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PART 10:
Preet was dragged into the hall that was full of women ogling him...waiting to cover him with haldi....
He looked around him and swallowed....."yeh to mujhe aise dekh rahe hai ke jaise mein koi kahne ki cheez ho.." He thought to himself....as he edged closer to his mum....
One of the ladies grabbed his arm and made him sit on the stool where the mendhi was to be done....without waiting...the women charged in and covered him head to toe in mendhi.....
When they were done and he could escape.....Preet staggered to his feet only to be met by his two brother-in-laws, Kiran and Nihaal who could not stop laughing at him.....
....
Meher cleaned herself up and got ready for her mendhi ceremony that was to be held that evening....
She sat staring at her hands...rembering how not so long ago she had mendhi on her hands that was for Harmon.....how her heart had broken when he had held her and said the three little words she had been aching to hear...but had aimed them to Maya...how he had admired her hands.....but looked to Maya and not her...how she had cried to the rain in the garden....how Preet had discovered the truth of her feelings.....and now...tonight.....
"Meher!"
"Ji...Di...?"
Heer walked into the room and saw her sister sitting there trying valiantly to hide the tears that had been falling freely just moments before.....she walked quietly towards her and embraced her....allowing Meher to gain comfort in her arms...
"beh jaane do yeh aansoo.....aaj in aansoo se tumare dil mein Harmon ke liye jo bhi tha, isse beh jaane do.....kal ko tumari aur Preet ki shaadi hai Meher....kal tumare phere hai....tumare aur Preet ke saath vachan hai...aur oos waqt tumar dil mein sirf Preet ke khiyal hone chaiye...."
"Mein janti hoon Di....mein aap se vaada karti hoon...ke mein..mein sirf..Preet.." Then she cried harder into Heer's shoulder....
Heer gently stroked Meher's hair in reassurance.....her eyes met Prem's and he nodded at her in understanding.....his smile telling her not to worry...everything will be alright....this was destiny's game...
........
The hall was decorated in muted shades of pink.....pink rose petals were placed all around the dais where Meher would be seated having Preet's mendhi adorned on her hands....Guests began to arrive....milling about to conversing with one another.....
Preet walked over to Ashlesha...they hadn't spoken much since that night....
"Ashlesha...I'm ....I'm sorry...maine tumse vaade..."
She gently placed her fingers to his lips silencing him...
"Nahin Preet....maine to tumse kaha tha....ke tum...Meher se..se..." she took a moment to compose herself....
"Ash.."
"Nahin..tum meri phicker mat karo....aaj se tumhe sirf...Meher ke bahre.....aur vaise bhi....mein kal se mummy aur papa ke paas...." She turned and walked away...she couldn't afford for Preet to see the hurt in her eyes...she knew that this was the right thing....but it was the hardest and the most painful thing that had ever happened to her.."
Preet stood watching Ashlesha as she walked away from him...he felt sad but also oddly relieved.....a feeling that left him utterly confused....
....
Minutes later Heer together with Kulraj, Veera and Ash led Meher down the stairs.....although simply dressed....beauty sparkled from within her......only those that were close to her could see the sadness and the hurt that she so desperately tried to conceal.....
Preet watched them descend the stairs....an unknown feeling of pride was welling deep within him....he was proud of Meher....her quiet courage always threw him...she had always made him feel unbalanced....but over the last few days their friendship had grown stronger and stronger.....
.....
Kulraj, Veera, kiran and Nihaal began to sing and dance to "mendhi laga ke rakhna (from DDLJ)" as Heer sat with Meher as she was having her mendhi done.....Meher was oblivious to the gaiety around her...she quietly contemplated her new life.....she was trying to make herself understand...to make her forget her feelings for Harman.....then she remembered her nightmare....and remembered Preet standing there guiding her back to the light.....the protection.....
Her eyes began to roam about the room...searching for him.......
.........
Preet had been unknowingly watching Meher...he had got to know her well in the last few days that he could disecern her feelings through her eyes....he saw her come alert all of a sudden...searching for something....what was it or who was it she was looking for...was it Harmon?.....Anger began to rise...how could she think of him....?....Although he was his older brother, he had betrayed her...and she was going to be marrying him.....
He moved away from the pillar and turned to walk away....he was confused...new feelings and unfamiliar emotions were erupting within him...he had never thought of Meher in any romantic way....why was he becoming so possessive now?...
Anupamaa
