Hi guys... Thank you for the wonderful comments and all the likes! As I say every time they mean a lot!😃
So Chapter 04 is here... Enjoy!😉
Happy Reading!
❤️
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The Turning Point
Chapter 04
"I have got to take control!"
Pragya assured herself for the hundredth time. I can't let this emptiness control my life anymore! I have been home for two days now! But I can't just sit around and keep on crying everyday now, can I? It was just a phase Pragya! A very bad phase of your life! But now it is all over! You are back home with your family! Ma, Bulbul, Daadi... You know how worried they are for you right? They love you so much and they can't see you broken any more! So, go back to your old life! Then all will be as it was once...
Well, all will be almost well! Only if Abhi gets to know my truth... I wouldn't want anything else... No, I don't want him to take me back again or anything like that at all... It won't happen ever! And it should not have happened at all in the first place! This whole marriage was a mistake! We never matched anyway... But still it's just that once...just once if he gets to know that I am not a gold digger who wanted nothing but his money... Oh! How it bothers me still! I think a little part of me died every time he called me a gold digger...
But you can't really blame him now Pragya... Can you? He was under a misconception... Otherwise he is not that bad... I mean look at the way he treats his family... They are everything to him... And the way he composes his songs! He really loves what he is doing... Haan! He makes such bakwaas songs... But it appeals to people... And it makes him happy...
Oh Pragya! STOP! You have got to stop doing this... Stop thinking of him so much... It is over... Now get on with your life! Take control... Focus! Focus! Maybe I can go back to teaching... Haan...Suresh was telling me about this vacant lecture post at his new college... Maybe I can talk to him and see... Yaa that would be good! Haan... I will talk to Abhi's Double battery first thing tomorrow... Double battery? Seriously who names people just like that! How does he do that every time? Kabhi Double battery, Kabhi Chashmish... Paagal...
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Three days! This has been going on for three days now! Ever since Chashmish left me and went away, this Tannu has never let me be! Abhi thought as he pretended to sip his drink.
Seriously man! She is leaving me no space to breathe! 'The Rockstar Abhi' making excuses to get away from his own girlfriend! Huh! What days man! And as if that is not enough... Now he has to stand here and show her that he is having a drink! I used to enjoy so much in this club... But now... I am seriously feeling suffocated here man! God... She is looking around... If I turn around now she won't see me... Oh shit! She saw me... Okay Abhi beta Act cool! Just raise your glass and smile... Okay done! What the hell! She is signalling me to hurry up! I left her for 5 minutes and now she is telling me to hurry up! That is it! Just nod and turn around Abhi!
Phew! As he finally got rid of her, his eyes landed on a girl dancing close by. Ha... Now look at her... She just dances like... Haan just like my Chashmish! Drunk Paagal Chashmish! Abhi felt corners of his mouth twitch as it formed a smile, while memories of his talli Chashmish flashed before his eyes... She looked so carefree that day... And so beautiful...
"Abhi!" Tannu's angry voice brought him back to present.
"Why are you staring at that girl? What is wrong with you Abhi! I am waiting there for you and here you are sipping your drink staring at another girl, in front of me? Your own girlfriend?"
"Tannu! Tannu! TANNU! Chill! No need to get so hyper... I was just thinking doesn't she look like Chashmish? I mean look at the way she dances... Why? Why are you frowning?"
"That girl reminds you of Chashmish! Abhi she is gone! Just forget her! Every day you keep on finding people who look like Chashmish! First someone was frowning like her, then someone was smiling like her, then someone was walking like her... And yesterday you told someone was sitting like her! And today this! Abhi seriously what is going on! I really don't like this and it has to stop! Right now!"
"But Tannu you don't get the point! See, she does look like Chashmish! See..."
"Oh! Shut up Abhi! Let's just leave! We will come back tomorrow!"
Tomorrow also? Same torture! God!
