hey guys...i know im late by one day...but couldnt help it...tons of people at my house yesterday for iftar and stuff...*sigh*...anyway...here is another long update (around 18pgs 😉)...hope you all like it....cant wait to see the comments...love reading all of these long comments...they are awesome...and inspiring me to write 😃...love you guys...Part 3
It took Heer a minute before she came back to reality. When she looked around the room to see all eyes, both adult and child alike, were on her. She suddenly felt light headed and was about to take one step forward to steady herself when at once, her mother and Bhabi's screamed.
"Heer!" they shouted.
Heer took one step backwards afraid of what might happen. When she looked at the ground she saw the glass fragments scattered across the floor. Maya and Meher quickly sprung to action to clean up the mess before anyone stepped in the glass and injured themselves, especially the children. In the mean time Kulraj guided Heer to a seat at the table and helped her ease into the chair. Once Heer was seated, she took a seat next to her.
"Hume paata tha Heer," Kulraj said quietly as she stroked Heer's arm gently.
"Kya?" Heer said in a whisper.
"Haan beta," her mother said. "Veera ke rishte ke baarein mein hum sabko paata tha."
"Woh log toh baas aaj Chutki ko dekhna aa rahe hai. Baath toh paaki hogayi hai, baas woh Chutki se aur baki ke parivaar se milna chate the sagaai se pehle," Nihaal interjected.
"Magar…kissi ne mujhe kyun nahin bataya?" Heer asked. She was trying to figure why the groom's family wanted to meet their family after the fact that the rishta had been fixed. It seemed odd and completely backwards.
Of course all the family members knew the answer, even Heer, but on one dared to say it.
"Chutki," Heer said. It was only one word but it spoke volumes.
Veera knew exactly what Heer wanted to ask, but all she could do was look down.
Heer needed to figure out what was going on, after all her sisters life was on the line. Without saying anything else, Heer got to her feet and walked over to where Veera was. She grabbed Veera by the arm and pulled her up the stairs with her. Heer and Veera used to talk about everything and anything most of the time. Sometimes when Heer was a little too preoccupied or depressed Veera left her alone, and Heer knew she did it for her benefit. Heer couldn't clearly remember the last time they had a heart-to-heart talk. It didn't matter because they were going to have one now – it was long over due.
Heer walked into her room with Veera and locked the door behind them; she didn't want any distractions or interruptions. Veera just sat on the edge of the bed fidgeting with her dupatta as Heer paced back and forth a few time.
"Chutki yeh saab kya hai?" Heer asked, "Teri sagaai ho rahi hai?" When Veera didn't say anything, she continued. "Kissi ne mujhse kuch nahin kaha. Tu bhi nahin."
"Sorry Didi," Veera said. "Woh main aapko batane wali thi lekin kuch dino se dek rahi hoon ke aap pareshan hai. Issi liyeh maine kuch nahin kaha."
"Magar Veera, teri sagaai ho rahi hai!" Heer said. It was making her mad at how light heartedly her sister was taking all of this. "Nahin Veera, nahin! Joh mere saath hua, woh tere saath nahin hoga. Main aaisa nahin hone dunga! Main abhi jaake Bauji aur Bhaia se baath karti hoon."
"Nahin Didi!" Veera yelled as Heer raced to the door. Veera caught her just as she had unlocked the door. "Nahin Didi, aaisa maat karna."
"Mujhe maat rok Chutki. Main jaanti hoon ke yeh saab teri marzi ke khilaf ho rahi hai. Tu meri choti behen hai aur teri zindagi barbad hote hue main nahin dekh sakti," Heer said as she cradled Veera's face in her hands.
"Aapse kis ne kaha ke yeh saab meri marzi ke khilaf ho rahi hai?" Veera asked.
"Matlab?" Heer asked. She almost didn't believe what Veera was implying.
"Matlab ke pehle se mujhe saab kuch paata hai," Veera said as she pulled Heer with her to sit on the bed. "Badi Bhabi aur Rishab Bhaia ne pehle hi mujhse pooch liya tha."
"Magar tune haan kaise kardi?" Heer asked. "Ladka kaun hai? Kya karta hai? Kaisa insaan hai? Kuch paata hai tujhe? Aur tu toh abhi choti hai."
"Ladke ka naam Manmeet Singh hai. Woh Singh uncle ka beta hai aur abhi abhi graduation kiya hai. Aab woh aapne family business mein join kaar raha hai," Veera said.
"Singh Uncle?" Heer asked, still trying to place the boy.
