Shehnaaz knew that her best friends’ wedding was not going to be smooth sailing for her, especially since her uncle’s family was going to be in attendance at the event. She had nothing in her heart against them, do not get her wrong.

She might even have loved them the same way she loved her family if they had given her sufficient reason for that.  She had always hated holding grudges. It was a burden that she absolutely didn't want on her soul.

She had decided that she would try to greet her aunt and uncle’s family as normally as she could. Talk to them, tell them about herself and do everything that social decorum would ask of her, but only if they wanted it too. 

She had grown a lot since the time her mama and mami, Navdeep Singh and Harnoor Kaur had seen her as a twenty year old fresh out of college, doing her best to make her dreams a reality.

The way she had been treated by them in that last meeting gave her very little reason to hope for this meeting to go any better but almost seven years had passed between then and now and she was a public figure now. She hoped they wouldn't make a scene, at the very least. 

When she walked out of Janvi’s room that night, having changed into her comfy night-dress. Sidharth’s favorite black hoodie that was at least two sizes too big for her and a pair of shorts, she could feel a gaze practically burning holes into her. 

Her mami. 

“Ignore kar puttar..” Shehbaaz mumbled to her kindly, walking out of the room after her. Shehnaaz shook her head slightly and walked over to where she was sitting. “Tujhe pata hai na inn logon ki aadat ka. Agar nahi mili jaakar toh tamaasha bann jaayega abhi hi.”

 “Sat shri akal mami-ji.” She greeted her politely and received a distracted nod in response. She shrugged. She wasn’t expecting anything else.  Shehbaaz dragged her towards the dining area where the bride was sitting with her mother, munching on a paratha.

The gill siblings greeted the older lady cheerfully and sat across from Janvi and her on the table. 

Janvi’s mother smiled at both of them. “Mummy kado tak aa rahe hain?” She asked Shehbaaz who shrugged, “Kal sawere aa jayenge. Bahar mehmaan aaye huve aunty-ji..”

Janvi frowned. “Kaun mehmaan?”

“Maami baithi hai bahar.. Aapka saare snacks khatam karne ka beeda aaj unhone hi uthaaya hai.” Shehbaaz said playfully but Janvi looked at Shehnaaz worriedly. She knew the kind of life that Shehnaaz had led throughout her stay at her maternal grandmother’s home. She didn’t want Shehnaaz to remember any of that again, especially not now that she was finally so happy with how her life had turned out to be.

“Theek hu mai.” Shehnaaz assured her best friend. “Baat bhi nahi ki unhone mujhse.”

“Mai jaake dekhti hu.. Bataya bhi nahi, aake baith gaye itni raat. Tu idhar hi reh puttar. Khaana daal le apne hisaab se. Shehbaaz, putt tu bhi kha le.” Janvi’s mother patted Shehnaaz’s head affectionately. She nodded with a smile.

Once the older woman had left the kitchen, Janvi turned to the siblings and grinned. “Shehnaaz, jiju ko phone kar na..”

Shehnaaz frowned. “Kyon? Shikayat karni hai meri?”

“Kar na yaar.. Ek kissa yaad aaya hai..” Janvi demanded. 

Shehnaaz sighed. Why had he introduced the two of them?  “Mujhe bhi yaad aa rahi hai vaise..” She mumbled as she grabbed Shehbaaz’s phone from his pocket and video-called Sidharth. 

“Mera phone charge pe laga hai Jannu ke kamre me..” She explained and Shehbaaz rolled his eyes as the call was picked up. 

“Saari paltan ikatthi hai!” Sidharth exclaimed. “Kaisa chal raha hai bridal treatment?”

Janvi shrugged. “Aapko special invite bhejke bulaana tha kya? She asked. “Mujhe toh laga tha naaz ko bulaaungi Sid apne aap aa jaayega. Yeh toh mere saath cheating ho gayi.” 

“Tune meri shikayat karne ke liye phone kia tha mujhe?” He asked Janvi, amused. “Mera aane ka mann tha bas kaam kaafi zyaada hai yahan.”

Janvi gasped, “Mera jija mere vyaah te ni aaya, mera taan vyaah sunna reh gaya..” She exclaimed dramatically (My brother is not at my wedding, my wedding looks incomplete.)

Sidharth sighed, “Shehnaaz ko toh bhejj dia na mene. Uske saath full mazze kar..” Sidharth said cheerfully. “Dhyaan rakhiyo iska.”

Janvi nodded. “Bahar hi hai aunty-ji.” She said quietly. 

“Tu dur rehna please unn log se..” Sidharth said quietly. Shehnaaz nodded. “Don’t worry.”

“Shehbaaz, tujhe yaad hai inki dahi waali haandi chupa ke rakh li thi hum dono ne?” She asked the younger of the two.

