4 days passed in between continued small staring sessions between Shehnaaz and Sidharth. For Sid being brought up in abroad, having access to talk and meet with numerous girls, who were always ready to throw themselves on him, he never fell connected with them, he never gave a damn notice to them, but the moment his eyes fell on Shehnaaz his perception regarding girls changed, his heart felt connected like she was the one for whom he was waiting from years. During the last 4 days he only feels to just look at her, stare her, admire her and adore her, he is unable to understand why his best buddy didn't ever mention that he has such a adorable beautiful sister, why is that so, he even wonders why do the elders behave with her so bitterly, so rudely, why she is not allowed to come out and have her food with everyone, why she always remain inside her room, why nobody except Asim talks with her properly, as if she is the object of hatred in the family, even it surprises him, if his buddy loves his sister so much, then the numerous years they stayed in abroad, why did he never mention the presence of a sister, all they knew was Asim had an elder brother, who died few months back in an accident. He decided to talk with Asim. The beautiful face of Shehnaaz started haunting him in his dreams too, all he wanted to talk to her but later he realized that he not only he wanted to talk to her but he wanted to feel her in his arms, he wanted to love her, take care of her, and he was pretty sure even the girl feels something from him, she gets lost whenever for any reason their eyes meet, but her eyes reflects a pain and he was sure within the past 3 days he had fallen in love with her, according to him no girl in this damn world has never made him feel those feelings which his baby sis Madhurima says after falling in love with his best buddy, but the moment he laid his eyes on her, those irrational feelings started engulfing his heart.
For Shehnaaz, first time in her entire life she felt helpless with the fact that she was a widow, she had no colours left in her life, that her life is a barren ground, where green grass and flowers can never take birth, her helplessness has no boundaries, but yet she felt as if she can see her 'HIGHWAY MAN' in him, first time after seeing him her heart skipped a bit, she knew she had no right to talk with him, her limitations regarding meeting people doesn't give her permission to talk with strangers and guest specially if the person belong to opposite sex. But still she couldn't stop herself from staring at him from distance, every morning after taking birth when she come to the terrace drying her long waist length black hairs, she used to stare at him from the terrace watching him working out in the garden, from last 3 days she was doing it, on the other hand just after the first night, next day early morning when Sid was working out, he felt the presence of someone and just looking here and there when he looked up he saw her, the same white churidar, her long wet hairs, her face devoid of makeup yet a dark shed of red with the early morning sunlight falling on her, just as the sun rays falls on a flower bud helping it to open its petals, she was looking like a serine beauty, as if the colours of nature personifies her beauty. She used to look the same as a fresh morning flower even in the late night when in the moon light she stands in the terrace facing the mountains looking at the night sky, she never saw him in the night but he has seen her from his window, and those moments he feels extremely attracted towards her, first two days he was confused, he thought it as a mere attraction seeing a raw beauty but soon he realized that it was not a mere attraction but it was connection a feeling which couldn't be described in words. In the last 4 days they never talked but whenever accidentally or incidentally their eyes met, both were transformed into some other world, without having no practical conversation but their eyes conveyed their heart's feelings to each other, as if they have talked a lot.
For Madhurima, she was in a mixed state of emotions, she loved Asim, with her heart, though she was short tempered, excessively pampered by her brother, but yet with Asim she was a different girl devoid of ego, and insecurities but one thing was there first time she realized what does the word beauty means, she understood that she was modern, she was attractive, she had the capacity to turn guys go mad on her, but she accepted in her heart that the word beauty can be associated only with Asim's sister Shehnaaz, first time Madhurima Shukla, wanted to dress up like Shehnaaz, wanted to change her dressing sense like Shehnaaz, but the question which haunted her was why did Asim did not tell anything about his sister Shehnaaz to her, when he didn't hide anything of his family say it there richness, their being extremely traditional or their treating girls as a second sex. This one question was haunting her, but she couldn't clarify because here she was not getting chance to sit with Asim and talk for hours, but when ever in the last 4 days she did get a chance but he avoided to answer this question, moreover the unnatural inhuman behaviour the rough behavior asim's family delivers to shehnaaz, she was surprised how could a daughter of a family be so badly treated by her parents, and once again the same question why the hell didn't Asim ever talked about having a sister, is it so that Asim to feels the same way about girls as his family does and if so then she can't be with Asim, she can't even think being a girl, why the other girl can be so ill treated, moreover from her own brother's change in behavior she was sure her brother who never gave a damn to any girl was attracted towards Shehnaaz, the feeling that her brother loves Asim's sister was thrilling her cells, but then again the damn situation how could see find out because she never gets chance to talk with Shehnaaz, she decided soon to talk with Asim.