"Aare woh hi Singh Uncle, jinke saath Bauji partnership karne jaa rahe hai."
"Matlab ke teri shaadi…shaadi kaam aur business deal zyada hai?" Heer asked, getting angry again. Now she knew why the family was coming after everything was fixed. This proposal was not in the best interest of their youngest daughter/sister, it was in the best interest of their ever growing desire to expand their business. Her father and brothers really did disgust her.
"Nahin aaisa nahin hai Didi."
"Chutki, yeh ladka kaisa hai, tu jaanti hai? Kya woh tujhe kush rakehga? Kya woh tujhe pyaar karega? Uska ateet kya hai?" Heer asked as she got up and paced around the room again.
Veera laughed as her sister rambled on with more and more questions. "Calm down Didi! Breathe!"
"Kya hai? Kya 'calm down'!"
Veera got up and hooked her arm into Heer's and pulled her to sit by the window sill. "Manmeet bohot aacha ladka hai Didi," she said.
"Tujhe kaise paata?" Heer asked.
"Kyun ke Priya unki behen hai, aur main Priya ke saath school mein padti hoon. Kahin baar unko maine dekha hai college ke bahar Priya ka intezaar karte hue. Kahin baar toh unho ne mujhe bhi ghaar tak choda hai."
"Tu ne khabi usse baatein ki?"
"Haan, yahaan vahaan ke baatein. Nothing serious. Lekin mujhe lagta hai ke woh bohot aacha hai. Jaab bhi humare exams hote hai, woh humesha poochte hai ke meri paper kaise rahi. Jaab bhi barish hoti hai toh woh humesha mujhe ghaar tak drop karte hai. Bohot aacha hai," Veera said.
After a minutes silence Heer asked the one question she needed to know the answer to. "Kya tu kissi aur se pyaar nahin karti?"
Veera smiled and hugged Heer form the side. "Thank you Didi for asking, lekin nahin. Main kissi aur se pyaar nahin karti."
"Saachi?"
"Aapse ek baath kahoon Didi?" Veera asked hesitantly. She continued only after Heer shook her head 'yes'. "Jis raath ko aapke saath woh hadsa hua tha, ussi raath ko maine tai karli thi ke main kissi se pyaar nahin karungi."
"Kyun Chutki?" Heer asked.
"Kyun ke uss raath ko maine joh dekha woh main nahin bhulsakti. Saab sooch rahe the ke main uppar soh rahi thi, lekin nahin…maine saab kuch dekh li thi. Uss raath ko maine aapni Didi ko maarte hue dekhi thi." Veera got up and walked to the bed before she continued. "Uss hadse ke baad meri Didi vaise nahin rahi, jaise pehle thi. Joh Didi iss ghaar ki jaan thi, woh Didi aab ghaar mein hai ke nahin, paata hi nahin chalta. Woh Didi joh saabse zyada Bagwan pe bharos karti thi, aaj unke taraf dekti bhi nahin. Ussi raath ko maine tay karli thi ke main khabi kissi se pyaar nahin karungi."
Heer felt a lump in her throat because she knew what Veera said was absolutely true. Heer wasn't the same person she had been seven years ago.
"Kyun?" she asked.
"Kyun ke, joh aapke saath hua, aagar woh mere saath hoga toh main toh maar hi jaungi. Bauji aur Bhaia ne joh aapke saath kiya, aagar woh mujhse hota toh main khabi bardasht nahin kaar pati. Woh risk main nahin leh sakti."
"Chutki…" Heer began to say, but was cut off.
"Aapne Jiju se bohot pyaar kiya tha, hai naa?" Veera asked.
Heer felt the tears sting the back of her eyes – it was the first time Veera had referred to Prem, that too as her 'jiju'.
"Ussi pyaar ke tootne paar aap bhi toot gayi thi. Main nahin chati ke main khabi kissi se itna pyaar karoon ke usse khone ke baad main bhi aapne aapko khodoon," Veera said. "Aap ke dil mein abhi bhi Jiju hai. Itne saal hogaye aur aap unse utna pyaar karti hai jitna ke aap pehle karti thi. Aur main jaanti hoon, ke Jiju jahaan bhi hai, woh aaj bhi aapse pyaar karta hai."
Heer was now openly crying as she went and hugged her sister. Heer had never discussed Prem with Veera, not before the incident and not after. Sure, over the years that Prem and Heer were together, Veera had walked in on some phone conversations, found some picture and gifts, but Heer always made excuses. It amazed and touched her that the Veera who had known nothing about Prem and Heer's relationship was able to describe and understand it so well.
