Chapter four
Raj collected his wallet and walked towards his jeep. He stopped midway hearing a commotion. He went to check what it was about. A crowd was gathered in the middle of the market. He made his way through the crowd and saw a very astounding sight. A girl in orange salwar suit was beating up three goons single handedly. Two of them attacked her with sticks. She countered them with a stick she had in her hand. Pushing both of them to a corner using both hands and her feet was struggling to get balance from the weight she had on herself. Suddenly she gave a great shove and both the idiots fell onto the ground. Unknown to her the third goon who had fallen before had gotten up and was running at her with another stick. The crowd screamed pointing at him and suddenly she turned around facing the direction Raj was facing. He drew in a sharp breath. "Soniyo..." he muttered dazed. There was dust flying in every direction and adrenaline coursed through him making his mind adjust to the speed of things. He suddenly saw everything in slow motion though actually nothing slowed down. Her locks were flying in the air carelessly. Sunlight reflected off the stones in her earrings dazzling him. Her dupatta fluttered in the wind. The dark red colour of the dupatta reflected the anger in her eyes. He wondered whether she actually changed clothes for the occasion of beating up thugs. The third goon is raising the stick on her. She knocks it down by a swift movement of her stick. The guy is staring at her shell-shocked. He definitely didn't think a girl would have these kind of guts. She grabs his collar and pushes him onto the ground. He falls with a thud and crawls away from her.
" From this day onwards, whenever you think of misbehaving with a girl just think about me. Your disease will be cured. If you have any doubts about it ask anyone standing here" she gestures to the crowd. "They'll tell you my name and my doings to sleaze balls till date".
The crowd which was cheering her on till then laughs, hoots and claps. Apparently Raj isn't the only one bewitched by her beauty and style. She claps her hands dramatically as to clear the dust. Slowly she walks towards a jeep in which her sisters are waiting for her. She climbs into the driving seat and drives off. Raj is stunned beyond belief. He has never seen such fire, such courage anywhere. He looks over at the thugs who were gathering up their broken dignity and leaving ignoring the titters of the crowd. They are bearing slap marks, one's lips were bleeding and other's hand seemed black and blue where she hit him. The third one was in no better condition than the others. This firecracker of a girl could burn down the entire village, Raj thought. She was already wrecking his life. And he only saw her an hour ago. He remembered what she said to the perverts. They could ask anyone her name. That means she was well-known here or at least her family will be. Raj decided to try his luck. He asked an onlooker " Veerji, who is she???? Jackie Chan's sister????" The villager looked confused. "Who's Jackie Chan???" Raj cursed himself. Here he was thinking Gaguwal is more modern than he believed it was and there were people who didn't even know Jackie Chan. Understanding dawned on the villager's face. "Oh Jagan Shah, she's not his sister". Raj slapped his forehead in frustration. '' Why are you behaving crazily? How can she be Jagan Shah ji's sister? She's his... "the villager was cut in short. "I'll tell you who she is... " Rohan was strolling towards them. Rohan shoos the villager away. "Who is she?" Raj demands. He wants to know who is the girl who has such an effect on him. Rohan smiles at his brother's desperation."Veere, as you must have guessed she's not Jackie Chan's sister... She's Mannu Pavanya's sister...Preet... Preet Pavanya". Only the last part of Rohan's sentence strike him. "Preet..." he mutters slowly. Suddenly he has a flashback of a chubby little doll like thing sitting on the branches of the mango tree above him staring at him haughtily, pressing her little plump pink lips together. Who would have known that the cute little brat would evolve into something so alluring, so feminine? He remembers the feel of her in his arms... Her fragrance that drove him crazy... Her gorgeous face which can turn any man into her slave... The fire in her eyes as she fought the wrongdoers... He had a sudden desire to burn in that fire... Surely the stars were shining upon him when he was betrothed to this golden rose... He thought about his earlier feelings towards about just getting engaged to her as Harjeet suggested... He knew he wouldn't be contented with that... She has to be his... His own... A part of him... He wanted her to look at him with love and desire... Raj felt sure of one thing. He would personally take initiative for this marriage. His father was right... There was too much risk. This precious pearl could be given of to anyone else by her useless glutton of a father... He couldn't let that happen. Raj let his brother lead him away slowly as his thoughts dwelled on Preet...
*@ BAJWA HOUSE *
Amrit was feeding raw mangoes to a three month pregnant Simran when Rohan came leading a very dazed looking Raj with him. She beckoned her elder son to feed him the same which she was feeding her daughter in law. She didn't invite Raj knowing his unexplained dislike for mangoes. To her intense surprise as soon as Raj saw the mangoes he grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his mouth. Rohan looked at him open mouthed and then howled with laughter. "What happened to him? In the morning I offered him and he turns me down. Now he is stuffing it like it's his favourite thing in the whole wide world" a bewildered Simran asked Rohan. "Oh something happened to him alright, I think it's something called love" Rohan winked at her. Raj blushed beetroot red at the questioning eyes of his mother and parchai and ran off. Simran and Amrit gave each other perplexed looks. There was only you-know-what they could relate to love and raw mangoes they could think of. Amrit sincerely hoped her son hadn't done anything stupid but she knew that was impossible since it was only three days since he returned to the village. Maybe something in London... No that was not possible... Her son won't do anything stupid... Even if he did do something, RAJ eating raw mangoes seemed to defy the principles of biology. Rohan left his mother and wife to ponder.
