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

Chapter - 21

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Shehnaaz was trying to speak to Nawaz to ask him for a way out of the house for some time to check on Sidharth, at least to inform him about their presence. It has been almost a week that they are here trying to gather themselves emotionally, preparing to begin a new life with the same fervor as they would do at their homeland. The family men were busy trying to look for different ideas to start with setting up their trading here in Mumbai.

"Nawaz...ik mint udhar aayega...ek...ek...baat krni si..." asked Shehnaaz as she found him sitting alone in the living room of their Taya ji's house where they were residing at. It took her a lot to encourage her timid self towards taking this step. After fighting alone against her own predicament of whether or not it was the right time to bring the subject, she had finally decided to go ahead with it for her own peace of mind.

It was getting hard to bear when she had the knowledge that the individual she madly wanted to meet in-person was in the same city, yet they have lost so many days without any encounter. In addition to that, she hasn't even informed him about their arrival, the conviction was eating her up inside.

"Haan bol Sana...kuch chaiye tha?" Nawaz spoke walking into her room which originally was Shireen's before she got married. Now that Shireen was well settled with her in-laws, in the last two years the visits were limited to having lunch or dinner meets only apart from few occasional one or two-day long festivals where the daughter is supposed to be home.

"Uh...voh...mennu pata hai time galat hai...par..." The hesitation, she couldn't help but drove her speaking. One moment she thought she was being indifferent towards the challenges they were facing as a family but on the other she felt she was doing wrong by not letting Sidharth know of her return. He was equally affected of the distance, and it was unfair to not have him be informed about this, was the only motivational reasoning she gave herself before getting to the point to speak to her brother.

"Bol bhi ab...Sidharth to vaare hai kuch?" Nawaz highlighted looking intently at her movements. Her hands fidgeting, head down, sight focused on the ground as she started to say, had given him all the right hints that it sure was about Sidharth.

She was startled to find him guessing it right for her as she lifted her head in shock to look at him. How would her brother know what was she going to talk about? It was a definite surprise to her. For Nawaz was too involved in the family and business issues to think about any other thing at the moment, yet him making a right speculation boosted her confidence a little pulling her out of the self-blameworthiness. If he can guess, which meant it was normal to have such things cross your mind even at this situation, she too can think, and it was no wrong.

"Kya? Vahi baat hai na?" Nawaz reverted, smiling at his baby like sister who was flabbergasted on his reaction. The pink face out of embarrassment was too cute to look at, but he was not someone to call any attention to it for her sake, so he quickly covered it up making a straight face in front. She might get awkward and then may not speak her heart out if he highlighted it.

"Huh...haan...terko kaise..." She wanted to ask how he got it on point but just couldn't keep her words flowing. She quavered through nervousness, praying inside for the subject to not take a different shape towards making it unpleasant for the brother-sister duo.

"Kyunki hum ek hafte se yaha hain...maine toh socha tha aane ke agle din hi bolegi kuch uske baare..." He laughed it out, to lighten the moment. The ideal brother that he was, never letting his sisters down to even think of feeling uncomfortable of speaking their mind at least to him.

"Nawaz...!" She exclaimed. Eyes widened in horror, was her brother teasing her? He sure was.

"Bol ab jaldi...phr hume vo shipment bhi yahi utarwani hai to uske liye niklna hai abhi Papaji ke sath" He urged, waving his hands gesturing her to continue with what she wanted to say.