"That's Dr Sinha's cabin. Vahi se aa rhe dono..." Sufi said.

"Dr Sinha? Unke paas kyu gaye yeh dono?" Shehnaaz wondered.

"Mein pata karta hu. Tu tension na le" Sufi tried to comfort her.

"Sufi voh psychiatrist se kyu milenge?" Shehnaaz sighed.

"Sana tu please chup kar ja mein hu na, Pata karunga na abhi sirf 10 minute de. Tu ja car mei bait I'll be back" Sufi assured and was about to leave when his wrist was held by her.

"Sufi nahi... Mujhe Sidharth ke bare aur kuch nahi janna tere se. Pehli baar se aaj tak tere se hi sunti aayi hu uske bare  mei par ab Sidharth khud bolega, mujhe uske muh se sunna hai sab kuch" she said being determined, she took her mobile from her bag and started typing away something but got interrupted.

"Tu sure hai? We can.. I mean abhi 5 minute mei sach pata chal jata hum yaha puchte toh. Agar Sidharth bolega bhi do you think he'll tell you the complete truth?" Sufi asked, he just didn't want his only bestie to be hurt.

"Voh bolega Sufi aur pura sach bolega. Itna yakeen hai uspe" She mumbled and continued to type while Sufi looked in dismay.

"I'll leave now. Tu tension na le mein sachi mei theek hu Sufi" Shehnaaz patted his arm and left not before calling Meher to get the car to the entrance.

"Sidharth!" Jenny sighed as she sat next to Sidharth in his car.

"Tu Sidharth kyu bol rhi hai bey?" He shot back knowing that if she's calling his full name instead of only Sid, then she was not in a normal state. Jenny rolled her eyes at him and leaned back on the seat.

He ignited the engine and drove away from the hospital.

"Tu janta hai na that you're kind of slipping back? Doctor also suspected the same Sid! Iss halath mei tu special unit ki responsibility le rha hai when you're already going through hell" Jenny said in despair looking at him drive calmly as if she was telling him a story.

"Ab toh I guess Sheh.. Shehnaaz bhi hai tere liye" she said in a feeble voice unsure of how he'd take whatever she was about to say and she wasn't wrong. He pulled over on the road side suddenly and looked at her with no expression on his face.

"Hai na? She's important to you right? You can't be messing your life all the more Sid!" She gasped not knowing what he'd reply.

"Ha, hai voh important. I have a different feeling for her and that's absolutely fine!" He said in a moderate tone but the intensity was high.

"Aur rahi baat special unit ki, mein dekh lunga" he mumbled clasping the steering wheel.

"But, that's dangerous considering at what point of life you are at right now Sid. Tu mujhse sab kuch share karke kitne saal ho gaye par I understand you. Mein smajhti hu tujhe bina kuch jaane bhi" Jenny said softly, her eyes almost welled up.

Sidharth heaved a sigh looking at his best friend on the verge of crying for him. He loved his people, he never could see them sad.

He left the steering and caressed her head with his left hand and held her palm with the other hand.

"I'm sorry mei tujhse sab kuch share nahi kar pata pehle ki tarah but you know,hai na? You still mean the same to me" His eyes dared to moist themselves a bit but her eyes already let the tears flow.

"I know Montu!" She exclaimed, because this was her childhood bestfriend who spoke to her and not the grown up DCP friend.

"Tu jo karna hai kar but I really can't see if you go back to what you went through few years ago, mei khud ko blame karungi phir because this time I will be responsible agar kuch hua tho" Jenny fought back her tears but they refused to do so as they streamed down her cheeks.

"Jenny!" Sidharth gasped and hugged her protectively.

"Shhhshh... No baba. Na tab teri galti thi na aage teri galti hogi. I'll be alright kuch nahi hoga mujhe" He mumbled caressing her shoulder up and down.

Jenny hugged him back and let her tears flow simply without responding to him and he let her cry.

"Abey ho gaya ab chup kar. Tum sab ho na, you won't let me go back darling. Ab toh Shehnaaz bhi hai mere sath. Kuch nahi hoga" Sidharth said after a few moments.

Childhood friendships are sacred, they're formed when there's nothing but innocence & pure emotions. It's a relationship that's not tainted by anything materialistic but often when the same people grow up to be adults and face harsh realities of life, they succumb to tainting their bonds.

"Hmm" Jenny mumbled.

"We'll be alright" Sidharth mumbled and kissed her head before parting from her.

Life always happens in mysterious ways and as unexpected as it can get. It has ways to play out how the destiny would take turns in one's life and the same happened with Sidharth & Shehnaaz.

Shehnaaz had left the hospital after sending a text to Sidharth to call her. While on her way, a young girl selling pens on the signal made her down the car window and that's when she had spotted Sidharth's car in a near distance.

