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Lets Meet Up!

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Heer sat in her Royal Blue Long Kurti in beautiful pink motifs and stared at the Business Times on the coffee table. The front page had a picture of Udai Singh with Pratap and Shakti in the same types of bandh gala coats and the royal brooch on it. Posing. The headline read

WHO IS THE HEIR? HRH UDAI SINGH VI ANSWERS 

She was about to pick it up when she heard a soft knock on the door as it swung open, and she froze to see Shakti walk in, in a bandh gala black kurta looking rather royal.
“ You are here?” Heer stood up from the sofa in the Sisodias study room as Shakti spoke.
“Yes.” She frowned at the confused Shakti. “Ranisa summoned me.”
“One minute.” Shakti stopped her with his hand gesture. “Ranima summoned you? Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Heer frowned. Does he think I'm stupid? “A maid came and specifically told us that she summoned me.”
“But Dadabhai called me here.” He frowned.
“Kunwar Pratap? Why would he ask for me?” Heer looked at the younger prince rather suspiciously.
“Do you think I am lying?” He looked perplexed.
“Do you think I am?”She was annoyed and about to leave.
“I didn't expect you here, so…” Shakti blocked the door.

“Ahem!” Shakti and Heer froze a safe distance away from each other and stole a quick glance as the parents entered the study and shut the door behind them.
“We called you both here.” Udai Singh took his seat, guiding Hansa and Ramrakh to the sofa, and Jaivanta took the armchair. Heer stared at the parents, scared.
“Ajabdeh is sleeping….” Hansa spoke, staring at Heer.
“Kunwar Pratap too…” Jaivanta smiled.
“None of them will say anything… That is why we are asking you …” Ramrakh added.

“I swear I didn't do anything… I know nothing!” Heer started closing her eyes as Shakti stared at her wide-eyed, and the parents were clueless.
“What? What will you do, Beta?” Ramrakh looked confused. “We are asking how their first meeting went? Did they say anything?” Shakti let out a chuckle, making Heer fume inside, yet relieved that their midnight adventures were still a secret.
“So Shakti?” Udai looked at his younger son with hope. 
All of a sudden, Shakti felt trapped. In between his parents' expectations and his brother’s thoughts, Shakti needed to choose. His smile faded.

“I think the two of them…” Heer decided to speak her mind. Let's face it, they are not ready for something as big as a marriage and definitely not with each other if at all!
“They are perfect for each other.” Shakti stole her words, making her glance at him, a little surprised.
“They are not perfect, of course.” He saw the parents exchange glances and added quickly. “But they can be with each other. Dadabhai talked of her and I felt, umm... aa.... they need to know each other some more.”
“What?” Heer frowned. “I…. am not sure… I mean… ha, they can be friends but…”
“All relationships should be found in friendship, this is great!” Hansa glared at Heer, who kept mum. “We were also family friends.”
“I think they should spend more time alone…”Jaivanta agreed. “Let me think of something.” 
The four of them rose to leave one by one as Udai Singh patted Shakti’s back gently, whispering, “Don’t tell him we had this conversation, is that understood?”
“Ji Papa.” 

Heer jumped like a tigress at Shakti just as the door closed.
“Are you mad?” She frowned at him.
“Pardon?”
“Didn't you see how they were? Our parents are imagining them to be perfect… but the truth is…”
“The truth is that, Miss Heer Kanwar Punwar.” Shakti spoke in a very calm voice, “They are very alike to each other, and I have never seen Dadabhai befriend a girl so easily.”
“But….” Heer sat down as worry swept across her face. “If they ruin things…”
“We will sort it out!” Shakti smiled a genuine smile, making her stare at him.
“What?” He frowned.
“This! You are so overconfident about this whole thing, it’s scary.” Heer shrugged.
“I have my hopes, like I said, Heer. We have to leave things to time, but now I have to be saved from Dadabhai's anger when he comes to know that I made Ranima send him on one more date with Ajabdeh.” Shakti smiled.
“Why do you like her?” Heer sounded more than surprised.
“Because she shows the world what she is. A lot of people are scared to show who they are.” Shakti left Heer smiling with his answer.

Pratap woke up from a pretty good sleep at 4pm, way past lunchtime. He was quite unaware of the fact that the families had had a wonderful lunch minus the duo, making plans for them, and worse, his sibling and hers were giving them ideas.

“What about a party? We can send them to... umm....” Shakti spoke, nibbling at his rice, making his parents frown.
“Shopping?” Hansa looked around.
“What about…” Heer was about to say the museum but stopped herself. “Nah.”
“I know.” Jaivanta’s face lit up. “Kunwar Pratap can take her somewhere they can spend an entire day together. Heer Shakti… all you two need to do is make excuses and stay away from them for the whole day tomorrow.”
“I will work right till 9pm.”Shakti shrugged.
“I can…” Heer looked thoughtful “…think of something, Ranisa.”
“Perfect.” Jaivanta smiled.

