Just Friends | ✓

chapter 24

मै उन सभी व्यक्तियों से क्षमा मांगना चाहूंगी जिन्होंने इस पाध की प्रतीक्षा धैर्य पूर्वक की। आगे बढ़ते है बिना किसी विलंब के।

Happy reading 💕
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Something drops in my stomach when I do not find him in the kitchen and the sinking feelings threatens to engulf me. I am scared for him. I look back in the living room to search for him and then re-check the kitchen. I rush to his room only to find it empty. I feel scared because I don't think he is in a sober condition. I may be wrong but those blood-shot eyes made something move inside me. I decide to look for him in the varandah for it was the only place left unsearched. With every step I took, my legs felt heavy.

There.

There he is standing against the railing smoking , his other hand holding a glass filled with alcohol. He's holding it so tightly, I fear he'll break it into pieces, hurting himself. Then I see something I probably did not want to. I see what Sharu had seen. Sidharth is crying. I see tears fall freely from his now hard and rugged face while he stared , oblivious to anything and everything happening around him. I see that he has changed into more comfortable clothes now.

"Sidharth" I am barely able to hear myself but I he did because he turns to face me and his eyes immediately widen.

"Ye Kya karra h tu?" I detach the cigarette from his mouth and throw it away somewhere. His head hung low and I hear glass breaking. I follow the sound to see blood oozing out of his hand and alcohol spilling from the now broken glass. I whimper looking at him and he doesn't even budge.

"Sidharth" I choke taking his hand in mine but he snatches it from me not caring if glass shards are etched into his palm. He tightens his hand in a fist and bangs it against the wall. The glass piece stuck in his palms breaks and I shiver thinking of how much it must hurt him.

"Haath de apna" I am frantic because my mind is racing, it's racing because this is absolutely insane and Sidharth is supposed to be sane.

"What have I made you Shehnaaz?" He says more to himself in a painfully broken voice.

"What have I made you?" He rasps louder , his bottom lip quivering and my heart has been stabbed with the dagger of his pain multiple times by now. "I -- I am so .. inhumane" he covers his head and eyes with his palm. I wonder if the glass shards are hurting his face?

"Tune kuchh nhi Kia. You've not made me anything but Strong. Uth. chal" he sits on the floor on his butt and it seems like his limbs have failed him. He's not making any effort to get up.

"Sidharth-- please" I slowly remove his hand from his face , afraid that he might yank it away again. I flinch at the amount of red I see. I take out little shards of glass groaning on his behalf and shedding the tears that he should for the pain he's endearing. He's dangerously still.

"Ab chal. Please" I stand and put as much effort as I can to make him stand. He drapes his arm over me for support. We limp towards his room. Both of us enter inside and I feel the warmth of his room. The dark interiors have witnessed so many fun banters and coaxing sessions on both our parts. I try to hold him steady for a moment before I leave to get the first aid kit that he keeps in the first shelf of the beige coloured side table.

I find him tattered on the floor once again. He looked thoroughly distraught. I get down to his level . I hiss as I apply antiseptic and then some ointment and finally wrap it with a gauze.

"You should not have done this shehnaaz" he grunts.

"Kya nahi karna chahiye tha Sidharth?"

" Patti"