"Hi Yasmin! Good evening!" Shehnaaz wished over the phone call. 

"Good evening Shehnaaz, kaisi ho?" her therapist replied. 

"I'm good and I'm actually doing good. Thanks to you." she replied.

"Aur ye toh nahi bolungi ki mai bilkul thik, kya pata aage jake apki zarurat pade? Lekin filhal mai thik hu, isliye, abhi mai sessions aur nahi lena chahti." she added.

"Ok, jaisa tum chaho. Aur yadi kabhi bhi lage ki meri zarurat hai toh tumhare paas mera number hai hi. Take care." Yasmin replied.

"Hanji, bilkul. You too take care." She hung up.

Though people hesitate to seek help, a mental health professional can provide a fresh perspective on an issue. Just like how Yasmin gave her a better understanding of her own emotions. She taught her how to positively accept those emotions. The sessions promoted her self-esteem, relationships, and outlook on life.

"Sidharth!" she called out for him from the kitchen.

"Ha?" he shouted back from his room.

"Mai market ja rahi hu sabzi lene, jab tu ghar jayega toh lock karte huye jana!" she informed, moving to her room to change.

"Sath me nikalte hai, mai drop kar dunga tujhe." he replied, coming out of his room.

"Thik hai." she agreed, walking out of her room changed into a T-shirt and jeans.

"Vo utar diye tune?" he asked, noticing she wasn't wearing her small studs in her ears but a simple black one now.

"Kya?" she stood on her tracks and checked herself out if she was missing anything.

"Vo chhote stone vala earring?" he clarified.

"Acha vo, ha abhi nikal diya maine. Ye vale ache nahi hai?" she asked, pushing back her hair strand.

"Nahi, thik hai." he nodded, walking out with her.

"Tune vo badi vali earring dekhi thi? Jo maine parso pehni thi?" she asked as they waited for the elevator to drop them downstairs, asking about the day she had dressed up a little but he didn't even compliment.

"Hmm. Thik thi vo bhi." he replied and she understood he didn't like them, big dangling earrings.

Once into the lobby, he opened the car door for her to get in and drove them towards the local market.

"Yahi rok de, mai chali jaungi varna tujhe poora U-turn lena padega." she told him, unhooking her seat belt.

"Thik hai, dekh ke road cross karna." he said, pulling the car aside.

"Ha, bye!" she kissed his cheek tightly. This man was so caring, she just couldn't help but adore him for that. He smiled and rubbed the lip gloss mark she left behind, making his way home.

Once she crossed the road, she entered the supermarket, looking for the vegetable market square inside and bought some. She was checking out the cabbages when her gaze fell on fruits placed next to it and she bought some papayas and apples for Sidharth too.

Done with the billing, she was waiting for an auto rickshaw with two loaded polythene bags when her eyes landed on a known figure, Adved.

He was standing across the lane, on the other side with his friends. She was about to wave at him but decided not to disturb because he had company until she noticed one of them pushing Adved challengingly and pointing a finger at him; it rather felt like a warning. It wasn't friendly banter because Adved had his hands raised in the air for surrender, trying to calm down his not so friendly friends.

She crossed the road, to interfere now, whatever was going on didn't look fine. "Adi?" she called out.

"Sh-shehnaaz! Uh, Di aap yaha?!" the boy was taken aback.

"Abhi jao tum log, please!" He requested those boys and turned to talk to her.

"Ye log tujhe pareshan kar rahe hai?" she asked him directly.

"Uh? Arey nahi toh. Bilkul nahi. College ke dost hai mere!" he replied, gulping down a lump. She gave them a glance and looked back at Adved,

"Bade dikhte hai tere se!" she commented.

"Vo arey! Vo uh, ye log seniors hai na! Isliye!" he replied. Even though he was fumbling with words and sweating by now, he thought she'd not catch him lying.

"Adi, tu dara hua hai. Koi problem hai toh mujhe bata, mai baat karti hu in logo se. Sidharth ko bol-" she assured, trying to help.

"Nahi, nahi please. Mama ko batane layak koi baat nahi hai." he urgently replied.

"Toh kya baat hai?" she insisted.

"Koi baat nahi hai! Ab friends me toh ladai hoti rehti hai na? Bas vahi samajh lo!" he said, this however seemed like an answer so she nodded.

"Mai ghar hi ja raha hu, drop kar du apko?" he offered then.

"Nahi, mai chali jaungi. Bags leke bike pe banega nahi baith-te." she replied.

