(This is a fiction special on Abhi and Pragya, celebrating Karva Chauth festival (Happy Karva Chauth guys!). This takes places a few days after the KB hall is saved by Abhi. So, the background story is exactly same as the soap. Just imagine that Aaliyah had to go for an urgent trip to Australia and Tannu went along with her for a free ride. š).
Thank you Mina for encouraging me to put these thoughts into a fic.
Abhi-Pragya fiction: Like Daadaji (Karva Chauth special)
"Good Morning Daadi" Abhi walked into his Daadi's room, kissed her cheek and made a silly face at Pragya who was sitting across Daadi on the bed.
"Good morning" said Pragya in return slightly rolling her eyes.
"It is almost noon, beta. Good afternoon" Daadi said with slight displeasure.
"Daadi, I was watching a cricket match until 3 a.m. And it's Sunday today!" said Abhi as he adjusted himself on the bed besides Daadi making Pragya move away as he stretched his legs.
"Pragya, I bought this lehenga for you for today. This is your first Karva Chauth. You should dress up no less than a bride. I will help you to get ready in the evening." Daadi handed over a maroon lehenga-choli set to Pragya.
"Okay Daadi" said Pragya as she took the package from Daadi's hand and left the room.
Abhi placed his head on Daadi's lap and changed her religious TV channel into MTV. Daadi slapped his hand and took the remote from him and turned off the TV not wanting to hear the western music that started playing.
"Daadi, give me the remote" Abhi snatched it back from her and played MTV again.
"You are stubborn just like your Daadaji" sighed Daadi.
"That's why you love me" winked Abhi.
"Well, Aaliyah sometimes tells me I am partial towards you. I think it's more that I understand you more than I understand her. It is obviously because you are so similar to your grandfather" Daadi seemed to get nostalgic.
"But he didn't know how to sing" Abhi tried to come up with a difference.
"Who said he couldn't? Your Daadaji used to sing for me" Daadi said almost blushing.
"Really? You never told me this." Abhi sat up with curiosity, wanting to hear more.
"Even I didn't know until a long time," remembered Daadi. "When I married your Daadaji, I was just 15. I used to be so scared of him. He didn't even talk to me for months after our marriage. If I tried to talk, he would be so angry and just shout at me. I never gave up though. I knew there must have been something bothering him and that's why he was like that. I came to know later that he wanted to go to the city and explore life but was forced to marry by elders. Slowly, your Daadaji and I developed an understanding as we lived together. We fell in love. And you know what we did one day? We left everything behind in our village and settled in the city of Ludhiana. It's only after that I learnt of his love for music. He used to sing just for me. All those K.L. Saigal songs of the 40s and ghazals," Daadi reminisced her good old times.
"Aye haaye, Daadi. Daadaji was very romantic," Abhi pinched Daadi's cheeks.
"He was such a loving husband. After all these years of losing him, I still can't keep myself from fasting for him on this day" Daadi got emotional.
"Oh Daadi" Abhi hugged her.
"But you only inherited his angry side. You are never sweet to Pragya. But good that she knows how to handle you. But you know, today is Karva Chauth. Pragya is keeping fast for your well being. At least don't play your antics with her today," Daadi said as if it was an order and walked out of the room to find her sister.
Abhi ran his fingers in his hair. Yes, Daadi was right. He was never sweet to Pragya. How could he be? If only Daadi understood how Pragya and her sister betrayed his sister Aaliyah.
As he walked to his room, Abhi remembered a few vague memories he had of his grandfather. He used to carry his little self on his shoulder. He remembered how he always told him to reach the top, never accept defeat and never lose courage. That was this little motto he had taught him. And Abhi had always followed that.
"Ohohoho, Chashmish is keeping fast" Abhi started with his usual tease as he saw Pragya sitting in the room with a book.
"Don't make fun of traditions." Pragya said sternly.
"Hungry Chashmish, angry Chashmish. By the way, you must be making a deal with your God that you will keep fast and he will make you stick to me forever" Abhi taunted.
"I am not foolish to forget that we are temporary" Pragya looked away.
"Then, why do you need to keep fast? Come let's eat. I am so hungry. Want some chocolate?" Abhi invited as he took out a bar of chocolate from the fridge.
"I am not eating it" stated Pragya.
