Hey guys! 😃So here comes Chapter 05! Thank you for all the likes and comments! ⭐️Chapter 04 comments have got to be the feedback I enjoyed the most, from repeated "What/Kya"s to listing out the possibilities, each of your comment managed to bring a smile on my face. 😃😆So, thank you!🤗
This chapter is for all my bindaas readers! Although this chapter doesn't reveal much of the mystery, unravelling begins from here.
And don't forget to leave your feedback.😉
Happy Reading!
❤️
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Taking a chance in love
Chapter 05 - Blinding Lights
"Lights will guide you home..."
Blinding lights.
Screeching sounds.
Feet running towards him.
Feeling of being lifted towards the sky.
Flash of multi-color bangles.
Darkness once again.
Smiling face of Daadi as he teased her with Aaliyah.
He smiled unconsciously remembering the situation. He and Aaliyah pretending Daadi was talking of her remarriage when she tried to raise the topic of getting them married. He and Aaliyah, they are a team!
Daadi opened her mouth but her voice sound different.
"Abhi! Abhi!"
Why did she sound so panicked? Flashes of a Chashma, very familiar but not Daadi's.
Hands shaking him gently.
"Rockstar! Please open your eyes!"
He tried to open them hearing the desperation behind the voice but the light was blinding.
And the pain was too much.
He closed his eyes again.
Darkness returned.
"Hey Rockstar! Wake up champ! Don't you want to go to school?!"
Papa... Abhi tried to catch his hand as Papa gently shook him to wake him up.
But his hands felt so heavy making it impossible for him to catch Papa's hand.
Oh! He panicked! He has to stop him. Or he will leave again. He has to stop him.
He couldn't see him anymore but he could feel someone shaking him gently.
Ma... She was smiling at him. Still beautiful. Still the same after all these years.
He could her the jingling of her bangles.
But she wore matching bangles. Then why is she wearing so many different coloured bangles today?
Ma was still smiling at him but she was fading away.
Wait! How come she is here? It is not possible. Then...
"Bhai! BHAI!"
Aaliyah was frantically calling out to him.
Aaliyah! What happened? Is she in some kind of a trouble? He has to help her.
There were some noises.
"Get out of my way! I have to see my brother right now!"
He felt soft hands on his face.
"Bhai! Bhai! Please open your eyes!"
He tried but it was so tiring. The brightness was so blinding.
"Bhai! Look at me! Bhai! Listen to me!"
"Bhai! You have to listen to me! This is my life! And this is my decision! Please stop interfering!"
No! He cannot let her talk like that. He has to make her understand.
"I am coming there Aaliyah! You were handling it well. What happened now? Clearly something is bothering you and I.."
"No! There is nothing bothering me but you Bhai! You are not my father! So stop trying to be my papa! Just let me live my life the way I want! With who I want!"
"What? What did you just say?"
"You heard me! Just stop bothering me! Let me live my life! I chose him over you! Accept that! Just... You know just don't ever come in front me! I just... I just hate you!"
The line went dead.
"Bhai! Open your eyes!"
Abhi tried opening his eyes.
More brightness. But this time he managed to keep his eyes open for little longer.
A face was hovering above him.
Aaliyah... Aaliyah crying... Why?
Oh! Because of him. She never wanted to see him again.
He felt someone poking his arm and darkness engulfed him once again.
*****
Hmm... This has got to be the worst hangover of his life.
Hope Daadi didn't see him coming in drunk last night.
She has threatened to move in with Indu Daasi if he ever get home drunk again.
UFF! This headache!
He tried to hold his head but winced and groaned when he felt a sharp pain in his arm.
His eyes flew open.
But the light was too much and he automatically raised his hand to cover his eyes, when he felt the stabbing pain again.
He looked down and saw his arm, heavily bandaged.
What? How did... Oh!
Suddenly all the events from last night flashed before his eyes.
Pragya- the view- the kiss- the fall- then... Then the gun...
His right hand touched his forehead to find it bandaged too.
What happened? How did he get home? Wait! This is not my bed. This is not my room!
And this doesn't look like a hospital either.
Where am I? What happened? And Daadi! She must be worried sick about me!
He jumped out of the bed only to sit down few seconds later from the dizziness.
He has to get out of here right now.
Ignoring the pain and dizziness he got to his feet and started towards the door, when someone walked in.
He stared in shock.
Aaliyah! What! What is she doing...
"Bhai!"
Before Abhi could make sense out of what is happening Aaliyah hugged him tight making him yelp in pain.
