Fatima's Cozy Corner 2 - Link to New Corner on Pg 152 :) - Page 72

Originally posted by: Fatima_Q

Before I forget...I just wanted to thank everyone who voted for me...🤗

I won the writer of the Forum award

Originally posted by: SNKaD

Congrats fatima👍🏼👏 you desrve d award yar...😊

Originally posted by: Rhea_401

wow Fatima . u truly deserved it.. one of the finest short story writers... hats off 👏

Originally posted by: bhagyashree2011

Wonderful update fatima,

This story is really really interesting and it's having its own different flavour. The beginning was superb where gaurav was telling preet to help him with Sam but in reality he and sam are bringing preet an deeper close so that they can come out of their denial mode I mean preet to come out of his denial mode and meher to realise that she has fallen in love.

In between there teasing to each other was so sweet. Gaurav doesn't leave one chance of pulling preet's leg as well giving him a reality check. His own love story with sam is so cute. Both gaurav and sam are the best friends that anyone can have in their life. I just live reading preet and gaurav scenes to the fullest.

Lol preet who was in denial got suddenly so excited about going out with Meher that he ran ti ask her but instead encountered with Ash. You know initially I was liking the fighting Ash with preet but now this ash is turning suspicious. I mean yeh toh haath dhokar preet ke peeche pad gayi. How is preet gonna handle her is what I wanna see.

You know the next scene where preet meet meher and tries to. Console her is the best quality about preet that I like.i mean he can be patient guy to listen to u he can give u a shoulder to cry upon but at the same time he can make u smile within a min. Nobody can be upset around him. But the beauty of the scene was that both of them shared their sorrow with each other. But the way preet was blabbering while asking meher out was si hilarious. I was laughing all the while..

Why Kuljeet have to come always to spoil everything. And how dare she raised her hand on meher. Thank god preet came on time and stopped her but that was so unfair yaar that she purposely blamed meher so that she could ban her from going out. And what's with the colour. It matches with the dress ashlesha was wearing. I know she did this but my question is did she do it purposely like Kuljeet or it was just a mistake.

The precap looks super fun since preet is going to take her out and I am looking forward as to how will spend their date together so pls update soon and sorry for late reply

Originally posted by: sherma

Hey pls update.. Waiting fr ur pm

Chapter 11 - A Real First Date

Ashlesha was sitting on her bed painting her nails when Preet burst into her room.

"Preet! What are you doing here? And don't you believe in knocking?" asked Ashlesha.

He only tossed his shirt at her in response.

"Hey what did you do that for?!" cried Ashlesha. "My nails are still wet, what if my manicure had gotten ruined?"

"You mean sort of like how you ruined my shirt?" Preet said gritting his teeth.

"How did you...? I mean...what makes you think I did it?" Ashlesha asked as she nervously bit her lower lip.

"Meher said she didn't wash this shirt," said Preet. "And she doesn't lie."

"But that doesn't mean that I did," protested Ashlesha.

"Then how do you explain the streaks on my shirt. They are the same color as the dress you were wearing this morning," said Preet. "So it had to be you."

"Okay fine, you caught me, but it was an accident," said Ashlesha. "I mean, I've never washed anything other than my hair before, so how was I supposed to know the color was going to run? Cheap dress. I'll never shop from that store again. Hey maybe this is like karma...you know God's way of paying you back for Gaurav ruining my outfit that day in Aambala."

"You don't get it do you?" Preet glared at her. "This isn't about some stupid shirt, it's about Meher. She was blamed for something she didn't do. Mrs. Maan would have hit her if I hadn't stepped in. She grounded her! You were watching the whole thing from the stairs and you never said anything. What kind of a friend are you?!"

"Oh relax Preet," chuckled Ashlesha. "Meher gets it from Maasi all the time. It's nothing new, she's used to it. If it hadn't been the shirt, it would have been about something else, so what difference does it make?"

"What difference does it make?!" Preet echoed her in disbelief.

"Besides, it was kind of Meher's fault," said Ashlesha. "I mean she was the one who gave me the idea about washing the shirt. She told me if I wanted to be friends with you, I should do something nice for you. So when I saw the shirt I gave it a go."

"And when it got ruined you hung Meher out to dry," said Preet. "Wow! With friends like you who needs enemies."

Ashlesha's mouth fell open. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"You think you're so smart...you figure it out," said Preet. He turned and walked towards the door.

