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Friends?

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The night sky in Surajgarh was clear as the universe reflected on it in the form of the thousands of stars that twinkled far, far away. Nights at Surajgarh fell early, with the entire Palace and estate retiring for the day as early as ten at night. Tonight, was eagerly anticipated the morning after, which would be Surajgarh's first Laxmi Pujan with their future Kunwaranisa, who will hopefully greet the public with Kunwarsa. Could they be more excited for dawn? Well, everyone was, except four souls who knew the harsh truth Surajgarh would face sooner or later.

“So basically, that was the longest relationship I ever had! If you call it that!” with a chuckle, Pratap sipped at his Beer. “Six months!”
“Umm… that too in school!” Shakti pointed out.
“You! You had no girls in life, dude!” Pratap patted his brother as Ajabdeh gasped, “Not even one!”
“But why?” Ajabdeh frowned as Shakti eyed Heer, inspecting her orange juice.
“Nobody was worth sticking around.” He shrugged with a warm smile.
“Aww! Tell me the truth, are you gay? It is okay if you are.” Ajabdeh smiled as Heer said a soft, astonished “Jija!”
“It’s okay…” Shakti shook his head. “That’s just juice.”
“Pardon?” Heer frowned, realising he had noticed she hadn’t sipped on it yet.
“Ahem!” Pratap smiled as Ajabdeh was still between her own joke and giggles. 

“What kind of a girl do you want!?” She frowned. 
Pratap noticed Heer, who now took a sip with a lingering smile.
“Do tell Shakti, what kind of girl do you want?” Ajabdeh insisted again, her voice a little soggy from the alcohol.
“Someone who believes in forever.” He shrugged, making someone stop at her drink. “For starters.” He stopped as his sibling and Ajabdeh laughed.
“Forever is a myth!” Ajabdeh sipped at the last drop of her drink. “Trust me!”
“I agree.” Pratap raised his almost empty beer can at Ajabdeh.
“It’s not when you find the right person, you know!” Shakti shrugged defensively.

“Urgh! Too much! And who is your right person, Shakti?” Ajabdeh insisted, “Tell me about her.”
“Umm, I dunno….” He kept down his drink on the centre table, thoughtful, “I guess someone who thinks of others first, prioritises family and emotions, someone with aim and morals.”
“Hmm.” Ajabdeh frowned thoughtfully.
“Someone who I feel I know… nowadays.” Made Heer choke on her drink as Pratap gave her a napkin she took awkwardly. “Someone like a mirror to my soul.” Shakti finished amidst the confusion.
“Umm… Ajabdeh… please tell him he is describing the protagonist of a book! He reads too much!” Pratap shook his head, still suspiciously looking at Heer, who got up and left to clean herself with a soft “Excuse me.”
"Sooner or later, we see the red flags and flaws, then it becomes too much to handle, and we repel out of attraction." Pratap insisted.

“But...” Ajabdeh frowned thoughtfully “I think I know someone who is like this!”
“Really?” Pratap smiled, amused “Who is that?” He eyed his brother from the corner of his eye as Shakti looked a little red.
“That's the thing… I can’t place it! Who is it?”
“Think Ajab Think.” Pratap was amused at her looking soggy in her thought. “….Who can it be, yaar”
“Umm, Dadabhai…”
“Hush! Let her think!”
“Ya Shakti, let me think! I will help you!”
Shakti seemed relieved when Ajabdeh could not remember, as Pratap managed to give a soft chuckle. For the first time, he was teasing his little brother about a girl, and he loved it!

At around half past midnight, they were sitting on the rooftop of the Palace, in the lounge area and minibar beside the rooftop pool, the favourite corner of Pratap’s, or so Ajabdeh had inferred from all his party stories there. After dinner, and some plans and timings of the puja being discussed, as per plan, they retired for the day, and later sneaked up to the rooftop courtesy of Shakti and Pratap. 
“What on earth was that?” Heer splashed her face with water after cleaning herself “I shouldn’t have come anyway. This is so odd!” 
Heer was reluctant at first to the booze plan, but remembering Kunwar Shakti’s invite, she didn’t refuse. She had, however, made herself clear on arrival that she was a non-alcoholic “juice” person. Ajabdeh, on the other hand, was more interested in the “Royal Booze” as Pratap flaunted their wine collection over Dinner, much to the elders’ dismay and her pleasure.

