'Beyond the Horizon': There's more to it...

Chapter - 31

Powai- Situated on the bank of Powai Lake, was considered a relatively new and modern locality compared to the older parts of the city, with a rising reputation for its cosmopolitan culture and convenient infrastructure. It was a growing suburb during those times. The crowd was mainly from India's one of the top technical and management schools, a nerdy kind, still peaceful when compared to the bustling SoBo streets. Sidharth liked this freshness in the air! Or was it the thought of someone special enlivening his soul!?

A pink decorative gate at the opening welcomed them, revealing some white and lush pink bougainvillea blooming, shining with the tinkle of orange hues of the setting sun, framing a pleasing view, as Nawaz directed them towards the multi-storey quarters on the right of the alley. The locality encompassed of some 1-2 levels wall sharing apartments spread across a big chunk of land with half of the area on the loose connecting to the lake at the other end.

Someone with striking similarity of some facial features to that one girl Sidharth was eagerly waiting to meet, greeted them at the door.
"Badi behen...Shifa"
"Aur Shifa, ye Sidharth"
Introducing them to one another, Nawaz gestured Sidharth to step inside of their house. A little 'hello' from each one summarised their first meet in person.

The mother of the house was next to be pleasantly surprised with this noticeable commotion seen from their kitchen-pass-through as she heard Nawaz entering the Kitchen, she was about to put a pan over the gas stove which now was back on the platform.
"Nawaz! Eh ohi hai na? Shireen de vyaah wala!?" She murmured curiously, as he approached her.

First look at their guest's face from a distance and flashing in the back of her mind was all the advances by Sidharth towards her daughter as she inquired Nawaz pointing towards the well-built gentleman present in their living room.
"Haanji, ohi hai, Sidharth!" He answered back.

The hesitancy on top of his excited self, visible through Sidharth's dancing shiny eyes in search of her beloved daughter, was such a wholesome sight to behold for her skilful vision. Shehnaaz's mother was kind of stunned having seen Sidharth there, at the same time she was over the moon with this fortuitous turn of event, for she had a fair idea of this charming young man's intentions from two years back.

Yet, an unsettling feeling was making its place in her conscience.

Shunning the deep fear, covering up the sudden uneasy flutter at her heart, she turned to Nawaz who himself was beaming in excitement of bringing his sister's special 'friend' to the family, when he added-

"Sidharth hi hai Amma...aao milo..." all excited to let his mother welcome Sidharth who seemed more a family to him now, a connection he never had to build himself. He liked him, he liked Shehnaaz and Sidharth together and for him it was a start of something more beautiful for his not-so-little-anymore sister.

Rubbing off the tiniest hint of uncertainty, Shehnaaz's mother walked towards the hallway to greet this brawny lad who she knew from afar but never got a chance to converse with. She herself was intrigued, unable to decide whether it was an enthusiasm or anxiousness that made her heart race abnormally. A mother can evaluate all the pros and cons in the world in only a moment if it in any way involves her children.

"Hello ji..." She greeted.
His folded hands, head bowed slightly with an earnest smile in response, had her all insecurities vanish in thin air. His eyes spoke of his pure heart and intensions to Her's.

"Acha laga aap ghar aaye" She mentioned wholeheartedly. This would be the very first time they are having him home; it was going to be memorable she thought.

"Nawaz, kitthe mil gaye dono?" She asked.

They made an excuse that they were passing by the same route when they bumped into each other on their way back home and how Nawaz insisted him to come along since it was almost the teatime and that, by luck Sidharth was free too after so many days. Oh, the conspiracy they had to fabricate!