Shehnaaz was on a video call with her family, letting them know about Amrinder's surprise and they could not be any more happy about it. They had a group chat, appreciating their son in law and his efforts. She had always heard from her cousins and friends about the mushy-mushy romantic thing among couples. But she never heard of the other side, this awkwardly uncomfortable side. She couldn't fathom it.

Soon, it was time for Amrinder to leave in the evening and Shehnaaz booked themselves a cab to drop him off at the airport.

"Yeh do din kaise nikal gay pata hi nahi chala.." Amrinder said, while sitting in the waiting hall with her. Really? She wondered, because the way things had happened, it made her every minute count.

"Hmm.." still replied though.

"Sana, let us forget jo hua, I mean, jo nahi ho paya. Let's just be normal." he said, not wanting to leave things unattended. She hummed again, not knowing what she should rather say, he was talking normally so she let it be.

"Next time, tum aana Delhi!" he suggested.

"Pakka!" she smiled and they stood up when the flight announcements were made. She sighed once he left, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding. She unknowingly felt relieved.

On her way back home, she stopped by a furniture store to get her bed repaired. The store had sent a worker with her and she was watching him fix a new foot beneath her bed.

"Madam, iski lakdiya purani hai, barish ki nami se kharab hone lagi hai. Naya leleo humari dukan se." the guy suggested.

"Rehne do bhaiya! Aapki dukan dekhi maine, 30 hazar se kam me kuch nahi tha. Aur abhi ye paye badalne se kaam chal jayega! Zyada purana nahi hoga ye bistar!" she replied, pulling out a few notes from her purse to pay him.

"Thik hai madam." He handed his shop's card before leaving. Things were so easy at home, she never needed to worry about the furniture. Actually she never even had to think about it and now that she was living on her own, realizations dawned. Usko daal aate ka bhao pata lag raha tha, as they say in hindi.

The next day in the office, Sidharth saw Shehnaaz in the projector room. She came to the office today, which meant that her special guest must have left. He mentally sighed, he could go back to his apartment now. She was there with her team, all of them were asked to assemble by Vardhan to let them know about another project and were introduced to their new clients.

"Shehnaaz. Riya will get you a file now. Prepare its Excel spreadsheet by the evening." Sidharth called her through the intercom.

She looked at her table for those files Riya had already handed her in the projector hall, but there were just her rough papers now. On not being able to find them, she strolled back to the place where she had forgotten them. While walking hastily, she bumped into someone and spilled that person's coffee on the floor.

"Shit!" both Shehnaaz and Sidharth spat at the same time.

"Acha hua tere shirt pe nahi gira!" she said.

"Shirt ki padi hai?!" he scolded, jerking his hand.

"I'm so sorry! Tera hath jal gaya?" she panicked, examining his palm.

"Thank God, cold coffee tha. Nahi jala." he chuckled, earning a glare.

"Bada bekar hai tu! Jane de mujhe!" she rolled her eyes at him, walking past through the corridor. Who jokes around in the office?

Post lunch, she was working with Ananya and Harsh.

"Yaar, ye colour combination acha nahi lag raha. Isn't it too bold for an entrance?" Ananya stated.

"Nahi! I think it's fine. Colourful hai!" Harsh disagreed.

"No! Ye tangerine shade bohot zyada chamak raha hai!" Ananya whined.

"No, it's bright! It's cheerful! Shehnaaz tu bata?" Harsh continued to disagree with Ananya and turned to Shehnaaz.

"I don't know!" she answered, looking at the screen. She had no idea, nor about the colour combination they were discussing, nor about her relationship.

Amrinder had texted her when he reached and even in the morning. Pretending everything was fine, just like he had said they should. But somewhere in her heart, she didn't feel good about it, about pretending that awkwardness never emerged when it actually did.

"Missing someone?" Ananya pulled her leg, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Nah!" Shehnaaz shook her head, focusing on her new laptop screen.

"Chalna! Batana, what is long distance dating maintenance like?" Ananya questioned and even Harsh expectantly looked at her.

"Kuch kaam vaam nahi hai kya?" Shehnaaz scoffed, making her way towards her cubicle to work.

"Hey, done with the file?" Sidharth asked, while passing by.

"Umm, not yet. Just another hour." she nodded, answering.

