The sun had just set, casting a soft twilight glow through the windows of the newly renovated office space. The air was thick with the sharp, pungent smell of drying paint and varnish. Four workers were diligently putting the finishing touches on the interior design, their tools clinking softly in the quiet room. The walls gleamed with a fresh coat of oil-based paint, still tacky to the touch. The floor, a sea of polished wood, had just been treated with a solvent-based varnish, creating a glossy, reflective surface.

In a corner of the room, a worn-out extension cord lay tangled, connected to a power strip overloaded with various tools. Without warning, a spark shot out from the power strip, a brief, bright flare of light followed by a crackling sound. Instantly, the spark found its mark on a thin, almost invisible trail of varnish.

The reaction was immediate and violent. Flames erupted along the trail, racing across the floor with frightening speed. The freshly applied varnish acted like fuel, feeding the fire as it spread. The workers, initially stunned, scrambled to escape, but the flames moved too fast.

"Aag! Aag!" The intense heat grew rapidly, causing the air to shimmer. One worker, closest to the source of the fire, screamed as his clothing caught alight. Another tried to help, grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher, but the dense smoke and growing flames made it almost impossible to see.

"Ae Diwakar phone laga kisi ko, yaha aag badhti jaa rahi hai!!" One worker asked another.

"Sidharth sir ko lagata hu." Diwakar replied, dialing their boss's number.

"Hello sir, sir yaha aag lag gayi hai sir. Short circuit ho gaya ekdum se, hum phass gaye hai sir. Madad kariye!" He cried for help.

"Thik hai, thik hai, Diwakar mai aa raha hu. Tumlog kitne log ho waha?" Sidharth was expecting anything but this at the moment. Done with a meeting he had plans of returning home early but looked like he couldn't now. He ran to Vardhan's cabin and informed his friend about the same. They called for a fire extinguisher and an ambulance.

"4 log hain. Sir paint sookha nahi tha, isliye aag fail gayi har taraf. Aa badhti ja rahi hai sir, kuch kijiye." Diwakar continuously requested.

"Mai fire extinguisher leke aa raha hu. Aa raha hu jaldi." Sidharth assured him before hanging up and left his office building, making his way to the shopping complex in Bandra.

Two more workers, trapped by the advancing fire, pressed themselves against the far wall, frantically trying to find an exit. The searing heat began to blister their skin, the pain intense and unrelenting. Desperate cries for help filled the room, drowned out by the roar of the flames consuming everything in their path.

Within moments, the entire floor was a blazing inferno, the fire hungrily devouring the newly renovated space. The once-pristine room was now a chaotic scene of destruction, the acrid smell of burning materials mingling with the screams of the trapped workers. It was a tragic, terrifying end to what had begun as a routine day of work.

The loud noises of the siren battled with the chaos outside the new building of the complex, fire fighters ran in. Within a few minutes, they found the 4 workers lying unconscious and brought them back, carrying them into the ambulance.

Sidharth and Vardhan stood like five feet apart, watching their workers being carried and their weeks of hardwork on the building burning into ashes. Their phones were continuously ringing but their major focus was on making sure that Diwakar and three others were treated as soon as possible.

They followed the ambulance to look after the paperwork for their workers, Vardhan waited outside the emergency room and attended a few calls from his family and friends while Sidharth answered all the queries of the police. They recorded his statement since he had informed the fire extinguishers about the accident.

"Doctors se baat huyi?" Sidharth asked his friend a little later.

"Nahi, abhi bahar nahi aaye koi. Lekin tere ghar se call aaya tha. Ajay jeeju call kar rahe the se baat huyi meri, tu unko call back karle." Vardhan replied.

"Mujhe kyu nahi lagaya wo?" Sidharth thought and fished out his phone from his pocket. There he found 11 missed calls from Ajay, Preeti and Shehnaaz collectively.

"Tune phone nahi uthaya kisi ka!" Vardhan pointed out why he was talking to his friend's family.

