Sidharth opens his eyes and the bright lights from the windows hit them. He shuts them instantly. He takes some time to open them and finds himself lying on the sofa. The house is silent, the room messy and he is in a similar bad shape.
Was he dreaming about Shehnaaz? Maybe it was all a dream.
He sits up and holds his throbbing head, a classic sign of hangover from all the alcohol he took the previous night. The steam and smell of coffee makes him look up. There in front of him, holding a mug of coffee stood the woman of his dreams. She has the prettiest smile, the one that could brighten any cloudy day.
It is indeed her so it was all a reality and not a dream.
"Dream? Kya dream?" She asks.
He realized he had said the sentence aloud. Shehnaaz sits beside him with a thud and hands him the mug of the hot beverage.
"I believe you have a hangover. yeh pilo, black coffee. Hangover utar jayegi."
He takes it from her hand and puts it on the table. He then grabs her both hands and stares into her eyes.
"Kya kar rahe ho?"
"Khud ko yakeen dila raha hun ke tu sachi mere samne hai aur main koi sapna nahi dekh raha hun." He cups her face. "Don't leave me again. If you have anything on your mind, you will tell me. Promise me."
"I will. Chalo, get fresh and then we will have breakfast together with hot ginger tea."
"You mean, the breakfast that I will make. Right.. right.. Jaa raha hun."
Sidharth comes out of the bedroom and is about to enter the kitchen when he dashes with Shehnaaz. He holds her by her waist, preventing a fall. Both stare into each other's eyes as he helps her get back to her feet.
"Kya kar rahe the itna time? I was coming to call you."
He runs his fingers through his wet hair. "Hmm.. kya banaun, bol?"
"Kuch nahi, bas baitho. Chalo."
She drags him to the dining table and makes him sit on one of the chairs. He tries to ask her but she disappears into the kitchen without listening. She returns back with a casserole and two steaming cups of tea. She places them on the table. She takes out a plate and puts a ladle full of poha from the casserole on it.
Placing the plate in front of him, she says, "Lo, poha aur Chai. Taste it and tell me how it is?"
Sidharth looks at the food placed on the table and then her face.
"Tu ne banayi hai? Like seriously?"
"Yes. Kya hua, kha kyun nahi rahe ho?" She asks.
"Soch raha hun, Itni badi risk leni chahiye ke nahi."
"Hun? Risk?"
Sidharth suppresses his smile, "There's a big risk to try the food you made. Will I remain alive?"
"Hau? Kitna ka.. I mean gande ho tum. Itne pyar se banaya. Itni mehnat ki aur tum.." She makes a face.
"Maine Kab mana kiya. Pyar and mehnat toh pura hai, but risky toh phir bhi hai na.."
She starts hitting him. "This is your love.. I hate you."
"Arey.. yaar.. sorry.. mazak kar raha hun.. "
When she doesn't stop, he holds her wrist and pulls her on his lap. He wraps his arms around her and whispers in her ear, "You love me."
He smells her sweet fragrance and starts planting soft kisses on her ear lobe.
"Sidharth.. chodo.. chai thandi ho rahi hai.."
"Hone do.." He whispers.
"Ma.."
He immediately leaves her and turns towards the door. She immediately gets off him and giggles. She says,"Maa is not coming today."
"Tu na.. "
Sidharth takes a sip of the tea and then eats a spoon full of poha.
"Hmm.. not bad.. Actually, it's good. Are you sure you made it yourself? I mean how?"
"How ka kya matlab? Of course I have made them. Maa ne sikhaya hai."
He smiles, " Good. I don't have to burn my hands now in the kitchen. Abhi woh husband wali feel aa rahi hai. Wife, lunch mein kya bana rahi ho?"
She pulls his ear, "Oye, bahut husband wali feel le li. I don't know anything else. Lunch toh tumhe hi bana na padega."
"Haan pata hai.. ah.. chod kaan.. pati ke kaan nahi khichte."
She leaves his ear, "Acha? Can a wife tickle a husband? I am sure that's not a problem."
He stares at her, "Don't you dare do that.."
She extends her hands, wiggles her fingers. He leaves the chair and runs. She follows him giggling. She stops after trying, tired and heaving.
"I give up." She plops on the sofa. And he does the same beside him.
He puts his arms around her, "You know why Maa is not coming today, she wants us to spend some alone time."
"Acha! But why? We have sorted our problems na."
