Hello KSGians 🤗
It's a special day for us as our Monkey celebrates his birthday 🥳
Toh maine socha ki kyun na main aaj mere PreRish AT members thoda aur khush kar dun😳
This prompt was sent to me by Mansi months ago 😛 and she has been waiting for me to post it, took me ages to fight my writers block and get back to updating my stories, I hope I don't have to go through that again 😭
Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this OS, I'll be waiting for your views on it 😳
Please ignore the typos and errors, I have not proof read it yet😛
~~~~~~~
‘Vo humare sath nahi hai.. but unhe hamari bohut fikar hai…’
Prerna leaned towards the window in her room as she recalled her words from earlier during the day.
*~~~*
Prerna had visited Basu Badi after two months when finally Anurag had returned home. But to her shock, he had married someone else.
Anurag who apparently forgot everything that happened between them in the past year and a half was sitting on the sofa in the living room with his new wife Sonalika. The couple had their fingers interviend with each other’s, and Sonalika kept leaning over Anurag’s arm. Though it was somewhat a stupid thought but Prerna felt that Sonalika was doing it on purpose to make her feel jealous. She noticed that even Anurag was feeling uncomfortable with it but he still kept mumb. She gave them a forced smile as she took a seat on the sofa opposite to them. Seeing her swollen belly and the mangalsutra in her neck Anurag questioned Prerna about her married life.
She was in a dilemma by his question, how could she tell him that he would have been her husband, if he hadn’t met with the accident on their supposedly wedding day. She thought for a moment to come up with a reply but Mohini Basu had other plans. She answered Anurag even before Prerna uttered a word
‘Her husband is out of town for work Anu..’
Everybody in the room was shocked by her reply. Prerna looked at her with questioning eyes, why was Mohini lying to Anurag? She had no husband. Anurag was supposed to be her husband, then who was Mohini referring to?
‘Kaam ke silsile main? Aisa konsa kaam karte hain vo ki iss halat main tumhe chod kar vo out of town chale gaye?’
Anurag directed another question at Prerna but once again Mohini answered it
‘Anu.. he is a businessman aur unki kafi important deal this Shayaad issliye unhe jana pada hoga.. kyun Prerna?!’
She glared at Prerna and gestured to her to say something, still in her trance all Prerna could do was nod in response.
‘Unka naam kya hai Prerna?!’
Sonalika jumped in the conversation and asked in an overly sweet voice. She was on cloud nine when her mother-in-law shared the news of Prerna’s marriage.
Prerna looked at Mohini helplessly, she didn’t want to and couldn’t lie to Anurag about it. He was the father of her unborn child.
‘Unka naam Rishabh Bajaj hai…’
All heads turned towards the entrance of the house where Veena stood at the threshold. She had come to get Prerna home and heard the entire conversation. She wasn’t surprised that Mohini had decided to lie to Anurag instead of telling him the truth. The previous day when Prerna had come crying back to Sharma Niwas and told them all of Anurag- Sonalika’s marriage; the way Basus reacted to it, especially Mohini, Veena had understood that her daughter could never be a part of their family now.
And by hinting about Prerna being married to someone else Mohini had proved it that she didn’t want Prerna back in her son’s life now. When Veena saw the helpless look on her daughter’s face the only person’s name that came in her mind who could save her daughter from this situation was of Rishabh Bajaj.
Prerna was stunned after listening to her mother. Did she just say that her husband’s name was Rishabh Bajaj? Well, she wasn’t completely wrong. Technically Rishabh was her ex- husband, but still he was her husband.
Veena gave a forceful smile to Anurag and Sonalika as she stood next to her daughter and placed her hand on Prerna’s shoulder. She blinked her eyes and silently communicated to her daughter that she would handle it from here on.
‘Prerna ke pati ka naam Rishabh Bajaj hai.. aur vo koi aam businessman nahi hain, iss sehar ke hi nahi balki iss desh ke sabse bade businessman’s main se ek hai…’
Veena shot a glare at Mohini as she spoke about Rishabh. She knew that Basus’ hated him. She didn’t like him much either but she knew that Rishabh was the only person who could deal with people like them.