"Chutki, are you sure?" Heer asked as she pulled back. At that very moment their three sister-in-laws walked in as well.
"Haan Didi, paaka sure," she said.
"Saab tik hai?" Kulraj asked.
"Ji Bhabi, saab tik hai," Veera replied.
"Sorry Heer, ke humne tujhe nahin bataya," Maya said. "Lekin hume paata nahin tha ke tu kaise react karegi."
"Koi baath nahin Bhabi," Heer said as she wiped her tears.
"Aab bohot hogaya rohna dhona. Veera go put ice on your eyes. Varna jaab ladke wale aayenge toh yehi sochenge ke hum zabardasti teri shaadi karva rahe hai," Meher said.
"Don't worry Bhabi," Veera said as she sat back down on the bed. "Aaj main aaisi tayar houngi ke saab dekhte rehjayenge!"
"Aacha, aaisa kyun?" Kulraj asked.
"Kyun ke aaj meri Didi mujhe tayar karegi, aur Didi ke hatoon mein jaado hai," she said.
"Aur hum? Humne toh yeh tai kiya tha ke main teri makeup karungi, Bhabi teri baal set karenge aur Maya teri kapde select karegi," Meher said.
"You all are fired, chutti! Aaj toh Didi hi saab kuch hai."
"Veera ki baachi!" Maya yelled as she smacked her on the arm.
Veera tilted her head so she could see Heer. "Kyun Didi?" she asked, "Aaj aap mujhe tayar karenge naa?"
"Of course karungi," Heer said with a smile.
"Vaise, doh behenoon ke beech mein kya baatein chal raha tha?" Meher asked. "Hume bhi batao."
"You wish!" Veera said. "Yeh hum dono ke beech ki baatein hai. Hum aap logoog ko kyun bataiyen?"
"Kya yaar? Hum toh tere friends jaise hai naa?" Maya said.
"Nope, aap sirf Bhabi hai," Heer teased.
Suddenly Kulraj became teary eyed. "Hum ne tum dono ko khabi paraya nahin samja aur tum ho ke….tum ho ke…humko aapna hi nahin samaj te!" She had broken into a full fledged crying fest, leaving all the other women shocked and speechless.
"Wow, talk about pregnancy hormones," Maya whispered to Meher.
"Shh!" Meher admonished.
"Nahin Bhabi, aaisi nahin hai," Heer said. She then proceeded to explain what Veera had said about Manmeet.
"Maine kahaa tha naa, pregnancy has its advantages," Kulraj said as she winked and wiped her tears.
"Kya!?" everyone yelled at the same time.
"Never underestimate the pregnant lady!" That was all Kulraj said before she left with a smirk on her face.
The girls stared at each other for a few seconds, in shock and disbelief, before running after Kulraj to get back at her. Sadly, there was very little they could do since she was pregnant.
---------------------------
That evening everyone in the house was in an up roar about making things perfect. Her Bhabi's were going crazy because of all the demands her Bhai's were making; in turn all of the servants were going crazy because of all the pressure that her Bhabi's were putting on them. The kids were all allowed to do pretty much whatever they wanted as long as no one got hurt, nothing in the house was ruined and no one interfered with the preparations that were going on. Since the main house was being set up for the engagement party the day after, her mother suggested that they use the guest house in the back yard as tonight's venue. It worked out better that way because the main house was a complete mess with things all over the place.
Heer's sole duty was to make sure that Veera looked stunning. Heer didn't want to over do it for tonight, after all it was just a family meet-n-greet for the most part. Trying to keep it simple Heer chose a simple purple and silver churidar-anarkali style suit for Veera. She had decided to keep the makeup simple with just some shimmer eyeshadow, kajal and shimmery lip-gloss. She adorned Veera's wrists with bangles; her ears had simple silver jhumkas and a small locket around her neck. A small diamond like bindi completed the look. When Heer was finally done and Veera looked in the mirror she was happy. However, instantly Heer could tell that Veera was nervous, after all, this was the night that was going to determine the rest of her life.
When Heer came down she only saw Meher in the main house, everyone else was already in the guest house entertaining Manmeet and his parents. Heer, Veera and Meher all walked to the guest house together. Before stepping inside Heer fixed Veera's dupatta just a tad, and then she was off.
"Didi aap nahin aayenge?" Veera asked.
"Chutki, main…" Heer was hesitant.
"Aapko kissi ko saamen nahin jaana padega, if you don't want to. Lekin mere khatir….moral support," she pleaded. When she Heer still debating, she added, "Please."
"Tik hai chal," Heer said as she finally gave in.
