FF| AWMARW Thread 2 - Page 40

Originally posted by: anushyap

👏OMG LOVED THE UPDATE!!! 🤗 PLEASE UPDATE SOON!!!😊

Originally posted by: sowmya18

hey....continue soon...
thanks for the pm...

Originally posted by: Pumpkinn

Awesome update !

Loved it !

Waiting for next !

Update soon !

Thnx for pm !

Originally posted by: -alisha-

nice update.....loved the premeer interaction and the fun of rest of the gang..........:D do update soon

Originally posted by: shahrukh_divya

luvin it!!!!!!!!!awsum luved it!!!!!

prem n heer scenes wer awsum!!!!

romance :))))))))

thx for da pm grace! :)

Originally posted by: newt2007

nice update

Preet has to learn to knock the door before entry. he will never.

nice family scenes with their partners.

their chats and everything are nice.

you are expert in writing family stroies and love stories.

Prem and Heer scene is so little even then its sweet.

Originally posted by: rhtpkcm

loved ittt!! sooo good...update soon

Originally posted by: ...Harshiti...

Nice update Grace

Loved all the scenes between all the couples...happy their all getting to spend time with each other...when will veera and nihaal realize they like each other! hope its soon.....your FF is one of those stories in which i like veera cause shes not separating premeer😳, so hoping good for her😊

and Preet *sigh* what to say about him...he should certainly learn some manners😆

Now finally coming to my jaan and jaanu...firstly I would like to thank u for squeezing in their cute little scene...their seriously sooo adorable...and i love it how heer is opening up more to prem and its not always him who starts things off *cough* *cough* 😆 I loved it how heer wanted to kiss her husband right there and then😳. I also wanna complain to u, why have premeer stopped calling each other jaan and jaanu....please please please in their next scene make them call each other jaan and jaanu, i really miss that!

Thankx for the quick update....eagerly waiting for next update😃

Originally posted by: sherma

nice one.preet is a big kabba mein haddi for his brothers same goes wid prem and harman even they do the same.preet luvs his pb so much. thnks for pm.do continue soon

Originally posted by: 0711rokxoxo

very romantic!!!!

loved the PH scnes and a bit of Meet in there..

great update

Originally posted by: XXSam1XX

Great update. Very well written. Sorry couldn't comment on the previous parts my P.C. had a huge crash down. Thank you for the PMs and update soon.

Originally posted by: Prem4everRamsha

That WAS AWESOME!

OMG. PLEASE update soon... im probably gonna die because of the cliffhanger....
can't wait for premeer's honeymoon to end and their normal routine to start soon!! yayy. :)

OMG. I hope Nihaal finds Veera, and they get together really soon!

Thanks for the pm.

Update Soon!

Love,

Ramsha

Originally posted by: rhtpkcm

update soon please can't wait to read

Originally posted by: harshitideewani

Thanks for the minblowing update grace👏
Loved the romantic ❤️scenes of Premeer, Meet lovely scenes and also Harmaya, Veera , nihal scenes also Ash , kunal one.😃
hope they find Veera soon and Veera come to know why she cares about Nihaal sooo much 😉
Pleasee update soon intersting and waiting.😍

Originally posted by: Aymee

Great update Grace.

Preet, Nihal, Veera and the suitcase scene was very funny. It was very sweet of Nihal to carry Veera's suitcase.

You got to love Preet always interupting a romantic moment with his siblings. First Prem, now Harman. And the best part of it all is that Preet is the only who can do this and get away with it. 😆

Preet and Meher's scene was very romantic. I really felt bad for Preet for missing Prem so much. I hope 3 brothers will find some time to spend with each other.

Prem and Heer's part was romantic also. Prem worried about Heer once they arrive home was very sweet and considerate. Most husbands wouldn't have said what Prem said to Heer. They would assume, that their wives will give up everything and become a housewife because that was the custom and traditions. I know Gayatri and Kulraj will support Heer also. I am glad Heer wants to help them. It shows her responsibility and the love she has for her family.

As for the hiking trip with Sang, Nihal and Veera. It was great. I didn't like Sang's comment to Veera about why she was camping instead of shopping. I wanted take a pan and hit him over his head. Why do men think women are shallow, when they themselves make shallow comments. 😆 I really felt bad for Veera. I also liked it when she realized how much Nihal's comments means so much to her. This is a good progress you are doing with Nihal and Veera. I like it. I hope they find her in time before it gets dark.

