Strings Of Love

Chapter 62

"Tu?" Harjot raised her brows challengingly at Sidharth. Although she didn't follow up with questions because she knew why he was at her niece's place.

"N-namaste aunty." He shortly greeted her, stepping aside.

"Sana kaha hai?" She asked next, walking in with her luggage.

"Bas abhi so ke uthi hai. Mai bulata hu usey." He replied, noticing her bag and jogging towards the bedroom.

"Abey aye! Kitna soyegi moti, uthja! Teri Chachi aayi hai!" He shook her, just like trying waking her up before opening the door to her aunt but this girl just wouldn't get up.

"Shehnaaz, this was the last time!" He said, sprinkling water on her face the next second.

"Yaar, sone de na!" She finally spoke, wiping her face with the quilt and covering herself again.

"Bachpan se, School ke time pe bhi aise hi karti thi. Bilkul nahi sudhari tu!" Harjot's voice however helped. Shehnaaz sat up immediately and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining her aunt all of a sudden.

"Chachi?" She got out of the bed and looked at Sidharth uncomfortably.

"Good Morning puttar. Abhi hath muh dho ke saamne aane ki meherbani kar mere ton. Jaruri baat karni hai." Harjot replied and gestured to Sidharth to follow her out.

"Aunty kuch lengi aap?" He asked, when he saw Harjot walking into the kitchen.

"Tum baitho, mai chai banane aayi hu." She replied, fetching milk from the refrigerator.

"Mai help kar deta hu." He offered and pulled out a saucepan from one of the drawers for her. Harjot let him take the lead and watched him prepare the tea for all of them with her gaze fixed on him like a predator looking for motion in the grasses.

"Um, usually Shehnaaz jaldi uth jati hai. Abhi tak toh wo nashta bhi bana leti hai, bas aaj hi.." he began to speak to keep it cool and a faint hum from her side encouraged him to keep the conversation going.

"Actually, kal raat hum kafi late soye." He said and regretted the next very moment when Harjot's eyebrows seemed surprised. It must have come out so wrong, he realised and cursed for blabbering like his girlfriend usually did.

"I mean, nahi, mai meeting me tha kal raat. Phir, uh, late ho gaya aate aate aur Shehnaaz ko disturb hua. Jab mujhe raat ko late ho gaya aane me, you know." He justified, but kept looking at the saucepan to avoid the aunt's angry face.

"Ofcourse. Mai biscuits nikalti hu." She whispered, excusing herself to get some snacks out. It was indeed awkward. But she knew if she began to question and check on their relationship, they wouldn't like it. The new generation, the couples and relationships these days were way too modern as compared to the way they used to be when she was young.

However, she had met the boy and his family the last time she visited them and was amazed to know how nice they were to her niece.

"Satri akal Chachi! Kiven ho?" Shehnaaz joined them in the kitchen and greeted her aunt with a hug.

"Thik hu. Chal chai leke aa." Harjot replied, gesturing to her niece to take the tray of cups from Sidharth.

"Achanak se subha subha aaye aap? Phone kar dete, mai lene aa jati!?" Shehnaaz asked, taking a seat next to her aunt.

"Jaise tu subha uth jayegi?" Harjot joked and even Sidharth laughed.

"Khair, Amrit ko lagaya tha phone, wo toh ghar pe hi nahi hai." She said and it confused the rest of the two.

"Amrit se baat hoti hai teri?" She asked.

"Nahi Chachi. Wo office me busy rehti hai na, ghar aate aate thak jati hai. Kya baat hai?" Shehnaaz replied.