Abhigya FF: WOH HUMSAFAR THA last ch pg 76dt 9.4.16 - Page 25

Chapter 13

Clutching the wash basin with both her hands, pragya lowered her face and vomited for the third time in the day. Though termed morning sickness it was occurring at any time of the day. Shalini patted her back gently as she straightened herself after splashing water on her face. Drying herself with the towel, pragya looked at her image in the mirror, oh she seemed so worn out.

Coming out of the bathroom with the help of shalini she slowly sat on the bed. Shalini arranged the pillow behind her back to give her support. pragya still appeared weak and drained out, shalini picked up the glass of lemon juice that she'd made for pragya and brought it close to her lips. After taking a few sips pragya began to feel a little better, the tangy taste of lemon made her less nauseated but her stomach was still aching badly. Vomiting so frequently had exerted her abdominal muscles a lot.

" di ..my stomach is aching ." She winced in pain while holding her belly.

" I'll get you hot water bottle ." With eyes still closed pragya nodded her head slowly. Placing her head on the back rest she silently drank the lemon juice.

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Still contemplating on whether to go ahead with the shopping complex project or build an educational institute instead, abhi went through the project file once again. Things were still at the initial stage hence could be altered however later on it would be difficult to amend the plans. Scratching his temple he buried himself in the papers, his heart wished to go with what pragya had suggested , it would definitely benefit the youth of ratnagiri in the long run but the shopping complex project would employ so many people at the onset and would help to generate income quickly. He saw his cell phone vibrating on the table, shekhwat's name flashed on it.

" how are you?" He said softening his eyes.

" I'm good son, how what about you?" came shekhawat's husky voice from the other end.

" same here." abhi replied stretching his lips slightly.

" actually abhi an investor called me up regarding the shopping complex ...so what have you planned?" some of the investors who were backing shekhawats's political party were doing so primarily because they were interested in this commercial project thus it was important for him also to ensure that the project saw the light of day.

Sensing the long pause from abhi's side he thought that shalini was right, abhi was indecisive at this stage.

" what's the matter abhi?" he prodded. Abhi had tremendous faith in his mentor, above all he was the only one with whom abhi discussed his business matters. Rubbing the back of his neck he thought of sharing this problem with him as well. After listening to abhi for a good twenty minutes shekhawat came up with a solution. He suggested abhi not to put this shopping complex on hold instead build one more building for higher secondary education next to the primary school building of ratnagiri, the children would not jump in one day to seek college level education. It would take them another 3-4 years to reach that stage by then this shopping complex project would be fully functional and profits reaped from this project could be reinvested in making university building.

The concept seemed sensible to abhi, in this way both the goals could be achieved. Heaving a sigh of relief he replied," alright then. I shall send you the signed shopping complex papers soon."

Disconnecting the call he picked up the pen to sign the papers when he felt some movement around, lifting his head he found shalini standing at the door step of the study. Dropping the gaze once again he began doing the needful.

Shalini with a nervous smile on her lips came in and stood right across his table.

" I need a minute of yours."

Flipping the pages of the file he nodded his head allowing her to continue. She fidgeted with the end of her sari, thinking how to put her thoughts into proper words.

" lately so many factories have come up in ratnagiri causing lot of pollution."

He drew his brows together in confusion, she wanted to discuss with him the growing level of pollution in town? Had she really lost it?

Figuring out his confusion she attempted to elaborate by saying ," I mean all this pollution is harmful for pragya and the baby?" keeping the file aside he stated instantly," but she hardly goes out."

shalini shook her head in agreement, true pragya hardly stepped out of the house but what she wanted to say was," but we can't keep her in the house all the time."

Abhi really didn't know where this conversation was heading and on the verge of losing his temper he shot back," shalini I don't have all, either you stop talking in riddles or you leave this room."

slightly stunned on hearing his high pitch voice she took a deep breath and rattled everything that she wished to say in one go," pragya is not keeping well these days ...I spoke to her doctor she said that along with rest pragya needs a clean and healthy environment to move around."

Pulling out his chair he sat and leaned his back against it before saying," so?"

" also you know in coming weeks it will be hard to conceal that in reality pragya is carrying the baby and not me."

Taking the paper weight in his hand he began spinning it, from day one he was aware that such a big thing could never remain hidden from the people of ratnagir, eye brows would definitely rise on seeing her bulging stomach and on top of that they would also wonder why she was staying here for so long but then... this was not his idea.

He failed to understand what was the need for her to declare that she was pregnant in front of everyone that day in the temple? She was falling into her own trap and he wasn't feeling sorry for her.

She noticed his expressionless face, there wasn't an iota of concern for her and if he thought that her plan was back firing then he was absolutely wrong, he had no idea what was going on in her mind. Her nervousness was now giving way to her confidence, now she wanted to see if he would still remain unaffected on hearing about her next step.

" but I have a solution ."

" what?" he asked placing his one arm on the arm rest while the other one still spun the paper weight. She took a few seconds to disclose her plan, till then he rested more comfortably in his chair and began twirling it slowly, waiting for her to proceed.

" pragya and I shall move out from this town."

His chair came to an abrupt halt and he stopped spinning the paper weight in fact he gripped it even harder in his fist. His ears couldn't believe and his mind failed to comprehend what she'd said.

" both of us will go to a place where nobody would know us." She completed herself, this was the only option she had. There was pin drop silence, neither of them spoke a word. Suddenly he felt a vacuum within him as his senses went numb.

" what do you think ?" she asked breaking the silence.

" what I think hardly matters when you have already decided everything." he retorted through greeted teeth.

Leaning back he thought of what should be done next. Pursing his lips he added," give me sometime to arrange .." she didn't allow him to finish and intervened, " all arrangements have been done."

