FF : Yeh Dooriyaan *SahAn + Veerat* (Updated 10/06) - Page 4

Chapter 4 → Pandemonium.

Gurudwara, Ludhiana.

Sahiba watched with a vindictive glee as the house her mother created crashed on the floor as it was made of lies. She did not need to read the letter to know what Seerat had done. Her absence in the room she was supposed to be getting ready in was a very well indicator.

Sahiba had sent Keerat to find out about Seerat in case she could be found. On seeing her mother trying to suicide, for the first time in her life, she had felt cold-blooded. She felt nothing on seeing her take her life. She should be hysterical, angry, in pain and panicking. Instead she was calm and quiet.

Her brain was trying to figure out a way to cope with the situation. At the same time, the truth had to come out. There won't be any wedding here. Not if Sahiba had a say in it.

It's been too long since she had hidden this side of hers for her family's sake. The ambitious girl who wanted to make a name in this world.

Sahiba shook her head, a wistful smile on her face. These five years she had turn into a doormat to pay of debts and fulfilling her mother and sister's wishes.

Sahiba had to take the responsibility of her house at an age of eighteen. A high-school passed girl; barely an adult had to shoulder the responsibility of her entire family. Her father's accident caused him to be bed-ridden for months. In the same accident, one of the main earner of the family, her tauji died. Her mother took loans for the hospital and medicine expenses.

Since then she had worked hard. She had used whatever connections she had to get a job. That's how she started with pottery making business. It took her five years to make their family debt-free. She forewent her college, making sure Keerat could go to school and Seerat could finish her last year in college. It's only been two years since she started to paint and a few months since she took interest in side gigs like designing and decorating.

Chal Sahiba, time ageya hai. Aab in Brar o ko aaina dikhani paregi aur Mummy ke hosh udane parenge. Bohot uthaliya tere parivaar ne tera faida.

"Toh kya socha Maa-Beti ne? Ki karna hai?" asked Jasleen, her eyes glinting with a sick amusement at the situation. If she was surprised by Sahiba's non-reaction and lack of care, she did not let anyone know.

"Mai taiyaar hu iss vyah ke liye." said Sahiba, pleasing Jasleen and surprising Santosh who had been pleading for to get married to that ATM in the place of Seerat.

'Mainu laga hi tha ki tum jaisi kuri itni vaddi opportunity nehi chorogi.' Jasleen thought, a smirk dancing on her lips, 'Jaisi Maa waisi beti.'

"Toh idea acha hai na mera?" said Jasleen getting up, a sad look on her face. "I knew you would understand. After all, Sahiba jaisi responsible and mature kuri situation ko samjhegi."

Sahiba gave her a small fake smile, "Ji, sab samaj aa raha hai mainu, Jasleen mam. Aapki idea iss situation ke liye perfect hai."

"I know!" Jasleen twirled around to face away from her, hiding a smile, "Jasleen Kaur Baweja perfect kaam hi karti hai."

Ek dam uss duffer ki tarah, Sahiba thought, slyly eyeing the voice recording in her hand. Hiding her phone behind her dupatta, she said, "Aap log bahar jaiye. Mainu tayiar hona bhi toh hai."

"Haa, haa, absolutely!" Jasleen gave her a fake sympathetic look, dragging Santosh along with her, "We will come to dress you up! Tum Seerat ke vyah ke kapron mei change karlo jaldi."

The moment Santosh and Jasleen left the guest room, she locked the door. It was time to inform her plan to her sister, Keerat. Time was running by and they had lots to do.

Outside the Gurudwara

Keerat bit the inside of her cheeks, trying to suppress the pain of the wounds she received. She had been trying to chase after her runaway sister. She was sure that black car had Seerat. The fact was extremely clear that she had runaway on her own free will; she wasn't kidnapped like she had thought. She blinked away the unwanted tears that appeared in her eyes. While she had been proved previously correct too; it was nice to know that Seerat would not care about her even if she was injured or dead.

