Sidharth came out of his room at 2:00 p.m. after gathering enough courage to talk to Shehnaaz. He didn't sleep the whole night. In fact, he was trying to come out of his room since six in the morning and console Shehnaaz as he had seen her broken form last night. He knew that he messed up badly and was trying to gain power to talk to her.
He started calling out but she didn't answer. He searched for her in the kitchen. He checked her room and bathroom but she wasn't there. He thought of checking the terrace and started climbing the stairs. As he reached there, he saw the decorations on the terrace with flowers. The food which has turned cold and the candles which stood unlit. At last he saw a red, heart shaped cushion with LOVE written on it. He started panicking seeing all this and tears descended down his cheeks. He went near the table and touched everything softly. He stated crying loudly realising why she was dressed differently last night. He knew that she has been trying to start a relationship with him since last one month and when she finally gained courage he broke her.
"Nahi mein uss se mana lunga. I wanted to hide the truth par ab sab bata dunga. I don't want to hurt her. I will beg her for forgiveness." Saying this he wiped his tears and started running down the stairs and went to search for her in the garden. But she wasn't there. He tried calling her but she wasn't picking up his call. Something struck him and he ran as fast as he could to her room. He checked her cupboard which was empty.
Only a note addressed to him was there:
Sidharth, I am going from this house and your life. Bhul jaana if you ever met a girl named Shehnaaz. I was expecting too much from my life but I forgot that I am cursed and a bad omen. Enjoy you life. I wish only and only happiness for you❤. Bye.
-Shehnaaz
Sidharth sat down with a thud and kept crying. Finally, he stood up to get Shehnaaz back but he heard a crying sound. He rushed into his room and saw Prisha was crying. He went near her and checked her diaper. It needed to be changed. He bathed her and changed her dress. All this time he was talking to her so that her mind diverts. Then he took her down and started making powder milk for her. After been fed, she stopped crying and started looking at him with innocence. Sidharth kissed her face with moist eyes but she caught his nose in her small palms and started giggling.
Seeing Prisha in his lap, he asked "How can I choose between you two? Dono hi meri jaan ho na. I know mujhe uss se kal hi baat kar leni chahiye thi par uss se nazre nahi mila paa raha tha. Upar se kal bahut kuch pata chala mujhe I was tired. I came to know about you yesterday only baby. I know I am stupid for not going to her yesterday but I didn't cheat her. Vo maanegi na meri baat. Vapas aayegi na mere paas. Haan baby batao?"
Prisha kept looking him with her doe eyes as if she was understanding everything. Finally she responded in her own language which Sidharth deciphered that she was supporting him.
He knew he couldn't roam and search for her with Prisha as she was only 6 months old. He called the only people he could talk to anytime without being judged.
"Hello Maa. Kaise ho aap?" Sidharth said as his mother picked up his call.
"I am good beta and so is your papa. But teri awaz se lag raha hai tu theek nahi hai. Kya hua mere bache ko?" His mother, Aparna Shukla asked. Nothing can be hidden from a mother. A slight change in voice or expression can tell her that something is wrong with her child.
"Aap aur papa yahan aa jao. I need you." Sidharth said in a choked voice.
By this time, Aparna has switched on the speaker so his father, Aditya Shukla could also hear. This time he said, "We will surely come. Hua kya hai yeh toh bata mere sher bache."
"Papa please aap log jaldi aa jao. Mein theek hun meri chinta mat karo. Ek baar aap aa jao phir sab batata hun. Kuch aisa hai jo mujhe bhi abhi kal hi pata chala tha." Sidharth assured them as he knew that they would be worried listening to his broken voice.
"Theek hai. Chal phone rakh. Hum jaldi se jaldi nikalte hai. You have to be strong. Theek hai mere sher." Aditya Shukla said.
They hung up the phone.
☆
Three days later,
Sidharth was waiting for his parents who were about to reach. As he saw them at the entrance he ran to them and hugged them. After a little pampering they took him inside.
He brought water for them and laid on the couch keeping his head on Aparna's lap. She started to ruffle her hair and said, "Ab bata bache. Kya hua?"
"Maa-Papa vo.........Her name is Prisha." He explained them everything about Prisha but didn't mention anything about Shehnaaz. He needed to meet her first, apologise to her and then take her to meet his parents.
"Kaha hai meri poti (पोती)? Lekar chal mujhe uske paas." Aparna said with moist eyes.
Aditya was sitting there silently not speaking a word. He zoned out for few minutes and then asked "Sidharth, is it all true?"
"Haan papa. Even I didn't knew anything some days ago. I don't know why she hid this." Sidharth said.
They heard a crying sound from Sidharth's room and they all moved in that direction. Sidharth saw that Prisha has woken up and was crying seeing no one around her.
"Sorry baby. I am stupid na. I leave you again and again. I don't know anything about taking care of you. So I called your Dadu and Dadi. See." Sidharth cooed her picking her in his embrace. She instantly stopped crying as soon as she came in his embrace recognizing a familiar touch.
