DAUGHTER IN LAW

Prachi smiled as she looked around at the brightly lit area and the smiling bride. Tonight would be the day her jhalli friend would be off to step into the new phase of her life. How she will handle it is still a tension in Shahana's head, but Prachi was sure she would be fine.

She smiled and waved across the large clearing where her parents stood along with the Kohlis. His father could not spare a minute before one of the various aunties made their way over to get an autograph or picture with him. It was now that she realized that her father was mad famous. It was the first time she saw him as Abhi The Rockstar instead of businessman Abhishek Prem Mehra.

Even those who badmouthed her and her mother day in and day night were now behaving like they were some long-lost BFFs of her mother. And her father handled everything that came his way with the charm he carried as a singer.

Seeing Pallavi, she felt a tiny bit gloomy. Though Pallavi had apologized thoroughly to her and Ranbir, he had not reconciled with his mother completely. Prachi had tried her best to convince Ranbir not to act indifferent toward his mother, but the latter had just smiled and pecked her forehead before leaving without any answer. Prachi sighed, she knew it will take a lot more effort from Pallavi along with high persuasion from her but only time will be able to pull the son-mother back into the healed relationship.

Prying her eyes off of the crowd her family had around them, she focused back on the decorated clearing, making sure everything was perfect. Needless to say, it was. Ranbir had gone all in when she had requested him to be the 'sarvagun sampann' boy for her. But she wasn't going to tell him that.

He soon caught her staring at him and she quickly looked away, her expression becoming cold. She slowly looked back to see him still looking at her with the most pleading puppy eyes ever. She barely held back the soft 'aww' as her heart melted.

She was miffed at him!

How could she not be? He kept her from the information that Aryan had caught feelings for Shahana. Given that Shahana was herself unaware of her own feelings and Aryan might have been feeling awkward sharing it with her, but Ranbir? He could have at least hinted to her. But he did nothing of the sorts, and so now she was angry with him. Only this time, it was silent anger.

She again averted her eyes only to find a group of girls. She even recognized a couple of them. But that wasn't the interesting part. The interesting, more like disturbing, part was their line of sight. That was unmistakably on her man.

Even though they were quite distant from her, she could easily hear what they were saying. Almost as if they were right beside her.

"My gosh, such a good guy can not be found in the heavens!"

"Of course not, that hotness could only belong in the depths of hell."

Prachi's face contorted in disgust. You find someone attractive? No problem, but what is the necessity to be so indecently vocal about it? That too in front of the girlfriend?

Okay, now she regretted keeping her and Ranbir's relationship status a secret.

"Just look at him! So adorable. Oh to run your fingers in those hairs."

That was it, Prachi marched over to the group, looking no less than the angry girlfriend she was, and cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Oh, hi Prachi!" A girl, she recognized from her eleventh grade greeted her.

"Hi." Prachi passed a smile, trying to remember her name. "How are you?"

"We are all fine." Another familiar girl replied, Anishka, as she remembered. "How are you? You kept no contact after you moved to Delhi."

"I know, I was just really caught up in the studies and all," Prachi replied honestly.

"In studies and with new family I guess." The unfamiliar girl said. There was something about her tone. " You found them after all, huh?"

"Yes, I did." Prachi replied softly.

"So, we were thinking," she continued, "would you mind introducing us to your cousins?"

"Cousins? Oh, you mean Aryan?" Prachi smiled. Looking to see if she could spot him but failed so.

"Yeah, look there is he is." The girl with odd vibes pointed.

Prachi followed her eyes in the said direction to see her pointing at the very, very wrong guy.

She quickly shook her head, denying their claim. "No, no. You've been highly mistaken. He is NOT my cousin."

"So who is he?"

Prachi narrowed her eyes slightly, the actual reason why she approached them coming back to her mind.

"He is Ranbir." She said cautiously.

"Ranbir." The girls nodded to themselves and Prachi almost puked.

