"Aunty, aaj thoda jaldi ghar jana hai mujhe." Shehnaaz asked her employer, Mary.
"Aaj kal jaldi ghar jaane lagi hai tu?" Mary asked back, even though she had seen Sidharth picking up Shehnaaz from the bakery a couple of times.
"Ab boyfriend ke liye thoda time toh nikalna padta hai na aunty, aap samajh jao." Bindu teased.
"Tu chup kar Bindu ki bachi!" Shehnaaz retorted, pulling Mary out of the kitchen area with her.
"Aunty, aisa nahi hai. Matlab, mai daily ghar jaldi nahi jati. Lekin aaj Sidharth ki family se milna hai na, isliye jana hai." She told Mary about it.
"Acha, thik hai. Chali jana. Vaise ek baat bata.." Mary replied.
"Hanji." Shehnaaz nodded.
"Tu khush toh hai na? Pareshan dikh rahi hai?" Mary couldn't help but ask. She had seen and helped the girl while she literally had no one, she cared for her.
"Han aunty. Bohot khush hu, Sidharth mujhe pasand karta hai. Isse achi baat aur kya hi hogi, care karta hai, sath deta hai. Lekin aunty.." Shehnaaz took a pause, hesitantly.
"Lekin?" Mary encouraged her.
"Uska itna bada business hai, badi family hai aur mere paas filhaal dono nahi hai. Matlab, aunty jab bhi wo mujhe apne sath events ya parties me le kar jata hai, wo sari lavish parties hoti hai. Bade hotels, bade log, bade functions, jaha sab kuch itna mehenga hota hai. Aur mai, mai itni middle class hu, maine aisi parties nahi organize ki kabhi bhi. Bohot ajeeb aur alag alag sa mehsus hota hai mujhe waha. Mann nahi karta jaane ka." She said, recalling those unknowingly uncomfortable moments she's been through at those events.
"Tu jab se Sidharth se mili hai, tujhe tab se pata hai na ki wo ek bada businessman hai? Aur tune khud hi kaha tha ki wo acha ladka hai, jab tum dono dost the?" Mary inquired.
"Han. Wo hai." She nodded.
"Phir? Feel free to talk to me, okay." Mary held her hand.
"Aunty, it's me. Mujhe insecure aur inferior sa lagta hai ye sab dekh ke. Ke kahi humare beech me ye differences na aa jaye kisi din." Shehnaaz sighed, letting out what scared her at times.
Sidharth's gorgeous and sophisticated ex-girlfriend, his lavish lifestyle and his close knit family, intimidated her. She would at times worry if one day, any of these things could convince him that they weren't compatible for each other.
"Kabhi tujhe laga, jaise wo show off kar raha ho?" Mary asked again.
"Nahi aunty, bilkul nahi." Shehnaaz replied.
"Dekh, jaha tak mujhe lagta hai, wo simply tujhe apni life me involve kar raha hai. Parties me lekar jana, ghar ke functions me bulana aur aaj tujhe apne ghar bula raha hai. Tujhe apni zindagi ka hissa bana raha hai." Mary explained to her.
"Ek aakhri baar bata, tu usey kahi lekar gayi, toh usne kabhi mana kiya." Mary asked.
"Nahi aunty, hum kabhi kabhi jate hai khaane bahar dhabe wagera, wo khushi khushi aata hai mere sath." Shehnaaz answered, thinking about the time they went for dinner at the dhaba, also when bought samosas and when he tasted panipuri on her request.
"Isse toh yahi pata chalta hai na, ke Sidharth ko unn cheezon se farak nahi padta jinke bare me tu sochti hai." Mary concluded. And Shehnaaz realized how right Mary was about him.
"Aur tujhe bhi wahi karna chahiye, usko apni life me involve kar. Apne bare me bata aur dekh phir, ki jaise tujhe lagta hai ke tera middle class hona tum dono ke beech aa jayega, vaisa hota hai ya nahi." Mary advised.
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Strings Of Love
FanfictionThis is a story of two different people going through certain phases in their lives they really don't deserve to be in. But such is life, how we face situations we are in, is more important than what we deserve and what not. Because the waxing and w...