Luckily for Heer, the main living room was at the end of a narrow hall that started at the door. She quietly sneaked into the small den off to the side as Meher took Veera the rest of the way.
"Best of luck Chutki," Heer whispered as she hugged Veera before they disappeared.
From where she was sitting Heer could her both families laughing and talking. She could her the kids all running around in the backyard where they had a sand box. Her Bhabi's were in the kitchen next to the den, and they were all complaining about how much they had slaved for this night and it will all be worth it if the rishta is fixed tonight. She was smiling at the though of her baby sister getting married, but that smile turned into a frown when she heard her father and Mr. Singh walking about the business merger. Heer was dying to know how Veera and Manmeet were getting along. It was like someone had been listening because her wish was granted.
"Aagar aap logoon ko koi aitraaz naa ho toh kya Veera aur Manmeet akele mein milsakte hai?" said someone.
"Haan, haan kyun nahin," Teji said. "Jaa beta, Manmeet ko bahar ke gardens dikha ke aa."
Less than a minute later Heer watched as Veera led Manmeet out to the main lawn where they already had patio furniture set up. It was less than 3 seconds after that, when Heer heard the door that connected the den and kitchen open, and her three Bhabi's came rolling in, all chattering away.
"Aare Heer tu yahaan?" Kulraj asked.
"Woh Chutki…" Heer said as she pointed out the window. "Moral support."
"Oh, good," Maya said.
The four of them were gathered by the large sofa at the back of the room. The all looked at each other and then they looked at the large floor to ceiling window on the other side of the room. It was the prefect place to sit and watch Veera, but there was one problem – there were only three seats. The four women looked back at each other, then the seats again, back at each other and then suddenly they were all on their feet running towards the wall. Maya, Meher and Heer all got seats as Kulraj dragged behind.
"Sorry Bhabi, you snooze you lose," Meher said.
"Too slow, so sad," Maya teased.
"Pregnancy trumps your speed," Kulraj said.
"Kya matlab?"
"Matlab ke main pregnant hoon iss liyeh mujhe seat toh zaroor milega. Zyada dehr tak aapni pairoon pe khadi nahin reh sakti naa," Kulraj said with the wink of an eye.
Everyone knew she was right.
"Yeh lijiyeh Bhabi," Heer said as she gave up her seat.
"Heer, tu khadi hai naa, thoda pakora aur chutney leke aana. Bohot bhook lagi hai," Maya said.
Heer knew that the ladies would want snacks with there entertainment, so there was no getting around it. Heer was back quickly with a plate full of freshly made pakoras and a bowl of mixed chutney. Heer held out the places and felt her sister-in-laws dig in while she kept an eye on Manmeet and Veera – currently they were walking along the rose bushes.
Surprisingly they heard the door to the den jingle. The four ladies looked at each other confused because anyone that was interested in spying on Veera was already in the room. They turned around to see the three Maan sons stumble in. They were deep in conversation but came to an abrupt halt when they looked up and saw the women.
"Oh, tum log yahaan ho," Rishab said.
"Ji Bhaia, kuch chahiyeh?" Meher asked.
"Nahin, kuch nahin…vaise tum saab yahaan kya kaar rahe ho?" Nihaal asked.
"Umm….pakora kha rahe hai," Maya said as she held one up.
"Aur aap log?" Kulraj asked.
The men remained silent as the thought of an answer.
"Kya tum saab Veera aur Manmeet ke jasoosi kaarne aaye ho?" Kulraj asked.
"Shame!" Meher yelled, "Give the girl some privacy!"
"Nahin…hum aur jasoosi…chi, bilkul nahin," Harman said.
"Hum toh baas…………" Rishab said, but lost his excuse at the last minute.
"Hum phone call receive kaarne aaye the," Nihaal blurted.
"Theeno ke phone calls, ek saath?" Maya asked.
"Haan woh……" they stuttered.
Without saying another word they just quickly rushed out of there in search of another place they could go to receive their calls. As the left, the girls heard what they had to say.
"Nihaal, tu aur Harman uss Manmeet pe nazaar rakhna. Main Chutki pe nazaar rakhunga," Rishab said.
"Tik hai Bhai. Aagar uss Manmeet ne kuch bhi kiya…main usse kha jaunga!" Nihaal said.
The girls fell into a fit of laughter as the watched the guys talk about spying on their little sister like it was some top secret operation with the utmost importance.
"Aab paata chala ke Veera ke koi boyfriends kyun nahin the," Maya said.
"Boyfriend's…matlab more than one?" Kulraj asked.
