Their next layover was in Amsterdam. A beautiful city with its glimmering canals and vibrant streets, but for Shehnaaz, it was just another stop before the next flight. Another place to pretend like nothing was happening, another night to shut out the world.

But Sidharth? He was not giving up.

After they landed and checked into their crew hotel, Sidharth casually strolled up to her as they exited the lobby.

"Shehnaaz, ek coffee toh deserve karta hoon itne dino ki mehnat ke baad?" he said with his usual grin, hands in his pockets.

She did not stop walking. Did not even acknowledge him.

He sighed and tried again, walking beside her. "Theek hai, coffee nahi toh dinner? Aakhir layover sirf sone ke liye thodi hota hai."

Still nothing.

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. "Ek baat batao, ignore karte karte thak nahi jaati?"

Shehnaaz looked up at him, her face as blank as ever. "Aapko apne kaam pe dhyan dena chahiye, Captain Shukla. Hum yahan duty ke liye hain, dosti ke liye nahi."

That one stung a little, but Sidharth did not let it show. Instead, he smirked. "Dosti? Tumhe kisne bola ki main sirf dosti ke liye try kar raha hoon?"

For the first time, he saw something flicker in her eyes something unreadable. But before he could push further, she simply walked past him, leaving him standing alone on the cobblestone street.

"Mushkil hai yeh ladki… lekin maza bhi toh tabhi hai. Aur main bhi Sidharth Shukla hu dekhta hu kab tak ignore karti hai."

That night, in her hotel room, Shehnaaz sat by the large window, staring out at the sparkling Amsterdam skyline. The city was alive, people laughing, living, enjoying their time.

She sighed.

She had spent years making sure she was perfect. Flawless. Disciplined. The best.

But was she truly happy?

Her phone buzzed. A message from her father.

Dad: "Your brother got promoted again. You should learn something from him."

Shehnaaz closed her eyes, the words cutting through her like a blade.

Her father's comparisons were nothing new.

Growing up, she had always been told she was not enough.

"Look at your brother always responsible, always successful. Why can not you be like him?"

"Sharma ji ki beti dekho, kitni intelligent hai. Tum kab sudhrogi?"

"Perfection matters, Shehnaaz. Agar tum best nahi ho, toh tum kuch nahi ho."

And so, she had spent her entire life trying to be perfect. The perfect daughter. The perfect student. The perfect employee.

Yet, no matter what she did, it was never enough.

Top grades. No mistakes. A flawless career. A disciplined, well mannered life where emotions had no place.

She exhaled, placing her phone screen down on the table. She had tried so hard, done everything right, yet here she was still not enough.

And now?

Now, Sidharth had entered her life like an uninvited storm, refusing to be ignored. His jokes, his teasing, the way he always found ways to talk to her, no matter how much she pushed him away.

He was unpredictable. Carefree. Everything she had never allowed herself to be.

And that terrified her.

Because if she let herself get distracted even for a moment she knew she would fall. And Shehnaaz Gill didn't know how to survive a fall.

She sat up straight, wiped away any trace of emotion, and took a deep breath.

Tomorrow, she would be Air Hostess Shehnaaz Gill again disciplined, focused, and untouched by distractions.

And Sidharth?

He would just have to learn that some walls were built to never be broken.
Sidharth Shukla was many things charming, persistent, and annoyingly carefree but he was not stupid.

He had been teasing, joking, and trying to get a reaction from Shehnaaz for weeks, but today… today, something felt different.

It wasn't just her usual coldness. It was not just the professional mask she always wore around him.

Today, she looked exhausted. Not physically, but as if something inside her was weighing her down.

And that? That did not sit right with him.

The next morning, the crew gathered in the hotel lobby, ready to head to the airport for their return flight. As always, Shehnaaz stood straight, her uniform crisp, her expressions unreadable.

But Sidharth noticed the tiny details, the way her fingers were clenched around her handbag strap a little too tightly, the way her eyes seemed distant as if she hadn't slept well.

