7| Inayaat

🪷 Main hoon deewarein, chatt hai piya tu,

Rab ki mujhe nemat hai piya tu,

Mere liye tu barkat ka taaviz hai 🪷

"Bhabhi? Chalein ab ghar?" Harleen nodded as an answer to Ishani. They were currently at the gurudwara, praying for Ranbir's health.

Sister-in-law? Shall we go home now?

Ranbir was shot yesterday. The bullet luckily just grazed his chest and missed any important body parts. He was held back in the hospital for the night for observation.

Harleen took a breath of relief yesterday only when her father-in-law called from the hospital saying Ranbir was good. She briefly spoke to him on the phone last night but he was under the influence of the medicines so they didn't have a proper conversation.

Truth be told, Harleen was still worried sick for her husband. She continuously prayed for his health until she received the call from his father. She has been praying for his health ever since and decided to go to the gurudwara first thing in the morning.

"Papa ka call aya? Ranbir ghar aa gaye kya?" Harleen questioned Ishani as the two exited the gurudwara together.

Did dad call? Is Ranbir back home?

"Haa papa ka call aya tha. Aa gaye honge woh log ab tak ghar." Ishani answered as both of them wore their footwear and started walking towards their Haveli.

Yes, dad called earlier. They would be home by the time we get there.

The gurudwara was at a walking distance from their house and they decided to walk there. As they made their way back, Harleen said thankful prayers to God for listening to her prayers once again.

Upon reaching the Haveli, she saw a bunch of people waiting in the living area. Both the girls walked towards the family seating and saw Ranbir's mother sitting there with some of their close relatives.

The news reporters didn't waste any time in inquiring about what had happened yesterday. Ranbir being such a famous personality, invited bunch of unwanted attention towards himself. The local news channels being on Ranbir's payroll helped in controlling what and how much gets published but people knew of the situation nonetheless.

Harleen and Ishani greeted the relatives. They had bought 'get-well-soon' bouquets and gifts for Ranbir. After a brief chat, Harleen excused herself and walked towards their room. God knows how she was controlling herself from running towards Ranbir. It would've looked very rude if she didn't greet the relatives but truth be told she couldn't care less.

Her husband was all that she cared about right now.

She lightly knocked on the door of their room and heard her father-in-law's voice.

"Come in." He said.

Harleen opened the door and her eyes immediately fell on her husband. He was laying on the bed with his back against the bed back. He didn't have a shirt on. There was a bandage going around his chest. Her eyes were fixated on the wound until her father-in-law's voice broke her trance.

"Betho beta. Hum thodi der mei aate hai." He said and it was then when Harleen noticed two of Ranbir's distant uncles standing in the room.

Sit, dear. We'll be back after some time.

Ranbir's father gave an assuring squeeze to her shoulder and left the room, followed by the other two men.

Harleen was still rooted to her previous place. Tears welled in her eyes as she observed the wounds on her husband's chest. She kept a hand on her mouth to prevent a sob from escaping.

"Idhar ao." Ranbir commanded her and patted the space on the bed, next to him.

Come here.

Harleen walked towards the bed and sat next to him. He took her hands in his and offered her a small smile.

He was looking devastatingly handsome. So handsome she felt she's gonna cast an evil eye on him if she kept staring at him like this. She quickly took some kajal from her water line on the tip of her ring finger and put a small dot at the back of his ear. In their culture, this is suppose to ward off the evil eyes.

Kohl

After doing this, she still kept on looking at his handsome face as if memorising each of his features. As much as she looked at him, the realisation of him being healthy and with her, sinked in.

"Kuch bologi nahi?" He asked softly.

Won't you say anything?

"Bas ek baat bolni hai aapse." She said and she cupped his face.

I just want to say one thing.

"Sun raha hu." He said.

I'm listening.

"Iss vakye se ek baat ka ehsaas ho gaya hai. Mai bahot pyaar karti hu aapse. Aap hi mera sab kuch hai. Aapke bina mai kuch nahi hu. Wada karein aap aaj ke baad bina guards ke kahi nahi jayenge." She confessed as tears ran down her cheeks.

I've realised something from this incident. I love you very much. You are everything to me. Without you, I'm nothing. Promise me, you'll never go anywhere without guards.

Ranbir kept staring at her with his previous smile intact. She paused for a second before continuing.

"Ab aap kuch bolenge nahi?" She asked after a moment passed.

Now won't you say anything?

Ranbir widened his smile and shook his head sideways. He shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her. She furrowed her eyebrows and pulled her hand away from his.

How can he be so unserious right now? She thought to herself as she got up from the bed with expressions of anger marrying her face.

Ranbir chuckled to himself on his wife's tactics and held her by her wrist. He pulled her back to the bed, closer to him than she previously was.

