Posted:
This OS is a just a hot pop of my brain based on the FRIDA KAHLO-inspired looks of PreeNa that we saw in the Friday precap mixed with some of my own 90s memories and ragging and set on Samaina. I have also changed my style of writing, hope you all like it.
Naina and Preeti were dressed in the most simplest clothes, with big floral prints, nowhere matching the likes of the current trends set by Sridevi, Madhuri, or Juhi. They had almost convinced Chachiji to allow them to buy a few designer but modest clothes for the college. Naina was also excited as she knew Sameer was much more modern in his style and dressing sense than her and she wanted to surprise him.
However, Taiji had spotted them trying out some slightly revealing dresses (the famous backless top and a checking out a few others) and had created a huge ruckus over the girls just wanting to go to college and shame the Agarwal name. So, after the shopping fiasco, Taiji herself bought some ragged-fashion clothes and had tied the girls' hair in two plaits doubling them up, giving them the infamous "maniben look.
"Jaldi chal Preeti, warna aaj college ke pehle din hi hum late ho jaayenge Naina said trying to hurry her sister up who was sulking in front of the mirror at her look. The gang had all managed to get admission in VJN and were together, although Naina and Preeti were in Arts and Literature, while SMP and Swati were in Commerce wing.
"Aisi shakal lekar college jaane se achcha hai ki na jaaye, Aise toh koi college mein unnisau bayalees mein bhi nahi jaata hoga, said Preeti making a grumpy face.
Naina was done with her share of sulking and had finally come to terms with the look. Now she was trying to console and motivate her sister. "Dekh Preeti, abhi tayiji ne kaha hai toh aise hi jaana padega, hamare paas koi chara nahi hai. Sochle ki tu abhi bhi school ja rahi hai, PVKM mein toh aise hi jaati thi na.
"Haan... ek kaam karti hoon, purana uniform bhi pehen leti hoon Preeti replied sarcastically. "Aur tu bataa Naina, tu toh jijaji ko surprise dena chahti thi na...waise tujhe aise dekhkar pakaa surprise ho jaayenge, itna ki hosh hi kho denge aur uss din ko yaad karke sochenge ki tere pyar mein kaise pad gaye. Preeti continued to tease her sister.
Now Naina was saddened again that all her plans of surprising Sameer with a modern look were out the window, thanks to tayiji...
An idea suddenly struck Preeti and she came to her, "Naina... Sun...ek idea hai, jisse tayiji ke hukum ka palan bhi hoga aur jijaji ko achchawala surprise bhi milega.
Naina was confused, crinkled her brow and asked, "Wo kaise?
"Hum na ghar se aise hi nikalte hai, jaise tayiji chahti hai, fir college pahuchne se pehle, apne baal khol lenge, aur tu chinta mat kar, mein aisa hairstyle karoongi ki iss dress ke saath ekdum match karega, she was delighted with her own idea.
"Tu pagal ho gayi hai Preeti? Agar tayiji ko pataa chala, toh O bai, O bai karke hamari jaan hi le legi, aur tu bhool gayi, aaj pehli baar unhone hamare baal banaye hai, tabhi toh itna kaske bandha hai. Agar hum baal kholenge, toh shaam ko ghar wapas kaise aayenge? Aur dobara aise hi bana nahi paayenge aur ek bhi baal yahan se wahan hua na, toh unki baaz nazar ko pataa chal jaayega aur aaj hamara college ka pehla din aakhri ban jaayega, Naina tried to reason out detailing all the repercussions.
"Hmmm, tu sahi keh rahi hai, kuch aur sochna padega...After a few minutes of pondering, Preeti came up with another delightful idea. "Ek kaam karte hai, apna sar scarf se dhank lete hai... yaad hai, jab thappad padta tha aur nishaan aa jata tha, toh school mein kaise scarf bandh kar jaate the, waise hi. She rummaged through her cupboard and came out with two matching scarves for their dresses. She wrapped around each in style to make it look convincing as a part of the wardrobe.
"Par yaar itni garmi meinscarf kitna ajeeb lagega, aur Sameer pakka puchega ki kya hua? Thappad pada kya? Kyon pada? Fir mein kya bolungi?
