Posted:
very beautiful !
loved it !
the way you describe is wonderful !
waiting for next !
thnx for pm !
splendid part!!!!!
::
:: Flashback End ::
The day she found out that she had a part of him inside her was the day God took her away from her. But she remained strong. For his baby. In a way, God had taken her Prem away from her but gifted her with a bundle that had the most of him in it.
When she had found about her pregnancy, she was glowing in joy. The first thing she had done was go home and try to call him. But his call wasn't answered. She decided to inform her parents as well. And as she had thought, they were delighted to know the news. When she called Prem once again, all her happiness went down the drain.
Another officer picked up his call and informed her about his death. The day that was supposed to be the happiest day of her life turned into a curse.
She remembered how she had taken the tough decision to life instead of kill herself. But then the thought of the innocent being inside her diverted her thinking. What was his fault? He was completely innocent and his presence inside her made her realize that even God wanted him to live. He wanted him to be there with his mother. And that's all it had taken for her to put aside her pain and encourage new memories to arrive into her baby's life.
::
After recovering from her memories, she decided that she was getting late for work. She quickly fixed her hair into a high ponytail, picked up her Praneel, and headed towards her Baba's hospital. She was grateful to have such a supportive family who understood her so well and encouraged her to take the decision that best suits her.
After she got married, Prem had wanted her to continue her practice as he believed that she would turn out to be a great Pediatrician. She had continued to do so as per his wish and she still continued to do so till this date. After having Praneel in her life, she could easily understand what the parents of her patients would be going through. Be it fever, a cold, stomach virus, flu, or anything else. She knew the exact concerns of each of those parents.
After placing her prince charming in his comfy car-seat, she settled herself in the driver's seat. Before driving away, she took a good glance at the chubby figure behind her through her rear-view mirror. He was smiling but for once, he seemed awfully quiet. When his eyes met her, she flashed him his favorite smile. Seeing his Mommy's smile, he too broke into a smile that made his two, tiny bottom teeth appear. But still the mother in her wasn't satisfied. Something told her that he wasn't feeling good today.
After driving for about 10-15 minutes, she reached the Mann Medical Institute. The institute had been started by her great-grandfather and today the dean of the institution was Balraj Mann. Both Balraj and Nihaal worked in the institution as Cardiac Surgeons. Before Maya was there, Teji would also work there.
Heer parked her car into the employee's parking lot. She picked Praneel and walked inside the institution. The institution was gigantic and that the magnificent huge structure that was present in several palaces. As she walked through the hallway, each student, each doctor, and each staff member greeted her warmly. On all weekday's, she would come here with her Praneel and do the job that Prem wanted her to do. Praneel had a job of his own. He was the stress reliever of all the medical students that were studying and practicing in the institution. Along with the students, most of the staff members would also stop by her office to get a quick glimpse of him.
She walked into her office holding onto him. Next to her table was a small crib that Balraj had put up for her. Balraj knew how much her baby meant to her. She would rather stay home close to him then give him to some babysitter to handle. Her Praneel was the most important being for her. After all, she still exists in this world because of him.
Heer placed him gently into the crib and watched him just sit there quietly. He looked up and flashed her a smile trying to assure her that he was okay. But she knew him to the core. Something was definitely wrong. She was about to feel his forehead when she got disturbed by a very sick patient.
She did a full check-up on the four year old girl. She happened to have mire flu so she prescribed her worried father a few medicines and consoled him that she would be fine in two-three days. Upon their departure, a tall, sweet-looking guy barged into her office and went straight for his target. Heer was delighted to see the fresh look on the guy face. He greeted her sweetly by bending down and touching her feet. Heer gently patted his head and watched him with a smile as he rose up.
"Kya baat hai? Aaj janab bahot khush hai." She said sweetly.
"You bet. Guess what?" He was so excited. And she knew the source of his excitement.
"Ussne haa kardi. And now Meher's officially your girlfriend." Heer said victoriously.
"Aap ko kaise pata?" He asked with a surprised look.
"Tere chere se pata laga. I'm so happy for you Preet." Heer gave him a sisterly hug.
"Thanks Didi. Sab aapke kaaran aur mere hero ke kaaran hua hai." He pulled back from the hug and went towards the crib.
Preet looked at his sweet face. This chubby figure had got him the love of his life.
