FF: Hum Saath Saath Hain - *completed* - Page 3

Part 1

Every week, with the sun rising on Sunday morning in Canada and the sun setting in India on Saturday night came Lalit and Balraj's weekly telephone chats. Without fail, these two friends talked for a good hour or so every week, consoling each other, applauding each other and eagerly waiting for the day when Lalit would return to his desh, India. Little did Balraj know, this day was not far.

"Hello? Lalit!"

"Haan bhai, mein yahaan hoon! Kaisa hai tu?"

"Arre, hum sab bilkul theek hai, par tum! Kya zuraat hai itne ghante kaam karne ki? Mein bolra, ek din tum kam karthe karthe marjounge!" Bajraj announces laughing.

"Kya yaar, shubh shubh bolo! Mujhe tumhe ek khush kabri dena hai!"

"Kaise khush kabri? BOLO NAA!"

Lalit laughed over his friend's impatient nature. He was always like this, getting excited before even knowing what happened. "Agle haafthe, mein, Gayatri aur bacche wapis arre!"

Half a world away Balraj Mann dropped the phone in shock. His friend was coming back! His brother, his best friend was coming back to see him! "Hello? Arre Ballu……kahan khogaye??" A frustrated Lalit repeatedly asked into the phone before Balraj, coming out of his dazed stance, picked up the phone again. "Tum…tum saach bolre naa? Ye kuch ghayiya mazak toh nahin hai naa? Lalit laughed. "Nahin bhai, theek isse samhen, agle hafte, mein India mein khadam rakhoonga!" Balraj quckly blinked back his tears of joy. "Mein abhi se tyariyan shuru kartha hoon! Phir…agle hafte milinge!!" Both friends shared a hearty laugh before hanging up. Balraj stood there motionless for a minute before starting to scream for his better half. "TEJI!!! TEJI!"

A women ran out of the kitchen. One look into her eyes and the hardships she has faced in life were reflected. Her face was lined with creases from worrying about the smallest things in life, but when she smiled, there was nothing purer. "Kya hai jee? Kyun itna shor machare hai?" Teji asked. "Arre, aap jab suninge toh pagaal hogaying PAGAAL!" Teji laughed at her husband's antics. "Asi kosi baath hai?" Upon hearing the good news Teji's eyes sparkled! "Saach! Vah, ye toh bhooth achi kabar sunye apne!! Mein abhi se abhi tyariyaan shuru karthi hoon!" With that Teji walked back in to the kitchen smiling.

Balraj ran his tired hands through his hair. He had to tell his daughters! But where they would be, all three of them were so spontaneous, they just decided on going somewhere and left. Musing over this Balraj started walking over in his fields. As he was walking he though he heard giggles. Pausing and listening to the joyous noise made him shake his head in amusement. So THAT'S where his daughters where, the lil stretch of land he had fixed up with swings since before they were born. The girls often escaped there to think things over, gossip or just relax.

"Ash, Heer, Sukhi!!"

All three girls turned around with surprised smiles gleaming on their faces. Balraj stopped for a second, considering his daughters. There was Ash, the most modern but the apple of his eye, his first born. There was Heer, shy, quiet, traditional, the glue that kept the family together and of course there was Sukhi, the loudest one but the one with the most caring nature. All three were self-sacrificing which people in the city often noticed and respected.

"Jee Papaji?" Ash asked. "Kya hua?"

"Tum longan guess karo!!" exclaimed Balraj. "Papaji, NOT FAIR…!" exclaimed Ash and Heer at the same time while Sukhi just replied in a bored voice "Lalit Chacha waapis aare naa? Balraj, Ash and Heer turned to look at Sukhi in surprise and when asked how she knew she just scoffed and replied "Zara Papa ko dekho! Itne khush akri bar kab the? Jan unno Lalit Chachu se milthe the! Simple!" Balraj shook his head. Sukhi ran up and hugged him so hard, almost knowing the wind out of him. "I'm SO happy for you Papa!!" During this touching father-daughter moment, Ash turned and thought about Harman. She couldn't wait to see him again; last they saw each other they were 10. But now…everything had changed. Sure she had consoled him through e-mails but this was different. Heer on the other hand smiled simply remembering the 6 year old Prem who always asked her for money to buy ice-cream. She shook her head. This was going to be very interesting indeed.