Perfect Mismatch

Ch 24 - Decisions

Sidharth treaded very carefully and lightly, so as to not wake her up. He picked up his phone and his car keys and looked back to have a last glance at her. Sleeping with her hands pressed together under her head, fully covered under the white duvet with only her face out of it, she looked like an angel. Her face was red and swollen from the constant tears. She had murmured "Sarr dukh raha hai...", quite a few times in her sleep and he gently pressed her temples to relieve her off the stress but he had to leave now. He really wanted to kiss her forehead before leaving, but decided to let it be, lest she woke up. He needed to do what he had been postponing all this while. He needed to look for some answers within. 

Leaving the room as quietly, as he could, he called up his mother who was worried to receive his call at 2 in the night.

"Sid...itni raat ko call kar raha hai? Kya hua hai?" She had slept off, but the phone ringing this late at night, had her heartbeat racing.

"Maa...main aapse milne aa jaun? Mujhe pata hai aap Monday aane wale ho...but it is very important and I can't wait ...", He pleaded and the tone of his voice  shook his mother.

"Haan beta...tu aaja..par sab theek hai na? Tu theek hai na?...", She asked again.

"Haan Maa.. main theek hun. Aap ready ho jao, main 1 ghante mein lene aa raha hun...bas Di ko bol do, uske alawa mausie logon ko mat uthana..." he requested.

"Aaja beta...main ready rahungi...", She promised.

Though she did not know what exactly had happened, her gut feeling told her that it had something to do with why Shehnaaz's voice was trembling when she had called the girl in the evening. 

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3:30 AM | Sea beach

"Kya hua baccha...", his mother looked at his perplexed face as they sat on a rock, watching the waves crash on the shore one after the other but he kept looking on for another moment. 

"Itni raat ko mujhe yahan le aaya...kuch bol bhi nahi raha hai...Sid what is wrong? Bolega?" She asked again, her anxiety increasing by the minute.

"Maa...aap disappoint toh nahi hoge na...", He asked. Tears finally filling up his eyes.

His mother's heart shook seeing those tears. The last time she had seen him distraught was when things ended on a bad note for him professionally with Rashmi. He was replaced in his show and chose to stay incognito for a while.

"Baccha...you know I am really proud of you...main ho hi nahi sakti disappoint....teri mom ..hamesha tere sath hai..bata na beta kya hua hai...You are scaring me now", She insisted. Her own eyes brimming seeing the piece of her heart cry.

"Mom...I love her...Shehnaaz...", he whispered, looking into her eyes and stopped to read her reaction. But he received none, just expectant eyes looking at him to speak further.

"Mom?...", he asked again, to receive a reaction.

"Baccha...wo toh main janti hun na...par hua kya hai...", She looked at him concerned.

"Hain?...", He looked at her confused.

"Tune bola tha na bigg boss ke family round me...that you loved her? Main janti hun na baccha...tune bahar aake kabhi baat nahi ki khud se toh I thought I should give you the chance to come to me when you felt like...main tujhko pressurise nahi karna chahti thi...", She explained.

He chuckled hearing this, partly relieved but partly nervous. 

"Buddhu...aur jab mom ko ye pata hai ki tu raat ko uske room me jata tha, aur mom ke uthne se Pehle wapis aa jata tha, toh mom ko pata hi hoga na, ki you love her?...", she laughed, and he joined, his bulky self now partly leaning on her slender frame.