In a world of fleeting moments, she longed for a love that lingered—steady, deep, and real.
X—X—X
SHEHNAAZ
“Give me a chance, baby. I love you… love you so much.” He held my hands and pulled me closer. We were just inches apart. I struggled in his arms as I felt like betraying my husband. “I am married, Rohan. I… I can’t…. We can’t be together.” No matter how much I love him, we still can’t be together.
How can I make him understand, now? I belong to someone else. Tears roll down my face; he wipes them and bends down to kiss me. His lips were just an inch away from my trembling ones, and not knowing anything, I pushed him back with all my force and slapped him hard. He stood rooted in his place while I broke down before him, instantly regretting my action. “I am sorry… so,... sorry. Please, forgive me…”
“What is happening here?” Here comes my husband in his usual aura and red eyes. He held my arm and pulled me up, roughly. “You are doing this behind my back.”
“How can you even think of betraying me?”
“I…” I wanted to apologize, but he gave me no chance, even to defend myself, as he landed a punch on Rohan’s face in rage.
“This is for touching my wife.” I gasped at the expressions on my husband's face, and then I heard.
“CUT IT!”
“Good shot, guys. You guys are the best.” Here comes the director of our show. He pats my head with affection and praises me like he always does whenever I complete such intense and melodramatic scenes in a single take. “You are the life of the show, Shehnaaz.”
“Thank you, sir.” I walk towards my co-stars. “Are you fine, Rajat?” I asked the guy to whom I slapped a moment ago. “I don’t know how I slapped you so hard. I am so sorry.”
“No, darling, you were amazing. Although the slap was so hard, it’s fine. We are actors, we have to bear all this for our audience.” That’s why I like him. He is so supportive. We have been friends since I started my acting career. He was my boyfriend in my first-ever TV show, and now he is playing a negative character in my current show, which will launch in the coming months.
“Pack up!”
Ah… finally, I heard the words I am dying for. Today, we shot for 12 hours, and now I am dead tired. I just need a bed and a strong coffee because I feel like I am going to sleep while standing.
I enter my cozy vanity. This is my second home as I spend my half day here doing what I love the most, i.e., acting. I never had a dream about being an actor, but with time, this field pulled me like I was made up for cameras. I love it as I can show the side of Shehnaaz that I am not.
I gained money, success, fame, and everything that anyone wants in their life, yet I am still deprived of love. I never got love in my maternal home. I am just a money-making machine for them. A machine that works around 18 to 19 hours a day, like a robot, to fulfill its unethical demands. I can’t oppose them, or else they will make my life a living hell. I am scared of them. Maybe I will never come out of this fear ever.
They always snatch the thing that I love the most if I don’t follow them. Now, I have to be alert as I won’t let them have their way with my in-laws. After a decade, I am getting the love from them that I ever wanted. I always look forward to going back home as I know MY FAMILY will be waiting for me for dinner.
Finally, I have someone to whom I can call MY FAMILY. I won’t let GILL’S near MY FAMILY, not over my dead body. By Gill’s I mean,
My Nani, Kishori Gill
My Mama and Mami, Rupesh and Priya Gill
My Cousin, Sonali, and Veer Gill
Not to forget, the evil lady who spies over me on my Nani’s instructions, KAVYA DESHMUKH. Unfortunately, she is my manager.
“Shehnaaz, get ready, you have a magazine shoot in an hour.” Think of a devil and the devil is here.
“Kavya, I am very tired. Can’t you reschedule this shoot? Today, I have to be at home early, you know why…” Although I never complain about work, today I am hell-tired. “Today is Maa’s birthday, and we planned a small surprise for her.” I am not lying, VARUN and I both planned a small surprise for our beloved lady. Varun, my cute little Devar Ji. He is in the 10th standard and my best buddy. A crime partner as well.
“You have 10 minutes to get ready. We will leave for the shoot.” The bitch said not giving any heed to my request and went out. When will I get rid of her?
Nevertheless, I followed her orders as I didn’t have any other options.
After another 3 hours of magazine shoot, I am standing all alone on a secluded road, making sure no one can recognize me in this situation. The bitch left me here alone just because I tried to oppose her order. This is my life. If I don’t follow them, they punish me like that, or sometimes the punishment is more severe than this. I have been used to this type of behavior since my birth. So, not a thing to focus on. I have plenty of problems on my hands right now, like getting drenched in rain.
I am getting wet in the rain and trying very hard to book an online cab, but these damn online apps don’t work when needed the most. Every other driver is canceling my ride request, don’t know why. I am ready to pay an extra amount, but these stupid drivers… fuck. “Where am I stuck?”
