"Amma, Papaji kaha gaye?" she asked.

It had been a huge task to reveal the situation to her parents but she did it and also ended up getting scolded for being so late. The entire Gill family was on the call, where her brother was fuming with anger and her mother was crying along with her. Her father was listening too but he had abruptly left the call in the middle of the conversation.

"Gusse me uth kar chale gaye. Tu abhi ja kar ke bata rahi hai! Pehle kyu nahi bataya? Koi bhi pareshani hoti hai toh bacha sabse pehle apne maa baap ke paas aata hai na puttar!" ParminderJi said and heard her daughter crying on the other side.

"Ab chup hoja, haaye meri bacchi! Tere layak hi nahi tha vo, acha kiya usse rishta tod ke! Tu meri sher puttar hai na, chaped lagai ke nahi unna-nu?" ParminderJi asked. Her daughter was hurt and she found herself helpless with the distance between them. She prayed to the almighty to provide her strength and sanity to carry herself on.

"Lagai na Mumma!" she said. She was missing her mother so much, her lap, her sweet kisses and tight hugs were much needed.

"Hum hai tere sath! Waheguru hai tere sath! Le Shehbaz aa gaya!" her mother replied and handed over the phone to the little Gill.

"Mai puch raha tha tabhi kyon nahi bataya? Moto, mujhe toh bol sakti thi!" he seethed.

"Umm, t-tab nahi bol payi. Abhi jo hona tha hogaya, kya kar leta tu?" she replied.

"Uski tange tod deta! Tu bol bas ek bari mujhe, mai sachi uske office ghus jaunga!" her brother answered, breathing fire.

"Gunda hai tu? Papaji ko baat karne de, bade hai, unko handle karne de." she explained to him, trying to calm down his protective nerves. Her baby brother was aggressive, it was the only thing they didn't have in common.

"Thik hai, lekin jis din mujhe vo Pahuja mila na. Maine usse baat zarur karni hai. Aur sunn, Papaji baat karenge." Shehbaz said before her father took over.

"Sana!" Papa Gill spoke, returning to the call.

"Hanji Papa?" she answered, swallowing a lump.

"Tujhe turrant phone lagana chahiye tha na? Mai baat karunga uske maa baap se! Bada sona munda hai kehte the aur inni giri huyi harkat ki hai usne! Mai chhodunga nahi usko!" her father said. She wanted to hug him at the moment, her father loved her so much.

"Tu na ghar aaja. Acha lagega." Sukhwinder Ji suggested.

"M-mujhe chhuti nahi milegi Papa. Jaruri kamm haiga." she sadly replied.

"Sana! Tera mann tha na bahar kaam karne ka? Abhi 3 mahine hogaye na puttar? Vaise bhi tujhe konsa vaha humesha rehna tha, Ghar aaja ab.'' Her father announced and she couldn't help but agree with him unwillingly.

On opening the door, she found Sidharth working in the living room with his laptop. She took a seat next to him, taking a deep breath and rested her head back. He looked at her, she was a Shehnaaz he wished she wouldn't have become after last night's episode. She just sat there, with her face sulking and eyes silently crying.

"Kya bole?" he calmly asked.

"Dukhi huye, gussa kar rahe the uspe. A-aur ghar bula rahe hai." she replied, crossing her legs and adjusting herself comfortably.

"Yeah, actually that's a really great idea! Tujhe ghar jana chahiye, kaam se office se thoda sa break le aur relax kar. Trust me, ghar jayegi, mann halka hoga aur acha lagega." he said, turning to her.

"Gayi toh vapas nahi aungi.." she mumbled.

"Kya?" he pardoned her incoherent words.

"Ghar bula rahe hai se mera matlab tha, vapas bula rahe hai. I'll be gone, permanently." she explained, glancing at him to find him surprised.

"Tu- lekin teri toh job hai yaha?" he doubtfully questioned.

"Lekin abhi yaha rehne ka purpose nahi hai na. Uh-tujhe nahi pata. Long story.." she brushed him off and grabbed her phone.

"Arey batana?" he insisted.

"Jab meri engagement huyi thi na?" she began, uninterested though.

"Hmm.." he nodded encouragingly.

"Tabhi Am-Amrinder apne start up business ka naya branch yaha Mumbai me kholne vala tha. Usne Papaji ko manaya tha ke mai uske sath chalu, takey hum jaan jayenge ek dusre ko shadi tak. Mai yaha apni job bhi continue karungi aur vo apna business, hum yahi shift ho jate shadi karke. Lekin-" she took a pause when her phone beeped with a message.

