Chapter One
One month later.
"Hello? Mehek felt relieved hearing Sonal's voice. It had been a month since she had left everything behind. Her life, her family...
"Sonu its me She whispered on the phone, she could hear her gasp and imagined her sitting down in shock.
"Mehek, where have you been? How are you?
"I am doing really good, I am in heaven do you remember when we were kids, the mountain that resembled a table cloth post card, PD had once sent me She said playing with the cord of the phone.
"You are in Cape Town! Oh my god, I really did not think you would do it.
"I miss you, how is everyone home? Mehek asked her.
"Do you know what happened, god it was mess Mehek, have you read the papers, the head lines are terrible
"News about Indian businesses and influential family matters are not really frequented in the newspapers here Mehek said, and if she noticed anything remotely indian in one, she refrained from reading it.
"I don't think aunty Meera will ever want to see you again, she told me that if you ever phoned to tell you that, you are dead to her, I am sorry Mehek. But I have to be honest with you, this running away thing you did was far worse than, when you cut your hair or ran away from home after Missy died. Missy had been her pet puppy, PD had given her. After she had died, the pup had gotten sick and Mehek had been devastated by the deaths. Her mother only cared about, her kitty parties and tv interviews. She had felt so alone, that she had thought if she ran away, she could find heaven and join PD and Missy.
The hair had been a different story, her mother had insisted Mehek's hair always be long and never cut. But the boys at school had been teasing her relentlessly calling her old fashioned. As at the time, short hair was in fashion and Mehek had decided she would cut her hair too. But her mother had refused and told her point blank girls were supposed to have long hair and that was how things worked. So she had taken matters into her own hands, and cut her hair.
Her mother had been so mad with her. Mehek cringed remembering the scolding she had received after that.
"She will understand, eventually Mehek said, with time her mother would understand she would try again. Mehek's eyes pricked, her mother's words still hurt her.
"How is daddy? She asked, her relationship with her father was not any better. She had barely seen him since she had come home, he had been busy with textile work. Her father was someone she hardly knew. Someone she barely knew all together. But that did not mean she did not care.
"He went to Japan, for some new release or something Sonal told her.
"Mehek, where did you get the money? For this?
"PD, had given me some money, that became mine when I was 18, I got a job here at an orphanage, so I have been living here so, I have been ok so far She cooked at Saint Mary's orphanage for disadvantaged children. She loved kids, she had always wanted to do work like this. Helping others, but her mother had always told her that, if she wanted to help she could sign on a cheque for her birthday of to which ever orphanage she wanted to donate to but that was it. Mehek did not believe that money was all a person needed, there were other things. Like love, care, kindness...
"Sonu I will phone you later I have to go. Mehek said, it was almost 4 pm time for her date.
"Wait Sonal said.
"There is one more thing, I met him your, well not your but you know uhm...
"No, I don't. Speak English Sonu
"I met Shaurya Khanna
Mehek's stomach turned. What had he done to her exactly? Nothing he did not deserve what she had done to him. Her hands still had his name on them in mehendi.
"Wha...What-Was he very angry? Mehek asked unsure at first how to ask.
"Mehek, he so gorgeous, I am so sure if you saw him you would regret this, pictures don't do him justice. And in person oh...
"Sonu Mehek said, shaking her head, Sonal had a weakness for handsome men. She melted like butter on a pan and her brain became a mush ball, where no formal sentences could form.
"Don't Sonu me, miss runaway bride, back to the hot ex fianc, he asked me if I knew about your plan to run away, or if anyone provoked you. I started laughing and told him that provoking you is impossible, Mehek ran away because she was not happy with the proposal
"You were that straight forward?
"Well I always am, then he did something strange he told me that if you contacted me, I should tell him
Sonal was straight forward, depending on the situation and person.
"Why does he want to know where I am? Mehek asked, maybe he wanted her to sign over all those deeds personally over.
"I don't know, the press has been all over him for the past 4 weeks, he apparently took a break from his job, for the first time in like 10 ten years or something, and constantly there are these articles about him being heartbroken by your betrayal, You unfaithful worm!
"What he took off from work? Mehek said confused, she had expected him to go right back to it, and brush her of like she had been nasty bubble gum on his shoe.
The weird feeling in her stomach, increased.
"Who are you calling a worm, you know full well why I ran away. I wanted to marry someone I love, You did not care, you just wanted to sit and eat the food my mother had made for the wedding, you hog Mehek said smiling a little, real best friends insulted each other.
But the feeling would not go away.
"Yes, are you sure you have never met him before and earned his unwavering adoration? Mehek shook her head.
"No, I never met him before, that party he saw me in I was 16 Sonal, I barely even had breasts that time, I don't even remember him There was no way anyone could have liked her remotely. Mehek cringed remembering how she had been forced to wear that awful yellow lehnga her chachi had gifted her.
She had not developed full coordination at the time, as her hips had just began to widen and she had knocked over anything and everything possible.
"Because, you were too busy trying to get that director to let you come to that dabba service charity thing Sonal said laughing.
"If you were not so cute Mehek, I would disown you for the amount of utterly out of the box strange things you have done and I had to cover up for Mehek laughed with her.
