"Is this you, Pari?" Her mother yelled with the newspaper in her hand, as all her family members stood in the living room. Hers was never a filmy family. They were all calm and never spoke above a decimel. Pari & Kabir were the chaotic duo of the family.

But today was different. The atmosphere in the living room was tense, so much so that even Kabir was quietly sitting on the chair.

Her mother was asking her a question and Pari had to respond. Keeping her head low was not going to solve problems and answer questions.

"No." Pari lied. The girl who rarely lied had to lie today.

Hearing Pari's answer, her enraged mother slapped her hard on the face.

Kabir and Priya were shocked seeing this calm and docile person raising her hand on her daughter.

Kabir was the naughtiest, yet his mother never slapped him. She would raise her voice,glare at him, lightly hit on his head, but had never slapped him.

"Shameless girl. Shameless you are! What have I done that you were born to me?" Saying this, her mother broke down.

The newspaper had 2-3 images of Salem kissing a girl. Salem's whole face was visible and Pari's side face was visible. However, those who knew Pari could make it out, due to her face structure and her clothes.

Her aunt consoled her crying mother and yelled at Pari for making her mother cry and tarnish their family name.

"On top of it, she is lying! How could you Pari?" Her mother cried some more before her aunt took her mother inside.

Her father stood there with a disappointed look. Pari was his pride. All 3 kids were the apple of his eyes.
Pari was stubborn, Pari was not selfless but he always believed Pari knew right from wrong and she would never do anything that would be wrong.

But today, he was disappointed in her and his teachings.

"I didn't expect this from you." He said and left from there.

**

The following evening during the dinner time, her aunt informed her about the boy Pari was supposed to meet tomorrow for arranged marriage.

The boy was to come to their home with his family but due to an emergency situation in their family, the parents had to go to their native place.

If the situation was different, they would postpone this and meet the family alongwith the boy. However, he was free only tomorrow and would not mind meeting Pari alone in a near by restaurant. He was what they call or a "modern" thinking. Infact, he wanted to talk to the girl alone.

From what Pari got to know, he has done MBA and had his own business. Her parents would obviously send Kabir with Pari to meet the boy.

Pari tried protesting but her parents were not going to listen to her anymore.

"You are meeting the him tomorrow. That is it. Enough with your tantrums." Her mother said sternly.

"But -" She tried to argue but this time it was her father who said, "Pari, no arguments. It is better the sooner you get married."

Pari's heart broke a little at his words. To her, her father meant the world.

"Okay." She swallowed the hurt she felt at his words.

"I will tell him the truth. The mystery girl on the newspaper is me." She said in a threatening tone. She knew none of her family members would want others to know about this scandal.

They had even denied her stepping out of the house for today.

"Why? When your mother asked, you lied. So, lie tomorrow as well." Her aunt taunted.

"You'll have taught me no relationship works on lies." She answered back and her mother just glared at her as a sign to shut up.

That night, Priya and Pari both were restless. They had the habit of talking to each other, especially now when they were at a crucial stage in life.

But both of them behaved stubborn and didn't speak a word.

**

The next evening, Kabir accompanied Pari to meet the MBA guy to a nearby restaurant. The entire journey from their home to the hotel, both the siblings didn't talk or tease each other like they usually did.

"You shouldn't have lied to mother." Kabir spoke finally about yesterday's incident.

"Ya? Now you will teach me?" Pari answered back, defending herself.

"No! But you hardly lie. So if you have infact kissed someone so openly, then accept it. Why lie?"

"Be a girl and then you will understand." Pari answered. Theirs was not a society where they could express their feelings, especially girls, let alone confess it in such obscene act of a kiss.

"Be the girl's brother and you will understand. Our colony boys already suspect if it's you. What are they going to say about me and all of us?" Kabir said. He had heard them saying the girl looks vaguely familiar but they were not able to tell.

"Nobody gives a shit about you. So, shut up." Pari said irritatedly, not wanting to discuss it further.

They reached the hotel, which had very few customers since it was an evening on a weekday and on the basis of the photo, they identified the MBA guy and went near him to sit. Kabir was happy to give them privacy and get away from his sister, so he sat at another table, enjoying his Coca Cola while watching his sister and the guy chat.

Good luck marrying my sister, thought Kabir.

A good 30 minutes and one Pav Bhaji later, Kabir was surprised that his sister is still talking to the guy. Knowing how awkward Pari is around strangers and at making conversation, Kabir assumed they would be done in 10 - 15 minutes later. He sighed, looks like he has to wait some more here.

