Chapter XIII:
The first light of dawn streaks the night sky with pink and whitish clouds, as Nihaal parks his car in the entrance. Quietly, he turns and check to see Prena. At his surprise, she appears to have regained her consciousness; her gaze pained and mesmerized seems unfocused, looking outside. Unknowingly, Nihaal's eyes are still locked at her direction. As if he is disconnected from the reality .Amazed, he realizes how different she looks from the first time they both met. He remembers him thinking that he must be day dreaming, that only an angel could be so beautiful. Hours ago, when the obscurity enveloped her entire room, her reflection appeared in the mirror, like a mirage in the desert, blurry but divine.
At this moment, it's the same appealing eyes, the same dark silky hair with the red strands but also a new red sindoor blazing at her front. It was no longer the astonishing girl but his beautifully broken angel. His own disconcerting thought outrages Nihaal, as he regains his common sense. Automatically, it's no longer Prena, but Anurag's precious reason to be alive. He can't foretell what destiny had written for her or for him but he is determined about what would have to happen to his dad. He would do anything to get him released and all the hurdles of the universe could wait in the meantime. He quickly gets out of his car and opens her door.
-Nihaal: mere saath aao
Without replying, Prena slowly strolls outside, knowing she doesn't have another choice. As both hesitantly enter the lavishing Garewal mansion, everyone inside stops talking. The house is packed with lawyers and maids. Suddenly,a women peeking from upstairs starts running and tighly hugs Nihaal. Apalled and scared, Prena could feel everyone staring at her.
Gradually, releasing her son from her grips, Diviana turns around to face Prena while she is still looking at the floor.
-diviana:yeh kaun hai Nihaal
No one speaks.
-Diviana:mein tumhein kuch pooch rehi hoon
-Nihaal avoiding his mom's gaze: m..
After a couple of minutes, Diviana noticing the red sindoor on Pena's forehead,
-diviana cluching Nihaal's shirt: beta tunein yeh kya kya. U DESTROED EVERYHTING, ALL MY DREAMS, ALL MY HOPES, U SHATTETRED EVERYTHING NIHAAL...EVRYTHING I WAS DREAMING FOREVER.MEIN NEY KYA NAHIN SOSHA THA,KYA NAHIN ...!!WHERE DID I GO WRONG WITH U.
*After a while*
-diviana in a more clamer tone, breath in and breath out:Itni bari decision, aur hamein bataya bhi nahin .. yeh toh bohot hi khubsurat hai,bilkul ek pari jaisi...aur tu toh uski puri zindegi hi kharab kar dedi,I mean look at her,shes trembling.. Tu toh puri tara sey pagal hogaya hai Nihaal.
-nihaal despairingly: maaa mein kya karta,I was berserk
-diviana:shup nihaal,tuney kya sosha,tu itni easy sey sab kuch kahatam kar lega.You thought we wouldn't accept you getting married before Vardhan so you ran away! .....Beta you should just told me once!! ....and besides toh kya huwa, u liked someone before your brother did..Vardhan bad mein shadi kar lega.
Nihaal stomach churns upside down. He looks at his mom appalled,while she continues her nonsense.
-diviana: jab tak tera dad, vardhan aur mein zinda hoon,hum tujhe chorein gey
nahin.Tujhe phir shadi karna hoga.At least for her sake. Akhir shes the dauther in law of the Garewal's.
-someone: mem im sorry to intervene but we really need to talk to mr Nihaal
-diviana:haan haan ,magar jaldi karna.i have a lot of thing to do..
-diviana excitedly: You know what Nihaal, i have a brilliant idea ..let make you two married tonight or should I say remarried! Lemme see if I can make all the arrangements... OUff Vardhan's face will be priceless. After such a long flight from Italy, he will be sooo ecstatic to see his new bhabhi.
Nihaal is frozen at his place. Tears roll down his face, as he glares his mom. Obliged to turn around to meet all the lawyers, he trails slowly to them. At the same time, Prena's heart skips a beat when Diviana holds her arm.
-diviana: pagli,ur still crying.Acha choro yeh sab rona dhona ..aur mujhe batao tumhara naam kya hai
Incapable of talking,Prena keeps crying.
-diviana: ok ok beta,abhi bhi itni dishearted! I know nihaal has disappointed both u and I. I'm sure it was his idea to run away from home...but joh huwa toh huwa. I will make everything perfect today and ur wedding will be the most gorgeous wedding people will ever witness. Chaalllo challo we have a very busy schedule to maintain ..chalo chalo hurry up.
Diviana brings Prena at her beautiful room.
-diviana:beto naa
Sha takes the phone and keep talking and talking. After a while, she opens a humongous closet and brings out a huge luggage.
-Diviana: Thank God I have that. You are very lucky young lady that your mother in law is soo well organised. Tum janti ho yeh kya hai? This is all the stuff I bought for my daughter in laws. Now that my first daughter has come home, this is all yours.
Prena keeps glaring at the women in front of her. Somehow her motherly love still finds a way to bruise her broken heart even more.
At this moment,two ladies enter the room.
-ladies: we are here mem
-diviana:good,decho u have to prepare her for her wedding.u are in full charge of her,so don't mess it up.
-Diviana touching Prenas cheek:challo jaldi sey nahalo
Then she quickly leaves the room and the 2 ladies dispatches at Prenas direction.
****
As Diviana goes downstairs, she orders everyone to quit the house .Nihaal is busy with bureaucratic stuff but she intervenes and throws all the papers away. Nihaal tensed, tries to go away but she holds him tight.
-diviana: where are u going
-nihaal:mom its very urgent.mujhey jana hoga
-diviana:baas u still haven't taken ur bath,what is this nonsense
Soon, 3 people take Nihaal into his room to make him ready despite his efforts to stop.
Subsequently, the, maids starts running everywhere while others enter the house with hands full of decorations. Makeup artists runs and everlasting rows of shopping bags enters to Diviana's room whereas other with nihaals sherewani and other stuff dispatches to his room.
Within a couple of hours, the entire mansion is unrecognizable. It beams with red roses and scintillating chandeliers .Also a huge mandap is soon placed on the middle of the living room.
As time passes by, the sky adjusts it colors into a deep black while the maids finishes the final touches.
A subdued scent of roses perfumes every corner of the haveli .All the red roses fusion perfectly with the white dcor. Diviana dressed in a light blue sari exclaims seeing her son wearing this white Indian outfit. Diviana who is always very proud of Nihaal is even more arrogant tonight. Indeed in this attire her son looks more like a model than anything else tonight.
As the pandit sat in the mandap, he orders Nihaal to sit. Then he advises Diviana to call the bride while Nihaal's gaze is lost in the fire in front of him. When slowly Prena's reflection appears in his visual field, he longingly raises his gaze. Prena is wearing a gorgeous deep red lehenga, fully decorated with embroidery. Her hands are full of golden bangles, on the middle of her forehead a maang tikka (tikli) along with heavy long earnings and a golden necklace. Also for the first time Prena is wearing a nose ring like brides usually wear. Compelled by her striking beauty Nihaal tries hard to turn his head but he can't take off his eyes from her. Her piercing stare is accentuated even more with the deep kajal in her eyes.
From outward, Prena looks like a flawless statue, outstandingly gorgeous. Alas, underneath Prena is impassive, no pain or sorrow is longing on her chest since she her soul has passed away. Diviana beams with joy looking at her daughter in law. She whispers to herself that God has made this jodi in heaven.
Edited by noha450 - 15 years ago
Anupamaa
193