Hamesha and Forever - Sidnaaz

Chapter 16

They were doing it! The creatives, the chanel - they were doing it! They were dragging his name into all of this! They were dragging Sidharth into the show so that they can blame her for showing interest in the contestants because she is invested in Sidharth.
She knew this, so so well and she felt stunped when they told her that she would be performing with Sidharth.
Half of her wanted to Yelp with joy! A live performance with Sidharth! A dance with him. A little time with him! It would bring calm to her Storm. But her other half screamed in frustration - She did not want his name to be dragged into the show. The show was slowly loosing it's respect in her eyes, as she predicted the moves of the creatives.
This could turn into a mess. And above it, the twitter wars it would result into made her feel nauseated. It in the little time she had outside, she had managed to see what power their fans held on Twitter. and the greater the power the three parties had - Shehnaazians, Sidhearts and Sidnaazians - the louder their voice, the louder the voice, the bigger the fight and the bigger the controversy.
Maybe she was being too skeptical and was over thinking too much.. maybe.
"But kyon? Date toh meri Balraaj ke Saath hai na?" She argued with the team member from backstage who had come to inform her.
"Ma'am, Mirchi Awards valon ka hi idea hai that you both dance, after all, you are very famous as a pair and footage ka hi toh saara game hai" he smiled politely.
"But ye show toh Msk hai na? agar ye performance iss show ka part hai toh Sidharth kahan se aya?"
"Vo toh bass ek collaboration hai Ma'am producers ka. You can perform with anyone" he told her.
But she could see right through his answers.
She had incredibly strong reading powers and well, not to boast or anything, but her intuition was almost always prophetic!
But her biggest shortcoming, the communication. The inability to voice her opinion in a concise yet powerfully manner, she lacked it at times. Just like now.
"Noo. Dekho Mera matlab collaboration hai toh Hum contestants ko perform karna chahiye na, Sidharth Kyon kar raha hai?"
The man sighed.
"ma'am do you not want to perform with Sidharth Shukla?" he asked, playing the wild card.
"N-no...aisa nhi hai.....but baat toh hai na Jo mein.... matlab...".     "Yaar chal okay" she gave in. There was no point trying to play cards with the creatives, they'd ways find a way to do what they want to. Atleast, when you're in a house like Msk or bb.
"Great! Ye schedule hai ma'am. Aaj, 5 o clock pe rehearsal hai and Kal Subha se dopeher tak rehearsal ho gi. And then tomorrow night, the performance hai."
"Theekay. Aap please mere assistant ko bhi ye sab details send kardena. Han? Thank you" she as he went outside.

The time went in much frenzy as she gave shots for the episode of MSK and did the tasks, Ken came to decide dresses for her and then, at 4:30 she left the set for rehearsals.

"Bro ek Baat boloon, if it's okay?" Kaushal asked on phone.
"Haan Bhai, bol na" Sidharth replied
"Vo..Shehnaaz...She was a bit reluctant for the performance with you...all is well, she is well, no?" He asked, concerned for Shehnaaz. He had only met her a couple of times, but he had developed a close bond with her. She was like that only, connecting with her kind of people.
"Thing is, I font want ke vo stress mein aa key ye performance de de. It's isn't as important as other plans that Msk has. You know, they want me to-"
"Bro I...I have no idea. I think she is...fine, that's is. ..but umm...she is reluctant to perform with me or the just perform in general"
"I've been told she said that koi contestant hi hona chahiye performance mein, why you. Something like that. Chalo I'll ask her only" Kaushal said, not wanting to step a boundary.
But Sidharth was stupefied. She did not want to perform with him? Had she come to loathe his presence so much?
"Haan that'll be great"
"I've messaged you the timings for rehearsals vaghera, okay? Chalo bye man"

So she did not want to perform with him. She was 'reluctant' to do so. He smiled, mocking his ownself.  Just a few days back, they had performed in Big boss too, and he remembered how ecstatic she had been.
What an irony life had become! He had expected them to come closer after big boss, to be more stronger! What an irony!

"Haye ksam lagey. Meko kuch honey sa lag para hai" she waved her hand up and down on front of her stomach "Tu Punjabi gaaney pe dance karey ga!! Vo bhi shorts mein!" She guffawed
Little did she know the surprise planned for her
"Sidharth unhon ne ye tera poora performance shorts mein rakh diya hai!! Aur pehn tu shorts!" She teased him.
"abey aye! Pehenta toh hoon mein pants and jeans ab! Ab sotey hue bhi kya jeans pehnoon mein?" He motioned towards the jeans he was wearing.
"Na unn ko toh Teri beauty dekhne ka Shok ho gaya hai na! Tera figure pradarshan karvaein ge!" She laughed out loud, clapping her hands and he couldn't help but fall into a laughing fit with her!
"Sala shorts bhi itney chotey hein" he sniggered, laughing

The good old days......things had changed so quickly, it almost seemed unreal that this was then only a week or two ago....
Only if she could understand. Only if she could give them both a little time. And not like this. Not in this rigid, forced way. but with her heart. Only if, she would just believe in him this time too.
Only if.....
But it was too much to ask from her. too much, he knew. But he didn't have a choice. He couldn't make a decision our of impulse and emotions. If this hurt could save her from regrets and pain later on, he was choosing this!

He decided to tell her this too.
And there she was! Putting up her hair in a ponytail, at one corner of a studio where he had just apprached.
She was wearing her *whoof whoof* shirt. He loved that one! It looked cute on her.

"Hey Sidharth!! It's been a long time since I've worked with you!" Sam, the choreographer exclaimed suddenly and her hand snapped in the direction of the door.
There he was, dashing as always, claded in a tracksuit.
And She felt so stupid to be wearing the shirt she was wearing. It was a sleeping shirt! She only ever wore it to sleep!!
But she had no other option! Had she? She did not have any clothes to wear to this rehearsal, only this shirt would have done and so she had just worn it.
"Chal Chal! Iss se kya farq parta hai" she gathered herself with her her heart thumping and humping in her ears as he approached her.
What should she do? Hug him? Hand shake! Just Nothing! What??
But why was she over thinking so much? This was just Sidharth! Or was it?
But she never over thought about how to meet someone.....interactions were never a problem for her.
Then, why? Why was air lvaing her fucking system?
"Hey Shehnaazzz!" He smiled like a jerk that he was, greeting her enthusiastically, her name rolling of his tongue like it always did as he stretched the *naaz* in her name
"Kesi hai?"
His eyes, she noticed, were puffy. His dark circles prominent. Has he not been sleeping properly? His lips were darker too, a faint bit that others wouldn't even notice, but she, of course she did. He had been having cigarettes too much? The same pace as in bb? Was he unwell?
His smile was forced too, his lips were pressed.
But he was smiling nonetheless.
No hurt showing for the way she had asked him to leave, no grudge for her not understanding him, no accusation.

Love you all <3