"Preet wait!" said Ashlesha. "I know you and Meher had plans tonight, but seeing as Kuljeet Maasi grounded her, maybe I could go in her place."

"Unbelievable!" Preet said shaking his head. "You are the most selfish person I have ever met!" He walked out of the room, leaving a fuming Ashlesha behind.

A short while later...

"Damn!" cried Preet as he walked into the guesthouse and slammed the door behind him.

"What happened?" asked Gaurav.

Preet explained to Gaurav everything that had just transpired. "Not only did she get grounded for something she didn't do, she's not getting any dinner tonight."

"Oh no! Poor Meher," said Gaurav. "That girl never gets a break."

"I know," sighed Preet.

"Preet, you said Ashlesha washed that shirt because she wanted to do something nice for you. But why? Why does Ashlesha Rampal suddenly want to be friends with you?" asked Gaurav.

"Who cares?" said Preet. "What are we going to do about Meher?"

"Mr. Maan isn't here, and Mrs. Maan doesn't want you interfering with her family matter, and you said Ashlesha won't come forward to accept the blame," said Gaurav. "I'm afraid it doesn't look like we can do anything."

"Listen Gaurav, I'm sorry about our plans for tonight," said Preet. "Call Sam and tell her what happened. I mean, you guys can still go out together."

"Are you sure?" asked Gaurav. "You're welcome to come with us if you want to."

"Thanks, but after what happened to Meher, I really wouldn't be good company tonight," said Preet.

"I understand," Gaurav said as he placed a reassuring hand on Preet's shoulder. "I'll go and call Sam."

Preet watched as Gaurav left the guesthouse, then plopped down on the bed. There wasn't anything he could do to help Meher. This bothersome thought rolled around in his head driving him crazy. Suddenly he sat up. He couldn't interfere in the Maan's personal family matters, but he and Meher had a date tonight, and he was going to make sure they kept it.

Later that evening...

Meher was sitting at her dressing table brushing out her hair when she heard her stomach grumble. Settle down Mr. Stomach, Kuljeet has locked the door from outside, so you're not going to get anything tonight. At least this time it's only for one night, she consoled herself. She frowned at the door. The fact that she was hungry wasn't the only thing bothering her. She had been so looking forward to going out with her friends, but thanks to Kuljeet, she had missed out on that opportunity too. Meher got up and walked over to her bookshelf. She thought of reading a book in order to pass the time, but nothing on the shelf seemed to interest her tonight. She finally decided to get into bed, but sleep wouldn't come to her either.

Suddenly Meher sat up. She could swear she had heard a noise, and this time it wasn't from her grumbling stomach. She sat motionless until she heard it again. It was coming from the direction of one of the windows. She quickly ran to the window and opened it. To her surprise, Preet peaked his head inside. He was holding a small bag of chips between his teeth.

"Preet, how did you get up here?" Meher asked.

Preet removed the bag from his mouth then put a finger on his lips. "Shhh!" he whispered and pointed to the ladder he was standing on. "I found this behind the guest house. Let me in will you?"

Meher backed away from the window to give him room to enter, then ran to her bed to grab her dupatta.

"Phew! For minute, I didn't think that ladder would hold me up, but I made it. Here, this is for you," Preet grinned as he handed her the bag of chips.

"Thanks," smiled Meher.

"I brought a Coke too," said Preet. He pulled out a can of cola from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thanks, but what is all this? Why are you here?" asked Meher.

"Did you forget? We had a date. I'm here to pick you up," said Preet.

"A date? Oh Preet, I can't, I'm grounded remember," sighed Meher. "Speaking of which, do you have any idea how much trouble I'll be in if Kuljeet finds you in my room? Thank God Papa Ji is not home."

But Preet wasn't listening. "If I remember correctly, Mrs. Maan forbade you from setting foot outside the front door. She didn't say anything about climbing out of the window," he said.

"You expect me to climb down that rickety old ladder? No way," Meher shook her head. "Papa Ji only put it behind the guest house because he wanted to dispose of it later on. It'll never hold me up."

"Sure it will," insisted Preet. "To prove it, I'll go down first. And that way, if you do fall, I'll be there to catch you."

Meher put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Preet please be serious," she said.

"I'm very serious Meher," said Preet. "And you worry too much." Ignoring her protests, he headed back out the window.

Meher watched as he slowly and cautiously made his way down. "There...you see...nothing to be scared about," he said. "Now your turn."

