AN: Here's my writing bug waking up again!
KIDNAP A BRIDE: OS
The room was shrouded in darkness.
Buzzo winced the moment he stepped into it. Frankly, the room stank. It was as if something had died and decayed around there or more like someone had stopped taking care of personal hygiene months ago.
Mahi was right, he thought frustrated. This is worse than he expected.
He blinked rapidly and his eyes finally made out the lump on the bed. Sighing, he groped to the side, his hand creeping around with years of familiarity as they reached the switch and flicked it on. Immediately, the room was bathed with light.
The figure on the bed stirred.
"So, is today sitting-in-the-dark day?" Buzzo questioned bemusedly as he looked at the rumpled form of his best friend who lay limply on the bed. room.
"I had always thought," Buzzo began as he made his way towards his friend, "that there is nothing in the world that can defeat Punjab da Sher: Fateh Singh Virk!"
The man on the bed stayed silent.
He was dressed in a messily buttoned-up faded shirt and loose pants. His composure was similar to his apparel. His eyes were closed as he lay without moving even for a second. At Buzzo’s words, he twitched and spoke up.
“Leave me alone Buzzo!”
But Buzzo was also his best friend. Which meant that he knew him best! Without haste, he simply took the jug from the bedside table and poured the water all over Fateh and the bed.
Fateh sprang up in the blink of an eye, doused out of his dazed state. He blinked and wiped his face and finally glared at him.
“What the hell Buzzo!”
“You deserved it,” Buzzo answered flatly. “And you stink! Since when haven’t you bathed? You know there is a place called the bathroom where we should visit daily, right?”
“Shut up Buzzo!” Fateh griped as he rolled to the dry part on the mattress and attempted to flop onto it. Buzzo took the remaining water and wet that part of the mattress too. Fateh growled.
“Why are you doing this? Can’t you leave me alone in peace?”
“Accha, you want peace. So, one has to come to this state to attain peace huh?”
Fateh did not even look at him. Buzzo reached out and cuffed him on the head.
“Hey! What the hell!”
"It is not what the hell; it is what are you DOING?"
Fateh gave him a wounded glare. "What are you on about?"
"What I am on about?" the usually happy-go-lucky Buzzo looked suddenly incensed. A vein throbbed on his temple as he burst out.
Fateh looked at him surprised. He had never seen Buzzo lose his temper. "What exactly happened? Is everything ok?"
"Wow!" Buzzo erupted into a series of sarcastic chuckles. "What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? Well answer me this, HAVE YOU LOST IT?"
Fateh huffed. "Will you stop shouting?"
"No, I will not. I am happily planning a vacation in Goa when I get Mahi's call and I find out that my knuckle-headed best friend has decided to hitch himself to that Canada-obsessed witch again. Are you that moronic?"
It was a testament to the changes in the past year that Fateh did not react to Jasmine being called a witch.
Fateh gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, that!"
"Oh, that!" Buzzo mimicked. "Tell me this Fateh, nearly a year ago you were about to marry that bimbo, but she went berserk and humiliated you; abandoned you in the altar. Remember the humiliation, the heartbreak, the pain? So, why is it that the Jasmine-obsessed stupidity cells have multiplied in your brain again, all of a sudden?"
"It is nothing like that Buzzo. I just-"
"What about Tejo Bhabi?"
A stiffening silence fell into the atmosphere. It was as if all of a sudden, the warmth had disappeared leaving behind the imprint of the absent happiness.
"She is not your Bhabi. We are divorced. So what about her?"
Buzzo scoffed. "I have a question. Why are you getting married to Jasmine and why isn't it Tejo Bhabi?"
Fateh turned to face the window. "That is two questions, Buzzo."
"Fateh –"
"I know what I am doing."
Buzzo cocked his head. "You do?"
"Yes," his voice rang with conviction, "I do."
"I see," Buzzo sighed, "you have become a bigger fool than I had expected."
Fateh whirled around, his eyes blazing. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Buzzo made his way to him and plopped next to him on the wet bed.
"Tell me Fateh, do you really think I don't know what is exactly going on?"
Fateh stubbornly stayed silent.
"You love Tejo Bhabi. She is your life."
Fateh’s shoulders tensed. "I don't want to hear about this."
"Well too bad," Buzzo retorted, "because you are going to have to. And truth is that you love Tejo Bhabi and that is clearly reflecting in your eyes. Today when I came here, you had shut yourself up in the darkness; you have let yourself go to waste - something Fateh Singh Virk never does, for he believes in shining, in glory. But today he is sitting in the dark, alone and pathetic, for the light of his life has left him."
Fateh closed his eyes, his throbbing headache making are-appearance. “Buzzo, we are meeting after a long time. Please let us talk about something else."
"No Fateh, let us talk about you. Why are you not with Tejo Bhabi?"
"For God's sake Buzzo, you know what happened. She was with me only by compulsion. It was right for me to free her and –”
"Oh really?" Buzzo responded sarcasm colouring histones. “And your second attempt at marrying Jasmine Sandhu is of course due to the goodness of your heart. This is out of your own free will that is giving you the permission to marry the woman who you 'loved' once and now cannot bear the sight of?”
"Our marriage is a deal."
"Of course, it is. Jasmine will use your name and fulfill her dreams, through you. You get to use her as an excuse to run from your feelings for Tejo Bhabi. Cool. Well done! You are marrying each other for selfish reasons and you have no problem with the fact that Jasmine is more in love with your shiny credit cards and the possibilities of a green card in your future rather than you. But instead with Tejo Bhabi you had a problem! Why? Because you feel she does not love you and it is better to let her go?”