"Ek minute, Ananya ka message hai!" she said and shifted her focus to the phone.

"Baad me dekhna, yeh zyada important hai abhi." he replied, disliking the silly disturbance. She rolled her eyes at him and kept the device down and continued.

"Lekin usko Delhi me acha set up mil gaya toh vo jaldi jaldi vaha chala gaya. Tabhi mai interview clear kar chuki thi toh maine zid ki yaha aane ki, Papaji maan gaye kyuki-" she paused again, much to Sidharth's irritation.

"Kyuki?" he forwarded his ears to let her know that he was listening.

"Usne manaya tha, guarantee li thi ki mera dhyan rakhe ga. Isiliye, sirf uske bolne pe PapaJi mane the!" she concluded, breaking down while speaking.

"Arey! Shehnaaz yaar! Roh kyu rahi hai?" he cooed, shifting closer. He felt bad for her, she loved her job and her new found life. And just because her engagement broke off, her father wanted her to quit and come back. This was unfair! And she willingly agreed with her father was the biggest part of his surprise.

"Shhh. Why are you crying?" he asked.

"Amma ki yaad aa rahi hai, isiliye rona aa raha hai." she replied with a childlike innocence. He smiled, saw her wiping her tears and hugged her.

"Toh thik hai na, ja toh rahi hai tu unke paas?" he shrugged, coaxing her.

"Ha lekin, mujhe vapas nahi jana! Matlab jana hai, Mummy se milna hai, Papa ji se, bhai se milna hai. Lekin mujhe poora poora vapas nahi jana." she answered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mujhe ye job nahi chhodni.." she mumbled the main thing then.

"Then don't.." he said, in an equally low tone while looking at her.

"Papaji nahi manenge!" she replied, her eyes filled up again. She just knew it.

"Tch! Rone kyu lagti hai har baat pe?" he tsked.

"Tu na, nahi samjhega, rehne de." she stated, getting up and leaving.

"Kya nahi samjhunga? You don't want to go, right? Toh bolde apne Papa ko!" he stood up too.

"As if I didn't know that! Tu rehnede na!" she snapped at him from the kitchen. He wouldn't lie, he was taken aback with her mood swing. He was trying to help!

"Fine. Ja vapas." he replied in the same tone and made his way towards his bedroom to change. He was supposed to be at home tonight, it was new year's eve afterall.

Shehnaaz switched on the TV hoping she would get distracted for a while from the mess she was in. Amrinder's betrayal, his harsh words were still ringing like bells inside her head and she couldn't help but ponder over them. She thanked her God for saving her from the wrong man and on the other hand she wondered how she could have saved her relationship. She knew her comfort should be her priority for sure but she contemplated with the thought of one's physical needs that should also be taken care of.

Sidharth was parking his car when he got a call from his mother.

"Beta, kaha hai tu? Dinner ka time ho raha hai!" she asked.

"Aa gaya Mom, ghar ke bahar hi hu." he answered, climbing out of his vehicle.

"Nani, pucho unse, chocolate cake mix laaye hai?" he heard Adved's voice and stopped in his tracks.

"Shit, mai abhi leke aata hu." Sidharth replied, opening the car door again.

"Mama, rehne do Nani ne bola maide se bhi ban jayega!!" Adved shouted from the balcony as loud as he could. Sidharth nodded, waving his phone in the air. Couldn't he use his brain?

"Homemade cake ha?" he asked Adved.

"Aisi! Ghar ke ladko ko bhi kitchen me kuch karna aana chahiye.." Adved answered, but with a mocking smirk.

"Excuse me!" Sidharth shot his head to him.

"Mom bol rahi thi aisa, so I thought I'd bake her a cake.." Adved replied, biting back his smile. With sheer hardships and giggles, they all made a cake which didn't even taste good.

"Happy New Year!" What mattered was the family's love and blessings around, they wished each other at 12. 

'Happy New Year! It was hard for you but I believe that you can do it. Start afresh Shehnaaz.' he texted her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Permanent Roommates
Chapter 19

If Facing the fight is Difficult then bearing with its consequences aren't easy either.. Where we were glad to have Shehnaaz out of her toxic relationship.. She is facing her father's decision and trying to digest it..

Sidharth's there.. Like he was.. Like he will be.. But he doesn't know her father and her mind's state yet.. Does he? I think there's more.. Stay tuned..