Not noticing who was in front, she collided with someone's back. Glancing up as the very familiar voice cursed, she blinked against the harsh sunlight.

"Keerat!" Veer was very surprised in seeing her in the Gurudwara, before concern took over seeing her state. "Ki hoya tainu? Aisi haal kaise bana liya?" He looked her up and down, trying to figure out the places she has been hurt.

Keerat's jeans and shirt had dust all over them. Her forearms had visible scratches with blood oozing out. Her knuckle seemed to be swollen and she had a deep cut on her forehead.

"Mai thik hu." Keerat mumbled, a bit embarrassed at been seen in such a state.

"Jhooti!" Veer's words made her flinch, but before he could decode the reaction, Keerat's phone rang.

Taking up the call, she said, "Haa Di, kahiye."

"Keerat, meri baat dhyan se sun." Sahiba said from the other side, instructing her on things that made Keerat raise her eyebrows in surprise and then smile mischievously. She chuckled, "Waah Di! Kya plan banay ho!"

"Wo sab chad! Aab WaheGuruji ka hi vaasta hai. Sab thik hona chahiye."

"Haanji Di, aap chinta na karo." Keerat replied, cutting the call. Facing Veer, as he gave a curious glance, she gave a nervous look. Seeing her nervous and fidgeting, Veer was a bit suspicious.

"What happened, Keerat?" asked Veer, approaching her with a raised eyebrow.

"Aapki ek help chahiye." said Keerat, hoping he would agree. Veer replied, "Kaisi help?"

"Iss Gurudwara ke CCTV footage dekhne hai mainu."

Veer's suspicion turned into worry. Glancing at his mobile, where the name of the last call he made could be seen; an anxiousness worked in him. Speaking on a hunch, he said."Agar baat meri Angad Paaji ki hai, Keerat toh mainu sach janna hai."

Keerat closed her eyes, before exhaling her nervousness out. She met his eyes squarely, "Seerat Kaur Monga meri aur Sahiba Di ki vaddi behen hai. Hum koi rich-wich ghar se na hai. Middle class family se belong karte hai." She closed her eyes, at his widened and astonished expression before spilling out the main thing, "Seerat Di bhag gyi hai!"

"WHAT!?"

Keerat nodded, "I had almost caught up to her when —"

"— when you got injured." finished Veer, pinching his temples. The information that he just received had him overwhelmed. He would love to analyze the entire web of lies Santosh Kaur Monga had woven around his family but as he watched Keerat's nervous yet determined face, he knew he did not have the time. His Angad Paaji was far more important.

"Chalo!"

"Kaha?" Keerat went after him as he proceeded towards the divan hall, where he thought everyone was waiting for the bride to appear. "Rukiye!" Keerat called, grabbing his arm to stop him. She let him go when he turned towards her. "Aise kuch na hone wala. Abhi hume CCTV footage check karni hai. Waha se yeh toh pata karle ki wo black car mei Seerat Di ke saath kon tha!"

"Aur waha pe mere Angad Paaji aur paarivar waale wait kar rhe hai, Keerat! Uska kya?" Veer nearly shouted, his voice was loud and agitated enough that it made the bystanders look at them. Noticing the looks, Keerat tried to calm him down.

"Shant! Sahiba Di handle kar legi. Yeha pe media hai. Agar kisiko thodi idea bhi hogyi toh aap ke family aur meri family ki bezzatti pakki hai purey Punjab ke samne."

"Aur mere family ke saath jo tumhari family ne kiya, uska kya? Mere Angad Paaji waha pe yeh soch ke baithe hai ki unki ajj vyah hai."

"Dhoka Mummy aur Seerat Di ne kiya hai. Mainu aap logon ke saath koi fraud na kiya." Keerat tried to make him understand, her temper rising, "Abhi please chaliye. It's important we find out with whom Seerat Di left."

