8. DEPARTURE

Shehnaaz:- ( worriedly ) kaka…. Mai aapko yaha akele kaise chod sakti hoon?

( Kaku…. How can I leave you here alone? )

Ashok:- ( tiredly ) Meri Sanu, humne do din pahle hi insaab ke bare mai baat karli h, hai na? ( Sanu, we already talked about these things two days back. Don’t we? )

Shehnaaz:- ( nodding her head ) hm…. Lekin mai aapke bina kahi nahi jayugi bus. Aap samajh kyu nahi rahe hai? ( hm…. But I won’t go anywhere without you. Why are you not understanding? )

Sidharth:- Kaka… agar Shehnaaz kahe rahi hai toh aap kyu nahi chal rahe hai hamare saath? ( kaka… if Shehnaaz is saying to come with us…then why are you not coming with us? )

Ashok:- ( with a bad face ) Sidharth, aab tum shuru mat ho jao. ( Sidharth, now please don’t start. ) 

Shehnaaz:- ( nagging him ) please…Chaliye na hamare saath. ( Please, Come with us. )

Ashok:- ( lovingly ) Sanu, my bacha…. Samajho na bacha. ( emotionally ) Mai kahi nahi jana chahta tumhari Kaki ki yaado ko chodkar. Is ghar mai uski hasi basti h uska ehsaas h idhar aur toh aur yaha uski daat ( scoldings ) bhi hai. ( Shehnaaz giggles ) lekin mai wada karta hoon ki mai tumhari shaadi se pahale hi aajauga tumhare pass. 

( Sanu, my baby…. Please try to understand, my baby. ( emotionally ) I don’t want to leave your Kaki’s memories behind. This house holds her touch, her laugh, ( chuckles sadly ) her shouts whenever she scolds me. ( Shehnaaz too giggles ) but….I promise that I will be there with you for your wedding.)

Sidharth:- Kaka, aap yaha akele kaise rahegai? ( Kaka, how can you live here alone? )

Ashok:- ohfo….. Sidharth, tum chinta mat karo meri, mai sambhal luga apne aap ko. Aab, tum log jayo aur jane ki taiyari karo. ( ohfo….. Sidharth, don’t worry I will be fine. Now you guys go and pack your bags. )

Shehnaaz:- ( pleadingly ) ik vaari aur soch lijiye……. ( think once again…. )

Ashok:- ( sternly ) SANU…….

Reluctantly Shehnaaz agrees and both move towards her room for their last time packing because they have a flight tomorrow night.

IN MALHOTRA MANSION

Vishember:- Do you know where is Sidharth?

Yashoda:- Now, why do you want to know about his whereabouts?

Vishember:- ( tiredly ) I am not his enemy, Yashoda… I………

Yashoda:- ( cutting her husband in mid ) Yes… If you are not his enemy then why did you take revenge on him? ( angrily ) You put him in a dilemma only because he loves someone else and not to forget that someone is much better than INNAYA.

Vishember:- I want his happiness, Yashoda…….. Nothing else.

Yashoda:- ( with venom in her eyes ) I saw your concern for Sidharth with my eyes that day. And one more thing I don’t know where he is? But if I knew it, I would never tell you.

Vishember:- Why are you getting hyper on me?

Yashoda:- because I never expected this thing from you. I never thought that you would push Sidharth away from me. ( while crying ) I never thought that you gave your promise more priority than his love.

Saying this she angrily exits the room leaving her husband guilty.

The next day, Sidharth and Shehnaaz walk out of their house to the airport. Shehnaaz is a crying mess till now because it’s difficult for her to leave the home where she spent her whole life till now. She is also worried for her Kaka because he is the only one who gave her parents love.

Whereas Sidharth’s condition is also not good but he is handling himself for Shehnaaz. He is also not happy leaving his home, his country but he is quite angry with his family for not giving him a chance to prove his love. They just put their decision on him without trying to understand him. But somewhere he is happy because Shehnaaz is with him. They are now in a phase where they can start their new life and they are going to do that. They are going to prove everyone wrong, who said that their relationship won’t work. 

Soon both of them are standing outside the airport with their luggage. Now, Shehnaaz’s mood is quite good only because of Sidharth’s efforts. She is in a jolly mood and continuously nags Sidharth to tell her where they are going. But Sidharth is Sidharth! He loves to irritate her, that is why he is all calm and silent. He is smiling continuously seeing her efforts which is irking her more.

Shehnaaz stops her nagging after seeing Cabir approaching them with his wife NAVYA.

