AbhiGya FF - Because you love me - Completed - Page 3

Chapter 3

It was very late into the night. All this while Abhi was silently listening out, for any signs of movement of chashmish next to him. There was none. . Was she even there on his bed? It was hard to believe she was even there in the room. Only he didn't hear the door creak open again, so he knows chashmish is still in his room. He felt strangely factual until now. It's like his brain processed all the information but he didn't emote accordingly. For the first time he was feeling something about the situation. He realized, this is exactly what he wanted - chashmish out, daadi not blaming him for it. And exactly that has happened. He is happy? Right? Isn't he supposed to be ecstatic right now? Then where are these useless drops of warm water pelting out from? His eyes? Impossible! But why? Why is he upset? Isn't he very happy? Then why does he feel so heavy and weary inside? Wait a minute thought Abhi, there must be something wrong with his system. Shucks! He thought to himself, he will stop eating Chinese cuisine from now! Too much of the palate makes a human body as screwed up as the Chinese gadgets! Hmph. But that was a great and original joke he just composed, why isn't it sounding funny to him? He patted his cheeks gently to check if he is fine, also at the same time he was conscious not to move too much lest chashmish finds out. He was very confused, he tried to calm himself down, but these silly tears, they just don't stop. Why? Why Abhi thought in desperation! Why is he crying? Why is he feeling cheated? Why is he feeling hurt? What is hurting him? Maybe the fact that daadi is so much hurt in the process that he is upset. Yes, that must be the reason! After all Abhi could never see daadi hurt.

But if that is what is hurting him, then why does his mind keep going back to the memory of him in jail where Aaliya and his lawyer tells him, he cannot get a bail because his own wife has made a statement against him. The anger, the feeling of being cheated, the...the pain was starting to claw the flesh of his chest. It was not letting him breathe. He was almost letting out a whimper but controlled in the last minute. Chashmish shouldn't know. He cannot let chashmish know that she has had an impact on him. He will not give her any reason to rejoice after what she has done to him. That night, while Abhi slowly gave in to exhaustion and dozed off, there was anger, sadness and cheat in his thoughts, but little did he know, hidden very cleverly among all these feelings, was love.

Abhi awoke next morning when the bright rays of the sun slanted on his face. He lazily opened one eye and checked the time. It was late, he had to be up now. Lazily he stretched and looked at his bedside table. There was no coffee. This irritated him, how can chashmish be so careless? She must be doing her rounds of buttering up daadi for the day thought Abhi testily. But then the entire last night's incident painted itself before him and instinctively he turned around half expecting chashmish to be still in the bed next to him. She wasn't there. Reflex made him walk to their dressing room almost, but ego stopped him. It was chashmish who had wronged him. He hadn't wronged her, then why is he chasing her? She will. But he suddenly needed to take out his white t-shirt urgently from the wardrobe. Even though he would only need it after his shower, but he had to see his t-shirt now! It was urgent! So beating his ego with an excuse, he walked into the dresser and casually took out his t-shirt and slightly peeked into her wardrobe. No, he didn't look! He just happened to casually glance. The wardrobe looked it always did, with her clothes neatly piled. Relieve shot through him. She is there. She has decided to stay, now that she has, and since daadi had said he can't stop her, he was happily sulking that chashmish didn't go. He felt much lighter since morning, happier! He happily played on his head that chashmish still didn't go and will still torment him and his life..what Abhi didn't see was he was upset when he thought Pragya was really gone. Before that thought, even the night before's memory at the police station and the pain had vanished. Now that he was sure chashmish was staying, he was back to getting irritated by her! He also didn't notice, he felt happy getting irritated by her..his chashmish.

Thus Abhi comes out of shower happy and positive, ready to ambush chashmish afresh! What fun!

