The last week has been very eventful, I haven't even got a chance to spare a breath the whole day goes just like that running here and there the most difficult part has been hiding from Amreek and Jaswinder Uncle, his father every time they come here I have to hide in the darkroom my panic attacks have seemed to be kind of a thing now, they have become usual now. Every time they happen I don't know what is the reason but somehow I have tried to get control over them after a lot of near-death experiences.

The only good thing that has happened to me in the past week is that I'm spending as much as time I can with Fateh, he has taught me so many things along with that he has shown me many places, he has taught me how to capture pictures perfectly he said I'm good but I can be perfect. I have told him everything about me which is not much but things I like to do and what I hate the most for some reason he feels like the safest person to me right now in the world to share what I feel. I even told him about Jaswinder Uncle and my panic attacks also I was surprised when I told him that but it felt like a heavy load is been lifted from my chest.

He told me how he never wanted to study photography it was his Dad but he was always attracted to nature and the wilderness so he became a wildlife photographer. He shared his experiences some of them were scary but some were so funny that I cannot stop laughing.

Today is the haldi ceremony of Amreek and Jas is busy with the preparation thankfully Jas has convinced Aditi to assign someone else to click the pictures and only Waheguru Ji knows how he convinced her not to take my name at all in front of them. I'm going to meet Fateh later and he promised to take me to someplace at first I was kind of scared I thought he will kill me and leave my body there to rot but now I trust him.

Whenever he is around I get these weird tingling feelings all over my body, my heart beats like crazy when he comes closer to show me something or anything it is always like just right now my heart will jump out of my chest and start dancing. I don't know why all this is happening I have never felt such emotions inside me it is like a tsunami of emotions inside me. He makes me laugh, smile, blush, leaves me wanting more, also this weird thing happens when he is around I cannot stop myself from thinking about him, and whenever I do that a smile is constantly playing on my lips unknowingly he has become an important part of my life.

I don't think so he is just my mentor anymore I think he is becoming something more to me, but why is it so difficult to unravel my own emotions or is it just that I don't want to accept the fact.

My phone starts to ring putting a full stop on the train of my thoughts it was Fateh and there goes my lips tilting up in a smile.

"Hey, you ready?" He asks in his deep voice which has a different kind of hold on me, it's like even if I want to deny him I can't.

What is happening to me?

"Yeah I'm ready just give me five minutes I'll meet you in the lobby," I said and hung up the call.

I quickly went to the restroom looking at myself, I opened my hair which was in a braid running my fingers through them, applied some lipstick satisfied with my look I headed to go the elevator.

As I reached the lobby Fateh was standing he was in a white button-up shirt which has thin blue lines on it, black jeans, and his favorite canvas shoes which he wears every day.

Wow, my heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, so where we are going today?" I asked.
"Oh it's a surprise keep your camera ready, we are going to click so many pictures," he says grabbing my hand, and we walked out of the building.

If he had done this a few days back I would've yelled at him or did something but now it felt good and there goes my heart sitting on a roller coaster ride, I was looking at him more like gazing in adoration at how he helped me cross the road where his car was parked.

A smile plays on my lips and a blush crept up my cheeks "what are you looking at?" He asks pulling me out of my reverie.
"Uh...nothing" I shrugged off my shoulder.

He drove off to God knows where, as he takes a U-turn the way he was moving the steering wheel his veins popping up, and the way his one eyebrow arched up, I noticed his face he has brown eyes usually people say brown eyes are the less attracted ones but they are so wrong brown eyes are also beautiful and deep, and when the lights shone on them they look more beautiful, he has perfect pink pouty lips.

What? Why I'm admiring his lips?

I mentally shrug off all the thoughts which were taking place and told the sane part of my brain to take a chill pill or go to a tea party.

"Okay, so I was thinking we will click some pictures and there is one more spot which I have recently found we'll go there today if you want or maybe tomorrow," he says suddenly looking at me and he caught me gawking at him.
"Uh...yeah sure" I reply in embarrassment.

