Perfect Mismatch

Ch 16 - Juloos Day

Sidharth had always been a light sleeper and knowing that he would have to be back in his own bed before his mother was up, he could not sleep in peace. However, his heart was brimming with contentment as the other half of his heart lay snuggled to him, against his chest, her body heaving up and down and light snores filling the room. 

He could not stop himself from placing a soft kiss on any part of her face, he could. He felt so grateful for what he had in life - he was finally home, away from the madhouse of people. He had won the title, cleared his name and let the world at large know, that he was not the brat the whole controversy with Rashmi Desai had made him to look like. He had this incredible woman by his side, who was snoring away to glory, he chuckled. He had been receiving an array of offers to host, act and attend events, videos and shows. His mother and sisters were with him and by the looks of it, they did not just approve of Shehnaaz, but there was also a possibility of them loving her more than him. He closed his eyes in gratitude and a lone tear fell down his cheeks. There was a smile on his face. Since he was back home, he had been having more of these moments when alone at night. He could not thank God enough for giving him the life, the love he was receiving at the moment. 

"Mmm....horn bajao...", she mumbled randomly in her sleep, and Sidharth rolled his eyes with a smile. This woman was crazy.

"I love you gadhi...", he mumbled, just because he knew, she could not hear him. Pressing his lips again, to her forehead, he squeezed her closer. This action, he knew, would never wake her out of her sleep. The closer he pulled her, the more happily she sighed, even when asleep. After a series of failed relationships, he had found the destiny he was inadvertently, all this while been preparing for. Her.

After admiring her for a good amount of time, he slid out of the bed and the moment he did, she let out an unhappy grunt. Not wanting her to wake up, he hushed her and caressed her hair "sshh.. so ja, so ja...". 

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Next morning, Shehnaaz woke up with the widest of smiles. Small gestures like these made her fall all the more for him. She peeped out to see that Aunty was not yet up so, decided to quickly get ready and then make tea for everyone. 

After a quick shower, she put on a very simple solid green kurta and red chunni . She straightened her hair and put on no makeup, but a black bindi. She then, went again to make tea in the kitchen for the three of them. Initially, she was awkward about doing things on her own, but in just two days, Aunty had made her very comfortable and now, she was treated no less than a member of the family. Aunty would often sit and instruct her to do things just so as to make her feel more involved in everyday affairs and help her feel a sense of belonging - she would seek her suggestions while ordering things, seek her opinion on household everyday matters and always ensure that she was a part of the nightly video calls with Preeti Di and her family. In 8 days of lockdown, Sana had absolutely no hesitation while navigating around the house. 

Sidharth, though would not say anything in this regard, but felt extremely relieved with these developments. He initially had his doubts and fears on whether she would be able to gel with the family. She was a simple heart with absolutely no filters and though his family was not pompous or elitist in terms of their internal communication and general being, there was definitely a mismatch in terms of temperaments. They had really liked a few of them, when he was dating these women since they were a particular 'way' - they were sophisticated and soft-spoken and women of 'elegance' as the outer world may see them. However, 39 years of existence had taught Sidharth that the same 'sophistication' and 'elegance', without substance and core common values and beliefs would always end up leaving him suffocated in a relationship, which would have a short life. He wanted a partner for him to cherish, not just the world to approve. However, this funny woman, with weird mannerisms was someone who the world had approved for him and at the same time, was someone, who shared his beliefs, values and also, at times, brought her own perspectives which made him see things better.