The next day, Siddharth sat on the kitchen slab munching on an apple as his mother cooked dinner. Shehnaaz sat in the hall accompanied by Ashok Shukla. 

These weren't the teams, FYI.

There were no teams, but everyone loved Shehnaaz more than their own son. 

Siddharth Shukla's words, not mine.

Today, Siddharth was bursting with excitement. Everyone knew something was up but no one had managed to ask him the question of the hour.

Finally, Rita Shukla took pity on her son and asked him, giving him what he wanted from the minute he had stepped into her kitchen.

"Kya khuraafat chal rahi hai?" Rita Shukla asked, stopping herself from rolling her eyes at her grown son's childlike behavior by the last second. 

It brightened her day, the way his eyes lit up at her question. She laughed.

He was such a child, sometimes.

"Shehnaaz told me that she wants to go to Amritsar next week. It's Daddy's birthday, on the coming Friday." Siddharth informed his mother.

"You want to go with her." She stated, ahead of his speaking. 

Siddharth sighed. "This is going to sound cheesy."

"That's a first." She exclaimed, her interest piqued.

"I want to get engaged to her." Siddharth told his mother.

"In Amritsar?" She asked.

"Yes. It was her birthplace. That place is special-- important to her." 
Rita Shukla smiled, "Have you talked to her about this?" She asked.

"That's the whole problem. We have had this conversation, before and she was surprised, understandably so. It was a few weeks back, before the project and everything started. Things have changed now. She's one of the company's directors. Her career is in a steady place and it's her time to grow into it. I'm not sure if she wants the same thing as me or not. I mean, of course she loves me and wants to get married to me but I'm not sure if she wants it now or.. or not." He confessed. 

"I become very impatient when it comes to her, Mumma. We practically live together all the time and it shouldn't be so difficult. I know that I don't need proof to say that she's mine but for some reason, unexplainable as it is, I want it. Mumma, jhoot nahi bolunga. Mera bas chale toh mein kal Shehnaaz se shaadi kar loon. Sacchi! Bas ek baar woh bol de ki woh bhi yeh chaah-ti hai. I just don't want to pressure her into anything." Siddharth said softly. 

Rita Shukla smiled, cupped his face. "You think if you'll ask again, she'll have to say yes--just because." 

"I don't want to come across as overbearing." 

"You're not, Siddharth. You're just in love and so is she. Talk to her, maybe she was surprised then, maybe she will be now as well, but you won't know till you ask. Right?" Mumma Shukla asked.

Siddharth nodded, a boyish grin formed on his face. "Mumma, I was thinking can't we all go? It's her father's birthday and I want to make it special for her, for us." He looked hopefully up at his mother. 

Rita-ji looked thoughtful. "That is actually not a bad idea. " She said quietly.

"I'll talk to Dad. Let's see what he has to say about this." 

***

Siddharth was the youngest of the three Shukla children and consequently, he had been showered with a lot of love, pampering and attention. When Shehnaaz entered his life, she loved him like no one else had, no one else could. 

She was so naive, so innocently in love with him that he couldn't help but build a perfect little palace for his beautiful fairytale.

A world that was their own.

Two bodies. One soul.

Her presence in his life as an acquaintance, a smile mate, a friend, even before they were on the same page about the nature of their relationship was so pure and so soothing that it seemed to be enough. They had had the typical love at first sight story, but they hadn't jumped into anything in haste. 

Their love had taken its time. It had bloomed into the most beautiful flower that they could think of, over the period of months. 

They both loved differently, but completed each other. 

He was horrible with words, sometimes. She understood his silence.

Her words, her giggles, her blabbers were the life of him. One day without her mesmerizing smile, her meaningless blabber, her talking. Nineteen. To. Dozen. was one day spent hard in his book. 

He was in love. Hopelessly. Passionately. Beautifully.

She was in love. Deeply. Irrevocably. Completely. 

They were both completely opposite. Yet, when they came together. Somehow, everything became perfect. There was bliss. 
There was chaos. 
There was laughter.
There were tears.

It was a fairytale and it had come true. 

He was the prince and she, his princess.

She was his sanity and he, her home. Her safe-place.

