Epi 94 Ch 24 Storms in the heart..... Dilemma burning Advay, Love blooming Meghna

Advay had been driving incessantly through the entire day...Allahabad was close by but not yet reached...not making the comfort of his parent's fond memories available to him to cool his anger... ...he strained his foot further on the accelerator to pull his mind away from voices bombarding in his head...

"Tum meri jagaha hote toh tum kya karate?"(What would you do in my place?)

"Answers will lie within you, Chiku. View life in a way that the answers can be found easily..."

"Why not choose to make us both feel better..."  

"If god has given trouble, he will give solutions also...to search those solutions; you'll need to strive..."

"Don't worry Naani. I'll make everything alright. Main sab theek kar doonga..."

'How???... How do I make things right now??... And what's defined as right?

Why? Why is this happening to us? Why did she even imagine me going to another woman?

Because she already accepted it once...When she danced and celebrated your marriage with Sasha...She said she was happy if you were happy in that marriage...that's what drives her now!

You have brought this upon yourself! 

Your own revenge against her boomeranging on both of you and your world!

Don't you remember her words then ...pyaar kissi ko pane ka nahi, khud ko khone ka naam hai ( love is not about getting someone, rather losing yourself)

She's exactly doing that even now...losing herself...but what she doesn't realize is that when she loses herself; I lose completely...I lose herself, myself and this whole damn world!...'

Anger was once again penetrating the fog of exhaustion that had descended over him. Since last evening, there had been only anger, white-hot anger...directed at her, at him, at destiny, at the universe defining their destiny...A non productive futile rage that could fix nothing...A rage that could do nothing but simply be... filling up his entire being until he was driven by it, consumed by it...blinded to the world...to life itself!

He swerved around a bend and jammed the brakes suddenly banging his head on the steering with the jerk...

Sudden music blared from his stereo... Knowing that he accidentally banged on controls on the wheel, he hurried to put it off but the words hit him halting him

Dhundhla jaayein jo manzilein
Ik pal ko tu nazar jhuka
Jhuk jaaye sar jahan wahin
Milta hai rab ka raasta
Teri kismat tu badal de
Rakh himmat bas chal de
Tere saathi mere kadmon ke hain nishaan
Tu na jaane aas pass hai khuda

If the destinations get hazy,
lower your sight for a moment,
wherever your head bows down,
there only the way to God is found,
You Change your luck
Be strong, just start moving,
My footprints are your companion
You don't know God is nearby..

Advay looked up...the space around had a golden hue from the setting sun...far nearing the horizon, within his vision stood the calming face of Shiva... the same idol which he had stopped from falling once...

'The Neelkanth who drank the poison to give Amrit to the world...his eyes so similar to my father's...calm, assuring, giving hope, teaching patience...he has the snake around his neck and I have my destiny around my whole life...

I'll drink this poison given newly by destiny...Chandni thinks of me as God...I'll be her Mahadev!'

Forever a man of action, Advay started his car again, his mind now focused on the duties awaiting him in Allahabad.

"Chandni?" Pooja called out to Chandni but she was lost in her turmoil, tears streaming down her cheeks..

"Chandni!" Pooja called out loudly to bring her back from the trance while walking up to her.

"Chandni... I overheard your conversation with Naani from out there. I am sorry but Naani is right!"

"Diii! I have done so wrong! I have put us both in this quandary! Why did I have to do it?"

"Chandni, calm down! As Naani already said, he'll come back. What I meant by Naani being right is that you need to be selfish about your love...you know, you are lucky...you have found true love... not all have the fortune of finding love in return of love."

Pooja's  voice heartrending with the memory of her own life's tragedy.

"Same as you, I was self sacrificing in love...but it doesn't pay in life, Chandni... So don't do it. Yours is a special story... almost like... tale as old as time; song as old as rhyme... cherish it!"

"Di...I am sorry!"

"Don't be, Chandni! Why should you be sorry about my fate? Or for that matter, about you yourself? It's all about learning! When you learn that you are wrong; that's when you know you can change...you will and we will have our Tota Maina back. As such, to tell you the truth, we all love our swagwali Chandu and we want her back!"

Bright smile lit up Pooja's face while tears from her own lost love shimmered still in her eyes...She had always been the woman to put her pain at the back of her heart and be happy for her family.

"No Di! I have pushed him beyond his limits and I am really not sure whether my Dev will return to me or not...Without him there's no swag, no life for me!"

"Will the replacement of his younger brother not do?"

A beaming Veer came in and sat next to Chandni. Chandni just shook her head tears welling up in her eyes once again.

"Arre? Life is unjust! Replacement of myself as junior mahant in Allahabad temple will be allowed. But, replacement as junior Devar will not bring our happy smiling Bhabhi back?" Veer persisted, his tone all innocence.

"No Miku! This is special. She will smile when bhaiyya is back." Pooja smiled at him.

