alright guys...technically its still sunday night...he he...here is the next installment of Tanhai...enjoy...cant wait for feed back!!
Chapter 6
The star filled skies of Amritsar were quickly being taken over by darkness as thick black clouds rolled in without warning. The day had ended long ago – the sun had set, the light had disappeared. The office building was eerily silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Fellow co-workers had gone home hours ago to be with their families, even the night cleaning crew had cleared out. However, on the top floor of the building one light shown; someone was burning the midnight oil. The man in that office returned to his chair, nursing a glass of Scotch in his right hand. He knew that he was the only left in the office, but he didn't care. It was in situation like this that he worked the best. If it hadn't been for the relentless late nights, he'd never have been able to accomplish all he had. He knew that people said about him behind his back, but no one dared to say anything to his face – after all, he was Preet Mehta.
Preet Mehta – who was he? That was the question that filled everyone's mind. Preet Mehta was a real estate developer that had taken India by storm. He had only been on the scene for a few years but already he had countless successes tied to his name. He had shopping malls, estates, clubs, restaurants and even hotels to his name. Ask anyone on the streets of India who he was and they could list his most popular projects without a second thought. They could even tell you that he was currently pursuing a high profile project in Dubai for a hotel, resort/casino type. He was looking for a company to do the design and construction. Of course everyone wanted to be part of the project, so various companies were coming in daily to make their presentations. He was a self made, over night sensation almost.
The thought made him smile. Everyone knew Preet Mehta, the business man. No one knew Preet Mehta the man; of course, not for lack of trying. No one knew that he had no family. No one knew how he had busted his ass to get to where he was sacrificing not only his time, but his life, personal and social, in the process. No one knew that just as he was working towards the biggest deal of his professional career, he had been blind sighted by a revelation which came completely out of the blue.
As far as Preet had known, his father was a dead beat dad from day one and had died long ago. However, turns out, his father only recently died and in the process, he managed to screw up Preet's life, one last time. It seems that his father had only one son, only one person to carry on the family name. It also seems like he had a flourishing garments business which he left to his one and only heir. Here was the catch, in order to get that money/business, Preet had to prove that he was responsible enough to run a business on his own. Preet had no problem proving that. The problem came up after his father died and the will was read. Of course, Preet got everything in terms of the business, but there was a special provision. A provision that was set to ensure that the Mehta blood line would be carried on into the future.
*~* Flash Back *~*
(Few Weeks Ago)
It had been a busy day, to say the least. Preet had seen numerous proposals for the construction of his Dubai hotel. Also, in the middle of all that, he was dealing with his late fathers lawyers about his damned will. Preet was sitting in his conference room waiting for another company to do their presentation, thankfully, they were the last one for the day. It was just about 3 o' clock in the afternoon when his lawyer, Mr. Kapoor walked in and handed him a file. After reading it over, Preet felt his blood turn to fire.
"Yeh kya hai Mr. Kapoor," he roared. "Is this a joke?!"
"No Sir, I'm sorry to say but this is not a joke," the lawyer answered.
"Yeh mazak nahin hai toh kya hai?!" Preet said, as he stood up and nearly knocked his chair over. "This cant be happening!"
"Sorry Sir, lekin aap iss baath ko nain tal sakte. Aap ke Bauji ke iss will ke mutabik, aapko company hand over kaar diya jayega, maagar aap ke shaadi ke baad. Aagar aapne vansh aage nahin badaya, toh saab kuch ek charity mein daan kardena hoga," Mr. Kapoor clarified.
Preet snatched up the file from the table and looked through it again. He read and re-read the same section over and over, until it was nearly stuck in his memory. A grin snuck up on his face as he read the passage one last time. His father was a jerk, but a smart jerk. However, Preet was his son – a bigger jerk and even smarter.
"Koi baath nahin Mr. Kapoor, aap transfer ke papers tayar kijiyeh. Woh business mera kokar hi rahega!" Preet declared.
"If you don't mind me asking, yeh kaise hoga?" the lawyer asked.
"My so-called-father was an idiot! Iss will mein likha hai ke mujhe shaadi karna hoga. Kahin pe yeh likha nahin hai ke mujhe baacha paida karna hoga. Shaadi toh main karlunga," Preet said. He walked over to the floor to ceiling glass wall that over looked the city. He looked up at the sky and said, "Sorry 'Dad', you weren't as clever as you thought you were. Better luck next time."
"Magar Sir, shaadi itni jaldi? Kaise? Aap ke paas sirf che mehne hai. Uske andar aapko shaadi karna hai," said Mr. Kapoor.
"Che mehne bohot hai. Aap fikar maat kijiyeh, saab hojayega." Preet's voice rang with a confidence that was surprising considering the news he had just received. "I have a plan. Aab toh baas ek ladki dundna hoga contract marriage ke liyeh."
Just as Preet finished his sentence, four men walked in – one older and three younger men.
