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"Sana... Sana..", Sidharth called as he rushed through the stares trailing behind her.

Sana gasped in surprise as she was least expecting him to show up here all of a sudden. She gave a quick glance to confirm that she wasn't hallucinating and once confirmed, she ignored his existence as if he were an invisible ghost.

"Sana.. wait..", He ducked down and panted heavily upon climbing the last step. Even though he had the habit of climbing stairs, he was exasperated due to hunger and chasing.

Sana was standing near the door of her parent's house now. Though she pretended to ignore his existence, her mind was highly distracted. Hence, she was struggling with the lock causing her to get irritated.

"Sanaaa.. listen", he called running towards her.

"What is it Sidharth?", She finally turned and asked as she was irked with the lock throwing tantrums to open up.

"Sana.. Why are you ignoring me?", Sidharth asked.

"Stop questioning me and answer my question. What brings you here?", Sana asked. The confidence with which he had followed her, was already gone down the drain looking at her angry reaction.

"I.. I..", Sidharth stuttered..

"Arghhh.. damn it!!", Sana kicked the door in frustration.

"C.. Can I try?", he offered to help trying to grab the keys

"No need..", Sana yelled pulling the keys away from him.

The door beside her apartment opened and the same old aunty who spoke with Sidharth earlier peered at them. Sana and Sidharth looked at her. While Sidharth nervously faked a smile, Sana didn't show any formality to smile.

"What happened, Sana? Any problem?", the lady asked

Sana was in no mood to answer so Sidharth tried to act cool by answering on her behalf.

"No.. nothing aunty. It's just the l..lock..", Sidharth answered.

"Ohhh", the lady made an O with her lips.

"S..s..sweetheart, l..l..let me try.", Sidharth tried to be normal but fumbled fearing Sana's reaction.

Sana turned towards him and glared. Her back facing the neighbourhood aunty. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Sidharth was trembling in fear from within. He made a pleading puppy face which indirectly signalled her to act nice infront of the neighbour.

Sana shoved the key harshly into his hand while gritting her jaws and stood aside. Sidharth passed the water bottle in his hand to Sana and fake smiled looking at the neighbour lady before moving infront of the door. He inserted the key into the lock and tada, it opened up without any hustle.

"There!!", he sighed unlatching and opening the door. Without uttering any words, Sana barged past him inside the house.

"He he he..", Sidharth nervously gave a plastic smile to the neighbour and waved while getting inside immediately behind Sana before she could shut the door on his face. He immediately closed the door and latched it.

"Why did you come here, Sidha..?", Sana glared and started questioning in a high tone.

"Sshhhh.. she is still there outside.", Sidharth whispered closing Sana's mouth with his palm interrupting her from completing the sentence.

Sana pushed him away and stepped two steps away from him.

"Don't touch me!", Sana yelled.

"Okay, okay sorry!! Please lets go inside.", Sidharth muttered folding his hands to his enraged wife.

Sana simply glared at him in silence.

"Please..", he pleaded with puppy eyes and Sana kicked her feet in frustration before stomping inside the room. Sidharth followed her silently. Sana sat on the bed and looked daggers at him, who stood in front of her like a culprit would, infront of the judge.

"Speak!!", Sana yelled when he didn't start speaking even after a few minutes.

"I came to t..take you h.. home w..with me.", he stammered.

"Did you get the job which pays you higher than me?", she asked.

Sidharth was having a deja vu for a fraction of second. Those were the same words she said in his dreams. For a moment, his mind ordered him to reply in the same way he did in the dream i.e. say 'Do hell with the job. I only need you, nothing else.' and post the sentence he had picked her up and carried her home. Not to forget their hot make out session in the auto. When he remembered the details, he licked his dried lips involuntarily.

"I asked you something, Sidharth."

Sidharth snapped out of his thirsty thoughts.

"Sana.. I am s..s..sorry. I really am. I became blind in my stupid ego. Please forgive me.", Sidharth said walking close to her.

Sana stopped him from coming close to him by her palm.

"Is that the answer to my question? Cause that didn't make any sense to me.",she said.

"Why are you doing this to me Sana?", he asked a little hurt. Sana chuckled, she was hurt more than him.

"You really want me to answer that question?", she asked stared into his eyes.
Those eyes compelling his soul. He put his head down unable to handle her piercing stare.

His reaction was killing her. She wasn't getting any pleasure in pushing him away. She wanted him more than anything in this world. Even more than her own f**king self-respect but did he also feel the same for her? Huh! If he did, then he wouldn't have treated her like the way he did. Would he?

"Where did I go wrong Sidharth? What was my mistake in all this? If I get a little bit of higher salary than you, then is it a crime? In the end that money was coming to our house and our family. Why did you treat me like a competitor when we were working towards one goal? I was happy when they offered me the hike. I thought, we can afford to rent a bigger house where we could have a room for ourself which would allow us some time alone together. However, I didn't know that, that extra money was not bringing us closer but tearing us apart. I was so f**king oblivious that you weren't happy to see me earning more than you. I thought you were happy to see me progress."

