Chapter 10

Sidharth chuckled. That “suniye” was just like a typical husband-wife thing. He had no idea how Shehnaaz had filled his life with so many moments of joy and happiness. “Ummm…” he hummed softly, feeling a deep longing to hug her close.

Shehnaaz cleared her throat, “Aaj mumma aapke bare me puchh rahi thi..?”

Sidharth’s heart skipped a beat. “What did maa say…?”

Her heart melted for him once again. How easily he accepted her mumma as his own, with no pretence of calling her “aunty” and all. “Mumma hamesha kehti hai ke Shehnaaz tum meri parachhayi ho.. Mumma ne kaha ke mere har faisle me wo mere sath hai…”

Sidharth sighed, feeling a bit relaxed. He didn’t want any negativity in their relationship. He decided to officially send his proposal to her house soon.

Sidharth smiled, “Me dar gaya tha ek pal ke liye.. ke maa kaise react karengi..”

Shehnaaz chuckled hearing him, “Mujhe chocolate khane ka man kar raha hai…”

Sidharth shook his head with a chuckle, “Blue ghagra liya hai na.. uske bag me hai dekho…”

She grinned like a child and ran to get it. “Hayy rabba.. aapko meri har khwahish pehle hi pata chal jati hai na…” she said cutely while nibbling on her chocolate.

“Mera bachha…” he mumbled, lost in her innocence. there was like two poles. she was a total baby and he was matured.. if he had not met her, falling in love with a young immature girl would has been impossible for him.. but here he was… 

Sidharth felt her soft and steady breathing and wondered if she was asleep. He didn’t want her to feel the disconnection of the call without a proper goodbye, so he whispered softly, “Naaz.”

“jana…” came an instant whisper, making him smile. “Achha you sleep.. I’ll…”

“Nahi na..” she cut him off instantly, “Mujhe baat karni hai aap se.. aap ne sham me mujhpe gussa kyu kiya..?”

Sidharth wondered when that happened and remembered. “Jaan, samajho na… mujhe gussa karne ki adat hai..”

“Kaisi stupid adat hai.. mujhe nahi chahiye gussa..” she said in her babyish sleepy voice, making him chuckle. “achha baba.. nahi chahiye toh nahi karunga bas…”

Shehnaaz’s mind was lost in the intense moment they shared. She wanted to let him know it was just him who had ever touched her. “Woh.. aaj jo.. matlab.. aise kabhi bhi nahi…”

Sidharth interrupted, stopping her from completing that sentence. “I know… no one can touch you except me…” She belonged only to him.

His possessiveness held a unique place in her heart. She couldn’t understand why her heart fluttered like a butterfly whenever he declared her as his.

Suddenly, the atmosphere had become uneasy.

Sidharth tried to relax her, “Waise.. agar me phone nahi karta to tum to aaram se ghode bechkar so jati..”

Shehnaaz gaped at his words. “aap bhi na.. pehli baat toh me ghode bechkar nahi soti… dusri baat me aapke phone ka wait kar rahi thi.. kyunki mere pass aapka number nahi tha. And third… mujhe aapki bahot yaad aa rahi thi..” She bit her tongue, realizing what she had said.

Sidharth chuckled at his chatterbox. “Pehli baat.. ke tum ghode bechkar hi soti ho.. agar ghar me koi chor aaye aur wo tumhe jagane ki koshish kare.. ki dekho me chori kar raha hu.. toh tum usse bhi datogi ke jo karna hai karo.. par mujhe sone do… Dusri baat… mene tumhara phone try kiya tha.. but it was coming busy.. And third.. mujhe bhi tumhari jyada yaad aa rahi hai… par can’t do anything.. kyunki is hafte tumhe project bhi select karna hai aur enhi do hafto me complete bhi karna… because after that you will get busy with Shehbaaz’s wedding.. Am I right?”

By the time he finished, he was smirking while Shehnaaz had her mouth wide open in shock. “Aap ko har baat kaise pata hoti hai..?”

Sidharth was about to speak when she gasped and started her drama, “Hayy rabba… mene kaise complete karna hai itna jaldi..?”