Veer tried to calm down his own panic, reluctantly agreeing that with the media right behind him, he could not make a scene lest it harms their reputation and goodwill in the market. He gestured at Keerat to follow him, as they ventured towards the security room where the Brar's Head of Security was also present.

Divan Hall, Gurudwara.

Sahiba lifted her veil the moment they entered the Divan Hall, surprising everyone. She stayed quiet as several questions, accusations (mostly from Manveer and Angad), and surprised looks from almost everyone else. Then Mr. Angad Singh Brar had to make several assumptions like her kidnapping her own sister. Sahiba rolled her eyes at those exact words. If she was the same Sahiba, who till the previous day had her 'kind mode' on; she would have felt really guilty seeing the man in hysterics.

Sure, he liked Seerat, according to him. Her mother, in her greed, lied and cheated to them. She, herself, kept quiet when she should have spoken up. But after all the betrayals, humiliation and insults, she had numbed her emotions, including guilt. They had caused all these troubles for her. The 'street-smart' Sahiba was required to handle this situation, not the 'kind, emotional' one.

While her family was at fault, Sahiba wasn't the one to take all the blame. What kind of rich people where the Brar's? Who doesn't do a background check? Even the most ordinary people who had come for a marriage prospect would ask all around to find about the family! These people where either dumb or thought that everyone held them in the highest regard.

Did that Mr. Angad forget that he gave passes for their event? Shouldn't he have checked to see who would arrive with that pass? Or did he not know that 'All that Glitters is not Gold'?

Babaji, kaisa parivaar hai yeh! Mainu pata hai ki gaalti humari hai, par yeh logon ki bhi koi kam kasur na hai!

She was brought out of her thoughts when Angad continued to speak. She moved, stopping him from moving any further from where he stood. Raising her eyes to meet his squarely, she said, "Janna hai teri Seerat kaha hai?"

Angad did not reply, but his eyes sharpened.

"Kuch der rukh jao, aapke chotey bhai ko aney doh. Sab pata chal jayga."

As if finally realizing that a member of their own family was not there, they looked around with frantic eyes. She glanced at her mother's ashen face, her father's grim look, her tayiji's perplexed eyes and Sudha Maasi's soft approval.

Before another round of question could happen regarding where Veer was, the man appeared on the threshold. Veer looked lost. His eyes held a grim serious look. His posture spoke of exhaustion and expressed his utter desire to go far away from the mess that had taken place. He came and stood in front of Sahiba.

"Sab ready hai, Sahiba." He said, eyes desolate, "Jhatka sirf mere parivaar aur Angad Paaji ko nehi; aapko bhi lagne wala hai."

Sahiba's face showed her confusion, before her face cleared with understanding. "Pata chal gaya uska?"

"Haanji." Veer replied, a humorless smile on his face. Sahiba exhaled when Angad demanded, "Koi mujhe batayga yeha kya chal raha hai? Seeratji kaha hai?"

Sahiba turned towards him, poking him in the chest like she had done during the lohri celebrations. She spoke, loud and clear, for everyone to hear, "Sunne mei aya hai ki aap vaddi businessman ho. Business mei jo dimag ka istehmal kiye ho, uss dimag ke switch ko on karo aur jo khulasa karne waali hu wo suno! Samjh aya Mr. ATM?"

She, then turned towards the other members, "Aap sab se request hai, please mere saath paas wale guest room mei chaliye. Sab pata chal jayga."

Sahiba turned towards the altar, holding the sacred 'Guru Granth Sahib' and bowed with her hands joined.

'Waheguruji, mehr kari. Aab sab tere haath. Sambhal liyo.'

Then turning towards her mother and tightly grabbing her by the arm, she dragged her towards the room. Everyone else followed. Veer stayed back to inform the guests to wait so they could solve the problem that have risen. Placating them while not trying to reveal anything substantial he moved towards the room where his family adjourned.

It was time for revelations to happen.

Note

How was Chapter 4? Do leave your views so I could improve a bit. I would love to read about new ideas or scenes you would like happening in the story.

Thanks for reading!