Next Morning...

Sidharth came to the breakfast table and joined the other family members. A maid served his breakfast.

"Kya baat hai Sidharth? Aaj tu itna late utha? Office nahi jaana tujhe?" Asked Neetu.

"Nahi Di. Soch raha hoon aaj office se chhutti le ke ghar pe family ke saath thoda time spend karu." Said Sidharth.

Everyone understood that he wanted to spend time with Naaz, that's why he took leave from office.

"Naaz kaha hai waise?" Asked Sidharth after sometime. "Abhi tak nahi uthi kya?"

"Nahi woh toh subah subah breakfast kar ke chali gayi." Said Rita Maa.

"Chali gayi matlab? Kaha chali gayi?" Asked Sidharth frowning.

"Woh bacchon ne mil ke kaal raat ko hi plan bana liya tha ki woh log aaj pura din Naaz ke saath ghumenge. Upar se unki school ki bhi chhutti hai. Iss liye Naaz aur bacche subah subah hi breakfast kar ke bahar chale gaye."

"Ohhh! Kab tak lautenge woh log?"

"Sayad dopeher ko."

Sidharth didn't say anything and started eating sadly.

"Socha tha aaj ka din Naaz ke saath spend karunga. Lekin usse toh meri padhi hi nahi hai. Jab se aayi hai duri banaye rakhne ki koshish kar rahi hai. Akhir chahti kya hai woh?" Said Sidharth in his mind.

After having breakfast, Sidharth went to his room and got ready for office.

When he came out of his room, Rita Maa asked, "Ab tu kaha jaa raha hai?"

"Office." Replied Sidharth.

"Tune toh chhutti li thi nah?"

"Jis wajah se chutti li thi, woh toh ho nahi raha. Phir chhutti lene ka kya fayda?"

Saying that Sidharth left his house.

"Yeh phir se bura maan gaya. Aur udhar Naaz, paata nahi usse kya hogaya hai. Hum sab ke saath normal hai lekin Sidharth ke saath alag hi behave kar rahi hai." Said Rita Maa being very tensed.

"Maa yeh toh hona hi tha. Aap logo ko kya laga? 8 saal baad jab Naaz wapas aayegi woh pehle ki tarah khud ko iss ghar ki bahu aur Sidharth ki patni kahegi? No. She is now a mature person. Usse ab paata hai ki unki shaadi sirf naam ki hui thi. Iss shaadi ka koi aur matlab nahi hai." Said Neetu.

"Lekin humne toh iss shaadi ko maana hai. Aur Sidharth ne bhi. Naaz ke intezaar mein usne ab tak shaadi nahi ki. Woh apni Patni ka haq sirf Naaz ko dena chahta hai."

"Par ho sakta hai Naaz aisa nahi chahti. Just think about their age difference. Naaz ko sayad apni umar ka koi chahiye hoga. Aur agar aisa hai toh hum kuch nahi kar sakte."

"Mujhe paata hai. Main bas dua karti hoon ki jo hum soch rahe hai woh galat ho. Aur mere dono bacche khush rahe." Said Rita Maa.

Neetu hold her hand and said, "Don't worry. Sab thik ho jayega."

In The Office...

Sidharth banged angrily on the table and said, "I really don't know what's going on in her mind. We have met after 8 freaking years. Only I know yeh 8 saal maine kaise guzare hai. And now when we are finally together, she is continuously avoiding me. She is behaving like I'm some stranger. Sirf main akele hi efforts daal raha hoon sab kuch thik karne ke liye. There is no effort from her side."

After hearing everything, Kushal thought for sometime and said, "Sidharth, paata hai mujhe kya lagta hai..... Chhor jaane de!"

"Ek minute. Kya kehna chah raha tha tu? Kya lagta hai tujhe?" Asked Sidharth curiously.

"Woh......"

"Baata na."

"Dekh main sure nahi hoon. Mujhe bas aisa feel ho raha hai. I can be wrong....."

"Kushal please clearly bol."

"Thik hai. Tu bas gussa mat karna." Kushal paused for a while and said, "Dekh tu itne saalon tak uske touch mein nahi tha. Tujhe nahi paata tha uski life mein kya chal raha hai. Toh..."

"Toh?"

"Toh ho sakta hai iss hi beech uski life mein koi aaya hai.... Someone special jiske saath woh apni life spend karna chahti hai."

Sidharth immediately gave him an angry look.

"What are you trying to say?" Asked Sidharth gritting his teeth.

Kushal gulped his saliva and said, "I think she has a boyfriend."

Sidharth hold his collar angrily and said, "How dare you! Tune aisa soch bhi kaise liya? Don't forget that she is my wife."

"Sidharth calm down! Main bas aise hi keh raha tha. I'm not sure." Said Kushal being afraid.

Sidharth left his collar and said, "Saale main waise hi pareshan hoon aur tu abhi yeh sab baatein kar raha hai. Aisa nahi ho sakta."

"But Sidharth tum dono ka age difference bohut zyada hai. Maybe Naaz wants to be with someone jo uske age ka ho." Said Kushal.