"Is he a family friend?" The girl asked with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"I don't think I caught your name." Prachi counter-questioned.

The girl chuckled as she dramatically tucked her hair behind her right ear. "Hi, I'm Riya."

That word was enough to make Prachi groan.

"Look, Rhea-"

"No, not R-he-a, that's wrong, it's Ri-ya. R-I-Y-A." She smiled, but Prachi couldn't care less.

"Okay, R-ee-yaa. I am aware of the intentions you are harboring in that pretty little head of yours. But trust me, Ranbir-" she pointed her thumb towards the boy to make sure there is no misunderstanding, "- is off the field."

Riya was slightly taken aback, but continued with a smile, "You don't worry about that, just introduce us, you see it will be quite rude to walk up to him myself."

What the heck is it with all kinds of Rhea, Riya, Rheya, Reyah, etc having a pull to Ranbir. Was it the same letter of the name that attracted?

"He is already in a relationship." Prachi straight out dropped the bomb, hoping the message to get through clear.

"Oh," Riya said, raising an eyebrow, but that shocked expression again morphed into a normal one. "Don't worry, just please introduce us."

At that moment the thing that Prachi regretted even more so was punching Sanju with her left hand. If it wasn't for the cast, she could have easily thrust her engagement ring in her face to call her off.

But then, an idea struck her. She nodded slightly before turning to see if her fiance was still in range. She found him in exactly the same spot and she almost pitied Riya. Almost.

After all, it wasn't her fault when the man looks like this. In her anger, Prachi has not paid attention, but now that she did, she found it difficult to take her own eyes off of him.

How did she get so lucky?

He turned to her and again sent her a pleading look, making her smile, and causing his eyes to lit up. A sigh fell in her ear and she remembered where she was standing, and who accompanied her.

She made grabby hands towards him, beckoning him towards herself and he immediately complied with a charming smile. As if he didn't look irresistible already.

"Hi." He breathed as he reached the girls' hearing range. Though unintentionally, completely ignoring the other ladies present. His whole focus on the happiness that his love has forgiven him.

"Hello." Prachi dipped her head a little, mocking curtsy.

"Hyeee." Ranbir all but moaned. He had been on his toes to run towards her the entire evening. And when she had shown up looking almost as pretty and glowing similarly as the bride, his self-control was running thin by the second.

He did notice her wearing the pendent he had gifted on her birthday and his smile grew wider.

"Hey." Riya chimed in and Prachi's smile turned to a scowl.

"Ranbir, meet her," Prachi turned to the nuisance of a human with a smile, but Ranbir detected the unlying irritation in her voice, "this is R-ee-yaa."

Prachi wasn't sure if he was surprised to hear the name or not, but if he was, he hid it really well as he politely smiled at her and the other girls.

Not for the next part though. She thought to herself.

"Riya likes you." She told bluntly.

Ranbir saw a blur as he turned towards her in a quick reaction. Prachi was sure he had whiplash but smiled instead.

"WHAT?" Ranbir asked, doubting it to be a trick of the light. Though how can a trick of the light can cause her hearing to malfunction was beyond logic.

"Ask her, if you want to." Prachi gritted her teeth.

Ranbir gulped and turned to the said girl, who just shyly looked down. If any of the girls were good at reading signs, they would have read the uncomfortable awkwardness and displeased look on Ranbir's face from a mile away. But they seemed to be very illiterate in the case.

Ranbir laughed, the absurd idea seeming a joke to him, he bent down holding his stomach with one hand while the other rested on Prachi's shoulder for support.

"What yaar Prachi. Nice one haan. This was quite a prank you had planned." He wiped his eye for the tear that has escaped while laughing. "Sorry, you should not have been an active part of it though. It blew your cover."

Prachi huffed and moved her shoulder from under his arm, letting it drop to his side as she crossed her arms across her chest and altered her gaze.