"I'm not being scared, I'm being practical," Meher shook her head. "I just know this is a bad idea. I...I can't."

"Yes you can," insisted Preet. "I've never been stood up on a date before, so either you come down, or I'll come back up, throw you over my shoulder and carry you down."

"You wouldn't dare," Meher said, her eyes widening.

"Try me," Preet said. With a determined look on his face, he placed a foot back on the ladder.

"Okay okay! I'm coming." Meher took a deep breath, said a little prayer, and took a step outside onto the ladder.

"That's it," Preet said encouragingly, as he held the ladder steady. "You can do it".

Meher had taken just 2 steps down when a rung snapped under her foot. She clung to the ladder to keep her balance. Then carefully climbed up and back through the window into her room. "I told you this was a bad idea," she called down to Preet. Just then, she heard a noise at her door. "Hai Rabba! I think someone is coming!" She rushed back into bed, quickly grabbing the chips and cola with her and pulled the covers over her head. Moments later Kuljeet opened the door and checked in on her.

"Kuljeet Ma?" Meher said groggily, as she pretended to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"I was on my way to bed and I thought I heard a noise," said Kuljeet. She walked into the room, headed straight for the window and peaked outside.

To Meher's relief Kuljeet didn't seem to find anything out of the ordinary. Preet must have left, she thought.

"Why have you left this window so wide open?" asked Kuljeet. "You know it gets chilly at night. What do you want to do wake up with a cough and cold? What do you want...for your father to come home and say I didn't take care of his daughter? Or are you trying to get sick on purpose to escape from doing your chores?"

"No Kuljeet Ma, it's nothing like that," said Meher. She ran to the window and shut it properly. "The last thing I want to do is get sick, because then you know what will happen...we'll be making trips to the doctor, and he'll do nothing but charge us an arm and a leg and write up prescriptions for medicines we don't have money for. It was a careless mistake on my part. I'm very sorry."

"Hmm," Kuljeet gave Meher a satisfied smile. "It's nice to see you accepting your mistakes for a change. If you did so more often, perhaps we would get along better. But don't think for even a minute that you're going to make me change my mind about not giving you any dinner tonight. A punishment is a punishment. You can stand to lose some weight anyway. I'll see you in the morning." She walked out and bolted the door from outside again.

Meher breathed sigh of relief. She waited sometime until she was sure Kuljeet was gone, then tiptoed to the window, opened it and peaked outside. There was no sign of Preet or the ladder anywhere. Although she was relieved that Kuljeet hadn't caught them, she felt a tinge of disappointment too. Oh well, she thought as she headed back to bed. It was nice of Preet to try. She pulled out the chips and cola from under her blanket. And, at least I have these. She opened the small bag and popped a chip in her mouth. She was about to eat another one when she heard her door open again. To her surprise it was Preet.

"Preet!" she cried.

"Shhh!!" hissed Preet. "What do you want to do wake up the whole house?"

"Sorry," Meher said in a lower voice. "I can't believe you actually came back. And that too from the door."

"Well you didn't like the window idea, so we'll have to try Plan B," Preet said shrugging his shoulders.

"Plan B?" said Meher.

"The door," grinned Preet. "I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier."

"Yes, but Kuljeet came by to check on me not too long ago. What if she comes back again?" Meher asked worriedly.

"Relax. I checked on her before coming back here. She's sleeping like baby, and snoring like a wolf," chuckled Preet. "But we can take one more precaution." He walked over to Meher's bed, rearranged the pillows vertically and covered them with her blanket." He stood back and studied his handiwork. "Hmm...not bad. From a distance, you can't really tell if it's you or not. Plus we'll bolt the door again from the outside so no one will have a reason to suspect anything is amiss. Now come on, we don't want to waste any more time." He took Meher's hand and led her towards the door, but she pulled back reluctantly.

"Preet wait. Are you sure we won't get into trouble?" She asked worriedly.

"No," Preet admitted truthfully. "But you know what my Heer Bhabi says?"

"What?" asked Meher.

"Nothing in life is certain, but if you never take a chance, there is a 100% likelihood you'll never know what you missed." He offered her his hand again. Meher stared at it for a moment then put her hand trustingly in his.

Together they tiptoed to the door, and then quietly stepped out of the room into the hallway. Preet bolted the door and then led Meher down the stairs, pausing every now and then when a step creaked beneath their feet. When they reached the bottom of the steps, Preet gestured towards the kitchen.

