Hai everyone,
Here comes the next part. Some of you might not like it. Please do read and leave your comments.
She could sense that something was not right with him... She went near him and slowly caressed his hair and called Mr.Kapoor in a soft tone.. Ram slowly lifted his head and looked at her.. His cheeks showed drained strains of tears. His eyes were red and dried as if they were tired from crying. He looked aged a hundred years. He looked like a man who has suffered death a thousand times... She immediately hugged him close to her chest. She couldn't see him like this. It was painful. It brought tears to her eyes but she need to stay strong for him... First she has to know what is his problem .. She kept on caressing his hair. He hugged her tightly as a lost child would hug his mother when seeing her after a long seperation...
After few minutes, she slowly separated him from her, wiped his face with her pallu, combed his hair with fingers, held his face in her hands and said ' Listen Ram... Look at me... Look into my eyes...I am there with you. Nothing will happen... Tell me what is the matter.. We will try to solve the issue together... Don't lose hope.. Share your pain...' Ram didn't say anything. Fresh tears started forming in his eyes. He again hugged her.
Priya didn't know what to do. She felt helpless. She kept on soothing him by just caressing his hair. When she felt wetness in her saree, she no longer could bear it. She again softly called RAM. He didn't respond. She slowly tried to separate him from her. He hugged her more tightly. Then he slowly said, "Please Priya. Let us go somewhere far from here...Let us go to a place where no human being is there. I want to be alone. I don't want to see anybody's face. I just want to be alone." .Priya didn't know what was bothering him. But she understood that to make him speak out, she must first get him out of this place. For a second she thought of calling Vikram for help, but then decided against it.
She slowly seperated him from her. Again wiped his face. Said, " Ram first stop crying. Whatever the problem maybe, whatever the incident maybe everything has a reason and solution. We will try to find it and solve it. Now, trust me. Don't ask any questions. First give me your car key." Ram without a word gave his key. Priya, "Wipe your face clean and Come with me. We are going out." Ram followed her like an obedient child. When they reached the car, Ram went towards the driver's side. Priya held his hand and stopped him. He didn't understand for a second what she was upto. He blinked. Priya opened the passenger door for him. He opened his mouth to say something. Priya interrupted. "Mr.Kapoor... I will manage." Ram didn't say anything. He silently got in the car.
Priya took the driver's seat. Before starting the car, she asked for Ram's cell phone. Ram without much questioning gave it to her. She sent a text to khush and Vikram saying that he is going out with Priya for some important work and will contact them after sometime and not to bother him. She then switched it off. She also switched off her mobile and started the car.
After a long and quite drive of 2 hours the car halted in front of their private guest house near the beach. It was kind of secluded. Though it was near the shore, sea will not be visible unless they walk for some distance. The security opened the gate as soon as he saw the car. The workers there would come once in 3 days to clean the house. So basically, the house will be empty most of the time. They used to come there once in a while when they would want to spend some time alone. Now it's been more than 7 years since they last came there. But nothing has changed in this long gap. Knowing Ram, everything will be in the same place as she left it.
She parked the car in the portico and turned to see him. Ram has slept in the midway. He was sleeping like a tired child. She didn't want to disturb his sleep. But to get him inside the house, she had to wake him. She opened his side of the door and woke him slowly. It was then she noticed a small file tightly held in his hand. It was marked as FOR YOUR EYES ONLY'... She took it from him and kept it aside. The she slowly led him into the house. Once inside the house, Ram slumped on the sofa. She went to the kitchen to make some coffee for him. When she came back, she found the same file on the table in front of him he was staring at it and was in some deep thinking.
When Priya came and sat near him, he lied on her lap..Priya slowly started caressing his hair. He took her hand and held it close to his cheeks. Priya again asked, " what's the problem Mr.Kapoor? " Ram then slowly asked her, "Have you lied to me ever Priya except the Dubai issue" Priya was confused. She didn't know what made him ask such a question. She replied, " No Mr.Kapoor. Never in our life I have lied to you. Why do you ask me such a question "
R: Correct... You have not lied to me but you have hid things from me right?
P: Mr.Kapoor...
R: Yes Priya... am I correct or not?
P:Mr.Kapoor
R: Yes Priya. Don't do which you have never done in our life. Don't lie. I know that I am correct...
P: Mr.Kapoor what are you talking about?
R: Look at this file. I received it from the detective agency that I arranged to know about Juhi's true face. After reading this I know about the bitter truth of somebody else...
Priya took the file from him and opened it with much hesitation. Before she could read it, Ram stopped her...
R: Priya, before you read this I want to know something from you and I want you to tell me the truth. Will you tell me?
P: Yes Mr.Kapoor. what do you want to know...
R: Tell me the truth Priya. What happened on the day of your accident? Why did you and Peehu go out at the time of the night? Where were you going? I know how well you drive. Even now, after 7 years, even after the accident, I saw how confidently you took the car What happened that made you lose control over your car that day?
P: Mr.Kapoor...
R: Now open and read the file Priya. But, I think now there is no need for you to read that file.
P: Mr.Kapoor.
