Chapter 23

Baaz chuckled softly, finding the little family quarrel endearing despite the chaos. It was moments like these that reminded him of the close bond they shared. As he moved to freshen up, the remnants of sleep slowly fading from his eyes, he couldn’t help but smile at the adorable cold war he had just witnessed between his sister and their mother.

Mahi watched him with a satisfied grin, knowing that despite his grumbling, Baaz would always rise to the occasion. The warmth of their familial love was palpable, even in these small, irritating moments.

With a final glance at her brother, Mahi shook her head in amusement and headed out, leaving Baaz to his morning routine.

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Sidharth wrestled with himself over and over, torn between his desire to see Shehnaaz and the anxiety of disrupting her peace. He had planned to visit her countless times, each time reassuring himself that he would keep it brief—just a quick glimpse, a fleeting moment to see her and then leave, so as not to disturb her sleep. Yet, despite his best intentions, the yearning to be near her, to feel her presence, was overpowering.

His heart ached for the simple pleasures of being with her: the way she smiled, the warmth of her hugs, the comforting pat he used to give her as she drifted off to sleep. The thought of those moments filled him with a profound sense of longing. He missed her more than he could articulate, and the void left by her absence felt unbearable.

And there he was, Sidharth Shukla, feeling every bit of his own weakness as he found himself slipping into Shehnaaz’s bedroom through the familiar, clandestine route he had come to know so well. His heart raced with a blend of excitement and apprehension. As he crept into the room, he was met with an unsettling emptiness that felt almost tangible. The sight of the vacant space was a stark contrast to the vibrant image of Shehnaaz that had been filling his thoughts.

He had envisioned this moment a hundred times over, often imagining the thrill of someone catching him in the act, but the reality was far less romantic. There was no one there to witness his desperate attempt to reconnect. His heart pounded with the realization that he had come all this way, only to find the room devoid of its most cherished presence.

Sidharth took a deep breath and glanced around. The door was securely locked from the inside, a sign that Shehnaaz was indeed in the room. The sound of the running water in the bathroom further confirmed his suspicion. He had tried calling her earlier, but the endless ringing on the other end had only heightened his anxiety, each unanswered call a sharp reminder of her absence.

Determined to see her, Sidharth made his way to the bathroom door. He knocked softly, his voice trembling slightly with a mix of hope and trepidation. “Naaz…”

The sound of the running tap ceased abruptly, and he could hear the faintest shuffling inside. Her response came a moment later, gentle and slightly muffled, yet unmistakably comforting. “Haan… bas aa rahi hun…”

Turning away from the bathroom door, Sidharth moved towards Shehnaaz’s closet with a sense of purpose. He carefully reached for her wedding ghagra, the elaborate attire that symbolized the upcoming significant moment in their lives. As he sifted through her collection of jewelry, he meticulously selected pieces that he felt would complement the beauty of the ghagra. His choices were guided by an instinct he didn’t fully understand, but the act of choosing felt oddly familiar, almost as if he were embracing a role he had always been destined for.

He chuckled softly to himself, the sound tinged with amusement and a touch of self-awareness. “I’m already starting to act like a typical husband,” he mused, a hint of disbelief in his voice. The thought of himself behaving in such a way was both surprising and endearing. It was a stark reminder of how deeply he was connected to Shehnaaz, even in the smallest of moments.

Just then, the sound of the bathroom door creaking open reached his ears, drawing his attention back to the present. He turned around, his heart leaping as he caught sight of Shehnaaz emerging from the bathroom. His hand, which had been reaching for another piece of jewelry, paused mid-air. The sight before him was nothing short of enchanting.

Shehnaaz stood there, a vision of serene beauty. Wrapped in a delicate blue satin top and playful polka-dot shorts, she resembled a character from a fairy tale. The soft, shimmering fabric of her top contrasted beautifully with her damp hair, which clung gently to her shoulders and back. The sight of her in this casual, yet elegant attire made Sidharth’s throat go dry with desire and admiration.

He drank in her appearance with an unhurried gaze, savoring every detail. Her natural beauty, the effortless grace with which she moved, made his heart ache with longing. Shehnaaz walked towards him, her eyes locked onto his with a mesmerizing intensity. The space between them seemed to vanish as she drew closer, until they were mere inches apart. The closeness was electric, a palpable connection that allowed them to hear each other’s heartbeats—a steady, rhythmic reminder of the emotions they shared.

As he gazed at her, his eyes followed a single droplet of water that had escaped from her damp hair. The droplet traced a slow path down her neck, gliding over her collarbone with a gentle grace. It continued its journey until it disappeared, absorbed into the fabric of her tank top. The movement of the droplet seemed almost symbolic, a delicate metaphor for the intimacy and the shared moments between them.