As life would have it, she not only saw his car but also witnessed whatever happened. Though she couldn't hear a single word they spoke, she could see them being vulnerable. Jenny crying and Sidharth taking her in his arms to comfort her.

By this visual anybody would get strange thoughts, Shehnaaz probably did too. She's human afterall and the one who'd just seen the man she loved(?), the only man she was close to at a psychiatrist without her knowledge.

Her heart crumbled but she chose to rise up, she chose to not give in to the whims of suspecting Sidharth who had been nothing but solace for her in the past few months.

But how would she convince herself of the visual she saw with her own eyes? Her heart did sink when she saw Sidharth hug Jenny and kiss her head.

She tried to tell herself that she wasn't even his girlfriend yet so she had no rights on him. And that could simply mean a friendly gesture. But little did she know that she had lost her heart to him & it was her possessiveness for him that's making her think irrationally though she wanted to be fair to him.

She was sure there was more to what she saw,but what were these two hiding was a question that hounded her head.

She sighed, the signal turned green and the car drove her away.

******

"Arre wah itne jaldi aa gaye tum dono? Kaam vaam nahi hai kya dono ko aaj?" Sidharth's mother asked looking at him and Jenny walk into the hall.

"Nai apan aaj Mumbai ko dekh bhi nai rah" Sidharth said and slopped on the couch.

"Nautanki" Rita ji exclaimed as she brought two glasses of water for them.

"Thanks aunty. Iska toh pata nahi par mujhe bohat zyada kaam hai... Please khana lagva dijiye kha ke jaungi" Jenny requested while sipping water.

"Of course beta. Abhi lagva deti hu. Hath pair dho lo tab tak. Sidharth utho bacha tu bhi chal fresh ho ja" Rita ji insisted her son who lazily sprawled himself on the couch.

"Thodi der mom, jaunga" he mumbled fishing through his pant pockets for his mobile phone.

"Uff" Rita ji sighed knowing very well about what her son's "thodi der" meant.

Jenny giggled and went ahead to freshen up.

"Oh fuck!"

They heard him utter & turned back.

"Sidharth language! Vedu hai room mei, Neetu ayi huyi hai" Rita ji schooled him as she went towards the kitchen.

"Psch! Sorry" He made a puppy face and got up to take his car keys.

"Mom khana bahar kha lunga. Jana hai abhi" He screamed.

"Arre abhi abhi toh aya"

"Voh, uh, Shehnaaz. Bhadki hui lag rhi hai" he said pursing his lips sheepishly.

"Aaj tu gaya beta" Neetu walked out of the room giggling at her brother, with her son in her arms & he scrunched his eyes for his timing because now he knew his sister would tease him endlessly.

Sidharth saw his nephew and blew him an air kiss ignoring his sister but mouthing a curse again in mute though, he said bye to them all and left.

He'd seen her text messages and missed calls, he knew he was in trouble. He had just texted her a Good morning when he woke up and had not spoken to her till now.

Though they were not in a relationship officially nor they were dating, they behaved almost like a couple. So these mushy texts & arguments kept happening.

Sidharth thought Shehnaaz was upset with him because he hadn't picked her calls, unknown to the storm that was whirling in her mind and heart after what she witnessed.

He rushed to his car, driving away towards her office.

It was a usual thing now for the private entrance staff at Pioneer to allow Sidharth to barge in wherever he wanted to so they didn't mind a bit when he rushed through the corridors and got into the private lift that directly lead to Shehnaaz's office suite.

In few minutes he was out of the lift that made him feel like it took extra time to reach her floor today.

He walked swiftly towards her cabin nodding his head to Rosy when she greeted him.

He pressed on the button and the automatic doors opened. There she was sitting on her high chair with cross legs, her hands beneath her hair, supporting her head as she leaned on the chair.

"Shehnaaz..." Her name came out in a whisper though he wanted to call out loud.

Shehnaaz's thoughts were broken and she came out of her trance when she heard his voice. A tiny smile automatically crept on her face as she heard his voice.

She got up from her chair and walked to the glass wall that overlooked the skyline of Mumbai.

She touched the glass and looked ahead as if she didn't acknowledge his presence around her.

"Baby!" Sidharth gasped seeing how indifferent she behaved and walked to her from behind and circled his arms around her waist. He felt her stiffening herself in his hold for a moment.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart" Sidharth tried to pacify his miffed lady.

"How are you feeling now? Your check up is in the evening right? Mein bhi aunga sath, time batao mein Adith ko bolta hu security arrange karne" Sidharth said softly while bending his head a bit to kiss her forehead.

