Forever Yours

Chapter Fifty Seven

Siddharth sighed, throwing the book that he was reading, carelessly on the table and stood up. He scanned the whole room wearily. Shehnaaz had left only a few hours ago after telling him to go to hell for she didn't care either. Maa hadn't shown herself since either and Siddharth couldn't help but remain uneasy at the silence that had suddenly surrounded him on all sides. Why did her absence have such an effect on him?

He didn't know and he didn't want to.

It's not like this is my fault, is it?

"Galti bhi khud karo aur attitude dikhao phir." He scoffed. In his mind, he knew she'd be back. She had promised mom. He smiled fondly, remembering how she had constantly been trying to cajole him, to make him forgive her. 

If he was being honest, he wasn't as angry with her as he was two nights ago. She had worn him down with her efforts and adorable antics.

To be honest, he was stretching it far too much but it's Siddharth we're talking about here and he hadn't realized it yet.

Shehnaaz always came back to him, she'd do the same thing today as well. Or so he thought.

Was he taking her for granted? Yes.

Was it doing it intentionally? No.

"She won't be able to stay in Andheri for long." Siddharth thought. To his credit, that was not a far-fetched thought, only she had tried to apologize. She had been trying for two days and now it was his turn to return the favor.

Siddharth stood up from the couch, intending to find his mother but before he could take more than a couple of steps in the direction of her room he heard the doorbell ring.

He frowned, walking instead towards the front-door and looked through the peep-hole.

Kushal.

Siddharth smiled, opening the door to admit his best friend into the house.

Upon entering, Kushal pulled the other man into a brief hug before pulling away and looked around the living area. "Doll kahan hai?"

"Ghar pe nahi hai." Siddharth informed him. "Andheri gayi hai."

Kushal frowned. "Andheri kyon gayi hai? And above that, gayi kaise hai? Uski gaadi toh parking mein hai mein dekh ke aaya abhi, mujhe laga tha ghar pe hi hai toh mein milne aaya." He said surprised.

"Gaadi bhi nahi le gayi?" Rita Maa exclaimed. "Kya karu mein iss ladki ka?"

Siddharth shook his head exasperated.

Rita Maa glared at him. "Tu toh yeh sade-sade reaction na hi de toh accha hai. Teri hi wajah se gayi hai meri bacchi. Bina matlab ke baat ko rubber ki tarah kheenchta ja raha hai tu."

"Maa?"

"Don't 'Maa' me now! Tujhe kya lagta hai, gussa sirf tu ho sakta hai?" Rita Maa asked, glaring at him.

Kushal looked at him with the exasperation of a friend that knows exactly what kind of shit his best friend was capable of. "Kya kiya isne aunty?"

Rita Maa shook her head. "Is hi se pooch."

Kushal looked at Siddharth. "Iss baar konsa ch**yapa kiya hai tune?" He asked him in a low voice, mindful of Siddharth's mother standing only inches away from the two friends.

"I've done nothing."

Kushal raised his eyebrow at him. "Yeah. I don't believe you. Tu ho aur koi kaand na kare. Baat mere gale se nahi utar rahi."

"Galti uski thi."

"Do dinn se maafi maang rahi hai woh Siddharth, ab tu kya chaahta hai chaand-taare tod laaye tere liye?" Rita Maa asked incredulously.