4. Confession and Guilt
Pihu was sweating with the mere mention of Varun. How could she forget him? The more she tries to forget him, more he haunts her. Probably that was the only mistake she wanted to repent but she had no courage. She never thought that her one lie, to save her own skin, would cost someone's life.
Priya asked her again, "Do you remember Varun?". Pihu simply nodded her head.
"His father, Ashwin, and I were getting married", Priya starts to share her deep secret with her daughter.
Pihu had nothing to say, she played a silent audience to her mother's confession. She always wanted to know about this chapter of her mother's life to confirm what all Varun told her. This was the very reason which made Pihu to slowly drift away from her mother. She could never gather courage to ask Priya again when Priya dismissed it for first time and she blindly believed what all Varun told her and showed her.
Priya continued, "shaadi hone wali thi hamari...love marriage phir Ashwin ne mujhe dhoka diya...meri hi best friend se shaadi karli usne". Pihu realized how wrong she was thinking for her mother. She believed the stupid story weaved by Varun. How can she?
"I was so hurt...meri apni best friend ne mujhe dhoka...they both were most important people of my life aur unhi logo ne mera dil, mera trust sab tod diya...mujhe tod diya . But I am happy yeh sab hua mera saath", Priya smiled. Pihu was confused, "how can she be happy?"
"Pehle bura lagta tha mujhe k Ashwin ne bura kiya mere saath, bharosa toda mera lekin jab Mr Kapoor meri zindagi aaye toh meri zindagi badal gayi...Mr Kapoor changed my life, itna pyar diya unhone mujhe I can't express...ab sochti hoon toh lagta hai k accha hua jo Ashwin ne mera dil toda, meri bharosa toda, mujhe chod diya agar aisa nahi hota toh shayad Mr Kapoor meri zindagi mai kabhi nahi aate", Priya beamed with joy. Ram, who was standing near door, had a genuine smile on his face.
"Shayad teri zindagi mai bhi koi Mr Kapoor jaisa aaye jo tujhe bahot zyaada pyar kare bina kisi shart ke...agar tu Sammy ke peeche bhagti rahi toh shayad us insan ko kabhi nahi dekh payegi jo sirf tere liye bana ho", Priya explained Pihu.
Pihu was in deep thoughts, slowly and steadily storing all that her mother shared just now.
"Share your love with someone who deserves it not with someone who uses it for their benefits", Priya breaks Pihu's thought process. "Papa, mai, pari, myra, kush hum sab tujhse bahot pyar karte hai bacche...tujhe aise dekh kar hame bahot takleef hoti hai, tu hamari takleef dur karegi na?".
Pihu just nods her head in yes and hugs Priya tightly. Ram went back to his room beaming with happiness. His hitler wife, his Priya never fails to amaze him. He is trying to figure out since after his marriage how does she solve complex problems so easily, so simply. May be she is Magician who knows tricks to make anyone happy. He chuckled at his own thoughts.
Priya slept with Pihu that night holding her just like the way they used to sleep in dubai with Happy and tiger accompanying them.
In the morning, Priya was struggling to get out of the grip of Pihu. She, somehow, have calmed down her princess angry nerves and consoled her. Now she has to calm down her husband's anger. She was determined to do it today itself.
"Pihu...get up na, mujhe kaam hai bahot", Priya was caressing hairs of Pihu who was sleeping peacefully after ages in her mother's lap.
"Sone do na mumma...aap bhi sojao", Pihu pulls Priya to sleep."itni subah kya kaam hai aapko"
"Mr Kapoor ke liye nashta banana hai...unka gussa aaj kaise bhi shant karna hai", Priya answered
"Wo aapse gussa nahi hai...natak kar rahe hai", Pihu reveals sleepily
Priya was little shock, "are you sure? ...matlab tujhe kaise pata"
"Jab wo Myra aur Pari ko bata rahe the maine suna", Pihu says
Priya too was finding something fishy, she too was thinking may be Ram is playing around but she was not sure and that was the reason she was trying to make it up to Ram.
"Khud ko bahot smart samjhte hai na Mr Kapoor...dekhti hoon kab tak natak karte hai", Priya smiled at her mischievous thought
"Pihu meri choti si help karegi", Priya looked at Pihu but she was again asleep, "let's irritate your father like we used to do earlier", Priya looked at Pihu and slapped her head, "so gayi phirse!!". Priya slowly placed Pihu's head on pillow, kissed her forehead and went to check on Ram. Ram was sleeping peacefully, his face was calm. Priya kept staring his face for few minutes and started of her daily chores.
She was thinking how to take revenge or to pay back Ram and the conclusion was food. The only weakness that her Mr Kapoor has was "Food". She went to kitchen to execute her plan.
Everyone was relieved and happy at Kapoor Mansion as Pihu was behaving normally with everyone. Ram, Kush, Pari, Myra-all were in Pihu's room. Priya took breakfast in Pihu's room.
"Pihu di yeh magic kaise hua...I mean hum aapko itna mana rahe the", Myra was surprised
"Yeh magic mom ne kiya...unhone apni Magic wand ghumayi aur Pihu ko happy kar diya", Pihu side hugged Priya who was sitting beside her and in return Priya kissed her.
Ram was certainly the happiest man seeing his family so happy. Priya ordered everyone to have their breakfast.
Bansi Kaka served everyone their favorite breakfast but Ram was served Cereals. Ram made faces but kept quiet assuming Priya might not have made anything for breakfast. The shocker came when Priya served Pihu Aloo Paranthe.
Ram asked Bansi kaka to bring paranthe for him too but he politely denied stating "Ma'm ne mana kiya hai". Ram wanted to ask Priya but that would end his pretense and fake anger so with heavy heart he started eating his breakfast.
