Hey guys, here's the next part, no Premeer in this one too...I'd originally planned to FF to the wedding but changed my plan cos I thought I needed to focus on the other characters too...so here's MEET's first interaction! 😃
This chapter is called ''Insignificant When Around'' because that's how people will feel in this chapter...who are they? Read on 😛
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Chapter 4- Insignificant When Around
Heer is shocked- you mean we're getting married right away?
Teji- what else did you think? Prem has to be in London in 4 weeks, you think we'd let the two of you stay in one city, without getting married? {she teases}
Heer rolls her eyes- come on ma!! 2 weeks is sooo quick! Besides, that means everything was decided already…asking me was just a formality
Balraaj sighs- we decided everything 4 weeks ago
Heer- when you called and asked me to come…I should've known!
Balraaj- please Heer, don't back out of this
Heer sighs- well, if it has to happen then I guess it doesn't matter when it happens right?
Balraaj- I don't want to force you beta…
Heer {aloud} you're not forcing me papaji, I'm okay with this {to herself- just emotionally blackmailing me papaji! aloud again-} I'm okay with this…2 weeks it is
The Maans are happy…and happily go off to bed
Heer opens her laptop and logs into Facebook and opens Veera's photo album titled 'Family' and smiles…Veera has a 145 photos in this album…her time with Meher and her family…Heer is touched when she sees that the rest of the Maans are part of it…she'd always liked the girl…Veera is a little spoilt for her liking but had always been very sweet and loving. Heer skips past countless photos and stalls at an image…those eyes and the mass of hair…he's on some family picnic wearing a body fitting T-shirt that enhance his muscles…well, can't say he's bad looking- Heer thinks…and is distracted when her work mail shows 6 unread messages…she gets down to answering them and an hour goes by…she's trying to respond to an email from the Head Office when she accidentally clicks the Facebook tab and sees him smiling at her…she's lost for a minute and curses him…
Heer- damn you for being so perfect! I've evaded so many guys…never had a problem finding fault with any of them until you came along…couldn't you fall in love with someone else? Shit!
And she gets back to work. In a hotel room in Dubai, someone is going through a computer file titled 'Heer'…Gayatri had saved a dozen pictures in it…Heer in London…she'd have reached Delhi today, Prem thought…girl is pretty…and educated…but I've had my fair share of beauty and brains in America, he thought…
Prem was handsome and successful and he knew it, but he never let it get to his head…girls had fallen all over him in America and he'd found it hard to resist them and thus had his fair share of girlfriends, passing affairs but he'd always made sure the girls who were with him knew what it was like…no attachment…no strings…no marriage…that he left to his family to decide and he didn't want to break someone's heart…once he'd moved back to India he'd amended his ways, and now, he thought about Heer. She had been living alone in the UK for 5 years now, what if she'd had a few innocent flings like him? The conservative bit in him didn't like it…but he was quick to suppress such thoughts reasoning that if he, Prem Juneja could have a bit of fun in college, why couldn't his wife-to-be? And hey, it was the 21st century…and she is a beautiful girl…perhaps a bit too beautiful…Gayatri had assured him that she would be the ideal bahu and if she was beautiful too…Prem Juneja was luckier than he'd thought he would be.
Next morning- Delhi
The Junejas sans Prem who was in Dubai were coming for dinner at the Maans. Although the two families had had countless lunches, dinners and breakfasts together this was different…this was Heer's sasural…and they were coming to meet their future DIL for the first time. It was Saturday so everyone had the day off and Teji, Balraaj & Nihaal left no stone unturned in preparing for the big evening.
Teji ensured the whole house was scrubbed and polished, it seemed like she was planning to sell it and thus wanted to make it presentable to any potential buyers. Meher who was busy designing outfits for everyone with Veera was super busy at the tailor's…the two girls had practically been living at the tailor's and embroider's ensuring everything was perfect to the T…so Meher had left a lengthy list of instructions on how to decorate the house with Nihaal who was frantically chasing the light wala, the drapes wala, the flower wala…practically any and everything wala regarding decorations! Balraaj was in charge of the catering…he kept sampling malai koftas, chicken tikka and laddoos in between reprimanding the cooks that had been hired for the occasion…
Heer was amused! She had never seen her family in a state of frenzy, they had gone out of their
way to make everything super special…specially Meher! The only time Heer had met her younger sister was 7 in the morning when she'd been waken up…hugged and smothered by Meher & Veera and then ordered to standup in her PJ's while the two took measurements and held up different colored fabrics against the bride-to-be and kept chattering away about the texture, feel, fall of the clothes…Heer had been the mannequin!
