As always, Shehnaz was waiting for Sidharth to come. As he always comes early and spend time with her. 'But what happened today? Why hasn't he come yet? I hope he's fine' these thoughts were bothering her. Soon her thoughts got broken when she heard the sound of the door opening. 'Finally! He is here. Obviously it's him. I can feel his presence' she chuckle mentally.

They say that a person in a coma cannot see what happens around them, they cannot move and react but their brain can process sounds. They can hear and feel everything.

It is same with Shehnaz also. She can also feel everything, especially Sidharth's presence. He never says anything but she can feel his pain, she can feel how much he is suffering, without her.

She waits for him everyday and listen to him everyday. His presence is enough to make her day. She smiles mentally when he praises her, roll her eyes when he tease her and cries when he pleads her to wake up. Her heart sinks when he cires silently.

She never even dreamed that 'Sidharth Shukla' would cry for her one day. But she can't see him like this. She badly wants to hug him and console him but whenever she tries to open her eyes and move her hand, she fails everytime. And that time she feels nothing but helpless.

She always prays to her 'babaji' that make her well so that she can wraps her arms around him so tight and tell him that everything will be okay. But Alas! God doesn't listen to her prayers.

She came out from thoughts when she felt his touch on her hand and he was telling her why he was late. 'Aww my bebu, why are defending yourself. You are here that's enough for me. Mera dil kar raha hai ki main jor se teri cheeks pull karu, but kya karu' she pouted but it turned into smile when she heard her praise and mentally rolled her eyes when he teased her with Asim.

'He want me to go to asim? Like seriously? Main galti se uska naam bhi lu toh tu pura din muh phula ke ghoomta hai, aur agar main uske paas chali gayi na toh jal bhun jayega tu' irritation was clearly visible in her thoughts.

Sigh!

'But he does that everyday na. Pehle woh meri tarif karta hai, so that main response du. Phir woh mujhe tease karta hai, aur jab main response na du toh fake gussa bhi karta hai. Aur agar phir bhi mujhse koi reaction na mile toh woh sad ho jata hai aur minnate karta hai ki main apni zid chod du or uske pas wapas aa jayu. He tries a thousand but...' she sighed sadly.

She feels his pain everyday but today she felt something different. She knows that he is hurt by her condition but still, it was something she never felt. The way he held her hand tightly  when nurse asked him to go and after that, the way he sat there quietly and didn't utter a word, it was very unusual. That kiss he gave her before going, she felt his tear against her forehead. She knows that something was definitely running into his mind. 

'I hope sab kuch theek ho uske sath. Please babaji usko theek rakhna' she prayed silently.

*

He reached home and saw his mother was sitting in living area with Shehbaz and was talking about something. He sighed and made his way towards his room.

"Arre Sid tu aa gya?" his mother asked him as soon as she saw him and told him to sit and when he didn't sit Shehbaz asked him about Shehnaz. He just nodded blankly and went to his room but not before saying that he is tired and want to sleep.

It has been his routine from past two month. He visits Shehnaz everyday and spends his time with her and after returning from the hospital, he directly goes to his room.

Both, Shehbaz and Sid's mother shared a look as soon as Sidharth was out of their sight.

"Yeh sab meri wajah se huya hai Aunty ji. Dono ki is halat ka responsible main hoon" Shehbaz said while pain was clearly reflecting in his voice.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and consoled him saying that it was not his fault.

"It's all about destiny beta. Don't blame yourself. Tum dekhna, jaldi hi sab theek ho jayega"

"I hope Aunty ji" she gave him a small smile and pats his cheek.

-

"Let her go Sidharth. She will not come back"

These words stuck in his mind. He shut his eyes to push these thoughts from his mind and leaned his head back against the headboard. 'Kya Shehnaz sach mein wapas nahi ayegi?' thought came to his mind.

He sighed and small smile crept over his lips recalling old memories.

"Sidhaarth..Yeh kitna sundar bracelet hai" Sidharth was just looking at her the way she was adoring the bracelet which he gifted her some time before.

"Thank you so much baby" she hugged him. He smiled and kissed her head and then made her wear that bracelet.

"It means that you will never leave me, right?" he rolled his eyes on her insecurities.

"Sidharth, bol na.."

"Kya bolu Shehnaz?"

"Yahi ke tu mujhe kabhi chod ke nahi jayega"

"Abey gadhi"

"Bol na.."

