Abhi-Pragya 3-Shot: Untitled [Final Part on Page 10] - Page 2

Part 2

Next morning when he entered the hospital room Pragya was sitting up straight against the bed and being fed porridge by his Dadi.

It was endearing to watch as his Dadi fussed over Pragya.

But then again, that's the kind of girl she was. She had so much love within her for everyone that people couldn't help but love her back.

He was the only blind one that never saw this before.

How could he have been so stupid? Why didn't he investigate things before taking such a big step?

Pragya noticed him at the door and turned her face away, annoyance flashing across her face.

This was nothing new. This was how she usually greeted him. And he typically greeted her back in a similar fashion.

But today he just sauntered over and sat behind Dadi on the foot of Pragya's bed. He hugged Dadi from behind and smiled sweetly at his wife knowing that it would irritate her. "Dadi, see, she's still mad at me. Tell your Bahu to forgive me naa."

Dadi chuckled and shook her head. "Pragya beta, you know him and his jokes. Why not forgive him?"

Chashmish just huffed in irritation. "Dadi, everything is just a game for him. He never thinks before he acts."

"But Dadi," He retaliated. "I've learned my lesson this time and I really am sorry."

Dadi put her hands up in exasperation. "Sort it out between yourselves. Mujhe aur kuch nahi sunna."

Dadi left with the container of porridge and said that she would return after a visit to the mandir.

Husband and wife sat alone in the room, a dead silence hanging between them. Pragya seemed to look anywhere, everywhere but at him, while he couldn't help but stare at her and take in every little move that she made.

"I really am sorry wifey." He said as he tried to muster his most innocent puppy-dog-eyes.

Pragya just snorted and looked to the ceiling. "What exactly are you sorry for Abhishek?"

"Everything." He said quickly. There were too many things to sit and count right now. If they were to start listing his sins they would be here all day.

"Just forget about it." She said in a detached voice and started to lie back down. "Please leave. I want to rest."

Abhi was hurt at her indifference. But really, what did he expect? How did he expect her to react?

He had stayed up all night and tried to rehearse different scenarios of this same conversation and all the emotional and fully justified explanations he would give for his actions but once he actually faced his victim they all seemed petty and ridiculous.

He head towards the door when he felt her soft touch at his wrist, stopping him from leaving. He turned around and she quickly pulled her hand away, her eyes wide with apprehension.

"Ummm...Bulbul didn't know that Purab and Aaliya..." She twisted her fingers in nervousness as she tried to find the right words. "Bulbul used to work for Purab and they even hated each other at first. They fell in love but when Bulbul found out that Purab was already engaged she broke up with him. Bulbul is not at fault. Please don't... ummm... do anything to her..."

His wife looked up at him with such an innocent and imploring look that it was like a stab to Abhi's heart.

"Bulbul is my sister, just like Aaliya is. I will never let any harm come to her." He promised firmly.

Pragya just nodded and looked away. He could see tears of relief swimming in her eyes.

He made his way out to his car after instructing two of his bodyguards to watch over Pragya and to cater to her every need.

Abhi was hurt. What kind of beast did she think he was? He could never think of harming Bulbul. His sweet, chirpy little sister who loved him so unconditionally that he almost sometimes wished she was actually his sister instead of selfish and impulsive Aaliya.

It was his own fault though. He had always impressed upon Pragya that Aaliya was most important to him and he would go to any length for Aaliya's happiness. What else was she to think? In her eyes his hate would just move on from her to Bulbul.

Abhi sighed as he slumped in the back seat of his Benz. What a mess this situation was.

~

It was 3 days later and Pragya had just been discharged from the hospital. She still limped a little and had a large bandage around her forearm but she was fine otherwise.

Abhi and Pragya had barely spoken in these last few days. Whenever he went to visit her in the hospital she sat and read her book, ignoring him completely.

If he hadn't have had the revelation he did a few days ago then he would see that this was normally how they interacted. She ignored him just as much as he ignored her.

But in his post revelation haze he just sat awkwardly, not knowing what to say or how to act.

Tayiji was performing Pragya's aarti and welcoming a safe return home.

The Aroras were here as well to see Pragya home safely.

In the last 4 months their two families had grown very close. And why wouldn't they? They had someone wonderful like Pragya to bond them.

Soon they all sat together and enjoyed tea and snacks, all laughing and joking.

Looking at Pragya he saw that she was genuinely happy and smiling. She was surrounded by those that loved her and she flourished under their affection. This was why, no matter what he threw at her, it never seemed to put her off or discouraged her. Because in this house, she was always loved.

Abhi looked around the room and saw that all were happy. Even his aloof bhai Raj and his strange wife were happy to see Pragya well enough to return home.

The only people who weren't happy seemed to be Aaliya, currently engrossed in glaring at Bulbul, and himself, stuck in the vortex of his own guilt.

And this was their punishment for their scheming and plotting.

If the two of them had just chosen to find out the real story and be happy for their friend then neither would be in this miserable state. Their state of unhappiness was their own doing.

Abhi needed to reel in his own behavior now but also needed to reel in Aaliya and start setting her on the right path.

"Pragya beta, why don't you go to your room and rest?"

They had all just finished having lunch and Abhi could tell that Chasmish was starting to tire.

She got up started to head upstairs but her hurt foot seemed to be giving her some trouble.

Abhi went to his little wife and didn't give her even a second to react before he scooped her slender frame into his arms and started to head up the stairs.

Pragya squeaked in surprise, her eyes wide and quickly clutched the front of his shirt, unintentionally digging her little kitten nails into his skin.

"Kya kar rahe hain aap? Mujhe neeche utariye." She demanded.

