PART ONE
LONDON...
"prem...we need to get some flowers for mrs.D'souza... she loves flowers", Brit Micheal told his Indian friend Prem Juneja.
prem nodded, "sure...i wil get them now."
today was the graduation day for the final year students of MBA branch in the Oxford University. prem had a blast with his foreign friends all these three years but he missed his country... he missed talking his language hindi...
he got out of the hostel and borrowed a bike from his roommate. he had exactly 2 hours to be back for the graduation. he rode cursing himself for not have spotted a flower shop before. he went hither and tither till he almost passed one. the shop was small and it was a surprise how he managed to find it.
the door card said OPEN but prem hesitated in entering because of the noise coming from inside... the people seemed to be indian. they were talking. there was a hoarse noise yelling angrily.
"yaha khadi khadi kya tamasha dekh rahi hai... ghar ka kaam kuch kiya?? nahi... subah subah saj dhaj ke aake bet jaati hai yaha... na koi customer aate hai... aa bhi gaye toh apne badsoorat dhikake unhe bhagaathe hai... tume humare paas rehne ki ijazat deke humne bahut badi galti ki... humne socha ek anaad ladki ke liye kuch kar lu par dekho kaise sar par bet rahi hai..."
he heard those words and a loud bang of the door. he tentatively walked in knocking on the entrance thinking that the woman of the yell would have gone. he was right, when he entered there was only a girl who was in her early twenties in a yellow salwar. after a long time he was seeing salwar clad girl with long braid that he felt he was back in india. the girl was crying, her eyes were red. but seeing him, she quickly wiped her tears and forged a smile. the smile was true but it dint reach her eyes,,, prem couldnt help but admire her beauty... she deserved to smile all life but he could feel a soul in pain beneath that smile.
prem smiled at her and to give her some privacy he started looking for flowers in all directions. he knew mrs.D'souza were partial towards tulips, so he picked a handful of tulips in all colors he could find. he turned to the girl and gave it to them...
FILMY MOMENT---!!!! a very hard wind flew through... making statues out of prem and heer. they were both holding the flowers eyes glued to each other.
suddenly they came to earth. heer quickly made a bill and gave it to prem. prem paid and rushed out wen he saw he had only 30 minutes to reach back hostel and dress himself.
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that night he had thoughts about only the girl of the flower shop. he dint know her name but he knew she was pretty. those eyes... they showed him her pain and fears... they talked to him... he couldnt get his thoughts off her... why??? why did he felt that they were meant to know each other...??? he decided to go there tomorrow... after all, he had only 4 more days in london... if ther is something he had to know, he should know it fast.
he somehow finished the night. early next morning, he hurriedly dressed himself and double checked his hair. its the first time he is doing his hair with so much concern, that too for a girl. he knew she was in pain and he wanted to save her.
he got to the flower shop. it wasnt open... he spent his time near the entrance kicking off stones waiting for the shop to be opened. he felt a kind of ecstasy in every step he took... the anticipation he was living through since last night to see her.
finally,. after wat seemed like ages, the sign OPEN was shown. he got in with a windchime tinkling his entry. he got in and saw her. she seemed surprised to see him again... she smiled though. he pretended to not be intrested in her and looked for flowers as heer arranged new flowers around. he stealthily looked at her trying to bring up his guts to speak. he couldnt though. he brought a couple of white lillies and rushed out. before he ran out, they had eye contact again... he could see that she liked him...
he could have kicked himself for not talking to her. but he has never felt this kind of tension before. nervousness... he has never faced it.
damn! he felt angry with himself for being scared or something. now he couldnt go back in and talk. he gave the flowers to a little girl who was playing with a ball. he was dejected with himself.
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he started with his packing next day. he had to do some shopping before he went back. he did a little of that. but his head wasnt there. his head was roaming. but he was busy he couldnt waste his time in the flower shop today. but wen he got time that night, he rushed to the shop. it was almost nine.
he sighed in relief seeing the OPEN sign. he got in without making much noise. he looked around for her and spotted her behind the table sleeping with her head down. he walked upto her and made to touch her cheek which had dried tears. he felt sad seeing that she had cried herself to sleep... he was about to touch her when the backdoor opened with a loud bang and a women in her fourties appeared. she looked very terrifying. she was angry too. but seeing a customer, she forced a smile.