He stares at her, " Gadhi hai tu. We need lone time to.. have some romance."
He cups her face and tilts his face, "Tujhe nahi pata maine kitna miss kiya tere ko."
He first plants a kiss on her cheek, then her forehead, then her eyes and then her nose. He starts kissing on her jawline. He tilts his face and presses his lips on her. She parts her lips to kiss him back. And at the very moment they hear the doorbell. They break the kiss and she goes to the door to check.
"Tumne bulaya aur hum aagaye.. saath mein jo bola tha woh bhi laye hain.. ho.. ho."
With the remixed version of the popular Bollywood song, Ryan enters the house with Rohan and Rohit.
"Waah.. kya timing hai?" Sidharth mutters to himself.
"How are you, my lovebirds?" Ryan slumps on the chair on the clothes gathered and puts a few packets on the floor after finding the table covered with bottles and empty packets of food.
"Lovebirds ko love karne nahi de raha hai, aur.." He mumbles and then says, "Tumlog idhar itni subha? Don't you guys have any work to do or home to live?"
Ryan smiles lopsidedly, "I think we came at the wrong time, boys. They seem busy with very important work."
Her cheeks are crimson now, tucking her hair behind her ear, she says, "No, no.. you all came at the right time. I needed your help, so I called you. "
Sidharth stares at her and mumbles to himself again, "Called them? Why? I was helping you na."
Ryan, ignores him, stands up beside Rohan and Rohit and bows his head. "Always ready to help."
She lifts brooms, mop and bucket and gives them.
"Chalo shuru hojao."
"What?" The four say in union.
"Yes, start cleaning the house. It's a mess."
Sidharth stares at her and slams his head. "Tujhe ghar clean karna hai aur inhe isliye bulaya hai?"
She lifts the broom, "Yep."
"But why us? Let me call Raju kaka."
"No, you all will do it, because you all are responsible for this.." She points at the table.
"Sid, tu clean kar, hum chalte hai." Ryan says and Rohan nods his head, "Exactly. Sana hum log toh yahan aye hi nahi. Yeh sab iski kartute hai. Let's go."
"Not so soon." She grabs the ears of the two men and twists them, "Sidharth kabhi itna drink ya smoke nahi karta. He did and you didn't stop him. You didn't take care of him. So, this is your fault."
Sidharth grins watching them suffer. "Yes, they didn't. Ryan toh apne Dad ki expensive whiskey utha ke laya tha, Mere liye."
"Sid, shala kamina.. no... Sana, not our fault."
Rohan adds, "We tried to stop him.. Trust me. Rohit se pooch lo."
Rohit sits down, "Mujhe kya pata. Main toh bewkoof hun na.".
"Sab na Ryan ki galti hai. He organized the parties, every night." Sidharth adds.
Shehnaaz leaves Rohan's ear but holding Ryan's ear, she turns to face Sidharth. "Tumhari pakdun? Chup Chap wohi khade raho."
Sidharth lowers his head and bites his tongue.
After a few apologies, she lets him go.
"No more drinking. This applies to all of you. Ryan, koi agar drunk hua, tumhari kaan khichegi." All stand in a line, with their heads low and except Ryan others try to suppress their laughter.
"Ryan and Rohan start right away. Pura ghar clean hona chahiye. Rohit and Sidu, kitchen duty. Acha kuch pakhao, samjhe. Jaldi.."
The afternoon goes by in house chores and the men finally lie down on the bed and fall asleep after lunch.
Sidharth and Shehnaaz sit at the window sill, his arm looped around her, her head resting on his chest. He reads a journal on architecture. She turns her gaze to the three men, lying in each other's arms, snoring softly. With a smile she turns her glare back to the window.
"Do you think I was the reason?" She asks, a little later.
"Reason for what?"
"The things that Dad did. He went to that extent. Was it because of me? Tumne kal bola tha na, is that true?"
Sidharth stays silent and she touches his chin to get his attention.
"I don't know."
"Jhoot mat bolo. You know. Please bolo na."
She asks, sitting straight and facing him.
"Sameer.. you know what kind of guy he is. And you know you are too stubborn. Maybe you would have gotten married to him if he hadn't done what he did. Bas humari shadi usi grounds par nahi karni thi. But then how can I complain, because of him, I got you." He says, after holding her face.
She smiles.
He rubs his thumb under her lips and she gets into his arms to avoid his intense gaze on her.
