AbhiGya FF - Because you love me - Completed - Page 6

Bulbul sitting in her bedroom breathes a sigh of relief when Purab informs him that Abhi is fine and he has left for Dehradun. It was that lethargy that creeps through the body after a long long day. But for Bulbul this day was 10 months long. Purab in the mean-time called Smelting's High School and organized for a surprise rock concert for the children there. He also requested the dean to not share the knowledge of this show with his staff. It would be a surprise for all, and also Abhi would be staying in the hostel for a few days, but neither that needed to be shared or discussed with the staff. It was a surprise for someone very close to Abhi - The dean agreed, looking at the sheer amount of free publicity his school was about to get.

It was a very bright afternoon that day, when Abhi reached the airport. He was in a very good mood, like he seemed to have gulped a few balloons - he felt that light. It was like the dark days never ever existed. He was fresh and energetic, and was humming his own songs and clicking photos with fans as he waited for the flight. He reached Dehradun in the late afternoon, around the same time a circular was passed to all the staff at Smelting High School that the next day, which was a Friday, the classes will be scheduled for a half day, as the second half was reserved for a surprise recreation for the staff and students.

Abhi reached Dehradun and found out from Purab that his show was scheduled for the next day. So he decided to freshen up in the airport and get ready to meet chashmish. But then he started thinking what to tell her. It has been a year since he saw her last. Maybe he should begin by complimenting, how thin she has become. Then he chuckled to himself trying to imagine a thinner version of chashmish, like "sookhi hui kishmish". He thought of various things he could tell her when she saw, but there was something funny about every statement he thought. It was a funny day thought Abhi.

He left the airport and took a car down to the city center. Soon he was walking on the beautiful streets of the place. Lots of flowers glooming, hills surrounding the place, it was beautiful. And a little further down, the road took a sharp turn and from the corner one could see Smeltings High School a little above the valley up on the slope of the hill. He needed his privacy today, he didn't want people recognizing him, so he was sporting a cap and was wearing thick shades, he had taken off this tags and tried to dress down enough to gel with the surroundings.

Soon he spotted a cafe and thought of picking up a latte. While he was sitting by a cute white table under a bright red umbrella outside the caf, and enjoying his latte and thinking of the various ways his chashmish may react seeing him, he hardly noticed a petit lady with a slight frame wearing a pair of glasses with huge brown eyes sitting just behind him in the next table and reading a book and sipping her coffee. They both had their back towards each other... while a gentle music played from the caf. (Allah waariyan..tooti yaariyan, mila de oye)..

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As Abhi started towards Smeltings High School, the sun was about to set, the picturesque drive to the school was made more beautiful by the steaks of orange light from the setting sun. Anytime now, thought Abhi, his chashmish will be right before him and he will fix things between them.

Pragya was proof reading the manuscript of her new book when there was a knock at her door. She was surprised, who could be coming to visit her at this time of the day. It was self-study time for students now; her Aman would be in the library. Unsure of whom to expect, Pragya quickly dusted her salwar to fall straight a couple of times before she went to open the door.

A man wearing a white chauffeurs' suit was standing before her with a small amount of luggage in his hand. He looked very excited about something and before Pragya could probe further, he dropped the luggage just outside her door and was walking away. Pragya called after him, she was sure he had mistaken the room number. But as she tried to go after the man, her legs tripped over the luggage he had left behind and she fell forward completely dis-balanced. Her specs popped off her eyes and fell, and she was about to fall flat on her face - but she didn't - a strong pair of hands held on to her waist tightly, and standing on her spot, her upper torso following momentum bend forward - her head hit a strong well-built chest - a man's chest. As she stood there motionless transfixed in the state for a second, time seemed to have slowed down and something strange passed her heart. There was a strange comfort she found in this posture - and for Abhi, he gently held onto her waist and felt her soft head resting on his chest - he was the stranded traveller in a dessert who finally had found his water.

Pragya quickly pulled away without the slightest clue that for some reason unknown, her eyes were moist. She muttered a quick apology and looked up at the man, but she couldn't see clearly, not only because her specs had fallen, but also because the after sunset corridor lights were not yet lit. In the semi-darkness of the corridor with the little orange glow coming from the window at the far end of the corridor, she managed to figure out the rough outline of a man's physique.

Abhi bent down quietly and picked up her specs. Of all the casual, friendly and even funny lines he had practised all day, nothing seemed to come out from his mouth. He had let his involuntary actions take over as he shamelessly stared unblinkingly at the face he had been pining to see for an entire year now. He handed chashmish her glasses, and as she adjusted them and looked up at him, the corridor lights were turned on.

