Chapter 3

Jasbeera ji sighed in relief as she replied, “thik hai beta…par jyada der mat karna….”

Shehnaaz smiled warmly, “ji Amma…”

With that, Payal and Shehnaaz left towards the terrace, followed by Abhi who practically dragged Sidharth along.

***

The moment they reached the terrace, all three burst into laughter, while Sidharth looked at them confused and slightly annoyed for being kept out of the loop.

Irritated, Sidharth asked, “tum sab… mujhe bataoge.. kya ho raha hai ??…”

Shehnaaz looked at him and smirked, “ohho… Shukla ji… aap nahi samajhenge… aap ko to unki baten badi interesting lag rahi thi….”

That irritated Sidharth even more.

Trying to ease the situation, Abhi consoled Sidharth, “arre… they were just boring us…. aur me Payal ke sath kuchh time spend karna chahta tha.. so Shehnaaz ne idea banaya….”

Sidharth nodded slightly and murmured to himself, “ab mujhe pata chala….. etne strict Darji hote huye… ye ladki pregnent kaise ho gayi….. kachhe aam… aur wo bhi ped par baith kar… shut up Sid…” he realized what he was thinking.

Sid’s sixth sense fought instantly, “Sid… aise mat bol…. pregnancy me mood swings common hai…..”

Payal noticed Sid murmuring to himself and asked, “kya huva Sid veerji… aap akele akele badbada rahen hai?”

“haan haan… jara hum se bhi toh share kijiye….” mocked Shehnaaz, adding her tadka.

Sidharth smiled idiotically at Shehnaaz and gave a genuine smile to Payal, “nahi bhabhi… aisa kuchh nahi hai… just…” Saying so, he walked and stood by the terrace edge, checking the area around and enjoying the fresh air.

***

Abhi and Payal made their way to the other end of the terrace and shared personal talks, smiles, giggles, funny fights, then manaofying each other, loving each other, and reminiscing their beautiful journey from engagement to marriage.

Shehnaaz was utterly bored, but she couldn’t disturb her Di and jiju. She looked for another option and, with a smirk, made her way to Sidharth, “Shukla Ji…”

Sidharth was startled at her sudden entry beside him, “tumm… tum yahan…?”

Shehnaaz wanted to punch him but instead laughed stupidly, “kyu… me yahan nahi aa sakti?”

Sidharth glanced at her stomach, thinking, “iska pet toh abhi nahi dikh raha hai… matlab jyada mahine nahi huye honge…. bechara kaun ladka hoga pata nahi…. bhagwan bachaye usse….”

Shehnaaz noticed him staring at her stomach and looked at him confused, thinking, “ye aise mere pet ko kyu dekhe ja raha hai… jarur babies ke bare me soch raha hoga… is bande ko bachhon ke alava kuchh aur nahi sujhata kya?… mujhe toh iske biwi ki chinta ho rahi hai…. pata nahi bichari ka kya hoga… agar isne shadi ke dusre din hi baby manga… toh bechari kahan se layegi…. heyy wahe guru ji… us ladki ki madat karna…. ya fir iski memory loss kar dena….” She had a little chat with her Wahe Guru ji, looking up.

So the scene was that Sidharth was staring at Sana’s tummy while Sana was looking up to her Wahe Guru ji.

This was how Abhi and Payal caught them.

Payal and Abhi kept staring at them, confused, while Shehnaaz and Sidharth remained in the same position, busy in their thoughts.

“tum dono exactly kar kya rahe ho?” came a loud voice from Payal, bringing Sidharth and Shehnaaz back to their senses.

Both looked at each other confused, then more confused by the way Abhi and Payal were looking at them.

Payal asked, with confusion printed on her face, “Sid veerji… aap niche kya dekh rahe the?”

Sidharth instantly blabbered, “me to bas baby ke bare me soch raha tha…”

Shehnaaz looked at him and rolled her eyes, thinking, “ae le… mujhe to pata hi tha… fir se baby…. yaar ye banda thoda dimga se gadbad to nahi?… ye har waqt bachho ke bare me kyu sochta rehta hai?… kahin iska kisi ladki ke sath lafda to nahi?… haan Sana tu sahi soch rahi hai… jarur iska kisi kudi de naal affair chalu hoga… aur wo ladki pregnant hogayi hogi… tabhi ye har waqt bachhon ke bare me baat karta hai… bechari ladki… pata nahi kaun hogi… is pagal ke jaal me phas gayi…” Looking up, “Wahe Guru ji… madat karna uski….”