Looking at the hurt look in the girl's eyes made Prachi's heart feel a pang while it also caused Ranbir to sober up.

"Wait, it-it's real?" Ranbir looked between the girls flabbergasted. "Really?" He asked the girl who just bit her bottom lip, not meeting anyone's eye.

"See Rhea-"

"It's Ri-ya." She corrected.

"Okay, sorry, Riya. See, you are really pretty, you really are." Ranbir spoke softly, "But, I already have a girlfriend. And I love her very much. I can not entertain your thoughts."

Riya looked at Ranbir for a moment, before her eyes shifted to Prachi and she smiled.

"It's okay, I just got late. Don't worry. And it's not like I would have left Hoshiarpur in any circumstances. It's Prachi's piece of cake, not mine!" She smiled brightly.

"Wow, that was easy." Ranbir said as he and Prachi excused themselves.

"Easy?" Prachi snapped, her jealousy fueling her anger. "Oh so if this was easy, what more challenging do you want?"

"I-I no- nothing." Ranbir tried, surprised beyond wits.

"Oh right, you could not accept someone giving up on you easily right?" She halted in her steps and turned to the poor boy who didn't even know why he was getting scolded like a kindergartener.

"You want another Maya or Rhea to have an obsession with you." She narrowed her eyes while Ranbir's widened.

"Wha- NO." He said gobsmacked.

"Then what else do you want?" Prachi asked pushing him back with a finger. Her anger swiftly turned into dishearted, "Is this why you put so much effort into your look? You don't love me anymo-"

"Shh!" Ranbir shut her up by putting a hand behind her neck and pressing another to her mouth. He quickly retreated his hands, looking around alarmed. After making sure no one is noticing, he quickly dragged her away from there. Stopping when they were behind the make-shift stage, he turned to her and observed. 

"Prachi..." He gently lifted her face up to see her face. Sighing slightly, he continued, "This is not about us or that girl, you are worried about Shahana and Aryan aren't you?"

"I- I" Prachi tried to deny before she shut her mouth and nodded defeatedly. 

"Arey," Ranbir took her hands in his free one while the other stayed put on the chin, "but why?"

"I don't know," Prachi broke away from his hold and turned to a side, popping her fingers as she fidgetted. "Aryan is the best person I've ever met. Shahana is going to be really happy with him. And I will be more than ecstatic for them but..."

"But?" Ranbir prodded.

"But Aaliya Ma'am?" Prachi turned to look at him. "If she can go to unethical lengths for her niece's obsession with you. And continue even after knowing that I am her niece too. It sends a wave of fear in my being about the things she might do to Shahana, a no-one to her, who has fallen hopelessly in love with her only son."

"But she is in jail now! She'll be there for a really long time Prachi, and till the time she will return Aryan and Shahana will be happily married with a bunch of tiny naughty Shahanas and flirtatious Aryans." he reassured.

"You don't get it," Prachi pressured, "How long do you think she'll be out of our lives? Five years? Ten at a maximum. And what after that?" 

"And if you think that the bunch of tiny Aryans and Shahanas will keep her evil side at bay, then you are highly mistaken. The last time she threw my Maa out of Papa's life was when they were parents of three daughters. One of which had recently died while the other two were a day old. If you think that she'll ever see the children as anything other than half of Shahana, who she dislikes even more than me, you are wrong." She continued like she spoke universal facts from an age-old book.

Ranbir pondered on her words for what felt like a long time. What Prachi was saying could not be dismissed at all, it was nothing but the truth.

"And you think we would let it happen and won't do anything?" They turned to look at the pair of parents looking at them with a disapproved look.

"You have this little fate in us?" Pragya asked and Pranbir shared a look, not really denying it.

"We might have made some mistakes in the past, but believe us we don't want any harm for you children, be it you and Prachi or Aryan and Shahana." Pallavi added.

"You all know about them?" Prachi asked surprised.

