" Yes Dave !", Shehnaaz replied winking back at the man standing in the hospital lobby. Both of them were dressed in scrubs, wearing masks on their faces. Long work hours were still a trend, india or States, their kind would always be overworked, she thought . Shehnaaz walked away, turning in the opposite direction. She walked out of the main door, to.outside. As she walked outside the chauffeur dressed in all black, ran up the stairs. He held out a black umbrella and stretched it over her head, stopping the rain from falling over her head.
"Thank you Cooper!", she spoke as he opened the door to.the car and she got in. Inside she sat with, her eyes wide open, a subtle smile on her face and the back straight. In a year, she had drastically changed. Her mannerisms were more subtle, more curetted to fit the life that awaited her. She turned the her head to the side, looking at the rain that fell, striking everything and everyone that came in between. It couldn't see the difference between the kind and type.
"Shehnaaz you know why you are here?", her grandma asked her. It had been a few of her being in Cali and she had barely adjusted to the new circadian rhythm.
She got up from the bed that she was still.sleeping in. "Satsriakal naano"
The womam sat next to.her, weaving her fingers through Shehnaaz's hair. " Your brother and grandpa are waiting for you, you must go with them, there is still a lot to learn for you. "
Shehnaaz placed her hand over the woman's and brought it closer to her lips, kissing it."Learn what naano?"
"More about yourself. Being a doctor is good , but that's not all that we are. You must learn how money works. How its made and more importantly how its kept within the clans. You must learn all of that. How to protect what you have been blessed with.There is so much that is raw within you, you must learn.how to tame it!", she spoke clearing the curtains off the windows.
'' You are really late, Saanu?", her aunt told her, when she walked inside the house. They lived in a huge mansion spanning over an acre in the heart of city. Gardens and a huge backyard, surrounding the house. They had all lived together in the house, the grandparents, their children and their children right upto Shehnaaz's generation.
"Yeah! I am so sorry!", she spoke taking off her trench coat. " It was a pretty busy day, and going by the way you look so dressed up, I guess its gonna be the way for the night too.", Shehnaaz answered back smiling, kissing at her cheek.
"Your moms here, get ready and come downstairs!" The woman spoke, looking up towards the the staircase as Shehnaaz walked up. " I had asked, Manpreet to place the suit in your room, wear it, and a light makeup. And then come to me, I have got something for you!"
" The designs look superb, get in a pitch ready, I dont want us to.miss on this!", Siddharth spoke looking at a team of people sitting in front of him. They were planning to Crack in a construction deal for a new residential set up in the exteriors of Mumbai. Sidharth had been pretty busy, sometimes he even forgot that there once was a person named Shehnaaz.
He got up the chair and moved towards the door,and then turned back and spoke, " Get the thing ready in two days , we should Crack it."
Sidharth was being very disciplined. With the initial stage of the grief having passed away, he had clutched his life very aggressively and taken it right on the track it was suppose to be. Work had multiplied manifolds in last one year. He had made more and more money than he had imagined, and that just pumped the adrenaline through his system ,the fact that his effort was paying off.
" So?" Romi asked him, as both of sat on the terrace, sipping scotch. The same proclein white chairs and the garden swing, with huge green plants planted in the similar huge white pots.
The air was slightly windy and the leaves could be seen in the direction to east.
''So?", Siddharth questioned looking at him. He lay casually in shorts and a t shirt, with a cushion placed in his lap, as they drank looking up the sky.
" Arushi? You have met her mother, she's met yours. Aage kya?"
Siddharth turned to him. Sidharth and Romi had never lied to each other. Romi was his go to guy and his best friend. A shadow of what his parents could not be. He had told Romi everything, from first girlfriend to sex everything. But as he grew up, Sidharth had grown those boundaries, yet Romi always knew whatever he felt in his heart.
" We have known each other for only nine months. Abhi kuch bhi nahi..",
"Only nine months. Sidharth in nine months you would be forty and thats a deal breaker in many scenarios. I have never asked you to do anything you don't feel comfortable with, but this i must. At your age, a child aged 10 looks normal if not older. The more up you climb the ladder, there is a lesser chance of having them. Arushi is great, you click very well, and she is very homely woman. She's ambitious too, toh you can be happy about that too. She's your age toh its going to work. You two have got something that most couples don't, social and personal compatibility and the the acceptance of families. You guys look very well on papers, I'm sure it'll turn to something very good. Just give it an honest chance."
Sidharth placed the glass on the table and lit up the cigarette. " I will talk to mom ,and pree. And of course you too. Ofcourse i understand that marriage must happen. But only after we are sure, would I ask Arushi I don't know if she wants to.", he spoke and then all of a sudden fell quiet. " Do you thats right? Getting married?"
"I don't know. But if you look at marriage the same way you looked at it a little back im time, I would suggest you get married. But if kids and those things aren't a real deal now, you may never get married as well. But then you must make a distance from the girl. ."
" She's only a friend...", Siddharth spoke interrupting.