Sidharth was about to speak when she cut him again, “Aap meri help karoge na..?”

Sidharth chuckled at her capacity to speak, “Haan jaan..”

It was 1:45 am, and silence had prevailed on both ends when Shehnaaz mumbled in her sleep, “Baat karo na..”

Sidharth craved to kiss her pouted lips. “Ab sare ghav bhar gaye hai na? tumhe dard nahi hota na..?”

Shehnaaz made a baby face, “Aap dar gaye the..?”

Sidharth sighed, “Mar gaya tha.. mera bachha…”

Shehnaaz felt uneasiness in her throat as she choked up with emotions. “Aap mujhe dobara chhod kar nahi jaoge na..?” tears instantly formed in her eyes.

Sidharth groaned in helplessness, “Nahi jaan.. I can never even think of it.. or else I will die.. Please stop crying baby..”

Shehnaaz smiled amidst tears..

sidharth tried to cheer her up, “Tumne abhi tak change bhi nahi kiya… pehle change karlo.. and then sleep..”

Shehnaaz was too sleepy to get up. “Nahi…”

Sidharth chuckled, wondering how much he was going to pamper her. “Do you want me to help you..?”

Shehnaaz blabbered, “Haan..”

Both went silent.

Shehnaaz dug her face into the pillow, blushing hard while Sidharth groaned in restlessness. That was not the only thing he wanted to do.

Keeping the phone on the bed, she ran and came back in a few minutes. “Aap phone nahi rakhoge..?”

Sidharth took a deep breath, wondering the color of satin today. “Tum so jao.. I’ll cut the call..”

He listened to her steady breaths and realized she had drifted off to sleep. Her breaths and heartbeats were so gentle that he didn’t notice when sleep overtook him, causing the call to disconnect on its own.

________________

After lectures, Shehnaaz and the group walked into the canteen.

Nisha was annoyed due to the scolding received from the lecturer. “Ranbir yaar, order jaldi leke aana..”

Ranbir rolled his eyes, “Me hi wahan pe part-time pe kaam karna shuru kar deta hu..”

Ankita grinned, “Ye achha idea hai.. isi bahane tera duniya me aane ka kuch to istemal ho jayega..”

Ranbir mocked her, “Par tera to abhitak koi istemal nahi huva hai.. tu bhi join karle…”

Ankita was about to whack him when Shehnaaz glared at them, “Stop it, guys.. project ke liye topic jaldi decide kar lo yaar..”

They talked about several topics but couldn’t reach a final decision.

Ankita tried to relax Shehnaaz. “Tum log sham ko mere ghar pe aa jana.. dekhte hai kya karna hai..”

Anu looked at Ankita, “Tumhare ghar me kaun kaun hai Ankita..?”

Startled, Ankita walked off instantly, followed by Mayank who ran behind her. “Baby.. sun.. Ankita…”

Anu looked around at everyone with a confused expression, “Mene kuchh galat kaha kya…?”

Shehnaaz sighed, and Ranbir spoke, “Actually, she has only her father left in her family…”

Anu felt horribly guilty.

Shehnaaz held her hand, knowing she wasn’t actually at fault. She didn’t know. “Her relation is not in good terms with her father too. It was only Mayank who helped her return to herself. She has been through a lot… but Mayank’s love brought happiness back in her life..”

Nisha agreed, “True yaar.. Mayank loves her most… and he is her everything…”

Anu felt very guilty, not for asking Ankita about her family, but for thinking of Mayank in that way. She hated herself for being so selfish. Anu decided she would never come in between them. They are made for each other, and she is nobody to come between them.

_________________

Sidharth reached the office a little late, thanks to their late-night mobile session which didn’t let him sleep till late.

Ritika watched as Sidharth settled into his cabin, which was adjacent to hers, separated by a glass wall since she was his secretary. She noticed he seemed calmer than ever before.

There was always a slight smile on his face these days. She was uncertain about his changed behavior but felt a sense of happiness at seeing him more relaxed.

