Posted:
Hey. So I promised a tragic oneshot, especially to Shabz. I'm not so happy with how this turned out, but I finished it, and I have no desire to rewrite it anytime soon. It took me ages to get this written! 😆 It's not great, but whatever. I'm posting it and getting it done with.
And I want honest opinions! (Okay?? Meera! 😆)
The title, if anyone really cares, is from the Shaan song 'Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The'.
"React to what?" Meher asked. She shrugged. "There is nothing to react to. This wedding is happening. Today. Nothing can change that."
Before either of the two could rebut her, Gayatri approached them. "Tum log abhi tayar nahi huye? Ja ke tayaar ho jaao!" She beamed. "Aaj mere bte ki shaadi hai, sab bohot hi khush hai," she did not see Harman scoff slightly, eyes on the blank face of Meher. "Jaldi se tayaar ho jaao."
"Ji Ma," Maya answered for all of them, a small smile on her face. The smile slipped away when Gayatri turned to Meher and told her to check on Preet once she was ready. Harman's face reflected her horror, and they finally saw the cracks in the carefully constructed mask Meher had created in the past month. She was shocked, and pale, and shaking. She looked at them in desperation.
"Ma, main jaata hoon," Harman tried, but Gayatri would hear nothing of it.
"Nahin, Meher Preet ki dost hai," they all grimaced slightly, and Meher looked down, hiding her face. "aur ladkiyon ko zyada pata hota hai ki ladke dikhte kaise." She left then, with another smile at the three of them. Maya looked helplessly at her friend, who was trying so hard to reconstruct her facade of indifference.
"Meher," Harman reached out to put his hand on her shoulder. She recoiled, looking at him hopelessly. He clenched his hand, bringing it down. He could kill his brother for this. For hurting this girl, who'd already suffered enough. Preet may be his brother, but Meher was his best friend, and his brother had given her false hopes and promises, and made her eyes shine with dreams, before yanking all of it oh-so cruelly out from under her. She was flailing, trying so hard to find a hold somewhere, anywhere, but she could not, because the only people who knew just how desperately she was holding in a breakdown were the two people who she was running from because they represented everything she wanted with Preet, but could now never have. Harman and Maya understood all of this, and did not feel rejected or hurt that their best friend was not turning to them in her time of need, but rather felt so powerless. All they wanted was for Meher to be happy. But it seemed that the fates were against them. They were bringing Meher in front of the man she loved more than anything in the world, to help him get ready for his wedding to her cousin.
"So you broke my heart?" She laughed bitterly. "After all, I'm used to being rejected no?"
"I didn't mean to." Even Preet could feel the hollowness in his words.
"Empty words Preet. The fact is that you did. And you knew what you were doing. So do not make excuses for your actions."
"I still love you," he told her. "You were the one." Meher felt like screaming. He had absolutely no right to say this to her. Not now, not ever.
"I hope you and Ash are happy together."
Shooting one last look at Preet, she walked out of the room.
Let me know what you think (honestly).
Love,
Radz
And I want honest opinions! (Okay?? Meera! 😆)
The title, if anyone really cares, is from the Shaan song 'Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The'.
-||-
Harman folded his arms across his chest, not fooled in the least. Maya shook her head. They exchanged glances, knowing very well just how stubborn Meher could be when she wanted. If she did not want to talk about it, she would spin the topic so much and then slip away. "We're worried about you. You need to react in some way. Any way."Meher rushed around the hall, instructing the workers on the decorations and making sure everything was perfect. She refused to allow herself to think and to feel, avoiding the two people who knew exactly what she was going through. Harman and Maya had both been trying to talk to her ever since the engagement had been finalised, but she had ignored them, pulled away from everything, scared that if she allowed herself to so much as think about it, she would break down. And then her secret, their secret, would be out. The traitorous voice in her head asked her if that would be a bad thing, as it did every time she dwelled too long on the wedding that was to take place today. She steeled herself. She could not allow anyone to see her in any state but one of happiness. Her cousin was getting married today; she should be dancing and singing and teasing her hone-wale Jiju. She would dance and sing and tease him, but her heart would be breaking throughout.
She spotted Harman making his way towards her, and tried to shy away, but Maya was on the other side. She sighed. They would not leave her alone. It was hard enough to deal with things as they were, why were they determined to make it harder?
"Meher," Maya began. "tum yeh sab kyun kar rahi ho?"
Meher tried to feign ignorance. "Matlab? Maya, meri behen ki shaadi hai! Main yeh sab nahi karungi to kaun karega?"
She spotted Harman making his way towards her, and tried to shy away, but Maya was on the other side. She sighed. They would not leave her alone. It was hard enough to deal with things as they were, why were they determined to make it harder?
"Meher," Maya began. "tum yeh sab kyun kar rahi ho?"
Meher tried to feign ignorance. "Matlab? Maya, meri behen ki shaadi hai! Main yeh sab nahi karungi to kaun karega?"
"React to what?" Meher asked. She shrugged. "There is nothing to react to. This wedding is happening. Today. Nothing can change that."
Before either of the two could rebut her, Gayatri approached them. "Tum log abhi tayar nahi huye? Ja ke tayaar ho jaao!" She beamed. "Aaj mere bte ki shaadi hai, sab bohot hi khush hai," she did not see Harman scoff slightly, eyes on the blank face of Meher. "Jaldi se tayaar ho jaao."
"Ji Ma," Maya answered for all of them, a small smile on her face. The smile slipped away when Gayatri turned to Meher and told her to check on Preet once she was ready. Harman's face reflected her horror, and they finally saw the cracks in the carefully constructed mask Meher had created in the past month. She was shocked, and pale, and shaking. She looked at them in desperation.