Sidharth was feeling smaller and smaller infront of her. His young broad shoulders had shrinked and hung low. His face was metaphorically touching the ground in humiliation. His knees felt weak and he dropped down to the floor on his knees in front of her.

"I am sorry.. sorry Sana. I am ashamed of myself.", he held her hands in his and cried. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and burst out painfully. He looked up at her and hugged her. They both cried. All the pain and emotions they had been hiding away all the while they were away from each other, flowed like warm river from their eyes.

Though she had stopped crying after sometime, he could hear her little stuttering breath. He sat beside her and caressed her back hugging her around the shoulder. Placing her legs on the bed, she lied on his lap. He stroked and patted her head gently which relaxed her nerves. He looked down at her face, when he heard soft snores and realised that his wifey baby was asleep. He bent down and planted a featherlight kiss on her cheek before placing her slowly on the cushion and lying beside her. His eyes fixated on her sleeping face simply adoring her beauty.

..
..
..

(Phone ringing)

Sidharth stuttered hearing the phone ring. When he opened his eyes he saw Sana still sleeping beside him. He immediately pressed the volume button to silence the ringtone. He went out of the house to answer so as to not disturb his wife's precious sleep.

"Hello.."

"Sidharth.. where are you?", he heard his mother sulk.

"Maa.. what happened? Are you crying?", he asked in a worried tone.

"Sidharth, Naina..", his mother cried.

"Naina? What happened to her? Maa for godsake stop crying and answer me.", he asked as he sensed something wrong.

"J.C. Hospital...", Rekha said in between her sobs.

"Hospital? Is everything alright?", he panicked.

"Please come soon..", Rekha managed to speak while wailing.

"I'm coming.", he spoke. He looked at the door to go in and let Sana know but what was he going to tell her when he himself didn't know anything. She was already mentally exhausted due to his mistakes, if he told her this, she would worry more.

As he ran downstairs, he messaged her.

Sorry Sana. I had to leave because I needed to return Adith his bike. He needed it for an urgent work. I will come back later.

Starting the bike, he rode towards J.C. Hospital. All the way he was thinking about what could have happened and prayed that everything was fine but deep down inside he knew something wasn't alright.

..
..
..

Upon reaching the hospital, he tried calling his mother but the phone was engaged. He didn't know where to go so he rushes to the reception.

"Yes?", the lady at the reception asked.

"Rekha Joshi..", he said.

"Rekhaaa.. Joshi...". The lady searched in the system.

"There is no one with that name.", the lady answered.

"Naina Joshi?", he asked remembering that his mother mentioned Naina's name

"Hmmm.. Naina Joshi.. No, there is no one named Naina Joshi also.", the lady answered.

"Sorry sorry sorry, it's not Joshi but Deshmukh", Sidharth said remembering that Naina's surname was changed to Deshmukh after marriage.

"What's wrong with you Mister? Who do you want exactly? You don't even know the patient's name. Are you playing pranks here?", the lady scolded.

"No, ma'am. I am not playing a prank.. Sorry, sorry.. Please search once again.. It's...",

"Naina Deshmukh...", Sidharth couldn't complete his sentence when a person dressed in a police uniform stood beside him and barked the same exact name.

Sidharth was shocked and shivered looking at the police. What does the police had to do with his sister?

"Hmm.. Emergency ward.. that way..", the lady pointed immediately after looking into the system. Sidharth observed her finger that pointed to the direction and immediately ran towards it.

"Hellooo.. hellooo.. hey Mister where are you running? Security..", the lady yelled pointing at Sidharth whom she hadn't even answered the ward but he was going inside the hospital which she considered as a probable threat.

The police officer swiftly grabbed Sidharth by his collar from behind noticing the lady crying out in panic.

"Stop right there!", the police growled.

"Leave me.. I am here to see my sister, Naina Deshmukh..", Sidharth wriggled to escape the policeman's grip.

"Sidhaaarth.. what has he done?", Sidharth's father, Amar asked as he ran towards them.

"Do you know him?", the policeman asked.

"Yes inspector. He is my son. Sidharth Joshi. He is here for Naina Deshmukh, his sister and my daughter.", Amar answered.

"Oh!! Okay.. I am here for Naina Deshmukh as well.", The police officer said.

"Babuji, what happened to Naina?", Sidharth asked in a panic state.

"She.. She took p..poison.", Amar answered in choking voice. Sidharth had never seen is father in such a state. He wasn't a man who would cry so easily.

"B..b..babuji.. is she o..okay?", Sidharth stuttered hoping to hear a favourable answer but he was loosing his sanity. She was not less than his own baby as he had seen her ever since she came into this world. He couldn't imagine or tolerate even a little scratch on her. And here, he was hearing that she took poison. What compelled her to take this extreme decision? He was so much entangled in his own tensions that he failed to look at his own sister. They shared every secret with each other but now he didn't notice or ask her about her issues.

"I.. I don't know..", Amar replied.

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To be continued..

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