Suddenly Sidharth felt something in his heart. How did he forget it? There was a huge age difference between them. Maybe Kushal was right. Naaz didn't want someone in her life who is so much older than her.

"Does age really matter this much?" Asked Sidharth in a painful voice.

"I feel when there is true love from both sides, age doesn't matter. Accha tujhse ek baat puchu? Do you love Naaz?"

"Love?" Sidharth asked himself.

Then he smiled and said, "Love ka toh paata nahi but jab main uss se pehli baar mila tha uske gaaon mein, I felt like protecting her from this whole world. If that is love, then yes I love her. Uss waqt woh 10 saal ki thi aur main 24 saal ka. Phir bhi ek alag tarah ki bonding ho gayi thi humari. Uske saath time spend karna, masti karna, uski stupid kahaniyan sun na mujhe accha lagta tha. If that is love, then yes I love her. Meri stress bhari life mein jab main uski cute si bunny smile dekhta tha, mera saara stress uss hi waqt dur ho jaata tha. If it's love, then yeah.... I do love her."

Then Sidharth looked at Kushal and said, "Lekin woh wala pyaar bohut alag tha. Cute sa, masoom sa. Isliye kabhi socha nahi that our age difference will be a problem. Jab maine Naaz ko hostel mein chhora, tab khud se waada kiya tha ki main Naaz ke bade hone ka wait karunga. Maine andar hi andar Naaz ko apni Patni maan liya tha. Tab bhi age ka khayal mere dimaag mein nahi aaya. Jab maine Naaz ko 8 saal baad pehli baar dekha, paata nahi kyu meri heartbeat fast ho gayi. I felt that I have got my peace back. Ab hum dono kabhi alag nahi honge. Tab bhi maine yeh nahi socha ki woh mujhse bohut chhoti hai. She may not accept me. Nahi socha. Actually jab main Naaz ke saath hota tha na, aisa lagta tha I have gone back to my childhood. Isliye kabhi aisa feel hi nahi hua ki hum dono ka age difference bohut zyada hai."

Kushal felt sad for Sidharth. He knew that somewhere inside his heart, he had feelings for Naaz. He saw his waiting in all these years.

Kushal put his hand on Sidharth's shoulder and said, "I can understand your feelings Bro. Sayad tujhe Naaz se baat karni chahiye. Tab hi tujhe paata chalega exactly what she wants."

Sidharth nodded in yes.
______________________________________

At home...

As soon as Naaz returned home with the children, she saw a delivery boy talking to the guard.

After he left, Naaz asked the guard, "Kaun tha woh?"

"Mam delivery boy tha. Sidharth Sir ke naam pe courier aaya hai. Office se kuch letter hai sayad." Replied the guard.

"Thik hai aap yeh mujhe de di jiye." Said Naaz and the guard gave her the letter.

Then Naaz entered home with the children.

"Aa gaye tum log? Kaisa raha aaj ka din?" Asked Rita Maa.

"Bohut accha." Said Krish.

"Haan humne bohut enjoy kiya." Said Pari.

Naaz smiled seeing both the children happy.

Then she said, "Maa Sidharth ke office se yeh letter aaya hai."

"Uska toh aata rehta hai. Tu yeh letter uske kamre mein rakh de. Woh jab aaye toh baata dena."

Naaz nodded and went to Sidharth's room.

Now she finally entered Sidharth's room, which used to be their room. Naaz's eyes became moist seeing the room. They had so many beautiful memories in this room. The whole house was renovated except this room. Sidharth didn't change anything in this room. It was same like earlier.

She went to keep the letter in the drawyer when her eyes fell on the wall. She was left surprised.

There were picture frames of her and Sidharth all over the wall. He kept them as her memories. She caressed the photo frames lovingly. Tears started flowing from her eyes.

"Yeh saari photos iss kamre mein? Matlab Sidharth itna yaad karte the mujhe? Ho sakta hai. Jab hum uss school mein mile the, unke face pe ek alag hi khushi thi. Toh kya main hi unhe galat samajh rahi thi? Kya unhone bhi mera intezaar kiya hoga?" She said in her mind.

When she was thinking all this, Pari and Krish came to her whining.

"Aap idhar kya kar rahe ho? Aap ne waada kiya tha ghar wapas aake aap humare saath Ludo khaloge." Said Krish.

"Haan Mami please chalo na." Said Pari and immediately bit her tongue. "Sorry! Galti se nikal gaya. Actually Mamu ne hi humse kaha tha aap ko Mami kehne ke liye."

"Mamu ne kaha tha?" Asked Naaz with disbelief.

"Haan. Woh hi toh kehte the ki aap humari Naaz Mami ho. Kya aap sach mein humari Mami ho?"

Naaz smiled and said, "Haan. Tum chaho toh mujhe Mami bula sakte ho."

"Sidharth ne bacchon se aisa kyu kaha? Kya woh sach mein mujhe apni Patni maante hai? Mujhe unse baat karni hogi." Said Naaz in her mind.
______________________________________

Will Sidharth and Naaz sort everything out?

Stay tuned...

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