"A friend that you have slept with. Things become complicated when you do that. Look at what you did with Shehnaaz and now she's playing piano in the back of your head"
"Shehnaaz wasn't a friend, when I slept with her. We became friends quite late. And yes, she's playing piano at the back of my head." He laughed off.
"Does Arushi know about Shehnaaz?"
"Shehnaaz is not something I want to talk about. That wound hasn't yet healed." He joked, smiling. Shehnaaz was not a wound, at least not to him. She had left, and definitely left him too, but that wasn't done with a intent of wounding him, she had been careful and cautious of not causing him any harm in the way.
Romi turned around, " Siddharth you have to be convinced at this. Shehnaaz is not coming back, and honestly going by the way things happened with her , I dont think so she should get back. But letting her go is important, and don't lie to me like you do to all others. I know what you do in your room. Be honest with yourself!"
"I am honest..."
" No Sidharth. Brutal honesty. Know that Shehnaaz is not coming back, and your family would not welcome her. She would never settle in with anything, or very importantly she's not staying on India. But with Arushi, you must willing admit that, you don't love Arushi. You can have a happy friendly and respectful marriage with her, and the kids too. But if you want love, she's not one and you will end up waiting like that, for Shehnaaz. So you have to make a choice between what you feel for Shehnaaz and may be wait all life or compromise and have a sorted real life. And trust me Sidharth, no matter what, zindgi akele nahi kat ti. Its a very sad story. And thats why most people marry, because sooner or later your friends will have closed life, Pree and me too, your mom won't be there for very long and then you will be left alone. Tab na Sidharth bhot akela lagega. Ek lambi zindgi, aur gahr ko aane ko koi bhi nahi, baat karne ko koi nahi. Tab khaali pan khale ga. Pyaar sahi h, lekin akela pan zada khoff naag hai."
Shehnaaz walked out of her room. She had dressed up in a straight fit, maroon viscose silk straight pant and kameez, with a similar dupatta. The neck had a detailed hand made tilla embroidery in golden thread. Her hair long and uncut was kept open tied with a small clip at the back, with a few strands falling around her face and ears. The jutti in her feet was hand made, with a smiliar thread work. The family had lived in USA from early 1900s, but they were traditional and very rooted. Standing at the door of maami's room she knocked.
"You look stunning. I guess if this color was ever made for someone it is you. ", the lady spoke gesturing Shehnaaz to enter the room. She walked to the bed and picked up a small package. " This one here, its my gift to you. You are officially meeting all of us today, entering our society. They have all got you gifts, but i must give this to you. Let Parmider see, what you have turned into." She spoke placing a beige colored pashmina shawl over Shehnaaz's shoulders. The detailed hand work of maroon thread in sozni at the borders looked as etheral as both of them standing in the room.
" Just like this!", the woman placed her hair a little back releasing them from the cover of shawl , " Your hair must not cover the diamonds, a sublte tease is important. ", she spoke kissing her forehead.
" Anyways that's what happens! When kids marry as a zidd. Aa hi hou ga. Mainu kehnda si, daadi I love her, aapa pyaar chh ha, aah chhoti chhoti galla naal ni fark painda '' ( this is what happens and what would happen when kids marry in haste. He used to tell.me that he loves the girl and therefore such petty things won't matter. ) The woman spoke referring to the just settled divorce of Shehnaaz's cousin.
"Ho gyi na galti, daado, hun Kinna time sun ne aa aah taane ( I made a mistake daadi, how long must I bear with these rants)
"Not just you darling", his father spoke looking the son. " Amma sahi keh rahe ne. And thats not just for you, thats a lesson for Sana too. Shes your sister and for Sahib too. We people are older than you and we have seen a world. You guys have a habit of thinking all green grass, but we know how tough it gets when you marry against the will of your parents. Love, like you use it, is a foolish word. Marriages happen between two families and its important that the two families share similar values or else the two wedded individuals will never be settled. And they would have petty issues like you two did. "
"Shehnaaz are you sure you don't want to come!", her mother asked standing on the door. It was a few days from her thirteenth birthday. The family was going out for a party and they were insisting on Shehnaaz to come along.
Shehnaaz made a face to the suggestion. She was about to enter her teens and the probablly the rebellious adolescence was taking over. " Chal koi na. If you call Miraal send her the driver ! ", her dad spoke asking her to close the door.
Shehnaaz walked inside. She was dressed up in a t shirt and shorts. Barely 13, she had her tied in a thick braid,and feet in a cute slippers. She walked to the kitchen, picking up a tetra pack of mango juice and sipped on it with a straw. She switched on the television and played the suite life of Zack and Cody. She lay on the couch, and sipped on the juice, snacking on the roasted fox nut.
Life at that stage of life was a bliss. Except for what had happed in the past with her uncle, Shehnaaz was in a happy place. She was safe, her uncle had not been around for over years. And by this age, she knew why. Shehnaaz and her parents had never sat and talked about it, she didn't know if she could even talk about it.
