“Shehnaaz, dekho mujhe aisa lagta hai tum jis Sidharth ki baat kar rahi ho woh koi aur hai. Main nahi.” Sidharth said, while observing her coseley. He could tell she was at the verge of crying. 

But, hearing her name from his mouth after so long a genuine smile comes on her face making him confused again.

"Are you alright?" He asked, getting concerned.

“Main thik hoon. Waise mujhe bhi lag raha hai tum mera Sidharth nahi ho. Agar hote toh tum apni Shehnaaz ko zaroor pehchan lete." She said with a painful smile.

"I don't know why but I’m not able to see her in pain. What should I do?" He thought looking into her eyes. They were showing pain, agony but most importantly disappointment. Disappointment that he wasn’t recognising her.

"I should take a leave now." She started to leave, with a broken heart.

Why will she stay here when her own love, Sidharth, wasn’t recognising her. It's better to leave. At least, for some time; until she finds out why he wasn’t recognising her. But, the most important question was how on earth he was alive. She has too many questions in mind but has no answer.

"Kaha jaa rahe ho tum?" He asked, stopping her midway.

She looked back to him with a smile, controlling her tears. His heart pained seeing her in pain.

“Pata nahi. Dekhte hai yeh rasta mujhe kis manzil pe leke jata hai." She said with a small smile and left from there crying silently

Sidharth watched her leave without showing any emotion on his face. Once she was out of his sight, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to his manager, and went to his home. He was still thinking about his encounter with Shehnaaz.

The door was opened by his mother. Wordlessly, he removed his shoes, and walked in the living room, and sat on the couch lazily. 

Giving a look at him, his mother went into the kitchen to get water for him. Coming back, she handed him the glass. He silently drinks the water, and keeps it on the tea table. His mother understood something was bothering him. She sat next to him, and kept a hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention.

“What?”

“Kya hua hai? Pareshan kyu lag raha hai tu?” she asked, her voice tender.

He didn’t say anything. 

That worried her more.

“Kya hua? Thik hai na tu?” she asked again, caressing his hair.

“Mom, today I met a girl outside our society. She was looking so much in pain. She called me with sweet names like Kullu and Bebu. She said I’m her Sidharth. Like, we had a history.”

“Accha?”

“Hmm! But, I don’t know her. But her pain…it was real. As if she had lost me before and finally found me after a long time. When I didn't recognise her, I saw pain and disappointment in her eyes for me.” Sidharth said, looking at the ceiling

“Mujhe lagta hai woh shayad teri koi fan hai. Jo tujhse bohot pyaar karti hai. Ab zyada soch mat. Chal lunch kar le.” She tried to pull him up using her full strength but miserably failed.

He laughed.

“Apse nahi hoga.” He said, getting up from his place and going towards the dining table for lunch but his mind was still stuck on Shehnaaz.

“Ab kya hua?” His mother asked, seeing him playing with his food still lost in his thoughts.

“Usne kuch khaya hoga bhi yah nahi?” He asked mindlessly.

“Sidharth, kya ho gaya hai tujhe?” His mother asked, seeing him so concerned for a random girl whom he met only once. But then again, he is always very caring. 

He looked at her with a worried face.

“Kya?” She asked, concerned. 

“Mom, woh bol rahi thi woh yahi rehti hai. Issi society mein. Par phir bhi woh yaha se chali gayi. Kaha? Pata nahi. Agar uska ghar yahi hai toh woh yaha se chali kyun gayi? Mere wajah se? Kyu ki main usko pehchan nahi paya? Uske paas paise bhi nahi hogi Mom. Puri bheegi hui thi woh. Bimar par sakti hai woh. Thoda bohot thand bhi padh raha hai abhi.” He rants on getting worried, leaving her shocked.

“Tu itna kyu soch raha hai ek anjaan ladki ke liye?” she asked, getting worried for him.

“Pata nahi Mom, par uski aankhon mein jo dard dikha mujhe khone ka. It was real.” He murmured, remembering her eyes which showed pain and disappointment.

Was she telling the truth then?

“Accha, ab zyada soch mat aur khana kha. Phir tujhe shoot ke liye bhi jana hai.” She said, trying to divert his mind.

He nodded silently and started to have his meal quietly, still thinking about Shehnaaz.

