Later that night...
"Nahi kaal mujhe kisi bhi tarah Shehnaaz se baat karni hogi. Waise hi aaj shaam ke matter ko lekar bhadki hui hai isliye ek baar bhi call nahi kiya. Kaal pehle usse manaunga phir apne dil ki baat bolunga. Haan, yeh sahi rahega." Sidharth said to himself.
Suddenly he got a phone call. He was expecting it to be Shehnaaz but when he looked at his phone, he noticed that it was some unknown number. He received the call and said, "Hello!"
"Hello, Sid!"
It was a female voice and Sidharth recognised it.
"Tum? Kyu call kiya tumne Sonia? Aur woh bhi unknown number se?" Sidharth asked angrily.
"Unknown number se nahi karti toh tum phone nahi uthate. Tumse thodi der baat karni thi." Sonia said.
"Jo bolna hai zaldi bolo. I don't have much time to waste."
"Sid hum mil sakte hai? Thode time ke liye hi sahi, mujhe tumse milna hai."
"But mujhe tumse milne mein koi interest nahi hai. Aur aage se mujhe call mat karna."
"Sid please meri baat suno. I need you. I know you hate me but I realised my mistake. Give me one chance. Main sab thik kar dungi I promise."
"Wow! Yeh realise karne mein tumhe 1 saal lag gaye? Amazing! But I'm sorry ab kuch thik nahi ho sakta. Aur ab tumhara woh so called boyfriend kaha hai? Uska chapter close ho gaya?" Sidharth asked in a sarcastic way.
"Woh chapter kabhi suru hi nahi hua tha. Main humesha tumse hi pyar karti thi aur abhi bhi karti hoon. And I know you also love me very much."
"Yeh tumhari galat faimi hai. Haan ek time tha jab main tumse pagalon ki tarah pyar karta tha. Lekin tum mere pyar ko samjhi nahi. Now it doesn't matter anymore."
"I think humein ek baar iss baare mein baith ke baat karni chahiye. Tab sayad....."
Sidharth didn't let her finish and said, "Tab bhi mera jawab yehi hoga."
Sidharth cut the call.
_______________________________________
Next Day...
Sidharth and Shehnaaz had a recording. They were singing a duet song for a new music video. After finishing their recording, they came out of the studio.
"Aaj ka recording bohut accha gaya. Dekhna iss music video ko toh super hit hona hai. Tujhe kya lagta hai?" Shehnaaz asked Sidharth.
But Sidharth didn't reply. He was thinking about how to tell Shehnaaz about his feelings. But Shehnaaz thought that he was angry that's why he wasn't talking to her.
"Kya hua Sidharth? Tu naraz hai kaal ki baat ko lekar? I know maine kuch zyada hi bol diya. I'm sorry." Shehnaaz said.
"Arrey nahi nahi. Woh baat nahi hai. Waise bhi galti meri thi. Paata nahi apne dost ke baare mein maine kya kya bol diya." Sidharth said.
"Waise tune yeh kyu kiya?"
"Actually woh.... Kushal aur mera jhagra hogaya tha but ab sab thik hai. We sorted it out."
Sidharth didn't tell her the whole truth.
"Phir tu tensed kyu lag raha hai?" Shehnaaz again asked.
"Tensed? Woh main tensed nahi hoon... Haan thoda nervous hoon... Kyu ki...." Sidharth couldn't find words to say.
Suddenly he said, "Actually Mom chahti hai ki main shaadi kar loon."
Shehnaaz was surprised. "Kya? Sach? Yeh toh bohut acchi baat hai. Sahi kaha Aunty ne. Waise tu ready hai?" She asked.
"Haan m...mujhe bhi lagta hai Mom sahi keh rahi hai.... I should think about marriage." Sidharth said.
"Sahi hai. Main toh khush hoon finally tere dimaag se uss Sonia ka bhoot nikal gaya." Shehnaaz took a pause then again said, "Koi ladki nazar mein hai kya?"
"Haan... Matlab nahi main dhund raha hoon. Teri nazar mein koi hai toh baata." Sidharth said intentionally to know something about her feelings.
"Haan ladkiyan toh bohut hai but pehle tu baata.... Kaisi ladki chahiye tujhe?"
"Tu."
"Sorry...." Shehnaaz almost screamed.
"I mean t..tu hi baata....k..kaisi ladki sahi rahegi...mere liye." Sidharth stuttered.
"Umm let me think... Tere liye aisi ladki chahiye jo tera yeh attitude seh sake. Mera matlab main toh tujhe bohut acchi tarah se jaanti hoon isliye mujhe paata hai koi aisi waisi tujhe handle nahi kar payegi. Isliye uss ladki ko bohut khaas hona padega." Shehnaaz said.
"Khaas toh hai." Sidharth said in his mind.
"Waise main kuch ladkiyon ko jaanti hoon. Mere friends aur relatives mein se hai. Agar tu chahe toh main tujhe unke numbers de sakti hoon...." Shehnaaz continued speaking.
Sidharth understood where the conversation was going and he wasn't liking it. So he stopped her and said, "Tu rehne de. Main khud dhund lunga."
Then he left being irritated. "Socha tha shaadi ki baat sun kar kuch toh react karegi but isse toh fark hi nahi padhta. Ulta khush ho rahi hai. Ab kaise isse apne dil ki baat bolu?" He said in his mind.
"Kuch toh baat hai. Sidharth ka behaviour kuch alag lag raha hai." Shehnaaz said to herself.
