The principal asked her the reason for returning to India one day earlier. Pragya told him that it's because of her health and she couldn't adjust to the cold weather.
"Students learn from teacher. But it seems teacher learns from students here. You are giving excuses like students."
Pragya was embarrassed. "Never mind. I hope your presentation went well." said the principal focusing on his laptop screen. Pragya replied, "Yes sir".
"OK, we will talk other things at the staff meeting" said principal and Pragya left the room.
Two days later
Pragya returned from college and wondered why Abhi didn't call her and doesn't receive her calls. She reached home only to find it Maa and Daadi in a depressed state. She wondered what happened to them as they didn't even talk to her. Janki Bua took her to kitchen and asked her why she met her father. Pragya was shocked and asked how does she know that. Janki Bua told her that her dad came here and made a big issue. Sarla Maa was standing at the kitchen door. She pulled her to Daadi and told her to ask Pragya why she met him. Pragya tells them what happened. Daadi told that her son said he want to come back to his family and pleaded them. When they ignored him he started shouting and crowd gathered before their house. When Abhi tried to stop him from taunting Sarla, he started accusing Abhi. Poor Abhi, he didn't tell us anything but he left with a sad face.
Pragya asked why was Abhi here. Daadi said "That is not important now. You talk to Abhi. He must be feeling bad". Pragya went to MM. Rachana saw her and told that Abhi went angrily upstairs dew hours ago. She didn't see him after that.
Abhi was boxing ruthlessly.
"I didn't come on my own. Destiny made me meet my daughter. I want to live with my family. I have got enough punishment. I already missed so much years."
"People make mistakes. I will even fall to your feet Maa. Please let me in"
"Sarla your ego is what that's stopping this family's happiness."
"How dare you talk about Maa?"
"Hey, you don't think I don't know anything. You have no rights to accuse me. You married my daughter and had a girlfriend even after marriage, made her pregnant and now you want to marry my daughter again. What makes you better than me? When they can't accept you, why can't they accept me?"
The voices were looping in Abhi's mind. He felt angry beyond limits. He didn't want to show it on anyone so he isolated himself. Finally Pragya found him.
"What are you doing here?", she asked. He said, "Please leave me alone".
"I won't leave you like this. Why are you so much affected by his words? He is not that worthy"
Pragya tried to pacify him. "You don't know what exactly he said. Do you?"
"He said I did the same mistake as him." Pragya didn't let him complete. She pressed his nose. "Don't you ever compare yourself with him. He did a mistake and left us to suffer the consequences. You didn't leave me ever. You were always there for me and my family. You cheated me to some extent but you never betrayed me"
He unpaused. "I am not going to obey you now. How would have you felt when I said I married you for revenge? Isn't that the same pain that Maa would have gone through when she found out about your dad? I didn't love you. I didn't like you. But when I came to know about the MMS, I was in hell. I couldn't digest it. I would have killed Suresh. I felt like you betrayed me. But you came to this house with the expectations that every bride has and then you saw me spending time with Tanu. What would have you been through?"
"Stop this. It was all due to a misunderstanding. You are a good person that's why I started loving you even when you didn't want to be nice with me."
"Stop this", he shouted. She was terrified for a second.
"I am afraid of this. I am afraid of you being so nice. I am afraid of you being so understanding. What if one day you can't bear anymore and burst out? Why do you always be the giver and make me the taker? I feel like I am taking advantage of you. I am tired of being the taker. Please let me speak and don't tell me you didn't feel bad when I did things to you. Talk to me about how you felt. Sometimes past needs to remembered so that we don't repeat the mistakes. I want to know how you felt all those days. I want to feel it. Don't be a good girl and make me the bad guy. Let's either be good girl and good boy or you change to being the bad girl."
Cricket
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