As they walked toward the shuttle, he casually fell into step beside her.

"Aaj toh full robot mode on kar liya hai, Miss G.G?" he teased lightly.

She didn't respond.

"Achha batao, mujhe ignore karna tumhara naye saal ka resolution hai kya?"

Still nothing.

He stopped in his tracks dramatically. "Shehnaaz Gill, agar tumne abhi ek bhi word nahi bola na, toh main yahin khade hokar logo ko bataunga ki tum mujhe reject kar rahi ho aur main dil se tut gaya hoon."

A few people turned to look at him, and Aman choked on his coffee.

Shehnaaz shot him a sharp look but still said nothing.

Aman shook his head. "Bhai kiu pitna chah raha hai aur yeh case tough hai. Chhod de."

Sidharth just smirked. "Waado se apne mukarta nahi marne se main kabhi darta nahi, Sidharth o Sidharth, Sidharth o Sidharth."

Aman rolled his eyes and Shehnaaz walked ahead, but Sidharth knew he had gotten a reaction.

A tiny crack in her perfect armor.

And that was enough for now.

Once onboard, Sidharth continued his usual antics entertaining the passengers, throwing in random shayaris, and flashing his signature grin.

But in between, his eyes kept finding her.

And every time, she was perfectly composed, flawlessly efficient.

Except for one moment.

During the meal service, Shehnaaz was helping an elderly passenger when a tray slipped slightly from her hand. She caught it immediately so fast that no one even noticed.

But Sidharth saw it.

And he saw the tiny flicker of frustration in her eyes.

Shehnaaz never made mistakes. She never let anything slip.

And yet, today, she had.

Something was bothering her. And no matter how much she tried to hide it, Sidharth knew it was there.

After landing, as the crew prepared to disembark, Sidharth saw her heading toward the exit.

Before she could disappear, he grabbed her wrist gently but firmly.

She turned, surprised. "Captain Shukla "

"Kya ho raha hai, Shehnaaz?" His voice was calm, but there was no teasing this time.

She frowned. "Mujhe chhodiye."

He did not. "Nahi. Pehle batao tum theek ho?"

For a second just a second he saw something in her eyes. A flicker of pain.

But then, just as quickly, her walls slammed back up.

She pulled her hand free. "Aapko jo dikh raha hai, wo zaroori nahi sach ho."

And with that, she walked away.

Leaving Sidharth standing there, more determined than ever.

Sidharth had never been the type to dig into someone's personal life. He lived in the moment, took things as they came, and never pushed where he wasn't wanted.

But with Shehnaaz, it was different.

Because now he knew something was wrong.

And once Sidharth knew something, he could not ignore it.

The flight back was uneventful, but Sidharth barely paid attention. His mind kept going back to Shehnaaz, the way she had flinched at his touch, the exhaustion in her eyes, the tiny mistake she had made.

So, he did what he did best. Observe.

She was different.

That evening, as they reached their layover destination in Mumbai, Sidharth had already made up his mind.

He needed to understand her.

The crew checked into their hotel late at night. Everyone was exhausted, but Sidharth was not ready to let go of the nagging feeling in his chest.

So, instead of heading to his room, he went for a walk in the hotel garden.

And that's when he saw her.

Shehnaaz was sitting on a bench, her back straight, staring at the night sky. From far away, she looked as composed as ever.

But when he walked closer, he noticed it her hands clenched into fists, her shoulders stiff.

And then… a single tear slipped down her cheek.

Sidharth froze.

Shehnaaz Gill, the woman who had built herself into a wall of perfection, was crying.

Silently.

Secretly.

Like she had spent her whole life hiding her pain.

For the first time, Sidharth didn't have a joke, a flirt, or a shayari.

Instead, he did the only thing that felt right.

He sat beside her. Without a word.

She stiffened but didn't move away.

