SS: Broken Strings SEASON 2 *Epilogue on page 30* - Page 10

Chapter 10

"All okay buddy?" Peter smacked Advay's back as he asked that. Advay smiled and nodded yes.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked sharply.

"Nothing dude! I was just...thinking about everyone!" Advay said.

"Everyone or some specific person? Like...erm Kiara?" Peter asked grinning. "Stop it Peter!" Advay groaned.

"I'm observing okay! From the past few months you have grown extra cheeky before her!" Peter said.

"Excuse me, cheeky, me?" Advay asked.

"Yes...I mean, you get angry when she does not respond to your words. You shout when she does not inform you while going somewhere. You nearly killed a man who tried to misbehave with her at a party, your lips form an idiotic grin when she jokes something at dining table and finally, you were ogling at her during the Diwali pooja last week!" Peter said.

Advay glared at him and Peter said laughing, "Even then you haven't said I love you to her yaar. If Yara comes to know about this she is gonna smack you!"

"Peter, GET OUT!" Advay shouted.

"I'm going but please confess your love yaar. Are you waiting for your great grandchildren to take birth and witness your confession?" Peter joked.

"PETER!" Advay shouted.

"Acha baba, I'm going" Peter said grinning and walked away.

Advay sat on his chair and leaned back thinking about his moments with Hanna. A particular day flashed in him.

With Hanna's decision of not aborting the baby, Advay had grown cold to her. He never spoke to her and always moved away from her.

He was lying on the bed facing his back towards her when he felt her arms sliding on his chest. He felt her cheeks pressed on his back and she whispered, "Kab tak naaraz rahongi?"

He kept mum and she laid her head on his crook of neck and whispered on his skin, "I love you"

"Not more that your child" Advay said and moved away from her. She moved closer to him and said, "Will you remarry after our child's birth?"

He kept mum and she asked again, "Are you going to remarry?"

"NO" he shouted. She smiled and turned him. He lay flat and she laid on his chest. "You have to!" she ordered.

"Stop it Hanna!" He said furiously.

Hanna chuckled and said, "We'll see. After my death, you'll be remarrying and eventually you'll fall in love with her. And after that, may be you'll never remember that you had someone called Hanna in your life!"

She looked at him and found him staring at her angrily as she said. "This is what is going to happen" she said firmly. The next moment she felt him pulling her and smacking his lips on her. Kissing her harshly he whispered out of breath, "Even if I forget myself, I'll not forget you! The day you leave will be my last!"

She placed her hand on his lips, "You should live. You should forget me Advay. Move on for our child!"

"Damn this child!" he shouted and sat up. She too sat up. "WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I WANT YOU TO BE WITH ME!" he said clutching her arms tightly.

"Why don't you understand Advay? I don't want to abort my baby. No mother in this world can do that!" Hanna said in tears.

"Hanna, make a decision now! Whom do you love more - me or the child!" Advay asked sternly.

"Advay, main..." Hanna cried and he shouted, "CHOOSE SOMEONE - ME OR YOUR DAMN CHILD?"

"MY CHILD!" Hanna shouted.

Advay opened his eyes and sighed.

After my death, you'll be remarrying and eventually you'll fall in love with her.

Her words rang in his mind. It was true! He cannot help himself but admit that he is having some feelings towards Kiara. True, he felt really angry when she didn't inform him that she is going to a party with her friends. He had shouted at her and had warned her not to repeat it. How much did his blood boil seeing someone misbehaving with her? The man was later taken to ICU. And the Diwali night...

She was look breathtaking in that blood red net saree and her backless blouse. Only he know how much he controlled his urge to kiss her right then and there!

"What's happening to me?" he groaned, "Am I falling for her? No, how can I? I love Hanna and just Hanna. How can I think about another woman? It'll be like cheating Hanna!" he murmured and leaned back sighing.

"WHAT IS THIS KIARA?" Rudra's mother shouted at the top of her voice. Kiara stood in front of her with her head hung down. Rudra stood spitting fire through his eyes and his brothers and their wives were standing with disgust towards her.

"WHAT IS YOUR RELATION WITH THAT BOY?" Mother roared.

"Ma ji, aisa kuch nahi hai! His wife was my patient. Today when he met me, he just greeted me" Kiara said in tears.

"Do you greet people by hugging them?" Rudra's elder bhabhi said taunting, "Don't you have a bit of shame? You are a married woman. How can you let another man touch you?"

"Bhabhi, people do greet by hugging!" Kiara said.

"Bas Kiara!" Rudra shouted, "THIS SHOULDN'T BE REPEATED AGAIN!"

"Rudra, I didn't do anything wrong!" Kiara said and Rudra's mother shouted, "GOD, WHAT A GIRL HAVE YOU MARRIED RUDRA? SOMEBODY TEACH HER HOW TO BEHAVE WITH YOUR HUSBAND. YOU SHOULD NOT RAISE YOUR VOICE BEFORE HIM! HE IS YOUR PATI, YOUR SUHAAGAN, OBEY EVEY WORD OF HIM!"

Kiara stood with her head hung down and biting her lips.

Kiara sighed as she sat on her chair. It's been years. But why don't these memories, no nightmares, fade away?

Marrying Rudra was the biggest mistake she made in her life. She thought she would forget Advay after marriage. She thought she would get adjusted. But no!

They are the worst people she has ever come across. She sighed thinking those days when she stayed in a house where women can drink a glass of water only after their husbands have their food, wife can never question her husband even if the husband does a great sin and wife should never raise her voice against husband even if the husband does something offensive...all her husband found good with her was physical relationship. Other than that, he found everything faulty about her. She smiled at their neighbour's son and she was accused to have an extra-marital affair with him. She wore a sleeveless blouse with her saree and she was accused for being characterless by the aunties of village who do not even cover themselves well with their saris. She spoilt a dish by accident and Rudra's mother said that her grandparents have spoilt her and her parents were lucky that they are not here to witness their good for nothing daughter's doing. And the last string was Advay...

Kiara closed her eyes recalling the day when Rudra found out about Advay. She had written about all her feelings in her diary which somehow got into his hands.

SLAP!

Kiara fell on the floor before the whole family.

"So this is the reason why you never accepted me as your husband! YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH THIS MAN, ADVAY!" Rudra roared as he slapped her again.

Blood oozed out her lips and heard Rudra's mother telling, "I thought this girl is only spoilt by pampering but she turned out to be a ****. She loves another man even after being married! Chi!"

Rudra grabbed her hair and she yelped in pain. "You're so much in love with him huh?" and he pushed her. Kiara fell back and hit something on her head.

She had fallen unconscious. Her dadu and dadi who had come over to visit her witnessed everything and the next moment, they booked their return tickets to Delhi. They took away their granddaughter from these horrible people. But none of her family (chachu, chachi and everyone) understood her and called her characterless. Breaking every relation with those people, dadaji had held his granddaughter close to him and said, "She is my daughter. I know what she is and I know she will never do any wrong thing!"

She had never expected her dadu to stand by her side. As far as she knows him, he is prejudiced grandfather. But he rose over all the caste and prejudice to a level of human consideration. The sight of his granddaughter being beaten in front of his eyes wiped away all his prejudices away and protectiveness towards his daughter rose in him.

Kiara sighed and leaned on the chair lost in her thoughts. It was then her phone rang. It was Advay.

"I'm waiting outside the hospital. Come out. We have to go to Yara's school!" he said.

She smiled cutting the call. Time has changed. There was a day when she used to nag him to leave to Yara's school! Picking her bag, she rushed out to find his car. She got into the car and they drove to Yara's school.