Posted:
Hi
I don't own any of the characters of this story, and if the plot resembles any other works this is purely coincidental. I apologise for this and am happy to acknowledge anyone. In my mind I always have an alternative version to how the show is panning out and this is the first time my thoughts have materialised into a story. Hindi is not my first or second language, so I apologise for any mistakes in this.
----------- Enjoy --------------------
Pragya stood in the door way and watched as the one she called the love of her life was securely embraced in another woman's arms. She felt like a thousands knives were plunging through her body and heart. She stood there immobilised to the spot unable to tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of her. She had never expected that after telling him how she felt in the jungle, things would become harder. But then Pragya knew she had made one very grave mistake.
She had hoped. Even though she had told him she expected nothing from him, she couldn't help but feel she had left herself vulnerable. Somewhere deep down she had hoped that maybe after all this time, and all of those precious moments they spent together, he may actually reciprocate her feelings. But now standing here seeing him with Tanu, she knew she was wrong to have hoped. As much as it pained her eyes to witness what she could see, she could not look away, somehow she needed this kind of torture to teach her a cruel lesson in what happens when people that have no rights hope. She watched on as Tanu cupped Abhis face, feeling him as if she couldn't believe he was actually there alive in front of her. She threw herself at abhi fiercely
"Abhi tum theek ho, ab jante hai me kitne daar gayi thi"
Abhi who was stood in Aliyah's room looked at her and forced a smile,
"I'm fine tanu, thoda sa tired hu Lekin it's good to be back"
Tanu who was still clinging on to Abhis neck giggled and kissed his cheek,
"Ab mujhe batao tum kaun se zyda miss kiya? Mujhe na?"
Abhi froze at this question trying not to meet Tanu's gaze, he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but the truth was he really hadn't missed her at all. He had missed his dadi the most, but that was natural, dadi was like his mother off course he would miss her, but lately Abhi was having a hard time trying to understand why he was feeling this way towards Tanu. He did love her didn't he?
"Off course Tanu, Lekin me Sab se bohat miss kiya hai" he said pulling her back into a hug so he didn't have to look her in the eye when he said it.
As he did so he turned his head towards the door and saw Pragya stood staring. Her expression was emotionless and her gaze was glassy. Deep in his heart, he felt a bolt of guilt. His gaze caught hers, but Abhi noticed that she wasn't looking at him, but rather through him. Those beautiful eyes looked so sad and in pain, his breath hitched in his throat. He tried to pull back from tanu in reflex, but Tanu's hold was strong.
Aliyah noticed her bhabhi stood there, but acted as though she had not noticed. She never missed an opportunity to taunt that "bhenji" and now would be no different. Her brother was back, safe and sound. She knew that she had to tie up loose ends where the corporator was concerned but for now she was glad she wasn't welcoming her brothers corpse. She was miffed however that pragya had walked away from this. Things would have been perfect if the corporator had come through and erased her from their lives. At this stage though even Aliyah had learnt to appreciate the silver linings in life, it meant she had the luxury of playing with pragyas feelings even more.
"Bhai I'm so happy app ghar sahiye salamat agaye"
She also walked over to abhi and hugged him and tanu. Aliyahwasn't crying fake tears, she was genuinely relieved to have her brother back,
"Apko pata hai, jab us corporator ne kaha apko golli lagi, meri to Jaan nikali Gaye Bhai"
She continued to display an exaggerated amount of emotion, hiding her face and tears in Abhis chest
"You know what Bhai, iss halat me sochne lagi, aur mujhe puri Tara se esaas hua, zindagi me hamare
Pas waaq bohot kam hai Bhai, We should, you know, seize the day"
Abhi looked at her questioningly. It was very unlike Aliyah to speak this way, she was far more superficial worrying about her facials and latest fashions. Abhi put it down to the scare she had had concerning him. Aliyah assessed whether to continue, and at the corner of eye could see Pragya still stood there with what she deemed a stupid expression on her face.
" Bhai me ne socha, apko abhi wait nahi karna chaiye, apse chald se chald tanu se shaadi karni chaiye, especially jab se ab ko pata chale Gaye ke life kitni short ho sakti hai" she said this though it was her that had seen her life flash before her eyes
Pragya who was still stood in the door way came back to her senses. If seeing Tanu hugging abhi was painful, Aliyah speaking about his wedding to her was something else. Abhi pulled away from tanu and Aliyah confusing them both.