Ritika was loving this nature of Sidharth. He hadn’t scolded her for several days. In London also, he treated her so well. He actually started smiling a bit. Kya wo bhi mujhe pasand karne lage hai.. shayad haan ya shayad na.. koi aur bhi toh vajah ho sakti hai unki khushi ki.. Par London me unhone kitne achhe se mujhe treat kiya.. he respected me well.. what could it be? Whatever it is, I love this new Sidharth more… she thought and smiled to herself.

_________________

After the meeting, Sidharth made his way towards his cabin, feeling the weight of the day’s responsibilities. As he pushed open the door, his heart lightened at the sight of his mother waiting for him, her presence a beacon of warmth and comfort. “Maa.. aap yahan..”

Rita ji smiled, her eyes crinkling with affection as she set the file down. “Haan.. tu subah itni jaldi nikla.. baat bhi nahi ki thik se na kuch khaya.. isliye main yahan aa gayi..”

Sidharth rolled his eyes playfully, the familiar dance of concern and care between them. He sat beside his mother, the chair creaking under his weight. “Maa, aap ko ghar pe rest karna hai.. warna I have to call Malhotra uncle again..”

Rita ji held her heart dramatically, a theatrical flair that always made him smile. “Nahi, hume itni jaldi nahi upar jana…”

Sidharth chuckled, the sound deep and warm, and pulled his mother into a gentle hug. “I love you maa…”

Rita ji’s smile widened as she ruffled his hair, a gesture that had annoyed him since childhood. “Maa, no…”

Rita ji did it even more, her laughter ringing like a melody. “Sidharth, abhi tera ‘I love you’ share karne ka waqt ho gaya hai beta…”

Sidharth rolled his eyes at her persistence about his marriage. He wondered what her reaction would be when he told her about his late-night balcony routines. He could almost see her fainting in shock or maybe refusing to believe him entirely.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he asked, “Aap ne lunch kiya maa?”

Rita ji knew he was changing the topic, but she played along for now. “Haan, aur tere liye bhi laya hai.. chal, kha le..”

Sidharth ate the lunch she had brought, chatting with her about everything and nothing. Yet, his mind kept drifting to Shehnaaz, wondering when the right moment would come to talk to his mother about her.

Shehnaaz’s sleep was disturbed by the persistent ringing of her phone. Annoyed, she disconnected the call and tried to return to her dreams. But the phone rang again, jolting her from her slumber.

Groggily, she picked it up. “Hello…..”

There was no reply. Half-asleep, she repeated her greeting a few more times before disconnecting the call again.

Her phone started ringing once more, breaking her fragile sleep. She picked it up, did hello multiple times in her sleepy state, and disconnected again as there was no response from the other end.

After five minutes, her phone rang again. Frustration flared within her. Picking up the call, she snapped, “Baat nahi karni to phone kyu karte ho…?”

Ranbir’s confused voice responded, “Itna chilla kyu rahi hai…?”

Shehnaaz mumbled in her sleep, “Kamine, kab se hello hello kiye ja rahi hun….”

Ranbir rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with exasperation. “Pehle tu uth, kumbh-karan ki akhri pidhi…”

Shehnaaz made a face, sitting up on her bed, her eyes barely open. “Achha bol.. kya huva..?”

Ranbir sighed, “Nishu ka phone aaya tha.. kitne baje aana hai…?”

Shehnaaz was about to drift off again. “Kahan aana hai aur kyu…?”

Ranbir slapped his forehead in frustration. “Project, meri maa.. bhul gayi…”

Suddenly, Shehnaaz remembered she hadn’t told Sidharth about the subject they were thinking about. She concluded in her mind, “Umm.. tumlog.. 7 baje tak aa jana..”

Ranbir warned, “Alright.. ab fir se sona mat.. warna sir dard karne lagega…”

Shehnaaz forced her eyes wide open to stay awake. “Ha baba… chal bye.”

Shehnaaz immediately called Sidharth, but there was no response. Sidharth had kept his phone on silent and had forgotten to switch it back to general mode as he got busy with Rita ji.

