Duet SS||Opposites Attract||Chapter 4 Pg 5||17th Nov

Chapter 1 : Right hook

"Looking forward to going home?" Maan asked Vivaan as he started the long drive towards Hoshyarpur.

"No" Vivaan answered honestly, had it been anyone else asking he would have lied and probably said yes. But Maan was his best friend with whom he shared everything.

"At least you're not bullshitting with me" Maan shrugged. "Did you get anything other than Roma telling you uncle had a heart attack" he asked.

"I think she wanted to say more, but I cut the call. There's only so much of her that I can handle" he replied taking off his sunglasses and turned his head to Maan. "Have you spoken to Amaya?"

"Yeah, we've kept in touch" Maan nodded. "Your sister is doing well, she's not been brainwashed by Roma. She's missing you though" he informed.

"I missed her as well" Vivaan looked out the window sighing heavily. "I didn't want to stay away from my family but that woman... she didn't leave me any choice" he gritted his teeth. "And what the hell is Hoshyarpur? Since when did they move?" he asked.

"Rajveer Uncle wanted to be close to his aunt in Hoshyarpur from what Amaya said" Maan responded. "You wouldn't believe the changes in Amaya when you see her".

"What do you mean?"

"She's a pure punjaban" Maan chuckled.

Vivaan swallowed thickly, he'd walked out of his father's life and his sister's. His best friend happened to know more about his family than he. He had not stayed in contact with any of them, other than the exchange of an email once every few months with Maan for an update on his family, he had not spoken to them in 6 years. And all that because of Mrs Roma Kapoor.

"Are you listening?" Maan questioned.

"Yeah, what else is new in my sister?"

"She speaks like a pure Punjabi, there's this second cousin or something of yours in Hoshyarpur, Meera Dhingra?"

Vivaan tried to recall the name but nothing. "No, don't know her".

"Well, she's your dad's cousin's daughter... I think" Maan replied.

~~~

"Meera, Beeji, Dolly..." Amar called out. "Namita, Siddharth aur Geet aagaye hain".

Meera's ears perked up, she grinned placing the bowl of flour on the kitchen counter and hurried to the front door.

Namita and Siddharth approached Amar greeting him and exchanging pleasantries, Geet smiled locking her car and walked around to greet him.

"Humari Geet toh kaafi badi hogayi hai" Amar grinned hugging her. "Kaisi hai?"

"Teek hoon. Aur itni bhi badi nahi hoon" she answered.

"Tum loug jaane se pehle, shaadi karwani padhegi" he joked.

"Dear Lord" Geet pressed a hand to her forehead. "Typical shadi talk".

"Badmaash" Amar laughed patting her cheek.

Geet winked and turned hearing her name. "Meera!"

Meera smiled, her eyes brightened seeing her cousin after ages. It's been at least nearly two years, she'd seen her aunt and uncle quite a number of times over the year but her cousin couldn't make it due to her start up firm in Delhi.

"Oh you look amazing" Meera complimented taking in the red jumpsuit her cousin had donned.

"Meers, your English has improved so much" Geet hugged her cousin. "I missed you".

"Same here Geet di" Meera pulled back. "You wouldn't believe mummyji, I listened to a long lecture yesterday all because I spoke English" she rolled her eyes.

"Angrezi bacchi mujhe gaali de rahi hogi?" Dolly walked out hugging her cousin and looked at her daughter.

Geet laughed, "Nahi nahi aunty" she walked over hugging her aunty.

"Geet tu ne usse angrez bana rahi hai" Dolly frowned mockingly.

"Oh really?" Geet arched her brows. "Amar uncle, aunty ne kahan haina ta last time ke main Meera ko kahoon woh zyada padhe aur English dang se bole?"

"Sach?" Meera looked excitedly at her mother.

Amar nodded which had Meera squealing and hugging her mother tightly. "I knew it! You wanted me to speak English!"

"English Vinglish baad mein" Beeji appeared breaking up their reunion party. "Dolly sab ko lekar andar aao. Fresh hokar hospital bhi jaana hai".

~~~

"Do you want to go straight to the hospital or do you want to freshen up first?" Maan asked Vivaan as they were close to Hoshyarpur.

"I'll like to see dad first" Vivaan replied as he dialled his sister's number for the nth time and failed to connect. "Damn it. The network is rubbish here".