It was already over 12 in the night and she had almost fallen asleep by the time the door opened. The lights to.the hall were dimly lit and she was sleeping on the couch, a small comforter covering her.
He saw her lay like that. This was the moment. He smiled sly and closed the door, without making a sound. Then he walked towards her, his eyes wishing to eat her up alive, just like that.
"Hoo! Mera baccha !"( hey my child ) . He spoke tracing her leg with the back if his finger. She felt something strange, a crawling sensation at her leg and stirred.
The moment she did so, she opened her eyes, to find him.there. Her uncle with a crooked smile on his face.
"Shit !" She spoke in a reflex and tried getting up.from the couch and away from him, but he held her. His hand at her chest, pushing her into the couch, preventing her from getting up.
" I have missed you so much baby girl. So much. I am sure you did that too. ", his left hand caressed her cheek while she tried to push him away.
"Don't!", he spoke holding her hands in his, over her head as he got up, getting on the couch, sitting above her knees. He had her pinned down to the couch and he hovered over her.
"Leave me!" She spoke looking into his eyes, her eyes tearing up. " Please don't do this, please leave me!" She pleaded.
" Leave you, your mother slapped me in front of a hundred people.leave you, no darling. Now, I will sin enough to earn that slap. I am going to ruin you...", he spoke still holding her both hands over her head, while he used the other one, to grab whatever of the tender bust she had formed.
His hand went into.the t shirt. She was too young to be wearing a bra , he groped the tissue and mauled it, making her scream in pain
"Please let go.off me. Please!", she cried , this time crying. " You are hurting me, please let me go. Please. "
"Why this drama. You are my little girl, this is our little game. Old little game and did you forget how much you liked it. I have done this to you earlier as well.", he spoke twisting and pinching the bud at her breast, making her cry and turn away her head in pain. " You have let me do this for an ice cream. You are really a slut. See , who else grows breasts at such an age. You are a whore and you love it", he spoke pushing up.the top, baring her go his monstrous eyes.
He bent his face to her chest,a while his hand was about yo touch her shorts that Shehnaaz managed to rescue her hand and hit him with a glass cup that was kept on table. So hard was the hit that, it broke on his forehead. His grip loosened and she ran away from his grip.
In an instant he gathered himself back and ran after her. "You are gone, do you get that doll. You are fucking bitch, doll.", the way he spoke was so deranged and petrifying that she felt she would die at his hands. She ran away to and hit the small wooden Almirah kept on the side, going towards the interior of the house.
"Call for help. Shehnaaz! No.one will come tonight. They are all busy. ", he spoke standing behind her looking at her back. Shehnaaz opened the drawers if the Almirah and searched for something. Just as he was about to move closer, she turned around, looking at him. The moment he saw her like that, his world froze. His feet glued to the floor. Shehnaaz held the gun in her hand and she pointed it at him. A Smith and Wesson, pointing at him. She smiled and looked.
"Shehnaaz don't do this. Calm down. I will go if you want me to. I promise. I am sorry. I am going..", he was speaking looking cautiously at her. She paid no attention, his words falling at a deaf ear. Her eyes had red rage, she was being consumed in fire. He fingers,removed the security lock and she pointed the gun at him
"Shehnaaz..listen...."
"How do you see your relationship with your parents?" Dr Tara Tikoo spoke. Shehnaaz was in her counseling for almost a year. And she had spoken a lot and changed a lot. Shehnaaz had evolved into a more mature person with little less troubles and more understanding. She had been actively involved in the work of her family.She worked as per her residency requirements and then in the free time she got, She learned about business and money. Theirs was a family with old money and in last one year she had learned to deal with it.
"I don't know. Its a little messy. I love them though. But don't think I have forgiven them. They have done me a lot of wrong. ", she spoke sitting in the womans office. Shehnaaz was wearing a solid a line black dress and a high black heel with white pearls. Her hair tied in wavy pony. She had drastically changed in style and looked more commanding to eyes
"What wrong, do you think they did?"
"They should have protected me and..", she fell quiet. Shehnaaz picked up the glass of water and drank it, while the woman wrote something down.
"And?"
"They could have been better parents."
The woman nodded to it and then asked. " What kind of bond did you share with your sister? Tell me about that. We're they different parents to you and her?
" They loved Nirmal. They loved me too, actually they love me too. But they were different to her. I was used to being the only child. And they did that too. But after Nirmal.it changed, their attention changed. And so did my heart to heart. You know i never wished good for her. I so wanted things to be bad for her...", she spoke as the woman looked at her. Tara noted how Shehnaaz had taken the conversation to a different context. Her need to talk.about something hidden.
"How did she die?", the woman spoke in the middle alarming Shehnaaz. She turned her face to the woman and exhaled a sharp breath.
"She was killed.!"
"
Thanku for the love that you all have been giving.
Do share your ideas, and expectations..
Your feedback is precious!
Love once again❣❣❣