"shop is about to be closed.", she said in a feigned sweet voice.
hearing it heer woke and was shocked. the lady glared at her and she was scared.prem quickly understood this lady was the source of this girl's fear. he picked a few daisies and rushed out again cursing his stars that he had to be late.
just as he got out, the door was banged close and curtains drawn. he could hear the lady taunt and yell at the girl. he wondered why she wasnt talking back. he stood rooted to the spot as the lady went on and on calling her bad words. his fists clenched, but soon there was no sound. he decided to go back.
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the hostellers were supposed to leave the hostel today. most of them went back to their homes while others were staying with friends. prem decided to take a hotel room next to the airport so that he could board the flight to his country day after next. he had umpteen requests to party that evening. but he declined. he booked himself a room and laid down on the bed thinking...
his thoughts were the same as the past three days... he wanted to do something for her. he got a bus to the flower shop.looks like he was right in time. there was quite a crowd around ther.
the girl was being pushed out by the lady. nobody else seemed to be reacting to this ridiculous behaviour. the girl was at the lady's feet pleading her to take her in.
"chachi aisa mat keejiye... muje please yaha rehne dijiye... mere paas jaane ke liye aur koyi jagah nahi hai", she sobbed.
but the woman ruthlessly pulled her up by her hair and pushed her. prem walked forward and caught her. without waiting for a moment, the lady locked the door. the people who were watching mumbled something and went their own way.
heer was sobbing like anything, tears flowing through her beautiful eyes. she pulled herself together and looked into his eyes. they showed empathy towards her feeling, but she took her little bag and looked at the shop for one last time. she decided to walk somewhere but she dint know where to. she walked.
prem caught her from behind.
"kaha jaa rahi ho?"
heer looked at him...for he spoke hindi and he had a look of concern on his face.
prem: muje pata hai tum yaha akeli ho aur main tume aise hi akele jaane nahi doonga... chalo mere saath
she looked at him. he turned and pulled her holding by her wrist. she dint move. she had a fear in her eyes. prem walked upto her and held her shoulder and looked into her eyes.
prem: darro math... main tumari madad karunga... maine tumare dar dekha hai... tumari dard muje dard deta hai... pata nahi kyu... par main tume dukhi dekh nahi sakta aur akela chod nahi sakta... main tume india wapas le jaaunga...
heer felt the warmth in his eyes in the words he spoke. she felt herself wanting his companionship. she has been lonely for long. maybe he is the one God has destined for her. she walked with him...
he caught a cab and took her to his hotel room. she had another suspicion but overcame it. the room was quite large with bedroom separated with a door to the living room. looked more like an apartment than a hotel room...heer could understand that he was some rich boy. he made her go to the bed room and he stayed in the hall.
prem: aap woh kamra use kar leejiye... nahana hai toh bathroom bhi hai andar... change kar lijiye...
heer nodded. he could still see the fear but he knew she felt safe with him. she went inside. after wat seemed a long tiring pause, she came out in a white plain salwar with pink dupatta.
prem ordered something to eat and they were brought in by room service. prem motioned her to sit and eat with him. she did it. she wanted to talk to him say thank you... but was unable to initiate a conversation.
prem: itni der se hum saath rahe hai aur dekho hume ek doosre ka naam bhi nahi pata...
heer looked at him and smiled.
prem: i am prem
heer: heer
prem: heer... nice name... agar aap bura na maane toh main kya pooch sakta hoon ki aap in logo ke beech kaisi aayi???
heer turned sober. she looked down but the raised her look up to prem.
heer: woh log mere chacha chachi hai... jab main choti thi tab hi mere maa bauji chal base the... ye log muje 21 hone tak bahut pyaar karte the... ab muje pata chala ki woh sab ek natak tha mere daulat paane ke liye... woh sab cheen liye mujse aur muje ghar se nikaal diya abhi...
her eyes filled with tears at her loss... she started crying but caught herself before emotions got the better off her. she forced a smile. prem felt bad for her.
heer: thanks muje bachane ke liye
prem: aise hi samjo ki ye mera farz tha...
heer smiled at him... prem told her to go to bed as they head to board the flight next day. he had booked ticket for her too through his friend.
...to b contd...
teme how it is...
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