"Were you checking me out?" He asks chuckling still looking at me.
"What no...I mean why would I check you out" I said laughing it in my weird way which I didn't know I had in me. Stop making a fool out of yourself Heer my mind talks back.

He let out a heartily chuckle bobbing his head I notice his smile looks so infectious haaye Rabba mainu bacha lein I thought to myself.

We reached the place "okay get ready to have your mind blown" he says taking my hand pulling me along with him and I just smiled at him.

We walked a little closer it was Sukhna Lake, I have heard about this place it was created in 1958 it's a perfect location for watching the sunset there is also a Garden of Silence which is just at the end of the lake another perfect place.

"Wow it's perfect" I gasp still in awe of the view in front of me.
"I'm glad you like it," he says.

"Come on capture all you want then we will go to that garden also," he says. I just hummed in response and start to take pictures then we went to the opposite side of it where I clicked pictures of the garden as well as some of Fateh's pictures he is photogenic but in all the pictures he was looking away not even once he looked at the camera, he also took some pictures of me.

Then we came back to the lakeside and sauntered around the sky was looking so beautiful it was almost dark as the sun had already set, the reflection of the sky visible in the water making it all look more beautiful. The sky filled with the different colors orange, pink almost turning it into the purple shade, and the reflection of it in the water was making everything more gorgeous.

"Isn't all this beautiful?" I said.
"It's perfect," he says looking at the view.

We walked a little more before we left the place "come on let's have something to eat, I'm hungry" Fateh states.
"Sure, let's go" I replied keeping my camera back in the bag I took out my phone it had a missed call from Jas, excusing myself I dialed his number which he picks up on the first ring.

We talked a little I informed him, I'm with Fateh and now we are going to eat, he was still at the venue I told him Fateh will also drop me home hanging up the call I and Fateh left for a restaurant.

The time flew fast, it always happens when I'm with him, I have started to like him I think he is kind of have become my habit now. I'm sure if I say this in front of anyone they will think I'm stupid who starts feeling like this in just a couple of days we have spent together but I know what I feel.

We were done with our meals and were about to leave when my phone started to ring again it was Jas "Hello, Jas!"
"Where are you?" He asks sounding worried.
"At the cafe which is near Sukhna Lake, what happened you sound worried" a frown plays on my forehead.
"With Fateh?" He asks, how does he know I didn't tell him that I was going to meet him today.

"Yes, why, you are scaring me now Jas" my voice came out as worried as his.
"Jaswinder Uncle saw you two, he was making a scene here and he also called Taya Ji," he says and the phone I was holding drops on the floor.

I felt as if someone took away something from me, and I was locked in some kind of jail everything came crashing down in front of my eyes, Papa Ji knows which means he will come here and everything will be in chaos again.

Fateh nudges me looking worried "what is it?" He asks.
"They know" that is all that came out of my mouth before the darkness took over me.

∆∆∆∆

Two days have been passed since everyone found out about me being here in Chandigarh and that too I was seen with Fateh. Soon after Papaji came to Chandigarh and he took me and Jassi back to our home.

I have been kept locked since in my room Papaji has given clear instructions to everyone not to let me out at any cost. Jassi was beaten up badly by Papaji because he helped I cannot believe he would do something like this.

He is been adamant about getting me and that idiot married, Jeet was so happy when Papaji slapped across my face and as always Mummy Ji didn't bother to open her mouth even for once. Chacha Ji moved out to another house which was given by the Chachi Ji family at the time of their marriage because he is against all this and he didn't like that Papa Ji raised his hand on Jassi. I couldn't even apologize to them my phone is been taken away again every time I hear it ringing from my room I only think about one person.

Fateh.

I don't know why I miss him so much, or why is irking me so much that why he hasn't come looking for me. I have this hope inside me that he will come and save me from all this just like he did last time in a way.

All the time I spent with him, did something to me made me feel things that I didn't know I can feel or has felt that way towards anyone in my life. I don't know what feeling is that but I want to be with him.

I've never found such comfort with anyone, he brings a smile to my face without even trying, he has a familiarity that gives my soul peace and relaxation whenever i'm around him.