‘Aur apne sahi kaha Mohini Ji… unki koi important deal hai jiske wajah se unhe Prerna ko iss haal main chodke jana pada …’
Prerna didn’t know why her mother was saying all this. Why was there a sudden change in Veena’s perception about Rishabh? It had been months after he left with Kukki. The day he freed her from their marriage she had been thankful to him, her family too had forgiven him for all his deeds but even then Veena never gave her any indications that she had a change of heart towards Rishabh. Then why was she speaking so highly about him?
‘Agar tumhare pati itne hi bade businessman hain toh Shayaad tumse zyada unhe aapne kaam se pyaar hoga issliye toh tumhe aur tumhare baache ko aise chod gaye…’
Sonalika taunted Prerna and smirked at her while twisting her hair around her finger. Her words had hurt Prerna, she was right, she was nearly five months pregnant and her child didn’t have a father’s name now.
‘Mana ke vo humare sath nahi hai … but unhe humari bohut fikar hai…’
Prerna spoke in a low voice as if she was speaking to herself. She remembered how Rishabh would scold her for overworking herself or not taking her medicine on time when they were married. Time and again he would remind her of not stressing herself over petty issues because that would affect the baby. They didn’t even have a relationship but yet he always worried about her and her.
Her words had bruised Sonalika’s ego further while Anurag didn’t feel good when Prerna and her mother spoke so well about her husband. Deep down in his heart he felt a pang as he saw the smile that formed on Prerna’s face as she remembered Rishabh. He tried to reason with himself as to why he was feeling like this.
‘Agar aisa hai toh phir main bhi tumhare husband se milna chahti hun… ho sakta hai vo Anurag ko bhi unke tarah hi ek ache husband bane ki kuch tips de de… infact Nivi di ne jo do din baad humare welcome ke liye party rakhi hai tum usske liye apne husband ke saath hi aana…’
Sonalika said in a sweet voice and smirked to herself. According to the information that Ronit had given her, Rishabh had left the Prerna on the day she was supposed to get married to Anurag. She knew very well that Prerna was lying about her husband to Anurag.
*~~~*
Two days passed in the blink of an eye and Prerna was once again at the threshold of Basu Badi. She couldn’t believe that she was going to be a part of the celebrations held for Anurag and Sonalika’s wedding. Seemed like everyone had forgotten the fact that she was pregnant with Anurag’s child, including her own mother who had suggested that she move on in her life. Prerna was still shocked that her mother took Rishabh’s name at that time, she questioned Veena about the same but her mother didn’t answer it.
‘Prerna..’
Anurag’s voice broke her chain of thoughts, she gave him a small smile as he walked over to her and escorted her to the nearest chair. He served her refreshments and chatted with her before Mohini ushered him to come along with her and meet her guests.
For a few minutes Prerna felt a little hope in her heart that maybe it was still not too late and she could tell him the truth about the relationship they shared. She kept stroking her baby bump thinking about the idea. How would he react to the news? Would he believe her now? He was married to Sonalika now, would he come back to her for the sake of their child? Or would he refuse to believe her because he knew that she was married to Rishabh and assumed that this was Rishabh’s child.
‘Prerna…’
Prerna lifted her head to see Sonalika smiling at her. The smile was too sweet to be genuine. Something about Sonalika made Prerna feel uncomfortable around her already.
‘Mom ne mujhe kaha tha ki store room se kuch aur glasses nikalna hai but I have still not become familiar with the house yet.. par tum toh yahan kafi aa chuki ho na could you help me please?!’
Though Prerna didn’t want to, she still agreed to go with her. They had hardly made it halfway through the hall when Sonalika excused herself to greet some guests leaving her alone in the middle of the hall. Prerna stood there waiting for her and scrolled through her phone until she was pulled by someone
‘Prerna…’
Rishabh had just reached Basu Badi. As much as he didn’t want to come here a call from Veena had made him come. There was an urgency in her voice when she had asked him to come to Basu Badi today. He was hesitant to step inside but when he saw that the chandelier which was hanging in the middle of the hall was about to fall on Prerna. He ran to her as fast as he could and pulled her in his arms.
