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

Chapter - 22

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"Mil rahi ho na kal?" Asked Sidharth, pretty straightforward. For him it wasn't even a question to be asked, it just flowed in conversation with an interrogative expression in speech.

"Kal...? kal vo..." She stuttered to form an excuse. Meeting him was the foremost thought that had struck her mind way before when they had made a mind to shift to Mumbai as a family. Yet, the hesitation to inform Nawaz or Shifa, now that they knew some of it, was enormous. To tell any of them before going to meet him would be a courageous task and she does not have the nerve, not for now at least.

"Mil rahi ho!" He declared, crisp and clear, fitting his usual intimidating conduct. There was simply no way losing a day to get to meet her in person. Something he dreamt of for the last many months, he cannot miss a single chance that would bring her closer to him emotionally as well as physically.

He was more than eager to see her, to meet her, to feel her soft hands in his' and most of all to talk to her watching her every expression, absorbing them all in his senses so that when she is not around, he could bridge the gaps through those fascination. A long time already that he has been doing the same, imagining her through her remembrances and now when the distance was none of a concern how could he let it go to refresh those gentle touches, the thrill and chills following those moments.

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The keenness was such that as soon as he had met his mom entering their home, giving her a tight hug, he had drunk some water, walked towards his room to freashen-up, he had taken the talky receiver along. Quickly took a shower, changed to a comfortable home-wear and was back to his study table by the window side. The choice to go back to his mother for a relaxed head massage after the tiring excursion or to talk to Shehnaaz for a moment and then reach out, was difficult. Guess what? he did sacrifice his comfort to choose the latter option, which on normal circumstances he would hardly do. Once seated on the chair he had briskly dialled her old number which was still byheart to him and to his utter fortitude she had picked it up in one ring itself with an anticipation of the caller being him and only him.

"Hello..." He greeted as soon as it was picked up. Heartbeats faster than usual with excitement, sweat buds forming on forehead out of nervousness, for what he had no idea of.

"Hello..." She replied quietly with the same ongoings insides. The additional impression was of fear, fear of being caught talking to him over the phone, fear of then being judged wrongly and fear of not being able to speak her heart out with him because of all the hesitation in her mind. Was she doing any wrong on deciding to speak with him over the phone though? No, she was not. Yet the norms that the mankind had set across to be followed, were a big hindrance to her candidness.

"Shehnaaz..." He pronounced, with immense tenderness, his own waves of emotions easing up. It worked as a soothing song to her. She was waiting to hear the sound of her name in that husky voice and so was him, dying to listen to her. So, when he didn't get to hear a response from her, he checked again.

"Are you all right baby?" The endearment transporting her to a land of pinks. The vibrancy that the diction brought along was an out of the world feeling for her, horripilation tingled down her spine. She tried to steady herself, pulling out of the frenzied zone.

"Sidharth...kaise hain aap?" Asked Shehnaaz breathily, trying to focus on the talking's keeping aside her jittery state of mind. The sense of contentment to have finally achieved the goal of talking to him, it was everything for her at the moment.

And he eventually got to hear the sweetness to resound his mind, body, and soul. Oh, how he has been waiting to listen to it, his name in her honey voice. The bout of freshness that he experienced was much more refreshing than bathing with warm water helped him feel.