"Aree bol dena na, yeh naya fashion hai, use ladkiyon ke fashion ke baare mein kahan pataa hoga. Aur waise bhi jijaji tujhe dkehenge ya scarf ko? Preeti assured her and finally both gathered their books and left for college on their usual bicycles.
They reached just before 11:00 am as the Arts class started at 11.30, while the commerce section started at 10:00. So, the gang had decided to meet during the break at 1:00.
Naina and Preeti parked their cycles and she spotted Sameer's bike at a distance in the bike area and smiled satisfactorily that he was in class already. She and Preeti moved towards the corridor after checking the list of classrooms.
While searching for their class, a loud laughter echoed from behind, followed by a slightly familiar voice, "Yeh dekhon doston...Maniben toh yahan bhi hamara peecha nahi chodegi! Yeh topper maniben topper college mein jaane bajay, doston ke chakkar mein hum jaise bechare students ko competition dene yahan aa gayi.
Both girls turned around and were surprised to find Pankaj and his friends mocking them. Even they were in the same college, though one-year senior, just like in school.
"Chal Preeti, dhyaan mat de, Naina tried to tug Preeti along by the elbow, but Pankaj and another guy Tarun, came skidding to a halt, right in front of them, blocking their way.
"Aree itni bhi kya jaldi hai? Apne purane saathiyon se nahi milogi? Pankaj sniggered at Naina.
"Hamara raasta chodo, hume tumse koi baat nahi karni, Naina tried to pass from his side but he moved ahead and blocked further.
"Par hume toh karni hai na. Pankaj came closer to intimidate her and mocked with his friends. Naina devi, yeh PVKM nahi, college hai, aur yahan hum tumhare senior hai. College mein seniors ki izzat ki jaati hai. Aur... aur bhi kuch kiya jaata hai, kya kiya jaata hai doston?
Tarun pitched in "Ragging... And all erupted into monstrous laughter, which scared both girls. They somewhere knew that ragging was a part of college life, Arjun had warned them and also advised to act demure so that no one would pay heed to them and they would be saved. But neither of the girls were prepared for this.
"Hume jane do, please. Preeti tried to plead and Naina was dumbfounded and couldn't get a word out.
"Are aise kaise jaane de? Tum juniors ho aur hum seniors, aur juniors ki ragging karna toh seniors ka adhikaar hai. Pankaj explicated. "Waise yeh batao, itni garmi mein tum dono yeh sar pe scarf kyon lapeti ho? Koi naya fashion hai kya?
"Aree iss maniben ne apne baalon mein pakode talne jitna tel jo daala hoga, school ki tarah, Another guy Vishesh pitched from behind.
"Toh fir aaj pakode tal hi lete hai said Pankaj all erupted in a chortle. After it died down, he said again "nikalo apna scarf... When the girls didn't spring into action immediately, he boomed again, "Nikalo, warna, sazaa ke taur par college ke sabse bade chamchooze ko sabke samne kiss karna padega.
This horrified Naina and Preeti and they looked at each other and signaled that there was no other way to escape these boys. It was best to do as they said rather than kissing anyone.
Both slowly removed their scarves and the sight amused all the guys. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Vishesh even ROFLed.
"Yeh donon toh hamari umeed se bhi badi maniben nikali. Pankaj complimented them sarcastically.
Hearing all the commotion, the students from nearby classes and those in the corridor gathered around to see what was happening.
Seeing an audience, Pankaj announced, "Dekhon dekho, yeh hamare school ki sabse badi maniben hua karti thi, par aaj toh inhone isme bhi khudka hi record tod diya... the crowd erupted in laughter and the girls were embarrassed.
"Par mujhe yeh samajh nahi aata ki tum jaisi ladki ke peeche, Sameer jaisa hero-type ladka kaise majnu ki tarah ghum sakta hai, aisi kya ghutti pilayi hai jo school ke dinon se tumhare peeche lattoo bana ghum raha hai? Pankaj mocked her again using Sameer's name. Now Naina couldn't control it, her eyes were moist and brimming with tears.
"Dekho, tum hume pareshan mat karo, agar Sameer ko pataa chalega toh tumahara aisa haal karega ki khud ki shakal nahi pehchanoge, Preeti warned him using Sameer's name, careful to avoid calling him jijaji in public, lest it would embarrass Naina more.