"Hello Mr. Mehta, hum Maan Construction se aaye hai. Humara presentation hai aaj."
Preet recalled the Maan men – Balraj, Rishab, Nihaal and Harman. He had worked with them a few times in the past, nothing major. Not that they didn't want do, it was Preet who constantly stayed away from them. It wasn't that they didn't do a good job or that they didn't have good ideas; what bothered Preet was the old man, Balraj. He just seemed like a shady character who put the value of money above all else. He seemed like the kind of person who would sell his soul to make a few extra bucks.
"Aaye aaye Mr. Maan. Please, baitiyeh," Preet said as he went over and shook the hands of all four men. "Mr. Kapoor – kya karna hai, aapko tho paata hi hai. Please get to it as soon as possible." Preet had turned to his lawyer before he took his own seat.
"Yes Sir, of course, right away," Mr. Kapoor said before he gathered his things and walked out of the conference room.
"So gentlemen, shuru karein presentation?" Preet asked.
For the next hour or so, the four Maan men presented a stellar plan for the Dubai resort. Preet was highly impressed by the three sons; the father on the other hand, not so much. Preet really liked the plans and the architecture of the resort, but he needed time to think. Did he really want to spend the next few years working closely with Balraj Maan? Could he handle that?
"Thank you gentlemen. Bohot aacha presentation tha. Mujhe soochne ke liyeh thoda waqt chahiyeh. We will be in touch," Preet said as he stood up to see the men out.
"Mr. Mehta, aagar aap bura naa mane toh aapse ek baath puchoon?" Balraj asked as he got to his feet.
"Ji puchiyeh," Preet said.
"Jaab hum andar aaye, we couldn't help but hear what you were saying. Aap kisi ladki ki baare mein baath kaar rahe the. Kuch 'contract marriage' ke baare mein," Balraj said.
"Haan toh? Vaise, it's none of your business," Preet said.
"Of course, lekin…shayad uss mamle mein, main aapke madat kaar sakta hoon."
Not that caught Preet's attention. "Kya matlab?"
"Matlab ke main ek aaisi ladki ko janta hoon, joh aapke liyeh prefect hai."
"What?" Preet asked. "Mujhe ek aaisi ladki chahiyeh joh sirf naam ki paatni hogi. Only on paper. Woh beshak, Mrs. Mehta kehlayega lekin mere uppar uska koi haq nahin hoga. She will have access to everything that is mine, except my business and me."
"Haan toh?" Balraj asked.
Preet couldn't figure this man out. What girl would want to be his wife on paper only? What intrigued Preet more was the fact that Balraj's three sons looked very confused and uncomfortable. "Aap ek aaisi ladki ko jaante hai joh contract marriage karne ke liyeh tayar hai?"
"Haan," Balraj said.
"Aur uske maa baap bhi maan jayenge?" Preet asked.
"Yeh hi soochlijiyeh, ke maan gaye hai."
"Aacha," Preet said, sounding a bit skeptical. "Woh ladki kaun hai? Aur aap usse kaise jaante?"
"Woh ladki Heer hai." Balraj didn't even bat an eyelash when taking her name.
Suddenly the room erupted with noise as all three sons yelled, "Bauji!" at the same time, nearly startling Preet.
Judging by their reaction, Preet could easily say they didn't agree with Balraj's decision. Without taking his eyes off of the three brothers he asked, "Aur Heer kaun hai?"
"Heer meri beti hai," he answered, not missing a beat.
Now it was Preet's turn to be shocked. "H…Heer aapki beti hai? Lekin maine toh suna tha ke aap aapni beti ka rishta Singh parivaar se kaarne wale hai."
"Haan, woh meri choti beti, Veera ke liyeh hai. Heer meri badi beti hai," Balraj clarified.
"Maine toh suna tha ke aap ki ek beti hai. Kher, chodiyeh. Aap ki badi beti Heer hai, aur aap aaise hi usski shaadi mujhse kaardenge?" Preet asked.
"Haan."
"Whats the catch?" This offer was just too good to be true, Preet knew it.
"Baas, hume yeh Dubai wali contract chahiyeh. Aur…." Balraj suddenly fell quiet.
"Aur?" Preet asked.
"Aur mujhe Mehta Industries mein shares chahiyeh, kaam se kaam 40%," Balraj said.
Preet was so shocked he had no words for Balraj Maan. Preet had clearly been wrong about this man from the beginning. He wouldn't sell his soul to make a few extra bucks, but he sure as hell would sell his daughter.
"Aur aapki beti ko yeh rishta manzoor hai?" Preet asked.
"Haan," Balraj said.
"Bauji yeh aap kya…." Rishab was cut off before he could finish his sentence by the look that Balraj gave him.
"Kyun?" Preet asked.
"Usse shaadi nahin karni hai. Lekin aab main usse aapne ghaar mein nahin rak sakta."
"Aaisa kyun?"
