Part 16
Prerna didn't speak anything to Mahesh in the car.
At night, Rishabh came home. He went to their bedroom. Prerna had opened a big suitcase on the bed and she was keeping her stuff in it. Rishabh looked at Prerna.
"Yeh sab kya hain? Kahan ja rahi ho tum?"
"Kahin bhi. Lekin aap ke saath ab nahi rahungi."
"Ab kya hua tumhe? Dekho prerna main pahle se bohot pareshan hu, tum mujhe aur irritate mat karo. Please."
"Chali gayi na woh?" Prerna said sarcastically.
Rishabh looked at her. "Kaun?"
"Aap ki Niharika."
Rishabh was shocked. He kept staring at her.
"Woh Niharika jiske liye aap hamara 30 saal purana rishta qurban karnewale the."
"Prerna? tumhe yeh sab-"
"Jab aap office mein aap dono baat kar rahe the, to main wahin thi. Maine aap ki saari baatein sun li."
Rishabh held his head in his hands and sat down. All this was too much too handle in a single day.
"Mr. Bajaj, meri zindagi ek khuli kitab ki tarah aap ke saamne thi. Lekin aapne itna bada sach mujh se chupaya? Chalo maan liya ke aap usko bhool gaye the, lekin aapne mere charitra par bhi shaq kiya? Aap ko aaj bhi lagta hain ke mere aur anrag ke beech mein kuch hain? Aur yeh baat aapne Niharika ko bhi batayi?"
"Prerna dekho-"
"Mr Bajaj, aapne theek kaha.jab kisi shaadi mein vishwas hi nahi hota, to us shaadi ka matlab hi nahi hota.Aap mujh pe shaq karte hain na, to phir theek hain, hum divorce le lenge. Mujhe bhi aap ke saath ab nahi rehna hain. Ab bacche bhi bade ho gaye hain, samazdar ho gaye hain. To phir kyun rahe hum saath mein?"
"Theek hain." Rishabh said.
"Even I want to get out of this relationship. Lekin tumhe is ghar se jaane ki jarurat nahi hain. Main khud hi chala jaata hu. I'll stay in our old house. Tum yahan raho. Waise bhi, jab bacchon ko hum dono mein se kisi ek ko chun na hoga, to woh tumhe hi chunenge."
Prerna was still fuming.
Rishabh got up, went to his study and closed the door. Later, Prerna fell asleep. When she got up in the morning, Rishabh had packed his stuff and left. Prerna came down. The kids and Mahesh were sitting at the dining table having breakfast. Prerna wondered how to tell them about the latest developments.
"Woh..Cookie..mujhe aap logon se kuch-"
"It's ok mom.Papa told us already. He will be staying in the old house because you guys don't get along anymore. " Sneha said.
Prerna looked at her kids. All of them were peacefully eating their breakfasts- no sign of any disturbance.
She got up and went back to her room.
"Are you guys really OK?" Mahesh asked.
"Totally. Mom and Dad keep fighting. Then they patch up. This has happened so many times, we don't take this stuff seriously anymore." Tushar said.
"It's time they grow up!" Kasak said.
In the evening, Prerna went to the lawyer with Anurag and filed divorce papers.
Rishabh received the papers, and sent them back- duly signed. He was enjoying his new life. There was no need to pretend everything is hunky-dory, there were no need to watch prerna's moves and wonder what exactly was her relationship with anurag, etc. He missed having his kids around, but he was working with tushar ,vishakha and sneha in office, kasak and cookie would come and visit him often. He was feeling a new surge of energy and vitality- he was now realising how a wrong relationship can trap one's energy.
Anurag and Prerna's relationship was growing closer. Sam was very much against it, but they were in no mood to care for that. Finally, Sam too sent him divorce papers and went to London for good. Anurag felt elated rather than sad. Now, things were finally looking up for him.
Niharika and Darshan went back to London. Rishabh had ignored Darshan's efforts to contact him.
Rishabh was surprised to see Prerna's number on his cell.
"Yes Prerna?"
"Mr. Bajaj, I just called to remind you. Kal humein court jana hain. Our divorce will become final tomorrow."
"Thanks. Mujhe yaad hain. I'll be there at 3 PM." He said.
"Main aur Anurag bhi pahunch jayenge."
"Ok!" Rishabh said cheerfully.
Prerna disconnected the phone. She was getting another call.
"Bolo kasak?"
"Mom, I have forgotten my maths notebook at home. Can you send it with driver? I am in college."
"Ok, is it in ur room?"
"No, I was studying in Dad's study. It must be there."
"Theek hain."
Prerna went to Rishabh's study. He had taken most of his books with him, it wasn't difficult to find kasak's notebook. She sent it with driver. No one had bothered to clean the room after Rishabh left.
"Yeh room clean kar do." Prerna ordered the servant. Later, he came to her with an old diary.
"Memsaab, yeh diary mili. Cupboard ke neeche is tarah giri thi ke kisi ko dikhayi nahi di hogi. Maine cupboard ko waha se hataya tab yeh mili."
Prerna looked at the diary. It was 20 yrs old..written by Mr Bajaj..she hesitated before opening it..but then her curiousity got the better of her..she opened it and began to read it..
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