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Part IX - Confrontations
He needed to talk to her. She had to give him a chance. After all, they were still married. Distance and waiting had calmed him down slightly but he still paced the darkened hallway as he waited for her to come home. He stopped as he heard the door shut. Pulling her in with one hand covering her mouth, his other hand went round her waist and he pinned her to the pillar under the landing.
"Shhh Chashmish it's me. Don't shout. You'll wake everyone up. I need to talk to you." whispering to her, he moved his hand away from her mouth.
"Let me go. What are you doing?" she whispered back.
"What am I doing? What are you doing? Why were you so close to your date? Does he not have any respect for boundaries? Was there any reason that you didn't push him away when he hugged you?" He was getting worked up again as he felt her bare back, knowing that not long ago someone else dared to touch her.
"What? What are you talking about? When did you see me?"
"With that guy. The tall one. On the terrace. I saw you hugging him." his hand had started roaming over her bare back, softly caressing and the sensation was electrifying. Her skin stayed warm and tingled. It was getting harder to focus on what he was saying.
Taking a shallow breath, she questioned, "Were you spying on me? What difference does it make if he hugs me anyway? Remember I'm getting married soon. He was my date. He has every right to hug me. But you shouldn't be holding me. Not like this. Please let me go."
"I wasn't spying. I saw you and I was coming to talk to you. And it makes a difference to me." Pulling her closer he continued, "I should be the only one, holding you, hugging you."
What was he talking about? Had he been there at the function? She hadn't seen him come in. That was when she noticed his suit. He was obviously talking about Moksh, but the hug was just between friends. With all these thoughts running through her head she asked him the most important one,
"Why Abhishek? You never wanted to be the one, so why now? We decided, together that I was going to get married to someone else. Isn't that what this search is all about? Finding me a Mr. Perfect, getting me married off so you can have your rock star lifestyle back. Dadi also knows so that's not a problem."
"I'm trying so hard to forget that I love you, to tell you that you're the one who is perfect for me. Why do have to make it so difficult for me. Just let me go. I'll get married and get out of your life. I just need a little more time to forget you. That's what you want so don't make it harder on me."
His grip loosened. Did she...she said she loved him. She loves him. Everything felt right. His world made sense again. All that confusion, the dreaded feeling in his gut disappeared. She was still struggling to get out of his arms. So he tightened his hold and asked, "What. Did. You. Just. Say?"
"Let me go Abhishek.
"Not that Chashmish, you just said you love me. Is that true?"
"Lo...Lo...Love? I never said that. What are you talking about? No Abhishek. It's late. I need to change. Please." She needed to be careful. She had finally decided to start getting over him; his words, his touch shouldn't weaken her resolve.
"Okay but before I let you go, I'll tell you why. Seeing you with someone else gets me angry. I don't like seeing anyone else touching you. You're mine and you always will be." He hand moved to her cheek and his forehead softly touched hers.
"I thought I wanted you gone from my life, but almost losing you made me realise that it was always supposed to be you. That one intimate act with Moksh scared me; that you would be gone and I would be...alone...without you. And the thought of being without you was killing me inside. I'm never going to let you go."
She moved even closer to him and looked straight at him. She saw the unsaid words in his eyes, felt them in his touch. Tears filming her eyes, she shook her head, willing him to stop.
But he needed to say it all so he continued, "Dadi told me before when life takes you down a path you didn't choose, you might get to the destination you always wanted to be. True I didn't choose you, but you're who I want to be with. Forever. It took a while but I've finally understood. Let me show you Pragya."
*** *** ***
Abhi and Pragya walked out of their room hand in hand the next morning and came down for breakfast. The dadis were the only ones who were unsurprised when Abhi announced that there was going to be no re-marriage. Their plan although had been risky was successful and Dadi silently thanked God that everything worked out. Winking at Indu daasi, they asked Abhi to tell them what made him change his mind.
Epilogue - Her Mr. Perfect
Pragya didn't know her husband could be so romantic and that she would enjoy it so much. He'd surpassed every expectation of hers, doing small things to make her happy. And now he'd pulled all stops for their first anniversary celebration.
Music played in the background, whilst families and friends milled around. Waving, Pragya pulled Abhishek to meet someone special,
"Moksh, hi! How are you? You never got to meet Abhishek did you?"
"Abhishek - Moksh. Moksh - Abhishek."
Both men shook hands and Abhi's hand went round Pragya's waist possessively. "So good to finally meet you."
"Moksh is a producer. I wonder how it is you don't know each other."
Moksh smiled and replied, "Now we will. After all he is my friend's husband. We'll even work together one day."
Just then Pragya was called over by Dadi, "Be nice." She whispered to Abhi before she walked away leaving the two men to talk.
"So, Moksh, still talking to Pragya?" Abhi spoke first, breaking the silence.
"She'll always be my friend. If I'd met her before, I'd definitely have gotten married to her first."
"In your dreams buddy. She was always meant to be mine. Anyways enjoy the party. See you around." He walked away to find Pragya, wanting to dance with her.
Moksh laughed at that statement. He knew it was true, she was always meant to be his, but it had taken planning and almost lies to bring them together. He had taken a liking to Abhi's Dadi when he'd come to meet Pragya the first time. And had decided to find out the full truth.
His situation was similar to Pragya's; meeting different women to find the right fit and he had found her before he'd taken Pragya on their second date. But when he's explained what he was doing, she wanted him to help out. He had kept in touch with Dadi since then. He knew that Pragya had been getting more restless as the number of potential grooms reduced. He called Dadi to mention that he would give her one last push.
And he was presented with precisely that moment at the fundraiser. Purposely he'd distracted Pragya every single time she was about to come face to face with Abhi and then he'd seen Abhi walk out after her so he decided to play his last card. The hug was the end of the whole pretence and that was confirmed with the tight hold on the glass and the flash of anger on Abhi's face.
Smiling, he raised his glass in a silent toast to Dadi and walked off to find his fiancee.
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