Rab Rakha

Chapter 30

With a roll of aloo paratha under a piece of aluminium foil in one hand and the office handbag in another, Shehnaaz made her way out of her apartment. She started early today, got ready before time and decided to log-in into her desktop before time to kick start her week, in the process she might as well impress her manager who had been treating her like a fresher. She had more than five years of working experience and she liked to be treated like a regular employee rather than people wondering if she'd be able to design their clients' projects or not.

She took a bite from her paratha and chewed it slowly, passing her time in the elevator while it escalated her down to the ground floor. She saw Sidharth pacing around his car when she stepped into the lobby.

"Hi, Good morning." She said as she approached him.

"Morning." He replied.

"Kya hua?" She asked.

"Tire puncture." He said, showing her the flattened tire near the driver's seat.

"Oh." She looked at it and then Sidharth. She wondered if he didn't know how to change a tire. By the look on his face, it looked like he was helpless.

"It's okay, mai help kar deti hu. Abhi change ho jayega." She said and he looked at her amused.

"You will change the tire?" He asked her, keeping his phone aside.

"What makes you think I can't change a tire? Ladki hu isliye?! For your information, I know how to drive as well." She was a little offended there. She was her father's daughter, only child and she knew basically all the things about a car.

"Oh no. Not at all. Chal tire leke aa." He shook his head. He wondered what made her think, he didn't know how to change a tire. He'd have changed the tire if he had one. He had gotten rid of the old spare tire when his car went for servicing and he was about to get a new one but just didn't have enough time to get in touch with the servicing agency.

Shehnaaz kept her handbag over the bonnet of his car and opened the car's boot but she didn't find any spare tire.

"What makes you think I wasn't changing the tire because I didn't know how to?" He asked her, standing behind her while there was sarcasm laced all over his face.

"Mujhe nahi pata tha na, ke tere pass spare nahi hai." She replied.

"Toh puch leti." He shrugged.

"Toh tu seedha seedha bhi toh bol sakta tha. Ulta jawab dene me bada maza aata hai tujhe bhi!" She replied.

"Yeah. Right. Meri galti." He nodded his head and looked away.

"Mechanic ko bulaya hai?" She asked then.

"Nahi, meri meeting hai subha subha aur ek bhi cab nahi book ho rahi hai toh time pe pahucha de." He replied, all worked up. He didn't call Vardhan because he lived in the exact opposite direction and it would be more time consuming if he called him.

"You could take a bus. Only if you.. can travel in a bus.. matlab.. kisi dusri jagah se shayad tujhe cab mil jaye jaldi." She suggested and he looked at her. Why didn't he think of that earlier!?!

"That'd be better!" He nodded, grabbing his laptop bag from the passenger side and the two walked out of the building together.

"Maan gaya? Mujhe lagta tha itni badi company hai teri, bus wagera me thodi travel karega." She shrugged, biting back her smile.

"Acha? Tujhe kuch zyada hi lagta hai aajkal." He commented, looking at her.

"Yeh kya hua hai?" He asked, pointing at her right elbow.