"Yaar, kuch romantic soch." Ryan says.
"Kya? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai." Sidharth replies.
"Tu ek number ka idiot hai. I feel I have wasted my time with you. I tried to train you but..you're hopeless."
"Train me? Tune kab training school kholi thi jis mein Sidharth Sehgal ne admission liya tha? I am capable of doing everything. I don't need your expertise." He hits him on his shoulder.
Ryan smirks, "Tere ko meri jarurat thi aur rahegi sari umar. I am the King of romance. Shahrukh bhi mere se sikh ta hai. Samjha."
Sidharth rolls his eyes, "Right."
Rohit says, "Listen dude, candles, flowers, gifts and music are the four pillars of romantic dates. Food is additional but important as well. Set a table, put on some romantic music, buy her a nice gift, and dance with her. Organize a date and celebrate love on this day."
The three stare at him surprised.
"Out of everyone, Rohit?"
Rohit smirks, "I watch movies too. And I know I have a girlfriend."
The three look at him with shock.
"Tu isiliye itna busy rehta hai." Sidharth says.
"Tu isiliye aaj kal jaldi office se nikal jata hai." Rohan adds.
"Tu isiliye aaj humare saath nahi ana chahta tha. Date hai?" Ryan asks.
Rohit, pushes his glasses back, "Yes. I am taking her to a restaurant, then movie, woh superhero wali and then.."
"Long drive?"
"No, games. Latest Rouge G game aai hai, woh khelenge.."
"Lovely!"
They all sit excitedly to hear the unexpected love story of the dorky Rohit and the intelligent and beautiful game designer Riya whom he met at the Comic con. She found him cute and they spent hours talking about their favorite comics and games characters. They exchanged numbers and soon declared their interest in dating each other.
"Wow! Dude congrats bro!" The three cheer in union.
After the story session, the friends get up to take their leave.
Ryan whispers into Sidharth's ear, "Do as Rohit baba advised. I have left something for you. Uska sahi isstemal karna. Don't get nervous. One thing will lead to another and before you know.."
Sidharth cuts him off, "Bye."
"Such thankless people.." Ryan says before leaving and laughs.
Shehnaaz was in the kitchen when Sidharth tiptoes inside. He is about to hug her when the lights go out. Shehnaaz screams on being touched and she hits her alleged attacker with the pan she had in her hand. She hears a grunt that sounded familiar.
"Sidu?"
"Nahi, bhoot! Ah!"
Sidharth sits on the chair with an ice pack on his forehead.
"Sorry."
"This is the umpteenth time you said that. It's okay.. "
"Sachi darr gai thi. Sorry."
Sidharth puts down the pack and cups her face, "Pata hai. Ab bas. Sorry nahi sunna hai. I Love you bol."
She smiles and says, "I love you, my Siduram. Dinner karein?"
As Shehnaaz comes out of the kitchen, she finds the table decorated. The current was still out and they had lit a few candles. Sidharth had brought them together and placed them on the dining table. In the vase at the center was a bouquet of flowers picked from the garden in the back. And in a tiny steel bucket filled with ice is a cold drink bottle.
She looks for him and finds him standing behind her. He, with a smile, extends his hand towards her, "Shall I get the honor of dancing with you?"
She nods with a smile and slips her hand into his. He pulls out his phone and starts playing the song Perfect by Ed Sheeran. Taking her into his arms, he sways with the music. He closes his eyes, feeling her warmth, as she buries her face near his chest.
Sidharth whispers, "Happy Valentine's day!"
She breaks the hug and stares at him. He smiles and says, "Bhool gai aaj 14th Feb hai."
"Iss sab mein sachi sab dimag se nikal gaya. Happy V day!" She hugs him again. "Mera gift? I mean yeh sab bhi gift hi hai. Thanks Paglu."
"Paglu? Yeh kya hai?"
She giggles.
He pulls out a tiny box from his pocket and gives it to her. She excitedly opens it. Inside is a heart pendant with S written with white stones.
"Wow! It's beautiful."
"It's not expensive. Not made of gold or diamond. Bahut pehle liya tha. I know it's not your standards but.."
She places her palm on his cheek, "This is the most valuable gift I have ever got. But you know what I really want. I want your poem. Pehle isse pehna do."
He puts the pendant around her neck and says,
"Yeh ek taufa nahi, mere pyar ka nazrana hai.