Abhi looked at Sidharth, confused, “baby ke bare me… kiske baby ke bare me?”

Payal too waited for an answer, while Sidharth scolded himself mentally again for blabbering nonsense.

Shehnaaz faked a smile and said, “bhai… baby nahi… bhabhi bola mene… bhabhi ke bare me soch raha tha….”

Payal instantly got excited, “humare bare me… achha… batayiye kya soch rahe the aap humare bare me?” She asked while Sidharth received a possessive glare from Abhi, who was annoyed, “abbe… tu meri biwi ke bare me kyun soch raha hai?”

Sidharth rolled his eyes and grumbled, thinking of a sensible answer, “bhai… you are such a drama king man…”

Abhi gave a proud smile, while Payal smacked him, and Abhi winced, “ouchh… kya hai?”

Payal smirked, “ohh hoo… pati devji… aapko lagi kya?”

“ha ha… very funny,” mocked Abhi, continuing, “anyways Sid, tu bol…”

Rolling her eyes at her would-be hubby, Payal too insisted, “haan Sid veerji… batayiyena aap kya soch rahe the humare bare me….”

Sidharth was clueless, unable to come up with a reason.

“bol bhi dijiye Shukla ji… mere jiju apko kuchh nahi karenge,” teased Shehnaaz, trying to suppress her mock.

Sidharth was instantly annoyed, “apke jiju rishte me mere bade bhai lagte hai,” and Shehnaaz instantly continued, “hayyyyyyyyye….” (in Amitabh Bachchan style)

“What was that?” came an instant question from all three, making Shehnaaz scared.

Shehnaaz giggled idiotically, “ab inhone Amitabh ka dialogue mara *rishte me to hum tumhare baap lagte hai… naam hai Shahenshah*… to mene unka dialogue complete kiya… hayyyyy”

Sidharth wanted to grab her neck and pin it right there.

Controlling his weird wish, Sidharth answered, “bhabhi me bas yahi soch raha tha ke… aaj tak mujhe veerji kehne wala koi nahi tha… I mean… all cousin sisters always called me Sid… Siddharth… but you are the first person who called me veerji… that really matters a lot for me…”

All three were touched by that.

Payal replied with genuine emotion, “ab ye toh sirf mera haqq hai… hum apki bhabhi hi nahi… apki behen bhi hai… aur ab hum lagta hai ke hum bahot hi lucky hai… aap jaisa bhai pakar…”

Abhi instantly questioned, “aur mere jaisa pati pakar?”

Payal smirked as she mumbled, “ho jata hai… ab kya kare… pyar andha hota hai…”

Abhi made an O-shaped face, “achha ji?… andha haan…”

Payal giggled, “koi shak?”

Abhi pulled her into a bear hug and started tickling her, “abhi batata hun tumhe….”

Payal giggled, trying to free herself from his hold, “Abhi kya kar rahe ho… chhodo… koi aa jayega….”

Shehnaaz giggled at the cute scene, “arre Di… enjoy kar lo… Darji aaj kal… shant hai… thnxx to Dadi maa….”

Sidharth smiled a bit at that, “umm… bhai… me jara Lovely Singh se baat karke aata hun… car thik hui ya nahi….”

Abhi nodded, and Sidharth left from there, followed by Shehnaaz.

Sidharth noticed that, “tum kahan aa rahi ho?”

Shehnaaz casually replied, walking along, “apke sath Shukla ji…”

Sidharth stopped at once, “KYU?”

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes, “to kya karu… wahan un dono ke bich kabab ki haddi ban jau?”

Sidharth twisted his lips and started walking again, “toh niche family walon ke paas jao na… mere sath kyu…”

Shehnaaz looked at him, annoyed, and in the next moment, she held his collar, pulling him closer.

Sidharth was startled by the sudden proximity and the fact that he felt something.

Her act horrified him as he wondered what if someone saw them like that.

Her mere touch made him feel like his skin was burning with flames of desire.

With wide eyes, Sidharth tried to get out of her grip, “Shehnaaz what are…”

Shehnaaz cut him off as she stared at him with expressions he couldn’t understand, “mujhe aisa kyu lagta hai… ke aap mere sath akele jane se darte hai?”

Sidharth looked into her eyes and immediately looked away, but her touch made him feel so uncomfortable, “darta… aur me?”