"We'll have to go out the back door," he explained. "Technically, we won't be breaking Mrs. Maan's rule that way. Well...at least not setting foot outside the front door part."

"You've really thought everything out haven't you?" said Meher. Her smile faded as some noise was heard from the kitchen.

"Someone's coming!" whispered Preet. He looked around and saw a small coats closet, and quickly pulled Meher into it with him just as the kitchen door swung open. Preet pressed a finger to his lips then opened the closet door just a crack. From it, he could see someone roaming about in the living room. It was Ashlesha. She walked over to the sofa, placed the glass of juice she was carrying on the coffee table, sat down, then picked up a magazine and began flipping through it. Of course! Thought Preet. Only she could ruin everything.

"What do we do now?" Meher asked.

"She can't sit here all night, so we'll have to wait until she leaves," said Preet. "I'm afraid that's all we can do."

Meher nodded in agreement. Preet gulped as she leaned against him in the tight space and craned her neck to get a glimpse of what was happening outside. He had never stood that close to her before. She was breathing hard, and her face was flushed with excitement and fear. Her lower lip twitched nervously, and Preet stared transfixed by its sensuous curve. She looked beautiful, and smelled so good...like lilacs...fresh...clean...sweet and innocent. It took almost all of him to suppress the urge to take a deep breath and inhale her scent deeply. Her long brown hair felt like silk in his hands, and a soft uncontrollable smile rose to his lips as he realized that he had his arms around her protectively. She was a perfect fit. He actually would not have minded if they did have to stay in that position all night.

"I think she's leaving," Meher spoke up jarring him from his trance.

Preet nodded and reluctantly moved his arms away. He opened the closet door and quietly stepped outside motioning Meher to stay where she was. When he was sure the coast was clear, he came back and led her to the kitchen and out the back door. Kuljeet or Ashlesha might hear the car engine start up, so they decided it was safer to walk. It wasn't until they were at least a block away that they looked at each other and broke out into a laugh.

"I still can't believe I snuck out of the house," giggled Meher. "I've never ever done anything like this before. And I never imagined you'd do something like this either. I mean you always seem so focused on your work."

I wish my Bauji could hear you say that, thought Preet. "Yeah well...there's a lot you don't know about me," he smiled.

"So, where to now?" Meher asked as she checked her watch. "I guess it's too late to join Sam and Gaurav for the movie."

"Forget about the movie. Let's go grab something to eat. I'm starving!" said Preet.

"You haven't eaten either?" Meher asked in surprise. "How come?"

"I don't know," Preet stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "It just didn't feel right with you not at the dinner table. Besides, I thought we'd get something together. I mean, I told you I'd take you out and I never make promises I don't intend to keep."

Meher smiled.

"So," said Preet. "What's good that's still open?"

"Well, we can go to the main market," suggested Meher. "It's a walkable distance and you can get anything from sweets and fast food to Mughlai cuisine."

"Sounds good," said Preet.

A short while later...

A waiter patiently stood by Preet as he looked over the menu of the restaurant he and Meher were seated in. "What do you want to eat?" he asked her.

"Anything I suppose," said Meher. "I'm too hungry to be choosey right now."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Preet said as he turned to the waiter. "Okay, we'll have 2 orders of shami kababs, 2 seekh kababs, 2 chicken biryani, 2 chicken kadahi, 2 malai kofta, 2 paneer makhani, 6 rotis, 2 aloo gobi, 2 firnis, and 2 Cokes to wash it all down."

Meher stared at Preet in disbelief. She waited until the waiter left before speaking up. "Oh my God Preet! I can't believe you just ordered all that food. It's enough to feed an army. I would have been happy with getting just one thing."

"I thought you said you were hungry," said Preet.

"Yes, but can you imagine what I would weigh in the morning if I ate all that. I mean, I know I'm no size zero but...," said Meher.

"Ah yes...size zero," remarked Preet. "A euphemism for anorexia in the contemporary world."

"And Kuljeet is always nagging me about my weight," sighed Meher. "She's right you know. I certainly could stand to lose a couple of pounds. I'm sure I'm not the type of girl you usually hang out with..."

"Don't Meher," Preet interrupted her.

"Don't what?" asked Meher.

