Hello lovelies! I always keep a promise! So here is part 2 for you! First thing in the morning!
I hope you like it as much as I liked to write it! Please hit like or drop in a word if you like it. Loads of love to all and happy reading!
Part 2
His words slowly sank in. For a moment I was brain-dead, I don't remember if I said anything to him or not, all I could register was his agitated expression, and felt an unknown hate coming from him, maybe I could also make out a smirk coming from Tanu from the corner of my eyes, but that wasn't important now. Nothing was, the game was over. I had lost the truest love of my life - Abhi. I was over. I saw him turning around to leave with such a fierce finality in his gait that my heart wanted to stop him at any cost.
"Suniye.." it escaped me, before I could filter my cry. I saw him stop abruptly, I felt warm inside for a moment, that word, that I used to refer to him - I hadn't used it even once after my return, and the visible flinch in his body confirmed that he missed hearing it as much as I missed using it. He turned around, and looked at the floor - the fact that he wasn't even looking me in the eye - it stung bad. It was the last blow, and I had mentally crippled after that. I could feel my body and brain going on auto-pilot and making enquires that didn't interest me the least, I felt oddly detached from my brain, that guided my mouth to ask the mandatory questions like, why? when? how? where did you get the money from? where was the marriage certificate? etc.
***
As she bombarded questions on me a bit breathlessly, somewhere, it made me happy; I could see the Fuggy ebbing out of this money machine who stood in front of me. She was still there al-right, inside this devil woman, the deal was to make her win over this side of Pragya, the deal was to bring her out.
"I know you wouldn't give us the money to get married lavishly or even simply. I also knew you didn't want me to get married before the launch of my new album, because you feel it will cause loss in my album sales - but how could you stop me if I wanted to marry Tanu? I took her to a temple and had a simple wedding" I finished.
"Where is your marriage certificate?" she asked expressionlessly, still clutching the tea cup like her life depended on it.
"As I said, we went to a temple, registration takes time, we have applied for registering our marriage but the date is a month later - we didn't want to wait because Tanu would start showing by then, hence we did the temple wedding first" I replied a bit too fast and never meeting her eyes. I don't know why, but I could feel her disintegrating to pieces, standing right there in front of me. I dearly wished that she showed even one sign of what she was internally going through, one weak move and I would be able to pull Fuggy out of her, and then I would be done with this charade of being married to Tanu. But she was way stronger than I ever gave her credit for. She pursed her lip and didn't say a word.
I don't know why but at this point, Tanu felt the need to open her mouth, "You see Pragya, how much ever you try to separate us, true love finds a way!" she sneered. Her comment was the last straw, Pragya's head shot up at her with blood red eyes, the way she looked at her, it even intimidated me for a moment.
"Leave. Now." She told her in the most eerily soft and dangerous voice and advanced towards her with murder in her eyes. Tanu didn't need to be told twice, she turned around and ran for life.
Then her gaze turned to me. The choler in her eyes changed to tenderness and then to agony. I fisted my palms in the depth of my pocket, to stop myself from reaching out to her. "It was that easy?" she asked softly, and then came pouring her tears. I needed to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying anything that would change the game. My Fuggy was so close to me now. So so close. I took a deep breath and replied, "Yes. Ms. Pragya Arora"
***
"Ms. Pragya Arora", never until now did my name sound more like an abuse to me. I hated it. I denied it. It wasn't me. I was Mrs. Pragya Abhishek Mehra, and that's who I wanted to be for the rest of my life, but was that ever possible again? I questioned myself as tears came pouring out of the destroyed mess that was my soul - but then, much to my amazement, I actually had answer to that question of mine - and the answer was yes! Yes, it was possible to be Mrs. Pragya Abhishek Mehra again - possible indeed! In fact I still was that! And with a hail and hearty Mrs. Pragya Abhishek Mehra moving around the face of this earth, Ms. Tanushree Mehta couldn't ever be Mrs. Tanushree Abhishek Mehra, whether they have a temple wedding or not.
I turned to look at Abhi. He was looking at me with baited breath, as if he was waiting for something - maybe for me to break down? Or maybe for me to give out something that would convince him that Fuggy still was alive somewhere within me - a part of me wanted to give him a sign, but the wife in me relented - it was my duty as his wife, to protect him and his interest - when he had put that vermillion on my head on our wedding night, and numerous occasion thereafter, thereon the universe and infested this right on me - to be with him and safeguard his interest, come what may - to go against him if need be, for his own good - and I will fulfil my duty as wife to him no matter what - I told myself.
I smiled maliciously at him, and he looked surprised at my reaction, "No Mr. Mehra, you may think it is easy, but it is not. I am still your lawfully wedded wife, and as long as I am alive, any other wedding of yours will be deemed null and void. Hence registry marriage of temple wedding, it doesn't stand true and Tanu isnt your wife." I almost grinned in relief and satisfaction.
"But I did sign the divorce petition and you did too, and it was sent---" he stuttered hopelessly confused.
"No dearest husband, it wasn't the divorce deed that you had signed, it was the property papers transferring properties to my name - hence, how much ever painful this news maybe to you, but you're still my husband. So move your things and yourself back to my room before leaving for office today" I said smugly and walked out of the room. Once outside, I breathed a sigh of relief, it was one close call, I had almost lost everything in a jiffy, I decided to have a word with daadi and convince her to add even Abhi in our plan - it was high time.
***
I stared at the door that knocked shut after she left the room. I didn't know whether to feel infuriated that my plan of a fake wedding with Tanu failed to work or feel happy at the fact that I was wrong all this while, Fuggy and I were never divorced at all? I did feel annoyed thinking of the two painful nights I had to spend with Tanu, after convincing her to help me put up this charade, ( I convinced her that if Pragya could be surprised with something like this, she might falter and let a few things slip that might help us. I had even promised her, that if nothing worked we would eventually go to a temple and get married) - but to think I did all this and endured Tanu for fruitless results? I huffed in anger and walked back to Tanu's room to inform her of mission failure.
But I can't help feeling I had seen Fuggy today, and she was for a moment strong enough to overpower the "Nayi Pragya". A few more similar doses until Fuggy comes back to me, I thought as I whistled across the corridor to the other room to move my things back to our room. Aah after two whole nights I will be able to look at her beautiful sleeping face for as long as I want and pretend to myself that she is my Fuggy, and she is back.
THE END :)
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
622