Second update today. Make sure you've read the E3.
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He had hardly slept for 3 hours after returning home at 4:15am in the morning. He quickly got ready and rode on his bike to the given address. He opened the gate of the apartment building. He climbed the stairs and looked at the watch in his hand. It was 8:00am.

He looked at the door number 203. He went to knock the door but the door was open. He had a weird feeling and instead of calling her, he just went inside. He saw her standing near the table with her back.

Sidharth: Sana...

Sana turned at once as she trembled and a bottle fell from her hand and rolled near his feet. He picked it up and saw it. It was sleeping pills.

Sidharth: Yeh kya hai, Sana?

Sana: Wh.. wh.. what are you.. doing over here?

He realised that she was hiding something behind. He approached closer to her and pulled her to the side. He saw a glass of water with lots of pills sunk to the bottom. He looked at her in shock.

Sidharth: What were you doing?

Sana looked down at the floor with no answer. He cupped her face and lifted her face to make her look at him.

Sidharth: What were you doing?

He asked with more concern and she just couldn't hold her tear back. She bursted crying and he hugged her to console. She hugged him and cried for a long time. He allowed her to cry without asking her to stop.

As she stopped crying, he made her sit on the chair and gave her the plain water from the bottle. She sipped the water.

Sidharth: Why Sana? Kal maine jitna suna tha tumhare baare mein, mujhe tum bahut hi strong ladki lagi. Par aaj yeh kya kar rahi thi tum?

Sana: I was the only child to my parents. Agni ke saamne woh mere kanyadaan karne ka sapna dekh rahe the par meine ussi agni se unn dono ka apne haaton se antim sanskaar kiya. Par tab jeene ke liye meri naani thi. Kal jab meine phir inhi haaton se unka antim sanskaar kiya toh mujhe yaad aaya ki mein akeli reh gayi. Kaun hai mera ab? Kya karungi mein ab yaha? (Starts crying)

Sidharth: Sana, tumne breakfast kiya?

Sana: (surprised) kya?

Sidharth: Breakfast? Kiya?

Sana: (confused) Nahi..

Sidharth: Mujhe bahut bhook lagi hai, chalo na mujhe company do. Hum dono milkar breakfast karte hai.

Sana: Par.. wo.. (she points at the water diluted with pills)

Sidharth: Choddo na usse.. mujhe bhook lagi hai.. chalo..

He pulls her up. Picks up the glass and empties it into the sink. She looks at him perplexed.

Sidharth: Bahar bachche khel rahe hai, tumhe dekh kar darr jaayenge toh tum apna chehra dho sakti ho?

She splashes water on her face and he hands her the towel to wipe.

Sidharth: Hmm.. tumhara room kaha hai?

Sana: (gulps) kyu?

Sidharth: Nahi tumhare kapde thik hai change karne ki zarurat nahi hai but atleast baal bana leti toh thoda sahi lagti.

Sana: Hmm.. aap baiton mein aati hoon..

Sidharth: Nahi! Sirf baal hi banana hai toh mein bhi aaunga. Chalo.

Sana: Main kapde change karungi.

Sidharth: Hmm.. main aankhein band karke baitunga promise..

Sana glares at him.

Sidharth: Okay, sorry! But dekho mujhe bahut bhook lagi hai, jyada time lagaya na toh mein yahi behoosh ho jaunga..

Sana: Thik hai. Main jaldi aungi. Kuch nahi karne wali apne aap ko. Okay?

Sidharth: Promise?

Sana: Promise!

Sidharth: Okay, apne room ka darwaaza khula rakhna. Aur 5 minute mein baahar aana, nahi toh mein aa jaunga andar.

Sana: Huh? Nahi!! Uski zarurat nahi padegi.

She goes inside the room and Sidharth strolls to and fro in tension.

Aaj agar main time pe nahi aata toh ye kya kar leti. Kya karu mein? Mere ghar chale jaane ke baad phir kuch karne ka try karegi toh.. Nahi.. I can't let it happen..

He looks at the watch, it was 5 minutes since she went inside. He rushes to the door and pushes it. She was standing infront of him. He sighs.

Sidharth: Chale?

Sana: Woh! Mujhe thoda time aur milega please?

Sidharth: Kyu?

Sana: Woh... Woh!! 5 minute bola aapne toh meine hadbadi mein haat laga kapda daal liya but ab uski back zip band nahi kar paa rahi hoon, kyuki woh toot gayi. 5 minute ho gaye the toh mein darr gayi kahi aap darwaaza na khol de isiliye yaha khadi ho gayi.

He looks at the dressing table mirror behind her and finds her back open. He got confirmed that she wasn't lying.

Sidharth: Sorry! Change kar lo. Mein yahi hoon. Kya tum gaana gaa sakti ho?

Sana: kyu?

Sidharth: Tum gaana gaati raho aur change kar lo, phir bhale hi 5 kya 15 minute lo. Par agar tumne gaana stop kiya toh main darwaaza khol dunga.

Sana: (nods) Hmm.. okay..

She clears her throat and starts singing and to his surprise her voice was very melodious. She stops singing and he runs back to open the door. But she opens the door instead.

Sidharth: Beautiful..

Sana: Huh?

Sidharth: Tumhari voice. Bahut hi pyaari hai.

Sana: Thank you!

Sidharth: Chalo..

Sana: Woh, Tanu ko call kar loon? Woh apne ghar se breakfast leke aane waali thi mere liye. Woh raat ko yahi rukh gayi thi mere saath aur Subah 7:30 baje apne ghar gayi.

Sidharth: Aur madam ko pills wali paani peene ki urgent ho gayi thi..

