AbhiGya FF - Because you love me - Completed - Page 5

Chapter 5

As Pragya went to bed that night her head was floating with the conversation she had with Suresh right now. Suresh had earlier found out through Rachna that BB has come to know about her absence from the Mehra house and was on her lookout. The thought of a troubled BB did upset her, but now there was no going back. So, the moment Suresh told her the night before, that he was almost caught by A - no "him" talking to her over the phone, she knew it. She knew it that her little Sherlock wouldn't let go of this information so easily. She will do her bit of snooping around to find her di, thought Pragya affectionately. That is why she had made Suresh practise his little lie, that he didn't know Pragya's whereabouts, so profusely all night! But when Suresh told her BB's last request to Suresh, only then Pragya realized how desperate her sister was to find her. Tears rolled down her eyes after a very long time. She hadn't prepared Suresh for this lie, she knew it that Suresh must have opened his mouth. But to her surprise, Suresh didn't tell on her and told her about the book. Pragya was amazed at the simplistic brilliance of his action. Then she smiled to herself, there was no way in the world that her BB will know the meaning of "jnapti"- BB's vocabulary of hindi was horrible since childhood, so she will never be able to make that connection, thought Pragya fondly.

As she got ready to go to bed, she remembered to not lock the door to her hostel room that night, she knew the term break was over and all students were returning the next morning, including her little monkey Aman - who will be very annoyed if he came barging to her door and found it locked. The thought of his non-stop chattering, and mischiefs made Pragya smile. Her life will not be dull from tomorrow again, her Aman was returning!

Many a times Pragya had dreams of Abhi, she would wake up next morning, not particularly remembering the story of the dream but she would clearly remember seeing his face...this would annoy her. She could control her conscious mind, but the unconscious mind? Why did it keep thinking of "him"? However todays dream was different, almost real! - She never liked his songs, then why on earth is he singing in her dreams too? That too in such a childlike voice? Wait, is she dreaming or is she awake? This seems too real to be a dream. Pragya awoke with a start - something was bouncing on her bed, no, not thing, someone, Pragya adjusted her glass to notice it was her "shaitan" Aman! Pragya started laughing in her sleepy state at the child's spontaneous behaviour! Then she realized what Aman was upto - he was dancing on her bed!

P - Beta aap yeh kya kar rahe ho? (What are you doing?) - laughing hard

Aman - Happy Happy Love Love

P - Yeh kya bol rahe ho? (What are you saying?)

A - Happy Love! Love, love! Love, love, Happy Love - Do it like a rockstar!

Pragya froze when understanding dawned! Her Aman was dancing and singing to " his" song! But Aman never sang these songs, what had happened? -

Her thoughts were interrupted by more verses of Happy Love coming from Aman.

--- The song irritated her, but Aman's antics amused her at the same time. She realized at least for the next few days. Happy Love was what she has to hear from him. Then she turned towards Aman and looked at him more carefully (he was singing and dancing to the song lost in his world on Pragya's bed) - He was wearing denims ripped off at the knee, a V-necked t-shirt bearing the Superman logo, and a leather jacket. It looked like he tried very hard to mess-up his hair and the best part - there was a thread hanging from his neck at the bottom of which he pasted two square cut papers one after the other - he used a blue sketch pen to paint one paper and red on the other - those were his dog tags!

Pragya lay down on her bed laughing, she hadn't laughed so hard in ages - Aman was truly her adorable monkey. Once he stopped singing (when Pragya showed him a can of Coke she bought for him), he enthusiastically told her he had visited a rock concert this vacation and asked Pragya to guess who he saw - Pragya, just by seeing his little hippie could guess, but pretended to be curious.

A - Pragya Mam, I saw Abhi the rockstar!

And again he started singing the song to himself.

Pragya just let him continue and went ahead to get ready for her day. But she was still laughing at Aman's dogtags. Such a strange child he was.