"Meine galat Kya kaha Bhai? You and tanu love each other and ab aur der nahi honi chaiye ap dono ko Ek honese"
Abhi didn't know how to react, he could see the glisten in pragyas eyes knowing these to be tears. Abhi new pragya was hurting right now and he couldn't help but feel her pain too. But why? After all Aliyah had not said anything wrong, as far as she and tanu are concerned he was in love with tanu. And Pragya was the unfortunate girl that got caught up in their games through no fault of her own. Even though Abhi and Pragya had made up regarding the initial misunderstanding in their marriage, only he and her knew what they had been through together. Only he knew the sheer Amount of torment and turmoil she must have gone through or is going through still because of him.
He started at her for a few moments. How could she love him? He was a monster to her. But that just showed abhi more about Pragya than himself. She had fallen for him in the smallest of gestures and the tiniest acts of kindness. Abhi was brought back from his thoughts when Tanu spoke to him
"I think Aliyah theek ker Rahi hai, aur me mummy papa ko Kya samjao ghi, lori ki din tum ne unse promise kiya tha ke hamari shaadi hungi, an there is no excuse now Abhi"
Abhi cringed as the words left Tanu's mouth. His eyes never left Pragyas expression. It amazed and scared him still that he could read every micro expression on her flawless face and right now all he could see was heart break. Abhi could have sworn if time had slowed down he could point out the exact moment Pragya flinched when she realised what she had unintentionally done on that day.
Pragya felt as though the ground slipped from beneath her feet just as she put two and two together regarding those "clients" on lori. Wow, she really was a fool she thought. She thought back to that day. She was so proud of herself for helping Abhi sign a prosperous deal. She had actually revelled in the fact that she had been the one to help him in something productive and work related. The thought of her own stupidity upset her even more and Not wanting to expose herself to this scene or these people
any longer she walked away from the door way with what dignity she thought she had left. She held in the tears that were becoming more and more visible, and made her way to their bedroom. She headed straight for the balcony, closed the door and crumpled to the floor.
Abhi watched as pragyas eyes had shifted downwards. He could see she had worked out what had actually happened on lori and that moment of realisation on Pragyas face seared abhi in a way he did not understand. He had betrayed her trust and right now he was wishing with all his might he could go back and change what happened, or at the very least change it in pragyas mind. There was nothing he could do now though. He watched helplessly as she retreated towards their room. She had turned her face away but abhi could bet every penny in his bank account that she was about to cry and this knowledge above all else stung more than the gunshot wound he had endured earlier that week. Aliyah and Tanu continued there talks but at this point abhi was paying attention to nothing. All he could see were those troubled eyes.
Pragya sat with her back to the wall and knees pulled up. There in the silence of the place that had become her prison and sanctuary, She could not help the sadness that overwhelmed her. She willed herself not to cry, to be strong and understand abhi was never hers to cry over. But sometimes your heart just won't obey what your brain wants. The more she tried not to cry, the faster and harder her tears were falling. She knew he didn't love her and she knew he never would. Her brain understood all the logic, alas it was her heart that needed time to come to terms with what she knew had to happen. She wasn't a super model, but she had given him everything she had. She had pulled him out of the clutches of death only to realise that it would never be her arms he would seek comfort in.
What hurt pragya the most is that abhi saw the situation with Tanu's parents as a joke. Granted at that time he didn't know how she felt, but he didn't have to lie to her. If she was honest, she felt belittled. She was reminded of how much of a circus her life had become and how different her world was to Abhis. To him marriage was keeping his dadi happy. It was a way to take revenge on someone that he had thought wronged his little sister. He would never see it in the way Pragya did. A safe haven, having someone there that cares for you, and stands by you in all hours of life. Someone you can walk through life with instead of struggle. She knew she was fighting a loosing battle. She had laid all of her cards on the table and still nothing. If he had felt anything towards he would have said so by now.
