Sidharth and Somesh occupied their respective chairs in the restaurant. Sidharth glances through the entire hall to find Shehnaaz. She was sitting two tables behind Somesh. However, she was sitting alone.

Shehnaaz and Sidharth look at each other exchanging a puzzled expression.

Sidharth notices his grandfather looking at the menu and raises his eyebrows at her to ask where Kiran was.

She shrugs and makes a downward curve pout gesturing she doesn't know.

He narrows his eyebrows forming a crease on his forehead to show confusion. He then places his hand on his chin and carefully gestures her to check by calling Kiran.

She shows him the phone and hand gestures that she already tried calling him but he isn't responding.

He rolls his eyes in disdain.

"So did you decide on anything Sidharth?", Asks Somesh lifting his head up. Sidharth immediately puts his head down and looks at the menu.

Somesh looks at him puzzled and then turns back to see where he was looking earlier. Shehnaaz immediately hides her face behind the menu.

"Aaa... Daddu, I am unable to decide. Why don't you order the food of your choice instead? I'll go to the restroom and come until then.", Says Sidharth and gets up.

"Okay", says Somesh and again starts looking at the menu.

Sidharth walks past Shehnaaz's table and while on his way he taps on her table and murmurs her to follow him.

Shehnaaz peeps through the menu and finds Somesh looking at Sidharth. She covers her face yet again with the menu. After two minutes, she peeps again and finds Somesh speaking to the waiter. So she gets up and goes into the direction where Sidharth went.

She was unable to find him.

"Mittal.. Mittal", says Shehnaaz while loitering near the washroom area when Sidharth holds her wrist and pulls her into a little janitor room.

"Help! Help!!", yells Shehnaaz getting scared of a sudden pull. Sidharth presses her mouth with his palm.

"Shut up Saxena, don't scream. It's me. Sidharth", he says frustrated. She bites his palm in annoyance making him shriek.

"What the hell, Saxena!", Yells Sidharth jerking his hands.

"Shut up Mittal, don't scream. It's me. Shehnaaz.", She says with a smirk copying his same sentence.

"Yeah, thanks for letting me know. I was planning to take rabies vaccination confusing it to be a dog bite.", Says Sidharth.

"Arghhhh.. Mittal!", She takes her hand close to his neck gesturing that she will strangulate him.

"Hold on Saxena. Let me check with my secretary if my insurance is renewed.", Says Sidharth.

"Did you call me here to taunt and tease?", She asks.

"No, but the way you were calling Mittal Mittal was so piquing. How can you be so foolish when you know that I am not the only Mittal here. What if it was heard by Daddu?", He speaks annoyed.

She smirks in ignorance.

"I called you to inquire about your fake boyfriend?", Asks Sidharth.

"I ain't his secretary. How would I know Mittal?", She says frustrated.

"Did you send him the location and time?", He asks.

"Your secretary had sent him a message since I didn't have his number. I just called her and took his number few minutes back though, to check why he isn't here but he isn't picking up the phone.", She said.

"Now? What do we do?", Asks Sidharth.

"May be will wait for him for some more time. Arghhh.. this is so exhausting. You go out first before you faint in this tiny room.", Says Shehnaaz irritated.

He silently observes her face and then slowly pushes her hair strands to tuck it behind her ears which was earlier hanging infront of her eyes. She looks at him and narrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"Mittal!!", She yells.

"Tsshhhh..", says Sidharth.

"Sidhaaarth.. Sidhaaarth...", Calls Somesh from outside.

Shehnaaz covers Sidharth's mouth with her palm to stop him from responding. He raises his eyebrows pointing his hands at the door.

"Don't be mad to answer because this isn't a washroom and if he walks in then will be caught red handed.", She whispers.

He nods his head to agree while her palm was still covering his mouth. He kisses her hand and she narrows her eyebrows angrily and immediately moves her hand.

"What was that Mittal?", She whispers sternly.

"You didn't take off your hand from my mouth even after nodding so I kissed it instead of biting like you did earlier. I follow Gandhian principal of non violence you see.", He whispered with a smirk.

"Huh! So does that means if I slap you on your left cheek, you will forward the right to be slapped?", She asks sarcastically. Sidharth stares at her.

"No, but I can forward my right cheek if my left cheek is kissed.", he smiles forwarding his right cheek. She slaps him slowly.

"Mittal.. stop joking and do something before your daddu catches me here with you.", Says Shehnaaz.

Sidharth's phone start ringing. She bites her tongue and shut her eyes in fear of getting caught. He presses the volume button to mute and receives it.

"Hello, Sidharth.", Speaks Somesh.

"Hello Daddu", Sidharth speaks in low tone.

