Chapter one
All was quiet and well in Brar mansion where all the occupants slept without a care in the world,both the abusers and the abused.Manveer Kaur Brar slept peacefully heedless to the future which promised to disrupt her existence of contentment,heedless to the storm which would send tremors everywhere.She woke up the next morning,ready to begin a new day of mudslinging and gas lighting when she realised something extremely strange.Blinking as if she were in a dream,she sat up only to realise she was no longer on her bed but on the floor ,in the storeroom.It was dark and dingy and she could hear scuttling in the shadows.Her hair seemed longer than usual and her skin surprisingly glowing.
Stumbling to her feet,she ran to the mirror and stared at her reflection.After ten long seconds,a loud scream tore out of her,startling a napping rat.She screamed again.The rat simply raised an unimpressed eyebrow and slowly sauntered off.She felt very offended. Footsteps echoed down the corridor and the door burst open to reveal a very hassled looking Gurleen,flour in her hair.
"Sahiba,is everything alright?I heard you scream twice."
Manveer opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out.
"Why is there flour in your hair?"she found herself asking,feeling rather stupid.
"Veer and Ekam had a flour fight in the kitchen."she replied,raking a hand through her hair,absent mindedly."But what happened to you puttar?"
Manveer felt a lump in her throat.It had been a long time since anyone had addressed her with genuine affection,not even Gurleen who had always been wary of her power play.Everyone respected her,but there was no lost between her and the rest of the family.In fact,the only reason Angad still stuck to her was because he had been condition to do so by his daarji and her.Had he been his own person, he would have most definitely walked off.Perhaps that's why she hated Sahiba.After all,she had been the one to force open Angad's eyes and encouraged him to think independently.
Angad was all she had and she feared losing him the most,so she had done everything in her power to chain him to her,even at the cost of his well being.
"Sahiba!"
Gurleen's voice brought her back to earth.
What should she do ?she wondered.
She could either pretend to be Sahiba and prey whatever magic had happen reversed itself or just come clean to everyone.Realising that she wasn't saintly enough to pretend,she decided to seek Gurleen's help.Taking a deep breath,she addressed the younger woman.
"Gurleen,this is Manveer in Sahiba's body."
Gurleen burst into laughter.
"That's an excellent joke Sahiba ."
"I'm not joking."
Gurleen stilled and looked at her incredulously.
"Prove it by telling me something only Manveer parjaai would know."
"The emerald necklace bebe gave Jasleen is not real but just an immitation."
Gurleen was stupefied.
"Only the two of us were there and bebe swore us to silence to avoid Daarji's wrath.But Parjaai,how on earth did this happen?"
Manveer sighed internally.Gurleen wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box.What exactly a smart man like Jaspal saw in her,she had no idea.Or perhaps he genuinely liked her stupidity,she thought viciously in a bid to satisfy her own ego.
"If I knew the answer to that question,I wouldn't be standing here."
The younger woman looked at her strangely.
Manveer started pacing the room.
"Considering the fact that I am in Sahiba's body, it's safe to assume that she is in mine.If we find her,we might be able to reverse it."
"Your body has been missing since morning."
"Wait, what?What on earth does that girl think of herself?But it's ok,we should probably check her schedule and follow her footsteps."
Gurleen nodded doubtfully.
"In that case, perhaps you should get ready."
"Ready for what?"
Gurleen sighed.
"Sahiba promised to take her mother to the sabzi mandi today.Apparently you can get an excellent bargain there."
Manveer promptly fainted.
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