Shehnaaz woke up to find that she was alone in the bed.

"Mittu.. Mittuuu..", she called pushing the door of the bathroom but it was vacant. She called up on the intercom and asked the maid, who told her that he has already left for office as he had an important business meeting.

He didn't wake me up before leaving as well. I couldn't even tell him that I am going to be on the news today.

She tried calling him on his mobile but he doesn't answer. She leaves him a message asking to come home early by 6:30pm.

She goes to the bathroom and gets into the warm water tub and spends sometime soaking to relieve the soreness. The intercom rings.

"Hello..", spoke Shehnaaz

"Ma'am, Mr. Mittal is waiting for you at the breakfast table.", Said the butler.

"What? He is home?", Shehnaaz was sweetly surprised.

"Yes, Ma'am.", Said the butler

"I'll be there in 5 minutes.", Said Shehnaaz before disconnecting.

She looked at the mirror to check herself. Running her hand through the wet hair, she made sure it looked proper. She applied a coat of lipstick and pressed her lips to evenly spread it. Feeling satisfied with her sensuous appearance, she smiled at her reflection and walked towards the dinning hall.

Hmmm.. I am going to act mad at him. Afterall he went to office without telling me. After the beautiful moment we shared last night, I so wanted to wake up in his arms and cuddle for sometime in the morning.

Just before entering the dinning hall, she took a pause and put a frowning face. She stepped inside pretending to not look at him and went on to sit on the opposite side. Even after sometime there was no reaction from him, so she lifts her head and looks at him. Her face fell as she found out that it wasn't Sidharth but Somesh sitting opposite to her.

"Daddu?", She said in shock.

Somesh frowned and turned his face away. She narrowed her eyebrows.

Huh? Why is he frowning?

"What happened daddu? You look all angry. Did I do something?", She asked.

"I am not talking to you", Somesh smirks and ignores her.

"What? What did I do? Daddu... If you don't tell me how would I know what is bothering you?", She said.

"I.. am.. not.. talking to you..", Somesh repeated the same sentence stressing on every word and making an angry pout.

Shehnaaz giggled looking at his cute baby like antics. She tried recalling and realised that he was angry because she scolded him last night for eating his favourite pineapple pastry.

"Oh.. oh.. oh!! Daddu, you are angry because I restricted you from eating pastry?", She asked. Daddu looked at her with a frowning pout and crossed his hands over his chest like a little kid.

"No one loves me in this house. For you, your pineapple pastry is more important than me and for your grandson, his business is more important than me. He didn't even inform me before leaving to office. I don't want to stay here. I want to go back to Saxena house.", She whined like a little kid.

"Shehnaaz.. No Beta, I love you more than my pineapple pastry. I will never ever eat pineapple pastry in my life but please don't go back to Saxena house.", Said Somesh by walking towards her side at the maximum speed he could afford.

Though Shehnaaz had playfully whined earlier, looking at his concern and love for her from her daddu, she became emotional. She remembered how incomplete and lonely she felt since the time she woke up and how bad she felt when she couldn't find Sidharth at the dinning table. Tears flew out of her eyes when Somesh caressed her head like a loving father and she couldn't stop but sob hugging him by his tummy.

"I am sorry Betu. Please don't cry. I was just acting to frown. I can stay without eating pineapple pastry but can't stop talking to you or see you cry like this.", Said Somesh.

"I love you daddu.", She said sulking.

"I love you too betu.", He said. His old legs were tired standing but he didn't leave by her side or stopped caressing her head until she calmed down completely. His stomach growled and she looked up at him. He made a puppy face with his dentured pout.

"Daddu, I am hungry.", Shehnaaz muttered like a baby with a pouty face.

"So am I", Somesh smiled and patted her cheeks softly.

"Sorry daddu. Let's have our brunch!", She giggled.

He took a trembling step to the nearest chair. Observing him teeter, Shehnaaz got up and supported him to sit.

"Daddu.. I am sorry, I kept you standing for so long.", She said in a depressed and regretful tone.

"Are you indirectly calling me Buddha (Old Man)? Huh!! Buddha hoga tera daddu Ramesh.. (Your daddu Ramesh might be old) I am just 82.", He smirked.

"My Ramesh Daddu is still 81 years old", she giggled.

"That's the difference. He is 81 years old but I am 82 years young. And stop taking Saxena's side because you are a Mittal now.", He frowned.