"One of my friend met with an accident, so I am going to meet him to the hospital. Since I ordered food, you can have it. Sorry, Will plan to dine outside together post your marriage with your wife, Shehnaaz.", Says Somesh.

Sidharth stares at Shehnaaz and she lifts her eyebrows to ask what? He nods nothing.

"Okay Daddu. Take care.", Says Sidharth loudly disconnecting the call.

"Tssshhhh", says Shehnaaz asking him to lower his volume.

"Come Saxena, let's dine together.", Says Sidharth.

"Huh? No.. Daddu?", She asks.

"He had to leave due to some work.", Says Sidharth by opening the door and walking towards the table. Shehnaaz peeps out to cross-check before following him.

While Sidharth was sitting, the waiter arranged the dishes infront of him.

"Mittal, I won't eat!", She says occupying the opposite chair.

"Hmm.. it's Monday! Are you fasting to get a good husband? But you don't want to marry me, right?", He teases her.

She sticks her tongue out as to gesture puking.

"No, Saxena. Please use washroom for that!", He teases her further.

"Argghhh.. Mittal!!!", She cries.

"Yes, Saxena! Have the food, it's not from my side but daddu's treat. Besides we are friends right. So no need to talk about money here.", He says.

"Hmmm...", She hums looking at her plate while the waiter served food on her plate.

Sidharth kept gazing at her after stuffing a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"Stupid unprofessional Kiran. That idiot left us stranded. I am freaking imagining that there are only 5 days left for the wedding. Mittal, why is everything going against our plan?", She blabbers lost in her own worldly tensions while playing with her spoon unknowingly.

Sidharth shook his head in disbelief.

"What was your ex boyfriend like?", He asks. She was brought back from her trance.

"Huh? Why would you want to know about him?", She asks.

"Nothing, just asking.", He says.

"Hmm.. He gave me lot of attention and he was good at singing. But I felt attracted to his beard specially. But looks like all bearded guys are cheaters. First him and now that Kiran. Rascal!", She complains.

"So you want the same qualities in your life partner again?", He asks.

She sighs.

"I don't know! But I genuinely want to marry someone who loves me the way I love, unconditionally.", She says lost in her thoughts.

"Hmmm.. and how would you decide that the other person loves you unconditionally? What if that person changes after marriage?", He asks observing her.

She was in loss of answer. She looks at him and his gazing eyes gave her an unknown shiver. She shifts her focus to her plate instead, with shivering hands.

"Mittal, why are you asking me such questions today? I mean you don't even believe in love.", She probes.

He felt quiet for sometime and sighs.

"Hmmm.. When I was 13 year old, I saw my mother making out with some other man than my father. I being naive, went on to tell this to my father. They divorced. I chose my father and my mother remarried that other male whereas my father commited suicide after a year. I still can't figure out if I was wrong or right in telling him about what I witnessed that day.", He spoke looking lost while his eyes fixated at the dish kept infront on the table.

"You know theirs was a love marriage?", He chuckles.

She looked at him in shock. There was a few minutes of silence between the two. Shehnaaz places her hand on his and squeezes to calm him and gain his attention.

"Sidharth.. you were very young that time. You didn't know their equations before or after that incident. You are just blaming yourself for the consequences based on your assumptions. Instead have you tried questioning them? I know your father isn't there but have you spoken to your mother after that?", She asks.

"I hate that lady. It's because of her I lost interest in love. I don't want to see her face ever.", He said raged.

"But Sidharth...", Shehnaaz tries speaking but Sidharth signals the waiter to get the bill. She looks at him while he looks elsewhere trying to control his anger. His jaws clenched and the nerves on his neck popped out. Shehnaaz feared of speaking looking at his furious facial expressions.

Sidharth kept the credit card into the billing folder and the waiter took it away. She wiped her mouth with a tissue and kept it in her plate and pushed her handbag onto her shoulder as soon as the waiter gets back the card.

"I'll drop you home.", Said Sidharth.

"It's fine Mittal. I'll take an auto.", She said.

"Don't be mad. It's raining outside, I know you won't get auto now. I will drop you.", He said sternly.

She nods and they go out and get into the car. The driver was taken by Somesh hence Sidharth drove himself.

They drive in silence until he halts the car near her house. She looks at him.

"Should I drop you until the gate  instead since it's raining.", He asked.

"No, I have an umbrella. Thanks Mittal.", she said unlocking the door. He nods looking infront. She turns around and looks at him before giving him a hug.

"Let go the anger, Mittal. Forgive her, not because she deserves it but for yourself since you deserve peace of mind. Be happy and embrace life! See you tomorrow.", She says still embracing him. She then looks at him who was still looking outside.

"Bye Mittal.", She says and opens the umbrella by opening the door. She walks to her home. He looks at her walking away and disappear in rain.

_________________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️

5 more hours.. Do you see Love yet? 😂😂