Pragya ran through the hospital corridors Looking for the ICU unit. It felt surreal to see her family huddled at the doors of the unit. She stopped at the entrance as a thought struck, her worst of fears had been confirmed; her mother had suffered a heart attack.
"Di!" Bulbul shook her sister trying to get her out of a trance like state. Pragya immediately engulfed her sister in a hug as she finally regained her bearings.
"It's going to be alright" Pragya managed to muffle into Bulbul's embrace. She didnt feel fine but held on as she led her sister to a seating area. After calming her down, she took a seat beside her.
"What happened?" Pragya asked through tears and Bulbul inhaled to calm herself enough to speak.
"No one knows exactly. She came home and then.. said that no one must disturb her as she went into her room, after a few minutes we heard a crash and when we ran into the room, mom was.. It was heart attack Di. She just... I dont know. Then Suresh came and he.. he managed to get her here on time... Di it was horrifying. I was so scared and and" Pragya took hold of Bulbul's hand to stop her as tears ran down her eyes.
"Bulbul. . I ." But before she could complete the statement, the doctor came out.
"Who amongst you is Pragya?" Pragya stood uncertainly and the doctor motioned her to follow him. He explained that her mother keeps repeating her name and wishes to speak to her.
"Mom" Pragya spoke gently into the silence of the room as she held her mother's hand.
"Pragya" her mother rasped, there was urgency, a slight panic in her voice.
"Yes mom. I'm right here"
"Abhi... Abhi Tanu... tell me the truth" Pragya was shocked; of all things this wasn't what she expected.
"There's nothing to say mother. They're friends" Pragya automatically denied.
"Tell me the truth" her mothers voice took a harsh turn as her grip on Pragya's hand tightened.
"He isn't .. mom. I'll call him. He will clarify himself!" Pragya defended and took out her phone as her panicked fingers dialed his number. The rings went but no one answered.
"Pragya..." she heard her mother's plea and felt even more desperate as she continued to dial Abhi's number in vain.
"Mother... I will call him and you can hear for yourself" Pragya begged as she heard the rapid beeping of the heart monitor.
"I heard him... He..." At that moment the doctor rushed into the room with the nurses in tow. They dragged Pragya out of the room. Once outside Pragya dialed Abhi's number but received no answer.
'Why isn't he picking up??!' she thought desperately. Pragya, fearing for her mother's life, decides to go to the house to bring Abhi herself. In her troubled state of mind, bringing Abhi to the hospital would somehow aid in saving her mother. She reaches home to find that Abhi is nowhere to be found.
"Alia! Alia!" Pragya calls for her when she sees her passing.
"Bhabhi?"
"Do you know where Abhi is? its really urgent. I really need him to come with me"
"Bhai has left to stay the night with Tanu"
" Okay. .. I will get him from there" Pragya turns to leave, only to be stopped by Alia.
"He's not in the city bhabhi. They left last night to finalize their wedding date" Alia lies with a smile.
"But... I. . marriage date?" Pragya stammers in shock, unable to form a coherent thought.
"Yeah. Last night they were discussing the very same thing. Their marriage and future together" Alia replies, feeling immense joy at Pragya's crest fallen face.
"Abhi never mentioned it to me... He... my mother"
"Well... He pitied you and sympathised with your situation Bhabhi. He Didn't want to outright say it but you knew he was in a relationship so he didn't even feel the need to say it" alia manages and walks away while tears well in Pragya's eyes. She staggers out of her house and goes back to the hospital. Bulbul rushes to her.
"Jeeju?" Pragya just shakes her head in response. Pragya notice Suresh standing by the ICU And feels grateful for his support. No one asks her a question as they all silently sit down and wait for the doctors verdict.
***
Abhi wakes up in the morning with a head ache. He looks around the unfamiliar surrounding and has moment of panic before realizing that he's at Tanu's home. He shakes his head as he remembers their heated arguments from the night before.
The night before
"You have to marry me!" Tanu screams in her shrill voice. Abhi raises his eyebrow at her demand. She was acting like a child in candy store asking for a candy, except she wasn't in a candy store, she was at his house and wasn't demanding candy but marriage. Sometimes Abhi wondered if she even realized the difference between the two.
"Tanu we can't rush into this... and the report could be a mistake. There's no way you're pregnant" Abhi tried to reason in a calm voice.
" Are you calling me a liar?" tanu cried hysterically. Abhi sighed and admired Tanu's ability to reach the most senseless conclusions.
"No. I'm saying that there must be a mistake. How can you be pregnant?"
"What do you mean? You need me to explain you how a woman gets pregnant?!" Abhi almost laughed at that but held it in.
"Tanu I don't even remember the last time me and you were together" abhi realized his mistake when he saw her eyes widen.
"I mean together in other sense... We're always together emotionally. And even then we were incredibly careful. We were always protected" Abhi says as he moves towards her to calm her down. He hears a gasp behind him but before he could turn and inspect who it is, Tanu throws another tantrum and demands marriage.