After that they both went to Sidharth's house. After entering the house, Sidharth went straight to his room saying that he was very tired. Rita Ji went to the kitchen to make juice for Sidharth. Shehnaaz decided to help Rita Ji.
Rita Ji was making juice. Suddenly Shehnaaz said, "Aunty apse ek baat puchu?"
"Haan pucho na beta." Rita Ji said.
"Itni badi good news apne mujhe pehle kyu nahi di? It's not fair."
Rita Ji didn't understand. "Kaun si good news?" She asked.
"Finally Sidharth ne shaadi ke liye haan bol diya. Yeh toh bohut badi good news hai."
"Ek minute. Sid ki shaadi? Mujhe toh iss baare mein kuch nahi paata."
Shehnaaz became confused. "Apne Sidharth ko shaadi ke liye nahi kaha?"
"Nahi toh. Actually main usse kabhi kisi chiz ke liye force nahi karti. Usse jab thik lagega woh shaadi karega. It's his decision. Lekin tum achanak Sid ke shaadi ke baare mein kyu puch rahi ho?"
"Bas aise hi." Shehnaaz said to avoid the topic. But inside she was curious.
"Phir Sidharth ne kyu kaha Aunty chahti hai ki woh shaadi kar le?" She said in her mind.
Rita Ji made juice for Sidharth. She was going to give Sidharth the juice but Shehnaaz took the glass and said that she would go and give him the juice. After Shehnaaz left, Rita Ji said in her mind, "Sana ko Sid ki shaadi ki itni fikar kyu hai? Kahi jo main soch rahi hoon woh sach toh nahi?"
Shehnaaz went to Sidharth's room and placed the glass on a table. Sidharth was busy in his phone. Suddenly Shehnaaz said, "Meri Aunty se baat hui teri shaadi ke baare mein."
Sidharth immediately looked at Shehnaaz. He thought that Shehnaaz had known the truth. He started sweating. "K...kya kaha M...mom ne?" He again stuttered.
"Aunty ne kaha ki unhone tere liye ladki dhund li hai. Mujhe photo bhi dikhayi. Bohut sundar hai. Tujhe pasand aayegi." Shehnaaz said to tease him.
"Kya matlab? Mom ne sach mein mere liye ladki dhund li?" Sidharth was shocked.
"Haan tune hi toh kaha tha unhe." Shehnaaz said and laughed inside.
"Lekin woh mujhe bina baataye....kaise?.... Main abhi jaa ke unse baat karta hoon."
Sidharth was about to go, when Shehnaaz said, "Wait. Kahi jaane ki zaroorat nahi hai. Jab maine Aunty se pucha unhone saaf saaf bol diya woh tujhe kisi bhi chiz pe force nahi karna chahti."
Sidharth stopped and looked at her narrowing his eyes. Shehnaaz came close to him and said, "Ab tu mujhe baatayega tune jhut kyu bola? Shaadi tujhe karni hai aur bill Aunty padh phad raha hai."
"Koi hai kya tere dil mein?" She asked
Sidharth took his eyes off her and said, "Nahi aisi koi baat nahi hai. Koi ladki vadki nahi hai."
"Koi toh zaroor hai. Ek baat baata, sirf tu hi uss se pyaar karta hai yaa usse bhi tujhse pyaar hai?"
Sidharth took a quick glance at her and said, "Dekh kar toh nahi lagta."
Shehnaaz laughed and said, "Matlab tu usse dekhta bhi hai? Teri chori pakdi gayi Sidharth. Ab admit kar le ki tujhe pyaar hogaya hai."
"Abhi toh chance hai. Main Shehnaaz ko easily bol sakta hoon. Lekin kyu nahi bol paa raha? Woh ek ke baat ek question kiye jaa rahi hai aur mere paas answer nahi hai. I'm looking like an absolute fool." Sidharth said in his mind.
"I think tune usse abhi baataya nahi. Isliye tu nervous ho raha hai. Main toh kehti hoon tu usse baata de. Ho bhi toh sakta hai jo baatein tere dil mein ho wahi baatein uske dil mein bhi hai." Shehnaaz said.
Her words touched Sidharth. He looked at her eyes with full of love. He got some courage to tell her.
"Baata doon?" He asked looking at her eyes.
"Haan baata de." Shehnaaz said casually.
Sidharth started moving towards her. "Sach mein baata doon?" He asked again.
Shehnaaz started moving backward. "Haan...Haan baata de." She said hesitantly.
Sidharth started coming more close. Shehnaaz was moving backward till her back touched the wall. She was feeling awkward. She tried to move but Sidharth caged her between his arms.
"Ab baataun?" He asked huskily.
"Haan...."
They both were too close. They could feel each others' warmth. They were lost in each others' eyes. Sidharth's eyes started moving and stopped at her lips. On the other hand Shehnaaz could imagine what he was going to do.
"Aunty aa gayi." Shehnaaz said suddenly.
Sidharth immediately looked behind and Shehnaaz escaped from there taking the chance. She befooled Sidharth.
After coming out of the room, Shehnaaz looked at Sidharth. Shehnaaz laughed and left.
Sidharth also laughed and hit his own head.
"Ab koi darr nahi. Mujhe yakeen hogaya hai ki tu bhi mujhse utna hi pyaar karti hai jitna ki main tujhse. Dekhna bohut zald main tujhe apni feelings ke baare mein baata dunga." Sidharth said in his mind.
______________________________________
Has Shehnaaz actually fallen for Sidharth?
What will happen when Sidharth will confess his love?
Stay tuned....
Also vote if you liked this chapter.