And it was in that moment Pragya decided enough was enough. She needed a plan. One that would save her heart from being broken further. One that would protect her relationship with her family and dadi. But most importantly one that proved to Pragya herself she doesn't need to be swept off her feet to be happy. She looked over the balcony to the night sky. How calm and collected the night was compared to her frenzied mind and heart. Slowly in her mind she formulated what she was going to do, how she would manage this last hurdle in life and break away from this marriage without too much collateral damage. She needed to embed in her mind that anything nice Abhi did was out of humanity or guilt from his past actions. It was nothing to do with love. He did not love her and the quicker she understood and accepted this the better it would be for her. Pragya had a rough idea of what was to happen and tomorrow she would go about putting her plan into action. But tonight she was a broken women and no matter how much she willed, the tears were not going to stop falling. With that in mind Pragya rested her head on her folded arms on the balcony chair and allowed herself to sit there and cry wholeheartedly until eventually her body and mind were so tired sleep took over her.
That is how Abhi found her a couple of hours later. Since he had seen her walk away from Aaliyah's room Abhis mind was filled with thoughts of Pragya. Her face with those terribly sad eyes haunted his every
thought. He couldn't concentrate on the questions his family were asking .All he wanted to do was run after her find her and pull her into a big hug and tell her...
What? What would he tell her? What was wrong with him?why was this all
So hard? Why was he so confused? Why did it matter to him how Pragya felt?
He knew he cared for his fuggy. She was his wife and she had respected and fulfilled the duties of a daughter in law. But abhi couldn't kid himself. She had done more than that. If he is standing here today, it is only because of Pragyas sheer determination and willingness for him to live. He didn't want to admit it but it was down to her love he was alive and to not acknowledge that would be to insult her. Still abhi kept kidding himself that the reason he wanted to see if she was okay, was because they were friends and he didn't want to hurt his friend.
This was the reason Abhi fed himself that same evening when his family, in particular aliyah and tanu kept him from going to his room and checking on Pragya. His dadi had asked after her bahu but aliyah had answered for him claiming Pragya had told her she was tired and wanted to rest. He knew his family were happy to have him back but in all honesty he had been away from his bed and life for what felt like so long all he wanted was a good night sleep and things to go back to normal in his life. But abhi was becoming increasingly concerned. He didn't know what normal meant anymore. Ever since pragya had told him about how she felt, it had stirred feelings in himself that he never knew he could feel. He didn't know how to react or respond. True she had said that she expected nothing from him, so why then did it hurt to think of her going away from him. He had had enough. His daadi and daasi's were on a constant path of teasing him. And any other night abhi would have embraced it and laughed along with them. But not tonight. Now he needed to go and see Pragya. It had been 2 hours since he saw her broken self and he didn't want to put off seeing her any longer.
"Dadi mein bohot thak Gaya Hun, isliye me upar Kamre me araam Karne jarahu"
Daasi laughed slapping abhi on the back and said,
"Kyu itne dino se biwi ke saat akele rehne me addat par Gayi hai na"
Daadi and both of his daasis were howling with laughter. Abhi smiled at them but took this opportunity to take his leave.
Abhi climbed the stairs of his mansion wearily, not really knowing what to say to Fuggy. On his way to their bedroom, Abhi was muttering to himself.
"Fuggy, actually vo tanu jo kerahi thi..."
No no. This was his fault for once he should not blame tanu or anyone else for that matter. He braced himself in front of his bedroom door. Whatever questions she Throws at him he will have to bear. He didn't know how Pragya was going to react to what she had learned a couple of hours ago. He went inside the room to find no one there.
He checked the washroom and saw clearly that the bed was unslept in and she wasn't on the sofa. He was about to call out to her when his eyes fell on something flowing through the balcony door.
He approached the balcony and saw the pallu to Pragyas saree caught in the doors. Abhi reached his hand out to the door and slowly opened them. He did not expect to see what he did. There she was leaning on the wall next to the doorway with her head resting on a chair. Abhi didn't have to look at her face closely to see the fresh tear marks that still adorned her face. Abhi felt that stinging pain again.
For the last 2 hours she had sat here in the cold crying herself to sleep.
Abhi didn't know what to do. On one hand he was angry at her for loving him. Why couldn't she just hate him or be indifferent to him. She was stirring all these confusing feelings in abhi and he just didn't know how to handle them. But on the other hand she also stirred this primal need to protect her from everything. The world.
