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Chapter 1
"It has been 2 years since it all happened Prem. 2 years is not a low amount Prem. 2 years. The Preet that we know, the Preet that used to be fida over girls, has not even looked at one single girl for a whole 2 years. It is high time that Preet moves on in life. He can't just stay here, feeling guilty over Ashlesha's death." Heer explains to her husband Prem Juneja, as he stands watching his little brother, Preet Juneja sit on the garden bench, playing with a bunch of roses. Preet still had the same expression of sadness overshadowing his face. Preet Juneja, a guy that used to make everyone laugh while they cried. A guy that was full of life, humor and happiness, sitting on a bench, alone, sad and dreading over something that was not at all his fault.
"Heer, I agree with you. This is not the Preet that I used to know." Prem agrees, placing glances back and forth towards Preet and Heer. "Humhe kuch karna chahiye." he states, feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. Heer looks at Prem and nods her head.
"We have to explain to him that Ashlesha's death was not his fault. It was just an accident." Heer says, turning around to face Prem.
"Haan Heer, lekin, he loved her Heer. He loved her immensely and tumhe pata hai, that when you loose the most loved person of your life, it hurts. We can talk to him and tell him to share his pain, and his sorrow with us, but would we really be able to cure it?" Prem questions, putting himself in Preet's place and thinking about how he would have reacted if he had lost Heer the way Preet had lost Ashlesha. Prem would have reacted exactly the same way Preet was.
"Prem, I know what you are saying, and that is what I am saying. We shall talk to Preet and try to tell him that Ashlesha's death wasn't his fault, and tell him to move on in life. Yaad hai that we promised each other that if anything happened to either one of us, we would do anything to keep the family happy? Prem, I want Preet to feel the same way. Preet is sad over Ashlesha's death, and I agree he loved her, but doesn't his family mean anything to him at all? Ma and bauji...my heart breaks seeing them suffer like this. Seeing them watching Preet suffer. You are his brother Prem, and seeing Preet like this, hurts you more then ever, per Ma and bauji, imagine what they must be going through!" Heer explains, looking Prem directly in the eyes and not hesitating once, thinking about the reply she thought Prem might have given her.
Prem sighs. "Fine. I will talk to him, but it won't be easy Heer."
"I know, and that is why you are the one that will talk to him. Preet respects you a lot and I am sure he will listen to you regarding the family's wish of Preet getting married." Heer says, giving Prem a quick hug and a light kiss on the cheek.
~*~
Prem quietly walks over to Preet and sits on the bench beside him, just staring in the bright morning sun.
"Morning Preet" Prem says, bringing a smile to his face, but in return is disappointed, when he sees Preet just managing a fake smile.
"Morning PB" Preet says in a dull and not very Preet-like voice, before going back to staring at the ground.
"Hey listen! Heer and I are going for dinner at Heer's parent's house. First dinner after marriage. Feels wierd." Prem exclaims, trying to bring enthusiasm in his voice, but all feelings go down the dumpster when he sees Preet not very actively participating.
An examining Heer from the window, cups her mouth with her hand, to not start crying. Prem looks over at her, and she finally manages to give him a weak smile with watery eyes. He smiles back at her and points towards his eyes and wipes them and then points towards Heer, who does as she was told. To keep her tears from sliding down.
"Toh Preet, you shall get ready now! We are leaving in 30 minutes!" Prem turns back towards Preet, who had tears rolling down his eyes.
"Preet...?" questions a worried Prem. Preet quickly cups his whole face with his hands and leans inwards towards Prem's shoulder and starts to cry, tears rolling down his eyes.
"I killed her Prem bhaiyaa! I killed her!" Preet says, while hugging Prem and crying loudly. Prem doesn't say anything and thinks it was best to let him pour his feelings out as this was the only way, Preet'd understand and would stop feeling guilty about Ashlesha.
"I killed her Prem bhaiyaa! She didn't...--" Preet takes a deep breath, while tears roll faster down his eyes. "--want to leave...--" Preet looks up at Prem, who was just sitting their, motionless, and patting Preet's back. "--She didn't want to go with her friends to Shimla, but I forced her! If I hadn't forced her to go to Shimla, then --" Preet wipes his tears and goes back to hugging Prem. "--none of this would have happened! She would have been right here, sitting with us, at this moment! I loved her Prem bhaiyaa! I was stupid enough to even let her out of my sight!" Preet exclaims, still trying to pour out his own anger for himself.
"Preet.." Prem pulls Preet away from the hug and holds on to both of his shoulders, so that Preet was sitting straight. "Listen! None of this is your fault! It was just co-incidence! And you can't blame yourself for something that was not at all your fault! When we were little, Harman fell off the stairs and he blamed you for making him fall, but you were not even close to him when he fell. The whole reason for Harman's fall was to make you a stronger person and I know, that after he fell, and you were unneccessarily punished, you never cried again. So maybe, this time bhagwaan ji want you to start from the beginning, with someone new. Maybe he wants you to befriend someone that has gone through the same things you have." Prem explains, wiping Preet's tears away.
"Bhaiyaa..." Preet tries to say something but Prem shuts him up and pulls Preet up to his legs and takes him inside, to his room.
"Preet, all you need to know is, you are NOT responsible for her death and now, go and get ready. You are coming with me and Heer, to her parent's, and that is an order!"
-End of Ch 1
I know it was abrupt and everything but this was just kind of like a teaser, so I could get some REAL constructive criticism from some people!😳 This chapter is dedicated to Meera, Shabo, Radz and Bhav and all the Meetians!
Please forgive my spelling errors, as I didn't proofread it at ALL!😆
~Shifs
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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