Chapter 16

Sid returned home in evening and was welcomed by angry roli. She was sitting in sofa in hall like an angry kid.  

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Sid asked, reaching her. Being the first day in office, he was held in a meeting with the board. When he was done with it, he found out roli had already left the office. 

"Why should I wait for you?" Roli yelled and rushed to her room, leaving sid in bewilderment. 

Shaking his head, sid went to study room as he had a conference meeting. Roli didn't come out of her room until sid finished his work. Even at the time of having dinner, roli didn't come out. One of the servants went to call her for dinner but, she clearly denied to come. 

After he was finished with the meeting, sid quit the study room and reached dining hall. Servants hesitantly informed him that roli didn't want to have dinner. Knowing her temper, sid was not surprised. Instead, filling a plate with food, he headed towards her room. 

"I told you I don't want to eat" without looking at the person, roli almost shouted as she heard the knock on the door. 

"No, you didn't tell me" sid answered, entering the room. Roli raised her head and found him walking near her with a food plate. 

"Have food" he sat before her, pushing the plate near her. 

"I don't want to eat" roli spoke adamantly. 

"Stop being stubborn all the time" sid said calmly and before she could speak, he stuffed her mouth with a piece of chapati. Munching the food, roli murmured something while glaring at him. 

"You can curse me later but, have food first" Sid said, guessing she might be scolding him. And again without giving her the chance to respond, he stuffed her mouth with food. 

"I will have it on my own, you can leave" Roli pulled the plate from him and started eating on her own as if she wouldn't want to be fed by him. 

"Why should I leave? Can't you share your food with me?" Sid asked, teasingly. 

Surprised at his words, roli's hand got stuck in the mid-air with a piece of chapati in it. Sid moved closer and took it in to his mouth from her hands, leaving her stunned at his actions. 

Roli looked away to avoid his mischievous smile. With her glaring at him and his smart ways of feeding her and also having food from her hands, they both finished eating. Sid went out taking the empty food plate while roli rolled her eyes at his behind.  

A few minutes later, roli came out of the washroom and was about to go to bed when sid entered her room again. 

"What do you want now?" Roli stared at him, keeping her hands on her hip. 

"You" sid answered, moving near her. "did you forget that we are now a married couple? So, as a couple aren't we supposed to stay together?" His words made roli stunned. 

"You've completely lost your brain" roli shook her head in disbelief. Was he really serious about their wedding? She wondered. 

"I don't care about what I lose. All I want is to gain you" standing before roli, sid said looking straight in to her eyes with much love reflecting in his eyes. 

Roli fell silent at his words as she slowly starting losing herself in his piercing eyes. Sid took her hands in his and held firmly. 

Taking out a diamond ring from his pocket, Sid slided it in to her finger, snapping her out from her dream world. 

"Our wedding gift" Sid said in a rather soft tone, kissing on her knuckle. While Roli stood speechless. 

"You can't imagine how long I have waited for this moment" Sid began, placing his left palm on her right cheek while his right hand still held on to her left hand. 

"You thought I left without informing you. Do you really think I would leave you just like that? On the day of leaving to abroad I came to meet you but, none was there at home. I couldn't wait for long as I had to take the flight. I wanted to tell you that I will be back soon and that you should wait for me" Sid informed about the situation with his usual calmness. 

Roli was taken aback when she heard him. She remembered it was during summer vacation ten years ago when her paternal grandfather got admitted in hospital and wanted to see her as it's been long since he had seen his granddaughter. He loved and pampered her a lot. His health wasn't well from the time roli and her mother left their family. Akash along with his grandparents took roli to hospital to see her grandfather. They returned home nearing night. After that day roli didn't see Sid and they got to know from their friends that he left to abroad for higher studies. 

Knowing that he left and she couldn't see him or talk to him, roli felt upset. She was just 12 year old then and couldn't really understand what she feel for him. But, she was so attached to him that she couldn't bear with the separation. Still she waited for him with a hope for ten years. But, the day she realized that he was back and didn't come to her even when it was three months since he had returned, all her longing for him turned in to anger. And the news of his wedding acted like fuel to the fire. 

"And I won't blame you for being mad at me. I couldn't be there with you when you needed so, you have the right to be upset. But, from now on I will never leave you alone and will always be by your side. I promise you, roli" Sid continued, sincerely. 

Roli was drawn in to his eyes as her heart slowly melted at his sincere words. Moving closer to her, Sid planted a kiss on her forehead. she was losing herself at his soft touch while a pleasant feeling filled her heart. Something that she never felt before. His tender gaze and silence in the room all had turned up to seem like an intimate moment. She just couldn't find out the sensation she was feeling inside her yet. 

