Check if you've read the previous update before reading.

____________

Post the cremation ritual, all the well wishers who came to pay condolence left one by one.

Sidharth was filled up with lot of emotions. At one end, he was depressed for his daddu's death while on the other, his anger on the nonsensical questions posed by the media about his wife was at peak. The mention of Anshul irked him and Shehnaaz's silence towards such allegations was even more disturbing his peace.

Being the CEO of Mittal group, he was needed at office as well. Somesh had been a backbone of the Mittal group even after his dormant involvement in the company. Even though Sidharth had been an acting CEO for quite a few years, the trust Somesh had created over the years was helping him reap the profits. With Somesh's departure, few of the old investors and clients were in dilemma to continue or not. Hence, Sidharth was needed to involve in work as well.

He looked at Shehnaaz who was sitting beside her daddu, Ramesh and hugging his old arm to console. The Saxenas were still around in the mansion for moral and emotional support. Ramesh was numb and quiet eversince he had heard his friend's death news. The child in him which came out in Somesh's presence was also gone.

Sidharth got up from his seat and went out. Shehnaaz's eyes blankly followed him until he disappeared. He went and sat in his office cabin and cried alone for he was a man and in our society, a man who shows his tears is treated as weak and coward. He had to hide it from the world and from his family. This was not the first time he did this. He had done it many times in the past as well. When he had seen his mother with another man than his father was his first, followed by his parent's divorce and then when his father had committed suicide without giving a second thought about his son being orphaned. He had cried all those time alone.

Hours passed and evening turned into night. He slept on his office desk while his tears dried up. The next morning, Lilly came with a cup of coffee and newspapers as usual for him and he thanked her for it.

His eyes fell over the newspaper which had his wife's name written all over along with Anshul and their big pictures. Inside the article, there was a small mention of news about his daddu's demise with a tiny picture. He got up to go and punch the editor's face for such an article but he paused noticing that it wasn't just one paper but all the newspapers having the same article with slightly different wordings.

He wanted to scream and roar in anger but the realisation of being in office didn't allow him to express his frustration as well. He sat there for quite some time and finally decides to divert his mind with work instead. He called for a meeting.

When he walked down towards the meeting room, he saw his employees staring at him, the news article flashed infront of his eyes and gave him a feel that probably they all read the same article and were mocking him.

He put his head down feeling mortified and went inside the meeting room, where he saw everyone staring at his face yet again. Though none of them smiled at him, he could feel an imaginary mocking smile on their faces.

"Good Morning Sir", someone in the room wished enraging him even more.

"What's so good about this morning? Huh? You want to mock me? Laugh at me? Huh? Tell me..", he said glaring at the person. The person pressed his lips thin in embarrassment and looked down.

"Hey, you! What are you looking down huh? Controlling your laughter? Or feeling embarrassed? Am I not the one who needs to be embarrassed? Yeah.. you know what I am.. I am embarrassed..", he slammed his palm on the table in defeat and plonked his bottoms on the chair feeling tired of everything. He was mentally drained and fatigued. The attendees fearfully and cluelessly looked at each other. Soon they moved out one by one out of the room.

"I.. I am sorry Sir. My intentions were not to hurt you.", Said the person at whom he held few minutes back and left.

He spent the whole day inside his cabin fearing the prying eyes of his own employees. After the whole office was vacant, he stood near the big glass window of his cabin contemplating whether to go home or not.

There was a knock on the door sending a shiver down his spine.

"Wh.. (clears throat) who is it?", He asked.

"May I come in Sir..", he heard a familiar voice from outside the door.

He widened his eyes in shock and travelled few steps to grab the handle of the door and opened it.

"Shehnaaz.. what.. are you doing here?", He asked.

"Tiffin service sir", She gave him a sweet smile and flashed the 4 tier tiffin carrier infront of his face.

A subtle smile automatically creeped up on his face. She walked inside the cabin and placed the tiffin box on the glass table near the couch.

"Will you wash your hands or should I feed you with my clean hands?", She asked.

