"Ghadha! Kyun gaya woh? Itne din ke liye kaun jaata hai?" Shehnaaz whined and mumbled to herself. It had been over twenty days since they had returned back from Allahabad with a lot of memories and a lot more closer than before. She had a sweet smile on her face remembering the time spent there and the beautiful family she felt so close to.

"Arre didi kal ki roti aise ki aise hi hai? Khana nahi khaya aapne?" Sudha didi asked bringing Shehnaaz out of her thoughts.

"Haan woh mann nahi kiya sabzi bananeka. Toh Maggie kha li." Shehnaaz said pouting sadly.

"Aga bai phir se Maggie? Aaj kal theek se khana kyun nahi khaate ho aap? Ayesha didi yaa phir bhaiya ayenge toh main batayegi unko." Sudha didi said like a little kid who would complain to her parents for her friend's mistake. Shehnaaz chuckled.

"Bhaiya ki chamchi bann gayi ho aap Sudha didi." Shehnaaz said making faces.

"Arre bhaiya bol ke gaye the aap ka dhyaan rakhne ko. Dhyaan nahi rakhi main toh mereko hi daant padegi." Sudha didi said.

Shehnaaz smiled thinking about how Sidharth had asked Sudha didi to take care of her needs. But she needed him and she couldn't do anything about that. She sighed because she knew that all she could do was wait for him to be back.

"Aaj raat ke liye roti mat banao. Main bahar se mangwa lungi kuch. Aaj bhi kuch banane ka mood nahi hai." Shehnaaz said as she sipped on the tea from the mug she was holding.

Shehnaaz and Sidharth had grown a lot closer since they had come back from Allahabad. An approval from his family meant a lot to Sidharth and they had not just liked but loved Shehnaaz. He was extremely happy but he also didn't want to rush it. He'd take things slowly for her sake.

He was sure she trusted him enough but he wasn't sure if she would be open to exploring something more than friendship with him just yet. He knew there was something between them. It was more than friendship even from her side. He could feel it. But then he knew her. It would take time for her to accept her feelings and he certainly didn't want to ruin what they had right now - a sense of comfort and belongingness even without saying it out aloud. And the last thing he wanted to do was ruin it in haste and switch the comfort with awkwardness. Yes, the sexual tension was immense, especially after the two terrace encounters, but they had let it pass. Neither of them wanting to ruin the comfort.

It was a holiday in India today on account of Sankranti and she didn't have much to do so she had decided to just chill at home and read a book. She literally didn't feel like doing anything else. She made herself comfortable on the couch, putting a pillow on the hand rest and laying down and started reading the book.

She had not even read a page when her mind went back to Sidharth. She had been missing him like crazy. She wondered how and when had he become so important that she just didn't like it without him. She would love cooking, especially for him and she had realized that from the last few days she had not cooked a proper meal. Initially when he had left, for a few days she had been so habituated to cook for him that she always made extra food and then became extremely sad when she realized that there was nobody to eat and appreciate it.

She went back to the memories of the day when he told her he had to leave for New Zealand for a business deal.

Sidharth had picked Shehnaaz from work and on the way they had decided to skip proper dinner and opted for some chaat instead. They had stopped by a local chaat corner and enjoyed some pani puri, dahi puri and ragda pattice while teasing each other and giggling away.

"Do you want to go down for a walk?" Sidharth had asked her when they reached their floor.

"I don't mind. Itna khaya hai toh thoda chalna bhi chahiye." Shehnaaz said touching her tummy and giggling. Sidharth chuckled and looked at her with love while admiring her cuteness.

"Ten minutes mein?" Sidharth asked. Shehnaaz nodded as they got into their respective flats.

In the next ten minutes they freshened up and changed into comfortable tracks and tees and came down for a walk. They were giggling and walking in the society where another couple who must be in their 60s was also taking a walk. The lady seemed to be giving Shehnaaz weird looks and Shehnaaz did become a little conscious. Sidharth sensed it immediately and asked her if she was fine.

