Shades of Love - SS: Last Chapter ( 16+) : Page 22 - Page 9

It was after more than a week that Naina would be meeting Sameer. While she was happy to be in his arms again, the storm in her heart would not go away. The poison had taken hold of her soul, and no true love's kiss would make it disappear. Life was not a fairy tale and Naina was not a fairy princess. Moreover, the emotional strain they had faced last year had taken a toll on her. The grief of losing Sameer's grandfather, and their subsequent separation for over a year had left a mark on both of them. During this fragile state of her mind, the unfair and cruel words of her aunt and her father had taken root to such an extent that, even after their reunion, she was still unsure about everything. And now, with Preeti's marriage talks and the girls of her college constantly making a play at Sameer was not sitting well with her. With so much going on within her, Naina was oblivious to everything around her. She was blindly following Preeti and Swati towards her class when he called.

"There you are! I was waiting for you to come back. Sameer cheerfully greeted Naina. His eyes took a note of her sad eyes and withdrawn face, and immediately pulled her to an empty classroom. He signaled Preeti and Swati to move ahead.

"What's wrong?" Sameer asked her, cupping her face with hands, concern evident in his voice.

"Nothing..just tired." Naina replied.

"No. This just not just your illness. Something else is going on in your head."

"Nothing is happening. You are just imagining things, Sameer." Naina tried to smile.

"Don't lie. Remember, I can read your eyes, they cannot hide anything from me. Someone named you aptly."

"Is that so? Well, there is nothing going on. You are just overthinking. " Naina hugged him, not able to look into his eyes, and allow him to read her pain. Sameer hugged her tightly, instinctively knowing that she needed him, simultaneously afraid that something is going to happen, some intuition making Sameer apprehensive.

After a while they broke apart.

"Come let's go to class now... " Sameer kissed her forehead and led them to their class.

**

For the next several days, Sameer looked on helplessly as the sadness in his Naina's eyes increased day by day. Every day he tried to talk to her. One day he pleaded her to talk to him. The next day he kissed her to submission and tried to make her talk. Once he made Preeti and Swati talk to her. And then he got angry. Nothing he did made any difference to Naina. She was so lost, so withdrawn, Sameer felt he is losing her every moment. He was aching to hold her, comforst her, slay all her dragons; she just was not allowing him to do so. The frustration and helplessness made him so irritable all the time, Munna and Pandit did not talk to him for couple of days, afraid he will take it out on them.

Naina was drowning. No matter how much she tried, she could not let go of the feeling that she is inadequate, that she is not good enough for Sameer. She was not beautiful, her family was not rich, she was quite, studious, and not at all outgoing like Sameer. She was not charming like him. She was not the center of attraction of any party like him. People loved him and are attracted to him, unlike her. In every way she felt inferior to him. No rational thinking could help her break out of this funk.

The final straw came during a lunch period, a conversation Naina heard from the table next to her. Sameer was not in college due to some legal work with respect to his grandfather's will. Naina knew he was left with everything grandfather owned and now he is the sole heir to all of that wealth. And it was a big news all over the college.

"You know he is so rich. What a combination! Tall, dark, handsome, now rich too." It was Priya who pointed this out loud in her group.

"I know. Wish he would look at me once." Diya exclaimed.

"But, he is going around with that loser Naina, right?" some girl whose name Naina did not remember replied.

"Yes. I still do not know what he sees in her." Priya sneered, "He should be with someone like me. I am beautiful, and rich too. My father can give so much dowry, that he will get tired counting all that wealth. What can this loser's librarian father give? Old, dusty books?

"True. She is so not appropriate for him. Look how she is holding him back." some one replied.

"How so?"

"With all his wealth and connections, he could have gotten into college anywhere in this country. Bombay has good colleges. And why not Delhi? His family stays there right? Not only she is keeping him here and depriving him of good education, she is also keeping him away from his family. How selfish!" Diya replied.

Naina physically recoiled with the piercing intensity of those words. Someone had said it rightly, Naina thought, the truth always hurts. Everything snapped at once, everything fell apart at that moment. And Naina knew what she had to do.

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