Chapter 3 (Untold Secrets)
Brar Mansion, Dining Hall
The air hung heavy with silence as Akaal’s announcement echoed through the room, freezing everyone in their place. Sahiba and Angad exchanged stunned glances, their minds instantly recalling the conversation they had shared about this very topic on the night of their wedding.
Breaking the stunned silence, Veer abruptly stood up, his voice sharp with disbelief as he confronted Akaal, “Daarji, you’ve already planned my marriage? And that too without even asking me?”
Before Akaal could respond, Jaspal scolded, “Veer! Is that the way to speak to your Daarji?”
But Veer, still overwhelmed, pressed on, “But the topic is about my marriage! Shouldn’t I be the one to make the decision?”
Akaal, in his usual commanding tone, called out, “Veer!” — making the room fall silent once more. He continued, “Yes, it is your life and you have the right to make decisions, but never forget — Jabyot and I are your grandparents. We would never choose something that would ruin your life. Just look at Sahiba. She was our choice for Angad, and tell me — don’t you see how happy they are together?”
Angad nodded, siding with his grandfather, “Daarji is right, Veer. I trust their decisions. If they’ve chosen Keerat for you, I’m sure there’s a reason behind it. And honestly, what’s wrong with Keerat?”
Veer protested, frustrated, “Angad Paaji, I’ve only met her once! I don’t even know her properly. How can Daarji and Bebe already plan my wedding with her?”
Akaal calmly asked, “Do you have someone else in your life, Veer? If yes, we’re ready to send the proposal to her instead of Keerat.”
Veer shook his head, his voice low and upset, “There’s no one else, Daarji... but what’s the rush? Angad Paaji just got married, and isn’t Garry older than me? Why not fix his marriage first?”
Before Akaal could reply, Jasleen cut in sharply, “Don’t drag Garry into this. He’s in the UK, building his career, and he’s made it clear he won’t settle until that’s done. Your situation is different, Veer. You’re already a star — the most celebrated rockstar of Punjab. I’m sure any girl would be lucky to marry you, but since you don’t have anyone in mind, why oppose Mummyji and Papaji’s choice?”
Gurleen joined in gently, “She’s right, Veer puttar. Daarji and Bebe have never led us wrong. Keerat is a lovely girl, and she’s Sahiba’s sister. I’m sure she’ll win over all our hearts, just like Sahiba did.”
Hearing this, Sahiba’s face glowed with quiet pride and hope. The tension in the room was briefly broken by Prince, who piped up playfully, “I think Veer paaji’s just scared of Keerat di, that’s why he doesn’t want to marry her!”
Everyone chuckled at Prince’s mischief, and Veer lightly smacked the boy’s head, muttering, “Oye, chup kar!”
Akaal cleared his throat, bringing the room back to order. “Gurleen, Jaspal — do you both agree to move forward with this proposal?”
Jaspal immediately nodded. “Of course, Papaji. Veer has always rejected every girl we’ve introduced him to, and now that you’ve taken the initiative, we trust your choice.”
Veer’s face clearly showed his displeasure, but Akaal turned to him with finality, “You’ve heard your family, Veer. Everyone believes Keerat will be a perfect match for you. If you’re unsure, we’ll arrange more meetings for you both, just like we did for Angad and Sahiba.”
Without another word, Veer stormed out, leaving the room heavy with tension. Angad reassured Akaal, “Don’t worry, Daarji. I’ll talk to him.” Akaal nodded solemnly.
Monga House
Keerat stood rooted, her mouth wide open in shock, staring at Ajit. “What?!”
Her voice cracked in disbelief. “It’s barely been a few days since Sahiba di’s wedding, and now you’ve fixed mine? Are you both so tired of me already?”
Sukhi, ever the calm one, tried to soothe her. “Keerat, relax. At least hear what your Papaji and Mummyji are trying to say first.”
Taking a deep breath, Keerat folded her arms, bracing herself as Ajit explained, “Keerat, we haven’t finalized anything yet. And it’s not because we want to get rid of you. You’re our little princess — how can we send you away so soon? It’s just... when Akaal Saheb and Jabyot ji approached us with this proposal, we felt it was a promising match.”