"Well, even though they spend the most time around you two, Aryan is not the best at staying sneaky as he keeps his eyes practically glued to Shahana as well as He is." Vikram informed patting Ranbir on the back.

"Seems like I'm the only unattentive one." Prachi muttered under her breath.

"Coming to your worries, there shouldn't be any," Abhi pointed, "We are not going to let her ruin their lives."

Prachi shook her head slightly, finding the floor very interesting all of a sudden, "Shahana has been my biggest support my entire life, and Aryan is, well, my brother. I'm sorry to say but you have not been able to keep Maa, Ranbir, Rhea, or myself safe from her. She's been destroying our lives for so long, I don't want any part of it even directed at the two of them." 

"Keep your head up sweetheart, you are not saying anything wrong," Abhi said.

"But we are aware of how she is now," Pragya said.

"You've been aware of it till the time you got married maa," Prachi countered, "And Papa got aware of it somewhere down the timeline too, but still we lost our loved ones at her hands. First Bulbul maasi, then Kiara di, and now Rhea too."

"We lost Kiara because of Tanu, baccha." Pragya took a step forward.

"And who brought Tanu aunty back?" Prachi asked.

"If it were any other, I would not have had any problem. Shahana is not that mature, she has grown up in age and anger but she has never felt the pain of heartbreak. It will hurt her like never before. And we are not just talking about Aliya Ma'am here, she is Aryan's mother too." Prachi sighed.

"Prachi, here look at me," Ranbir turned her to him again, "Do you trust me?" 

"What kind of question is that Ranbir-"

"Just tell me, Do. You. Trust. Me?" he repeated.

"Yes, I do."

"Then trust Aryan's feelings for Shahana. You always kept faith in me, keep some in your brother too, as you just said, he is THE BEST person you've ever met." He reassured her and Prachi's shoulders dropped a bit.

Abhi, Pragya, Pallavi, and Vikram smiled. They had been witnessing the open display of Prachi and Ranbir's feelings for quite some time now, even though it was mostly from Ranbir just as they currently held a conversation beyond the need for words. 

Though they still get a minor shock at the intensity of their feelings towards each other. Especially Pallavi and Abhi, who had been unaware of those sentiments as if they spent the last couple of years under a rock.

"By the way why did you come here?" Ranbir asked the parents who just made 'caught' faces at them.

"Go ahead, Vikram, your son is asking you why you followed him?" Pallavi nudged her husband.

"Tell, tell, your daughter wants to know something," Pragya did the same while the said men looked around, not meeting the young couple's gaze.

"Dad?" "Papa?" Pranbir asked in unison.

"Ask your father," Abhi pushed Vikram ahead.

"Me-ME?" Vikram fumbled with words.

"Wait, I'll tell your son your deeds." Abhi said, "He, your father wanted to see if you two were fighting."

"Oyee, tell the full truth atleast," Vikram pounced, "Your chief, Ranbir! Your beloved chief wanted to beat you up as he thought you might be doing some funny business with his daughter."

Vikram immediately regretted it as the air grew uncomfortable within record time. The elder ladies averted their gaze and Abhi facepalmed.

"Chief!" Ranbir grew beat red. He had never wanted this hard to have the earth swallow him whole. 

Gee, thanks dad! his face screamed.

If he, Ranbir Kohli The Ex-Casanova was embarrassed beyond the limit, he felt extremely sorry for his poor Chikchiki. She must be putting her candy color dress to shame.

He glanced at her to see the last expression he expected. She was confused at first, and then scoffed, proceeding to laugh.

"Ranbir never seems interested in business during office time, he surely would pull me around for official work here, in a marriage function. You think too highly of him Papa. No offense Vikram uncle or Pallavi Aunty." Prachi deadpanned.

"Come here," Vikram wrapped an arm around her shoulder and lead her back, muttering something along the lines of 'too innocent for the world' and 'Ullu da Pattha got lucky'.

"Chief!" Ranbir exclaimed, offended. He shook his head and followed to where his father and girlfriend left.

