Chapter 9
Tandon House, ½ hour later.
Shagun knocked on the door of Pragya’s room and asked “Ma’am, mushroom curry bhi bana doon?”
“Nahi, mushroom inhe...” Pragya said, “… Purab… Purab bhi aa raha hai na, usey pasand nahi hai.”
“Toh Ma’am, aur kuch?” Shagun asked.
“Aa jao mein dekhti hoon.” Pragya said and walked out of the room. Shagun followed her.
The door bell rang as they walked down the stairs. Shagun opened the door. It was Purab and a delivery boy.
Purab walked into the hall and noticed Abhi sitting on the sofa, sleeping with his head resting on his palm. He sat besides Abhi and patted on his thigh, waking him up, as Pragya waited for Shagun to arrive with the delivery box.
“Ma’am, ye designer ne bheje hein” Shagun said.
“Sir ko dena” Pragya said, and looked at Abhi and said “Thode kapde hein aapke liye. Subah mangvaye they. Pasand na aaye to keh dena, exchange kar lenge.”
Shagun gave the box to Abhi, who tried to open it. He picked up a knife placed on the fruit basket on the teapoy and started to tear the sealing of the box.
Purab said, “Di, ek chai?”
Pragya nodded and said “Bhijvati hoon” and turned to walk towards the kitchen as Abhi hurt his finger with the knife and yelled out.
Pragya turned around and said “Yeh kyaa hai aap…dekh ke nahi kar sakte?” and held his finger, brought it near her mouth… but stopped. After a long pause she cleaned the drop of blood with her finger and said “First aid box bhijvati hoon” and walked towards the kitchen as Shagun followed her.
Shagun came back with the first aid box and Purab took some cotton and dabbed Abhi’s finger.
As Shagun walked back to the kitchen, Abhi asked, “Kuch pata chala?”
“Kya?” Purab asked.
“Arey, tu teri Di ko ghar le gaya tha” Abhi said, “kuch to baat huvi hogi na. Bas ghar dikhane to tu nahi leke jayega”.
Purab nodded. “Scene complicated hai” he said, “and honestly, jo doubt Di ko hai who mujhe bhi hai.”
“Kaisa doubt?” Abhi aksed.
“Bolta hoon.” Purab said, “pehle mein thoda woh process to kar loon.”
Pragya added cinnamon and cardamom into the boiling coffee as Shagun was preparing tea on another.
“Ma’am” Shagun said, “ek baat poochoon?”
“Haan poocho na Shagun.” Pragya replied.
“Yeh Abhi sir, aapke husband hein na?” Shagun asked.
Pragya stirred the coffee and after a while looked at Shagun and nodded a yes.
“Aur unhe mushroom pasand nahi hai na?” Shagun asked.
Pragya stared at her and Shagun said “Sorry Ma’am”.
“It’s Ok.” Pragya said, “Ye coffee aur chai unhe dedo” and poured the coffee onto a cup.
Shagun walked out of the kitchen with a tray and gave Purab tea and Abhi, coffee. She left some snacks on the teapoy and went back towards the kitchen.
Abhi had a sip of the coffee and relished it. “Ye Pragya ne banayi hai” he smiled as he looked at Purab. Purab had a sip of tea and said, “Lekin Di ne aaj mere saath bhed bhav kiya.”
“Woh kaise?” Abhi asked.
“Tere liye coffee banayi. Ye chai Di ne nahi banayi hai”.
Abhi gave him a sheepish smile.
Purab smiled back and noticed Pragya walking out of the kitchen.
She came towards them and said “Woh… mujhe thoda kaam hai, toh… ek do ghante ke liye mein busy rahoongi. Aapko kuch chahiye to Shagun ko bol dena”.
Abhi nodded and so did Purab. She smiled back nervously, “Woh… haath…aapka haath… ab theek hai?” she asked.
Abhi nodded and smiled.
“Theek hai” she said and after a brief moment of hesitation asked “Aaj teen talents ka audition ho raha hai. Normally mein finalise karti hoon. Director unke audio clips bhejenge… aap sun sakte hein?”
“Yes…” Abhi said, “But after you have listened to them.”
“Ok…” she said and after a bit of hesitation said, “Theek hai” and walked towards her room.
When she went away from their sight, Purab said, “Kya soch rahe ho?”
“Tera business kaise chal raha hai ab?” Abhi asked.
Purab smiled and siad, “Tu aur Di na… mann me kuch aur chalta rahega, bolenge kuch aur. Baat nikalvani padti hai.” He sighed and continued “Chalo… yehi sahi.”
“Arey poocha to tha tujhe” Abhi said, “tu hi bol raha tha na, ‘process’ karna hai. ho gaya tera ‘process’?”
