Lamhaat - SidNaaz

Chapter One.

Shehnaaz sat on in her room, or what used to be hers and Gurmeet's. There weren't very many memories there, or even of them both for that matter. The first month they were married, he was off for two weeks for special training. The second month, he was on a mission, and the ill-fated death had happened. She felt suffocated in her room, and was a widow at 24. She was pushed into an arranged marriage the moment she stepped out of college. It was what happened in the town that she came from. Her marriage probably haunted her parents since the day she was born. Hot tears rolled down her eyes as she hugged her knees to her chest. She looked at a picture of them both, she felt so lonely. Her in-laws weren't the most co-operative either, back when Gurmeet was here, it was another story, he always stood up for her. But finding a voice in that household seemed detrimental now. They treated her like dust, they looked at her like filth whenever she walked out of the room. She hadn't eaten since the day before.

"Gummu... You won't be upset if I left, right?" She asked softly, caressing the picture of his face. He was young and handsome. They got along so well together. She was ready to make this marriage work.

"I will still provide for them. Lekin koyi job miljaaye toh mai please chali jau?" She cried. She felt like she was choking with every breath that she took. Her phone rang, and when she saw whose name it was on the phone, her soul felt like it had been watered down.

"Hello? Baaz?" She spoke softly, knowing that if she became louder, she would cry.

"Motto! Kaisi hain?" He asked hesitantly.

"Main... Theek hoon Baaz." She mumbled.

"Aur uske gharwaale?"

"Hain. Bus hain." She still mumbled.

"Woh... Gurmeet ka senior... Jo uske saath tha... Uska call aaya." He said.

"Huh? Jo building mei tha? The one who got shot?" She asked, frowning.

"Haan. Terko ek baath bolunga motto... Just... Pata nahi tu kaise legi usko lekin Naaz... Mai nahi chahta ki woh tere pe suddenly toot pade." He said.

"Kyu? Kya hua?" She frowned, pushing the frame under her pillow and getting up to lock the door.

"Woh... Uska naam Sidharth hain... Jo lead kar raha tha. Woh ghar aaya tha jab Gurmeet ke gharwale yaha pe the... Aur usne tera haath maanga." He said, fear was clear as day light in his voice. Shehnaaz felt her heart drop into her stomach, and her entire world come to a standstill, because she felt like she wasn't a human anymore.

"Matlab?" She frowned.

"He's going through guilt Shehnaaz... Usko lagta hain ki tera khayal rakhne ke liye koyi nahi hain abi... He's honestly a very nice man... Lekin uss guilt mei aake bola ki woh karega terese shaadi aur teri zimmedari lega." He said. She felt her blood boil.

"Woh jo bhi hain... Usko bolo ki daffa hojaaye. Mujhe zaroorat nahi kisiki mere khayal rakhne ke liye." She seethed.

"Naa Gurmeet ne rakha mera khayal, naa uski family ne. Zarurat nahi hain mujhe." She said.

"I know puthhu! Issiliye tujhe pehele hi bol raha hoon before amma ya papaji terko call karke bole." He sighed.

"Woh jo bhi haina? Jitna bhi senior sunior, bolo usko ki daffa marrhe. Aur apni hadh mei rahe. Shaadi karke koyi ehsaan nahi jatayega koyi mere upar. Zindagi aur zyada mushkil banayega mere liye." She said bitterly.

"Aur unn dono ko bolo ki uske offer ko consider bhi kare toh mera mara muh dekhenge." She said and hung up. She picked up the vase and slammed it against the mirror. The anger and bitterness she was feeling was unreal.