She sighed as she went back to her room and pulled out some files she'd carried with her and started working when a loud bang disturbed her…Heer rushed out of her room to see the phool wala staring angrily at Preet and the younger guy apologizing profusely…the poor boy had run into the phool wala and knocked down his thali filled with rose petals…Heer laughed and called out to him
Heer- Preet! {he looked up at her and grinned sheepishly} let it be kaka…forgive him please {the other man sighed and resumed the tedious tasked of putting the petals onto the thali} Preet Juneja! Come upstairs right now!!
Preet grinned and rushed up the stairs grabbing Heer in a brotherly hug- boyyyy I missed you!! Two years Heer Maan! Two whole years! You should be flogged for not coming to India sooner! But I am a happy man today…ma had always told me to amend my ways and to stop using my brothers stuff as their wives would mind when they get married…but now…Juneja parivaar ki badi bahu…keeper of the keys to the parivaar…is meri pocket mein {he grinned while Heer looked at him in a weird manner} I mean is my best friend…
Heer- ha ha! You don't have to be so dramatic Preet…besides I will be going back to London after the wedding…who will save your skin then? Gayatri aunty is right! You need to change!
Preet- you're not going to go back forever!! {looks sad}
Heer- forever can be used in any context…so I don't know…but for the near future…I will be staying in London…anyway, what's up with you?
Preet- nothing yaar…I have a useless job that's interesting for only half an hour a day
Heer- and when's that?
Preet grins- when I'm talking to you
Heer shakes her head- I should've known…why don't you do MBA?
Preet- oh please! Let's not start that again…you know I have my music and I…
Heer cuts in between- you and your so called 'band' has been struggling for 5 years Preet! You can't spend the rest of your life like that!
'Exactly!' Heer and Preet turn around surprised and find Veera & Meher laden with a dozen bags…
Veera had spoken
Veera coming up the stairs- I am sooo happy Heer di is going to be our bhabhi…at least you'll listen to her now! {Heer cringes inwardly upon hearing 'bhabhi'…she's still not used to the idea} now Preet bhaiyya, excuse us girls for 15 minutes, we have to try some fittings on Heer bhabhi...
Preet- hey, I just got here!
Veera- 15 minutes bhaiyya!
Preet- oh come on!
Veera- 15 minutes or I'm calling bauji and telling him you still haven't gone to the mithai wala…{Preet looks at her shockingly- Veera gives a victory smile as she fishes into her bag} you really didn't go na?
Preet- oh shit! OMG! Chand will kill me!! Heer I'll see you in the…
Veera- SHIT!
Preet, Heer & Meher in unison- WHAT?
Veera- Meher, see what this idiot zari wala has done? {the two girls observe a duppata like it's part of a royal attire} he is going to hear it from me! Let's go to him Meher!
Meher- but we can't…it will take us 30 minutes to go to the zari wala and we have to go to masterji to see what's he's doing with jiju's sherwani in 45 minutes…and that's the other end of town!
Preet- where's this zari wala?
Meher- near Sarojini Nagar market…
Preet- I'm going that way…one of you can come with me and the other can go for the sherwani
Veera- I will go to the sherwani wala, I have a better eye for fabrics…Meher you're good with threads, you go with Preet bhaiyya
The three of them leave shouting byes…Heer sighs- great! I'm supposed to sit here and get bored all day!
Teji comes from behind her- no you're not…you have an appointment with the beautician…come on, get dressed…I'll drop you off
Heer- what's that for now? I'm not getting married today
Teji sighs as she neatly stacks Heer's files- you need to think of stuff other than balance sheets and profit and loss statements Heer! There's so much to do…pedicure, manicure, waxing, facial {she touches Heer's hair} and I think some protein treatment and trimming is needed for your hair…you need to take care of yourself…chalo now, hurry…we don't have all day!
Heer- perfecttt!! {she groans as she goes to the bathroom}
MEET
Meher is having a hard time balancing her bags on Preet's bike…he's navigating through Delhi traffic like he's got an emergency but she doesn't complain. Meher had always been adaptable, she believed that instead of asking for a situation that you wished for it was wiser to adapt to a situation you were in and thus she somehow managed to balance herself and the bags full of half stitched/ un-stitched clothes until they reached their destination.