His lips lingered there a little longer than required, Shehnaaz leaned her head back on his chest and closed her eyes feeling his warmth around her and also his affection with his caring kiss.

Her leaning into him gave Sidharth the cue that she was melting to his apology so he tightened his arms around her and peppered kisses on her forehead and temples. It felt euphoric, as if the waves in the high tide ocean were fluttering inside them. Their bodies flushed against each other did no good.

They stayed for a few moments in sheer bliss until Shehnaaz suddenly pushed his hands away and moved apart.

"What the...!" And this was the instant reaction of Sidharth.

He was startled at her sudden redundance to him but got back to his senses very quick as he apologized again.

"I'm sorry. I... I... overstepped. I'll stay away" He raised his hands in despair.

They'd been close prior but not as intimately as now. Shehnaaz perhaps who was lost in the moment suddenly remembered him hugging Jenny so she reacted impulsively by pushing him away.

"No Sidharth... Aisi baat nahi hain" She lunged towards him & held his biceps.

"I'm sorry. Mujhe... Mein... I thought... Pata nai chaddo"  she spoke in broken incoherent words and looked into his eyes that bore into her eyes searching what was bothering her.

Sidharth heaved a sigh,still not holding her back he just shook his head.

"Kya hua? You are not upset because I didn't call. Kuch aur baat hai, right?" He questioned rightly, by now he'd known it was just not about what he thought could be.

"Kuch nahi hai...chod na. Actually mera checkup ho gaya. Mein... Thodi der pehle hospital gayi thi"Shehnaaz mumbled in a feeble voice and he now got a hint why she was behaving so indifferent with him.

His mind ran of various thoughts,his overthinking self has begun questioning himself. Had she seen him at the hospital? Did she know about him? Knowing her capability and the fact that Sufi worked in the same hospital there was zero chance of not knowing about his reason to visit the hospital. Is that why she was upset? Did she see him with Jenny? What would she have assumed? Is that why she pushed him away? Doesn't she need him now? Is that all between them?

"Baby!" He said as she walked away from him to sit on the couch & he followed suit.

"So,you saw me in the hospital" he uttered more like a statement than a question to her.

She nodded her head in a yes not sparing him a glance and looking ahead in oblivion.

"Shehnaaz, I don't know what you know about this whole thing. But trust me, yeh sab bolne wala tha" Sidharth said taking her palm in his reluctantly as he didn't know if she would push him away again but she let him hold her hand.

"You mean a lot more to me than you know. Dheere dheere sab batane wala tha, accident ki wajah se you already are in stress and I didn't want to burden you with my issues" he said pursing his lips.

"Mujhe kuch nahi pata Sidharth. I don't know why you went there or what issues you have or why was Jenny with you" she stayed silent after saying this and Sidharth kept looking on, she continued hesitantly

"or why you were hugging her in your car"

Shehnaaz looked straight into his eyes. Now, he knew how whatever happened in the car would have come across as. Her behaviour was justified. But he had to fix this, because it was not what it looked like.

"Shehnaaz request karta hu, please don't assume. Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai jaisa tu soch rahi hai... Allow me to explain" Sidharth almost pleaded.

"Explain kar na Sidharth... Mein kaha rok rhi hu? Tujhse hi sach sunna tha mujhe issiliye meine Sufi ko bhi mana kar diya jab usne bola ki pata lagayega. Tu bol toh sahi... Mein sab kuch sunungi and I'm not thinking anything about you or Jenny. Clear mind hai mera, tu jo bolega mein manungi. Itna bharosa hai ki tu sach hi bolega" Shehnaaz said assuring him though her mind was a mess and scared for whatever she was going to hear from him. Sidharth held both her palms in his, closed his eyes for a few moments as if preparing himself to bare his soul.

She had a strange feeling, but still she masked her turmoil and encouraged him to share.

"Kuch saal pehle, Jenny was pregnant"

Out of all the possibilities, this was not something Shehnaaz expected of listening to. She was shocked to say the least but gush of negative thoughts her mind had,made her ask an impulsive question.

"With your child?" She asked and he became numb at her question.

***********

🙈🙈🙈 Mar na mat please! Hehehe Sorry for this cliffhanger & the tough read this whole chapter might have put you through. But it was necessary for the story.

What do y'all think? Was the baby Sidharth's? Was Sana right in asking the question? Hua kya hoga Sidharth ke past mein?

And did you all notice Sana said she has been hearing about Sidharth from Sufi since the beginning 😱 kuch ajeeb nai hai?

Guys please comment karo what do you all think of? Story is going at  right pace or if u dislike the storyline kuch bhi please tell.

And promise iss chapter ke baad Jenny ke zyada scenes nahi honge it's only SidNaaz ❤️

I'll be back soonish with the next update 😊

Love,
Avni