Posted:
13
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Juneja Mansion, 3:30AM
"Are aagaye tum dono. Heer beta jao thora sa araam karlo. Teji parjayiji bhi idhar hi hain. Bilkul fikr karne ki zaroorat nahi hai." Gayatri reassured her daughter-in-law.
But when she got no response from Heer, Gayatri spoke again "Veera naya ghar hai.....apni Heer bhabhi ko upar lejao" instructing Veera who stood besides her mother to take Heer, her sister-in-law upstairs.
"Acha Maa." she agreed promptly and after taking a reluctant Heer's hand in her's led her upstairs to her new room meaning Prem's bedroom.
Once Heer and Veera had left, Prem questionned his mother on Teji's whereabouts. She informed him that she was resting and that Kulraaj was with her "Mujhe toh kuch samaj nahi arahi beta. Ek taraf tumhare Bauji itne pareshaan hain aur dusri taraf Teji parjayiji. Heer bhi kaafi dukhi lag rahi thi. Tumne use baat ki kya?"
"Kahaan ki Maa. Usne ek lafz bhi nayi kaha jab se uncle ki tabiyaat bigri hai. Tabse sirf rorahi hai! I don't understand what to do!" a helpless Prem replied complaining to his mother indirectly.
His mother consoled him despite being worried herself. Heer needed to stop crying and speak up. This wasn't acceptable! Especially not for her own health. She told Prem to go to her. Heer needed his support the most at such a time. Prem relented as he had seen her refuse him at the Mandir but he couldn't rebuke his mother and agreed reluctantly. Prem made his way to his bedroom with a heavy heart. Once he had reached it however, he found opening the door even difficult. It was supposed to be their suhaag raat. Their wedding night! But that was the last thing on his mind.
After battling with himself on weather or not too turn the door knob for quite some time, Prem finally entered his room only to find Heer nowhere in sight. He looked around but there was no sign of her. Just then however Prem saw her exit their en-suite bathroom now dressed in a plain blue and white shalwar suit as if forgetting her recent marriage to Prem and that she was a newly wed bride. Before Prem could react let alone express his opinion verbally on the matter he saw her move over to the side table, pick up her mobile phone and move towards the door he had just then entered from. This was when Prem finally decided to question her.
"Heer. Itni raat ko kahaan jaa rahi ho? Bahut deir hogayi hai. Sojao please!" he pleaded noticing her condition. If Heer was to continue like this....she'd fall sick in no time. Although her tears had dried by now and she wasn't crying any longer, the grief was evident on her sullen face.
Without answering any of her husband's questions she escaped the surroundings of their bedroom and was now on her way downstairs. Prem followed after her surprised at this sudden change in her behavior. Why wasn't she talking to him? What was Prem's fault in all this?
"Ruko Heer! Kahaan jaa rahi ho? Batao toh!" he continued yelling after her but received no response in return.
It was when Gayatri who had been sitting in the lounge with Veera all along spoke up that Heer answered. She couldn't disrespect her mother-in-law no matter what! Prem was no different either. Heer knew she wasn't treating him well but what was she to do? All that she could think of was her father at the moment. Anyone could tell how close she had been to him.
"Beta.....kidhar jaa rahi ho itni raat ko? Kuch chahiye kya?" she asked motherly.
"Maa mai hospital jaa rahi hoon. Main idhar aur Bauji udhar zindagi aur maut ke beech lar rahein hai sahi nayi." she finally spoke.
"Acha theek hai. Agar tum hospital jaana chaahti ho toh main tumhe nayi rokungi lekin beta...yahaan tumhari Maa bhi hai jinko tumhari utni hi zaroorat hai aise waqt mein. Waise bhi Meher hain na Hospital mein aur abhi abhi Harman bhi gaya hai." she tried explaining lovingly.
This got Heer thinking. So far she had been taking all her decisions using her heart but it was hight time now to start thinking practically......logically more like it. She couldn't let her emotions take over anymore "Aap sahi keh rahi hain. Maa kidhar hain? Main toh bhool hi gayi thi. Aap mujhe unke paas lejayein please!" she said in a different tone all together to the surprise of both Prem and Gayatri. He was expecting her to relent if not refuse straight away.
"Kyun nayi? Chalo mere saath." Gayatri agreed immediately and was glad that Heer had understood what she had been trying to explain all this while. She led her to the guest room where Teji was resting with Kulraaj by her side. Heer rushed to her mother's bedside upon seeing her state. Teji who till now lay on the bed still, sat up and welcomed her daughter into her arms. The same Heer who a while ago wasn't speaking a word to anyone now wiped her mother's tears and re-assured her with her soft soothing words. Gayatri and Kulraaj decided it was best to leave the mother-daughter duo alone and silently left the room closing the door carefully behind them.
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Balwant and Daljeet's home
"Maine socha tha kuch.......aur hogaya kuch aur." Daljeet moaned to her husband.