A week has passed but Aman's constant chanting of Happy Love hasn't. Pragya knew after the hostel dinner her baby rockstar was sure to visit her! It was Sunday today - that meant ice-cream after dinner with Pragya mam. Aman came after dinner - unlike other children, he never knocked. And he took it offensively if her door was locked. He would just run inside and not stop till she bumped into Pragya first and then hug her! And it was mandatory for Pragya to be surprised at this! Today as usual he bumped into her and they hugged, and a surprised Pragya said, "Arre mera bachcha aa gaya?"- "Main rockstar!"was the excited reply! Aman then started taking something out of his bag. Pragya enquired what it was and he responded it was a gift for her. A surprised Pragya waited as Aman produced a piece of paper and gave it to her. Pragya took it and read. It said,

"Keep Smiling! Love always - Abhi"

Pragya stood like a statue; she was numb and didn't know how to react. Aman kept saying something from next to her, something like - I got an autograph, just for you Pragya mam! You liked it nah? - Aman kept tugging on her hand and her trance broke - huh? Haan - she stammered. It was just a casual autograph she thought. Slowly that irritation was coming back - a part of her wanted to tear the paper into shreds, but she knew that it was the greatest gift Aman could offer and only pure love for her could have made him give it to her. She controlled herself and slowly smiled and told Aman how happy she was.

That night, sleep wasn't easy to come. What Pragya kept pondering about was - when she saw the writing on the piece of paper that moment, why was there no anger, she hated accepting it, but infact there was a hope somewhere and a tiny tinge of happiness at the word "love" before Abhi. Why? She knew very well that "he" was a cheat. He cheated on her from day one. He was a deceitful man, not even worth pity - let alone love - aah that's better thought Pragya, the right emotion is coming out, the one she was used to. And she went to bed with the piece of paper nicely stuck on the soft board of for study table (Aman had insisted it to be there) with two board pins (blue and red - matching Aman's dog tags).

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Bulbul entered the house after spending a nice afternoon with Purab, and heard a conversation between her mother and grandmother that made the hair at the back of her neck curl in anxiety. Sarla ma and dadi was discussing that in another three weeks' time, it will be a year, and Pragya would return from Delhi. Dadi was telling her mother to forget the past and accept her child. She told her, that Pragya has suffered enough because of her mistake and if Abhi's daadi can forgive her, then so can they. Sarla seemed to still stand on her resolution but it was very weak. Finally she decided, she will talk with Abhi and if he has been able to forgive Pragya she will too - then she hopefully asked dadi, "woh Pragya ko maaf toh kar dega nah?"(He'll forgive Pragya right?). Dadi reassured her he will.

Bulbul walked out of the house before anybody saw her. How could she be so selfish? In her newfound happiness with Purab, she had slacked in her effort of finding Pragya! It will be a year soon, and her mother will be expecting to see her di. What will she tell her? How will her mother react? In desperation she called up Aaliya and told her the situation. Even she seemed at a loss. They decided to meet - BB, Purab, Aaliya and Abhi. She told them about the latest situation and all seemed helpless, they seemed to have hit a deadlock. All this while, Abhi just sat there quietly. BB observed, he was a defeated man. He had no hopes and he had given up. Seeing him in this state, BB was further panicking. She allowed herself a thought she resisted for a very long time - will she ever be able to see her di again? Purab suggested telling Sarla ma the truth, but BB was against it. Abhi finally spoke. Whatever he thought regarding this case, it always brought him back to that evening where he so clearly heard that double battery use her name. He told them he wants to talk to Suresh once more. BB told him it was of no use, she had tried. But he wouldn't budge.