"Ma, main jaata hoon," Harman tried, but Gayatri would hear nothing of it.
"Nahin, Meher Preet ki dost hai," they all grimaced slightly, and Meher looked down, hiding her face. "aur ladkiyon ko zyada pata hota hai ki ladke dikhte kaise." She left then, with another smile at the three of them. Maya looked helplessly at her friend, who was trying so hard to reconstruct her facade of indifference.
"Meher," Harman reached out to put his hand on her shoulder. She recoiled, looking at him hopelessly. He clenched his hand, bringing it down. He could kill his brother for this. For hurting this girl, who'd already suffered enough. Preet may be his brother, but Meher was his best friend, and his brother had given her false hopes and promises, and made her eyes shine with dreams, before yanking all of it oh-so cruelly out from under her. She was flailing, trying so hard to find a hold somewhere, anywhere, but she could not, because the only people who knew just how desperately she was holding in a breakdown were the two people who she was running from because they represented everything she wanted with Preet, but could now never have. Harman and Maya understood all of this, and did not feel rejected or hurt that their best friend was not turning to them in her time of need, but rather felt so powerless. All they wanted was for Meher to be happy. But it seemed that the fates were against them. They were bringing Meher in front of the man she loved more than anything in the world, to help him get ready for his wedding to her cousin.
~~~~~
Meher paused in front of the door, gathering her wits around her. She could not afford to falter, she would not allow herself to appear weak in front of that man. He'd built her castles in the air, with his enigmatic smiles and easy demeanour, and his words of love. And then he'd broken her heart by turning to her cousin and proposing. She did not know why, and she did not want to know. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that she still loved him. Despite all that he had done, despite the fact that she was dying day-by-day, minute-by-minute, second-by-second at the thought of him being with anyone else, at his impending marriage, he still held her heart.
She straightened her spine. She was stronger than this, she thought to herself, and knocked. Hearing his voice, cool and collected as always, call for her to go in, she almost lost her nerve and turned to flee. Her eyes flashed as she chastised herself for her cowardliness. She stepped into his room easily, not bothering to close the door behind her. He froze as he spotted her in the mirror. Even through the mirror, his eyes captivated her. Neither could tear their gaze away. It was only fear that Preet would see that he still had power over her, and the anger she directed at herself for allowing him to have this hold over her that broke the spell, and she looked away.
"Tum tayar toh ho," she picked up his stole from the bed and handed it to him. As he took it from her, his hands brushing hers lightly, she had to fight hard to keep from showing the effect he had on her. "Come down in 10 minutes."
Preet grabbed her hand as she turned to leave. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, not bothering to even look at him. His grip on her tightened, and she spun around, glaring at him. Yanking her wrist out of his hand, she flared up. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing, Mr Preet Juneja?"
"Meher," he tried to take a step towards her.
All her hurt and pain was now coming forth as anger. "You are getting married in less than an hour, don't you have any shame?"
"Meher," Preet attempted again.
"Naam mat le mera," she snapped. "Don't talk to me, and don't you dare touch me."
She could feel the tears gathering at her eyes. She had to get out of here. She would not cry in front of him. She walked away, and in a last act of desperation Preet called out to her. To his surprise (and hers) she stopped at the doorway.
"I wanted it to be you," the raw pain in his voice told her that he was not lying. "But when Bauji told me to marry Ash, I couldn't say no, Meher. I couldn't."
She straightened her spine. She was stronger than this, she thought to herself, and knocked. Hearing his voice, cool and collected as always, call for her to go in, she almost lost her nerve and turned to flee. Her eyes flashed as she chastised herself for her cowardliness. She stepped into his room easily, not bothering to close the door behind her. He froze as he spotted her in the mirror. Even through the mirror, his eyes captivated her. Neither could tear their gaze away. It was only fear that Preet would see that he still had power over her, and the anger she directed at herself for allowing him to have this hold over her that broke the spell, and she looked away.
"Tum tayar toh ho," she picked up his stole from the bed and handed it to him. As he took it from her, his hands brushing hers lightly, she had to fight hard to keep from showing the effect he had on her. "Come down in 10 minutes."
Preet grabbed her hand as she turned to leave. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, not bothering to even look at him. His grip on her tightened, and she spun around, glaring at him. Yanking her wrist out of his hand, she flared up. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing, Mr Preet Juneja?"
"Meher," he tried to take a step towards her.
All her hurt and pain was now coming forth as anger. "You are getting married in less than an hour, don't you have any shame?"
"Meher," Preet attempted again.
"Naam mat le mera," she snapped. "Don't talk to me, and don't you dare touch me."
She could feel the tears gathering at her eyes. She had to get out of here. She would not cry in front of him. She walked away, and in a last act of desperation Preet called out to her. To his surprise (and hers) she stopped at the doorway.
"I wanted it to be you," the raw pain in his voice told her that he was not lying. "But when Bauji told me to marry Ash, I couldn't say no, Meher. I couldn't."
"So you broke my heart?" She laughed bitterly. "After all, I'm used to being rejected no?"
"I didn't mean to." Even Preet could feel the hollowness in his words.
"Empty words Preet. The fact is that you did. And you knew what you were doing. So do not make excuses for your actions."
"I still love you," he told her. "You were the one." Meher felt like screaming. He had absolutely no right to say this to her. Not now, not ever.
"I hope you and Ash are happy together."
Shooting one last look at Preet, she walked out of the room.
-||-
Let me know what you think (honestly).
Love,
Radz
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