Kush asked Priya to have her breakfast and Priya obliged, "aaj mai Pihu ke saath karungi breakfast"
"Aap paranthe khaoge", Kush was surprised.
"Yes with extra butter", Priya added watching Ram's expression through corner of her eye.
Pihu faintly recollected her mother's plan to irritate Ram, she winked Priya and they both giggled irritating Ram further. Throughout Breakfast, mother-daughter duo kept making noises like "Yummy...hmmm" to irritate Ram further.
"Pihu aur bhi kuch banaya hai tere liye", Priya told looking in Ram's direction. "Kya?", Pihu asked excitedly. Pihu have always cherished her mother's dishes. She loves to eat the food made by Priya and missed it when Priya was coma.
"Kheer banayi hai", Priya smiles, "yaad hai tu bachpan mai kaise fridge se chori karti thi".
"Haan yaad hai", Pihu chuckled. "Mom this is not fair, sirf Pihu di ke liya", Pari complained.
"Haan Priya Angel it's not fair", Kush too joined them
"Chup karo! I have made it for all...abhi laati hoon", Priya went to kitchen to bring Kheer.
Ram followed Priya to the Kitchen. He wanted to know why she hasn't given him paranthe. He was irritated that Priya ignored him completely, "how can she do this?". She was supposed to cheer him up and he was expecting same but nothing of that sort happened.
Priya took out Kheer's bowl from the fridge, started arranging it in tray completely ignoring the presence of Ram.
Ram coughed to gain her attention but in vain. He pretended as if he is searching for something in kitchen by making noises from utensils. Priya suppressed her smile and continued her work. Unable to handle the silence, Ram asked "why are you ignoring me?". He was annoyed with Priya's indifference towards him.
"aap mujhse baat kar rahe hai?", Priya questioned looking here and there
"aur koi nazar aaraha hai tumhe?", Ram mocked
"nazar toh nhi aaraha hai par aap mujhse...yaani Priya se baat kar rahe hai", Priya acted as if surprised
"kyu mai tumse baat nahi karsakta", Ram was irritated
"maine aisa kab kaha? Pichle 2 din se aap mujhse baat nahi kar rahe the...yaad aaya? Isiliye mujhe laga...", Priya taunted him.
"umm actually " Ram scratched his temple, "I thought"
"you thought", Priya gazed him, "let me guess you thought to trouble your wife and enjoy her helplessness"
Ram was choosing his words before he utters anything, "i was really angry on you aur ab bhi hoon'
" keep sulking Mr Kapoor...it don't effect me", Priya turns to go but Ram holds her wrist and turns her.
"You mean to say I don't effect you", Ram asks her.
"Yes you dont", Priya answers firmly biting her lips.
"are you sure?", Ram pulls her closer.
"yes I am sure", Priya was now more firm in her words trying to hide her smile.
"mujhe nahi lagta...you are lying", Ram was tucking her hairs behind her ear.
"mom hum kabse aapka...", Myra stops midway seeing her parents lost in each other. priya moves back a bit. "Sorry mujhe nhi pata tha ki yahan "
"yahan kya", Priya stops myra in middle of sentence.
"Romance chal raha hai",Myra casually completes her sentence and runs to escape from Priya's lecture.
"kya bolke gayi yeh", Priya's mouth was open. Ram was smiling at his wife's expression, "common Priya aisa bhi kuch nahi kaha usne...sach hi kaha na"
"i was not romancing okay aur aap ne kaise parvarish ki inki?". priya questions Ram.
"ab isme bhi meri galti hai", Ram was tasting kheer.
"aap hi ki galti hai...sar chadha rakha hai sabko", Priya snatches spoon from his hand and takes the tray.
"tumhe bhi toh sar chadha rakha hai isiliye toh itna pareshan kar rahi ho", Ram teases her but Priya keeps walking without turning back with a bushy smile on her face.
At Pihu's room, all were waiting for Priya to come with plans to tease her but Priya's angry face discouraged them. She served kheer to them and ask to leave for college as they were getting late.
Pihu goes to Priya's room to seek forgiveness from her for all the wrong she thought about her mother. Priya was busy reading book when Pihu interrupted her.
"Mom aapse kuch baat karni hai", Pihu sat beside her.
"kya baat karni hai", Priya was interrupted by a call but she rejected it.
"Mom aap call answer karlo shayad papa ko kuch baat karni hai", Pihu suggested.
"koi baat nahi karni hai papa ko", Priya was ignoring Ram like he did and she was enjoying it,"yeh sab chod tujhe kya baat karni thi"
"wo mujhe confess...varun...matlab", Pihu was struggling to speak.
"Pihu jo bhi kehna hai bejijhak keh...we are friends right", Priya held her hands to assure her
"wo mujhe varun ne bataya tha aapke aur uske dad ke...aur maine uski baat ka trust kiya, aap pe doubt kiya mujhe aisa nahi karna chahiye tha;I am sorry mumma", Priya withdrew hands from Pihu, she was hurt.
"How could you Pihu? Tu ne socha bhi kaise", Priya asked in disbelief
"i am sorry mumma mujhe uski baat nahi manni chahiye thi", Pihu apologizes again n again.
Priya did not know what to say or how to react. She too was responsible in making Pihu doubt. Had she told the truth the day Pihu asked, she would not have to face this day. But past is past and it can't be undone.
"It's ok Pihu", that was all Priya said. Priya assured Pihu that she is fine and she has forgiven her. Priya silently hoped that someday Pihu will confess about Varun's suicide to Ram. She prayed to god to give her Pihu courage to rectify all her mistakes and start her life afresh.
p.s. Next part will be last part of this SS 😳 And I will update it on Monday 😆 but but if I forget or couldn't finish writing then I will update after celebrating EID...may be on 16th 🤔