Thank you for the PM Grace. I am sorry for taking so long to comment. Also thank you for the birthday wish at the FC. It really meant a lot to me 😃. I can't wait for your next update.

Originally posted by: ...Harshiti...

Nice update Grace

Loved all the scenes between all the couples...happy their all getting to spend time with each other...when will veera and nihaal realize they like each other! hope its soon.....your FF is one of those stories in which i like veera cause shes not separating premeer😳, so hoping good for her😊

and Preet *sigh* what to say about him...he should certainly learn some manners😆

Now finally coming to my jaan and jaanu...firstly I would like to thank u for squeezing in their cute little scene...their seriously sooo adorable...and i love it how heer is opening up more to prem and its not always him who starts things off *cough* *cough* 😆 I loved it how heer wanted to kiss her husband right there and then😳. I also wanna complain to u, why have premeer stopped calling each other jaan and jaanu....please please please in their next scene make them call each other jaan and jaanu, i really miss that!

Thankx for the quick update....eagerly waiting for next update😃

Originally posted by: ...Harshiti...

Hey Abby,

Yeah, Preet should learn some manners but if he did it wouldn't be as fun at J-Zoo now would it 😛 😉 😆...gosh I miss him.

Veera isn't as bad in my fic because I can't seem to write really bad characters 😆 She's just a little spoil and opinionated 😳

As for Jaan and Jaanu...they'll make an appearance again in the next chapter...I've squeezed them in...got an idea and decided to go with it 😆 hope you guys enjoy it 🤓 that's all I'm going say for now. We'll get to see another side of Heer 😛 Thanks for taking the time to comment 😃

Originally posted by: iheartChai

hahahaha yes Grace we don't really want preet to learn manners😆, meee 2 I miss him😭

Oh ya so my jaan and jaanu gonna make an appearance again😃, love you for that Grace, now I can't wait for the next update, we will surely enjoy it as you are one of the best writers in this forum😊....and we'll get to see another side of Heer???😲, what r u upto Grace😆, but m sure you'll blow us all away with the other side of heer😉eagerly waiting for that!

Update soon😊

Chapter 71: Clearing the Air

Nihaal walked quickly through the forest his heart pounding in his chest while his stomach churned nauseously. He felt responsible for what had happened. Despite knowing what the girls had told him he couldn't help but feel guilty. He just wanted to find her and make sure she was okay. "Veera?! If you can hear us say something!" Nihaal yelled into the dusky night.

"Veera?!" Sang shouted alongside him. He shook his head and sighed, "It's getting really dark up here. I don't think we can stay out here any longer."

"We have to find her Sang," Nihaal replied as he continued to trudge through the forest.

"We don't even know which direction she went. She could have gone up or down...what if she fell into a pit?"

"We have to thank positive Sang," Nihaal said.

"Hey, any luck?" Kunal asked as he walked his way over to them.

"No, what about you?" Sang inquired.

"No...we've been calling and calling but we don't hear anything," Ashlesha replied. "We even pause for a few seconds to listen just in case she's stuck or trapped somewhere."

"I was just telling Nihaal that I don't think we can continue going. It's getting really dark. It's going to come to point where we won't be able to see a thing. And that's really dangerous we can't have the search party get lost too or worst hurt as well," Sang said.

"I agree...let's go back to the trail. We can try calling Preet and Harman on their cell phones and tell them we should head home. We'll wake up really early tomorrow morning and go look for her...we'll call in the park troopers too to help in the search," Kunal replied.

"Um, guys where is Nihaal?" Ashlesha asked.

The group looked all around them and then sighed with frustrated panic, "Just great he's wandered off too!" Kunal barked.

"He's really worried. He blames himself for her disappearing," Ashlesha said.

"We can't afford to go looking for him. Let's go back to the trail and maybe he'll show up later...or we'll just call him," Kunal suggested. Sang and Ashlesha agreed to his plan and walked back towards the trail.

Veera groggily opened her eyes and felt pain in her head and her left leg. She sat up and began to carefully inspect herself. She knew she had a slight gash on the forehead as she saw the blood on her hands. She looked at her left leg and saw that her knee was bleeding but other than that she was still in one piece. She slowly got up and tried to take a step. That is when she realized she had sprained her ankle. Her leg just couldn't support her weight and it was too painful to walk. Veera looked up inspecting where she was and swallowed uncomfortably knowing she might have to spend the night in the forest all alone.