"Abey, pata nahi chala kab phone aaya. Itne shor me kya sunai deta vaise bhi." Sidharth muttered, calling Ajay to inform about the situation in the hospital.

Just then his phone rang with Shehnaaz's number, he wasn't planning to call her back but now that she had called, he received it because she might be worried as well.

"Sidharth? Tu thik hai?" Shehnaaz asked.

"Uh- ha. Hospital me hu, workers ko lekar aaye hai yaha." He replied.

"Acha, kaise hai abhi wo log?" She asked.

"Buri tarah jal chuke hai, I have no idea." He replied, walking around in the corridor.

"Haye waheguru, abhi kya hoga?" She mentioned, shocked.

"Treatment chal raha hai. Listen, ghar pe bhi call karna hai, mai rakhta hu. Aur mujhe yahi hospital me rukna padega abhi, late ho jayega." He replied and soon hung up to call back Ajay. He did realize that he should inform them as well.

"Sid, how's everything now?" Ajay asked over the phone.

"Mat puchh bhai, andar 4 log buri tarah jal gaye hain. Ambulance aane se pehle hi behosh ho gaye the, I'm afraid kya hoga abhi. Treatment chalu hua hai." Sidharth replied.

"Aur building?" Ajay asked.

"6th floor tha, completely wiped out. Sab jal gaya." Sidharth answered.

"Kitna bada accident ho gaya bhai, abhi wahi hospital me hai na tu?" Ajay replied.

"Ha, doctor se baat karni padegi. Kitni critical condition hai unn 4 ki, uspe depend karega aage ka. Police ko statement diya hai aur insurance ke liye apply karenge abhi." Sidharth told him.

"Hm. Chal tu udhar dhyaan rakhna. Mai ghar pe batata hu, Mom pareshan ho rahi thi." Ajay said.

"Ha, mujhe idhar thoda kaam hai warna mai unse bhi baat karta. Kal ghar aata hu." Sidharth replied before he hung up and that's when the emergency room's door opened and the doctor in charge walked out.

"Doctor, wo workers abhi stable hain?" Vardhan asked.

"Kehna mushkil hai, unme se ek ka 3° burn ka case banega. Baki sabko saans lene me takleef ho rahi hai, looks like they've been caught up in the fire for too long. Halaki humne lungs me bhara smile nikal diya hai." The doctor informed them.

"4 log hain. Sir paint sookha nahi tha, isliye aag fail gayi har taraf. Aa badhti ja rahi hai sir, kuch kijiye." Diwakar had continuously requested.

Sidharth couldn't get rid of the image of their workers lying unconscious on the stretcher along with Diwakar's words ringing inside his head like a broken tape. All of them were in the ICU and it was Diwakar who had 3° burns.

"Ghar chale?" Vardhan asked Sidharth who shook his head in response.

"Abhi yaha kuch nahi hoga. Inlog treatment ka kaisa response de rahe hai, upse aage ka procedure depend karta hai. Doctor bhi kal hi ayenge." Vardhan added and patted his friend's shoulder, coaxing him to get going.

Sidharth went home and lit his cigarette, tensed about the situation. His workers' lives were at risk, their biggest project was at stake after the accident, all of it might risk their future projects, scare away their clients and workers and might as well ultimately give their company 'Elite' a graphic downfall.

He was showering the next morning to make his way to the hospital when the doorbell rang.

"Sidharth!" Shehnaaz entered once he opened the door for her, she engulfed him a hug. A warm one, a much needed one.

"8 bhi nahi baje hai, kaha ja raha hai?" She asked, noticing his ironed shirt half buttoned up.

"Hospital, waha se bank. Phir office. Bohot kaam hai." He replied, looking for his belt.

"Oh, mai nashta tayyar karti hu tu aaja neeche. Mai yahi puchne aayi thi ke tune khana khaya tha raat ko?" She asked him.

"Nahi, aur please tu kuch mat kar abhi. Mere pass time nahi hai." He replied, grabbing his wallet, phone and keys.