"Ho gayi tasalli?" Pragya shook her head disappointedly, "Mere bete ka dil dukha diya." She too left with Pallavi trailing along her.

"What did I do?" Abhi asked no one in particular.

~*~

"Sahana, I have to talk to you." 

"Not now Aryan, I have to make sure Kanak doesn't gatecrash her own wedding to dance with the Barat." Shahana rushed past him.

Again.

As she had been doing since the morning. All he had seen her do today was hope from one place to another, and never once had she even paid attention to him. 

"Urghh." Aryan grumbled.

"What happened?" Ranbir asked approaching, looking between Shahana and his best friend.

"She's ignoring me." Aryan said with the gloomiest look he could muster.

"It's okay, give her some time, she's busy." Ranbir patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"But I want to talk to her." Aryan frowned. I don't know if she even likes me back or not.

"Look I know this is not my place to tell you," Ranbir hesitated, "but Shahana surely feels something for you."

"Really?" Aryan's eyes practically lit up. "But how do you know?"

"The same way you knew that there will be something between me and Prachi." Ranbir smirked.

"Shahana told me that, to be honest." Aryan said.

"Well, just take this that Shahana may or may not have been asking Prachi how she felt when she fell in love, along with all types of weird questions regarding love and so. She surely tries to be discreet but it is Prachi she asks soo..." Ranbir trailed off, fueling the hope in the younger boy.

~*~

The Mehras and Kohlis were seated together in the middle of the night just as the other guests were. The Barat had just returned with the happily married couple and the younger four had finally got time to eat something. The elders sat on the cot while the youngers surrounded a small round table.

Most of the relatives had left while the remaining neighbors and distant living guests were scattered across the small clearing, submerged in their own topics.

Vikram and Abhi, however, were still unable to look the young couple in the eyes, and Pragya and Pallavi shared uneasy glances every now and then. 

"Pragya, finally I got to meet you." A lady loudly made her way towards them along with another trailing beside her and Pragya sighed at the somewhat eased awkwardness.

"Arey, Sunanda ji, how are you? I was actually looking for you." Pragya got up as the other lady pulled her into a tight hug.

"I sometimes wonder how Pragya aunty handles these hugs," Ranbir whispered to Prachi, "Like look at the size of this lady's biceps!"

Prachi swatted him on the shoulder as she sent him a soft glare as she stood up to greet the lady. But thanks to the total exhaustion and sleep deprivation, her feet got caught in the foot of her chair and she lost her balance. But thanks to his quick reflexes, Ranbir was on his feet in an instant as he caught her before she could be a bundle of mess on the ground. 

"What yaar Prachi? Look where you are walking!" Ranbir almost screamed in panic, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Are you fine?" He lifted her lehenga a bit up to free her feet and help her regain her footing. All the while with an arm around her shoulder.

"Prachi are you okay?" Shahana asked, comming to her side.

"Yes I am fine, my feet just got caught in the chair." Prachi replied sheepishly.

"Are you sure?" Ranbir asked again and Prachi just smiled at him, giving his hand a tiny squeeze.

She turned to look at the elders and passed them a reassuring smile as well. She then turned to greet the newly arrived ladies to see them sporting a weird face.

"Yaar?" the other lady said accusingly.

Prachi frowned before the realization hit her. Over the time after their families had been introduced to their love. Prachi had gradually stopped correcting Ranbir from calling her yaar altogether. But seeing the look on these two ladies gave her, she gulped. The word may be common and very platonic in Delhi, but in Punjab, or the language as a whole, the literal meaning of the word was not so casual.

"Yaar? Oh, it is very common to call anyone 'yaar' in Delhi aunty. Anyone can call 'yaar' to anyone. Like Ranbir just called me. He even calls Aryan and Shahana yaar sometimes. Even Aryan calls me yaar. All friends call each other yaar platonically." Prachi rushed to explain and the ladies seemed to buy the excuse as they saw no reaction from the parents' side. It wasn't like she was lying or anything.

