CHAPTER 20
The next morning, the Junajas rose early to prep for the karva chaut party taking place in the evening.
"Make sure the flowers are completely fresh." Gayatri instructed the gardener. She turned and started walking towards the kitchen.
Heer came out of the kitchen in that exact moment with a tray of laddoos. "Gayatri maa...I finished making these." Heer said, showing Gayatri the tray.
Gayatri looked down at the tray of laddoos, giving it an approving look. "Lekin maa...I wasn't able to taste it...see how it is..." Heer said, a little nervous. These laddoos will be served to the guests later, and due to her fasting, she was unable to taste the final product.
Understanding Heer's dilemma, Gayatria called out for Preet. "Preet!" Gayatri summoned. Preet entered the room, "Haan Mom...you called?" Preet asked, curious.
In that same moment, Prem entered the room as well, finished with his previous task and wanting to check in with Gayatri for any other jobs needing attention.
"Preet beta...try these laddoos. Heer wants to see if they taste ok." Gayatri instructed, pointing to the tray Heer was holding.
"Why can't Heer taste them herself?" Prem asked innocently, not putting two and two together.
Gayatri chuckled at her son's silly question. "Aaj Heer ka bhi vrath hai budhu...she can't eat or drink anything." Gayatri informed her son.
Prem's eyes shot to Heer, surprised. Heer lowered her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed. Preet, on the other hand, tried to hide his grin by biting his lip.
"Gayatri!" Lalit called out. Hearing her husband calling her, Gayatri turned to Preet, "Preet check to see if the laddoos are good to go...I'll be right back." With that said, Gayatri made her exit.
Prem kept staring at Heer, shocked at the news. He just assumed Heer wouldn't keep a karva chaut vrath because they didn't share the same relationship as a normal couple. It didn't make sense to him for Heer to fast for him. But the idea touched him...that she would do this for him.
Heer looked up and saw Prem still staring at her, his eyes holding unanswered questions. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks and looked down again, avoiding eye contact. Her heart beat was quickening and she tried her best to ignore it.
Preet bumped his shoulder with Prem's in a playful manner, a grin plastered on his face. Prem shook out of his trance and glared at his younger brother for teasing him.
Preet cleared his throat and approached Heer. He took a laddoo and bit into it, feeling the item dissolve in his mouth.
"It's good Heer di..." Preet complemented. "So...you really haven't eaten anything since last night?" Preet asked, wanting to add fuel to the very evident fire burning between Prem and Heer.
Heer looked up at Preet, pleading with her eyes to drop the subject. Preet continued to grin mischievously, "Should I start calling you Heer Bhabi now?" Preet teased further. Heer's jaw dropped a little at the title, not sure how to react. Bhabi...even though the term was said as a joke...there was something so sweet in the title.
Very conveniently, Lalit called Preet's name in that moment. Heer let out a breath of relief when Preet took another laddoo and walked away, letting the subject drop. As Preet passed Prem, he gave Prem a subtle wink which Heer missed, and left the room leaving Prem and Heer alone.
Avoiding eye contact with Prem, Heer started walking out herself. She passed Prem and was almost at the door when Prem's deep voice stopped her.
"Heer." Prem simply said. Her name sounding so different this time. It's like he breathed her name...and it sent shivers down her spine.
Heer didn't turn, but turned her head slightly indicating that she was listening.
"Tumne sach mein karva chaut ka vrath rakkha?" Prem asked.
Heer hesitated. She could lie...and end this subject here. "Haan..." Heer felt herself reply truthfully.
Prem felt his heart give one loud thump. "Kyon?" He asked, a little breathless at the revelation.
Heer didn't answer. She felt her cheeks starting to burn again and felt it best to leave. Prem watched Heer's retreating back. When the doors closed behind Heer, he kept staring at it. A stunning smile then split across his face. In that moment, he couldn't describe the joy he felt, so he continued to smile at the closed doors.
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Juneja mansion was filled with guests again. It was a common occurrence for the Junejas to throw parties. The mansion was always filled with dancing and laughter and today's celebration was for karva chaut.
Ladies dressed in pretty outfits filled the house. Some were sitting down and chit chatting. Some were putting on mehendi, some sang songs, or were doing various other things. Their husbands accompanied them and used this time to catch up with old buddies or make new friends. There was a couple more hours left for the moon to rise and the ladies did everything they could to keep busy and not think about their hunger.
Prem was dressed in a black pathani kurta with the sleeves rolled to the elbows, revealing his strong arms. He made sure guests were taken care of and gave a few instructions to the one of the servants.
"Prem!" Prem turned at the sound of his named and saw Ashlesha approach him. "Hey have you seen Heer?" Ashlesha asked. Prem looked around the room and noticed that, indeed, Heer was nowhere to be seen.
"I know she was getting dressed...she should be down any min..." Prem's response faded. He happened to look at the staircase and there she was.
Prem took a sharp intake of breath when Heer made her way down the staircase, dressed in a lace pink sari. Her hair fell in soft waves around her. She did something with her eyes...it made them look bigger...darker...deeper. The sari was...sexy...the lace revealed enough to make Prem's blood turn hot...but it left enough covered for the imagination as well. She looked...Prem couldn't find the right words...he was simply speechless.
