"Agar tu ghar se bahar gaya toh mai tera mooh tod doongi Sidharth."
Siddharth snuggled into the pillow, whining softly. He looked up at her with a small pout on his face. "Tu chod ke jaa rahi hai mujhe." He complained.
The look on his face was so strikingly similar to her, Shehnaaz couldn't help but wonder, if it was the result her company. Was "Do Jism, Ek Jaan." coming true for them?
Shehnaaz crawled into bed next to him. "Kissie de."
Siddharth's eyes lit up at her demand and he moved closer to her, cupping the back of her head, he pulled her face closer to himself and placed his lips gently on hers.
She melted under his touch, her knees buckling under her. Siddharth caught her safely in his arms, not breaking the kiss. Shehnaaz's eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful, so happy. Siddharth's heart sped up, involuntarily.
"Good morning, love." He whispered against her lips.
Shehnaaz smiled. "Good morning kullu."
Siddharth grimaced. "Kab band karegi tu mujhe woh ajeeb se naam se bulaana?"
Shehnaaz pouted. "Aur nahi toh tujhe kutta bulaaya karu?"
"Kutta toh tu mujhe bulaati hi hai, aur samajhti bhi hai."
"Kyonki tu hai hi kutta." She huffed.
Siddharth grinned, pecking her lips. "Tu kya hai, jangli billi?" He asked, raising her eyebrow at her.
Shehnaaz growled softly, making Siddharth coo at her.
"You look so pretty, my love." Siddharth said softly.
Shehnaaz blinked, grinning widely. "Sacchi?"
Siddharth nodded. "Tu pyaari si bann ke jaa rahi hai shoot karne, merko akela chod ke." He complained, almost childishly. Shehnaaz giggled, feeling a bout of affection overwhelming her.
He was so adorable.
"Mein shoot pe nahi ja rahi." Shehnaaz informed him. Siddharth frowned, his face contorting ever so slightly.
Shehnaaz shook her head. "Mein toh waapis bhi aa gayi, studio se shoot kar ke." She said softly.
Siddharth pulled her closer and kissed her nose. "Chal aaja, breakfast karne chalte hai. Bahot tez bhookh lagi hai." Siddharth told her.
***
"Sid-- dheere chala kar yaar, Siddharth. Kehdi shatabadi fadan di kaahli si tenu?" Shehnaaz's eyes were livid in concern as she caught Siddharth's huge frame and balanced him against herself. "Ki soch ke ess de palle bann'ta menu tu rabba."
"Oye. Gaali deni hai toh hindi mein de. Yeh Punjabi mein kya khitar-pitar kar rahi hai?" Siddharth piped in, in an attempt to distract her from his injury. Shehnaaz glared at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Bhagwaan ji se pooch rahi thi, jab tujhe meri kismat mein likh rahe the, toh kya soch ke likh rahe the?" Shehnaaz said, said, practically dragging the hulk human of a man towards the couch. "Baith ab idhar chup karke."
"Unko pata hai tere bina mein ek dum banjaaro jaisa hoon, beghar. Tera rabb hai, tere jaisa hai. Kisi ki taqleef kaise dekhega. Toh usne meri life mein tujhe bhej dia, mere har dard ki marham banaakar." Siddharth said softly. "Meri har dua ka haasil. Harr problem ka solution."
Shehnaaz smiled. "Maska laga raha hai toh kaam nahi karega. Toes move karne ki koshish kar."
Siddharth whimpered, but nevertheless, moved his toes ever so slightly. "Maska nahi laga raha mein."
"Haan. Tu mujhe chane ki jhaad pe charha raha hai. Aaj itni faaltu attention kyon mil rahi hai mujhe?" Shehnaaz asked curiously. Siddharth shrugged.
Shehnaaz crouched in front of him, hissing softly. "Haath laga ke dekhu?" She looked up at him, her face contorted with pain. As if it were her own.
Siddharth nodded. "It's okay.. zyaada nahi hai chot."
Shehnaaz gulped, her hand shook as she reached for his foot. She'd done this countless times before, she had been the sports captain for four whole god-damned years of her school career.
She was familiar and experienced with such injuries, for heaven's sake! Why was this one making her hands shake? why was this one making her anxious?
She closed her eyes, getting a grip over herself. "Sana.. it's okay." She thought to herself. "Just a little sprain."
"I don't want to hurt you." Shehnaaz said softly.
"I'm stronger than that, love. It's okay." Siddharth assured her. Shehnaaz reached for his foot and ran her fingers delicately across his foot. She hissed, as her fingers brushed the swollen side of his foot and looked up at him to find him staring back at her, calm and composed.
