"Haaye! Itni special treatment mile toh mai roz chot lagva lu." She yawned, stretching her arm while making herself comfortable in the living room.

"Monu, diet coke lana." She asked the cook, switching on the TV.

"Ha aunty, thode se hath paer chhil gaye hai." Sidharth entered the hall, talking to Shehnaaz's mother over a phone call.

"Doodh de diya already aunty, tension mat lo. " He replied to her question.

"TV dekh rahi hai, lo baat karlo." He said, tapping on Shehnaaz's shoulder. She spent the entire Sunday getting pampered by the family. It included a chocolate milkshake post breakfast and no work for the entire day until Monday arrived.

In the past months of working in the Elite group of interior designing, Shehnaaz, Ananya and Harsh used to deal with the clients themselves while a small team was prepared to work under them. They were currently in a meeting, giving away the
presentation.

"It’s quite common for restaurants to be bold with their colour choices. In a dining room there are just a few items of furniture and the colours chosen feel very much ‘on show’, in a restaurant setting, the volumes of furniture, accessories and light sources are far greater so there’s a distraction from the colour." Ananya began walking over to one side of the projector and letting her friend begin with her part.

"A restaurant’s floor plan forms an immediate impression of ambiance. Keeping tables spread out so that each feels secluded and the guest experience will be an intimate one. Tables packed tightly together on the other hand are a statement of liveliness. Determining your restaurant's layout, humne ye theme pe interior design plan kiya hai." Shehnaaz explained the pictures they had put up on the screens.

"How'd the meeting go?" Sidharth asked them, over the lunch break.

"It was good, unlog impressed the." Ananya replied, stuffing in a morsel.

"You wrap up everything you have now, apne ko nikalna hai." He said, reminding Shehnaaz about their plan.

"Arey ha! Mai toh bhool gayi thi. Ani, I'm sorry. we'll be leaving early today, kuch kaam hai." She said and informed her friend about the same.

"Aye, humara ek presentation pending hai?!" Her friend mentioned.

"Kal karte hai na yaar, ye broker se milne ka program already do din se peeche chal raha hai. Kal pakka!" She promised, wrapping up her stuff and making her way out of the building with Sidharth. As soon as they were on the roads, he called their broker.

"Hey, hi Shashi. We're on our way." He said, connecting the call with the bluetooth of the car so doesn't have to hold the phone while driving.

"Hi Sid! Yeah, I've reached. Mai tumhe call karne hi vali thi ke tumhare call aagaya. Timing ha!" A beautiful voice replied.

Sidharth chuckled in response to that, "Yeah, pahuchne vala hu mai bhi." He said and hung up.

"Mujhe nahi pata tha ye broker ek ladki hai." Shehnaaz said, Shashi sounded like a guy's name and more than that, the job of a broker mostly had men in its field.

"Ha, maine bhi nahi socha tha." He replied.

"Tune isi se flat ke details liye the?" She inquired.

"Ha, vo Vasant vihar vala." He answered.

"Okay, I'm so excited about it!" She gushed happily.

They were finally on the same page now, even though she didn't want to burden him with the humongous loan, she still gave in. If he was so bent on over these kinds of apartments, she knew there would be a reason.

So here they were, standing below extremely tall buildings of Galaxy apartments. It was an urban project featuring three monumental towers offering impeccably designed apartments that personify luxury and comfort.

"Hey!" Shashi waved at them from the reception area and walked over to them to introduce herself once again. Hot, the broker was a surprisingly hot lady who was well accustomed with Sidharth, it felt like they had met before but they hadn't as far as Shehnaaz knew.

"You must be Shehnaaz!" Shashi forwarded her hand.

"Yeah, hi. Sorry to keep you waiting." She said. 

"Don't be, come this way." Shashi replied politely and showed them the way to the elevator. She took them to the 13th floor and led them to apartment number 20.

"It's a strategic location that seamlessly connects it to major Central Business Districts such as BKC, Nariman Point & Lower Parel. Setting a new standard of modern yet peaceful living, you guys are gonna explore the various options and enjoy a lifestyle that is enriched with class and style." She began as they entered the highly designed place and started taking a tour.

"This is amazing!" Shehnaaz excitedly expressed and giggled when her voice boomed back in the empty space.

"You like it?" He whispered to her. Looking at the living area, he could imagine them rolling over the couch and watching some movie together.

"I love it!" She replied in the same manner.

"Pakka karle?" He asked then.

"Haaye mere se mat puch!" She mumbled, looking away.

"Toh aur kisse puchu bey?!" He blankly stated.