As if snapped out of her chain of thoughts, roli turned around, facing her back at him. Only then she realized her raised heartbeat. She felt restless as she tried to calm down her heartbeat. She didn't know what was happening with her. She was mixed with complexity of emotions. The whole feeling was new to her and she couldn't figure out what it was. 

Watching her being lost in herself with a question mark face, Sid could somewhat understand what was running in her mind. After all they have never been in so proximity before, which might made her feel little uncomfortable.  

"Let's go to sleep" sid spoke and moved near bed, thinking to give her time to adjust with things. 

"Huh.. why are you sleeping here?" Gaining her senses back, roli frowned, watching sid climbing on to the bed. 

"Roli.. do I need to remind you every time that we are a couple now" sid looked at her helplessly. He seemed to be too damn serious about their wedding. 

No matter what roli said, sid wouldn't let her go out of the room nor do he left. Resigning, roli slowly went to bed, laid down on it, turned against him and covered herself with a quilt. It wasn't actually a feeling of uncomfortable. For he was the only person she could be the most comfortable with. But, it's a feeling of insecurity. After facing some bitter past and knowing how her father had treated her mother, she would feel less confident about marriage. Not that she really didn't trust him but, she was scared if he too would leave her just like her father left her mother and also like he himself left her ten years ago. This insecurity had always haunted her. Some experiences would leave a strong impact on people, which they couldn't get rid of so easily. 

With a little distance in between, sid laid down, facing her. He was sure of gaining her trust again. 

---

Roli woke up the next morning to find a box near her pillow. Sleepily, she sat up on bed, taking the box. 

"It's a new phone for you" she heard Sid's voice. Raising her head, she found him near mirror, getting ready. At the moment she was reminded of her lost phone, which she almost forgot about.

"Now I've to leave for a meeting with the director. I've arranged a driver for you to go to office" adjusting a watch around his wrist, sid walked near the bed. Then pecking her forehead softly, he left to his work, leaving roli stunned behind. 

- In Office - 

Roli was given a new cabin considering her post as PA. But, there was not much work for her to do. Due to which she started feeling bored. Looking in to her new phone, she was surprised to see all of her old files and contacts saved in it already. Realizing it as Sid's doing, she couldn't help but appreciate his thoughtfulness. 

To kill the boredom, she logged in to her social media account and started scrolling the feed. Suddenly, something striked in her mind and she searched for Sid's account. She had already searched for it when he was still in abroad but she couldn't find it and the same repeated even now. She couldn't understand why he hadn't created any social media account yet. 

Just then she found an official page of Sid's production house. They have posted only pictures from the events of movie launching and all. The most recent post was the same pic she had seen in the newspaper along with Sid's marriage news. 

Roli's expression changed as she glanced at the picture and an uneasiness filled her heart. However, she was surprised to read the comments under that post. 

"Just saw the news of SB's marriage with Nia mehra. Hope it's fake. Nia is a b!t¢#. She's not worthy of our SB" 

Roli widened her eyes as she read it. She knew Nia mehra as an actor with strong background, who had been part of a few blockbuster movies. But, she didn't know much about the actress. As she continued to read further comments, she felt even more surprised as all were saying the same that nia wasn't worthy of Sid. 

At the time her phone started ringing, grabbing her attention. Roli immediately answered the call, looking at the caller ID. 

"Roli! Where are you, girl? I've been trying your number god knows how many times but, never received any response. I've even went to your house but, it's locked. There's no information about you. It's like you've disappeared from the earth" Trisha began as soon as roli answered the call. 

"Relax, relax.. woh actually I lost my phone two days back so couldn't answer your calls" roli answered. 

"Why are you not at home then? Bhaiya and bhabhi also are not here. I thought to come stay with you but, I couldn't even find you" trisha said, being worried about her friend. 

"Woh.. I'm staying at.. Sid's house" roli slowly informed. 

"What?!" Trisha shrieked in surprise. "ohh.. that's why I couldn't find you. Madam is lost in another world with her love" she teased, a few moments of silence later. 

"Shut up" roli rolled her eyes but, her lips curled up in to a smile. 

"Well, what about your interview? Did you get it?" Trisha queried. 

"Yeah. I got it. I'm in office now" roli replied, wondering if she should tell her about her legal wedding. She always shared every little thing with her friend. But this one, even she herself was not sure of it. So, she fell in to dilemma whether to tell or not. 

"That's great. And yeah, even I got a new project to design costumes for a show" trisha boasted with a bright smile. 

"Wow. Congratulations!" Roli wished vibrantly. 

"Acha listen.. varun's birthday is on sunday and I'm planning a surprise for him. I hope you could take out sometime to come out of your love world and help this poor friend of yours" trisha said, making a pity face. 

"Leave about helping but I'll definitely come to break your legs" roli glared at her friend for continuous teasing. 

Roli ended the call after talking to her friend for few more minutes. Then she again continued to scroll her social media feed.