"Woh 25 saal ki hochuki hai. Shaadi nahin kaarna chathi. Log toh tarah tarha ki baatein karte hai," Balraj explained. "Issi liyeh yeh contract marriage uske liyeh prefect hai. No requirements, no pressure."
"Woh shaadi kyun nahin kaarna chati?"
"Uski shaadi hochuki hai," Nihaal interjected.
"What? Shaadi hochuki hai?" Preet asked. This conversation was getting more and more twisted as the second passed.
Balraj gave his sons a mean glare before addressing Preet again. "Haan, uski shaadi hui thi."
"Aur uska paati?" Preet asked.
"Maargaya," Blaraj said with a smile on his face. "Heer ek vidva hai."
One word crossed Preet's mind in regards to Balraj Maan – despicable. He sat in his chair with all four pairs of eyes glued to him, waiting for his decision. "Tik hai," Preet said. "Aap aapni beti se kehdijiyeh ke woh iss shaadi se koi umid naa rakhe, phir yeh shaadi karne ke liyeh main tayaar hoon."
"It's a deal" Balraj said as he stuck his hand out to Preet.
Preet took his hand and said, "It's a deal."
"Aap kaal ghaar aajaiyeh, Heer ko dekhne ke liyhe," Balraj suggested.
"Nahin main kaal nahin aa sakta. Main aagle kuch haftoon ke liyeh London jaa raha hoon," Preet said.
"Oh," Balraj said as he thought about another solution. "Doh haftoon mein, Veera ki sagaai hai. Aap vahin aajaiyeh Heer se milne."
Preet thought for a moment before agreeing to attend the engagement ceremony. Preet watched closely as the Maan men left the conference room. Of course, Balraj looked very pleased with himself. Not only had he just washed his hands of his widowed daughter, but he had just made himself a major business deal. On the other hand, the three brothers didn't look to happy. They almost seemed like brothers watching out for their little sisters best interest. Whatever it may be, it didn't matter. Preet needed a way to get out of the bind his dead father had put him in. Thank to Mr. Maan and his greed, Preet finally had the out he needed.
*~* Back to Present *~*
(Maan House)
It was the night before Veera's wedding and the Maan estate was filled with family and friends from all over the world. Tonight was a very special night for Veera, as for the family. Teji's side of the family has a tradition that goes all the way back to her great-great-great grand parents. It was a family tradition that the whole family looked forward to, sometimes, even more than the wedding. In simple terms, it was the last dinner Veera would have at the Maan house before her wedding – her last dinner as a single woman. However, it was just another excuse for the family to get together, eat, dance, sing, laugh, play games – God knows what else they would end up doing. The main event of that night was Veera's feeding. All the women in the family, from Teji to Heer, from their Bua to their Massi – everyone cooked one of Veera's favorite dishes. Once Veera was brought down, everyone in the family – literally everyone – had to feed Veera once. No matter how little they fed her, they had to feed her. It was sort of symbolizing that the family sent her into the new journey of her life with love and respect.
The main dining room was decorated especially for that reason, and the table was covered from edge to edge with food. Of course, all the male members of the family, from the much older men, to the little kids, were all eyeing the food. Many of them had made attempts to steal some food off of the table, but failed. They had even come up with an elaborate plan, full of team work, to steal a dish of biriyani that rested on the table. That plan, just like the other, failed horribly!
As the entire family gathered down in the main hall, Heer was upstairs with Veera helping her get ready. For this occasion Veera had chosen a simple red anarkali style churidar which had a green and gold border. Heer was just helping her put the necklace on when suddenly the chain broke apart.
"Uff, isse bhi aab tootna tha!" Veera yelled. "Aab main kya pehnungi?"
"Koi dusri haar pehnle na," Heer suggested.
Veera got up and paced the room. "Magar dono match nahin hoga!"
Heer thought for a minute and then a thought occurred to her. "Tu ruk, main aabhi aayi," she said as she left the room. A few minutes later she returned with a jewelry box in her hands. She opened it to reveal a simple set of earrings and necklace that matched perfectly with Veera's outfit. "Yeh pehenle tu," she said and she pulled the pieces out.
"Wow Didi, it's so beautiful!" Veera said as she picked up one earring. "Lekin main yeh nahin pehen sakti."
"Kyun nahin pehen sakti?" Heer asked.
"Kyun ke yeh wohi set hai naa joh Jiju ne aapko aapni 17th birthday pe diya tha?" she asked before she could think about what she was saying.
Heer stopped what she was doing and looked surprised at Veera. "Tujha kaise paata ke yeh mujhe Prem ne diya tha?" Heer was shocked, because the only other person in that house who knew that Prem had give this set to her was Maya. How did Veera know?
"Woh…" Veera didn't know how to answer. She decided to tell Heer the truth, there was no need to like. "Woh, Jiju ne mujhe dikhaya tha. Poocha ke tumhe pasand aayega ya nahin."
