That Wednesday was Ramzan and Keerthi's mom had casually invited all of them for lunch. Ayesha, Kashish and Ragini pulled Prachi to Keerthi's house an hour earlier inorder to help Keerthi's mom with the dishes. Keerthi casually started roaming to her bua's house, which was on the top floor. Her mom really admired Prachi. It was the first time she had seen Prachi properly. After her friends force and pleads, Prachi had kept a fake smile on her face so no one could doubt her loss. By the lunch time everyone came to their house. A simple buffet was arranged so they could have the lunch together. In the meantime Keerthi came and joined with her bua's son Rajesh who was engaged to her to be married after her studies. They enjoyed the lunch with a delicious fruit salad. Prachi didn't feel to eat, but forcefully ate her lunch not wanting to disappointing the hosts. After the lunch all sat casually talking about the weather that was presently going on in Hyderabad. "hey Keerthi, lets go out for shopping in Charminar."declared Ayesha. "I think Ayesha di is out her mind." Keerthi laughed.. "today is Ramzan and the shops that to especially in Charminar will be closed. And for kind information, today you can't step near that area as the prayers will be going there." "what about tomorrow" asked Ayesha to shopping freak Keerthi. "tomorrow is a national holiday dear and I should help my mother also", said keerthi in a sad tone. "what a shopping freaks these both are" declared Milind suddenly after finishing his dessert, "I'm feeling sad for their future husbands." He mourned a bit. Just then Rajesh who had taken a spoonful of dessert just choked out and coughs. "I'm really sorry that I…. I didn't really notice you" Milind laughed watching Rajesh's expressions going pale. "if it's so I'm not giving her the allowances for running the house after the marriage."he declared infront of everyone. "uh-huh, who wants your money anyway. I'm not going to be house wife, see I'm going to get a better job than you.", Keerthi rudely responds to his counter immediately and her mother immediately whacks up, for talking in a rude manner, she shrieks in a shrap cry of pain. "ok these will be fighting like this, what about you new friend Ayesha, she's so quiet. From when you'll know each other." Keerthi's father enquired. "we four were friends from our graduation time." "four…….."Keerthi looked astonished at Kashish, "whose the fourth person, anyone from this gang." "na, Kashish got confused we were just three." Ayesha immediately changed the sentence, seeing the paleness in Prachi's face. "I think we should leave now." Ayesha continued standing up from the sofa and pulling Prachi. "ok then, we should go back and finish the rest of the work, which we kept pending before we came here." Milind also stood up, taking leave from them. After that they went to their respective apartments.
Ayesha pulled Prachi and made her sit in the sofa and she sat beside her. "Prachi, I'm pleading Prachi, please try to come out of this grief. I can't really see you like this. I want the Prachi, that I have seen you for the first time in the graduation college. By gones are by gones Prachi, you can't get them back. try to move in your life. Don't try to punish your self to this grief. See Prachi, aunty and uncle wanted you to be happy in your entire life, and they will be expecting you to be happy from above also." "what about Neev, Ayesha." Prachi interrupted Ayesha in the middle. "he betrayed me Ayesha, leaving me back here. He promised me that he would be with me forever and ever.. but why did he leave me. I tried to live without him, but I'm not able to forget him. My life is nothing without him, I can't live without him Ayesha." Prachi sobbed badly. Not able to control her feelings Ayesha hugs Prachi tightly, letting her tears run down freely for losing a friend of hers also. She regains her control and wiping her tears Ayesha continued. "Prachi, now that your surroundings had changed you should also try to change. Life is beautiful. Open up Prachi, then you will feel the assence of it. See PRachi, many things come and go in our life and all are just part of it. Even Neev was your part of life not your life. Birth and deaths are simply the play of destiny, for that you should not spoil your future like this. Come on now Prachi too much is too bad. I'm longing to see your beautiful smile, comeon smile Prachi now at present." Ayesha started tickling Prachi, but Prachi,palely gives a faint smile. "want a cup of hot coffee Prachi it just helps in disgusting your heavy meal today." Ayesha asked going towards the kitchen, trying to change the topic.
The next day was a boring day for them. Being Independence that day, they hoisted the flag in their apartments and went to their apartments. Few minutes later all were together in Ayesha's house except for Keerthi who had gone to the market with her mother to get down the things for next day pooja. Milind who still did not know about Prachi's truth wondered why she was always gloomy without talking with anyone who was around her. He found that she never even smiled properly, and could not figure out what exactly happened to her. Even he tried to ask Ayesha and Kashish about her, but they always ignored the question. Prachi was becoming weaker day by day by avoiding her food. This made Ayesha more worried about her health. As the weather in those few days was unpredictable, no one dare to venture outside for longer hours, so Ayesha didn't get any chance to take Prachi outside. They however passed their time by playing caroms, making teams and putting the bets on odds and favour. Ayesha tried to involve Prachi in that game, but she was futile only for a while, again Prachi left the game in the middle and went inside. Friday was the day, Ayesha decided to cook Prachi's favourite dish. Milind that day entered their house on early morning on the pretext of having coffee with them. Ayesha asked him to stay back for the breakfast for which he agreed. Keerthi was busy with her pooja in her house, so she didn't turn up there till the late afternoon, with the plate of festivity dishes. Dishes consisted of a sweet…..bhakshalu (a kind of sweet roti, stuffed with jaggery and dal cooked till the water content is not there.) lemon rice, dal, potato fry and white rice. Keeerthi was wearing a saree that day and was followed by her sister, she was wearing a half saree as she was still young , who was assiting her to call the ladies to their house in the evening. They called Ayesha, Kashish , Ragini and Prachi. But Prachi made an excuse that she was not feeling well. Not wanting her to stay all alone in the house, they asked Milind to give her company while they were away for the matter of few minutes. That day the weather was so dampy as that day the rain did not feel to stop for a second also. After they went, Milind sat on the sofa adjacent to that of Prachi, who calmly going through the magazine. Milind not knowing what to do, as Prachi didn't talk to him, though he made many attempte to speak with her, surfed the channels from English to hindi to news. He found something fascinating in the sports channel, the motor race. He sat there watching the race, deeply involved in it forgetting about the surrounding. Suddenly he jerks with a loud shout from beside him. He turns his face towards Prachi who was shouting hysterically, "Neev, no Neev it can't happen to you, Neev." Milind at first panicked but composing himself he runs towards her, he saw her eyes were shut tightly and she clenched her fist tightly, allowing her nails dug deep into her palm skin. "Neev, you …………" she stood up and started to put a step but fainted without completing her sentence. Milind caught by her waist preventing her to fall down and lifts her in his arms and takes her to the bedroom and tucks her in the bed. He comes out from there and starts ringing Ayesha, before could press the call button, he sees both Ayesha and kashish standing in the entrance. He walks towards them, "Prachi just fainted", Milind told examing their shocked faces, "I don't what happened she suddenly started shouting Neev", he paused for a while, "who is this Neev by the way. What's the relation between Prachi and Neev." He found that none were answering him. "do anyone of you will tell what actually happened to Prachi and her family, why she was here on the day of wedding", he bursted out losing his temper, "if you both are my friends, you'll surely tell me this. I'll be waiting in my apartment." He gave a serious look towards them and rushed towards his apartment before they could open their mouths.
Hope you'll like this. Sorry for the mistakes. Plz do comment.
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