INSEPARABLE I

XII

"What a night!" The Prince exclaimed walking out of the hall with Noor and some of their friends once the function had been wrapped up. "Listen, Nooreh..." He paused looking around the group of people with them for a second. "My mom wanted you help her select some last minute things for Gulab. She's in the last room of the west hallway." He told her.

"Oh. I'll go see her right away." Noor smiled at him taking off.

It was an area of the palace she had not been to before. There weren't very many guests in the area, only a few body guards stationed here and there. She walked to the last room of the hall but before she could enter, she was suddenly pulled behind a decorative curtain in the corner of the hallway. As she prepared to launch an attack; her eyes settled on none other than Prem before her.

"Prem!" She gasped taking his face in her hands.

Circling his arms around her back, he pulled her into himself before sensually whispering, "hey."

"Hi." Noor's smile knew no bounds.

He proceeded to kiss her forehead, her smiling cheek, her jawline, and then finally her starved red lips. "I missed you." He told her.

Bringing her nose and forehead to touch his, "I missed you too." Noor whispered.

"By the way..." Prem suddenly withdrew. "Who is this?" He asked scanning her up and down. "This hair, these clothes, all this jewelry, that smile. What happened to the Chief of Basher?"

Pulling him close again, "Prem Dhaliwal happened to the Chief of Basher." Noor told him sensually.

"Well, if you haven't noticed.." Prem responded pointing to his black kurta and necklace, "It looks like Noor Sandhu may have happened to the Chief of Kurral as well." He said leaning in and kissing her again.

"The Chief of Kurral might be enjoying himself a little too much." Noor stated straightening out his collar. Prem looked at her in raised eyebrows. "Oh...you don't know what I'm talking about?" Noor nodded sarcastically. "Let's see if this rings a bell..." She said clearing her throat. "Hello Chand." She began mocking his greeting to Chand, inviting an immediate laugh out of him. "I'm well, Chand. How are you, Chand?" She said imitating his words. "I know you want to sleep with me, Chand. You think Noor will let me sleep with you, Chand?" Noor teased him as he doubled over laughing at her impression.

"Oh...Noor. I was just playing with her but you were way too harsh on Sher!" He said taking a deep breath to get a hold of himself. "On a serious note," he said in a straight face, "if Chand asks me to sleep with her...you obviously don't mind, right?"

Noor eyed him in raised eyebrows and a smile that couldn't be abated even she tried. "Of course not, Prem!" She exclaimed. "I'd be thrilled by your generosity. In fact, I can probably start compiling a list of all the women in Doab who want to sleep with you, I should be able to finish it over the next year or so, and you can go sleep with all of them!" She told him excitedly.

"Really?" He asked sounding equally enthusiastic.

"Really!" Noor replied before breaking character. Holding his face by the chin, she then lightly slapped his cheek. Prem simply stared at her in his smitten smile. She slapped his cheek one more time. His smile widened. Unable to help herself, she shot forward and kissed him with more passion than either one of them could have predicted. "I love you." She said when they withdrew.

"I love you." He reciprocated.

Just then, a light knock on the wall next to them diverted their attention. "Chief..." In came Sevak's quiet voice. "A few members of the Dhaliwal family are on their way. You must leave the area in the next few moments."

Noor smiled. "Yes, Sevak."

"Always watching you, huh?" Prem acknowledged, quickly pulling her in one last time.

Planting a hard kiss on his lips, "choose a better spot tomorrow." Noor told him, withdrawing, and swiftly exiting the curtain. She was only a step away when she suddenly turned around and peeked back in behind the curtain. "If I were you, I'd wipe my lips before going back out there..." she winked before adding the word "...Chief" in a suppressed naughty smile. Prem ran his thumb over his lower lip to see some of Noor's rouge come off.

Biting his lower lip, "get out of here." He told her playfully.

While Noor managed to be a safe distance from the curtain they were behind, Prem has just stepped out when two of his cousins accompanied by a few of their men turned into the hallway they were in. Eyeing Noor with great suspicion and loathing, they neared her one step at a time but passed her without a word. Arriving next to Prem, they then eyed him with same level of suspicion before looking over their shoulder at Noor and then back at Prem.

"What are you up to, Chief?" Veer Dhaliwal, his older cousin ended up asking Prem.

"Oh. Nothing." Prem shrugged thinking of answer. "Just...waiting for Hakam. He told me he would meet me here." He said pretending to look around. "Have you seen him?"

"No. We haven't." His cousin replied slowly. "Chief...what was she doing here?"

"Who?" Prem asked innocently. "Oh...her!" He exclaimed as his cousins looked over their shoulders again. "How am I supposed to know?" He replied shrugging once again. "I don't talk to her."

"Right." His cousin nodded.

"I should get going." Prem threw the loose end of his khaki shawl over his shoulder before heading out.

"Find out what's really going on." Veer Dhaliwal ordered his men as soon as Prem was out of hearing range. "We all know he's always had a thing for her. And judging from how quick he was to slash off the wrist of our man for merely speaking of grabbing her, it seems like our beloved Prem may not be over her after all. Get to the bottom of this."

After breakfast the following day, Prince Udam made an announcement to all of the youngsters to be prepared for the evening as a celebration just for them was in plan. When everyone other than Prem and Noor had left, "you ready for tonight, Noor?" The Prince asked her.

"Not at all." Noor replied in a disapproving tone.

"Huh?" Confused, Prince Udam looked first at her and then at Prem.

"The dancers will perform and entertain the men..." she began, "what about the women? Have you invited some men to entertain us as well?" She asked in raised eyebrows.

"How many would you like?" Prem immediately inquired leaning forward with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Eyeing him in a similar expression for a solid moment, Noor spoke up, "as many as it takes to equal one of you, Chief."

"Insolent woman! You dare compare the Chief to some dancers?" He gasped. "Have you no shame?"

"Little to none, My Lord." Noor answered in the lowest tone and the most playful smile.

"I'm appalled." Prince Udam interrupted them. "Both of you, disperse." He ordered. "Now!"

Laughing, they both took off in the opposite directions.

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PRECAP - Hakam was covering for one of the Senior Dhaliwal's bodyguards for the day. He walked behind the Ex-Chief of Kurral in silence until the elderly man came to sudden halt. Hakam traced his eyes down the hall to find what left his boss's father so gravelly concerned and thought his breath would leave his body at the sight. Itwas a window displaying their Chief resting his head in the lap of Noor Sandhu inthe garden outside.

"Unbelievable." The Senior Dhaliwal muttered rushing towards the window.

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