"Don't make fun of yourself like that," said Preet. "You're a beautiful girl." He caught himself just as the words slipped out of his mouth. He saw Meher's face turn red too. "Um...uh...you know what my Heer Bhabi says about size zero girls?"

"What?" Meher asked as the waiter returned and began to place their food before them.

"Na bum, na seena, ye kaisi haseena?" Joked Preet.

Meher's mouth fell open. "Preet that's awful. Your Heer Bhabi couldn't have said that."

"You're right," said Preet. "I made that up." He and Meher both burst out laughing. "Now come on, let's eat."

A short while later...

Preet and Meher walked out of the restaurant.

"Oh God, I'm stuffed," cried Meher.

"Yeah, me too," Preet rubbed his stomach. "But everything in there was finger licking good."

"So, do we head back home?" asked Meher

"No way, the night is still young," smiled Preet.

"Really?" Meher said checking her watch.

"Uh...I...mean, we haven't done anything but eat yet," said Preet.

"Okay, what do you want to do?" asked Meher.

"How about I take you for a ride?" offered Preet.

"You're forgetting, we didn't bring the car," Meher pointed out.

"I know," grinned Preet, as he eyed a man on one side of the road dusting off his bicycle with a rag. "Give me just one minute."

Meher watched as he ran across the street, and spoke to the man with the bicycle. Preet pointed towards her then spoke some more with the man, but he shook his head and went back to cleaning his bike. Preet pulled some cash out from his pocket and handed it to the man. He hesitated for minute, then pointed to Preet's watch. Preet took the watch off and handed it to the man, then took the bicycle from him.

"Your chariot awaits my lady," smiled Preet, as he walked over to Meher with the bike, parked it and gave her a slight bow.

"Did you just give him your watch?!" cried Meher. "Preet you can't!"

"Meher will you forget about that," insisted Preet. "We've got 10 minutes."

Meher looked back at the guy Preet had struck a deal with in disbelief. Wearing Preet's watch on his wrist, he was smiling while counting his money. "Cash and your watch for only 10 minutes! Just let me at him!" cried Meher. Fuming, she rolled up her sleeves.

She took a step forward, but Preet pulled her back. "Woah girl! Remind me never to get on your bad side," he chuckled. "Now come on."

"But...," protested Meher.

"No buts Meher...," chuckled Preet. "It's not the time that matters it's what you do with it. Now come on." He took her hand and led her to the bike. He got on first, then motioned for her to sit in front of him.

She nodded and climbed on. Preet leaned forward to take hold of the handle-bars. Meher blushed and felt a little awkward at how close he was to her, but as he began to pedal faster and faster, she forgot about everything and began to enjoy herself, even laugh out loud. She longed to raise her arms in the air and shout out with joy, but bit her lip and resisted the urge.

Preet smiled as the ends of her hair blew into his face. It was the first time he had seen her truly free of all her responsibilities. The fun loving young girl in her was truly shining through, giggling as the wind whipped through her hair, infecting everyone they passed with smiles. She was really truly irresistible.

As their time drew to a close, Preet slowly brought the bike to a stop at the same spot they had started from. Reluctantly, Meher slid off the bike, and waited for him to return it to its owner. The ride was over before she wanted it to end but she was grateful for the few precious moments of freedom it had offered her.

"Thanks Preet," she smiled when he came back to her. "That was so much fun."

"Anytime," smiled Preet. Just then he spotted an ice cream stall. "Hey Meher, let's get some."

"But Preet I'm stuffed," said Meher.

"Oh come on, it's just ice cream," said Preet. "There's always room for ice cream." He ran over to the stall and asked for 2 cones. When he turned back, Meher was gone. He looked around and saw her standing by a stall selling bangles and other little trinkets.

Meher smiled as she passed her hand over the colorful bangles displayed at the stall, unaware that Preet had come up behind her. "Your ice cream," he said.

"Oh...thanks," she smiled.

Preet looked at the bangles she had been admiring. "You like this stuff?" he asked.

"What girl doesn't?" said Meher.

"Okay then, we'll get you some," said Preet.

"Oh no Preet," said Meher. "I can't ask you to do that. It wouldn't be right. Besides, I don't really need them."

"Not everything is about needing something Meher," said Preet. He looked over the items in the stall then stole a glance at her. "Sometimes you just want something. How about these pink ones?"

Later...

Preet and Meher were slowly walking back to the Maan's home.

