Shehnaaz walked into her husband's study after their dinner.

"I was just coming." Sidharth told her, while going through a couple of files. Suddenly he felt her arms around him, she sobbed a little as she silently cried and hugged his back.

"What happened!?" He got worried, turned around and cupped her face.

"Tune Manu se baat ki? Usne mujhe abhi call kiya." She replied, smiling amongst those warm tears.

"Ha, maine call kiya usko aur daant bhi lagayi, bataya usne?" He asked her. She smiled, shook her head and mouthed thank you to him.

She was so happy, content and full of gratitude towards this man that she didn't know if just words could describe how thankful and indebted she was to have him in her life, to have his support and to be the lucky one he cares for.

"Itna accha lag raha hai Manu se baat karke." She told him, revealing how well it went with her sister and mother. And why not, she didn't get to talk to them for almost two months.

"Mai na, matlab jitna thank you utna kam hoga. Sidharth.. tu kitna karta hai mere liye." She added, caressing his face. He smiled, gesturing her to take a seat on the couch nearby and sat next to her.

"Humare liye kiya maine." He replied, wrapping his arms around her shoulder and kissing her head.

He had to talk to Manu and ask her to sort things out because he couldn't see his wife suffering and slipping into depression just like that. He had a family once but he had lost them to one unfortunate accident whereas his wife had a family but they were breaking up, one was going against another while one refused to talk to the others. He didn't know if he could ever get them to reunite one day but he never wanted them to split up. He was no God to get Sukhbir to confess his frauds in the court but he could at least get the rest of the family together because he knew the importance of a family and especially how terrible it felt to live without one.

"Sana, mujhe thoda time chahiye tha sab kuch apne andar process karne ke liye. Uske peeche maine socha nahi ke tujhe kaise lag raha hoga jab mai tere calls nahi le rahi thi. Maaf karde yaar. Mai tujhe kabhi hurt nahi karna chahti thi." Manu had apologised as she cried with her sister.

"Tu pagal hai?! Kyu sorry bol rahi hai? Aur ro kyu rahi hai? Tujhe toh kuch pata bhi nahi tha yaar, teri kya galti hai isme. Shh, bas ab. Chup karja." And just like that Shehnaaz forgave her sister.

"Nahi, galti ki maine. Ghar se dur aa gayi kyuki mujhe dar tha ke teri aur Papa ki ladai me se mujhe kisi ek ko choose karna padega. Kabhi sahi aur galat ke bare me nahi socha maine." Manu confessed.

"Kyuki tu pyar karti hai na humse Manu, mai samajhti hu puttu. Koi na, meko pata hai ke tu mujhe pyar karti hai aur utna mere liye kafi hai." Shehnaaz assured her sister.

"Acha ye sab chhod, Mumma se baat hoti hai teri? Kaisi hain wo?" She asked, diverting the topic.

"Bas ek bari hui, Papa se zid kiya toh unhone bas 5 minute baat karwai. Papa ne unka phone rakha hua hai aur sabko bahane dete firte hain ke Mummy iss case ke wajah se thodi dukhi hain." Manu replied and told her how their father had cut off their mother's contacts with others.

"Hm." Shehnaaz didn't know how to stop her tears, she badly wanted to see her mother.

"Tu ek second hold kariyo, bilkul mute pe rehna. Thik hai." Manu said and the next moment dialled her father's number.

"Kaisi hai Manu? Sab thik puttar, itni raat ko phone kiya?" Before Shehnaaz could ask she was put on hold and then she heard Sukhbir's voice.

"Hanji, Papa. Mai thik hu, bas wo na- umm, meri roommate ko khasi ho rahi hai. Mujhe Mumma se unke kadha ke bare me puchna hai, unko phone dona jaldi." Manu lied.

"Oh, ek mint." Sukhbir bought it and woke up Parminder to talk to their daughter.

"Puttar ki hoya?" The moment they heard her, Shehnaaz's happiness knew no bounds and she silently cried.

"Mumma, Sana hai dusri side, aap chup chap kadhe ki recipe batate huye bahar aa jao." Manu instructed her mother as well.

"Ha. Tune normal chai jaise banana hota hai, tere pass Tulsi toh hogi na?" The duo had been talking like these as a way to excuse themselves from Sukhbir and move to another room.

"Sana? Meri bacchi? Kaisi hai? Apna khayal rakhti hai na tu?" Parminder's voice cracked as she got to talk to her favourite child.

"Mumma.. mumma maine kitna miss kiya aapko! Thik ho na aap?!" They cried as they had their most awaited conversation.

"Mai kaisi rahungi tere bina?" The mother replied.

"Mumma, aap yaha aa jao na. Humare sath raho!" Shehnaaz requested.

"Mann toh karta hai putt, lekin mai chali gayi toh inko kon rokega? Sara parivar toot jayega." Parminder replied.

"Kya karoge aap Mummy? Ye sab ab sirf Papa hi rok sakte hai, sach bol ke. Aapne hi aaj tak itna kiya hai, kab tak aap hi karte rahoge?" Shehnaaz said and it had her mother thinking.

As the days rolled on, they did the small pooja that Ramya had organised in the presence of close family and friends.

Along with Shehnaaz, Ria was also a part of it, sitting down next to their husbands, all of them prayed for the well-being of their babies. She kept an eye on the main doors, waiting for her sister and mother to arrive since they had promised to be there.