"Wow Heer! You look stunning!" Ashlesha claimed as Heer walked down to them, completely obliviously to the effect she was having on Prem.
Heer smiled, "Thank you..." She said. Heer then turned to see Prem staring at her, and her nervousness returned. His eyes were always so expressive. It's like he was speaking a thousand words without really saying them to her.
Heer felt herself blushing again as butterflies scattered in her stomach. Why was she feeling like this? It's like every time Prem looked at her like that...she felt like she was the only person in the room. What changed between them?
Their moment was interrupted when Teji called out to Heer. "Heer beta! Come here!" Giving Prem one final glance, Heer walked over to Teji, with Ashlesha following her. Teji was seated with Gayatri, Meher, and few other ladies putting on mehendi.
Heer took a seat next to Teji and a girl started to apply mehendi on Heer's hands. "Ache se laga na...Heer ki pehli karva chaut hai..." Teji said to the girl, proudly looking at Heer. Heer smiled at her mother and let the girl do her magic.
Heer, Meher, and Ashlesha were engrossed in a conversation when Prem and Preet approached the group of ladies.
Gayatri saw her two sons approaching and she automatically smiled. "All good?" Gayatri asked her sons.
"Yes mom...everything is running smoothly." Preet replied and sat next to Heer, admiring her mehendi.
Prem decided to take a seat next to Gayatri on the floor. He stole glances at Heer and carried on a conversation here and there with some other people sitting in the group. Prem saw Preet say something to Heer and Heer laughed. She then touched Preet's nose playfully, leaving a trace of mehendi on it.
The scene brought a smile to Prem's face. That's when he heard his mother say, "It's nice to see Heer laugh so openly." Gayatri said to Teji. Overwhelmed, Teji simply nodded, agreeing.
"Patha nahin...farmhouse mein kya hua tha ke Heer ki hassi laut ayi hai" Gayatri contemplated. Heer, Meher, and Ashlesha exchanged glances and started giggling.
Prem and Preet look away, embarrassed because they knew the girls were remembering their lizard incident.
"Mama...Heer didi ki hassi ek chipkali ke vajaa se laut ayi hai" Meher teased, causing Preet to cough nervously and Prem's eyes bulging out.
"Meher..." Prem said in a calm voice. Meher refrained from saying any more, never the one to go against her Prem bhaiya.
But Heer was a different story. "Yes Gayatri maa...did you know how dangerous lizards are? I mean they must be if some people are so scared of it." Heer said, teasingly, getting a playful twinkle in her eyes.
Prem raised his eyebrows. "Heer..." Prem said in a warning tone. Heer simple stuck out chin in a rebellious gesture, showing that she wasn't scared.
"Will someone tell us what actually happened?" Gayatri asked, not being able to take the suspense any longer.
"Nothing Gayatri maa...just...both of your sons are terrified of lizards." Heer replied casually.
Preet hid behind Meher, hiding his embarrassed face and Prem's jaw dropped at Heer as Teji and Gayatri busted out laughing.
"Heer!" Prem exclaimed, "Stop it! Or else..."
"Or else what?" Heer cut Prem off, " Waise toh college mein bara hero banthe ho...lekin chipkali seh itna darr? Gayatri maa I couldn't help but laugh!" Heer continued her story, completely ignoring Prem's warnings. Everyone around her was laughing but Preet and Prem.
He looked mortified as the ladies laughed at the story. "You are so dead!" Prem shrieked, jumping up from his seated position on the floor.
Realizing what Prem was about to do, Heer yelped and ran, with Prem in hot pursuit behind her.
Heer laughed as she dodged Prem's arms and ran up the stairs. "Heer!" Prem yelled after her. He reached out to grab her again and Heer managed to dodge him again. Heer didn't know where her feet were taking her, she just focused on out smarting Prem.
The two childhood friends found themselves in one of the balconies that wrapped around the Juneja mansion. It was already dark out and the only lights in this part of the house were the diyas burning. It was the just the two of them in this part of the house and Heer's laughter bounced off the dark walls.
"Heer! I'm going to kill you freckle face!" Prem yelled, tried to grab her again and again, she dodged him. His words, however, held no fire. He was grinning too, trying to get a hold of Heer.
"You have to catch me first chicken legs!" Heer retaliated, and ran around a chair avoiding Prem.
Prem anticipated this move and reached out to grab Heer's shoulder. He got her! Maybe it was the wrong timing...or he the way he grabbed her...he wasn't sure...but he grabbed onto Heer's pallu instead and it came flying off her shoulder exposing her front, only covered in the halter neck blouse.
Heer gasped and turned in reflex, her arms automatically covering her front. Time stilled in that moment. The playful atmosphere stopped. The laughter that filled the air was gone.
The air shift around them. Heer closed her eyes, embarrassed at being so exposed. Her arms covered her front and she couldn't even pick up her fallen pallu due to her mehendi still being wet. She couldn't imagine what Prem was thinking at this moment...seeing her like this.