While walking back to the cottages from the stables in the evening, they had hatched a perfect plan to slowly begin to show to each others’ parents that they were not how their parents had suggested them to be. That way, maybe, the parents would stop trying to bring them together and understand their views, or so they hoped. Ajabdeh had started it well enough with “I never cleaned my room ever in my life! I am a lazy bum!” that was managed by her mother’s “Her father always pampers her a little too much!” much to her disappointment while Pratap seemed to play the right card talking of his wine tasting adventures, and a few not so perfect embarrassing moments that prompted the parents to talk of the puja. 
She had sent him a thumbs-up emoji right after dinner, which was followed by his “See you soon!”

“Kunwarsa drinks too much, don’t you think?” Ramrakh sounded a little alarmed at the revelations at dinner.
“Have you seen your daughter??” Hansa defended. “He is a royal and they…”
“Hmm…”
“Do get to sleep, it's late…” Hansa had turned off the lights, unaware of the Girls’ midnight plans.

“What was her name, Dadabhai?” Shakti turned the tables quickly as Heer arrived back on the lounge sofa beside her sister. “That girl.”
“Who cares…. Phoolmati or phoolwati something… “ Pratap shrugged.
“What a FOOL!” Ajabdeh once again laughed at her own joke.
“It was just six horrible months until she slept with Jalal.” He shrugged as Heer eyed him rather coldly.
“Whoa! Slept with Jalal?” Ajabdeh went wide-eyed and sat up facing him 
“Dost dost na raha… pyar pyar…” Before she finished her horrible singing that made Shakti laugh, Pratap defended.
“Whoa Whoa! That was preplanned. Okay?” Pratap drank cooly from his Beer can, “He would lure, she would give in, I would accuse and leave. That’s how most end!” He shrugged. “Who cares? Six months was too much for me!”

“You can’t beat me!” Ajabdeh raised her hand. “Two months, twenty-eight days! And that too in college. He was so, so dominating that I punched him! He laid his hands on me once just coz he was jealous. How dare he?”
“Actually, it was three, twenty-eight days were February Jija.” Heer corrected.
“Whatever?” Ajabdeh chuckled, placing her head on Heer’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Heeriye, relax! Am fine!”

“On this note, Ajabdeh… more drinks?” Shakti offered.
“Yes, please.” She smiled, tilting her head with a smile and giving him her empty glass to fill.
“So,” Shakti cleared his throat, “how about you?” Shakti smiled at the quiet, out-of-place Heer, still worried about her sister’s unreasonable giggles and Kunwar Pratap’s amusements.
“I still have juice.” Made him smile.
“No, I mean… Love…Relationships…” He stopped at Ajabdeh’s laugh.
“The only relationship she will ever have is with the husband Baba chooses!” made Heer nod with a smile.
“It’s not wrong to believe in forever!” She defended as Shakti stared right back at her. She realised to stare back at him and then at Pratap, who seemed rather amused at them.
“Aha!… too much of forever happening tonight.” He smirked. “Some Wine tasting, Ajabdeh?” Pratap got up from his place.
“Yes, please.” Ajabdeh smiled at him as he gave her his hand. Something about this night made Pratap want that Shakti and Heer would hit off like he and Ajabdeh did the other night. His brother rarely had friends, most were his friends Shakti hung out with, and although Heer was younger than him, she did in fact make him speak and be social at least.

Ajabdeh smiled, giving her hand in his, ready to walk away as she read his mind. In fact, she kept insisting her stubborn sister go out and make friends in vain, as Heer often said, “Men only want one thing! Be careful, Jija!” Shakti, Ajabdeh liked and trusted to leave with her sister ever since they met. She had trusted Pratap more easily than the others. Why?
They walked from the lounge area beside the rooftop pool towards the minibar at the corner, leaving Shakti sharing an awkward silence with the girl who stirred her juice and stared at the stars with a sigh. Now what?

