Chapter 7

Sid drove the car as roli directed him the route. He tried to talk to her all the way while driving but, roli only glared at him whenever he started to speak something. 

When they reached the destination, roli got down from the car without even giving a least glance at sid. 

"Won't you ask me to come in?" Roli stopped on her track when she heard Sid's voice. 

She turned around with the same sternness she was maintaining from the moment she saw him and said, nonchalantly "thanks for the drive. You can leave now". 

When roli turned to leave, she found a lady at the entrance of building, staring at them. 

"Roli.... He.." she came forward and asked roli as she pointed at sid. 

"Bhabhi, let's get in" roli held that lady's hand and tried to leave. 

"Wait, roli. Is he siddhant?" She asked with surprise. 

"It doesn't matter who he is" roli said, bluntly and walked into the entrance, leaving sid behind in a broken state. Upon seeing roli's reaction, the lady got clarity that the guy was sid. 

"I'm sorry. She's a bit.. you know.. ill tempered sometimes. Please don't mind" that lady turned to sid and said apologetically on roli's behalf.  

Sid didn't say anything as his eyes fixed in the direction in which roli left. 

"Well, I'm shreya, akash's wife" the lady introduced herself. While sid looked at her in surprise. 

"Akash.. your friend" shreya continued as she thought sid might've not remembered akash. 

"That idiot got married already" sid was surprised to know that his friend was married. 

Shreya laughed at his comment as she said "why you're still standing here. Come in, akash would be really happy seeing you now". 

Shreya then led sid in to the house. It wasn't too big as well as not too small. It had two bedrooms, a hall and a kitchen, enough for three people to live in. 

Roli was sitting in the sofa in hall when sid entered. She quickly got up and stormed into her room. 

Shreya sighed helplessly at roli's behavior towards sid. She called akash to inform about sid's arrival. Meanwhile sid settled down in sofa. 

Sid kept looking at roli's room door then and there, hoping for her to come out. But, she didn't. 

"I've informed akash. He's on the way. Until then, have this" shreya came out of the kitchen with a tray and forwarded to sid. 

"It's okay. I don't..." Before sid could reject, shreya continued. 

"It's ginger tea. Roli said it's your favourite". 

"Roli said it?" Sid was truly surprised. 

"Yeah. She said almost everything about you" shreya smiled and sat opposite to sid. 

Sid was beyond happy. Roli still remembered about his favorite things. It was something he didn't expect, especially after seeing her anger. 

With the unspoken happiness in the heart, sid took the cup and started having it. By the time he finished it, roli finally came out of her room. 

Sid looked at her with the tenderness in his eyes. Roli, though felt his gaze, ignored and went near dinning table to drink water. 

"Roli, come and sit here with your sid. I'll go get ginger tea for you" shreya said as she got up. 

Roli stopped drinking water as she shouted "I don't like ginger tea. And he's not my sid". 

"From when you've started to dislike ginger tea? Isn't it the first thing you ask for every day?" Shreya turned to look at roli in surprise. 

While sid, who was listening to their conversation, smiled silently as he remembered roli used to have ginger tea because it was his favorite. Not only that, everything that was Sid's favorite, those used to be her favorites too, though she didn't like those personally, she used to adapt all his likings when they were young. 

"And what do you mean by he's not your sid? You're the one who always says my sid is this, my sid is that... All the time sid sid sid" shreya continued more like adding fuel to fire. 

Roli kept the water bottle back on to the table,making a loud sound. She was supposed to be mad at sid, however, her bhabhi was going on making her embarrassed with all the things she once said to her. She felt like digging a hole and hide in it. 

Roli turned around and glared at her bhabhi. Whilst sid was smiling at roli. He got up and walked towards roli, slowly. 

"You can't be angry with your sid" sid spoke in a husky voice that shivered roli for a second. 

"Sid!" They got disturbed with the sudden shout. 

Sid turned around and found akash rushing towards him. 

"So, finally you're here!" akash held Sid's shoulders and exclaimed out of happiness. 

Akash hugged sid as he said "I missed you all these years". 

Sid too hugged back with a relief as his friend wasn't angry at him like his roli. 

"When did you come to Mumbai?" Akash broke the hug and asked. 

"Today" sid said, calmly.  

Akash smiled seeing his calmness as he casually hit on Sid's arm and said "you're still the same". 

"No, he's not the same" they heard roli's voice and found her standing like an angry bird. 