A week later, The Shukla family stood in the premises of the Golden Temple. Siddharth stood next to his Naaz, holding her hand tightly. She glowed beautifully in the early morning light. Their parents and sisters along with their husbands had also accompanied them on the trip. The ladies were all dressed in suits, their heads religiously covered with veils while the men wore Kurtas complementing the outfits of their other halves. Shehnaaz was dressed in a simple yellow and white punjabi suit. Her hair was tied in a neat braid. Siddharth wore a light yellow kurta with white dhoti pants. 

Everyone looked positively radiant, as they entered the Golden Temple. The place was the epitome of serenity. There were many people around. Everyone was occupied with themselves, some sitting on the edge of the pond sprawled in the premises, some coming out of the main worship area.

"This place is so beautiful." Siddharth said quietly, looking around in mild curious wonder. Shehnaaz smiled, adjusting her dupatta neatly on her head and turned to Siddharth, taking his handkerchief from him and tying it around his head. 

"I know. This place is special-- very special to me. It gives me peace. Strength. Coming here is like coming home." Shehnaaz said softly. 

The whole family did the Darshan and Ardaas. It was the perfect moment, when Shehnaaz looked around herself. Her family was here, they were happy and together. What else could she probably wish for, when she had that! 

"Rab-ji, aapne bina maange bahot diya hai mujhe. Mera ghar, mera pyaar, yeh family. Ab kucch maang-ne ka dil nahi karta. Bas yeh jo hai, woh salamat rahe, aabad rahe. Meher rakhna. Aapka haath hamesha mere sar pe raha hai, aage bhi saath rehna. Bas!" She thought, praying with folded hands and closed eyes. 

"Kya maang sakta hoon ab, aapne mujhe iss duniyaa ki saari khushi, saari mohobbat, tohfe mein de di hai. Meri dhadkan se mila diya aapne mujhe. Aap bas iska dhyaan rakhna, hamesha iske saath rehna. Mujhse kabhi aisa kucch na ho, ki woh udaas ho jaaye, uski aankhon se aansu bahein. Aaj apni poori family ke saath aapke pass aaya hoon, aapki blessing lene. Iss family ko hamesha aise hi rakhna." Siddharth thought, sitting on his knees, hands clasped together in his lap, eyes closed. 

They stayed in the temple for a few hours, basking in the peace and serenity of the place. Shehnaaz told them stories from her childhood. The way she and her parents visited the place every week. She blabbered on and on about how her parents would indulge in seva. How she insisted on distributing the langar and the elders would let her, after a little coaxing and puppy eyed pouts. 

The assembled family laughed as she recalled her childhood. Awed at her innocent antics, giggled at her mischief. Being in Amritsar, the place that she was born in, brought a different side of Shehnaaz out in the light. She was a child with wings, out there. One carefree little girl. It made everyone fall a little more in love with her spirit, her innocence and her beautiful heart.

She was what she was.
The best version of herself.

It was around eleven in the night, The family had already checked into a hotel and were relaxing in their respective rooms. Shehnaaz had just come out of the bathroom, freshly showered and ready for bed when she saw a beautiful and large box lying in the middle of the bed. She frowned.

A note was sticking out of the box. She walked up to the bed, confused and took the note out of the box.

She blushed. The box held a beautiful silver colored lehenga with matching jewellery. She took the dress in her arms, running her fingers across the fabric. "Its beautiful." 

It took her a little while to get ready, after all, she had a lot of work to do. She straightened her hair, applied light makeup, got dressed, wore the jewellery. She was about to sit on the bed and call Siddharth when her phone buzzed to life, her name flashing on the screen. She smiled.

"Ready, little star?" Siddharth asked.

"Yes. What are you going to do Siddharth?" Shehnaaz asked.

"Trust me baby, it won't be long now. Preeti is waiting outside the room. She'll lead you to me. Come with her. " Siddharth instructed her. 

"Okay." 

Shehnaaz sighed, opened the door of her room and saw Preeti waiting outside. They smiled at each other. "You look gorgeous sweetheart." She exclaimed. 

"Thank you Di." 

"Come. I'm sure someone is very impatient to see you." Preeti said teasingly as she led her towards the private elevator. Shehnaaz laughed softly. Her cheeks colored in dark hues of red. 

Honestly, she couldn't wait either. 

Let me know what you think of this one!

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