Sana looked down embarrassed.

Sidharth: Karlo phone.

Sana picks up the mobile and calls Tanu.

Sana: Tanu, Sunn breakfast laane ki zarurat nahi woh Khadoos.. (bit her tongue) I mean Sidharth ji ke saath breakfast karne baahar jaa rahi hoon.

Sidharth shook his head with a smile listening to the word 'Khadoos'.

Tanu: Sidharth? Woh kaise aa gaye?

Sana: Baad mein baat karti hoon.

Tanu: Okay. Khayal rakhna. Breakfast ke baad call karna mujhe. Okay?

Sana: Haan.

She disconnects the call and looks down at the floor as she was embarrassed for calling him khadoos.

Sana: Sorry! Woh aise hi slip of.. tongue ho gayi thi..

Sidharth: (laughs) Koi baat nahi par you can call me Sidharth. Ji bolne ki zarurat nahi.. itna budha nahi hoon main ki Ji bolna pade.

Sana: Okay.

She takes her scooty keys from key holder along with the helmet.

Sidharth: Can we save petrol?

Sana: Hmm.. do you want to walk so far?

Sidharth: No, I meant we can both travel on my bike instead of taking two vehicles.

Sana: Hmm.. okay.

They both go down the stairs and he puts on his helmet. He observes that few people around the area were observing them keenly. Those eyes were not out of concern but of the society which would troll and malign a lonely girl who might meet, talk or be just friends with a male. He knew exactly what their thoughts would be at that moment.

He started the bike and Sana hesitantly sat behind him. He took her to a restaurant and they both occupied a seat opposite to each other. He looked at her who was lost in her own . Her eyes had a dark circle already and sunken.

Sidharth: Kya khaaogi?

Sana: Kuch bhi..

Sidharth: Hmmm.. (he looks at the menu) Arey!! Inke paas toh woh dish hi nahi hai.

Sana looks at him in confusion.

Sana: Kaunsa dish?

Sidharth: Wahi "Kuch bhi".. waise yeh kuch bhi khaane mein kaisa hota hai?

Sana: (stares at him) Mujhe hasaane ki koshish kar rahe ho?

Sidharth: Waise hasne mein koi buraayi nahi hai. Aur main aaj khadoos mood mein nahi hoon, toh tum hass sakti ho.

Sana: Bakwaas joke tha.

Sidharth: Achcha, toh tum kar lo.. Mujhe bhi hassne ki aadat nahi hai, last time tumne hi hasaaya tha cab mein. Yaad hai?

Sana remembers. "Kya ghoor rahe ho? Kabhi sundar ladki nahi dekhi kya?"

Sana: Achcha, sach mein aapko mein sundar nahi dikhti?

Sidharth looked at her face carefully.

Sidharth: Bahut sundar ho, but itne baariki se observe nahi kiya tha uss din.

Sana didn't expect him to say those words. She turned pink due to blushing and repented asking him that question which made her blush. He smiled subtly.

Waiter: Sir, order?

Sidharth: Hmmm.. Do Chai, Aloo paratha mere liye aur madam ke liye...

Sana: Paneer Paratha.

He smiles. The waiter notes down and goes away.

Sana: Paneer mera favourite hai..

Sidharth: Aur mera Aloo.. (laughs)

Sana laughs finally.

Sidharth: Chalo jo kaam mein nahi kar paya woh aloo ne kar diya. Ab toh aloo mera double favourite ho gaya. Ab sachchi maza aane wala hai aloo parantha khaane mein.

Sana smiles. Her phone rings.

Sana: Hello Suresh Bhaiyya... Haan bhaiyya, mein thik hoon... Haan, unke hi saath mein breakfast karne aayi... Zaroor bhaiyya, zaroor phone karungi agar kuch chahiye hoga toh.. thank you bhaiyya... Bye.. (disconnects)

Sidharth: Tum toh keh rahi thi tumhara koi nahi. Dekho Tanushree hai aur Suresh bhi, yeh log tumhe bahut chahte hai.. aur.. ab toh mein bhi hoon. Tumhe chahne walon mein.

Sana: (shocked) Huh?

Sidharth: Sana, mera ek choti si family hai, jismein maa, babuji aur ek choti behan hai. Parents retired hai, behan ke padhayi ke liye loan liya tha babuji ne jisse maine chuka diya. I am 33 year old, meri shaadi ki umar nikal hi gayi kyuki maine apni behan ki shaadi k liye aur apartment kharidne ke liye paison ke liye struggle kiya. Office ki politics mein promotion nahi hua peechle 3 saal se. Ab last week hi mein apne naye flat mein shift hua. Itne tension se ghire huye meine hasna bhula diya. Khadoos ban gaya.

Tum soch rahi hogi ki main yeh sab kyu bata raha hoon tumhe. Sana tum apni life end karne ka soch rahi thi kyuki tumhe jeene ka maksad nahi dikh raha tha. Mein tumhe woh maksad dena chahta hoon. Kya tum mujhse shaadi karogi?

Sana: (shocked) What?

Sidharth: Nahi yeh math sochna ki meri financial condition kharab hai toh mein tumhe financial support ke liye use karneki soch raha hoon. Itni bhi buri condition nahi hai meri. I can very well take care of you without you earning.

Pyaar karta hoon ye bhi nahi kahunga, kyuki itni jaldi kisiko pyaar hona mushkil hai. But tum mujhe achchi lagti ho, aur pasand ho. Pyaar bhi ho jayega hote hote. Jaise arrange marriage mein hota hai. Bolo, karogi shaadi mujhse?

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To be continued.. ❤️❤️