"Only hot girls eat chocolate" murmured Abhi.
"I love to eat chocolate. Especially the dark variety" answered back Pragya.
Abhi suddenly turned to her to say "What do you want to say? You are hot?"
"I am not talking non-sense with you" Pragya folded her hands and looked away.
"If you do like chocolate, eat it. I won't tell Daadi" Abhi enticed.
"Whatever I do, I do it sincerely. I have told Daadi I will keep fast, and I will" said Pragya firmly.
"Whatever, I am gonna ask Robin to order my favorite butter chicken from my favorite restaurant for lunch. You stay hungry" mocked Abhi.
"People don't eat non-veg at least on festival days. But why am I telling you?" saying so, Pragya walked out of the room.
"I will enjoy my meal," screamed Abhi making sure she hears.
Later that afternoon, Abhi needed to meet the producer with whom he had done a baby product ad-shoot recently. He needed to finalize some pictures for the poster.
Abhi went to his house and as they sat looking through the pictures, snacks were served.
"Sorry, I can't accompany you. I am keeping fast with my wife," said the producer, offering Abhi the snacks.
"It's okay, I just had my lunch" said Abhi busy selecting the pictures.
Abhi got stuck in the traffic as he drove home that evening. As soon as he reached, Daadi asked him to come upstairs to the terrace to join the Karva Chauth celebrations. Taiji, Bhabhi and a few other women were ready with their sieves and aarti thalis with their husbands in front of them. The moon already had made a kind appearance and it was a clear sky that night.
"Pragya, Abhi is here" Daadi excitedly called out for Pragya who was standing in a corner. Abhi's eyes travelled in the direction from which Pragya walked with her aarti thali. He looked at her from head to toe perhaps so keenly for the first time. She was dressed in maroon, bridal lehenga with minimal accessories and dupatta covered her slightly bent head. Daadi had asked her to wear contacts instead of spectacles since she was almost dressed like a bride. Abhi could not help recollecting their wedding day on which she had looked very similar. She had "his bride" written all over her. A new emotion pulled him towards her and he walked to stand in front of her. His eyes refused to look away from her. Daadi handed Pragya a sieve. Pragya held the sieve up to the moon and absorbed his cool energy. She then moved the sieve towards the tall figure standing in front of her and slowly looked up through it.
She looked into Abhi's eyes. There was a wet film on them just like her eyes. She kept looking at him. She could not help admire his face that night. He looked charming, peaceful and perfect. She could not find a trace of the taunting, hating husband in his face as she looked through the sieve. She couldn't help praying for him sincerely. And he was gazing at her without once blinking his eyes. He was enchanted more than ever.
"Beti, do the aarti now" Daadi brought them out of their individual worlds in which they had lost themselves. Pragya did the aarti and Abhi bent down as she prepared to draw the holy tilak on his forehead. Daadi asked Abhi to feed her the water that was in a glass in the thali.
Abhi took the glass and held it to Pragya's mouth. She took a sip and tears filled her eyes. As she wiped them without Daadi's notice, Abhi swallowed an unbearable emotion.
"Now you feed her the sweets, Abhi" said Daadi and she turned aside to talk to Taiji.
Abhi broke a piece of the laddu and offered it to Pragya. Before she ate, she broke another piece and held it at his mouth. Abhi took the piece into his mouth but looked at her questioningly while feeding Pragya her piece.
"Aren't you hungry?" asked Pragya. Abhi looked at her as if he was caught stealing something.
"You could have thrown your most favourite butter chicken meal and also the potato finger chips in the kitchen trash. Your room was stinking," elaborated Pragya.
"Well, I didn't mean to... the chicken didn't smell good. It must have been a really old hen they cooked...you know... and the chips are very unhealthy" Abhi still tried to make an excuse.
"You are just like your Daadaji" Pragya smiled slightly.
"Like Daadaji?" Abhi asked in amazement.
"Daadi told me, Daadaji always kept fast on Karva Chauth, but tried to act as if he didn't. But Daadi always caught him" Pragya said looking away.
Abhi couldn't help but smile although he made sure he hid it from Pragya.
"You are just as old as Daadi. But my Daadaji was a rockstar" declared Abhi as he walked down the stairs. Pragya sighed, as she followed him not able to stop adoring him even after warning herself.
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