At first, she didn't register what she was seeing, she just stared dumbfounded. It took her an entire minute to actually see what she was staring at and comprehend. No, this cannot be, she thought to herself. This is not real, this cannot be. She took two steps backward. This is insane, how can he be here? As a thousand questions prodded her mind, as her back hit her hostel door behind her and she reflexively tried leaning on the door. But the door pushed back into the room dis-balancing her once again. This time she was about to fall on her back into the room but he caught her hand just in time one more time, to pull her in front. And before she realized he was hugging her tightly.

Abhi felt a strange sense of peace overpowering him as he held his chashmish securely between his arms. He realized he had never hugged her before, she felt like a fragile doll that fitted perfectly between his arms with her head nicely fitting in the crook of his neck below the chin. Whether a minute had passed by or an hour, he had no idea...holding her so close to him he closed his eyes in content as a peaceful smile spread across his lips.

As he held her firmly, Pragya's arms automatically found his waist and were holding him gently. She felt a sudden need to hold on to him and listen to the rhythmic thudding his heart. Her Abhi's heart.

But the sudden utterance of the name in her mind seemed to break the trance she was in. Abhi - the name reeked hatred from within her. He was the reason she was so far from her loved ones, he was the reason she could never have a normal and happy life, he was the reason why her mother hated her. She jerked away from him and walked inside her room as Abhi followed her inside shutting the door behind him.

There, inside her well lit room, which was a small studio apartment, as Abhi and Pragya stood facing each other; a lot of memories crossed their mind. For Abhi, those were memories of their togetherness, their silly fights and occasional eye-locks. But for Pragya those were memories of the perfect plan - Abhi, Aaliya and Tanu's perfect plan. The silence of awkwardness was steadily growing between them when Pragya broke it.

P - What are you doing here? (sharply)

A - I'm..I'm (he had momentarily forgotten why he was there)

P - What else is left for you to part from me? Why are you here?

An apologetic Abhi begun to open his mouth but Pragya cut across him

P - How did you know that I am here? How did you manage to compel Suresh into telling you this? You must have blackmailed him, otherwise Suresh would never tell on me.

The mention of that double battery irritated Abhi, but what irritated him more was his chashmish's undying faith on him; This moment was their's - his and chashmish's, there was no need of praising Suresh. He changed his mind, his apology can wait until chashmish gave him his due attention.

A - I am here to perform in a rock concert for your students. I have been sent to share your apartment for the entire duration of my stay on special request from all your students, who get bored by their chashmish teacher and wanted to give her an opportunity to learn from me, how to have fun and enjoy! I came here as their saviour you see!

Pragya was about to reply with a "what" in incomprehension when she caught that boyish grin on his face. That grin she once adored. Anger turned her red, anger on his humorous remark in such a situation and more so because how dare she adore that grin even for a second right now! Pragya motioned for him to leave her apartment, only to see him settling on her couch, with legs up on the study table.

P - I have no place for you in my apartment or in my life, so if you don't mind, can you please get out of here?

A - I have no place in your apartment or your life, but surely I have some place in your soft board

Pragya turned around and followed his gaze to find that wretched piece of paper bearing Abhi's autograph. Abhi was sporting his mischievous smile now. Aah, Aman and his rockstar frenzy! She tried explaining it to be a gift from a student.

A - Why did you need to steal my autograph from a child chashmish, you should have asked me for one, I would have given you one with my photograph with it. You could have pined that on this board and used me as your inspiration for the books you write!

Abhi was now chuckling madly. Pragya had turned the colour of beetroot in anger and words failed her. It was like the older times, this was so much fun, this was life thought Abhi as he was smiling fondly at his chashmish after so long.

Pragya, infuriated as she was, at the same time she didn't know what to do. So she left Abhi laughing hard on the couch and went to her bedroom and shut her door. Sitting down on her bed, all alone in the room, she couldn't help smiling at the silly jokes he had been cracking on her. This was like old times thought Pragya. But there was one difference though, now she knew Abhi for what he really was - a cheat, a liar, a miserable excuse for a husband - and soon the smile disappeared from her lips.

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Pragya couldn't help decide what to do with Abhi who was sitting outside in her hall cum study. It was night-time now, she needed to go out again and make dinner now, he must be tired and hungry thought Pragya caringly. The next moment she stiffened, no, Abhi didn't deserve her concern; he didn't even deserve to be in her apartment. But what choice did she have when he suddenly decided to make himself comfortable here? After all, on paper, he was still her husband. Pragya slowly unlocked the door and walked out to the hall, Abhi was still sitting on the couch, on noticing further she saw he was reading her manuscript with rapt attention, once more her anger flashed back.

P - That is personal property. Please return it to me. - she spoke firmly

A - No, no, no chashmish, you got it all wrong here, who will waste time in reading about the sad life of this man, you should write about more interesting men, like me. Why don't you write my biography? I will give you all the details (Another smile - God Pragya be firm, she thought to herself)

P - I am genuinely not interested in writing about you (she was amazed at the firmness of her voice) and for your information my book----

She stopped dead in between her sentence as her eyes fell on a slightly blood soaked bandage in his left wrist. She gasped in horror and rushed forward and picked up his injured hand in dismay and stared at Abhi with wide eyes.