Shehnaaz made a face. “Utha kyu nahi rahe… khadus kahin ke… mera phone bhi nahi utha sakte..” She tried again, still no response. Frustrated, Shehnaaz angrily placed the phone beside her and wrapped herself in the blanket, drifting back to sleep.

Rita ji sensed that Sidharth was hiding something, but she decided to let it go for a while, hoping he would tell her in his own time. However, her curiosity got the better of her, the typical woman within her needing to know the secret being kept from her.

In a serious tone, she spoke, “Sidharth…” He responded instantly, “Haan maa…?”

Rita ji cupped his cheek like he was still a child. “Apne maa se kab se baatein chhupane laga tu..?”

Sidharth went on his knees in front of her, looking down. He knew he could never keep things from her. Rita ji’s heart swelled with emotion. She knew he was going through something that was changing him in a positive way. Sidharth had always been the kind of person who got everything in life yet never got spoiled. He was best at everything he did, disciplined, and had never faced any issues or pain in his life except his father’s demise. But Rita ji had filled that place for him too. He was mature, practical, and had never involved himself with any girl, nor had he ever wanted to.

No one had managed to find a place in his heart except his little family. But now, she knew, this fact was changing. She could feel it, and the thought made her heart soar with happiness, like her most awaited dream was finally coming true.

Sidharth noticed his mother’s silence. He understood what was on her mind and raised his gaze to meet her eyes.

Rita ji smiled as he rested his head in her lap. “Sidharth, kuchh kehna chahta hai na.. bol beta..”

Sidharth smiled as his mother’s fingers brushed through his hair. “Maa, kya aisa ho sakta hai.. ek pal… bas ek lamha maa.. aur humari zindagi puri tarah badal jaye… is that possible maa..?”

Rita ji pondered his words. “Badlav toh hote hi beta… zindagi humesha ek jaisi nahi hoti.. par jo cheez important hai wo hai badlav ki wajah.. agar wajah sahi ho.. to badlav acchha hi hoga.. hai na..?”

Sidharth listened carefully. “Par maa.. ek pal..? Kayi baar puri zindagi beet jati hai logon ko samajhne me.. to fir ek pal me hum kisiko apna kaise maan sakte hai..? Ya fir kisiko bhi ye haqq kaise de sakte ke wo humari zindagi ban jaye..? Us pal me koi aur cheez kyu mayane nahi rakhti..? Haan maa..?”

Rita ji’s heart filled with a realization that her doubts were true. “Sidharth, humne kaha na… sab wajah par nirbhar karta hai.. kabhi kabhi.. koi achanak humari zindagi me aata hai.. humara dil karta hai ke hum usse zindagi ka hissa banaye.. par kadi itni majboot hoti hai ke hissa bante bante wo insaan humari zindagi hi ban jata hai…”

Sidharth closed his eyes, and Shehnaaz’s face from that very first rain flashed before him. “Par hum sahi hai ya galat ye kaise pata chalega maa.. wo humare bare me kya sochta hai..? Kayi baar shabdon ke liye jagah hi nahi hoti…”

Rita ji observed his calm face, seeing her son change for the better. The owner of Shukla Empires, Sidharth Shukla, the name was enough. His attitude, professionalism, and smartness had earned him the title of Mr. Perfectionist. He never needed any answers from anybody, he knew everything. But now, he was changing. Smiling, she spoke, “Kisike dil me kya hai ye janne ke liye hume uss insaan ki ankhon me jhaak kar dekhna padta hai.. aur koi tarika nahi…”

Sidharth remembered Shehnaaz’s beautiful almond eyes. “Par agar uss insaan ki ankhon me hum kho gaye toh… agar kisiki ankhen itni gehri ho ke usme kho jane ka dar lage toh…”

Rita ji was deep in thought. “Marne ke dar se hum zindagi jeena to nahi chhodte na.. ussi tarah.. khone ke dar se uski ankhon me hi na dekhna.. ye koi wajah nahi hui.. aur kabhi kabhi hum kho kar bhi sab kuchh pa lete hai…..”