Meanwhile, Kunal, Ashlesha, and Sang had made it back to the trail and found that Harman and Maya were already there. "We thought since it was getting so dark that we needed to head back," Kunal said.

"Yeah, that's what we thought too," Harman replied.

The group turned their heads when they heard the rustling of bushes and hoped it was Veera but to their disappointment it was Preet and Meher. "Oh good you guys are here. It's getting harder and harder to see," Preet said.

"We might have to head back to the cabin. I don't like doing this but we can't afford to be wandering around in the woods at night. Tomorrow morning as soon as the sun rises we should come back out here along with some park troopers," Harman suggested.

"My thinking exactly," Kunal agreed.

"Where's Nihaal?" Meher asked with concern.

"Yeah, about that...he wandered away when were discussing what we needed to do next," Sang replied.

"Well, at least he has a flashlight. I'll wait up here for another 15 minutes...you guys go down," Preet said. The group agreed and started to head back down the trail. Meher looked at him with worried eyes. "Go Meher, your brother is going be fine. I'll be here. We'll be down in a few minutes." She nodded and walked away.

Nihaal thrashed his way through the bushes yelling at the top of his lungs hoping that Veera would hear him. He nearly tripped over a tree root but managed to brace himself with a nearby tree trunk. His flashlight unfortunately went tumbling down the hill into a valley below. He cursed at his bad luck and stood there wondering what he should do next.

Veera was sitting in the dark when she suddenly heard a thumping sound. It sounded as if something was rolling down towards her. She saw to her surprise as a flashlight landing a few feet away from where she sat. "Hello?!" she yelled. She paused for a few minutes to see if there was anyone there. "Hello?!" A creepy silence seemed to form around her as she continued to sit there on the ground. She strained her ears to listen for any movement. Despite her hope of hearing something walking towards her the gentle sound of something snapping or rustling was also scaring the wits out of her. "Anyone there? " Veera clutched her arms and mumbled, "Oh Lord save me from animals and strange people."

"Veera?!"

Her eyes widened at the sound of a human voice. "Yes, I'm down here! Help! I sprained my ankle I can't walk."

"Keep shouting!" the voice called back towards her.

Veera waited eagerly to see who her savior was. She couldn't quiet tell since the voice was far away but as it got closer she realized who it was. "Nihaal? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," he shouted back.

A few minutes later, he was on the ground of the valley and by her side. "Are you okay? Anything else hurt?" He asked with great concern in his voice. He carefully shined the flashlight to the side so he could inspect her forehead. "That's a nasty gash...you might need stitches." Veera winced as his fingers gently probed the area around her wound. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him and noticed he had some dirty on his cheek and reached out brushing it away. Nihaal's eyes widen at the sudden touch and Veera felt embarrassed as she realized what she was doing. They both looked away. "I'm sorry," she replied.

"Why? Um, thanks," Nihaal answered. Veera assumed that the reason why he was so nervous was probably because he was thinking about Jyoti. She was the one that had the right to touch him like that. "So, what happened?" Nihaal asked trying to change the subject.

"I...um, was walking back and tripped over a tree root and fell down here. I hit my head and was knocked out for awhile. I only came too probably a few minutes ago? I don't know...my phone fell out of my pocket on the way down...I don't have a watch," Veera explained.

"I tripped on the same tree root," Nihaal said.

"Are you okay?" Veera asked with concern. The minute those words left her mouth she wished she had taken it back as she saw the same look in his eye when she had touched his cheek.

"Um, yeah I'm fine. My flashlight had fallen but I could still sort of see the light. Then I thought I heard a voice calling. I just kept my eyes on the light and made my way carefully down. And then when I realized the voice I thought I was hearing was real and it was yours...well, you know what happened next," Nihaal said. "So, your ankle is hurt?"

"Yes, left foot," Veera replied and whimpered as he examined her foot.

Nihaal sat there for a few minutes pondering something and then looked at her, "Okay, I'll just have to give you a piggyback ride." He turned his back towards her and ordered, "Get on."

"What do you mean get on?" Veera asked.

