Chapter 15

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Days rolled on and they both were done with their boards. However, the situation in Shehnaaz's house was very tensed. Her grandfather, grandmother and father wanted to marry her off. Shehnaaz was quite disturbed with this.

Shehnaaz was at Sidharth's house and was crying hysterically hugging him tight.
"Sidharth, mujhe shaadi nahi karni hai abhi. Vo bhi esse kisi insaan se jisko mein jaanti tak nahi. Padhna hai mujhe. Please kuch karo na. Please."

He was rubbing her back to calm her down, but to no avail. "Shehnaaz, sun meri baat. Idhar dekh. Mein hun na. I promise I won't let this happen. Mein baat karunga unse, agar zarurat padi toh maa-baba ko bhi kahunga samjhane ko. Tu ro mat baby. I can't see you like this. Dekh khud ko, kal jabse se yeh baat tujhe pata chali hai tab se kaise murjha gayi hai."

"Aap nahi samjh rahe Sidharth mujh par kya beet rahi hai. They want to marry me off and will do it anyhow. Vo nahi dekhenge aage kon kya hai bass uske saath mujhe taang denge zindagi bhar ke liye." She replied while sobbing.

Now Sidharth cupped her cheeks and made her look towards him. "Sun meri baat dhyaan se. Do you trust me?" She nodded with her tear stricken face. He then wiped off her face clean and made her sit with him. He then continued, "When I said mein nahi hone dunga then nahi hone dunga. Trust me. Mein sab kuch karunga. And vaise bhi no one could enter in your life as your life partner when the seat is already booked."

She looked at him with love and blushed on his last statement. She knew it will be only him for her. Only and only him. This progress they had made gradually in all these years even without any formal proposal or confession. They both understood their feelings slowly and gradually but didn't felt the need for show-off like people generally do.

"Bass yahi smile humesha dekhna chahta hun mein tere chehre par. And I wonder kitna sharmati hai tu. Chhoti chhoti baat pe tamatar ko competition deti rehti hai." He said to distract her from the ongoing problem in their lives. One may wonder how come it is their problem, but everything related to her is his concern and vice-versa. Theirs may not be the show-off kinda love that most youngsters nowadays like to display to the world as an art piece, but whenever one needed the other they were present. And that is what is true love is, even it is something beyond.

Shehnaaz was having her dinner along with her mother after others were done. Reet saw her as she looked pale and tired. So she asked lovingly, "Kya hua laado. Esse kyu bimaar si lag rahi hai?"

"Aapko nahi pata Amma kya ho raha hai ghar mai." She replied with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Jaanti hun meri gudiya. Par mere haath mai kuch nahi hai. Mein toh khud in sab ke liye full-time aaya hun bass." She replied emotionally.

"Chhaddo sab. Aap khaana khao. Dekhte hai kya hota hai. Par Amma mein shaadi nahi karungi kisi bhi haalat mai." She said determined. Though still she feared people in her house other than her mother but in these years she has understood that she needs to fight for herself. She didn't question them for anything they did to her till now but this time she couldn't let them do anything with her life specially when she knew there is someone who is attached to her life. Or maybe he is her life.

Reet was horrified with her statement and asked, "Kya karne wali hai tu gudiya. Kuch aisa mat karna ki yeh tujhe maar daale. Mere liye toh sirf tu hi hai na. Aur yeh kuch sochegen bhi nahi tere saath kuch galat karne se pehle. Inke liye inki izzat pehle hai phir baaki sab. Aur tu jaanti hai na ki mein aur tu inki izzat se upar naa hi kabhi the naa hi kabhi honge."

"Amma, aap chinta mat karo. Mein bass shaadi nahi karungi. Aur aapse durr tab tak nahi jaaungi jab tak aap na keh do." Shehnaaz replied.

"Mein bhala kyu meri gudiya-meri laado ko jaane ko kahungi. Ek tu hi hai jiske liye mein aaj tak jee rahi hun varna marne ka khayaal bohat baar aaya tha mann mai. Sochti thi inn sab se mera pichha chhut jaayega. Par phir tera sochne lagti thi ki mere pichhe toh koi tujhe puchega bhi nahi." Reet choked.

Shehnaaz cried, "Amma, yeh sochna bhi mat. Aur itne saalo tak mujhse yeh kyu chhupa ke rakha aapne. Mera kya hota agar....." She then continued, "Aapko nahi rehna yahan in sabke saath toh koi na hum dono alag reh lenge. Thoda sa time de do, mein padh ke jab khud apne pairo pe khadi ho jaaungi na tab aapko apne saath le jaaungi."

Reet to distract her with their current discussion joked, "Achha phir tera pati kya kahega, dekho dekho meri ghar-saas hai. Ek dum free aayi hai meri patni ke saath."

Shehnaaz immediately replied, "Vo nahi bolengen aisa dekh lena aap. Bohat achhe honge vo. Aapka bhi khayaal rakhegen."

"Aur tujhe kaise pata tere vo kaise honge?" Reet teased her to which Shehnaaz blushed hard. Reet felt emotional thinking how this little girl has grown up so big in such a less time. Also, she became the sole reason of her survival. Not even Gurvinder mattered to her as she has seen him as a reflection of his father.

"Bass pata hai, aap dekh lena." Shehnaaz still defended her would be life partner. To prevent her mother from asking further questions she said, "Chalo ab fatafat utho mein bartan dho deti hun. Aap jaao sone, mujhe pata hai subah 5 baje se uthe huye ho aur din bhar kaam mai lage the. Time dekho 11 baj gaye hai." Reet went to her husband's room as she never felt that this house or anything related to these people belonged to her. Nor she wanted anything that belonged to the Gills now, as her daughter was enough for her.

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NOTE : - Namaste everyone. A new update of this book. I know it's too late (the last I updated this book was in May🤪) but after my exams (ended in August) I am preparing for job. So that needs my most attention now. Please bear with me. I hope you all understand, career pe koi risk nahi.

*This chapter has less of Sidnaaz scenes but was needed.

Is anyone missing Gurvinder, the sweetest brother? 😅😂

What do think Sidharth will do to avert this marriage?

How do you like the maa-beti conversation?

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Keep Sidharth and his family in your prayers.

Your writer,
Sudhanya.

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