Standing By You (SidNaaz❤)

Chapter 2

Shehnaaz is woken up by her mother a little earlier than usual. She doesn't want the scolding she received yesterday.
"Amma, aaj jaldi kyu utha rahe ho? Abhi toh aadha ghanta bacha hai na mere uthne ko", said a sleepy Shehnaaz still keeping her eyes closed.
"Jaldi uth ja puttar, mai nahi chahti roz subah subah ghar mai kalesh ho", cooed Reet.
Shehnaaz gets up as she remembers what had happened yesterday and she definitely does not want the repetition of yesterday's incident. She goes to the bathroom to freshen up and then gets ready for school. Reet too helps her when required but makes sure to keep the breakfast ready.

At the dining table, Balwant, Kulwant, Paramjeet and Gurvinder are having their breakfast when the door bell rings. Reet goes to see who came so early in the morning. She finds an unknown face, someone she had never seen in her colony before.
"Namaste", said the lady to Reet.
"Namsate Ji. Aap aayiye na andar. Ji maaf kijiyega, maine aapko pehchana nahi", said Reet with a very low tone. Women should keep their tone low while speaking. Again hypocrisy, isn't it?
"Ji mera naam Sudha hai aur hum log kal hi yaha shift huye hai, aapke saamne wale ghar mai. Inka transfer ho gaya hai yaha isliye", replied the lady following Reet inside the house.
"Reet, kon hai?", came a very stern voice of Kulwant.
"Ji vo naye padosi hai", replied Reet.
"Hum aate hai. Beitha mehmaan ko", interrupted Paramjeet.

A few minutes later Balwant, Kulwant and Paramjeet assembled in the drawing room and greeted Sudha very politely. The politeness depicted as if they are the most humble people on the Earth. Nothing shocking for Reet, as she knew they had maintained an entirely different image in front of the society. An image which is unlike their real identity.
After the greetings and brief introduction Sudha said, "Ji maine aaj shaam ko chhoti si pooja rakhwayi hai ghar par. Mujhe bohat achha lagega agar aap sabhi aaye toh. Mai aapko sabhi se wahi milwa dungi."
"Arey bilkul beta ji. Kyu nahi. Hum aayengen", said Balwant very humbly.
"Aap beithiye na. Kya lengi aap?", asked Paramjeet to Sudha and then turned towards Reet and asked her in a stern voice "Inse chai naashte ka pucha ya nahi?"
Reet fearing another scolding was about to reply but Sudha interrupted, "Ji abhi mai late ho rahi hu, aur bhi logon ko nyota dena hai. Phir kabhi aaungi chai-naashte ke liye."
Paramjeet nodded in understanding and Reet breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her Waheguru and Sudha in her mind for saving her. Sudha left from there and they all resumed with their breakfast. Reet hurriedly went to the kitchen, made a roll of parantha and gave it to Shehnaaz. She felt bad for her daughter but could she do anything? No. A big no. Gurvinder and Shehnaaz then left for their school.

☆

In the evening, Shehnaaz so wanted to go to the park hoping she would meet her friend. Were they friends? For her, they were. But she couldn't as they all had to go for the pooja organised by their new neighbours. She got ready and went to Sudha's house with her family. Sudha greeted them all with a very pleasant smile and introduced them to Ravindra Shukla (her husband), Aasha Shukla (her elder sister-in-law) and Aasha's daughter, Arpita Shukla. Her own son was missing and she sent Arpita to call him. Arpita came back with a boy and to Shehnaaz's surprise, Sudha's son was the boy she met in the park yesterday. On meeting him again she gave a wide smile to which he responded blushing.
"Aur yeh hai mera beta, Sidharth", said Sudha.
"Namaste", Sidharth wished to all with his gaze fixated on Shehnaaz.