"Mai bhi aapse bahot pyaar karta hun, sohneyo." He confessed as he teasingly kissed her wrist.

I love you very much as well, sweetheart.

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and cupped her face. She gave him a big smile and a layer of blush quoted her cheeks.

"Aab aapka rona ho gaya ho to..." He didn't finish his sentence, instead connected his lips to hers for a blissful kiss.

Now if you're done crying...

🪷 5 years later 🪷

"Aap kahan hai Ranbir?" Harleen asked as she walked out of the Haveli, towards the backyard.

Where are you Ranbir?

"Yahan hai hum." Ranbir answered. Harleen turned towards the owner of the voice and gave her boys a smile.

We're here.

Yes, boys. They have a son now.

"Samrat ke liye fruits laayi hu." She said as she kept the plate of fruits on the coffee table.

I've got fruits for Samrat.

"Bas Samrat ke liye? Mere liye kuch nahi?" Ranbir asked as he picked his two-year-old son up in his arms and started walking towards the pergola, where his wife currently was.

Just for Samrat? Nothing for myself?

"Aap ke liye chai banai hai. Bas aati hi hogi." She said as she forwarded the plate to Ranbir. He loved doing things for his son, especially feeding him.

I've made tea for you. It must be on the way.

The father-son duo was very close. Ranbir was obsessed with his son in the most beautiful way. He was over the top when Harleen announced her pregnancy to him 3 years ago. He took such good care of her during her pregnancy. He fulfilled all his duties after little Samrat's birth and took even more care of Harleen.

He was hard wired to give his first born a name with great meaning. He looked through thousands of website and read a lot of books before himself locking in on this one. Samrat means ruler or emperor. The name was powerful and strong, both of which Ranbir wants him to become one day.

"I hope tumne chai banai hai. Tumhe pata hai na..." Ranbir said, picking up a small piece of fruit and feeding it to Samrat. Harleen cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

I hope you've made the tea. You know right how...

"Haa haa mujhe pata hai. Aapko sirf mere haath ki chai pasand hai. Maine hi banai hai, bas cup me dalke layi nahi." She said and gave him a smile.

Yeah yeah I know. You only like the tea when it is prepared by me. I am the one who made it, I just didn't bring it with me here.

"Aap ise khilaye. Mai zara mere phulon ko dekh lu." She said getting up from her seat.

You continue feeding him while I'll go check my flowers out.

"Hamein to dekh lein pehle." He said in a hushed voice but Harleen heard him nonetheless.

Check me out first.

She gave him a small smile and walked towards the pond attached to the end of the garden. It was filled with beautiful pink lotuses that she herself had planted years back. She was so found of lotuses and when she discovered the small pond, she couldn't help but plant these here. She uses these flowers as offerings on special occasions while she visits the gurudwara. It's her way of thanking her God for pulling her out of all her miseries and giving her the life she had always wanted.

She sat in front of the pond and started playing with the lotuses when she heard her husband's footsteps behind her. He really couldn't stay away from her for a period of time.

Before her husband could reach her, she saw his son running towards her.

"Mamma." He said as he continued running towards her with his arms wide open.

"Idhar aao. Mumma ki jaan." She said as she grabbed him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Come here. My life.

"Harleen chai aa gayi hai. Chalo." She heard her husband say.

Harleen, the tea's here. Come on.

"Aap jaiye, mai thodi der mei aayi." She said as she turned her attention towards Samrat who was trying to pluck a lotus out of the pond.

You go, I'll join you in a bit.

She held him back from plucking it and teasingly sprinkled some water from the pond on his face. He giggled at this and tried doing the same to his mother but failed. She let out a laugh at this and again kissed his cheek.

She felt a presence next to her and turned to look at Ranbir sitting beside her with two cups of tea in his hand.

"Tumhe thandi chai pasand nahi aur iss jagah se hatna bhi, toh ye lo." He said as he handed her, her cup of tea. She smiled gratefully at him.

You don't like cold tea and neither do you like leaving this spot, so here.

He never seizes to understand her and remember things about her. He really was a blessing showered upon her by her God.

"Shukriya." She said as she accepted her cup of tea.

Thank you.

"Theek hai." He nonchalantly said with a shrug of his shoulder.

It's fine.

"Nahi. Shukriya, har cheez ke liye. I love you." She gratefully said and rested her head on his shoulder.

No, thank you for everything.

"I love you more, biwi." He said as he kissed the top of her head and turned towards her beautiful lotuses.

Wifey.

- x -

That's it from my side for Inayaat. I'm patiently waiting for you guys' feedback so do let me know your thoughts on it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. I love you all. ❤️

P.S: Whom did you imagine Ranbir and Harleen as?

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Gentle reminder: This is now a full-length book, uploaded on my profile. Do check it out if you want to 🪷