"Veera…" Heer said as she stood directly in front of Veera. "Tu Prem se mili thi?"
Veera gave Heer a simple grin before she said, "Haan Didi. Woh bhi ek ya doh baar nahin, bohot baar mili thi main Jiju se."
"Kya!?" Heer yelled. "Kaab? Kaise? Kahaan?" she asked all at once.
*~* Flash Back *~*
(Heer = 16-18 & Prem = 18-20 & Veera = 12-14)
*it's over a period of time*
It was a Saturday afternoon, but all the male's of the family were missing. A business deal was not going so well, some complications came up, so all of them went to the office to take care of everything before it all got worse. Meanwhile, at home the women were all busy in the kitchen and taking care of the kids. Heer was holed up in her room with the excuse that she was doing homework. Of course, in reality Prem had come over for a visit and snuck in through her window. Veera, therefore, was left to herself. She didn't have any homework left, she just had time to kill. She had decided to go off to her favorite place on the property – it was a secluded area where flowers grew along the side of the building. Veera liked to just sit there and think, draw and sometimes read. On this afternoon as she was reading she heard a soft thud on the other side of the wall. She came out of her special area just as the person was fixing his shoe.
"Oh, toh aap hai Prem Jhuneja?" she said, as she clutched to her drawing pad.
Prem nearly had a heart attack when the voice called out to him. When he turned he was relieved to see a small girl standing behind him, looking at him from top to bottom. "Ji. Lekin aapko kaise paata?" he asked.
"Aap hi Didi ka boyfriend hai naa?" Veera asked, with out answering his question.
Prem chuckled under his breath. So this was the chulbuli little sister Heer always talked about. Prem could already see why Heer adored her so much, and at the same time was annoyed by her. "Aapko kisne bataya?"
Veera stood up straight to her full height, put one hand on her hip and gave Prem a strong glare. "Main ghaar mein chooti hoon toh kya hu? Saab samajte hai ke main kuch nahin jaanti, lekin mujeh saab kuch paata hai. Vaise bhi, maine Didi ki diary mein aapka naam dekha tha."
"Aacha," Prem said. His saali was a strong minded girl. She could clearly grow up to be an independent, beautiful and vivacious woman. Men had better watch out, she could easily give them a run for all they were worth. "Aap kissiko batayenge toh nahin ke main aaj yahaan aaya tha?" he asked.
"Aap mujhe 'aap' kyun bula rahe ho? Main aapse choti hoon," Veera said, once again dodging his question.
Prem laughed louder than he had intended. He could clearly remember a similar conversation with Heer years back. "Tik hai, tum. Kissi ko nahin bataoge naa?"
"Hmm…soochna padega? Mujhe kya milega?" Veera asked as she clutched her drawing pad.
"Abhi se manga shuru kar diya?" Prem asked with a smile.
"Kyun naa mangoon? Saali hoon aapki, mangna mera haq hai."
From that one statement Prem already knew that Veera accepted him as part of the family – it made him feel good. "Mangna haq hai, lekin shaadi ke baad." If she was like this now, God help him after he was actually married to Heer.
"Toh kya hua," Veera said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Main practice kaar rahi hoon. Practice makes prefect."
It was going to be a lot of fun being part of this family Prem thought. "Tik hai meri chulbuli saali sahiba. Kya chahiyeh tumhe?"
"Hmm…joh bhi mangunga, aap denge naa?" Veera asked.
"Kosish zaroor karunga."
"Nahin mujhe vaada chahiye, paaka vaada."
"Tik hai baba, kya chahiyeh tumhe?"
Veera then began to fidget with her pencil and kept shuffling on her feet. "Vaada kijiyeh ke aap humesha Didi ko kush rakhenge."
Prem was caught off guard by her request. He was certain she would ask for money or candy, at the very least – any other kid would have. Yup, this one was a special one for sure. "Kya?" he asked in an attempt to clarify.
"Didi ko humesha kush rakhna. Humare liyeh bohot kuch karti hai Didi, lekin aapne liyeh kuch nahin karte. Aap unhe kush rakhenge naa?" Veera asked.
"Haan, rakhunga," Prem said.
"Promise?" Veera asked, as she held on of her hands out.
Prem took her hand gently and said, "Promise."
"Tik hai, main kuch nahin bataunga. Leik aap bhi Didi ko maat batayehga ke main aapse mili hoon," Veera requested.
"Ok, nahin bataunga. Vaise, kya kya likha hai aapke Didi ne aapni diary mein?" Prem asked with a wicked glint in his eyes.
"Aapke baare mein toh bohot kuch likha hai," she said.
"Jaise…" Prem waited for her to say something.
Veera did something with her wrist that dismissed Prem. "Kissi aur din bataungi."
"Abhi kyun nahin?" Prem whined.
"Kyun ke Mamma mujhe dhoondne aa rahi hai. You should go."
