How too love again?

Chapter 8

“Okay toh main ek author hu. Or hum bhot bade ghr me rhete hai. Because tune hi bola na ki main bestselling author hun."

“New Jersey main.”

“Ek acha sa ghr New Jersey me.” He continues. “And we’ll have a dog.”

“Nhii Sidharthhh dog nhi meko dar lagta hai voh...shshss feel hota -“

"Moti yeh shshss kya hai?" 

"Voh meko uncomfortable feel hota. Ki ase kbhi be kaat le toh." She makes a weird face.

"Acha ok dog nhi lenge." He laughs.

"Haan abhi aage bata phir?"

“Soo hum walks pr jaaenge subha vaha se aate aate breakfast krenge or tu aakr vaps so jaaegi.” Her laughter urges him to continue. “Or hum married honge. Meko simple chahiye but jasie humare ghr vale hai voh band baja bajwakr rhenge.”

  

 She laughs and Sidharth think it's the best sound in the world.

“Meko har subha asi hi chahiyee tere sath."

“I promise humesha asi hi hogi.” He murmurs. “Hum yeh sheher se dur jaaenge. Vaha apni khud ki family start krenge. Jo humesha sath hogi and sab thik hoga.” He promises.

“Main teko humesha pyaar krungi.”

His response to kiss her lips. He knew that their life wasn’t getting any easier from now on but he knew he had her and that was enough. She was quickly becoming his safe haven when everything got a little too much to handle. He could never stop loving her either, he was sure. Shehnaaz had his heart.

•

He sits outside for a good hour, just trying to be positive about the outcome of whatever was happening to Shehnaaz in the operating table. He tries desperately not to think about how insignificant their last conversation had been. She’d called, asked if he could bring over wine for dinner, a dinner that would never happen and he’d joked about how many bottles and she laughed and said they were adulting so hard, who would’ve thought? That after the hell they’d lived they could have a phone conversation so light hearted? They had apartments and jobs and taxes and bills. And he didn’t tell her how much she meant to him. If he had known, god, he would’ve-

“Sidharth!” Charles’ voice pulls him out of the maze he’s lost in and he’s brought back to where he is. Charles is running towards him. “There’s news!”

“How is she? Is she-“

“She’s okay!” He nods, breathing out. “She’s gonna make it! The bullet missed her vital organs! She has a broken arm cause she fell on it but she’s gonna be okay.” Charles manages a weak smile, he can see the exhaustion in his eyes so he pulls him in, hugging him, relief washing over him.

“Fuck, I was so scared.” Sidharth breathes.

“I know. I know.” Charles rubs his back, holding him tightly. “Shehnaaz’s too strong for any bullet.”

“Don’t say that too many times.” He murmurs. “Can I see her?”

“In a bit, yeah, they’re moving her as we speak.”

When he enters her room, it’s a little better than he expected. She still looks the same, it’s not as though anything else other than a gunshot had happened to her and he’s not prepared for the thought that comes next. He’s reminded of the night when he was in an accident few years back and she’d stood by his hospital bed, not knowing if he would wake up because his injuries were too much. How had she done that? How had she managed to see him so broken without losing hope. He’d been so beat up and she had been by his side when her own world was falling apart, when she was just 16 years old.

He pulls up a chair to sit beside her bed, watching the rise and fall of her chest carefully and for the first time since he got the call, he feels like he can actually breathe. Leaning his head against the bed, he breathes out, eyes closed, takes hold of her hand, as if to anchor himself down.

It takes a while for him to look up at her again, but when he does, he can’t stop the tears that stream down his face. The doctors had told him she was lucky, the bullet didn’t puncture any organs and her recovery would be easy, they’d just have to check for infection. It was just a matter of her waking up. But she could’ve died. Had the bullet hit half an inch to the left and it would’ve hit her heart and she’d be dead.

Her situation was a simple one, thankfully. Her surgery was mainly to stop the bleeding and to remove the bullet, it only took longer because they couldn’t find the bullet at first. But she was fine. She’d be fine, in fact, her arm would probably take longer to fully heal than her wound.

"Ammaa.” Shehnaaz wakes with a groan.

“Shehnaaz?” He whispers.

“Sidharth?” She whispers groggily.

“Hey.” He smiles, breathing out softly. “Hey, ghadi.”

“Kaha hun main?”

“Hospital. Teko yaad hai kya hua tha?” He asks softly, brushing a strand of hair off her face. She pauses, closing her eyes again, wincing as she tries to move. “Moti zada hil mat thik hai?” She leans back against the bed, collapsing, exhausted, he’s sure.

“I got shot.” She mumbles, as if the memories are returning to her.

He nods. “Abhi teko kasia lg rha hai?”

“High.”

Chuckling softly, he squeezes her hand. “Yeah, you probably are.”

"Tu thaka hua lag rha hai ” She murmurs, reaching for him. He smiles weakly at her. “Kabhi se hun yaha main?”