"I agree about this special thing. Both sisters are special, aren't they, Pooja di?...this one is suddenly sad, suddenly lost ...and the other is always feisty, ready to scratch like an angry cat!"

Veer made the action of a cat scratching but Chandni did not respond.

"Oh Bhabhi! Just one smile please... grant us something. If you remain sad like this who'll make tasty dinner and serve me? I don't suppose you have taught your little sister any cooking, have you? Without you, who'll feed my hunger?"

Veer had gone all dramatic just to make his bhabhi smile. After all, his bro had put her responsibility on him. It was his utmost duty now.

"So all this is for your always hungry tummy, haaan? Not for your bhabhi? And don't worry about the dinner. It's ready and I'll serve you. Let her rest." Pooja chided him. 

She knew that both her bhaiyya and bhabhi were just not the same without each other. Nobody could change Chandni's mood except for Bhaiyya.

Advay stopped just outside the haveli... 

'My parents have lived here...when I enter through that door, I will have all those memories back...my Maa-baba's memories...they burnt my heart, my soul last time when I first entered here...I was burning in revenge against Chandni...this time My Ma's pallu will sooth me, my baba's smile will calm my heart.'

Advay pushed through the door; but his mind played trick with him. The entry brought back all his moments with Chandni...

'In that first entry, right here in the doorway, our paths had collided.

And then our destinies had joined together to make both of us one...our bodies, our hearts, our souls connected forever...'

'Why did I not know this from the very beginning... why could I not come and just tell Chandni, I had always loved her and her alone... everything would have been different then. Every event till date would be different then. She would never ever suggest such things to me...I would never ever be deprived of her'

An actual physical, all consuming, full bodied, incinerating pain...The only sensation he could feel at the thought of her gone from his life... constricting his chest ... Injecting cold dread in his heart ... Weakening his knees ... Parching his throat ... Numbing his mind ... 

"Arre! Dev Beta! How come you reached here today itself? We spoke just yesterday and you mentioned you'll let me know."

Maamaji's concern brougth Advay back from his reverie.

"Paay laago, Maamaji! (Touching feet, Maamaji)"

Maamaji stepped back in a jerk.

"Oh no, beta! You are the Mahantji here. You are the highest rank next to God. Don't put sin on my head by touching my feet."

"Maamaji, even Gods touched the feet of their parents. As I told you yesterday, when you are like a parent to Chandni, you're equally revered and respected by me."

"Where is Chandni, beta? Didn't she come with you?"

A dark shadow fell on Advay's face. A chaotic pulse beat on his temple pulling him back to his urgent worry, his deep pain... but just for a moment...Then the mask was back on before anyone could gauge his state of heart.

"I thought let me handle this matter about Meghna first. See how things turn out. Let us both not tell her about this.  I don't want Chandni hassled over this matter neither do I like the idea of Meghna's future jeopardized in any way. We need to be discrete about this."

"Yes I agree, Beta. But It's been long since I saw my Banno. Miss her a lot."

"Yes Mamaji, I shall bring her here soon."

Advay said it to console mamaji, but there wasn't conviction in his heart. He steeled himself and focused on the matter at hand. 

"Mamaji, I want to know the complete details about Meghna before I meet her here. When did this start? And how exactly? Frankly, you knocked the winds out of me with this news!"

"Dev beta, believe me! I was as shocked as you when it started. You remember, Meghna came to your house in Mumbai? She was so desperate to bring you two together. She even met Chandni...but that meeting put her in depression. I did not want to burden Chandni further so I did not tell any one of you about her condition.

She had started blaming herself for the entire fiasco of Your and Chandni's story. While you two were enjoying marital bliss, I tried consoling her that things were OK. But her depression wouldn't improve. The thoughts of her baby hounded her day and night.

Once late night, she went missing from haveli. I frantically searched for her in every room, even on terrace, Everywhere! Terrible fear gripped my mind...Whether she got kidnapped like Chandni? ...or God forbid, she went to end her life?...I was frantic... and suddenly there was knock on the door."

Flashback

Meghna stood there! But not by herself...rather completely drained out, and fully wet...barely able to stand... supported by PP baba!

"YOU??? How dare you touch my Meghu?" Maamaji bellowed jerking Meghna away from PP into his own secure arms, "Meghu beta , are you OK? Did this bas***d do anything to you? Did he kidnap you from Haveli? Tell me!"

"Maamaji, I'll explain. But please first tend to her. She's all wet and needs a change. Apart from that there hasn't been any harm to her."

PP was unusually calm... pacifying Mamaaji with his quiet manner...totally in contrast to his earlier happy-go-lucky, 'recklessly flirt where you can' persona...Mamaji's nerves soothed a bit. He took Meghu to her bedroom.

"Beta, are you alright?"

Meghna nodded, her face devoid of light of life. Maamaji's heart constricted.

