Chapter 4

This is one long chapter... over 1,500 words!

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Chapter 4

The next day everybody was up early to put the finishing touches on the house. Naina was strictly forbidden from doing any work, all she had to do was relax and get herself ready. Pooja noticed that Alekh looked less worried today and tried to get him alone to talk. Finally she found an opportunity.

"Oy Alekh, did you manage any talktime with Naina? What's going on with her connection?"

"You don't worry, Punjaben." Alekh told her confidently. "Everything is fine, Naina was just upset because she's missing her brother."

"Oh," Pooja looked relieved to know this. "I thought maybe it had something to do with Rajveer Sir, ever since he…" She stopped as Alekh gave her a sharp look.

"Whatever you do, don't mention that today."

Pooja nodded, realizing her mistake. "I'll go and see how Naina's doing."

Finally the time of the engagement arrived. It had been decided that it would be fairly small and casual so there were only around fifty people attending. Huda, Ali and Yudi turned up together all wearing sherwanis. Neelu was with them, and immediately left their side to go find Naina.

"Oy, Neelu," Huda said annoyed "I thought you were from my side."

"Get real, Huda" Neelu told him teasingly "I just said that so I could get a free ride here." And she ran off.

Pooja had been looking out the window of Naina's bedroom at the arriving guest. "Oh my ranjha Ali is looking so gorgeous tonight! I can't wait until it's our time to make our lifelong connection!" she sighed dreamily.

Naina smiled at her friend, "That day will come very soon, Pooja. I can't wait to see you and Ali finally get engaged."

"We've had so many different problems with our networks before they were able to work together, I'm just happy that we're finally together."
Naina was wearing a light pink churidar and lengha while Pooja had a green and silver salwar kameez on. The person from the salon had left half an hour ago after completing their hair and makeup.

It was then that Neelu entered the room, she was also wearing lengha outfit, which was yellow in colour. "Oh Naina, you look so beautiful!" she exclaimed, "So do you Pooja, I can't wait until the boys get a look at you!" and the girls starting talking about their outfit choices.

Alekh came out to greet the other boys. "Bole to… you're looking good… Sala" he said, looking Huda up and down. Ali and Yudi unsuccessfully tried not to laugh at the look on Huda's face.

"Tu…" Huda said, before calming himself down "But I'll bet you that Naina looks better."

Alekh just smiled mysteriously, refusing to make any comment.

"Oh you've arrived! Welcome, welcome!" Naina's father said, coming out to meet all of the guests, and shaking Huda's father's hand. "Sit down for a moment, we'll get you some drinks while we wait for the girls to come down."

"Yaar," Huda said disappointed, as he sipped on some lassi "How long do these girls take to get ready, I'm dying to catch a glimpse of my phoolan."

He didn't have to wait long, as five minutes later Naina came downstairs along with Pooja and Neelu. Everybody's eyes were on them, amazed at how beautiful all three girls were looking, and especially Naina. It was also the first time that Ali and Alekh had seen their girlfriends that evening, so they were equally bowled over.

As Naina came and stood next to Huda he recovered from his speechlessness, "Yaar, Phoolan, you're looking amazing!"

She smiled at him, good humour evident on her face. "You're not looking too bad yourself, Amardeep Huda."

Within a few minutes the ceremony was finished. They swapped rings, fed each other sweets and then touched the feet of both sets of parents. The onlookers all clapped and cheered. After it was done, Naina looked over at Alekh, he nodded at her approvingly as if to say 'good job'. It was then that the real party started as the music was turned on and the young people started to dance. Naina tried to refuse, but was dragged onto the floor by Pooja and Neelu.

Seeing that Huda was enjoying himself, his parents decided it was time for them to leave. It was the harvest season and they had to go back home so that they could get up early in the morning to start their work. They hugged Huda goodbye, becoming a bit emotional, before Huda's mother also gave Naina a quick hug and then they left with some other guests.