Sidharth smiled. “Mujhe kya ho raha hai maa..? Me badal raha hu… ye kaisa ehsaas hai jisne mere dil par kabza kar liya hai….?”

Rita ji brushed his hair lovingly. “Tujhe abhi bhi nahi pata.. Sidharth is ehsaas ko pyar kehte hai…”

Sidharth’s mind clung to the word “pyar.” “Maa, jab koi usse dekhe… ye soch bhi mein bardasht nahi kar pata… kya mujhe pyar ho sakta hai?”

Rita ji understood this was part of his persona, part of his guarded heart. “Kyu… aap ko pyar nahi ho sakta? Har insaan ko janm pyar ke liye hota hai. Pyar zindagi hai, Sidharth. Janam ki vajah pyar hai… aur janam ka ant bhi pyar hai.”

Sidharth’s confusion deepened. “Agar pyar itna important hai… to main aaj tak pyar par bharosa kyun nahi kar paya? Aur ab aisa lagta hai… ke aapki har baat meri zindagi ko uski zindagi se jod rahi hai…”

Rita ji kissed his hair, feeling the depth of his turmoil. “Har cheez ke samay hota hai, Sidharth. Meri nani kaha karti thi… humare paas do aankhen, do kaan, do haath, do pair hain… par dil… dil ek hi hai. Taki hum is dil ka dusra hissa dhund kar usse is dil ke sath jod le…”

A genuine smile spread across Sidharth’s face. “Maa… mujhe is dil ka dusra hissa mil gaya hai.” The smile that followed brought an immense sense of completeness, a thousand unspoken emotions that filled Rita ji with happiness.

Rita ji’s eyes shone with joy. “Aur hum intezar karenge ke aap hume bhi unse milaye. Take your time, son.”

She kissed his forehead tenderly and left, leaving Sidharth to his thoughts. She knew her son would not be able to face her now. He was in a vulnerable phase, and she didn’t want to embarrass him. She understood her son through and through, and she knew he would be fine in time.

Sighing, Sidharth sat there for a few minutes and then went to his desk to check his phone. He saw 12 missed calls from Shehnaaz.

Shocked, he saw a text that read, “Me bahot gussa hun… bilkul nahi manne wali…”

He chuckled. Her anger had a cuteness to it. He called her immediately, but her phone was switched off. He had told her not to keep her phone off, but now he couldn’t even be angry when she was angry with him. That was new.

Sidharth Shukla was scared of his baby’s anger. “Aaj toh tu gaya, Sidharth… kitni baatein sunni padengi… can’t even count. Is puri duniya mein sirf ek yahi aafat hai jo Sidharth Shukla ko dara sakti hai.”

Unable to leave his baby angry, Sidharth took care of his important work as fast as he could and left the office instantly, leaving a confused Ritika behind.

He entered through the balcony only to find Shehnaaz sleeping on the bed, sleeping on her stomach with a frown on her face.

Locking the door from the inside, he sat beside her and chuckled at the cute frown on her face, wondering, “Gusse mein bhi itna pyaara kaise lag sakta hai koi…” The duvet had covered her halfway, and his throat groaned at the sight of the yellow satin this time.

He loved watching her sleep. She looked like the cutest baby in the world while sleeping. Bending over her, he kissed her messy hair. “Jaan…”

She immediately frowned more and turned the other way. Oops, she wasn’t asleep, he realized, and snaked his arm around her waist to pull her closer, but she slapped his hand away. He shook his head and kept a chocolate on the bed right in front of her eyes. She quietly pulled the chocolates into her spread and ignored him royally.

“Me gussa hun,” she declared in her puppy voice, making him groan at her cuteness.

He lovingly picked her up and embraced her in his lap, hiding her in him while his arms fully covered her.

Like he could never let anybody even see her, he could never share her with anybody. It was like he was protecting his princess from the world. His baby was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He rested halfway on the bed with her completely wrapped in his big body.

Kissing her eyes, he heard her, “I was missing you,” and wrapped her closer until her lips found a comfortable spot on his neck.

“Naraz ho?” he asked softly and smiled when her arms snaked around his neck to cling to him. He wondered how she never got angry at him.

