Have you read Episode 10? Read it if you've missed it since views are less.
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The alarm went off and Sidharth was surprised as he didn't hear her singing today. He got up, took bath, applied the makeup and went out. Shantiben was circumambulating around Tulsi (holy basil). He waited for her to come.
Shantiben: Jai Shri Krishna Dikra.
Sidharth: Jai Shri Krishna Amma. Where is Shehnaaz?
Shantiben: She is still sleeping I guess.
Sidharth: How come Amma? She missed her morning practice as well. Is she alright?
Shantiben: I took bath and went on to worship Lord. Didn't check on her. I thought probably she was exhausted as y'all came late night yesterday. Let me check on her now.
Sidharth: Amma, can I check? You can prepare breakfast.
Shantiben: Sure Dikra.
Sidharth quickly went near her room and knocked on the door but there was no reply. He peeped in and found her sleeping figure. He went and called her twice before touching her. Her body was warm. She was having fever. She gently opened her eyes but dozed off again due to tiredness and fatigue.
Sidharth panicked and ran outside to call Shantiben. Shantiben came to the room and touched her to check the temperature. Sidharth came with cold water and cloth strip and placed wet strip on her forehead.
Sidharth: Amma, get her some soup or liquids please. (Shantiben nodded) Where is the first aid box?
Shantiben: 3rd drawer from the left in that table.
He nodded and went to get the box. He searched for the medicine and kept it nearby. He looked at her closely and saw tear marks on her temple. She was still sleeping.
Sidharth softly caressed her head while holding her hand in the other. He kissed her knuckles.
What happened to you sweetheart? Why were you crying? I will be there with you always.
He squeezed the wet cloth in the bowl and replaced it with the other on the forehead.
Shantiben came back after 15 minutes with vegetable soup for her. He supported her to sit and shook her slightly to get her slurp the soup fed by Shantiben. He then gave her the medicine.
After an hour and half her temperature was closer to normal. She now looked around and found Sidharth sitting near her.
He touched her forehead and smiled.
Sidharth: How are feeling now?
Shehnaaz: Sidharth, what's the time?
Sidharth: Huh? Its 9:45am.
Shehnaaz: What are you doing here? You should be at the sweet mart by 10am. Please go otherwise the other employees will return home looking at the lock.
Sidharth: But Shehnaaz, you aren't well.
Shehnaaz: I will take care of myself. Besides amma is also here. Please do the duty you are assigned. Don't be bothered about me.
Sidharth looked at her perplexed. She was behaving a bit odd. He assumes it to be out of illness and speaks with Shantiben before leaving to the sweet mart. He called up Shantiben from the sweet mart's landline every now and then inquiring about her health and reminding her about the medicine and food.
Sana looked dull due to sickness and her heart break. She had decided to stay away from Sidharth to avoid the emotional trauma which she experienced whenever she went closer to him, as her conscience reminded her about her marital status.
On the other hand, Sidharth wanted to talk to her but he remembered his words "don't be bothered about me". He called up Shantiben the nth time.
Shantiben: Yes dikra, I have already given her the medicine. The fever has subsided fully and she is now listening to a soft ghazals in her room.
Sidharth: Thanks Amma. She isn't receiving my calls. I.. I want to talk to her and hear her voice. Please! (He pleads)
Shantiben: Dikro, Tame bhuli rahyaa cho {Son, you are forgetting} you are her employee as well. I will give her the phone speak to her regarding some work at Sweet mart.
Sidharth: Thank you Amma.
Shantiben goes to her room and asks her to speak to him regarding some business query.
Sana: Hello.. (he was silent) Hello.. Hello Sidharth..
Sidharth: Hello Shehnaaz, I called to ask you that how much dry fruits do we have to order since it's going to be festival season this week.
Shehnaaz: Hmmm.. you will find the detailed requirements in the yellow book. Anything else?
Sidharth: Huh.. Sana, how are you feeling?
Shehnaaz: I am fine. Thank you.
Sidharth: Did you take...
Shehnaaz: Sidharth, I am getting another important call on my mobile. Bye. (Disconnects)
She wasn't getting any call but his concern was making her feel weak. Nobody except her parents ever cared for her in her sickness. Though she wanted the special attention she was getting from him but she couldn't accept it.
In the evening, he came home late as it was busy day plus he had to do her work as well. He hoped to see her but Shantiben told him that she was sleeping after taking her medicine.
A whole week passed by where she just avoided encounters with him. He wondered what has happened and why she was avoiding him. She wasn't the girl he wished to see but she wasn't even the one she was before her birthday. She looked lost and dull.
It was a day off for sweet mart, he was at home but she was going to the studio. Upon Shantiben's insistence, Shehnaaz agreed to take a drop from Sidharth to the studio in his car.
They both sat in the car and drove in silence. He wanted to start the conversation but she closed her eyes pretending to sleep. They reached the studio and she went inside without saying anything.
After a while the guard told him that she has asked him to leave as she will take 3 hours to finish her job. He doesn't go and decides to wait. She comes out after 2 hours and gets shocked to see his car when he honks.
She goes and sits in the car and she again shuts her eyes pressing her head against the headrest. He turns on the radio and coincidentally the "Te Amo" song was playing. She opened her eyes and turns it off. He looks at her.
Shehnaaz: I want to sleep.
Sidharth: What wrong with you Shehnaaz? Why are you avoiding me since a week? What have I done?
Shehnaaz: Nothing like that Sidharth. It's just that I am busy.
Sidharth: I am not a little kid Shehnaaz. I can understand that you are clearly avoiding me. If I am troubling you in any way then I will go away from from your life and will never ever trouble you again.
Shehnaaz wasn't expecting this from him. Though she was avoiding him but she didn't wanted him to go away. The mere thought of him going away haunted her.
Shehnaaz: Are you mad? There is nothing. You aren't going anywhere.
He pulled over the car. It was the same bridge and same place where they had spent time on her birthday.
Sidharth: What is wrong with you Shehnaaz? You want to ignore me yet you don't want me to go away. Are you scared of growing closer to me?
Shehnaaz felt quiet as that was indeed the reason she was avoiding him.
Sidharth: Is it Shehnaaz? Because the last time you talked normal was before we embraced on this same bridge. Tell me Shehnaaz, do you love me? Huh?
Shehnaaz: (Shocked) Sidharth, please start the car. Let's go home please.
Sidharth: Not until you answer me Shehnaaz. I don't even have an inch of doubt that I love you. And can I assume that you trying to avoid me and my question means that you love me too?
Shehnaaz: (screams) No!!! No!! No, I can't love you. I am a married woman. Even if I don't know who he is, but I am still a married woman. Do you understand that? I have no rights to fall in love. I am tied up into a relationship from which I can never walk out free. I can't say I am unmarried because what if he comes back suddenly one day and claims to have married me. Neither can I get divorced since I don't know who is he. My life isn't so simple, Sidharth.
Sidharth: Let's make it simpler for you Shehnaaz. Let me go away from your life to stop creating more confusions and complications in your life.
He gets down from the car and walks out near the railing and jumps into the river. Shehnaaz screams and runs towards the railing as she remembered that he cannot swim.
Shehnaaz: Sidhaaaaarth.. Sidhaaaarth..
She looks down from the bridge in shock and without thinking even for a fraction of second jumps into the water herself.
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To be continued.. ❤️❤️
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