Akash looked at roli, who was standing behind sid. Others might not knew but, he was well aware of roli's reasons for being mad at sid. 

"Yeah, he has become more handsome now" akash said to ease the situation but, it only added up to roli's annoyance. 

"Of course, you will support your friend" roli taunted before going and locking herself in her room. 

"Don't worry. She's not actually angry on you" akash turned to sid and comforted as he knew roli's behavior would surely hurt sid. 

"I've got a lot to talk to you, come" by saying so, akash took sid to the terrace where they can chat peacefully. 

"So, why you guys shifted to mumbai?" Sid asked, leaning against the railing of the terrace. 

"Uh.. it's a long story. We actually didn't think to leave our hometown. But, we had to. After my grandparent's demise, roli's father wanted to take her guardianship. But, you knew right how much she hates that man so, she was unwilling to go with him. Even I tried to convince her to go so that she can get a better life. She said she didn't want to leave me alone and go. But, her father kept on trying, which I found weird cause he never cared about her all those five years after her mother's death. Why he suddenly started being so caring. Then we got to know that after my bua's death, roli's grandfather transferred half of his property on roli's name. And roli's father got to know about it after his father's death five years ago. So, he wanted to take care of roli only for the property that would come to him along with roli. After knowing it, roli started hating him even more. At that time I got placement for training here in mumbai. And it was a chance to keep those money blinded people away from roli so, I brought her here along with me. And gradually, everything went peacefully, roli continued her studies here and her father didn't try to bother her knowing that I'm a police officer now" akash narrated as sid keenly listened to him. 

"Roli is really lucky to have a brother like you" that was the first thing sid could come up with after listening to akash. 

Akash wasn't even roli's own brother. He was her mother's brother's son. Yet, he stood up with her in all her hardships, which even sid failed to do, though unintentionally. If akash wasn't there with roli, sid couldn't even imagine what would be her situation right now. 

"That's not exactly right. Coz, she could've gone with her father, where she could lead a luxurious life. But, she stayed with me, leaving all the luxury. And how can I not take care of her" akash said, proudly about his sister. 

"And yeah, now it's your turn to take care of her. Remembered your promise?" Akash raised his eyebrows at sid. 

Sid smiled as he understood what promise akash was referring to. It was the promise of marrying roli after they grow up. 

"How can I forget that" sid replied with a smile. He couldn't forget that promise even if he wanted to.  

"For that I've to do a lot to pacify my little nuclear bomb" sid sighed helplessly as he thought of roli's anger. 

Akash laughed to hear that 'little nuclear bomb' from sid after ages. He remembered how roli never allowed anyone else to call her like that other than sid, not even akash. It was like a right owned by sid alone. 

"Roli's anger for you now is out of her childishness. After experiencing all those tricks her father had played to take her guardianship, she kinda lost trust in people, especially rich ones. But, you're an exception though. You know how excited she was when she first watched your interview. She's so happy that you've become successful. She never failed to watch your interviews though, you rarely attends any. And know what, after knowing that you're in to entertain industry, she too wants to do the same and she has done a small role in some daily soap a few months back..." 

"Seriously?" Sid interrupted akash. He couldn't believe that his roli wanted to choose acting career just because he was involved in it. 

Roli used to do things that were of Sid's interest back when they were studying together. At that time sid thought she was following him out of her childishness. Needless to mention that he would love when she copies him. But, he didn't expect her to do the same even after ten years. 

"Yeah, man! Even I felt that's crazy but since she wanted it, I didn't want to stop her. But, I told her to do whatever she wants once she's done with her studies. Considering it, she kept her acting aside for sometime. One month back she has completed her post graduation and now I think she might want to continue her acting career" akash replied.  

"That's all fine but, why she's being mad at me now?" Sid was confused. Listening to everything akash said just now, sid understood that roli was happy for his success but, he didn't get to understand as to why she was behaving distantly with him. 

"Roli was actually waiting for you to come back. But, when she read an article about your return to India and that you were going to start your business here, she was a bit heartbroken thinking that you're returning only for business purpose but, not for her. And that disheartening turned in to anger when you didn't come to her in these two months after your return" akash explained. 

Sid didn't know what to say. Roli was mad at him for such reason, he didn't expect. He thought the situation would a bit complicated. But, as akash termed, roli's reason was really childish. 

And that's how roli was when it comes to sid, childish. Sid was well aware of all her childishness too. So, he made up his mind that no matter what, he would definitely win his roli's heart, yet again.