Pranbir Short Story Collection

Deal of Heart (Part 2)

As her sobs faded away, Prachi snatched a few glorious moments in the embrace of the love of her life, drawing strength to stay away for the rest of their lives. Gradually, she regained the much needed composure and drew back. She wiped her tears off roughly.

"Now that you know the truth, please help me in reuniting my parents by staying away from me." Prachi entreated.

"I will help you in reuniting your parents but not by staying away from you. In fact, I have made all the necessary preparations to achieve just that objective. But on one condition." Ranbir looked at Prachi steadily.

"What condition? I will do anything to give ma the happiness she deserves." Prachi replied.

"Good! Then come with me." Ranbir got to his feet and stretched out a hand to Prachi.

Prachi placed her hand on his and got to her feet too. Ranbir led her out of the house.

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Rhea strode into her home and ignoring Aaliya and others who were engrossed in a conversation, headed straight to her room.

"Now what happened to her?" Aaliya looked at Pallavi in exasperation.

"I don't know. But she seems to be very upset." Pallavi flicked a worried glance towards the stairs.

"Let's find out what happened." Aaliya suggested.

Aaliya and Pallavi headed to her room. As soon as they stepped into the corridor in the first floor that housed Rhea's room, a metallic clang resonated in the corridor followed by the shattering of glass. Both the woman hurried towards Rhea's room and opening the door found the room in a mess and Rhea in a destructive spree.

"Rhea! Rhea, calm down and tell me what happened? Rhea! Do you hear me?" Aaliya commanded.

"Yes, Rhea, darling, please calm down and tell us what happened." Pallavi implored.

"What happened? What happened is that Prachi is hell bent on snatching away everything from me and Ranbir can't see what, or rather who is good for him." Rhea shrieked.

"What did Ranbir do?" Pallavi inquired.

"And what has Prachi done now?" Aaliya demanded.

Rhea narrated the whole incident to the two women. They were stunned to hear it.

"Don't worry, Rhea, I will talk to Ranbir. This boy is going out of control." Pallavi exclaimed.

"Yes, make him understand, Pallavi, that Prachi is the worst thing to ever happen to him. His wedding is fixed with Rhea and will take place only with her." Aaliya instructed.

"Don't worry, Aaliya, Rhea is my choice and Ranbir will have to marry the girl of my choice." Pallavi replied smugly.

Before anyone could say anything else, someone called Aaliya from downstairs and asked her to come immediately.

Curious, all three of them made their way downstairs only to get the shock of their lives. All the members of both the Mehra and kohli household had gathered in the living room and standing just inside the threshold to the room was Ranbir in a cream Sherwani accompanied by a cream turban and a garland placed over his arm with Prachi in a red lehenga with the garland still adorning her neck beside him.

"What...what's going on? Ranbir?" Rhea spluttered as she looked from one to the other.

"Nothing much, Rhea Mehra. We have married and now Prachi is my legally wedded wife." Ranbir replied with marked indifference.