Hello Guys! So I have very high expectations from this track! No, not from the story perspective, but TiSha's acting point! I have a feeling I will write a lot more on this track - but haven't yet decided how I want my version to go. 😆😆
For now, an OS that deep-dives into the decision making of Abhi and Pragya regarding their feelings for each other and the future!
Happy Reading on that note 😊😛😉
Please put in your feed backs and suggestions! I love reading them!
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"Why do you both need to discuss about Abhishek and Tanu's wedding? That to with my mother?" asked a confused Pragya to the lady and the gentlemen now smiling at her - they were Abhi's clients she met at Lohri at their house. Why was it even their concern she wondered? As it is her head wasn't functioning right - whose would, after hearing out what Abhi had to say to her at Purab's. True he has saved her, and how so? By persuading her that he loves her, and she was all he ever wanted. But the moment she narrowly missed the gallows, he took no time in clarifying that he was only lying to save her. What more, in the process he had even answered her question from that special night of theirs' - and the answer was NO. He didn't love her. He thought she was a nice girl and liked her until she started playing games with him, now of course he hated people who played games with him. She had a bitter smile on her face, remembering the irony hidden in that one statement of his.
"Beta, are you okay? You seem a bit disturbed." The lady's concern brought her back to the present.
"Sorry, yes, you were saying?" she mumbled quickly, still confused.
"We were saying, we wanted to have a word with you mother beta. I know you have handled the situation very commendably. But Tanu was insisting I have a word with your mother too. You know, my daughter has always been very independent but the marriage talks are always initiated by elder's nah beta?" she smiled sweetly.
"Marriage talks? Tanu?" Pragya fumbled. "What are you talking about?"
"Beta, you forgot, we are Tanu's parents? We met at Lohri to decide on Abhi and Tanu's wedding, and you only decided that June was good time?" the lady peered at her in concern.
Pragya stood there stumped. Of course she remembered them from Lohri. But she knew them to be Abhishek's clients - they were Tanu's parents? She replayed Abhi's words in her mind with the present knowledge at hand - now it all somehow made more sense. How did she not see it before? Never before that or even after, Abhi required her help in his career - then why at that one? Of course, because it wasn't related to his career at all - it was personal, very personal. She shut her eyes tightly as yet another realization dawned - Abhi had used her with a lie, just when she thought all lies between them were over. She sighed.
"Beta. Are you okay? Can you take us to your mother?" asked Tanu's mother warmly.
She slowly opened her eyes, she was still in shock but it was slowly paving way for hurt and tears to take over. She managed to choke, "Aunty my mother is not in town. And don't worry about her, you needn't talk to her, I will handle her."
"Are you sure beta?"
"Yes aunty"
"Okay beta, as you say. Have a nice day beta!" she smiled and got back inside their car and drove off.
Pragya stood there still, she opened her mouth once to speak out something, but words failed her. The hot tears that were at bay so far, came pouring out as she stood there watching the car go away.
"Abhishek" she muttered in hurtful disbelief.
***
Pragya had just reached home, on the way there was a constant turmoil inside her. Should she confront Abhi regarding this lie? A part of her wanted to shake him by his shoulder and demand to know why he lied to her thus? What was the need? She would probably have done that had Abhi not told him whatever he had at Purab's sometime back.
What was she expecting him to say? After he had made himself clear that he never loved her, what right did she have to charge him? What if he said, "My wish, I lied fuggy. Who are you to question me?" would she be able to take that on her face? Probably not - and the question of him meeting her expectation only came from the faulty assumption that maybe he had some feelings for her deep down - that having been clarified in negative, she realized he was never obliged to meet her expectation - even if the expectation was as simple as - telling her the truth.
She rubbed off the remains of the dry sticky tears from her eyes, as she walked through the doors, ready for the charade to begin again. She was about to take the stairs, when she bumped on to Tanu.
The sight of her breathed fresh anger inside Pragya, how dare Tanu sent her mother to her mother's, knowing fully well that Pragya's mother had no clue about the dynamics of her, Abhi's and Tanu's relation! But before she opened her mouth, she noticed Tanu had tears in her eyes. She was mum for a moment, and Tanu taking advantage of the silence, came firing down on her instead.
"You! How dare you! What have you done to Abhi? Why is he so disturbed? For you he shut his door on my face today! Stay away from my Abhi" she hissed, wiping her tears.
"Would you pay heed to these same line, if I told you these? Given that I have greater authority to tell you this considering I am his wife." Replied Pragya firmly.
"How dare you?" she charged at her aggressively.
