How too love again?

Chapter 9

"Kuch ghanto se.” He answers. “Tu lucky hai ki teri surgery normal thi.” Everyone had said so. She was lucky. It could’ve been worse. She was lucky. The bullet didn’t puncture anything vital. Lucky. The surgery was successful. Lucky. But she was still in a hospital with wound in her chest. Lucky that that’s the only thing that happened.

“Good.” She nods. “The arm?”

“Tu usspr gir gayi thi jbhi teko bullet lagi.”

“Oh.” She stares at him curiously, hand still gripping his. “Tabhi be ekdum mast lag rhi hai tu.” There’s a smile on her lips. “Ek baar has de moti. I need it.”

She laughs softly, placing her hand to his lips. He lingers on her skin, closing his eyes. “I thought main tujhe kho dunga.” He whispers.

She gazes at him with a frown. “Main idhr hi hunaa.”

He reaches for her face, caressing her cheek. The moment takes him back to so many moments with her, of so many calms after too many storms. The only place he had ever felt truly safe had been beside her, his little piece of heaven on earth. And even after every storm, they were standing. Here, with each other, with the same love for each other. With chips on their shoulders and too many fears to be told, but standing. Still proud to love, to wish for a better world despite the darkness that had always plagued them.

“Tu yaha hai.” He gets up from the chair to press a kiss to her forehead. “Abhi thoda aaram kr le Sana.”

“Tu yaha hi hai?”

“Main yaha rhu?”

“Humesha.”

He stays, even though technically he isn’t allowed to. He falls asleep in the most uncomfortable chair in the world, holding her hand, dreaming of simpler times.

Rita aunty and Shehnaaz's mother arrive the next day. Shehnaaz is less groggy though she’s still on meds for the pain but not as strong as before. The doctors say it’s smooth sailing from here on out if she takes the necessary precautions. He’d already promised to himself he’d watch out for her. Shehnaaz tended to have this “I’ll do it myself” attitude when it came to everything, even when she was hurt.

“Tum Sidharth ke sath rhe rhi ho?” Her mother questions.

“Haa kyuki main khud ka dhayan nhi rkh skti.” Shehnaaz rolls her eyes.

“You got shot, Shehnaaz.” Sidharth responds, sighing, the argument they had yesterday making its comeback. He was a little irritated at her downplaying what had happened to her but he wasn’t letting her go through this alone, even if she fought tooth and nail.” Teko help lagegi Ghadi.”

“Sahi toh bol rha hai Sidharth. Teko kissi ki zarurat padegi.. Tu uske sath jaa rhi hai bs.” Shehnaaz's mother glances at Sidharth before her eyes go back to her daughter. “Oh, Shehnaaz.” She breathes out shakily. Shehnaaz’s eyes soften. “Teko kuch ho jaata toh pata nhi mera kya hota.”

“Main thik hun mummy.” Shehnaaz murmurs. “Or yaha hi huna main.”

Rita Aunty murmurs that she’s going to get coffee and Sidharth follows her out. Shehnaaz and her mother deserve a moment alone. They’d come a long way, Sidharth thinks. Shehnaaz’s relationship with her mother still had its moments, but nothing near what it used to be. Her mother supported her now. And finally understood that her daughter needed another type of love, different than the one she grew up with. All Shehnaaz needed after years of violence was softness and kindness. It was instead of an “I’m happy you’re alive. I’m happy you’re here. I’m happy I get to see you.”

Rita Aunty had looked so distraught as she placed a kiss to Shehnaaz’s forehead when she arrived, murmuring how relieved she was that she was okay. And it dawned on Sidharth just how much they were all intertwined. A family. Ever since their senior year, when they had all come together, as dysfunctional as they were, they were still family. And he knew that with his relationship with Shehnaaz mended, everyone was a little happier.

“So,” Rita Aunty starts and Sidharth pauses for a second, unsure where he’s going with the conversation. “Tu or Shehnaaz kya-“

“Mom.” He sighs. “Yeh in sab baato ka time nhi hai.”

“Toh matlab tum dono?” There’s a small excited look in Rita Aunty’s face.

“Nhi hai.” Sidharth tells her. “Hum sath nhi hai.”

“But pyaar toh tu abhi be krta h...”

“Mummy yrr...” Sidharth breathes out.

“Kya? bache main abhi old ho rhi hun or meko tum dono ki shadi krwani hai..” Rita Aunty nudges her son.

“Ap ase baat kr rhe ho. Jasie aap 80 saal ke ho.” Sidharth snorts and Rita Aunty laughs, shrugging. “Shehnaaz shot hue mom... or main usko kho skta tha .. or yeh saari cheeze mere mind me nhi hai abhii.. main just chata hu ki voh jldi thik ho jaae.”

Rita Aunty nods. “Ok abhi main iske baare me baat nhi krungi.” She tells him. Sidharth doesn’t want to believe how clearly everyone can see how they feel about each other. “Or vasie be tum dono ek doosre se zada time tak dur nhi rhe paate.”

“Mom!”

“You ready?” Sidharth questions.

“Haan.” He helps her off the bed, being as gentle as he possibly can. It’d been a week of being in the hospital and he knew she hated it, but now they were ready to get her home. Or Sidharth’s apartment for the time being.

“Tera saara saman maine shift kr diya hai aapne ghr pr. Kapde, books, tera laptop. Agar or kuch be chahiye toh batana main ke aaunga.”

“Itni taklif kyu kr rha.” She frowns, as they exit the room, walking slowly.

“Do me a favor and shut up.”

“Oh wow 1 month rhena hai tere sath how lucky I'm.” She jokes, with a small smile.

“Tu mere sath rhehne ke liye kasie manna kr ski hai Shehnaaz?”

“Because meko pata hai kaise messy rheta hai.” Shehnaaz rambles and he laughs.

“I swear main ek bhot acha roommate banunga.”

She hums, smiling.

Anything for you, Shehnaaz Gill.

AN
One month sath me vpss😁 kyaa Shehnaaz and Sidharth vpss SidNaaz ban paenge?? Jaane ke liye padte rheye and comment or like krte rho!!!!