He narrowed his eyes and stared back at her. Nodding her head she informed him about the conversation she had with her father," I had a word with baba..he suggested that his friend has a farmhouse in mahabaleshwar...pragya and I can stay there."

" Mahabaleshwar and ratnagiri are close by .."

" when do you leave ?" he snapped back, he knew how far mahabaleshwar was from ratnagiri, she didn't need to tell him that.

" tomorrow evening ." She replied softly, he lifted his gaze and clenched his jaws. It hurt him to know that she could discuss the whole issue and arrange everything with her father but not him. He was here only to be informed.

" abhi will you drop us there?"

He sprang up on his feet and threw the paper weight which was in his hand in rage. She startled on seeing him furious and took a step back.

" I think you can manage on your own." He barked before storming out of the study.

He had given her what she'd wanted, he was supposed to sleep and impregnate a stranger. He had done that, his job was over. Nothing more was expected or required from him.

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The hot water bottle had provided relief to her aching stomach, keeping it aside pragya pushed back the duvet and sat back leaning her head against the back rest. Yawning openly and loudly she rubbed her sleepy eyes when her empty stomach began growling. She glanced at the door with hopeful eyes, there was no one around, she flopped her lazy legs on the floor and thought of going to the kitchen herself but just then shalini came inside and handed her a bowl of porridge. Weren't three glasses of milk with ladoos enough that now she was supposed to have porridge too? But then she was way too hungry to protest.

" seriously di, I was so hungry ." She said taking the bowl from shalini, after vomiting so many times she was totally dehydrated.

Shalini smiled understandingly and proceeded towards pragya's cupboard preparing herself to drop the same bomb one more time but this time not on her husband instead on the woman who was bearing his child. Pulling out a big suit case, she opened it and began stuffing pragya's clothes one by one.

pragya furrowed her brows in surprise," di, are we going somewhere ?" shalini lifted her lashes and shook her head in agreement.

" holiday?" she chirped excitedly with a wide grin.

" no ..forever." she would stay and deliver the baby there. Now this was bewildering, how could they leave everything and stay somewhere else forever? She thought for a moment before asking," but sahab has work here, how will he leave?" .

" yeah ..so he'll stay back ..just the two of us are moving out." Shalini informed her in a casual tone and pulled out the drawer to take out her medicines. pragya's lower jaw dropped in surprise, what the hell was happening ? she wondered.

" only us? But why?"

" for your health reasons the doctor advised to take you to a place that is calm clean and has greenery around ." she knew that pragya would be shocked but then she couldn't stay in ratnagiri for the entire nine months...the delivery had to take place somewhere else and this thing had always been on shalini's mind.

" that doctor now wants me to stay in a jungle ?" she raised her voice in irritation and kept the bowl on the bedside table with a thud, all of a sudden she had lost her appetite.

Folding the saris one by one shalini informed her," mahabaleshwar is not a jungle , it's a beautiful place. Trust me you'll love it."

Mahabaleshwar a hill station in maharashtra is a very eco friendly region and attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year.

Crossing her arms before her chest pragya declared clearly," I'm not going anywhere ." Pouting her lips slightly she thought she was absolutely comfortable here and if required for medical reasons would stay within the four walls of this house but wouldn't leave and go elsewhere.

Shalini walked round the bed and stood before her, she took the bowl from the table and handed her once again.

Tucking a loose strand behind pragya's ear she said" pragya, I'm not asking you. I'm telling you ." Her tone was sweet and intimidating at the same time, if pragya was thinking that she was here to seek her opinion or permission then she was sadly mistaken.

As always everything was and would be decided without taking pragya's views into consideration...to be honest only shalini's wishes mattered even abhi had very little to say.

In one sentence shalini showed pragya her actual position, the deal or the purpose for which she was brought in the house, that had kind of slipped out of her mind...it was reminded to her once again.

pragya's eyes moved from the bowl of porridge to shalini who was stuffing her things in the suit case, holding her gaze for a few seconds she asked," sahab..he didn't object?"

shalini smiled viciously and nodded a no. The response pricked something inside her. She was unable to figure out what actually angered her, the fact that she was supposed to move out of this place abruptly without him or the fact that he didn't do or say anything to stop all this from happening?

" di, no need to touch my things..i can pack myself ."

Dropping the sari on the bed, shalini wanted to laugh out loud, seriously every single thing starting from her clothes that she was wearing, the food that she was having, the house she was staying in to the child that pragya was carrying belonged to, only and only shalini, still the female sitting in front her had the audacity to think otherwise. If shalini wished she could very well remind her all this as well but then this time she let the opportunity go by, maybe some other time.

" as you wish." Shalini said before shrugging her shoulders and leaving with a calm and serene expression.

Standing by the window that overlooked the garden, pragya's eyes scattered the view outside without registering anything in particular. She was aware that she wouldn't stay here forever, one day she had to leave everything and body behind then why was she sad now? She knew that nothing belonged to her then why was there a sense of loss creeping inside her? when there wasn't supposed to be any attachment or bonding then what was holding her back? Sighing deeply her eyes hovered around the garden before halting on the swing where she was sitting some 24 hrs back enjoying the experience of motherhood. Her hand caressed her belly and remembered how he too had joined her on his own, how he'd shared what he felt for the baby. That brief conversation had somewhere brought her close to him and it felt good but now she was again drifting away from him and he didn't utter a word, fine he might not be bothered about her but then his baby was also moving away from him, didn't that matter to him at all? 24 hrs from now she would be away from his sight for god only knew how long, would that also not bother him?

Leaning her head against the window she saw the sun descending in the west, the sky was changing colors quite like her life that was also changing, things were slipping from her hands and she remained a mute spectator, she couldn't do anything. She was so helpless and lonely ...as always.