Preet smiled as he watched Meher admire the bangles snugly packaged in the small rectangular box she was holding. "You really like them, huhn?" he asked.

"Oh...uh...yes," Meher blushed. "They're beautiful. But you really shouldn't have."

Preet grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

They walked some more before Meher spoke up again. "You know, this park is right behind my house? It's getting pretty late and I have to tutor some children in the morning. How about if we take a short cut through here."

"Okay," agreed Preet.

They walked in silence some more. This time, it was Preet who spoke up. "You know, my mom and dad met in a park like this."

"Really?" said Meher. She was surprised but happy that he was talking about his family.

"She was 17 and studying for her final exams, when the electricity was lost in her house," explained Preet. "There was a park near her home that always had good lighting around a statue of Gandhi Ji, so she went there to study. Some guys were hanging out there too and started picking on her. My dad happened to be passing by and rescued her. They were married 6 months after she graduated."

"Wow. Sounds like something out of a fairy tale," smiled Meher.

"Yeah, except this fairy tale didn't have a happy ending," Preet said with clenched teeth. "Her hero wound up killing her."

Meher saw a dark expression fall over Preet's face. She had to do something about it. "Hey! How about if we climb a tree?" she suggested.

"You want to climb a tree?" Preet asked in surprise.

"Yes," smiled Meher. "I used to do it all the time when I was a kid."

"Really," smiled Preet. His mood began to lighten up. "I never would have guessed."

"Yeah well, maybe there's a lot about me that you don't know either," Meher grinned. She walked over to a tree, set her box of bangles down by the base, then looked back at Preet. "How about this one? It looks like an easy climb and there are lots of sturdy limbs and places to sit on."

"Oookay," said Preet. "Just don't ask me to fix any broken bones if you fall."

"I don't intend to fall," Meher said in a determined voice. "This looks like a good starting place." She pointed at a branch and made a slight jump to grab hold of it but fumbled.

"Here, let me give you a boost," Preet offered as he came up to her backside and steadied her footing. "On the count of 3." He placed his hands firmly at her waist. They fit so perfectly around her. And she felt so good. He was hoping that she'd fail again and again so he could hold her just a little bit longer.

"Were you supposed to count or me?" Meher asked as she looked back at him.

"Huhn? Oh right. I'll count. 1, 2, 3...," Preet said as he gave her a boost.

Meher grabbed hold of a branch and pulled herself up. "Okay, let me find a place to sit and then you can come up," she said. Moments later she had settled into a comfortable position. "Come on up Preet," she giggled.

Preet nodded. With his 6 foot frame, he easily made his way up and sat on a branch just left of her. "Okay, here we are. What do we do now?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe we can pretend we're birds," giggled Meher. "What kind of a bird would you like to be?"

"Meher, this is silly," Preet poined out.

"I know, but just humor me," She said.

Preet thought for a moment. "I don't know. My dad has called me an Ullu ka patta plenty of times, so an owl maybe." He made some hooting sounds.

"I've never heard an owl sound like that before," giggled Meher. "You know something...you get it from your dad and me from my step-mother, we're sort of like birds of a feather, or maybe we're featherless birds." Suddenly she grew quiet. An expression of serenity fell upon her face as she scanned the night sky and the scene below.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Preet.

"The beautiful moon lit sky. The smell of the green grass. The soft gush of the cool night air as it softly rustles through these leaves carrying the fragrance of the flowers growing below up to the stars twinkling up above," said Meher. "It's like we're in the best spot on earth."

Preet looked around and smiled at her observation. "You know, I've got a tree back home all to myself too. It's a lot bigger than this one though."

"What did you do in it?" asked Meher.

"Just sit and think and get away from everyone and everything," said Preet. "I used to do a lot of that when my mom first died."

They both grew silent.

"You know when I was little, my Papa Ji would tell me that people you love never really go away," said Meher. "They become stars in the sky and watch over you. A part of me still wants to believe that. Hey, you see those 2 bright stars up there?"

Preet looked up to where she was pointing and nodded.

"Well, maybe that's your mom talking to my mom", said Meher. "And they're both looking down and smiling at us."

Preet smiled. He liked the idea of that. He was about to say something, when a sudden flutter of wings interrupted him. Preet and Meher looked up and saw that a pair of doves had landed and perched on a branch just above them. The birds tilted their heads from side to side as if to get a better look at the young couple below.

