Hello guys!!! Huhhh?? 😲You all wondering who this is??😉 Well, it is me Diahh!!😆 Lol! Sorry for disappearing and not updating! Let's just say it was due to a writer's block+laziness+RLI(real life interventions) thing! So we will just blame it on this writer's block+laziness+RLI thing! 😃
Okay then... Let's move on! Thank you! Thank you so much for the wonderful comments and likes! Means a lot!🤗 And all the "waiting" comments I heard you! And you really did motivate me! ⭐️
So here goes Chapter 07. And this chapter is especially dedicated to my dear Radha Akka(Smala) who just turned Dazzler!!!❤️
Radha Akka - Change always comes bearing gifts... 😉 🤗(Price Pritchett)
Let me know what you guys think!
Happy Reading!
❤️
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A Life without You
Chapter 07
"Chashmish!"
Abhi finally managed to utter her name. Hearing him calling out to her broke her trance as Abhi expected, but what happened next was completely unexpected to him.
"Bulbul! What is this!? Are you really out of your mind? How could you even think that he would love me? I didn't expect this from you at all! I thought now you have grown up! But no! I was wrong. You are still the impulsive little girl that you were once. Didn't you even think about me once before doing all this?"
"Di? What are you saying? Of cou..."
"Bulbul please! Ab bus!"
Abhi saw her turning to him.
"Please I am so sorry. I really didn't have any idea that they would do such a thing! I am... I am just sorry... How could... How could they even think that you would...? Just... Just forget it please!"
"Chashmish! Chashmish listen to me!"
But she didn't look back as she turned on her heel and left there as soon as her feet carried her, before the tears brimming in her eyes spill out.
Abhi, Bulbul and Purvi stared after her. As she turned around the corner and disappeared from their sight, the three became aware of their surroundings and a strange awkwardness settled in.
"Err... I better get going, I guess..."
Abhi broke the silence that was etching.
"Jiju?"
Bulbul softly calling his name made him stop in his tracks and he turned towards her again.
"Won't you say anything?"
Her question caught him unguarded.
What does she want me to say? Chashmish has already left... Even the idea of love and me in one sentence together disgusts her. So how could I even dream of her love? What do I say? That all this was okay, I understand Chashmish. Or can I say how hurt I am... How tired I am... With all this. With my loneliness. With my love. With my life without her!
Of course I can't tell all this! And I don't have anyone to tell all this.
"What do you want me to say Bulbul?"
I throw the question back at her. I might not be as smart as Chashmish but I do know how to deal with questions thrown at me. Perks of being a Rockstar, I guess!
I was hoping my cynical tone and her known dislike for me would stop her from probing further. Guess I was wrong.
"I want you to tell me you don't love my Di! I want you to tell me that it didn't hurt you when she said all those things. I want you to tell me that all what I have been doing were for nothing and you have no feelings for her!"
"Bulbul... Please stop now... Come let's go home!"
Purvi tried to drag Bulbul away. But her eyes didn't waver from my face. She was determined to get answers and she wouldn't leave without getting them. I knew that much because I knew her look. I have seen it many times in Aaliyah's face. And every time I had to give in and this time would be no different. I sighed internally as I accepted defeat once again in front of a sister's determination and stubbornness.
"I will answer your questions but not here. Come I know a close by cafe..."
********************
"Pragya!"
Pragya heard startled callings of her Ma and Daadi upon seeing her tear streaked face, but she didn't stop until she reached her room.
Why would she do that? And why did he come there at all? Why did I go there?
"Pragya? Beta what happened? Did anyone say anything to you? Did something happen? Look beta... You are scaring me! Please tell me what is wrong?"
"Arrey Sarala be calm. Let her breath first..."
Listening to her Ma and Daadi, Pragya wiped her tears with a shaking hand.
"Ma nothing happened. Just... Just let it be. I am okay..."
"Okay? Pragya what are you saying? Then why are you crying? Please beta tell me what is wrong?"
"Nothing Ma... Nothing! Just let me be for awhile..."
Pragya wished Sarala would listen to her just this once. I just want to be alone for awhile, to sort out the confusion in my mind, to let it all sink in. She thought to herself as exasperation consumed her.
But her Ma wouldn't let it go. Pragya knew it was her as she felt someone pull her arm making her turn.
"Pragya just look at me... Tell me what is wrong? Tell me everything is okay?"
Pragya felt the last ounce of patience she had snap away as exasperation consumed her.
"Nothing is okay Ma! Nothing! Everything is wrong! Everything! Listening to you was wrong! Marrying him was wrong! Living a lie was wrong! Getting used to him was wrong! Letting you take me away was wrong! Loving him was wrong! Listening to Bulbul was..."
"You love him?"
Sarala's question made Pragya stop on her tracks. Now what did she do? Another question which would lead to many more. God, I just want this to end! I am tired! Just so tired of this whole thing! Pragya felt her knees going weak from exhaustion but still she refuse to do anything but succumb to the floor.
"Pragya what did you tell? You love him!? You love a man who married you for revenge? You love the man who tortured you day and night for something you didn't even do? You love the man who insulted you in front of everybody? You love the man who made you cry? You love the man who made you fall down not only on the stage but in life too? How could you Pragya? How could you? Where is my Pragya who would always follow her mind over her heart?"
Sarala knelt next to Pragya and shook her hard. Pragya slowly looked at her and began to speak as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Nahi Ma! I don't love the man who married me for revenge. I love the man who married a stranger to stop his sister's heart break. I don't love the man who tortured me day and night. But I love the man who cared for me day and night when he was supposed to hurt me. I don't love the man who insulted me in front of everybody but I love the man who supported me when there was no one to turn to. I love the man who made me smile. Every day..."