It had been decided that as Naina's house wasn't that big, the boys would stay together in a nearby hotel that night before going back in the morning, while Pooja and Neelu would stay in the guest room at the Ahluwalia's house.

The dancing and fun went on until midnight and Pooja was relieved to see that Naina appeared to be genuinely enjoying herself. Maybe Alekh had been right, maybe she had been just missing her brother and it had nothing to do with… She noticed Alekh talking to Naina later in the night, Naina smiled and they hugged each other then Alekh had gone back to dancing with Neelu.

Finally at a little past midnight it was decided that the boys should head to their hotel and the girls should also go to sleep. Everyone happily said their goodbyes and began to head towards the car when Naina stopped Huda.

"Ah, Huda, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked him, motioning for him to step aside and join her.

"Of course, Phoolan" he replied happily "From today I'm officially yours to do with as you wish!".

They walked a little distance from the others before she began to speak. "Huda, you remember what I said when I agreed to marry you, right?"

"Of course I do, you're going to need some time before marriage." He thought about it before adding, "You said there were some things you needed to do."

Naina nodded. "Dekh Huda, I can't tell you anything else right now but…"

Huda frowned, concerned at how serious she was becoming.

"What is it Phoolan, what can't you tell me?"

"I promise that you'll find out when the time is right, Huda." She told him seriously. "But promise me that whatever happens, you'll trust that I'm doing the right thing."

"Oh yaar, of course I trust you. You're my Phoolan, you'll never do anything wrong."

She smiled, but there was a look in her eyes that Huda couldn't quite understand.

"Alright Phoolan, we'll go now. I'll see you in the morning."

"I'll see you, Huda." She told him.

And he left.

**

The next morning the boys turned up at Naina's house early, around 9am. They were all used to getting up at 5am but had thought that they should let Naina's parents and the girls sleep in. Besides that, they were also quite tired after last night and hadn't gotten out of bed until 7am.

Huda walked into the house whistling happily, to find Pooja and Neelu in the kitchen with Naina's mother, 'helping' her to make breakfast.

"Oh no, Aunty," Yudi remarked with mock fear "Please don't let Neelu anywhere near that fry pan unless you want us all to get food poisoning!"

"Bro!" Neelu exclaimed, "That is not fair!" And tried to hit him, as he ran behind Alekh.

"Let her be," Alekh advised Yudi "Waisi bhi, she has to learn some time or I'll have food poisoning my whole life."

Neelu then swapped her attention to Alekh, and started playfully hitting him as the rest laughed.

"So Auntyji, isn't Naina awake yet?" Huda asked.

"Not yet, Beta." Naina's mother replied "The preparations have been so tiring that we thought we should let Naina sleep in." She turned towards Pooja "Why don't you wake her up, otherwise you'll all have to wait for breakfast."

"Alright Aunty," Pooja replied, putting down the rolling pin she had been holding, untying her apron and going upstairs.

When she came down a few minutes later she had a worried look on her face.

"Aunty…" she began.

"Kya hai, beti?"

"I looked in Naina's room, but she wasn't there. So I thought maybe she's in the bathroom, but she wasn't there either, and…. Aunty I don't think Naina is anywhere in the house."

"What?"
"Kya?"
"Where is she then?"
"Kaha gaya?"

Pooja's report was met by replies from almost everybody, only Alekh remained quiet.

Huda ran upstairs, half believing it was a joke. But sure enough, Naina was nowhere in the house. She wasn't in the garden, she wasn't down the street, she wasn't in the market.

There was no note, and nothing in particular seemed to be missing. But Huda couldn't forget Naina's words from the night before.

"…Promise me that whatever happens, you'll trust that I'm doing the right thing."

She had told him that she would see him, she hadn't said in the morning…

But for whatever reason she had done it, the facts remained clear.

Naina Singh Ahluwalia was gone. Vanished without a trace.