The door of my room flies open Maa enters the room with a bunch of clothes in her hand along with some other girls who were giggling as if it's them who are getting married.
"Chal puttar ready ho jaa," she says keeping those clothes on my bed.

And all I can think of doing is putting all of it to fire, burn this all up with myself in it "mujhe nahi hona" I said bitterly, the girl's gasps giving me a look at what is wrong with me.

"Leave me alone" I yelled.
"Dekh Heer aaj koi tamasha nahi Karna mai pehle hi bata rahi hu," Mummy Ji says, in a warning tone.
"Nahi to kya kar lenge aap log" I retorted with the same threatening tone.

"Aur tum log Dafa ho yaha se," I told those girls off glaring at each one of them and they scurried out of my room.

It was my Mehendi today and tomorrow is my wedding day I can not believe how fast it all turned against me. I didn't expect Papaji to find me so fast but then I already knew I was living on a fault line, it wasn't supposed to last.

"Heer kyu apne Papaji ki izzat ke peeche padi Hui hai tu," Mummy Ji says softly.
I cannot believe she thinks I'm the one who is destroying the reputation okay, I get it running away wasn't the best decision I took but then they should also understand that getting me married against my choice is only going to create trouble and at least once they should give me chance.

"Aap rehne de Mummy Ji ajtak to Kuch bola nahi aapne ab mujhe umeed bhi nahi hai, mai bata rahi hu mera viah hone se pehle mai zeher kha lungi par viah nahi karangi Jeet de naal" I replied through my gritted teeth receiving a slap from her across my face.

"Bhut hogya tera chetti naal taiyaar ho jaa "and with that, she left the room.

I slumped down on the floor crying over my situation I pick up the lehenga it was a deep green lehenga the skirt was plain but there was an embroidered embellishment of beads, stones, and crystals at the end of the skirt, with sleeveless choli filled with embellishment.

I put on the dress because it seemed like I have no choice except to get married to Jeet, I didn't bother to put on any makeup so I just applied kajal and eyeliner putting on the jewelry which was kept along with the clothes I put on the earrings, necklace pinning the dupatta on both my shoulder I let my hair down.

Mummyji comes back after a while "Nazar naa lage kisiki" she puts a dot of kajal behind my ear.

Nazar to mujhe lag gayi hai vo bhi mere Maa Baap ki, jo apni Khushi ke liye meri khushiyon ko maar rahe hai I thought to myself.

Mummy Ji takes me out in the yard where the whole setup was everyone looked happy, dancing, women playing dholkis everyone seemed happy except me. I was made to sit in the middle of the yard and soon two girls started to apply Mehendi to my hands. I was sitting there numb trying to think how I will survive this marriage, or how my life will be.

Then comes the thought of Fateh, I wish he was here to rescue me from all this, take me away from all this.

"Oh, mai kya beta Ji tussi ese muh latka ke kyu baithe ho, yeh Khushi da mauka thoda haso bhi," one of the Auntie who was playing dholki exclaims. I just looked at her blankly.
"Mai kya Preeto Ji aapki kudi khush nahi hai kya iss viah se," another one asks Mummy Ji, and she just smiles nervously looking at them.

"Nimmo Ji, kudi sharma rahi hai islie chupchup hai varna aap to jaante hi hai Heer nu" Mummy Ji replied, whilst glaring at me.

The function continued and I was looking in nothingness which will be my life after tomorrow, my life will be filled with nothingness, and I can't even stop it I have lost the strength to stop it now because no matter what my family will pull me down.

Parents support their children but in my case, they are trying everything to keep me caged locked up.

*****

So, guys how was the chapter?

Most probably there is one more to go and after that, this story will be finished I've already thought of two more stories for this book hoping to update them soon as possible.

I know my Punjabi sucks I can understand and I know few words so I've tried my best to use that little knowledge of mine🤭🤭

Anyway, what do you think about Heer?

What's going to happen now?

Should I let her marry Jeet, or should I bring Fateh?

Don't forget to share your thoughts.

Keep Reading, Keep Smiling ❤❤