He silently went and sat on the couch staring at his wife who was unboxing the food. She placed the rotis on the plate and served the curry into the bowl. His eyes followed her everywhere and  watched over her every action. She raised her eyebrow in question and when she didn't get any answer, she sighed and broke a piece of roti and dunked it into the bowl of curry. Her hand travelled to his mouth and when he opened it, she stiffed it into her mouth. He observed at her calmly.

"Ummm.. I was just tasting it. It's so yum. Has to be, cause it's cooked by Mrs. Shehnaaz Sidharth Mittal after all.", She praised herself smacking her lips.

She picked up yet another piece and took it near his mouth. He kept staring at her without opening his mouth.

"Hmmm..", she hums and gestures him to open his mouth. When he opens it, she stuffs the food into her mouth yet again and giggles. He smiles yet again very subtly.

"Awww.. My hands were hurting holding it infront of your mouth so I shoved it into my mouth.", She said with a pouty face.

She pulls another piece and takes it towards his mouth upon which he nods his head and pushes her hand towards her mouth and makes her eat it. She teases him by sticking her tongue out.

When she goes for the fourth bite, he holds her wrist and kisses her pout. Her eyes starts to well up at his mere touch, remembering how tough the situations are upon them but she hides them by closing her eyes and snaking her hand around his neck converting the peck into a proper liplock just to borrow some time to get rid of her tearing eyes. She didn't wanted to break infront of him because she wanted to be his support in this tough time than make him weaker by her tears.

"I love you Mittu", she hugs him immediately after the kiss and wipes her tear with the back of her palm placed on her shoulder.

He nuzzles his nose into the crook of her neck to find a warm place for himself where he could rest his forehead and take all the mental stress off his mind. After spending some time in each other's embrace, she pulls herself away and shoves the food into his mouth. She feeds her starving husband sumptuously post which he rests his head on her lap and sleeps like a baby while she caressed his head softly. She lays her head back resting it onto the backrest and falls asleep.

.
.
.
.

It was early morning when he wakes up. He looks at the big 4 layered steel box in which Shehnaaz had brought food last night. He notices something engraved on it's handle - "Sheela ❤️ Somesh". It was his grandmother, Sheela's tiffin box in which she carried food for her husband, Somesh years back when he had started the small business which grew up to be called as Mittal Group now. He looks at his wife, dozing while leaning onto the couch's backrest.

He startles looking at the clock which ticked 8am. In another hour, his employees would arrive into the office. Thus reminding him of the news articles, along with the frustration and humiliation he experienced a day before. He sat up straight and shook her.

"Shehnaaz.. Shehnaaz.. Go home", he ordered her as soon as she opened her eyes.

She nodded her head in disagreement and hugged his huge arm while leaning her sleepy head against it.

"Shehnaaz, I said go home. My employees would be arriving soon.", He said sternly.

"No.. I am not going anywhere without you. I am not forcing you too come home with me but I won't stay without you as well.", She murmured like a baby in a sleepy tone.

"Shut up Shehnaaz. This isn't your home. It's my bloody office.", He scolds annoyed.

She opens her eyes wide trying to register that those words were not meant in a normal way. She was still hugging his arms.

"Exactly Sidharth. This is your bloody office and not your home to spend 24/7 in here.", Said Shehnaaz while leaving his arm.

"I have lot of responsibilities at office Shehnaaz.", He argued.

"And what about your responsibilities at home? Did you forget that you married me and that I am your lawfully wedded wife?", She cross questions him.

"Huh!! How can I forget? Every f***ing thing reminds me of it and that how bigger problem I landed in.", He yelled back.

"What? I didn't expect these words especially after the 15 hours we took before our marriage.", Said Shehnaaz feeling hurt.

"Even I didn't expect that I would end up into so much trouble for investing those 15 hours then.", Said Sidharth turning his back to her.

"I don't know what's making you say this but this definately isn't you Sidharth. Atleast not the one I fell in love with. I will wait for the day you return home Sidharth.", Said Shehnaaz before leaving the office.

____________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️