Suresh heard the knock and the chorus of muffled voices outside his door. He opened the door cautiously. Abhi, Purab, Bulbul and Aaliya walked in. Suresh was taken by surprise. Why were they all here? Abhi spoke first, he asked Suresh who he was speaking to on the night of BB's engagement, a surprised Suresh said he was talking to Rachna. Abhi advanced towards him, held his shoulder with both hands and told him that he (Abhi) knows he wasn't talking to Rachna but Pragya, why was he denying it? Suresh looked down at his feet and murmured he wasn't talking to Pragya, he had even shown Aaliya his call log. Abhi was getting irritated now. To hell with his call logs, he (Abhi) had heard with his own ears her name, he wasn't mistaking. He shouted aggressively at Suresh and asked him again to not lie before him. A studdorn Suresh kept saying he didn't know where Pragya is. Abhi shook Suresh hard by his shoulder in anger, and immediately Aaliya and Purab came in between them and pushed Abhi back. This was enough thought Purab, he was going to take Abhi out of here. He started pulling Abhi towards the door, but Abhi tugged his hand out of Purab's and came forward and demanded again for Pragya, Suresh just moved back. Abhi was pushed beyond he could take. He felt all these 10 months frustrations coming out at one go. He was going mad. He couldn't take this silence and denying anymore. His chashmish couldn't have vanished into thin air, if she is alive, he will find her. But it felt like the universe was conspiring against him. He had made no progress in these 10 months. The closest he had gone to a clue was hearing her name taken by Suresh. He wasn't going to let go of that easily. No matter how much he thundered on Suresh he (Suresh) wasn't going to give in, and the more agitated he got, the more Purab and Aaliya tried taking him away, finally Abhi gave in - he fell down on his knees before Suresh and pleaded with him for his chashmish. He moaned that he knows he (Suresh) was talking to Pragya, why was he lying then? He held Suresh's hand while kneeling on his knees and implored him to tell him (Abhi) where his chashmish was. Suresh jerked his hand away and a startled Suresh started walking away from Abhi, he went near his window and looked back at Abhi. He said, after hearing what all Pragya went through in his house that evening, how she was plotted against, how she was ruthlessly demeaned before her own mother and thrown out of his house, even if he knew where she was he wouldn't tell him her whereabouts.

Having heard that, a guilt consumed Abhi gave in to silence. Purab pulled him up to his feet and left Suresh's house taking Abhi with him. Aaliya was about to leave but turned and saw BB staring at Suresh in disbelieve; she showed no signs of leaving. Aaliya waited.

BB stared Suresh into the eye and demanded in shrieking anger, how did Suresh know how her di was maimed that evening? How did he know someone plotted against her? No one other than her, Aaliya, Purab and Abhi knew about the plan. In fact no one other than Aaliya knew until her jiju found out and later she and Purab knew. The only other person who understood it was a plot was her di. If Aaliya never told him all this, then how did he know? Unless...looking at Suresh's face Aaliya realized BB had hit the hammer on the head. So, Suresh did know where Pragya was. Crying profusely for being deceited, a roaring BB marched before Suresh and gave him the ugliest look and said.

BB - Waah Suresh, yeh tha tumhara pyaar? Jo ek sach tak nahin bol paye tum? Ek jhoot ke aage beek gaye. Chee. Thik hain, tumhe nahin batana toh mat batao. Kal jab police ayega tabh seedha unko bata dena meri di kahan hain. ( Wow Suresh, this was how much you loved me? Your love couldn't make you say the truth to me even? One lie was enough to show the weak nature of your bond. You sold out your love for a lie. Fine, don't tell me where my sister is, tomorrow when the police comes to enquire, directly tell them her address)

BB stormed out of the room leaving a devastated tear stricken Suresh in his room. Aaliya had just walked out of the door when he heard Suresh wail in agony - he kept chanting his love for BB wasn't false, and he hadn't lied to her. Aaliya listened. He kept saying, even though he was not made for BB, he still loved her with all his heart but he wasn't as lucky as Purab. He had learnt to accept it that he has to live without her, but he never stopped loving her. He would never lie to her when she asked him to swear on his feelings for her that night. Suresh wailed more. He kept saying to himself that the book was his answer to BB.. Aaliya wondered which book he was talking about. But more than anything, her heart broke to see one more person unlucky in love. She realized Suresh loved BB with all his heart, just the way she loved Purab. But for BB he was nothing more than a friend, and neither was she for Purab. She realized she and Suresh were on the same boat that sailed towards unreciprocated love.

Aaliya walked back inside his room. Seeing her Suresh composed himself. He stood up and muttered he didn't know where Pragya was. But Aaliya smiled.

A - Ek cup chai milega? (Will you make me a cup of tea?)

