If Only For Episode 275 - Drabble/Fic - if only Abhi had pushed for the truthPROBLEM SOLVING
(blue dialogue from Apr 30 episode)
A: you don't joke with people's feelings. i have the habit of making bad jokes at the wrong time, you don't. i know you're lying, i don't know why.
P: why would i lie? and maybe you don't remember, it was april fools. bulbul and i love pranking. and that day you were there with me, so i...it was my best prank of life. wish bulbul was there, she would've enjoyed and been proud. i was acting, but you - your face was worth seeing.
i don't understand how you could think i love you when i know you love tanu. don't you remember our SR, when you left me for her? no woman could...after seeing her husband with another woman she could learn to compromise, but not cheat her own heart. how could i love you knowing everything? how could any woman?
A: stop it. not another word. i know tanu doesn't matter to you. tanu being in my life never stopped you from caring about me and i know you meant what you said at the lake. don't try to convince me of all this nonsense, just tell me the truth. what's wrong?
P: nothing's wrong. you're just confusing joke and reality -
A: *holds her by the shoulders* what. is. wrong?
P: *tries to look away* nothing's wrong.
A: *relaxes his grip but still holds onto her, his hands loosely on har arms* why won't you tell me? whatever it is, i'll fix it. is it something i've done? is it because of this morning? i'm sorry, i was just so angry after you'd been in the ledge, you have to understand, i didn't mean -
P: *shakes her head in agitation* no, no, it's nothing like that -
A: then why these lies? why won't you look at me, damn it pragya - what are you hiding? why are you still playing these games, why can't we just -
P: bas kijiye! you're one to talk about hiding and games! do you want to know what the problem is? the problem is that i met your lohri clients today, and i found out all about your deal. the problem is that you and tanu have skipped a step and now we're all going to have to scramble to fix everything in time for the baby and -
A: what? wait, what? what baby? what are you talking about?
P: your baby! the baby you - you - the baby you gave tanu *voice trailing off...* instead of me.
A: what? you're not making any sense. have you caught some kind of fever in the rain?
P: what don't you understand! tanu's pregnant!
A: no. no, that's impossible.
P: *scoffs, rolls eyes* not according to the doctors at the nirmala devi hospital, do you want to go and check the reports? actually why waste your time, why not go straight to tanu and -
A: just - just calm down and tell me what happened. after you left purab's house, you ran into tanu's parents. where?
P: on the way to my house. they wanted to meet my mother to finalize your rishta. tell me, how does that make any sense? why weren't they meeting daadi? or were you gonna surprise her with your june wedding too?
A: i - i swear i know nothing about this. yes, ok, i lied to you on lohri but - but it was never supposed to go this far. there's not going to be a june wedding.
P: no. there better be a may wedding, because the baby -
A: damn this baby talk! no, i need to know what happened. you met tanu's parents, did they met your mom?
P: no, i sent them away. then i went to talk to tanu to tell her that she shouldn't - well nevermind what i went to tell her. she told me she was pregnant.
A: she's lying. or mistaken.
P: she had a home pregnancy test right there, and it was positive. and i made her go to the hospital with me and get tested again. all the tests were positive. she said - she said that when we were getting divorced, you spent all your time with her, so -
A: i did not sleep with her. i would remember, i don't forget - just trust me ok. whatever her test results said, i...i didn't give her a baby.
P: really?
A: really.
P: but...
A: and then? so what was all this? i was trying to have a conversation with you and you just started spouting all this nonsense about everything being the same as the beginning and you playing a fools day prank on me - why? why were you lying to me?
P: i...i just. look, if there is a baby -
A: there can't be -
P: but, but if there is, i can't get between you and tanu. so - so it doesn't matter what i said at the lake, or what...feelings we might have between us. and - and i thought you'd already agreed to marry her, so...
A: so? so what? you were just going to walk out of my life on a bank of lies? you were going to leave me thinking you'd played me for a fool all this time? you wanted me to feel that my judgment is so bad that i failed to recognize your true nature over all these months?
P: i - i
A: yes, you what?
P: i - i don't know, ok! everything happened so fast, and - and you were asleep when i got home, i didn't think we'd be having this conversation and - i just - it just...i needed to solve the problem and...
A: and you couldn't just tell me.
P: i...i thought you were happy, about the baby and your new start. you said everything changed for you in one night so i thought -
A: god! maybe i really don't understand you. you thought i'd been lying to you and cheating you and wrecking your life, and instead of saying anything to me about it you just decided to lie and play games back? fuggy how are we ever going to have a life together if -
P: *throws herself at his chest* i'm sorry!! i didn't know! everything's so confusing and -
A: *hugs her* and we'll figure it out together. from now on. no more solo problem solving. god, you're horrible at it.
P: *laughs* *knocks his arm* as if you're any better. what if you'd told me the truth on lohri? then all this wouldn't have happened.
A: you're right. i...that was a mistake.
P: so we're even.
A: no, what you were about to do was definitely worse -
P: so we're even.
A: *decides not to argue* *leads her back to the bench so they can sit under the stars and keep talking about their problems...while he keeps his arm around her, where it belongs*
THE END
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