"Oh crap!" Prem was about to run out the back way when he heard Teji calling for Veera.
"Bye Jiju," Veera called.
"Bye Chulbuli," Prem called as he left.
That was the first encounter Veera had with Prem. After that, every once in a while they would run into each other in the back yard as Prem either left or was coming to see Heer. It didn't happen often because Prem usually came at night to see Heer, rarely in the day. It had been one of those rare encounters during which Veera had nicknamed him PJ as in Prem Jiju, but teased and said it really stood for Pajama's.
Another memorable encounter happened nearly a year later after Veera had turned 13. It was two months after Veera's birthday and all of her school friends wanted to go and watch an English movie at the mall. Veera knew that her family would never let her go unless some sort of parental supervision was involved. She had decided to lie to her family and say that her friend Reema's mom would be there – of course, no such thing happened. The girls had all decided to meet up at the mall around 11 o' clock in the afternoon to catch the 12 o' clock show. Veera had somehow managed to get away from Harman before he asked about the other kids. Now it was just her sitting in the food court waiting for her friends who were, as usual, late. In order to kill time, Veera pulled out a book from her bag and began to read. Only a few minutes had passed when suddenly someone came and took the book out of Veera's hands. She immediately recognized the group of four boys as the bullies of her school.
"Oh, toh humare school ki bookworm mall bhi aati hai," one said.
"Woh bhi aapni padhai karne," another laughed.
"P….please meri book vapas dehdijiyeh," Veera said in a soft voice.
"Kya, kya, kya? Mujhe kuch sunai nahin diya," a boy from the back of the group said.
"Meri…book…please," Veera repeated.
The four boys then began teasing her about how she was such a nerd that no one wanted to be her friend. They teased her about how she was here at the mall all by herself, like a loser. Veera could feel the tears sting her eyes but she refused to let them see her cry.
"Chalo, main book vapas karta hoon lekin mujhe tumse kuch chahiyeh," the tall one in the front said.
"K…kya?" Veera asked.
"Come on baby, give me a kiss," he said.
Veera's eyes when wide with shock and she was rendered speechless. The boy slowly began to advance towards her while kissing noises. Veera sprang to her feet and tried to get away but tripped over her own two feet in her haste. She was trying to get up but could move as the boy hovered so close to her that he was almost touching her. Veera closed her eyes and prayed for someone to save her. The next think she knew she heard a loud crash, when she looked up she saw the boy hunched over the table holding his stomach in pain.
"Veera tu tik toh hai naa?" someone asked.
Before Veera could see who the person, she felt herself being hoisted up to her feet. Once she was standing she was able to get a look at who her savior was.
"Jiju!" she yelled. She had never been so relieved to see anyone in her entire life. She quickly grabbed onto his arm and hid behind him.
"Daar maat, main hoon naa," Prem said to comfort Veera. He then turned to the puny boys who still stood there. "Kya keh raha tha tu?" Prem asked with his hands balled into fists. Veera called Prem 'PJ' all the time. The only time she called him 'Jiju' was when she was mad at him or upset with him, and now – when she was scared.
It took all of his strength not to punch the kids right then and there. The only thing holding him back was the fact that he'd probably end up killing those kids with only a few punches. If he killed them, he'd go to jail. However, the prospect of jail didn't scare him half as much as his girlfriend did. He was more afraid of what Heer would do to him if he went to jail. Besides, he had already punched the disgusting one; he'd have to be satisfied with that for now.
"Tu kaun hai?" the one from the left yelled.
Next thing Prem knew, his hand made contact with the right cheek of the disrespectful boy. "Maa baap ne tameez nahin sikhaya? Badoon se aaise baath karta hai tu?" That question was followed by another slap. "Ladkiyoon se kaise baath karte hai, woh toh tujeh aata nahin. Badoon se bhi baath karna nahin aata." At that moment, Prem wanted to laugh despite the situation he was in, because at that moment he sounded just like Heer and Veera had when he first met each of them.
"A…aap hai kaun?" another one asked.
"Main kaun hoon, iss se tujhe koi faraq nahin padega. Lekin tune poocha hai toh main bata hi deta hoon. Veera ka bhai jaisa hoon. Samja?" Prem asked. "Aab yeh baata, tum saab ho kaun aur Veera ko kaise jaante ho?" When none of them answered Prem turned to Veera and asked who they were.
"Woh…mere school mein padte hai," Veera said from behind Prem.
"Oh, aacha." Prem walked up to the group of boys until he was so close he could kiss them. "Aab dhiyaan se sun mere baath. Aagar tum ne phirse Veera ko tang kiya, chahe woh mall mein ho ya school mein, mujhse bura koi nahin hoga. Samja? Veera ke aas paas bhi nazaar aaya toh tere tange tod dunga." Prem wanted to laugh at the fear he saw in those boy's eyes. "Isse pehle ke main gussa hojaun, nikal yahaan se!"