"I think it's pretty clear what I'm telling you to do. We don't have all day. Stop being so difficult. I know...I know...I'm dirty...probably smell...you don't want to touch me...but can you please swallow your pride and get on so we can go home. Everyone is worried about you," Nihaal snapped.

"Why are you being so mean? I don't think these things about you. I'm sorry I'm such a bother to you," Veera replied. She couldn't understand why Nihaal was suddenly acting like this and thinking things like she really hated him because that was far from the truth.

"Stop being ridiculous and get on," Nihaal ordered.

"What about Jyoti?" Veera suddenly asked.

"Jyoti? What does she have anything to do with this?" Nihaal replied turning his head to look at her. "You're not making any sense...you really hit your head didn't you?"

"Of course it makes sense...I mean...I don't think Jyoti would appreciate you carrying me...being so close..." Veera rambled.

"Appreciate? I think she would be fine since I'm trying to save her stupid cousin," Nihaal replied a bit stressed.

"Stupid? So I'm not only one of those 'demanding girls' but I'm also 'stupid' too...thanks for letting me know how you really feel," Veera replied. "No thank you...I'll just sit here and wait until one of my brothers comes to find me. You can go now."

"Seriously?" Nihaal asked arching his eyebrow. He took a deep breath and calmly stated, "I don't think you're stupid...I'm sorry...I didn't mean it like that way. You're just acting a bit stupid right now and stubborn too...for whatever reason I don't understand. But I don't hate you...you're smart...kind of funny in your own way...you've got a lot of courage...you know what you want and go out and get it and I respect that about you. I like you."

"You respect me? You like me?" Veera softly muttered. "But Jyoti...what about her?"

"I really don't understand why you keep bring her up," Nihaal replied.

"Well, aren't you dating her or something? You like her don't you?" Veera finally asked tired of tip-toeing around the subject. She stared at Nihaal wide eyed as he suddenly burst into laughter. "What's so funny? My cousin is a great person...why are you laughing like that...if she found out she'd kill you. And you're here boyfriend?"

"Whoa, slow down...boyfriend? No, no, no...I'm not her boyfriend. Yes, she's a friend. But it isn't like that. She's dating Duncan," Nihaal said.

"Duncan?" Veera gasped.

"Yes, Duncan James my best friend...the world famous designer. She's petrified of telling her parents because he's white and not Indian. They are getting really serious. Duncan wants to marry her," Nihaal explained.

"That dinner that night..."

"Jyoti's plan was to introduce me to her family especially her father...so he would get a good impression of me...I was coming to the dinner as Jyoti's friend...nothing more. Jyoti's already broke it to her mother that she's been secretly dating Duncan for two years. The plan was if her father thinks I'm a respectable guy and a friend that Jyoti trusts then he'll respect my opinion of Jyoti and Duncan getting married," Nihaal said.

"Oh..." Veera simply stated feeling extremely embarrassed. She was glad the darkness of the night was hiding her blush.

"We don't have all day...come on," Nihaal instructed.

Veera climbed onto his back and took the flashlight from his hands. He then carefully stood up and held her legs. "Can you point it a little lower so I can see what's on the ground?" Veera did as she was told and they started walking through the forest in silence. Nihaal knew all he had to do was to walk westward and they would eventually hit the trail. "Wow, I can't believe you thought Jyoti and I were dating," Nihaal chuckled.

"Why not? I mean anyone would sort of assume," Veera replied.

"Well, I have to say I'm surprised you freaked out over me giving you a piggyback ride. It's not like you're crossing some boundary...you're hurt," Nihaal said.

"Well, I-I...um..."

"A loss for words for once? I can't believe it," Nihaal replied.

"Why do you do that? You seem to know how to push my buttons," Veera suddenly asked.

"I didn't realize...I was doing it..."

"Liar," Veera retorted.

Nihaal smiled. "I don't know...you look kind of cute when you get all frustrated...I think it's your eyes...they're really pretty. I know I'm weird."

"You think my eyes are pretty?"

"Yeah, why do you keep repeating everything I say...especially a compliment?" Nihaal inquired.

"I guess I'm just not use to it," Veera said. "I'm really sorry Nihaal for saying anything mean or bad about you. You're a nice guy."

"Thanks." He then murmured, "I really think you've hit your head really hard."

"I'm trying to be nice to you and you're taking everything so lightly...gosh, you're just like Preet sometimes," Veera replied with irritation.

