Kiska Hai Tumko Intezaar

Iss dil ko kahan pataa tha

Sameer could not move his gaze away. Naina stood right under his chin, her face slightly upturned because of his hold on the back of her head. Her eyes were shut, but her brows were creased, as if she was troubled by some thought.

As he wondered what must be on her mind, her eyes opened a bit and a nearly inaudible whisper escaped from her lips, 'Sabko mujhse dur rehna hai. Sab chale jaate hain. Ek ek karke sab chale gaye. Bas ek Nutty thi. Woh bhi mujhe akela chor ke chali gayi. Tum bhi jao. Ek saal baad nahi, abhi jao. Chale jao.'

Through her partially open eyes, he could sense the turmoil beneath the surface. The unspoken sorrow in her tone filled the space between them, weighing down on him like never before. Nothing he had ever experienced, or seen, evoked such an intense yearning in him... to wipe away every pain, to put an end to her misery, to make everything all right.

He reached out, his hand hovering in the air, unsure if he should touch her, unsure if he could offer any solace in the face of such profound distress. But then, he remembered that he didn't know her well enough to provide comfort with the right words or the perfect gesture. However, since only he was with her, he could offer silent support in the midst of the storm she was facing.

Gently, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and nudged her towards the door, 'Main kahin nahi jaa raha. I'm here, with you. Ab tumhe sona chahiye. Subah jab better feel karogi tab ghar chalenge. Okay?'

As if she was waiting for such consolation, her shoulders dropped, and she bobbed her head heavily, 'Okay.'

The bedroom was warmer, because it was smaller and closed. Naina had put away the clothes in the empty cupboard, which was partially open. He could see the pile... and he could also see that she had failed to notice the fallen garment, which was still on the floor beside the bed. He looked away, edging Naina to the other side. He made her sit, then unfolded the blanket and asked her to sleep. Like an obedient child, Naina laid down on the pillow, shutting her eyes after murmuring a faint 'good night'.

Once he had covered her upto the neck with the thick blanket, Sameer couldn't help but smile. Naina was much more tolerable when she was drunk. He wished she agreed to everything he said when she was sober too. Or maybe... he should encourage her to drink more often. Shaking his head to let go of such silly idea, he walked around the bed to leave when the dainty black piece caught his eyes again.

He pursed his lips... it could not be left there. When Naina would see it in the morning, she would be extremely embarrassed. Knowing that he was in the same house, came to the room as well, she would know that he had seen it. Respecting the boundaries was one thing but he did not want to make the situation between them awkward. He glanced at Naina. She had her back to him, unmoving. Her breathing seemed to be steady.

Drawing in a long breath, he bent slowly, and picked up the garment between his index finger and thumb. Without looking at his hand, he quickly moved towards the cupboard and put it amongst the jumbled clothes that she had dumped in. Only after he left the room did he breathe again. Unkowingly, his eyes lowered to his hand. The feel of soft, satiny material still lingered on the tips of his fingers. It felt so... so feminine.

'Shut up... shut the hell up.' He hissed at his mind, furious at the direction it was taking. He tried hard to conjure up the image of Naina that he disliked... but all that appeared in his thought bubble was the girl clad in a strappy top that hugged her figure, ruffled hair, and hooded eyes. His throat felt dry. He quickly went to the sink in the kitchen and started to splash his face with cold water, till the sting on his skin was potent enough to clear his mind of everything... unaware that his rough splashing was making his wet sweatshirt even more drenched.

With a weary sigh, he walked out and dropped on the lone sofa. It had been a strange day, starting with the accidental encounter with that peculiar, rude couple at the hospital. The incident had affected Naina much more than what he had initially fathomed. He had an inkling that the couple were well known to Naina. It was possible that because of them, she had some deep rooted insecurity, or perhaps some bitter incident in the past that had left a mark on her psyche. Even in her inebriated state, the despair did not leave her. She was being goofy in between, but even the intoxication could not wipe away the memory of whatever was hurting her.