Sidharth's family is an orthodox one though the intensity does not match with that of Shehnaaz's family, but still. They are not among those who don't provide the girl child of their family with proper love, care and affection. However, rules for girls are very strict.
Sidharth Shukla, 16 year old boy who does not adhere to his family's ideology and makes sure to keep his baby sister happy by going against some rules. He is a very jovial person. He loves his baba (father), maa (mother), badi maa and Arpita.
Ravindra Shukla, father of Sidharth. He is strict and orthodox. He loves both Sidharth and Arpita. However, he believes in the superiority of men over women, if not in all but in some matters. At times, he loses in front of his son's demand and stubbornness.
Sudha Shukla, mother of Sidharth and loves Sidharth and Arpita equally. She has accepted the difference between men and women that society follows as she has seen this since her childhood.
Asha Shukla, elder sister-in-law of Ravindra and Sudha. Her husband (Raj Shukla) had died 9 years ago in a road accident. She too loves Sidharth and Arpita equally and is thankful to God for she believes Sidharth will never let anything wrong happen to Arpita. She too, just like Sudha, had accepted the difference between men and women.
Arpita Shukla, 10 year old baby sister of Sidharth. She is loved by all but is most pampered by Sidharth. She loves Sidharth the most.

Paramjeet sent Reet to help Sudha and Kulwant to help Ravindra. She along with her husband began meeting with the people of her neighbourhood.
Sidharth on finding a good opportunity took Shehnaaz along with him and teased, "Aur rotlu, kaisi hai?"
Shehnaaz replied with a scrunched face, "Mai rotlu nahi hun. Vo toh mai bohat zyaada darr gayi thi. Samjho na. Aur haan, mera naam Shehnaaz hai.
He smiled and said, "Haanji toh Shehnaaz, mera naam Sidharth hai. Chal ab bata kuch khaayegi? Le ke aaun mai tere liye kuch?"
"Nahi muje bhukhi nahi lagi hai. Vaise na mai apna naam batane wali thi aur aapka bhi puchne wali thi, par aapne bhula dia kal mujhe. Phir jab mai sone jaa rahi thi na tab yaad aaya mujhe", she said innocently and made a cute pout.
He couldn't control and pulled her cheeks to which she shrieked. He continued, "Tu bohat hi cute aur innocent si baby hai. Teri age kya hai?"
"Mai na 12 years old hun. Aapki age kya hai jo mujhe baby bol rahe ho", she replied and mimicked him at last.
"Mai 14 years ka hun. Toh tujhse toh bada hi hun. Aur rahi baat 12 years ki tu lagti nahi hai, chhoti si toh hai tu. Dekh le kandhe tak bhi nahi pohach rahi hai mere", he said playfully and stuck his tongue out in between his teeth.
"Aaye bade, tujhse toh bada hi hun. Konse aapke baal safed ho gaye hai. 2 saal hi toh bade ho", Shehnaaz retorted with the same cute pout and scrunched face and felt how freely she is talking to someone she has met just a day ago. The comfort she has found with him and the openess and frankness with him was something she never experienced with her own family. Her heart replied that he is giving her that unconstrained environment to speak and express and hence the reason for the comfort.
Sidharth thought, "Yeh ajeeb hi bhelpuri hai. Kal dari hui thi aur apne bhai ke friend ko sabak sikhane se mana kar dia aur aaj mere saath badi free ho rahi hai. Yaha tak ki meri nakal nikaal rahi hai. Vaise pyaari bohat hai yeh."
"Oyye, kya soch rahe ho aap. Chalo aapki mumma bula rahi hai pooja ke liye", she said. He came out of his daze and went with her.
On completion of the pooja, all the guests left. Sidharth kept thinking about that cutie and her innocent looks and talks.

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NOTE : - The second chapter is up and do tell me the areas of improvement. As I said earlier, I am open to constructive criticism.
Also, to remind you all that the updates would be slow.

{Published on : Tuesday, 21 December 2021}

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Keep Sidharth and his family in your prayers.

Your writer,
Sudhanya