“Is she actually from Earth, or did she come directly from heaven that day, hiding herself in those droplets?” When he saw her for the first time in that rain, he was sure she must have come with that rain from heaven for him.

Sidharth kissed her forehead, and his fingers softly caressed the waistband of her satin, making her shiver. “Me maa se baat kar raha tha jaan… I didn’t realize the phone was on silent. But tumne phone off kyun rakha?”

Shehnaaz played with the first button of his shirt. “Kyunki mujhe pata tha… agar mera phone off hoga toh aap zaroor aaoge…”

“Etna jaanti ho mujhe?” he mumbled softly, staring at her eyes passionately, which were lost in his shirt button. God knows what she found there.

“Mene apko disturb kiya tha?” she asked, her eyes filling up.

A drop of pearl rolled out of her big eye, and Sidharth kissed it immediately. “Janti ho, ek din main tufani barish mein apne dil dhundne nikla. Sab kehte the sabke paas dil hota hai, par mere paas tha hi nahi. Isliye mene tey kiya, chahe kitni bhi barish ho, aaj main zaroor dhundunga…”

She innocently asked, “Phir?”

He pulled her more into his embrace, continuing, “Phir, dhundte dhundte, meri nazar ek khoobsurat barish ki boond par padi. Main usse dekhta hi rah gaya. Phir jaise hi us boond ne zamin ko chhua, usme se ek angel bahar aayi. Aur nachne lagi, khushi se, dil se, gaane lagi, paani mein kudne lagi, khelne lagi. Uski har ada mein jaise jadoo tha, jo bhi dekhe bas pagal ho jaye. Uski aankhen sagar ki tarah gehri thi, par itni masoom ke usme mein jhankar sidha dil mein utar jaaye. Aur tabhi mene dekha ke uske dil par ek naam tha Sidharth. Main bass usse dekhta hi raha aur woh paani mein khelti rahi, nachti rahi. Main usse apne paas lena chahta tha, par tabhi kisi ne use awaaz di… Naaz.”

She smiled, she blushed. He hugged her tighter. “Mera bachha, us pal ke baad har pal tumhe hi dekhta hoon. Aur har pal tumhe hi dekhna chahta hoon. Sote-jagate, har pal mein tum ho, har saans mein tum ho. Khushi mein tum ho, pyar mein bhi sirf tum hi ho Shehnaaz.”

She loved his words like anything. All she could do was just stare at him and fall in love with his lovely words. Sidharth continued, lost in her eyes (like his maa said), “Jab main hi tumse hoon, toh tumhe haq hai mujhe disturb karne ka, mujh par gussa karne ka, mujhe daantne ka, mujhse ladne ka. Dobara aisa mat kehna ke tum mujhe disturb karti ho. Samjhi tum?”

He felt like he could just enter her heart through her eyes, like he could see the way clearly to reach her heart. He now understood what his maa meant: “Kabhi kabhi kuch pane ke liye, samne wali ki ankhon mein khona padta hai.” His heart fluttered in happiness. “Par maine toh sab kuch paa liya.”

Lost, Shehnaaz softly rested her lips on his. There was no kiss, no pecks; she rested them, connected them forever. It was magical the way they fit perfectly against each other. Sidharth closed his eyes, letting her have her moment. Her touch soothed his heart and sent peace to his mind.

They remained like that forever.
Sidharth pulled her closer when Shehnaaz finally mumbled, “Aap ki maa bahot pyari hongi na?”

Sidharth smiled. “Haan, bilkul tumhari tarah.”

Shehnaaz looked at him excitedly. “Unki age kya hai?”

Sidharth chuckled, realizing the chatterbox has started. “Jab milogi toh khud hi puch lena.”

Shehnaaz was about to speak further when they heard someone knock on the door.

Sidharth and Shehnaaz looked at each other with wide eyes.

Sidharth whispered, a bit tense. He didn’t want to ruin his image in front of her family. “I think someone is there.”

Shehnaaz was scared. “Oh God, veerji ya papaji honge toh?”

