Chapter 62
Prem and Alexis went over the clothes one last time. Heer was the only model present. The other two would join them in Scotland. The concentration was fierce and hardly a word was being spoken. Tweed was an old man's fabric and here Prem was giving it a modern feminine twist. Heer had instantly liked the idea. A traditional arasaid worn from the shoulder,pleated and tucked in at the waist. A Celtic dress in tweed, worn by an Asian. It appealed on many levels. Underneath was a skirt, not quite a kilt, that just barely touched the floor when Heer knelt. The blouse was a silken seventeenth century pirate shirt. Alexis counted and recounted every piece of clothing. Heer helped with the accessories. The broaches and clasps that held these majestic swathes of cloth in place. Finally they were ready.
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Glen Findle was a magnificent edifice beside a lake. Crowding round on all sides was breathtaking scenery. Rolling hills dipping out of sight and rising again in the distance. A brilliant blue sky, quite unlike the grey that covered most of England. Even a small meadow on one hillside with wild flowers and the occasional tree. The fashion crew took a while to adjust to their surroundings. All the way from Edinburgh airport to the estate they hadn't paid attention to what they were driving through. There was just too much to worry about and double check. In the SUV, Prem,Heer,Alexis and the terrible twins Fari and Hardikar were a bundle of nerves. This was it. Make or break time. The weather could scuttle everything for a start. So they prayed that the beautiful sunshine would hold for two days. Shanu was the designated driver and was the calmest. The soothing voice of the GPS navigator was certainly helping.
Inside the castle, the staff were friendly and efficient and conducted a quick tour for everyone before showing them to their rooms. Prem was glad to be back on his feet after a few hours cooped up travelling. He strode out of the castle into the courtyard, the gravel crunching under his boots. Fari was admiring the grounds.
"Prem, no time to waste. We need to scout around for some good spots right now!"
"Ya. You've got the binoculars?"
"Yes, ok let's go!"
"Hey! Wait!"
Heer saw them walking off and went after them.
"Hold up you two! Where are you going anyway?"
Fari slowed but Prem continued his brisk pace up a gentle incline towards a small collection of trees.
"Heer, we have to get cracking and find a good spot."
"We have sunlight till 10 pm. I don't think we need to go tearing off into the woods now."
"Let him go and do his thing. If you like, you go back inside and relax."
Heer looked slightly disappointed,
"I thought I'm supposed to keep an eye on him."
Fari clucked and gave Heer a reassuring squeeze,
"You seem very worried."
Heer didn't say anything. She wasn't worried. Not anymore. That chat Prem had with her mother had been quite long. When she had returned to Vanilla after yelling at Fari and Hardikar, Prem was STILL chatting. God only knows what was said. She was never going to ask him or her mother. But she knew that somehow it had helped Prem. He had relaxed a tiny bit. Beyond that she couldn't say what he was thinking. There was probably nothing but this shoot on his mind now anyway. She, on the other hand, had plenty of time to think. They were thrown together in the office again. He affected her just by his physical presence again. She was resenting it again. Some things never seemed to change.
But, there was also something else now. Heer realised that she had actually missed him when he left FarOut. His way of slipping into her consciousness, being a part of everything she did. Even her regular conversations with her mother seemed to have Prem as a silent third person listening in. And now the October Issue. Heer loved everything Prem had envisioned for it. The quirkiness, the confidence and yet not letting go of a proud tradition. It was just so thoroughly British. Fari had wanted to celebrate British fashion. Heer couldn't think of a better way to do it than this.
