Hamesha Wala Pyaar (Completed)

chapter 1

Hamesha Wala Pyaar - Chapter 1

At the Brahmakumari’s Centre in Mumbai, in a room full of orphan kids, Shehnaaz was volunteering to entertain and teach the kids a few songs. Anyone who saw her would assume, that she is probably someone who was very happy and content in life. But sadly that was not the case. Shehnaaz was dejected inwardly because her meagre finances that she carried from Punjab were drying up and her cousin, Gunkirat, with whom she was staying over at the moment, was in dilemma as her room mate will be returning soon and she couldn’t allow Shehnaaz to stay over any longer.  After her hour was over with the kids, she went to her cousin with a distraught expression.

“Gunni, merko job chahiye yaar, kaise bhi. Main mumma papa ko kya bolungi, mujhe nai jana wapis Punjab. Waha gayi toh firse uss khotte Rajbeer de naal vyah karna padega. Yuckk” she shut her eyes in disgust.

“Gunnnnnuuuu bol na.. kuch” she whined sitting beside her behind the huge reception as Gunkirat who was busy attending calls on the board line ignored her.

Shehnaaz had rebelled against her parents wishes to come to Mumbai and try her hand at what she was good at, helping people. She was hopeful her Social Work Degree will fetch her a decent enough job and she just might get to enjoy the best of both worlds getting to earn while she got to touch so many people’s lives.

But she was disheartened when she couldn’t find anything worthwhile.

Since she was sitting idle, Gunkirat had requested her to step in and volunteer to spend some time with the kids. Shehnaaz was delighted with the idea and obliged immediately.

Shehnaaz had been a trouble maker since childhood and as punishment for her mischief she was sent to her strict mamaji’s place for studying further. Little did her parents know that this mamaji and his family from hell, were so cold to Shehnaaz, she literally spent her nights crying herself to sleep. Her mama and mami would only talk to her when they had to tell her some chore. She wasn’t allowed to go out and mingle with the neighbours. Her little hands used to be tired by the end of the day with the chores that were pushed her way.

Her mami threatened to hit her black and blue if she uttered a word to her mother. Each day Shehnaaz used to pray that this day should be the last day in the house and that by some miracle someone should come and take her away. That day did come, after four years, but Shehnaaz’s happiness was short lived.

That same year she was packed off to Hilltop School in Dalhousie to study further. Shehnaaz detested being away from her mother in the beginning but the friendly ambience in the school got her back to sanity. She loved her school and was happy there, but only her heart knew the sting of missing a loved one. The feeling only kept growing until Shehnaaz decided when she grows up she will work towards making sure that nobody has to feel the despair.

She will try to help as many people as she can, give them happiness in whatever way she can. It was with this thought that she decided to major in Social Work in her final year. After finishing graduation, her parents wanted her to marry Rajbeer Sandhu. He was the only son of their very close family friends and the sole heir to all their wealth. Shehnaaz’s father was very well off himself, considering all his investments in land during the time he was working in Germany. Like every father, all he wanted was the security of wealth for his daughter. But Shehnaaz had other plans.

She hated the sight of Rajbeer. He was over bearing, loud and just like his name suggested he sported a protruding gut full of BEER with such pride it made her want to throw up.

Shehnaaz knew that going to Mumbai was her only way to delay the wedding jazz so she cried the whole night and refused to eat for two days until her father gave in to her demand and allowed her to travel to Mumbai to try her hand at working.

“Puttar, dekh main sirf tujhe do mahino ke liye bhej raha hu, but agar do mahino mein kuch dhang ka nahi kar payi, toh wapis aa jana bina kahe. Tere pe trust karke bhej raha hu. Gunni ne phone karke bharosa dilaya isliye” He father warned her, handing her a wad of cash making her squeal in delight and hug him.

“Thank you papaji, I promise do mahino mein kuch nahi hua toh rab di sau aape chali aaungi” she was excited but also feared in her heart because Gunni had clearly told her that she can stay with her only till her room mate is back from her hometown.

After that she had to fend for herself. Shehnaaz had somehow convinced
Gunni to support her in front of her parents, assuring her that they will see what needs to be done when they actually reach that point. Gunni had sweetly obliged and that’s how Shehnaaz had landed in Mumbai.

*

Sidharth cringed as he saw his phone. Aarti, his former assistant was calling him off the hook. It had been a week since he had fired her but she just didn’t seem to get a clue. He put his phone on silent as he sauntered into the living room of his plush duplex Penthouse when he passed a rack full of awards and accolades.

He looked at them for a moment fondly. All these years of hardwork and authoring 8 books had earned him a big name. Two of his books were even made into movies which turned out to be huge money spinners earning him royalty to date.

He had always been an introvert and voraciously read everything he could lay his hands on from a tender age. Books were his best friends. His mom introduced and encouraged him to write a Daily diary to start with.

He found it easy to pour his feelings out on a paper than actually open his mouth and speak up. He slowly understood that writing was his calling and even went on to pursue a literature and creative writing degree at the Harvard.

Studying there was the best experience of his life because he came across all the immortal literary works by legends like William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte etc. Their beautifully etched characters, their life stories, their defining works actually shaped him up significantly as a sensitive writer. He mostly wrote fiction which elaborately spoke about Human Relations and their entanglement with life in general.

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Hope you readers like my new story Hamesha Wala Pyaar. Please do let me know in comments about ur views and suggestions. Many thanks.

- Sidnaazkidiwani