"Err... Nahi Tannu! Not tomorrow... I am going for an Ad shoot tomorrow... I won't be here for 4 days..."
"But you have that Ad shoot in another 2 days right? So why are you leaving tomorrow? Anyway if you want to go that's okay... I will just pack after going home..."
"NO! I mean no... You can't come with me because... Because... Haan because it won't look good if Daadi gets to know right? And Aaliyah is also not here... So you won't be able to use that excuse also... So let's do like this... I will go for the ad shoot alone then when I come back we can go somewhere right? Okay! Now come and give me a hug... I am going to miss you so much..."
Mission accomplished! Finally, some peace at last! But how can she not see Chashmish dances just like that... Her hair bouncing all over face as she danced all around their room... Her imitation of the DJ... Paagal...
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"Saari raat hum machanyenge shor
Party like, Do it like a Rockstar
Hum pe hain na kisi ki zor
Party like, Do it like a Rockstar..."
Abhishek ka gaana! Pragya found her feet carrying her across the room towards the radio in the hallway...
"Love love happy..."
The song ended abruptly and Pragya stopped on her tracks seeing her Ma switching off the radio angrily. She quickly retreated back to her room before Ma caught her.
Pragya it has been 5 days! Get it over with already... You never liked his songs remember? So why now? Why are you so desperate to hear such meaningless songs? You are going mad... It is all because of just sitting here and doing nothing... But now you got a new job... And from next week you will start working again... You will do what you love... You will meet new people again! Yaa that will be good for you... Then you will be okay... Haan... Just few days more...
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Finally he is home! Everybody must be sleeping... Thought Abhi as he got off from the car and started towards home... Good! Very good! I just don't want to run into either Daadi or Aaliyah at the moment! I just want to get into my room and lock the door before anyone catches me!
Huh! How ironical! Till last week all he wanted was to run away from that room and Daadi and Aaliyah had been the first people he sorted out to spend his time with... But now after Chashmish has left everything has changed... Now he prefers solitude! Rockstar Abhi and solitude! But he didn't have a choice now did he? One was trying to make him open up about his Chashmish while the other was trying to completely shut off his Chashmish! And he didn't like doing either! He just wants to go to his room and stay there forever... And I am going to do just that... Thought Abhi as he opened the door to his room and switched on the lights.
"Aargh..." Abhi screamed as soon as his eyes fell upon the sleeping figure on his sofa, awakening her with a start.
"Oh Daadi! What are you doing here! Sitting here in darkness! You know how scared I was... God!" Abhi muttered angrily as his erratic pulse turned back in to its normal pace.
"You tell me! Have you left me any choice? I have been trying to talk to you for one week now and you just make excuses and run away... So, I was left with no choice but to come and sit here until you finally come!"
"Arrey Daadi... Aise koi baath nahi... Why would I want to run away from you? It was just that I was so busy with all these shoots and everything... I really didn't have time..."
"Really! So that is the reason? Pakka? Because you see, here I was thinking that may be... You know just may be you are trying to avoid me because I have been trying to talk to you about Pragya..."
"Nahi Daadi... Aise koi baath nahi... And anyway there is nothing to talk about her anymore Daadi... She left right? So it's all over now..."
"All over? Really Abhi! All over? How can you even think like that! You two are married to each other and it is no joke! Do you understand? Every couple go through problems... But that doesn't mean it is the end of the relationship. You just have to be calm and solve the problems..."
"Huh... You know what Daadi now you are telling me all this! But what did YOU do when she was leaving the house? Haan? What did you do? You just stood there and let her go Daadi! YOU let her go! And now... Daadi! Daadi now you are smiling! Why are you smiling?"
"Arrey mera Buddhu Ram! So this is why you are avoiding me? You don't like me talking to you about Bahu because you think I was the one who didn't stop her in the first place?"
"Nahi... Nothing like that Daadi..."
"Hmm... Whatever you do Abhi I know you well. So you think I should have stopped Bahu leaving home? But why should I do that?"