Hearing this, he again let out a hearty laugh. "School ki baat aur thi. Tumhe lagta hai ki college mein Sameer jaisa ladka aisi ladki ko ghaans bhi daalega? He indicated Naina from head to toe with his eyes and fingers. "Aisi maniben type ladkiyon ko koi apni girlfriend to kya, sirf dost bhi nahi bulana chahega.
Now the tears started coming out and Naina was scared. Maybe he was right, Sameer might hate this look and feel embarrassed to be seen around in the college with her.
Everyone was chanting Maniben Maniben...
SMP were done with the class and next period was free, so they decided to see the girls before they started class. As soon they came out in the corridor, heard all the commotion.
"Wahan kya ho raha hai? Sameer asked.
"Arre kya hoga, kisiski ragging ho rahi hogi, aaj pehla din hai na, seniors ko koi bakra mil hi gaya hoga...sab hamare jaise lycky thode hi hote hai...teri hero wali pershonality ki wajah se hume kisi ne nahi cheda replied Munna cockily...
But Sameer wasn't feeling right about the whole situation, some unknown feeling gripped his heart and so when Pandit prodded them to go check out who was the new scapegoat, they all went to the spot.
Sameer cut the crowd and came ahead and the sight shocked him. There amidst the bet boys, Naina was standing clutching her belongings, flanked by Preeti on one side and the others were mocking at them for their disastrous fashion sense. He also heard Pankaj taunting his Naina with his name. Pandit and Munna saw the scene too and also saw rage boiling in Sameer's eyes and clenching of fists. He was surely going to attack the bet boys and earn himself a reputation. Before he started forward, Munna clutched his shoulders.
"Kya kar raha hai Munna...chod mujhe...Aaj toh mein inn ladkon ko zinda nahi chodunga.
"Sambhalke bhai, baat Naina ki hai, jo karna hai aaram se kar, Pandit tried to drill some sense into him.
Hearing Naina's name he calmed down visibly. He had to handle the situation and also not embarrass Naina.
He came forward and stood in between Naina and Pankaj. Naina noticed and Preeti gave a 1000 W smile that now all would be fine.
"Meine abhi abhi suna ki tujhe meri aur Naina ki dosti se pareshani hai Sameer gave a smug smile and continued directing his speech to the crowd. "Aap log jaante ho kyon? Kyon ki yeh mujhse jalta hai...
Now it was the turn of the bet boys gang to be surprised. "Kyonki Naina hamare school ki topper hai, aur wo apne dost bahut dhyaan se chunti hai. Har koi topper se dosti karna chata hai yeh sochkar ki wo bhi topper ho jaayega, par hamare school mein bahut kum khushnaseeb the, jinko Naina ne apni dosti ka tohfa diya, aur unme mein sabse lucky mein hoon kyonki Naina ne mujhe apni special dosti ka tohfa diya. Aur inn bewakoofon ko kabhi ghaans bhi nahi daali, toh aaj yeh senior hone ka fayda uthakar badlaa lene aa gaye. Mere samne khade hone se darte hai toh Naina ko darane lage.
Now Swati also came near the crowd and came forward to hold Naina's hand.
The crowd roared again, the tables had turned and now Pankaj and gang were being mocked at. They were surprised how easily they became the laughingstock.
Sameer then looked at them in the eye...Dosti kisike kapde, hairstyle ya fashion sense dekhke nahi ki jaati...uska dil saaf aur sundar hona chahiye... then continued loudly...aur mujhe koi sharam nahi hai Naina ko apna sabse achcha dost bolne mein, balki khud pe rashk hai ki mein uski life mein maaayne rakhta hoon...
Naina was so overwhelmed at Sameer's public acceptance of their friendship that she couldn't control her tears and left from there, followed by Swati and Preeti.
Sameer was facing the gang and the crowd "Aur aaj ke baad kisine Naina ya mere kisi bhi dost ko pareshan kiya toh wo Sameer Maheshwari ka wo roop dekhega jo mein dikhana nahi chahta...Suddenly someone form the crowd announced that the principal was headed in the same direction and everybody started dispersing immediately.
