BEYOND THE CLOUDS (Completed)

Chapter 20

She badly wanted to be around her Carruu at this time.

He was her care bear…whenever she was down or confused about something, talking to him or just being around him seemed to miraculously give her a solution for all her problems.

She tried his number several times, but it was switched off.

He must be on his return journey, she calculated and sighed in defeat.

She had received several texts from Sidharth during the day, but she hadn’t opened even one of them fearing she might melt away with his words.

Her roster had come and she was scheduled to fly to Jeddah the next day.

That meant she wont be able to meet Kartik for another two days cuz she had a days layover, but it also meant that when Sidharth gets back, she wont be here to face him atleast for two more days.

Should she just follow Kartik and let him in her secret? She pondered but quickly decided otherwise, in the pursuit of safeguarding herself from the humiliation.

After all dumping someone was always better than being dumped and she was certain, that when Sidharth comes to know of the truth, he will kick her out of his life the next moment.

By night, when she hadn’t responded to even a single text or answered a single call, Sidharth had sent Rana to her house.

When Madhav had informed about his arrival, she had almost sent him away, but fearing the next steps Sidharth would take, she had asked the security to send him up.

“Mam, Sidharth would like to speak to you” Rana held out his phone making it absolutely impossible for her to refuse the call.

“Hello” she answered weakly and felt as if someone had scratched her ear out.

“Where the fuck have been the whole day? I have been calling off the hook. What is wrong? Talk it out? you don’t get to make these decisions all by yourself. What the fuck have I done to be treated like this? Ha?” he grunted finally taking a moment to collect his breath.

She could still hear his wheezing through the phone.

It was probably cold in London right now, she thought clutching onto Rana’s phone.

“Sidharth, Let Rana go, I will call you” she was about to cut the call but his voice stopped her

“Listen, baby, talk to me. Don’t do this, please love” Sidharth couldn’t believe the desperation in his voice.

He had never felt so helpless or vulnerable.

“Calm down Sidharth, I am calling you from my phone” she said and disconnected.

“Sorry Rana, you had to come all the way just for this” she smiled empathetically and handed over his phone

“Mam, I don’t know what has happened, but I can tell you one thing, Sidharth is not a bad person. Please reconsider this” he said and left, leaving her amazed at Rana’s loyalty.

No wonder Sidharth seems to give him a free hand at a lot of things, she thought of the taunts he threw at Sidharth sometimes.

He meant well, she knew and picked her phone which was already buzzing with an incoming video call.

She rolled her eyes at his impatience and took the call.

“Whats wrong Shehnaaz?” even bundled up to his neck in winter wear he looked stunning.

Her breathing labored as she saw him and immediately felt conscious of her long black singlet nightdress, but she didn’t allow herself to slip in the trance this time.

“What part of the message wasn’t clear to you?” she asked fighting back the tears.

“Yes every word was crystal clear, but that isn’t enough. you must have a solid reason to back that up. So tell me whats bothering you” she couldn’t make out whether the smoke coming out of his mouth was because of the cigarette or due to cold.

“Sidharth, please don’t make this more difficult for me” she pleaded in despair.

She had gone so far ahead in this, she knew even a few more words of reasoning with him could break her resolve.

But even Sidharth had no intention of giving up. “Shehnaaz although your behavior seems abrupt and pointless to me, it is heartwarming to know that its giving you a difficult time too” Sidharth pulled out a flask from his pocket and took a long swig, annoying her

“You are drinking again?” she smirked, lying down on the bed and resting the phone against the pillow.

“That shouldn’t matter to you anymore, now that you are breaking off with me” he said sarcastically

“But anyway I don’t plan on getting drunk. Its fucking cold out here and cognac is the final savior” taking another swig he stowed the flask away and focused on her beautiful face.

Her bare shoulders and collar bones were making it difficult for him to concentrate.

All he wanted was to pull her in his arms, worship every inch of her visible skin with his lips and then bury himself deep inside her until he felt warm again.

But she was acting like a petulant child right now and he didn’t even know the reason why. 

"what is the meaning of all this baby?" he asked again.

"i dont knw and i dont have a reason...but ..but we cant be together anymore" her tone was deliberatly cold and he seemed hurt by her words.

He took a few moments to look around at the foreign surroundings and she kept studying his face, as if trying to capture every spec of his handsomeness in her memory.

His deep brown eyes looked loke they had sunken in deeper, probably because of the hard time she was giving him.

Her heart squeezed in her chest as every second seemed to be pass awfully slowly.

Continuing this relationship further meant directly putting his reputation and her and her mothers life at stake and she couldnt risk both.

so this was the best way out, her brain reasoned.

"Sidharth" she spoke softly and he shifted his attention back to her.

He waited for her to speak, as if she would miraculously say something that would make him happy.

"the time i spent with you was really amazing... probably the best of my life but
we will have to cut this short. i am sorry" before her tears made their way out, she had flipped the phone so he wudnt see them.. but her cracked voice had already let out her feelings to him.

He was still trying to figure out what went wrong, but right now he was so angry, he wanted to be as cruel to her as she was to him.

"Shehnaaz" he called out for her and she hummed in response still hiding her face

"i still dont knw what has triggered this.. but ur not even giving me a proper reason and most of all u are breaking up with me on phone. After all that went between us... i think i deserved better" his eyes narrowed

"but if this is what you want...then i wouldnt hold u back. Be happy and good bye my love" his teeth gnashed at the good bye and he disconnected the call.

"you have chosen a wrong person to mess with baby... u show me attitude, i will show u truckloads of it" his tone was colder than the cold london weather, as he muttered to himself.

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Love and luck

Sidnaazkidiwani