"Good Morning Praneel boy." He held up his hand for a hi five.
Praneel gently patted his pinkish finger against his strong hand with a smile. Seeing his thanda look, Preet knew something was wrong. He had been the first person to befriend him in the institution. And due to that, Praneel was the closest to him out of all the other students. Heer also noticed a little change in him. As Preet picked him up and the moment he touched his skin, he could feel the warm sensation burning off of Praneel.
Preet looked at Heer with a worried look.
"Isse toh bahot tez bukhar hai." Preet said. Heer eyes shot back to her baby and she rushed closer to him. She put her hand over his forehead and then under his throat. It was blazing hot. She was scared to death at the moment. If anything happened to her baby, then she would simply die.
Seeing the mother's dilemma, Preet decided to tell her what he thought was best.
"Didi, aap Balraj Sir se half-day mang dijiye. I'll be here with him until you come." Preet offered. Heer nodded and rushed to her father's office.
Upon reaching the office, she quickly knocked on the door.
"Come in." Said Balraj from inside.
Heer quickly opened the door and found her Baba looking through some papers at his desk.
"Baba'" Heer said in a soft voice.
Hearing her say that, his attention was all diverted to her. Heer never mentioned him as Baba in the institution. She always addressed him as Sir. But today she was so tensed that it scared him.
"Kya hua beta." He said as he rushed to her.
Seeing her Baba's concern, she tried to compose herself.
"Kuch nahi Baba. Woh bas mujhe half-day chahiye tha. Praneel ko thoda sa bukhar haina issiliye." Heer said with a slight smile to assure him everything was fine.
"Bukhar hai. Toh jaldi usse ghar leja. Abhi kitna chota hai. Mai abhi Teji ko kehta hu ke who tere ghar aa jaye." Balraj felt helpless at the moment because he had to go for a major surgery at that moment.
"Nahi Baba. Mai usse sambhal lungi. Aur ghar mat phone karma. Aap jaante haina Maya bhabhi ke halat ko." Heer explained to him.
Maya was more then an elder sister for Heer. And that's why she wanted her mom to be with her bhabhi for now. Maya's first pregnancy had led to a miscarriage due to which, she became quite depressed. But when she found out about her being pregnant, Maya had done all that she could to take the utmost care of Heer. She shared a special relationship with Praneel and she considered him to be her son. Right now, after many complications, Maya was in her first trimester. Teji always stayed with her to take care. Heer would go there several times because she knew how much Maya loved Praneel.
If she found out about Praneel's fever then she would forget everything and come to see him. Heer didn't want to get her tensed in such condition.
After convincing her father, Heer left to go home with a sleeping Praneel. Upon reaching home, Heer settled him on a warm bed and placed cold cloths on his tiny head to make the fever go down. Shanta Tai had left for the day so Heer was all alone. She peacefully prepared some bitter juice that was helpful in getting rid of fevers. When Praneel woke up after a few minutes, Heer tried a lot to feed it to him but he wouldn't budge. Heer knew that it was bitter for him but it was only benefiting him.
When Heer tried to force him into swallowing the juice, her baby fell into a cry. A really harsh cry that she had never imagined. Since the day he was born, he had never bothered her. A little mazak here and there was normal, but Praneel was never stubborn and he would never cry for something she didn't allow him to have. But looking at him like this just broke her heart. As she saw him open his mouth to let out a cry, she quickly poured some juice into him mouth and seeing him swallow it, she let out a sign of relief.
She picked up her crying baby and cradled him in her arms. Heer noticed that juice was doing its work and his heated body temperature was subsiding. She carried him to the back yard on the house and she settled herself on the swing while holding her baby close to her heart. The soft cool breeze on the bright sunny day was quite relaxing and refreshing for the mother and the son. Seeing his eyes drift into sleep, Heer took the end of her saree to shade his face from the sun bright rays.
Heer constantly kept the swing in motion to sway him into sleep. From time to time, she would place soft kisses on his forehead and on his chubby hands. When she knew that he was in deep sleep, she decided to take him inside and place him onto the warm sheets and bundle him up with his tiny comforter.
After putting to sleep on her bed, she decided to do another round of putting wet cloths on his forehead. But after a while, her task was disturbed by the ringing door bell.
