Strangers- Complete FF - Pages 136 to 139 - Page 67

Originally posted by: jyothi_cool

opti plzzz cont soon

Part 12

(ii)

"Excuse me Sir, can you kindly move aside?" asked someone in a polite voice. Milind broke from his trance and turned around to see a smartly dressed waiter, a tray with two wine glasses in his hand. It is only then did he realise that he was blocking the entrance to the lounge. He looked back at his wife and her ex-lover leaning towards each other on the sofa. His eyes widened in disbelief. How come Neev was back on the sofa when he was supposed to be on the floor? He looked confused for a second and shook his head to clear it. Finally it dawned on him that he had been hallucinating about the entire scene of his rushing in and punching Neev. He apologised to the waiter for standing in his way and stepped aside to let him pass. What was wrong with him? Since when has he started dreaming in broad day-light? Still seething in jealously, he decided to make his dream a reality and took a couple of steps towards them when his eye caught a large portrait of a butterfly in flight on the wall in front of him. Under the picture was this caption in big bold letters:

If you love something let it go,

If it comes back to you it's yours,

If it doesn't, it never was.

He froze reading these words and realised what a foolish thing he was about to do. He was relieved that he did not impulsively act on his thoughts. After all it was he who had asked Neev to call Prachi. It was he who had literally begged him not to forsake her. Then how can he now go around hitting him for harmlessly holding his wife's hands, that too to apparently comfort her? Moreover, if he really loved his wife as much as he claimed to, then he has no business making her choices for her. He has to let her decide. He turned to leave the place but stood transfixed. He desperately wanted to know the outcome of this meeting. So he quietly went to the seating area close to theirs and sat with his back to them. He took out the newspaper lying on the teapoy in front of him and hid himself behind it.

Prachi's loud sobs tore at his heart. It seemed to disturb Neev too for he could hear him telling Prachi to calm down.

"Prachi, please don't cry so much. It breaks my heart."

"I am sorry Neev. I am sorry that you had to go through so much because of me. I have never brought happiness to anyone in my life," she sobbed pitifully.

At this point Milind wanted to yell out, "You are wrong Prachi. You brought plenty of happiness in my life." He remained silent though and listened to his wife.

"I hope we had never met. Had we not fallen in love my family would not have come after you like they did," Prachi was telling Neev in a remorseful voice.

"Prachi, don't blame yourself. I do not regret meeting you or falling in love with you. Past is past. Let us not revisit it. It is not going to give us anything but pain. Let's look to the future," he tried to cheer her up.

Prachi lifted her tear stained face to him and looked at him in confusion.

"What future? Whose future?" she asked in a low tone.

"Yours and mine, ofcourse. Now that we have found each other, let us make a fresh beginning. Let's get married and raise our daughter together."

The mention of marriage and her daughter alerted her and she snatched her hands from him.

"No, Neev. I cannot marry you. I am already married," she said stiffly.

"I know," he assured her. Prachi was startled to hear this. Neev then told her how he had met Milind the previous afternoon and heard everything about what happened in her life in the past year.

"In fact he was the one who gave me your cell number last night and asked me to call you. He asked me not to forsake you and our daughter. He assured me that your marriage was only in paper and that he would get it dissolved soon."

Milind wanted to scream out, "No, I don't want to get it dissolved. I want to concretise my marriage with her. I want to make her mine. I want to be a father to her child. I want my little family. I don't want to surrender it to anyone." It required tremendous effort on his part to hold his tongue. He squeezed the edges of the newspaper in frustration as he impatiently waited to hear her response.

Prachi looked at Neev in shock. Did Milind call him and ask him to take care of her? Her heart sank at the thought that her own husband was willing to give her up. But then that is Milind - a man who always thought about her and cared for her well- being. She knew he loved another woman but he still did not breathe a word to her lest she feels forced to leave. Instead he had asked his lover to wait. Although he had met Neev the previous afternoon, he did not tell him about her till late last night. He seems to have taken the decision to let her go only after she had asked him to file for an annulment. Knowing that she will be homeless he has tried to find her a permanent place.

"I know that my husband cares for me enough to try and ensure that my future is settled but I still can't marry you. Not even after getting my marriage with Milind declared as null and void by the court."

"Why?" asked Neev in confusion.

