Rab Rakha

Chapter 47

Shehnaaz called Sidharth one evening to again ask him when he is to return home and he replied that he was going to have a discussion with Vardhan over dinner at his place and then that he'd spend the weekend with his family. All in all, it was a Friday night and just like his usual plan he was going back to his mother's place for the weekend. With the week full of the chaos caused by the accident, his weekend was now occupied as well.

After she hung up the phone with him, she felt a mix of emotions swirling within her. She understood that Sidharth's work was demanding, especially during crises like the recent accident at the complex. Yet, despite her understanding nature, there was a tinge of disappointment that he didn't inform her about tonight's arrangement himself.

She valued clear communication and found reassurance in being kept in the loop, even if it's just a brief message. As she stood in her room, contemplating the situation, her thoughts oscillated between concern for Sidharth's well-being and a slight sense of neglect. She knew he cared deeply for her, but sometimes his intense focus on work made her feel sidelined. He was in the middle of a crisis and with a situation like that she wondered if she was being a little selfish there. Even though she cared a great deal about him, she wanted all his problems to find a solution soon but couldn't resist feeling oddly sidelined. She wondered if she was being selfish and way too demanding and needy of his attention.

Turning to her mother, Madhu, who was preparing to go grocery shopping with her, Shehnaaz shared a small sigh. "Chale Mummy?" She asked her mother.

"Ha. Sidharth se baat huyi?" Madhu asked, as they locked their apartment and walked to the elevator.

"Ha, wo Vardhan ke sath khana khayega. Unlogo ka kaam khatam nahi hua hai, unke ghar se apne ghar chale jayega. Aunty ke ghar." Shehnaaz replied.

Madhu looked at her daughter with empathy, understanding the complexities of relationships amidst busy schedules and simply nodded.

Together, they head out to the market, focusing on the practical tasks at hand while Shehnaaz quietly hoped that Sidharth finds a moment to reach out and connect, reassuring her of their bond amidst the chaos of their lives.

On the other hand, Sidharth had dinner at Vardhan's place and they resumed their discussion.

"Sid, yeh insurance claim ka kya update hai?" Vardhan asked.

"Bhai, maine unse baat ki hai. Claim process mein hai, thoda time lagega lagta hai. Abhi toh sabse important hai ki humare workers ka treatment sahi se ho." Sidharth replied.

"Bilkul, Diwakar ki tabiyat kaisi hai? Baki log toh kal discharge honge na?" Vardhan asked. This week, three of the workers had shown speedy recovery whereas one of them was still halfway through.

"ICU me hi hai. I just pray woh jaldi recover kare. Baki toh hospital ke bills bhi bahut badh rahe hain." Sidharth replied. He cared for workers but couldn't help pointing out the materialistic factor.

"Insurance policy kitna cover karti hai? Kya saare medical expenses cover honge? I hope they do." Vardhan suggested.

"Policy ke hisab se sab cover hona chahiye, hospitalization se lekar surgeries tak. Humko detail mein medical reports aur bills submit karne honge insurer ko." Sidharth nodded. The fact that one of the workers' surgeries had called upon a senior surgeon from another city and that was charging a handsome fee.

"Aur hamare equipment aur workspace ka damage ka compensation?" Sidharth mentioned.

"Wo bhi claim ka hissa hai. Insurance se hum damaged equipment replace karne aur workspace ko repair karne ke liye paisa mil jayega." Vardhan answered.