"Arey, aram se ban jayega." he insisted, he wanted her to feel like everything was fine so that she wouldn't share about this incident with his uncle.

"Mai bags aage rakh leta hu, peeche baitho." he instructed, taking the bags from her and placing them in front of him.

"Aram se chalana tu!" she warned, recalling his driving speed.

"Baitho toh!" he chuckled, driving away towards her place.

Once back to his place, Preeti opened the door with a straight face. "Ye koi time hai ghar aane ka? 9 bajne vale hai!" she asked her son.

"Time ka dhyan nahi tha Mom." he replied, walking past her to freshen up for dinner.

"Guess karo, mujhe kon mili raste me?" he bumped into his uncle's shoulder.

"Teri girlfriend?" Sidharth teased.

"Shh! Mama yaar, dheere bolo." he panicked if his mother would have heard and infact his father was seated adjacent to them.

"Meri nahi apki!" Then he chuckled, answering his uncle.

"Kya?" Sidharth was stunned to hear that from him. He was definitely talking about Shehnaaz, wasn't he?

"Shehnaaz di! Look at your face yaar Mama, aise chauk kyu gaye!" Adved asked.

"Kyuki kuch bhi bolta hai tu!" Sidharth scolded, to make sure he doesn't take it otherwise.

"Mazak kar raha tha, sorry." the boy replied. Adved had to let Sidharth know that he met Shehnaaz on his way so that even if she told his uncle about their encounter so that he wouldn't get suspicious.

"Sidharth, tujhe pata hai Vivek ki shadi fix ho gayi hai! Parso sagai hai." Preeti informed him about their cousin on the dining table.

"Itni jaldi?" he was surprised.

"Maine bola tha, ye family group dekhta hi nahi hoga." she turned to her mother and then back to her brother, "1 mahine se rishta pakka ho chuka hai aur engagement ki date bhi!" she told him.

He hummed and continued to eat. The reason why he wasn't very active in his family whatsapp group was that he'd anyway receive the news of whatever was happening in the family from his mother and sister and also because his relatives were on a mission to get their single children hitched.

"Hum Pune jayenge parso." Preeti said.

"Zaruri hai?" he turned to his mother.

"Ha beta, kitne time se nahi mile hai hum sab. Ajay lamba drive nahi pata, tu le chal." RitaJi replied.

"Sahi hai, driver bana lo mujhe." he shook his head.

"Banane ki zarurat nahi hai, tu already hai." Preeti joked, making him scowl.

Done with dinner he returned to his place to find Shehnaaz occupying the sofa with a quilt on, watching a movie in the dark.

"Kya dekha rahi hai?" he asked, switching on the lights.

"Yaar! Lights nahi yaar!" she whined, making him switch them off instantly.

"Haseen Dilruba!" she replied and he stared at the TV screen, the couple were romancing.

"Sahi hai, chal khasak!" He stood next to where she was laying and asked her to make space for him. She obliged, sitting up so that he could sit next to her but he layed instead.

"Oye!" she paused the film and snapped at him.

"Meri jagah hai!" she said.

"Naam thodi likha hai!" he retorted, forwarding his hand to take the remote.

"Climax aane vala hai! Aur meko yahi se let ke dekhna hai!" she whined, she was too engrossed in the movie to entertain him now.

"Acha, aaja idhar." he said, extending an arm. She adjusted the quilt away, moved her hair to one side and laid down facing the TV screen and her back facing him.

"Romantic crime thriller hai. Ye jo ladki hai na, isne apne husband ka murder kiya hai. Shayad apne lover ke sath mil ke, back -story me dikha raha hai." she explained and they saw the movie ending with a mind blowing twist.

"Kaisi lagi movie?" she asked him but he didn't reply. She turned her head slowly to find him already asleep and she smiled at the cute site and shook him.

"Sidharth, uth. Andar chale ja." she whispered, worrying for his back.

He woke up instantly, "Hm? Movie khatam?" he asked.

"Ha! Ja andar so ja tu. Good nini!" she replied, kissing his cheek and wishing him good night.

"Hm, good night." he pecked her cheek back before making his way towards his room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Toh kaise hai aplog? I got the time so wrote another chap.. How's it..

We're going to step into another phase of a relationship.. Well.. Apart from the romantic aspects.. there's caring.. Thoughtful.. Protective instincts involved.. And we'll explore all of it.. So buckle up!