Sameer turned around to look for Naina but found her gone. Munna pulled him, "Chal Sameer, nahi toh aajse hi thappad padne lagenge...All three went to the ground and spotted the three girls under a tree. Naina was sitting on the bench, Swati was consoling her crying friend and Preeti her usual self was being sassy.
"Ab kyon ro rahi hai, jijaji ne sab kuch theek toh kar diya...ab hume koi pareshan nahi karega, Preeti tried to reason out.
"Haan, nahi karega, par Sammer ka kya, sab peeth peeche baat karenge aur uska mazaak udayenge ki mujh jaisi behenji ke saath rehta hai.
"Meri favorite behnji ke saath, Sameer came closer, flanked by MP and both Swati and Preeti smiled, but Naina didn't look up.
"Kya tum log hume thodi der ke liye akela chod doge? Sameer asked all the four.
"Chal Pandat, canteen ka chakkar lagate hai, samosa khilaunga Munna said goofily addressing his frockwala Pandit.
"Haan chal chenu, the real Pandit tapped on his shoulders.
"Naina, mein class mein hoon, tu aa ja, Preeti said that, and all four left.
Sameer pulled out his pressed and neatly folded hankie from the pocket and offered it to her. She took it and wiped her tears.
"Mujhe lagta hai ki hume apni dosti college ke bahar hi rakhni chahiye, hum bahar mil sakte hai, mandir mein, kabhi kabhi park mein, aur hum phone par toh roz hi baat karte hai...college mein ek dusre se bina kaam ke baat nahi karni chahiye, mein nahi chahti ki koi meri wajah se tumhara mazaak udaye. Aur tayiji ko tum jaante ho na, wo toh hume roz aise hi college bhejegi, unka buss chale toh maniben se bhi bura avatar de dengi. Aur humne kuch kahan toh padhayee hi rukwa degi, Naina completed her rant.
"Ho gaya tumhara? Sameer knew he had to use reverse psychology to get his fiery Naina back.
"Theek hai, mein tumhari har baat manta hoon, yeh bhi maan leta haoon, nahi karoonga tumse baat. Par ab college mein hai, toh uska mazaa bhi toh lena padega na. Mere class mein ek ladki hai, Juhi aur Madhuri ko milakar bani ho jaise, usne aaj mujhse baat karne ki koshish ki thi, par tumhari wajah se meine usme interest nahi dikhaya...ab agar tum mujhse baat nahi karna chahti toh mein usse baat kar loon? Mere liye toh achcha hi hai na, college ki sabse khoobsurat ladki college mein meri girlfriend aur Ahmedabad ki sabse khoobsurat ladki bahar meri girlfriend.
Naina heard this and threw steel daggers from eyes "Tum kisi aur ladki se dosti karke to dekho, fir batati hoon tumhe, aur yeh Ahmedabad ki sabse khoobsurat ladki kaun hai?, She was angry now how dare he talk about another girl like this, although she had full faith in him but lover's jealousy and possessiveness surfaced in both of them at times.
"Tum... Ahmedabad ki sabse khoobsurat toh kya, puri duniya mein sabse khoobsurat, Sammer held her hand, looked in her eyes with all the love only for her.
"Ek baar kisine mujhse kaha tha, ki khoobsurat dikhne ke liye, achcha dikhna ya achchi dress ki zaroorat nahi hoti, khoobsurat dil chahiye hota hai, aur meri Naina se jyaada khoobsurat dil toh kisika nahi hai. Sameer reminded her of her own words that she, during Pujadi's wedding, had hurled as a taunt to him.
"Meri aakhon se dekho, tum mere liye kya ho aur kitni khoobsuart ho Sameer continued his intense eyelock with her and she couldn't look away from all that love in his eyes, which ensured her his feelings for her were not dependent on her looks and dress.
"I love You Naina, he placed a soft kiss on her fingers.
"I love you too Sameer and fresh tears almost spilled out of her eyes. Sameer could never see his love crying coz of stupid people around them.
"Ab rona bandh karo, warna yahan sabke samne hug kar loonga he said to cheer her up, although he never dared to cross limits in public and make her uncomfortable but it was hard to control his sudden urge to hug her tight, while no one was paying attention in their direction.