Rushing down the steps, humming Happy Love' to himself Abhi walks in for breakfast. He is taken aback seeing the gloom there. Daadi was not there for breakfast. Abhi asked Robin if daadi is having breakfast in her room. Robin replies that daadi hasn't opened her door since morning. Abhi felt perplexed. If daadi hadn't opened her door from morning, and chashmish is not in the bedroom neither here for breakfast, where is she? But he needed to see daadi first. Everything else could wait. Abhi knocked daadi's room and after a few knocks daadi replied saying she wishes to be alone. Abhi thought of coaxing her a bit, but then thought better of it and let her be. He thought of checking out on chashmish for the time being. As Abhi skimmed through his entire mansion, after checking every room, his heart beat became a little fast. If her clothes are all in the wardrobe and her books are all stacked in his room, then where is chashmish? Soon Abhi was running across Mehra mansion looking for her but in vain. While checking the store room, Abhi bumped on to Aaliya and asked her about chashmish. He didn't even bother to hide his anxiety before her. Aaliya gazed at Abhi intently for a second before replying that Bulbul had come in the morning and instigated Pragya to leave the house. She told her she has persuaded her mother into accepting Pragya back. So she left with her, without looking back even once.

A - Bhai aap jaane do na usko..kyun itne pareshaan ho rahe ho? Usko jo karna tha usne kar diya aur jab mooh dikhane layek nahin bacha woh chali gayi. Aap kyun tension le rahe ho. Chodo na. Daadi ke barein mein socho. Kitni hurt hogi nah daadi. Bhai Pragya ne aapki daadi ko itna hurt kiya aur aap usko dhoondh rahe ho? Kya ho gaya hain bhai aapko?

Abhi is instigated by Aaliya and he stops searching for her. She feels a pang of pain inside him. Similar to the one he felt all of last night. He felt his eyes burning and this angered him. Since when did he become such a girl? A confused one at that! Who doesn't know why he is crying. Aaliya noticed the change in Abhi's expression after hearing chashmish had left. Silently she cursed Pragya for having such an impact on her brother. She looked at her brother and added that while she followed Bulbul and Pragya out of their house, she saw Purab had come to pick them up. Hate shot through Abhi instantly and suddenly his expression changed. His jaw tightened and his knuckles tightened. Perfect' thought Aaliya, just what she wanted.

As Abhi reeled over the past, flames burned inside him. Chashmish marrying him for money, winning over daadi, making him do her bidding, helping Purab elope, making Aaliya cry in vain and finally hurting him and daadi so bad. Aaliya was right thought Abhi. Chashmish is not worth searching for. She is a deceit from head to toe. Good that she has gone back home to her people. He wished that their paths never cross again - If there was one wish God would never grant to Abhi, it was this one.

Meanwhile deep inside the mansion, inside daadi's room. The old lady was sitting on her four poster bed, staring into space. What she witnessed last night shook her internally. She thought she couldn't be pained further. But in the middle of the night when she saw a dark silhouette of a delicate woman with a very small frame walking away just with a purse in her hand she realized she was wrong. She indeed can be pained more than she was in the evening. Something about the hunched back and defeated posture told daadi Pragya wasn't wrong. In fact she was wronged. If that is the case, she will find out how. And she will only talk to her after getting to the bottom of this matter.

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Tanu had a lot of questions buzzing inside her brain but if only her feather brain knew enough analytics to sort them in order and ask. Instead they just made her hyper and dazed. What a night thought Tanu to herself when she woke up in the morning. She was amazed at how things suddenly turned in her favour without her even putting any effort. Tanu got up happy and bright and decided to meet Abhi. She promised herself that from thereon there will be no looking back and he will not let Abhi ever remember Pragya. Not even to complain.

Today was their day. Tanu and Abhi's day. Like old times, they will spend all the time together and Abhi won't stay irritated because of the "behenji" and her antics. She dressed pretty and she dressed for him. His favourite colour! His favourite perfume and his favourite accessories!

Tanu came into his room to find Abhi working out. Seeing her, Abhi flashes his boyish charming smile and gets flirtatious and coze up to her. He quickly gets ready and decides to spend the day with Tanu. He wanted to relax and when he had a companion like Tanu there was no looking back. Tanu had a great day with Abhi and both were happy.

Abhi returned home and decided that it time he met daadi. Abhi walked into daadi's room and saw she was reading. He went and sat close to her. She looked at him. She wasn't smiling. There was an aura of grief around her. Abhi sensed it and that familiar pang of separation was back inside him. He felt strange. Throughout the day when he was with Tanu he didn't feel this, but now when he is with daadi he felt it again. Being with daadi brought Abhi closer to Pragya and he sensed it. Just he wasn't sure he liked it or not. While he sat next to daadi silently his head on her lap, and daadi gently put her hand over his scalp, a fresh drop of tear fell from both daadi and her Abhi's eyes.

