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Part One.
'Abhi. Can I talk to you?'
Abhi looked up from the sheet of paper on which he was trying to compose his music. Mitali Bhabhi was standing outside his room, wringing her hands nervously. Abhi smothered a sigh and steeled himself for the request that was about to come. May be more money. Or may be jewelry. They went through this motion every month or so. A member of his house would come and ask him for something and he would write a cheque for the same.
'Come in Bhabhi. What do you need?'
Mitali came into the room, looking pale, like she had just crossed the threshold to hell. Like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
'Abhi. I wanted to tell you something.'
He just looked at her, not saying anything.
"Abhi, woh...'
'Can you please hurry Bhabhi? I am a little busy. I am writing my new song right now.' Abhi said impatiently. He did not have time for this right now.
'Pragya was innocent.' Mitali said in a rush, her words indecipherable.
Everything in Abhi stilled. He had not heard that name in five years. He had not spoken her name in five years. Not let his lips form the words. they always left a bad taste in his mouth. He felt fury and desperation clawing with in him for attention. He had not felt this way since five years, when he had finally thrown her out of his home and his life. Fury won. Ofcourse it won. How could he feel anything but rage for the woman who had single-handedly destroyed his entire family? Who was the reason that Aaliya was still unmarried and unhappy? Who was the reason that Dadi had a heart attack? No. He would not feel anything but fury for her. He hated her. He didn't want to see her face. And if the dreams he had contained a slight whisper of that husky laugh or a sliver of the image of a woman wearing glasses, well, he was just going to ignore them.
'What did you just say?' Abhi whispered.
'Pragya was innocent Abhi. That MMS was fake.'
'I don't know what you are trying to accomplish here, but dont lie to me. Have you forgotten you yourself said that Pragya had begged for your help. That you had lied to save her? Then why are you doing this now? Did she contact you? Did she ask you to take part in this-this farce?' Abhi thundered, furious at having those memories awakened.
Mitali looked somewhere beyond Abhi's shoulder, a far away look in her eyes.
'Do you know my daughter came home crying today, Abhi? Crying over a boy, because he made fun of her feelings for her?' Mitali whispered
Abhi didn't know what this had to do with anything, and he opened his mouth to ask her to leave his room when she continued.
'She is sixteen Abhi. And she had a crush on this boy. And this boy, as all boys are during that age, is a little cocky and a big fool. He mocked her and her feelings for him. My daughter came crying from school. She has spent all day in her room. I looked at her and I wanted to kill that boy. That's what I want to do to him for making her cry, when the boy probably doesn't know any better. He is after all, a kid.
And then I realized, what right do I have to feel angry on behalf of my daughter, when I have ruined some one else's daughters life? When I had a hand in the defamation of her integrity and character. When i was a shareholder in the wrong that was done in this house five years ago. Do you ever wonder why this house is not a happy house Abhi? Why when it is decorated with all the sculptures and paintings that are fit for a museum, does it still feel like it is colorless. Like we have forgotten something important. Like something is missing. Like we have decorated all the walls but have forgotten that there is no roof over the house.' Mitali asked him, looking into his eyes for the first time.
Seeing the way she was looking at him, Abhi wanted to stop her. Wanted to ask her not to tell him anything. Because he knew that whatever she was going to say was going to change his life, and not for the better.
'Pragya was innocent Abhi. The whole MMs was planned by Aaliya and Tanu. And me, to a certain extent. I called Suresh that day, telling him he could teach my kids as no one was home. We dropped the marbles on the floor so that Pragya would slip.Everything that you saw was pre planned. And that day, I confessed becaus I knew I was wrong. But then I got scared Abhi. When you told me that you would kick me out of the house, I got terrified for me and my children. And I am a selfish woman. I figured, better Pragya than me. After all, I had evidence to soothe my conscience. I had tried to help her. That would be enough.
But even that didn't work. Because while I threw her under the bus, she still protected me. She knew that it was me who was responsible for Rajs arrest. But she didn't tell anyone. Not when the Mehra family decided that she was not worth their family name. Not when you kicked her out of the house. Not when you refused to see her family members and made them turn around from the gate itself. Not even when the media caught wind of the scandal and castrated her. For five years I have been living with this guilt. And it has been eating at me, burning my flesh. I sometimes check my skin because I almost expect it to be charred.
I see my daughter, and see many years ahead of her in which she will have to endure pain and heartbreak. That's the way of life. But I am terrified that there will be another Mitali somewhere who will do the same injustice to her that i did to Pragya. And I couldn't stay quiet anymore. Even if I won't be forgiven, even if she doesn't come back, she deserves to be thought of with respect. When people speak of Pragya's name in this house, they should say it with love and not disgust.
I am sorry Abhi. I am so sorry.'
'Get out.' Abhi whispered. That whisper was way too dangerous than a shout would have been.
Mitali turned and left, and ABhi fell on his knees, a single tear running down his cheeks.
'Pragya.''
Jhanak
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