Shehbaaz nodded. “4 ghante baawli hoke saare ghar me dhund rahi thi woh dahi. Fir hum bhi khel khel me bhool gaye aur woh dahi dubaara mili hi nahi..” He informed Sidharth and Shehnaaz.

Sidharth laughed. 

“Tujhe nahi pasand tha yahan aana aur isko bhi bhejna. Kitni masti karte the hum log.” Janvi complained.

Shehbaaz shrugged, wrapping his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Shehnaaz ka ghar nahi tha yeh. Iss se zyaada toh woh hostel iska ghar tha jahan family se baat bhi maheene me 2 baar ho paati thi..”  

Jaanvi nodded. 

“Humne isse kabhi koi taqleef nahi hone di thi.” Shehbaaz heard his mami exclaim and Shehnaaz practically stopped breathing. 

Sidharth was still  on the other end of the call when he heard Janvi stand up from the dining. "Kucch chahiye tha aapko aunty-ji?" She asked icily. 

The woman was practically seething. "Lene toh bas paani aayi thi bacche. Accha hua jo aa gayi. Apne bacchon ke mooh se apni yeh taareef aur kisi tareeqey thodi sunn-ni thi mujhe?" 

Shehbaaz rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm around his sister’s shoulder. "Aap sun ne waali baniye, isse zyaada tareefe karne ko taiyyar hoon mai toh." He responded sarcastically.

Harnoor went red in fury. "Ehsaan faraamoshi kardi na? Bakk di kahaniyaan apne ghar waalo ko?" She shouted at Shehnaaz who curled her fingers against the phone-screen where Sidharth was still on-call, listening to everything. 

"Don't cut the call." He messaged on Shehbaaz’s phone. 

"Konsi kahaniyan mami-ji?" Shehbaaz asked heatedly. "Sacch bataya hai usne jab bhi bataya hai. Aap logo ko apna pariwaar maan ke humne ladki aapke paas bheji thi. Meri maa ne socha tha ki apni bacchi ki tarah rakhoge Shehnaaz ko.. Bharosa rakh ke beti ki zimmedaari di thi." 

"Humne toh apni bacchi samajh ke hi rakha tha. Isse rehna nahi aaya toh kya karein?" Harnoor said coldly. 

Shehnaaz closed her eyes. Ho gaya tamaasha shuru.

"Sidharth please kucch mat boliyo. Tufaan aa jaayega yahan.." Shehnaaz told him quietly. Sidharth was seething on the other end of the call, pacing restlessly in his room. 

"Mujhse behes mat karo maami-ji. Mene dekhi hai iski haalat. Mene dekha hai aap logo se darrte hue.. chupte hue issey.. aapki Nikki ya Deep kyon nahi chupte firte aapse? Kucch nahi batati thi yeh hume.. kitne saal chup-chaap apne maa-baap ke kehne pe aapke saath rahi." Shehbaaz defended his sister fiercely. "Sab kucch dekha. Sab kuch suna, chup chaap."

"Bhaagi bhi toh thi ghar se! Wo bhi maa-baap ke kehne par kia hoga isne.." Harnoor scoffed. "Itni bhi seedhi nahi hai teri behen. Ladko ke kapde pehen ke saare ghar me ghoom rahi hai. Sharam waram nahi hai issko!"

"Aapke ladke ne diye hai kya usse yeh kapde?" Janvi asked sarcastically, and then chuckled. "Bhool gayi kya ki ab woh apne liye khud kama rahi hai? khana peena pehn-na kisi ki rok nahi hai uspar."

Shehbaaz frowned, looking at Shehnaaz's outfit carefully and chuckled. "Yeh hi umeed thi aapse. Aur koi baat nahi bachi toh bhaagne ki baat shuru kar di. Uspe koi reaction nahi mila toh usske kapdo me nukhs nikaalna shuru kardo. Aapka khana halak se nahi utar-ta na koi drama kiye bagair?" Shehbaaz asked sarcastically. 

"Yeh kya bad tameezi hai Shehbaaz?" Harnoor roared. 

"Ladki ke kapdo pe tippaniyan karna, uske bhai ke saamne uske character pe indirectly sawaal uthaana, isse kehte honge tameez, haina mami-ji." Shehbaaz retorted furiously. "Raat ko comfortable kapde pehen-ne se pehle bhi usko aapki permission ki zaroorat hai? Woh waqt gaya jab aapka koi bhi control tha meri behen ki life par.” 

Harnoor gasped. 