Prerna could not understand what was happening. A loud crash echoed in the room, she clutched on Rishabh’s arm and shut her eyes tightly. Prerna gasped as she opened her eyes and saw the shattered pieces of chandelier at the spot where she was standing less than a minute ago. Everyone in the room was shocked as soon as the accident took place.
‘Prerna are you fine?!’
Nivedita was the first to recover herself and questioned Prerna who still looked pale. Yet Prerna nodded in response, she turned to look at Rishabh whose concern was clearly visible on his face.
‘Shukar hai bhagwaan ka ki yeh waqt pe aa gaye warna socho agar jhumar Iss bechari pe gir jata toh kya hota…’
Kumud who was standing next to Mohini blurted out nonchalantly and earned a glare from Rishabh. She gulped nervously and almost hid behind her sister-in-law.
Rishabh felt Prerna shiver in his hold. He tightened his arms around her.
‘Aap theek hain…’
He said softly and if it was possible he pulled her closer to him. Prerna leaned against his hard chest and tried to calm her erratic heart beat. She didn’t know that it was because of her near death experience which could have harmed her baby as well or the fact that she was in the arms of her ex-husband that made her heart beat so fast.
Rishabh guided her to the nearest sofa and he felt Prerna relax a little against him. Anurag who had been on a call in the study walked out to see the crowd gathered in the corner and walked towards them. He was surprised to see Prerna in the arms of a man who was relatively a stranger to him.
‘Prerna…’
He called her out softly, Rishabh looked at him and loosened his hold around Prerna as he expected her to rush to Anurag but she wasn’t even looking up at him. Seeing him there Sonalika walked to him and made a sympathetic face.
‘Anurag… tum kahan the? Tumhe pata hai vo chandelier almost Prerna pe girne wala tha….’
‘Girne wala nahi.. giraya ja raha tha…’
Anupam’s voice captured everyone’s attention. He walked from the back door by holding one of the waiters from his collar
‘Anupam aap kya keh rahe ho? Ho kya raha hai yahan?!’
Anurag asked in confusion. The man was still holding Prerna close to him. She had escaped an almost fatal accident, which now according to his brother-in-law was a planned attack?? Rishabh’s hold tightened around Prerna once more as he felt her grip his jacket’s lapel in terror.
‘Anu… yeh peeche ke darvaze se bhag raha tha.. isne jaan bhuj kar vo jhumar ki rassi loose ki thi..’
Rishabh’s fist balled in anger as Anupam told them that he had seen this man suspiciously walking to the backdoor with a knife in his hand.
‘Ms Basu… can you sit with Prerna please?!’
Nivedita was a little taken aback by Rishabh’s request yet she complied to it. Reluctantly, Prerna let go of Rishabh’s jacket and caught Nivedita’s hand. The man gulped in fear as Rishabh took slow steps towards him
‘Kitne paise mile the yeh kaam karne ke liye?!’
Rishabh asked the waiter who tried to free himself from Anupam’s hold.
‘Main tumhe double paise dunga… uss insaan ka naam batane ke liye jisne tumhe yeh kaam karne ko kaha!!’
‘Yeh kis tarah se baat kar rahe hain? Aapko kya lagta hai ki aapki inn baaton se yeh sach bol dega?!’
Anurag objected Rishabh and earned a glare from him
‘Mr Basu, inn jaise logon se kaise deal karna hai yeh main aache se janta hun…’
Rishabh turned his attention back to the waiter and walked closer to him. He fixed the waiter’s bow tie and repeated the question.
‘Batao mujhe ki tumhe kisne aur kitne paise diye the.. Prerna ko harm karne ke liye…’
The waiter felt a shiver run down his spine once he saw the fire in Rishabh’s eyes. He knew that it would only be wise to commit to his crime and tell the truth
‘Maine rassi nahi cut ki sir… maine toh bas knife ki zameen se uthaaya tha.. vo rassi Unn Ma’am ne cut ki hai..’
