Love is not something that you do. Love is something that you are... Love is the unconditional sweetness of emotion.
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Shehnaaz had been calling him since very early in the morning with no response. Nowadays he wakes up early for his gym and meditation session. He bagged a role of an army officer, and his shooting was about to start in a week. He was very excited about the role and for that he had to lose some weight and follow a strict regimen for the body suited for the character.
Since few days she was busy as well. Meera was very actively giving her new projects in various places. She also helped her create a new social media page, YouTube account for her solo singles. She set up a small nook in her room just for creating videos with her guitar, keyboard, and harmonium. Sidharth had gifted her an LED ring light with the help of which she made videos in the mornings, and she loved how people liked them and made reels out of them.
She was thankful that she was introduced to have a manager from Sidharth. She would have never known the ways she could effectively reach the public by just building a better social media presence. The appreciative comments and feedback motivated her further to do better in the next video. She also bagged a solo song for a very known actress in a small budget movie. The realty singing show she had auditioned for was also about to start its shooting in a month's time. She was content to see her progress, though slow but steady.
With all this they made sure to meet each other at least once a day but it mostly ended up in the nights. Either at her place or his, but it was mostly hers that Sidharth spent his night. He was also becoming the talk of her apartment complex.
Since last two days they had a tiff about the same issue when he was adamant again for her to stay with him for which she was not ready yet. It didn't end up well with him and since then Sidharth had been ignoring her calls. She decided to go to his place early before the traffic hit the roads. She quickly grabbed breakfast, changed her clothes, hair still wet, grabbed the car keys and left home. Karou was still sleeping with Swapna who had moved in with them a month back.
She parked her car and saw Nandu standing next to the car.
"Good morning Nandu bhaiya! Kya hua Sidharth gym nahi gaye ab tak ya wapis aa gaye aaj jaldi?"
"Aaj aaye nahi ab tak woh. Wait kar raha huin.. call bhi nahi pick kar rahe! Main bhi aap ke saath upar chaltha huin."
They reached his home and mom opened the door.
"Good mor... Kya hua mom?" Shehnaaz abruptly stopped her greeting when she saw mom in a hasty walk inside.
"Andar aaja bache... Sid is having a high fever since morning. I tried waking him at 6 but he did not bulge. Then when I touched him, he had very high temperature."
They walked together inside his bedroom.
"Oh!" was the only thing Shehnaaz could say when she saw him sleeping in his stomach facing against them. She climbed up the bed and sat next to him touching his face to see the temperature with a troubled, concerned face.
"Shehnaaz, he is very fussy about taking medicines. I will go and make kada for him and get some oats porridge. You place this damp cloth on his forehead. I will be back... okay?" she asked and left them both in the room.
"Naaz di, meri kuch help chahiye?" Nandu asked worried.
"Haan aap na pharmacy se fever ke liye medicines la do... aur glucose, electrolytes bhi" she instructed him placing the damp wash cloth in the water and squeezing the out the excess water.
"Par bhaiya nahi khayenge, main janta huin unhe" he spoke.
"I will take care of that." Placing the cloth on his forehead she assured.
"Sidharth..." placing a kiss on his cheeks she called him.
"Hmm" he answered softly.
"Lay straight on your back" she requested.
He stretched and followed her with her help.
"Tu kab aayi?" he asked croakly slightly opening his eyes.
"Abhi... kya hua hain tumhe? Fever kaise hua?" placing the cloth again in his forehead she asked.
"Woh, it was missing me, so I thought to call her and give me company. Waise toh kissi aur ko meri padi nahi hain. But see how fever immediately came and gave me all its attention... ouch!" He got a smack from her in his arms for his droll.
"Baby I am sick; you need to serve me not spank me." He chuckled which followed with a cough.
"Shu... chup." She rubbed his chest in worry.
"You seem to have a viral flu, I think. Let's call a doctor, he can prescribe you some medicine." She suggested still rubbing his chest and other one on his hair.
"No way, I am good... leave, I need to use the restroom." He removed her hands and walked slowly with a crabby face.
"Sidharth..." she whispered.
She got emotional seeing him this way. It was two days since they spoke to each other. He didn't even reply to her messages. He wanted her to stay with him till he goes for his shooting next week to Jammu and then to Delhi. It will be a two-month long shoot and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. He was not wrong to wish her that desire, but she had her inhibitions, a few of them which had shed down of constant staying in each other's place.
Her thoughts were distracted when his mom came in with a tray. "Where is he?" she asked.
