PART â 19
PAST -
Prachi sat up straight and wondered why Ayesha was calling her at this late hour. And above all else why was she calling her of all people?
And why was she crying? What was going on here? Even though Ayesha had acted as though she didn't like her, Prachi's heart went out to the poor girl who was crying on the phone.
"AyeshaâŚIt's o.k. Control yourself" she said trying to make sense of what was going on.
"PrachiâŚ.PrachâŚiiâŚ" she hiccupped again.
"AyeshaâŚwhat's going on?" she asked trying to understand why Ayesha was crying like this.
She could hear Ayesha trying to control herself before answering.
"PrachâŚi, I just found out in the evening that I am pregnant. And I don't know what to do? I am scared" she said hiccupping again.
Prachi didn't understand any of this. All she understood was that Ayesha was pregnant but she couldn't understand why the girl had called her of all people. She was just a mere acquaintance to herâŚSo, why?
"Ayesha!"
"I am sorry for calling this late Prachi. I did not know who to tell this and I saw the paper you gave me with you number and on impulse I just called you" she said in way of explanation.
"That's O.k. Ayesha"
"Are you o.k., now?" Prachi asked trying to console Ayesha.
"I am fine. I am really scared about the pregnancy Prachi. It's just my mom and I and I need to take care of her too and this pregnancy scares me. What will I do with a baby? She asked reflectively.
"Do you need my help?" Prachi had asked immediately.
"Can you help me please, Prachi. I don't have anybody to turn to right now" she had said dejectedly.
"Don't worry, I will help you" she said comforting Ayesha.
"Thank you, Prachi. I don't want to put you into any trouble but you were the only one I could turn to right now for help" she said in a quiet voice.
"Don't worry, Ayesha. I will definitely help you. You are Hema's close friend and I consider it my duty to help you"
Prachi decided to meet Ayesha the next day at a coffee shop in Andheri and after fixing up a time to meet each other Prachi had ended the call. At that time, Prachi had not realized how that one phone call would change the course of her life forever.
What had made her promise to help, Ayesha? If only she had not answered the call she would not have found out about anything and her life would have been happy.
Why did God have to put her in Ayesha path? Why did he have to put her in the position of a protector to Ayesha? What kind of game had God tried to play with her?
Ayesha with her long hair, petite figure and delicate features was quite beautiful. Prachi had felt a moment of jealousy when she had met at her Hema's house in Madras.
But after seeing Ayesha ignoring her, she had also done the same. Besides, Milind had occupied most of her thoughts during the whole week in Madras.
She sat on the bed staring at the pictures on the wall when her thoughts slowly transformed from thinking about Ayesha to Milind.
She had sat smiling to herself thinking about him. She needed to call him first thing tomorrow morning she had thought. Sliding back into bed again, she pulled the comforter over herself and went to sleep with memories of milind swimming in her mind.
Present -
Prachi opened her eyes and looked at the idol of lord Krishna and tears slowly fell from her eyes.
"Ayesha" she muttered softly as she looked at the delicate figurine of the lord. Why are you testing me like this? What did I do that I deserve to put in a situation like this? You know very well why I can't ever be his wife or why I cannot marry him then why are you making me choose between my heart and my mind? She asked God silently.
Milind walked towards the house and his mind was trying to figure out what was going on with Prachi. She melted in his arms every time he held her. But there was something that was deeply bothering her. His mind couldn't pinpoint why he felt it, but he could see it in all her actions.
Slowly, contemplating Prachi's reaction Milind walked towards the puja room and watched Prachi praying silently.
Not wanting to disturb her, he stepped out of the puja room and walked towards the office.
Milind sat in his office and opened up his email. There was a ton of emails from his secretary reminding him of all the calls and meetings he had attend for the day.
He picked up his phone and called his secretary. "Cancel all my meeting for today. I will not be coming into the office until next week." Saying he hung up the phone and sat there contemplating the situation. He was going to marry her tomorrow if not today.
With his back resting against the high backed swirl chair and his head resting against it he closed his eyes. Prachi! Why was she behaving this way?
Five years ago when he had talked to her over the phone every day before he arrived in Bombay, she had been so excited waiting for him.
She had even married him but something had happened later that had sent her packing without a trace for the next two years before she had again resurfaced and come back to Bombay.
He had tried to find her the first couple of years but he couldn't find any details after her departure that night from his room. It had been a futile attempt.
The housekeeper found him on the chair with his eyes closed when she had called him to come for breakfast.
"Milind Baba, Come for breakfast" she said placing her hand on his arms and waking him from his thoughts.
"I will be there. You go ahead." saying Milind sent her back to the dining area. A few seconds later he got up and went to the dining table.
Milind was sitting at the head of the dining table when Prachi joined him hesitantly. The housekeeper had placed another plate to the right side of Milind for Prachi.
The housekeeper had made roti's, Aloo Parathas, Saabji and Milind's favorite Mango aachar was placed on the table too.
She left and went to the kitchen allowing them to serve for themselves.
Milind extended his hand to pick up the parathas but it was placed much closer to Prachi who silently picked up one and placed it on his plate.
He looked up her at surprised. Their eyes collided and held for a few minutes before Prachi averted her eyes and avoided looking at him. She was intently staring at the food in her plate and started taking small bites of the roti that she had placed on her plate earlier.
Milind smiled to himself. You are not leaving me ever again Prachi. I will hunt you down the next time around when you try to play the trick on me that you played five years back, he thought.
He took a piece of the paratha and put it in his mouth and slowly munched on it all the while staring at her.
Prachi knew that he was watching her with that hawk like gaze of his. But she did not have the nerve right now to look at his face.
Both of them ate silently and all the while Milind stared at her bent head while she was conscious the entire time of his stare.
Milind was deliberately doing it to make her conscious, she knew it but she did not want to look at him and see the mockery reflected in his eyes.
Prachi was about to breathe a huge sigh of relief as Milind finished his breakfast and got up to leave. He took a few steps away and turned around
Before she could avert her eyes, Milind had turned suddenly and looked at her with a sly smile.
Lifting his eyebrows, he spoke as he walked towards the basin. "Come to my office, we need to talk about our impending wedding" saying he washed his hands and wiped it on the towel. He replaced the towel and looked at her startled eyes and walked towards the office.
Prachi stared at his retreating back. Her appetite which was already non-existent was no longer there. Getting up she washed her hands hurriedly and walked to his office.
How am I going to convince him to leave me alone?
The memory of what had happened would not allow her to agree to this marriage no matter what?
Pushing her dupatta back on her shoulders she hurriedly went to his office.
"Milind, Please listen. I cannot marry you. I really can't." she said pleadingly.
"You melt in my arms each time I touch you and now you are saying you don't want to marry me?" he asked as looked at with mock surprise.
Prachi blushed but she had to make him understand that her heart would not allow her to marry him ever. But she did not know how to make him understand.
Coming to a resolution, she decided that tonight she would leave his farmhouse without telling him.
When there was no answer from her he continued on. "Don't even for a minute think that I would not destroy the foundation of your life if you don't marry me, understood" he said with anger.
Without saying anything Prachi left his office and walked out.
Milind banged his fist against the table in anger. Why was she always bringing out the worst in him? Shaking his head, "I will marry her" he said definitively as he banged his hands on the table once again.
Edited by panache - 17 years ago
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