"Okay okay.. But I can't do partiality between you two. You both are like my cutie cutie babies", she said shaking his cheeks.

She tore the piece of paratha and stuffed it into his mouth. They both had their breakfast together having fun, laughing and giggling.

"Daddu, shall we watch a movie together?", She asked him after the breakfast.

"I am in", said Suresh.

"How about some black and white retro movie?", Asked Shehnaaz.

"Huh!! See.. again you are calling me Buddha indirectly. Watch black and white movies with your old daddu, Ramesh. I will watch only the latest movie.", Declared Somesh. Shehnaaz chuckled earning a glare from Somesh. She sealed her lips together and nodded to his demand.

They watch a latest comedy movie on their home theatre.

"You know Shehnaaz, it's been so many years that I watched movie. Last I watched movie was with your daadi. We used to go to theatre to watch movie every Sunday. Then I got installed my own home theatre at home, but never had time to watch movie on it. I think I was better off without one.

Your daadi used to make pineapple pastries for me because they were my favourite but I was so busy with work that I didn't eat them. Now even though I shouldn't eat those, I eat it every single day just to feel her presence.

I miss her since the time I took retirement. I realised how painful it is to be lonely. But it's even more painful to be lonely even after having your loved one with you. I got so busy in my work that your daadi was lonely even after me being alive.

I made a mistake and my son repeated it. But I won't allow my grandson to continue it. I will speak to Sidharth that he needs to give you the time.", He said.

"No Daddu.. I will speak to him myself. He married me because we fell in love. He should know that falling in love is simpler but to maintain it is a challenge. It might have taken us 15 hours to fall in love but it would take a lifetime to maintain it.", She said.

"Hmm.. you are smart Shehnaaz. I am glad that I made the best choice for my Sidharth.", He said.

"Yeah, so true. Otherwise which girl would have married your super khadoos grandson.", She teased making him laugh while they high five each other.
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While Somesh took his late afternoon nap, she pondered about the conversation she had with him. She places an online order for a sugarless pineapple pastry to surprise Somesh with midnight snack and instructed the maid to receive the order and place it in the fridge.

The clock ticked 6:45 p.m. but Sidharth hadn't arrived home nor did he call or leave any message.

She called up on his office landline but it went unanswered. She called up his secretary, Lilly and got to know that he was at client location for a meeting.

While she strolled to and fro in the drawing room, Somesh turned on the television. Shehnaaz smiled and sat beside him to watch the program.

The show started off with the viral video of her's on stage uploaded by an audience. She was called a mysterious angel by the presenter.

Shehnaaz and Somesh grinned in excitement. Soon the smile on her face vanished when the presenter tagged her as business tycoon, Sidharth Mittal's wife. It went on to discuss her past relation with Anshul and her being thrown out of Naadaan Parindey. They didn't show her actual interview at all. But instead Anshul's interview where he said that Mittal light was one of the major sponsor of the show and that the whole show as an orchestrated stunt by Sidharth Mittal to make his wife, Shehnaaz Mittal famous.

Somesh turned off the television feeling bad for her while Shehnaaz excused herself to go to her room. She declined the calls from her father, mother and Riya before switching off her phone. Her head was pounding badly so she took a medicine and slept off on her bed.

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She opened her eyes and realised it was early morning but she didn't have Sidharth by her side. She called up the maid and was informed that Sidharth hadn't returned home. She was reminded of the last night's TV program and her irritation level was at peak when she decided to go out and make a coffee for herself.

She opened the fridge door to fetch milk and saw the pineapple pastry untouched. She remembered Somesh's word of him feeling lonely and missing his wife. She placed the pineapple pastry into plate and took her coffee to Somesh's room.

"Daddu.. daddu..", she called him but he didn't reply. She kept the plate and coffee mug on the table and shook Somesh to realise that his soul had departed in sleep.

***Enjoy your pastry slowly because that's going to be your last pineapple pastry. No more pineapple pastries for you until I am alive. I am going to ban it inside Mittal house. You really don't care about your health..***

***Shehnaaz.. No Beta, I love you more than my pineapple pastry. I will never ever eat pineapple pastry in my life but please don't go back to Saxena house***

"Daddu.. get up daddu. I got you your favourite pineapple pastry. Please get up!!" Cried Shehnaaz alone sitting beside the corpse.

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To be continued.. ❤️❤️