Hey guys!
Updating part 7 here.. Do lemme know what you guys think about it..
Priya :)
Chapter 7 :
We Meet Again
"Life often plays games with us, Abhi. Its just God's way of testing how strong we are and how well we are able to fight out of the mess. His ways differ from person to person, be it giving someone something in short of what the others have or snatching away something or someone that is dear to us. But, Abhi, i believe that such incidences just make us a much stronger and better person. He does everything with a motive, Abhi, and all you need to do is have faith in him. He sets everything straight. And who says your mom dad are away, abhi? They are right here! In your heart, in your thoughts and in your actions. They love you. And you have to be what they wanted you to be. Do it for them. Do it for yourself!" She had told him.
These words from Pragya kept playing in his mind. It had been a week now since he saw her at the beach. Abhi had changed since then. He had decided that he wouldn't sit back and cry over what he lost. He needed to get over his past and he would do just that. He had spent the week repairing his apartment, removing everything that belonged to Tanu. All the photographs were taken away, the dresses donated and now, Abhi felt that the place belonged to him. Purab was with Abhi most of the time and helped him with everything. He was glad that his best friend was coming back to normal.
"So Abhi, how did you transform so suddenly?" He had asked one day, when they were removing all of Tanu's photographs. Abhi just smiled at Purab and continued with his work. "What is it Abhi?" Purab asked again. "Chashmish had once told me something that changed my life then. I met her a couple of days back and remembered those words. And i decided to fight again." Abhi had explained. Purab silently thanked that Abhi's chasmish. Purab had heard a lot about Abhi's so-called 'Chashmish', his best friend from college days. "Wait, your Chashmish is in town? You saw her after ages?" Purab asked him. Abhi nodded his head, smiling. "Yeah.. I did run into her, but forgot to exchange contacts. So I don't know where to trace her." Abhi sighed. Purab sighed too. For a tiny second, he wished he could meet her, The person he had heard so much about.
It was Sunday and Abhi had finally managed to clear his apartment. He pulled an old picture of him and Chashmish from his old diary that he managed to find while clearing up. He smiled at the picture. He wanted to go look for her. He wanted to find her and give her a tight hug for bringing him back from his depression. He wanted to share his thoughts, his feelings with her, he wanted to relive those college days. But, before that, he decided to meet Purab and thank him for all the help. He would also have to thank the usually possessive and irritating lil sister of his, Bulbul for letting Purab spend so much time with him. So, he decided to visit the Khanna's after dinner, with a bottle of wine as a thank you gesture. He rang the bell and waited for the door to open.
"What are you doing here?" They both said in unison. "Wait, am i at the wrong address?" He said and looked at the name board. It still said Khanna's. "What are you doing at Purab's place?" He asked. "Well, am i not the one supposed to be asking questions?" Pragya said with a smile. He kept looking at her. Dressed in pyjama and tee, she looked incredibly cute with her hair tied up and specks on her head. "Are you gonna come in or stand there all the time?" She chuckled walking in.
Abhi walked in after her and kept the wine bottle on the dining table. "So how come you are here?" He asked again. "Well, this is Manu's house. Purab is Manu's husband." She said. "So you are Bul's di! God, she talks so much about you. And all this while i didn't know she was talking about my best friend. How ridiculous!" He wondered aloud.
"So, how do you know Purab?" It was her turn this time. "Me and Purab have been great friends since a few years now. In fact i came to thank him for spending his entire week with me. I was thinking how Bulbul let him away so long. Purab had told me Bul's sister has come. Didn't know it was you." Abhi explained as she handed him a glass of water.
They both moved to the couch in the living room. "Prags, I forgot to take down your number the other day. I didn't know how to find you again. Didn't know you would be so close." He chuckled. She laughed too. "I was thinking the same thing. Give me your number." She said.
"So Abhi, how is my alu? And how's dadi?" She asked. She was so curious to know about her favourite people. "Umm prags.." Abhi hesitated. "What is it rockstar? Why do you hesitate?" She asked again.