A - Don't be so filmy, I got a tattoo done recently,

came the prompt response. Oh, thought Pragya and let go of his hand in embarrassment. And Abhi busied himself by looking out of the window. How did she even think he would take such a step, did he ever care for anyone more than himself? That's not fair said a tiny voice in her head, Abhi wasn't selfish; he genuinely loved his little sister Aaliya and his daadi way more than himself. The tiny voice continued, was she upset because for a moment she thought he had slit his wrist for her? She quickly blocked that thought.

P - I guess I should be going and preparing dinner now

As she moved towards her kitchen in an attempt to hide her naked thoughts, Abhi heard her muttering to herself, that he must have got who else but Tanu's name tattooed. Her words flared within him an unknown anger, how dare chashmish thinks he will tattoo Tanu's name, Tanu? He didn't think of her even once in the entire year, but his mind already started calculating as he saw the slight trace of what seemed like jealousy in chashmish's voice. He liked that, he wanted to see more of it. A childish grin spread across his face.

As Pragya busied herself in cooking dinner, she could feel Abhi's stare, but she avoided looking up at him. Don't blush Pragya she kept telling her self angrily. Suddenly she heard him talking over the phone.

A - Yeah Tanu baby, I have reached Dehradun safely. Aww you're missing me? Me too my choochipoo.

Irritation flared within her like someone put salt on her open wounds. How did she think even for once that he would change? A year had passed, she had moved on, but Abhi was still the same, he still loved Tanu she thought. She started banging her utensils hard in irritation while putting them over the gas, while taking them down on the slab etc. Perfect thought Abhi, so his nakchadi chashmish was jealous after all.

When Abhi mentioned this, to her utter surprise, Pragya realized she had prepared one of Abhi's favourite dishes for dinner - kaali daal. While Abhi ate his food and kept chatting about his shows, life in general and daadi, Pragya couldn't help smiling politely - after a very long time she felt at home.

After dinner while going back to her bedroom, Pragya realized she didn't have enough furniture in her room to let Abhi lie down for the night, she couldn't leave him on the couch, so there was no option. She had to share her bed. As Abhi came and sat down on the bed, he scanned her bedroom. It was just like the other room he thought. It had all her necessity items, but nothing more, no decorations. It felt like just like him, even chashmish was alive for an entire year, but she wasn't living. A fresh wave of guilt rushed through him and he decided to talk to her finally, it was a good time he thought.

Abhi turned around to see Pragya making a call, he thought of letting her finish.

P - Hi, what are you doing?

A (thinking) - Who is she talking to? A friend ? What kind of a friend? A boyfriend? - Nonsense

S - Hi Pragya, is everything all right? Why are you calling at this hour?

P - Yeah everything is fine Suresh, just wanted to check if you're okay

A (thinking) - Suresh? Uff that double battery! Why does she need to call him? Does she call him every day? And what's this - f you're okay - nonsense? Has she adopted that double batteried chimp?

S - Yeah Pragya everything is okay here. Oh by the way, BB, Abhi, Aaliya and Purab have come to know that I know something about your whereabouts, they came to my doorstep last night. I didn't tell them anything but BB has promised to set the police on me, if the need be to find out about you.

P - Don't worry, she won't do any such thing, she has found out.

S - What? How do you know? Pragya is everything alright?

P - Yeah Suresh all is well, I will talk to you later.

A (thinking) - Oh so he is dumb too, how many times does she need to tell him that she's fine?

Abhi's irritation was again getting the better of him.

S - Pragya are you alone? Or..---

Suresh never got to complete the statement, as Abhi took the phone away from Pragya and disconnected the call. A flabbergasted Pragya made an attempt to take it back from him, but he kept saving it from her

A - I was getting disturbed. I need to sleep comfortably; I have a concert tomorrow remember?

Oh thought Pragya, he thinks he is going to get away with his "my way or highway" attitude even here at my home! But before she could react a fuming Abhi turned around and lay down on the bed and switched of the lights. Pragya sat still in the bed for a moment, and without even realizing what she was doing, her hands continued to make a wall with her cushions in between them and then she lay down. Sometime had passed. She lay thinking, why did she call Suresh? She never called him this late, did she do it because Abhi had called Tanu? What non sense she thought and rolled over to sleep. But she remained awake for a very long time. Abhi on the other hand lay awake too. He was also thinking about the call chashmish had made to Suresh. He realized in this one year, he was her sole point of contact. They must be close. But somehow the thought was very unpleasant. His apology will have to wait until tomorrow now he thought.

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