"Oh sorry! Sorry! Sorry Bhai! Did I hurt you?"
Did you hurt me? Abhi pondered as he looked at her, gently checking his wounds to make sure he is okay.
For all these weeks, searching for her everywhere he could think of, worrying day and night thinking whether she is okay, lying to everyone, even to Daadi! Hating himself for failing her as a brother... For destroying her life. And... And countless nightmares haunting him, depriving him of sleep... If these count, then yes! You did hurt me!
Abhi pulled his hand out of her grasp.
Aaliyah looked at him but seeing the look in his face thought it's best to be silent.
"This is where you have been all these weeks?"
She couldn't meet his eye hearing the anger, hurt behind his voice and nodded while looking down.
She expected more questions from him but surprisingly, none came.
He expected more answers from her but not so surprisingly, none came.
"Bhai! Please sit. You are still weak. I will just go and bring something to eat..."
Hearing her calling him Bhai, seeing her concern, just like nothing has changed was the final straw.
Her words from few weeks ago rang in his brain.
"Let me live my life! I chose him over you! Accept that! Just... You know just don't ever come in front me! I just... I just hate you!"
"Damn it Aaliyah! Stop! I don't want anything to eat. I don't want you to show concern for me! I don't want you to pretend that you care for us! What happened to hating me huh? What happened to never wanting to see my face again? Where was this concern when you left your Bhai and Daadi without any news? You betrayed us when you chose that bas***d over us! I would never..."
He stopped and sighed seeing silent tears running down her face.
No matter what happened between them few weeks ago, Abhi knew he would never be immune to her tears. Knowing those tears were real made him even more distressed. Oh! He was sure of that. He has spent 25 years with her and knew when she shed fake tears, intentionally to blackmail him and Daadi and when she shed real tears, unintentionally trying her best to hide them from him and Daadi.
Abhi sighed accepting defeat for now and sat down again in the bed, too exhausted with all the thoughts running in his head.
~~~
Aaliyah carefully picked up the tray and started towards his room.
She knew it is only a matter of time before he finally get to the depth of this problem. She knew there is no turning back for him now. But despite knowing that fully well, she still wanted to keep him in the darkness, and to protect him as much as she can.
The truth has changed her whole life. It had taken away her family from her. Yes, she has suffered a lot during these last few weeks but her sufferings were not greater than her Bhai's happiness.
She entered and saw him still sitting there just as she left him. It broke her heart to see him so weak, so traumatized. Only if there is a way to go back in life... She longed to see him smiling again, teasing her and Daadi, pulling pranks on people, driving everyone nuts, strumming on his guitar, humming his own songs...
"Wait! It's still hot. You won't be able to hold it!"
Aaliyah said, seeing him trying to take the soup bowl from the tray.
She sat next to him and started to feed him.
She saw his resistance at first but slowly he gave in.
"How did I end up here?"
He finally asked.
Aaliyah knew this was coming. He would get there eventually. She sighed.
"They brought you in last night. You were unconscious. And there was blood... Blood all over you... I... I thought you were..."
Oh! The fear of losing the closest thing she ever had for a family... She dropped the spoon and took a deep breath to calm her nerves and to stop her tears threatening to spill out any minute now.
"But thank god! The bullet just grazed your arm. There wasn't much harm."
So the bullet didn't hit him. Just grazed his arm. There wasn't much harm. Or was there?
Pragya smiling at him, taking him to show the view, him opening up to her, their hug followed by their kiss, Pragya firing her gun at him all flashed before his eyes.
Yeah, there wasn't much harm! It's so like this new Aaliyah to be oblivious to his pain.
Where was she now? Did they capture her? Will she come back to finish off what she started? Why did she want to kill me?
His head pounded with all the questions.
And how did Aaliyah fit in all this? Why was he brought to her place? More than anything how did anyone know where she lived? He has got people all over, looking for her. But, they haven't managed to find anything. And where was this place? Is he in Neel's... No! Has he been recovering under his roof?
"Whose house is this?"
Aaliyah avoided his eyes, and he felt his anger coming to the surface again.
His guess was right!
He won't stay another minute under his roof.
"Bhai! Bhai! What are you doing? Where are you going?"
"If you think that I am going to stay another minute under that bas***d Neel's roof then you are sadly mistaken."
"What! No! This is not Neel's home Bhai!"
Aaliyah tried to stop him.
Abhi paused and turned back to her.
"Then whose house is it?"
But before she could answer, Aaliyah was distracted by something behind him.
His eyes followed her gaze and finally landed on a familiar petite figure standing near the door.
Real Estate
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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