Rohit and Pammi Ji were doing the decoration.

"Haan bas ho hi gaya. Ab bas Sana ke aane ka wait hai. Waise Aunty, apke baare mein Sana ko aise jhut bol kar dara dena mujhe thik nahi laga." Rohit said.

"Arrey woh toh isliye bola taa ki woh yaaha aa jaye. Warna aur koi chara bhi toh nahi tha." Pammi Ji said.

"Lekin..."

"Arrey main Shehnaaz ko baata dungi ki yeh mera idea tha."

"Shehnaaz aa gayi." Santosh Ji said. He was standing near the window.

"Zaldi zaldi lights off karo." Pammi Ji said.

Rohit switched off the lights.

Shehnaaz was in a hurry. She immediately entered the house. She found the room dark.

"Itna andhera kyu hai? Mummy what happened? Kaha ho aap?"

She switched on the light.

"Surprise! Happy birthday Shehnaaz!"

Shehnaaz became puzzled. "Mummy aap thik ho? Rohit ne mujhe phone kar ke bola ki....."

"Arrey tu abhi bhi samjhi nahi? Yeh sab toh plan tha. Tujhe surprise dena chahte the hum. Kaisa laga humara surprise?" Rohit said.

"I can't believe this. Main kitna darr gayi thi."

"Oo haan tujhe darane ke liye sorry."

"Why did you do this?" Shehnaaz said with teary eyes.

"Arrey pagal tu ro kyu rahi hai? Bola na sorry. I know tu kaisa feel kar rahi hogi." Rohit said while coming towards Shehnaaz. He was going to hug her but Shehnaaz suddenly pushed him away with all force.

"Dur hat mujhse. Don't even try to come close. Kuch nahi samajhta tu. Meri feelings ko toh tu kabhi nahi samajh sakta. Tu mera dost hai yaa dushman?" Shehnaaz shouted.

Rohit was shocked. "Sana now you're overreacting."

"Oo really? Aur jo tune kiya woh?"

"Aisa kya kiya maine?"

"Surprise plan kiya tha na tune? Toh sun, aaj mujhe life ka sabse best birthday gift milne wala tha. Sidharth Shukla ke concert pad gayi thi main. And of all girls, he chose me to share stage with him. Mera sapna bas pura hone hi wala tha ki tu bich mein aa gaya. Paata nahi sab kya soch rahe honge mere baare mein."

Rohit felt guilty. "Sana, mujhe seriously nahi paata tha ki...."

"Shut up yaar! For God's sake kuch mat bol. Aaj jo bhi hua uske liye main tujhe kabhi maaf nahi karungi. You spoiled my birthday. I HATE YOU. Aur agar surprises aise hote hai toh nahi chahiye mujhe koi surprise." Shehnaaz said and went straight to her room. Her parents tried to stop her but she didn't listen.

Shehnaaz locked the door and started crying. She was so happy when Sidharth called her to the stage. But she missed the opportunity. She was feeling very bad. Suddenly she heard a knock. It was her father.

"Shehnaaz please darwaza khol. Apne Papa se bhi baat nahi karegi?"

Shehnaaz wiped her tears and opened the door. She couldn't say no to her father. In this world, she loves him the most. Shehnaaz hugged her father and started crying.

"Bas bas beta rote nahi. Main andar aau?" Santosh Ji said.

Shehnaaz nodded and Santosh Ji came inside. They both sat on the bed.

"Gussa hai Rohit se?" He asked.

Shehnaaz nodded.

"Baat bhi nahi karegi?"

Shehnaaz nodded in no.

"Tujhe paata hai aaj subah se Rohit kitna excited tha? Woh Shefali ke ghar isliye nahi gaya taa ki woh yaaha yeh sab kuch arrange kar sake. Tu lucky hai jo woh tere liye itna kuch karta hai. Aur tune usko hi suna diya?"

"Par usne jo kiya..."

"Usne kuch jaan bujh kar toh nahi kiya. Waise bhi yeh jhut bolne ka idea teri Mummy ka tha."

"Mummy ka?"

"Haan. Ek baat bolu? Rohit tujhse bohut pyaar karta hai. Sidharth Shukla ek star hai. Uske liye tere mann mein jo feelings hai woh hai. Lekin iss chakkar mein Rohit ka dil mat dukha."

"Aap sahi keh rahe ho. Maine kuch zyada hi bol diya. Rohit gussa hai mere se?" Shehnaaz asked innocently.