Sidharth’s heart raced as he stood there, mesmerized by the sight of Shehnaaz. Every detail, from the way her hair framed her face to the way her eyes sparkled with an unspoken connection, seemed to weave together a beautiful, unspoken narrative of love and longing.

Sidharth’s possessive gaze held Shehnaaz in an unspoken spell, his eyes reflecting a deep, almost primal yearning. As she approached him, she instinctively raised herself on her toes, her heart guiding her movements. She nestled her face into the curve of his neck, seeking solace and warmth. The touch was tender yet filled with a desperation that spoke of how deeply they had missed each other.

In an instant, Sidharth’s arms enveloped her, pulling her close with a fervor that seemed to blend their souls. The embrace was more than a mere hug; it was a reunion of hearts and a desperate need to be close. The intensity of their longing was palpable, as if each breath they took together was a balm to the aching void left by their separation. They had missed each other so terribly, the warmth of their bodies, the rhythm of their heartbeats, and the gentle comfort of each other’s presence.

His fingers, almost reverently, cupped her cheeks. His thumb brushed against her skin with a tenderness that seemed to echo his longing. It was as though he was memorizing the texture of her touch, imprinting it into his very being. Each caress was a silent promise, a vow to remember this moment of closeness.

“Mujhe humesha aise hi rehna hai… aapke pass,” Shehnaaz confessed, her voice barely a whisper but full of sincerity. The simple words conveyed a depth of emotion that neither could fully articulate. Sidharth’s embrace tightened in response, his arms pulling her closer as if to make her a permanent part of himself. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breath, a rhythm he had longed to experience again.

He lifted her chin gently, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes, filled with an almost desperate need, searched hers as he spoke with a possessive intensity that mirrored the depth of his feelings. “You don’t know how long I have waited for you,” Sidharth uttered, his voice carrying a tone of yearning that was reminiscent of a classic, intense love.

Shehnaaz felt a flutter within her, her emotions stirred by the raw, almost primal need that radiated from him. She could sense that he was as deeply affected by their reunion as she was. The connection between them was electric, charged with a mutual longing that transcended words.

“You don’t know how much control I need to hold myself from taking you away with me forever,” Sidharth continued, his voice a soft murmur that sent shivers down her spine. As his palm moved gently down her neck, his touch was both delicate and possessive. His thumb grazed her throat with a caress that made his passion almost tangible. The intensity of his touch, combined with his heartfelt confession, made Sidharth’s emotions surge uncontrollably.

The room seemed to close in around them, leaving only the two of them in their private world of longing and desire. Every touch, every whispered word was a testament to the depth of their connection and the overwhelming need they had for each other. In that moment, all that existed was the fierce, consuming love that bound them together.

Shehnaaz tried to speak, but her tongue felt numb, unable to form the words she so desperately wanted to say. The intensity of Sidharth’s touch seemed to penetrate her very being, sending shivers through her skin and into her bloodstream. It was as if his touch was searing itself into her, igniting a fire that she could scarcely control.

Sidharth’s voice, filled with a groan of desire, broke through the charged silence. “You don’t know what your mere presence does to me…” His words were laced with a mixture of frustration and longing as he watched her bite down on her lower lip, a gesture that revealed her unspoken response to his passion. The sight of her like that stirred a fierce urge within him; he wanted nothing more than to capture that lip with his own, to taste the sweetness that seemed to beckon him.

The raw intensity of his passion, his overwhelming sense of possession, and the way his touch sent waves of sensation through Shehnaaz were driving her to the brink of insanity. Every moment felt like a tormenting ecstasy, as if she was being pulled into an abyss of desire that she could neither escape nor resist.

Sidharth exhaled a deep, shuddering breath, trying to rein in the intensity of his feelings. “You don’t know how much desire I have for you…” His voice was filled with emotion, each word reflecting the deep feelings he was trying to manage.. His eyes, darkened with passion, held a fiery intensity as one of his arms snaked around her waist, drawing her even closer.

“Sidharth…” Shehnaaz mumbled, her voice tinged with helplessness as his touch made her feel both vulnerable and alive. The intensity of his gaze and the possessiveness in his touch overwhelmed her, causing her to lose herself in the moment.

“You don’t know how your single breath makes me feel something beyond heaven,” Sidharth murmured, his voice low and filled with an aching sincerity. “It makes me feel alive, baby.” As he spoke, he gently lifted her, allowing her bare feet to rest against his own. The act was both intimate and grounding, a way to bridge the gap between them and make their connection even more profound.

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