Shehnaaz cut him off again, “haan… isliye… mujhe apne sath le jane me dar rahe hai… kahin akele mein me apki izzat ke sath….” She trailed off with a naughty smirk.

Rolling his eyes, he pulled his collar out of her hands and held her hand unknowingly, “challo…”

Shehnaaz giggled and followed him as he almost dragged her.

As they stepped out, Shehnaaz, who had been silent for more than ten minutes, finally broke the silence, unable to contain her boredom any longer.

“Hum yahan kyu aaye hain?”

Sidharth, expecting her to speak up sooner or later, smiled at his thoughts and replied, “Lovely se baat karni hai.”

Shehnaaz’s face lit up with excitement. “Aapki girlfriend?”

Sidharth rolled his eyes and responded calmly, “Bodyguard.”

Shehnaaz looked puzzled, her confusion making him chuckle softly. “Ladki hai?”

Sidharth stopped and looked at her, slightly annoyed. “Ek ladki meri bodyguard kaise ho sakti hai, Shehnaaz?”

Shehnaaz shrugged, giving him a how-would-I-know look. “Toh fir naam Lovely kyu?”

Sidharth sighed, giving up on explaining. “Jab woh aayega, tum usi se puchh lena.”

Shehnaaz pouted at his annoyed face. “Okk.”

As they approached the car, Lovely Singh, standing nearby, came forward immediately. “Lovely Singh reporting, sir.”

The moment Shehnaaz saw Lovely, her jaw dropped. “Oh my God! Ye bodyguard hai? Hayyy rabba, main to varijavan! Inna sona munda! Hayye, kya muscles hain, kya handsome face hai, kya toned body hai, hayye, kya style hai, aur Bluetooth bhi lagata hai!” She felt like Salman Khan from the movie “Bodyguard” was standing in front of her. “Mujhe to bas diwani ho gayi. Kya kamal ka banda banaya hai apne, Wahe Guruji. Ise mera bodyguard bana do na, please!”

“Good evening, ma’am,” said Lovely to Shehnaaz.

Sidharth noticed Shehnaaz was ogling at Lovely and rolled his eyes in exasperation. He waited for her to respond, but she kept staring at Lovely.

“Shehnaaz… Shehnaaz… kahan khoyi ho?” Sidharth asked, annoyed.

Shehnaaz snapped out of her daze but couldn’t stop admiring Lovely. “Haan… main bas yunhi… kuch nahi.”

Sidharth ignored her nonsensical reply. “Lovely ne tumhe good evening wish kiya. At least have some manners to reciprocate.”

Shehnaaz shot daggers at Sidharth for the taunt and smiled at Lovely with a cut-face expression. “Very good evening, Lovely ji.”

Oh, God, that “ji” style of hers could kill someone.

Sidharth looked at her suspiciously, and Lovely did too. That voice had so much butter.

Lovely cleared his throat at her cheeky tone and ignored it, while Sidharth was still annoyed.

Shehnaaz instantly went near Lovely with a cute smile. “Lovely ji, aapka naam Lovely kyu hai?”

Sidharth rolled his eyes at how she moved closer to Lovely.

Lovely looked at Shehnaaz, confused. “Ji?”

Sidharth interjected, “Shehnaaz, not now.”

Shehnaaz looked at Sidharth, annoyed, then gave a sweet smile to Lovely, who seemed a bit embarrassed but returned her smile.

Sidharth turned his attention back to Lovely. “Lovely, raat ko tumhe bahar rukne ki zarurat nahi. Tum andar aake so jana. I will arrange stuff for you.”

Lovely nodded humbly. “Okk, sir. Car is perfectly fine now.”

Sidharth smiled properly for the first time after a chaotic day. “That’s great. We will be leaving early in the morning, so just pass the message to the drivers as well.”

Saying so, Sidharth started to leave, but Shehnaaz was still rooted in her place, staring at Lovely with her idiotic smile.

Rolling his eyes, Sidharth came back and dragged Shehnaaz along.

Shehnaaz wrapped her arms around Payal as she rested her head on the same pillow beside her, hugging her tightly.

Payal sensed something was off in Shehnaaz’s hug. Slowly opening her eyes, Payal turned around to look at Shehnaaz and asked gently, “Kya hua, Sana?”

Shehnaaz opened her eyes slowly. “Di…”

Payal waited for her to continue. “Hmm?”