"Actually, i don't talk to dadi and al anymore. They kinda cut relations with me after i moved out of the house." Abhi explained with a sad face. Pragya almost spat out the water in shock. Abhi, staying away from his dadi and dear sister! She never thought that was possible in her wildest dreams. He loved them the most. But he had said dadi cut contact with him. He must've done something stupid. Dadi and Alu thought the world of him. She wanted to know the whole truth. She couldn't see Abhi so miserable. The sadness was evident at the mention of Alu and dadi. If he was miserable here, Pragya was sure that dadi and Aaliya must be miserable without him too.
"So you still read, scholar? Who is this guy now.. Amitav Ghosh!" He said flipping the novel on the table, trying to divert the topic. He had seen confusion on Pragya's face when he mentioned the stained relationship. She had been silent for a while and then he saw her face tuning red in anger. He wanted his normal Pragya back, but that was far from happening.
"Mr Abhishek Mehra, I'm gonna go, get coffee for the two of us. When i come back, i wanna know the whole story. I can't believe that you of all people could hurt dadi and Alu!" She said sternly and walked off to the kitchen. Abhi followed her in, knowing there was no escape. She wouldn't let him go without knowing what really happened. Frankly, Abhi wanted someone to talk to as well. He needed to get the burden off his chest.
"Waah chashmish! You still remember how i like my coffee, don't you!" He said taking a whiff of his favourite cinnamon coffee after so long. He never got his cinnamon coffee soon after moving out of the Mehra mansion. Tanu never bothered. The cook tried a couple of times, but could never make it to Abhi's taste. He had ultimately asked her to settle for the normal coffee and not try anymore.
"So, begin.. I wanna know what stupidity you've done this time." She said sipping her coffee. "Yo chashmish, you don't see news? I'm all over the media.. Or rather was." Abhi said a bit sadly. "Rockstar, I've been in New York since ages. And you know I don't read page 3. I did hear a couple of songs of yours long back. But then i read you had stopped making music. I wanted to know what happened but my life was pretty bad then too. Anyways now, back to the point. What have you done that dadi cut contacts?" She asked him.
Abhi told her about Tanu, about how he met her and fell for her looks. How they dated and then he got her home to meet dadi and Al. How Tanu never go along with dadi. How he had been sandwiched between the two women he loved so dearly. How dadi had warned him not to be with Tanu. Dadi had seen her greed for money and fame that he had overlooked in his blind love for her. How dadi had disapproved the wedding and how she later relented for his happiness. How tanu had misbehaved with dadi causing him to take the decision of moving out with her, after a lot of convincing be Tanu of course. How dadi had warned him not to look back at her once he left home with Tanu. How he left behind everything for dadi and Al, about moving out with Tanu to an apartment. How he had slowly stopped writing songs and lost interest in music. How Tanu slowly started showing her true self. He also tole her about the divorce and how he was now over Tanu. He told her how he got rid of everything related to Tanu and that they had no connection now what so ever.
At the end of the story, Pragya had no clue how to react. She didn't know if she should be mad at him for being so stupid or feel bad for him that he had been through so much. "So then Abhi, since you now know that you were at fault, and Tanu is out of your life, why don't you go, talk to dadi and Alu?" Pragya asked finally. Abhi smiled sarcastically and walked towards the window. He crossed his arms across his chest and stared at the moon. Pragya too walked towards the window and stood next to him. "Abhi" she called out slowly.
He turned towards her with tears forming his eyes. "How do i face dadi, Prags? I don't have it in me to look into her eyes again. I have been a fool to not listen to her Pragya. She always knew what would be the best for me. She always chose the best for me. How could i not trust her with this! And beyond that, how could i fall for the words of a vile woman and just leave dadi and Aaliya behind. She spent all her life bringing me up and taking care of Al. How did i deprive her of her son in the old age! She should have been living in peace now, with her grand children and great grand children. And Al, my baby! I put so many responsibilities on her. I should have been there to take care of dadi and her. Aaliya had to do it instead. She had to grow up before her age to replace me in the house. All because of the one stupid decision i took." Abhi said crying now. Pragya just moved ahead and held his face.
