"Welcome Miss Gill. Thank you for joining us today. Let's jump right in. Can you start by telling us about your background and experience as a graphic designer?" The interviewer from Relianz asked over a Google meet.

"Good morning sir, I have a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and over five years of experience working in various design agencies. I specialize in branding, logo design, and digital illustration, with proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other design software." Shehnaaz replied quite confidently.

"Impressive! Can you walk us through a recent project you've worked on and your role in it?" Another interviewer asked.

"Sure sir. Recently, I led a rebranding project for a tech startup. My role involved conducting market research, creating mood boards, and developing a cohesive visual identity. I ensured their vision was realized and it met their business objectives." She answered.

There were a few more questions asked before interviewers called it a meeting. They said, "Thank you for sharing your insights with us. We'll be in touch soon regarding the next steps in the hiring process."

"Thank you sir. Have a nice day." She smiled before shutting her laptop screen. It was a good and branded company, she hoped they placed her in Delhi's branch because she had worked in that city the most.

"Mama, thank you aap log itne din ruke." Shehnaaz replied and turned to talk to her uncle, the other day after she went to Beas to pick up her mother.

"Kaisa thank you? Mama hu na mai. Interview kaisa raha? Rab kare, tujhe badhiya si naukari lage." Rajesh replied, caressing her head.

"Acha raha. Thank you." She nodded.

"Phir se thank you?" He asked her and she couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Didi, Sana 28 ki ho jayegi. Uski shaadi ka kya socha hai aapne? Padhi likhi hai, acha ladka mil jayega usko." Lata was talking to Madhu when Shehnaaz was passing by the corridor at her uncle's place, since there were other ladies inside Lata's bedroom.

"Lata, Sana abhi shaadi nahi karna chahti. Uska sara dhyan toh apne Papa pe tha, mai jab bhi kehti shaadi ke liye, baat tal deti thi. Ab mai uspe pressure nahi dalna chahti, Jagjit ko gaye do mahina nahi hua hai." Madhu replied.

"Ab, didi ab jo hona tha wo toh ho gaya. Rab ne bhaisahab ko utni hi umar di thi. Lekin Sana ko samjhaye aap. Abhi ladka dhundenge, tab ja ke 1-2 saal me achi jagah rishta hoga na? Turant thodi na shaadi karni hai." Lata suggested.

"Lekin abhi Sana ka mann nahi hai na, mai usko janti hu. Apne Papa ke jane ke baad ekdum se badal gayi hai, meri bacchi. Abhi mere pass uske alawa koi nahi hai, ghar ka, mera, sara kharcha- usne sari responsibility apne sar li hai. Mai uspe ek aur nahi daalne wali." Madhu shook her head.

"Lata, akele rahi hai wo itne saal. Padhai ke liye dur bhej dete the hum usko aur jab wo wapas aayi toh naukri ke liye phir bahar chali gayi. Ab usko dukh hai ke wo apne Papa ke sath zyada time nahi bita payi, isliye jitna ho sake mere sath rehna chahti hai. Mai uska dukh samajhti hu, usko shaadi ke abhi nahi bolungi." Madhu added, sharing her feelings with her sister in law.

Shehnaaz who heard everything was not taken aback, her mother knew her like the back of her hand and understood her feelings very well. She was simply glad and happy that Madhu was so comprehensive even when she was mourning her husband's death. It was that moment, she decided to give her mother the best she could and live up to the words of her father, where he said that he knew she'd take care of her mother after him.

However, when she grew up witnessing Jagjit facing severe societal disapproval and pressure from his family to abandon Madhu, it created a sense of uncertainty about relationships inside her head. This experience made her hesitant about pursuing her own relationships, fearing similar judgments. Also, seeing her parents navigate through societal barriers by ultimately isolating themselves from their relatives led her to believe that commitment comes with complications and sacrifices, it made her hesitant to commit fully.

Additionally, she always felt the pressure to live up to her parents' expectations or prove that Jagjit's sacrifices were worthwhile. This pressure created a fear of failure in relationships, as was worrying about disappointing her parents, especially Madhu as if now by not living up to the standards set by their love story.

The incident at the bar was a reckless mistake and she was filled with immense regret and somewhere questioned her own identity regarding her belief towards the matter of intimacy. She had failed herself and her parents, Sidharth as well if it concerned him. She didn't realize what she was doing, she didn't know how she was going to manage everything on her own so she was probably looking for a get away, an escape maybe. She still didn't understand. Why wouldn't she, Sidharth had been offline for a while now after she texted him that night and then it had been a few days. She had certainly failed him as well.