"Nahin…mera matlab hai boyfriend, only one," she clarified.
"Saachi haan," Meher said. "Unn theeno bhaiyoon se kaun panga lega. Aagar koi Veera ko pasand bhi karta ho, toh jaab usse paata chalega ke uske theen theen bhai hai, woh ladka toh ulti taraf daure ga."
Heer chuckled at the thought of how many boys might have liked Veera over the years but had gotten scared once they found out the three Maan boys were her brothers.
The thought reminded Heer of the time Prem had officially become her boyfriend. Not just the boy who had been her friend, but her real boyfriend.
*~*Flash Back*~*
(Heer = 15 & Prem = 17)
The school that Prem and Heer attended was a unique school – it went from primary school, all the way to high school. Heer couldn't be more happy with that set up because that meant that she and Prem would remain in the same school until Prem graduated. One program the school had was a debate contest which took place in Mumbai every year. Heer had always wanted to participate but she didn't because she wasn't very comfortable speaking in front of an audience. However, during Prem's final year he had tried out and made the senior class debate team. Heer couldn't stand the thought of spending the summer without him, so she tried out for the sophomore team; surprisingly she made it.
It took a lot of convincing but eventually her father and brothers all caved it. From the beginning the women of the house were on Heer's side. Once they found out it was for school and that it would be a large group of student going, they had no problems. The men on the other hand had been a whole other issue. They refused to let her go saying that no matter what, she was not going to spend nights outside of the house. Heer had brought up the fact that as guys, they were constantly allowed to go out at night, that too just with friends, not school related. Rishab had made the mistake of saying that it was different because he was a guy.
That did it, all the women riled. Just because her sister-in-laws were stay at home wives, that didn't mean that they were not educated. Each one of them had degrees that could rival her brothers. If they wanted, the three of them could easily run Maan Constructions without any help from the men. One by one the wives wringed out their husbands. They argues that it was hypocritical and biased saying that women weren't equal to men. The lashing went on for a while as Heer and Teji watched in amusement. Finally, 30 minutes later, they gave her permission albeit very reluctantly. Heer knew she had the best Bhabi's in the world.
On the way to Mumbai Prem and Heer had sneaked to sit together, because the original seating arrangements had been by grade. The entire trip the talked, laughed and even cried when 'Love Story' was played as the in-flight video. Heer had been bawling like a baby and form the corner of her eye, she had seen Prem wipe away a few stray tears as well. Heer didn't say anything since she didn't want to embarrass him, she just snuggled closer and pretended to fall asleep.
The competition was one week long. During that week the students had managed to find some time to go out and explore the city. After some sight seeing they all ended up at the mall to do some shopping. Once they reached the mall the group split up – boys went to the arcade since they had no shopping interest, and the girls were off shopping. Heer made it a point to get something for each of her Bhabi's, after all, if it weren't for them she wouldn't be here. When Heer had finished her shopping she wanted to rest. She told the girls that she'd be at the food court. As she walked towards the food court she spotted a men's clothing store and in it was a navy blue shirt that caught her eye. On impulse, Heer brought the shirt for Prem, praying that it fit.
Heer had been sitting at the food court for maybe 20 minutes when someone came up to her.
"Hi, kya yahaan pe koi baita hai?" he asked.
Heer looked up to see a nice looking boy, probably Prem's age or slightly less, looking down on her.
"Nahin…magar…" Heer was about to tell him she was expecting her friends but he sat down before she could.
"Aap yahaan pe debate competition ke liyeh aayi hai?" he asked.
"Haan. Aap?" Heer asked.
"Main bhi. Main St. Josephs school se aaya hoon."
"Oh, woh toh Amritsar mein hai!" Heer suddenly felt excited to see another fellow Punjabi. "Main bhi Amritsar se hoon. Main St. Xavier's se aayi hoon."
"Wow, small world naa?" he said, with a genuine smile. "Mera naam Laksh hai, Laksh Singh. And I must say, aap iss kurti mein bohot sundar lag rahi hai."
"Thank you," Heer said as she blushed.
Heer knew he was flirting and so was she. Heer had been in love with Prem since the day he had rescued her from the teasers at school, but Prem didn't feel the same. He only referred to her as his friend, he never complimented her unless it was backhanded, he never flirted with her. Even Heer's best friend, Neha, had told Heer to look at other guys because Prem as clueless. Heer didn't want to say anything because she didn't want to ruin the friendship they had built over the years.
"I'm Heer, Heer Maan," she said as she held out her hand to shake.
At first he took it but quickly pulled back.