"Nahi bolna mujhe"

"Iska matalb tu mujhe chod dega" her eyes were brimming with tears. Seeing her tears, he immediately hugged her.

"Main mazak kar raha tha baby"

"Hmm"

"Ab chup kyu hai? Flip marne ki soch rahi hai?" as soon as he said, she hit him on the chest with her hands.

"Isko main apne se kabhi alag nahi hone dungi. Hamesha sambhal ke rakhungi" said Shehnaz, looking at the
bracelet.

"Thank you Sidharth" with that she hugged him again.

He came out of memory lane and started searching for something in the bedside drawer. He breathed a sigh of relief after finding two broken peices of jewelry.

It was the same bracelet he had gifted her that day. It was the same bracelet she used to wear everyday. It was the same bracelet with 'SidNaaz' written in middle and two hearts on either side of their name. It was the same bracelet that was now broken from the middle of their name. It was the same bracelet the nurse gave him outside the operation theater saying that Shehnaz was holding it very tightly in her hand.

Whenever he sees this bracelet, he realizes how lonely he is, without her. A lone tear escaped from his eyes and he closed his eyes again.

*

"Hayee babaji.. ab toh theek kardo mujhe. Aap hi socho, jo ladki do minute chup nahi reh sakti woh do mahine se coma mein hai" Shehnaz pouted sadly.

But to distract her mind she started thinking about her favourite thing, Sidharth. She mentally smiles how he comes to meet her everyday and shares whatever happens throughout the day. She too listen to him curiously. 

She chuckle mentally that how he used to scold her that she never listen properly and become angry after listening half of the part. And now she listen his every single word carefully but can't respond and it makes her sad always.

She still remembers that when she slipped into coma, he did not talk to her for a few days, just used to sit quietly. But when he broke his silence by saying  'I have heard that people who are in coma can hear everything' that day she felt like she was alive again.

"Kuch toh bolo please, i can't tolrate your silence, Aadat ho gayi ab tumhari nonstop chattering ki. Please wake up. Yo..you have to wake up, for me...for us" he buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried continuously. The most heartbreaking thing she have ever heard was hearing Sidharth cry. That day he cried a lot until he was too tired to cry.

From that day he talks to her every day. Shares his every feeling and thoughts. She sometimes wonders that Siddharth Shukla, a man of few words, is expressing everything openly.

But for the last two days, she was missing his voice. He has not spoken a single word from the last two days. He just comes and sits there silently, and his silence was killing her.

Suddenly she started feeling heaviness in head as different types of things were running in her mind. The thoughts 'What if he is not well?  Why he is so silent? What's going inside him? Is he losing hope? Won't he come to meet her again?' were making her more restless and top of that he hasn't come yet. 'No.. He can't do that.. He promised me that he will wait for me always' she thought positively while trying hard to open her eyes and this process of struggle was putting more pressure on the nerves of her brain.

'Where are you Sidharth? I need you..'

*

"Shehnaz..."

He whispered and opened his tired eyes and started getting up from the bed when he heard his mother's voice.

"What are you doing beta? Why are you getting up? You need something?"

"Mom Shehnaz.. I'm going"

"Lekin Sid, you are burning with fever. You need rest beta"

"No mom. Pehle hi bahut der ho gayi hai, she must be waiting for me"

"Acha theek hai. Doctor pehle tumhe check krle phir chale jana. Shehbaz abhi aata hi hoga doctor ko leke" he nodded half heartedly while she caressed his face.

She has been noticing his weird behaviour for the last two days. He not talking much and not even eating properly. She was just praying for his happiness.

The sound of the phone ring broke her trance. It was from the hospital. As soon as Sidharth picked up the phone, he heard panicked voice.

"H..hello Sidharth sir..woh Shehnaz mam.." his heart skipped a beat hearing Shehnaz's name.

"Shehnaz? Wh..what happened to her?" he asked, tried to keep his voice steady.

"Sir please come to the hospital as fast as you can"

A lone tear fell from his cheek. His entire body goes numb.

-

'Kahin aisa na ho jaye,
Bina deedar main marjaavaan'

                           *******

Here goes the chapter 3 of 'Always and Forever'

I'm really nervous for this chapter, but still, I have a hope that you guys will like this part too.

And Don't forget to hit the star and share you opinions.

#Thanks for reading#