Shehnaaz nodded. She was silent for a bit and then finally spoke. "Pata hai jab main initially move hui thi naa idhar tab bhi main raat ko aati thi kabhi kabhi aisehi walk lene akele. Tab bhi yeh aunty mujhe akele dekh ke aisehi ajeeb looks deti thi. I thought probably because main akele raat ko aise walk leti thi toh she was worried for me. Par aaj phir se, even when I'm not walking alone she's giving me the same looks."

Sidharth laughed. "You actually thought she cared about your safety?" Sidharth asked surprised at the innocence of the woman he had lost his heart to. Shehnaaz gave her trademark sad pout.

"I was too naive tabhi." Shehnaaz said softly.

"Abhi bhi ho. Ghadhi." Sidharth teased her.

"She just seems to be one of those women jo society ke liye jeeti hai and when she finds something that is not appropriate as per her 'so called' societal norms, she freaks out." Sidharth said gesturing inverted commas with his fingers at the words 'so called'.

"Pehle tumhe dekh ke she must've made faces mann mein soch ke ki -  arre yeh ladki itni raat ko akele kaise walk le sakti hai? Isko toh ghar pe hona chahiye iss waqt. Log sahi kehte hai. Aaj kal ki ladkiyan toh haaye tauba hai." Sidharth said mimicking the entire dialog in a woman-like tone making Shehnaaz giggle.

"No I'm serious. Logon ka mindset itna ghatiya hai naa. A working woman becomes a problem, a woman choosing to live freely becomes a problem, a woman wanting to chase her dreams becomes a problem, a woman living alone becomes a problem, a woman living without a man becomes a problem, a woman living with a man without marriage becomes a problem, all because of their narrow mindedness and the 'so called' societal norms. Ghise pite saalon se chale aa rahe bakwas ki wajah se. They don't want to accept the changing times and give women the respect they deserve. They can't accept strong women, that's their problem. Aise hi log hote hai Shehnaaz jo agar koi ladki pati aur in-laws ke atyachaar se pareshan hoke jaan de deti hai toh sympathy dikhaate hai ki dekho dekho kitna galat hua bechari ke saath. But wohi ladki agar himmat karke unn logo se alag hone ka faisla leti hai toh yehi log usko aise nazron se dekhte hai as if she has committed some crime.  Saala aise society ke baare mein sochke kyun jeene ka? Being a guy I'm saying this but women get more judged than men in our society and that's really sad. Aaj bhi I was walking with you naa? Toh looks sirf tujhe hi kyun diye? Mujhe kyun nahi? Because she judged you and not me. Like it is completely okay for a man to roam with a woman but not okay for a woman to roam with a man. Uske liye apparently license lagta hai, shaadi ka." Sidharth burst out.

He was completely pissed with the way the society was. He had always been surrounded by strong women and he knew what they had faced all through because of that. Shehnaaz felt a weird sense of pride in her heart. Almost as if her heart was proud of the man it was in love with.

"I wish everybody was as nice as you Sidharth. But kya karein, sab aise nahi hai na? Isliye toh zyadatar parents apni betiyon ko akela chhodne se darte hai. Amma bhi bahut skeptical thi when I had taken the decision to stay alone. Par thankfully unhone mere pe trust kiya aur society ke baare mein bother nahi kiya. Mujhe mere hisaab se rehne diya aur mujhe apne sapne poore karne diye." Shehnaaz said feeling a little overwhelmed and missing her mother.

Sidharth pulled her into a side hug. The couple crossed their path again and the woman's eyes widened looking at Sidharth's arm around Shehnaaz. Sidharth gave her a nasty glare which was enough to make her look away. That woman needed to learn how to mind her own business, he thought.

"Chal ab mood theek kar. Tel lene gayi woh aur uski aankhein." Sidharth said trying to lift Shehnaaz's mood.

"Woh bhaad mein jaaye. Mujhe nahi farak padta uss se." Shehnaaz said flipping her hair and they both laughed.

