SOHBAT ✔️

15. TOXIC

"Ye log yahan kya kar rahe hai" She thought as soon as she entered inside, her hold on his hand tightened and he sighed thinking she has to eventually sort out everything one day, why not today, with just a hope that she doesn't go back in that silent zone, he possibly could not take it. A day of the efforts from his side and he knew he has already lost a part of himself to her.

" Namaste Mummy Papa" She spoke with a tight lipped smile and everyone present in the room thought her to be normal, this is what she has been doing all her life, probably from when she was 12, 14 years of her life in front of them has been nothing but just a facade. Sidharth would have fallen once again in the act if her hold on his hand and the previous experience he had with this situation has not been there.
She was literally digging the nails in his forearm but did he complained, not for once, what worried him was why to suffer from inside when she could possibly shout out her insecurities in front of her parents, this is what he had been doing all these years, his mother is possibly the only constant one in his life and he loves her way too much but what he needs to understand is every child is not the same with their parents and she fell in that latter category

" Namaste, kaise ho" Sidharth bowed down to touch the feets of his in laws with the left hand because right was in the hold of his wife and he didn't intended her to lose the hold.

" Khush raho puttar, kaise ho aap, hum theek" His Father-in-Law asked him. Can't they for one ask her she thought, she was her only child right, why was he given all the attention and not her even after meeting her after 4 long years. No, she is not jealous of her husband getting the love she could never be but a small child inside her craves the same love, the same care for herself.

" Main badiya papa, baith jaaye kya travel kiya na kafi thak gaye hai " He spoke eying she wasn't very comfortable present there.

" Sid buddha ho gaya hai tu, ye ladki bhi toh khadi hai" Shalini teased pointing at the way Shehnaaz has not even spoken a word and was just staring the floor.

" Oho haan Same age hai na humari, tu toh aate hi baith gayi thi be tujhse toh kam hi hua hoon" He replied back and both of them laughed.

" Sorry Mummy Papa, voh ye Shalini aisi hi hai, kabhi bhi kuch bhi bolti hai" Sidharth spoke to them and they smiled sitting back.

" Aur batao bacha ghar par sab theek" Her mother asked.
" Sab sahi mummy  aana kabhi aap log bhi Mumbai, kitne saal ho gaye " He spoke Remembering the last time they had came there was on the reception arranged for 4 of his friends and all the extended families from both the sides, 3 days from the day of their marriage, 4 years to them, freak, she has not for once spoken about how she felt with her parents, it has always been either her chachi aur Ananya, how has he been so inconsiderate towards this.

" Nhi beta bachi ke ghar kaise" She spoke making Shehnaaz scoff.

" Ye bhi toh mumma inke hi dost ka ghar hai na, idhar aa sakte hai bus Mumbai nhi" Shehnaaz spoke the first time from the past 10 minutes, a normal statement for many but Sidharth knew she missed them a lot it's just she has not learnt how to voice it out.

" Bache acha nhi lagta na " This was her father this time.
" Kya acha nhi lagta papa, damad hi maante ho kya, beta kab banunga main, 4 saal kafi nhi hai, ya yakeen nhi dila paya abhi tak " Sidharth spoke and Shehnaaz looked at him with pure love in her eyes.

No one has stood for her against her parents ever, back then too chachi ji and chacha ji just agreed for her to stay in their home yet they were never against her parents, never told them that probably they are wrong.