"Haaye, aisi mat ja na. Chal ghar." She insisted. She believed with Madhu's help she could prepare the breakfast quickly and feed him before he left. Truth to be told, he was so stressed that she wanted to be there for him and do something for him to make things easy for him.

"Shehnaaz, please. I'll be late." He replied. Too tense to think another way.

"Khali pet koi kaam karna acha nahi hota, poora din lage rehna tujhe isi hospital se bank, phir waha se office. Bina kuch khaye piye, tu kar lega sab?" She requested, taking a hold of his hand and coming in his way.

"Please, bilkul late nahi hone denge mai aur Mummy. Jaldi jaldi bana ke khila denge, aaja." She added, caressing the back of his palm and then kissing it shortly. He sighed and nodded, not wanting to argue about it just to waste some more time. Perhaps he could eat.

She took him to her apartment, gave him a cup of tea and by the time he finished it, she had managed to prepare some Aloo paratha with her mother.

"Doctor ne kya kaha puttar?" Madhu served him and took a seat next to him at the dining table.

"Smoke andar chala gaya tha Aunty, saans lene me takleef ho rahi hai workers ko. Aur ek critical hai, 3° burns hai usko." He informed her.

"Rabba mereya." She shook her head and silently prayed for the lives of the workers.

"Tu samay se pahuch gaya unke pass, jaldi thik ho jayenge sare. Tension naa le." She added, assuring him.

He nodded, he'd be glad if the doctor manages to save all of them otherwise he would have a hard time forgiving himself. He took his leave immediately after finishing his plate, calling Vardhan to ask about their plans to contact the bank again.

"Bye bhi nahi bol ke gaya." Shehnaaz mumbled, watching him leave.

She knew she had to understand his situation and co-operate accordingly even though it meant missing him and still not bothering him. But her patience was running out when Sidharth came late that night and chose to skip meeting her again.

"Khana khaya?" She asked him over the call.

"Khaunga thode der se." He replied.

"Kha le yaar, 11 baj rahe hain. Acha, tera bank ka kaam hua? Insurance ka claim mil jayega na?" She asked him.

"Mil toh jayega lekin time lag raha hai. Formalities ek baar me clear nahi hoti hai." he answered and she hummed.

"Toh, umm, mai aati hu tere pass. Bas kitchen saaf kar rahi thi abhi, thodi der me aau?" She asked him. Not calling him to her apartment because he had a pretty busy and tiresome day already so maybe she could pay him a sweet visit.

"Actually mat aa, mai shower lene ja raha hu. Phir na kha ke so jaunga, aaj itna back to back hospital se office aaya gaya na, mera sar phat raha hai. So jaunga." He told her.

"Acha thik hai. Tere pass sar dard ke liye medicine hai na?" She replied.

"Ha hai. Chal thik hai." He said.

"Okie. Rest kar." She replied and heard the call end with a beep.

She was not upset, she knew he had reasons to be this busy and occupied and worried in such an unforeseen situation but what felt off was how needless Sidharth was. She didn't know if he needed her by his side during a difficult time in his life. Whereas she, she wouldn't wait for her work to end to share her thoughts with him, her questions and queries with him, how her day at work had been, how she planned a movie for an upcoming weekend.

"Abhi ghar aaya Sidharth?" Madhu asked her daughter, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Ha na Mummy, bichara bada pareshan hai." Shehnaaz replied.

"Itna bada accident hua hai na puttar, time lagega sab normal hone me." Madhu mentioned.

"Hmm." Shehnaaz nodded.

"Tere yaha kya hua hai?" Madhu asked, suddenly noticing a dark reddish hue a little below her daughter's jaw now that her hair was tied into a loose bun.

"Kaha?" Shehnaaz was confused until her mother touched the spot.

"Ah- wo, hoga kuch. Pata nahi. Nakhoon lag gaya hoga mera khudka." Shehnaaz shrugged, worrying Madhu might use her brain and figure it out.

"Aise, khujli karte karte ho gaya hoga." She added, scratching her jaw a little subtly and explaining how she ended up with that particular spot.

"Acha." Madhu nodded.

