It was 9:30am on the 27th December 1994, Prem's birthday, his 22nd birthday.

Normally you would imagine the birthday boy all happy and getting up early, but Prem was still asleep.

Someone came in his room, it was his 19 year old sister, Sadhana, who came in his room to serve him breakfast.

She put down the tray and whispered in Prem's ear.
"Prem Baiya uto. Subah hai. (Prem Baiya, wake up. It's morning.)"

Prem mumbled something in his sleep and covered his face with the blanket and tossed the other way.

Sadhana tutted and rolled her sleeves up. She grabbed the blanket with all her might and threw it down on the floor.

Prem was startled and got up and shouted in a nice way.

"Oi Sadhana, tum kya kar rahe ho (what are you doing)?" He rubbed his eyes and put on his t-shirt.

Sadhana replied
"Good morning Prem Baiya (Brother Prem)."

"Yeah yeah I don't care. Nothing is good about the morning! Why did you wake me up, yah nau tees hai (it's 9:30am). Too early." Prem complained.

Sadhana stopped and sat on the bed and faced him.

"Happy Birthday, Prem Baiya." Sadhana said sweetly.

Prem froze, confused. What world am I in? He thought to himself.

"Aaj mere birthday? Oh yes." He remembered.

Sadhana wrapped a chappati with vegetables and fed it to Prem.

Prem smiled and ate it. Sadhana repeated.

"Happy Birthday, Prem Baiya!. Sorry about before."

"Hey thank you Sadhana, mere chote behen (my little sister) I love you. No need to apologise, it's okay." Prem said delighted and hugged Sadhana.

"Prem Baiya, quickly eat and change yourself into something nice, Sapna Didi aur Mama ji or Mami (Sister Sapna, Uncle and Aunty) and everyone are coming. Jaldi! (Quickly!)" Sadhana left the room and then paused to turn around.

"And take the blanket to the laundry please, Prem Baiya. Thank you." She said.

Prem put his top on and paused.
"Hey aaj mere birthday (Hey today's my birthday) you do not boss me around. I'm 22 now, aur tum, Sadhana (and you, Sadhana) you are 19 years old. So, hah!" Prem said and he came close and pinched her nose.

He smiled.

"Theek hain Prem Baiya!" She said and picked up the blanket and left.

Prem went to prepare his self for the guests.

Sadhana came in the kitchen.

Her mother was preparing for the big party ceremony that was taking place that night.

She asked,
"Sadhana, Prem kahaan hai? (Sadhana, where is Prem?)"

"Oh Maa, he's still upstairs getting ready. When are you making the cake?" Sadhana replied.

"I'm not making the cake. Your father has ordered the cake company to make it. There he comes, your Father!" Mamta (Prem's mother) pointed at Ram (Prem's father) at the door.

He was holding the door and let these delivery men to make their way into the door.

"Here, I'll take it." Sadhana offered the men to hand over the big cake.

The men handed over the cake and left.

"Our Prem has grown up to be a hard working boy. May God bless him." Ram (Prem's Father) said as he sat down on the sofa.

"Mujhe pata hai. Mera beta bada ho gaya hai. (I know. My son has grown.)" Mamta (Prem's mother) added.

There was a knock at the door, Sadhana ran to get it, she screamed and hugged the person.

"Koun hain, Sadhana beta (who is it, Sadhana dear)!" Mamta called from the kitchen.

"Andar aaen, Sapna Jiji, Sushma Mami aur Deepak Mama (Come in, Sister Sapna, Sushma Aunty and Deepak Uncle). Beti yeh (Sit down.) Mujhe aap ke lie kuchh chaay milata hai. (Let me get some tea for you)." Sadhana said and she enthusiastically skipped to the kitchen.

It was her cousin sister, Sapna and her aunty, Sushma and her uncle, Deepak.

"Maa, Sapna Jiji aae hain (Mother, Sister Sapna came)."

Mamta went to the living room with Ram to welcome the guests.

Sapna greeted Mamta and Ram.

Sadhana was making tea for the three of them.

Prem came in and hugged Sadhana and wrapped his arms around her.

"Kya kare rahe ho, Sadhana?" He whispered.

Sadhana pulled his arms of her.
"Choro mujhe Baiya (Let go of me Brother). Don't do that I don't like it." She said nicely.

"Kyun? Why don't you like it?" Prem said wrapping tighter. Sadhana squirmed around to get out of Prem's arms, but Prem kept gripping harder.

"You will only wrap your arms around your girlfriend. Not me. No brother does it to their sister."

"Theek hain, theek hain (Fine, fine)" He removed his hands off her.

"Sadhana, I don't have a girlfriend, because I've never fallen in love." Prem said leaning against the table.

"Lekin Baiya, every girl in college would go after you. Kyun ki Baiya, you're very handsome and charming." Sadhana said.

"Acha? Well, will you look for a beautiful girl for me, Sadhana? Who shall be your bhabi in the future?" Prem asked.