"Daadi what are you telling? If you would have asked she would have definitely stopped... She listens to you and won't say no to you I know that... If you would have just asked her once Daadi..."
"Abhi! But why me! You were there too! You could have asked... But you didn't ask... Why! It is true that I love Pragya as my own child... But Abhi rishta? Our relationship is based on you only... haina? If she is related to this house, it is because she is your wife... So in that sense you should have asked her to stay back... You should have gone to her and try to solve the problems instead of going out like this and working day and night... Now come and sit here... Oh ho let go off your anger and Come!"
Abhi reluctantly came and sat in the furthest corner of the sofa trying to maintain distance from Daadi. Abhi and his nakare! But today she would not let any of his antics stop her. She will make him understand today and will do whatever it takes!
"Abhi... Talk to me... What went wrong? And don't deny! I know something was definitely wrong! You might think I don't know anything but I do know that there are problems between you and Pragya... And I know Aaliyah is involved too. Don't look so surprised Abhi! I am your Daadi... You two grew up right in front of my eyes... I know you two more than anyone else does... So now will you tell me or shall I go out and find on my own... Haan because I can do that beta... But I will like it very much if you told me yourself... So will you tell me?"
"Daadi... It's just that it is so complicated! I don't even want to think about all this because even that thought is enough to give me headaches... I can tell you only this Daadi... And promise me you won't panic after hearing this... Please... Promise? Okay... Daadi Pragya is not the kind of girl you think her to be Daadi! Please Daadi before you say anything just hear me out...please... Pragya is not the kind of girl you think her to be Daadi and I have seen this for myself... But still I didn't complain... But then when Aaliyah's wedding got cancelled because of her I just couldn't take it anymore Daadi... But still I didn't say anything for her ma's sake... But I knew... I always knew Daadi this is not going to work out... This whole marriage was a mistake..."
Daadi felt tears running down her face but she didn't wipe them away as the gravity of the problem finally dawned upon her. So I was right. Abhi still holds Pragya responsible for Purab's running away... He said sorry just to pacify me! I don't know what he did to Pragya if he was still under a misunderstanding... Because I know... I know he would not let anyone get away for hurting Aaliyah... It has been a month since Aaliyah's wedding... And all this time they were pretending to be happy? All that was a lie? But they were in love right? So did that all mean nothing in front of that one misunderstanding? Oh was that a lie as well? No No...They were happy... I saw for myself... Sab teek tha...
"Yaha kuch teek nahi hai"
Daadi recalled Pragya's repeated words during Aaliyah's mehendi ceremony... Was she telling about all this then? She kept on telling that to me... To Sarala... Pragya was drunk that day right? So she might have just told all that? But then she pointed at Aaliyah too... She told how bad she is or something like that... Then she told some nonsensical story about some people getting married and Abhi came and took her away... Abhi! He took her away... Was he trying to stop her from telling me that story?
Telling me about... No... Telling me about how Abhi ill treats her? No the word was torture! She told torture! Abhi? Nahi... Kabhi nahi... Kabhi bhi nahi... But for Aaliyah... But by then Purab was going to get married to Aaliyah... So then why will Abhi do such a thing? Or is there more to this than Abhi is letting me know? Woh sach mein Pragya ko torture... Nahi... I can't think like this... It can't be... I know Abhi... Haan... I know him...
But what Pragya told... Could it be the truth? Torture... Memories of Pragya falling onto the ground once, twice, thrice flashed before her eyes... Then engagement ring fiasco... Pragya drinking juice spiked by Abhi... Abhi! Oh Abhi! What have you done! What have you... Daadi felt darkness closing in on her as her eyes closed shut...
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Note - Some of you have been requesting me for PMs on the updates. If you want a PM on the next update just let me know.😊
Oh and a quick apology for not making AbhiGya meet, wanted to save it till later.. but it will be soon..😉
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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