Perfect Mismatch

Ch 47 - Sabr

"Neeche aaja baby, wahin basement mein. Aur cover hoke aana. I got papped just a while back", Sidharth had called her up and in the next one and a half minute, she was knocking at the window, with shades on and her dupatta covering her face completely.

"Abbey, I said cover hoke aana, tu terrorist banke aa gai" he laughed and pulled her in. 

He switched on the tiny light in the car and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to spill the results but she just took off the shades and sighed, keeping her head on the headrest and looking at him with a heavy pout. 

"Oh gadhi, bolegi?!" he shouted, now losing patience and she finally giggled. 

"Ho gaya mera...aur" she spoke softly and before she could continue, he had pulled her into a rib crashing hug so fiercely that the gear poked her stomach and she winced. 

"Sorry, sorry", he mumbled, shifting it away and rubbing her supple skin over the kurta and kissed her forehead. 

"Mereko pata tha, naatak kyun kar rahi thi be" he hit her head lightly. 

"Kyunki maine haan nahi bola hai" she said with a straight face. 

"Haan nahi bola? Kyun? Tum gadhi ho?" he asked, pushing her away, waiting to hear what she had to say next. 

"Shooting ke liye 1 mahine Canada jaana hai, aur dates ka ajeeb sa hi hai...aur ...shadi aur..." she said, with a sigh. 

"Oh gadhi....hold on, hold on. Us sabki tension nahi lena hai tumko...Tu abhi haan kar, phone nikal apna..." he said, as a matter of fact. 

"Sidharth....shanti rakh. Aise nahi..." she was calm and clear in her head. Sidharth tried to understand how. 

"Baby, kitna time diya gaya hai tumko sochne ke liye? Itna bada opportunity aise gadhe wale reasons ke liye nahi chhodogi tum..... Shadi hum kar lenge, bhaag nahi raha hun main kahin...tu unko haan bol abhi" he insisted. 

"Abbey, tereko kya khaarish hai! Gharwalon se bhi toh baat karni padegi.....Abhi chalo, abhi karo..... Tu ghar chal na abhi, naatak mat kar, mereko bhook lagi hai..." she pushed him away, towards the steering wheel and he agreed. 

"Chal theek hai, but idhar aa ek baar", he pulled her closer, this time careful enough to not hurt her. 

"I am so fucking proud of you Shehnaaz!" he pecked her lips and she smiled snuggling closer to him. 

"Tu lucky hai mere liye, mera luccku pukku golu", she mumbled kissing his chest and making him groan at the cringeworthy nicknames. 

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The plan was to not tell Ma and surprise her with the announcement, but the moment Ma called, Sana could absolutely not keep her happiness in and when Sidharth smacked her head in disapppointment, she was quick to argue - "toh! Ma hi toh hai na!". 

Sidharth's heart warmed up when she casually felt closer to his family,  than at times, he, himself would. He had planned taking her out for a quick lunch, but Madam ordered to go back home and have lunch with Ma. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his one hand still around her neck, as the two of them waited for Ma to open the door. Ma squealed welcoming and congratulating him and in a fraction of seconds, she distanced his arm, jumping into his mother's embrace. He rolled his eyes - he was meant to be the 'chant' one, but seemingly, tables had turned. It now felt more difficult for him to be non-chalant about things when he was so smitten all round the clock. 

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Sidharth was on the phone, discussing logistics for the ad commercial he was going to shoot tomorrow. It was almost midnight and he had dropped Sana back home while being on the phone and quickly returned from the door, unlike other days. Ma knocked at the door twice, the way she always did and sat down on the lounger as he finished his call.