"Heer Maan? As in Maan Construction?" he asked with an look on his face.
"Haan, woh humara business hai. Kyun?"
"Rishab, Nihaal aur Harman Maan tumhare kya lagte hai?"
"Woh mere Bhai hai. Kya aap unko jaante hai?" Heer asked.
"Oh my God!" Laksh yelled. Suddenly he became frazzled. "Maan brothers ko kaun nahin janta Amritsar mein? It was nice to meet you," he said. He as about to take her hand again but pulled back like he had just touched fire. "See you." That was all he said before running off.
From behind her, Heer heard her girlfriends burst out laughing. The conversation that followed really got Heer depressed. Her friends had pointed out that no guy, especially from Amritsar, would dare to ask her out because she was the Maan families darling daughter. All the boys in Amritsar already knew about her brothers and their temper. As for the rest of the boys in the world, once they found out she had not one but three older brothers, they'd head for the hills too.
It was through this conversation that Heer realized all of her girlfriends had boyfriends. They were all couples. Even that day for their outing, it was couples only but since Prem and Heer were friends they tagged along as well. Once the guys came out from the arcade their girlfriends dragged then to shops so they could get things for themselves, at the expense of their boyfriends.
Heer didn't go, she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a while. Prem, seeing that she was tensed about something, decided to stay back as well. He took a seat in front of her and began picking at the fries she had ordered.
"Kya baath hai Heer?" he asked, as he stuffed two fires in his mouth.
"Kuch nahin," she lied.
"Tumhare chere pe saaf saaf dik raha hai ke kuch toh baath hai," Prem said. "Joh bhi ho, mujhe bataao. I'll fix it."
"Yeh aaisa problem hai joh tum fix nahin kar sakte Prem."
"No way! Tumhari aaisi kya problem hai joh main solve nahin karsakta. Heer ki haar problem ke solution hai mere paas."
"Aacha? Toh sunno."
Heer told Prem about what happened with the scardy-cat, Laksh Singh. Then she told him about what the girls had said. She knew that there was one simple solution to everything but no way Prem would understand that.
"Iss mein problem kya hai? Tumhe khabi bhi boyfriend milsakta hai," Prem said.
"Kaise milega? Saab toh mere bhaiyoon ke naam sunte hi bhag jate hai. Darpook kahin ke!" Heer said as she got a little angry.
Prem sat in silence for a minute.
"Maine kaha tha naa, tum yeh problem nahin solve kaar sakte," Heer said. "Aab chalo, saab humara intezaar kaar raha hoga."
Heer got up and Prem followed, deep in thought, behind her. When they reached the group one of the girls began teasing Heer about how all the couples plus Prem and Heer. Prem saw how upset Heer got again.
"Aaj se Heer ko, boyfriend ke baath ko lekar, koi cherega nahin," he declared.
"Kyun?" someone asked.
"Kyun ke Heer ka boyfriend hai," Prem said.
"Kya!?" everyone in the group yelled together.
"Kaun?" a guy asked from behind.
"Main," Prem said as she stood tall.
Heer's eyes shot to Prem's face. Did he just say what she had heard? No way, there was no way Prem just announced himself as her boyfriend.
Everyone in their group suddenly fell into a fit of laughter.
"Iss mein haansne wali kya baath hai?" Prem asked.
As they tried to catch their breaths from all the laughing, another guys said, "Tu Heer ka boy-friend hai, boyfriend nahin!"
"Main uska boy-friend tha. Aaj se main uska boyfriend hoon. Any problems?" The look Prem had in his eyes and the tone of his voice told everyone he was damned serious. No one dared to mess with him.
Well, almost no one.
"Mujhe problem hai!" Heer yelled before she stormed off down the stairs.
"Heer ruko!" Prem called as she chased after her.
The whole way down the stairs all Heer could think about was how happy she was hearing Prem say those words. But her happiness was over shadowed by the fact that she didn't want Prem's pity to be the reason why he was with her. She was just about to walk out of the mall when Prem caught up with her.
"Heer kya hua?" he asked.
The look Heer gave Prem was one that could kill.
"Kya hua? Tumne aaisa kyun kaha ke tum mere boyfriend ho?" Heer asked.
"Kyun ke main ek ladka hoon aur tumhare friend bhi hoon, soh hua naa main tumhara boyfriend." There was a glint of mischief in Prem's eyes.
"Preeeeem!" Heer called as she folded her hands over her chest.
"Dekho Heer tum complain maat karo. Maine kahaa tha naa ke tumhari haar problem ke solution mere paas hai."
