Posted:
My first shot with Chahat and PremHeer. Inspired by a conversation with Meera, who read through this for me. So dedicated to her! And also, thanks to Bhav for reading through as well, and to Shabz, who came up with the title for me. 😃
Enjoy!
Prem stared at the screen of his laptop blankly. He had been unable to focus on anything since arriving in Delhi and seeing his Heer. She was here, in this very building. And he could not approach her, had no idea what to say to her. He sighed, not for the first time. Getting up, hoping that some fresh air would clear his muddled thoughts and give him some insight over what to do, he walked over to the window, breathing in the scent of his desh, which he had been away from for six long years. Eyes closed as he took in the welcoming embrace of the winds, which ruffled his hair, and he missed the blur that entered his office.
He leant his forehead against the cool glass of the window, gazing out at the happenings of Delhi. He processed none of what he saw, seeing in his mind's eye only the image of Heer, backing away from him slowly as she saw him for the first time in six years. His heart broke all over again.
Something crashed behind him, and he spun around. The culprit stood in front of a smashed vase, one arm around a teddy bear, thumb in mouth. Her dark eyes were wide as she stared at him in fright.
"I'm sorry," she whispered around her thumb. "Maine jaan bhuj kar nahi kiya."
Prem's heart melted, unable to resist the dark eyes that were hauntingly familiar. The shape, the way they were framed by dark lashes, the way they beseeched him to do whatever she would ask.
"It's okay," he replied, approaching the little girl slowly. Her eyes remained wide, but she did not move from her spot. He knelt before her. "Aapka naam kya hai?"
"Main aapko nahin bata sakti," she told him. "Aap ajnabee ho na? Mama ne kaha hai ke ajnabiyon se baath nahi karni chaiye," she informed him, as though he was the small child in the situation.
Prem could not help the smile that spread across his face. It was amazing after six years, he had begun to smile more often, and he had a feeling, with this child around, it would be even more often.
"Mera naam Prem hai," he held out a hand to her. She placed her smaller one tentatively in his. "Ab hum dost hai na? Toh ajnabee nahi rahe?"
She grinned at him, nodding her head vigorously. "Main Chahat hoon."
"Chahat?" he repeated. "Bada pyaara naam hai."
"Jaanti hoon," she tilted her head to her side. Prem chuckled.
"Ek baat poochu?" She wrinkled her nose as she considered it, before she nodded. "Aap mere office mein kya kar rahi thi?"
She had the grace to look sheepish. "Main Mama se chup rahi thi. Mama ko pata chala ke Yuvraj Uncle ne mujhe ice-cream di thi, aur Mama bohut gussa ho gayi. Toh main waha se bhaag gayi." She giggled, and Prem thought it was one of the prettiest things he had heard. "Mama was scolding Yuvraj Uncle."
"Won't Mama worry though?" he asked her. She made a face, one that was adorable.
"Shayad," she conceded.
"Toh hum Mama ke paas chale?" he held out one hand to her. She grabbed his hand.
She swung their joined hands as they walked out of his office, chattering. "Pata hai, yeh teddy nayi hai. Yuvraj Uncle ne liya tha, mere liye."
"Acha?" Prem smiled at the adorable look on her face as she looked up at him. "Aur iska naam kya hai?"
She frowned at the teddy in hand. "Maine abhi socha nahi." She looked back at him. "Kya naam rakhe?"
"Hmm," Prem was stumped. He had never spent so much time with a child in so many years, and only now he realised how much he had missed out with his nephews and nieces. "Teddy naam kaisa rahega?"
Chahat stopped in her tracks, looking aghast. "Teddy?" she demanded. "Kitna boring naam hai. Aap bhi na, kabhi bachche nahi the?"
Prem looked embarrassed. "Toh kya rakhe?" he asked hesitatantly.
"Hmm," she tapped her chin in consideration. "Main inhe Meera bulane wali hoon."
"Meera," Prem bent down in front of Chahat again. "Hi, Meera, main Prem hoon, Chahat ka naya dost."
Chahat giggled again. "Woh aapse milke bohut khush hai."
"Chahat!" A cry caught both their attention, and immediately, Chahat hid behind Prem.
"Mama," she hissed at him. "Woh mujhe daatengi."
Prem put his finger to his lips and nodded. "Main use ghuma dunga, theek hai?"
