On his way to Darjeeling he saw a group of boys standing on the side of the road next to a car...... "any problem guys?"
They all recognized Veer as he had once been to the same bar.... "Vishal...."
"hey Veer, how are you man?"
"what happened?"
"we are looking for a mechanic......just going to the bar...."
"come, I can drop you...." Veer insisted .....
all the four boys cheered up ......
Vishal opened one bottle.... "hey that's for my friend"
Veer smiled.... "well....can't have now..."
Vishal was surprised at Veer "what??? Veer and no alcohol??...did you quit drinking??"
"of course not" replied the handsome man.....
"so, what's the matter??" Vishal enquired....
Veer took a deep breath..... "well I am going to my boss's party.....a religious ceremony.....so"
"oh.....but you can have just one shot....it won't make that difference..." Vishal offered Veer....
without thinking much Veer had one shot.....but that was not sufficient for him....though he tried not to have another drink but all these boys stopped the car and enjoyed their drinks before entering Darjeeling.....
*************
"Chandni.....where are you??" Kamini shouted from the group of ladies sitting around the dinning table.....
Chandni walked towards the ladies who were busy making some food that was to be offered at the temple "yes Grandma"
"you must wear this suit.....you will look good... and cover your head while you are sitting in the ceremony..." Kamini instructed.....
Chandni was least bothered about anything going on.....she looked at her Mother who was happy at the deal they got..... she was all ready for the party..... it was decided by Kamini to have some religious chants before the official party starts..... but their party was mere juice and good food...... Chandni looked at the food they were making in oil....she nodded her head and made a bad face before going towards her room...... "oh God....please save me from this old ladies group and their food..." she murmured while closing her door behind.....
Few ladies gathered for a small prayer.... "Chandni.....where are you now??" Kamini shouted from downstairs....
Chandni opened the door and came running downstairs.......... she looked enormously beautiful in her pink suit ..... she just washed her hair as the hair ends looked wet with small drops over her clothes...... she wore some bangles in her fair arms while walking towards the group of ladies........
It was a hobby or it could be called a usual thing for some of the ladies to sing couplets while sitting together..... Chandni was passing by when they asked her to join them......
Maneka and Chandni felt nervous and stupid enough to stand among the ladies and what could they say and how should they start.....
Chandni's eyes fell on Veer who was standing at the door smiling at her.....as if she can't do anything....she can't cook, can't sing, can't dance..... Chandni felt bad........
Veer gazed at Chandni .....he could see the dark black tendrils falling over her fair shoulder and back.......her fair arms and small waist.....
Maneka was shocked.....it was unbelievable for her to even imagine Chandni saying something unusual.....she was still thinking when she heard......
"everybody says I am lively, I am lovable....... its not easy to love me......the cost will be unbearable for you"
she looked at Veer indirectly........while Meenakshi was shocked to see Chandni saying these words.....as if Chandni didn't realize what she was actually speaking.....
"this beauty of mine is the root cause of all troubles........it has changed the minds of so many......if I smile and look up at anybody people create stories.....you will see here lots of people admiring me...... but I am not like the one who can fall for anybody....."
she stopped and looked around......there was a complete silence.....nervously she turned around when she heard ....
"your each and every style is killing..... lovingly it steals my heart away......."
She turned around shockingly looking at the ruffian who added after her words...... she was tense while he came closer to her........
everyone looked with their mouths open...as if they had seen something horrifying.......
without bothering about his surroundings....he picked her up in his arms..... making her completely shocked.....
"you don't know how stubborn I am....... I can take you with me right now......" he smiled at her......
"just understand you are only mine ...."
she glanced around everyone staring at them......
"and let your eyes meet my eyes........ I will always be your beloved.........." Chandni's heart almost came to her mouth.... but Veer was all lost in her..... "because I have always loved you" ......
Kamini hold her head....as if she would faint any moment...... there wasn't any noise..... for few seconds Veer continuously gazed in her eyes....
"Veer" she fidgeted..... finally he looked around and dropped her on the floor......
"ouch" she screamed..... making Meenakshi giggle.....
Veer looked around and saw some faces smiling at him......as he had openly admitted that he loved Chandni..... the ladies started murmuring and giggling......
After some time......