Since last night they had been arguing about marriage. Tanu claimed pregnancy to which Abhi had some serious doubts and this argument carried on until he drove her home. He was too tired so he crashed in one of the guest rooms.
Abhi checks his to see several missed calls from Pragya. In his frustration from the night before, he didn't attend any calls. He tries calling her but there was no answer. As Abhi gets up to leave Tanu comes down with red eyes, indicating her tears from last night.
"Abhi... are you seriously leaving me in this condition?"
"Tanu it was a pregnancy test kit... It could be wrong. Can we go to a hospital and do a proper blood test?!" Abhi asks frustrated. After another hour of argument, Tank excuses herself to the washroom and then surprisingly agrees to getting a blood test done. She then suggests a particular hospital they should go to. Abhi is puzzled by her request but not wanting to risk her sudden agreement, he drives them to the hospital.
Abhi waits outside as Tanu goes in for a blood test.
"Sarla Arora" He hears the name and spins around. A sinking feeling in his gut tells him that he might know why Pragya was trying to reach him last night. He gets the room number from the reception and sprints all the way to her mother's ward.
He looks into the room to find Pragya sitting there silently beside her mother. He quietly enters the room and sits next to her.
"What happened?" he asks quietly.
"Heart attack." Pragya replies without looking up at him.
"How is she now? should we call in other doctors? I know this cardiologist who could be of real help. Don't worry Pragya. I'll call him now"
"Can he bring someone out of coma?" Abhi's hand freezes on his phone. He looks at Fuggy and all of sudden feels the urge to hug her tight. He reaches out to hold her hand but she moves them.
"I'm so sorry. I... fuggy.. I am just really sorry" Abhi replies feeling at loss for words.
"What are you doing here?" Pragya asks. Abhi immediately feels guilt and shame for reasons beyond his understanding. He was in a relationship with Tanu, why did it feel wrong to admit it?! Damn it, nothing was making sense.
"I was.. Tanu was sick so I thought of bringing her here" Abhi replied.
"You were with Tanu last night?" Pragya asks as she finally looks him straight in the eye.
"I... well yeah" Abhi replies, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't understand his guilt but then Pragya just nodded and looked straight ahead. She didn't say anything anymore. The nurse walked in to ask Pragya to fill out some forms. Abhi gets up to fill them for her instead but she holds out her hand.
"I can do it" she says as she takes the form and walks out of the room.
"I know you can but you don't have to right now" Abhi says as he tries once again but Pragya refuses. Abhi stares at her in confusion. He then decides that it must be hard for that's why she was so closed off to him.
"Abhi" Abhi curses when he hears Tanu call for him. He looks up to see her make her way to them and before he could excuse himself, Tanu reaches them.
"I have given my blood test. The result for the pregnancy test should be out in a few days" Tanu says before Abhi has a chance to stop her. Abhi notice Pragya's hands still on the form but then continues writing. Tanu walks to Abhi with a smile, holding his arm as some unspoken sign of territorial claim. Pragya just turns to Abhi and offers a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
"Congratulations" with that Pragya turns to leave to her mother's room once again. Abhi moves away from Tanu almost immediately. He feels anger and resentment towards Tanu for announcing her possible pregnancy.
"Why did you have to say it in front of Pragya?"
"What's so bad in it?" Tanu asks, annoyed.
"Just nothing... " he mutters and stalks to where Pragya had left.
"Fuggy" Abhi says gently as he sees an upset Pragya.
"Yes?"
"About what Tanu said, We're not really sure of it" he couldn't bring himself to say what 'it' was.
"You're in a relationship and one that's headed to marriage so I don't see why you feel the need to justify yourself to me... Abhi you should leave"
"What?!"
"Tanu needs you"
"You do too" Abhi argues not knowing why.
"I need some time alone"
"Fuggy if this is about Tanu then I swear..." Abhi begins but Pragya cuts in.
"This is about me needing some time to come terms with all that's happened"
Abhi is slightly startled by her reaction but grabs her hand, a perfect fit in his.
"If you need anything... anything just call me" Pragya nods while Abhi gets up to leave.
Pragya sighs and slumps into her chair once she hears the click of the door. An angry tears slides down her cheek and she swiftly wipes it off. There was no point in crying when she knew this would happen yet somehow she got carried away with her dreams of a perfect marriage but nothing mattered anymore. With the very reason for her will power lying on a hospital bed in an indefinite state of unconsciousness, Pragya didn't know what to feel anymore. She laid her head on her mother's hand and let her tears fall.
"Had I told you, none of this would have happened. I was so busy fighting for a namesake marriage, I forgot the reality I lived in" Pragya says in regret.
Abhi grabs a fresh pair of shirt and jeans as he dresses in hurry. He drives his car to cafe near the hospital and grabs a takeaway breakfast meal for himself and Pragya. He walks into the hospital knowing Pragya would be beside her mother. He silently sat next to her and offered her a sandwich. She shook her head in silent refusal. He then placed the coffee infront of her, not giving her the chance of refusal.
