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And here you go with the fourth chapter! Don't forget to leave your feedback!😳
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Chapter 04
"Pragya!"
Purvi hissed at Pragya.
"Huh?"
Pragya looked around the office to find four pairs of eyes focused on her.
"Pragya so as we have been discussing so far...Mr Lalwani wants to have a look at the last minute alterations you did. Is there any problem?"
Pragya could see the disapproval in her Ma's eyes for her obvious lack of focus today, as she shook her head quickly and passed the file to Mr Lalwani.
As the meeting finished Pragya made her way to her office closely followed by Purvi, her personal assistant. She heard her going on and on about Mr Lalwani's grand restaurant opening but her mind was still occupied with the discussion she had in the morning with Daadi and Abhishek.
As soon as she got to her office Pragya peeled off her heels and slumped on her chair.
Purvi stared at Pragya.
"What?"
"You tell me Pragya!"
"What do you mean?"
"Today's headline! Pragya Arora sometimes Mehra drifts into a dreamland during work for the first time in the history! Pragya Arora sometimes Mehra looks disheveled for the first time in the history! Pragya Arora sometimes Mehra..."
"Oh! Stop it Purvi!"
Pragya said just as Sarala entered Pragya's cabin.
"Pragya!"
"Yes Ma!"
Purvi quickly left the cabin.
"Pragya what is going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Where is your focus!"
"I am sorry Ma! I was just thinking about something Daadi said in the morning..."
"Pragya! What is wrong with you? You are thinking of what Mrs Mehra told you in the morning during my meeting! You have never been this careless! What have I always told you?"
"Ma..." Pragya started to protest only to be cut short.
"What?" Sarala demanded.
"You should not mix your personal life with your professional life! I know Ma. I am sorry. I was just little preoccupied nothing else..."
"Pragya do you have any idea how hard I worked to build this Arora Interiors after your father left us! Do you have any idea..."
Pragya couldn't help but wonder how many times her Ma has said exactly the same thing to her over the years. She knew it would go on for exactly 6 more minutes.
Pragya sighed as she leaned back on her chair. Oh! This is going to be a long day!
***
"Surprise!"
Bulbul hugged Daadi and jumped up and down like a child.
All watched her amusedly as she went on to explain her surprise to Daadi.
"Yeah Daadi! Purab was having some work here and he thought since we left here soon after our wedding and even during Di's wedding we were there only for a week, this time we will come here and spend some time with you all."
"I am so happy Bulbul beta. It has been nearly a year since you got married right? Oh how the time flies?"
"Yeah! I know Daadi! And soon Di and Jiju will complete their six months too. By the way Di I want a gift from both of you on your anniversary!"
"Why would I gift YOU anything on MY anniversary? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Oh! Come on Di! If Daadi didn't see you at my wedding you won't be married to my Jiju today okay?"
"Well, then I should give that gift to Purab. If he wasn't Abhishek's best friend Daadi wouldn't have been there in the first place!"
"DI! I am your cousin!"
"Well, Purab is like my brother too so..."
"Di! I am your only sister! So I should get it!"
Daadi sat there smiling at the two cousins' banter. Somehow with Bulbul's arrival the tension in the air seems lighter in Mehra Mansion. Otherwise she had been feeling rather worried after her discussion with Abhi and Pragya two days back.
Bulbul and Purab! Daadi longed to see them. They were like her own kids.
Purab and Abhi became friends when she took Abhi and Aaliyah to her village after their parents' demise. Purab has been a pillar of strength to Abhi during those times and she always thought that they got along so well in such a short time because of their shared sorrow of losing their parents at such tender ages. Times have changed. Abhi has shifted to the city and Purab went to Australia for higher studies and then settled there. But their friendship never changed. It only grew stronger with time.
And if there was anything more that could strengthen their bond it has also been achieved through their marriages to Pragya and Bulbul.
Daadi clearly remembered the day Purab came to see her after coming to India for his vacation. He told her about this young girl Bulbul, he has met while studying at college and expressed his wish to marry her. She was very happy for him. She remembered enquiring as to what is holding him back. Then he has gone on to ask her whether she would once meet this Bulbul as she being his Daadi along with Abhi's is everything he had for an elder and that her permission mattered to him a lot. She has been touched with the gesture.
She agreed. And then she met Bulbul.
Daadi could clearly see why Purab loved her. She was like a ray of sunshine in his life. She managed to win Daadi's heart only in their first meeting.