"Me? No. You will find a beautiful girl by falling in love with her. If you find her, I'll accept her as my bhabi. Baiya, destiny will being you the most beautiful girl there is. I promise." Sadhana explained.

Prem found this a little embarassing that his younger sister gave him advice about love.

"Acha Sadhana, leave love for another day. Tum kya kare rahe ho? (what are you doing)?" He asked as he leaned against the table.

"Kuch nahin (nothing). Sapna Jiji aa gaya (Sister Sapna came). Jao (Go)!' She commanded.

He left the kitchen and went to the living room.

"Sapna Jiji!" He screamed and got his arms out for a hug.

She looked at him and screamed back and ran to him.

"Prem!" She hugged him and he picked up her up and spun her around.

"Happy Birthday, Prem (Happy Birthday, Prem)!"

"Thank you Sapna Jiji!" He said and touched her long straight hair.

"Kese ho tum Sapna Jiji (How are you Sister Sapna)?" He asked and walked her to the sofa.

"Theek hain (Fine) or tum (and you)?" She replied.

"Main theek hoon." Someone else knocks at the door.

"Namaste, Aunty aur Uncle. (Greetings Aunty and Uncle)."

It probably was Rahul and Anjali, Amar and Neha, and Sameer.
Prem opened the door, and it was his friends.

"Happy Birthday Prem!" They shouted.

"Thank you guys, andar aaen (come in) aur beto (and sit)." They handed him big gift and Prem put it on the mantelpiece.

Mamta and Ram come in. The group of friends greeted Prem's parents by touching their feet.

"Namaste, Aunty. Namaste, Uncle (Greetings, Aunty. Greetings, Uncle)." They all said in unison.

"Khush raho, beta. (Stay happy, dears.)"

"Thank you for coming, beta.''
Ram said.

The friends went upstairs with Prem.

"So.....Prem how is life?" Anjali asked, whilst sitting on the bed.

"Life's ok. And yours?" Prem replied.

"Prem, my friend. Have you seen any girl come your way for the past few weeks?" Sameer asked.

"Haan, Sameer, they were so annoying. I rejected them." Prem replied.

"Why?" Sameer asked.

"Because I am not going after girls like them." Prem replied.

"Why not? Tum to handsome (you are handsome) I'm sure the girl you fall in love with will love you." Sameer said, whistling.

"Um....Prem. What are you thinking of? Daydreaming? Come on man, I know you will fall in love with a girl someday." Rahul said.

"Nahin Rahul (No Rahul) , I will find my perfect princess soon." and Prem started daydreaming.

"But you had so many of the 'perfect princesses' out there, but you just rejected them." Amar said.

"How do you want your 'perfect princess' to be?" Neha asked.

"I don't want such girls to just be with me for my looks, my money or my wealth. I mean, I am going to admit, I am handsome, good looking and charming. But those girls who I rejected, imagine I become their boyfriend but they just always want to sleep with me. I don't want that." Prem explained.

"Such Indian girls never sleep and go to pubs, Prem." Anjali snapped.

"Anjali, those annoying girls, they don't possess our Indian culture, they're just sluts. My perfect princess must possess the Indian culture, care for me, love me, and she must be beautiful. And she must love me for who I am and who she is. She should take care of me. For example, the way Preeti loves Sameer. She doesn't just love Sameer for his looks, but for who he is." Prem said.

Sameer blushed.

"Awww Prem." Neha said.

"Sameer, how's Preeti? Gone out on a date?" Prem teased.

"Nahin, I have not gone out with her yet. But yes she is ok."

"When is her sister, Priya coming from London?" Neha asked.

"Oh Priya. I don't know when she will come back, neither does she." Sameer said.

"Ruko! Preeti has a sister? How old is she?" Prem asked suspicious.

"She is twenty. Kyun? (Why)" Sameer asked.

"No, I have never seen her. Why have I never seen her, Sameer? And you all have? " Prem said.

"You are always concentrated in your work, we all are, and Priya studies business, which means every year she goes London to work for her business. Kyun?"

"I've never seen her." He moaned and put his head on Sameer's shoulder."

"Who have you never seen, Prem?" Sapna asked as she entered the room, and sat near Prem on his bed.

"Kya hua, (What happened, Prem?)" She whispered.

"Kuch nahin, Sapna Jiji. I want to see this Priya." He said. "Sapna Jiji, do you think I'll ever fall in love? Sameer and Rahul think so, they think I'm handsome, will I ever find a perfect girl to spend the rest of my life with? What do you think, Sapna Jiji?" Prem asked.

"Of course, Prem. I'm sure one day a girl's heart will beat very fast by seeing you, Prem. Mujh par vishvaas karo, Prem (Believe me, Prem)" Sapna said and Prem smiled.

Prem was thinking to himself and what Sapna had said. Sapna's words had played around in Prem's mind, he was determined to find this Priya. And who she was.