INSEPARABLE I

XI

Once the guests had settled in, the girls gathered around Gulab once again, engaging in light gossip, laughter, and memories. They teased Gulab about how handsome the Prince is and how impatient he appeared to see her. They even offered to break the wedding rules to help her pull off a secret meeting with him. The conversation eventually moved from the Prince to his friends and the one every single girl seemed to unanimously agree on being smitten by was Prem.

"With due respect girls, you all have plenty of choices out there but please, leave Prem alone." Chand remarked haughtily.

The girls laughed. "Sounds like you're sending him a marriage proposal." One of them said.

"Of course, I am. My parents came prepared." Chand said playing with her hair.

"You think he'll accept it?" Another girl asked.

"Obviously. If he doesn't accept Chand Gill's marriage proposal, whose will he? I mean, no offense, but I'm easily the best choice out of all of us for him. They say I'm one of the most beautiful women in Doab and I was raised to be the perfect wife to a Chief." She explained flipping her hair over her shoulder and looking at the girls in a challenging gaze.

"I don't know, Chand..." The same girl began. "Prem did always have a soft spot for Noor. They were inseparable as children." She finished off inviting all eyes to Noor who simply stared at the marble floor in silence.

Chand let out a small laugh. "Keyword being children and I hated Noor because of that, but they were far too young to understand that they were supposed to hate each other back then. But newsflash, we're all grown up and now they're enemies! So that definitely isn't something that keeps me up at night." She smiled.

"Noor." Another girl out of the group suddenly turned towards Noor. "In another world, if Prem was fair game for you, would you have married him?"

Sighing, Noor exchanged a look with Gulab before looking around at all of the girls eyeing her curiously. "No." She replied before lowering gaze and staring at the design on the marble floor again.

"Told you." Chand asserted proudly.

"I would have married him even if he wasn't fair game." Noor spoke in a low powerful tone still staring at the design on the floor. She looked up to see eyes widening and eyebrows raising at her answer. She smiled.

"Of course, you would have...Chief." Gulab eyed her emphasizing her title as Chand stared at her in disbelief.

Although the wedding was at the bride's home, the bride and groom were not allowed see each other. Since Noor was close to both of them, she went back and forth between them, otherwise the guests of each side were fairly secluded with the groom's side hosted in a separate wing of the palace. That night was the sangeet(musical) function for the groom. Noor arrived to see all of the Prince's closest relatives and family friends seated in a dimly lit hall and the function underway with folk songs being sung.

"Noor! There you are." The Queen called out to her. "We've been looking for you. You're spending far too much time on the bride's side!"

"Sorry, Rani ma." Noor smiled making way to the cushions next to the Queen and her mother.

"Oh my God, it's Chief Sandhu!" Said a voice from behind Noor as the previous song came to an end. It was Sher Singh Randhawa, one of Prince Udam's cousins and Noor's most vocal admirer.

"Oh my God, it's Lord Randhawa." Noor repeated in the same tone. The room seemed have grown silent to listen in on their encounter.

"So that's what you look like when you're not discussing politics!" He exclaimed grabbing her hand and kissing it. "As beautiful as the moon!"