"I'm sorry. No, I understand. Thank you...really I mean it. So friends?" Nihaal asked.

"Yeah, friends," Veera answered happily.

It wasn't long before they made their way closer to the hiking trail. Nihaal carefully pushed them through the bushes mindful of Veera's hurt leg. There was horrified yell that shocked them into shouting out in surprise and got their hearts racing. "Oh My God! Preet!" Veera yelped.

"Veera?" Preet said breathlessly. "You guys scared the crap out of me."

"We scared you...you scared us with your yell," Veera replied.

"All I saw was lights dancing in the distance while I was walking down" Preet said. "I almost gave up on you guys. I kept calling your phone Nihaal but you weren't answering."

"I didn't hear anything. It's probably the reception here," Nihaal replied.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Preet asked immediately turning into worry brother mood when he realized Nihaal was carrying Veera on his back.

"I sprained my left leg. I tripped over a tree root and fell...knocked my head...but I'm okay now," Veera answered.

"She needs to go to the hospital...he's got a gash on her forehead...probably needs stitches," Nihaal said.

"We'll let Ash take a look at you when we get back to the cabin. It's too dark to see anything right now," Preet replied.

"Is there a nearby hospital or something?" Nihaal inquired.

"There is a clinic...and from my understanding the doctor makes house calls so he should be open," Preet said.

"I'm sorry Bhaiya," Veera replied.

"Why are you sorry? I'm just glad you are okay. You're safe now and that is all that matters. We'll have you fixed up in no time," Preet smiled.

Rain had befallen Venice making it one of those lazy days to stay indoors and enjoy the company you were with instead of venturing out into the dark and stormy weather. Prem sat on the couch in his bathrobe mumbling, "I can't believe I'm letting you do this."

"Stop moving around so much," Heer replied.

"You're not going to take pictures are you?"

"Why would I do that?" she innocently inquired.

"So you could torture me...blackmail me..."

"I'm not Preet," Heer simply replied. She gave a gently giggle as she lifted her eyes to look at her husband.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself so much," Prem said with a slight grumble.

"Stop whining...you know you should consider this another husband and wife bonding experience," Heer smiled.

"This is a strange way to bond."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with what I'm doing," Heer replied. "All I'm doing is giving you a manicure and a pedicure. I washed your hands and feet in warm water...gave you a massage...trimmed, filed, and buffed your nails for you too...now you have some really nice looking nails."

Prem stared down the length of his body to his feet and furrowed his eyebrows. His loving wife was doing a lot more than massaging and cutting his nails. She had placed little foam wedges between his toes while she took painstaking care in brushing nail polish on his toenails. He sighed as he felt with his hands the two little antennae like ponytails she had tied on top of his head. He knew he probably looked ridiculous and wondered why he had agreed to any of this. "Prem! Don't touch anything," Heer warned. "The nail polish hasn't dried yet." He made a childish sad face as he put his hands back down and spread his fingers wide again. His fingernails had an alternating pattern of creamy white and orange nail polish. He cautiously brought up his right hand and sniffed his thumb which was painted with a creamy white. It smelled like coconut. He then sniffed his index finger which was painted orange. It smelled like mangos. "Are you putting the scented nail polish on my toes?"

"Nope, just the regular kind on your toes," Heer replied as she put the metallic copper colored nail polish bottle on the table. Her hair was getting in the way of her being able to properly paint his nails. She took the black hair tie around her wrist and used it to pull her hair up in a high ponytail. "Why...you like the smell?" she asked as she went back to work.

"Yeah, smells nice...coconut and mango," he replied. He then chuckled, "Everything for you girls is fruity scented...your shampoo, your soap, your lip gloss, your shaving cream, your lotions, your body sprays, your deodorant, and now even your nail polish...why haven't they come out with fruity tasting toothpaste?"

"I would actually prefer my minty one...thank you," Heer replied.

"Maybe they could make a minty lemon strawberry," Prem suggested causing her to laugh.

"Actually, that doesn't sound so bad," Heer said after taking a moment to reflect.

"But that would be weird...a minty lemon strawberry mouth...kiwi flavored lip gloss...berry deodorant...coconut hair...mango nail polish...and pear flavored lotion...it would be like kissing a fruit basket..." Prem mused.

"Are you saying you don't like kissing me?"