"How's aunty?" he asked as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Nothing yet. The doctors have kept her under observation until.." Pragya's voice slightly cracks but she shakes her head and continues, "We don't know yet"
"I'm so sorry Fuggy. Everything will work out in the end. Just watch, we'll go to the best doctor.."
"I" Pragya cuts him in between.
"huh?" Abhi asks in confusion.
"I will go to the best doctor. I will take care of my mother. You need to take care of your own matters." Pragya finishes off.
"Now isn't the time to be mad. I know I should have picked up the phone call but I was so.."
"Abhi I'm not mad. I am finally thinking straight. For how long will we do this? You need to get on with your own life and I need to get on with mine."
"You need me right now. And I will be here. I'm not going anywhere" Abhi says adamantly.
"I don't need you. Abhi I need someone to stay. I need someone always there. Abhi you can't come in and go out at your convenience. I need stability and I don't have that with you, nor do you have that with me. It's like we're each other's crying shoulders when things fall apart and then we don't know what to do with each other once they settle down. I need to rid myself of you, of this need. I need space, Abhi." Pragya finishes with her fists clenched on the sides of her bench.
"I'll give you space once we pull out of this together" Abhi replies rather childishly.
"Once we pull out of this? Abhi there will always be something to pull out of. You can't always be knight in shining armour. We will both always be in need of support but since you cant commit to me..."
"Pragya I..." Abhi starts awkwardly knowing that he hadn't yet replied to her proposal.
"There's nothing wrong with you not wanting to be with me, I'm not angry but Abhi we need to stop doing this to one another. We need to separate from each other" Pragya says with a heavy heart.
"Separate? I mean yeah.. in time we will but not now"
"In time?! Abhi my mother is in a hospital bed and that's made me realize that there's no perfect time like the present. I can't go on like this"
"Fuggy.." Abhi begins but DoubleBattery walks through the door.
"I brought you chai Pragya" DoubleBattery says as he nods his greeting at Abhi who just glares at him for interrupting them.
"I've already bought her coffee, wonderboy"
"Arrey.. but Pragya doesn't even like coffee" Suresh says with a chuckle as he fixes his glasses. He then places the cup in front of Pragya who eyes both the cup for a fraction of a second and finally picks the chai.
"I forgot the biscuits" Suresh says as he goes to fetch them while Abhi glares at his retreating figure.
"I didn't know you didn't like coffee. You always made me so I just assumed" Abhi says feeling irritated about the whole issue but not knowing why. It was just coffee.
"It didn't matter then, it doesn't matter now" Pragya says with a sigh. Abhi doesn't like the disappointment he heard in her tone. He nods as DoubleBattery rushes back with biscuits.
"Couldn't find marigold" He says as he hands Pragya a packet.
"It's alright. I like this aswell"
"I know. You always had this in break hours during college" Suresh replied and Abhi felt out of the loop. He didn't like the overly familiarized way in which DoubleBattery spoke.
"Where's Bulbul?" Suresh asks conversationally.
"Wherever Purab is" Abhi replies wanting to hurt DoubleBattery for some unknown reason. He watches his face closely as Suresh smiles genuinely.
"Good. Pragya and Bulbul need all the support they can get"
"You're probably the first in the volunteering line eh?" Abhi asks sarcastically. Suresh then excuses himself while Abhi smirks in satisfaction.
"What is wrong with you Abhi?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"Why did you pick on him? Why taunt the poor guy?"
"Why is he here?"
"Because he likes helping people"
"Well GandhiJi could go somewhere else where he's needed. No one needs his help or him here"
"He has been a support system this entire time and look at how you speak of him" Pragya shakes her head.
"You don't want my support but DoubleBattery being here day and night, you don't mind?" Abhi asks in sudden burst of anger. He stands up holding Pragya by the arm.
"Abhi... you need to be elsewhere"
"And so does he. He needs to be with his sister and mother but he's here being your personal care taker and you don't seem to find anything wrong with that but when your husband decides to help, all of a sudden you want space?" Abhi couldn't even understand his anger but caught up in a fit couldn't stop the words tumbling out of his mouth.
"What husband? The one that married me for revenge? The one that accused me of an affair? The one that has a girlfriend waiting at home? The one whose child is on the way? I ask again Abhi, what husband?" Pragya snatches her arm away while Abhi stares at her stupefied.
He gets out of the hospital and drives home. Not in the mood for anybody he locks himself in his room. Abhi lies down on the edge of his balcony. He thinks about what Pragya says and questions his sanity. His eye brows furrow deeply as he revisits his words. What had gotten into him? He was very clear from the beginning about his views on his marriage with Pragya; there was no marriage in his eyes. And today he raged on about his rights as her husband? He sighs confused about his marriage, feelings and situation. He couldn't deny the restlessness he felt when he realized Suresh had taken care of the situation, he should have handled. He didn't like the look of gratitude Pragya had when Suresh entered the room. Yet what could he do about it? Tanu was pregnant, Pragya's mom in hospital while he spent the night with Tanu. Seriously, he asked himself, what husband?
Bigg Boss 19
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