Special Guest [PriVeer TS/Complete][UPDATED 01/12/2016] - Page 2

Special Guest - Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone who liked and commented! :)

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Priyanka didn't know how her Nani knew where she was - one minute she was hunched over a giant oak tree far away from the cottages that made up the whole of the ashram, and next her Nani had her arms wrapped around her in a warm embrace.

"Sssh...calm down..." Nani soothed her.

But Priyanka could not just calm down this time. No, this time, she cried, and cried, and cried. For the loss of a woman, the loss of a mother. She could still remember Navdeep's innocent face. Her mind kept repeating the same thought: how his mother was never going to see that face, how she was never going to see her son grow up.

All because Priyanka wanted to have just a few minutes behind the wheel.

It shook her to the core.

But as far as Nani was concerned, Priyanka was having yet another panic attack. One that was perhaps more intense than the usual ones she experienced. So she held her granddaughter a little more tightly, repeatedly whispering words of comfort and assurance into her hair, till Priyanka stopped wailing.

The Oberoi girl slumped against her grandmother, drained. She laid her head against her Nani's chest and allowed her heartbeat to slowly calm her.

"What is it, child? What happened?" Nani whispered softly, and Priyanka shook her head.

"Panic attack. Random." Because how could she tell her grandmother that she had just met the toddler of a woman she had unintentionally killed?

Nani sighed. Not that she had been expecting a solid answer from her youngest grandchild. So she held her close, rocking Priyanka back and forth, humming a soft lullaby.

The next time Priyanka spoke up, the sun was almost setting.

"Nani?"

"Yes, beta?"

"What happens when you commit a grave mistake? One you hadn't intended to happen?"

Nani kept quiet for a bit. She gently grasped Priyanka's face and looked at her closely. The girl looked distressed, but as always, didn't seem as if she was going to say anything more.

"You find a way to redeem yourself," Nani simply answered.

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It was another hour before Priyanka managed to wash up and look presentable once again. After sipping some chai, one her Nani had forced into her hand, she had gone to evening meditation class, the last one of the day.

Throughout the class, Priyanka still felt the gnawing guilt in the depths of her heart. She was feeling physically ill. So she stayed put even after the class ended, hoping that meditating in an empty class might bring her more peace.

Even if the meditation didn't help, at least she was in a confined space. She will not bump into Randhawa or his nephew at any point in time in here.

Boy, was she wrong.

Randhawa sauntered into the room, and went straight to the guruji who was still at the front of the room, getting ready to leave. Priyanka saw the tiny toddler patter into the room right behind his uncle, and her head immediately bowed. She wringed her hand nervously, looking at nothing but her lap. The guilt seemed to take a physical form deep inside her - she felt as if she was going to throw up at any given moment. She didn't want to get up, that would draw their attention to her. But sitting still like this, while Randhawa and his nephew were in the same room...it was becoming unbearable.

Just as she readied herself to get up and scurry away, she felt a small hand on her shoulder. Before she knew it, Navdeep had plopped down right on her lap.

"Aaii!" he cheerfully greeted her, his face upside down, peering up at her through the waves of her hair that curtained her face as she looked down.

Nav settled a little more comfortable on her lap, his head against her chest, once he was sure she wasn't going to run away again this time. With his trustworthy companion, the elephant, still in his hand, he began babbling quietly to Priyanka, as if recounting the tales of the day. As if he wasn't talking to the very girl who had caused his mother's death. As if she was now his best friend in the world.

And Priyanka sat there, listening to his incomplete words, with tears streaming down her pale cheeks and a smile on her face nevertheless.

You find a way to redeem yourself.

Perhaps she just did.

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It was quite a while before Ranveer finished conversing with guruji. He had just made plans to drop Nav here thrice a week instead of just once - the babysitter just quit and Ranveer needed some help till he found another adequate babysitter.

He turned away from the guruji, and found himself looking at a sight that just might be etched onto his mind forever.

Priyanka Singh Oberoi sat there with his nephew, arms circled around him gently, sniffling quietly as she reacted every one of Nav's incomprehensible sentences.

The way her hands gently caressed Nav's dark curls, the way she smiled down at him, the way she giggled softly at his every response as if she understood clearly what Nav was going on about - Ranveer felt a sense of calm wash over him with every move Priyanka made. The sort of calm that he had not experienced in two years. He stood still for a minute of two, simply drinking the sight in, before taking very slow steps towards the oblivious pair. They seemed to be in their own world. He crouched before them, and his arms itched, as if wanting to reach forward and pull them both close to him...

"He seems to like you," he quietly observed, startling the Oberoi girl.

"I...he's cute," was all she said, and a deep chuckle escaped Ranveer's lips.

"That, he is."

Her eyes were red, Ranveer realized. She looked like she had been crying for hours.

"Is everything alright, Miss Priyanka?" he asked her, half out of concern, half out of curiosity. She looked disturbed, that too only ever since he told her about Sahana.

These Oberois, or at least this girl, knew what happened at the Old Bridge. They have got to. And he wanted to make her confess, right now if he had to...

"Jojooo," Nav gurgled, bouncing up and down Priyanka's lap as he repeatedly smashed the elephant against her nose. Priyanka did nothing to stop him, but only laughed softly and played along, pretending to give the soft toy kisses.

...or, maybe the confession' he was looking for can wait.

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Priyanka was trying her best to avoid looking at the ACP. In fact, she was trying to completely ignore the fact that he was so close to her. Less than an arm's length away, in fact...

"We should leave," she heard him sigh, more to the toddler on her lap than to her. Priyanka gently passed the child to Ranveer, and for a brief moment, their hands brushed against each other's. Both of them stilled, looking at each other, with the happy toddler giggling away in between them. Clearing her throat, Priyanka came to her senses first and looked away, and Ranveer subsequently gathered Nav in his arms and stood up.

"Eiii," Nav protested, squirming and looking down at his new friend from where he was perched on his uncle's arm.

Priyanka immediately stood, giving Nav a gentle smile. "We shall play longer another day," she gave the boy a quiet promise.

"Don't make promises you cannot keep, Ms Oberoi..." Ranveer countered gently, raising an eyebrow.

Priyanka decided not to acknowledge him. Instead, she smiled at Nav, and dared enough to reach forward and kiss his cheek. When she pulled away, Ranveer's eyes bore into her, and she wrung her fingers again, looking intently at only Nav.

When it was clear that there was nothing more to be said, Ranveer swiveled and made his way to the door. Priyanka could distinctly hear him discussing what they should have for dinner with Nav, and bit back a smile.

Just before Ranveer stepped out of the now empty room, Nav turned back one more time towards her.

"Aaii!!"

Priyanka chuckled, ignoring the tears that had gathered in her eyes, and waved back at him. "Bye, Nav."

And she swore a little part of her heart went along with them, as the uncle and nephew pair disappeared around the corner.

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A/N: There we go, the second and last chapter of this TS. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Do leave likes and comments. May the PriVeer love continue growing😎