Purab smiled and nodded.
He said, “Yaha aane tak Di tujhse naraz thi…sirf naraz nahi, nafrat bhi karti thi”.
A surprised Abhi looked at him. “Nafrat?” he asked.
“Haan, Nafrat.” he said, “aur unki yeh nafrat jo hai woh jaayaz tha”.
“woh kaise?” Abhi asked.
“Batata hoon.” Purab said, “par is se pehle mujhe kuch baat jaan-ni thi.”
“Tune mujhse kaha tha ki aakhri baar Di se teri baat mandir me hui thi.” Purab said, “Tu ye bata ki uske baad tune kya kiya? Aur detail me bata.”
“Mein maindir se bahar nikla, seedhiyon se neeche aaya, chappal pehna, compound me...” Abhi said.
“Arey...kya kar raha hai yaar!” Purab asked.
“Tune hi to kaha detail me bata.” Abhi said, “to mein detail me bata raha hoon na.”
“Utna bhi detail nahi” Purab said.
“Nahi… bolunga to full detail me hi” Abhi said.
“Achcha chal, bol” Purab said.
“Haan to mein mandir se bahar nikla, seedhiyon se neeche aaya, chappal pehna, compound me aaya,” Abhi said, “Car khola, baith gaya, ignition …”
“Car kholne se pehle kuch nahi kiya na?” Purab asked.
“Kiya na… Chabi lee pocket se, Thanks poochne ke liye.”
“Hmm... Di ki gadi dikhi?” Purab asked.
“Haan woh road ke us tarf thi.” Abhi said.
“Unki gaadi ke aas paas kisi ko dekha tha?” Purab asked.
“Kyu re?” Abhi asked.
“Kisi ne Di ki gaadi ki break fail ki thi” Purab said, “Woh accident nahi tha… kisi ne unhe maarne ki koshish ki thi, unki break fail karvake.”
“Woh Tanu hi hogi…”Abhi said.
“Alia bhi” Purab said.
“Alia?” Abhi asked, “But Alia to us time Pragya ko support kar rahi thi.”
Purab smiled, “Alia… aur Di ko support?’ Purab said, and continued “Tere saath jo kiya uske baad bhi tu yeh maanta hai?”
Abhi agreed.
“Par baat idhar nahi rukti. Aur bhi kuch hai.” Purab said.
“Kya?” Abhi asked.
“Di us accident se bach to gayi par un logon ne shayad aisa kuch kiya hai jis se ki Di toot chuki thi.” Purab said.
“Kya?” Abhi asked.
“Tu pehle mujhe ye bata” Purab said, “Ghar aane ke baad tune kya kiya? And… this is serious, so is baar mazak mat kar.”
“Pehle bhi mein serious hi tha” Abhi said.
“Haan” Purab said, “Pata hai mujhe. Ab bata.”
“Ghar aane baad mein Rhea ko milne gaya. Woh soyi hui thi. Doctor chala gaya tha.” Abhi said, “Phir mein mere room me gaya. Ghusse me tha toh had a drink.”
“Nahi” Purab interrupted, “Sorry… thoda details chahiye.”
“Abe tu hi to bola na detail me mat ja, mazak mat kar. Ab kya?” Abhi said.
“Sorry...” Purab said “Ab detail me bol”.
“Haan… ghar aane ke baad mein Rhea ko milne gaya”.
“Koi aur tha wahan par?” Purab said.
“Haan … woh Tanu aur Alia.” Abhi said.
“Aur Rhea so rahi thi.” Purab said, “Koi phone aaya?”
“Pragya ne phone kiya tha.” Abhi said, “par mein ghusse me tha toh uthaya nahi.”
“Uthana chahiye tha…” Purab said, “any ways, baadme?”
“Baadme mein mere room me gaya” Abhi said, “Kapde badle aur piya”.
“Di ne wapas koi phone kiya tha?” Purab asked.
“Nahi… uske baad to bas kal dikhi.” Abhi said.
“Tera phone kahan tha?” Purab asked, “Tere paas, ya tu usey Rhea ke kamre me choddke aaya tha?”
“Arey mera phone to mere paas hi rahega na?” Abhi said.
“Really?” Purab asked. “Barabar yaad hai tujhe? Ya phir aisa bhi hai kya ki Tanu aur Alia bhi tere saath tere kamre me aaye the?”
“Nahi mein akela tha.” Abhi said, “In fact darwaja band kar diya tha maine. 2-3 ghante ke baad hi khola tha, jab Aryan ne bulaya.”
“To phone tere paas tha ki nahi?” Purab asked.