Naina smiled through her tears and actually hugged him. He was taken aback by surprise as this was a bold move by Naina, but she had marked him as only hers and he was totally flattered. He hugged her back. Both realized that they had taken a step forward today in their relationship by accepting each other publicly.
Naina and Preeti were dressed in the most simplest clothes, with big floral prints, nowhere matching the likes of the current trends set by Sridevi, Madhuri, or Juhi. They had almost convinced Chachiji to allow them to buy a few designer but modest clothes for the college. Naina was also excited as she knew Sameer was much more modern in his style and dressing sense than her and she wanted to surprise him.
However, Taiji had spotted them trying out some slightly revealing dresses (the famous backless top and a checking out a few others) and had created a huge ruckus over the girls just wanting to go to college and shame the Agarwal name. So, after the shopping fiasco, Taiji herself bought some ragged-fashion clothes and had tied the girls' hair in two plaits doubling them up, giving them the infamous "maniben look.
"Jaldi chal Preeti, warna aaj college ke pehle din hi hum late ho jaayenge Naina said trying to hurry her sister up who was sulking in front of the mirror at her look. The gang had all managed to get admission in VJN and were together, although Naina and Preeti were in Arts and Literature, while SMP and Swati were in Commerce wing.
"Aisi shakal lekar college jaane se achcha hai ki na jaaye, Aise toh koi college mein unnisau bayalees mein bhi nahi jaata hoga, said Preeti making a grumpy face.
Naina was done with her share of sulking and had finally come to terms with the look. Now she was trying to console and motivate her sister. "Dekh Preeti, abhi tayiji ne kaha hai toh aise hi jaana padega, hamare paas koi chara nahi hai. Sochle ki tu abhi bhi school ja rahi hai, PVKM mein toh aise hi jaati thi na.
"Haan... ek kaam karti hoon, purana uniform bhi pehen leti hoon Preeti replied sarcastically. "Aur tu bataa Naina, tu toh jijaji ko surprise dena chahti thi na...waise tujhe aise dekhkar pakaa surprise ho jaayenge, itna ki hosh hi kho denge aur uss din ko yaad karke sochenge ki tere pyar mein kaise pad gaye. Preeti continued to tease her sister.
Now Naina was saddened again that all her plans of surprising Sameer with a modern look were out the window, thanks to tayiji...
An idea suddenly struck Preeti and she came to her, "Naina... Sun...ek idea hai, jisse tayiji ke hukum ka palan bhi hoga aur jijaji ko achchawala surprise bhi milega.
Naina was confused, crinkled her brow and asked, "Wo kaise?
"Hum na ghar se aise hi nikalte hai, jaise tayiji chahti hai, fir college pahuchne se pehle, apne baal khol lenge, aur tu chinta mat kar, mein aisa hairstyle karoongi ki iss dress ke saath ekdum match karega, she was delighted with her own idea.
"Tu pagal ho gayi hai Preeti? Agar tayiji ko pataa chala, toh O bai, O bai karke hamari jaan hi le legi, aur tu bhool gayi, aaj pehli baar unhone hamare baal banaye hai, tabhi toh itna kaske bandha hai. Agar hum baal kholenge, toh shaam ko ghar wapas kaise aayenge? Aur dobara aise hi bana nahi paayenge aur ek bhi baal yahan se wahan hua na, toh unki baaz nazar ko pataa chal jaayega aur aaj hamara college ka pehla din aakhri ban jaayega, Naina tried to reason out detailing all the repercussions.
"Hmmm, tu sahi keh rahi hai, kuch aur sochna padega...After a few minutes of pondering, Preeti came up with another delightful idea. "Ek kaam karte hai, apna sar scarf se dhank lete hai... yaad hai, jab thappad padta tha aur nishaan aa jata tha, toh school mein kaise scarf bandh kar jaate the, waise hi. She rummaged through her cupboard and came out with two matching scarves for their dresses. She wrapped around each in style to make it look convincing as a part of the wardrobe.
"Par yaar itni garmi meinscarf kitna ajeeb lagega, aur Sameer pakka puchega ki kya hua? Thappad pada kya? Kyon pada? Fir mein kya bolungi?
"Aree bol dena na, yeh naya fashion hai, use ladkiyon ke fashion ke baare mein kahan pataa hoga. Aur waise bhi jijaji tujhe dkehenge ya scarf ko? Preeti assured her and finally both gathered their books and left for college on their usual bicycles.