Back in his room Abhi busied himself with his music and his song lyrics and other work. However, once in a while he would shoot a glance at her books.

A week had passed. Tanu was happy that Abhi had so easily gotten over the "behenji" and Aaliya confidently told her that she always had faith in her brother's choice. Aaliya had gone to Australia for a couple of months, for a crash course. Life had a steady flow in the Mehra household. All had settled down well with Pragya's absence. Daadi though ever silent had started leading her regular life. But Abhi consciously avoided daadi's solo company. Not that his love for her had decreased, but daadi's proximity made him uncomfortable. Her stare made him guilty for some reason and also he felt a huge void in his heart when in her presence.

A month down the line, Abhi found his life very monotonous. The same work, the same parties he would attend with Tanu. Then come home to the same dark, empty, lonely room and go to sleep. It was affecting his music, his passion. The monotony lacked inspiration. He was becoming irritable and he missed daadi. One evening he fought with his agitation and went and met daadi. They talked for a while. Again the eerie closeness to Pragya he felt. It was painful to think that it has been a month and she didn't contact him. Not even to say hi'- as for him, why should he? Did he ask her to leave? In fact when Abhi thought about it much later, he realized, that entire night with Pragya, he cried and fretted and hated her, but not for once did he wish that she left. He hated her presence and longed for her in her absence. He wanted to find out about her, but his ego stopped him.

Ever since that day Abhi visited daadi often. It helped him. He was feeling better. But Tanu wasn't happy. Her Abhi was changing. He would spend hours after work with daadi and not her. It was tricky; she didn't know how to handle it. She wished Aaliya was back soon. Abhi on the other hand wasn't realizing that he would go to daadi and spend hours because he felt closer to Pragya that way. He wanted to be close to her. Daadi's presence made him feel that claustrophobic pain inside and it is that very pain that soothed him and calmed him down. It was the closest he could be with Pragya. Soon Abhi was seen looking for excuses to avoid Tanu. Initially he was guilty but later he was past caring. Tanu decided to wait till Aaliya arrived.

Abhi would be absolutely fine when he is among people working, but when he was alone; all he could think of was that night. Pragya's unforgiving eyes, her repeated pleas. He would remember their fun times, her drunken brawl and all the good and bad times they shared. He didn't find tears in his eyes anymore. Just he was accustomed to this heavy feeling in his heart. And in her remembrance Abhi found peace. Chashmish's memories are as strange as her, he thought. Her memories crowded him when he would be alone and abandoned him when he would be in a crowd.

Another month had passed and with each passing day, realization hit Abhi. Chashmish was more important to him than he gave her credit for. He accepted it before himself that he missed her and wanted to know how she was. He had forgiven her for the hurt thinking he has also given her plenty of hard times. Abhi wanted to talk to daadi and consult with her. He wanted her to visit Pragya once and tell her that she has forgiven her. Abhi being the egotist he is was relying on this excuse. He decided he will tell daadi that, he thinks she (daadi) meant a lot to Pragya and she will still be looking for her forgiveness. So now that he has moved on, he wanted to relieve Pragya of the burden too. So daadi should meet her and tell her she is forgiven by her (daadi)

Feeling pleased with his plan, Abhi went to see daadi. He also wanted to get this done urgently; because Aaliya was returning in a few days and he had a feeling she wouldn't like this idea.

The next evening Abhi went to see daadi as usual, after returning from his shoot. Usually they would seldom talk when he came to meet her. He would just lie down with his head on her lap and hum some tune unconsciously and she would just pat his head and continue to read some book or scriptures. Occasionally they spoke. This way Abhi felt his closeness to Pragya and daadi felt his grandson slowly moulding and softening and learning Pragya's value in his life. But today Abhi had a mission. He had to talk daadi into going. He walked into her room very agitated. Daadi was surprised. She tried soothing him and asked him what had happened.

Abhi - Dadi mujhe apse ek request karni hai.

D - Bolna beta

A - Daadi bahaut vakt ho gaya hai uss kisse ko.

D - Kaunsa kissa beta?

A - Daadi woh..woh (he hadn't uttered her name out loud even once in the last 2 months) Pragya wala.

Daadi let out a low sigh and continued

D - toh?

