I wonder if this was all to your side of the story, Naina. I wonder, often when I am also looking at the old photos, if the girl with rectangular, full-rimmed specs with eyes full of self-doubt and a constant frown—was that all you had to show the world? You seem to achieve it all-from being 'Scholar Naina' to 'Dr. Naina' and from being a 'Chashmish' to 'The Gorgeous'. From shy and sweet answers your replies became fierce and relatable, you have come a long way. Was it the Manali trip…or was it Bunny—someone who didn’t just look at you, but truly knew you? Let it be the trip or that one person, it is not what gets me thinking about you. The thing which makes me want to know more about you is the unintentional wait of those 8 years…Yes, Unintentional. Because you said, "8 saal beet gaye hai, usne kabhi mud kar nahi dekha…or maine intezaar bhi nahi kiya". It's the one thing that does not fit right in my head.
8 years is not a funny time, Naina. Nowadays people can't even wait for some hours to get the reply from a person, and you managed to wait with a silent hope that even you were not aware of. In those 8 years, you were made into a strong, wise and mature woman who did not depend on validation of others to do what makes her happy.
You handled it all—your best friend's wedding, the decorations, wedding outfits, last minute panic which made you go from 'Bole Chudiyaan' to 'Dilliwali Girlfriend', reminding your mom to take meds on time. You handled it all impressively well.
You almost handled yourself too, almost moved on. Almost.
But your heart again skipped a beat when you saw him again after 8 years. Your brain and heart must be at a war in that moment. You must have felt at ease when you had heard his voice after so many years, you must have felt happy and nostalgic or maybe a little angry too? Maybe at him for being away with no contact or maybe at yourself for having the quiet hope still flickering inside you once again. Above this all, you were a good friend to him, mature of you to not ruin this friendship and having courage to keep this one-sided for always. But some stories, it seems, refuse to end halfway…and this time he did come back and chose to stay.
It's your preferences in life that made me look at you like my lost twin—"Mumbai ki baarish, gajar ka halwa, DDLJ with popcorn, biryani, MS Dhoni ka winning six in Wankhede"—I mean all those finest things which I like too and how can I forget "Tumhe kya pata apno ke saath rehna kya hota hai?"
I wonder if our taste will match in other things too. I wonder if you are a type of person to keep separate playlists for different moods or you mix all of them in just one. I wonder what kind of old songs you listen to or who is your favorite character or what is your spirit animal. I wonder if you would have been able to keep up with these Gen-Z slangs and concepts of benching, soft launch, cushioning and what not. There is so much more that I wish to know about you—about your journey. Because I know that waiting is not an easy choice to make. You must have wept silently at nights after studying, wondering why all of that happened if he was not meant to stay.
You must have thought—"What if I had confessed to him while returning from trip instead of saying 'Subah hogai' ?"
But you don't know this journey of yours has what made all the one-sided lovers learn to wait…because in their hearts, they too know "If it's meant to be, it will stick around"
Because you said, "Thoda waqt do, sab kuch theek ho jaega"
But the thing is Naina not everyone has your patience and maturity. People often tend to walk away saying it's what is good for both of them, saying "It's not you, it's me"
You, on the other hand, gave Bunny space to decide and make move while holding your ground too. Because you, Naina, showed us how this beautiful art of one-sided love is painted with silent gestures. along with 'The Art of Waiting'.
Because you made Bunny understand that "Shaadi is not Dal Chaawal for 50 saal till you die. Kyuki life mei kitna bhi keema pao, tangdi kabab ya hakka noodles khalo—sukoon toh ghar aake dal chawal khaane mei hi hai na?"
this is how I see Naina from YJHD📚✨…Let me know about your thoughts on this writing🫶🏻. I'll be glad to read what you think when you put yourself in Naina's shoes or how you perceive Aditi or Avi or Bunny.