They reached just before 11:00 am as the Arts class started at 11.30, while the commerce section started at 10:00. So, the gang had decided to meet during the break at 1:00.
Naina and Preeti parked their cycles and she spotted Sameer's bike at a distance in the bike area and smiled satisfactorily that he was in class already. She and Preeti moved towards the corridor after checking the list of classrooms.
While searching for their class, a loud laughter echoed from behind, followed by a slightly familiar voice, "Yeh dekhon doston...Maniben toh yahan bhi hamara peecha nahi chodegi! Yeh topper maniben topper college mein jaane bajay, doston ke chakkar mein hum jaise bechare students ko competition dene yahan aa gayi.
Both girls turned around and were surprised to find Pankaj and his friends mocking them. Even they were in the same college, though one-year senior, just like in school.
"Chal Preeti, dhyaan mat de, Naina tried to tug Preeti along by the elbow, but Pankaj and another guy Tarun, came skidding to a halt, right in front of them, blocking their way.
"Aree itni bhi kya jaldi hai? Apne purane saathiyon se nahi milogi? Pankaj sniggered at Naina.
"Hamara raasta chodo, hume tumse koi baat nahi karni, Naina tried to pass from his side but he moved ahead and blocked further.
"Par hume toh karni hai na. Pankaj came closer to intimidate her and mocked with his friends. Naina devi, yeh PVKM nahi, college hai, aur yahan hum tumhare senior hai. College mein seniors ki izzat ki jaati hai. Aur... aur bhi kuch kiya jaata hai, kya kiya jaata hai doston?
Tarun pitched in "Ragging... And all erupted into monstrous laughter, which scared both girls. They somewhere knew that ragging was a part of college life, Arjun had warned them and also advised to act demure so that no one would pay heed to them and they would be saved. But neither of the girls were prepared for this.
"Hume jane do, please. Preeti tried to plead and Naina was dumbfounded and couldn't get a word out.
"Are aise kaise jaane de? Tum juniors ho aur hum seniors, aur juniors ki ragging karna toh seniors ka adhikaar hai. Pankaj explicated. "Waise yeh batao, itni garmi mein tum dono yeh sar pe scarf kyon lapeti ho? Koi naya fashion hai kya?
"Aree iss maniben ne apne baalon mein pakode talne jitna tel jo daala hoga, school ki tarah, Another guy Vishesh pitched from behind.
"Toh fir aaj pakode tal hi lete hai said Pankaj all erupted in a chortle. After it died down, he said again "nikalo apna scarf... When the girls didn't spring into action immediately, he boomed again, "Nikalo, warna, sazaa ke taur par college ke sabse bade chamchooze ko sabke samne kiss karna padega.
This horrified Naina and Preeti and they looked at each other and signaled that there was no other way to escape these boys. It was best to do as they said rather than kissing anyone.
Both slowly removed their scarves and the sight amused all the guys. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Vishesh even ROFLed.
"Yeh donon toh hamari umeed se bhi badi maniben nikali. Pankaj complimented them sarcastically.
Hearing all the commotion, the students from nearby classes and those in the corridor gathered around to see what was happening.
Seeing an audience, Pankaj announced, "Dekhon dekho, yeh hamare school ki sabse badi maniben hua karti thi, par aaj toh inhone isme bhi khudka hi record tod diya... the crowd erupted in laughter and the girls were embarrassed.
"Par mujhe yeh samajh nahi aata ki tum jaisi ladki ke peeche, Sameer jaisa hero-type ladka kaise majnu ki tarah ghum sakta hai, aisi kya ghutti pilayi hai jo school ke dinon se tumhare peeche lattoo bana ghum raha hai? Pankaj mocked her again using Sameer's name. Now Naina couldn't control it, her eyes were moist and brimming with tears.
"Dekho, tum hume pareshan mat karo, agar Sameer ko pataa chalega toh tumahara aisa haal karega ki khud ki shakal nahi pehchanoge, Preeti warned him using Sameer's name, careful to avoid calling him jijaji in public, lest it would embarrass Naina more.