“Should I call anyone at home?” Nah!... Mom will get tense when she learns about my situation. I can’t even call my husband because he is a jerk. He is a stone man around me. He has given me the cold shoulder since we got married, as if I were the one who forced him into this marriage. He said yes to this marriage himself, but his huge ego is not ready to accept that.
He hates me, and I hate him more.
If God gives me any chance to reverse any of my decisions, then I will reverse the decision to marry him. But I can’t forget that he is the reason I have such a lovely family. I am sure that Maa adopted him.
Think of a devil and the devil is here again. Please note my sarcasm. My phone is ringing, showing the name that I never expected. This is the second time he has called me in the month of our marriage.
Jerk Husband
Ok, don’t beat me after reading his name on my phone. He is a total jerk to me, that's why I gave him this name.
I take a deep breath before receiving his call, “Hello…” I said politely and expected an arrogant reply from him.
“Kaha par ho?”
See, didn’t I tell you guys that he is a jerk, an arrogant jerk?
Calm down, Shehnaaz. You have to tell him about your situation, as he is the only one who will help you. Keep your ego aside and think about Maa’s birthday.
“Umm… I am at…” I told him about my location, and being a jerk, he did what he is good at, i.e., getting angry.
“What are you doing there all alone, that too at this hour of the day?” I can say that he is fuming with his eyes right now. I can feel his anger in his tone.
Shehnaaz, Calm down, don’t cut the call on his face or else he will burn you. “I..” I lick my lips because of nervousness, preparing myself for another scolding session. “I come here for a shoot and get stuck all alone.” I try to defend myself in case he had already planned to murder me because of my carelessness. “I am trying to book a cab but…”
“Stop fucking giving your lame excuses.”
Shehnaaz, dig your grave here only, as it is safer than facing the devil right now.
“Where is your bodyguard and that not-so-workaholic manager?”
“They left!”
1
2
3
And, boom. The bomb blasts.
“They left! Do you even hear yourself?”
Yes, I did. I wanted to say that, but the words didn’t come out. I am sure the way he is shouting, the windows of his office will crack in a second.
“You are paying them for leaving you all alone?”
“Sidharth, calm down, you are scaring her.” I heard another male voice from the other side and instantly recognized it. He is Shravan Bhaiya.
“Don’t you dare to move! I am on my way… I am coming.”
The call went dead. Thank god, he spared my life.
I look around to find myself a shelter, but there is none. The rain turns denser, and the clouds thunder further, making me squeeze myself as the weather turns cold.
My phone rings again with the same name,
Jerk Husband
Now, what does he need? My life?
Not wanting to anger him further, I picked up the call on the second ring only to hear.
“Don’t cut the call…” As if I were the one who cut his previous call. He continues, “Until I come there.”
What!
Did I hear the same? Don’t cut the call until I come there
I check my phone once
Twice
Thrice
But the name was the same.
“What?” I stammered as this was unexpected from him.
“Do you have any problem with your hearing, just like you have with your brain?”
No need for any proof, HE IS MY JERK HUSBAND. Hence proved!
We were silent for around 3 minutes until he said, “Say something…”
“What?” The lamest question, I know.
“Say anything about the surroundings, the weather, so that I can be sure that there is no one who will snatch my chance of murdering you.”
Is he caring for me? Nah!... I don’t think so.
“Well, can I tell you a secret?” I giggle mischievously.
“Hmm,” His short reply. It’s time for revenge, Mrs. Shukla. He is planning to murder you; it’s payback time.
“I married a man last month, and do you know how my husband is?”
He hums again. The man of few words.
“He is a jerk.”
“And, an arrogant freak..”
“His ego is higher than Mount Everest.”
“Ahh… don’t forget he is a coward as well. He tries to avoid man-to-man talk with his wife.”
“He is an as*hole too…”
I am impressed he heard every bad word like a gentleman. Now, I am sure he has a reason to murder me. Good work, Mrs. Shukla.
“He is completely your match, Sidharth.” I heard a background laugh. Oh shit! I forgot that Shravan Bhaiya is with him. R.I.P Shehnaaz.
I heard a horn, and he was here. I cut the call immediately, and he stopped his car right in front of me. The window goes down, and he looks at me with sharp eyes as if murdering me for my words.
I saw a change in his eyes for a second, maybe lust. Nah!... this is not possible. He looks at me from top to bottom and turns his face away with a tight jaw.
Something is definitely wrong.
“Do I give you a proper invitation to sit in the car?” He roars. “Get in before I change my mind.”
Jerk!
I sat in the back seat as Shravan Bhaiya was sitting in the passenger seat.
“Hello, Bhaiya…” I greet Bhaiya, and he greets me back.
I am dripping wet because of the rain, which will spoil his car, but I don’t care. He deserves that for shouting at me. He looked at me before turning his face and shouting.
“Get down!”
Ah… Now, what happened to him?
To be continued…