Thank you for the amazing response on Chapter 1…
Since the weekend is here, and we won’t get to see our SamAina for two days, why not delight ourselves with an update 😀
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Chapter 2:- Growing Apart
“I love you Sameer!” Saying that, she hugged me, unable to meet my gaze. It took me a second or two to register everything that had happened in the past minute or so. Here we were, on the highest peak in Mount Abu, with her in my arms and a huge grin on my face. She fitted perfectly, with her head right below my chin. I unknowingly wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes, feeling the moment. The chilly breezes, the chirping of birds, the distant hollering of our schoolmates; nothing mattered at that moment. Instead, everything sounded so melodious, felt so soothing, with her in my embrace.
When she had signalled me, I had an intuition of the turn of events, but my mind still had doubts. I had immediately warned Munna and Pandit too, to which they nodded with a thumbs-up and started searching for our challengers. After all, it wasn’t just the last day of the trip, but also the last day of the bet.
My eyes jerked open with a start as realization soon dawned upon me. This was it! I had finally done it! The wager I had longed to accomplish, the bet I finally won! My mind rushed through all the memories, like a never ending rigmarole of events. My first impression of her wasn’t a fairly decent one; she was one of those typical old-fashioned girls who feared too much and cared too much about their moral values. Our first encounter couldn’t be any filmier than it already was; I could still guffaw over the way we crashed into each other, avoiding any physical contact yet feeling a connection. I had experienced an adrenaline rush the moment I met her gaze; there was something about her that distinguished her from everyone else. To my then chagrin, a couple of spoilt boys decided to provoke me into putting my hair at stake. Before I knew it, I was in a bet where I had to convince the nerdiest girl in our class to confess her love for me. And why wouldn’t I, after all she humiliated me in front of everyone, leaving me with bitter vengeance.
Where I had once planned to shoot tantalizing comments at her, I had ended up saying the sweetest things ever. She was baffled at the sudden change in behavior, and I was happy she was falling for me. And today, my wait finally ended, as she spoke those three magical words, a smile still lingering on both our faces.
I couldn’t tell how long it had been, but to my amazement, I was the least bothered about that. That moment felt so surreal, I feared losing it. I feared losing our blank calls, our signals, our treats for each other. I feared losing our friendship.
“Sameer! You did it!” Pandit’s boisterous voice echoed, breaking my chain of thoughts. Naina straightened herself almost abruptly, while I felt an uneasy emptiness.
“Naina, thank you so much! You don’t know what you’ve done today!” She had a meticulous gaze with a slow frown forming on her face. I couldn’t see past the glint of fear in her eyes, and that was when I realized how atrocious I had been.
“What do you mean?” Her voice wavered, clearly expressing the anxiety. I was dreading this moment, and somehow wanted to disappear. I didn’t have the courage to face her, didn’t have the strength to witness her tears.
“Pandit, let Sameer explain.” Munna’s grave voice cautioned everyone.
“What’s left to explain? C’mon guys, why are you both taking this so seriously?” Pandit laughed hysterically. Before I could intervene, she did, with a new found confidence in her voice. But I knew her too well to identify the facade that was beautifully hiding her fear.
“Can you please elaborate? I’m confused, and I want to know.”
“Naina, did you really think Sameer–the smartest, coolest, and the most popular guy–would fall for an old-fashioned girl like you?! Think straight Naina, why else would he befriend you if not forcefully!” He bellowed triumphantly, making me look away in despair.
I had imagined this chain of events innumerable times, with a slow smile playing on my lips each time I visualized winning the bet. Never had I anticipated this disappointment that was dominating my heart, the treacherous memories that repeated in my mind.
“Circumstance? What’s he trying to say, Sameer?” Her eyes shifted to mine, filled with hope and worry.
“Naina, let me explain.” I began. But before I could proceed any further, my ears rang with vicious laughs. Concern was replaced by anger as I turned to face my challengers; the root of the problem.
“I have to admit, you’re worth praises! Look at the unimaginable! Naina, the nerdiest, old fashioned girl, who doesn’t deserve–”
“Enough!” I barked, surprised at my protectiveness.
“Don’t you dare say anything about her, or else…” I threatened in a tone that made them gulp in fright. With a slight twitch, I signalled everyone to leave us alone, receiving perplexed expressions from my friends and envious ones from the spoilt boys.
When I turned around, I noticed a tear forming on her serene face along with a hysterical grin.
“Naina, I–”
“Just answer my questions with a yes or no.” She commanded, not meeting my gaze. My anxiousness grew as her voice turned ice cold.
“Naina, let me explain, please–”
“Please, Sameer. Yes or no.” She interrupted once more, leaving me with no other option but to give in. I waited for her to interrogate, dreading each question.
“What Pandit said…about you being forced to…be-befriend me, is that true?” She spoke with great difficulty.
“Naina–”
“Yes or no?” She was adamant.
“Yes.” I admitted, observing another tear marking its presence. She shut her eyes to control her pain.
Taking a deep breath, she began again, “Were the other boys informed to come up here when I…?” She left her question incomplete, waiting for my response. Naina had turned her back towards me, making me uneasy. I was impatient to see her reaction, I badly wanted to console her, to explain everything.
“Yes.” I heard her gasp in agony at hearing the three letter word. Her hands curled into fists as she vigorously rubbed them against each other.
“Was this all planned? Is this the wager you were discussing with your friends on the day of the birthday party?” My eyes widened in horror, leaving me utterly shocked. It had taken me a second to register what she was talking about, but once I did, guilt cocooned me into darkness. Her tears weren’t fake. The reason behind them wasn’t her father, but me. She knew it all along, and still she let me play with her emotions.
“How–” I wanted to ask.
“Yes or no.” She reminded, gulping a lump formed in her throat.
“Yes.” At that response, she faced me, eyes red, but not with fury. But with pain. Irreversible pain caused by me.
“Sameer, I want you to answer one last question. I promise, I won’t interrogate any further. Just this last one.” Taking another deep breath, she unfisted her hands, revealing the dark marks.
“In the past two months, has there been any moment, where you’ve genuinely meant what you’ve said to me? Have you ever come across a second, where I have become something more….than just a typical, old fashioned girl?” Hope sparkled behind the blanket of tears, as she waited in anticipation. All those memories whizzed past me, every event replaying itself, as if indicating something. I had done everything for the bet, but did I…?
Before thinking clearly, I rushed into committing the biggest mistake of my life, “No.”
She laughed to herself, quickly wiping the tears that were about to spring out any moment. My hands urged to touch her tears, to cup her face in my hands. But my mind contradicted my thoughts, reminding me of my last answer, ‘No’. There was nothing between Naina and I, was there?
Her lips curved into a smile filled with anguish, “There’s nothing left to explain anymore, Sameer.” Tears flowed endlessly, and this time, she didn’t bother to wipe them.