SidNaaz Imagines

Imagine Three [Part 2]

"I'm not leaving you alone" Part Two

Siddharth came out of the room after tucking his munchkin safely in bed and closed the door of their room after him. He breathed out a few times, calming his raging nerves and plopped himself on the couch, snatching his MacBook from the coffee table in front of him. He knew that Shehnaaz and his teams were already doing everything they could to solve this mess but after what had continuously been happening since morning, had even Siddharth Shukla shaken up and he needed to do something. Help somehow, even if for his own sanity. 

He chuckled at the thought, He was supposed to be the strong one. He was supposed to hold his family together and here he was, his thoughts wandering aimlessly towards Shehnaaz's situation from early that morning. The fact that something similar had happened before too didn't help with any of the nervousness, and although she got out of it, stronger than ever before, the incident was a dark time of her life, one Shehnaaz couldn't think back to, without having a small breakdown. 

"Jab bhi woh sab yaad aata hai, toh aise lagta hai jaise maut ne choo ke waapis bhej diya ho. You know, my version of death has a cold, freezing presence. Cold. Cold hands, ice blue eyes and a piercing gaze as if it's looking right through you, past your good & evil, strengths & weaknesses, straight at your soul. I was there once, death rejected me that day. I think it knew I still had a lot of fight left in me. I think god wanted me to stay, so I could meet you, be loved and celebrated like I.. hope I deserved." Shehnaaz had told him, one late night, not long after they had both confessed their feelings to each-other. 

Siddharth was happy that she found something worth holding on to and that it was him, but then Shehnaaz opened up a little more, telling him in an emotionless, cold voice how she couldn't bother thinking about her family or even her own self in those moments. 

"I was alone and no one really wanted to talk to me. The people who did, I didn't want them to get into any trouble for their association with me and ao I avoided them." She confessed. "There was no one to talk to. I had no one and I needed help, but I didn't even know how to ask for it." 

Siddharth felt his eyes pricking with tears as his mind rushed back to the conversation from months ago. 

"The silence that surrounded me, all the time. It was deafening." She had told him, with a flicker of the same manic fear that he saw in her eyes earlier this morning. 

"I knew that there were people out there, my family, my brother, my friends. They cared about me. I knew, but when I was in that room, drowned in darkness, alone. I found it difficult to believe it." Siddharth heard her voice too clearly, so much so, that it made him shiver. 

He sighed, diverting his attention to his laptop. He needed to get this over with and he needed to do it soon. 

*** 

The room was empty! 

Siddharth's eyes were frantic as they searched every little nook of their room for a glimpse of Shehnaaz but he couldn't. The room was freakishly clean and empty. 

He fumbled through his pockets, looking for his mobile phone to call her, knowing that there was little chances of her actually taking the call. He was right. The rang away, and there was no answer. 

Siddharth called his mother. 

Shaayad mujhe dhoondne hi chali gayi ho..

His mother knew nothing and neither did his sisters.

Siddharth was clueless, cursing the second he had stepped out of the apartment, even though he knew deep inside that he needed to stay with her. 

The silence was deafening. 

Siddharth closed his eyes, his heart thudding against his chest like it was about to jump out of his body. 

Tu chala gaya toh koi nahi sambhaal paayega mujhe--

Siddharth shook his head, this was not the time for him to fall weak. He needed to find her. 

He rushed out of the apartment and down to the basement where their vehicles were parked. When he had returned from Kaushal's office a few minutes ago, he had failed to notice that Shehnaaz's car was not in the parking. Siddharth sighed, his fear ebbing away, just slightly. 

She had the car. She's left the building, but she had to be somewhere close. "Where are you baby?" He mumbled to himself, getting into his own vehicle and turned on the ignition, driving past his building. 

She didn't know many places in Mumbai, there was no real choice for her to be at. Siddharth remembered their post lockdown late night long drives to the beach. She loved it there. The cold beach sand and the sea waves washing up to her feet made her giggle like a little girl who had found a treasure in the sands of the sea-side.

Worth a try..

Siddharth sped through the roads of Mumbai to the beach he was almost certain he would find Shehnaaz in. Siddharth almost ran into the beach, tripping on the uneven sea-side sand but he saw her. 

Shehnaaz was there, dressed in a white long dress, her hair pulled into a beautiful high pony. She was sitting near the shore, yet far enough not to get wet if the sea decides to play. She was smiling and it made Siddharth's heartbeat return to normal. 

"Shehnaaz?" Siddharth sat right beside her, watching her like she was his salvation. "Kisi ko bina bataaye kyon aa gayi yahaan?" 

Shehnaaz looked at him and a small smile tugged at her lips. "Sorry.. mujhe laga ki tu aayega uske pehle mein ghar pahunch jaaungi. Dimaag mein nahi raha." She apologized to Siddharth and scooted closer to him resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Tu theek hai baby?" Siddharth asked, wrapping his arm around her. 

"Tere jaane ke baad aankh khuli toh phone baj raha tha, neha ki team se kisi ne call kiya tha, bakwaas ki bahot. Mein sunti rahi, zyaada koi jawaab nahi diya fir Mehul aur Kaushal dono ko call recoding bhej diya. Tujhe dhoondne bahaar aayi toh pata laga ki tu nahi hai. Woh aadmi kaafi galat shalat bola, aur mein sacchi theek nahi thi uss waqt. I didn't know tu Maa ko bataaya tha ya nahi, but mene bhi baat nahi ki. Mann kiya tujhe call kar du. Tu subah se sambhaal raha tha mujhe--" Shehnaaz sighed. 

Siddharth stopped her mid sentence. "Kyon nahi kia call? Tujhe sambhalna tere sath rehna mere liye kaam nahi hai. Toh kya hua agar subaah se handle kar raha hoon? Tu meri Shehnaaz hai. Tujhe mein nahi sambhalunga toh kya tere do darjan boyfriend aake sambhaaleinge?" He asked sarcastically. 

Shehnaaz hit him gently on the chest. "Bakwaas karwa lo bas!" 

"Phir?" 

"Phir.. Gaadi nikaali, yahaan aa gayi. Shaant hone ke liye yeh best jagaah hai. Shor mein bhi shanti hai yahan. Itne saare log hai, fir bhi insaan apne khayaal sunn leta hai. Most importantly, yahaan meine teri aankhon mein bahot saara pyaar dekha tha. Tu mujhe hamaari pehli long drive pe yaahan laaya tha. Yeh jagaah na, punjab se bahot alag hai. Udhar samandar hai hi nahi." Shehnaaz giggled. 

"Punjab mein kya buraai hai?" 

"Koi bhi buraai nahi hai, bas ab yeh mera ghar bann gaya hai. Punjab mein kabhi dard mila tha, yahaan khushi hai. Uss dard aur iss khushi ke beech ek be-ant samandar hai. Safe lagta hai." Shehnaaz shrugged. 

Siddharth smiled, kissing her forehead affectionately.

"Mujhe laga tha ki.." 

"Tujhe akela chod ke chali jaungi?" She asked and then chuckled. "Bahut strong banaya hai tune.. par itni himmat nahi hai mujhmein ki mein tujhe chod ke jaa saku." 

"Promise kar.." 

"I promise." 

Just like I promised, The second & final part is here. I hope you enjoyed reading the story.

Do let me know in the comments below

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