That was it, the boys nearly tripped over each other as they all ran for the door at the same time. As the fled the scene, one of the boys dropped Veera's book, which Prem picked up. He walked over to Veera and handed it to her. "Tu tik toh ho naa?" Prem asked. "Tere saath…"
"Nahin! Jiju main tik hoon," Veera said.
Prem could see how shaken up she was. Veera led a very sheltered life, more so than Heer. Prem wanted to literally strangle the boys for bringing Veera face to face with such disgusting realities. Prem put his arm around Veera and hugged her, he could see she need it.
Veera was so happy that Prem had rescued her, and so touched by his gentleness she couldn't fight the tears any more. She grabbed on to the T-shirt he was wearing and cried.
"Shh," Prem said. "Meri saali aaise roh rahi hai. Come on Chulbuli, main hoon naa. Jaab tak main hoon, tujhe kuch nahin hoga."
Veera pulled away and straightened up so she could compose herself. When Prem asked what she was doing at the mall by herself, she didn't know what to say. Veera decided to tell him the truth, because after all he had done for her, she owed him that much. Wrong move Veera decided a minute later. Prem was just beside himself. He lectured her about how it wasn't safe and that is why the family is so strict on her. As independent as she was, and as mature as she was, she still couldn't be alone at the mall – not because of herself, but because of losers like those that just went running.
"Oh my God," Prem said as he smacked his head.
"Kya hua?" Veera asked.
"Aabhi toh tu choti hai, sirf bara saal ki. Jaab tu aur badi hogi toh kya hoga?" Prem asked.
"Matlab?" Veera really had no idea what Prem was talking about.
"Matlab ke yeh…stupid ladkoon!" Prem said.
Veera smiled at him with a glint in her eyes. "Aur kya hoga? Didi ki tarha main bhi aapne liyeh ek aacha sa boyfriend doond lungi."
"Khabi nahin! Vaise bhi, aabhi tere peeche ladke pade hai. Taab toh….aww hell!" Prem said, as if he had a revelation.
"What?"
"Woh…chi…those stupid, hormone fueled, ugly boys are going to hit on you, and flirt with you," Prem said. Just the thought made him sick to his stomach. He'd be damned if he let some sleeze bag come and sweep his innocent Chulbuli off her feet. "Lekin tu chinta maat kaar. Tera yeh Jiju humesha tere saath hai. I have a solution for the losers that flirt with you."
Veera knew that she was going to regret asking but she couldn't help herself. "What are you going to do?"
Prem just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Simple, I'm just going to have to shoot them."
Veera was left speechless, her mouth literally gaping open. The way Prem said he'd shoot any person of the male gender that hit on her was appalling. He said it with such a cool and composed voice, like it was as simple as breathing.
What Prem did next completely shocked Veera – even more than her previous shooting comment. He cancelled whatever plans he had and decided to be the chaperone for her little girls day out. He went to the movies with them, but he didn't hover. He stayed a few rows behind them, enough to give them privacy but close enough to kick ass if it became necessary. He followed then to an endless number of stores where they just tried on outfits but never bought anything. Women! At the end of the day, he even treated them all to ice cream. The day was nearly over, so Prem waited until all of the girls were picked up before he left. One by one the girls left, until it was just Prem and Veera left.
"Vaise PJ, aap mall mein kyun aaye the?" Veera asked.
"Uff, main toh bhul hi gaya tha. Chulbuli, chal mere saath," Prem said as he took Veera's hand and dragged her off into the mall again.
As they walked towards a store Prem explained that he was here to buy Heer a gift since her birthday was just a week away. They walked into the store, which made gold plated jewelry. Prem pointed out the antique gold set he picked for Heer – it was covered in red and green stones.
"Wow PJ, yeh toh bohot sundar hai!" Veera exclaimed as she picked up the earrings.
"Heer ko pasand toh aayega naa?" Prem asked, unsure.
"Didi will love it!" Veera said.
Prem breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what he was going to get her, but now with Veera's approval, he could rest a bit easier. Prem was paying for the set as he saw Veera browse the store. He noticed how she closely admired a pair of simple tear-drop, pearl like earrings. He saw her pick up her phone and talk, but from the distance he couldn't hear anything. A few seconds later he saw her walk towards him.
"Rishab Bhaia ka phone tha, woh bahaar mera intezaar kaar raha hai," Veera said.
"Tik hai, bye," Prem said.
"Bye." Veera began to walk out of the door but turned around and looked at Prem. She quickly came to him and hugged him. "Thanks PJ, you're the best Jiju ever!" she said.
"Happy to help," Prem said. Veera began to walk away but Prem called her back. "Hey, Chulbuli! Aagli baar jaab aaisa adventure karne ka maan ho, mujhe ek phone kaar dena. I'll be prepared to shoot loser butt!"
He heard Veera laugh as she walked out.
