CUPID’S LITTLE ARROW
PREMEERSS
PART 8
Something Hidden
“Yes, what happened Miss Maan? You are calling me at this time? Is everything all right?Is Tanu all right?” Prem couldn’t help asking the series of question sensing the tension in Heer’s voice.
“I won’t lie to you Mr. Juneja but at this moment I, myself, don’t know the details. I can tell you only after you come home and yeah, please don’t panic”, replied Heer.
“But I…”, before he could finish Heer jumped in, “Don’t worry Tanu is alright. I guess you have started panicking after hearing me”, Heer replied guiltily for making him this much tensed.
“How can I not panic? You just hear your own voice and then tell me”. He was slightly relieved but still couldn’t hold back the slight anger in his voice.
“I know, I know, my fault. It’s that I had gone to Tanu’s school today and the things I came to know left me a little worried. But of course I didn’t intend to do the same with you. I just wanted to share with you. But I think I should’ve chosen the words more carefully”.
“It’s ok. Are you sure everything’s all right?”
“Yes Mr. Juneja. Btw, I have some other appointments so I will be a little late in the afternoon. So will you take Tanu to the park? She wanted to go there”.
“Yeah,, I will try”.
“Thanks and bye. See you in the evening”.
“Bye”.
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“Where’s Ms. Heer? Won’t she come today?” asked Tanu as she saw Prem came to pick her up from school. Actually after Heer had started her work that was the third day that Tanu had come to school and the other two days Heer came to pick her up noticing the difference between the uncle and the niece and also to talk to Tanu freely.
Prem smiled after settling her to the passenger seat and replied, “She will but she will be late.She has some work”.
“But she promised to take me to the nearby park”, Tanu made a pout.
At first Prem hesitated to tell but then spoke in a low tone as if making a request to her, “Well she said we will go today and that she can join some other time. So can we go?”
Prem was hoping “no” would be the answer but to his utter surprise she shook her head in positive with a little “but” in it.
“But we will play, eat two ice creams and we’ll spend at least two hours there”, Tanu stated her conditions.
“Fine”, replied Prem smilingly.
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“Excuse me, can I meet Mr. Manmeet Singh please”, Heer asked the receptionist in Manmeet’s office.
“Yes ma’am. Who should I tell has come?”
“Heer Maan”.
“Ok, please wait in the waiting room and I’ll inform him”.
After 10 minutes Heer entered Manmeet’s cabin and saw him engrossed in a file. She coughed a little to make him aware of her presence. Manmeet saw her and greeted with a warm smile. Both seated on their respective places and Heer started the conversation.
“What’s the matter Manu?”
“What? Why would you ask this?” Manmeet clearly didn’t understand anything.
“I am asking about the morning incident. You know that you can’t hide things from me”, Heer stated clearly.
Manmeet sighed. I wasn’t hiding anything Heer. I told you that I would tell you after you come back from tour work. It’s need a little bit discussion.
Heer got impatient. “What is it about?”
“It’s about Rishabh. He is coming to India next month and…”
“And…?”
“And he wants to meet you”.
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“Tanu, be careful with the ride”, Prem shouted from a little distance.
“Don’t worry I will be”, Tanu replied while licking her ice cream.
It’s almost one hour that Prem and Tanu had come to the park. Tanu was really having a great time that too with his khadus mamu and Prem, well, Prem was enjoying watching little Tanu and remembering his own childhood. He and his elder sister were the only playmates of each other. They used to go to parks like this and play but they never had their parents around;it was always with their caretaker. So he knew the feeling of being alone and that’s one of the reasons the he didn’t deny when Heer asked him to take Tanu to the park.
His chain of thoughts was broken by Tanu’s voice. “Can we go home?” he heard asking Tanu.
“Why? Aren’t you having fun here? Do you want to do something else?” Prem got a little worried.
“No, just I am missing Miss. Heer”.
Oh! Now he could understand. Miss. Heer, hmm, something is there in that girl. In fact, he was missing her. Wait, what? Prem you can’t be thinking like that about her. She is Tanu’s counselor.
He came out of his thinking process and replied smilingly, “Ok, we’ll go home” and they left from there.
“Hi Manohar, is Miss Maan here yet?” Prem asked while entering the house with Tanu.
“No bhaiya, Heer didi is not here”, Manohar answered.
“Hmm. Thik hai main change karke aata hu mere liye ek cup chay bana do aur Tanu ke liye milkshake”.
Manohar nodded and left from there leaving a worried Prem.
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“Hello, Mr. Juneja?”
“Miss. Maan, where are you? Tanu’s been waiting for you for so long”, Prem literally shouted over the phone when he saw flashing Heer’s number.
“Actually I’ve called you inform that I can’t come today”.
“Why? Are you all right”, Prem became a little tensed hearing this as she never did this in this one week.
“Yes it’s just a slight fever. I’ll be fine tomorrow. Just need a little rest that’s all”.
“Ok, ok, you take rest.See you tomorrow. Good night”.
“Yeah…” Heer sighed and replied after a long pause, “goodnight”.
Though she said she was alright but still Prem couldn’t sleep peacefully. He was thinking about her the whole night. What had suddenly happened to her? She didn’t seem fine as far as her voice was concerned. Well let’s just wait for tomorrow but right now you need some sleep, his mind told him.
In the meantime Heer couldn’t sleep thinking about the conversation that she had with Manmeet and Ashlesha.
Flashback
“What? Manu are you out of your mind? I have waited for this day for so long and you are telling me not to talk to Rishabh. Have you forgotten what he did 2 years ago?” Heer couldn’t suppress her anger.
“Relax Heer, just let him finish. I am sure there must be some reason that he didn’t want you to talk to him”, Ashlesha tried to reason out.
“Exactly Heer, that’s what I am trying to say. See I know what he had done and that you need your answer too but what is the guarantee that he won’t hurt you again? So I am just saying let me come with you.”
“Ok fine, if you say so. But you will not say a word. It’s between us,” Heer made herself clear.She needed to deal with it alone.
“Ok but I will surely not forget when aunty needed him the most he just refused to come thinking it was some kind of trick to bring him back”. Manmeet vented out his anger and stomped out of the living room.
Flashback Ends.
Done with this part.I know too many questions are there? what has Tanu’s class teacher told? Who was Rishabh? What was his relation with Heer? What was the thing about which he wanted to talk to Heer? You will know in the next chapter. Till then, good bye and take care.
Thank You,
Love,
Sunayana
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Cricket
