A very big thanks to everyone who all waited and waited for an update to come...
SHOT-4
The next day Juneja family arrived at Mann's doorstep with the shagun. There were seated beside each other and the family went on with the rituals to be done. Everyone was busy greeting each other. Heer waited for him to start a conversation but he didn't. He was not even looking in her direction instead his gaze was fixed on family members exchanging greetings. So, even she didn't try. He wanted to talk to her but didn't know what to say. Finally he decided that he would start with hi at least and see where it goes and when he was about to say hi Kulraj came and took her away with him.
He saw him talking to his mother and sister and occasionally glancing at him and smiling. He too got busy with Balraj, talking about business and knowing about their family. Heer saw him talking to her father. Gayatri and Kulraj were actually sharing anecdotes of his childhood and now. After what she heard, she felt he isn't the serious type guy he seems to be. There's lot of naughtiness filled in him too that she'd have to explore. He looked so handsome in the sherwani he was wearing. She couldn't take her eyes off him.
Although he was talking to Balraj, he did have a part of his concentration on her. No doubt she looked beautiful but whenever she smiled it was something magical. Her face used to light up even more. It seemed to him that her gaze was fixed on him as if trying to admire him, understand and read him. So, he shifted his position a little as to face her eye to eye.
He saw her blushing when his eyes met hers and quickly turning her gaze towards someone else. He could see her clearly now. She was stealing glances of him but whenever their eyes met, she looked away.
As this unspoken eye conversation was going Preet ran into him eating ice-cream causing the ice-cream to fall over his kurta. Meher offered to take him to clean it and he followed her. As he went into the room, he recalled that it was Heer's. Meher showed him the bathroom to get cleaned while he handed her his mobile. He came back and she handed him the mobile back. They went downstairs. He had lunch and they left.
Heer passed the rest of the day helping Teji and it was time to go to bed. She took out his picture and stared at it for a while. She was actually scolding him for neither giving his number nor taking hers. It reminded her of her phone. Where was it? She recalled that she left it on the couch before going down earlier in the morning. She took it and fell on the bed.
It started to ring and she saw the number flashing on it. She was shocked as it was her number. She wondered how she can get a call from her number on her mobile. Still in shock, she picked it up
"Hii" She heard a voice.
"Prem??" She wondered if it was really him.
"Yes it's me." He said.
"Heer I think our mobiles got swapped" He told her.
"What?" She checked the mobile. It was still black iphone but when she checked the wallpaper and contact list, she realized he was correct.
"But how did this happen? I haven't got my mobile downstairs at all" She uttered.
"Hmm I guess it's' Meher trick then' When I went to get cleaned, I handed her my mobile probably she would have swapped it then." He told her what he thought.
"Oh' I'm really sorry Prem' Meher didn't tell me at all. If I'd have known earlier I would have told you. I'm sorry on her behalf" She felt bad.
"Hey that's okay, nothing to ask sorry for and even if Preet would have been in that situation, he would have done the same. So, don't scold Meher. In a way its good isn't it, we didn't get to exchange our numbers." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
"Yea even I was thinking the same before that we missed exchanging our numbers" Heer said in the flow of the moment and then realized what she blurted.
"Oh you were" He said happy to know that.
"Hmm'" Heer hit her head for blurting out but now she couldn't take back her words.
The conversation went on discussing about family, friends, life, dreams etc.
"Prem I think it's quite late. We should go to bed now. You also told me you've an early meeting tomorrow." Heer was very happy speaking to him but then she had to cut the call. It was late hours of night.
"Hmm' Heer can we meet tomorrow' I mean anyways we've to exchange our mobiles." He was praying to god to make her agree.
"Yea sure'" She said and he jumped in joy.
"Coffee day 5:00 p.m. then' I actually have a meeting in the morning and I also want you to meet my friends. I'm not forcing you, you can come only if you feel like otherwise I'll drive in early tomorrow and give your phone." He went on and stopped when he heard
"Prem, I'll come."
"Thanks a lot. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow. Heer, don't pick up the calls because I don't want to get you into trouble"
"Okay' Good night" She said sweetly.
"Good night. Sweet dreams" He replied back and she knew she was surely going to get sweet dreams.
The next day evening she was in coffee day five minutes before and was surprised to see already there.
"Hii" She walked up to the table and greeted him.
"Hii" He said and asked her to sit pointing to the seat beside him. She got the hint and settled down.
"Here's your phone" She handed him his and got hers back.
"I haven't picked up any call since I thought it would be awkward for you but your friend Karan kept ringing time on and again so I couldn't help. I took the call." He told her.
"Karan gets irritated whenever I don't take the call. He just keeps ringing until I pick it up. I hope he didn't trouble you" She asked.
"Nop' not at all' I told him I was prem and I guess he understood. I explained that our mobiles got swapped. We talked for some time and then I even invited him to come too. He told me he's going to get everyone" He told worriedly.
"What?? Okay" Heer shouted and then composed herself.
"Actually I told the time to be 6:30 so that you know we still can have some time for ourselves" He told nervously and it brought a smile on her face.
"Heer, I hope you're okay with things going on. I mean he just met day before, yesterday rokha and today we're going to break the news to our friends." He had no doubts about his decision. He knew she was the one and wished to introduce her into his world.
"Prem, does it matter now? The decision is already taken isn't it?" She said with a cross face and he was tensed.
She let out her giggles and it took him a second to comprehend that she was teasing him. He laughed along with her.
"Prem, I'm actually happy that you want me to get into your world. I'm looking forward to meet your friends." She told him and he got a smile on his face.