"Of course not Honey," Prem quickly answered afraid she had taken what he said the wrong way. "You know better than to mix all those scents together...you're very tasteful on how you do things. You know I like the shampoos you use. I love the way you smell after a shower. And I like your kiwi lip gloss a lot..."

Heer grinned, "You certainly do. You do more sucking then kissing when I put it on." She paused to check his toes and gently blew on them. "Almost done...now onto your left foot." Prem couldn't help but smile at her giddiness. "Well, I try not to mix all those scents together...it can be overwhelming not only for other people but even for me. Sometimes the scents are really strong. I prefer the simply smell of cocoa butter."

"Cocoa butter? That smell makes me think of the beach...why don't you use it?" Prem asked.

"I'm trying to get rid of all my other fruity lotions that I bought...I have so many. I like the smell of vanilla and cocoa butter...I still like some of the fruity scents like mango...coconut...I love the Pearberry, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, Midnight Pomegranate, and Mango Mandarin from Bath & Body Works" she replied.

Prem made a mental note on her scent preferences knowing they would come in handy the next time he purchased her a gift. He glanced at the table that was covered with various manicure and pedicure items. She had several different bottles of nail polish colors; white, orange, purple, copper, gold, silver, light pink, and red. His eyes focused in on something he had never noticed before a tiny bottle with a white top. "What's that one...the one with a white top?"

"Oh, that's clear," Heer replied.

"Clear?! You had clear nail polish and you didn't use it? Why did you use the colored ones on me?" Prem complained.

"Cause I thought it would be fun. Just be glad I didn't use All Fired Up Red on you," Heer giggled. "Now that would have been weird."

"That would have been weird? Like this doesn't look weird to you now?" Prem said showing her his hands. "I'm a grown man wearing white and orange nail polish...something is wrong with this picture. At least with my toes you are using that copper color...it's a bit more masculine...if you can even call nail polish masculine."

"Awww but Jaanu you look so cute..."

"I look cute in nail polish?" he inquired looking at his wife strangely.

"No, when you make that face," Heer grinned childishly. "And anyways...you said you liked the smell of coconut and mango."

"Well yeah...but this...how did you talk me into this?" he rambled. "You're not going to take pictures right?" He was getting increasingly worried that his wife was going to whip out a camera and take a picture of him in his white bathrobe, antenna ponytails, and multi colored fingernails and toenails. He could imagine the type of ragging he would get from his siblings. He had mental pictures of them all pointing and laughing at him and asking, "So this is what you were doing during your honeymoon?"

"I talked you into this because you love me and you want to see me happy," Heer replied beaming a cheesy smile. "And don't worry...I'm not taking pictures."

Prem exhaled loudly, "Yes, I love you a lot. A lot for you to emasculate me like this..."

"I'm not emasculating you. It takes a real man to be comfortable in his own skin to do something like this," Heer said as she closed the nail polish bottle. "You're all done."

"Where are you going?" Prem asked as watched his wife get up and move away from the sitting area.

"I'm going to wash my hands...got a little nail polish on them," Heer simply stated. "I'll be back...don't move."

"Like I really could...you'd beat me if I moved," Prem mumbled underneath his breath when his wife had walked further away from him.

"What was that Prem?" His eyes bulged surprised she had heard him mumble. "Nothing Honey...jjust won-dering when the rain is going to stop, heh. I know you really wanted to go out and see more of the sights."

"Well, it can't be helped. We still have tomorrow at least," Heer replied from the bathroom. She then came back towards the sitting area and stood in front of her husband. Prem looked at her with a gently smile. She was wearing yellow pajama shorts that had the words Victoria's Secret printed in red and a red tank top. Her hands were behind her back in a reflective stance. "Yes?"

"I don't think I've told you how beautiful you're looking today," Prem replied. His brown eyes flexed with his trademark smolder that always sent Heer's heart a flutter and a blush on her cheeks. "Beautiful," he repeated.

"I love you too," she simply stated. She then smiled as she brought the camera from behind her back.

Prem's eyes went wide with panic. "Heer, you promised! No pictures...what are doing?!"

"Jaanu, I never promised you."

"Then what does 'I'm not taking pictures' mean?" Prem exclaimed.

"I'm not taking a full body picture of you. I just want to take a picture of my work. Just the feet and the hands...I won't take a picture of your face. Even though you look so adorable with your antenna ponytails," Heer giggled. "Prem, don't you dare move. Don't you want to have something to see?"