“Aap mujhe chhod ke chale jaoge na?” Shehnaaz asked, raising her face to meet Payal’s eyes.

Payal was surprised to see tears in Shehnaaz’s eyes.

Hugging Shehnaaz tightly, Payal mumbled sweetly, “Nahi baby… main tumhe chhod ke kahaan jaungi.”

Shehnaaz started to shed tears and hugged Payal tightly. “I will miss you, Di.”

Payal’s heart ached as she had no words to assure her sister. The truth was, she was leaving, but that didn’t mean their relationship would end. They would always be best sisters.

“Main aapke bina kaise rahungi, Di?” Shehnaaz asked through her tears, making a poor baby face, while Payal just closed her eyes and kept Shehnaaz in her bear hug.

“Shehnaaz, hum ek doosre se door rahe toh kya, main duniya mein sabse zyada pyaar tujhse karti hoon. Abhi se bhi zyada. Tujhe pata hai na, hamesha,” mumbled Payal, trying to lighten her heavy heart.

Shehnaaz nodded with a cute face and a red nose. “Par, mujhe toh aapke bina rehna aata hi nahi. I will miss you so much.”

Payal lovingly kissed Shehnaaz’s cheek and frowned. “Aise rote nahi hain. Ab tum badi ho gayi ho na. Mere jaane ke baad tumhe hi toh Amma aur Papaji ka dhyaan rakhna hai, hai na?”

Shehnaaz made a crying face and shook her head. “Di, main badi kaise ho sakti hoon? Main toh hamesha aapki chhoti baby hi rahungi na. Mera khayal kaun rakhega?”

Payal knew there was no way to escape this painful moment.

Thinking for a bit, she sat up and pulled Shehnaaz along. Shehnaaz made a weird face, but Payal ignored it and dragged her to their balcony, where they used to play since childhood. Their most favorite place. It was such a sweet bond.

Payal never needed anyone other than her baby sister to play, while Shehnaaz never allowed anyone to come near her sister.

Shehnaaz had no clue why her Di brought her to the balcony at this hour, but Payal took Shehnaaz’s hand in hers and raised it. The wind passed through their hands, and their faces lit up with sweet smiles, feeling the cold air.

Payal gave Shehnaaz a side-by hug and started to sing.

Shehnaaz surprisingly smiled at Payal and joined her.

Payal shook her head with a cute smile and started to sing again.

They made a few boxes with a pencil and started to play like small kids, the same game they loved to play in their childhood. Smiles turned into giggles, giggles turned into laughs, and laughs turned into bursts of laughter. They laughed, played, and fought again for cheating and finally hugged each other, trying to calm their heartbeats.

Oh God, it felt so beautiful and happy. They wished they could be children again, wished they could never be apart, wished they could live their whole lives playing with each other. But life had other plans for them.

Shehnaaz’s eyes became moist again as reality hit her. Her eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Payal lovingly. Payal hugged her back and wiped her own tears, making sure Shehnaaz wouldn’t notice them.

Bringing back her enthusiasm, Payal pulled away from Shehnaaz and started to dance cutely around her, trying to lighten her mood.

Shehnaaz smiled weakly at Payal and was about to walk away when Payal held her hand and forced her to dance along.

Payal jumped on Shehnaaz’s back, trying for a piggyback ride. Shehnaaz couldn’t take her weight and fell to the ground. Both looked at each other for a second and then burst into laughter. Shehnaaz hugged her sister and continued singing.

Payal cut her off and finished the unsaid words. “Phoolon ka, taaron ka, sab ka kehna hai.”

Noticing Shehnaaz’s mood had improved, Payal started to drag her back to the room. Shehnaaz made a baby face, but Payal didn’t listen. As they sat on the bed, Shehnaaz went behind Payal, circling her arms around Payal’s neck.

Payal moved her fingers through Shehnaaz’s hair, caressing it, while Shehnaaz rested her head on Payal’s lap. Payal lovingly kissed her cheek and continued caressing her hair. Shehnaaz smiled and sang again.

Shehnaaz opened her moist eyes again, only to find Payal in tears. She immediately stood up and wiped Payal’s tears, pulling her into a bear hug. Payal smiled at her baby sister and sang softly,

Shehnaaz was about to join in when they heard a knock on the door. Payal opened it to find their mother standing there. Jasbeera gave them a disapproving look, questioning why they were making noise so late. Payal smirked and pulled her mother inside. Jasbeera was startled at the sudden pull, but her startle turned into a gasp when Shehnaaz suddenly jumped on her back for a piggyback ride.