Sunanda smiled as she pulled Prachi and Shahana in a hug one by one.

"Accha have you met Dhruv?" Sunanda asked after some time as the youngsters had now moved on to devouring the ice cream.

"Dhruv! Come here." She called who appeared to be her son. The said boy timidly made way over and touched Pragya's feet. He then moved a bit back, standing with his hands held together in front of him.

"You see, I missed the opportunity two years ago as you left for Delhi. But not anymore," She laughed loudly as she pulled her son forward by the wrist. "Two years ago you left before I could ask you. But no that you are here, I am not going to repeat the same mistake." 

Ranbir stopped to look at them with newfound interest. He had no idea what was going on but he get the vibes of something he would not like.

"I really like Prachi. In fact, everyone in our family likes her," Pragya and Abhi shared a knowing look. "I want to ask for Prachi's alliance for my Dhruv." Sunanda smiled brightly.

A clanking noise followed as soon as she uttered her thoughts. All eyes turned to Ranbir who wide-eyed stared back. His eyes took in the said boy as his spoon lay discarded on the table.

The boy, Dhruv, Ranbir paid attention to him for the first time as he looked back at him confused. He was almost the same age as him, maybe a little older. He wore formal office attire, maybe he came straight from his job. Besides that, he had curly hair that Ranbir wouldn't think twice before calling a crow's nest. His face was thin and his eyes were clouded by an unnecessary nervousness.

Apperarence-wise, Ranbir wouldn't give him a single point above a three.

Personality-wise, the way he held his posture, he seemed extremely mousy and as Ranbir continued to glare at him, he had already started to get intimidated.

"I'm sorry but we have to say no to your offer." He took his eyes off the scrawny boy to look at Pragya who politely declined the alliance.

"See we don't have any problem with her continuing her studies. She can take as much time as she wants. At least consider it for once." Sunanda pleased.

"Umm," Pallavi stepped ahead taking the attention to herself, "I'm sorry, this doesn't seem to be my place to say anything but I am Ranbir's mother." She walked toward Prachi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We have decided Prachi to be our daughter-in-law. Her and Ranbir's alliance had already been fixed."

Sunanda smiled dejectedly but nodded nevertheless. She stood up and placed a hand on Prachi's head and then on Ranbir's, who bent down and touched her feet. They all settled back to their seats and Prachi caught Ranbir passing a small smile to his mother from the corner of her eye.

"We are going to get officially engaged first thing first when we get back." He whispered to her and she felt heat rise to her cheeks.

Everything finally seemed to be perfect in her life after a long time. The way she always imagined everything to be. As if reading her thoughts, Ranbir held her hand under the table and Prachi smiled at him.

"What about Shahana?" Sunanda's voice cut through the air and another clinking sound resonated in the air, this time followed by a fit of coughing.

Prachi pressed her lips together to keep her laughter in as she looked at the horrified Aryan who had had a similar reaction as Ranbir and the coughing Shahana, whose bulging eyes clearly expressed her dread.

Pragya bit her inner cheek to catch herself from smiling as she shook her head at Sunanda again. Arhana heaved a sigh of relief and looked at each other and smiled at each other dolefully.

Seems like everything will be fine with them too, Prachi smiled.

A/N:- Hey Chocobuns! How are you all doing? I hope you all still remember me in some farfetched parts of your memories. Here is the *deep sigh* last part of your beloved 'Entangled Lives'.

I never thought that ending it would be this difficult when I started writing it. Maybe that was one of the reasons I was delaying writing it as much as I could. But then I thought that it would have to end one day or another, that is how I will be able to get my hands to move onto something new. <3

This part will be followed by an epilogue. And that will be that.

Quick question:- What was your favorite part from this silly imagination of mine that I dumped as a story? (please answer)

Lots of Love,

Simran