"In a minute." He promised. He brought her into his... their room and put her down gently, making sure that she was able to properly put her weight on her injured foot. "There you go. Now lie down and I'll get you your painkiller."

She held the sleeve of his jacket to stop him as he turned away. He turned back to her questioningly.

"Why are you doing all this Abhishek?"

"All what?" He asked, confused.

"All this!" This indicated towards him with her hand. "Helping me up the stairs and caring for me."

Abhi was even more confused by her outburst. "Because you're my wife and..."

"Wife? Ha!" She cut him off with her sarcastic remark. "What wife? I'm still that same terrible, irritating, gold digging, Chashmish, behenji, remember? Nothing about me or my background has changed just because of one road accident, and neither will your reason for marrying me change Abhishek."

"Pragya, I..." He tried to reason with her, but she cut him off once again. "You what, Abhi? You suddenly feel bad for what you did because you found out the truth? But keep in mind, nothing has changed. Your sister Aaliya's heart is still broken and that is still so because of my sister Bulbul. You still married me for revenge and can't stand the sight of me and my manipulative ways. You still love Tannu and at the end of this one year when she is available you will go and be with the one you love and make her your jeevan saathi."

Abhi was shocked into silence at her outburst. He realized now how his words had cut her. How him insulting her over and over again using the same words had caused her to see herself. If possible, he felt even more ashamed. "Pragya, that's not true." He tried to plead with her.

"It is true Abhi. You and I both know it. I know you feel bad right now and I appreciate it, but don't get carried away with your guilt. Just remember that I'm still Chashmish and nothing will change that."

With that she went over to the dresser where her pill bottle was kept, popped a few painkillers, and lay down on the bed, covering her face with a pillow and blocking him off.

Abhi sat on the recliner and rubbed his eyes in frustration. For someone who had 4 eyes, she was incredibly blind. How could she not see that everything had changed?

Nothing was the same anymore. Aaliya hadn't been cheated. Purab had just fallen in love. He knew that now. It hadn't been a girl manipulating him for his money. It was a pure, innocent love between two wonderful people and his sister was starting to become the third wheel there.

And she wasn't irritating, gold digging behenji. Heck, she didn't have a manipulative bone in her body. She was his wife, his Chashmish. She was good, and selfless, and loving. She was gentle, fragile, and innocent. She came like an angel into is family and fixed all the relations and all the problems between them. She spread love and joy wherever she went. Knowing all of this, how could he hate her?

He couldn't. He couldn't hate her.

But what did that mean? What did he feel for her?

~

Abhishek Prem Mehra was one confused Rockstar. He couldn't stand to be at home and see his sweet little wife doing things out of duty. He couldn't talk with Aaliya because she was insistent on taking revenge on both Pragya and Bulbul for allegedly playing a game and duping them into this misunderstanding. He couldn't talk with Purab because he had shut that door all by himself.

So he went to the one person with whom he always found solace; Tannu.

He had been avoiding Tannu for these last few days. Tannu had said a lot of nasty things to Pragya and done a lot of terrible things to trouble her. Now, in his post-revelation state, he didn't know how to react to it.

But right now he needed his friend. He wasn't going to his girlfriend Tannu, he was going to his sister's best friend, the simple girl she used to be once. He needed that girl today.

Abhi got to her front door and pulled out a spare key she had given him once. He couldn't be bothered to ring the bell and wait around today.

As soon as Abhi entered her apartment he felt that something was wrong. He heard moans coming from the direction of Tannu's bedroom. Not just female moans, but a male voice as well.

Just to make sure Abhi peeked into the ajar door and saw exactly what he suspected. Two naked, sweaty bodies were wrapped in passionate lovemaking.

He didn't know who the man was, but it certainly wasn't him. And that's all he needed.

He saw a stray lipstick sitting on a sideboard, picked it up, and left Tannu a little note on the mirror reading; We Are Done. Abhi.'

Abhi left his spare key with her lipstick tube and decided to just make his way home.

Was he jealous? Tannu was his girlfriend after all.

But no. He wasn't jealous.

He knew the emotion of jealously because he felt it every time that he had seen Pragya talking with Suresh, or before he knew the truth, Pragya talking with Purab. That burning rage, those feeling of possessiveness, that extreme urge to hit something, that irrational need to mark her in some way. That was jealousy.

He did certainly feel disappointed though.

Tannu was someone he saw his future with. He could never picture marriage or kids in his future but when he did, he saw Tannu.

Well, that chapter of his life was closed now.

He knew she wouldn't let it go. He knew she would be after him incessantly. She would also feed Aaliya's ears and try and get his own sister to side with her. But he knew he would handle the situation. Tannu was a nobody that he created and he knew how to handle her well.

For him, the chapter was closed.

He entered a dark and silent house and figured everyone must have retreated to bed already.

Upstairs in his room Chashmish was sitting on the recliner with her nose buried in a book.

She looked up when he entered and seemed to read something in his facial expression because immediately her face twisted in concern.

"Abhishek, what's wrong? Aap theek hain naa?"

Abhi sat down at the foot of his bed and Pragya sat beside him, seemingly even more concerned at his silence.

Why did she care for him? Despite all the terrible things he did and said to her she always looked after him. Why did she have to be so good?

His phone rang and he saw that it was Tannu calling him. He threw his phone at the adjacent wall, silencing it for good. Pragya jumped at his action and worry etched her face.

"Abhishek?" She questioned in a soft voice.

He sighed and laid his head on her slender shoulder. "I'm tired wifey. I'm just so tired of all this."

Pragya didn't question him further sensing that he wasn't in the mood to talk. She just rubbed his back soothingly and sat silently beside him.

-End of Part 2-