Ittefaq

Chapter 3

Sidharth bhai the meeting has been fixed to Brown's cafe , she'll directly come from her villa, where she's currently staying..All the best.

Yeah, thanks man for arranging this meeting, here. It would have been practically impossible for me to go back to Mumbai up until now. I can't lose her , she's an important client.

Yeah yeah I know, now go and take the lead. It's been months. I miss you in your suits.

Just a month bey nautanki. Bye.

Today's an important day. Even though Sidharth is far from his office, his office isn't really far from him. He practically turned his home into his office. And the new environment is apparently suiting him the best. Away from all the toxicity of the life that he decided to leave behind. The unanticipated abrupt decision has shocked himself, and his few close ones. But his need is stronger than his apprehensive self. They understood the fact. Currently, Sourav is the face of the company but the strings still lie in Sidharth's hand. This one month has been a month of serene peace. In this one month he had time to look down upon life. His life. Full of twisted turns. The impermanence of life has taught him a lot. He learned cooking and realised the reality that he's actually not that bad at cooking. Even though Priya's Louise has been a great help for the last one month, he can't close his eyes to the reality that he himself has discovered a new Sidharth Kesav. Last one month she also thought a lot about his mother and the injustices that were done by him and his father. The husband who was supposed to protect the bond of marriage. The inevitability of human existence is like a big block question itself. It makes him think, all the decisions that he took throughout his life. The meaning of all the sufferings and pain !

Sound of the toaster makes him aware of his surroundings, and the bread is ready to be eaten. The clock in the office wall shows it's 9:45 he needed to leave in the next half an hour. Looking around his office room, he makes a mental note to get it cleaned as soon as possible. He is a clean freak. He hates dirt within the core of his heart. Back then he had people to manage all the random chores, now all on his own, he is getting up to speed.
...

Locking the car door, Sidharth left for his destination wearing fading jeans and woolen sweatshirt paired with winter fur boots and all his glory. Last night the car got delivered all the way from Mumbai. It is difficult for him to find transport even during the day. Brown's Cafe takes thirty minutes to reach. He had gone there earlier. Nice and cozy. It is maintained by the grandson of Mr. George Brown. Today a very old client turned friend wanted to meet him. And specially requested for him, after hearing his sudden dismissal. Shikha is one of his oldest clients, back when he started the company. And soon enough the business turned into friendship as they both went to sail through their own destination. Sourav informed that she tried to call him but the call didn't connect and she ended up here. Sidharth is very much well acquainted with his friend's dramatic nature. He didn't mind. Probably for the very first time he genuinely liked the concern. A very broad smile graced his face.

Excuse me..a table is booked under Sidharth Kesav.

Just a minute sir...yes please come with us.

Sidharth felt a pang. His heart started racing. There's some unknown heat filling his chest. The lady in the reception took him to his table. He got sitted and asked for a glass of water. He had felt it before. He knows the similarities. There's something going to happen to change the course of his life, like before yet different. The intuition is so strong that he started to fidget. The same old etching has clogged his throat. Eyes shut tight. The flashes are coming back to back. The unreceived call. Police station. The aftermath. Everything is clear as real. But this time the speed of the heart is going somewhere different. Somewhere unfamiliar. Something that he failed to identify. But in between all this chaos he did not fail to see the same brown eyes. The face of pure serene. The hesitation, the fear, the agony. All this felt so alike. But why ? Why is this face he failed to forget? Why is this face haunting him for the last one month? What it is, so alluring, so tempting, so captivating that it didn't let him sleep all night. The mirage-like illusion that he saw that day is chasing after night after night. He needed to have an answer.