Safarnaama

Five✨

For Sidharth, living in mountains felt like meeting his true self. And why not? The peace mountains offer leads to the ultimate bliss where one can understand the purpose of one's existence. It was just a week of him being in Nainital, away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, but the way this city captivated him in such a short span was something he couldn't decipher. Well, Mumbai has a lot to offer but the most it offered him was traffic and crowd. And he was familiar with it after living almost 38 years of his life there. But right now, away from everything, he could see his entire life in front of his eyes. He wished he could go back in life and scold his younger self to not waste time planning things for the future. He understood that planning is not wrong but expecting that plans would work is. Because expectations do makes us weak.

Sidharth was known for his charm. He had seen the harsh realities of life and had handled them with grace. Needless to say, he was intelligent and he knew well how to use his intelligence in his favour. His interviews were proof of the knowledge he possessed. When he was in Mumbai, people used to grab him for a photo and at times they even shoved their cameras on his face. Sidharth never liked it one bit. He respected his fans but all he ever asked for was privacy. But in Mumbai, he never got one.

While some admired him, some weren't satisfied with his work. They often called him a sadist for inflicting pain on his characters but he had never complained. He had a perspective that people can influence you regarding your profession but they cannot come in between your passion. And writing was his passion. He had fought with his entire family for it. But the battle he had fought with himself was much more arduous than any other fight.

He was on his way to Mall road. Since it is located at the periphery of Naini Lake, Sidharth wanted to just sit around the lake and absorb the divine beauty. On his way, he was going through all the untouched messages when a name caught his attention. He opened the message and sighed after reading all the messages from him.

Rajeev

18th December 2021

Hey Sidharth! It's been so long since we had a conversation. Can we please meet? There are several things to sort out!

1st January 2022

You fuckin coward! You left Mumbai! When were you planning to inform me?
You know what I don't care and trust me on this I don't give a fuck about whatever shit you are going through! Just tell me are you planning to complete the book? People are waiting for the last part. And now, it's more about profit and reputation for me! Tell me whether you'll continue the book. And if not? I'd sue you! You have signed the fckin contract and I'll make sure you go through hell.

Sidharth wondered if this was the same guy whom he had treated as his younger brother. There was a complete change in his demeanour. He remembered how Adith and Rishi used to warn him about the same but he never gave it much importance. But right now, it seemed like both of them were right. Rajeev owned a publishing house. He was a cunning man who knew well how to play his cards. Sidharth knew that Rajeev won't sue him. He didn't have the guts to take a dig at the Sidharth Shrivastav. Everyone was aware of the massive fan following Sidharth had. And poking him means poking his fans which a sane person would never choose to do.

Sidharth rubbed his hands on his face. He was continuously fixing his hair. He knew all this is a sign of his increasing frustration but he cared less. He had now reached the Mall road and looking around, he could say it is indeed the colonial heart of Nainital. There were several shops, restaurants, hotels and cafes on the Mall Road. He sat around the lake and everything felt so comforting that all the chaos seemed insignificant. There are days when you want to do nothing and nothing bothers you at all. When life feels so exhausting that you just want to sit and stare into space. This was one such day for Sidharth. But this beautiful place felt like a blessing to him.