UNCONDITIONAL

Unguarded Passion

"Shit!" Noor cursed at her phone as Prem worked on abating the smile he felt forcing itself onto his face.

"Yeah, Kareena." Noor answered the phone. Her talk with her secretary grew deeper causing her to excuse herself. Prem got back to his work and Noor too was forced to begin working. After working for a couple hours, they got ready for the evening.

Prem wore a three piece suit with a tie matching Noor's dress. He looked down at his watch one more time in his wait for Noor when the click of her heels entered his ears and she appeared in the door. Dressed in a deep green backless silk gown, she carefully stepped out. Prem stared at her absolutely mesmerized as she made her way towards him. She had stolen every bit of his senses and he stood frozen unable to take his eyes off her. She arrived next to him and waited for him to make a move. When he didn't, she smiled looking down. "Don't look at me like that, Prem. I might think you're falling in love with me all over again." She said with her eyes fixed on the marble floor. Prem blinked at the sound of her voice and proceeded to clear his throat a little before holding the door open for her. They ball was in the grand banquet hall on the ground floor of their hotel. They arrived hand in hand for the first time in nearly a year, looking serene next to one another. They had captured the attention of the photographers in no time and suddenly every camera in the area was pointed at them, snapping away. They were glowing in each other's presence making nervous every competitor betting on their separation.

Their teams were waiting for them in the entrance area. They witnessed the faces of nearly every member in the teams light up at their joint entrance. Serena Gill, an old friend and business advisor to both of them, walked up with her arms open. She hugged both of them before reaching into her eye, grabbing a bit of kohl and placing it behind Noor's ear to ward off evil eye. Noor laughed as she tried doing the same to Prem but he withdrew shaking his head in a small smile. "You can get nazar as well, okay?!" She told him.

"Oh please." Prem held up his free hand rejecting Serena's statement. "Are the Randhawa's here?"

"What do you think?" Serena replied moving out the way and pointing in the direction of their esteemed clients.

"Shall we then?" He asked Serena.

"Of course!" She said leading them towards the Randhawa family. Noor noticed a well-built turbaned man in his late 60s standing in a group of high profile businessmen and women. He was dressed in a black suit, black turban, and there wasn't a single hair out of place in his neatly tied grey beard. "He's here with his wife." Serena said as they approached the managing director of Randhawa Real Estate Investments, Arjan Singh Randhawa. "Mr. Randhawa! I bring to you, Premjit Singh and Gurnoor Kaur Dhaliwal!"

"Prem, Prem, Prem! My boy! Where have you been?" Mr. Randhawa immediately exclaimed upon seeing Prem.

"Good Evening, sir." Prem extended his hand in a subtly bowed posture. Mr. Randhawa shook his hand and took him into a hug.

"How are you, son?" He asked as they withdrew.

"Very well, sir." Prem tone was polite and his posture was submissive before the man he so deeply revered.

"And you must be the one and only, Noor Dhaliwal!" Mr. Randhawa took a step towards Noor next.

"It's an honor, Mr. Randhawa." Noor responded perfectly imitating Prem's tone and body language.

"I have read so much about you. It's pleasure to finally meet you, Noor!" He replied in a bright smile as they shook hands.

"You're extremely kind." Noor bowed her head a little once again.

Mr. Randhawa simply looked at her for a moment and then back at Prem before speaking. "You're just the girl I had imagined Prem with. God bless you." He placed his hand on Noor's head.