Sidharth stopped at the ATM before making his way to a local hotel Adith had booked for him. He was almost two hours early since his plans for lunch got cancelled, he decided to use the room for himself and took a nap because he felt like his head would burst out if he kept his eyes open for a little bit longer. Shehnaaz's words were still ringing around like a taped audio. He was hurt and humiliated by the way she had spoken about them.

But her actions had always directed him to believe that she was with him because she liked him, she wanted to be with him, she cared for him and she was going to put efforts into this marriage for him. Why would she lie if such was not her intention? Why would she give up on him so soon? His phone was in silent mode but he could see its screen lighting up every other minute. Why was she calling him now after insulting their relationship in front of her employees?

His trance was broken when he heard a knock on the door, he opened it to find Roma standing outside with a suitcase.

"You're early!" She exclaimed, getting in.

"Good, now help me wrap this." She added, extending an antiseptic, cotton and bandage towards him and showing her bleeding elbow.

"How did that happen?" He asked.

"Abhi raste me kisi bike wale ne meri scooty ko takkar mara. I thought it was just an accident until they turned around and snatched away my handbag." She informed.

"They wanted that clip so bad. What is in it?" He suddenly realized what all of it could have been about.

"Singhania ne MLA ko bribe kiya, 2 crores, uss baat ka proof hai. Rao was talking to someone about it and I might have recorded it." She sheepishly smiled.

"Are you fucking crazy? Do you even know how easily Rao can get you killed?" He snapped at her.

"Thanks for the compliment! I'm already scared and you're not helping Chopra!" She retorted, settling on the bed.

He couldn't stop thinking about the consequences of the stunt she had just pulled out but nevertheless cleaned her wound and wrapped the white bandage around it. This girl didn't really care about her life while recording evidence against a minister for a job.

"The cash, it's 60k." He said, forwarding a big bundle of notes tightly packed inside a newspaper.

"I'll transfer some more into your account." He added.

"Ah, no need! Bank me hai mere paas, I just didn't want to use an ATM anytime soon. You know, chhupne ke liye." She assured him, relaxing into the bed.

"Here, yeh rahi clip. I knew mujhe iski copies banwa leni chahiye thi." She pulled out a small chip from her bra and handed it to him.

"Thank you." He nodded, glad that they still had the evidence.

"What's this? Oh, your phone!" Roma leaned back to rest against the best rest when her hand landed on something, it was his phone and she mistakenly answered the incoming call it while giving it to him.

"Did you just receive a call on my phone!?" He asked her deadpanned.

"I didn't do it on purpose, I didn't know it was here. Lo baat karlo." She casually replied, adjusting the pillows behind her.

"Shehnaaz, I'll call you back later." He saw the caller, it was his wife and sighed that he had to talk now that the call had been answered.

"Don't bother, don't ever call me back! I hate you Sidharth! I HATE YOU!" Shehnaaz shouted from the other side, her voice shook yet pierced through his ears and screamed of anger, hate and disgust.

"What?" He replied but she had hung up already.

"That was your wife, wasn't she?" Roma asked but her query went unanswered as she watched him rushing out immediately.

Shehnaaz assumed he was with a woman, behind her back again, didn't she? Just like she did during their wedding reception. Sidharth was far from angry and displeased from her behaviour. He was boiling, infuriated, he was ranging! He felt aggrieved by her words, why was she so tempted to jump into conclusions. He couldn't even comprehend how low her mind stooped during such situations and what made the absolute worst thing come into her mind first.

He made his way back home to put some sense into her, she needed to know how she sounded totally crazy by accusing him of things he didn't even do. He was going to let her know that she would be dragged to the court if she tried to tarnish his character one more time because this behaviour was absolutely ridiculous! She better change this thing right away.

"Good evening sir." Pia got him a glass of water as soon as he walked in.

"Shehnaaz nahi aayi?" He asked, not finding his wife's car outside in the lobby.

"Nahi sir." Pia replied and he nodded, knowing where else his wife could go.

"Puttar, batayegi kya hua hai? Jab se aayi hai, sirf roti ja rahi hai!" Parminder and Mankiran were worried when Shehnaaz had stormed into the house and disappeared into her bedroom without a word exchanged.

"Mumma, Jeeju bhi call nahi utha rahe. I'm afraid, inki ladai hui hai." Mankiran mentioned.

"Akela chhod do mujhe." Shehnaaz mumbled, turning her back to them. They had gathered around her on her bed.

"Nahi putt, idhar dekh. Bata ki hoya?" Parminder insisted, cupping her daughter's face.

"Sab ek jaise hote hai Mumma. Kitna bhi karlo, kafi nahi rehta in logo ke liye." Shehnaaz cried, getting into her mother's lap.