For Asim he could perfectly read the question in her girlfriend's eyes and in her buddy's eyes too, who is Shehnaaz, if she is his sister why in these past years, he didn't say anything about her, but what could he answer, how could he say that with the mask of being traditional, his family, people of his birth place still follows the inhuman system of child marriage, how could he say his ultra modern gf and his best buddy that Shehnaaz, the girl of 17 was his elder brother Paras Garg's widow, that at the age of 3 Shehnaaz was married to a boy who was 10 years elder than her, how could he say that his parents compelled Shehnaaz to live a life of widow devoid of colours and happiness when she had practically never lived a life of a married girl, and that even his parents kept him in dark, when they did all these as he was then abroad and away from family, it was not that he was ashamed that he gave Shehnaaz his sister's place, that he really treats her as his sister, just the way Madhurima is sid's sister, but yes he was ashamed of his family, he was afraid that Sid would deny him as his sister's life partner because he belongs to such a backward, disgusting family. But yes he has seen a light of appreciation a feeling of attraction or may be a little more than that in Sid's eyes for Shehnaaz, even Madhurima has informed him so, and it was the only source of light in the darkness, may be if not Madhurima but Sid may understand his helplessness, not only that he was worried even with the fact that soon he will leave for Mumbai as planned with Sid and Madhurima, but before that he has to secure shehnaaz's life he was sure after he marries Madhurima in Mumbai he will never get a chance to be back in his native place, but about Shehnaaz, she has really become his weakness, years he have seen a brother and sisters love their fights their naughtiness in their relationship which Madhurima and Sid shared and he so wished to have a sister like Sid and when he met Shehnaaz, he really felt his thirst for having a sister was over, but now it was time to do something as a brother to protect his sister take her responsibility throughout his life and he really needed to talk to her but before that he needs to talk with his buddy Sid and Madhurima, but how was the big question, will they ever understand??
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That evening tired of Asim's ignorance and behaviour and his determination of not speaking about Shehnaaz, Madhurima came to her room. Just after a single knock, Shehnaaz opened the door and with a bright smile welcomed her. Madhurima too smiled but she was wondering that just a few hours back she herself has seen that Asim's mother had hit her shoulder with a wooden stick, she had heard her sharp cry of pain when she was passing by Asim's mother's room but now as if she was a different girl. Madhurima couldn't figure out why always she is treated so inhumanly in Asim's house when she is also a daughter of that house, and most importantly how does she manage to have a bright smile always on her lips after bearing such tortures throughout the day. Her thought was broken and she was shocked when she heard her addressing her "BHABI"
Shehnaaz: Madhurima bhabhi aap na bohot beautiful ho, bhai aapse bohot pyar karte hai.
Madhurima: Bhabhi??
Shehnaaz: ha bhabhi mujhe sab pata hai, bhai ne sirf mujhe bataya hai, aur maine he plan banaya aap ko yaha laane ka. Because I have seen your photograph but I wanted to meet you.
Madhurima: But Shehnaaz as I know Asim's family members will never accept our relation... I mean Shehnaaz mujhe pata hai ki...
Shehnaaz: Its OK bhabi, I understand English you carry on.
Madhurima: Tumhe English ata hai?
Shehnaaz: Bhabi, few months back I got 12th result, and guess what I stood first in the Rajasthan state.
Madhurima: that's brilliant so what about future plans, I mean in which stream you want to go ahead?
Shehnaaz: ( with a dry laugh) Bhabhi jiska future hi nahi hai, uski future plans...
Madhurima: Shehnaaz, aise kyu bol rahii ho?
Shehnaaz: leave it na bhabi, aap btao Mumbai jaate he aap bhai se shaddi karoge na... I wish I could be there..
But there sweet conversation came to an end, with a knock on the door, Shehnaaz went an open the door, and saw her mother-in -law.
Saas: Kisse baat kar rahii hai? Aj kal bohot jyada udne laggii hai tu?
Shehnaaz: Madhurima didi se
Her MIL pushed her aside and with sugar coated voice asked Madhurima to leave, and then without any reason, pushed Shehnaaz hardly on the bed and left banging the door closed.
