Lamhaat - SidNaaz

Chapter Twenty Five

"Agar ek dinn..."

"Hmm?"

"Agar ek dinn mai nahi dikhu? Toh kya karegi?"

"Aankhein bandh karungi."

"Phir?"

"Apne andhar jhaank ke dekhungi."

"Aur mai dikh jaunga?"

"Ji haan. Tu mai. Aur mai tu." She giggled.

"Yeh kya bakwaas dekh rahi hai tu?" Sidharth's voice pulled her out of her attentive viewing.

"Huh?" She looked up startled. It was evening now, they had gone sight seeing and were now in a restaurant, waiting for their food to come.

"Bakwaas math bol. Thode serials cringey hote hai but suspense bhada ke hook on kardete hai." She defended.

"Right." He snorted. She rolled her eyes, leaning into him. She dreaded the fact that they would go back to the house now in a bit.

There were still people, not as many as before, but it irritated him. Shehnaaz was the first to go into the house. The other two followed them inside. There was an uneasiness as he walked back into that hellhole.

"Kal raat kaha gayi thi tu?" Her daadu's voice boomed as soon as she walked in.

"Sidharth ko pind dikhaa rahi thi." She answered.

"Sharam nahi aati isse uncleji. Ek doosre aadmi..." Her maami began.

"Maami... Shaadi papaji ke behen ki beti ki hai. Aap kyu chali aagayi ek hafte pehle?" Shehbaaz asked, irritated.

"Haaye Rabba!! Mainu chakk le! Yehi sunna reh gaya tha!" She cried out.

"Haan Rabji! Badi meherbaani hogi. Chakk le inanu!" Shehnaaz sighed, infuriating her more.

"Aap log chahte kya ho?" Sidharth asked, sitting down on the couch opposite to her grandfather.

"Yeh humare ghar ki baat hai." He growled.

"No. It's about Shehnaaz. Jo clearly iss ghar ki nahi hai." He scoffed.

"And I genuinely want to know. What do you want? Shehnaaz kya karegi toh aap khush honge?" Sidharth asked.

"Unko chahiye ki mai wapas Gurmeet ke ghar jau. Chup chaap ghar pe rahu... And you know? Do all the fun things a widow does." Shehnaaz said sarcastically.

"Haan! Uss ghar mei vyaah ke gayi thi tu! Aise besharam ladkiyo ki tarha bahar nikal gayi. Ek anjaan aadmi ke saath ghoom rahi hai!" Her maami said.

"Daadu... Aapko pata hai? Mujhe mere janamdinn ke dinn gurudwara jaana tha. Aap toh humesha bolte the na ki baghwaan ke ghar sab jaa sakte hai? Rabji ko bhi farak padta hai ki mai ek vidhwa hoon? Unko dekhne ka haq nahi hai mujhe?" Shehnaaz asked. He seemed taken aback.

"Mai ready bhi hui thi... Lekin uss dinn uske mummy ne merepe haath uthaya. Aapko chahiye ki yeh ho? Ki mai life bhar unke haathon maar khau?" She asked. His facial expressions showed her that he was unaware of all this.

"Woh maarne wali thi?" He asked.

"You have no idea what your grand daughter has been through, do you?" Sidharth chuckled bitterly. His heart broke, he looked at shehnaaz's parents with accuse. What a tragedy, a family like that. Her phone rang before he could do anything or say anything more.

"Hello? Haan maa?" Her cheery voice came. But he couldn't stop glaring at her parents. He could see the way her mother perked up, a pained look on her face. An envy.