Prachi remained silent. Neev lifted her chin with his forefinger.

"Prachi, look at me," he ordered.

Prachi reluctantly lifted her gaze to him.

"You love him.... don't you?" he asked her seeing the love she had for Milind transparently reflected in her eyes.

Prachi nodded her head in silence. She then said slowly. "I am sorry Neev. I care for you too much to let you settle for something far inferior to what you deserve. You deserve a woman who can love you with all her heart. Unfortunately my heart is no longer mine to give. It belongs to him and him alone."

"Him? Him who?" Milind wondered as he could not see either of them but only hear what they were saying. "Could she mean me?" His heart was thumping loudly in anticipation.

"I love him with all my heart. I love Milind so much that it hurts," she said with great passion.

Hearing this Milind's heart leapt with joy. "She loves me, my Prachi loves me." He now vaguely recollected her hugging him tightly last night. He thought it was a dream but now he was more than certain that she did indeed hug him. He wanted to jump up, take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. It took every ounce of his effort to stay put. He needed to know why she was leaving him if she loved him so much.

Oblivious to the myriad emotions she was evoking in her husband who was sitting not more than five feet away, Prachi continued her conversation with Neev in earnest.

"I cannot marry you because no matter what the court declares, I will live the rest of my life as his wife, if not to the world but to myself. I cannot give my body to one man and my heart and soul to another. That would be infidelity to both men. I cannot live my entire life with the guilt of betraying the two most important men in my life. All my life I have let myself be led by others. I was a drifter, an indecisive fool. When in the heat of passion you wanted physical intimacy with me, I was not strong enough to resist it. Had I been firm then, you would have accepted my decision and I would not have ended up getting pregnant before we got married. But I let you take me and we know where that left me. When I thought you ditched me, I was unable to face the world and tried to take the easy way out by attempting suicide. If it had not been for that good man I would have been dead and gone, killing my baby along with me. When he offered to marry me, give me a home and an identity for my child, I accepted without thinking. I should have been more assertive back then and told him that I will handle my own problems. But no, I took the softer option. It is high time that I take hard decisions. I need to assume responsibility for my mistakes and not drag everyone down along with me."

"More than nine months back I had visited 'Snehalaya' an orphanage run by the nuns, asking them if I could live with them and work in their institution after my baby was born. Sister Teresa, the head of the institution had agreed for both. I will soon join them and hope to find peace in taking care of several kids there apart from my own. I no longer want to burden anyone else with my problems."

Echoing his thoughts Neev asked her, "What about Sahana? What about my daughter? You are going to raise her fatherless?"

"What about me? Don't I have any right as her father? I did bring her into existence, didn't I?" he asked in a hurt voice. Prachi did not immediately answer his question.

"Because I do not want to come in the way of his happiness. Fathering a baby that is not even biologically his will only complicate his life. Hence I have decided to leave him for his own good. Even after I leave, I will not stop him from visiting her and spending time with her but I can't allow him to assume the responsibility of a father and ruin his own life. I can't continue to keep him away from Ayesha," she said sadly yet firmly.

"What?" Milind sprang up and came out of hiding. He had enough of this. He needed to know what was going on in that little head of hers. He rushed to Prachi's side and clasping her arm, he dragged her up from the sofa. Gritting his teeth he asked in a raised voice, "What did you say?"

Prachi and Neev looked at him in astonishment.

Super update Opti. Thrilled to bits. Prachi let out her true feelings. That was great.👏🤗

Originally posted by: ShubS

First!

Originally posted by: mehanandita

wow great, wonderful and awesome update yaar👏
i really loved the way of prachi confession
mindblowing update dear
cant wait for next part

pls pls pls continue soon

keep on rocking dear

Originally posted by: MichiDespo

Opti Opti love you love you so much.

Prachi did had planned so much fo rher and sahana what she will do after she leave Milind.

Milind bad manners to do pepping tom thing but in this matter its okay as u came to know what is cooking in ur wifey little brain.

So Prachi was right Milind was Sahanas father as he is the one who did took care of her much before her arrival...instead Milind saved Sahana life ..if He dint save Prachi Sahana migth have not seen the world.

Prachi i appreciate that u decided not to object Milind meet Sahana.

So Opti hope this is not the dream.