XXII

                                    

                                          
The evening carried on and a few more post wedding customs took place. As the night fell, everyone found themselves engaging in conversation seated in a similar circle Noor and Prem had walked in on at the beginning. The topic of Prem and Noor's love story began and one of their friends asked both their mothers when they realized that their children shared a deep connection.
Noor's mother let out a laugh. "What do I tell you?" She shook her head deep in thought. "Destiny has its way of playing with us and no matter how firmly we think we have things under control when destiny reveals it's plans, we're nothing but helpless. Days after Noor was born, her father visited the sacred shrine to pray for her health and safety. When he came back he told me about a man he had grown so fond of during the journey to the shrine. He said this man saved his life...and although he was a commoner he had a royal sense of presence. He was braver than any man he had ever met and carried an unspeakably kind heart with an incomparable intelligence. That man had been blessed with a son and he said they grew so close over the trip that he ended up saying to the man that the son he will raise will be perfect for his daughter. He said they agreed to meet at the sacred shrine in exactly fifteen years on the day of the harvest festival to finalize this alliance between their children. I wondered long and hard that evening about how a man as wise as Noor's father could utter such words at a place as powerful and blessed as the sacred shine for a complete stranger so effortlessly. After all, he had grown up in hiding with his mother his entire life. He, of all people, should know the importance of background checks and stranger danger. How dare he declare his daughter for this man's son without the knowledge of any family history at all. All he saw was this man's exceptional character and decided this would be the type of man who would raise his son-in-law. But it wasn't his fault, it was destiny - playing through us like it always does. It was the greater power talking through them that day revealing their children's future to them without them realizing it. He didn't sleep for nearly a month after he and his beloved companion came across one another at the assembly as enemies just a few months later. I didn't say anything but I knew the connection that had been proclaimed at the shrine between the children by them wouldn't simply change now because they realize they are enemies. Fate does not care about their friendship status. If fate decides their children are meant to be, then they will be, whether we approve of them or not."
"Damn." One of Prem's friend's let out. "You guys go way back."
Prem smiled at him before stealthily reaching for Noor's hand at his side and giving it a gentle squeeze. To her surprise, Noor felt butterflies in her stomach at his touch. She lowered her eyes into her lap yet again. 
"So, you probably weren't surprised to see their connection develop at all?" A girl out of Noor's friends questioned the mothers curiously. 
"It took me maybe a day...to recognize their connection when they first met." Prem's mother answered looking at both her son and daughter-in-law to her side in a dreamlike state.
"Yeah." Noor's mother too replied in a similar expression. "I remember those days like it was yesterday."
Lady Dhaliwal nodded her head running her hand over her arm, "I still get goosebumps thinking about that time.
"We were so scared...had no idea how to deal with it." Noor's mother shook her head.
"Tell us, Auntie. We want to hear it. None of us know the whole story." One of Noor's friend implored.
Lady Sandhu sighed tracing her longing eyes over to Prem and Noor. "My children." Tears welled up in her eyes. "They were about 5 when the first war against the Jarrakh's broke out. Naturally, all the Chiefs were summoned to go fight alongside the King. By that time, both the first families of Kurral and Basher had come out of hiding and a peace pact had been signed so the danger the previous two generations faced no longer lurked. Per protocol, all eight families of the Chiefs were to come stay in the capital for added protection until the external threat was dealt with. Initially, Noor's father was skeptical and did not want his heiress anywhere near the Kurrali' s. He even sent some letters to the King requesting we be allowed to stay back but his majesty rejected them saying provincial differences must be put aside and that Doab must come together at a time like that. The men had to leave for war a day after we arrived. Noor was deeply attached to her father and had trouble fathoming his absence for the next few days. There was a wooden horse he had made for her and she would hold onto it like her life depended on it. No matter who tried to take it from her, she simply refused to give it up because it was something her father gave her and she could no longer see him around her. Anyways, a couple days went like this and she still wouldn't let go of that horse for a second...that is until on the third day in court, she sees a little boy crying..."