Forever Yours

Chapter Sixty Nine

Shehnaaz knocked at the door of Rajveer's room, "Bhai.."

Raj looked up and smiled. "Ander aaja choti.. kya baat hui?" He asked, beckoning her into the room.

Shehnaaz shrugged. "Ghar pe koi nahi tha, sab koi na koi kaam mein lage hai. Mujhe akele ajeeb sa lag raha tha toh main yahan aa gayi." She responded. "Aap busy nahi ho na?"

Raj shook his head, "Of course not. Leave ka mail draft kar raha tha, shaadi ke off ke liye. Tu aaja, baith mere paas." He patted the space next to him.

Shehnaaz sat next to her brother on the bed. "Aaj mein orphanage gayi thi.."

Raj nodded. "Uh-huh? Masti ki wahan?" She asked cheerfully.

"Sab emotional ho gaye, mujhe dekh ke." Shehnaaz pouted. Raj chuckled.

"Unki gudiya vida ho rahi hai, emotional hona toh banta hai na." Raj said softly.

Shehnaaz smiled.

"Tu theek hai beta?" He asked, threading his fingers through hers. Shehnaaz leaned into him.

"Sab itna accha ho raha hai.. mere saath meri poori family hai. Kucch kharab nahi hoga na bhai?" Shehnaaz asked innocently.

"Kyon hoga kucch kharaab?" Raj asked, looking straight at her and raised his eyebrow.

Shehnaaz sighed, "Darr lag raha hai.."

Raj smiled. "Idhar aa, hug kar mujhe." He opened his arms for her and Shehnaaz snuggled into him, like a cute little baby.

"Tu Siddharth ko pyaar karti hai?" He asked.

Shehnaaz nodded. "Of course."

"Woh tujhe karta hai?"

She nodded again. "Mujhse bhi zyaada."

"Bharosa hai uspe, mujhpe.. humpe?" He asked softly.

Shehnaaz nodded urgently.

"Darne ki koi baat nahi hai chutki. Teri shaadi teri life ka sabse sundar dinn hoga. Yeh waada karta hoon aaj mein tujhse. Tu kucch saal baad, jab shaadi ke dinn aur.. saare functions.. saare reet-riwaaj yaad karegi na toh tera chehra harr baar khil jaaya karega." Raj said softly, running his fingers through her hair.

"Tu Siddharth Shukla ki dulhan hai, aaj tak ka safar asaan nahi tha, I know.. Shaadi ke baad bhi life poori tarah badal jaayegi. Harr naya dinn ek naye adventure jaisa hoga.. problems aayengi.. roadblocks aayenge. Magar ek baat, kabhi mat bhoolna, aaj tak.. shaayad tune apni zyaada-tar zindagi khud figure out ki hai.. magar ab tera poora pariwaar hai tere saath, tu kabhi akeli nahi hogi." He added, even more firmly.

"I know. I trust you."

Raj bent slightly to kiss her head. "Shaadi is not always a bed of roses, but with the right companion to go through it with, everything that a marriage throws at you is worth it. Even the worst parts of it." He said sincerely.

"Jab aapki shaadi hui thi, tab aapne yeh sab baatein kis-se ki thi?" Shehnaaz asked curiously.

"Kucch mere Papa se.. kucch Mumma se.. aur kucch Aarav jiju se." He confessed.

"Aarav bhai aur aap dost the?" Shehnaaz asked, surprised. "I mean-- shaadi ke pehle se?"

Raj grinned. "Aarav jiju ne hi toh Maa aur Daddy ko manaaya tha meri aur Preeti ki shaadi ke liye."

"You dated?" Shehnaaz asked, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Only for a few weeks. We got engaged very quickly. Although, yes I did date her for a small duration of time. It became clear to us that we both wanted the same things from life. I met daddy only five days after I met Preeti and apparently he.. did not like me." Raj said sheepishly.