~ Yeh naram naram nasha hai, badhtajaaye...~
Heer felt it then. Prem approached her and stood behind her...so close that she felt the warmth of his body against her back. Heer's heart beat quickened...anticipating his move. But what he did surprised her.
~ Koi pyaar se ghungatiya deta udaaye...~
Prem reached around her and picked up her pallu. He then put it over her shoulder, his strong arms circled around her. Taking the pallu, Prem wrapped it around Heer, securing it and covering her exposed body.
~Ab baawra hua mann jag ho gaya hai roshan...~
He took her breath away...what he did was so extremely sweet...that he took her breath away. When Heer felt Prem take a step back, she turned to face him. She half expected Prem to pass some snide comment...look at her differently...say something vulgar to make light of the situation. But he remained quite. What Heer did notice, was that Prem stared into her eyes and didn't wonder down to her body. Not saying anything, Prem turned around and walked away.
The moon peaked out of the clouds and shone her light into the dark balcony. Heer stared after Prem. That simple gesture was worth more than a thousand words. In that moment...Prem gave her so much respect...and in that moment...she felt beautiful.
~Yeh nayee nayee suhaagan ho gayee hai teri jogan...~
When Heer faced Prem downstairs with the rest of the couples, she looked at his handsome face. She held up the mesh and looked up at the bright moon...and then stared at Prem through it.
Her heartbeat quickened just looking at him. What was this feeling? Why was he affecting her so?
When Prem reached for the water and held it to her lips, Heer sent a silent prayer to the Gods. She prayed for Prem. She didn't know what the future had in store for her or their marriage...but in that moment...she prayed for Prem's happiness. Heer then took a sip of the water and broke her fast. When she looked at Prem, she smiled at him, and that smile reached her eyes.
~Koi prem ki pujaarun mandir sajaaye...~
That night, after all the guests have left and the family retired to their own rooms, Heer stood in front of the vanity mirror and took off her bangles. She then worked on taking off her earrings.
Prem stood at the entrance of the room, leaning against the door frame admiring Heer. She was still wearing that sari. She removed one earring and worked on pulling off the other earring. Prem's fingers itched...what would Heer do if he removed that earring for her? Prem smirked at the idea.
Heer felt his presence before she saw him. She turned and saw Prem looking at her from the doorway. Prem pushed off the doorframe and entered their bedroom.
"Kya soch rahe ho?" Heer asked, trying to keep the atmosphere casual.
"Soch raha hoon..." Prem began, "...ke tumhare aur kya kya tevar dekhne ko milega." He said, his voice a little teasing.
Heer frowned, confused, "Kya matlab?" She asked.
Prem crossed his arms over his chest and looked Heer up and down. "Tumne aaj pehli baar sari pehni...yeh sari" Aditya said, indicating how sexy the lace looked on her slim form, "...aur tumne aaj vrath bhi rakha...mere liye..." Prem tilted his head in a flirty manner, "qtil karne ka irada hai kya?"
~Saiyyan...~
Heer felt her heart beat quicken. His voice was soft...husky...and his eyes held a naughty glint in them.
"Aisa kuch nahin hai..." Heer muttered, avoiding eye contact, "...Gayatri maa wanted me to fast...and this sari is a gift from her..." Heer explained.
Heer started to walk passed Prem and he held out his arm, blocking her path.
"Lekin tumne sach mein vrath rakha...aisa kyon?" Prem asked softly, "Kahin mujhe chaane toh nahin lagi tum?" He teased, a small smile on his lips.
Heer's eyes slightly widened and a blush crept up on her cheeks. "Kya...kya bol rahe ho tum? Aisa kuch nahin hain..." Heer stuttered, feeling her face burning up as she looked away.
Prem grinned at her reaction, "Tum sharmaati bhi ho? Yeh toh mein pehli baar dekh raha hoon..." Prem continued to tease, loving every bit of the effect he was having on Heer.
"Prem...tum pagal ho." Heer breathed out, trying to brush him off. She walked around Prem and made her way to the bathroom to change when Prem's voice called out to her again.
"Heer." Prem simply said.
Heer stopped, she didn't turn, but she was listening. She then felt Prem walk up to her and lean over so he could whisper in her ear. "Agar qtil karna ho...toh zara dheere se...dekhna...uff bhi nahin karunga..." Prem whispered into her ear. His voice soft...his words silky smooth...his breath hot on her skin.
Heer walked away without looking back. Had she looked back, she would have seen the wicked smile on Prem's handsome face. She simply walked into the bathroom and leaned against the now closed door...her hand over her racing heart.
~Saiyyan...~
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IMPORTANT NOTE: the balcony scene where Prem picks up Heer's pallu is a scene from the show 'Tere Liye". Harshad played a very similar scene in that show and the fanfic scene was inspired from the show, I of course added my own twist to it to match this fanfic. So all rights for the balcony scene goes to the writers of Tere Liye.
Lastly, "qtil agar karna ho, toh karna dheere se" is song lyrics to "Jitni Daafa" from Parmanu. So credits to that line goes to the lyricist of that song.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! please leave comments and thank you for supporting!
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