A surprised Suresh went to his kitchen slab and started making tea for her. He looked at her doubtfully as Aaliya explored his room with mild interest. She went and stopped in front of his window, overlooking Pragya's house. Oh! She exclaimed.

A - Oh. Toh yahan se chori chupke dekhke pyaar hua tha? (Oh, so this is the window from where you use to hide and see her and fell in love?)

S - Yeh tum kya bol rahe ho? (What are you saying?)

Aaliya smiled at him slyly and teased saying there was no point in hiding, he had BB written all over his face. Suresh blushed a little and Aaliya laughed freely. Suresh got the tea for her and they sat on his bed. Aaliya teased Suresh into telling him how his story begun, and soon he was telling her about how he used to look at BB and get intimidated by her and how she used to pull his leg. Soon Aaliya found herself telling him how he started liking Purab and their childhood exploits. Suddenly she noticed that it was evening almost. She got up, thanked Suresh for the tea. She told him, it was nice talking to him and they will catch up again. As she left, Suresh realized in him she had found a friend who could relate to her broken heart. Suresh was calmed now.

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When Purab brought Abhi out and was taking him towards the car, Sarla ma was coming out of her house for something. She saw them and hurried to talk to them. But Purab saw her coming from the corner of his eyes. This was not a good time, he thought. He had to take Abhi out before she reached. He hurried Abhi to the car but she called out to them and Abhi reactively turned back. Too late thought Purab. Sarla ma greeted them and asked what they were doing there. Purab replied they had come to drop BB home. Sarla ma turned around to see BB walking in through the main door of her house. He turned to Purab and requested him to excuse her and Abhi for a while as she had to talk to him for a bit. Neither Abhi nor Purab wanted this, but there was nothing to do. Purab reluctantly walked away to a side. Sarla then turned to Abhi, her eyes pleading and voice guilty. She informed Abhi in a meek voice that Pragya was due to return in another three weeks. Hearing this Abhi's stomach lurched again. Sarla ma continued. He looked into Abhi's exhausted sleepless eyes and asked, if he would ever be able to forgive Pragya for what she had done to him. Guilt shot through abhi like an arrow piercing through his chest. Sarla ma was asking him to forgive Pragya, but it's he who needed forgiving not his chashmish. Those wretched tears threatened to come out again in pain. Abhi breathed a long sigh and finally told Sarla ma that he had long since forgiven Pragya for it and he also wished she forgave him too whenever she returned. Sarla ma smiled broadly in relief. Finally things are falling in place. Abhi had forgiven her daughter, now even she can without a guilty conscience. Abhi then left with Purab in their car, while a happy Sarla came home.

BB was sitting in her bedroom, angered and pained at the same time. Only if it was not so late at night. He would have gone to the police station now itself. She wanted to call Purab and tell her that it's confirmed that Suresh knew something. Her jiju was right. But She refrained. She knew he would be with her jiju now. She remembered the kneeling helpless Abhi before Suresh. No, she thought. Jiju needed rest, this can wait one more day.

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Next morning Aaliya came to meet BB who was dressing up to go to the police station. She decided to call Purab on the way. Seeing Aaliya come to her so early in the morning she was taken aback. Was everything alright? Aaliya came and told BB of the things she heard Suresh say after she left. She didn't tell her about her going back inside. It somehow felt personal. She didn't want to share with anyone her that evenings chat with Suresh.

BB was dumbfounded. That book? That book was the answer? How can a collection of short stories be the answer to where her di was? Aaliya suggested she showed her the book. BB had to search a little, she had tossed away that book so long back and never looked for it again. But after a good half an hours search they found that book by "Jnapti". They opened it with shaking hands. But no, other than a scribble by Suresh congratulating her and signing his name, there was no pen marks. Suresh and his silliness thought BB, he didn't even know which page to scribble his greeting on in a book one gifts. It's usually the first absolutely white page where on writes. But he wrote his greetings in the page where the title of the book and author was mentioned. He signed his name in such a place on the page that it looked like it read - "Congratulations! With best wishes - from Suresh Jnapti" - he signed just next to the name of the author. But she carried on. When there was nothing out of ordinary in any page, they decided to read the stories to see if there was something.