Sambhal ke rekhna isse, Yeh mere dil ka ek tukda hai.
Tu jane, tujhe kitni shiddat se chahun main.
Kya karrun muflis hun, tujhe kuch kimti de payun main.
Sirf kuch lafz hai, tere haseen chehre ki muskurahat ke liye.
Aur yeh nadan dil hai, tujhe tut ke mohabbat kar ne ke liye."
Shehnaaz puts her arms around his neck and stares into his deep dark eyes that had always attracted her. She has been avoiding looking into them directly since the morning. But she could no longer ignore the tensions she was feeling. She pulls him closer and kisses him. He wraps his arms around her tiny waist, pulling her closer. Her knees start going weak as the kiss deepens. She holds him tightly, as lips cling to each other. They had kissed before, many times after they had started having feelings for each other. But tonight the kiss meant something more. As if getting that as a clue, he lifts her in his arms and carries her to the bed. She clings to him, her arms around his neck, gazing at him.
Placing her gently, he removes the strand of hair from over her face. Tucking them behind her ear, he holds her chin. Lips meet again and lock into each other. Tongues taste inside and she moans his name. Breathless, they pull apart, only to kiss again, this time with even more passion. Leaving the lips, he starts kissing her jawline, trailing towards her neck. He bites on her exposed skin, leaving red marks. She clutches the pillow under her head, throwing her head to give him more access. Her hand slips under the pillow and it touches something. She pulls it out and her eyes grow big. Sidharth, finding her still, asks her if she is okay.
"Yeh kya hai?"
Sidharth turns to find a packet of condom in her hand.
"Shehnu, yeh woh hai. Don't you know what it is?"
She sits up and stares at it. Sidharth, scratching his head, sits beside her.
"Shehnu, Shehnaaz.. what happened? Do you seriously don't know what this thing is?"
"Yes I know. But you had this under your pillow. You were planning to.. sleep with me. Isn't it?"
"What? No.. plan? There's no plan.. kya bol rahi hai?" He asks, confused.
She clutches his t-shirt, "Yeh tum laye ho?"
"No. I don't know ye kaha se aya.. Ryan.. yes that b*****. Usne rakha hoga."
"It's not yours? You don't use them."
"No."
"What? You don't use them when you sleep with girls. "
"Yes. What? No!"
Her eyes grow big out of horror. "What? You don't."
"Shut up! I don't do such things, I mean sleep with girls.." He says getting off from the bed.
She follows him with questions, "Are you a virgin then?"
"Shehnaaz.. stop." He tries to go but she grabs him by his t-shirt.
"Answer me."
"Shut up!"
"No."
He stays silent, trying to calm himself. "I had a girlfriend. Bas ek thi, salon pehle. F***! Shehnaaz, what has gotten into you. Let me go. Chod t-shirt. "
She comes closer, "You don't want to sleep with me then?"
He looks at her, "No. Chod mere ko. Tere saath baat nahi karni."
"Tujhe kasam lage, bol. Tere ko interest hai ke nahi. Do you want to have s*x with me or not?"
"No.. "
She makes a face, "What?"
"Yes. I don't want to have anything like that. But I want to make love to you. I love you and you do too. And wanting this from your wife whom you love is not wrong. But there's no plan. There never was. I wanted to do something romantic, so I set up the table, music and stuff. I wanted to..take the next step. I felt you too wanted the same. I won't do anything. Nothing at all if you don't want to. Okay."
She stares at him, still holding his t-shirt. She lifts her heels and captures his lips.
"Sorry, I was nervous and the condom packet freaked me out. Questions started rising in my mind. I was.. I'm nervous.. I Haven't.. It will be my first time.. I was.. I'm nervous. "
He shakes his head. He holds her face and says, "You don't need to worry. I won't touch you, if you aren't ready."
"Problem toh wohi hai na. I want you to touch me. Pet mein gud gud ho rahi hai subha se. My skin is on fire. I can feel the heat on my cheeks every time you just gaze at me. I am dying to be touched by you. You are hot. You are cute and so honest. I want nothing more than you to make love to me."
He smiles, "Then stop thinking and let one thing go to another."
He immediately puts his lips on her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just a funny and lovey dovey update that I wanted to give for V day. Just thoda late hogi.
Belated v day to all the lovely people who are reading this.
Let me know what you think. And if possible do vote for the update by clicking on the 🌟 below.
Come fall in love 💕💕💕💕💕