“Drama na kareyo hunn. Eh saada ghar nahi hai. Mummy aur Papa rishte de lihaaz kar ke chup reh gaye si pichli baari, iss baar na woh hain, na eh saada ghar hai. Menu rokkan waala koi nahi hai.” (Don't try to make a scene. This is not our house. The last time, we remained quiet because we respect our parents. This time our parents are not involved. This is not even our house no one can stop me) 

Harnoor raised her hand towards Shehbaaz, meaning to slap him when Shehnaaz growled almost inhumanly. “Haath na lag jaaye mere Shehbaaz ko. Agar itni si bhi chot lagi usse toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga.”

She stumbled away, muttering curses under her breath. “Begairat bacche. Saare ehsaan bhool gaye.”

“Adhi raat hai mami-ji. Kisi aur ke ghar mein bhi iss waqt kalesh karne se pehle 2 dafa nahi socha aapne.” She scoffed.

“Rahi baat mere begairat hone ki, toh mai jaisi hoon na, apne liye theek hu. Aapke khokhle opinion ki zaroorat nahi hai mujhe.” She said coldly.

***

Shehbaaz walked into the room to see his sister sitting curled up on the sofa sobbing into her hoodie. “Yaad aa rahi hai toh phone utha ke baat karle uss se Shehnaaz.”

Shehnaaz shook her head, “Saara kalesh live dekh raha tha woh. 2 ghante se bacchon ki tarah samjha hi raha hai mujhe.” She said fondly  “Bechaara do baje tak apni girlfriend ke nakhre utha raha tha.”

Shehbaaz sighed, sitting next to her on the couch and pulled her petite self against himself. “Toh ab kyon ro rahi hai motto? Sidharth se baat bhi ho gayi hai na” 

She shook her head. “Nahi ro rahi..” 

Shehbaaz sighed, “Tujhe pata hai na ki woh log matter nahi karte hain.” He asked kindly. “Kyon dimaag kharab kar rahi hai tu apna, puttar?”

 “I know..”

Shehnaaz sniffed, “Mai ignore kar rahi thi unko. Maine koi tamaasha start nahi kia tha Shehbaaz.” 

“Unko mauka chahiye tha motto. Tujhe bhi pata hai woh kaisi hain.” He said softly.

“Isiliye nahi aa rahi thi mai..” She said quietly. “Aadhi raat ko shaadi ke ghar mein tamaasha ho raha tha..”

Jaanvi walked into the room with a glass of water. “Oye. kya baatein ho rahi hai?” She asked the siblings.

Shehbaaz pulled away from his sister slightly and sat up. “Dimaag sadaa rahi hai apna unnke chakkar mein.” He explained to Janvi and she smacked her best friend’s head.

“Pagal hai tu?” Janvi asked, handing her the glass of water that she had brought with herself. “Tujhe pata hai na woh log kaise hain? Kyon pareshaan ho rahi hai tu?”

“Teri shadi hai, you don’t deserve this happening to you.” Shehnaaz said quietly.

Janvi sighed, slightly annoyed. “Baby,, mai theek hu. Woh mehmaan hai shaadi ke aur tu meri family hai. Tu meri guest of honor hai. Unn logon se socially bhi humaara minimal lena dena raha hai for years. Tu meri aur Sameer dono ki best friend hai na? Woh matter nahi karte hai meri jaan, tu karti hai.” She exclaimed. 

Shehnaaz smiled at her.

Janvi sighed and pulled her into a hug. 

“You want me to call Sameer right now ya tu convince ho gayi.” She asked softly.

Shehnaaz chuckled, “Ho gayi mai convince.”

Janvi grinned, kissing her forehead. “Chal ab so ja araam se. Kal sangeet hai. Subaah tera favorite breakfast banwaa rahe hain daddy.” She said happily. 

Shehnaaz giggled. “Tu mera mood theek karne ki koshish kar rahi hai jannu?” She asked teasingly.

“Kal phir tapak padenge woh log, do ghar chod ke rehte hain, warna mooh na dekhti iss family ka. Mood toh mera apna ni theek mai tera kya karungi.” Janvi scoffed.

"Tu kyon khoon sadaa rahi hai apna yaar." Shehnaaz sighed.

"Limit hoti hai pettiness ki. Saala yeh toh dekho ki kiske ghar mein, kaise haalat mein.. kis se baat kar rahe ho. Dekhne wale kya sochenge kya nahi."

"Sorry yaar.. kuch bhi keh lo. Hai toh hamare hi rishtedaar. Teri shaadi me yeh sab tamaashe nahi hone chahiye.." Shehbaaz sighed softly. 

"Koi nahi yaar.. zyaada se zyaada kya hoga. Apni hi beizzati karaayenge sabke saamne. Sabko pata hai yeh log kis mitti ke bane hain." Janvi said kindly.

I know I am super late. Sorry for that. The next one will come quickly. Promise!

Let me know what you think of the chapter. Do read the first chapter once more for better continuity and context.

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