Payal giggled at her playful sister while Shehnaaz sang mischievously,

Jasbeera made an annoyed yet loving face at her children’s childish behavior.

Payal lovingly hugged her mother and sister and murmured gently,

_________________

#MORNING

“Wah, chai to bahot achhi bani hai, beta,” praised Kabeer as he took his first sip of tea.

Payal smiled with relief. “Thank you, Papa.”

Rita Ji smiled too. “Sach mein, Jasbeera Ji, aap logon ke saath waqt bita kar bahot achha laga.”

Jasbeera Ji smiled back. “Ji, ye to humari khush kismati hai.”

Payal and Shehnaaz stood in one corner while Sidharth and Abhi stood in another.

Abhi signaled to Rita Ji to speak, making her roll her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Rita Ji finally spoke, “Ji, Bhai Sahab, hum soch rahe the… ke dono bachon ki sagai toh ho hi chuki hai… to kya hum Payal ko kuch dino ke liye… apne saath Mumbai…”

Startled, Darji instantly went angry and interrupted, “Ye kaisi baat kar rahi hai aap? Humare yahan shaadi se pehle ladki apna sasural nahi dekhti.”

Dadi Maa rolled her eyes and interrupted, “Arre Bhai Sahab, aap kaunse zamane mein ji rahe hain? Agar ladki shaadi se pehle apna ghar nahi dekhegi, to usse pata kaise chalega ke woh kahan ja rahi hai, kin logon ke beech ja rahi hai, logon ke different behaviours, logon ki soch, pasand na-pasand. Jab tak woh ye sab nahi jaanegi, to sikhegi kaise? Aur isi bahane, hume bhi apni hone wali bahu ke saath kuch waqt rehne ka mauka mil jayega.”

Darji sighed, “Main aapki baat samajhta hoon, Behenji… par…”

Smirking, Dadi Maa cut him off, “Wohi toh… samajh gaye na aap meri baat. Mujhe pata tha aap samajh jayenge. [Looking at Payal] Chalo bachon, tum bhi jaldi apna samaan pack kar lo.”

Abhi and Sidharth wanted to laugh out loud noticing the poor face of Darji. Dadi Maa just didn’t give him a single chance to speak.

Payal was on cloud nine while Shehnaaz made a baby face. She was happy for her Di, but what about her? She would miss her Di so much.

Payal was about to go inside to pack when a loud voice came,

“One minute…”

Everyone looked at Daarji a bit apprehensively.

Daarji finally spoke up, “Naya ghar hai… bachhi akeli nahi jayegi. Shehnaaz puttar, ek kaam kar, tu bhi Payal puttar ke saath chali ja.”

Dadi Maa rolled her eyes. “Aaye lo ji… toh aapko kisne kaha tha ke hum Shehnaaz puttar ko nahi le jayenge. Hum toh pehle se hi dono bachiyon ki baat kar rahe the.”

“Ohh,” Daarji made a baby face, realizing this lady always manages to make him sound foolish.

Both girls jumped with joy and ran to pack their things.

Meanwhile, Sidharth looked up at the sky, thinking, “Oh dear God, just one day with this girl has driven me half mad, and now she’s coming to Mumbai. But wait… how will she eat kachhe aam (mango) there? We don’t even have a mango tree in our garden. And won’t her boyfriend mind her coming to Mumbai? Sidharth, focus on what you need to do and forget about her boyfriend.”

Lost in his thoughts, Sidharth heard his dad call him.

Kabeer Ji looked at Sidharth. “Sid…”

Sidharth snapped out of his reverie. “Ji, Papa…”

Kabeer Ji said, “Shehnaaz tumhari car mein jayegi.”

Sidharth nodded, “Okay…” but his eyes widened as he processed what his father had just said.

“WATTT…”

__________

Rita Ji, Kabeer Ji, and Dadi Maa went in one car. Abhi and Payal were in a second car with the driver, while Shehnaaz was in the third car with Sidharth, Lovely Singh, and the driver.

Sidharth knew he’d go completely mad in the next few hours, so he pulled out his cell and plugged in his earphones, opting to listen to music rather than endure endless chatter. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

Shehnaaz, finding his boredom contagious, glanced at Lovely Singh, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to the driver.