 "Will you be able to manage to change? You need to dry yourself. Has this man hurt you anywhere?"

"No Mamaji. Don't say anything to him. He has only tried to save me. There's no fault of his."

Meghna had sudden outburst of forced strength. That was how she was! Always taking the side of the right and fighting vehemently...always seeing the other side of coin...maybe a result of being the middle sibling... believing in goodness of people...so much that she had been naive to get pregnant in her college days itself!... A completely different personality than scared, gloomy Chandni or the feisty, rebellious Shikha...purposefully keeping herself in always dreaming state...her persona- a complex mystery to all!

Mamaji gently closed the door behind Meghna and returning to the living room, he sat next to PP on the couch.

"Where was she?"

"Maamaji, I found her near the Prayaag. You know the broken wall of Sarswati Ghat?... She stood on the end where the river is steep and nobody goes there...she was facing the river... desolate, dismal... I saw her from very far...Couldn't make out first...I thought some woman...but I ran there to save her...While walking down the wall towards the steps of the ghat, she suddenly slipped on the wet steps...that's why she is wet. Mamaji, what has happened to her?"

"She remains sad and depressed nowadays. Thank you for saving her. I misjudged you."

"It's Ok Mamaaji. I have given every reason for you people to think that way. But believe me, life has changed now...that beating from Advay on the marriage day...

"I just survived... Later, life took horrible turns and taught me such lesson that my eyes opened completely...I am not PP anymore, I am just Pratham. I do not deserve your forgiveness but if you could please forgive me for all that I had done." Pratham folded his hands.

"It's not about my forgiveness. Chandni has the right. You did wrong to her. Indrani was wrong in selling her off for two crores and you were wrong in buying her off and then claiming your right in inhuman way."

"I know Mamaji. But before I ask Chandni, the rest of you must forgive me. May I come tomorrow again just to check on Meghna?

"OK."

"And then Dev Beta, he kept coming almost every day. I could see the change in him. Initially, three of us used to sit and chat. I felt happy that Meghna slowly came out of her depression. At least, she started chatting again, smiling again. That was the only reason I did not stop him from coming... He never ever said anything objectionable to Meghna. So I started allowing just the two of them to chat sometimes... Slowly, Meghna changed back to her dreamy look...every time he comes, her face lights up with happiness, she dresses up well, she waits for his return. And when I told her about your invitation, she dissuaded me completely... said she did not want to go anywhere... When I confronted her, she admitted to me that She and Pratham are in love."

"Mamaji, claiming love is one thing. But does PP know about Meghna's baby?"

"Yes Beta. I specifically told him about the baby. He said he is rather very happy. He'll accept Meghna with the baby. He knows now that he is unable to father a child. The pain has transformed him completely."

The chord struck deep in Advay's heart bringing back all his agony. He was going through hell himself over the same issue...He felt a moment of sympathy towards PP but he had hated the guy from his gut.

 'This baby has been the reason Chandni married me totally against her wishes. This baby can help me now to convince her to stay with me. That's perhaps one way if I want to avoid giving up Chandni to someone else. PP will be lucky if I allow him the baby.  But Meghna? Can I keep her away from her own baby? Can I be the old ruthless ASR again who can commit any crime to get his Chandni back. '

His eyes went wild, his shoulders bunching up, as though it took every muscle in his body to keep his gut reaction toned down to something appropriate for Maamaji.  The spacious haveli was suddenly too small for him. He got up from his seat with a jerk.

'Yes! I am Advay Singh Raizada!...  The ASR who has no place for innocence and love in his life. ...Revenge was my purpose of coming to India. I misdirected it to Chandni earlier; but now I shall complete it rightly...avenging every hurt every insult of my parents... and then... Either this baby helps me to keep Chandni with me or otherwise I give up Chandni and leave for London permanently...It will be Chandni's choice then to come to London as I came here for her.'

"I will meet PP myself and then my decision will be final, Mamaji!" he growled.

Mamaaji was stunned seeing the change of Dev to ASR. He stared at new ferocious Advay trying to gauge him.

Advay's eyes remained impossible to read...Obsidian like his heart... The obsidian Advay Singh Raizada that he was to the whole world!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Every deed of man comes back to him within his lifetime, doesn't it? Advay and Chandni are no exception.

Advay is now back as Avenger. What will he do further in Allahabad?

The surprising love of PP and Meghna has just started blooming. Will Advay choose to claim the baby himself and block any path further for PPGhna or will he choose their love over his love and leave for London? 

Will Chandni be able to survive such a shock? 

What happens at this peak stage of this Love tale which Pooja called Tale as old as time?

Do hit like button if you are Barun fan and/Or IPK3fan. Keep tracking story to get answers to all questions.  

your reaction

19

nice

0

awesome!

1

loved

0

lol

0

omg

0

cry