It was a pleasant surprise for Daadi to find out later her friend Balbir Arora was Bulbul's Daadi. The rest as they say is history.
Daadi looked around the room.
Abhi and Purab were watching a cricket match on TV while Aditi tried to imitate them having no idea what is going on. Pragya and Aaliyah were closely listening to what Bulbul was saying and they would often break into fits of giggles.
Everything was going so smooth... Only if this continues...
***
"So Sherlock Holmes huh!?"
Pragya who was sitting at her dressing table applying cream looked at the mirror to see Abhi looking straight at her while lying on the bed.
"What?"
"You wanted to become Sherlock Holmes when you were small?"
He chuckled.
Oh! This Bulbul and her blabbering mouth!
The whole afternoon was spent recalling their past memories. Pragya enjoyed listening to all the stories until it became more of a "let's recall Pragya Di's most embarrassing moments" all thanks to Bulbul! She was already having a hard time turning red by blushing nonstop and thinking of various ways to divert the spotlight away from her and therefore Abhishek's apparent excitement to know more details only added fuel to her agony.
Come on Pragya! Don't show you are embarrassed. Act cool!
Pragya advised herself as she smiled innocently at Abhi.
Two can play at this game Mr Mehra! Well, Daadi, Aaliyah and Purab have been quite useful in digging up lots of his stories!
"Any problem with that Mr SpongeBob lover?"
"Huh?"
"Are you ready kids "Aye Aye Captain" - I Can't hear you "AYE AYE CAPTAIN"
Ohh...Who lives in a pineapple under the sea - "SpongeBob Square pants"
Pragya sang as she got into bed next to him.
"Haha very funny! By the way you are a terrible singer!"
"Oh Really? No worries Mr Mehra! I wasn't expecting you to launch me!"
"Oh sassy!"
Pragya rolled her eyes and got her Chashma and book from her bedside drawer. She wore her Chashma and began to read. But after few minutes she grew conscious to feel his eyes on her.
"What?"
She asked without looking up.
"Nothing!"
"Then stop staring!"
"I am not staring!"
"Well you are! Stop!"
Pragya closed the book and turned to him.
"Okay okay whatever! By the way Pragya Don't you think its bit odd?"
"It is! It really is!"
"Haina?"
"Yeah! Depressing even! I mean who would have ever thought! A fully grown man to be this obsessed with comics!"
"Hmmm! Yeah! Wait! What!?" Abhi asked confused.
"What?"
"I wasn't talking about me!"
"Then? Oh! Please don't tell me Purab is obsessed with comics too!"
"What? No!"
"Aaliyah?"
"What? No!"
"Then?"
"Pragya just stop! You are confusing me! I wasn't talking about comics! I was talking about us!"
Pragya scrunched her nose.
"Us?"
"Yeah! Well, don't you think it's kind of odd that after living all these months together we still didn't know much about each other?"
Pragya considered his question for awhile.
Well, he has a point. She has got to know or realize many things about him in the past week. Perhaps things they already ought to have known about each other. To be honest, she couldn't even remember them having a normal conversation like this ever. It was always about work, bills, etc but never about them.
She always knew he was responsible but she never knew the childish side he seemed to possess. Who would have thought handsome charming Abhishek Mehra was such a cute adorable baby inside! His weird quirks! His obsession with his hair! His insanely hot body!
Is he thinking the same? Does he find her attractive? Did he find new things about her? What does he think about her? Does he think about her at all?
"Hello Pragya! Earth to Pragya! What are you thinking?"
"Huh? NOTHING! Well... I mean I was just thinking about what you said. You do have a point. Do you think we are missing out on anything?"
She observed him as he considered her question.
Abhi remembered the conversation he had with Aaliyah just few days ago. She seemed to be thinking the same.
Are they really missing out on something? Both of them are successful. And happy with what they do for a living. They have everything they wanted out of the deal they made. Everything is good right?
Abhi looked at Pragya. She was eagerly waiting for his answer and she looked kind of worried.
"No Pragya I don't think we are missing out on anything. You remember what we decided when we first agreed to get married? You remember what we wanted and what we agreed on? Are you getting what you wanted from this marriage?"
Pragya slowly nodded in affirmation.
"Well, me too! So if that works for us that means there is no problem. Okay? Good! Now let's go to sleep..."
"Good night Abhishek!"
"Good night Pragya!"
But sleep didn't come to either of them that day till the wee hours of the night. Both lay awake thinking of their past, present and little about their unknown future...
Edited by Diahh - 10 years ago
Real Estate
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