She kissed his cheek in gratitude, and Prem blinked in surprise, before smiling. He stood slowly, turning to face the woman that terrified his new friend. A harried young woman turned the corner in front of him, her dupatta trailing behind her. She collided with him, and without looking at him, asked him if he had seen her daughter. Prem stilled as he recognized the voice.
"Heer?"
She looked up at him, and he felt a tug at his pants. He looked down at Chahat, still stunned at the implications. No wonder he had felt such an instant connection with the adorable little girl. Looking back at Heer, he processed his thoughts.
Chahat peeked out from behind him, tugging at his pants again. "Aap meri Mama ko jaante hain?"
Prem nodded, his words stuck in his throat. He observed the girl again, knowing what he knew now. The reason her eyes looked so familiar was because they were identical to Heer's, and her hair was much like Heer's as well. The upturn of her lips, the smile that was his. His daughter. He had a daughter.
"Chahat," he looked at Heer. "Humari beti?"
Neither heard the slight gasp emit from the young girl's mouth. Heer looked at him from beneath her eyelashes. She met his eyes for less than a few seconds, before letting her gaze fall to the little girl who was gaping up at both of them.
"Prem," she started, trailing off. She did not know what to say. It was impossible to explain just why she had felt it necessary to keep his daughter away from him for so long. It had not been fair of her to keep Chahat from Prem, and it seemed that destiny had corrected that for her.
Anything either of the two would say was shelved for a later conversation when Chahat demanded, "Aap mere Papa ho?"
Prem knelt in front of her again, bringing his hand to cradle her face. "Haan," his voice was thick with unshed tears.
"Toh aap itni der se kaha the?" she asked innocently. "Pata hai Mama aapko yaad kar ke roz roti hai?"
Prem looked up at Heer, who was hiding her face from him. "Ab main aa gaya hoon na," he kept his gaze on Heer, "toh kabhi aapko aur aapki Mama ko chod ke nahi jaonga."
Chahat gripped his chin and turned his face back to face her. "Promise?"
Prem nodded, "Promise."
"Pakka promise?" she held out her pinky.
He laughed, still somehow managing to keep his tears at bay. He gripped her pinky finger with his own. "Pakka promise."
She threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her close, embracing his child, the nishaani of his and Heer's love. His little angel, his Chahat.
Do let me know what you think of this. I think the ending's a little iffy, personally.
Love,
Radz
Enjoy!
-||-
Prem stared at the screen of his laptop blankly. He had been unable to focus on anything since arriving in Delhi and seeing his Heer. She was here, in this very building. And he could not approach her, had no idea what to say to her. He sighed, not for the first time. Getting up, hoping that some fresh air would clear his muddled thoughts and give him some insight over what to do, he walked over to the window, breathing in the scent of his desh, which he had been away from for six long years. Eyes closed as he took in the welcoming embrace of the winds, which ruffled his hair, and he missed the blur that entered his office.
He leant his forehead against the cool glass of the window, gazing out at the happenings of Delhi. He processed none of what he saw, seeing in his mind's eye only the image of Heer, backing away from him slowly as she saw him for the first time in six years. His heart broke all over again.
Something crashed behind him, and he spun around. The culprit stood in front of a smashed vase, one arm around a teddy bear, thumb in mouth. Her dark eyes were wide as she stared at him in fright.
"I'm sorry," she whispered around her thumb. "Maine jaan bhuj kar nahi kiya."
Prem's heart melted, unable to resist the dark eyes that were hauntingly familiar. The shape, the way they were framed by dark lashes, the way they beseeched him to do whatever she would ask.
"It's okay," he replied, approaching the little girl slowly. Her eyes remained wide, but she did not move from her spot. He knelt before her. "Aapka naam kya hai?"
"Main aapko nahin bata sakti," she told him. "Aap ajnabee ho na? Mama ne kaha hai ke ajnabiyon se baath nahi karni chaiye," she informed him, as though he was the small child in the situation.
Prem could not help the smile that spread across his face. It was amazing after six years, he had begun to smile more often, and he had a feeling, with this child around, it would be even more often.
"Mera naam Prem hai," he held out a hand to her. She placed her smaller one tentatively in his. "Ab hum dost hai na? Toh ajnabee nahi rahe?"
She grinned at him, nodding her head vigorously. "Main Chahat hoon."
"Chahat?" he repeated. "Bada pyaara naam hai."
"Jaanti hoon," she tilted her head to her side. Prem chuckled.
