Chapter 4 -
"What should I wear? Shall I wear something Indian or something western?" Meera asks herself, as she stands infront of her closet, moving swiftly through her clothes. Meera bites her lip, still confused as to what to wear.
God. If Ravjot was here, she would solve my problem in minutes. Prem is coming to pick me up for the airport in 10 mins and I am still not ready. Just then, Teji comes knocking inside.
"Meera?" she asks
"Haan ma?" replies Meera, not turning to face Teji as she continues to dig through her pile of clothes.
"Meera..." her mother asks again.
"What happened ma?", Meera replies, irritated.
This time, before her mother got another chance to say anything else, Meera turns around to face her mother and is shocked to see her mother, Teji, standing there with Prem. Meera's jaw drops open as she continues to stare at Prem, embarrassed. Prem stares back, neither of their eyes ready to be taken off from each other's face.
"Meera?" her mother calls, trying to distract PreMe from their eye-contacts.
Meera and Prem's cheeks turn bright red from embarrassement. They both smile by themselves, trying to hide their embarrassement. Meera, confused as to what had just happened, quickly walks over to her bed and grabs her duppata off the bed and hangs it around her neck and walks over to Prem.
"Aap?" she finally manages to say, still blushing.
"Haan, actually, thier flight is gonna land in 30 minutes, so I thought I'd pick you up early...traffic ziyada hoga." replies Prem, politely, but Meera could still sense the laughter in his voice.
"Oh..." Meera turns around and checks her tweety clock. "Erm...can you give me 5 mins? I need to get ready."
"But you look beautifu--.." Prem stops mid-sentence, shy. "OK. I will be waiting downstairs."
Prem and Teji, who eventually couldn't control her laughter, walked Prem downstairs.
Meera! What is it that whenever you are near him, EVERYTHING has to go wrong? First the phone-call and now this.
A little giggle passed Meera's mouth as she reflected on Prem and her's past meetings. First the phone-call, and then this. Embarrassing, but yet something to laugh about. Ye mujhe kya ho raha hai? Why do I keep thinking about Prem?' Meera hit the back of her lightly as she walks over to her closet, going through another set of clothes, when she remember's Prem's comments..."You look beautifu--..." and blushes. Slowly, she walks over to her dressing table and looks at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a light blue, cotton anarkali style dress. Her hair open, and only lip gloss as the make-up accessory. To add to that, Meera quickly grabs a small pair of hoop earings with a locket.
"I am ready!" Meera exclaims to herself.
Meera walks down the stairs, in her regular high-heeled slippers when she is met by an 'awed' Prem who is standing at the edge of the stairs. A little smile of blush excapes Meera's face as she sees Prem smiling right at her. When downstairs, Meera stands right beside Prem, looking at him from the corner of her eyes, and he does the same. They both smile at each other. They both take ashirwad from the elders and make thier way to the car.
"Ladies first." Prem says, as he holds the passenger seat door open for Meera. Blushing, Meera gets inside the car.
Prem quickly sits in the driver's seat and starts to drive through the busy streets of Mumbai. Still embarrassed about the phone conversation, neither Meera nor Prem say a word to each other.
"Music?" Prem offers, trying to get Meera to say something. Prem was still embarrassed about his slip up during this morning in her room.
"Er...ya.." Meera replies back, cautioning herself, not to say anything that would make her more embarrassed.
Meera forwards her hand to turn the CD player on when Prem's hand does the same and thier hands end up rubbing slightly against each other. They both turn towards each other, a feeling unknown to them when Meera suddenly pulls her hand away.
"Sorry...", Meera says, shyly.
Prem smiles at Meera and puts his fav CD on. Some old hindi songs. Prem starts to hum along with the tune of the song when he notices Meera staring at him. He then quickly stops.
"Sorry...actually, I always drive alone and when I do, I like to hum along with the songs..." explains Prem.
"Oh no. I was just listening to the humming...it sounds good." replies Meera.
Prem and Meera don't speak for the rest of the ride to the airport, and rather, keep to themselves. Meera, worried about embarrassing herself infront of Prem again and Prem, about not being able to pick up a conversation with Meera. Prem had not been good with girls around him...girls other then his mother and sister or even cousins. He didn't even know Meera that well. He didn't even know her favourite colour so how did he even expect to pick up a conversation -that would not end badly - with her?
"Airport aa gaya" Prem says, as they parked at the closest enterance to the airport.
"How much more time?" asks Meera, knowing that it was way past his 30 mins that he had said.
"Er, I think they shall be out as soon as we get there. Customs have been completed...I think."
"Okay."
Prem and Meera get out of the car and walk towards the airport enterance, that said "Arrivals".
Yug and Ravjot came together. Yug on the left and Ravjot on the right. Happy, Ravjot and Yug run towards their fellow friends. Ravjot runs and gives Meera a tight hug, a no-end-to-happiness kind of joy.
"Meeru!!" Ravjot screams, running into Meera's arms and gives her a tight, bear hug.
"Ravu!!" Meera screams back. Enthusiastic about seeing her friend cum sister, after such a long time.
Yug hurries up to Prem and gives him a tight hug.
"Prem!" Yug says, happy to see his friend...finally.
"Yug!" Prem replies back, happy to see his friend.
After they are done hugging, Prem and Yug give each other thier 'secret' handshake and high fives.
"So...how was your flight?" asks Meera, in a polite manner, but yet the enthusiasm in her voice.
"Urgh! Don't even ask!" replies a tried Ravjot, giving disgusting looks towards Yug.
"Kyun?" inquires Meera.
"I will tell you later but first, take me home! I am tired!" Ravjot says, pretending to faint.
"To bhi na..." replies Meera, trying to hold her laughter. "But first I would like you to meet someone."
"Yug!" How have you been? 16 hours and you in a flight..." Prem tried to sound shocked but yet, sarcastic.
"Theek hai. I will tell you everything but let me tell you, there was NOT a single HOT girl in that flight." replies Yug, glancing in Ravjot's direction who was busy hugging and talking to her friend.
"Ooo..bad mood?" replies Prem, pretending to actually crunch his nose up. "OK...let's go home but first, I want you to meet someone.", turning Yug so he would be facing Meera.
"Yug, this is Meera..., Meera, this is Yug, my best friend." Prem said, introducing Yug and Meera.
"Ravjot, this is Prem...you know...and Prem...this is Ravjot, my sister cum friend." Meera says, introducing Ravjot and Prem.
A disgusted, and horrified Yug and Ravjot shake hands with the people they were introduced to respectively. A face of disgust overshadowed Ravjot's face and horror on Yug's.
~End of Chapter 4~