"Toh tum sirf meri problem sovle kaarna chate ho?" Heer asked, with a lump in her throat. The boy she loved was only trying to help but it was breaking her heart in the process.
"Haan bhi aur nahin bhi," Prem said.
"Matlab?"
"Matlab ke haan main tumhara problem solve karna chata hoon, koi aur karega toh mujhse bardasht nahin hoga. Mujhe aacha nahin lagta jaab tum pareshan ho ya phir upset ho. Aur nahin bhi kyun ke …kyun ke…." Prem suddenly becamse quiet.
"Kya?" Heer asked.
"Saach boloon, tum haanso ge toh nahin naa?" Prem asked before he continued.
"Tik hai nahin haasungi," Heer promised.
"Main…main tumhara boyfriend banna chata hoon."
Heer nearly stopped breathing.
"Kya?" she asked. She wanted to be absolutely sure about what Prem had said.
"Main tumhara boyfriend banna chata hoon."
"Magar kyun?" Heer asked. Why did Prem, the stud of the school – although he was completely oblivious about that fact – want to be her boyfriend? He could just wink and 10 girls would line up after him. Why did he want her?
"Kyun ke tum mere saab se aachi dost ho, mere Maa ko bhi tum bohot pasand ho. Dekh ne bhi tum tik tak ho. Aur haan, mujeh bhi thoda thoda pasand ho," he said.
"Prem!" Heer yelled and looked like she was going to strangle him.
"Ek aur baath hai," Prem said.
"Kya?"
"Main unn ladko mein se nahin hoon joh tumhare bhaiyoon se darte hai."
"Aacha," Heer said as she put her elbow on his sloulder and her lips close to his ear. "Tum mere theeno bhaiyoon se nahin darte?"
"Nahin. Prem Jhuneja kissi se, khabi nahin darta." He was so proud of himself with that statement it was like his chest was going to pop, it was so puffed.
"Tik hai, woh hum dekh hi lenge," Heer teased.
"Aab toh tum gussa nahin ho naa?"
"Nahin, main abhi bhi gussa hoon," Heer said as she turned her back to him.
"Aab kya hua?" Prem had no idea what he had done.
"Phirse tum mere bhaiyoon jaise behave kaar rahe ho. Faisla leh liya aur mujhse pooch bhi nahin." Heer found a bench by the wall they were standing and sat down, still grumpy.
"Oh ho, toh yeh baath hai," Prem said as he sat next to her.
"Aur nahin toh kya? Tum humesha se aaisa karte aaye ho Prem. Pehle din se hi! It's not fair."
"Tik hai baba, I'm sorry." Prem put his hands on his ears and gave her his usual puppy dog face.
"Yeh aachi baath hai! Pehle gussa dilao phir aaisa shakal banake mujhe maanao."
"Good, yeh hoga 'girlfriend patao chehera'," Prem said as he caught his reflection in the window. "Bohot useful rahega kyun ke tum toh mujhse baath baath pe root jaati ho."
"Prem," Heer said as she blushed and nudged him lightly.
"So Ms. Heer, will you be my girlfriend?" Prem asked.
He was so close to her ears as she whispered that Heer could almost hear the beat of his heart. She didn't know what to say, it was like her dreams were coming true. She couldn't find the words to speak, all she could do is smile.
"Haansi toh phasi!" Prem yelled as he jumped up.
Heer was shocked and quickly grabbed his arm and dragged him down. "Prem yeh kya kaar rahe ho?"
"It's official, hum dono boyfriend and girlfriend. Aur jaise ke hum bf/gf hai hume date pe jaana hoga," Prem announced.
"Date pe?" Heer asked.
"Haan, date pe," Prem repeated.
Heer and Prem decided that they would have their first date right there in Mumbai before they headed home. However, that didn't work out. The competition was so hectic that they rarely found time together unless it was to eat at night. Still, never again did anyone tease Heer about being boyfriend-less.
The following week when Heer returned home, it was like she was walking on air. She was so happy in her life she couldn't explain it. It was after her trip to Mumbai that she told Maya all about Prem. Heer had returned on a hot afternoon and headed straight for the shower. In the mean time Maya unpacked her things alone, because Kulraj was busy helping Meher with the newborn twins. After Heer got out of the shower she came in with a silly smile on her face, which didn't go unnoticed by Maya.
"Kya baath hai Heer, aaj tu bohot kush hai?" May asked.
Heer put her arm around Maya's shoulder and said, "Bhabi aap jaana chate hai ke maine Mumbai mein kya kiya? Maine aapne liyeh ek boyfriend dunda hai!"