Balwant could no longer take anymore of his wife's rubbish and spoke up "Daljeet.....kaha tha na maine! Kya zaroorat thi itni laalchi bane ki. Ab bhukto! Agar kisi ko pata chalgaya keh woh tasveerein tumne chup keh khenchi thi aur Veerji ko kisi keh haath bhejwayeen thi toh? Phir kya moon dikhaoogi sab ko? Bechara Prem toh galti seh Ash ke kamre mein pohunch gaya tha aur tumne uski galti ka aise fayda uthaya? How could you? Maano ya na maano tum.....aaj Veerji ki halat ki zimidaar sirf aur sirf tumho. Ab bheto idhar aur pachtao apni phooti kismat par. Main hospital jaa raha hoon! Us waqt toh mehmaano ke bahaane tumne rok liya tha mujhe lekin ab main nahi gaya toh kya sochenge log!" he completed with a sigh and then walked right out the door.
This was the first time ever he had taken a stand for himself. After-all there was a limit to everything and everyone! Balwant may have been provoked to do things against Balraaj by his wife in the past but he still loved his brother deep down. Daljeet couldn't believe her eyes. Had her husband just gone against her? He had actually had the guts to do so! But she wouldn't let it go so easily. She'd make sure he paid and that too big time!
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Juneja Mansion
Gayatri and Kulraaj both entered the living room slightly relieved. Prem sat on an arm chair resting his head against it with his eyes shut tightly as if he was desperately trying to get away from everything. From reality! Both his mother and sister didn't have the heart to wake him although he was quite alert already. But they had to. Kulraaj gently shook him and Prem woke immediately. They took a seat opposite him on a double seater sofa.
"Prem.....Heer's okay. There's no need to worry at all! Ahista ahista woh theek hojayegi. But you need to be her friend the most at the moment. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say" Kulraaj finally spoke lightening the tense atmosphere.
"Bilkul di. Mujhe sab samaj arahi hai. Maa aap kisi cheez ki fikr mat karein. Sirf bauji ka khayaal rakhein. He needs your support the most at a time like this. I'll make sure Balraaj uncle is kept in the best conditions under the observation of the best doctors India has to offer. There will be no compromise in his treatment whatsoever. Main sab sambhaal loonga."
Gayatri nodded and replied whilst lovingly stroking her son's face "Mujhe pata hai tu sab sambhaal lega. Lekin is sab ke beech apne aap ko sambhaalna mat bhool jaana."
"Don't worry Mom! Main aisa nahi honay doonga. I'll take care of PB" Preet proudly stated entering the room.
There really was nothing to worry about when you had sons like these. Gayatri came to the conclusion that she was free from all tension and that now she had just Lalit to handle. Now that would be difficult but not impossible. He'd have to come to terms with reality sooner or later.
"Pehle apne aapko toh sambhaal lo. Bara aya Prem bhaiyya ko sambhaalne waala" Veera said adding humor to the the on-going conversation. Prem chuckled at this and the rest also expressed slight amusement in their own unique, individual ways.
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City Hospital
Ever since Harman had arrived at the hospital he had found Meher sitting by her father's bedside sobbing continuously. He understood that she was upset at the sudden turn of events but how much longer was she going to continue crying like this? She needed to be strong for her mother......her sister as well as everyone else. He didn't want to interrupt her but felt the need to do so. Now knowing her sense of humor.....he had her smiling in no time and then it didn't take long to convince her to let her father rest peacefully and take a trip to the canteen with him. They both settled for the stale pastries and luke-warm coffee they had to offer so late at night and enjoyed a light-hearted discussion through which Harman succeeded in taking Meher away from the realities of her life even if it was just for a while. It was then that he begun noticing her simplicity which added greatly to her beauty. She really was an amazing person. Meher could talk about anything and everything. You didn't even need to initiate a conversation with her. That was the best thing about her. But what really added to her personality was the values her parents had instilled in her since childhood. What more could someone ask for? Meher was a beautiful, well-cultured and sociable young lady and Harman believe it or not was falling for her! He cursed himself for having such thoughts. He didn't want Meher to feel he was taking advantage of the situation. This wasn't the right time or place to express his emotions let alone speak of their relationship. He had to maintain his distance for the time being and comfort her like a friend would and that was it!
But Harman couldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed spending time with Meher. Except God wasn't siding with him that day as soon enough Balwant and Vishaka arrived interrupting the couple who were casually conversing till then. Balwant took Harman away to discuss Balraaj's health in private whilst Vishaka took a seat besides her cousin and tried to the best of her ability to comfort her cousin. But Meher preferred Harman's company. It had diverted her attention all this while but Vishaka and her chachu's arrival at the hospital reminded her of her dad's current condition.
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Back home, Heer had succeeded in calming her mother down by now and Teji despite not wanting to had fallen asleep. Heer was planning on spending the night there until her mother-in-law meaning Gayatri came over and urged her to take some rest herself promising Heer that she'd keep an eye on Teji. Not being able to say no Heer relentlessly agreed and made her way to her new bedroom rather nervously. What if Prem was there? She hadn't disclosed to anyone the mannat she had made at the Mandir earlier and she wasn't planning on doing so either. But how was she too keep Prem away other-vise? After-all he was her husband! Perhaps for now he'd let her be but for how long? What if her father didn't recover for months? Heer just prayed to God that Balraaj came out of coma within 24 hours as if that didn't happen then she'd have a lot of questions and queries to answer sooner or later.
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