“Ranima?” Pratap jerked, scared at her shadow on his sofa. “Geez, you scared me!”
“Look how messy your room is, Pratap.” She looked up from the tons of sports and car magazines she had just neatly arranged in a row.
“Oh, Ranima.” He sat on his bed and scratched his head, looking at the messy room, with his clothes and DVDs everywhere, but it now looked ridiculously perfect. “Did you clean it up? Again, I can’t find my things.” He sulked like a kid. 
“Now listen to this, I was thinking …” She walked across the room keeping his things in place, his model aeroplanes, cars, and sports medals. “ Why don't you take the Punwar girls on a trip across the estate and Surajgarh…”
“Me?” Pratap frowned. “But why me? Shakti can…”
“Shakti is busy tomorrow, there's some meeting…” She started to leave. 
“But okay, you attend the meeting, and he will go with them.” She turned the doorknob.
“No, stop.” Pratap sounded alarmed as she hid a smile.
“Shakti is busy, so I can go...” He stopped at his mother's smile.
“So I am telling Hansa to inform the girls.” She was about to leave when Shakti entered. She gave him a positive nod and left as Shakti managed a smile.

“You are awake, Dadabhai?”
“Who the hell gives them yeh brilliant ideas?” Pratap frowned as Shakti looked confused.
“What happened, Dadabhai?”
“I don't know which devil told them that I should know Ajabdeh more, do I look like a guide for Surajgarh, that too accompanying that tigress Heer, spare me!”
Shakti gulped and laughed awkwardly, “Hehe… Hehe”
“It is you!” Pratap looked at his brother, shocked.
“Me?” He stared at his brother.
“Ha! This awkward laugh! I know this.” 

He threw a pillow at his brother, who made a dash across the room. “Screw you, Shakti”
“I can explain.” Shakti dodged the second pillow.
“ I don't want you to explain.” Pratap chased him around the room.
“But Dada bhai… Ajabdeh was a good company, you enjoyed right? So I assumed...” Shakti was up on the bed and down from the other side as Pratap cornered him.
“Ajabdeh is no problem, I'm worried about Sherni-sister!” He stopped wide-eyed at Shakti’s smirk with the pillow in his hand.
“Ohho? Ajabdeh is no problem?” Shakti smiled as Pratap stared at him.
“She is fun.” He defended his words. “Unlike…”
“Sherni sister…” Shakti chuckled, sitting on the bed. “I think she is just overprotective and is scared to let her guard down…”
“Acha? You seem interested in her!” Pratap smiled, amused as Shakti jerked out of his thoughts with a fumble.
“Aree.. what... I was just…  I need to prep my presentation…” He left Pratap smiling as he shook his head. Kaha fasa diya yaar Shakti!

“Can I help you, ma’am?” The librarian smiled at Heer at the Rana Sangram Royal Treasury Library, Surajgarh, which was a good fifteen-minute walk from the cottage! Bored with her sister still sleeping, she had walked out of the cottage and started walking towards the orchards that had now led her here. She had a habit of noting down the names of flowers and plants in her little pocket diary that she took with her.
“Umm, actually I don’t have an ID … I mean I am….” Heer looked unsure.
“Miss Punwar. Kunwaranisa’s sister, we know, ma’am.” The woman smiled politely “We don’t need ID.”
“Whose…?” Heer was lost at Kunwarani. Everyone here knows! Hey Bhagwan! The scared feeling crept in again as flashes of her sister and Kunwar Pratap came to her mind.
“Ma’am? You can sit here and read as much as you want.” The woman smiled at her.
“Umm… where is the mythology section?” Heer’s question made the librarian get up and walk her through the huge racks of numerous books, to the farthest, dustiest and loneliest corner of the library.
“Here.” She pointed at the racks. “Happy reading, Ma’am.” Heer smiled a courtesy smile as she searched the racks.

“ Ramayana.” 
The red book with the golden names printed on its binding. She took it out and placed it on the table. Strangely enough, unlike most other books here, this one was less dusty, like people had read it. She sat down and placed her diary and pen on the table. Turning the pages, she found a bookmark. Someone must have left it there. She started reading the page.

“Urmila begged Laxman to take her with him. If you have the right to serve your brother in his tough times, do I not have the same right to serve my sister? Take me with you, O Arya, you serve them, and I shall serve you.
No, Urmila, I can not. You will be a distraction to my dedication to my brother and Bhabisa. You can not come along.” Heer stopped and took out a paper from her diary.

