Forever Yours

Chapter Seventy Four

"What are you looking at, Mama?" Samyukta asked teasingly, breaking Siddharth out of his chain of thoughts and looking at her surprised.

Samyukta's teasing smirk dissolved into a frown, and she raised her eyebrow at him.

"Ridhi ka work trip tha na?"

Samyukta, although surprised by his question, answered positively.

"Kaam karte toh 4 dinn mein mene ek bhi baar nahi dekha mene usse. Aur yeh subaah se Shehnaaz ko aise kyon ghoor rahi hai jaise kha jaayegi usse?" Siddharth asked, slightly confused.

Samyukta gulped. "Aapko bada dikh raha hai Ridhi kaam kar rahi hai ya nahi. Boss ho aap uske?"

"Toh woh Shehnaaz pe nazar tika ke kayeko baithi hai?" Siddharth asked curiously.

Samyukta frowned. "Screw dheela hai uska. Tension ho rahi hai toh maami ko apne paas rakho na. Kyon dimaag ka dahi kar rahe ho!" She suggested..

Siddharth sighed. "Jayegi kab Ridhi?"

Samyukta sighed. "Pata nahi. Jaayegi bhi toh shaadi ke time pakka jodhpur mein tapak padegi. Zyaada dinn ka chutkaara nahi milne waala usse."

Siddharth shook his head. "I shouldn't be thinking like that. Guest hai woh."

"You're right. You shouldn't be thinking about her at all. Ek dafa aur aapke mooh se uska naam suna na, toh you'll be in big trouble with maami, I'm telling you!" Samyukta frowned.

Siddharth gasped. "Itni si hai tu, dhamki degi mujhe. Abhi batata hoon rukk ja tu."

Samyukta giggled. "Soch lo, mama. Maami ko complaint kar dungi. Bahot band bajegi aapki."

***

"Shehnaaz, idhar aa toh." Neetu called out to the younger girl and patted the side of the couch, gesturing her to sit.

Shehnaaz walked up to her and sat next to her. "Kya hua Di?"

"Aarav pune se tere liya Papa ka tauhfa laaye the. Aate hi busy ho gaye, toh tujhe dene ka waqt nahi mila." Neetu explained, reaching for the box on the low table next to the couch.

Shehnaaz opened the box nervously, "Kya hai ismein?" She asked.

Neetu shrugged. "Tera gift hai, mene nahi khola."

Shehnaaz tore through the packaging of the box and retrieved a wooden carved idol of Natraj. Neetu smiled widely, barely keeping herself from exclaiming out loud.

Shehnaaz ran her fingers delicately across the smoothed edges of the idol. "This is beautiful."

Neetu smiled. "Papa ne banaayi hai yeh."

Shehnaaz looked up at Neetu, surprised. "Khud se?"

Neetu smiled. "Jab Nishi apni training ke liye London gayi thi na, tab usko bhi di thi papa ne ek murti, khud se bana ke. Jab shaadi ke baad mujhe mera pehla bada promotion mila tha, tab mujhe painting aur engraved gold coins diye the. It's his tradition with his daughters, he says." She explained.

Shehnaaz gasped.

"Bahot shraddha rakhte hain Papa Shiv mein. Jab unki bacchiyan apni life ka koi bada leap lene waali hoti hain na, tab woh aise Shiv-ji ki painting, moorti.. engraving kucch bana ke dete hain, in a way. He believes Shiv watches over us and helps us through the worst parts of life." Neetu said softly.

Shehnaaz looked back at the idol as a tear slipped down her cheeks. "Thank you.." She mouthed as her voice betrayed her.

Neetu smiled at her, pulling her into a hug. "Mera baccha, thank you kyon bol rahi hai?"