BEYOND THE CLOUDS (Completed)

Chapter 53

When they silently walked out of the airport, Sidharth looked every bit of the suave gentleman he was, but Shehnaaz was in a bad shape.

Her nose was swollen and red, and she was sure she looked like a red nosed joker.

Acting quick, she held a kerchief to her nose before they could be papped. She wanted to thank him for looking after her, and he wanted to comfort her, tend to her, tell her that the pain will go away soon, but both kept silent.

Each fighting their own self from within. Shehnaaz and Sidharth boarded two separate cars.

He in a Jaguar and she in the Porsche with Rana. It dismayed her that he didn’t as much as give a second look towards her. Didn’t she want this? From the time they got married, she had been wanting to move away from him so why now did it feel like her heart was chopped into pieces?

She sat in the car feeling drowned in grief not even understanding the reason for it.

“Where to mam?” Rana questioned and when she said Home, he furrowed his brows in confusion.

Sidharth had told him, she might want to go to Goregaon, but he was uncertain as to which home she was talking about. Unable to decide by himself he asked again “Shukla House or Water Crest?” giving her the choices between the two places she called home.

“Shukla House” she solemnly replied, still nursing the kerchief to her nose.

When she tried to use her free hand to open her purse but failed each time, Rana finally quizzed her. “Are you ok mam? Is the cold too bad?” he took a quick glance at her from the rear view mirror.

“Uhh actually.. no..first promise me you wont laugh” a low chuckle erupted from her as she imagined his reaction.

“Oh no, I wont. Cross my heart” his rapt attention was trained to the mirror. Shehnaaz took off the fabric and heard him gasp.

“Oh freak, frost bite huh? No wonder you guys are back so soon” he empathized. “Yeah I.. I had a little incident in the snow” she muttered, carefully nursing her nose from the sides.

“If you don’t mind can I suggest something?” he asked, skeptically.

Although they both shared a friendly bond now, she was still his boss’s wife and he wasn’t sure if he could take certain liberties.

“About this, ya.. please go ahead” her swift reply put him at ease and he began

“Actually back in the army days I was posted in Jammu for a few months, we had a cure for this. A slightly warm, runny paste of powdered limestone and turmeric. Apply it directly on the affected area. It might take two three days, but it’s a sure shot cure for a frostie” he said, focusing fully on the road now.

“Hmm I will try that. But hey I didnt know you were ex army” she let out her surprise.

“Yes actually all the guys in Sidharth’s security team are from the forces. Injuries gave us all early retirements and when no one would consider us for a job, Sidharth did. I came first, and then got Ram Singh and Balwant” he informed

“Were you hurt bad?” she asked, studying him from the back seat. “Mam, a mine explosion left me stark deaf in my right ear” he chuckled shocking Shehnaaz

“I joined the Army at 18 and retired at 29, with practically no experience, getting a job was difficult, but my uncle who was his grandfather’s driver, introduced me to Sidharth and it didn’t even take a minute for him to hire me” his eyes seemed glassed as he said the words.

“Sidharth is a gem of a person really” Rana just said his heartfelt, but the words stung her.

Was she too quick to judge Sidharth as a cheater and push him away? She stowed the thought as soon as it came.