“Lovely Ji,” Shehnaaz called sweetly.

Lovely, startled, responded reluctantly, “Yes, yes ma’am…”

Shehnaaz continued with a smile, “Lovely Ji, aap hume Shehnaaz Ji kehkar bula sakte hain. ‘Ma’am’ thoda ajeeb lagta hai.”

Lovely straightened up and cleared his throat. “Ji…”

Shehnaaz, still excited, asked, “Achha Lovely Ji, ek baat batayiye, aapne itne achhe muscles aur body kaise banayi?”

Lovely smiled weakly. “Sorry, woh… regular exercise…”

Shehnaaz nodded, impressed. “Toh Sidharth Ji ke aap akele bodyguard hain? Aur kab se?”

Lovely Singh replied, “Yes, ma’am. I am the only bodyguard Sidharth Sir has… and I’m enough.”

Shehnaaz made an impressed face. “Woh toh sach mein pat hai. Khatarnak body hai aap ki… kasam se.”

Sidharth heard the conversation and opened his eyes, seeing Shehnaaz talking to Lovely. He rolled his eyes, thinking, “Ye ladki ab bichare Lovely ke peechhe lag gayi hai.” He took out his earphones.

Sidharth asked casually, “Shehnaaz, kya baatein ho rahi hain?”

Shehnaaz teased, “Shukla Ji, kuchh khaas nahi… bas aise hi.”

Sidharth rolled his eyes, “Kya tum mujhe Sidharth kehke bulaogi? What’s with ‘Shukla Ji’?”

Shehnaaz giggled at his annoyance. “Kyun, aapko aapka surname pasand nahi?”

Sidharth, slightly irritated, replied, “What rubbish. I am proud of my surname. WE ARE SHUKLAS.”

Shehnaaz mimicked him playfully. “WE ARE SHUKLAS…”

It sounded so funny yet cute that Sidharth couldn’t help but smile at her dramatic behavior.

Sidharth tried to ease his frustration and spoke genuinely, “Have you been to Mumbai before?”

Shehnaaz smiled as she replied, “Haan, ek baar ayi thi Mumbai… but jyada waqt ke liye, bas 2-4 din ke liye.”

Sidharth nodded. “Okay.”

Shehnaaz looked at Sidharth curiously. “Waise, Shukla Ji, aapne humein aapke bare mein kuchh nahi bataya ab tak.”

Sidharth smirked. “Jarur bataunga, agar tum mujhe ‘Shukla Ji’ kehke na bulao.”

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Seriously?”

Sidharth almost laughed at her reaction. “Okay, let me start. I completed my initial degree and masters in London… and I’m back in Mumbai after a long 6 years.”

Shehnaaz’s eyes lit up at the mention of London. “Hayye rabba, kitna maza aaya hoga!”

Sidharth rolled his eyes. “Kya maza, studies are not always that exciting.”

Shehnaaz hit her forehead. “Arey yaar, main fun ki baat kar rahi hun, aur aap padhai ki. Sach mein, Shukla Ji, wahe guru ji aapka bhala kare.”

Sidharth smiled and shook his head. She was weird but sweet. She irritated him a lot, yet she made him smile. It was odd, but he liked her dramatic talk.

Sidharth was reminded of her pregnancy and decided to ask, “Shehnaaz…”

Shehnaaz looked at him. “Ji…”

Sidharth asked, somewhat reluctantly, “Tumhare boyfriend ka naam kya hai?”

Shehnaaz looked shocked. “Hayye wahe guru ji, aap kya baat kar rahe hain? Boyfriend? Chii chii, Daarji toh mujhe maar dena hai.”

Sidharth looked puzzled. “Kya matlab? You don’t have a boyfriend?”

Shehnaaz shook her head. “Bilkul nahi. Main toh abhi chhoti si nanhi si bachhi hoon.”

Sidharth mocked her. “ME TO ABHI CHHOTISI NANHISI BACHHI HOON… aur baby ke baare mein kya?”

Shehnaaz, irritated and frustrated, thought, “Yeh banda pagal hai kya? Bachon ke alawa kuchh aur sochta bhi hai ya nahi? Jarur apni girlfriend ki baat karna chahta hai, isiliye ye topic nikal raha hai. Abhi maza chakhati hoon.”

Shehnaaz mischievously replied, “Boyfriends ka kya hai, Shukla Ji? Wo toh aate jaate rehte hain.”

