Abhigya FF: WOH HUMSAFAR THA last ch pg 76dt 9.4.16 - Page 54

Chapter 33

Pragya moved her hair back and tucked it behind her ear. The wind was strong, she gazed around sitting behind abhi and shalini as they drove back to ratnagiri. She'd spent quite a few months here. A lot had happened during this time. She remembered how disturbed she was when she left MM. She smiled and glanced at his back, she didn't want to leave him and also it hurt her to see that he didn't bother to stop her as though her presence or absence didn't matter to him. And then laxmi mausi stepped in as her care taker but soon took upon the role of her mother. Relationship with her was quite smooth, there were some hiccups in between when laxmi sensed that she was falling hard for him and it would only break her heart in the future but she turned a deaf ear to her warnings and in the end she had to pay the price. Still she didn't regret what transpired between her and laxmi, it was like any other mother daughter relationship which had its highs and lows. Her eyes moistened one more time as she recalled how difficult it was just a few minutes ago to bid laxmi good bye. His decision to take them back was abrupt and no one was prepared for it but she knew it was right, hence this time she didn't protest. She had cried softly while hugging laxmi, she was her only support system and she felt as if she was losing her mother once again. For the first time she didn't see coldness towards abhi in laxmi's eyes, perhaps she too had come to accept that he truly loved her and it relieved her to see that. She brushed the tear standing at the corner of her eye. After today they might never meet again but she would always hold a special place in her heart.

This place not only gave her a motherly figure but at this very place her love for him deepened and blossomed. Out of the long months that she stayed here, she spent just a handful days with him but those very days had now become her life. The memories of those moments would stay with her forever. Life here was more like a dream where all three of them could be themselves. There was nothing to be hidden or ashamed of. However now moving to ratnagiri was like going back to the real world, where eyes brows could be raised and fingers could be pointed at them. She didn't know whether she was prepared to handle all that.

Strangely, there was a time when leaving ratnagiri, she was sad and gloomy but today when she was moving back to the same place, she was least excited. She didn't want to return. But then when did life run as per her wishes! She sighed deeply as the jeep came to a halt. They were back to where it all started.

Shalini with her padded stomach stepped out of the jeep, she glanced over her shoulder to gaze at her husband, thanks to him she had to carry out this fake pregnancy drama until pragya delivered the baby. Her face contorted on seeing him opening the back door for pragya. He offered pragya his hand to get down and noticed a small smile playing on her lips. She jerked her head sideways and went inside the house leaving the two behind. They no longer needed her assistance.

pragya walked back with him after crossing the garden. Involuntarily her gaze roamed around and she smiled inwardly when her gaze fell on the mango trees. Old fond memories came rushing back that warmed her heart. Stepping inside the house she noticed that it was still just the same. Nothing had changed. The same silence entrapped the area. The same lifelessness spread its arms around as she paced down the hall.

He saw her approaching the stair case to move up to her old room.

"pragya." He called from behind. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him. He lifted his head and motioned in direction of a room that was near the dining area.

" no need to go up ..you stay in that room."

She lowered her head and slowly began walking to the room he had directed. Shalini standing up at the end of the stairs smirked at his concern. Earlier her room was next to pragya's, now it was good that she had been shifted on the ground floor, this way he and pragya would interact less with each other.

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Shalini, sitting for dinner at the table was lost in his declaration that he loved pragya. Her mind was still unwilling to believe what he said. Love was such a strong and deep emotion how could he so easily claim that he felt that emotion for someone else? To be in love, one needed to spend time with the other person but as far as she could recall, abhi was here in MM while Pragya was in mahabaleshwar. He seldom came down to meet them and that too for only a few days. Even then she was most of the time around except for the two days when she had to return for campaigning purpose. So how could he come so close to pragya in just two days and drift so far away from her after spending more than five years with her under the same roof? She shook her head, this was ridiculous and impossible to happen. He and pragya came from entirely different worlds, she was not of his class and they had absolutely nothing in common then how could something transpire between them. She was bearing his child and he was simply attracted to the woman who was making him a father after such a long wait. This was not love but infatuation and would fade away once the child came into this world and pragya left with her promised money. Yeah there was nothing more to all this nuisance.

She calmed herself and posed as though nothing had changed when he pulled his chair to join her at the table and threw her a sideways glance. Apparently he'd expected her to explode like a volcano but strangely she seemed cool and collected. Whatever, he brushed the thought aside. She took the initiative to serve him, there was no need to get furious or panic around him, ultimately he would come back to her. After all seeing her bring up his child would definitely make a difference to their relation. The baby would surely tie him down to her forever. And moreover she couldn't imagine him holding back pragya post delivery. On what grounds would he do something like that? What justification would he give to the people of ratnagiri, her and himself on keeping another woman and that too a prostitute in his life? Unless he was planning to have pragya as his mistress but that... she doubted. As far as she knew, he was a man of high principles, he wouldn't do something so immoral and unethical. But one thing was for sure, this pragya had to leave at any cost.