"Ek baat poochu?" She wrinkled her nose as she considered it, before she nodded. "Aap mere office mein kya kar rahi thi?"
She had the grace to look sheepish. "Main Mama se chup rahi thi. Mama ko pata chala ke Yuvraj Uncle ne mujhe ice-cream di thi, aur Mama bohut gussa ho gayi. Toh main waha se bhaag gayi." She giggled, and Prem thought it was one of the prettiest things he had heard. "Mama was scolding Yuvraj Uncle."
"Won't Mama worry though?" he asked her. She made a face, one that was adorable.
"Shayad," she conceded.
"Toh hum Mama ke paas chale?" he held out one hand to her. She grabbed his hand.
She swung their joined hands as they walked out of his office, chattering. "Pata hai, yeh teddy nayi hai. Yuvraj Uncle ne liya tha, mere liye."
"Acha?" Prem smiled at the adorable look on her face as she looked up at him. "Aur iska naam kya hai?"
She frowned at the teddy in hand. "Maine abhi socha nahi." She looked back at him. "Kya naam rakhe?"
"Hmm," Prem was stumped. He had never spent so much time with a child in so many years, and only now he realised how much he had missed out with his nephews and nieces. "Teddy naam kaisa rahega?"
Chahat stopped in her tracks, looking aghast. "Teddy?" she demanded. "Kitna boring naam hai. Aap bhi na, kabhi bachche nahi the?"
Prem looked embarrassed. "Toh kya rakhe?" he asked hesitatantly.
"Hmm," she tapped her chin in consideration. "Main inhe Meera bulane wali hoon."
"Meera," Prem bent down in front of Chahat again. "Hi, Meera, main Prem hoon, Chahat ka naya dost."
Chahat giggled again. "Woh aapse milke bohut khush hai."
"Chahat!" A cry caught both their attention, and immediately, Chahat hid behind Prem.
"Mama," she hissed at him. "Woh mujhe daatengi."
Prem put his finger to his lips and nodded. "Main use ghuma dunga, theek hai?"
She kissed his cheek in gratitude, and Prem blinked in surprise, before smiling. He stood slowly, turning to face the woman that terrified his new friend. A harried young woman turned the corner in front of him, her dupatta trailing behind her. She collided with him, and without looking at him, asked him if he had seen her daughter. Prem stilled as he recognized the voice.
"Heer?"
She looked up at him, and he felt a tug at his pants. He looked down at Chahat, still stunned at the implications. No wonder he had felt such an instant connection with the adorable little girl. Looking back at Heer, he processed his thoughts.
Chahat peeked out from behind him, tugging at his pants again. "Aap meri Mama ko jaante hain?"
Prem nodded, his words stuck in his throat. He observed the girl again, knowing what he knew now. The reason her eyes looked so familiar was because they were identical to Heer's, and her hair was much like Heer's as well. The upturn of her lips, the smile that was his. His daughter. He had a daughter.
"Chahat," he looked at Heer. "Humari beti?"
Neither heard the slight gasp emit from the young girl's mouth. Heer looked at him from beneath her eyelashes. She met his eyes for less than a few seconds, before letting her gaze fall to the little girl who was gaping up at both of them.
"Prem," she started, trailing off. She did not know what to say. It was impossible to explain just why she had felt it necessary to keep his daughter away from him for so long. It had not been fair of her to keep Chahat from Prem, and it seemed that destiny had corrected that for her.
Anything either of the two would say was shelved for a later conversation when Chahat demanded, "Aap mere Papa ho?"
Prem knelt in front of her again, bringing his hand to cradle her face. "Haan," his voice was thick with unshed tears.
"Toh aap itni der se kaha the?" she asked innocently. "Pata hai Mama aapko yaad kar ke roz roti hai?"
Prem looked up at Heer, who was hiding her face from him. "Ab main aa gaya hoon na," he kept his gaze on Heer, "toh kabhi aapko aur aapki Mama ko chod ke nahi jaonga."
Chahat gripped his chin and turned his face back to face her. "Promise?"
Prem nodded, "Promise."
"Pakka promise?" she held out her pinky.
He laughed, still somehow managing to keep his tears at bay. He gripped her pinky finger with his own. "Pakka promise."
She threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her close, embracing his child, the nishaani of his and Heer's love. His little angel, his Chahat.
-||-
Do let me know what you think of this. I think the ending's a little iffy, personally.
Love,
Radz
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