Strings Of Love

Chapter 48

Shehnaaz was waiting for Sidharth's call since forever, he had told her about his return on Friday but he didn't call and nor was he answering hers. He could be busy, she thought but a part of her was expecting at least a small text that mentioned he was going to call her back later.

"Itna kya busy hai?" She twisted the corner of her mouth and kept her phone back before getting back to work.

Apart from his call, she was eagerly waiting for him to break the good news to her. Did Preeti deliver the baby on her due date? Was it a boy or a girl? And then she'd show up at their place with loads of cupcakes as a treat from her side. She was losing her patience this side.

"Preeti ka number lelena chahiye tha." She mumbled to herself, it would have been better if she had his sister's number and it would have been easier to contact the family instead of waiting for the entire day for him. It was nearly evening and neither were there any texts nor a reply.

"You better have a good excuse for this Shukla." She sighed, dialing his number for the last time today.

"Hello?" A girl answered her call in a couple of rings.

"Who is it?" Shehnaaz was confused.

"Um, mam this the reception. Yeh phone jinka tha, woh yaha bhool gayi hai." The girl answered.

"Oh." Shehnaaz replied, she was stuck on 'gayi hai' though. It was a guy's phone! She couldn't help the jealousy creeping up at the thought of another person carrying Sidharth's phone.

Why would he hand his phone to anyone, let alone a girl? She shouldn't be connecting the dots before talking to him , she told herself.

"Okay, jiska ye phone hai. Unhone check out kab kiya?" She asked further.

"I'm sorry, this is a hospital. Abhi abhi ek ladki aayi kisi patient ke baare me puchne aur apna phone yahi bhool gayi." The receptionist clarified. Hospital? Was he okay? Why was he there? Her heartbeats picked up rapidly and throat dried even at the thought of it.

"Konsa hospital? Kaha?" She panicked, asking.

"Cloudnine hospital, Malad." The receptionist answered, confused and hung up. How could she even think of anything else, about Sidharth being with a girl when he wasn't answering her phone calls? She didn't want to think about anything stupid and decided to rush to the hospital. He was back in Mumbai, he must have returned home and gone to visit his sister. She kept telling herself things would be fine, on her way to the hospital but couldn't help herself from biting her nails worriedly.

"Please be fine. Please be fine." She mumbled on her way when she got a call from him.

"Hello?" She immediately answered it.

"Shehnaaz." She heard him and let out a breath, relieved but she was still worried that he sounded so dry.

"Kya hua Sidharth? Is everything okay?" She asked him and he didn't really have any proper answer to that.

"Preeti's admit. She lost a lot of blood, more than the usual amount lost during a C-section delivery." He told her.

"Oh no. And the baby?" She asked further.

"It's a boy, a healthy baby who looks just like her. Lekin.." He sadly smiled, he was so happy about becoming an uncle finally but his nephew was still waiting to get into his mother's arms.

"Sidharth, sab thik ho jayega. Dekh, sab ke liye tujhe strong rehna hoga. Haina?" She asked, sounding practical.

"Hmm." He replied.

"Tu kaha hai?" He asked her, hearing traffic on her side.

"Hospital aa rahi hu, raste me hu. Kuch lete huye aau?" She replied.