"Kya soch rahi hai? Khana kha." Madhu caressed her daughter's head as she spoke to her.

"Ha mummy." Shehnaaz nodded, she sounded melancholic.

"Oye! Oye!" Gurjot exclaimed, picking up her laptop when the screen lit up.

"We are delighted to extend our warmest congratulations on your successful interview and are thrilled to offer you the position of Graphic Designer at Relianz's Bandra office in Mumbai. Woohoo! Sana! Salary toh pichli baar se bhi zyada hai!" He read the mail out loud and cheered for her.

"Badhai ho Aunty!" He hugged Madhu the next second. There were rounds of congratulations and hugs in order.

"Kitni sahi jagah naukri lagi hai! Aunty, Mumbai me mere itne jaan pehchan wale hain ke aapko tension lene ki zarurat hi nahi padegi! Montu aaya tha na, wahi rehta hai wo!" Sheena happily mentioned but Shehnaaz's smile fadded away upon realizing whom she had to face next.

"Bade ache log hain. Anju batati hai." Madhu nodded.

"Uh oh." Gurjot mumbled, standing next to her. By the expressions on her face, he knew something was definitely going on in between Sidharth and Shehnaaz.

"Kya karu? Mushkil se naukri mili hai." She replied.

"Fass gayi tu bahman ke ladke ke chakkar me? Hein?" He teased her.

"Shut up yaar Guru! Har waqt mazak!" She replied angrily, marching into the kitchen to get some water.

Sidharth on the other hand was occupied with her text message the next few days while he was swamped with work and team discussions. Designing a restaurant with an Italian theme was one big task.

"We can consider incorporating elements like warm colors, rustic materials like wood and stone, and classic Italian motifs such as grapevines or Roman columns." Yash, a creative member spoke in their routine discussion.

"Gimme proper references." Sidharth replied.

"We can either go with the Tuscan charm, where we capture the rustic elegance of Tuscany with warm earthy tones, terracotta floors, and exposed wooden beams on the ceiling. Or look for something coastal. We can incorporate shades of blue and white reminiscent of the Mediterranean sea. Use light-colored wooden furniture, breezy curtains, and sea-inspired decor like shells or driftwood to create a relaxed coastal ambiance." Another girl in the team, Anna suggested.

"Can you please show us how will it looks like?" Sidharth told her. Half of the things the people said didn't even get into his head. He was at a loss of words for everything lately.

After the discussion came to an end, he planned to wrap up his work early because today was working for him that much. He wished Shehnaaz wouldn't have told him anything and he'd have been fine, he didn't understand what he expected from her even when they weren't in a romantic relationship, heck they had even stopped seeing each other. They were barely in touch with each other than why was this thing affecting him so much?

Back at his place, he grabbed some bottles of beer and put some cricket on the TV to see if this could help him distract. He was having mixed feelings about Shehnaaz and he could bet that it was a confusing and complex experience. On one hand, he felt a strong attraction or connection with her, leading to thoughts about her constantly. This could be due to the physical attraction they shared or interests.

On the other hand, he had reservations or hesitations of his own about entering into a relationship. These feelings could stem from concerns about compatibility, fear of commitment, or past experiences that had influenced his perception of relationships. But now, navigating these conflicting emotions was challenging after her confession.

However, he was okay to have mixed feelings regarding her and realized that it was essential that he gave himself the space and time to understand and process them fully before making any decisions about him and her. He had trust in his instincts and he had prioritised his peace over everything by letting go of her thoughts for a while in exchange of work commitments. But now, Shehnaaz had messed with his head. God, it had been a week!

He heard a commotion outside his place and upon opening the door, he saw a man shouting at his workers.

"Excuse me. Koi problem hai?" He asked the man.

"Nahi sir, actually neeche wale floor me ek family rehne aa rahi hai. Furniture shift karwa raha tha, workers galat floor pe le aaye. Sorry sir." The guy replied and apologized for the disturbance.

"No, it's alright." Sidharth shook his head and went back in.

He was scrolling through his social media when he came across Sheena's Instagram story where she had filmed a messy house. He assumed it was her new flat in Bangalore until Shehnaaz walked in with a big cartoon box in her hands. Dressed in a plain tshirt and shorts, she looked like she was busy packing. That's when he recognised the living area, it was Shehnaaz's place in Chandigarh. Was he moving out? Did she get a job? When? Why wasn't he informed?

