FAMILIAR STRANGERS

Chapter 11

"Sidharth , Shehnaaz aajao the tea is ready." They heard Preet di calling them.

"Kya Sidharth itni der tak yahan the hum , maine auntie ko help bhi nhi kiya. Sab na teri wajah se hota hai " she glared at him and walked out.

Sidharth stood there with an amused look on his face.
"This girl never fails to surprise me" he thought.
What was she even? It was him who was supposed to be angry and a few minutes ago she was literally sobbing like a baby and now she was angry because she couldn't help his mom and she held him accountable for it.
He went behind her. He was still at the entrance of his room but what he saw next made him freeze there. His breath hitched at the sight in front of him.
Shehnaaz was sitting right next to Neha and talking to the baby in her belly animatedly.

"You know little munchkin your mommy is so beautiful" said Shehnaaz rubbing Neha's baby bump.
"You and I will be bestfriends when you come out. Okay munchkin?" She said in a baby voice.
Neha laughed at her cute antics. It seemed as if the duo was getting along pretty well.
He thought she did not like Neha or that she might be uncomfortable with her with what just happened.
But she was Shehnaaz. This was her way of repenting for whatever misunderstanding she had about Neha and the argument that both of them had.
He leaned in more towards the right, balancing himself against the Umber coloured door. Just one look at her and he melts. All his anger vanishes. "Like this I'll never be able to stay angry with her."He smiled. He wanted to capture this moment and keep it with him forever. He took his phone, and very sneakily without making a sound captured Shehnaaz and Neha talking to the baby and laughing.

All this while , his mom stood there right next to him. He looked so happy and so content. This was something that his mom wanted for him since so long. She wanted to see him happy and she knew one way was for him to have a complete family. But she did not want him to marry anyone just because she wanted him to. She knew he had walls around his heart in the matters of love and for all the right reasons.

A few seconds later , Sidharth saw Shehnaaz turning her gaze towards him. She looked straight into his eyes , took a deep breath and smiled at him. He knew what she was trying to do. She was asking him if everything was alright. If they were alright. Right now she needed assurance and that is what he will give her even though he wanted to remain angry with her a little longer. He smiled at her and nodded in a yes. She let out a silent laugh, letting a tear escape her eye. She wiped it as soon as it came. Her smile finally reaching her eyes.

All this was observed by Neha and his mom. Both looked at them and then at each other and grinned.

****

A little while later the dinner table was all set.

"Uh Riya kahan hai?" Shehnaaz asked.
"You know her?" Preeti asked with a confused look.

"Nhi nhi. I've just heard alot about her from Sidharth."
"Oh. Actually she is just busy with a project. Final year shenanigans you know" Preeti said making all of them laugh.
" Abhi ek friend ke ghar par hai. Hopefully she'll be back by the time you leave." Preeti told her.

Soon Neha and Preeti started serving the food. Neha opened a white coloured bowl. One look at it and Shehnaaz knew what it was. Her eyes welled up at the love they were showering her with. It was so hard for her to believe that someone cared about her choices to this level. She got up from her chair. Everybody was shocked at her sudden reaction.

"Kya hua Shehnaaz? Is everything okay?" His mom asked.

Shehnaaz looked at the food in front of her , then at Sidharth and then at his mom. She once again looked at Sidharth, he grinned and nodded in assurance. The next second she was standing in front of his mom. She kneeled down on the floor in front of her chair and took her hands in her's. She looked at her with misty eyes filled with love and happiness. His mom was clueless.
"Arre beta upar uth. Kya kar rahi hai? Kya hua?" She said trying to get her up.