The Bias

Chapter 52

Sidharth was sitting, with his back.facing the door of the Oval. He hadn't seen Shehnaaz for last two years, two years and two months and twelve days to be precise and just two days less from when he had last heard from her, the letter. He was busy talking to the woman seted in front, trying to be a good friend and a great company if not a lover. He was being as attentive as possible. She was wearing a white pearls in her ears and that reminded him of Shehnaaz. Shehnaaz was find of expensive jewelry, she was fond of everything that spoke royalty and luxury. That was a part to her.

"I have picked up gra....", Arushi was speaking, when he first felt her presence. The notes of Vanilla, violet, heliotrope, mixed in Rose and some woody notes. The fragrance was hers,he knew. ROJA femme elixir, he had smelt it in her. It was so.much hers that anyone on earth could wear the perfume, but he would still call its hers. His Shehnaaz's. The next few words off Arushis mouth fell on dead ears,as the fragrance grew stronger and stronger. The woman wearing it was way closer than he thought. His heart beat increased in beats, he could almost hear the palpations. His hands felt a little sweaty as the woman neared. It wasn't essential that it would be Shehnaaz, infact Shehnaaz was too.much of a coincidence. But his body responded, love was strange, it had him respond to a mere perfume.

"Appan already late aa! ( we are already late) Thanks to you for not waking me up.on time", Siddharth heard the words fall from the womans mouth. A sharp breath fell out of his mouth, he knew it was hers, the voice and he so.wished it wasn't. He did not know how to face her, UK wasn't the place she was ever supposed to be.

As his mouth dried, he tried to grab the glass of water. Her voice grew loud and clear, and then he heard the guy speak, his voice deep and raspy. "Ghode bech k aap sona, mere mathe kaato charhuna" ( You sleep deep on your own, why blame me). His heart dreaded at the thought. What if she had married? Could he bear to see her in another man's arm? Could he be happy if she had found happiness in someone else?

"Are you alright?", Arushi spoke sensing something strange in.the air.

"I am sorry.Yes !", he spoke looking at Arushi, while he tried picking up.glass of water. His fingers fell short of the target and the glass fell from the table. I a reflex to stop it from falling, Siddharth dropped his phone to.the floor as well.

Shehnaaz stopped, the moment the phone fell on her left foot, at a finger, hurting it a little. Sidharth clenched his eyes at the possibility of this. He bent down to the side, reaching near her feet. The moment his gaze fell at her feet, he recognized her. It was her, he knew every inch of her skin.

"I am sorry!", he spoke picking it up. Shehnaaz saw the man pick up.the phone, his body just a replica of Sidharth. She saw the solitaire in his ring finger. The man was married.As he turned, he looked up, his eyes falling on her face. She was real. In real, body and mass, Shehnaaz standing in front of Sidharth. Shehnaaz had a her hair open, and her face looked like a fresh drop of dew. She looked more prettier than she had ever looked, the teenage fat around her face gone, she looked like a divine goddess.

"You look amazing!," came a womans voice. And before Sidharth could grasp the woman had taken Shehnaaz into a hug, and her face had vanished from his eyes. As soon as his eyes didn't see her, he looked at the man she had arrived with. He looked like her, he was similar to her. They looked alike in age, skin colors, the way they dressed up and walked, and most importantly they were of the same community. Sidharth remembered the guy from an earlier wedding , he was the one she used to talk so much with, Siddharth guessed.

Shehnaaz had stepped out of Heathrow with a mindful of issues. She knew she would have to be brave walking into London, she had anticipated things that she was likely to see in London. But that precise moment when those three words fell out of his mouth and he turned up after picking his phone, Shehnaaz had literally felt ground shake and time still. She felt like bones would crumble and she would fall. His eyes, the way he looked at her, was so full of agony, she felt the pain in her soul. He was the most handsome face she had ever known, and she knew that. Her eyes did not see anything, but his eyes, and in that moment she felt like she wanted to stop breathing.And before she could think more, "You look amazing!" She heard the voice of a woman and then she was held in an embrace. That was Asees, Sahib's sister.She had been waiting for the duo for over an hour at the oval. They were supposed to have a dinner together.