Everyone followed the direction of his finger and were shocked to see that he was pointing towards Sonalika
‘What rubbish kyun koshish karungi Prerna ko marne ke liye?? Main toh usse theek se janti bhi nahi hun…’
Sonalika feigned innocence and caught Anurag’s hand tightly.
‘Sir main jhut nahi bol raha.. yeh sab inhone hi plan kiya hai aur mujhe wahan dekh kar mujhe yeh kaam karne ke liye 50,000 bhi diye… sir main toh paise ke lalach main gaya tha bas issliye…’
‘Issliye tumne kaam ke liye haan kar di..’
Rishabh fisted his collar and looked straight in the waiter’s eye.
‘Agar aaj unhe kuch ho jata… toh main tumhe yahan issi jhumar ke neeche zinda gadva deta…’
The determination in which Rishabh spoke gave shivers to everyone. They all knew that he wasn’t just saying for the sake of it, he could actually do that.
‘Security… isse police ke havale kar do…’
Anupam freed the man from Rishabh’s clutches and threw him out of the house before Rishabh would lose his cool. Once the man was out of their sight, Rishabh looked at Sonalika who was trying to get some sympathy by playing the victim card
‘Mom mera yakeen kijiye… main kyun Prerna ko hurt karna chahungi… mere paas koi wajah bhi nahi hai usse hurt karne ki… uski jaan lena toh dur ki baat hai…’
‘Sonalika .. tumne safai dene ki koi zaroorat nahi hai.. hum sab jante hain ki tumne kuch nahi kiya hai…’
Mohini walked to her and stroked her hair gently to console her.
‘Mujhe uss waiter ki baaton pe yakeen nahi hai.. main nahi manta ki Sonalika ne Prerna ki jaan lene ki koshish ki hai..’
For the first time in the last half an hour Prerna looked up at Anurag. She was shocked to hear him. He must have known Sonalika for hardly two months, yet he could so surely say that she didn’t try to harm Prerna. Whereas he had known Prerna for years and had yet doubted her so many times. Especially when she got married to Rishabh. Just like everyone he too had believed that Prerna had married Rishabh for money. Never had Anurag been so quick to defend her like he was defending Sonalika today.
‘Anurag I am sure koi toh hai jo hum dono ke beech misunderstanding lana chahta hai.. aur mujhe sabke samne galat dikhana chahta hai issliye yeh sab kar raha hai…Vaise bhi Prerna ko kuch hua thodi na hai…’
Sonalika tried her best to safeguard herself but the disappointment in her voice after the failed attempt was not unnoticed by Rishabh.
‘Toh aap chahti thi ke unhe kuch ho jaye?!’
His question threw Sonalika off guard, she saw the suspicion in his eyes. She huffed angrily
‘Mera vo matlab nahi tha..’
‘Toh kya matlab tha aapka?’
Rishabh tried to stay cool and not lose his temper at Sonalika, he got negative vibes from her, something about her was not right, maybe she was indeed responsible for the attack.
‘Excuse me… aap hote kon hain Meri wife se iss tarah se baat karne wale?’
Anurag questioned Rishabh and frowned at him. He was not liking this man who stood in front of him. He has no right to question Sonalika like this. Also, he couldn’t understand Rishabh’s concern for Prerna.
Rishabh looked at Prerna and the tears that pooled in her eyes. He could see how helpless she felt right now. The man whom she had loved once, or probably still did was protecting someone who could actually want to harm her.
‘I am Rishbah Bajaj and Prerna is my wife… jis tarah se aap yeh tolerate nahi kar sakte ki koi aapki wife se iss tarah se baat kare main bhi yeh tolerate nahi kar sakta ki koi meri wife aur humare baache ko harm kare…’
Prerna looked at Rishabh with a slight surprise, she blankly kept looking at Rishabh. Her eyes now holded several questions in them, why was Rishabh doing this? Why was he here? As if Rishabh could read her mind, he gave her a slight assuring nod. Anurag kept looking at them simultaneously and their ‘silent communication’ irked him.