MRS.NAVYA CABIR DHAWAN

Four months pregnant lady. Wife of CABIR DHAWAN. Loves her husband a lot but hates his nonsense jokes contrary to her mood swings. Shehnaaz’s co-employee and childhood best friend. Consider Shehnaaz as her younger sister. Shares Tom and Jerry’s relationship with Sidharth. She doesn’t like Sidharth as well as he does. 

Shehnaaz:- ( confusingly ) Cabir, you here?

Cabir:- ( cutely ) What is this Shehnaaz, no hey…no hello…. How rude!!!

Shehnaaz:- ( sarcastically while waving her hand like saying “bye” ) HEYYYYYYY……

Cabir:- ( narrowed eyes ) your actions and words don’t match, Shehnaaz.

Shehnaaz:- shut up!! ( To Navya ) Hey Navya, How are you? ( Caressing her stomach, excitedly ) And how is my little baby doing? 

Navya:- baby’s Mumma and baby both are fine. 

Shehnaaz:- ( excitedly ) good!!!

Cabir:- ohhh ladies… Please spare us some of your attention. We are getting late. Our flight is announced. 

Shehnaaz:- one second…. Sidharth, tell me, are these two also coming with us? 

Cabir:- Yes genius!!!!!!!

Shehnaaz:- ( cribs like a baby ) Sidharth please at least now tell me where we are going?

Cabir:- ( irritatingly ) yr… Sidharth please tell her or else she will brainwash us while asking this again and again. 

Sidharth:- Shehnaaz yr, calm yourself. I will tell you everything but right now we have to move. 

Stomping her foot on Sidharth’s right foot, She walks inside the airport angrily leaving her boyfriend behind. Sidharth follows her with their luggage trolley. 

After completing all the formalities they settled on their respective seats in the airplane. Shehnaaz is silent and angry at Sidharth because of his suspense. He didn’t even let her see her boarding pass ( airplane ticket ). That’s why she is clueless about their destination. 

She is avoiding her boyfriend whereas Sidharth also can’t do anything because according to him she is sitting far away from him. He is sitting on the cornered seat whereas Shehnaaz is at the window seat and some random stranger is seated between the lovebirds making him frustrated. He is continuously glaring at the stranger and cursing him in his mind.

Sidharth:- ( to the stranger ) Sir, can you please exchange your seat with me? She is my WIFE ( pointing towards Shehnaaz ) and she is a little uncomfortable while sitting beside a stranger.

Shehnaaz glared at him for his lie and her next statement shocked him to the core.

Shehnaaz:- ( with a lip-tight smile ) I AM COMFORTABLE HERE…. MR.HUSBAND.

Sidharth can easily recognize the sarcasm behind “MR.HUSBAND” whereas the stranger looks at them in confusion. 

Sidharth:- arey… ( to the stranger ) She is angry with me that’s why she is talking like this. ( to Shehnaaz with a stern tone ) Shehnaaz… don’t do this or else the results won’t be good for you.

Shehnaaz ignored his talks completely, making him roll his eyes at his angry baby. 

The stranger:- ( whispers to Sidharth ) I think your wife is really angry with you. All the best…. I am also a husband and I can understand your state. You pacify her, I will sit somewhere else.

Giving a sympathetic look to Sidharth, the stranger left them alone. Sidharth smiles at his helping nature and feels sorry for cursing him before.

Sidharth:- ( move towards Shehnaaz and take her in a side hug ) ok… Sorry… WE ARE GOING TO CALIFORNIA. As I got my business degree from there and I have some contacts there who can help us to start fresh. Sorry, because I didn’t ask your opinion about this and I took all the decisions.

Shehnaaz:- you have all the rights to make decisions about me. I trust you.

Sidharth smiles and places a tight kiss on her cheek with the sound “muahhh” making her eyes widen seeing his bold move. 

Shehnaaz:- Sidharth, we are in public!!

Sidharth:- No stupid!!!!….. ( banged his forehead with hers) we are on an airplane.

Shehnaaz glared at him for his stupid joke and pushed him while breaking the side hug with an irritated look.

Sidharth laughs seeing her like this, gaining attention from the nearby passengers.

This time he pecks her lips without caring about the damn attention which he gained. Shehnaaz blushes in tomato shade and turns her face. He intertwined their hands and placed a kiss on the back of her palm feeling content after having her in his arms. 

Sidharth:- forget about everything, just focus on our future. We are happy if we are together, right? ( Shehnaaz nods agreeing with him ) LET’S START OUR JOURNEY, SIDNAAZ’S JOURNEY…….

Shehnaaz:- ( she cuts him in mid ) TOGETHER FOREVER.

She smiles while snuggling in his neck like a baby he too wraps his hands around her happily. Both of them are ready to start their new journey away from all the chaos. 

To be continued…