"Kya?!" Maya yelled.
"Shh!" Heer quickly closed the door before anyone else heard.
"Ek hafte ke liye tu gayi aur yeh gul khila ke aayi hai," Maya said with a smack to her head. "Tere bhai tik hi the, tujhe nahin jaane dehna chahiyeh tha."
"Aare Bhabi, yeh gul toh bohot pehle se khil raha tha, baas pichle hafte jaake rang laya hai," Heer said with a wink.
"Kya matlab?" Maya asked. She was more interested in the gossip than anything else. "Yeh kaab se chal raha hai?"
"Bhabi yeh toh taab se chal raha ha jaab se main paanch saal ki thi."
"Kya!?" Maya yelled out loud.
Heer went on to explain everything about her and Prem's first interaction when he saved her from the boys at school, to their conversation at the mall in Mumbai where they officially became boyfriend and girlfriend.
"Baath official bhi hogayi?"
"Haan, official bhi hogayi," Heer confirmed.
"Ek baath toh hai, yeh ladka hai bohot aacha," Maya said.
"Mera Prem saab se aacha hai Bhabi," Heer said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Oh ho, 'mera Prem'? Tu toh gaya haath se." Maya laughed at Heer, but inside she as extremely happy for her.
Ever since then, Maya had been the one person that knew everything about her and Prem…everything.
*~*Back to Present*~*
Heer was brought out of her reserve when she felt someone yanking on her hand. She looked down to see Meher holding onto her hand.
"Haath pakda! Oh my God, ussne haath pakda!" Meher yelled.
Heer looked up to see what Meher was watching. Heer smiled as she saw Manmeet and Veera walking back towards the house – hand in hand.
"Aap mera haath toh chodiyeh," Heer said.
"Oh, sorry," Meher said quickly, not one taking her eyes off of the couple.
Instantly all three of her sister-in-laws quickly raced to the area where the den met the corridor that led to the main hall; Heer was behind the group. The tried to hide in the dark shadows since the light in the corridor wasn't on all the way, but they were snickering and giggling so loudly that as soon as Veera and Manmeet walked in they saw the clan.
Seeing four women making lovey-dovey eyes at them and smiling at them shamelessly, caused Manmeet to blush and Veera to roll her eyes.
"Main…um…main andar hoon," Manmeet said as she let go of Veera's hand.
"Bye Manmeet-ji," Maya waved.
Manmeet turned around for just a second and smiled before he rushed off. The girls laughed as quietly as they could because Manmeet's face had turned 100 shades of red.
"Didi aap bhi?" Veera asked as she spotted Heer giggling in the back. "Uff! Aap log khabi nahin sudrenge!" Veera yelled as she stormed off.
Another 30 minutes later all the talks were done and everything was set. The engagement ceremony would take place tomorrow evening around 7 at Maan Estates. Everyone said their goodbye's as Heer silently walked back to the main house.
---------------------------
All the ladies, even Heer, were dying to know what had happened between Veera and Manmeet. What did they talk about? How did she like him? Had she changed her mind? So many questions – but they had to wait. Dinner had to be served, the kids needed to be put to bed, the men had to be put to bed even. The plan was that once everyone was settled, the ladies would convene in Heer's room for the update. It was nearly 11pm when everyone got there. Of course Veera was last to walk in – apparently Manmeet had called to wish her good night.
"Toh Veera, faisla badla toh nahin naa?" Kulraj asked.
Veera blushed, "Nahin Bhabi," she said.
"Woh kaisa ladka hai?" Heer asked.
"Oh Didi yakeen maniyeh, he is great!" Veera said excitedly. "Main unse kahaa ke mujhe shaadi ke baad pandni, hai mujhe aapni career banani hai."
"Kya kaha ussne?" Meher asked.
"Woh maan gaye. Keh rahe the ke meri aage padne mein ya noaukri karne mein unko koi problem nahin hai."
Veera continued and told them how when they went outside Manmeet had been very respectful and polite, yet fun at the same time. She told him how he had said the purple really looked good on her and she looked beautiful.
"Haye," all four women sighed at the same time.
Suddenly Veera laid flat on the bed and spread out her arms as she said, "I'm so happy!"
That was the first night in a long time that Heer went to bed with a smile on her face instead of tears. It was the first time in years she went to bed with hope in her heart instead of pain. It was the first time in years that she looked forward to the rising of the sun the next day instead of wishing the night would never end.
JAZ
ps: sorry for only one Premeer flashback...but...the update kinda got long 😆😆😆...cant wait for comments 😳
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