Forever Yours

Chapter Thirty Eight

Siddharth dumped the teddy in her lap with a loud huff. "Lo tumhaara teddy."  

Shehnaaz frowned, "Mummaaa.. gande se baat kar raha hai!" She whined.  

"Siddharth-- pyaar se baat kar us-se." Rita Maa said sternly.  

Siddharth scowled. "Jab se aaye hai merese zyaada teddy yaad hai isko."  

Shehnaaz pouted, burying her face in the teddy bear. "Dekh lo.. abhi bhi teddy mein ghus gayi-- ghar pe yeh snow ka peecha nahi chodti-- ab yeh naya dushman palle pad gaya mere!"  

Preeti laughed. "Koi teddy se kaise jealous ho sakta hai!"  

"Maamu ka special talent hai, masi. Khud hi laake diye the snow bhi maami ko-- aur ab khud hi chidte rehte hain!" Samyukta chipped in.  

Shehnaaz giggled.  

"Chup karo tum!" Siddharth gave her a stern look. "Khikhi kar rahi ho."  

Shehnaaz huffed, "Accha ji.. abhi batati hoon!" She mumbled, pulling him down by his arm and grabbed a fistful of his hair. Siddharth screamed.  

"Shehnaaz-- chod! Chod--- Aaahhhh--" Siddharth tried to get her to loosen her grip on his hair. "Mere baal-- baby chod.." 

"Sorry bol.." 

"Kyon?" 

"Kyonki faaltu mein daant raha tha mujhe-- sorry bol." Shehnaaz told him. Of course, Siddharth obliged because baal pyaare hain bhai usko, ego se.

Shehnaaz left his hair and Siddharth straightened up while rubbing his head. 

"Kya item hai bey tu? Mere bichare baalon ne kya bigada hai tera?" Siddharth pouted. Shehnaaz glared at him again. Siddharth instinctively stepped away. 

The whole broke into peals of laughter. Shehnaaz immediately hid her face behind the soft toy. "Serves you right, Siddharth."  

"Aise hi sudhrega yeh, accha kiya Shehnaaz."  

Siddharth gasped, "Meri family, meri hi band bajte dekh khush ho rahi hai. Kya baat hai.. kya baat hai.. saheen hai."  

They laughed again and Siddharth sighed, sitting next to Shehnaaz, snuggling into her. "Chod de na woh teddy--" He whined softly.  

Shehnaaz smiled, keeping the teddy aside and kissed his cheek. "Chote bacche ho aap?" 

"Baal tu kheench rahi thi mere, 5 saal ki bacchi ki tarah, aur pooch mujhe rahi hai." Siddharth rolled his eyes at her.  

*** 

"Kya chahiye ab tujhe? Jeeti thi na tu shooting competition mein?" Aarav jiju asked Shehnaaz.  

Shehnaaz shook her head. "Mujhe sacchi kucch nahi chahiye jiju. Mere paas sab toh hai."  

Raj jiju chuckled, kissing her cheek. "Kucch bhi maang le beta-- kucch toh hoga na jo hum dono tujhe de sakte ho."  

"Bol na baccha!" 

Shehnaaz grabbed Raj jiju's arm and made him sit right beside her. "Bata ab, kya chahiye tujhe?"  

"Promise."  

They both looked at her confused, "Kaisa promise?" They asked softly.  

"You have to promise me that from today onwards both of you will be my brothers. I know it sounds a little-- stupid and maybe childish--" she chuckled softly. "When I was in school-- mein bahot sad hoti thi-- Raakhi pe.. Bhai dooj pe. It used to be a holiday, a festival that celebrated sibling love but I didn't have any siblings. When my friends came to class the next day and talked about the festival-- all the gifts, all the teasing.. all the pampering that they received-- I never had that growing up."