On the other side Shehnaaz was walking aimlessly on the footpath, crying silently thinking that Sidharth couldn't recognize her. This thought alone was breaking her heart into millions of pieces.

“Sidharth, tujhe ho kya gaya hai? Tune mujhe pehchana kyu nahi? Tune hi mujhe bulaya yaha aur ab tu hi pehchan nahi raha. Kyu mujhe dard de raha hai? Tu toh hamesha bolta tha, main karunga tujhe dukhi, nahi naa. Phir kyu kar raha hai? Bata?” She selftalked.

“Kahi main past mein toh nahi aa gayi? Shayed issi liye mujhe pehchan nahi raha hai woh. Haan. Nahi toh mera Sidharth mujhe nahi pehchanega, impossible.” she smiled, getting some hope.

“Kaise woman card woman card kar raha tha. Kahi yeh uss Rashmi kamini ke saath jo controversy hui thi uska woh wala saal toh nahi hai? Kitna young lag raha hai woh thirty plus.” her smile gets wider. 

“Tab toh possible hi nahi hai woh mujhe pehchan paye. Aur tab shayad yeh Anil iss society ka security guard tha. Hmm. Kyu ki Imran toh baad mein aya hai. But main past mein aayi kaise? Kuch samajh nahi aa raha?” She was too confused. 

She bumped with something hard.

“Ah!” she hissed in pain then looked up and frowned, finding it to be a light post. “Fitte muh iske.”

Then she noticed something shocking.

It was a poster of a movie named ‘Ishq Yah Junoon?’. Starring Superstar Sidharth Shukla and newbie Monika Sharma.

“What! Superstar Sidharth Shukla? Sidharth aur film? Usne toh sirf Humpty Sharma kia hai phir yeh kya hai? Superstar kab bana woh?” She was too confused, and too shocked.

She felt like passing out seeing the release date of the film.

“9th October, 2026.” She murmured softly.

She panicked. 

“Amma! Main kahan hoon? Mujhe chakkar aa rahe hai.” She murmured holding her head and the next moment her body hit the ground.

***

“Nani? Nani kya hua aapko? Aap uth kyu nahi rahi ho?” Riya called out, sobbing, patting her grandmother’s face.

She came to check on Shehnaaz and her grandmother. Not finding her grandmother in her room, Riya came to Shehnaaz room, and found her sleeping on Sidharth and Shehnaaz’s bed. Not knowing she was unconscious. 

“Shit! Nani toh behosh hogayi hai.” she finally realised, after checking her pulse

She quickly runs to get water. She comes back and sprinkle some water on her face. Riya took a breath of relief when she came to her senses.

“Nani, aap thik ho na?” She asked, getting worried, and helped her sit on the bed. 

She quickly grabbed the water bottle, and helped her drink some. Once she was done, she kept the bottle back on the nightstand. 

“Mami kahan hai?”

“Chali gayi.”

“Chali gayi! Kaha? Punjab gayi hai kuch din ke liye? But bola kyu nahi hume?” Riya asked, pouting. She would go with her then. 

Shehnaaz always tells them whenever and wherever she is travelling. Be it to Punjab, Delhi, Ahmedabad or even abroad for her shooting. 

She is a big star in Bollywood now. 

In the last four years, she did a total of three movies. Including her debut movie with superstar Salman Khan. Which was a blockbuster hit at the box office. In that movie, she played an important role. She was appreciated by the natural audience including her own fans SidNaazians and Shehnaazians. She even won the newcomer award of that year and dedicated it to Sidharth, after receiving it, making their fans cry in happiness seeing her love for him.

“Nahi. Sidharth ke paas gayi hai woh.” She said, crying helplessly.

“Kya bol rahe ho aap? Mamu toh,” Riya paused. getting emotional.

“Yeh padh, phir sab samajh aa jayega tujhe.” She said, giving her the letter.

Riya was shocked reading the letter.

“Yeh kya hai? Sanu pagal ho gayi hai kya? Kaha gayi woh?” Riya started crying, too.

“Uske Sidharth ke paas gayi hai woh.” Sidharth’s mother said, crying.

***

“Shehnaaz?” Sidharth called, patting her face.

On his way to his shooting area, he found her laying on the footpath, unconscious. Stopping the car immediately, he came to her rescue. 

