EMBRACING REALITY

CHAPTER 20 EMBRACING REALITY

Chapter 20
Sidharth went into the bedroom and saw Shehnaaz laying on the bed.. “Baby..” He called her. “Ha Bubbu.. Kaha tha tu.. Mai dekhti meeting khatam hui thi teri.. Tab Mai Juice banai thi.. Fir tu aaya hi nahi wapas..” said Shehnaaz..
Sidharth went close to her and she sat up straight.. “I’m fine baby..” said Sidharth.. Shehnaaz raised her eye brows at him, “Maine ye nahi pucha tha Sidharth.. Isse saaf samjh aata hai tu thoda pareshan hai.. Bol na Bubbu..” said Shehnaaz..
“Kuch nai hai. Juice kaha hai? De mujhe..” said Sidharth.. “Yehi rakhi hu.. Le..” said Shehnaaz, handing him the juice..
“Dinner kya bana hai?” asked Sidharth.. “Abhi time hai.. Bana nai hai..” said Shehnaaz..
“Acha meri Baat sun.. Agar kabhi aisa hua ki mai bahar jau, kaam se.. Tu reh legi?” asked Sidharth..
Shehnaaz scooted closer to him and he rested his head on her lap.. “Kyu puch raha hai.. Mai reh to lungi.. Lekin rehna nai chahti.. Mat puch na aisa sawal.. Abhi toh sath the hum.. Aise bhi lockdown hai.. Tu hi mera mata hai, tu hi mera pita hai.. Tu hi mera bhai hai.. Tu hi mera sab kuch hai.. Kyu rahu fir tere bina?” said Shehnaaz, not knowing why Sidharth had asked her this..
“Acha nai puchta.. Sorry.. Nai Jaa raha kahi Mai..” said Sidharth.. “Puch kyu raha tha? Kuch hai? Bol na..” said Shehnaaz..
He didn’t say anything.. He got up from her lap, finished his leftover juice and Shehnaaz asked again, “Koi project mila hai kya? Bol na Sidharth.. Baat kar.. Agar project hai, toh mai reh sakti hu.. Dhyan rakhungi khud ka.. Bas tu bol Sidharth..” said Shehnaaz..
“Meri Jaan, I don’t want to leave you just for a project.. Maine plan kiya tha, acting nai karunga.. But ab nai karna hai mujhe.. I wanna be with you darling..” said Sidharth..
“Mujhe do din Pehle kaam karne ke liye samjha raha tha.. Aaj khud bina matlab ka reason de raha hai kaam nai karne ka.. Mai bachi nai hu Sidharth.. Reh lungi.. Mai janti hu tune socha tha tu produce karega sirf.. Lekin tu jaisa bada actor hai, sirf Naam se bada nai hai, teri acting waqai me bhot achi hai.. Aisa bolega ki mere sath hi rehna chahta hai toh kaam kaise karega.. Jab tak hum door nai rahenge toh pass aane ki khushi kaise milegi? Aur mere pass Maa hai, Didi hai, Jiju bhi dhyan rakhte hai.. Abhi Kabir Naira ka ghar me hamare baazu wala hai.. Kyu pareshan ho raha hai mere liye? Tu Jaa, shoot kar ke aaja.. Aur mujhe details bol.. Tu kar raha hai.. Mai nahi janti kuch bhi..” said Shehnaaz..
Sidharth told her that it was an action movie and to shoot some important scenes, they had to go to a place around 100kms from Bombay.. The days including the travelling were 7 and Shehnaaz’s heart hitched when she got to know that she will have to stay away for a week.. But she didn’t say anything about it to Sidharth.. “Sirf ek hafte ki toh Baat Hai Bubbu.. Reh lenge hum dono.. Tu janta hai, kaam milna aise Covid ki situation me kitna mushkil hai.. Tujhe mil raha hai toh ye opportunity mat chor na..” said Shehnaaz..
“Meri Jaan, you are the one who always motivate me no matter what.. Chahe tu khush na ho, fir bhi tu mera hi support karti hai..” said Sidharth..
“Maine kab kaha ki mai khush nahi hu?” asked Shehnaaz.. Sidharth cupped his face in his huge hand and the other hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer, “Ye aankhe.. Kabhi jhoot nai bolti.. Teri narazgi, tere dil ki narazgi dikh rahi hai mujhe..” said Sidharth and nuzzled his nose on her neck..
She closed her eyes and tried to get away from him.. “Mat Jaa door..” said Sidharth, pulling her back..
“Sidharth, Maa ke pass Jaane de..” said Shehnaaz and Sidharth didn’t stop her.. “Baby, are you okay? Tu naraz hai kya? Achanak kyu Jaa rahi hai Maa ke pass.. Wahi toh rehna hai tujhe jab mai chala jaunga shoot pe.. Abhi mere pass reh na..” said Sidharth..
“Aadat daal ke Sidharth..” said Shehnaaz.. She was getting over emotional.. Sidharth was in a different state of mind too..
There are times when you fail to understand your partner because you are also going through different situations.. “Aisa kyu bol rahi hai.. Mai hamesha ke liye thodi Jaa raha hu jo aadat daalna hai mere bina..” said Sidharth..
Shehnaaz was about to step out and as she heard the statement spoken by Sidharth, she turned around and walked towards him.. He was sitting on the edge of the bed.. She stood between his legs and held the collar of his tshirt..
“Zyada bakwas kar mat Sidharth.. Maine kab boli tu hamesha ke liye Jaa raha hai? Pagal ho gaya hai tu.. Han? Bakwas kare Jata hai agar teri ek baar nai suno ho.. Tujhe agar kuch hua na toh tu dekh mai kya karti hu..” said Shehnaaz and let go of his collar..