"Subah se diya hua hai file! Kar jaldi, get it ready by 6.'' he replied.

She shut her eyes, once he left. She couldn't focus on work properly since morning, feeling slightly gloomy and low and hence took more time than usual.

Sidharth was planning to leave early today once the report would be ready, so that he could order the consignment but Shehnaaz got it delayed. She seemed kind of off today, kind of reserved which she usually wasn't. Was it about her fiancé? Well, unintentionally he had heard them talking that night. Or what else could it be!?

He was pulled out of his reverie by a knock. "Come in" he answered to see Shehnaaz with a file.

"Bana di hai maine spreadsheet. Mail check kar!" she beamed, she finally did it in time. Proud of herself.

"Okay.." he said, checking his mails to forward it to the contractor.

"Why have you listed the exhaust ventilators?" he asked, scrolling through. It was a contract regarding redesigning a library.

"Shehnaaz yaar! Are you kidding me? Ye kya kiya tune!?" he snapped at her, forwarding her the file she brought him.

"Yehi file di thi na tune! Agrawal vali!" she said, flipping through the pages to check if she was wrong.

"Dono Agrawal hai kya?" she then bit her lips at the corner. Oh dear lord!

"Ha, Ramesh Agrawal ka restaurant ka consignment hum already de chuke hai. The file that you received in the morning was Tejas Agrawal's! Library!" Sidharth scolded, this was an utterly stupid mistake.

"I'm so sorry, maine naam nahi padha tha. Jaldi jaldi me file adla badli ho gayi." she replied.

"Dobara se bana du? Zyada time nahi lagega!" she requested.

"Leave it now. Hum 7 baje ke baad mail nahi kar sakte. Aur vaise bhi tujhe poora din laga tha ye Excel sheet tayyar karne me." he said, brushing her off. This was such a careless act, they were supposed to mail their orders by today and he had given this task to her because she was good at it.

"I -I am sorry. Sab jagah siyappa kiya hua hai maine! Mai Vardhan ko bhi sorry bol dungi." she mumbled, ducking her head with disappointment.

"Baat vo nahi hai, abhi ho gaya gadbad toh ye bata thik karke kab tak degi?" he asked. He had scolded her because, being a boss, he had to, but not make her guilt ridden with it.

"Kal! Mai- I promise, kal office aake sabse pehli cheez mai yahi karungi." she said and he nodded in response to that.

"By 12pm, lunch se pehle?" he asked again, smiling this time.

"By 12 pm, lunch se pehle! Pakka boss!" she repeated him, pinched the middle of her throat with her first two fingers. Suppose she was taking an oath about it.

"Thik hai, let's call it a day then." he sighed, nodding away. She sprinted out with the file and wrapped up her stuff.

Both of them were home in some time, Sidharth directly returned to the apartment instead of his Mom's place today. She freshened up and moved to the kitchen to make some tea, when the doorbell rang. Who could it be at this time? She wondered and opened the door to find a Domino's delivery guy.

"Bhaiya, maine koi order nahi kiya hai." she said, denying to take the boxes.

"Mam address toh yahi hai, Sidharth Shukla?" the guy asked.

"Oh, phir dedo. Yahi rehta hai vo." she nodded and received them.

"Sidhaarth!" she called him out.

"Ha? Oh aagaya pizza! Chal khate hai." he said, taking the box from her, making himself comfortable on the sofa and sprinkling the oregano.

"Mere liye bhi mangaya hai?" she asked, like an excited kid.

"Ha, aaja!" he replied, patting the space beside him.

"Haaye, acha kiya. Mere me himmat nahi thi aaj roti pakane ki. Vaise mere liye kyu?" she sighed, feeling the cheese inside her mouth.

"Aise hi, company mil jati." he answered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Permanent Roommates
Chapter 11 is here.

Here we go! This was something I was skeptical about.. While writing.. Because things.. Wrong decisions.. Or mistakes take time to get back on track..
Shehnaaz still doesn't know Amrinder properly but she knows he made her feel uncomfortable! I know you all hate him.. Toh  Shehnaaz kya kare? Sagai tod de? Let her learn what's wrong in that guy. Time and patience.
About Sidharth, let me just admit that the guy is so good to have around.. He makes things seem easy. Isn't it? And oh the friends are having pizza again.

Do vote and comment all!