"Ek baar jaa ke dekh lunch ke arrangements, mai yaha guests ko attend kar raha hu." Sidharth told her, since they were done with their part in the pooja and it was Adith and Ria's turn.

She nodded, even though it felt a little strange because he had asked her not to do anything and just sit. She walked into the lawn when she felt a hand on her back.

"Looking for someone?" There she was, Manu and Parminder standing behind her.

"Mumma!?" A sob escaped Shehnaaz's mouth as she understood how they surprised her and she excitedly ran to hug her mother.

"Aram se! Aram se!" Parminder hugged her daughter, repetitively kissed her head and assured herself that all of this was real. She finally met her daughter today.

"Group hug guys, Jiju aao na." Manu said, brought Sidharth and all of them held each other.

"Bas, bas baba!" Parminder wiped Shehnaaz's tears, all of them entered the mansion together and joined everyone in the pooja.

Later in the evening, the guests had left the family to have some time for themselves. Ramya and Parminder were having tea in the garden area, planning the baby shower's theme and menu. Whereas the two sisters and Sidharth were in their room.

"Tum dono ne Papa ko kya bola? Unhone ne roka nahi?" Shehnaaz curiously asked.

"Tu aam kha na, guthliya kyu ginti hai!?" Manu replied, waving her hand in the air and asking her sister to not worry about it.

"Manu, jo pucha hai wo bata?! Sidharth tujhe pata hai?" Shehnaaz insisted. He sighed and nodded, not wanting to keep her in the dark.

"Yadi mai Mummy ko lene jata toh Uncle court me bolte ki maine unhe bhi manipulate kiya. So I decided to let it be her call, Mummy ne unse kaha ke wo ja rahi hai aur Mankiran bhi unke sath aa gayi." He replied.

"Papa shocked honge, unko humesha lagta tha Mummy unko chhod ke kabhi nahi jayenge." She mentioned, recalling those days when her mother used to give in to her father's apologies.

"Shocked? Unko toh pakka chakkar hi aa jana tha. Mummy ne bol diya ke Sana ko aisi halat me akele nahi chhod sakti aur hum ja rahe uske pass. Papa ne warning di, ke hum ghar wapas nahi aa payenge iske baad, toh Mummy ne keh diya ke wapas aane ke liye nahi ja rahe. Unko Papa se ab koi umeed nahi rahi." Manu informed them.

"I guess she decided to snap him back to reality." He commented and hugged both the girls slowly. Watching their parents separate was also difficult.

"Sana, hum hai tere pass aur tere sath. Tu tension na le, ab sab accha hona hi hai." Manu said, holding her sister's hand as they hugged each other tight.

"Parso ki court hearing me Ramya aunty ko bulaya hai. I think hume bhi unke sath jana chahiye." Shehnaaz mentioned for a change of topic in a while and her sister nodded.

"Koi zarurat nahi hai, tum dono ghar pe rahogi." He announced.

"Please yaar! Kabhi toh maan ja?!" She requested.

"I don't want you anywhere around the court, wo log tujhe unnecessarily is case me involve karenge, faltu sawal puchenge aur manipulate karenge. Baby we've been through this, meri baat maan yaar." He said, strictly asking her not to bring this up again.

"Gussa kyu kar raha hai? I'm not that weak ke unke baaton me ajau!" She argued.

"I know, tu weak nahi hai lekin mere me itna patience nahi ke koi tujhse faltu sawal kare aur mai dekhta rahu. You very well know that your father has made this about the pregnancy and I don't want them to talk shit about us anymore." He replied, he sounded so adamant that she gave in yet again.

"Please meri jaan, bas meri yeh baat maan le." He requested, cupping her face and she nodded.

"Fine." She muttered.

"Aww! You guys!" Manu adored them like a fangirl.

Since Ramya had agreed to the marriage proposal on Sidharth's behalf and was a part of the contract, she was asked to testify for his statements and arguments. Being a well rehearsed person who had given a lot of media interviews, she knew what to say and what not to say in the court.

"So Manu, ab tum bhi rest karlo. It's been a hectic day for you as well." He said, hinting that they should go to sleep now.

"Kaisa rest? Itne time ke baad mai yaha hu, hum toh poori raat gappe marenge." Manu announced, settling further into the bed to tease her brother in law.

"I understand, lekin Shehnaaz ko subha uthna hai aur exercise karna hai, she needs to rest." He insisted, wanting to finally have some privacy in his own bedroom.

"Come on Sidharth! Manu se itni sari baatein karni hai mujhe, tu tension na le, hum so jayenge jaldi." Shehnaaz spoke, gesturing towards her sister and her as if he was supposed to stay in another room.

"You guys know what!? Fine. Karo baatein, lekin mere room ke bahar!" He replied, getting into the bed.

"Kitna drama karta hai na yeh!" Shehnaaz laughed along with her sister.

"Jiju mai kya aapko itni buri lagti hu?!" Manu commented, giggled and hugged him before leaving the couple by themselves.

He did turn a little pink but he wasn't embarrassed just because he wanted to go to sleep with his woman.

"So clingy!" Shehnaaz teased him.

"Just so you know, kisi ne roka nahi tumko!" He replied, closing his eyes.

"Toh mai jau?" She asked and he shrugged but he opened his eyes to look for her when he heard the door open and close and she didn't respond.

He sat up, surprised that she actually left.

"Relax, bathroom me hu." She said and he silently chuckled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So here we are, things are starting to get better with time! And so are relationships!

How about ladies finally taking a step against the working men just to let them know that the world doesn't revolve around them?