Hey guys! 😃Thank you all for the wonderful comments and likes! As usual they mean a lot to me!❤️
So this is the last chapter. 😊This is dedicated to all you wonderful people who have been a part of this journey.⭐️
I would love to know what you think of the ending.😉
Happy reading!
🤗
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A Life without You
Chapter 09
"I will wait for her to wake up!"
Abhi decided as he stood in the doorway.
I will just sit and wait for her.
Abhi sat down in the stool placed in a corner and realized he couldn't see her clearly as she was facing the other side of the room.
I will sit on that side.
He walked around the bed and knelt beside her sleeping figure. Her luscious long black strands were covering her face.
He decided to remove the hair that blocked her face from his view. After adjusting her hair his gaze fell on her face. He missed this! He missed seeing his Chashmish sleeping like an innocent child.
He eyed her long eye lashes resting on top her cheeks. His fingers followed his gaze.
Pragya could feel a sensation on her lashes, but she was still half asleep and thus didn't react to it. But slowly it moved to her lashes then her forehead. She was awake now. But Pragya kept her eyes closed as she relaxed in her Daadi's loving strokes. Now the hand was moving down towards her cheeks... Something wasn't right. The touch was unfamiliar... Now it was making way towards her... Her lips!?
Pragya's eyes flew open and she found her face to face with... With Abhishek!?
Abhishek? In her room? Looking at her so... So lovingly? He too seemed to be shocked to find her awake all of a sudden and his fingers stopped their movements right when they were on top of her lips.
Both of them got aware of the awkward position they were in. Abhi suddenly drew his hand and got to his feet while a dishevelled Pragya jumped out of her bed and adjusted her dupatta making sure she is well covered.
"Abhishek! What are you doing here?"
Pragya's question reminded Abhi why he was there in the first place and soon his awkwardness was replaced by nervousness.
"Actually I came to talk to you... There was no one here so I was just looking where..."
"You came to talk to me? You mean... You mean about what Bulbul did? I am so sorry I just don't know what got in to her... I swear if I have known I wouldn't have let it happen..."
"Chashmish..."
But Pragya did not wait to hear him out and rambled on.
"I never expected this from her. I mean how could she... How could she do this! I am so sorry! I promise you this won't happen again..."
"Chashmish listen to me!"
"No! No! Seriously this is just too much! How could she even think you would love me...? That is not possible at all!"
Okay this is the limit! He has to stop her now.
"Pragya!"
Pragya stopped in mid sentence as she felt him grabbing by her upper arms. Did he just call me Pragya? He never calls me that!
Abhi looked in to her beautiful expressive big doe eyes. He read the surprise, confusion in them.
"Pragya please first hear me out! Please! Can you do that?"
Pragya slowly nodded her head and he loosened his hold but didn't withdraw his hands.
"Pragya whatever Bulbul was trying to show today... Well, it is the truth! I took time to realize, but she was correct."
He waited for her to answer but Pragya simply stared at him. He waited for her to respond but when she didn't he felt his nervousness increase in ten folds.
He looked in to her eyes.
"Pragya I love you!"
Again he waited for her answer but none came. Time passed but Pragya stood still. Finally a lone tear fell down from her eyes.
God! She is crying! What was I thinking?
Abhi slowly let go off her and ran his hands over his face. He couldn't face her anymore. He couldn't bear to hear the inevitable rejection.
Pragya felt the loss of the warmth of his hands on her skin as soon as he withdrew his hands.
He loves me! ABHISHEK LOVES ME!?
The confession was too overwhelming for her, but she wants to let him know. She wants to tell him she loves him too. They both had enough of all this. They deserve to be happy. Happy with each other, happy together...
He was facing away from her. She was about to confess her feelings when she heard him speaking again.
"Pragya, I love you! No one can change that. But it doesn't mean you have to love me too. I know it is too good to be true, after all that you have been through because of me. But Pragya I can't stop loving you. I don't know when I started loving you. I always knew you are different from the rest. I am Rockstar Abhi for the whole world but with you I am just Abhishek. And you know what! I would rather be your Abhishek for my whole life than being Rockstar Abhi."
Pragya couldn't stop herself anymore. She has heard enough. Is this a dream? If so she never wants this to end.
Abhi suddenly felt someone back hugging him and he looked down to see Chashmish's hands tightly clutching on to the front of his T-shirt.
"Abhishek!"
Abhi felt his whole body going numb and he waited as his heart battered against his ribs for her to continue.
"Abhishek I... I love you too!"
Abhi felt his head spinning. Could this be a dream? If this is a dream he never wishes to wake up again. He quickly took hold of her hands still clutching onto him.
He turned around slowly, not wanting the dream to break. He took her face in his hands.
"What did you just say?"
Pragya looked into his eyes and repeated once again.
"I love you Abhishek!"
Abhi felt his face breaking into a huge smile and Pragya mirrored his reaction. They took in one another for a second before tightly hugging each other.
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They were still hugging each other but neither wanted to be the first to break away. Pragya with her eyes closed laid her head on his chest and listened to his strong heart beat while her arms encircled his waist. Abhi with his eyes closed rested his head, on top of her head inhaling her scent while his hand cradled her head and the other encircled her petite waist. They fitted perfectly.
"Pragya..."
"Hmmm..."
"I want to start everything afresh. Everything."
Pragya looked up to see his face.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I want everything to be different this time. I want this to be a new beginning. I want to give you all that you have dreamt of till day and much more. Much much more. I can never erase what happened earlier. But I want to make so many new memories with you so that the earlier ones would be nothing in front of them. You have always being the wife my Daadi promised me of and now I will do my best to become the husband she promised you of..."
Pragya felt tears pricking her eyes.