"I can see perfectly fine. Great job Honey...please?"

"No," Heer answered.

"Can I at least take my wedding band off? I mean...so it's not so noticeable...even though it probably will be. You'll erase them later, right?" Prem asked as he obediently let Heer take a picture of his feet. "Do you know what will happen if Preet, Harman, Veera, and Kulraj Di see these pictures? You love your husband don't you?"

"Hands...put them on the table. You can remove the wedding band," Heer instructed ignoring the rest of her husband's babble. After finishing taking her shots she climbed on the couch and sat on Prem's lap showing him the photos she took. "See...nothing to worry about."

"Very nice..."

Heer put the camera on the table and then wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss on his cheek. "You're the best hubby in the world." Prem smiled at her affection and words. She then playfully played with the ponytails on the top of his head running her fingers through his sprouting hairs. Prem was amazed at seeing this other side of Heer; a girly playful side he'd never seen before. She was treating him like some eighth grade girls' sleepover makeover project. Obvious difference was he was a male, her husband, not in the eighth grade, and they were cuddling.

"So, you did this often when you were younger?" Prem asked.

"Um, only when family came over to visit...or during weddings or reunions. All the girl cousins would crowd in the room together...the older ones would bring a stash of makeup or nail polish over...we'd take turns doing makeovers...obviously when the all the parents were downstairs busy chatting away and singing and listening to their old songs. We'd have a look out at the door so if any of the Aunties came we'd know and hide the person who had the makeup on. We'd take pictures and then quickly take the makeup off so no one would get in trouble. With the nail polish we did it at night when the parents were asleep since it took time to dry," Heer explained fondly remembering her childhood memories. "One time Meher forgot to take off the nail polish on her toes and Mama caught her. I took the blame and said I had bought the nail polish and was testing it out on Meher. Of course Mama saw right through my lie and we both ended up getting punished. We had to go clean our next door neighbor's chicken coop because we lied to her. We had to catch the chickens and move them into this other pen while we cleaned their coop. Meher slipped and got all this icky chicken poop on her...haha...she smelled pretty bad. She vowed from then on she would never put on nail polish ever again. But of course when we visited our cousin two weeks later...she put it on again..."

"Your parents were that strict?"

"I was fifteen at that time and Meher was around twelve...Mama didn't want us wearing make up until we were at least eighteen," Heer replied. She laid her head down on Prem's shoulder and sat there in silence with him listening to the rhythm of the falling rain.

"I could go for some pakoras right now," Prem sighed.

"Missing Ma's cooking? When we get home you can stuff yourself full of her samosas, pakoras your favorite stuff bhindi sabzi, parathas, chole, dal, curries, and everything else you love..." Heer said.

"I want to eat your cooking," Prem replied.

"I'm not that great of a cook Prem. I think your stomach would be more thankful if you had Ma's cooking."

"I want to eat your cooking," he repeated firmly. "I want to eat my wife's cooking...it's my right as a husband."

"Ah, so after a hard day's work from the office...you want me to slave in the kitchen for you?"

"That's not what I meant Honey---"

Heer cupped his mouth with the palm of her hand, "I know. I was only messing with you. I'll do my best to make tasty food for you."

Prem lowered her hand, "Just consider it a humble request from your husband. Don't stress yourself out about it. I'd be happy with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made from your hands. That's all I want."

Heer smiled and gently kissed him. When the kiss broke she leaned her forehead against his, "I love you."

"Love you too," he breathed. He closed his eyes as she initiated another kiss; her hands cupping his face as their mouths danced with one another. The familiar tingles that always occurred coursed through his body awaking every nerve and muscle. His hands rubbed her back in a slow sensual way. He grinned when she moved her mouth away to trail kisses on his jawline. She then nibbled on his earlobe and whispered, "Would you apply nail polish for me?" Prem let out a chuckle, "Of course."

Heer pulled back with a smile. "Should we order room service?"

"Sounds like a great idea. But um..." shifting his eyes upward, "what about these?" he inquired.

Heer gently undid the ponytails on his head and brushed her fingers through his hair lovingly. "Thanks."

"No, thank you for being such a good sport about all of this," she replied.

"I was whining a lot."

"But you still let me do it," Heer chortled. She then playfully kissed his nose. "Good boys get gifts."