“Oh nahi...” Abhi said, “kyun ki, Aryan ne jab bola ki Pragya wapas nahi aayi aur uska pata nahi hai toh mein phone dhoond raha tha … mujhe Rhea ke kamre me mila.”
“To tu tere kamre me phone nahi leke gaya tha” Purab said.
Abhi nodded a yes.
“I knew it” Purab said and got up. He asked Abhi to get up too and hugged him and said, “Thanks bhai… Thanks… Tu nahi jaanta tune kitna bada doubt mere mann se nikal diya.”
“Kya hua?”Abhi asked.
Purab said, “Ab mujhe pata chala ki Di ke saath kya hua tha.”
“Kya?” Abhi asked.
“Alia aur Tanu ne bohot bada game khela hai” Purab said, “Bohot bada… aur Di ko itne bure tareeke se gumraah kiya hai ki … kya batavu…”
Abhi looked on.
“Bas ab sirf ye jaan na hai ki kis kis ne kya kya kiya.” Purab said.
Purab saw Sushma walking downstairs. He walked towards her and said, “Sushmaji, Mujhe pata chal gaya kya hua tha us din PragyaDi ke saath”.
Pragya’s room: A couple of hours later
“And ma’am… just one more thing” her secretary said, “You really look happy today. Good to see you like this”.
“Oh...Thank you” Pragya said, “and have a nice weekend” and called off the video meeting.
She stared at the screen of her laptop. ‘I look happy?’ she thought. She realised she was. She had slept peacefully since what felt like ages. That felt like heaven.
‘Par ye?’
That familiar pain that came with the thought of Abhi creeped up her spine. She wanted to believe he was innocent, that he didn’t know anything. She wanted to give him the benefit of doubt. She knew that’s what she wanted to do deep down. ‘but it was him who did it and he said it himself. And why am I even thinking this?’.
She shrugged off these thoughts and got up to and walked towards Abhi’s room. He wasn’t there. She walked towards Sushma’s room. She wasn’t there either. She walked towards the stairs and looked down and was surprised to see no one.
“Shagun” she called out.
“Ji Ma’am” she heard Shagun say as she came out of the kitchen.
“Ji Ma’am” Shagun said again, looking up at Pragya.
“Ye… yani Sushma aunty kahan hai?” Pragya asked.
“Ma’am, Sushma Ma’am Abhi Sir ke saath kahin gayi hai.” Shagun replied.
Pragya was surprised to hear that. “Kahaan? Kuch bataya?” Pragya asked.
“Nahi ma’am” Shagun replied.
“Aur Purab” Pragya asked.
“Ji Purab Sir shayad apne ghar gaye hein.” Shagun said.
“Theek hai… woh wapas aaye to bata dena.” Pragya said and turned to walk towards her room, but heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She looked down and found a startled Shagun.
“Woh … Sorry ma’am” Shagun said “Shayad koi … plate ... plate gir gaya”.
“Theek hai” Pragya said and walked towards her room.
She felt odd that Sushma and Abhi went out. She hoped Sushma doesn’t ask anything to Abhi. ‘Somehow, Purab would be better’ she thought, ‘if someone else was to talk to him.’
She thought about calling up Sushma, but felt it would be inappropriate. But she felt restless and decided to call her up. Shagun entered her room with a jug of water and placed it on the side table. Pragya walked towards the window and rang up Sushma but the call was not received. It tensed her up a bit but she heard her phone ring. It was Sushma’s call.
“Hello Aunty.” she asked, “Kahan hai aap?”
“Hum bahar aaye huve hai” Abhi said.
“Aap?” she asked, and after a pause, continued, “Kahan?”
“Bahar” he said.
“Bahar yani kahan?” she asked.
“Kamaal hai yaar” he said, “ab sab tumhe bolke jaavu kya?”
“Achcha… Sushma aunty kahan hai, Unhe phone deejiye” she said.
“Woh mere saath hai aur mein phone kyun doon?” he asked.
“Aap aise kyun baat kar rahe hein? Sushma aunty ko phone dijiye na.” She said.
“Unse tum baat nahi kar sakti” he said,
“Kya?” she asked and continued, “dekhiye aap mazak mat kijiye… unke medicines ka time hua hai.. lunch bhi ready hai… aap jald hi wapas aajayiye.”
“Nahi aaya to?” he said.
She felt that creepy sensation again crawling up her spine, “Yani?” She asked.
“Sushmaji ne tumhe bachaya tha na?” he said, “unke saath milkar hi tumne mujhe aur mere parivaar ko barbaad ki hai na? Unke help se hi tum meri Alia aur meri Tanu ko pareshaan karti rahi ho na. Unhe iski sazaa mein doonga”.
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Edited by Adiandsid - 3 years ago
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