He bent down and observed her. She really was beautiful. With or without her glasses, she was just beautiful. Inside and out. He could not bear the thought of her sitting out here in the cold for hours on end crying over something that wasn't even her fault. Slowly he brushed a strand of hair from her face. He gently moved her head back and wound her arms around his neck so he could pick her up and take her inside. As he lifted her, she unknowingly in her sleep grabbed Abhis shirt and buried her head in the crook of his neck, snuggling closer to him. Her scent was slightly more than what Abhi could bear. Like flowers, meadows and freshness. He moved his head inwards so that his nose was resting against her head. He had never noticed how good she smelled. But then he had never actually been this close to her. Abhi walked with her across the the room and lay her on the bed. He removed her arms carefully from
Around his neck and placed them on her stomach. He moved her hair out of her face and covered her with a blanket. He could still see the tear marks on her face and his heart hurt thinking about those tears. He removed her glasses and put them on the side table. Abhi turned towards her and really slowly as if he didn't quite believe what he was doing bent down and placed a tender sweet kiss on Pragyas forehead.
It was then that something else deep stirred in abhi. He felt as though he might actually want to protect her, be there for her. This was all very confusing for abhi. He knew he had to come up with some sort of plan to rectify this big mess that was his life. And tomorrow he would do just that, make a plan and organise his life. But tonight was his first night back, he had been kidnapped, shot and pulled out of the clutches of death. To say he was tired was an understatement. Abhi did not even think about the pillow wall he should have put up. Instead he climbed into bed lay on his back and closed his eyes hoping to fall sound asleep. But he kept hearing
"If it wasn't for her you wouldn't be here you know" ringing through his mind.
He opened his eyes and turned himself to look at pragya. She really was beautiful. Without a second thought to any consequences, Abhi shuffled closer to Pragya. He put his arm around her waist and scooped her closer to him, so that her back was resting on his chest. he buried his nose and face into her hair, took in a lungful of that delicious scent of hers and cuddled her like a spoon. He did wonder how on earth her tiny self managed to transport him
Halfway across the jungle to that hut...
But before he could think on that anymore, Abhi found himself letting go and falling into the most blissful night of sleep he had had In ages...
Chapter 1 - above
Chapter 2 - page 4
Chapter 3 - page 6
Chapter 4 - page 9
Chapter 5 - page 13
Chapter 6 - Page 17
I don't own any of the characters of this story, and if the plot resembles any other works this is purely coincidental. I apologise for this and am happy to acknowledge anyone. In my mind I always have an alternative version to how the show is panning out and this is the first time my thoughts have materialised into a story. Hindi is not my first or second language, so I apologise for any mistakes in this.
----------- Enjoy --------------------
Pragya stood in the door way and watched as the one she called the love of her life was securely embraced in another woman's arms. She felt like a thousands knives were plunging through her body and heart. She stood there immobilised to the spot unable to tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of her. She had never expected that after telling him how she felt in the jungle, things would become harder. But then Pragya knew she had made one very grave mistake.
She had hoped. Even though she had told him she expected nothing from him, she couldn't help but feel she had left herself vulnerable. Somewhere deep down she had hoped that maybe after all this time, and all of those precious moments they spent together, he may actually reciprocate her feelings. But now standing here seeing him with Tanu, she knew she was wrong to have hoped. As much as it pained her eyes to witness what she could see, she could not look away, somehow she needed this kind of torture to teach her a cruel lesson in what happens when people that have no rights hope. She watched on as Tanu cupped Abhis face, feeling him as if she couldn't believe he was actually there alive in front of her. She threw herself at abhi fiercely
"Abhi tum theek ho, ab jante hai me kitne daar gayi thi"
Abhi who was stood in Aliyah's room looked at her and forced a smile,
"I'm fine tanu, thoda sa tired hu Lekin it's good to be back"
Tanu who was still clinging on to Abhis neck giggled and kissed his cheek,
"Ab mujhe batao tum kaun se zyda miss kiya? Mujhe na?"
Abhi froze at this question trying not to meet Tanu's gaze, he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but the truth was he really hadn't missed her at all. He had missed his dadi the most, but that was natural, dadi was like his mother off course he would miss her, but lately Abhi was having a hard time trying to understand why he was feeling this way towards Tanu. He did love her didn't he?
"Off course Tanu, Lekin me Sab se bohat miss kiya hai" he said pulling her back into a hug so he didn't have to look her in the eye when he said it.