It was 5:30 in the evening so she wasn't expecting anybody for a visit. But after placing a quick kiss on his soft cheek, she rushed to open the door.
::
She stood there numb. Her eyes were clued to the figure onto front of her. Dressed in casual blue jeans, a light blue t-shirt, primly ironed, black blazer stood the man that had stolen her heart as well as her soul. But his hair was cut short and precise. His skin was glowing in pleasure of standing in front of him. On the extreme right on his forehead was a deep scar as if he was hit by something really hard. But the warm coffee eyes radiated the same warmth, the same purity, and the same true love that she had seen in him the day she met him. His shiny white teeth were visible through the smile that was plastered on his face. The same smile that her baby had inherited from the man standing in front of her. He slowly walked toward her and stood a few inches away.
The entire time, she was imbibing his image. She thought she was dreaming like always and that's why she didn't want to blink her eyes.
"You can blink you know." His husky voice advised her with an affectionate grin.
"Nahi. Tum chale jaoge." Heer said tear eyed.
"Nahi chala jaonga. Mujhe chu kar dekh lo." He said while coming closer to her. She did just as he told on. Her hand approached his smooth cheek. As her trembling finger touched his skin, she felt her whole world going back into place. The tears that were welled up were making their way down her cheeks.
And the next thing she felt was her head resting over his heart. Yes. He was for real. Her Prem was alive. She couldn't believe it. She snuggled closer to him and felt the barrier that she had built up to keep herself strong, break away.
Heer let out the pain that she had held in her heart for his loss. But seeing him so close to her, alive and breathing, was another over whelming feeling.
After she let out her pain, she glanced up to look at his face. He was back. And she could still see the same honesty in his love for her. Prem bent down closer to her cheek and placed a soft kiss. Heer relived the same emotions and the same feelings that he once erupted in her.
"I'm sorry Heer." He said and she could feel a drop of his tear on her cheek. He was about to explain to her how he landed up here but the door bell, for the second time, became an interruption. Seeing Heer dazzled after looking at him, he decided that he should open the door. But another shock wave came upon looking at The Mann family staring back at him in horror.
Balraj quickly embraced the boy that had become a huge part of his life two years ago. Teji was over-whelmed to see her sweet son-in law in front of her eyes. Maya was rather delighted to see the guy who had supported her like a sister. Nihaal was jumping in joy to see his close friend in front of his eyes. After Heer got married to Prem, he had become so close to the four Manns that they felt as if they had gotten such an obedient son in the form of a son-in law.
The Manns settled down in the living room to learn about what Prem had to go through. Maya was sitting close to a now composed Heer. Heer couldn't take her eyes off his lovely face. A relieved smile played on her lips after such a long time.
"Yeh sab kaise hua beta. Tu pechle do saalo tak kaha tha?" A concerned Balraj asked Prem.
"Mai kafi same se un logo ke saath reh raha tha. Par acchanak unhe pata chal gaya ke hai ek military officer hu. Kissi bhi tareeke se mai apni jaan bacha paya tha. Lekin who log kuleam ghoom rahe the meri talash me. Mai ghar aana chata tha. Lekin mere yaha ane se Heer ki jaan ko khattra hota. Issiliye mai Pune me raha. Mumbai se jitna dor rehta utna hi behtar hota Heer ke liye. Mujhe laga ki mai kabhi Heer se mil nahi paonga. Issiye maine apne dost ko kaha ke who Heer ko khabar kar de ke mai mar gaya." Prem stopped to look at a tear eyed Heer.
"Lekin kuch dino pehle, hum sab ne milkar unko encounter me mar diya. Aur saara khattra tal gaya." Prem ended his justification.
Balraj proudly patted his back. He was blessed to have such a son-in law who put his daughter's well being before everything.
To lighten up the atmosphere, Nihaal decided to celebrate his arrival. The entire family decided to have a wonderful dinner party for Prem's arrival.
Heer was engrossed in making the dinner. When Teji and Maya entered the kitchen to help, they witnessed the glowing happiness on her face which had been missing for while some time now. Teji went to check up on Praneel while Maya decided to help out Heer. Heer saw Maya mix the curry and she instantly stopped her.
"Please Bhabhi. Aap aaram kijiye. Mai kar dungi naa." Heer pleaded. Maya had to agree or else Heer would start her lecture again. Maya felt lucky to have a younger sister like her. Heer had helped her recover from her miscarriage. Their relationship grew with Praneel's arrival.