At the zari wala's- Meher spends 15 minutes shouting, giving orders, pleading and cajoling before the craftsmen understand what's to be done and ask her to inspect the material after an hour so Preet asks her to accompany him to the mithai shop that's nearby. Preet orders the sweets that the Juneja's are taking for the Maans and makes the payment, the stuff is to be collected later in the evening.
Preet- well, that's it! I'm all done…
Meher- lucky you…my jhamela with the dresses will go on till the wedding day!
Preet- oh hello! Do you even know what else I have to do? I have a whole list of instructions and if I mess up chandji will make my life miserable! He's already after me… badgering me to do an MBA, get what he calls a decent job at a bank and quit my music!
Meher- but you obviously don't want to do that
Preet- are you seriously asking? Meher, our band is really very talented! Rishi writes amazing lyrics and is no less than Elton John when he's on the keyboard…Shweta and Abhinav are great singers…and play the guitar quite well too…Ragini is superb at marketing and…
Meher- and you guys have still been struggling for 5 years! Come on, let's go to the corner caf…I heard they make amazing chicken sandwiches and I'm hungry {they start walking}
Preet- you have no idea how many years people struggle before making it big…am I a Bachan or a Kapoor that I will make it big in the industry in no time? Chand knows the finance director of T-series because Allied is their principal bank…but he won't talk to the man! We could use a little help you know
Meher- oh, so now you're being grumpy and complaining about what you don't have? Why can't you thank God that you're lucky enough to be able to afford that drumming set that was worth 40,000 5 years ago? And 2 guitars worth 10,000 or more each? And God only knows what-not you've collected!
Preet- I thank meray Prem god for it!
Meher- what do you mean?
Preet- chand would never have bought me the stuff! PB sent me the money for them when he was in America
Meher- but wasn't he studying at the time?
Preet- yeah, but he worked at the university library during the holidays and was a teacher's assistant…they get paid for that stuff you know
Meher- WHAT? Prem jiju sent the money? How mean can you get Preet! You know Nihaal bhaiyya went to Boston to do a six month course in finance management and he told me how Prem bhaiyya managed…saving penny after penny and insisting he didn't want to burden Lali chachu…
Preet- yaar, you don't know my PB! I never asked him to send me the money…I just told him about my woes…he sent it as a surprise
Meher- he sent it so you'd stop grumbling about not having the proper facilities and spend some of your time studying…but you don't listen…
Preet- look I'm trying…
Meher- acha, tell me, what's your backup plan?
Preet {confused}-what backup plan?
Meher- you know…a plan B…what if you're unable to make it big in the music industry?
Preet- hey…don't say that!
Meher- no, seriously…what if?
Preet- I dunno…haven't thought about it
Meher- you know what Preet…you could take 10 more years trying your hand at music and Lalit chachu would never complain if only…
Preet- if only?
Meher- nothing…you won't listen so there's no point!
Preet- no, I will! If only what?
Meher- well, if only you came up with a plan B and put it in action right away…you can't work as a call center exec earning 10,000 r/s forever right? So if he saw that you're working towards a career and keeping up music as a side thing…there's not much he'd be able to say…and even if he did…others at your place would have a genuine reason to save your skin…
Preet is a thoughtful for a minute- Meher Maan…you actually have a point! Nobody's ever said that to me you know…they're all asking me to quit my music and study further…nobody said I could have my music and do something else…and then drop the other thing when I make it big with music…why on earth did you never say this before?
Meher {laughingly}- because you never give me a chance to speak!
Preet- true…true…come on…let's hurry to that caf…it's my treat!
Meher {aloud}- great! {to herself} I never said anything because I've never existed for you Preet…sure you're rakish and irresponsible…but there's something about you…something that pulls me to you but I'm unable to figure what it is…you're popular…funny…good looking and if you pull this off you'll become an impossible dream…
Preet nudges her- hey! What's up with you?
Meher smiles- nothing…I was thinking if you'd even recognize me after you become a star
Preet snorts- shut up!
They smile and enter the caf…both dreaming a dream…Preet dreaming that he & his band become the Indian Beatles and Meher dreaming that he gets down on a knee and begs her to be with him forever…heaven smiles at them…not all dreams come true and if God has to choose one from their's…what will He do?
At the same moment…miles away in Calcutta a 21 year old girl is filling her MBA admission form for FMS Delhi…
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It's a wrap 😃 let me know what you think of it...ciao!
Fan Fictions
