Rab Rakha

Chapter 8

Day two. Preeti got breakfast ready for everyone, she was setting up the table along with the cook when Shehnaaz and Sheena stepped up to help them.

"Didi, aap mujhe dedo. Mai serve karti jati hu." Shehnaaz asked Preeti.

"Arey, tum humari guest ho. Baitho na. Hum kar lenge." Preeti replied.

"Auntiyo ke beech kya akeli baithungi didi? Kuch toh karne do." Shehnaaz requested and took the casserole from her, Preeti smiled at her and gave in.

Since there were so many people, everybody couldn't fit into the 6 seater dining table. So the gents decided to take the table and the ladies suggested that they'd manage it in the living room. Sheena began to serve people on the dining table whereas Shehnaaz served the others.

"Tumlog bhi baith jao ab, everybody is almost done." Sidharth asked them.

"Hi Adi!" Shehnaaz greeted Advait, taking a seat next to him.

"Hey di. I was just joking yesterday." Advait spoke, not wanting her to feel indifferent.

"It's okay! Chill." She chuckled, served herself and began to eat.

"Tumhare Mama ne kuch bola kya?" She curiously asked then.

"Nahi, um, aise toh kuch nahi bole." He shook his head.

"Toh vaise kya bole?" She suspiciously asked. Sidharth was sitting far away at the corner of the table so she was sure he wouldn't hear them.

Advait looked at his uncle as well, making sure that he was busy having a conversation with Rajiv and Sheena. He turned to Shehnaaz again.

"Actually, it was a misunderstanding on my part. You know, so I just, I thought there was something." He said.

"As in?" She asked him, confused.

"Something going on in between you two?" He weakly answered.

"What? Why would you think that?" She asked, completely surprised.

"I'm sorry. I thought, just the way he was looking at your picture, I just assumed it. Maine unko chidhane ke liye aisa bola tha." He mentioned, feeling pretty stupid. The day he went to receive Sidharth at the airport and asked about the new girl in their group selfie, Advait felt like his uncle smiled a little looking at someone's picture.

"Oh." Shehnaaz didn't know what to say now. It made her heart pick up a beat. Why would Sidharth look at her picture? Did he- No! Stop! He's Sheena's brother! She answered the unasked question.

"Not that he was looking at your picture. Wo actually, aap logo ki group selfie thi. I asked who you were and he simply answered." Advait further explained and it burst her bubble. His uncle just asked him to be careful about his jokes around new people because it might make them uncomfortable. Not everybody he would come across was going to be as cool as Shehnaaz had been.

"Unhone bas bola ke aap Mickey di ke best friend ho." He added and she simply nodded. And the two had a few conversation about their streams.

She tried to shake things off her mind because Sidharth would not stare at her picture in any way! That man was so handsome, the girl he would date was definitely going to be a model! Or an equivalent. And she should definitely stop thinking about the kind of girl he would date, this was so inappropriate. He's like Sheena's big brother.

"Shehnaaz?!" Sidharth called out loud for her.

"Ha?" She looked at him.

"Aur parathe chahiye?" He asked, pointing at her empty plate.

"Nahi." She shook her head, grabbing a glass of water.

Soon, everybody left for their shopping spree. They were at the Deen dayal market again, that place was known for the amazing clothing stock it had.