Siddhant's POV :

"Sir, what about your scheduled meeting with MLA ji?" Mukhesh Barman, the DSP of my branch and always one of my few well wisher asks me.

I grab the car keys and say, "That coal scam, construction scam and what not scam MLA?"

Barma nods his head firmly, "He has fixed the meeting today."

"Cancel it. He is simply scared I will bring his not so good deeds to light and for that he is inviting me over at his place for some peace treaty which I am least interested in."

"What will we say when he asks us about you?"

"Tell him I am busy. And if he is still clingy, hang his call." I gave him a half crooked smile and before taking the exit door, I turn round, reminding him, "And please tell Shukla to keep the MLA's taxation file records ready. I shall check on it tomorrow."

"Yes Sir." He gives a strong response before I leave my cabin.

*

So, life has been really rough. If it weren't for my busy job which keeps me engaged 24*7, I would have literally committed suicide fighting my traumatised life. All day long I kept myself busy with all the scandalous files and cases. But when it was night and I returned home, it was like walking into my own death ceremony. Though I looked fit and healthy from outside, I was really having a hard time struggling with my psychological state. There came nights when I took one sleeping pill, and then gradually two and now, I have reached this deadly phase where I can't sleep without depending on sleeping pills.

Every time I close my eyes, Sana's face appears in my mind, her laughter, her smile, those pea-nut shaped eyes, and every time it reminds me of how badly I have failed as a husband and a father. Maybe, I should have taken better care of her, maybe, she and our baby would have been alive if I had given more priority to them than my fvcking job. Guilt or regret, whatever it was, it was taking me down like a sinking ship.

"Hey! Siddhant! Come in.." Shibani greets me with her bright smile as she opens the door and escorts me inside the house, "I really didn't expect you would be coming. But this is such a lovely surprise. Please make yourself comfortable."

"I don't like returning home at night. So I thought meeting you people would provide some relief." I dropped my leather jacket on her sofa, and sat down on the couch. She walked to the kitchen and returned with a glass of Mazza and some chicken lollypops.

"That's okay Sid. You will get through this hard times, trust me."

Her house was really worth my praise and fantasy. It was all so beautifully decorated with those rich kashmiri carpets and Pashmina cusion covers. Her furniture was more elegant than I had imagined to be. No wonder, she managed the big house quite well.

"Thanks. Do you manage the entire house on your own?" I ask sipping my Mazza.

She waves her hand in the air like I was kidding, "No way, I have domestic helpers." And she shouts out to one of them maybe, "Agnes is the chicken ready?"

"No didi...half an hour more." A voice echoes from another room, which looked like the kitchen.

"Where are the other people?" I ask, as I could see nobody on the ground floor.

She stamps her forehead and exclaims, "I'm so sorry. I must be irritating you right?" She asks, and without giving my reply a chance she jumps up from her place, "Anuraag is upstairs, playing GTA with Aayush. Ruhanna is yet to arrive. Meera wont be coming as her father in law is ill. You just wait here, lemme bring Aayush and Anuraag down."

She shouts like a psychopath calling Anuraag and Aayush's name. I doubt if her large house could actually send her sound waves upstairs.
Two minutes of relentless shouting, results her son to peep out from his room. Bending over the railing he asks irritated, "What's wrong Maa?"

"Both of you come down. Siddhant is here." She shouts again, I guess her habit of shouting since college will never die.

I look upstairs and wave my hand to Aayush.

"Hey Man!! I am coming." He gives an excited reply and rushes inside his room.

I take a bite of the chicken lollypop and ask Shibani, "Where is your husband? I was expecting to meet him."

She gave an immediate eye-roll, "He is on a business trip to Dubai. He will be back on Monday. After he is back, I will make sure you guys meet for sure."

I nod my head just when the door bell rings. This had to be Ruhanna. Shibani glances over at me and before opening the door she murmurs to me, "Be brave."

I don't know why she said that. It was pointless. It didn't appear at all like I was scared with that simple doorbell. I held my fist tight, dazing at the door intently, so that all my fear of facing her does not appear on my face.

As Shibani opened the door, I could see Ruhi standing there in a jeans and white kurti. There was elegance even in white, though I always liked her in red. It suited her skin tone as I used to say in my college days.
My gaze still remains stuck on her, knowing I shouldn't do so. As she enters the house, seeing me, she moves a step back. Her footsteps halt. Anybody could notice that including Shibani who instantly holds her arm giving her a warning smile not to mess herself in front of me.

From nowhere I could see, Drishti runs to me clutching in my shirt, engulfing me in her warm hug.
"Siddhaaannntt"

"There's my girl. Howdy?" I ask as she releases me from her grip.

"I'm doing fine. What about you?"

"I am alive, atleast" I say, as a matter of joke.

"Don't say like that." She pouts her lips in a rather defending way.

From the railing, extending his neck Aayush starts yelling at Drishti,
"Hey dwarf come upstairs. Stop messing with the oldies."

Dristi's head turns to Aayush as she passes a furious glare at him. This reminds me of Ruhi. Her traits were nothing less than her mother.

"Aayush Raj Kashyap, mind your tongue." Shibani scolds her son, but to no avail as expected.

He gives an eye roll and drags Drishti upstairs saying he needs a partner to play GTA.

Steeping forward, Ruhanna passes me a weak smile and sits down right opposite to me.
She did not need to say what she felt whenever she was around me, because I felt the same. A forgotten regret, a mystic awkwardness. It wasn't easy I could understand, especially after all the time we had spent together once upon a time.

