Chand Sifarish

𝑆ℎ𝑒ℎ𝑛𝑎𝑎𝑧

You can mute people in real life too.
It's called BOUNDARIES.

"Shehnaaz, do you want something from the cafeteria?", Sidharth stands behind me, his voice solemn almost like a whisper.

I was stooping down, the water was rippling and a flock of birds landed on it. Their beaks were so long and wide. Sidharth came beside me, in awe. 
I kept looking at them oblivious about my camera.

"Hey, what are you both doing?", Sana screamed at top of her voice, I don't know what got into her usually she speaks very softly. All the birds flew away, terrified of her voice.

We both sighed and signalled to her that we are coming.

"Sidharth, I need to talk to you and by talk  I mean a serious conversation, alone at home", We needed to face the elephant in the room. He might be stupid but I wasn't. If we were to get engaged, there were lots of things to be discussed.

He nodded realising what I am talking about and we both headed to the cafeteria.  He had been acting amiable since we have arrived, acting as if he didn't piss me off yesterday but I decided to let go of things because of our situation.

It had started drizzling by now, the soft drops of water hitting my body for absolution, the grey sky screaming penance. I stopped right in my tracks looking at Sana who stood under the small shed all dry while Sidharth tried to fit himself in the small space. They both were lost in their own world, this is how it had been since we arrived, occasional formal conversations with me but they both were like long lost friends finally together. I didn't realise when I turned and moved back to the pond where I was watching birds.

Water fell on the pond, causing slight tremors all over and the wind had paced up. It was getting chilly but the kind that you let in allowing it to reach your bones and draw it hollow.

I felt lonely and miserable.
I didn't want to be here but I was here.
My so called  childhood friend was busy with my would be fiancée who had taken an oath to keep ignoring me.

This is what I was scared of always. Being tied to relations and end up getting nothing. The helplessness looked wide as the seafront.

I had thought that maybe after meeting him, a part of my restlessness would subside but he turned out to be a total douchebag. His idiocy was turning me into one pessimistic soul.

"Let's go back, it's way past lunchtime", I ran back towards the shed where both of them stood sipping tea. I had not eaten anything since dinner and my stomach was growling mad.

"Hey, where did you vanish? There's tea, coffee and soda..Do you want to order something?" Sana asked realising that I was also there.

"Nothing, let's just head home".

"Let's go. She's all wet", Sidharth threw his cup in the dustbin and started walking towards the exit gate.

"It was so fun.. we should go somewhere tomorrow too..everybody is free and you are also here after such a long time", Sana pulled me by her side all ecstatic.

Another outing with them? No way this was the first and last. I passed her a feeble smile. What could I do or say?

The drive back home was silent. Sana had slept on the backseat being tired and I sat with a wide open window. The water kept coming inside wetting me more and the seat was already drenched.

"Shehnaaz, would you please close the window. I don't want to get wet", Sidharth squinted his eyes. His left hand was covered with spatters of water.

I rolled the window halfway down extending my hands outside.

"You wanted to talk", Sidharth speaks his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Why did you agree for this engagement?", I asked bluntly.

"Why did you?..see shehnaaz I know you are not in love with me, you probably don't even like me but still you are here. Do we have any options? We can't go against our families"

"But there might be something that we could do? This is known as spoiling lives. Don't you want something real like maybe love?"

"Love?", he glances at me astonished.

"Yes, The chaos in the calmness, the never ending quench for the other person, the harmony of the souls and then their separation. The final letting go..."

"Separation?"

"In the end you always have to let go of the other person, holding on becomes futile"

"Have you ever been in love?" He asks turning on the windscreen wiper.

"Not yet"

"I guessed it..if you would have known what love is toh aisi behki behki baate nhi krti..well you know right that we can never fulfill your definition of love. We might be amicable in the future but nothing more than that"

" I know that..if hona hota toh I would have been smitten by now. Sidharth I really want to call this engagement off and I feel together we should do something. I don't want to settle down in India"

"I won't leave India" he stiffened in his seat.

This alignment will lead to a lot of compromises from both sides.

" See, we will be stuck with each other like those loathsome couples who don't leave a single chance to humiliate the other. We have to do something about it"

I nestled against the headrest, my wet clothes taking a toll on my skin turning me into a sneezing maniac. He passes me his handkerchief which smells of some macho perfume.

"What if you tell abbu that you are in love with somebody?"

"Why me? And above all my parents are well aware that I have not dated a single person yet."

"You haven't", he turned to me, his eyes almost popping out.

"Yep, we weren't supposed to but why are you so surprised? Did you?"

"What no! How could I?", he let out a dry laugh.

I look at his face, tensed and his fingers which were tapping the steering wheel and I knew he had. His voice gave him away. Now, I know what I had to do. Expose him to the whole family and get myself out of this mishap.

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Heya peeps!

(No proofreading. Pls ignore if there are some petty mistakes or just point it in the comment sec..I'll rectify it)

I hope you like this part. 1 pov more and the story will pick up its pace.

Love,
Ahsmir🥀