Before I begin, I want to say something. If this book gives you too much sorrow while reading, I request you to please stop. At this point, I understand your feelings and sorrow. Please don't torture your heart. This author loves you.
Sidharth's P.O.V.
Walking closer to Prakash, I grabbed his neck and held his swaying body still. "You have played enough games, time's up, game's over," I said gritting my teeth. He chuckled and said, "Sid, dear brother, again you are underestimating me. I will only be out of your way the day you end my life. Without my death, I will never leave you alone. Don't you understand that?" "Time will tell, who is underestimating who," I replied and with one blow from my gun in my hand, I made him unconscious. I took out my handkerchief and was wiping his blood off my hand and leaving the room while instructing Daksh, "You remain here and keep an eye on him. You're the most capable." "But you?..." he started and I looked at him stopping, "Do you doubt me?" He shook his head and I said, "I can protect myself. Guard Prakash." I stuck a camera on the wall and left the building to head back home. Reaching back, I went straight to the dinner table where everyone were. I still wasn't sure if to reveal that I have caught Prakash since I don't know how many of his men were blending into my group. And Oscar was also present. I kept it to myself and sat down. Shehnaaz looked at me with a frown and worry. I know that she must have gotten worried about how suddenly I left. Just to relief her, I said, "Sorry Mom, I am late. There was an emergency in the office but it's sorted now." I glimpsed her and she was more relaxed. I ate with a light heart, free from a huge burden since Prakash was caught. After dinner, I was going through a plan on my laptop, sitting on the bed when Shehnaaz came out of the closet. She frowned at me silently and went to the dresser. Taking some lotion on her hands, she rubbed her elbows and hands, coming to the bed. Sitting with her back facing me, I looked and concentrated on my laptop screen. But her glimpsing at me over her shoulder again and again was too distracting.
"Do you want to say something?" I finally asked. Instead of giving me an answer, she laid down and turned off the lights. Unable to see properly on my keyboard, I turned back on the lamps. Just as my fingers got back to work, the lights were turned off once more. I dropped my shoulders and looked at her facing away from me and hugging the blanket to her chest. It was clearly obvious that she wasn't asleep. I turned back on the light once more but she repeated her actions. Back and forth, we kept on doing this for an entire minute until I had enough and said, "If you don't mind, can you please keep on the lights? I am trying to work here." "If you don't mind, can you please turn off the lights? I am trying to sleep here," she said just as annoyed. "Since when did you fall in love with the dark? Aren't you afraid?" I asked. "Don't put this back on me. I know that you are not keeping them on for my sake," she said. "Exactly! I am trying to do some work here," I said. "What sort of choice of place is the bed to do work? You have your desk over there for working. Go and sit there," she said. "This is my room and my rules will work here. I will sit and work wherever I want," I said stubbornly. "Fine," she said gritting her teeth. She laid on the pillow and began pulling more and more of the blanket away from me. I knew that she was trying to take revenge for keeping the lights on. I held onto it strongly and with one mighty tug, I pulled it all away from her. Turning around irritated, she held a corner and pulled it back on herself. I closed down my laptop screen and turned off the lights since this bicker wasn't going to let me work. I went closer to her and from on top, just over her shoulder, I looked at her. "Excuse me, madam, if you don't mind, can I have a tiny piece of the blanket for myself as well? Or should I take out another?" I asked in a sarcastically sweet tone. "Do what you want. I am sleeping," she said. "With your eyes open?" I said and turned around but our heads collided and we both exclaimed, "Ouch!" We sat up on the bed rubbing our temples and she said, "Your head is so hard!"
"Excuse me! Your head is harder than your heart!" I said. Her jaw dropped as she asked, "What do you mean? I am stone hearted?" "I'm glad you understood on your own," I said. I was about to get off the bed when she held back my arm and turned me around. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Why? Do you want me to remain and worsen my mood?" I asked. "No. Please go so that my mood doesn't worsen," she said. I got up and went downstairs. Dad was sitting by the pool with some beers. "Hey Dad," I said going to sit with him. Just gulping down a mouthful, he turned his eyes to me. "Sid, come, join me," he said handing me a bottle. I took it and opened it with my teeth and drank a mouthful. "Woah, son, take it easy! Husband's depression?" He asked. I looked at him and chuckled. "Husband's depression. Someone said it right, marriage is not a bed of roses," I said. "Exactly, but no matter what, we have to fulfil it," he said. "These women have so many demands!" I said. "Is there a problem?" He asked. Shaking my head, I said, "Nothing too big. Just a small squabble." "One must take the first step to solve it. You do it this time," he said. I looked at him and raised my bottle to that saying, "Cheers." We knocked the bottle and gulped down a decent amount. Raising my head, my eyes noticed a shadow in our room behind the curtains. In the person's hand was a vase, from what I made out. With a quick reaction, I dropped the bottle and raced to my room only to put on the lights and see Shehnaaz standing and panting with the vase in her hands. "What happened? Who are you attacking?" I asked trying hard to catch my breath. I looked around and saw no one as she looked at me silently. "Answer me," I said. She dropped her shoulders and sighed.