'Helping my gurl move out!' 

He read the caption Sheena had written and he pretty much understood the context. However, he didn't text Shehnaaz to ask about the same because he believed she should have told him that.

"Hi Montu!" Sheena called him later in the night.

"Ha bol Mickey." He answered, he was almost done with his dinner and was doing his dishes.

"Guess maine kyu call kiya?" She asked him.

"Pakane ke liye." He answered and heard Gurjot laughing in the background.

"Mai tere ghar aa rahi hu!" She asserted.

"Kis khushi me?" He asked her.

"Ha, yeh sahi sawal kiya na! Sana ko job mil gayi hai Relianz ke branch me! In Mumbai! Didn't I tell you she was looking for a job since a few weeks!" She excitedly told him. He was surprised by the news but schooled himself quickly.

"That's great! Congratulations!" He replied.

"Sana! Tujhe bol raha hai, yahi hai Sana bhi. Sharmati baithi hai kone me, maine isko kal bola tha tujhe call karle lekin pata nahi isko kya hesitation ho rahi hai ab!" Sheena replied.

"Mickey chup karja, meri Ma!" Shehnaaz snapped at her friend the next moment.

"Thank you.. Sidharth." She added, thanking him and wondering if he would be happy about her moving into his city or not.

"Montu, hum na parso aa rahe hain. Maine socha jab tu hai waha, toh mai kyu hotel wagera book karu? Haina? Tere ghar aungi, thik hai. Halaki, Sana aur Aunty directly apne flat me shift honge toh mai unke sath hi jaungi. Par tere ghar ek din ke liye aungi." Sheena nen her plans.

"Hm. Thik hai. Mom ko bata dunga. Anything else?" Sidharth replied.

"Baki toh Sana ne rehne ka aur baki arrangements dekhna chalu kar diya hai. Teri koi help chahiye hogi toh call karungi." She answered.

"Okay." He replied.

"Phir aunty aur Sana wahi ruk jayenge, mai aur Guru wapas Bangalore nikal jayenge. Yaha ek emergency me aana pada, parso aaye hum Chandigarh." Sheena kept on talking.

"Wo puch bhi nahi raha hai, tu bole ja rahi hai! Bas karna Mickey! Chal kitchen me!" Shehnaaz interrupted, making sure her voice didn't reach anybody beyond her friend.

"Chal thik hai Montu, bye! Kitchen ki packing abhi bhi bachi hai." Sheena informed him.

"Yeah, bye." He replied and hung up, wondering why didn't Shehnaaz inform him the same. Did she think he'd be mad at her or something? Well, he wasn't honestly mad at her because she wasn't answerable to him for what all she did. He was quite affected though and it was his feelings that he needed to deal with, he believed. Nothing to do with her.

She was coming to Mumbai again, it reminded him of the time she had been here with Sheena and family.

Done with their lunch at Anju's place, the group freshened up since it was time for them to leave. They got a few pictures clicked together and began to walk out of the house. But Mannat and Anju kept chatting.

"Aunty unki flight hai 3 baje ki." Shehnaaz reminded the lady, people chuckled when Anju sheepishly smiled.

"Bhejne ke itni jaldi hai?" Sidharth asked her in volume not audible to all.

"Aisa nahi hai. Ab baat sirf aapki hoti, toh aapko rok lete." She replied after giving herself a minute to think.

"Ah, koi nahi. Fir milenge." He assured her in a consoling manner.

"Ha. Ab Mumbai me milenge." She told him.

"Mujhse milne aaogi?" He excitedly asked.

"Ha! Shaadi ki shopping karne ke bahane." She couldn't help but chuckle when he said that but still played along.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With all due respect I'd like to apologise to people who think I tried to tarnish Shehnaaz's image in the story and I'd like to thank each and every person for letting me know what you didn't like in the previous chapter.. I was expecting a negative impact and I am ready to take up the feedback also..

Thank you because you guys pointed it out so respectfully and politely.. you all told me how we do not agree on this very topic and I respect that.. I will not block or blacklist anybody just because they don't agree with me..

About the twist.. I would not defend myself.. I'd just say that I had a different point of view while writing that chapter.. personally I don't believe in the hook up culture but while drawing the frame of this story I wanted to see how Sidharth and Shehnaaz's story would look like in a modern day dating era where people aren't ready to commit but won't back off from the physical attraction that they feel.

Again, my intention was not to hurt anybody.. I suggest you people to not misunderstand me .. and be patient.. stay tuned to find out how the story will come around..