Chapter-3
Taking into account the doctors suggestion Priya took little Pihu along with her. She knew she would have brought her anyway, whether or not the doctor suggested. On the way home she stopped at her favorite store from where she ordered the clothes of all her children back at the orphanage, to buy some clothes for Pihu. Amidst the vibrant clothes Priya watched Pihu smiling for the first time in several hours. She asked her whether she liked any particular dress, to which she pointed out some brightly colored frill-laced frocks. Priya bought all the clothes Pihu had chosen.
A short walk later they reached home. Opening the front door Priya led Pihu in the house. Pihu ran to the beige couch and made herself cozy while Priya switched on the cartoon channel and went to the kitchen to bring some food for her. As Pihu sat watching cartoon and digging in her peanut butter sandwich Priya went upstairs preparing the baby room for her.
"Magda, Pihu will be staying with us from now on.. I need you to clean this room, change the curtains and bed sheets before you leave for the night, okay?" she instructed her cleaning lady.
"Yes ma'am!" Magda replied devotedly.
"Here put on these purple bed sheets and pink flowery curtains. And listen one more thing.. after you are done cleaning bring in the soft toys from my room and arrange them neatly here." Priya was a toy lover.. silly for a grown woman but she had some craze for soft toys and possessed one hell of a collection.
Magda did her work as directed while Priya freshened up and changed into a peach colored top and white baggy pants. Folding the sleeves of her shirt she came down the stairs to check on Pihu.. She sat in the exact same position as Priya had left her, nibbling on her snack, looking at the television with utmost concentration. A tender smile crossed Priya's face unknowingly. She stood there watching pihu lost in her own thoughts when the sharp buzz of the telephone brought her back to the earth.
"Hello!" she proclaimed... no reply came from the other side...
"Hellooowww..!!" she exclaimed louder this time.. yet to be responded by another silence..
"Areh bhai koi bolega bhi?? Ya time pass karne ko phone kiya hain??" another no-reply..
"uff.. bas that's it..!" she was about to put the call away but before she could hang-up.. "Priyaaa..." barged in a coarse masculine voice.. which seemed so strange yet familiar... her heart skipped a beat.. suddenly she had to concentrate on breathing.. gulping a big lump in her throat she asked in a low tone.. "who's it??"
"main hoon Priya.. kaisi ho??"
She knew instantly who it was.. "What do you want??" the pitch of her voice changed from being nervous to getting furious all on a sudden.
"I-I.. I just want to talk to you once.." he stammered.
"kyun?? Ab bhi koi kasar baki rehgaya hain kya?? Aur kitni taklif dena chahte ho mujhe?? How dare you call me?? Number kaha se mila mera??" she shot him with a round of questions.
"Priya please.. just listen to me once and I will explain you everything I promise.. I will answer all your questions.. just give me one chance.." the man pleaded.
"dekho ek baat pehli aur akhri baar acchi tarah se samajhlo.. you do not exist for me.. ek bar pehle bhi tum mere aur Ram ke bich mein aa chuke ho.. please for God's sake baksh do humein.. we have got nothing to do with you and your life.. don't you ever try to call me again..!" saying that she banged phone.
Beads of sweat formed on her temples which soon became droplets and rolled down her cheekbones.. she wiped of the sweat with the back of her palm.. smoothed the loose strings of hair back with the rest.
Later that night after washing the dishes.. preparing for the next day's menu and putting away Pihu to a sound sleep priya sat back catching up on her reading. She had almost forgotten about the redundant telephone encounter the same evening until her cell-phone began to ring.. she picked it up reluctantly but just the next moment smiled from ear to ear seeing the caller-id..
"Hey honey..."
"chalo finally meri yaad agayi apko.." she complained like a little kid.
"look who's talking.. ghar se bahar kya agaya main madam ke paas itni phoorsat nhi ki apne husband ko ek phone kar le.."
Priya smiled sheepishly biting her lower lip (Sakshi special ;) ) "haan.. naa.. I'm sorry.. aj thode kaam mein zyada busy thi main.."