Ram was still lying in her lap. He held her hand close to his cheeks. Her other hand was holding the file. He looked deeply at her. He asked, " why did you hide this from me Priya? Did you think that I will not trust you even in this matter? Or did you think that I am a useless father who will not do anything even if I know abouy this? Why did you hide this?"
P: Mr.Kapoor...
R: Actually you are correct in a way Priya. I am a useless father. I was never there for my children when they needed me. I was never there with you when you needed me. In the race behind money, I lost the race for my family. You are right. A child always needs a father. A mother can never replace a father's position. I have failed miserably as a father. I have lost my child's innocence as a price for winning the business world. I have lost my Pihu. I have lost my rockstar. Above all, I was in the verge of losing you once and for all. I have failed in my life. A man who never knew the meaning of defeat was defeated by his own daughter. I have failed in front of Ashwin. What will I do to compensate his loss? He has lost his son because of me. What will I say to him? How will I face him? How can I say him that I was responsible for your son's death in a way? Whatever I do will not bring his son back, will not bring his life back. I have literally crushed his life, just because I had the power to do so. I shouldn't have done it. I should have investigated the matter previously. My blind trust on my daughter, has spoiled everything. What will I do Priya? What will I do? I feel like killing myself. I am sorry Priya. I have failed you and your trust. I am sorry. I have failed my duty as a father. Please forgive me.
Again fresh tears started forming in his eyes. She couldn't take it anymore. She threw the file on the floor and hugged him close to her. She felt wetness in her saree from his tears. She had tears in her eyes too.
P: No Mr.kapoor. You didn't fail as a father. It is not your mistake alone. I too failed as a mother. In fact we have failed as parents and the more to be blamed is me. I didn't allow you to investigate. I blindly trusted my princess. I was wrong. My upbringing was wrong. You didn't fail me. I hid this truth from not because I didn't trust you. But because I knew that you will be heart broken on knowing the truth. I knew you were not strong enough to know this side of our princess. I didn't have the strength to see you like this. In fact I never wanted you to know the truth. Not because I wanted to protect our daughter but just because I wanted to protect you. I know you can handle anything in business but at heart level you are still a child. I know you cannot bear this. That's why I hid it. Don't punish yourself for my mistake.
After sometime, Ram composed himself and sat up. He didn't leave her hand all the time. He was holding it like a life rope, as if his whole life depended on it, as if he gained strength from it. Then he said, "At least now tell me the whole truth... What happened on that day? How did you come to know of the truth?"
Priya narrated the whole incident. How she called Geetika's number and found it to be Varun's, how peehu blamed Priya as the reason for her lying, how she blamed her for hiding about her relation with Ashwin, how she blamed her of hounding her, everything... Ram heard everything quietly. Both didn't speak anything for sometime... They were simply sitting holding each others hand. Then Ram said, " When you were in coma, Pihu never behaved in a way where I could suspect her. She was a completely obedient girl. She used to look after her sisters very well. She used to comfort me whenever I felt low. I saw your maturity in her. I didn't expect this from her. But you could have told me Priya when you regained your memory."
Priya said, " I wanted to tell you Mr.Kapoor. The first thing I wanted to do was to tell you. But Pihu stopped me first. She asked for a chance to prove that she has changed. Then when I came to know her true self, I was again stopped by Juhi. Remember the day when we went for Vikram's house after my memory gain, before that me and Juhi were discussing something and when you came I changed the subject. We were discussing about that only. Then again when Pihu crossed the line, I tried to warn her and you know what she taunted me. She told me that you will not believe me. But I knew, you will believe me. I told her that I will tell you once you had the strength to know the truth. I never knew that you will come across the truth like this. I am sorry Mr.Kapoor."
" Leave it Priya. Now my only concern is how to solve this problem. First of all We must tell sorry to Neha. She warned us. But our blind trust on our princess led us not to believe her. But what should we say her? How will we say that our daughter indirectly murdered someone. "
"Mr.Kapoor, whatever happens we must tell them. They ought to know. After all they are no less than parents to her. But we will think of that tomorrow. You need to rest now. I will prepare something for you to eat." When she was about to get up, she noticed that her hands were still in his hands.
Ram said, " Please Priya, I need your strength more than anything else now. Don't leave my side."
P: But Mr.Kapoor... Dinner?
R: I will come with you. Just do something light.
P: Ok. Come. I will see what I can do..
Both went to the kitchen. Priya simply toasted some bread and cut some apples. Ram didn't leave her side all the time. He was following her like a shadow. They had the dinner without much talks. When Priya moved to the bedroom Ram was simply whiling away the time sitting and standing and roaming here and there. Priya went to him and asked, " What's the matter Mr.Kapoor? Till now you were following me wherever I went but now why are you roaming here and there... Come to sleep"
R: Priya.. Shall I ask you a favour.
P: Favour? What?
R: Shall I sleep in your lap holding your hands? I don't think I can sleep normally today. I can't stop thinking about what happened and what will happen tomorrow.
Priya's face broke into a smile. She was once again reminded that her husband was an innocent child. She simply nodded her head without saying a word. The whole night, Ram slept on her lap. Priya was caressing her hair and she too slept off in the sitting position late at night.Sorry if there are any mistakes. please do leave your comments.
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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