Bound by Love, Separated by Fame

chapter 7

Chapter 7: Family Ties and Future Plans

The night after the grand celebration at Shikhar’s house, Sidharth lay awake, his thoughts consumed by Shehnaaz. His mind kept replaying the moments they shared, her effortless laughter, and the spark in her eyes. It was clear now—he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to tell his parents about her. Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and called home.

The phone rang a few times before his mother picked up.

“Arre, Sidharth! Itni raat ko kya hua? Sab theek hai na?" his mother’s sleepy voice came through, concerned.

Sidharth smiled softly. “Maa, sab theek hai. Actually, bohot acha hai. I need to talk to you and Dad about something... or rather, someone.”

His mother’s tone shifted, instantly alert. “Someone? Sidharth, tu theek se bata na. Kya chal raha hai?”

“Relax, Maa. I’ve met someone. You remember Shehnaaz Gill, right?”

A pause. Then came his mother's excited squeal. “Ayy haay! Sid! This is such good news. We’ve heard so much about her from your friends! Finally, humari bahu ka naam bhi pata chal gaya.”

“Maa, please,” Sidharth chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “We’re not there yet. But I really like her, and I want you and Dad to meet her family. I want this to be serious.”

His mother could barely contain her excitement as she nudged his father awake. “Sun rahe ho, ji? Sidharth ne ladki pasand kar li! Shehnaaz Gill!”

His father grumbled sleepily before fully waking up. “Shehnaaz? She’s the one you’ve been talking about for a while, right?”

“Yeah, Dad. I think she’s the one. I’ve been thinking about her for the past year, and now I know I want to be with her. I want your blessings.”

His father’s tone softened. “Beta, if you’re happy, then we are happy too. But you know these things take time. Have you spoken to her family yet?”

“That’s why I called,” Sidharth replied. “I want you to help me. Her family should be comfortable with this, especially since I’m still playing professionally. I’ll need your support to convince them that I can manage both—my career and my commitment to her.”

His mother interrupted, her tone playful again. “Waise, Sid, hum ladkiyon ki taraf se kab rishta lekar ja rahe hain?”

Sidharth laughed. “Maa, ek step at a time! I’ll talk to Shehnaaz tomorrow, and then we can set up a meeting with her family.”

The next day, after his morning training, Sidharth called Shehnaaz. His heart raced a little as he waited for her to pick up. When she did, her chirpy voice instantly calmed him.

"Hello, superstar! Aaj subah subah kyun yaad kiya?" she teased.

"Shehnaaz, I need to talk to you about something important," Sidharth said, his voice serious.

Shehnaaz paused, sensing the shift in his tone. "Kya hua, Sid?"

"I spoke to my parents last night about you. I want them to meet your family. I want us to take this seriously."

There was a brief silence on the other end before Shehnaaz responded, her voice softer. "Sid, that's... wow. I didn't expect you to talk to them so soon."

"I couldn't wait anymore," he admitted. "This feels right, Shehnaaz. But I also want to make sure your family is on board with this."

Shehnaaz sighed. "My dad might be a bit tense about all this. He’s always worried about how things like this might affect someone's career—especially someone like you, who's at the peak of their game."