Chapter 10

Chapter 8-Gurleen

Breakfast was rather a sombre affair.Everyone seemed to be rather preoccupied.Gurleen silently surveyed them.Her momsie looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all the previous night.There were bags under her eyes.Amrit veerji didn't look any better.Permanent frown lines were etched into his face.And parjaai looked lost in thought.She looked like she had been crying all night.

They were hiding something from her.Before she could confront them, Maitri di ,their housekeeper, announced the arrival of Mr.Chaddha, their lawyer.Poonam sighed and requested everyone to meet her in her study.Deathly silence followed as they quietly shuffled to their destination.Poonam and Mr.Chaddha were waiting for them.

All of them got seated.Mr.Chaddha took a deep breath.

"I apologise for interrupting your breakfast but it's better I break the news to everyone concerned before the media announces it."

Gurleen didn't like where this was going especially since they required a briefing before the media broke the news.She braced herself for the worst.

"Gurleen ,your mother had declared you as her sole heir."

The silence was palpable.She could hear her heart thud with each beat.The shock was too much for her to handle.Looking around,she noticed her veerji's and parjaai's looks of pity.

They had known.

Feeling betrayed ,she walked out of the room. She had no desire to say something she'd regret.

Walking up to the terrace,she settled herself in the swing and let her thoughts wander.

"Veerji!Look at this flower I got you.You can give it to Parjaai."

She had been ten at that time.Amrit had ruffled her hair and smiled and accepted the flower.

"Thank you my little princess,I hope my fiance loves it as much as I do.Would you like to come with me?I'm going to visit her with mummy."

Gurleen had shrunk back, muttering,"Momsie doesn't like it when I tag along.I have a lot of homework to do anyway,so I'd like to stay at home."

"Nonsense.No one cares what mummy thinks.Pammi will be very upset if her best friend doesn't visit her.You don't want to disappoint her,do you?".He had started tickling her.

Gurleen had started giggling as she'd fought her brother off.

"What is all that noise?Amrit,I expect better behaviour from you."

Poonam had arrived with a frown marring her face.Barely glancing at the girl,she had gone on reprimanding her son,who had simply rolled his eyes at her.

"She's scared of you.Being your adopted mother,she feels as if she doesn't have a right to you.The fear of losing you is always there at the back of her mind.",he had told his sister later.

Gurleen wasn't very sure.They had a very cordial relationship but that was it.She had been fed, clothed ,sent to school,allowed to study music provided she earned a business degree as well and a lot more.They celebrated her birthday every year together along with lohri ,baisakhi and the rest.

Yet ,she had seen the way Poonam looked at her son.The hugs, the jokes, the banter; it was an equation she could never be a part of.The last time she had tried hugging her momsie was on her eleventh birthday.Suffice to say,it had been awkward,with Poonam patting her stiffly,an uncomfortable smile frozen on her face.The same year, she'd finally gotten wind of the rumors.While people at home had been very close lipped about her adoption ,they couldn't stop the tongues wagging in school.

Teachers and students had discussed her illegitimacy in hushed whispers which seemed to follow her around.She had become more withdrawn and distant,developing a tendency to lash out at people.She winced,remembering broken objects, raised voices and lots of crying.She had shut herself off completely. Unfortunately, her parjaai had been forced to bear the brunt of it,with her momsie and veerji running away, unable to face the situation,her on long business trips and him pulling out allnighters at the office.

Things had escalated to their zenith when she had been fourteen.The fallout had been massive and she had been sure she'd be kicked out for wrecking her veerji's married life.Surprisingly, it had been her parjaai who had helped her pick up the pieces while grieving herself.That was the first time she'd seen her Parjaai so angry and worried .She'd sworn to never hurt her again after that disaster.

Life had gone back to normal after that,with her Amrit veerji apologising to both her and her Parjaai , reassuring them of his love.Eveything had been fine until now.Her momsie had suddenly taken it upon her head to mother her to death.Suddenly she was everywhere,enquiring her about her health, making sure she ate properly, checking up on her music practice and accompanying her to the Gurudwara. She had even offered to do her hair which she'd politely declined.

Parjaai had laughed till she had cried while her brother had muttered something about favouritism.

And now, for some reason she was the heir to the Babbar group of companies.Strangely, her veerji and parjaai had approved.Logically speaking, it was a sound decision.While not exactly brilliant,she was as qualified as her veerji and she had been working in the company since her graduation.She knew the right people and had a good head upon her shoulders.What she lacked in experience,she made up for it in shrewdness .She had an uncanny ability to read people, unlike her veerji who tended to trust too easily.

But at the end of the day, she wasn't related to Poonam Babbar by blood even if she held her husband's last name.There was more to this,she was sure of that .

"Food for your thoughts?",came a voice from the doorway.It was her Parjaai.