Nightmare

Her lips quivered, eyes frantic, face scrunched up in panic & horror. It was well past midnight and Sidharth was not looking to open the door of his room to see such an agonizing look of vulnerability in Shehnaaz's eyes. He opened his arms, almost instinctively and Shehnaaz rushed in, as if desperate for just that.

"Kya hua?" Siddharth asked, worried but composed. 

His voice was barely above a whisper of comfort and for some reason, that made Shehnaaz want to snuggle deeper into him. Siddharth rubbed her upper back gently, whispering sweet nothings to her as he walked back into their room, his Naaz stuck to him like a kitten.

He was expecting her arrival a little earlier-- to be honest. He had literally been counting seconds, till the knock on his door would sound and signal his victory in their little dare. 

Who would break first, if they were both forced to spend the night in different apartments?

Technically, Shehnaaz was the one who had knocked on Siddharth's door and thus, he was to be declared the winning party but somehow, after seeing the look on her face, her eyes practically waiting to spill tears of panic, her eagerness, the urgency, the need-- Oh, the desperation of hers to be in his arms felt odd.

Screw the competition.

Siddharth made her sit on the bed,  followed after, pulled her back into his arms and brushed her hair away from her face, his eyes betraying his worry, as well as his affection for his lady to the lady herself. 

"What happened?" He asked a second time in the last few minutes and was presented with no response from her side. Shehnaaz caught her lower lip between her teeth and began chewing on it nervously, her eyes averted from Sidharth, while she continued to remain in the warm enclosure of his arms. 

Siddharth sighed, mostly to himself as he watched her. They had been together long enough for Siddharth to recognize her gestures, her nervous ticks, her unintentional, almost subconscious giveaways. At this point, to believe that Sidharth could practically read her mind and know what she wanted-- needed, without her having to spell it out for him was not a far-fetched thought at all.

Siddharth bent slightly and placed his lips on the side of her head. "Mera baccha." 

Shehnaaz closed her eyes, her fingers wrapping around the front of his shirt. "Tujhe jaga dia na maine?"

Siddharth shook his head, "Mai wait kar raha tha tera.. tu nahi aati toh mai khud aa jaata tere paas thodi der mai. Kya gandi aadat lagaayi hai tune mujhe khud ki."

Siddharth's tone was affectionately accusing, his lips stretched into a tiny smile. Shehnaaz giggled quietly.

"Bura sapna dekha?" Siddharth asked gently, a few minutes later. Shehnaaz nodded.

"Bahot.. bahot bura." Shehnaaz shuddered at the mere thought of the dream. Sidharth rubbed her arm soothingly. "Sapna tha meri jaan."

Somehow, the grip of her fingers around the front of his shirt tightened impossibly. Sidharth shushed her.

The room felt heavy with the silence that followed. Sidharth ran his fingers through her hair, "Sab theek hai na.. darr gayi thi?" 

Shehnaaz nodded. "Ab mai tera koi dare kabhi accept nahi karne waali." She said firmly, making Siddharth chuckle softly. 

"I'm not joking."

Siddharth nodded.  "Understood."

"Tu mujhse kabhi door nahi jaayega. Promise kar. Abhi promise kar!" Shehnaaz demanded fiercely. 

Siddharth pulled away, cupped her small face between his palms and rubbed her cheek gently. His eyes bore-- intense-- right into hers. 

"Promise kar.." Shehnaaz whispered in a small-- almost too quiet to be audible-- voice. 

Siddharth allowed himself a small smile before he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I promise. Tujhse door nahi jaunga. Kabhi nahi jaunga. Hamesha tere saath rahunga, jab tak teri zindagi hai, teri saans hai, tere dil mai rahunga, bada sa ghar banaake."

"Kasam?

Siddharth blinked in assurance. 

Shehnaaz smiled, her eyes brightening up at the  smallest assurance from him. 

At times, it drove Sidharth crazy how much this little woman-- his woman-- trusted him. The kind of faith she had in his word, made Sidharth seem unworthy of her affection.

Shehnaaz crawled into his lap and rested her head against his chest. Sidharth wrapped his arms around her petite frame, cradling her almost like a child. 

No conscious thought in the world could ever decribe what we have, Naaz. Nothing can prove to us the depth of our own feelings for each-other and it's crazy, but it's the truth.

"Baat karni hai, sapne ke baare mein?" Siddharth asked her. 

"Important nahi hai." 

Siddharth held a chuckle back with extreme difficulty, "Do maala charh ke, itna dari hui aayi thi tu. Ab bol rahi hai important nahi--"

Shehnaaz shrugged. "Darr laga tha, kyonki tu paas nahi tha. Tere paas aa gayi na. Ab sab theek hai." She said softly. 

There.
The unflinching faith.

"Mere paas kaunsi jaadu ki chadi hai jo sab theek ho jaata hai mere paas aate hi?" He asked, not really looking for a response.

Shehnaaz, however, lifted her head from Sidharth's chest and instead placed her tiny palm, flat against his beating heart.

"Yeh hai teri jaadu ki chadi." Shehnaaz said quietly. She then cupped his cheek and placed her lips on his, a soft gasp left his mouth as she began to kiss him with such tenderness & warmth, his heart felt full.

"Tu mere paas hai toh sab saheen rahega. Mujhe pata hai. Tu mujhe kabhi hurt hone hi nahi dega." She said confidently.

"Pata nahi kahan se laati hai tu itna confidence apne ander mujhe lekar." Siddharth mumbled quietly. 

Shehnaaz smiled, shrugged and closed her eyes, getting back to her earlier position on Sidharth's chest. Siddharth kissed the top of her head and laid back on the bed. "Good night meri jaan."

"Good night bebu." 

Tu mere paas hai toh sab saheen rahega. Mujhe pata hai. Tu mujhe kabhi hurt hone hi nahi dega. 

Siddharth smiled at the words. 

"Mai tujhe kabhi hurt nahi hone doonga Shehnaaz. Teri life mein sab accha hoga, sab saheen hoga I promise." He vowed to himself as he continued to watch her fondly, fall asleep in his arms.

***

I wrote it.. in October last year, right after Tu Yaheen Hai came. I was overwhelmed with emotion then and today when I read it again to post it here I am overwhelmed with emotion now!

I'm not sure how "emotional" it'd be for you guys but here's to hoping you'd at least like the reading experience of it!

Mafia Sid coming  at 9 today! Keep your eyes open and also.. my notification so you won't miss anything. Follow me everyone for all the latest news!

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