Chapter 23

Chapter 20-Jaspal

He had secured a table near the window; they'd be in full view of the parking lot which was perfect for their plan.A waiter came to take their orders and left.Gurleen looked as uncomfortable as he felt.He found himself tongue tied.The candlelight seemed to make the flecks in her eyes dance, simultaneously make her glow.This was not part of the plan.He was supposed to pretend to woo her seamlessly and sweep her off her feet,making the headlines the next day.

He saw her start .

"I recognise the man sitting at the table behind you.He is a reporter from the Ludhiana times.No doubt there are others around.We need to do something."

Jaspal broke out of his reverie and started forming an action plan.

"I will hold your hand and smile.Smile back at me and blush if possible.Then I will start narrating a story.Just laugh at appropriate intervals whether you find it funny or not."

She nodded.

"It's doable except for the blushing bit."

"Can you think of a memory which can make you blush?"

"I think so."

"Good.We'll start in three,two,one......"

He took a deep breath and reached out for her hand.She stiffened and he stopped.

"I'm sorry,are you uncomfortable with this?We can drop this if you want.Please don't force yourself into this. Don't worry,I can take no for an answer."

To his satisfaction,she finally cracked a smile.

"It's okay.We need to get this right.Too much is at stake.I can't drag the two of us down."

"Gurleen ji, forget the stakes for now.You need to feel comfortable,that will always be my first priority."

She looked ready to cry,tears of frustration leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"May I hold your hand?"

She nodded.Taking her hand in his,he stroked it gently,rubbing over her knuckles.The rhythmic movements calmed her down again.

"Gurleen ji.It's not your fault.If you feel uncomfortable,please let me know immediately. I will most definitely not take offense.As I am unaware of your usual body language,it will be difficult for me to gauge your emotions.

I will no doubt crack the code with time,but till then I need you to openly talk about your feelings.I will also do the same to ensure we're both on the same page .

And one more thing,we will tell each other exactly what we're about to do beforehand and fine tune it.There will be no spontaneous acts so you need not worry too much."

She nodded,calming down completely.

"I'm sorry Jaspal ji."

"Nonsense. I'm glad we had this conversation."

"Jaspal ji, let's try executing our plan again but let's go slowly ."

He was already holding her hand,all he had to do was smile at her.She smiled back and his treacherous heart fluttered.And finally,the blush came.To his horror,he was the one who blushed and not her.She burst out laughing and he turned redder.He didn't have to tell a story after all.Her laughter was infectious and soon he was laughing as well.The tension between them vanished.They didn't notice the discreet snap of the camera.

A confused waiter finally brought their food and they finally willed themselves to stop.

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As they waited for the bill,Jaspal finally had a look around.It seemed to be a charming establishment but a little too fancy for his taste.Being a Brar had its own price,plus his he was a patron.It would've been rude of him to take her elsewhere .The dance floor caught his eye.

"Gurleen ji,do you dance?"

"You'll have to be more specific."

"Do you know how to waltz?"

"Sort of ,but I prefer tango."

He filed this interesting titbit of information away.

"Would you like to dance now?",he asked gesturing to the dance floor.

"No offence Jaspal ji,but you won't make it alive to the wedding if daarji or my mother catch you .Inder veerji will probably have to scrape your entrails off whatever weapon they decide to use."

Jaspal winced.It was true after all.

"You make a fair point."

She laughed and it gladdened him.

Get a grip on yourself Jaspal.You can't afford to get distracted.Both of you have businesses to run and families to take care of.Make one wrong move,and you'll be digging your own grave.

"And Gurleen ji,I just had a thought.We should practice common romantic gestures in private.It will help us feel more comfortable with each other and make it easier for us to deal with public scrutiny."

"That's actually a good idea.Let's give it a shot."

The waiter brought their cheque which they decided to split,which was ideal considering the fact that they were business partners.One day he hoped to pay in full and much much more.They thanked the staff and went out to the parking lot.

"Jaspal ji,how about we give them one last show?",she asked ,gesturing to the Paparazzi inside the restaurant who were now unabashedly glued to the window.He nodded,

"What do you have in mind?"

"A simple hug;you will have to put your arms around me, approximately half an inch above my pelvis while I put mine around your neck.We will stay in that position for around ten minutes."

He blinked."I'm fine with that."

"Three, two,one....."

They stepped closer to each other,he put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer;she let out a soft gasp.Her arms went around his neck ,his head buried in her hai.He prayed she wouldn't be able to feel his wildly beating heart .The ten minutes were up far too soon for his liking and he reluctantly pulled away .He dropped her off at home and left after making plans to meet up the next day.They had to practice for the roka.

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The next morning

"Jaspal,you might be interested in today's paper."his bebe called out as he settled down for breakfast .He looked around,his family in various states of anger and amusement.

His parjaai looked like she had swallowed a lemon while his parents were decidedly amused.Prabhjyot,bless her heart was staring off into space.

He looked at the newspaper his father passed him and his heart skipped a beat.

Love is in the air

The elusive heir to the Babbar fortune,Gurleen Kaur Babbar has finally found her match in the second son of the Brar family,Jaspal Singh Brar.They were spotted together ,having an intimate dinner........

His eyes skimmed over the lines only to land on the photograph accompanying the piece .A picture of her laughing at him,eyes crinkled in joy while the flecks in her irises danced in the candle light.She had never seemed more beautiful to him.

He discretely tore out the photograph and stuffed it into his pocket.It was his secret to keep.