Veer Singh Brar was a singer. He was an artist. He enjoyed singing and that was his passion. This understanding of his own art led to understanding other people who enjoyed and passionately loved their art. One such person was his Parjai, Sahiba.
His Parjai was a wonderful painter. She was also a ceramic artist. Her pottery business was actually blooming well; unknown to almost everyone else. Of course, if he tried to compare her business and art with his family business, it would be incomparable.
Veer always felt that in his Parjai's art, there was a simplicity, a passion for her work and a love and dedication towards her craft. His Parjai's shop might be small, but it held sincerity in it.
In their business, on the other hand, was competition, cheating and lies. While, no doubt, his grandfather built the entire empire with hard work, dedication and love, it did not remain the same till this day. His father and his elder brother had worked hard to bring the business where it was today. Yet, they haven't managed to loosen or remove the web of lies that remained unseen to their family members.
He clutched the tablet in his hand, a bit nervous in approaching his Angad Paaji regarding matters of Sahiba Parjai, but he needed to do this. As an artist, who loved his art, he had too.
He knocked on the mahogany door, waiting impatiently for his brother to respond.
'Come in'.
Finally, he mussed, as he pushed open the door. He found his Angad Paaji behind his polished grand mahogany desk; seated in a brown reclining office chair matching his desk. A file, no doubt, the new merger deal that would happen in a few days, in his hand.
"Paaji." He called out. He watched how his Angad Paaji glanced up from his smile with a small smile. He closed his file, gesturing him to approach further inside. "Bol Veer, ki hoya?"
Why can't you speak in such a polite manner with Parjai too, Paaji?
Veer shook his head, not wanting to utter such words in case his Paaji looses his cool. He needed his brother to be cool minded about this. He went around the task, heart beating fast as he kept the tablet in front of him. He watched how his Angad Paaji frowned, as he took note of designs that Kiara had submitted to him.
"Ye saab kya hai Veer?" Veer gulped as the questions finally came, "Kiara ke designs iss website pe sell kaise ho rahe hai?"
"Ye designs Kiara ke nehi hai." said Veer slowly, since he was approaching a ticking time bomb which would burst the moment his Parjai's name would be mentioned.
"Kya matlab?" He watched as his Angad Paaji gave his entire attention to him.
"Matlab ki yeh designs Kiara ne chori kiye hai." Veer took a deep breath, "Yeh designs Parjai ke hai."
"What are you saying?" As expected, Veer saw his brother ready to breath fire. "That's not possible. Uss ladki ne zaroor chori kiya hoga. Uski puri family fraud hai!"
"Paaji." Veer tried to say, "Meri gaal suno aap —"
"Mujhe uss ladki ke baarey mei kuch nehi sunna!" Veer was horrified to see his brother getting up to leave the office, no doubt to confront his Parjai.
"Paaji ruko—"
"Aaj tuh mujhe nehi rokega Veer. Meri zindagi ke baad, mere business mei bhi ghus rahi hai uss ladki aur uski family! Mainu yeh koi keemat pe hone na dena!"
"Bas Paaji! Bas!" Veer yelled fed up at his brother's behaviour. He could see Angad Paaji's ire directed at him now. "Puri gaal toh sun lo! Itna assumptions karna sahi nehi hai."
"And you are thinking that girl is innocent?" He heard his brother ask sarcastically, "You are taking an outsider's side? Against our family member? Our sister Kiara?"
"Haanji." His words were short and crystal clear. Veer looked at his brother pleadingly, gently guiding him to the couch in the office room so they could sit and talk. He closed the door, on the accounts, no one get to know about this matter till they investigate it.
He sat down beside him fuming brother, gently keeping the tablet before him on the table.
"Now see carefully. Not just the designs but the date on which it was put to sell." Veer pointed the obvious things out, explaining that he had seen his Parjai making new designs to upload on the website. Apparently, his Sahiba Parjai had a friend who was studying website designing. To help that friend out, she had asked to have a website made at a nominal cost where she could sell her products. This was the website. He had found out all these details by asking her about it.
"Kiara ne aapko jo designs diye they, wo saarey designs Parjai ke website pe recently uploaded hai. When Kiara gave you the designs Paaji, Parjai had uploaded it barely two days before. See the dates. How could it be possible for Parjai to cheat Kiara, when they had never met other than at our home? Kiara doesn't even know at that time where they stayed!"
He could see his Angad Paaji warring between himself. He sighed. His brother did not want to belief his sister-in-law was innocent. He knew why; but he refused to allow him to continue the mistreatment either. His Parjai did not deserve it.
"Yaad hai aapko Paaji?" Veer continued, "I never wanted to become a businessman. I wanted to be a singer. When Daarji got to know about it, he was displeased. Even my own parents were against displeasing Daarji. Yet it was you who stood by me. You told me to work with our retail outlets since I was good with people. I worked for a year, amongst which you managed to get permission from Daarji so I could pursue what I wanted too without upsetting our family members."
He knew his brother's eyes and attention both were on him now.
"Today, I can sing; I can pursue my passion because my brother had the courage and the cunning needed to make both the parties agree to a middle ground." He gave a small smile at a slightly relaxed Angad, "I want you to show the same consideration to both Kiara and Sahiba Parjai."
Again, as expected, his brother tensed up. Veer still prowled on, "Investigate kariye Paaji. I want that brother who would allow us to be ourselves. Aap Kiara ke khatir hi kariye Paaji. If she is been duped, the culprit needs to be caught before we can exhibit our next collection."
At mentioning Kiara's name he saw the same determination in his brother's eyes. He actually dialed the number of his personal investigator.
Veer watched with a feeling of loss, yet happiness. Sure, he wasn't able to change his brother's view of his Parjai but he had kick-started the process. Now he knew the truth will come out and his family members would realize what they had truly done to an innocent soul.