Hearing this, he again let out a hearty laugh. "School ki baat aur thi. Tumhe lagta hai ki college mein Sameer jaisa ladka aisi ladki ko ghaans bhi daalega? He indicated Naina from head to toe with his eyes and fingers. "Aisi maniben type ladkiyon ko koi apni girlfriend to kya, sirf dost bhi nahi bulana chahega.
Now the tears started coming out and Naina was scared. Maybe he was right, Sameer might hate this look and feel embarrassed to be seen around in the college with her.
Everyone was chanting Maniben Maniben...
SMP were done with the class and next period was free, so they decided to see the girls before they started class. As soon they came out in the corridor, heard all the commotion.
"Wahan kya ho raha hai? Sameer asked.
"Arre kya hoga, kisiski ragging ho rahi hogi, aaj pehla din hai na, seniors ko koi bakra mil hi gaya hoga...sab hamare jaise lycky thode hi hote hai...teri hero wali pershonality ki wajah se hume kisi ne nahi cheda replied Munna cockily...
But Sameer wasn't feeling right about the whole situation, some unknown feeling gripped his heart and so when Pandit prodded them to go check out who was the new scapegoat, they all went to the spot.
Sameer cut the crowd and came ahead and the sight shocked him. There amidst the bet boys, Naina was standing clutching her belongings, flanked by Preeti on one side and the others were mocking at them for their disastrous fashion sense. He also heard Pankaj taunting his Naina with his name. Pandit and Munna saw the scene too and also saw rage boiling in Sameer's eyes and clenching of fists. He was surely going to attack the bet boys and earn himself a reputation. Before he started forward, Munna clutched his shoulders.
"Kya kar raha hai Munna...chod mujhe...Aaj toh mein inn ladkon ko zinda nahi chodunga.
"Sambhalke bhai, baat Naina ki hai, jo karna hai aaram se kar, Pandit tried to drill some sense into him.
Hearing Naina's name he calmed down visibly. He had to handle the situation and also not embarrass Naina.
He came forward and stood in between Naina and Pankaj. Naina noticed and Preeti gave a 1000 W smile that now all would be fine.
"Meine abhi abhi suna ki tujhe meri aur Naina ki dosti se pareshani hai Sameer gave a smug smile and continued directing his speech to the crowd. "Aap log jaante ho kyon? Kyon ki yeh mujhse jalta hai...
Now it was the turn of the bet boys gang to be surprised. "Kyonki Naina hamare school ki topper hai, aur wo apne dost bahut dhyaan se chunti hai. Har koi topper se dosti karna chata hai yeh sochkar ki wo bhi topper ho jaayega, par hamare school mein bahut kum khushnaseeb the, jinko Naina ne apni dosti ka tohfa diya, aur unme mein sabse lucky mein hoon kyonki Naina ne mujhe apni special dosti ka tohfa diya. Aur inn bewakoofon ko kabhi ghaans bhi nahi daali, toh aaj yeh senior hone ka fayda uthakar badlaa lene aa gaye. Mere samne khade hone se darte hai toh Naina ko darane lage.
Now Swati also came near the crowd and came forward to hold Naina's hand.
The crowd roared again, the tables had turned and now Pankaj and gang were being mocked at. They were surprised how easily they became the laughingstock.
Sameer then looked at them in the eye...Dosti kisike kapde, hairstyle ya fashion sense dekhke nahi ki jaati...uska dil saaf aur sundar hona chahiye... then continued loudly...aur mujhe koi sharam nahi hai Naina ko apna sabse achcha dost bolne mein, balki khud pe rashk hai ki mein uski life mein maaayne rakhta hoon...
Naina was so overwhelmed at Sameer's public acceptance of their friendship that she couldn't control her tears and left from there, followed by Swati and Preeti.
Sameer was facing the gang and the crowd "Aur aaj ke baad kisine Naina ya mere kisi bhi dost ko pareshan kiya toh wo Sameer Maheshwari ka wo roop dekhega jo mein dikhana nahi chahta...Suddenly someone form the crowd announced that the principal was headed in the same direction and everybody started dispersing immediately.
Sameer turned around to look for Naina but found her gone. Munna pulled him, "Chal Sameer, nahi toh aajse hi thappad padne lagenge...All three went to the ground and spotted the three girls under a tree. Naina was sitting on the bench, Swati was consoling her crying friend and Preeti her usual self was being sassy.