*@ PAVANYA HOUSE *
Preet was in turmoil. After the sleazy idiots ruined her morning she returned to her home only to have her brother tell her that Raj Bajwa was back. Considering the fact that they've already got a groom her parents might decide to get her married to him. This was why she's been dreading his return. Like a freaking parcel she'll be chartered off to the Bajwas as a peace offering as decided eighteen years ago. She felt sick at the thought. She hoped that her parents would wait until she's twenty to marry her off,considering that was Gunjan's current age. Ever since that incident in her childhood Raj Bajwa had become a nightmare. She had to wear the cast for one and a half months before her hand was right again. She was horrified to know on the very day, at night her mother confirmed what he had said to her. One day she was to marry that cruel boy who broke her arm. Mannu had forbidden all of them tell anyone how actually Preet broke her hand so no one knew what kind of trauma the little girl was going through. She had nightmares for weeks after that. Amba had to sleep with her for about six months before the nightmares stopped. The cruel laugh before he snapped the doll's neck... The sound of it getting snapped off... His anger when he pushed her off... The blinding pain... The crush of bones... Almost too much for a five year old... Since Mannu had told her not to tell on Raj she just mentioned him to Amba and in return got more than what she bargained for. Amba and Jagan always kept Preet away from the Bajwa house. She had never seen it. Though she saw the family members from time to time when there was an occasion in the village or the temple she was never allowed to go to the Bajwa mansion. Whenever they had a function there according to outsiders she was sick. Amba didn't like the concept of them having an influence on her daughter's life before it was necessary. Gunjan had told Preet that the Bajwa mansion was grander than their own home and had a huge garden with a large lawn and swings to sit. Out of the Bajwa household she liked Rohan, his wife Simran and best of all Amrit. She had gotten to know both the women from the last three years. As Mannu's classmate she knew Rohan before that. She noticed him during the fiasco with his brother... After that whenever they went to play in that place he smiled at her. Once or twice when all the children will go to buy ice lollies he got her one too. She called him 'veerji' from that point onwards.
Sanjana had returned from her visit to her parents home. Preet went to meet her parchai in her room. Her beloved parchai seemed sick and she took some medicine with her to give her. Sanjana was a very dutiful girl from a simple background. Amba was a very strict mother in law but rebelling against her was not in Sanjana's nature. Preet sometimes felt anger regarding her mother's strict attitude and especially the one she showed parchai but with her self survival instinct she never questioned Amba. Sanjana loved her in-laws like her own and in return, even though her parents in laws acknowledged it rarely, her husband's siblings considered her as their own sister and loved and respected her like a second mother. She considered herself to get a life partner like Mannu, one of the few men she saw in her life who respected women. Even before marriage, as the proposal proceeded Mannu had come to see her and talk. She was thrilled at the respect in his eyes and voice for her. From the first sight she had fallen for Mannu... Her relationship with him was totally different from that of her parents... He allowed her to take her own decisions... No, he didn't allow her... He spoke as if it was her right. Everything was different with him than what she saw at her home. If they had to go somewhere rather than ordering to get ready he'll ask whether she wants to go or whether she was comfortable. What was there to be uncomfortable about? she would wonder... She was always comfortable and happy with whatever he wanted,as he always took care of her comforts. He considered her above him in matters of their small life.
Preet checked Sanjana's temperature. "It's normal parchai" she said. Sanjana recoiled as a wave of nausea hit her. She ran to her bathroom and vomited. Alarmed, Preet called Amba. "It's Gunjan's roka tomorrow and now this... She has to get sick now..." cursing her daughter in law Amba entered the room. As she looks at Sanjana, Preet sees a peculiar expression on her mother's face. Amba makes Sanjana sit on the bed gently, more gently than she's ever done before, and starts inspecting her. Firstly she checks Sanjana's lower eyelids and then twist her face around slowly to check her cheeks checking for the yellowish colour that was invisible to Preet. Amba pats Sanjana's head lovingly making Preet's jaw drop. "I suppose I would have gotten wind of it long before if you were staying here instead of your maika. I'll say you're about one and a half months" Amba said while Preet guessed what she was talking about. 'Go get some sweets out " Amba yelled at Preet even though she was standing a few millimetres away. " But mummy, is she really pregnant? Shouldn't we let a doctor confirm it before we announce it? " Preet said while Amba looked livid. Preet realised her folly. Amba hated it when someone argued with her or questioned her. "I gave birth five times... And do you think your mother is stupid? I suppose you are educated now... So what's your mother's worth?" with each word Amba came towards Preet while she practically ran backwards. "Sorry mummy, didn't mean it like that" she said scared. " I'll go get sweets..." she runs out of the room before her mother could get her hands on her.
In a mansion on the other side of the village, someone has retired to his chambers way before the others. As he hugs a pillow in his arms he dreams of making Preet Pavanya a prisoner in his arms...forever.
Edited by Meghateresa - 6 years ago
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