PreRish One-Shot: But I Come With a Dream in My Eyes Tonight

Hey guys!

This one-shot is dedicated to my forum Maa aka Ankie aka WaqtZaya. 😆

She pestered me to go ahead with it and I obeyed her despite the loss of my Muse. This one is finished in hurry after too many confusions and last minute changes. Moreover, I haven't done the proofreading. Please give me honest reviews.

This one-shot is originally based upon Piu di's prompt shared in the second post. I don't know if I did justice to it. 🤔

Previous works:

PreRish One Shot: The touch of fleeting desires

PreRish One-Shot: Deluded Insecurities

Discarding a Misguided Perception: PreRish One-Shot!

PreRish One-Shot: You Are Tired I Think!

PreRish One-Shot: The Smell of Dread and Guilt

PreRish One-Shot:On the Threshold of Fresh Beginnings!

PreRish One Shot: Revelation and a New Intimacy!

OS : Rishabh Bajaj! Fated to be the Devastating God!

Rishabh Bajaj One Shot: Not Waving but Drowning!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rishabh glanced at his watch and signalled his manager that his departure time was almost here.He had been at this glitzy award function since past one hour and the businessmen as well as the management students had been charmed by his award acceptance speech. Since his divorce he had totally immersed himself in work to seek distraction from the agony that had become his second self.

After a war with my inner self, I decided to let you go from the place you didn’t belong.But I’m forever cursed to linger there…devoid of you and your music.

He walked down the lonely aisle with slow steps…no longer accustomed to someone else sharing the walk with him. His solitary walks returned to him like old loyalists. But the pleasure of solitude didn’t. It had abandoned him the moment he had fallen in love with someone he knew may never love him back.

Suddenly the air felt familiar and unfathomable feelings rushed to his psyche when he beheld a woman busy arranging some sheets, her back turned against him. Spellbound and possessed a mysterious pull, he approached the woman with a racing heartbeat.

Could it be her?

He knew his heart could never commit a mistake in sensing her presence and it just got re-confirmed the moment the woman rose and turned around to behold a familiar face.

Stunned,they stared at each other and minutes passed in silence. Rishabh felt partial numbness taking over his senses and wished this moment never ends. He had beheld her face after so long. These few months of separation had felt like eternities and his heart had abandoned hopes of meeting her again.

“Mr Bajaj…” her voice caressed his ears and pulled him out of the spell. Before he could form a rejoinder, they were joined by a businesswoman who had come to fetch Prerna. She congratulated Rishabh for the win and introduced Prerna as her friend. Rishabh felt a momentary tinge to ask Prerna about her husband and child. However,recovering swiftly, and in a bid to rescue himself from another heartbreak, he avoided that question.

“Rishabh Bajaj!” introducing himself with forced aloofness, he offered her a necessary handshake to avoid glaring suspicion of the woman who was clearly unaware of his history with Prerna. Surprised at the redundant formality demonstrated by her ex-husband, Prerna responded to the offer with a smile perceptibly flawed by confusion. Why is he behaving like this? No matter what sort of relationship they shared, they had been married and had spent months in a shared room. They had been parents to a child.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you again.” She said softly, not trying to mask the confusion in her voice.

“Again?” the confused woman voiced. “You know each other?”

“Not really!We met in a similar professional setting before.” Rishabh answered to evade the revelation of the past he shared with Prerna…snubbing the latter’s perplexity. He felt it wouldn’t be good if the past is exposed to unsuspecting outsiders as his ex-wife is now happily married to another man. However, he couldn’t escape the thoughts questioning her presence with a woman she must have been recently acquainted with and the absence of those marital signs she so highly regarded.

Despite his best efforts and gargantuan self-control, Rishabh couldn’t escape the growing feeling of distress. Her sudden reappearance was threatening his self-control and giving rise to a pain he had so agonizingly stifled. She could totally behold flashes of an old agony lingering in his eyes, desperate to be expressed. What exactly caused the suffering in first place? Was he displeased to behold her again? But they didn’t part on a bitter note. Did this unforeseen meeting bare old wounds?

“How are you doing?” he finally questioned with great struggle when Prerna’s friend left to attend a call.

His voice broke her reverie, but she continued to stare at him and slowly pain began to creep in with the outpouring of memories associated with the events that took place after his abrupt departure. Nobody could doubt the fact that she was a strong woman. And now she had gained independence and was content living away from her past and the people associated with it. But his sudden reappearance had weakened her because beyond that apathetic exterior, she had been longing for a familiar face and an intimate touch. They hadn’t been ideal partners in the truest sense, but now suddenly it felt like he’s her most intimate companion in this forbidding world…the only man who could truly understand her without being judgemental. Her friend, her life-support.

“I’m fine,thank you!” she breathed out.

