'Beyond the Horizon': There's more to it...

Chapter - 9

Shower your love!

***

"Sorry!!" She could only manage to utter those words and broke down even harder.

Why? she couldn't fathom herself. What was she sorry for? For keeping them all in dark which she did in all her right space of mind. Or for making a decision by her own, for her own life? What was wrong in it, deciding for oneself? It was not making any sense. Probably their first encounter only was something which shouldn't have happened in the first place, probably her going ahead and falling for him with each added step was not supposed to happen. But what now? When she was already in it, neck deep. She wanted to come clean, but she feared the reactions. She might not be able to ever meet him or even talk to him if they all got to know about it.

Nawaz was visibly disturbed looking at her sister's state. He took her in a warm hug when she didn't stop crying even after his many attempts to calm her down. He only prayed that it was not Sidharth because of whom she was crying since she has never been this vulnerable at least in his presence. She had looked disinterested and detached after their return from Mumbai then, but never cried her eyes out like this.

"Sidharth ka call aya tha?" He tried to gauge her reaction as he brought up his name.

"Hmm" She sobbed hard, more with the mention.

And it made a sense to Nawaz, he was now sure it was to do with Sidharth only.

"Kuch kiya ? Kuch bola? Sab theek aa?" He checked.

"Hmm" She hummed in response. Her sobs and hiccups seemed to have no end to them.

"Sana...Shaant ho ja putt...dass mainnu...kuch bola unhone?" He asked a lot concerned. He indeed was not prepared for it, instead he had expected to meet an extra cheerful Shehnaaz today.

She nodded her head side to side implying a no.

"To phr? " He nudged her to continue.

She cried some more, eyes shut tightly breathing irregular. It was severe. Nawaz got up immediately to help her with a glass of water. He offered her the glass but she denied taking it at first.

"Sana...paani pi le putt...tu dara rahi hai...ki boleya unnane? Mai baat karun?" He asked. Watching her getting out of control was affecting his sanity too. He wasn't able to think straight or point out himself of what must have gone wrong. The only way was to hear it from her directly.

She took the glass, had few sips as her hiccups slowed down.

"Ab bol...kya hua hai?" He urged her to speak up.

"Sorry Nawaz...Mere tan galti ho gayi...Aisa nahi krna chaiye tha..." She started to speak, catching her breath in between.

He was puzzled, mind in a state of utter confusion and disorder. What was she even talking? She has been at home for many days now, he doubted of her going out even today as he knew of her so well, yet what could she do by staying at home that is now sending her off to a guilty trip? It was getting beyond and above his reasoning ability. So, he posed back a question.

"Par aisa kya kiya tune Sana?" He asked mortified at her statement.

"Maine...sabse...jhooth bola...nahi bolna chahiye tha na..." She stuttered in the middle of her sobs.

"Jooth bola? Kis baare me?" it was getting more difficult for him to comprehend her statements.

"Maine bola nahi pehley ki mai unse baatein krti thi...pehley...maine chupaya...sabse...ghrwalon se..." She continued, still the tears rolling down her cheeks with the un-ending hiccups.