"You wanted to see that Mohit, guy I remember
"Mohit was life Mehek, Mohit is life
"A minute ago you were praising Shaurya Khanna a lot
"Oh Mehek, that was for you so you would know what you had missed out on
Mehek looked at the time. It was 4 pm. Sandeep would be angry with her, if she was not at the beach.
"Sonu I have to go
"Should I tell Shaurya Khanna where you are? She asked her. He probably wanted, his stuff back.
"Yeah ok, give him this number, I got a new cell phone number, 5593423
"Sonu I have so much more to tell you, I will later ok Mehek said to her.
"Fine bye love you cutie pie stay safe
"Bye love you too, ditto Mehek said.
She had no time to change, all of the children were out playing with Mercy. It was her day off, she had spent the morning washing her clothes.
And decided while cleaning her bags, to phone Sonal.
She had lost track of time.
{}{}{}
She spotted him standing near the water, wearing her white shorts and dark blue T shirt, Mehek ran out onto the beach. She clutched her phone in her right hand and when she spotted him a smile fell over her lips.
He turned around and returned her smile.
"You are lucky I like you so much Mehek, you are 19 minutes late Mehek tried to pout, and he just placed his arm around her shoulder and hugged her with one arm.
She had met him, the day she had arrived here. He was from India he had settled his company in Stellenbosch and came to cape town on weekends.
Because he loved the tranquillity, he had been the one to make Mercy give her the job at Saint Mary's. He had thought by looking at her, she had a kindness in her that could not be ignored.
He spent most of his time in cape town rather than in his office, but that was not what made Mehek realise she was in love with him. It had been how easily he had always laughed, and how simple things. He was everything Shaurya was not. Everything her father was not.
"I am sorry, I got late, I was on the phone with a friend She told him.
"And you forgot your boyfriend was waiting to take you out to eat
"Sandeep don't be like that She told him, he gently directed her to some corner restaurant.
"Hmpf He said.
"My birthday is coming up soon He reminded her for the hundredth time. He had asked her for a kiss. Mehek felt apprehensive about it, she had never kissed anyone before.
A weird feeling settled in her stomach. Surely, she shouldn't be nervous to kiss the man she loved.
She tried to shake the feeling, and scratched her hand, she managed to constantly hide, Shaurya's name on her hands with plasters and silly lies she kept spouting. She felt embarrassed by what she had done, and after he had told her about his mother running away with another man, she could not help but hide the truth from him. She felt scared of how he would react if he knew what she had done.
"Thanks for reminder 3000 you know how forgetful I am She jibbed, he took her to some fish restaurant and Mehek tried not to puke. She believed in not eating things with faces.
But Sandeep loved meat, and she had never had the heart to tell him that she hated fish restaurants.
She knew she was probably pale, but she could not help it. She forced a smile on her face, unable to think of anything he said, trying hard not to get sick.
{}{}{}
Mehek felt better as he walked her back to the orphanage.
They held hands and he was telling her about parasailing and how he would take her some time. But her stomach, just did not feel right. Soon as they neared the orphanage, Mehek ran into her quarters and went straight to the bathroom and vomited the salad she had eaten.
"Mehek are you ok? He asked her from outside sounding worried.
"I am ok, just give me a minute She said.
She could hear her phone ringing outside, but her head was spinning so badly she could not move.
{}{}{}
After 15 minutes, and brushing her teeth Mehek went back into her tiny room she had been allotted to stay in. Sandeep was looking at her phone with a weird expression on his face.
"What is it? She asked him.
"Some weird guy, asking to talk to his bride He said snorting.
Mehek felt a cold sweat fall over the back of her neck. What if it was him? Shaurya Khanna?
"What did you say?
"I told him, he got the wrong number of course, god that was weird
"Must be wrong number Mehek lied again, and cringed.
"Are you ok? He asked her touching her cheek.
"I just need to sleep it off by tomorrow I will be good as new
"I guess I should get going, I love you He said to her, Mehek smiled at him and could not say it. She needed to tell him the truth. She had to tell him the truth.
Before he found out from someone else. She had to explain everything to him.
She looked at her phone, it was an India number. She was thankful Sandeep had not noticed it, or did not mention it if he did.
{}{}{}
2 days later.
It was a cloudy Monday. Mehek wore, a long sleeve blue sweater and blue jeans and a pair of white sneakers, and a thin gold chain PD had given her. She shivered, as the wind picked up, she closed all the windows. It looked like there was going to be a storm.
Mercy had made her clean out one of the guest rooms in the out building near her allotted room. She had been meaning to ask her why but had forgotten.
Mercy saw her and smiled.
"You know you should have been a model or something, when your perfect hair flies backwards like that I feel like I should be seeing you on some shampoo advert making a killing Mercy said admiring her, Mehek walked backwards out of the play area.
"I enjoy spending time here with the kids Mehek said looking at them adoringly.
Mercy walked towards her, Mercy was a middle aged white lady, who despite her strict appearance had a very soft centre.
"You will make a wonderful mother someday She complimented.
Mehek, stumbled crashed into something hard. She felt a pair of strong hands settle over her forearms.
"I guess it's, to bad she did not make a good bride A deep voice said, Mehek stomach sank. As she slowly reluctantly lifted her head to meet the dark eyes of Shaurya Khanna.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Vasudha
Avatar and Signatures Shop
