BEYOND THE CLOUDS (Completed)

Chapter 28

Shehnaaz froze as Sidharth and Kartik, stood in front of each other.

She knew Kartik wouldn’t be mean on purpose and she had aptly explained about them both to Sidharth too, but having experienced Sidharth’s recent possessive bout she was anxious even with both sides covered.

She couldn’t go away from Carruu nor could she let go of Sidharth, so she only prayed that there is no sense of animosity between the two, like it had happened in her earlier relationship.

She wanted them to like each other, so she can be at peace. She saw the men shaking hands with stoic faces, and gulped a lump attacking her throat.

In a quick second Sidharth measured Kartik up with his eyes. He was lean and fit, and almost looked like a model.

There was however an affable air about him, that told Sidharth, he was a nice and friendly person.

After shaking their hands, both men looked at Shehnaaz, who was staring at them with scared eyes like they would beat the shit out of the other any moment now, but the next second, they burst into a howling fit of laughter, leaving her gob smacked.

Shehnaaz soon understood the game they had played and launched an attack on both of them.

“This bugger messaged me in the evening, to play this game” Sidharth explained laughing his head off while he dodged Shehnaaz’s punches.

Soon as she heard that, she headed for Kartik, literally pushing him on the couch and sat on top of him, pulling his hair and slapping his arm mercilessly, while he yelped in pain and pleaded Sidharth to save him.

The house of filled with laughter by the end of their little prank and both the men now sat of the couch, nursing the sore spots on their arms and back which they had earned from her.

They saw Shehnaaz standing in a corner like a frumpy child and both stood up, to console her.

Reaching close to her, they sandwiched her between both their bodies and didn’t leave her until she was on the verge of crying with discomfort.

“What has gotten into you? Have you both gone mad?” she shouted, finally managing to squeeze herself from between them and walked away.

Both the men seemed to have turned into nasty toddlers and ganged up against her.

She fretfully turned to give them a piece of her mind but saw a heart melting sight.

Sidharth and Kartik were hugging each other, like two close friends would, finally patting each others back loudly before separating.

“Kartik, thank you brother, for always being there for her” he looked at his angel for a beat, smiling fondly and turned back to Kartik, who was smiling ear to ear himself.

“Shehnaaz owes her life to you, and I have the utmost respect for this beautiful bond between the both of you. Thank you once again” Sidharth pumped Kartik’s hand once again, grinning wide

“As a matter of fact, thank you, Sidharth for understanding our bond and not tainting it by slapping a name or stereotyping it. Having grown up together, we are so comfortable together, that whoever comes into our lives automatically starts having their doubts. But I can see you don’t think that way. Shehnaaz is the most important to me, and it gives me immense peace that she has you now. Thank you again for coming into OUR lives Sidharth” Kartik’s words and Sidharth’s understanding smile, had both brought tears into Shehnaaz’s eyes.

Her emotions were spilling over and she couldn’t hold herself back from hugging them both together.

With Sidharth gelling so well in the mix, Shehnaaz could proudly say now that her family was the bestest.