After recollecting past memories, the men decided to go into the kitchen and check on their wives. Prem watched Heer prepare his favorite gajar ka halwa. Teji was looking over the rest of the foods. While Maya was preparing Praneel's khicidi. Balraj and Nihaal settled themselves on the dinning table while Prem decided to go and fresh up in his room. When he entered his room, he went straight to the bathroom and freshens up. As he walked out of the bathroom wiping his washed face with a soft towel, his eyes fell on his Heer.
And then came the biggest shock of his life. He watched her fill up a tiny spoonful of khicidi and feed it to a soft, chubby creature. The features on the tiny creature's face baffled him. Prem couldn't get his eyes off of him.
"Abb aap jaldi se yeh khalo. Phir Mamma aap ko ek surprise dengi." Heer requested her son to finish his breakfast.
She watched his eat everything up quickly. He hadn't eaten anything the entire day. And today, he was going to get the love of someone who he had never seen. Today Praneel was going to meet his father for the first time.
Praneel smiled back at his Mommy after finishing his breakfast. His sparkling eyes were reflecting his freshness. Heer was glad that his fever was over. Her baby had scared her to death with that fever. But even then, today was the happiest day of her life. She got her Prem back.
Praneel gently held out his hands in front of her indicating her the he wanted to go into her arms and not sleep. Satisfied by his freshness and his lowered temperature, she scooped him up in his arms. She turned around to leave the room when she noticed him in front of her. There was a certain spark in his eyes that made her smile.
Heer looked at Praneel and then at Prem. Praneel had his face hidden in his Mommy's neck. Heer lifted his face and turned him so that Prem could look at him.
The instance he looked into his baby's eyes, his tears welled his eyes. This was the biggest gift that God had gifted him, after Heer. Prem came closer to his family and gently caressed his baby's cheek.
Praneel looked at the unknown man and thought that it was funny because he looked exactly like him. He wanted to discover who this person was and because of that, he pulled him closer and slipped into his arms.
Seeing the father-son interaction for the first time, her eyes welled up. When he looked at her with those coffee warm eyes, she could sense him thanking her for everything.
The three went downstairs to join the family for dinner. The Mann's were happy to see happiness back into Heer life. They were satisfied to see three of them together, forever.
::
After everyone left, Heer decided to clean up the kitchen while Prem handled Praneel. She finished her task quickly and headed towards her room. When she walked into her room, a smile automatically found its way on her lips. Prem was sleeping and the bed peacefully. And on top of him was a tired looking Praneel. She slowly made her way to the two most important people in her life. She bent down and placed a soft kiss on her baby's forehead and then left another kiss on her husband's forehead. She got up to go change but stopped when she felt a pull on her wrist.
She turned around to find a naughty Prem smiling at her. Carefully, Prem placed his sleeping son right next to him and covered him up with his blanket. He then pulled his wife on top of him and held onto her tightly. Their faces were only millimeters apart.
"I missed you Heer." He whispered softly. Her eyes welled up and she cuddled close to him. He understood her silent talk which told him that she missed him more.
"Mai kitna badnaseeb hu naa." Prem said sadly. Heer looked into her eyes and wondered what he meant to say.
"Mai tumhare saath nahi reh paaya. Tumhe inta dard diya. Aur apne bache ko bhi iss duniya me ate huye nahi dekh paya." Both of them glanced over at Praneel who was smiling in his sleep.
But before she knew it, Heer found herself being rolled over on the bed with Prem on top of her.
"Kyu na ek aur bacha ho jaye? Usse mai iss duniya mai ate hue bhi dekh paonga." He said giving Heer a naughty grin.
Heer felt her cheeks burn bright red from shyness. But she wouldn't mind another chota Prem.
Prem smiled at her shyness.
"I love you Heer." He said softly. And with that, he relived the memories of the past with her.
"I love you too Prem." She said with a tearful smile.
They sealed their lips with each other promising to never leave each other's side. The Lambi Judia had officially come to an end.
The End
::
Whatever is to be done, the Lord is doing. No one else can do anything. Those separated from Him for so long are reunited by Him
-Sri Guru Granth Sahi
::
Can't wait to read comments!
:: Kali ::
comment:
p_commentcount