"Ab kyon ro rahi hai, jijaji ne sab kuch theek toh kar diya...ab hume koi pareshan nahi karega, Preeti tried to reason out.
"Haan, nahi karega, par Sammer ka kya, sab peeth peeche baat karenge aur uska mazaak udayenge ki mujh jaisi behenji ke saath rehta hai.
"Meri favorite behnji ke saath, Sameer came closer, flanked by MP and both Swati and Preeti smiled, but Naina didn't look up.
"Kya tum log hume thodi der ke liye akela chod doge? Sameer asked all the four.
"Chal Pandat, canteen ka chakkar lagate hai, samosa khilaunga Munna said goofily addressing his frockwala Pandit.
"Haan chal chenu, the real Pandit tapped on his shoulders.
"Naina, mein class mein hoon, tu aa ja, Preeti said that, and all four left.
Sameer pulled out his pressed and neatly folded hankie from the pocket and offered it to her. She took it and wiped her tears.
"Mujhe lagta hai ki hume apni dosti college ke bahar hi rakhni chahiye, hum bahar mil sakte hai, mandir mein, kabhi kabhi park mein, aur hum phone par toh roz hi baat karte hai...college mein ek dusre se bina kaam ke baat nahi karni chahiye, mein nahi chahti ki koi meri wajah se tumhara mazaak udaye. Aur tayiji ko tum jaante ho na, wo toh hume roz aise hi college bhejegi, unka buss chale toh maniben se bhi bura avatar de dengi. Aur humne kuch kahan toh padhayee hi rukwa degi, Naina completed her rant.
"Ho gaya tumhara? Sameer knew he had to use reverse psychology to get his fiery Naina back.
"Theek hai, mein tumhari har baat manta hoon, yeh bhi maan leta haoon, nahi karoonga tumse baat. Par ab college mein hai, toh uska mazaa bhi toh lena padega na. Mere class mein ek ladki hai, Juhi aur Madhuri ko milakar bani ho jaise, usne aaj mujhse baat karne ki koshish ki thi, par tumhari wajah se meine usme interest nahi dikhaya...ab agar tum mujhse baat nahi karna chahti toh mein usse baat kar loon? Mere liye toh achcha hi hai na, college ki sabse khoobsurat ladki college mein meri girlfriend aur Ahmedabad ki sabse khoobsurat ladki bahar meri girlfriend.
Naina heard this and threw steel daggers from eyes "Tum kisi aur ladki se dosti karke to dekho, fir batati hoon tumhe, aur yeh Ahmedabad ki sabse khoobsurat ladki kaun hai?, She was angry now how dare he talk about another girl like this, although she had full faith in him but lover's jealousy and possessiveness surfaced in both of them at times.
"Tum... Ahmedabad ki sabse khoobsurat toh kya, puri duniya mein sabse khoobsurat, Sammer held her hand, looked in her eyes with all the love only for her.
"Ek baar kisine mujhse kaha tha, ki khoobsurat dikhne ke liye, achcha dikhna ya achchi dress ki zaroorat nahi hoti, khoobsurat dil chahiye hota hai, aur meri Naina se jyaada khoobsurat dil toh kisika nahi hai. Sameer reminded her of her own words that she, during Pujadi's wedding, had hurled as a taunt to him.
"Meri aakhon se dekho, tum mere liye kya ho aur kitni khoobsuart ho Sameer continued his intense eyelock with her and she couldn't look away from all that love in his eyes, which ensured her his feelings for her were not dependent on her looks and dress.
"I love You Naina, he placed a soft kiss on her fingers.
"I love you too Sameer and fresh tears almost spilled out of her eyes. Sameer could never see his love crying coz of stupid people around them.
"Ab rona bandh karo, warna yahan sabke samne hug kar loonga he said to cheer her up, although he never dared to cross limits in public and make her uncomfortable but it was hard to control his sudden urge to hug her tight, while no one was paying attention in their direction.
Naina smiled through her tears and actually hugged him. He was taken aback by surprise as this was a bold move by Naina, but she had marked him as only hers and he was totally flattered. He hugged her back. Both realized that they had taken a step forward today in their relationship by accepting each other publicly.
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