"It is. Calls here are going to be missed or wouldn't connect half the time" Maan agreed.

"Why the hell would dad move here?" he inquired. "I mean... seriously? He should've moved his cousin to Delhi instead of here" he frowned.

"Your aunt isn't some young woman, she's got a husband and a daughter from what Amaya said" Maan chuckled.

"Where did this aunt come from?" Vivaan asked.

Maan looked shocked, "What?"

"I don't remember hearing dad had a cousin, he never talked about his cousin or anything" he shrugged.

"Do you remember anything other than fighting with your family? You weren't here for six years" Maan reminded.

"Fair enough" Vivaan shrugged taking in the view of the country he'd not lived in for the past six years. "I hear you're opening another branch in the UK"

"Yeah, the London branch had a big turnover. There was a recommendation that we bring in more clients so we've setting a branch in Manchester City Centre to increase the client base. Private security is in high demand"

"You're going to recruit more men?"

"Yeah, I've put word out to Damien to let me know. There's quite a number of Veterans looking to get into private security" he explained. "Anyway, how is your business going?"

"Dazzling" Vivaan grinned playfully.

"Diamonds are ladies favourites" Maan chuckled.

"Like they say, diamonds are a girl's best friend" Vivaan smiled. "Two rare gem stones were discovered when digging recently. Jacqui is going to be flying out in two weeks time, I could do with two of your men accompanying her. Due to the declaration, it may be leaked out to someone that she's flying with two rare gem stones. I could do with it not going missing, I've got my best designer already thinking of what he's going to create with them".

"Yeah that's fine. I'll send them to pick her up, just give me where she is staying and when she'd be flying" Maan responded slowing down turning into the parking lot of the hospital.

"Did all the patients of the world book themselves in here?" Vivaan frowned as they looked around for a space to park.

"I thought this place is supposed to be a small town" Maan murmured. "There's a space" he pointed and drove forward. "What the..." he pressed his hand on the horn.

A car from the opposite side drove right in almost bumping into Maan's car.

"What the f**k!" Vivaan scowled.

Maan abruptly parked up climbing out the car followed by Vivaan.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maan walked around resting his hands on his hips narrowing his eyes at the two women who'd stepped out the car.

"Parking obviously" Geet crossed her arms in front of her arms.

"This is my space" Maan pointed. "You almost hit us".

"Quit bitching like a girl" Geet countered.

"Listen here" Vivaan stepped forward angrily. "We don't have time for your bullshit. Go park elsewhere! We'll pay for it, even. That's what you indians understand, don't you?" he gritted.

"Tu bada angrez nikla na" Meera intervened. "Indians" she mocked. "Tu kya English bann gaya? Aur yeh paisa paisa kya kar raha hai?"

"That's enough. Just go park elsewhere" Maan cut in.

Geet grabbed her purse pulling out some cash, she stepped forward grabbing Vivaan's hand and placed the money in his hand. "You go and park elsewhere, we'll pay for it" she looked at Meera. "Chal" she dismissed them and started walking away.

Vivaan threw the money on the floor, he turned and grabbed Geet's elbow pulling her in front of him angrily. "What the f**k do you think of yourself?"

"Vivaan!" Maan grabbed Vivaan's arm, "Let her go, she's a girl, man"

Geet scowled looking down at his hand and looked between both men. She twisted her arm swiftly making Vivaan lose his grip and threw a punch across his jaw making Vivaan stumble back.

"What the fu..." Vivaan hissed. Before he could complete his sentence, he turned his head glowering as Geet clicked her fingers garnering his attention.

"Next time, think twice before you assume you're stronger than women and assume that you can use it against us" she stated and looked at Maan. "Take the money and park somewhere else" she pointed to the money and walked past them with Meera alongside her.

"Kya right hook mara hai, Geet" Meera grinned. "That would teach the rotten animal, he didn't hurt you did he?" she started inspecting Geet's arm.

"Nahi Meers, I'm fine" she smiled. "Anyway chal, our parents are already waiting inside and I'm sure they're cursing us for running late. Don't tell them I sat eating because I got hungry, or else I know mama is definitely going to start lecturing".

"Because you gave such a right hook, I'll say I made us late" Meera laughed.

Precap : Face Off 😲