kis baat ka arrangement Dadaji? Kal kya hai?'

Dadaji stopped eating, narrowing his eyes, 'Tujhe yaad nahi?'

Sameer looked around. Both his parents were looking at him as if he had committed a blunder. His gaze darted to Anaya. She was biting her inner cheek. When his eyes met Naina's, there was the same question, the same confusion in them that prevailed in his. He quickly did a mental reminder... it wasn't any of their birthdays, nor his parents' anniversary. No festival or occasion was to be celebrated, neither a meeting or business party. Then, why everyone seemed to be aware of the reason of this unscheduled celebration tomorrow when he had no inkling.

'Uh... Dadaji... mujhe... mujhe sach mein yaad nahi aa raha kal kya hai.' His incredulous voice was low, but audible in the silence of the room.

Dadaji let out a weary exhale, rolling his eyes, 'Umr meri ho rahi hai lekin bhoolne ki bimaari sahabzaade ko lagi hai.'

Anaya could not let the opportunity pass, 'Yeh umr ka nahi pyar ka kasoor hai Dadaji.' She grinned, 'Bhai ko aajkal bhabhi ke alawa kuch yaad hi nahi rehta.'

Sameer shot her a furious look, but before he could say anything, Dadaji cleared his confusion, though his words were not free from the cadence of teasing either.

'Arey bhai kal ka program Naina ke liye hi toh hai. Kam se kam apni biwi ko toh yaad rakh leta.'

And Sameer remembered. Only in the afternoon, Dadaji had told him that they planned to introduce Naina to the staff at office on Monday. He had gone to the room to inform her, when he found her perched on the stool. What happened after that erased everything about office from his mind.

'Oh haan.' He managed a sheepish smile in front of his family, 'Actually main subah se naye project pe kaam kar raha tha isliye yeh baat dimaag se nikal gayi.'

Naina directed her query to Dadaji, instead of asking Sameer, 'Kya program Dadaji?'

Dadaji explained to her that as a member of the family, she would now be a Board member in the family establishment. She needed to sign some papers for the same, and it was the right time to introduce her as the wife of future CEO of Maheshwari Industries. Her gaze flickered to Sameer. He shrugged casually as he met her eyes, as if it was perfectly normal to become the member of an executive board of a well established company.

With a gentle clearing of throat, she struggled to express her doubts, 'Uh... Dadaji, main kaise... mujhe company ke baare mein kuch pata hi nahi hai. Na koi experience na qualification. Baaki sab... baaki board members kaise accept karenge? I think humein kuch mahine wait kar lena chahiye.'

Girish raised his brows, 'Kuch mahine? Kyon? Kuch mahinon mein kya badal jayega?'

Naina shook her head quickly, 'Nahi, kuch badlega nahi. Bas mujhe thoda time mil jayega, company ke baare mein janne ke liye.'