‘Agar Prerna ki itni hi fikar hai toh usse chodke kyun chale gaye the?’
Mohini questioned Rishabh and glared at him, everyone in the room except Anurag and Sonalika were aware that Rishabh and Prerna were divorced, yet he stood here, in the middle of their hall and accused her daughter-in-law with such audacity. Rishabh calmly walked to her replied in a cool tone.
‘Mana ki main yahan nahi tha but iska matlab yeh nahi ki mujhe Prerna ki fikar nahi thi, aur unhe main unke saath chodke gaya tha jo unke aapne hai… jo unka khayaal rakh sakte hain…’
Rishabh looked over his shoulder towards Anurag, who now seemed to be lost in his thoughts. He turned to Mohini and continued.
‘But.. I was clearly wrong, aap sabke beech hote hue bhi Prerna ko kisi ne harm karne ki koshsish ki.. Aapke hi ghar main aake unpe attack kiya…’
‘It was an accident Mr Bajaj… you have no right to blame us for what happened… agar Prerna ke peeche hamesha musibat padi hoti hai toh uss main hum kya kar sakte hain…in fact iss accident ke wajah se humari party spoil ho gai’
Mohini spoke in an irritated tone and glared at Prerna, once again the ‘happiness and celebrations’ of her house was spoiled because of her. Rishabh clenched his fist in anger at her words. He was sure that her spiteful words were just rubbing salt on Prerna’s wounds. He walked to Prerna and sat on his knees to come to her eye level, he saw a lone tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it. He gently cupped her face and nodded his head negatively before he spoke again.
‘I would love to give you an reply to that Mrs Basu.. but there is no point in doing that kyunki aapko kabhi samajh hi nahi aayega ki Prerna sirf logon ko khushiyaan de sakti hai, vo kisi ki khushi spoil nahi kar sakti…’
Rishabh extended his free hand for Prerna to hold it, tentatively she placed her hand in his and stood up with his help. She crashed against his hard chest once again and sobbed silently. Rishabh soothed her hair and placed a soft kiss on top of her head.
‘Let’s go home…’
He whispered to her and with one last glare to the Basu’s he started walking out of the house with his one arm wrapped securely around Prerna, who didn’t even spare a second glance to anyone in the room. She just wanted to cherish the feeling of being safe in Rishabh’s arm.
----
Rishabh and Prerna had reached Sharma Niwas in less than an hour, everyone in the house, except Veena was surprised to see Rishabh there. She asked him to escort Prerna to her room, he made her sit comfortably while he stood next to the window in her room. They sat in silence for minutes before Rishabh decided to break it.
‘Prerna.. I know I have a lot to explain, starting from what I was doing at Basu Bari to why I addressed you as my wife…’
He took a deep breath as he started explaining her everything
‘Mrs Sharma ne mujhe phone karke sab kuch bataya diya tha, about Anurag’s memroy loss and his marriage to Sonalika. She also told me ki unhone sabke saamne mera naam liya tha jab Sonalika ne aapke husband ke bare main pucha tha… she asked me to come to the party today… that’s why I am here… and I glad that I made it in time.. Prerna, I can’t even imagine what you must be feeling right now… but I just want to assure you ki jo bhi ho.. Main aapke saath hun....’
Rishabh tried to read her expressions but Prerna just looked at him blankly, after a beat, she shifted on the bed and signalled him to come closer to her. Silently, Rishabh obliged her demand, as soon as he sat on the bed, Prerna rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his arm. Despite what had happened between them, he had come back to her, she knew that she might have never loved him or even given him the respect that he deserved, and this could be another chance that life was giving her to correct her mistakes.
Just like Rishabh mentioned in the note that he wrote to Prerna, he was there for her when he needed her the most.
~~~~~~~
This is by far the lengthiest OS jo maine aaj tak likha hai 🤣
I know ki show main hume aisa kuch dekhne nahi milega toh apni dil ki tamanna maine iss show ke zariye puri kar li
Hope you guys liked it too,
Love;
Niyati ❤️
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