A long silence stretched between them, heavy yet strangely comfortable.

Finally, in a voice so small that he barely heard it, she whispered, "Mujhe logon se koi umeed nahi rakhni chahiye thi."

Sidharth turned his head toward her, frowning. "Kisne kaha tumse yeh?"

She swallowed hard. "Mere papa ne."

Sidharth felt something twist in his chest.

"Aur tumne unki baat maan li?" he asked, his voice softer than ever.

Shehnaaz let out a bitter chuckle. "Jab se hosh sambhala hai, tab se bas ek hi cheez suni hai 'tum perfect nahi ho, Shehnaaz. Tum kabhi best nahi ban sakti'."

Sidharth clenched his jaw. "Toh? Tum kyu prove karne ki koshish kar rahi ho? Jo tum ho, wo kaafi nahi hai kya?"

Shehnaaz finally turned to look at him, her eyes red but filled with fire. "Kaafi hoti toh mere papa kabhi mujhe kisi aur se compare nahi karte."

Sidharth exhaled sharply. "Tumhare papa ka sochna galat ho sakta hai, Shehnaaz. Tum galat nahi ho."

She shook her head, looking away. "Aap nahi samjhoge, Captain."

Sidharth was quiet for a moment, then smirked slightly. "Ek baat batau… jab bhi tum 'Captain' kehti ho na, aisa lagta hai jaise gaali de rahi ho."

For the first time in weeks, a tiny, unwilling smile ghosted across her lips.

Sidharth saw it. And his heart soared.

"Dekha? Tum muskura sakti ho."

She rolled her eyes. "Bas mazaak mat banao, please."

Sidharth turned serious again. "Theek hai, nahi banaunga. Bas ek promise karo."

She frowned. "Kya?"

He looked straight into her eyes. "Jab bhi tumhe lage ki tum akeli ho, ya tumse koi perfect hone ki umeed kar raha hai… bas ek baar mujhse baat kar lena."

Shehnaaz looked at him for a long time.

And for once, she didn't argue.

She just nodded.

A small crack in the wall.

And Sidharth?

He was ready to break it down, piece by piece.

Shehnaaz Gill didn't let people in. She had spent years building a shield around herself, ensuring no one could reach the real her. But Sidharth.

He wasn't playing by the rules.

She had spent weeks ignoring him, brushing off his antics, and pretending he did not affect her. But last night, sitting under the stars, she had let her guard down.

And that terrified her.

She couldn't afford to be vulnerable not again.

The next morning, Shehnaaz did what she did best pretended nothing had happened.

She got ready for her next flight, her uniform crisp, her expressions unreadable. But deep inside, something was different.

Because for the first time, she wasn't avoiding Sidharth.

She wasn't seeking him out, but she was not actively running away either.

And Sidharth? He noticed. Of course, he did.

During the flight briefing, he casually threw a glance her way.

"Miss G.G, aaj koi special wajah hai jo mujhe dekha bhi jaa raha hai?" he smirked.

Shehnaaz blinked nervously. "Maine dekha bhi nahi."

"Are waah! Toh matlab tum bina dekhe bhi mujhe feel kar sakti ho?" he teased, winking.

Aman burst into laughter while Shehnaaz gave Sidharth a death glare. "Aap briefing pe dhyan dijiye, Captain."

Sidharth grinned and said in flirting tone. "Main toh sirf tumhari taraf dhyan deta hoon."

Shehnaaz exhaled sharply, but this time, she didn't walk away.

And that was progress.

During the flight, Shehnaaz was hyper aware of Sidharth presence.

The way he interacted with passengers, how he made people laugh, how he never took things too seriously, he was the opposite of her.

And yet, something about him made her feel… safe.

No. No distractions.

Shehnaaz shook her head, trying to focus. She had spent years proving herself, making sure she never let emotions cloud her judgment. She could not afford to lose control now.
__________________________________

That is it for today.

Hope you all like it.

Thanks for reading.