“Urmila. The sister, the daughter, and the wife. She sacrificed as much as Sita did, stayed away from her husband for fourteen long years, and dedicated herself to serving him, and her sister, yet such an insignificant character in the tale, She represents the thousands of mothers wives and sisters who who work behind us in silence, yet.. the world remembers a Laxman and not a Urmila? Most don’t even know her name.” 
Unmindful, she kept the note inside the book as a bookmark till she read, hoping to come back the next day to read it from where she left off. She carefully placed the other bookmark back where it belonged and slid the book back where it came from. The library, Heer was already in love with. She decided to come every day for the week.

“What? Explore Surajgarh? Why?” Ajabdeh frowned. “What is so special?”
“Ranisa insisted…” Hansa smiled at Heer, who sighed.
“Heer will come along?” Ajabdeh frowned.
“She can't” Heer was about to open her mouth as Hansa spoke.
“What? Why?” Ajabdeh frowned.
“I… Ranaji invited me to show around the palace…  Jija.” Heer shrugged as Ajabde hit her head with her palm.
“I can't be alone….” She stopped as her mother smiled and walked away.
“Best of luck.” Heer giggled, hugging her confused sister. “Now get ready. Dinner will be served at the cottages hi. Ranisa wants us to have a family dinner at the palace tomorrow.” 
She laughed as Ajabdeh made a face “What family? Hello? This is too much now.”

Shakti walked into the familiar surroundings, being greeted by everyone present there. He acknowledged the employees as well as their eager children with a courtesy smile and hurried to his favourite corner for the day. Taking out his all-time favourite, he took his seat. It was a long and tiring day, filled with work and attending to the guests and Ranima’s needs for the puja. He had finally found an hour for himself. He let out a sigh, opening the bookmarked page. Three pages later, something was sticking out of the book. He took it out with a frown. A small page of a diary scribbled with thoughts. He read it with a smile. Someone was not only reading but also providing their point of view. This was interestingly new.

“Excuse me?” He called the nearest reader.
“Ji Kunwarsa?” The boy smiled eagerly.
“Do you have a… piece of paper?” He took out the Pierre Cardin from his pocket in a hurry.
“Yes, here…”
“Thank you.” He smiled.
“ Laxman had his priorities, towards his motherland, his mothers, and mostly towards his brother. He would not have married Urmila if not for Ram and Sita. He couldn’t afford distractions in his Dharm as a brother taking his wife along. Yes, she might have taken care of him, but she would also be an added responsibility. Losing Sita to Ravana led to a big war and questions about Sita’s integrity. Maybe the overprotective husband in Laxman loved her enough not to have her face all those uncertainties in the jungle. And Sita did take care of him like a mother. As for Urmila and her sacrifices, those who know and cherish the epic definitely are in awe of Urmila and her dedication.” 
He smiled, pleased as he put away the pen and slid the paper exactly where the other one belonged. He put the older one in his pocket and started reading the part where he had left off the previous day.

Ajabdeh brushed her hair, mindlessly staring at her reflection in the mirror.
“Heer?”
“Hmm?” Heer looked up from her laptop screen.
“Do you like these people?” She asked, a little preoccupied with what her mother had said about the next day's plan. A whole day with Pratap at Surajgarh, if they even laughed together, it would probably reach the ears of the families. They needed to show they were not getting along.
“Umm… Ranaji and Ranisa are very nice.” Heer looked thoughtful.
“Hmm, and?” She needed some quick planning with spoilt Princy before it was too late!
“I still have a doubt about what Kunwar Pratap does.” She made Ajabdeh smile. 
“I mean, his parents said he's in the business, but I see Shakti does that…”

“Ohho? Shakti?” Ajabdeh stopped combing and smiled at her sister. “What else does Shakti do? He was hitting on you!”
“Jija! Do you think every nice conversation is flirting? He was being nice.” Heer frowned. “I just observed that he does everything.” Heer stared back at her screen, ignoring Ajabdeh's smile. "You seem to like him."
"True, he seems genuine and hardworking!" Ajabdeh smiled, "He's a good match for you! Hum, aapke hai kaun?" Ajabdeh smirked as Heer frowned.
"Jija?!"
“Why are you getting irked? I was joking.” She laughed.
“Focus on that, Pratap! What does he do for a Living?” Heer frowned.
Ajabdeh smiled. 
“He dreams like I do!” 
Heer gave her a cold stare, making Ajabdeh giggle.

“Accha, I will ask him that. Happy now?” She checked her phone.
“You don't ask, I know how you hate relevant conversations and mess them up. God knows what you will ask; you have no boundaries.” Heer looked scared as Ajabdeh laughed.
“Overthinker Heer.” Her hand stopped at a message.

“10.30am. I will be there to pick you up. Will plan once we meet?” She checked his message and sighed. Chalo yeh theek rahega!




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