Sidharth was shocked… Aate jaate rehte hain? To phir baby?

Sidharth asked reluctantly, “Kya matlab?”

Shehnaaz smiled idiotically. “Matlab, Shukla Ji, ladke ladkiyon ke peechhe bhagte hi hain. Isme itna kya sochna? Aur waise bhi, main apni Di jitni lucky thodi hoon jo mujhe Abhi Jiju jaise life partner itni aasani se mil gaya.”

Sidharth smiled a bit. “100% true. Bhai and Bhabhi are made for each other.”

Shehnaaz smiled back. “Haan… Waise Shukla Ji…”

Sidharth rolled his eyes. “Ji, Shehnaaz Ji…”

Shehnaaz giggled. “Main yeh puchh rahi thi ke aapke ghar ke aas-paas aam ka ped hai na?”

Sidharth was alarmed. “Shehnaaz, pehli baat, main samajhta hoon tumhe aam khane ka kitna mann hota hai, par yun ped par chadhkar aam khana tumhari sehat ke liye theek nahi. Hum market se tumhare liye aam mangwa lenge. Theek hai?”

Shehnaaz sighed. “Okay.”

Sidharth, thinking about Shehnaaz’s pregnancy, asked, “Waise Bhabhi ko is bare mein pata hai?”

Shehnaaz, thinking Sidharth was referring to her mango-eating habit, replied, “Haan, Di ko pata hai. Woh bhi mujhe datati hai.”

Sidharth sighed and murmured to himself, “Hmm, ab honi ko kaun taal sakta hai.”

Shehnaaz looked at him confused. “Ji, aapne kuchh kaha?”

Sidharth cleared his throat. “Nahii nahii…”

…and the conversation continued.

________________

It was late evening when they arrived at the Shukla mansion.

Rita Ji showed Shehnaaz and Payal to their room and helped settle their luggage.

Abhi was thrilled, as it was Payal’s first time in their house. Their house—how sweet it sounded. He just wanted to keep her hidden from the world and stay in that moment forever.

Shehnaaz flopped onto the bed while Payal organized their luggage in the cupboards.

“Di, tumhara sasuraal toh mahal se kam nahi hai,” Shehnaaz said excitedly, rolling lazily on the bed.

Payal rolled her eyes and continued arranging things. “Sana, I don’t want to hear any complaints from you. Samajh gayi?”

Shehnaaz jumped on the bed and put on her most innocent face. “Arey, Di, main toh bas maza kar rahi hoon. I am so naive and calm.”

“Yeah, right!” Payal murmured

to herself and smiled.

Shehnaaz relaxed on the bed again. “Toh hum kahaan the? Haan, main keh rahi thi ke main bahut khush hoon tumhare liye. Mujhe poora yakin hai ke tum yahan bahut khush rahogi.”

Payal smiled and joined her on the bed after finishing her work. “I know, baby. I’m so happy to meet Abhi’s family.”

Shehnaaz hugged her from behind. “Jiju ki family… ya aapki family.”

Payal giggled at Shehnaaz’s childish behavior. “Sach kaha tune, they are my family now. I just want to keep them happy always.”

Shehnaaz was about to say more when they heard a knock on the door.

Payal looked confused, while Shehnaaz smiled mischievously, thinking it must be Jiju.

Shehnaaz ran to open the door.

No surprise—Abhi was standing there with his innocent baby face.

Surprised, Payal came forward. “Abhi, aap yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

Abhi, with a mischievous grin, grabbed her wrist and winked at Shehnaaz. “Sali sahiba, aapki behen ko thodi der ke liye chura ke le ja raha hoon. Bye!”

Shehnaaz giggled naughtily. “Bye Jiju, have fun!” She closed the door while Abhi dragged a shocked Payal away.

__________________

Author’s Note

Hello, dear readers!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the blend of humor and romance in their story. Your thoughts and feedback are incredibly valuable to us. What did you think of their initial meeting and interactions? Are there any moments that stood out to you? We look forward to hearing your insights and suggestions as we continue this enchanting journey.

Also, stay tuned for Baarish, Bhula Dunga, Mora Piya, Beintehaa and Thodasa pyar which will be starting soon along with the rest of the stories. There’s so much more in store, and I can’t wait for you to dive into these new adventures.

Don’t forget to follow me on Wattpad, Instagram and Youtube for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more. Your support on these platforms helps keep the creativity flowing.

With love and gratitude,

Shalaka