"I think we have company," Meher whispered as she gestured towards the birds. A tiny gasp escaped from her lips as Preet leaned towards her until his lips almost touched her ear.

"Yeah," he whispered. "And I think they want to know what we're doing in their home. Come on, I think it's time for us to go."

Preet made his way down first. Meher followed, but slowly and more cautiously.

"Now I remember why I gave up climbing trees," she said worriedly. "I always had a hard time getting down."

"Don't worry, if you fall I'll catch you," chuckled Preet.

He had meant it as a joke, but sure enough, Meher had nearly made it down when she slipped. Preet lept forward to help but wound up going down with her. Rather than cushioning her fall, he landed right on top of her. The 2 of them lay there stunned for a moment, dazed into silence gazing into each others eyes.

Preet's mind became clouded by her proximity to him. He could have kissed her they were that close.

Meher could hear her heart thumping. "Preet?" she squirmed underneath him. The way he was looking at her made her cheeks heat up with a soft pink color.

"Are you alright?" Preet asked almost afraid she had read his mind.

"Yes," nodded Meher. "But I'd feel a lot better if we got up."

"Oh...yeah sure," Preet said, as he reluctantly moved away and helped her stand up. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," smiled Meher. "I think we had better get home."

"Of course," agreed Preet. He gestured for her to take the lead, but as soon as she took a step away from him, she winced in pain.

"Hai Preet mere baal (my hair)!" Meher cried pointing to his shirt.

Preet looked down and saw where strands of her long brown hair had caught onto one of his shirt's buttons. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. They must have gotten tangled when we fell. Hold still. I'll have you free in a minute."

Meher watched as Preet tried his best to free her hair, but to no avail. "You're making it worse," she complained. "Now you hold still while I try." She was so focused on the task at hand, that she didn't notice the soft smile Preet wore as he stared at her lovely face.

"Hai Rabba this hair!" cried Meher. With her hands busy, she huffed, trying to blow away the soft wisps that had fallen into her eyes. "I don't know why I keep it so long. At times like this, I just want to take a scissor to them."

"No, don't ever do that," Preet said quickly. He reached out and moved her hair from her face, gently tucking it behind her ears. "I like it the way it is. Uh...I mean it looks nice like that."

Meher blushed and looked down at her hands, and Preet couldn't help but smile. She was absolutely adorable when embarrassed.

"Ahem," Meher cleared her throat. "It really is getting very late." She quickly untangled her hair, then ran back to the base of the tree where she had left her box of bangles. "Chalein (shall we go)?"

Preet nodded.

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Once at the house, He led her back in through the kitchen door, and up the stairs, until she was safely back inside her room. Neither one of them wanted to say good night.

"Well, here we are," said Meher.

"Yes," said Preet. "Here we are."

"I had a really good time tonight," said Meher.

"Yeah, me too," said Preet. "I guess I should let you get some sleep now."

"Preet wait," said Meher. "Would it be really awful of me to say that I'm kind of glad your shirt got ruined?"

"I'm glad it got ruined too," smiled Preet.

"Thank you for sticking up for me in front of Kuljeet, and thank you so much for treating me to such a wonderful evening," Meher said. She surprised him by putting her arms around his neck and giving him a warm hug. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before."

"Right...anytime," said Preet. The rush of butterflies in his stomach were making it difficult for him to talk. "Well...goodnight." He backed away and walked straight into the door. "Oops...I better open this first."

He was fumbling with the knob, when Meher smiled and opened the door for him. She looked outside. "The coast is clear," she said. "Don't forget to lock the door from the outside."

"Right...I...uh...I'll be sure to do that," Preet nodded.

"Good night," Meher said as she gave him one last smile then gently closed the door.

Preet bolted the door then tiptoed to the stairs. He was grinning so broadly he thought his smile would fall off his face. He slid down the banister, and headed back to the guest-house with a spring in his step. Meher had hugged him. She had actually taken the initiative and hugged him! Where was Gaurav? He needed someone to pinch him!

So there you have it. Hope you all liked the update. 😛
Sorry for missing my Friday or Wednesday update...I forget which one it was, but it is hateful tax season again and I just have no time.
It may be 2 weeks before the next update so please be patient. 😳
In the meantime, please remember to hit the like button and leave your feedback.
Take care and happy reading. 🤗

Chapter 12: Preview: More Meet moments

Link to Chapter 12: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/132099021

Link to: Table of Contents