"Chor ki dadhi me tinka! Tujhe kya laga? Teri Maa ko itni si cheez samajh nahi ayegi?" Madhu snapped at Shehnaaz.

"Nakhoon se scratch lagta hai, cut dikhta teri gardan pe. Naa ki aisa gol-sa nishan. Bewakoof na samajhna mujhe!" Madhu added and she didn't know what else to say. Her daughter was an adult, there was no way Shehnaaz would stop seeing Sidharth if Madhu asked her to.

Shehnaaz on the other hand was tongue tied, she didn't know what to say in order to defend herself. She simply apologized to her mother and gave up, lying further about it and would rather create unnecessary hassle.

"Sorry Mummy." She mumbled.

"Badi aayi sorry Mummy! Bahana toh sahi se bana leti?! Keede ne kata bolti toh thoda believable bhi hota." Madhu said.

"Thik hai, agli baar yahi bol dungi." Shehnaaz shrugged and giggled at her own joke.

"Badtameez!" As expected Madhu slapped her head for her mischievous comment and glared at her.

"Mujhe yeh nishan dikhayi nahi dene chahiye aage se." She warned her daughter and got back into the kitchen.

Shehnaaz obediently nodded, watching her mother leave her like that. A part of her understood how Madhu didn't interfere this time and nor did she command her to stay away from her boyfriend either. But that smack on the head was real, Madhu wasn't joking about that.

"Sidharth ghar ayega?" Madhu's question arrived.

"Nahi Mummy, wo jaldi sone ja raha hai, bola ke uska sar phatt raha tha." Shehnaaz answered.

"Okay." Madhu nodded, returning back to the living area to enjoy some TV time before going to sleep.

"Kya hua tujhe?" Madhu asked, watching her daughter stand in the middle of the room, looking at nothing.

"Nahi, kuch nahi. Mujhe kya hoga?" Shehnaaz shrugged, taking a seat next or her mother watching whatever was playing on the screen.

"Mai Sidharth se mil ke aau? Jaldi aa jaungi." She asked the next minute.

"Woh toh jaldi sone ja raha tha?" Madhu replied.

"Koi neend nahi aani usko, insurance ke claim ko leke pareshan hai. Unn workers ki condition ko leke alag tension me hai. Upar se itna bada complex ka project tha jisme gadbad ho gayi. Bolta nahi hai, par bahot kuch chal raha hoga uske dimag me." Shehnaaz told her mother.

"Puttar, tu uski chinta karti hai lekin wo toh tabhi batayega na jab uska mann hoga. Usko shayad thoda time chahiye ho." Madhu pointed out.

"Mai baat karungi tabhi bolega, apne se uska bolne ka mann nahi hona kabhi." Shehnaaz replied to that.

"Thik hai ja." Madhu shrugged and smiled, looking at her daughter. She was in love, the constant care for her boyfriend was understandable.

"Shehnaaz?" Sidharth wasn't expecting her now.

"Good night toh tune bola nahi?!" She replied, entering his apartment and holding him tight.

He chuckled, hugging her back. He made his way to the dining table to pick up his plate.

"Thik hai tu?" She asked him.

"Ha. Abhi liya tablet, thoda better lag raha hai." He replied and yawned.

"Mai dar daba du?" She asked, caressing his hair.

"Thank you darling, lekin aaj bank me chalaya saalon ne mai bed pe jate hi so jaunga." He chuckled, replying and kissing her the back of her hand lovingly.

That was when she realized that he was actually going to sleep and he could in fact sleep without spending some time with her. Unlike her. She just wished him a good night and returned within a few minutes. Maybe he wanted some space from her. She believed she should have listened to her mother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello there.. I hope I'm not very late this time.. actually more than half of the chapter was ready yesterday but I just couldn't bring myself to complete it sooner..

What was the best part this time?

Do you think Shehnaaz doesn't like how her boyfriend isn't as devoting as he was?

Do you think Sidharth needs a little too much space from his personal life to focus on the professional one?

Will this thing cause a misunderstanding? Lemme answer that for you. YES!