"Fresh hone gaya hain" she replied with a sulk. She had been in her monthly periods for the past three days and one of the reasons she didn't want to stay here but at hers, as it was convenient how to manage while changing and disposing. She was hesitant to talk about these issues to him. They would eventually every month have an argument. She felt guilty that due to her silly fight he got sick though that might not be the reason, but she felt bad.
"Pata nahi kal raat tak toh teek hi tha. He did not have dinner though at night and looked very tired. I tell you when he gets sick it's bad news for me. Already itna kaam karwata hain ab dekhna iska mom mom ka kirtan nonstop bhajega." She snickered saying that proudly.
"Main huin na... I will help you."
"Mom... No way... I am not going to drink that!" Sidharth came out screaming seeing the Kada drink his mom was holding in her hands.
"It's good for you na baba... drink this, quick and then have this oat." She forced.
Nandu also handed the medicines Shehnaaz had requested and after he drank down the porridge, she forced him with lot of efforts, when nothing worked, she used her all-time useful weapon, "Tumhe meri kasam hain" and that would work like a sorcery. He was very tired, and he laid down and drifted off to sleep almost immediately after gulping the medicine down.
"Shehnaaz, you don't have any appointments for today. He is sleeping now. I will see if he needs anything don't compromise on your schedules." Mom mentioned.
"There is nothing mom. I cancelled everything for today. Mom, I want to ask you something?" She looked at her and with a doubtful face she spoke.
"Haan bol" with a composed and small smile mom gave her full attention to her.
"Woh... woh actually... I was thinking... if you think is right... Can I... umm.." Hesitating, she started but mom completed what she wanted to say.
"I will be very happy beta... please hesitate mat kar. This is your house only. Aaja yahan. I know tum dono ko abhi shaadi nahi karni. You have your reasons and Sid has his own which I will never understand what, but I respect that, and I want both of you to be happy. I don't know if you realize this you both are inseparable. Still, it's completely your decision. Do whatever you want to from my side you don't even have to ask. Tu meri beti hain aur hak rakh iss maa pe. Mom bulathi hain toh bindass reh jaise apni mumma ke saath rehti hain." Stroking the cheeks, she gave a forehead kiss to Shehnaaz.
"Sidharth toh abhi shaadi karne ke liye ready hain." Shehnaaz chuckled saying that getting emotional.
"So, what is holding you, as far as I know you are also ready to get married, right?" mom asked.
Shehnaaz nodded in consent looking down.
"Your family?" mom questioned "Jitna main janti huin, they love Sidharth. Pammi aur Ahluwalia ji toh wait kar rahe hain uska Delhi aane ka" she added.
"I know, mumma ne toh saaf bol diya hain, Sidharth hotel sotel main nahi rahega jab tak Dilli main shooting hain. Jitna patla hua hain na yeh sab wapas gain karke aayega." She smiled saying that.
Their heads turned when they heard some shuffling noise from the bedroom.
"I will take a look" Shehnaaz got up from the couch and rushed in to see him.
"Hey, need something?" she asked, entering the bedroom.
"Switch on the AC. I am sweating!" He removed the blanket away from him and sat up resting his back on the bed and rubbed his face with his palms.
"Water?" Shehnaaz asked handing a water bottle.
He gulped down all of it.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired, my whole body is in pain!" he complained.
"Kuch khaogey? I made kichadi for you"
"You made?" he asked.
"Uhmm hmm..." she didn't like the way he looked. He was pale, eyes puffy. He had lost a lot of weight. He looked fit and shaped, but he looked thin. The viral had worsened even more the way he appeared.
"Bhook nahi hain, par tune banaya hain toh just give me a little... jayda mat le aana"
She nodded and got up from the bedside without a word. He grabbed her wrist and stopped her asking, "Tujhe kya hua?"
"Kuch nahi, bas tum jaldi teek ho jao" she released her wrist from his hold and exited out of the room.
Her eyes welled up seeing him. She glanced through the prayer room and folded her hands "Waheguru ji mehar kari." She wiped her eyes and hugged mom from behind in kitchen who was already making the lunch ready for them to eat together in his room.
"It's just a flu, baba... itna dukhi ki baath nahi hain. Teek ho jayega do din main. Chal khana katey hain sab mil ke..."
Sidharth on the other hand was just happy to be around his mom and Shehnaaz. His body needed rest, he had to work hard to get his career on track, show his best for the upcoming project. He had already lost a lot of time ruminating himself in sadness and self-pity. There was no room for that anymore when he had two strong pillars of support in the form of his mom and companion.
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Short update... will be giving you more updates frequently.
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Love Vidya 💛💛💛