As she reached the Breakfast table she surprisingly saw the same guy sitting there whom she had met accidentally in the corridor… Both of them looked at each other and said at the same time with their eyes widened in shock, “Tum…” Shehnaaz’s dad Rajender ji looked at Shehnaaz and said, “Tum isse jaanti ho Shehnaaz…” Shehnaaz looked at her dad and said, “Nahi dad...Jaanti toh nahi hun but still jaanti hun… I bumped into him in the corridor today toh thodi baat hui thi…” Her dad said, “Agar dhang se nahi jaanti aap inhe toh yeh kaunsa tareeka hua react karne ka…” (I mentioned earlier about Shehnaaz belonging to the Nawabi family of Lucknow in this story. Lucknowi accent will be a part.) She replied, “Dad… Maine isse koi bhi kisi bhi tareeke ki badtameezi nahi ki hai meri nazar mein… Aur agar aapko tab bhi lagta hai toh Mr. whoever you are ‘I am so sorry to talk to you in that way’... So, dad I have apologised to him now like the daughter of a reputed family… Fine right!!” Rajender ji tightened his fists and said, “Shehnaaz aapka yeh har roz subah ka hai… Lekin kam se kam aap mehmanon ke saamne toh humse sahi dhang se baat kar hi sakti hain…” She gave the whatever vala look, sat for breakfast and said, “Well, dad, that's how I talk normally…. Mere andar vo nawabi lehza nahi aa sakta na aaj aur na future mein…” Rajender ji let this matter go and asked her, “Acha vaise subah aap kahan thi...Aapko advance mein aap ki mom ne inform kiya tha na ke Aadil aur uski family aane vali hai…” She closed her eyes tight, took a deep breath and then replied, “Dad...Maine aapse kitni baar bola hai ke mujhe iss shaadi vaadi mein koi interest nahi hai… Aap chahe kitne bhi ladke dekh lijiye I won’t get married until and unless I properly get hold of my life financially.” Rajender ji normally started having breakfast and said, “Financial stability?? Oh really beta!! Is that even a problem?? You are the daughter of Gill’s… Bahar kahin pe ye bolengi toh log aap par hasenge… Aur agar independent hone ka bhoot ab tak nahi utra hai toh you are welcome to join the family business…” She started having her poha with a glass of juice and casually said, “Dad I repeat myself yet again that I am not interested in joining the family business… I am happy with my dreams being dreams until I achieve them independently…” Rajender ji smiled and said, “Toh phir toh aapko ek umar yun hi guzarni pad jayegi issi ghar mein… Gill family ke bache job nahi karte… Vaise maine aapko ab tak bataya nahi ke jisse aap corridor mein takrayin thi vo hain Mr. Sidharth Shukla; the owner of Shukla Enterprises… He is a very famous and self made businessman… He deals in foreign and domestic import and export of different textiles… He has a very big name in the clothing industry… Aur inke travel vlogs bhi kaafi famous hain….. He has taken quite a lot of productive interviews of big names and their struggle in his own TV show, ‘The Journey with Sidharth’...” Shehnaaz finished the last bite of her breakfast and said, “So nice to hear that Mr. Shukla… Genuinely very happy for you…” Sidharth said, “Thank You Ms. Gill…” She smiled, turned to her dad and said, “If I am not wrong then he is your new client right dad…” Her dad nodded in a yes and she continued, “Pehli baar aapka koi client aisa hai jo itna self made aur independent hai according to your description… I so hope ke aap inki journey se hi meri baat samajh jayen… Par ya yet again I have zero expectations from you… By the way mujhe Mr. Sidharth ke bio data mein koi interest nahi tha… Na mera isse koi bhi kisi tarah ka connection… Toh aapne mujhe ye sab kyun bataya…” Rajender ji said, “Beta aap jaanti hain na aapme bilkul bhi patience nahi hai… I was about to tell you that he is originally from Mumbai and will be staying with us for the next one month because of the deal and the formalities…” She turned to Sidharth and said, “Oh welcome to the mansion cum five star hotel Mr. Shukla...Koi bhi help chahiye toh you can ask me or the staff…” Saying this she went to the garden attached to the mansion. It is a huge garden with beautiful plantations and a fountain in the middle. Shehnaaz straight away went towards the white coloured horse in the corner. She caressed the horse and sat on it. She was roughly riding over the horse in full speed when Sidharth reached the garden. She stopped near him and said, “Ye beech mein khade rehke kya kar rahe ho tum… Agar ghoorna hi hai toh side pe khade ho jao… Aur proper view dikhega…” Sidharth didn’t reply and instead took a seat behind her on the horse, wrapped his arms around her, held the rope of control tightly and said, “Ye gussa hamesha aisa hi rehta hai kya…” She looked at him and said, “Tumhe usse koi matlab… Main koi gussa nahi hun aur ye kya badtameezi hai… Horse riding ka itna hi shaunk hai toh akele karo and let me go…” Instead of letting her get down he started riding the horse at a medium speed and said, “I will never let you go because I have bigger things for you to see and live… Vaise bhi har cheez mein ek balance bana ke rakhna chahiye… Chahe phir vo horse riding ho ya life… I know aggression zaroori hai varna cheezen dilon dimaag mein ghar kar jaati hain par tumhare andar ka ye aggression agar tum apne sapnon ko udaan dene ke liye bacha ke rakhogi toh acha hoga kyunki kayin baar aggression hi life ki badi se badi jung mein jeet haasil karwa deti hai…” She looked at him with hope in her eyes for the first time and replied in a soft tone, “Maine vahan breakfast table pe dad ke saath itni roughly baat ki aur tumhare saath bhi mera first encounter koi acha nahi hua tab bhi tum mujhe itni achi advice de rahe ho… Tum dad ke saamne bhi chup thee… Tum chahte toh meri complain bhi toh kar sakte thee…” He continued riding the horse for her and said, “Haan kar sakta tha par uska koi specific reason bhi toh hona chahiye na mere paas… Kisne kaha first encounter bura tha… Tumhara har ek point jo tumne mere saamne rakha was valid and true… Aur rahi baat breakfast table ki toh tumne apne dad se roughly baat zaroor ki par apni soch aur apne sapne unke saamne khulke express kiye jo aaj kal har koi karne ki himmat nahi rakhta… So, from now on friends ya ek mahine tak my love for work will be an issue…” She smiled and said, “Friends kyunki ab mujhe tumhara bio data jaan ne ke baad tumhare kaam se koi issues nahi hain… You surely work for a cause… I want to live my dreams like you…” He replied with utmost positivity, “Aur agar tum chaho toh main tumhe tumhari freedom dila sakta hun… I can become your support system in the journey… Bass trust tumhe karna hoga…” They got off the horse and he said, “Kahan ja rahi ho… Ab tak jawab nahi diya tumne…” She turned towards him and suddenly hugged him tight… Firstly he didn’t reciprocate the hug but after a minute he did. She replied without breaking the hug, “Vaise toh trust aise itna jaldi hota nahi hai par pata nahi kyun but I trust you…” Saying this she broke the hug and headed back to her room… Sidharth also moved towards the guest room to get some rest…

To be continued….

What will happen now?? Kya ye dosti hi hai ek pyaari si journey ki shuruaat?? Is this new found trust on Sidharth good for Shehnaaz?? Will she find her destination?? Will she finally get the freedom she always wished for??