Lamhaat - SidNaaz

Fifty Three.

6 months later

"What the hell happened to your face?" Sidharth gasped, cupping her cheek. She was fast asleep, arms shoved under the pillow and little snores leaving her mouth. He was wide awake and was just done with his work out. Rangu was pouncing around the room, way too hyper for 7am.

"Sohne deh." She muttered, moving away from him. But he just couldn't let her. He laid down next to her and pressed his lips against hers. She groaned and cried, smacking his cheek as he squeezed her cheeks in and moved his lips against hers.

"Ah!" She moaned softly, his arms wrapped around her little body and his face was stuck against hers.

"Sidharth?" She whimpered, opening her eyes and pushing her away.

"Uthne toh deh kanjar." She muttered, wiping her lips and grimaced at him. He was so insane. How could he just kiss her before she even woke up? Morning breath was a thing. Not to him. For this sole reason, she wouldn't miss brushing her teeth before bed at all, even by mistake.

"What happened to your face?" He asked her again, caressing the harsh red marks and creases on her perfect skin.

"Haath pe sohgayi. Chooda haina? Lag gaya. Itna dard hua pata hai aankh khuli?" She pouted, snuggling up into his head. He kissed her head and pushed the hair out of her face and gathered it neatly behind. Her eyes closed again as he ran his fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp. Had she been awake, she would have picked a fight with him for making her hair greasy. But it felt so good.

"I have to pack. Help me out?" He mumbled, laying down fully next to her and holding her so comfortably in his arms. She hummed, her face fell even in her sleepy state and he sighed. This was the hardest part of every month. It really sucked. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, wrapping an arm around his stomach and squeezed herself into him.

"Mera baccha!" He said in a hushed tone. Her eyes sleepy eyes were so pretty, and her sweet little smile - knowing that she would miss him, but so proud of him - it made him want to not go almost.

"Come on. We'll spend the day together." He said, kissing her nose. She nodded, sitting up. His head slid into her lap and she caressed his face. He became so clingy this time around. He did not like leaving her. Her fingers gently prodded into the muscles on his beautiful face. He looked so fresh and handsome.

"Rozz mujhe yaad karega?" She asked in her soft voice. He hummed, holding his arms up and cupping her face.

"Aur at least dinn mei ek baar call karega? Signal nahi mila toh kabootar doondh ke mujhe patrr bhejega?" She asked seriously.

"Aur kuch?" He snorted.

"Meri photo rakhli?" She asked.

"Yes. Give me a few nudes too." He said, getting up and off the bed. He put his duffle bag on the bed and sat back down.

"Why? Iss hadh tak self sufficient banne ko kisi ne nahi bola tha." Shehnaaz snorted, grabbing her phone and began smiling wide.

"Tu ne bola na? Tu hai... Humari shaadi hai... Woh sab hai, lekin it's not enough. We need to be self sufficient. Issiliye." He chuckled, sliding in next to her and looking into her phone. He smiled at the picture too. His wife and niece were literal best friends. They had gone out shopping the other day, and they were wearing matching Kurtis and cigarette pants, looking adorable, with sunglasses perched on the bridge of their noses and they were posing for the selfie.

"Very cute. Mujhe bhej." He said. Sidharth was an old man in his head. He had an ugly picture of Shehnaaz, sitting with his mother in the backyard couch downstairs, both in their night dresses, talking as his profile picture on WhatsApp. He really didn't care that everyone he knew would see it.