Sidharth consoled her, whispering, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I am going. You just open the door, okay? Now stop worrying.”

Sidharth lovingly placed a kiss on her forehead and made his way out.

Calming herself, Shehnaaz opened the door. “Veerji, aap?”

Baaz entered her room. “Haan Sana, mujhe tujhse thoda kaam tha.”

Shehnaaz kept herself cool as they continued with their chat.

_________________

Anu and Mayank went to Ankita’s place, while Ranbir and Nisha went to Shehnaaz’s as they were project teams. Shehnaaz called Anu and asked her to keep the phone on speaker.

Mayank rolled his eyes. “Are we here for a project or chit chat?”

Shehnaaz grinned. “Nahi re, aur tum log bhi mat karo.”

Ankita chuckled. “Kya hua? Tu akeli karna chahti poora kaam?”

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes and discussed the topic details with them in a similar manner to how Sidharth had told her in the afternoon.

As she ended, all were gaping at her, thinking, “Isme itna dimag kab se aa gaya?”

_________________

Sidharth slept for more time than usual. He was not able to sleep last night. He missed her constantly, and he couldn’t even go to meet her or call her as he knew her friends had come to her place. Anu too returned quite late, and he didn’t disturb her sleep by calling her that late.

He had finally taken out her dupatta, which he had stolen from her closet, and hugged it to his dear life as sleep took over him, wrapped in her aroma.

Rita ji walked into Sidharth’s room and burst into laughter as she saw Sidharth sleeping with a dupatta in his arms. She had come to check on him when he had not appeared at the breakfast table at his usual time.

Sidharth woke up to the sound of his mother’s laughter. “Maa, kya hua?” he asked, still yawning.

Rita ji picked up the dupatta and stared at him, which made him go red immediately as he realized the reason for her laugh.

Sidharth pulled it and put it under the pillow, making Rita ji giggle further. “Maa, bass… stop it now.”

“Tune ne usse kaha?” Rita ji asked, curious.

Sidharth feigned ignorance. “Kisse… kya kaha?”

Rita ji rolled her eyes. “Sidharth, usi ladki se…”

Sidharth chuckled. “Maa, I know what you are trying to say… don’t worry, usse pata hai.”

Rita ji sighed in relief. “Sach me… aur… kya wo bhi…”

Sidharth cut her off almost instantly. “Maa, wo meri hai… sirf meri.”

Rita ji sighed. “Sidharth, please… itni possessiveness achha nahi hota beta. Uske dil mein kya hai yeh bhi tuje sochna chahiye.”

Sidharth got up, pulling the duvet and walking to his closet to keep it inside. “Mujhe pata hai uske dil mein kya hai. Aur wo bhi jaanti hai ke wo sirf meri.”

Rita ji shook her head. “Hume uske baare mein nahi bataoge? Uska naam, parivar…”

Sidharth knew his mother wouldn’t let go until she saw him married. “Maa, she is Gill’s daughter… Shehnaaz.”

Rita ji thought for a while and spoke excitedly. “Gill’s daughter… you mean Rajender Gill? That’s amazing, beta. Wo bahot hi achhe log hain.”

“Haan, maa,” Sidharth smiled at her mother’s enthusiasm.

Rita ji was super happy now. “Me baat jarur Rajender ji se…”

Sidharth looked at his mother in surprise. “Maa, thoda dheere chalo. Anyway, unke bade bete ki shaadi hai jald hi… I will tell you when it is the correct time.”

Rita ji made a face at him, then shook her head in exasperation and finally left from there, leaving a chuckling Sidharth behind.

_______________

It was halfway through the lectures when a senior teacher walked in with a guy.

Shehnaaz stood up along with all students and sat back again.

The teacher spoke, “Students, this is Shikhar… Shikhar Singhaniya.”

Shikhar gave a faint smile at everyone.

The teacher continued, “He has taken admission today. I know it’s quite late, but I hope all of you will co-operate with him and help him with the missed syllabus.”

All students smiled, some willingly, some unwillingly, while Shikhar made his way to an empty seat.