UNCONDITIONAL

XXVII

They must have sat engrossed in their conversation, in their laughs, in their love, in each other before the bright morning sun for a couple more hours before finally getting up and out of Prem's room. Bhuji sat at the breakfast table when she saw Prem make his way out of the hallway from his room.

"Prem..." She called out to her nephew. "Come, join me for breakfast." A joyful smile found its way to her lips when she saw Noor following him.

They made way over to their aunt and greeted her with a hug each.

"Sit down, have breakfast with me." She pointed to the chairs next to her.

"Uhh...Tayiji, we've...already had breakfast." Prem slowly told her.

"Peter!" His Tayi immediately exclaimed. "Organize the biggest party this city has ever seen. My Prem and Noor are back!" She announced as she got up and kissed both of their foreheads.

"Right away, ma'am!" Peter gladly replied eyeing them both.

There was palpable excitement and energy in the house and this time with some assurance to it, like it was there to stay. The previous fear of its impermanence no longer accompanied it. The incredible positivity vibrating through the enormous walls of the home had caused every human within them to wear magnificently ecstatic smiles on their faces. Noor and Prem could feel the air itself celebrating the end of the dark times and enthusiastically welcoming the bright new day that had dawned. They had just finished conversing with Bhuji when the person single-handedly responsible for turning their lives around walked in, Harleen. The careful smile on her face switched to a full-fledged grin when she spotted Prem walking right behind Noor to the living room.

"Good Morning!" She greeted them eagerly as she made her way over to them.

"Good Morning." Noor replied pausing in her tracks for Harleen to reach her.

"How are you?" Harleen asked looking back and forth between Noor and Prem as she paused before them.

"Alive...for the first time in a long time." Noor eyed Harleen emotionally. "All thanks to you."

"Awh, Boss. You don't need to thank me. I did this for myself. It makes me happy to see you happy!" She tried waving Noor's statement away.

"You don't know what you did for us." A tear spilled out of Noor's eye when she took a step forward and hugged Harleen. "You have absolutely no idea what you mean to us." She cried on Harleen's shoulder.

"Boss!" Harleen couldn't help but get emotional. She let the tears building up in her eyes flow on Noor's shoulder.

Noor wiped Harleen's cheeks when they withdrew. "Thank you." She mouthed.

"Anytime, boss!" Harleen smiled proudly.

"Harleen..." Prem cleared his throat a little as he came to the forefront realizing Noor's moment with her was coming to an end. "I know the last conversation we had was rather rough." He smiled. "But I would like to say, thank you. Thank you so much. You changed our lives. You didn't need to do this, but you did. You're an angel for us."

"Bhaji! You don't need to say that!" Harleen shook her head.

"Since you chose the word bhaji for me, I want you to know that this brother of yours will be there for you anytime and anywhere you need him!" Prem stated slightly opening his arms.

Refusing to hold back, Harleen took a step forward and gave him a heartfelt hug as well. "Thank you."

"No. Thank you!" Prem told her as they separated. "At your service for the rest of your life."

"Really Harleen. We can never pay you back for what you did but we will be there for you for the rest of your life. Anytime, anywhere. One call away." Noor confirmed.

"You guys are too kind!" Harleen's tears began again. "I don't deserve so much!"

"You deserve every bit of it and more." Noor told her. "I never told you, but you remind me of Gurleen. From now on, you have the place she held in this house. Matter of fact, you have the place she held for us."

"Oh my god!" Harleen gasped.

"Yeah." Prem nodded. "The first time you called me bhaji, it almost felt like Gurleen had called out to me."

"She also called you bhaji?" Harleen asked in raised eyebrows.

"Yeah." Noor was quick to answer. "She called me Noor but was very adamant on giving him respect so it was always bhaji. Unless she was teaming up with him against me. Then it was 'Jheej.'" Noor made a face at the word. "She was too cool for jijaji or jiju."

"Oooh, I like that!" Harleen cooed. "Can I actually call you Jheej instead?"

"You can call me whatever you like." Prem smiled.

They got seated in the living room and conversation started. Some drinks and snacks were brought out for Harleen as they discussed everything from when Harleen found out the background story to what rang the bell in her head about Tim Brown. A couple hours must've passed by in their discussions when Prem excused himself to answer a phone call. Noor and Harleen carried on with their chat when out of where, Victoria shuffled into the home.