"Yaar, ye ghar bada sundar hai, east facing bhi hai aur meko bahot acha laga. Khush hu mai, excited, nervous sab hu iss ghar ko leke." She mentioned.

"Mai bhi." He exhaled a breath, looking around the long walls. They entered the balcony and stood there for a couple of minutes in silence.

She held his hand in hers and looked into his eyes, "Yaha pe jhula lagaungi mai. Aur thode se plants bhi ache lagenge, mai soch rahi thi." She said. Buying a house and in South Mumbai was definitely going to be extravagant but when he was going to buy it for them from the bottom of his heart, she didn't want to hold him back.

"Thik hai." He replied and smiled in response, holding her hand back tighter and pulling her closer.

"We're buying it." He mumbled.

"We're buying it!" She repeated after him, even more excitedly. It was certainly the best feeling in the world.

The important part of a relationship is to understand and focus on how to make life better for each other, if indeed, love is the reason to be together, leaving that, everything else can be altered, as you move on creating life. They finalized the 3BHK apartment and asked Shashi to get it booked.

"Shehnaaz Kaur Gill." He asked Shashi to name it under her.

"Sidharth! Kya kar raha hai?" Shehnaaz's head snapped towards him, wondering if he was serious. How could he name this big ass house under her name.

"Chup reh." He replied, asking Shashi to go ahead.

"I'll let the other party know. Congratulations to both of you!" The broker wished them, before leaving.

"You sure about it? Mere naam pe likhvaya hai tune itna bada ghar! Sochle 10 baar pehle!" She warned him, feeling overwhelmed inside. It wasn't a small thing, never in her entire life did she have owned a house and one like that.

"Soch liya hai maine." He replied, looking quite comfortable with his decision.

The ride back home was silent, it made him worry about what she was thinking about. They reached home, had dinner and prepared to call it a night.

"Bolegi?" He asked.

"Kya bolu?" She asked. "Jo bhi tu soch rahi hai." He replied while standing near the kitchen island watching her clean the platform.

"Khada hi hai toh pani ke bottles bhar de pehle, baat karenge phir." She suggested it to him. He rolled his eyes and placed the empty water bottle under the water purifier.

"Mai soch rahi thi ke tu mere naam pe kyu le raha hai vo ghar.." she said.

"Maine bola na mai-" he began to make her understand when she interrupted.

"Mai janti hu, mai janti hu tu sab sambhal lega. Planning hai teri, savings hai, maloom hai mujhe. Lekin Sidharth, sari EMI tune bharni hai phir mere naam pe kyu liya?" She asked.

"Kaha maine socha tha mai teri help kiya karungi. Meri bhi kuch savings hai, kabhi kabhi EMI mai pay kar diya karungi, bhale hi humari salaries me itna farak hai, lekin tere pe load nahi aane dungi kharche ka. Kya kya soch rahi thi mai aur tune sare plan flop kar diye mere." She rambled on, getting all teary in the eyes.

"Toh isme tera plan kaise flop hua? Tu tabhi bhi meri help kar sakti hai na?" He cross-questioned.

"Sweetheart itni badi baat nahi hai, I wanted to do this for you, for us!" He assured, pulling her closer.

A real man always takes commitment more prior to their own self, he did the same. Commitment is something prior to love, because she was the one he really  loved, he wanted them to have a future together, a secured one with a house of their own.

If love makes one take care of the other one,  commitment does the same in a more practical manner. It makes one put the relationship first and himself next. This was something Shehnaaz was skeptical about for a long time but this incident happened to have changed her beliefs.

"Tune aunty se pucha tha? Unko bura toh nahi lagega?" She asked then.

"Nahi bura lagega unko! Cut that crap now, will you!" He snapped at her.

"Hmm." She nodded, biting her lips in the corner to prevent them from quivering. She knew he loved her a lot, but it was now that she realized he was so selfless and committed to her. As if loyalty and honesty weren't the only thing a relationship needed, it needed adherence too.

"I love you!" She said, hiding her face in his chest and welcoming the happy tears.

"I love you too! Abhi mera t-shirt kharab mat karna." He chuckled and earned a slap in return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Permanent Roommates
Chapter 68

So here.. I wanted to have a small discussion over love and commitment..
The two words are pretty different and similar to each other at the same time..

Well, mostly people believe that the girl is probably overreacting in the case.. but wanna know the truth.. girls are mostly the ones who want to make things practically more accessible.. Shehnaaz's reaction is something I would relate to..

Aur Sidharth ka decision.. I'm gonna let you all tell me how you all felt about it?