“Am sorry.” She spoke up.
“For what?”
“I … was kind of rude yesterday… in the study…” made him smile as he said, “It’s okay.” Another awkward silence followed as they stared at their siblings sharing some jokes and laughing at the minibar.
“Umm… You read?” He broke the silence.
“Yes. A lot… favourites?” Heer smiled.
“Dan Brown.”
“Jeffrey Archer.” She shrugged.
“Eric Segal.” Both smiled together. Now that was some topic!

“This one is the Montoya Cabernet… Best red wine.” Pratap poured into two empty glasses. “Taste it.”
“Umm… It’s good!” She nodded. “So what do you think?”
“This one was named best wine in 2015… and…”
“No, not that Princy!” She shook her head and laughed. “Bout our plan?”
“Well, what did your parents say? Uncle seemed displeased.” Pratap analysed.
“That’s the point! They said nothing. Kuch bada sochna padega.”
“Umm Ajabdeh, how about tomorrow? There is a puja and guests and… If you screw up…”
“That would just cause shame to Punwars and Sisodias. Do you want that?” Ajabdeh frowned.
“No... No… You are right.” He agreed. “Parso again?”
“Yeah! Abhi toh party shuru hui hai!” She smiled at him.

In an hour, Shakti and Heer had discussed the latest bestseller, how much they love old romantic songs, their favourite movies and dream destinations. They had again run out of topics.
“It's looking like we aren't trying to set them up; they are doing an Uno reverse on us and trying to set us up.” He laughed at a wide-eyed Heer. “Am sorry… Sorry… I'm drunk, I think… Sorry…” His scared face made her smile back 
“I enjoyed the conversation, Kunwarsa.”
“I told you to drop the Kunwar, Heer. Friends?” He extended his hand as she took it. “Friends. Good night, Shakti.” She stood up to leave as Ajabdeh frowned at her from the minibar.

“ Let’s go, Jija, it’s almost 2am.” She smiled a courtesy smile at Kunwar Pratap, who stirred at his wine.
“Umm… You are leaving already?” Ajabdeh frowned.
“ We are! The puja is at 7 am, Jija, remember?”
“Okay Bye! Shakti, drop her, please.” She waved in the air almost at Heer's face, making her frown.
“Sure, Ajabdeh.” Shakti nodded, about to follow Heer out.
“But…” Heer frowned unsurely.
“I want to talk about something with him. I will be back!” She pushed Heer towards the staircases leading to the lawns below. "Pakka!"
“Okay, okay,” Heer smiled awkwardly. “Goodnight, Kunwarsa.”

Ajabdeh watched her leave with Shakti in tow.
“What do you want to talk about?” Pratap broke the silence, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as she pushed her free locks up in a top-knot bun.
“I wanted to ask something…” She smiled devilishly, taking off her studded earrings and placing them on the counter.
“Which is?” He sipped cluelessly.
“You told me you wanted to take one person to Chavand and that was supposed to be your One, right?”
“Hmm, so?”
“That means...” She frowned thoughtfully. " At some point in time, you did believe in love ….”
“You NEVER thought of a possibility ?” He frowned. “I was a kid when I had this thought, but people change, right?”
“ What made you not believe in Love anymore, Pratap?” He realised she had not only ignored his question but was in a very pensive mood herself.
“Why do you want to know Ajab… how does it matter?” He looked away as she kept staring at him.
“ It’s just that… I wanted to know… leave it….” She let out a chuckle. “Am sorry.”
“No… I…” He stared back at her sadistic smile. “I can tell, it's no big deal. I can trust you with my secrets.” Made her stare back at him with a smile, “Will you trust me with yours?”
“Maybe…. You first!” She refilled their glasses as he cleared his throat.
"Okay."
"Okay...."
The night was about to witness the deepest secrets of the heart!





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