The door of the restaurant opened harshly and all his attention went to a group of men who entered wearing all black. The 3 men asked everyone to move out of the restaurant quickly. Meanwhile, the taller giant like man approached Pari's table. Kabir quickly got up and went by Pari's side. The hotel was almost empty now with no customers around.

"Wajid Bhai, did we do anything wrong?" The owner of the restaurant asked the tall looking buff guy.

"Not you. We came to talk to someone." Wajid said looking at Pari and smiled dangerously at her.

Wajid was a local gang leader who would extort money from hotels & cafe around. He had a reputation among the owners of the hotel. Nobody would mess with Wajid.

"Namaste Bhabhiji." He folded his hand and bowed his head. Pari was confused looking at a stranger calling her "Bhabhi" (sister-in- law)

"Excuse me? Who are you?" The MBA guy stood up and asked Wajid. The three men around him immediately made the MBA guy sit down.

"Sit down. I was not talking to you. So keep sitting where you are, fucker." Wajid gave a rough reply to the guy and then looked at Pari with a smile.

"Haan toh Bhabhiji..."

"Stop calling me that!" Wajid was cut off by Pari. "I am not your Bhabhi. You have mistaken me." She tried to bring her tone down, considering how murderous this guy looked.

"No! I have not mistaken you. I am Wajid. Salem sent me here." The moment Wajid took his name, she could feel her heart drop.

"He was not happy to know about you being here with a guy." She didn't know if he was informing her or warning her.

"Salem sent you...?" Wajid didn't miss the judgemental tone in her voice. Ofcourse, nobody would think a movie star would be an acquaintance of a dangerous looking guy like him.

"Yes, he wants to meet you. I can take you to him. But he is not so pleased about your meeting with this guy." Wajid said and glared at the MBA guy who gulped in nervousness.

"I don't know you. You could be lying about Salem sending you here. I am not coming with you. And even if you were not lying, I do not wish to see Salem. So leave and ask him to not show me his face neither send you guys to me." Pari ordered with a straight face.

"Bhabhiji, we will talk but this guy..." Wajid made the MBA guy stand and said, "Listen, today should be the first and the last time I see you around our Bhabhiji. I am still being nice, he would not be so good. Now, leave from here." Wajid's boys caught hold of the MBA guy and threw him out of the hotel.

"Bhabhiji..."

"Pari naam hai mera. Sunayi nahi deta ek baari mein? ( Call me Pari. Can't you understand it once?)

"Nahi bula sakta. Salem bhai jaisa hai, uss naate aap toh Bhabhiji hui." (Wajid retorted.
(Can't call you by your name. Salem is like my brother, so you become my sister-in-law)

"Stop this drama." Pari stood up in anger seeing how non chalant Wajid was acting and not taking her seriously, "Neither I want to talk to you nor to him. And don't you dare show me your face next time." Pari stood up from her place and asked Kabir to follow her out.

The owner was shocked seeing her behaviour with Wajid.

Wajid took a seat and put his table on the leg. "Are you sure? You don't want to talk to him?"

Pari halted her steps and looked back, "Sure."

"Okay. He asked me to throw the guy out and bring you to him. But he also asked me to be extremely nice to you. Varna, Bhai ke liye uthake bhi leke jaata." Wajid threatened in a calm tone. (Otherwise, I would have taken you forcefully to him)

"Tell him to go to hell and you can follow him there." Pari spat back.

She couldn't believe Salem would hire this goon to throw the MBA guy out.
The MBA guy was actually decent. He had no plans of marrying anyone, so he wanted to meet Pari alone to tell her to say no to the marriage. Pari told him about the newspaper scandal and how she is in no position to reject the marriage proposal. Her parents would never listen no from her to such a good prospect. The MBA guy heard her story and said he would try to convince his parents to reject this proposal. Pari was just relieved that she hadn't lied to the guy and told him everything honestly.

It was 12:50 AM when the doorbell to Pari's home rang and there were continuous knocks on the door. The entire household was disturbed and awake at this point. Pari's father went to open the door. Pari was awake by the loud noise, but thinking that it must be the colony people, she didn't go to the living room. It was when her father called her name loudly, she got up quickly and went to the living room.

There he was - Salem standing at the doorstep of her house.

He entered the house with Wajid behind him.

"You didn't want to see me. So, I came looking for you, sweetheart." Salem said with a small dangerous smile on his lips.

_____

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Feb 21'24

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