Hi people, hope you all are safe and doing fine. I've decided to change this into a FF as I don't think I'll be able to finish this soon. I've broken this update into two parts as I haven't completed it. This is Part 3A. I'll be posting the other half soon. Pls bear with me. Lots of love. Soni🤗
Part 3A
Prerna and Rishabh have been married for a year now. Their relationship dynamics have changed from what they were the last time, though the physical intimacy is still missing. She has become more comfortable with his touch and hugs but is still hesitant to take the next step. As for him, one night he gave into the urge of kissing her though it was quick but was enough for him to realise that he still had a long way to go before he finds a place for himself in her heart. He wrapped his hand around her waist and leaned over her to capture her lips into his. She didn't protest but didn't respond either. She just laid there with her teary gaze fixed on the ceiling.
This twisted his heart and he cursed himself for putting her through this. He vowed not to kiss her again unless she took the first step. He took it as her rejection but the truth was that she didn't expect it and was too shocked and overwhelmed to respond. That was the first and so far the last time they came so close. Prerna since past few months has started getting affected by his proximity and this hasn't gone unnoticed by him. He knows that she won't confess unless she's pushed into it. He saw that before their divorce, how Anurag's persistence pushed her into confessing her love for him. Her feelings that had subsided, jumped out.
Now that he knows that she has something for him in her heart, he has decided to reveal a truth that he's been hiding from her for a while. This might risk their relationship but he still wants to take a chance.
Prerna comes back and shuts the door behind her. She finds Rishabh still in the same clothes, a crisp white shirt with top two buttons undone and grey trousers, sitting beside Sneha caressing her hair immersed in his thoughts. She pulls him out of his thoughts saying, " Aapne change nhi kiya? Sneha uth gai thi kya? " while taking out her night gown from the closet. She moves towards the washroom but stops when Rishabh calls out for her.
"Prerna", He says
To which she responds in a soft voice, " Haan"
It's not usual for Rishabh to call Prerna by her maiden name and when he does she knows he's worried.
He gets up and approaches her. She notices that he's fidgeting and nervous, something which is rare. Prerna puts her gown on the bed and walks closer to him.
"Aap itne nervous kyu hain,? Kuchh hua hai kya?"
"Woh.. actually." He sighs
"I wanted to tell you something. Pata nhi kase kahun?"
Putting her hand gently on his arm she asks, "Kya?"
He sits her on the bed and moves to the window. Gazing into the moonlit sky he speaks.
" Main nhi jaanta ki aj jo aapko bata raha hu uske baad apka kya reaction hoga but maine aapse kabhi kuchh nhi chhupaya hai, sab sach bataya hai."
"Aap please yeh gol gol baatein ghumana band kijiye... mujhe darr lag raha hai." She said with a concern.
Putting his hands in his pockets he takes a deep breath and says, "Prerna... Aapse divorce ke baad... I had my men watching over you. Maine kabhi Basus ko trust nhi kiya. Janta tha woh kuch na kuch zaroor karenge."
"When you left Mr.Basu I felt aap mujhe call karengi but aapne aisa nhi kiya."
"You were spying on me?" She asks narrowing her eyebrows.
"Then one day you called but for Kukki. You didn't talk to me. I saw you and it pained me to see you smile inspite of being heartbroken. How well you hide your emotions and not let them affect your relationship with others, drew me towards you."
She didn't understand what he was even talking about. She just kept looking at him with a puzzeled face.
He gulped and continued, " I wanted to take you away from all that. But for that to happen I had to create a path that would lead you back to me. I thought you needed time to heal after whatever happened between you and Mr.Basu. But one day I found out that you're family was looking for a potential partner for you to get married. I thought I would lose you again." He bit his upper lip and closed his eyes.
Her eyes widened and she straightened her body as if she knew what was coming next.
His eyes were glassy and he sighed.
" Prerna...Viraj was my man." He clenched his jaws and shut his eyes with his head lowered.
She gasped. Her eyes became teary but she remained calm. There was silence in the room. Neither of them spoke. After a minute which felt like an hour she said,
"Finish it. Sun rahi hu."
"I asked him to join where your brother worked and befriend him, which he did. Aapne us se kaha that you still miss your husband and are emotionally attached to him. This gave me some hope that I can have you back in my life. Maine usse kaha jab bhi mauka mile woh apse mere bare me baat kare. You told him a lot about me. Jahan tak main insaani fitrat ko jaanta hu, I knew aap shadi nhi karengi. But I had my share of doubts too. So I decided on three options to cancel the wedding. One that you do it yourself which was more likely as you had called me that day but disconnected before I could pick it up. I called you back but you didn't answer either. I knew something was bothering you."
He rubbed his forehead and sat at the study table as his feet had started trembling and breathing became uneven, exactly what he had experienced when he nearly confessed his feelings to her in the jail during their previous marriage.
She on the other hand sat with a straight face wishing for this to get over as soon as possible. She was afraid if this continued any longer, she would lose control over her emotions and end up crying.
He continued, " Second option was that Viraj calls it off. He called me before you and said that he can't continue but I assured him that I'll take care of it and asked him to go ahead with it. Kukki had become restless after talking to you and was adamant to meet with you. So my final option was that I show up along with Kukki that night. But luckily things went as planned and you called it off."
He looked at her. She took her gown and got up but he reached her and caught her hand before she could go. She moved her face to hide her brimming eyes.
" Stay. There's more." He said.
"Shivin, my man told me that you had applied for the post of interior designer in Banerjee Interiors where you worked when we first got married. I know Mr. Banerjee for a long time, He's a dear friend. I had given Bajaj Mansion's interiors renovation contract to them. So I asked him to have you on board for this and not reveal anything about me or the mansion to you. Aap apne brother ko financially support karna chahti thi aur main chahta tha is bahane hamari dubara mulaqat ho, jo hua bhi. I invited you to the Mansion aur aap ayi. The rest you know."
He looked at her expecting her to say something but to his surprise she just walked to the washroom and locked herself. He was expecting her to hurl accusations at him like she did before but she did not and this made him restless.
She locked herself in and put the shower on. Dropped on the floor and let her emotions take control over. Tears that had welled up in her eyes started flowing and she didn't stop them. She fisted her saree and clenched her teeth to not let her voice come out.
Outside, he stood waiting for her to come out but his patience ran out when she didn't. He reached the door and knocked. "Prerna." He gulped.
"Aap...aap theek hain?"
When she didn't respond he said again in a pleading tone, " Prerna...pls say something."
The door clicked open and she came out. He sighed in relief. She ignored him to walk to the bed but he stopped her by placing his hands on either sides locking her in with her back touching the door.
"Pls kuchh boliye. Aap chup kyu hain?"
"Mujhe is baare me koi baat nhi karni. Aapko jo kehna tha aap keh chuke. Mujhe neend arhi h. I want to sleep." She said with a straight face avoiding any eye contact with him.
He flared his nosetrills. "But mujhe baat karni hai. I want you to say something."
"Fine. Bas ek sawal puchhna hai... par darti hu kahin... jawab woh nhi hua jo main sunna chahti hu to." She said with sadness in her eyes and fear in her voice.
He leaned closer and asked with a voice that was barely above a whisper. " Aapko mujhpe trust hai?"
"Isiliye to dar lag raha hai." She closed her eyes to hide the pain and fear in them.
She composed herself and took a deep breath before she asked that one question which would decide the fate of their relationship.
Precap Part 3B : "Aap mere baare me aesa kase soch sakti hain Prerna. I can never do this. No."
Shiv Shakti
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