Parminder's heart broke when she understood what her daughter meant.

"Kya matlab?" Mankiran was confused, unaware of her father's deeds.

"Sana, tu sacchi bol rahi hai? Kya kiya Sidharth ne?" Parminder asked.

"Kisi ladki ke sath tha wo, pehle toh mera phone nahi utha raha tha. Fir uss ladki ne uthaya!" Shehnaaz's voice got muffled as she covered her face while bawling her eyes out.

"Yeh tu kya bol rahi hai?!" Mankiran was shocked.

"Sana, wo pyar karta tha na tere se?" Parminder wanted to make sure if it was the truth or not but the fear gripping her heart was making it hard to believe that there were still loyal people out there.

"Mam, Sidharth sir aaye hai." A house help informed.

"Mai dekhti hu." She replied, getting out to see him and to punish him in case he had hurt her daughter.

"Aunty, hello, I really need to talk to Shehnaaz right now." Sidharth said urgently.

"Wo nahi milna chahti." She simply replied.

"Aunty, usko galatfehmi hui hai. Mai baat karta hu usse, sab sort out ho jayega." He replied, looking at her teary eyes and figuring out what she must be thinking of him.

"Meri beti bohot kuch already seh chuki hai Sidharth. Yadi jane-unjane me bhi tumne kuch galat kiya hai, toh abhi ke abhi chale jao yaha se." Parminder warned him.

"Kuch galat kiya hota toh yaha nahi aata, Aunty." He firmly replied, making his way in without her permission.

"Shehnaaz.." he entered her room.

"Mankiran, give us a minute." He requested his sister in law.

"Get out Sidharth. I don't want to see you." Shehnaaz replied but he still gestured to Mankiran to give him some privacy.

He was taken aback when he looked at his wife, she looked terrible with those tired and red eyes, she looked so messed up, disturbed and lost. He tempered down, wondering why was she doing this if it was hurting her as well?

"What are you? Kya halat bana rakhi hai apni?" He asked, stepping towards her bed. Forgetting the part of shouting at her and dragging her to her court.
She didn't reply, she simply grabbed a rubber band and tied her hair, looking away from him and sitting straight.

"Why are you doing this? Ratti bhar bhi bharosa nahi hai mujhpe? I can't believe you, I can't believe it was you who wanted to give this marriage a chance! I can't believe this is how low you think of me!?" He asked again, only to realize she wasn't going to answer him because she never had that amount of faith in him.

"Well, iska idea tabhi ho gaya tha jab tum apne office me mazak uda rahi thi humari shaadi ka." He chuckled and this comment finally made her look up.

"Maine bas itna bol diya ki humari jaisi shaadi kisi ki naa ho toh itna bura lag gaya tujhe?" She spat, getting up from the bed.

"Kyuki bura lagne wali baat hai! Tune mazak bana ke rakh di humari shaadi! Aur tera dimag hai ya kachra? The moment you get to know I'm standing next to another woman, cheating on you is the only thing you come up with?! What is wrong with you?" He retorted in a similar tone.

"So what were you doing there? Who was she?" She questioned, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Why do you want to know? Mai bataunga toh manegi meri baat?" He mocked her with an indecent smile.

"Then why are you even here? Get out!" She replied angrily and walked back to the night stand to grab a glass of water.
He watched her fingers tremble while she cupped the glass and a jug full of water, her fingers were literally shaking.

"Shehnaaz, are you alright baby?" He came closer, afraid something was happening to her.

"Don't touch me!" She took a step back when he held her elbow and sat down, trying to calm her heartbeats.

"Your hands never trembled. Are you ok?" He mentioned, taking her hands into his.

"Oh God, Shehnaaz, I swear to God maine kuch nahi kiya yaar! Roma had called because she wanted to gimme this! It was work related!" He told her, he had enough of the silent treatment and almost threw the chip into her hands.

"Dekhlo khud isme kya hai! Aur itne se bhi mann na bhare toh bata dena, mai aur Roma medical test karwa lenge!" He spat. She looked at him, although only a medical test could prove if he was saying the truth or not but agreeing to the idea of this test would definitely damage their relationship a big time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello there.. here we are with another chapter.. another episode of drama and kalesh..

Okay, we might have made some progress here.. Mr husband wants to talk!!!???

But you know what.. none of them have been in a proper relationship that'd prepare them to understand the other one immediately.. so they're in the learning process.. I guess..

What do you think Shehnaaz will say?

Also, kya mai komolika jaisi vibe de rahi hu? Ouch that hurts!
I always wanted to become a good writer in the romance section lekin Komolika ban gayi..😭😭
Ab dekho kaise likes aur comments ke badle slow burn chapters likhti hu.. nikkkaaaaa...