Thankfully Anuraag steps in the scene, making it a bit easier for us.

"Hey officer! Long time no see huh?"
He drinks my leftover mazza and grins wide. This guy will never change.

"I was in Delhi for a training...just returned last week...now, I am struggling to behave like a normal person here. "

Shibani frowns, "Come on Sid, don't be a spoiler. We are still here to cheer you up. Right Ruhi?"

At once, everybody's eyes turn to Ruhi. She purses her lips together in a thin line and glances over at us not knowing what to say. I really liked watching how silly she could be, even now.
"Yes. We are." She finely replies with a smile.

"Great. So let's put the dinner.." Shibani stands up straight and walks to the kitchen, shouting and yelling at her helper from outside.

*

After the dinner, we went upstairs to the terrace. Drishti and Aayush were busy watching some series in the TV hall. The mist in the night air was something which felt like ages. I missed it. I hardly got the time to even stand still and admire the nature around me or to feel the warmth of a cup of elaichi tea in the rain like those college days. Everything was mechanical in my life now including my sleep, my peace, my happiness, sadness everything.

"We grew up so fast. Didn't we?" Anuraag asked bending against the terrace wall.

We nodded in unison.

"Remember how we used to bunk our classes every Friday and just run to Anuradha cinema hall? Yaar! I miss those days. We were a family." Shibani's words really made us nostalgic.

"We are still a family." I smiled and gave a high five to Anuraag who gave a skeptical look at Ruhi and spoke, "Except for Ruhanna who has turned into a taciturn in these years. We miss the Bullet train speed at which she used to talk. Now she hardly opens her mouth."

Ruhi's eye's widened at Anuraag and then she looked at me hoping I would defend her like i used to in the college days while I only shrugged.

"Not only a taciturn. She has turned into a bore aunty material...thanks to her slim and sexy figure that nobody can figure that out." Shibani laughed aloud.

Ruhi glared at us angrily giving an incredulous eye roll.

"Okay guys! Stop pulling her leg. She may cry out now." I raised my one hand, giving a stern command and looked at the expression on her face. Anuraag patted me on the back and started laughing out. I broke into a ceaseless laughter. It felt like ages since I laughed so hard. How much I missed these people!!! I didn't realise this until I met them again!! And I met them when I actually needed honest and supportive friends in my life.

"Shut up, okay. My office work is actually churning up my day and night and Siddhant, your brother is making my life a hell." Ruhi spoke. She looked stressed out though, can't blame her.

Wait..my brother? What was she talking about?

"My brother?" I repeated. "Is he working with you?"

Shibani and Ruhi looked at each other like their secret was blasted or something.

"Come on, ladies. Cut the suspense."
Anuraag screeched at them. I folded my arms and kept my eyes on them.

"He is my boss." Ruhi's eyes cast down.

"He is her boss." Shibani repeated.

"What? Jaaiz is your boss? And you never told me this?"

"I never met you to speak up."

"Are we living in a world where we have to write letters?? Can't you at least call me up, silly?? That guy is crazy you know that right? Did he try to harm you or anything?" My fist clutched tighed, my eyes stuck on her.

Shibani and Anuraag stared at my with their mouth open.

"Stop looking like that both of you." I scowled at them, all irritated. They instantly started looking at the distant mountains, maybe so.

Ruhi took a deep breath and spoke "Calm down..Jaaiz is bad. But not that bad. I mean to say...umm...he is like really bad. But not really really bad..how to explain..arr..he is greater than the dictionary meaning of Bad word..but less than the spoken form of the word Bad. You guys are getting me right? Just don't worry about me. I am doing good."

The whole time she spoke not even the B of her Bad word entered into my brain. Anuraag and I gazed at each other like bloodless morons.

A couple of seconds later, Anuraag spoke,
"Congrats..the old Ruhi is back I guess.."

"Indeed." Shibani and I spoke and laughed aloud.

*

Anuraag and Shibani already left the terrace, intentionally or unintentionlly, I don't know, making their own part of excuses. I decided to go downstairs as well, but not before making Ruhi cautious.

"Hey! just be careful. Alright?" I spoke in my husky tone, a smile stuck on my face, "I still don't trust Jaaiz."

"I will be fine. Don't worry." Ruhi gave an assured smile.

"Note my contact number from Shibani in case of any emergency."

"You aren't Superman to land on my emergency location." She smirked. Perhaps, the old Ruhi was getting back on track.

I gave a short laugh to myself.
"True. I don't want to be." I said and gazed into her eyes."I just want people to be safe including you."

"Alright." She sighed.

"And it seems you are still having the hangover of watching Batman V Superman..right?"

Her eyes widened at me, "How did you know that I watched it?"

"You never miss those superhero movies. And just now at the mention of Superman I figured it out." I smiled to her embarrassment.

"Do you bleed?" She asked like so fiercely, with her hand on her hip.

It looked like she was portraying some character.
"Heh???" My brows furrowed in confusion.

She dropped her hands down and rolled her eyes instantly, "Nothing...it was just a Batman dialog. You don't need to reply."

"You are crazy."

"Whatever."

"Yea yea yea yea.. Just don't forget to watch your back.." I sing-songed and went downstairs, leaving her on her own.

*

Finally. A new chapter. My mid-sem exams are over and i couldn't hold back myself from writing this chapter. I wrote this two days early. Ruhanna is starting to open up her inner self slowly. Lets see what happens further.

I have added the song Aahatein. I found the lyrics perfect for RuhiSid.
Love ya all.