"Abhishek I don't want much from our relationship. I just want your love and support. I never had big dreams. I just want us to be happy. I just want you to love me for who I am. I want you to trust me and support me through out. I don't want anything else. Can you do that?"
"Pragya I promised you already. I would do whatever it takes to keep you happy. I promise you I would not fail you again. I promise to never let go off you until I die. I promise to work on our relationship everyday... As long as you are by my side I don't want anything else..."
Pragya heard the honesty behind his words and Abhi understood her faith in him.
He slowly took her face again and placed his lips gently on hers. Slowly, she began to respond.
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"But why can't I see you?"
"Oh ho baby! Not again! And don't forget this whole thing was your idea!"
Pragya nestled her phone between her shoulder and ear, as she cleared all the gifts that lied on her bed. She sat cross legged in a corner while trying to make Abhi see sense.
Abhi, her fianc.
Pragya looked at the diamond ring adorning her ring finger and found herself thinking of their engagement few days ago.
"By the way it looks perfect on you!"
Pragya heard Abhi's voice coming through the phone.
"It really does! I love it... Wait! How did you know I was looking at my ring?"
She looked all around her but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh come on baby! I know you well. If I am not wrong, you are probably sitting in a corner on your bed looking at your ring thinking about our engagement. And now you are searching every nook and corner to see whether I am there! And no I am not under your bed!"
Pragya who was kneeling to check under her bed quickly got up.
"But how do you know!"
"Oh I know everything baby! I am Rockstar Abhi! And now no need to blush so much. But again that's okay! I love to make you blush!"
"I am not blushing!"
"Yes you are!"
"I am not!"
"You are!"
"Jiju!"
Pragya froze midway as she heard Bulbul's voice close by and through her phone as well.
She followed her voice to find Abhi desperately trying to shush her sister standing outside her window.
She folded her arms.
"What are you doing here?"
Bulbul bursted into peals of laughter after seeing her Jiju's expression at having being caught red handed.
"What are YOU doing here?" Abhi asked her.
"Huh?" Pragya asked confused.
"Don't you know the bride and groom shouldn't see each other before the wedding! What are you doing here? Go back to your room!"
"Oh ho Di! Impatient huh? Can't wait to see Jiju!?"
Bulbul began to tease Pragya and Abhi flashed his smirk at her earning him a murderous stare from his soon to be wife.
"Okay! Okay! I will leave you two alone!"
Bulbul went away giggling to herself.
Pragya turned around to leave angrily when she felt his arms encircling her waist pulling her to him.
"Just let me go!"
"Nah! I have let you go once but not anymore."
Abhi slowly nuzzled into her neck making Pragya's anger melt away. She held onto his hands that lay on her midriff.
Both were lost in the moment and they took some time to register the ringing of his phone.
"Abhi..."
"Hmm..."
"Your phone is ringing..."
"Let it ring baby..."
Pragya laughingly pushed him away making Abhi grunt in protest.
"It's Aaliyah!"
He said after checking caller ID.
"Haan Aaliyah! Yes, I am here. Okay, just a sec... Here she wants to talk to you..."
He passed the phone to Pragya.
"Haan Aaliyah..."
"Bhabhi! Bhabhi! Bhabhi! Okay listen to me very carefully. I sent you some stuff. Just check it once okay! And please don't wear that necklace you showed me. I have got you a new one..."
"But Aaliyah..."
"No buts and you would love the new one. It was that only one which we both liked the other day. Now please don't start with your it's expensive lectures because I have got a lot to do at the moment. After all it's my Bhai's wedding!"
Pragya laughed at the antics of her soon to be sister in law, while Abhi marvelled at how close the two ladies have become over the last few months.
"Okay Bhabhi now go and sleep! I don't want to see any dark circles tomorrow!"
"Achcha baba! Okay! Good night!"
She passed the phone back to Abhi.
"Okay now go before anyone else sees you here!"
"Huh! I am not scared of anyone!"
Abhi dismissed her warning and drew her close to him again and took her hands in his.
Pragya watched him as he stared down at her hands adorned by intricate Mehendi patterns.
"7!"
"What?" Abhi asked confused.
"This is the seventh time you have done this! Why do you keep staring at my mehendi?"
Abhi didn't answer her but rather chose to bring her palms up to his lips and kissed each palm adoringly.
"Pragya!"
Sarala Ma's voice calling her name broke their trance. Abhi quickly let go off her hands and looked around to see whether Auntyji was anywhere around.
Pragya laughed seeing his reaction.
"I thought you are not scared of anyone!"
"Well, your Ma is an exception. I have just managed to get back to her good books and I don't want to risk it again!"
Pragya smiled at him sarcastically.
"And it is getting late so you should get back as well. Try to get some sleep because you won't be getting much after tomorrow."
Pragya felt her cheeks heating up as his implication dawned upon her. And he flashed a naughty smile at her making her knees go weak.
"Pragya! Where are you?"
Sarala's voice called out to her once again and Pragya looked at him once before hurrying towards her Ma.
"Okay bye!"
Abhi was about to leave when he saw her hurrying back towards him.
"Good Night! Drive safe!"
She quickly placed a soft peck on his cheek before hurrying towards the door. She paused at the doorway and looked at him again.
"See you tomorrow!"
Abhi flashed a smile and repeated her words.
"See you tomorrow!"
~ The End ~
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So it ends here! 😊I just want to thank each one of you who read the story and have been a part of this journey.😛 From the beginning till the end, this story helped me to meet many wonderful people in this forum. And for that I would be ever grateful.❤️ Thank you so much guys! Keep Rocking! ⭐️Till we meet again...
Edited by Diahh - 10 years ago
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