Thodi Der Aur Theher Ja

Chapter Three

"What?" 

"It's a family emergency, sir. I'm sorry but I can't complete this schedule. I know that I'd probably land you in losses but--"

"What is the problem?" The director asked. 

Siddharth sighed, "Shehnaaz is sick. She's admitted in the hospital. I need to be there. I can't work right now."

"Shehnaaz?" The director gasped. "What happened?"

"You're prepared to face humiliation and walk out of a project because she's sick?" Gayatri asked incredulously. 

"He's not walking out, Gayatri-ji and I was asking him a question. You may be related to the producers, but you're not them. I'm the boss here and if you misbehave one more time with me, or interrupt me when I'm talking to my team, I will replace you with the same woman you're so insensitive while talking about." The director snapped at her. Gayatri gasped, glaring at the director. The director chose to ignore her and turned to Siddharth, looking expectant.

"What happened?"

"She had a panic attack. She collapsed-- She's in the ICU and-- I need to be there. I need to be with her, Sir. I'm sorry this--" 

"You don't have to apologize to me, Siddharth. I can understand. She's a friend, a dear friend and she barely has anyone except you in Mumbai. I want to allow you to go and be with your friend, but you're right, we can't arrange for this shoot again, whenever we feel like. How will we manage your scenes?" Ue asked softly. 

"I don't know." 

Can we.. use computer generated imagery?" Kaushal suggested.

"Defeats the point of coming here in the first place. We needed a natural setting. These scenes.. they're important for the film." 

"Can we.. try to talk to the producers, see if they let me quit?" Siddharth asked

"Why would you quit?"

"Because I don't see another solution for the problem. I can't stay, not when Shehnaaz is--" He sighed, his sentence left unfinished. 

"We can try to convince them to let you leave for a few days. It's a genuine emergency." Mehul said gently. "They might understand."

"They won't. No one wants to waste their money. They'll kick you out Siddharth." Gayatri said.

"That's even better."

Everyone in that room saw the seriousness of those words. They knew he'd deliver on his words. They knew he'd walk out of the project without hesitation if he had to. In that moment, something became clear to Gayatri. No one tops Shehnaaz Kaur Gill in the priority list of Siddharth Ashok Shukla, not even his career.

"What if she doesn't reciprocate your feelings the way you deserve?" Gayatri asked Siddharth and he smiled at her. 

'She does. She doesn't reciprocate-- she loved me first. She was brave enough to tell the whole about her feelings, way before we even became sure about ourselves. She loves me better than I deserve. Thousand times better and I know that love is no business, but I want to give it back to her, the way she deserves." Siddharth said with a soft, proud smile on his face.

Shehnaaz was his world, his sanity. He couldn't afford to lose this exclusivity with her and that was why he was so protective of their relationship. Today, he realized that while handling the secret, the exclusivity, him and his family, Shehnaaz was simultaneously dealing with the world, it's accusations and assumptions too.

Earlier, it was for being the one-sided lover. The girl who loved to soon, too much and now, in this meeting, he saw the other argument. What if she didn't love enough? Whatever they did, he came out the shallow end while she struggled the deep waters. He scoffed. It was a vicious cycle, with no escape.