"pragya?" he asked, searching for her and breaking shalini's train of thoughts, who nodded at him and took out another plate for pragya.

" may be she wants to rest. I'll take the food to her room." She had started laying out dishes for pragya when she saw her coming from her room. pragya occupied her usual seat without uttering a word. He was glad that she came out to dine with them. Her chair had remained vacant for a long, long time and he missed her being around. He took the plate from shalini's hands and placed it before pragya, who lifted her lashes and smiled warmly at shalini.

Shalini shot a cold look to the woman sitting across the table. She so badly wanted to strangle pragya. Yes she bloody wanted to kill her but couldn't . pragya was carrying his baby and this baby meant a lot to her. The baby would ensure that her husband never leave her. It would strengthen their marriage and her position not only in his life but also in ratnagiri. She took a deep breath . no she couldn't afford to lose this child.

However shalini could not understand how could somebody be so ungrateful and thankless? She was the one who brought pragya out of a brothel, gave her a respectable life and also promised to improve her financial condition so that she wouldn't have to return to her dark world again. And now how was pragya repaying her, by threatening to cast an ugly shadow on her happy married life? By snatching her husband from her? But then what else could she expect from a prostitute, they were not home makers but home breakers! The money and power associated with her husband's name must have fascinated her and now she wouldn't be wanting to let go of him so easily, the sum of ten lacs were mere peanuts compared to the wealth he possessed and the position that she occupied in the society as his wife. Shalini was pretty sure that pragya must have woven an emotional web around her husband to trap him. But she wouldn't let pragya succeed. She would be shown the door as soon as the child opened its eyes in this world.

" why aren't you eating properly ?" abhi asked, noticing pragya nibble on her food. She shook her head in negation and lied to him," no..i'm eating ."

Shalini simply rolled her eyes, she had taken enough care of pragya in the past, had gone out of her way to ensure that she was comfortable and doing well...but not anymore.

Abhi's cell phone kept on the table vibrated, who was calling him at this hour? He wondered. Taking the call, he heard the caller briefly then left the table and stepped aside to continue with the conversation.

pragya glanced at shalini, she was engrossed in her thoughts. She felt that since morning shalini's behavior towards her had changed slightly. She noticed that shalini was worried for her when she returned with him but then...later on something happened and now she was quite aloof, she hardly spoke to her on their way back. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't lay her finger on.

" di." She called her out. Shalini met her eyes and asked dryly," what?"

pragya was feeling a bit hesitant, she didn't know how to say but she couldn't keep it to herself, the craving was so strong," di, I feel like having jalebis." She knew it was not the right time to make such frivolous demands but she really wanted to have jalebis.

" finish off your plate, it's too late to have that junk." Shalini replied coldly. There was a time when shalini fulfilled her smallest and silliest of wishes but now shalini believed that she wasn't worth it.

Disappointed pragya parted her lips to protest but before she could do that, abhi interrupted and informed them that he was going out for some important work.

Shalini finished her dinner and without saying another word retreated to her room. pragya looked around the empty hall for some time then she too stood up and went to her new room. It was small and congested, probably had not been occupied for long. But it didn't matter, after all she wasn't here to stay forever, in fact she told herself that nothing really mattered to her, even shalini's sudden indifference. She pushed open the window and leaned against it taking in the fresh air and view.

Today she was here, with him, around him. And last night she was so close to him, she brushed her fingers over the glass bangles that he'd gifted her, her lips stretched automatically... but tomorrow? She sighed deeply, nobody knew what the future held for them and her in particular. In fact she wasn't sure, she had a future at all away from him. She brought her hands on her belly. And what about the life breathing inside her? would she be able to give it up and move away when the day arrived? Something that was living, growing and moving inside her for so long, could she in one moment break all ties with it? was she that strong. She closed her eyes, she didn't know how she would do it...but she would have to do it.

" pragya." She heard his husky voice that startled her. He was standing a foot away from her, donning a peculiar expression on his face. She knitted her brows in confusion. He brought his hands from behind and gave her a brown colored paper packet. It was hot as she touched it and on opening it her eyes sparkled in excitement.

" jalebi?" she said in a surprised tone.

" how did you get these?" it was close to midnight, the shops must have closed down then how did he manage ? He simply shrugged his shoulders, it was no big deal for him to ask the sleepy shopkeeper to open his shop and make fresh, sizzling hot jalebi's for him. The shopkeeper was more than happy to see Abhishekh mehra gracing his shop.

Without wasting another second, she opened the packet, the sweet smell permeated the air. She took the biggest one in her fingers and chewed it hungrily. He folded his hands before his chest and titled his head to one side. It always amused him to see her eat heartily. Licking the sweet syrup dripping from her lips like a child she offered the packet to him. He simply smiled and shook his head. Then turned on his heal to leave when she said from behind," thank you." he turned to look at her, more than her he was glad that he could fulfill her small little wish.