As he did so he turned his head towards the door and saw Pragya stood staring. Her expression was emotionless and her gaze was glassy. Deep in his heart, he felt a bolt of guilt. His gaze caught hers, but Abhi noticed that she wasn't looking at him, but rather through him. Those beautiful eyes looked so sad and in pain, his breath hitched in his throat. He tried to pull back from tanu in reflex, but Tanu's hold was strong.
Aliyah noticed her bhabhi stood there, but acted as though she had not noticed. She never missed an opportunity to taunt that "bhenji" and now would be no different. Her brother was back, safe and sound. She knew that she had to tie up loose ends where the corporator was concerned but for now she was glad she wasn't welcoming her brothers corpse. She was miffed however that pragya had walked away from this. Things would have been perfect if the corporator had come through and erased her from their lives. At this stage though even Aliyah had learnt to appreciate the silver linings in life, it meant she had the luxury of playing with pragyas feelings even more.
"Bhai I'm so happy app ghar sahiye salamat agaye"
She also walked over to abhi and hugged him and tanu. Aliyahwasn't crying fake tears, she was genuinely relieved to have her brother back,
"Apko pata hai, jab us corporator ne kaha apko golli lagi, meri to Jaan nikali Gaye Bhai"
She continued to display an exaggerated amount of emotion, hiding her face and tears in Abhis chest
"You know what Bhai, iss halat me sochne lagi, aur mujhe puri Tara se esaas hua, zindagi me hamare
Pas waaq bohot kam hai Bhai, We should, you know, seize the day"
Abhi looked at her questioningly. It was very unlike Aliyah to speak this way, she was far more superficial worrying about her facials and latest fashions. Abhi put it down to the scare she had had concerning him. Aliyah assessed whether to continue, and at the corner of eye could see Pragya still stood there with what she deemed a stupid expression on her face.
" Bhai me ne socha, apko abhi wait nahi karna chaiye, apse chald se chald tanu se shaadi karni chaiye, especially jab se ab ko pata chale Gaye ke life kitni short ho sakti hai" she said this though it was her that had seen her life flash before her eyes
Pragya who was still stood in the door way came back to her senses. If seeing Tanu hugging abhi was painful, Aliyah speaking about his wedding to her was something else. Abhi pulled away from tanu and Aliyah confusing them both.
"Meine galat Kya kaha Bhai? You and tanu love each other and ab aur der nahi honi chaiye ap dono ko Ek honese"
Abhi didn't know how to react, he could see the glisten in pragyas eyes knowing these to be tears. Abhi new pragya was hurting right now and he couldn't help but feel her pain too. But why? After all Aliyah had not said anything wrong, as far as she and tanu are concerned he was in love with tanu. And Pragya was the unfortunate girl that got caught up in their games through no fault of her own. Even though Abhi and Pragya had made up regarding the initial misunderstanding in their marriage, only he and her knew what they had been through together. Only he knew the sheer Amount of torment and turmoil she must have gone through or is going through still because of him.
He started at her for a few moments. How could she love him? He was a monster to her. But that just showed abhi more about Pragya than himself. She had fallen for him in the smallest of gestures and the tiniest acts of kindness. Abhi was brought back from his thoughts when Tanu spoke to him
"I think Aliyah theek ker Rahi hai, aur me mummy papa ko Kya samjao ghi, lori ki din tum ne unse promise kiya tha ke hamari shaadi hungi, an there is no excuse now Abhi"
Abhi cringed as the words left Tanu's mouth. His eyes never left Pragyas expression. It amazed and scared him still that he could read every micro expression on her flawless face and right now all he could see was heart break. Abhi could have sworn if time had slowed down he could point out the exact moment Pragya flinched when she realised what she had unintentionally done on that day.
Pragya felt as though the ground slipped from beneath her feet just as she put two and two together regarding those "clients" on lori. Wow, she really was a fool she thought. She thought back to that day. She was so proud of herself for helping Abhi sign a prosperous deal. She had actually revelled in the fact that she had been the one to help him in something productive and work related. The thought of her own stupidity upset her even more and Not wanting to expose herself to this scene or these people
any longer she walked away from the door way with what dignity she thought she had left. She held in the tears that were becoming more and more visible, and made her way to their bedroom. She headed straight for the balcony, closed the door and crumpled to the floor.