Pragya tried in vain to prevent the sob that threatened to escape.
"Everyday with his silly antics. I love the man who is my biggest strength when I am at my weakest. Yes. I am not that Pragya you knew Ma! I have changed! I want to change. I don't want to fret over the possibilities anymore. I just want to let it go. I just want to live in the moment... Like him... Like Abhishek..."
She covered her face with her trembling hands and let all her tears, sobs, sadness engulf her.
*****************
"Jiju I am waiting."
Bulbul has been waiting for Abhi to open up for nearly 20 minutes. But with each passing minute his stubbornness to open up increased. But he forgot one thing. Today he is facing Bulbul Arora. Not Pragya Arora. If he is stubborn she is stubborn too. And when the matter concerns her sister she would not let it go until she has all the answers she needs.
"Why are you doing this? You don't even like me!"
Her Jiju's perplexed expression of true curiosity brought a smile to her face.
"True! I don't like you anymore. But my sister does. So I have no option."
Abhi nodded seriously hearing her answer.
"Well, that makes sense..."
"Err...no it doesn't! Wait correction! I like you as a Rockstar, I like you as my Jiju but not as my Di's husband..."
"What? But still you are on a mission to show I love her? Now THAT doesn't make any sense!"
"So you agree?"
"Huh?"
"You agree you love my Di?"
"What? No! I mean yes! No... I mean no!"
Purvi watched transfixed at the exchange between Jiju and sali. I am never going to plan anything again with this Bulbul! THIS was her plan? Di angry with us... Probably Ma knows by now... So we are going to get scolded by her too. Maybe Daadi too. But can't be sure. She will be more mad to know that we made a plan without her. And now Jiju! I am sure soon he will blast both of us. He is already losing his patience.
Bulbul's voice broke Purvi's train of thoughts.
"Jiju! I am asking you a simple question and give me a simple answer. Do you love my Di or not?"
Abhi looked at Bulbul with narrowed eyes for few seconds.
"Jiju! Telling you already! Not going to work! I am not Di! And as for your methods I am as stubborn as you. So just... Just drop it and answer the question. It will save both of us some time!"
Abhi stared at her shocked then broke into a smile.
"Okay then! But before I answer why do you want to know?"
"I want to know because I am fed up with seeing my Di like this! If anyone deserves to be happy in this world, it is her! My Di! Every time knowingly or unknowingly I have been the cause of her unhappiness. But this time I am going to do everything to bring happiness to her."
"You think I... You think I am her happiness? Me?"
"Yes."
Abhi once again stared at her shocked as her brutal honesty stirred him. Can she be right? Could I be Pragya's happiness? Well, she definitely is mine. But me?
"So?"
Abhi gathered all the courage he could muster. Whatever that would happen after his acceptance, he doesn't care! He is tired with all these lies! He loves Chashmish and he is going to admit it! Admit it to Bulbul, her sister who he didn't really get along with till day. Bulbul who lost her love because of his doings. Bulbul the girl who he misunderstood is the one who finally made him understand. He sighed internally and turned to her.
"Yes! I love Pragya!"
As the words left his mouth he could already feel a huge grin forming in his face and he looked up to see similar grins in her sisters' faces.
"Great! I just knew it!"
"But Bulbul that doesn't mean anything. You heard her. She doesn't love me..."
"I heard her. But I didn't hear her saying she doesn't love her!"
"What do you mean?"
Abhi felt a strange hopefulness in hearing her words.
"Di was saying she didn't think you would ever fall for her. But she never said she doesn't love you..."
Bulbul looked at him expectantly waiting him to catch up.
"So you mean... You mean Chashmish loves me too?"
Abhi felt his grin widen with each passing second.
"Haan! Chashmish loves you too. But being so silly she won't even think that you could have any feelings for her!"
"Hey she is not silly!"
"Hey she is my Di! I can call her silly!"
Purvi again watched transfixed at the Jiju-Sali duo who were scowling and pointing fingers at each other. Suddenly both broke into a laugh and highfived each other. Yeh dono bhi na! Drama queens!
*******************
Pragya felt someone pulling her arm making her stand up. She let the person pull her up and let her make her sit on the bed as well.
"Pragya... Beta it's okay. Don't cry. It happens... It happens..."
Pragya looked at her Daadi's face for a second and she hugged her tightly as she could.
"Beeji... What are you telling? After knowing Abhi's truth still you are saying it is okay to love someone like him?"
"Sarala! Calm down! Listen to me."
"But Beeji..."
"Sarala! Will you please listen for once! You got her married to him. Then you went and brought her back home. I didn't say anything. But today I am not going to keep mum. If Pragya loves Abhi, I am going to support her. It's her life. Her decision. I know you are her Ma and you worry about her. But Sarala even you know Abhi is not a bad guy. Haan he is immature but our Pragya is mature enough for both of them. Abhi has always helped us, even when he was hating Pragya still he came to our help... So if Pragya loves him I don't see any fault in that..."
Sarala was left speechless and she went away unable to make heads or tails out of this sudden turn of events.
"Pragya see here... Stop crying... All will be okay now... You just see!"
"No Daadi nothing will be alright! It doesn't matter that I love him... He would never love me! And promise me Daadi... Promise me you won't tell anything to Bulbul. Please..."
Bulbul? Why is Pragya asking me not to tell anything to Bulbul? I have to talk to her and see. Soon. Daadi thought to herself as she consoled her crying pothi and made her sleep.
Edited by Diahh - 10 years ago
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
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