It was during Heer's birthday that Prem had not only Presented Heer with a gift, but he had gotten for Veera as well – it was the pearl earring she liked so much at the store. Veera as so ecstatic when she saw the earrings, she almost screamed out loud. If it hadn't been for Prem covering her mouth, she would have alerted the entire family.
The first time Veera had actually called Prem on his phone had not been for herself but for Heer. The entire family had gone to a pooja that was being held by a close family friend, the Walia's. Everyone had gone except for Veera and Heer. Veera had exams coming up and Heer wasn't feeling to well so she said she'd stay home and look after Veera. The family had only been gone for about an hour when suddenly, Heer took a turn for the worse. What had started out as a minor headache and slight cough, had now turned into full body aches, runny nose, coughing and chills. Veera wanted to call the family or at least a doctor but Heer made her swear she wouldn't. It was already 9pm, not knowing what else to do Veera called Prem.
When Prem's phone rang, he didn't recognize the number but answered anyway. "Hello?" he said.
"Jiju, main Veera bool rahi hoon," she said.
"Chulbuli tu iss waqt? Kya hua, saab tik toh hai naa?" Prem asked, suddenly concerned.
"Woh…Didi…" Veera didn't know how to tell him, party because she was sure she was over reacting.
"Kya hua Heer ko?" Prem barked.
"Didi ki tabiyat achanak bohot kharab hogayi hai, aur ghaar paar bhi koi nahin hai. Uppar se Didi ne mujhse kasam li hai ke main doctor ko phone nahin karungi," Veera explained.
"Uff, yeh ladki bhi naa!" Prem wanted to smack Heer for putting Veera in such a position which she wasn't ready to handle. He wanted to smack her more for refusing to let her get a doctor. "Veera, tu Heer ke paas rehna, main aabhi aata hoon."
When Veera heard someone on the side of the house, under Heer's bedroom window she knew it was Prem. When his head finally popped up, Veera was relieved.
"Thank God PJ aap aagaye!" Veera said, finally calming down.
One look at Heer and Prem could see how sick she was. The rest of the night he spent taking care of her. When the family came home, it had been Veera who lied by saying Heer was sleeping and didn't want to be bothered.
The next morning when Heer woke up she found Prem sleeping next to her. Shocked to see him there she woke him up to get some answers.
"Prem, tum yahaan kya kaar rahe ho?" Heer asked.
Prem jarred awake to see that clearly, Heer was doing better. How did he know? She was already yelling at him. "Tum bimar thi, main kaise nahin aata."
"Tumhe kaise paata chala?" Heer asked. "Dil ki ghanti baj gayi thi kya?" Heer laughed at her own comment.
Prem couldn't help but smile, because at the moment his cell phone was in his shirt pocket as he remembered Veera's call the night before. "Aaisa ki kuch samaj lo," he said.
Prem explained how he had just come to see her and found her sick, so he decided to take care of her.
"Lekin aab tumhe jaana padega," Heer said as she got up.
"Main toh inam ke bina nahin jaunga," he said as he pulled her back on the bed. "Maine itna kuch kiya. I deserve something naa?"
"Kya chahiyeh tumhe?" Heer asked as she struggled to get out of his hold.
"Hmm…how about a kiss?" Prem was all ready with his lips jutting out.
"Prem!" Heer yelled under her breath.
That is when he gave her that look – the one that melted her heart – and said, "Please."
She wasn't getting out of this one. So she leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Aab jaao," she said.
"Ek aur milega?" Prem asked as he winked at her.
This time it was Heer's turn to give him a look. It was the look that said she'd strangle him if he didn't do was she asked. It was the 'don't-mess-with-me' look. Prem left, but not before running into Veera outside and thanking her for calling him.
From the beginning Veera and Prem shared a special bond.
*~* Back to Present *~*
Heer, by this time, was sitting on the bed – speechless. She would have never guessed that Prem and Veera had such a close relationship. As far as Heer knew, Prem knew about Veera, but Veera didn't know about Prem. To say that she was shocked to find out that not only did Veera know about Prem but that she had an on going relationship, was an understatement. Heer was happy to know that they shared such a good relationship, she was happy to know that Prem had been there for her.
When Veera had mentioned the earrings, Heer knew exactly the ones she was talking about. It was a pair of earring that were simple yet beautiful, it was a pair that Veer wore every chance she got in the past. However, now that Heer thought about, since Prem's death she had only seen Veera wearing those earrings on special occasions. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Veera calling out to her.
"Didi. Kya hua?" her sister asked.
"Kuch nahin," Heer said as she smiled. "Yeh pehnegi naa?" Heer held out the necklace for Veera.
"Didi main kaise…"
"Aagar tu isse pehne toh Prem ko aacha lagega."
Veera smiled at her sister, and then suddenly a thought occurred to her. Without saying one word she dug in her drawer and pulled out a small box. She opened and exposed a pair of beautiful earrings – the ones that Prem had give Veera. "Main yeh set pehen lungi, aagar aap yeh pehne. Aapki suit se bilkul matching hai."