"Mujhe de isse." Aparna said and took the little soul. She checked her diaper and removed it saying, "Sidharth, let her be free. Din bhar diaper nahi lagana. Dopahar ke samay sab jaage huye hote hai so we can change it if her cloth diaper gets soiled."
Prisha looked at two new people and then turned towards Sidharth. She kept looking at them blinking her eyes rapidly.
"Meri pari. Pehle kyu nahi aayi mere paas. Where were you?" Aparna said to Prisha being emotional to which the baby responded by a giggle.
"Meri priya ardhangini, mujhe bhi dijiye isse. Sirf aapka promotion nahi hua hai. Mein bhi toh dada ban gaya hu na." Aditya said teasing his wife.
As soon as he took Prisha in his hands, she kept her head on his shoulders and started babbling as if talking to him. Aditya was continuously responding to her by saying, "Hmm", "Achha", "Aur", "Phir kya hua", "Hein" etc.
Aparna was smiling looking at the dada-poti (दादा-पोती) while Sidharth was supporting his mother holding her shoulders.
"Maa, mujhe hospital jaana hai kisi kaam se. Bahut din se nahi gaya, Prisha akeli rehti isliye. Aap dhyaan rakhna, mein aata hun thodi derr mai." Sidharth told his mother who took him in the living room as they were left alone ignored by the Aditya and Prisha who went in the garden talking among themselves.
"Theek hai. Hum hai yahan, kahin nahi jaa rahe tum dono ko chhod ke. Tu jaa and drive safely." Aparna said and kissed his forehead in response.
Sidharth left and went to the apartment where Shehnaaz used to live. It was locked. He asked the neighbours who said that she was here till day before yesterday but handing the keys to the owner she left yesterday.
Sidharth sat on the stairs of the flat and thought "Mein phir late ho gaya. Are we not meant to be with each other? Kyu bhagwaan."
He left dejected.
☆
Days and weeks passed but he couldn't find her. Prisha has turned 11 months old naughty kid of her dadda. She came to him when she was a 6 month old cute little angel. It was now 5 months of her leaving him. He even asked Chhaya if she had any idea but she said sadly, "I have lost her and her trust long back. Why will she tell me anything? I was trying to talk to her when she was here but she wouldn't mingle with me much."
Sidharth was disheartened. His mother understood that he was hiding his pain, tried to ask him many times but he would just shrug it saying that he is having immense workload. He has tried to search for her every possible place, but to no avail. He was loosing himself in the process but he was a doting father.
Prisha has started calling him dadda. The first time she called him "Dadda" he was out of the world. He was dancing with Prisha and telling his parents that she called him dadda. He even cried getting emotional.
"Kya hua beta? And don't tell me that workload dialogue. It won't work now. I gave you enough time to deal with it but now I think it needs my interference." Aparna asked ruffling her big baby's hair.
"I will tell you everything. Just give me some more time. I need to try atleast one more time." Sidharth requested to which she gave a nod.
☆
At some other place, a girl is seen with a paint brush in her hand giving final touches to the scenery she made. Her phone rings and she picks it up.
"Yes. This is Shehnaaz." Shehnaaz replied to the person on the other end of the phone.
"Yes. I do make paintings and sketches on demand." She again said.
"Okay ma'am. You can visit me tomorrow. It is almost my closing time now." Shehnaaz said.
When she hung up the phone, she put the things in place and left the room closing the door. She then went to another room which consists of a single bed, a small wooden cupboard and a table and chair with a study lamp. She went to the attached bathroom and came out after taking a bath. She sat on her bed which was near the window.
After leaving Sidharth's home, she shifted to a new place. It was higher in altitude than the rest of the city so she could see the city lit with lights from there. She never left Mumbai because she believed no one would come searching for her. Also, if she kept changing cities for people than she would have nowhere to go on the planet. For her father she left her hometown. But she couldn't leave Mumbai, it has healed her to some extent. If this city is associated with bad memories then there are good memories too.
After sometime, she went to the kitchen and brought her dinner. She was doing everything monotonously. And this was not due to a certain bad day. This was the way she has been living for past 5 months.
Later, she lied on her bed and switched on the F.M. where the song that was been played brought tears to her eyes.
लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीं रात हो न हो शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो लग जा गले से ...
हमको मिली हैं आज, ये घड़ियाँ नसीब से जी भर के देख लीजिये हमको क़रीब से फिर आपके नसीब में ये बात हो न हो फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीं रात हो न हो......
She remembered how before the night everything went downhill she was listening to music in his embrace and this song was played. She realized that most of the things that she is doing or does is related to the sweet memories with Sidharth.
With tears rolling down her cheeks and the pillow hiding them in itself like a good friend, she slept thinking about him.
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NOTE : - Namaste everyone. I know I am late as I was not at home. Hope you like this chapter. If you detect any mistake, do tell me so that I may improve and learn.
Also, try my other book "Standing By You".
Anything about Shehnaaz's condition in this story?
Anything about Sidharth's condition in this story?
Do you have anything to say about the currect track in this book?
{Published on : Monday, 22 May 2023}
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Keep Sidharth and his family in your prayers.
Your writer,
Sudhanya