"Woh toh hai thoda bohut. But uss se bhi zyada bechara hurt hai."

"Main maanaungi toh maan jaayega?"

"Koshis kar ke dekh."

Shehnaaz came out of her room. She saw Rohit leaving and said, "Kaha jaa raha hai? Tere bina main cake cut nahi katungi."

"Bohut raat ho chuki hai. Ghar mein Maa akeli hai. Tu cake cut karle. Waise bhi meri kya zaroorat hai." Rohit said.

Shehnaaz went near him and said, "Zaroorat hai. I'm sorry. Tujhe toh paata hai na main kuch bhi bol deti hoon. Meri baaton ko kya dil pe lena?"

"It's ok."

"Kya ok? Agar tu mere saath cake nahi katega toh main samjhungi tune mujhe maaf nahi kiya."

"Samajh le nahi kiya maaf."

"Please aisa mat kar. Main kaan pakadti hoon. Aage se aisa kabhi nahi hoga." Shehnaaz pulled her own ears.

Rohit couldn't help laughing seeing this cute baby doll.

"Kya kar rahi hai? Pagal hai tu? Chal maaf kar diya. Aur tu bhi mujhe maaf kar de." Rohit said.

"Pakka kar diya nah?"

"Haan Baba kar diya. Chal ab cake kat te hai." Rohit said.

They both went to cut the cake. Shehnaaz's parents smiled seeing them.

Late At Night...

"Tu kyu waha se aise bhaag gayi? Paata hai hum kitna shocked hogaye the?" Shefali said on phone.

"Ab aur kya karti? Rohit ne aise dara diya tha... Lekin maine bhi kuch zyada hi bol diya. He just wanted to make me happy." Shehnaaz said.

"Haan woh toh hai. But tujhe bura toh bohut lag raha hoga. Tu Sidharth ke saath stage share karne wali thi. Aisa mauka kismaat walo ko milta hai."

"Bura toh lag raha hai. But if destiny wants, we will meet again." Shehnaaz said and looked at the poster of Sidharth.

"Hum dobara zaroor milenge."
_______________________________________

Sidharth returned home late. He saw his Mom waiting for him at the dining table.

"Aa gaya tu? Ruk main abhi khana laga deti hoon." Rita Ji said and started serving the food.

"Mom aap abhi tak soyi nahi? Maine toh kaha tha ki mujhe der hogi." Sidharth said while sitting on the chair.

"Tune itni der se kuch nahi khaya, main kaise aram se so jaati? Main toh bolti hoon itna kaam mat kar, it's not good for health. At least time se khaana toh khaa le."

Sidharth smiled and started eating. Suddenly he remembered the incident that happened in the concert. How that girl ignored him and left from there. He felt insulted. Sidharth stopped eating.

"Why am I even thinking about her?" Sidharth asked himself.

Rita Ji noticed that and asked, "Kya soch raha hai? Kuch hua hai kya? Sonia ke saath kuch..."

"Nahi nahi Mom. Waisa kuch nahi." Sidharth said and again started eating.

"Kuch toh baat hai. Tu khoya khoya sa lag raha hai. Apni Mom ko bhi nahi baatayega?"

"Paata hai aaj concert mein....."

Sidharth told her the whole story.

"Maine socha bhi nahi tha ki koi mere saath aisa karega. Sach mein woh ladki bohut ghamandi hai. Warna mere stage par bulane ke bawajood aise kaise chali gayi?"

"Ho bhi toh sakta hai uska koi zaroori kaam aagaya tha. Yaa phir koi aur problem tha. Bina jaane aise hi kisi ko judge karna acchi baat nahi hai." Rita Ji said.

"Toh phir usne haath kyu uthaya? Agar woh haath nahi uthati toh main bhi usse nahi bulata."

Rita Ji laughed and said, "Tujhe bura laga?"

"Mujhe kyu bura lagega? It was her loss. She missed a big opportunity. Mujhe uss se kya?" Sidharth said.

"Haan yeh bhi sahi hai. Accha ab main sone jaa rahi hoon. Tu bhi khana khatam karke so jaa." Rita Ji said and left.

"Aaj jo bhi hua usse toh main humesha yaad rakhunga. I hope ki hum phir kabhi naa mile. Aur agar by chance mil bhi gaye toh main dikha dunga ki Sidharth Shukla hai kaun." Sidharth said in his mind.

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