" welcome."

Both had smiles on their faces but within their hearts were aching. These sweet tender moments wouldn't last for long. Time to part ways was fast approaching.

Coming out of the room, he strode in the direction of the bar as shalini's eyes followed him. She'd come down to have water. For the first time sleep had eluded her eyes. How could she afford to keep her eyes shut when her husband was walking out of someone else's room. She banged the steel glass on the kitchen counter, muttered something under her breath and advanced to her room, she wasn't thirsty anymore!

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Abhi lifted his head on hearing someone knock his study room. His father in law and wife stood at the door. It would have been wrong to say that he was surprised to see shekhawat before him. His dark pools shifted to his wife and he smirked inwardly. He was expecting something like that from her when she had gone all quiet. Rising to his feet he folded his hands to greet his mentor who today seemed more like his wife's parent.

"Namaste."

shekhawat grinned broadly showing all his white teeth and asked warmly," how are you son." Abhi slipped his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders indicating that he was fine. He raised his hand towards the chair gesturing him to take a seat. shekhawat, nodded and made himself comfortable while shalini preferred to stand.

" so how can I help you?" abhi straightaway came to the point. He knew that his father in law had not come here just to know about his well being, he had something else in mind and wanted him to spill the beans soon. shekhawat quirked up his lips seeing him getting impatient.

" son, I just wished to have a word with you ...nothing serious " he replied while shaking his hand and looking up at his beloved daughter. Confident and unnerved, abhi pressed his back against his long chair and waited for him to speak further.

shekhawat, paused, took his time to frame the conversation then said," abhi, you regard me as your mentor , your well wisher and you've learnt a lot from me ...however. .."

abhi agreed with him, the man sitting before him had changed his life, he played a very crucial role in helping him attain the position that he currently held. He hadn't forgotten what shekhawat had done for him...so? His eyes questioned.

" now I feel that you're loosing your focus ."

Abhi narrowed his eyes," what makes you say that ?" his face not giving away anything. shekhawat leaned forward to place his hands on the table and explained himself.

" you seem to be distracted ...you need to concentrate only on your family and the people of ratnagiri who have always stood by you and nobody else ." He spoke the last sentence after glancing towards shalini one more time.

Abhi's hooded eyes followed his gaze. He knew where this conversation was heading and refused to accept the accusation hurled at him.

" I don't think that I've ever overlooked the people of my hometown ." For him ratnagiri's welfare and development had always been extremely important. Even today the projects he had undertaken were for their benefit. He eyed his wife, his only family and added further," and I've never neglected my family .". He had done whatever she expected of him and was always there for her when she needed.

shekhawat smirked openly, until yesterday abhi didn't dare to meet his eyes out of respect but today abhi's gaze bored into his. There was no trace of respect in his eyes, in fact there was something new and unfamiliar.

Raising his brow, shekhawat asked," and what about that pros... ?"

abhi flared his nostrils, straightened his leaning back and shot back through gritted teeth," her name is pragya..nobody disrespects her."

shekhawat scrunched his face in disappointment before stating," why, because suddenly you've started liking that woman ?"

abhi looked back in his probing eyes and retorted," correction , I don't like her, I love her." there was hell lot of difference between liking and loving somebody. shekhawat shook his head in disgust. He was now losing his cool. He pursed his lips and accused," abhi, you should be ashamed of yourself ." He was startled by abhi's open confession and feared that his political career would end before starting if this news leaked out. He had to stop and control his son in law before he ruined his daughter's life and everything around.

abhi banged his palm hard against the table and stood up. He wasn't ashamed of loving pragya and he couldn't recall doing anything with her that could be termed as shameful.

" excuse me, my love for her is pure and I don't regret it ." He said through clenched jaws and turned to walk out of the door.

Shalini's eyes burned in fury, last night he was coming out of pragya's room after finishing off his so called important work and today he was insulting her father! She grabbed his arm and reminded him her position in his life," abhi, don't forget I'm your wife... Mrs. Abhishekh Mehra...that pragya can never have my place and name ." He couldn't treat her like a door mat.

Abhi smiled seeing her getting insecure. The tag of Mrs. Abhishekh Mehra was all that mattered to her, she was only attached to his name and not him.

He jerked his arm to free it from her hold and said calmly," relax, she's only interested in something that you're not. My heart. And no matter what , she'll stay there. Always . "

If she felt threatened by pragya then there was no need to be, she wasn't here to take away her tag. pragya was a giver and her love was beyond all this. He was proud to have found someone like her, in fact he wanted to thank his wife for bringing her in his life. He slipped his hands in his pockets and left the study dropping the thought, she would only get furious!

Thanks for reading

Rose