Abhi watched as pragyas eyes had shifted downwards. He could see she had worked out what had actually happened on lori and that moment of realisation on Pragyas face seared abhi in a way he did not understand. He had betrayed her trust and right now he was wishing with all his might he could go back and change what happened, or at the very least change it in pragyas mind. There was nothing he could do now though. He watched helplessly as she retreated towards their room. She had turned her face away but abhi could bet every penny in his bank account that she was about to cry and this knowledge above all else stung more than the gunshot wound he had endured earlier that week. Aliyah and Tanu continued there talks but at this point abhi was paying attention to nothing. All he could see were those troubled eyes.
Pragya sat with her back to the wall and knees pulled up. There in the silence of the place that had become her prison and sanctuary, She could not help the sadness that overwhelmed her. She willed herself not to cry, to be strong and understand abhi was never hers to cry over. But sometimes your heart just won't obey what your brain wants. The more she tried not to cry, the faster and harder her tears were falling. She knew he didn't love her and she knew he never would. Her brain understood all the logic, alas it was her heart that needed time to come to terms with what she knew had to happen. She wasn't a super model, but she had given him everything she had. She had pulled him out of the clutches of death only to realise that it would never be her arms he would seek comfort in.
What hurt pragya the most is that abhi saw the situation with Tanu's parents as a joke. Granted at that time he didn't know how she felt, but he didn't have to lie to her. If she was honest, she felt belittled. She was reminded of how much of a circus her life had become and how different her world was to Abhis. To him marriage was keeping his dadi happy. It was a way to take revenge on someone that he had thought wronged his little sister. He would never see it in the way Pragya did. A safe haven, having someone there that cares for you, and stands by you in all hours of life. Someone you can walk through life with instead of struggle. She knew she was fighting a loosing battle. She had laid all of her cards on the table and still nothing. If he had felt anything towards he would have said so by now.
And it was in that moment Pragya decided enough was enough. She needed a plan. One that would save her heart from being broken further. One that would protect her relationship with her family and dadi. But most importantly one that proved to Pragya herself she doesn't need to be swept off her feet to be happy. She looked over the balcony to the night sky. How calm and collected the night was compared to her frenzied mind and heart. Slowly in her mind she formulated what she was going to do, how she would manage this last hurdle in life and break away from this marriage without too much collateral damage. She needed to embed in her mind that anything nice Abhi did was out of humanity or guilt from his past actions. It was nothing to do with love. He did not love her and the quicker she understood and accepted this the better it would be for her. Pragya had a rough idea of what was to happen and tomorrow she would go about putting her plan into action. But tonight she was a broken women and no matter how much she willed, the tears were not going to stop falling. With that in mind Pragya rested her head on her folded arms on the balcony chair and allowed herself to sit there and cry wholeheartedly until eventually her body and mind were so tired sleep took over her.
That is how Abhi found her a couple of hours later. Since he had seen her walk away from Aaliyah's room Abhis mind was filled with thoughts of Pragya. Her face with those terribly sad eyes haunted his every
thought. He couldn't concentrate on the questions his family were asking .All he wanted to do was run after her find her and pull her into a big hug and tell her...
What? What would he tell her? What was wrong with him?why was this all
So hard? Why was he so confused? Why did it matter to him how Pragya felt?
He knew he cared for his fuggy. She was his wife and she had respected and fulfilled the duties of a daughter in law. But abhi couldn't kid himself. She had done more than that. If he is standing here today, it is only because of Pragyas sheer determination and willingness for him to live. He didn't want to admit it but it was down to her love he was alive and to not acknowledge that would be to insult her. Still abhi kept kidding himself that the reason he wanted to see if she was okay, was because they were friends and he didn't want to hurt his friend.
This was the reason Abhi fed himself that same evening when his family, in particular aliyah and tanu kept him from going to his room and checking on Pragya. His dadi had asked after her bahu but aliyah had answered for him claiming Pragya had told her she was tired and wanted to rest. He knew his family were happy to have him back but in all honesty he had been away from his bed and life for what felt like so long all he wanted was a good night sleep and things to go back to normal in his life. But abhi was becoming increasingly concerned. He didn't know what normal meant anymore. Ever since pragya had told him about how she felt, it had stirred feelings in himself that he never knew he could feel. He didn't know how to react or respond. True she had said that she expected nothing from him, so why then did it hurt to think of her going away from him. He had had enough. His daadi and daasi's were on a constant path of teasing him. And any other night abhi would have embraced it and laughed along with them. But not tonight. Now he needed to go and see Pragya. It had been 2 hours since he saw her broken self and he didn't want to put off seeing her any longer.