"I dare because you all have pushed me thus. How dare you send your mother to my mother's house? Don't you know she isn't aware of any of these? If I wanted, I could have told your mother about your true colour, I had the opportunity today, but I didn't. You know why? Because, I know how much you mean to her - I didn't want to break a mother's heart! That's why. I could have told her that her daughter is a cheap woman who is trying to come in between a husband and wife - I could tell her your true stand in Abhi's life! She would have taken you away that way - but I didn't, so just respect the mutual understanding and stay away from my mother and Abhi - as long as he is my husband" she raged.
But an ugly smile had formed on Tanu's lips, "Husband?" she smirked. "So does this husband of your's love you Pragya? Did he ever touch you? Are you both truly one yet? Like a REAL husband and wife? Has your husband given you the right to mother his children? No?" she smiled silkily.
"I know he doesn't love me. I don't know how much longer this marriage will last, but as long as it does, you -----"
"As long as it lasts huh? Well in that case your time is up Pragya. You know why? Because the rights that your husband didn't give you, he gave them to me. Even outside marriage. Including the last right I mentioned. Yes Pragya, I am carrying Abhi's baby inside me. I am pregnant" she finished triumphantly.
Pragya stared at her. She had frozen at the last words of the woman in front of her. Abhi's rejection stood out more clearly than ever right now - not only had he got her to fix their wedding unknowingly, but they had gone so much ahead in their plans of togetherness and bliss that they even started their family. The news of Tanu carrying Abhi's baby was one single prove to snub all the doubts Pragya ever held - of him reciprocating to her feelings - it was an impossibility.
Abhi loved Tanu. Tanu loved Abhi. They were going to have a baby. They were a happy family. Where did Pragya fit here? Did she ever fit in one frame with him? Suddenly her own feelings for Abhi seemed to mock at her. Was Tanu the outsider in their marriage, or was she the outsider in their blissful life? Tanu came and created havoc in their marriage, or she came and created havoc in their relationship? At first it wasn't her fault, they had fooled her into coming in between them for their revenge, but later she herself came in between them, by developing her feelings for Abhi.
How can her sacred feeling of love for Abhi, suddenly feel so lowly? She was trying to get Abhi to reciprocate to her and in the process separating a father from a child? She has had a childhood without a father, she knows how it is - would she ever want a child to go through it? No. Even if the child was Tanu's - and this child was not only Tanu's, it was Abhi's too. She loved everyone that Abhi loved, how could she not love this child? And keeping the father of a child she loved, away from the child? No Pragya wouldn't even do it in her dreams. She would have to move away from her paradise now, it was only an illusion and she knew it from the beginning.
"What? You have nothing to say? Not even congratulations! You will be a step-mother soon Pragya! I am PREGNANT!" laughed Tanu maliciously.
"Oh" she whispered, pulling out of her thoughts.
***
Abhi was sitting near the mini-bar in his room and making himself a strong drink. Well he is attempting let's say, because at the first go, he managed to drop his glass that shattered after touching the floor. At the second go he dropped the alcohol outside the glass, at the third go he dropped his snacks on the ground shattering yet another bowl. "ROBIN" he screamed for the nth time. The poor boy came running in again and cleaned up everything, and provided a fresh set of glasses, bowl of snacks and bucket of ice before him.
But he didn't touch them, he got up instead and paced around his room, he had never been so restless in his life. What was eating him? The fact that hugging Tanu didn't seem as magical as Purab had described the "pyaar wala hug" to be, or the fact that in Pragya's embrace back in the afternoon, he felt exactly that? Was he angry because he wasn't feeling upset after telling off Tanu moments back when she was ranting about their wedding or was he angry because he was feeling upset after telling of Pragya in the afternoon. Why did Tanu's tear not bother him tonight, why was the mere memory of Pragya's tearful eyes from the afternoon still tugging at his heart?
Tanu never seemed to understand him when he was agitated, for her, her own problems were always bigger. Pragya seemed to understand his weariness without him having to tell her, and miraculously always found a way to cheer him up. He remembered the night when he was upset because suddenly Tanu wanted to get married to him - Pragya had insisted he played the guitar for her - he did, and music soothed his aching soul. He smiled at the memory, "Nervous you were not! But tensed you're no more!" she had said with a goofy grin. He shut his eyes with a small smile etching on his lips.
"You're thinking of Pragya di, hain nah Abhi?" a soft voice whispered in his ears.
"Hmmm" he smiled.
"And Tanu?" it whispered back.
Abhi's smile disappeared, it was replaced with a frown. "uh-huh" he replied.
"The woman whose image flashes in your memory every time you shut your eyes and who brings a smile in your lips in spite of all odds, is the true love of your life Abhi" the voice whispered.
Abhi jerked his eyes open to see Purab looking at him curiously.
"What?" scowled Abhi defensively?
"Whose face did you see Abhi?" asked Purab with a smile. Abhi's gut did an ugly twist. Was it possible? No. It was just a funny memory. Fuggy was a nice person, he liked her, he felt comfortable around her, he missed her when she wasn't around, his eyes kept darting at her her when she was around, he felt angry if she gave other's more attention than him, he liked it when she smiled, he hated it when she cried - that's about it. He liked her, he didn't love her.