"kya...??? Kis ki itni himmat ki meri biwi ko mujhse zyada busy rakkhe??"
"haha.. very funny.. accha yeh sab chodiye.. apka kaam kaisa chal raha hain?? Aur kab tak wapas arahe ho ap??" she asked.
"kaam ka kya hain.. wo toh apne speed se chal hi raha hain.. and about coming back.. maine actually wohi batane ke liye call kiya tha tumhe"
"kyun?? Kya hogaya??"
"actually mujhe yaha ek do din aur lag jayenge.. kya hain ki ek bohot badi consignment mili hain.. the entire decoration of an office.. unko mera kaam itna accha laga that they even want me to do the interior.. let alone the furniture.. main kaam Geneva mein hi hain.. bas yaha se sab kuch finalize karke jana hoga.."
"oh wow.. that's amazing.. congratulations Ram.. take all the time you need.. acchese sab finalize kar ke aiye.."
"areh wah.. mujhe laga nehi tha ki itni asani se mann jaogi tum.. pehle toh jab bhi main bahar jata tha tum phone kar kar ke pareshan kar deti thi.. ab toh na koi call na koi sms... aur ab jab main keh raha hu ki aur der hojayegi, toh mann gayi tum?? very strange!"
Priya took a pregnant pause and thought.. ab main kaise samjhau apko ram, how much I need you back here.. main apko phone par bata bhi nehi sakti.. pata nehi ap kaise react karenge.. but I can't handle all these alone.. bas ap jaldi ajaiye..'
"hellloooww.. madam.. kaha khogayi ap?" ram's interrogation broke priya's chain of thoughts.
"haan.. nehi.. yehi hu.. I miss you a lot ram.. ap yaha nehi hotein hain toh m.. main bohot akeli padh jati hu.." a tear prickled in her eyes and rolled down her cheekbone in no time.. ram could sense the sudden anguish in her voice.
"hey.. kya hogaya? I am always with you my love.. plz tum aise sad wali batein maat karo.. I want my smiling priya.. tumhari ek hassi se mere purey din ki thakan dur ho jati hain.. you know na..?"
"han bas bas.. ab maska nehi.." a smile curved her face "jaldi kaam khatam ki jiye aur bhag ke wapas aiye mere paas."
"certainly my love.. as soon as I can.. tab tak take care of yourself.."
"u too.."
"chalo ab sojao.. kafi late hogayi hain.. goodnight."
"goodnight.."
The next few days passed like usual.. Priya's bonding with Pihu gradually became stronger, yet she had no clue of Pihu's original identity.. Priya tried her local contacts to find out about Pihu.. but there was no trace of her past..
The sun dipped down the horizon adorning the sky with its radiant oranges and red. The threads of light lingered with the rolling clouds briefly then melted as curtains of darkness took over the defiant sky. Calmness flew with the wind, priya shivered as the cool breeze brushed on her delicate skin. She sat in the balcony watching the setting sun, wondering how much her life had changed since she's been married. Reminiscing the past, traces of that stormy night came back to life. The night which changed their lives forever! She got up, went to her room and took out her diary. Putting on her reading glass on she sat on the desk to pen down a new chapter in her diary..
A page from Priya's diary..
27th February 2015,
8 years had gone by, 8 years to that horrific night but it haunts me even today. The night which gave me a new reason to live yet a night that could have ruined everything. I never wanted things to turn out this ugly but I cannot deny the fact that it brought happiness to me. Maybe it is fate, maybe I deserved this all along but the pain Ram had gone through.. was it worth?? I don't know. All I know that I have loved him since when, I myself don't remember. We were always meant to be together, the time apart was only an evaluation of the strength of our love..
"OUR LOVE"??? or was it only mine?? Yes Ram loves me. He loves me more than anything and anyone in the world but what if that incident had never happened?? What if Ram have had never faced that tragedy?? Would he have loved me the way he does now?? The questions I had been asking myself for years but never managed to find a satisfactory answer. No matter how much I get the fact remains unchanged that I, will always be the second woman in Ram's life!!!!!!!!!
TO BE CONTINUED...