"Dadi mein bohot thak Gaya Hun, isliye me upar Kamre me araam Karne jarahu"
Daasi laughed slapping abhi on the back and said,
"Kyu itne dino se biwi ke saat akele rehne me addat par Gayi hai na"
Daadi and both of his daasis were howling with laughter. Abhi smiled at them but took this opportunity to take his leave.
Abhi climbed the stairs of his mansion wearily, not really knowing what to say to Fuggy. On his way to their bedroom, Abhi was muttering to himself.
"Fuggy, actually vo tanu jo kerahi thi..."
No no. This was his fault for once he should not blame tanu or anyone else for that matter. He braced himself in front of his bedroom door. Whatever questions she Throws at him he will have to bear. He didn't know how Pragya was going to react to what she had learned a couple of hours ago. He went inside the room to find no one there.
He checked the washroom and saw clearly that the bed was unslept in and she wasn't on the sofa. He was about to call out to her when his eyes fell on something flowing through the balcony door.
He approached the balcony and saw the pallu to Pragyas saree caught in the doors. Abhi reached his hand out to the door and slowly opened them. He did not expect to see what he did. There she was leaning on the wall next to the doorway with her head resting on a chair. Abhi didn't have to look at her face closely to see the fresh tear marks that still adorned her face. Abhi felt that stinging pain again.
For the last 2 hours she had sat here in the cold crying herself to sleep.
Abhi didn't know what to do. On one hand he was angry at her for loving him. Why couldn't she just hate him or be indifferent to him. She was stirring all these confusing feelings in abhi and he just didn't know how to handle them. But on the other hand she also stirred this primal need to protect her from everything. The world.
He bent down and observed her. She really was beautiful. With or without her glasses, she was just beautiful. Inside and out. He could not bear the thought of her sitting out here in the cold for hours on end crying over something that wasn't even her fault. Slowly he brushed a strand of hair from her face. He gently moved her head back and wound her arms around his neck so he could pick her up and take her inside. As he lifted her, she unknowingly in her sleep grabbed Abhis shirt and buried her head in the crook of his neck, snuggling closer to him. Her scent was slightly more than what Abhi could bear. Like flowers, meadows and freshness. He moved his head inwards so that his nose was resting against her head. He had never noticed how good she smelled. But then he had never actually been this close to her. Abhi walked with her across the the room and lay her on the bed. He removed her arms carefully from
Around his neck and placed them on her stomach. He moved her hair out of her face and covered her with a blanket. He could still see the tear marks on her face and his heart hurt thinking about those tears. He removed her glasses and put them on the side table. Abhi turned towards her and really slowly as if he didn't quite believe what he was doing bent down and placed a tender sweet kiss on Pragyas forehead.
It was then that something else deep stirred in abhi. He felt as though he might actually want to protect her, be there for her. This was all very confusing for abhi. He knew he had to come up with some sort of plan to rectify this big mess that was his life. And tomorrow he would do just that, make a plan and organise his life. But tonight was his first night back, he had been kidnapped, shot and pulled out of the clutches of death. To say he was tired was an understatement. Abhi did not even think about the pillow wall he should have put up. Instead he climbed into bed lay on his back and closed his eyes hoping to fall sound asleep. But he kept hearing
"If it wasn't for her you wouldn't be here you know" ringing through his mind.
He opened his eyes and turned himself to look at pragya. She really was beautiful. Without a second thought to any consequences, Abhi shuffled closer to Pragya. He put his arm around her waist and scooped her closer to him, so that her back was resting on his chest. he buried his nose and face into her hair, took in a lungful of that delicious scent of hers and cuddled her like a spoon. He did wonder how on earth her tiny self managed to transport him
Halfway across the jungle to that hut...
But before he could think on that anymore, Abhi found himself letting go and falling into the most blissful night of sleep he had had In ages...
Chapter 1 - above
Chapter 2 - page 4
Chapter 3 - page 6
Chapter 4 - page 9
Chapter 5 - page 13
Chapter 6 - Page 17
Chapter 7 - Page 18
Chapter 8 - Page 18
Chapter 9 - Page 21
Chapter 10 - Page 25
Chapter 11 - Page 29
Chapter 12 - page 33
Cricket
CID
36