Prem's eyes sparked at her remark. "What kind of gift?"

Heer ran her finger along his jawline, "Oh, I think you're smart enough to figure that one out." They both looked at each other with mischievously mirthful expressions on their faces.

"So what kind of nail polish would you like to wear?" Prem asked.

"Hmmm, I think red...start with my toes first...you'll probably need some practice...try to stay on the nail." Prem nodded his head and got off the couch and grabbed the bottle of red nail polish. Heer sat with her feet propped up on the edge of the coffee table while Prem sat on the floor and carefully started his work.

Kiran nodded his head and waved a polite farewell as Vinay Bindar left the Juneja mansion. He closed the door and turned around to see his wife looking at him with curious eyes. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "That was by far the most interesting dinner I've ever had."

"Well? What did he say?"

"He's agreed to take me on as a client because I do have a legitimate business proposal. I told him the truth when I went to his office to discuss purchasing property for that startup me and several of the other fellows at work are working on." Kiran put his arm around his wife's shoulder, "If things go as planned we'll have a thriving business in no time. Thank you for having this much faith in me...willing to take this chance...you know if things don't go well---"

"Kiran, don't think like that. Think positively. Positive thoughts will invite good things to come in. You've worked for that other company for so long and they've barely promoted you. You've worked tirelessly for them and if they aren't willing to appreciate your work then you have every right to go out on your own," Kulraj encouraged.

"It's a huge risk I'm taking for the family. Your parents have been nothing but supportive...taking me all those years ago...when I should have bought a house for us to start our lives in. We're almost there...if things work out the way they're suppose to...I'll be able to buy that house for you and the kids," Kiran replied. "I know it wasn't easy for your father to accept me when he heard I had no family...my parents having died when I was eighteen..."

"But you proved to him that you loved me and could support me. I actually enjoyed our time in that little apartment before Bauji insisted we move into the house," Kulraj said with gently smile. "I know it took a lot for you to accept it after you lost that job...before you found this current one."

"I intend on paying your father back'that's way it's taken so long," Kiran replied. "Now, I'm leaving this job for this startup."

"We'll take one day at a time," Kulraj smiled. "So, Mr. Bindar can't be that heartless as Bauji states if he's still willing to take you as a client."

"I agree. We'll have to let Prem know that his little idea sort of worked...at least in getting Mr. Bindar to come over to our house without him knowing about it," Kiran said. "Where's Ma?"

"She's in the kitchen with Teji Auntie and Bauji is in pool house with Balraaj Uncle. She's still very upset over dinner."

"I don't blame her after the way Bauji acted. I hope Balraaj Uncle can talk some sense into him," Kiran replied with a frown.

"Well, as far as Ma's concern Harman and Maya will marry and if he doesn't want to support it then he doesn't have to attend the wedding," Kulraj said. "Ma's very adamant about her decision."

"Teji Auntie thinks the more Bauji and Maya's father see Harman and Maya together they will start to realize the love their children share. In the end no matter how much they hate each other they still love their children and want to see them happy. I think Auntie is right. We'll just have to hope it works out this way. Harman still hasn't graduated from law school yet...I think he's waiting for when he graduates to get married to Maya. Or maybe when Maya graduates from college."

"Hmmm...so that's about a year if he's waiting on Maya..." Kiran pondered. He then chuckled, "The Juneja men are settling down really earlier...Prem just got married...now a year later Harman is probably going to get married...that leaves dear Preet...will he follow in his brothers' footsteps too? Ha-Ha...I can't picture that little rascal married. He's still immature."

"A lot can happen in a year Kiran. And he has two years before he graduates...and with Meher by his side I suspect we will start seeing some big changes in him," Kulraj replied.

"I certainly hope so for Meher's sake. Preet doesn't know how great of a catch he's got," Kiran said.

"I found him that girl...thank you very much," Kulraj said with pride.

"Found her for him?"

"I started implanting little ideas in his head...and thankful my brother hadn't partied out all his brain cells and actually took my advice and asked Meher out," Kulraj replied.

"Ah, my beautiful wife is so smart," Kiran grinned and placed a soft kiss on her head.

"Thank you. Now, diaper duty for you," Kulraj ordered.

Kiran chuckled and bowed his head, "Yes dear," and went off to his daughter's bedroom.