But Keerat’s heart wasn’t ready to accept it. “What about my dreams, Papaji? My goals, my ambitions? You’ve always supported Seerat di’s decision to stay unmarried until she built her career. Won’t you do the same for me?”
Santhosh stepped forward, her voice gentle but firm, “Keerat, when did we say we wouldn’t support you? Akaal Saheb and Jabyot ji have promised they’ll let you chase your dreams even after marriage.”
But Keerat wasn’t convinced. “Then why the hurry? Seerat di isn’t even married yet.”
Sukhi, trying to be the voice of reason, interjected, “Keerat, every parent wants their daughter to find the right life partner at the right time. When Ajit and Santhosh heard the Brars’ proposal, they only thought about your happiness. Marriage is bound to happen, sooner or later, so why not now?”
Still unsatisfied, Keerat excused herself, her mind swirling with emotions. She rushed to her room and slammed the door behind her.
Outside, Ajit and Santhosh exchanged worried glances, softly knocking on her door. Santhosh pleaded, “Keerat, please open the door. We understand you aren’t ready, but the Brars are a good family, and Veer is well-settled. You’ll be happy with them.”
Inside, Keerat sat cross-legged on her bed, muttering bitterly under her breath, “So now I have to marry that egoistic idiot?”
From outside, Santhosh heard her mumble. “Did you say something, Keerat?”
Annoyed, Keerat shouted back, “Mummyji, Papaji — just leave me alone for now!”
Sukhi stepped in, gently placing a hand on Ajit’s shoulder. “Let her be for now. She needs time.”
Reluctantly, Ajit and Santhosh walked away, leaving Keerat to wrestle with her thoughts, her heart heavy and her mind in turmoil.
Brar Mansion — Veer’s Room
Angad walked into Veer’s room and found him casually strumming his guitar, sprawled across the bed, lost in his own world. Angad quietly sat beside him, but Veer, too absorbed in his thoughts, didn’t acknowledge his presence.
Breaking the silence, Angad teased with a half-smile, “So, my little brother’s already composing a love song?”
Annoyed, Veer shoved the guitar aside and snapped, “Why are you here, paaji?”
Angad leaned in, soft yet direct, “I wanted to talk about your marriage.”
Veer immediately stood up, clearly irritated. “I don’t want to discuss it,” he said firmly.
Angad got up too and placed a reassuring hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Look, Veer, I understand. Marrying someone you barely know isn’t easy. But just think about me and Sahiba. We hardly knew each other before tying the knot. And now, just a few days into our marriage, she’s become my world. All thanks to Daarji and Bebe. Sometimes, their choices see what we can’t. You’ve got to trust them.”
Veer remained silent, his gaze fixed away, unmoved.
Sensing his resistance, Angad reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, placing it into Veer’s hand. “If knowing her will help you decide, then start with this. It’s Keerat’s number. Just give it a chance, Veer. Daarji and Bebe’s decisions come from love — they can’t go wrong.”
Without waiting for a reply, Angad pulled his brother into a warm hug before quietly leaving the room.
Once alone, Veer stared at the number for a long moment, then picked up his phone and dialed. “I need to talk to Miss Pehalwan,” he murmured.
Monga House — Keerat’s Room
Keerat sat on her bed, fuming over the conversation she’d just had with her parents. Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. Annoyed, she glanced at the screen and rejected the call.
Brar Mansion
Veer frowned at the abrupt disconnection but dialed again.
Monga House
Keerat saw the same number flash on her phone and rejected it again, this time more irritated.
Brar Mansion
Veer, now determined, kept calling — again, and again, and again.
Monga House
Fed up with the endless ringing, Keerat finally picked up, snapping, “Who’s on fire that you’re calling non-stop?”
On the other end, Veer’s voice came, calm but surprised. “Miss Pehalwan, it’s me, Veer Singh Brar.”