"Tujhe dard nahi ho raha?"
"Adrenaline hai, abhi nahi ho raha, it'll kick in." Siddharth confessed. "Tu kya kar rahi hai?"
"Yeh jo bhaag ke.. ek time pe teen seedhi kood ke jaldi mein hall mein aa raha tha, mene bhi bahot kia hai." Shehnaaz giggled.
"School mein jab sports meets hote the, ussey 2 hafte pehle.. mere pair ka koi na koi kaand hona toh goodluck charm tha. Bahot chotein khaayi.. ussey bhot zyaada baar auron ko first aid dia. Haath laga ke bata sakti hoon ki kya hua." Shehnaaz said softly.
"Tu toh kitni talented hai. Toh ab kya, per pakad ke ghuma degi, magic se theek?" Siddharth asked her, keenly.
Shehnaaz laughed. "Sab time woh trick nahi chalti. Kabhi-kabhi ulta bhi pad jaata hai, magic ka istemaal."
"Toh films mein kyon karwaate hai aise?" Siddharth asked curiously, clearly Shehnaaz knew her stuff.
"Kyonki woh real injury nahi hoti. Kucch cases mein twist karne se pain kam ho jaata hai, but woh twist karne ka kaam bhi koi experienced banda hi karna chahiye, magician inexperienced hoga toh magic trick kaam nahi karegi, ulta koi nayi problem khadi ho jaayegi." Shehnaaz explained, fiddling with his foot, as if looking for something.
"Kya dhoond rahi hai?" Siddharth asked.
"Dekh rahi hoon kaheen pe blue toh nahi hua.. blood-clotting ya crack hoga toh hospital jaana padega." Shehnaaz answered absent-mindedly.
"Nahi hai crack.. tu bata, tu woh twist waala magic nahi kar sakti?" Siddharth asked excitedly.
"Kar sakti hoon. Tere pe kaam nahi karega. Do separate jagah swelling hai, twist karungi toh koi na koi faaltu muscle move karke.. aur pain barha dega." She explained.
"Tu toh smart nikli bey.." He said, utterly impressed.
Shehnaaz chuckled.
"Toh ab doctor ko bulaayegi?" Siddharth asked, this conversation was turning into one of his favorites.
Shehnaaz looked like she belonged. This felt like a school ground, and she appeared to be the sports captain that he had heard only stories about. She was so sure and so confident in what she was doing, her eyes moved around his injury, stopping at what he could only assume were the problem spots.
"Tujhe chahiye toh haan." Shehnaaz looked up at him.
Siddharth grimaced. "Tu bata na.. abhi tak toh intelligent baatein kar rahi hai, khud se handle kar legi?" He asked, his eyebrow raised.
Shehnaaz nodded. "Pain spray laga ke, bandage kar dungi. Technically doctor ki zaroorat nahi hai."
Siddharth smiled. Shehnaaz kissed his toes gently.
"Ay.. kya kar rahi hai?"
"Saaf suthra rehta hai tu, kyon drama kar raha hai?" Shehnaaz scoffed. "Pair upar le, sofa pe. Cushion rakh rahi hoon neeche, support ke liye."
Siddharth did as he was told and Siddharth placed his foot comfortably on the cushion. "Mein aayi, pain spray leke."
***
"Do hafte, no gym. No treadmill, no jogging." Shehnaaz said sternly.
Siddharth's eyes widened like saucers. "Chaar dinn mein theek ho jaayega yeh."
Shehnaaz raised her eyebrow at him. "Accha? Kisne kaha?"
"Gut-feeling."
Shehnaaz smiled at him sweetly. "Gut-feeling ko daal gutter mein, aur meri baat sunn dhyaan se. Do hafte, agar tu ghar se bahar gaya, toh kasam lage, chittar bahot padenge." Shehnaaz warned him sternly.
"Domestic violence karegi tu mere saath?" Siddharth asked with a surprisingly genuine puppy face, that no one could ever put to doubt.
Shehnaaz smiled and pulled his cheeks. "Mera nona baby."
Siddharth huffed, shoving her hands off himself.
"Oi.."
Siddharth patted the space on the couch next to him. "Idhar baith."
Shehnaaz smiled at him and did as he asked. As soon as Shehnaaz settled on the couch, Siddharth slowly began to pull his feet closer to himself. Shehnaaz frowned, holding his bandaged foot gently and placed it back on the couch. "Pain hoga tujhe bebu. Kya chahiye, merko bol na?"
"Cuddle chahiye. Paas aake baith!"