No! I’m not fine! Nothing of that sort happened. My whole world crumbled and suddenly I could behold nothing but ashes of what could have been.

“Aapko phir se…I mean…congratulations!” She uttered with eyes having hints of unshed tears. Rishabh looked at her with inquisitive eyes with his doubts routing the image of a happily married woman and the rising desperation and dread compelling him to question her. Prerna sensed his suspicions, and, not wanting to recall the horror or be the subject of his pity by melting into tears, decided to leave.

“Goodbye Mr Bajaj! Take care.” She forced a smile and left hurriedly…leaving a deeply confused man behind.

Rishabh saw that she left her file on the table and picked it up to return it to her when suddenly an infant’s photograph slipped with a medical record. The innocence oozed by the infant made his lips stretch for a genuine smile. Maybe the best smile to adorn his handsome face in ages. His eyes soon travelled to the medical record and the next minute the revelations possessed by those documents stunned him.

PRERNA SHARMA? And…Sneha Sharma?

The effect of those names was much greater than anyone could have anticipated. Rishabh read the name repeatedly, as if finding it tough to believe that his fancy wasn’t deceiving him. He rushed in the direction she had chosen and found her in the parking lot, her back turned against him. Gathering himself amid the disorder due to the revelation and contemplating his next step with his intense longing returning and giving him hope, he sluggishly walked in her direction. Sensing his presence, she turned around to behold the mighty at his weakest. His red eyes and wounded expression exposed his veiled side to her. Next moment she saw the file in his hands and cracks in her already frail self-control began to widen.

Minutes passed in silence.

He extended his hand and to her bewilderment, re-introduced himself with a smile blemished by pain.

“Rishabh Bajaj! Pleasure to meet you again, Miss Sharma!”

His re-introduction eased off the tension a bit and she smiled.

“Aapko phir se dekh kar accha laga.” She uttered while responding to his hand-shake offer. He realized she naively used his line on him and chuckled.

“SNEHA…that’s a lovely name! Your daughter is really beautiful Prerna.” Prerna smiled despite her tears and uttered, “She’s the reason I’m alive.”

At that moment Rishabh wanted to engulf her in a never-ending embrace, taking away all the sorrows that stained her life. His mind protested against this thought but heart triumphed over the former and soon he felt her tears staining his jacket.He let her cry her heart out and tightened his hold to steady her shivering form.Gradually she relaxed against him and her tears began to subside. She was astonished by the comforting effect of his embrace and felt reluctant when the time to part loomed. His touch didn’t feel like a stranger. It had been so familiar, so intimate. Still in his arms, she faced him and her twinkling orbs endeavored to scan his face to comprehend his emotions. A man who was once conspicuously uninvolved in her moments of pain was now her most intimate companion with a sudden twist of fate. How and when this transformation happened? He was still an enigma to her.

Rishabh wiped her tears while she relentlessly stared at him…still trying to read him.

“Let’s go home. Sneha must be waiting.” He uttered softly and smiled.

Originally posted by: manzilmukul

Chalo Ek Baar Phir Se Ajnabi Ban Jaye Hum dono....

Let’s meet again like strangers, like fresh people. I want this concept to be explored when Bajaj comes back!!

Bajaj: Prerna, main humesha Se sochta tha ki Kaash mein Apse sabse pehle Mila hota. Par Aaj main Chahta Hun ki Kaash main apse Alag tarah Se mila hota.

So, let me introduce myself to you again! Myself Rishabh Bajaj, Infra-gaint owner and first and foremost Kuki’s Dad.

Smokes a puff and extends his hand.

Ms. Sharma: Aapko phir Se mil kar acha laga!

Here's the original prompt. I realize I twisted it like crazy.

Boohooo!

Reserved

Forum mummmyyyy is happy

This was a very good One shot Wistfulness Ji 👏

The variations in emotions was explained very beautifully and u can literally imagine all of it....heck even I can imagine that award and speech etcc 🤪😆

I think U use very unique wording for your OS....and let me tell you this it is unique for me 😳😆

Baki I am confused from the file bit...wahan se kya hua kuch samjh nahi aaya...

Par it was a very very good part...👍🏼

Ps Baby Yoda is very Happy

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5mBiPngs7z/?igshid=33fybdg1c43b

This was just beautiful ....u r so so good with words n emotions ❤️

This is very good Shruti. You have a way with words. I only wish that it should have been longer in the last part, from when he discovered the file. Nonetheless, the way you have described their emotions is very good❤️❤️

Can't believe this is such a good OS

Fist line of the first post

First of all, thank you for using my random prompts🤓

You have a knack of weaving words so beautifully. Loved the entire premise of the OS. Totally loved the way it was written and the overwhelming emotions underplayed. Thank you🤗