"Shehnaaz." Sidharth said softly.

"Hmm?" She looked towards him.

"Woh actually Friday ko Rishabh and I need to leave for New Zealand. Ek business deal ke liye. It's really important and agar woh deal mill gayi toh it'll be really big for our company." Sidharth said.

"Wow! Yeh toh bahut achi news hai. All the best. I'm sure tum logo ko hi milegi deal." Shehnaaz said happily. She was genuinely happy for his success. Sidharth smiled at her glowing face. He could see how happy she was for him.

Shehnaaz suddenly realized that him going to New Zealand meant that he was going to be away from her. Her smile vanished. She felt uneasy thinking about how he wouldn't be around her.

"Sidharth?" Shehnaaz called out suddenly.

"Haan baby?" Sidharth cooed his arm still wrapped around her. She had held his palm that lay resting on her shoulder by now. He smiled at it.

"Tu wapas kab aayega?" Shehnaaz asked.

"It could take about fifteen days aur deal mill gayi toh usse bhi zyada." Sidharth said.

"Itne saare din?" Shehnaaz gasped. She felt a weird restlessness within her.

"Haan. Pehle preparation phir meeting ke baad they will take some time to decide kyunki doosri companies bhi apply karti hai naa. Toh jab tak decision nahi lete we will have to be there. Kyunki if we win the deal toh phir saari formalities karke aani padegi." Sidharth explained.

"Toh yahan se nahi ho sakta sab?" Shehnaaz asked innocently.

Sidharth smiled. He knew where her questions were coming from. She was going to miss him too just like he would miss her. But it was work and he couldn't let it go. Plus this distance may also help them understand their feelings better, he thought. He wanted her to realize that he meant something for her and probably this distance would make her realize that. Maybe then he could let her know his feelings. And if she didn't feel his absence then he'd know where he stands. It would help him get clarity.

Shehnaaz nudged him bringing him out of his thoughts. "Nahi meri jaan. Jaana zaruri hai." He said softly.

"Hmmm." Shehnaaz felt a little sad. She held his palm tighter. Sidharth gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and she looked up at him. Her eyes full of questions and uncertainty and her lips that trembled a little. It took a lot of control on his part to not smash his rough lips on her soft ones to assure her that he belonged to her and he could go anywhere in the world but he'd come back to her, for she was his home. She was the peace his heart always longed for and he would return to her always. He tried to convey what he felt through his eyes. He tried to give her that assurity without saying a word and he found her smile softly as she looked into his eyes, as if she understood his unsaid words.

"Chal ghar chal. Do din hai toh Sudha didi se khana mat banwana. Main lunch box bhej dungi aur dinner mere saath hi karega tu. Tere liye mathri banake dungi woh leke jaana New Zealand. Kum se kum wohi khaa ke mujhe yaad kar liyo." Shehnaaz said. Feeding him was her way of showing her love and affection without saying it out loud.

"Waah. Itne din se bol raha tha tab nahi banayi and ab mathri ka laalach just so that I miss you. Hawwwww!" Sidharth teased her.

"Ahaaaannnn. Sidhaaaaaarth. Banake de rahi hoon na ab. Bakwas mat kar warna maine muh todd dena hai." Shehnaaz said hitting his huge body with her little hands.

Sidharth chuckled. "Abbey moti. Bas kar." Sidharth said holding her hands to stop her from hitting him.

"Waise tu mathri nahi degi toh bhi tujhe miss karunga." Sidharth said pulling her into his arm again.

"Sachi?" Shehnaaz asked. She knew it but hearing it from his mouth would be another level of assurance.

"Abbey chal naa yaar." Sidharth said dragging her home while kissing her on her forehead.

Shehnaaz smiled remembering that evening and the days that followed where they made efforts to get home early so that they could spend more time with each other. Happy memories were a nice place to be. Shehnaaz found herself visiting those memories a lot these days. The memories they had created together. They comforted her and made her feel his presence even though he was miles away.

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Happy weekend guys!! Do let me know how the chapter was.