While they both were fiddling with the book, dadi was crossing their room. She saw them fiddling with the book, and her eyes fell on the author's name on the spine of the book - "jnapti" she spoke aloud softly and let out a soft breath, then the next word she uttered, both girls froze in their place - "Pragya"- she whispered. Looking at the blank incomprehension in both their faces, she smiled and said, "jnapti" was a synonym of the word "Pragya"...her Pragya she sighed..and smiled thinking how she will see her soon. Then she left the room.

Both girls stared at each other as comprehension dawned. Aaliya snapped opened the book to get the publishers contact number and soon she was on a call bribing the publisher into giving Pragya's address.

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When Aaliya entered Abhi's room, she didn't find him there. Uff where did her bhai go, when she had such an important news to give him. She hadn't seen her bhai happy throughout the year. This news will bring him back. It will bring her bhai back. She was just about to leave when her eyes fell on the sitting shadow of her brother on the frosted door of his dressing room. Strange, she thought. He was sitting there all along and not responding? Well she will go in and give him the news herself.

If Aaliya had ever known fear, it was this day when she entered the dressing room. The white marble floor had small drops of a dark red liquid and it was continuously dripping from somewhere - her bhai's wrist. Abhi hadn't passed out yet, he was dizzy and blacking out. He could hear the choked voice of his sister crying in alarm"saying something about having found Pragya's whereabouts..wait what? but then it was all dark.

Abhi opened his eyes to see a hollow faced, sunken eyed Aaliya shivering next to a ghastly looking Purab and their family doctor. Instinctively he muttered..daadi - Purab bent low before him and said she had gone to see her doctor with Akash for her monthly check-up. So she didn't know this. Abhi sighed in relief and tried to sit up. The doctor resisted and said, even though the cut wasn't deep, but there was considerable amount of blood-loss. He should be in bed-rest for two days. He kept quiet and avoided his sister and Purab's eyes. The doctor left and both of them came back before him. Purab looking deeply shaken and Aaliya was back to her stern posture. Without meeting their eyes he muttered...weak moment. Clearly it wasn't an excuse good enough for either of them. The last straw for Abhi was when last night he looked into Sarla ma's eyes and lied about his chashmish. He helped build the lie he hated so much. He himself told her that Pragya would be back soon. He told her he had forgiven his chashmish - that lie weighed the most. Who was he to forgive Pragya? It was she who needed to forgive him, his guilty conscience. He wondered where his chashmish was in desperation and suddenly Aaliya's muffled voice moment before he passed out, came back to him. He shot up and looked at Aaliya, judging by his expression, she realized he remembered. "Haan bhai, Pragya ka pata chal gaya hai" she told him. Abhi stared at her blankly. He couldn't believe his ears or his luck. Is it true? The 11 months search was over? He finally will get to know where his chashmish is. With a shaky voice, which is most unlikely for rockstar Abhi, he asked Aaliya his chasmish's address - Smelting High School, Dehradun came the prompt answer.

Abhi got up from his bed in one swift movement but dizziness made him disbalanced. Purab caught him in good time and tried putting him to bed. But swiftly came the reply, "rockstar ko rest karwana mushkil hi nahin, na mumkin hai, I am a rockstar buddy" with a boyish grin and a wink. Both Purab and Aaliya couldn't help laughing. Finally, after an entire year almost, their rockstar was truly back!

Aaliya still tried saying he should rest for a few days before---but Abhi cut him midway, "Sorry sister, I have a live show to perform - at Dehradun tonight"- and another charming irresistible smile! In no-time he was ready to leave and when Aaliya and Purab insisted on coming, he told them he wanted to meet her alone first! Even though Aaliya was unsure whether to let him go alone or not, Purab stopped him saying Pragya di is there, she will take care of him. To this Aaliya smiled and agreed.

As Abhi dashed out of the house to leave he bumped onto daadi. Seeing his bright eager smiling face, daadi realized what was going on. She told him, "Mere Pragya ko lekar hi wapas ana" to which Abhi replied with a smile and said "I promise daadi", then placing a kiss on her cheeks, Abhi ran out of the house like a storm.