Stunned, Keerat shot up. “YOU?! What kind of twisted person proposes marriage after exchanging just a few words? If you were standing in front of me, I’d have knocked you out so badly you wouldn’t recognize your own reflection.”
Veer, trying to explain, “Miss Pehalwan, the proposal was as much a surprise to me as it was to you. I had no idea Daarji and Bebe were planning this.”
Keerat wasn’t convinced. “Don’t give me that! I’ve dealt with enough smooth-talkers like you.”
Veer, now slightly irked, challenged, “If you’ve got me all figured out, why not meet me in person?”
She hesitated, “Meet? Why?”
Veer replied simply, “I’ll explain when we meet.”
Curious but still skeptical, Keerat agreed, “Fine. Where and when?”
“I’ll send you the location and time. Just be there,” Veer said before hanging up, staring at his phone afterward, deep in thought. There’s no turning back now. I have to tell her everything.
An Hour Later — Public Park
Keerat arrived at the park, scanning the area. “That self-absorbed jerk calls me here and now he’s missing?” she muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, a hooded man approached and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward a secluded corner. Keerat resisted, furious, but the man didn’t let go. As soon as he loosened his grip, she landed a sharp punch square on his cheek, sending him stumbling backward.
“How dare you touch me?” she shouted.“I’m Keerat Kaur Monga! Anyone who messes with me gets their bones broken!”
The man, clutching his face, slowly removed his hood — revealing himself. Veer.
“You?!” she exclaimed. “What the hell were you doing? Trying to kidnap me?”
Veer raised his hands defensively. “Relax, Miss Pehalwan. I wasn’t kidnapping you! I just didn’t want to draw attention. That’s why I brought you here.”
Keerat blinked, confused. “Huh?”
Veer clarified, “I’m a rockstar, remember? If people recognize me, it turns into a circus — selfies, autographs, the works. I was just avoiding the crowd.”
As Veer continued to justify, Keerat couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his self-importance.
“Listen, whether you like it or not, I am a rockstar. Wherever I go, people swarm around me.”
She mumbled under her breath, “This guy thinks the sun shines out of his own... Rockstar my foot.”
Veer narrowed his eyes. “You said something?”
Keerat, done with his bragging, cut him off. “So, why did you drag me here? To talk about your ‘rockstar’ status?”
Veer, just as irritated, retorted,
“For the record, Miss Pehalwan, I’m not dying to marry you either.”
Keerat shot back, “Then why send the proposal?”
“I didn’t! Daarji and Bebe did,” Veer clarified. “Unfortunately, they had no clue how short-tempered, rude, and utterly impossible you are.”
Keerat glared. “If I’m that terrible, why don’t you just say no to them?”
Veer looked away, sighing. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” she pressed.
“Because if I say no today, tomorrow they’ll just line up another girl. And the truth is... I don’t want to marry anyone.”
Brar Mansion — Angad & Sahiba’s Room
Sahiba was ironing Angad’s shirt, lost in thought about Daarji and Bebe’s morning announcement. She was so distracted, she almost burned her hand.
Angad quickly pulled her away. “Sahiba! Be careful. What’s going on in that head of yours? Come here, sit. Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Public Park
Keerat stood speechless for a moment, then asked bluntly, “What’s your problem with women? Are you... gay?”
Veer nearly exploded. “No! I’m not!”
“Then what’s your excuse? You strut around like some superstar — you could have any girl you wanted. So why don’t you want to get married?”
Brar Mansion — Angad & Sahiba’s Room
Sahiba sat beside Angad, voicing her concern. “I don’t know, Angad... but ever since Daarji and Bebe mentioned Veer and Keerat’s alliance, something just doesn’t sit right with me.”
Public Park
Veer finally turned to Keerat, letting out a deep breath, and confessed softly, “I’m into... drugs.”
Keerat froze, the revelation leaving her speechless, her jaw slightly dropped. Neither of them noticed a shadow lurking nearby, quietly eavesdropping on every word.
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To be continued.
Edited by Aleyamma47 - 5 months ago
139