Everyone was busy with dinner, when Veer looked at Chandni who was standing isolated near the main door..... a naughty smile crept on his lips.....and he pulled her instantly with him outside the house....... "Veer..." she tried to release her hand....... but Veer was adamant.....
without wasting any more time he pushed her against the wall on the side of the house and kissed passionately on her lovely lips....... he pulled back after few seconds....but before she could say something he placed another blazingly hot kiss on her trembling lips.........his hands found their place around her waist and nape..... Chandni tried to push him with her hands on his chest...... but after sometime she felt as if she needed him.... her hands automatically entangled in his dark hair........
While the ladies inside the house talked about Veer and Chandni....... Meenakshi smiled at their thought "you are right..... I was seriously thinking about their relationship......but before this I wasn't sure if something was really going between both of them...."
Lata offered some sweets to Kamini "congratulations for such a handsome son-in-law...." Kamini was holding her head before....as she never had thought that Chandni would like someone..... "i still can't believe that Chandni wishes to marry" Shama put some sweets in Kamini's mouth before she could speak anything.....
After some time....
he broke the kiss and looked at her...... his fingers grazed her locks behind her ear....... "leave me" she whispered...... while trying to push him away......
"can't" he hold her tightly against his strong body......
"you are a cheater" she hit him with a closed fist on his chest......
"why?" he asked while rubbing his hands all over her back......
"you broke my demand....." annoyingly she turned her face away.....
he smiled...... "because you broke my demand...."
Chandni frowned..... "really?? how....?" she thought something..... "but I made the breakfast....and i"
before she could speak further he again showered small kisses on her lips......
she pushed him a little "Veer...."
"you must make something that I can eat......not throw" he smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead....making her shyly run inside the house......
"i am leaving Chandni...." he said while she turned around.....
"yes...go....." she replied back while looking at him driving towards the main road.....
A small smile occupied her lips.....
**********************
It was almost late night and Chandni walked to her room to change.....she was happy and at the same time angry at Veer who was so shameless in front of so many guests.......she remembered how Shama and other ladies teased her and openly thought about her marriage with the monster..... "Veer, you are too much" and she knew very well that he must be drinking before coming to the ceremony...... as she could smell alcohol when he kissed her......
she took off the bangles..... "devil.....stupid.....mannerless....." her list for Veer kept on until she took off her bangles and earrings when her eyes fell on the two pieces of stones..... she touched them and looked at the words again.......
she glanced in the mirror while brushing her hair and smiled when suddenly she saw a strange figure standing next to her ....... for a moment she stood still and slowly looked up at the mirror again.......
There were few ladies downstairs who heard Chandni's screams...... Meenakshi and Shama quickly rushed upstairs....
Chandni turned around to see but there wasn't anyone.....she again looked into the mirror, she was shocked to find her identical face standing next to her..... the wicked face was smiling at Chandni......
"Chandni......open the door....what happened???" Chandni could hear Meenakshi's voice but she was sweating profusely.... it was not so easy for Chandni to walk and open the door..... she couldn't understand as fear occupied her....she found her hands and feet numb.....impossible to walk and move her hands around.....
She saw the girl with open tangled hair and white dress who was clearly visible.... almost making Chandni die in terror.....
Before she could do anything or say anything....the figure in front of her vanished leaving behind the fear....her heart was still thudding against her chest......she couldn't speak anything as if some evil force was casted around her.....
few seconds made her sweat badly and lost all her senses...... it was only after few minutes when she heard a bang at her door ...... "Chandni....beta open the door" her Grandmother was shouting again and again......but Chandni couldn't get out of the trauma she had witnessed just few minutes back.....how can this be possible....
somehow she managed to open the door...... Meenakshi saw her scared as if she had seen something horrifying..... "what happened??" she queried again and again making Chandni look at her......
"Kamla go, get some water" Shama asked....
"yes Chandni....please tell me....what happened??" Meenakshi asked again......
"i saw a girl standing next to me in the mirror....... but her hair was tangled and covered half of her face....... it seemed as if she's laughing over something.......as if she wants me to suffer........."
Chandni's tears did not stop.....it was because of the fear that her body was so nervous that the tears automatically rushed down her cheeks.....
"Chandni....please don't cry....let me think some way.....let me figure out exactly what you must have seen" Meenakshi thought while hugging Chandni closer to her......
"drink some water" Chandni didn't wanted to have anything....but suddenly her throat felt thirsty......
"Mom....she looked exactly like me...."
*******************