Sana
"Di, its not working!" She stage-whispered to Neetu di as she watched Sidharth turn away from her with a glass of whiskey and accompany his mother to the restaurant beyond the glass doors.
"What's not working?" Naira asked, popping a chip into her mouth.
Preethi moved Shehnaz away from her, "Its an adult conversation sweetheart, tu waha jaake khel."
She rolled her eyes, "Kaha khelu?Playpen mey? I'm 16 mom please.And I know you both are talking about their jhagda.Mey yeh sab mey tv mey hi dekh liya,what's left to hide?"
Preeti gave up trying to keep her teenage daughter away.Naira also moved closer in an attempt to join the conversation.
"So you were trying to make him jealous?" Preethi asked, horrified and amused.
Shehnaz shrugged, "That was a safe bet.He used to get possessive before.But I guess that was only coz its Asim."
"Oohhh," Naira chuckled, "Mey issiliye soch rahi thi why Sana di was laughing so much with Angad bhaiya."
Shehnaz whined and turned away to the billiards table, "Siyapa!Ab usko lagega ki mey move on kar chuki hoon."
Neetu scoffed, "I bet he's burning inside.He's just an expert at not letting his feelings show."
"Nahi di.He's done with me.And here you were saying that he--" She stopped short of saying love seeing Naira watching them like she was in a movie theatre.
She gorged on a few more chips and prodded encouragingly, "He..?"
Shehnaz laughed at how inquisitive she was being,reminding her of herself in school, "Yaar tu chod!"
"If you're trying to make him jealous,do it properly," Neetu whispered before turning back and offering a dazzling smile to Angad, "Join us for dinner na?They have the seafood platter today!Your favourite."
"Oh, thanks but--"
She didn't let him finish, insisting he join them and pushed Shehnaz forward.His eyes lit up at for some reason and he complied.He began a dialogue with Shehnaz and she responded with artificial enthusiasm while they walked over to the table.
It didn't take Shehnaz five minutes to realise that her plan was failing miserably.
This was the first time she had tried to provoke him into normalcy by jealousy.
...And he was just serving food onto his mother's plate.But then, that was how he was when they fought. Did she expect an easier relapse?
She let the stupid plan slide and kept her conversation to a bare minimum with Angad after that.She didn't want to displease him too much.
When she thought she was going to be dropped home after dinner, she noticed Baaz standing by his car in the flat.
She wanted to admonish him for accepting Neetu's proposal of a sleepover.She didn't want to overstay her welcome despite the fact that no one had been short of gracious.
Sidharth had no qualms in pulling her brother forward into a warm bear hug.Baaz was like her, a fumble of excited words rolled out of his mouth as Sid put his arm around him.They were bantering like good friends and disappeared to the elevator.
She exchanged a glance with Neetu di.
"You didn't even try Sana," Neetu said.
"Try what?" Naira barged in between them. "Mamu is still angry?"
Shehnaz shrugged in response.
Neetu had made her understand that she had misinterpreted Sidharth's words.His hurt dialogue that night after the ticket to finale task was actually a twisted confession of affection.He was trying to tell her that she was becoming too much a part of himself that he couldn't let go and here she thought he might think she wasn't good enough.
Huh. Maybe Sidharth did not love her in a romantic sense but he did love her enough to get up and search for her in the morning.(Preethi's version)
It was exactly as she prophesied: "Tujhe meri itni gandhi aadat pad jaayegi ki tu raat mey utkar mere ko dhoonde ki sana kaha hai?"
Now she was creepily stalking him around Preethi's huge apartment.He disappeared into another door.
How big was this house?
She hesitantly followed him and he was standing by the balcony with a cigarette in his hand.
She could see sparkling buildings and the Mumbai Skyline from there.She stopped behind him,unsure of herself.
He took a whiff of the cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray.She stared at it, perplexed.He had not even smoked it fully.He had just taken two whiffs and had tossed it away into the tray.
The tray also looked impeccably neat and unsmudged from soot as if he had used it after a long time.
She quietly shut the door behind her and it clicked.
He stiffened but didn't turn.As if he knew it was her.
"Sidharth?" She whispered and he didn't even turn around.Just released a puff of smoke into the air.
"Get lost from here."
His voice sounded harsh as it was meant to be but a little strained as well.Like he was forcing the words from gritted teeth.
"Baat toh sunle..."
"Shehnaz, I'm not in the mood to play this game now so just move away and let me be."
"Acha tujhe lag raha hai ki mey game khel rahi hu?" She demanded.
"Jo bhi kar rahi ho Shehnaz.I don't know what you expect from me.I don't know what I can do.It's frustrating."
Shehnaz gaped at his broad back. A direct answer from Sidharth inspite of being pissed?What a medical miracle!
He still faced away from her but this time, he was quiet.He was expecting her to reply.To coddle him like she usually did.
She grinned.He was not so angry after all.He just stood there, trying to even his breathing and waiting for her to come to him.
She hid her triumphant smile and took a few steps, not toward but away from him.
He also sensed that and in the sliver of the door she noticed him turn around in surprise.She shut the door behind herself and smothered her giggles with her palm.She had just gone against her nature by not manofying Sidharth with hugs and kisses.And that too when he had been expecting it out of habit.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she bent down to peer through the keyhole.Sidharth was looking displeased to say the least that she had left without an explanation.
He muttered something and turned away to reach for his phone.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket a moment later and she muted it, staring at the number.She had sneaked his number from Ken and now her screen blinked with his caller id.
"Ey motto, kya kar rahe ho?" Her brother said from behind and she shot up like she had been electrocuted.
"Yeh gandi aadat nahi chuti teri?" He muttered, referring to her peeping through the keyhole.She used to overhear conversations as a kid the same way.
She put her arm around her shoulder and grinned,"Nope.Aaja."
Sid would have to expect her later.
She sat around with his family and chatted until 12 am.They had turned on the AC in full swing and sat in one chaadhar.Only when Neetu's husband yawned and was dozing off, she decided to leave and give them some privacy.
She sneaked into the next room where Sidharth apparently was.
He hadn't left to his place!He'd stayed over!
The thought made her smile.
He was fast asleep with his lips slightly parted.His muscles strained under his tee shirt as he hugged two pillows close to himself.The pillows were arranged in such a way that it looked as if it was a makeshift human.
She smirked, pulling the pillows out if his arms precariously and sneaking into his bed.
She could only hope that Sidharth would not wake up and scream at her for barging into his room without permission.
But he shifted in his sleep and accepted her in his arms instead of the pillows.Her breath hitched as her face was shoved into his neck.The stubble on his jawline bristled at her cheek.
She felt like the sinking feeling this entire week had disappeared at that moment in his arms.
She sunk further onto him, plastering their bodies together and snugly resting on his bicep.
"Hmmm," he mumbled in his sleep.
He looked like a resting lion and she didn't dare move around too much just in case she woke him.
And she used her toes to reach for the bed cover and wrap around them both.Sidharth accepted the covers around him and tightened his hold.
It reminded her of the time they slept like this when he had a fever in BB.
She placed a feathery light peck on his jaw,"Good night Kullu."
^Yeh mahaan ko toh dekho koi lmao.This chap is dedicated to Mr Neeraj Nikku and his constant encouragement✨