Shehnaaz chuckled. "Tu jab beemar hota hai, ya aise chot khaaya hota hai, tab ek-dum nona sa baccha bann jaata hai. Kitna saara pyaar aata hai uss time tujhpe."
"Karti toh nahi tu.." Siddharth complained. Shehnaaz cooed at him, staring with complete and undeniable affection in her sparkling eyes.
"Gadha hai tu.."
***
"Kyon poore ghar mein ek pair pe idhar se udhar uchal raha hai tu?" Shehnaaz asked, her voice dripping with exasperation.
Siddharth held the back of the dining chair for support as he watched his overprotective girlfriend make her way out of the kitchen and towards him. She glared at him.
Siddharth pouted. "Merko bore hota hai kamre mein poora dinn." He said sincerely.
Shehnaaz sighed, pulled a chair and helped him settle into it while she herself sat next to him. "Lunch bana ke aa rahi thi mein baby. Accha bol ab kya khayega?"
Siddharth sighed, deep in thought. "Bahar se order karenge, kucch nahi bana." He said, a few seconds later.
Shehnaaz chuckled. "Meri cooking se bore ho gaya hai na tu?"
Siddharth shook his head. "Merko teri sports captain stories sun-ni hai."
Shehnaaz smiled, pressed her button nose gently against his. "Nona baccha. Stories toh mein kaam karte-karte bhi suna sakti hu bebu. Uske liye bahar ka khaana khane ki kya zaroorat hai?" She asked rhetorically.
***
"Siddharth.." Shehnaaz whined, pressing his foot firmly.
"Dard ho raha hai merko moti.." Siddharth said hoarsely. "Yeh kya tareeqa hai, sote huye mere pair ki vaat laga di."
Shehnaaz chuckled softly. "Accha sorry. Maa ne tel lagaane bola tha, usse pain jaldi jaayega."
"Maa kahan hai?" He asked, crawling towards her and rested his head on her lap. Shehnaaz's fingers reached for the locks of his hair. "Baahar hi hai.. hall mein."
"Kya kar rahi hai?" He asked softly. Shehnaaz shrugged, "Shayad TV.. shaayad book."
"Jaake dekhein?" He asked, his eyes shining. Shehnaaz smiled at him, kissing his forehead gently. "Haan.. chal dekhte hai."
"Mein aaj gym jaauin?" Siddharth asked hopefully, standing on his own feet. Shehnaaz held his hand, just in case.
"No."
"Weights karunga bas. Pair pe pressure nahi aayega."
"No."
"Shehnaaz.. please baby. Ek hafta ho gaya hai." Siddharth whined. "Mein theek hoon na."
"No."
"Shehnaaz.."
"Do hafte bola tha na, toh do hafte baad chale jaana. Abhi pair ki swelling bhi nahi gayi hai poori tarah." She said firmly. Siddharth pouted.
"Kyon mooh banaya hai Siddharth?" Maa asked, looking at the approaching couple with a kind of amused expression.
"Isko gym jaana hai, mene mana kardiya toh sada hua hai." Shehnaaz told her, before Siddharth could get a word in.
"Pair mein chot hai, lekin saahab ko ab bhi gym ki padi hai." Maa grimaced. "Chup chaap baitho ghar mein."
"Same baat aapki laadli ne boli thi. Samajh gaya deviyon." Siddharth grimaced. Shehnaaz led him to the couch. "Bandage chahiye ya aise hi rehne du? Maa tel lagaya tha abhi mene."
"Bandage kar de bacche. Garam rahega toh jaldi theek hota hai." Maa informed her. Shehnaaz nodded and rushed back into the room, to get the Bandage.
"Ab tu dhyaan se ja, kaheen apna bhi goodluck waala kaand karwa ke saath hi baith jaaye mere." Siddharth called out.
"Mein theek hoon." Shehnaaz responded.
Siddharth looked at his mother. "Yeh kaise hai yahan, Maa. Kaise hai meri kismat mein yeh ladki?" He asked softly. "Apni responsibility samajh ke, bacchon ki tarah sambhaalti hai mujhe, jaise.."
He sighed. "Daant-ti bhi hai.. pyaar bhi karti hai, bilkul aapke jaisi hai. Itni choti si hai, phir bhi badi badi baatein keh.. kar jaati hai.. like it's no big deal."
Rita Maa smiled. "Bahot pyaari hai, meri bacchi."
"She's the only one that I could ever imagine myself loving for a complete lifetime."
"You've chosen well."
***
I had written this a few weeks back. It's going to be bittersweet, writing about them this way but I can't not write about them. It's my way of loving them and being happy. I hope you find happiness and peace in reading these small, sweet moments.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Do let me know in the comments below.
Love
Your Author.