“Yeh toh uth hi nahi rahi hai. Paani!” He quickly took her in his arms, bridal style, and made her lay down in his car’s backseat.

He sprinkles some water on her face making her come to her senses.

“Sidharth,” She murmured, blinking her eyes repeatedly, to get a clear view of her surroundings.

“Shehnaaz are you alright?” He asked, getting worried.

Seeing him she again gets unconscious. He looked at her in shock.

“Shit! Yeh toh phir se behosh ho gayi hai. Shahnaz? Shehnaaz, open your eyes,” He called, patting her face.

Soon she comes in sense. He helped her to sit, and she immediately moved away. He looked at her in surprise.

“Kya hua tumhe? Behosh kyu horahi ho bar bar? Kuch khaya tumne? Nahi naa. Issi liye behosh ho rahi ho tum.” He said, getting worried, and moved close to her. 

Seeing him coming closer, she again moved away from him, making him frown.

“What’s your problem, huh? Ab care dikha raha hoon phir bhi attitude dikha rahi ho tum. Ajeeb ho yaar.” He said, getting pissed.

“Tum bhoot hona? Main mar gayi hoon, right?” She asked, like a lost child.  

Confused and clueless.

“Kya bol rahi ho tum?” he said, watching her in disbelief.

“Sab teri wajah se hua hai. Kya zarurat thi tujhe dream mein ake bolne ki Shehnaaz baby I miss you. Please come to me jaan.” She mimicked him. 

“Aur iss sea mein aake maar ja tu. Kutta! Ab dur reh tu. Pagal kar diya hai tune mujhe. Upar se superstar kab bana tu, huh? Sirf ek hi film kiya tha tune Karan Johar ka Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. Baki toh tune sirf TV shows kia hua hai aur ek web series.” She said, glaring at him.

Sidharth looked at her, shocked and confused.

“Tum pagal ho kya?” He asked.

“Pagal nahi hoon main, but tu kar raha hai mujhe pagal.” She snapped.

She definitely has gone crazy. 

“Main hoon kaha? Mujhe toh yahi samajh nahi aa raha? Aur tu hai kon? Pehle laga past mein hoon. Iss liye tu mujhe pehchan nahi raha. Kyu ki hum mile hi the, 2019 mein. Aur shayad ab 2017-18 saal hai. But tere movie ka poster pe uska release date. Jab ki tu 5 saal pehle hi mar chuka hai 2021 mein.” 

She ended up crying again, being all confused and scared.

“Kya! Main mar gaya hoon?” He was shocked. 

“Haan,” She replied.

“How?”

“Heart attack, Bebu.” She murmured.

“Shehnaaz tum kaha se ho?” He asked, looking at her curiously.

“Kaha se matlab? Iss duniya se hi hoon.” She replied.

“Exactly kahan? Mental hospital?” He asked, his voice serious.

She stopped crying, then looked at him glaring at him. “Tujhe lag raha hai main mazak kar rahi hoon yaha?”

“Haan. Kyun ke main zinda hoon.” He said, sarcastically.

“Main iss duniya se hi hoon. Aur acche se explain karu?” She asked,  her voice matching his.

“Kya?” He was confused.

“Address,” she snapped. “Galaxy hai na usme ek planet hai, Earth. Uss earth mein ek country hai, India yah Bharat jo tu jane. India ka ek state hai, Maharashtra, uska jo capital hai Mumbai. Uss Mumbai me ek jagah hai Andheri. Waha pe ek society hain jahan main meri family matlab mere Sidharth ke family ke saath rehti hoon. Ab samajh aya tujhe address? Earth, Prithvi suna hai tune yeh naam? Waha se hoon main. Kutta!”

“Obviously! I live here, no?” He said, being obvious.

“The things she explained about the address matched. Means she is from here only. But the pain in her eyes for losing me before it’s also real. Her confusion is also real as if she doesn’t belong from here. It’s so confusing.” He thought, looking at her.

“Toh pucha kyu? Aur sach sach bata tu zinda hai ya nahi? Aur main zinda hoon ya nahi?” She was still confused.

“You need treatment. Obviously! We are alive gadhi. Abhi kya nas kat ke dikhaun tumhe.” He said, sarcastically.

The word ‘Gadhi’ from his mouth after so long worked like a balm, and she smiled.

“You seriously need help.” He laughed, shaking  his head.