She softly caressed his cheeks.. “Tu mat bol aise Sidharth.. Mat bol..” said Shehnaaz and he pulled her in a hug.. “Relax, my love. Sorry, wo bas nikal gaya muh se.. Please calm down..” said Sidharth..
Shehnaaz took her medicines and was busy settling up Sidharth’s cupboards.. Sidharth spoke to Kaushal, confirming his project and also, he spoke about Shehnaaz’s family’s arrival in Bombay..
Shehnaaz went to cook, she wanted to calm herself down and divert her mind.. “Shehnaaz, kya bana rahi hai bache?” asked Mom, as she entered the kitchen..
“Pav Bhaji, Sidharth ko pasand hai, yaha mausam bhi thanda hai.. Garma garam banaungi.. Khush ho jaega..” said Shehnaaz, still looking away and not at mom’s eyes.. “Shehnaaz, tu mujhse kuch chupa rahi hai?” asked Mom.. A mother can understand the unspoken words of her children. Always..
“Nai Maa, mai kyu chupaungi.. Koi takleef hogi toh mujhe pata hai na aap ho mere pass..” said Shehnaaz..
“Takleef badhne nai dena.. Agar lage, be-jhijhak Aa jana mere pass..” said Mom.. Shehnaaz nodded her head in agreement and went on with her cooking..
She was sweating, working inside the kitchen.. Sidharth came in to get water from the fridge.. He saw Shehnaaz like that.. He held her arms, “Oye, kya hua tujhe? Aise paseene me kyu kaam kar rahi hai..” said Sidharth, pulling her towards the sink..
“Shehnaaz, bolegi kuch?” and asked Sidharth.. “Haa, bas aaj man hua tere liye Pav Bhaji banane ka..” said Shehnaaz..
“Meri Jaan, baba le, Tai ki help lele.. Tu akele mat kar na mehnat..” said Sidharth.. “Taai, aap Baaki ka karo..” said Sidharth, pulling Shehnaaz with him..
“Sidharth, karne de.. Thoda hi Baaki hai..” said Shehnaaz.. “Ho Gaya Na ab aage ka Taai kar lengi..” said Sidharth..
“Shehnaaz, baby, why are you so quiet.. Abhi time hai mujhe Jane me.. Please, relax kar..” said Sidharth..
“Haa Sidharth, mai wo nahi soch rahi.. Pata nai, bas aiwai mera mood kyu change ho raha nai samjh Aa raha.. Abhi khush, kabhi suddenly mood off..” said Shehnaaz..
“It happens baby, mood swings hota rehta hai tujhe.. Acha Jaa, Jaake ready ho ja.. Ek surprise hai tere liye..” said Sidharth..
“Abhi lockdown me kaha jaenge Bubbu.. Ghar hi rehte hai na.. Mujhe Maa ke pass rehna hai.. Mann ajeeb hua pada hai.. Amma se bhi Baat nahi ho rahi.. Do baari call kari thi.. Out of network bata raha hai..” said Shehnaaz..
“Meri Jaan, trust me.. Hum ghar me hi rahenge.. Bas Mai bol raha hu, ready ho Jaa.. Ek chota sa surprise hai.. Fir ghar hi rahenge..” said Sidharth..
She agreed and went into the bathroom.. He heard that she was taking a shower.. He opened the bathroom room, walked into the shower with her..
“Sidharth! Ganda bacha.. Yaha Aa Gaya.. Haye rabba.. Bola bhi nahi..” said Shehnaaz, who got a little confused..
Sidharth took off his clothes and joined her in.. “Shut up, baby. You look so beautiful..” cooed Sidharth, nuzzling into her neck, pulling her up.. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he gently took her lips in his..
“Sidhaaartthh!” she took his name which was so soft that he couldn’t control himself after that..
“I love you, Sweetheart..” confessed Sidharth and entered into her.. Making soft gentle love to her..
Once done, they both took a shower and got ready.. Shehnaaz sat in front of the mirror and saw her neck was red, her upper chest was red and also her birthmark had swollen.. She ran her fingers through the marks, not knowing that Sidharth was watching all that..
He stood behind her and kept his hand on her shoulder.. That’s when she realized that she was being watched by her man..
She blushed and looked away.. Sidharth held her hand and hugged her from the back.. “Meri Jaan, you are a perfect mixture of cute and hot.. My wife is beautiful..” cooed Sidharth.. Unable to get enough of her..
He handed over his towel to her and sat on the edge of the bed after she was done covering the bite marks.. She didn’t do much makeup.. She saw her husband, who was a hot Greek God but had become a baby and wanted Pampering..
Shehnaaz happily dried his hair up and he got dressed.. “Surprise kya hai Putthu..” asked Shehnaaz as she put on the earring once gifted by Sidharth in the past..
“Ye maine gift kiya tha na?” asked Sidharth.. Again, nuzzling into her neck.. The way he wasn’t ready to leave her, made her mind get off from the unknown negativity and focus on the positive part..
Sidharth definitely knows how to handle Shehnaaz.. The way he loved her and the way she loved him, it was something very pure, away from the terms and conditions.. Just pure love..
Note.. Sorry for the delay.. I’ve been extremely busy.. Now, tomorrow’s Yasser’s Birthday.. We both are going to Lonavala on Saturday and Sunday with friends.. Extremely busy schedule.. I don’t know when the next chapter will come..
Promo- Shehnaaz was in tears as she saw the surprise.. Sidharth held her close and she ran to her surprise, leaving him behind.. What is the surprise? Stay Tuned!