Going to sit on the bed, she said, "Thank God he is gone." Looking at her relaxed self, I was confused. "Who?" I asked. "The cockroach," she said. I heaved a sigh of great relief and dropped my tensed shoulders. Rubbing my forehead to send down my risen pressure, giggles began to ring in my ears and looking at Shehnaaz on the bed, she was laughing at me saying, "Look at your face! You though that I was being attacked by someone." Holding her stomach, she laid down and laughed uncontrollably. "Oh my God," she said and continued. Someone barged into the room soon after and Dad looked at us confused. "Why did you rush upstairs like this?" He asked panting. "Nothing Dad, your daughter-in-law was about to murder a cockroach. Thankfully I reached on time otherwise God knows who would have died first. The cockroach from a vase or the person holding it from a heart attack," I said. Shehnaaz pouted at me and Dad left chuckling and shaking his head. Coming up to me, she said folding her arms, "I am not so scared of a cockroach that I get a heart attack seeing one." "That proves that you are scared of a cockroch?" I said. "Am not!" She said and turned around allowing her hair to hit my face. My anger from so long was vanquished and I suddenly had an outburst of love for her. I stood like a statue and smiled as I looked at her angry face as she went back on the bed. She covered her body and closed her eyes. Remembering something I had from a child and smirking, I said softly, "Mrs. Shukla, just wait for your special awakening tomorrow morning." I went to my closet and got her gift and kept it inside my pocket as I slept the night.
Shehnaaz's P.O.V.
I was having a deep and comforting sleep when I was sweetly awaken by a kiss on my cheek. I smiled in my sleep and reluctantly peeped through my eyelids. I was shocked at seeing a cockroach hanging from on top my face and that scare fully awoken me. I jumped up screaming, "Cockroach!" Sidharth dropped it on the blanket and I quickly tried to get out of the bed but he held my hand back. Pulling me with one tug, I reached back on the bed and halfway on top him. My heart was racing with the fear of the cockroach and he was holding onto me so tightly that my morning strength wasn't enough to escape. "Sidharth, let me go please. I don't want to be bitten by that cockroach," I said closing my eyes tightly. "This one?" He asked. I opened one of my eyes and looked at him holding it up and swaying it. It was fake! As much as I was relieved to know that, I was annoyed by his prank and his choice of time to crack it. "You! You're disgusting! You're so horrible!" I said slapping his chest and trying to get away from him. He held onto me unaffected with a smile. Pinning my hands down to the bed, he continued with his intense stare.
Sidharth's P.O.V.
After staring at Shehnaaz with the thought of apologising going on in my head, I decided that I would do it in a special way. "Our company is planning a dinner party tonight. Take some money and go to the mall. Buy the best dress you can find and go to the salon and get a facial, haircut, everything. Tonight you are going to face the world for the very first time as The Sidharth Shukla's wife," I said. "No. I am not going to be seen with you anywhere," she said stubbornly. "I'll see you tonight," I said confidently and kissed her forehead. Getting off the bed, I went to the bathroom, got ready and went down for breakfast. My morning was already off to a great start. Smiling at the breakfast table, Mom asked, "What is making my son glow as such this morning?" "Oh God, you still don't recognise after so many years the difference between a son and a husband's glow?" Dad said taking his seat. He patted my back and said, "See, when you obey your father, you only get happiness." "I fully agree," I said smiling. "Good morning," Shehnaaz said coming to the table with Rahul. They sat down and I smirked at her while she rolled her eyes in response. "Ok Mom, I'll take your leave now. I will be home a bit earlier since I have to get ready for the party this evening," I said after eating. "Oh yes! Your party! Oh God I completely forgot!" She said hitting her forehead. "It's ok, I am here to remind you. Afterall, you're my activity diary. You can't miss anything about me," Dad said leaning closer to her. Mom bent her head and blushed embarrassed. Looking at Shehnaaz with her huge smile, it completely went away when I winked at her before leaving the table. Leaving the house, I called Oscar who was was now entering and made him sit in my car to come with me. I couldn't leave him alone with Shehnaaz anymore although I had taken the precautions already. He's very smart.
"Sir, where are you taking me?" He asked. "I have changed your duty. From now on, you will remain with me. Daksh is busy with some other work," I said looking straight ahead. Turning my head slightly, I saw him frowning. "What's the matter? Disappointed?" I asked. "No sir, why would I be?" He asked. "You look so," I said. "Sorry?" He said. "It's ok. I overestimated your brain," I said and with that, I reached the building and went inside. Going straight to my office, I called up Daksh to find out the latest updates about Prakash. "He's still unconscious. He isn't waking up," he said. "Is that so? He could just be pretending," I said. Someone knocked on my door and through the blinds, I could make out Oscar. As he looked at me, I gave him a hand signal to go away and he did. "Even I think he is pretending. But I will keep you posted and don't worry. This time he won't escape," he said. I sighed and said, "I hope so. This entire scene is so stressful." "Sid, relax. You only have to take care of Shehnaaz," he said. "I'll see you in a while," I said and hung up. Leaning back on my chair, I noticed something outside and went to check on it. Oscar was standing just outside my door silently. He was startled upon seeing me and asked, "Do you need something sir?" "Didn't I tell you to leave?" I said. "Yes sir, but I thought..." he said but I cut him off saying, "You don't have to think until I instruct you. Don't waste your brain cells." I went back inside and thought, "I have to move Prakash. It's not safe to keep him one place for too long. But where will I keep him? A place least expected." I thought hard for an idea and then it struck me. "Tonight I have to move him," I said, "That also, during the party. No one will expect that."
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'Life gives you multiple warnings to live every moment because death doesn't come with a warning.'
Hey guys! Our earthly angel is now a heavenly angel. Our Sidharth Shukla has left the earth and is now in eternal peace, unfortunately for us. But I promise as one of his fans to keep him alive in my story and like every other fan, in my heart. This story is now even more dedicated to you my hero. You left a void which can never be filled. We will always love you. RIP💔