"Magar main…" Heer began to protest.
"Please," Veera said with the most pleading eyes. It was the same look that Veera had used before. It was also a look that was all too familiar, thanks to Prem.
Heer smiled and put a hand lovingly on Veera's cheek. "Zaroor pehnungi," she said as she finally gave in.
"PJ ne kahaa tha ke yeh look humesha kaam karti hai," Veera said under her breath, thinking that Heer didn't hear her.
"Kya?!" Heer said.
Clearly Veera had been wrong. "Kuch nahin," she said as she attempted to get away.
"Chutki," Heer said.
Veera knew she wasn't going to get away with this, so she spilled her guts. Apparently Prem had taught Veera the way to get Heer to do things. It was to give her a look that had all the emotion displayed in the eyes and add a soft 'please'. Then she explained that Prem told her the key was in the lips. You had to balance a sad frown with the slightest smile – that was gold! Worked like a charm every time!
Heer stood with her mouth gaping open. All these years her baby sister and the love of her life were secretly and unashamedly took advantage of her weakness.
Heer looked up towards the heavens and said, "Yeh sikhaya hai tumne aapni saali ko?" Then she turned to Veera with an odd glint in her eyes. "Tujhe main nahon chodungi!"
"Didi…Didi nahin!" Veera yelled as she ran around the room trying to get away from Heer who was chasing her.
They soon stopped and called a truce because Veera had to finish getting ready so they could do downstairs. Heer helped Veera put on the earrings and necklace, which only made her look more beautiful. Veera got up and made Heer sit down in front of the mirror, as she proceeded to put on the pearl earrings that Prem had given her; the earrings now matched the cream colored suit that Heer wore. For a moment both women stared at their reflection in the mirror and couldn't help the tears that came to their eyes. They were so lost in the moment they didn't hear anyone come in.
"Yeh loh, tum dono yahaan ho," Maya called as she entered with the other two sister-in-laws.
Kulraj was the first to notice their tears. "Kya hua? Tum dono kyun roh rahe ho?" she asked.
Heer and Veera wiped their tears. "Kuch nahin, baas aaise," Heer said.
"Hey bagwan!" Meher complained. "Tum dono baath baath pe rote ho. Tauba!"
"Baas bohot hogaya. Neeche nahin chalna kya?" Maya asked. "Jaldi karo saab intezaar kaar rahe hai."
"Haan, aagar tum abhi neeche nahin gaye aur hum rasam shuru nahin kiye, toh saab mard log milke andolan shuru kardenge," Meher said with a laugh.
The rest of the ladies joined in because they knew that it was true. Men could get so cranky when they were hungry. As Heer put some final touches on Veera, her sister-in-laws all put some retouches on their make up. It took another 5 minutes before the ladies were ready to go down.
As the five women descended the stairs, all eyes were on them. Veera stood in the middle while Heer, Maya, Meher and Kulraj each held one corner of a read and gold dupatta over Veera's head. Once Veera was seated the ceremony began with Teji doing the first honors; since she was the mother it was only logical. After that, one by one the family members all feed Veera. Once dinner was finally laid out, the men literally attacked the table and when they moved, it was pretty much all gone.
The rest of the night went on with games, singing and dancing. Even Heer found herself enjoying the night. It was getting late and the little ones were getting fussy so Heer volunteered to take them and put them to bed. It didn't take long because everyone knocked out quickly – everyone except Preeti. She refused to sleep until she had her green giraffe with her in bed. Heer remembered seeing it in the upstairs playroom. Heer had just gotten the stuffed giraffe and was walking past the library when she heard one of her brothers mention her name.
Heer stood there shocked, not wanting to believe what her ears were hearing. Her father was discussing her marriage to Preet Mehta and the astounding benefits they would be reaping when it happened. Her fathers endless hunger for greed did surprise her, but what shocked her more as that her brothers were trying to talk her father out of the deal.
"Mujhe kuch nahin sunna! Yeh shaadi hokar rahegi!" Balraj yelled as he began to walk out.
It was at the moment that all four men noticed Heer standing in the door way. Her eyes stung with tears and her hands were balled into fists.
"Heer woh…" Rishab began to say.
Heer put one hand up and stopped him from continuing. She had nothing to say to her father, instead she addressed her three brothers who stood together off to her left. "Aap log pooch rahe the naa ke Raksha Bandhan ke liyeh mujhe kya chahiyeh. Vada kijiyeh ke iss ghaar mein dobara meri shaadi ki baath nahin uthegi. Nahin uthegi!" Heer yelled.
Without another word she left the library as her tears spilled over. She was so angry she could feel the rage flowing in her veins. What was her father thinking? What was she going to do? Were her brothers really on her side this time? Could she trust them?
JAZ
PS: dying to see comments...what do you all think about Preet now 😉😉