"Purab, can you let it be?" Abhi snapped back.
"Fine, we will discuss this after Pragya di has left the house okay?" smiled Purab politely. The sentenced served as a tough punch on Abhi's already claustrophobic chest. Why would Pragya leave? She stayed with him in the charade of their marriage even when they hated each other - now when they have come such a long way, now when they understand and respect each other, maybe not love, but like each other - why would she leave now?
"Purab, why will she leave? We have lived within this marriage for eight months without love, when she didn't leave so far, why now?" asked Abhi agitated.
"Because, in all these months, at least the greater part, she didn't love you either, so there was no expectation for you to meet, she didn't need to leave. Then she fell in love, and she had expectations from you, that kept her here. But now, you have killed all her expectations, why would she stay here? I won't be surprised if she moves out of your life, once my and Bulbul's wedding is done with" replied Purab patiently.
Abhi frowned more. He didn't want Pragya to leave. Fuggy was an amazing room-mate. He loved sharing his room with her now. With her around, everything seemed to be in place, in order, in shape. He never felt restless when he didn't hit the proper tunes, hell, with her around his always hit proper tunes. With her around, he never sulked when there was lack of inspiration for his music, hell there were never lack of inspiration for his music with her around! Suddenly he remembered Pragya's drunken night during Aaliya's engagement with Purab, when she had dressed up like him - like a rockstar! A laugh escaped.
"Now what did Pragya di do?" asked Purab with a slight smirk, that Abhi failed to catch.
"Remember your and Aaliya's engagement night, when we got her drunk..." As Abhi narrated the incident, Purab gently held him by the shoulder and casually walked him before the mirror, and was casually ruffling his own hair before the mirror. Abhi stood there beside the mirror beside him, laughing and narrating Pragya's antics of that night!
"And how did Tanu react when you seeked her help for searching for di?" asked Purab casually.
Abhi went about frowning and telling her, how she had sided away citing she needed to sleep for her shoot the next day.
"Abhi, I heard Tanu had made lavish arrangements for you this Valentine's Day?" probed Purab.
Abhi frowned again at the memory, "Yes she did. Sometimes, she is so irresponsible. Here fuggy was kidnapped and we were panicked sick, and all she cared for was a romantic dinner" he huffed. "And guess what when I finally reached the spot where fuggy was kidnapped, she had a cake there too! As I fed her cake, I teased her saying she had hypnotised the kidnappers into getting her cake too. Purab you should have seen the look on her face! It was hilarious" laughed Abhi.
Purab looked at Abhi silently for a while, as Abhi doubled up in laughter remembering various funny incidents from the jungle.
"You are hilarious Abhi. And blind too" spoke Purab, with a strange smile on his lips.
Abhi's smile faltered, what was with Purab, "Purab?" he called out uncertainly.
"Bhai you are hilarious because you can't read your own feelings. And you are blind because you can't see them too."
"What do you mean?" asked Abhi uncertainly.
"You saw it yourself in the mirror Abhi, still you didn't get it? Everytime you spoke about Pragya di, you smiled and laughed, and every mention of Tanu brought a frown on you face! Doesn't it speak volumes? Do I need to say more?"
"Purab, this---" began Abhi, but Purab cut across.
"Shut your eyes Abhi" Abhi followed. "Now imagine the woman you love is in a car, she is driving. You can see her, but not reach her."
"Why?"
"Uff! Imagine naah!"
"Okay okay"
"So she is driving, and suddenly loses her control over the car and topples down a steep cliff" said Purab dramatically, hoping for an equally dramatic response. But none came. Abhi just replied with a "hmm...then?"
"Then what Abhi! I just dropped the love of your life down the cliff!! You won't react!?!" asked Ourab in irritation.
"Hah! Pragya can't drive in the first place" replied Abhi nonchalantly.
"Oh! Damn it" responded Purab, slapping his knee in dismay.
After a few seconds it hit him. He looked back at a casual Abhi with a triumphant smile.
"So what Pragya di cannot drive? Tanu can right?" he smirked, hoping Abhi would catch his own statement.
"So what Tanu can, you were talking about the woman I lo----" and Abhi stared at Purab in shock.
So this was it? He loved her? Pragya? Abhi's realization brought in such a peaceful warm feeling inside him, that he knew it himself, this one time, he wasn't wrong. Every agitation that was threatening him internally, let him free - he was whole again.
"Purab, I LOVE PRAGYA!" Abhi exclaimed. " I have never been more sure, or happier! This is it Purab, fuggy is the one. Now that I have realized, I won't ever let her go!" he laughed and screamed in joyous realization.
***
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