~~~
He peeked out of his cabin door trying to check if the line was clear and no one was coming in that direction. After making himself double sure that no one was moving around. He closed the door and put a do not disturb indicator. He slipped out of the office using fire exit stairway. He couldn't believe he put himself in such a situation. Never in his dreams even had he imagined to bunk from office. He removed his coat and held it in his hand waiting for an opportunity to escape through the gate. A car made an entry through the gateway and seeking that opportunity he slipped out.
Once he was on the road he searched for the one who was responsible for making him do all this. There she was on her activa smiling at him. One look at her smiling face melted all the anger that was pelting up till now. In a very short time she carved a place in his heart, his dreams, his life and soon will be entering his home too.
While lost in his thoughts he didn't notice when he neared her. She signaled him to get on her bike. He nodded and took his place.
"I'm really sorry Prem. I know you'd have been really angry on me for making you do all this but trust me you'll like it." She said taking a look of him through the mirror.
"It's ok Heer. I don't mind going out with you but I wish I didn't have to come out of office like that." He had a cross look on his face.
"I know you hate it but remember what happened when you tried to walk out openly. Everyone was after you assigning something or the other and you couldn't come at all. I didn't mind that day because it was just a casual meeting but today is something special" She had a wide smile on her face while he tried to recall what day it was.
They reached the spot and she asked him to get down. As he got down and looked around, realized he was at a very familiar place and when his eyes rested on the nameplate he stood there shocked. There was a huge building with a beautiful garden named "Prem Niwas". A huge smile crept upon his face. Heer joined him and was about to walk ahead when he caught her hand and pulled back. Due to the force she missed balance and held him for support. He steadied her and their eyes met.
"So, this is the surprise?" He asked her indicating the building.
"Well not exactly, the real surprise is inside." She winked.
"Ok let's go then" He held her hand and they walked in hand in hand.
He wondered how their relationship progressed so far within such a short time. He went in with Heer beside him. He was shocked to see decorations all around. Few kids came running to him shouting "prem bhaiya"
"Heeloo how are you all?" He said hugging them.
"We're fine." They said together.
"You aren't teasing anyone, are you?" He said pulling one kids' cheeks.
"No I'm a good boy. I don't tease anyone" He replied back.
"Don't believe him Prem beta'" An elderly lady walked up to him.
"Yea' He plays all kinds of pranks possible" The ladys' husband joined her.
One by one he spoke with everyone. Heer stood in a corner watching him, talking to everyone. The building was aptly named. The people inside showered so much love and the one who stood in the center, who was responsible for all this. Its' been 2 months of their engagement and with every passing day she felt her love for him grow. She didn't know why he still didn't introduce her to this integral world of his but anyways today was something special.
She got to know from Gauri, his friend about this special place. Her respect for him grew. It was such a noble thought to bring together people who have lost home and family to one place and provide them with a huge family. They were old people who were thrown out of homes, young kids who lost their parents and people who had no one in this world but now they were all one family. Gauri told her how Prem had this idea when they were in college and later all of them joined together and turned that dream to reality.
Prem realized he left her alone but he saw she was lost in thoughts. He went and called her aloud.
"Heer" He shook her.
"Yea." She stared at him.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Are you in real?" She asked dreamily.
"Heeer" He laughed.
"I just can't believe Prem that you're'. I mean you are so perfect' perfect in every sense" She was about to say something else but stopped herself. He knew she wanted to say something else.
"Heer, I know you must be wondering why I never brought you here. This place is really special for me and so are these people. I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted you to treat them as second family not just some random people I put here" He tried to explain her value of this place for him.
"Prem, I can understand. Gauri told me everything. Today, we're here because it's something special." She told him.
"Special??" He looked around the decorations everywhere and it was then he noticed a cake.
"Yea I noticed the decorations but forgot to ask. The cake's here too. As far as I remember its' neither the birthday of anyone here nor '" He tried to think.
"I know nor yours' I got to know from Kulraj di you celebrate your birthday here every year. So, I thought you'd like it if I do the same" She bowed her head down a little. She purposefully didn't tell him about his birthday and after she got to know about this place and everything. She planned to give him a surprise.
"It's your birthday" He shrieked in shock.
"Yes" She said.
"and you're telling me N-O-W" He shouted.
"Prem, I thought you'd be happy that I'm celebrating it here" She frowned.
He hugged her. She was shocked. Even though they were engaged and getting on well with each other they never confessed and hug was quite far.
"Prem everyone's staring at us" She was happy but was concerned too.
"Oh I'm sorry" He broke out.
"Heer this means a lot to me." He held her hands in his.
"You made my day Prem, I just wanted to see this happiness." She told him.
"Prem bhaiya' cake" They heard kids shouting.
So, he took her hand and walked near the cake. All their friends joined them. She cut the cake and he fed her while she fed him. She then cut the whole cake and served everyone a piece herself.
"Prem, I think you should confess now and let everyone know too. She just told that she's your friend" Gauri whispered in Prem's ear, who was busy staring at Heer serving everyone with smile.
"Attention everyone!! I want to say something" Prem called out. He walked around the room.
"Today is a special day and I can't think of a better day than this to speak my heart. The first time I saw her, my heart knew it's her for whom it's been waiting for' Whenever I'm with her time seems to fly away. I feel like doing whatever she asks just to see her smile' Her smile vanishes every pain of mine' I really feel lucky to have her in my life' Soon she's going to be my life partner but before that I want to tell her' she's my life already' Heer, I love you"
He reached up to her finally and held her hands. "I'm yours Heer forever and ever" He said kissing on her knuckles. She controlled hard to not let her tears out but couldn't so she just hugged him. He hugged her.
"I love you too Prem" She said and he wiped away her tears.
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