Looking straight in his eyes, she spoke. "Abhishek Mehra, you realise that you have been an asshole, right? But what you need to realise now is that dadi loves you. She is your dadi, Abhi. She's not going to disown you for what you did. Yes you made a mistake. Yes your decision hurt her and Al. But you need to know is that those mistakes are not unforgivable. They must be missing you as much as you are missing them, in fact, more because Abhi, you were their support system. They depended on you for their happiness. Dadi cutting relations with you might have been her last desperate attempt to stop you from going. Think how miserable she must be feeling that her attempt failed. Go talk to them, Abhi. They need you as much as you need them." Pragya explained to him.
Abhi couldn't hold back any longer. Unable to take control of his emotions any longer, he pulled Pragya in for a hug. She held him gently and caressed his back, trying to calm him down. Abhi pulled away from the hug, after sometime and smiled at her. Pragya wiped her own tears and his. She then smiled back at him. "Another coffee?" She asked. "Sure" he replied.
Just then, they heard the door click open and almost immediately, Bulbul 's voice came in. "Di? You still awake? I thought you must be sleeping by now." She said walking into the hall, Purab following close behind. For a moment, the two of them stood surprised to see a teary Abhi standing next to an equally teary Pragya. They couldn't figure out what was happening.
Purab was the first to break the silence. "Abhi! Bhai when did you come?" He came forward to hug him. "And what's wrong? You met di?" He asked, his gaze alternating between his best friend and his sister. Bulbul looked equally confused. The two of her favourite people in the world were standing in the room, almost crying. "Di, not to worry. We know Abhi bhai. He is Purab's best friend and as good as a brother to me. He's a nice guy." Bulbul tried to explain, misunderstanding the tears. "And abhi bhai, that's my Pragya di. The best di in the world!." She explained.
Abhi and Pragya couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Purab and Bulbul, still confused, continued to look at the two of them. "Done laughing? Care to explain?" Bulbul asked impatiently. Abhi and Pragya held back their laughter. They looked at one another and then at Purab and Bulbul who by now, looked frustrated. "Why don't we do this, i'll get coffee for all of us while the stud boy here can explain." Pragya smirked looking at Abhi. "Whoa Chashmish, that's cheating. You cant leave me alone with these devils. They'll rip me alive with questions." Abhi said holding her wrist to stop her from going.
"Stud boy?"
"Chashmish?"
Both bulbul and Purab yelled in unison. "You guys were the best of friends in college?" Purab asked. "He's the guy you always told me about but never cared to mention the name?" Bulbul pitched in. "Yes, the same!" Abhi and Pragya grinned at them.
After a while, the foursome sat around the table with coffee in their hands. "So chashmish, you never mentioned why you went missing after college. No calls, no message! What went wrong?" Abhi pitched in. Pragya suddenly stiffened, but she managed to smile. "Mamaji fell ill and died soon after. Di Had to go back to Delhi since Mami and Me were now dependant on her. I was still in school. Di then took up the job of a lecturer in Pune and we moved there. After a few years, mami was no more. I was studying in a hostel in Pune itself when Di was invited for a research in states. She married Suresh jiju, another candidate selected for the research and moved to NY." Bulbul explained. "Suresh is no more and I'm here now. End of story" Pragya cut in, choking back her tears. "Excuse me!" She said and walked away to her room.
Purab and Bulbul looked at each other and then at Abhi. He looked surprised at Pragya's sudden outburst. She was never like that. What happened suddenly? He looked at Bulbul who in turn looked at Purab. He nodded his head slightly, as if asking her to go ahead. Bulbul sighed and continued the story.
Okay guys! My part done.. Your turn now...
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Edited by BeingIyeristic - 10 years ago
Anupamaa
18