A - Daadi hum sab zindagi mein bahaut aage chale aaye hain. Isiliye mujhe koi shikwe nahin chahiye. Kissi ke andar bhi nahin chahiye. Daadi main jaanti hu ki who aapko bahaut pyaar karti thi. Aapke maafi ka usko aaj bhi intezaar hoga. Daadi please jaiye and usse boliye ki aapne usse maaf kar diya hai. Aur iss bhoj ko aage nahin lete hain apne dil mein.

Daadi stared at Abhi intently for a long time. He stared back holding his breath awaiting her response. He was so close to his chashmish now. Anytime now..anytime...

D - Theek hai, tum bol do mujhe who kahan rehti hai..main jaake usko yeh bol dongi. Usko toh maine ussi din maaf kar diya tha

A - Daadi..kahan rehti hain matlab? Uske apne ghar mein rehti hai, uski parivaar ke saath. Main gari nikalwa du?

Daadi let out a long long sigh. She realized, Abhi never bothered to find out anything about her bahu ever since the fateful day she left. She still saw the ego in his eyes, refusing to accept defeat, refusing to agree that he needs Pragya, that he needs her more than anything else in the world.

D - Beta Pragya ab apne parivaar ke saath nahin rehti hai

Abhi stared blankly at her. He couldn't comprehend, what his daadi was saying? Where did she stay then? Didn't Bulbul come to collect chashmish only after convincing her mother that she can stay with them? Then why was she not with them? And if she was not with them, where was she? Was she doing fine? A thousand questions pounded his head and he felt his head will explode. But he controlled himself and calmly asked daadi about her whereabouts.

D - Uss aadhi raat ko woh aayi thi mere paas. Usne mujhse kuch nahin bola, bhas chupchap meri ashirwaad li aur chali gayi. Aur usko uss tarah se tootke jaate huwe dekhke mujhe samaj aa gaya tha, ki main sahi thi..meri Pragya ne koi galti nahin ki thi. Kuch toh aisa tha jo chupaya ja raha tha. Maine toh usse tabh hi maaf kar di thi

This didn't make sense to Abhi. aadhi raat ko' but wasn't Pragya with him till morning? Didn't Bulbul come to collect her in the morning? Then how did Daadi see her leave in the middle of the night?

Abhi - Daadi phir ab woh kahan rehti hain?

D - Pata nahin

A - Daadi aap ekbar please uski family se ppochke bataenge? Unhe toh pata hoga nah?

D - Unhe toh lagta hai ki jabse unhone usse rishta toda hain, tabse Pragya humare paas hain.

Abhi was shocked beyond his wits. All this while he thought Pragya was at her own home and her family thought she was with him. But where was she in the last two months? He felt nauseated in panic. He was clueless; he absolutely didn't know what to do. He staggered out of daadi's room and went to his own room and shut the door behind him. Then his rational side took over. Daadi is making a mistake. Aaliya herself had seen her go with Bulbul. He thought of calling Bulbul and enquiring. But he feared what he would hear. He thought he will wait for one night. The next day when Aaliya come back home from Australia, he will first clarify from her.

But the night was too long, by morning Abhi decided to first have a word with Bulbul and then consult Aaliya as her flight was arriving in the evening and he didn't want to wait until then.

Abhi waited near Pragya's house for a very long time, hiding behind shops and trees. There was no trace of Pragya. Abhi's worst nightmare started materializing before him - what if something has happened to her? He subdued the thought. Finally he caught Bulbul coming out of their house and going towards a shop. He followed her and when the time was ripe, he pulled her to a corner. Bulbul stared at Abhi. There was shock in her face. What was Abhi doing here? After two whole months? Abhi ignored her stare.

A - Hi Bulbul, mujhe zara tumse baat karna tha. Dekho I know tumhara Pragya di tumhare saath nahin rehte. But tum mujhe please bata sakte ho usko lekar tumne kahan rakha hain? This is very important.

It was Bulbul's turn to get shocked.

B - Jiju,maine kab di ko laya tha aap ke wahan se. Di toh aapke paas hain nah? Meri di? Jiju kahan hain woh? Di theek toh hain nah?

Abhi understood seeing the horror in her eyes that she was speaking the truth. The heavy metal was now sinking inside him. No one knew where his chashmish was. For him, it was truly that day he felt that he had lost her. His chashmish was lost forever.