“Buzzo please----"
"No Fateh, I will keep quiet today. You know Tejo Bhabi. You love her. That woman sacrificed her life for you. Your love for her sister forced her into falling into a marriage with you and despite your bad behaviour, she stood by your side. And then, all of a sudden Jasmine comes back and you confront Tejo Bhabi with divorce papers which she obviously signs under pressure. Even a week has not passed and you are announcing your wedding with her sister! If that was what you wanted, you should have been happy. But look at you; you are wallowing. What is wrong with you?"
Fateh wrenched his arm out of Buzzo's grip and stalked off to the other side of the room. Buzzo who had years of familiarizing himself with the antics of his friend was not fooled. He could clearly visualize Fateh'strembling hands; stiff shoulders held in tightly and anguished eyes looking downward.
"Why Fateh?" he asked quietly. “With Tejo Bhabi, you had begun to live again. The sparkle in your eyes had returned. You were happy. Then why is it that you are doing all this? You fought against your whole family to let her go to work and now you are fighting against her? Hurting her? Why? Are you letting your pride and ego define you this time Fateh?"
Fateh stayed quiet.
"Turning your back doesn't solve the problem, Fateh. And here I thought you were a fighter." Buzzo gulped steeling himself. It was time to bring the bigger guns out. "Why is it that you are being insensitive and unjust to Tejo Bhabi? You are acting just like Jasmine when she broke off the wedding and threw your love on your face.”
Fateh stiffened and the next moment was a blur. Buzzo just had a second of warning when Fateh snarled and tackled him onto the floor.
"Uff!" Buzzo exhaled as he collided with the floor and a powerful punch knocked his breath out. Buzzo blearily stared up at the trembling figure of his friend and the next second gave him a sharp kick knocking him down on the floor too. He scratched his leg and threw another punch at his abdomen as they rolled around. He barely wrenched himself away, when Fateh headbutted him with a loud yell.
However, before their beginning fight could escalate, another figure threw himself between them.
"Are you guys playing bullfighting?" Mahi asked with a large grin on her face. She quickly took out her phone and switched on the camera to record. Immediately Fateh and Buzzo distanced themselves, straightening up quickly.
“So, what’s the update?” Mahi asked as she looked at both of them.
“Nothing much,” Buzzo shrugged. “Fateh here feels like doing a Jasmine and hurting others.”
“I am not like Jasmine,” Fateh barked out. His lips trembled as he glared at them and suddenly a wave of tiredness seeped through him. His legs buckled and he sagged down onto the floor. “I am doing this for Tejo Ji.”
“Really now?” Mahi frowned. “How’s her ex-husband marrying her sister a week after their divorce supposed to make her happy?”
Fateh swallowed. “We have destroyed her life. Jasmine and I,” he clarified.
Mahi flinched. “Veerji, please stop taking both of your names in the same sentence. I get that suppressed urge to beat someone. Amrik is not here; so, if I feel it again, I am going to punch you.”
“Calm down Chote Singh,” Fateh mumbled and his eyes rolled to the ceiling. “Jasmine came to talk to me. She said she regretted her actions but because of us, Tejo Ji had suffered. So, the best route is by freeing Tejo Ji and letting her move on; make her own decisions. That’s why we are getting married so that Tejo Ji can move on.”
Mahi and Buzzo stared at him blankly.
Mahi broke the silence. “This plan was yours?”
“No, Jasmine’s,” Fateh answered brokenly. “And I agree, this is the best way. Tejo Ji will be happy.”
“Of course,” Buzzo repeated tonelessly and dragged Mahi to the side. “It is her doing,” he murmured to her.
Mahi nodded. “This time she had gotten her hooks into VeerJi very well. Amrik the idiot must have fanned the fire. Seriously who in their right mind believes this to be the best way?”
“An idiot who loves his wife but cannot confess,” Buzzo proposed, eyeing Fateh from the periphery. “So?”
“So, we do something,” Mahi answered, her mind whirring with possibilities. She bit her lip and gave a small smirk. “I have an idea.”
“You do? What?” Buzzo asked.
Mahi shook her head. “Not now. First, you take care of Veer Ji. Please throw him in the bathtub. He stinks.”
“I will do that. And you?”
“Oh me,” Mahi grinned sinisterly, “It is time I pay my dear brother Amrik a visit.”
Buzzo pursed his lips. “What about the wedding? We have to stop it.”
“Nah,” Mahi waved it off. “Let this one go ahead. For some reason Sandhu-Virk weddings always have drama. Let this one happen easily.”
“Wait,” Buzzo shook his head, “you will let Jasmine marry Fateh?”
“When did I say that?”
“But –”
Mahi smirked. “There will be a Sandhu-Virk wedding but with history repeating itself.”
Buzzo scratched his head. “You mean Fateh will marry Tejo Bhabi again? But how? What about Jasmine?”
“Well Buzzo,” Mahi grinned, “we are going to Kidnap a Bride!”
********************
If you want to have a look at my other works in this forum:
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/udariyaan/5231631/fatejo-os-shackles
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/udariyaan/5231942/a-cup-of-coffee-tejo-os
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/udariyaan/5232577/fatejo-os-rematch
Veer Hanuman
Kumkum Bhagya
