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For this OS, let's pretend Rabul's wedding went smoothly, Tanu's parents never came to the sangeet and Abhi and Pragya still haven't told the truth about Pragya's fake pregnancy and Tanu's real one. On Sarla-ma's insistence, Pragya has come to stay with her for two weeks so that Sarla ma can take care of her. Pragya arrived at Sarla-ma's house a few hours ago...
Hope you enjoy it!
Abhi's new 'favourite pillow'
Pragya lay down on her pillow, sighing as she did so. This house was so calm compared to the Mehra Mansion. She was abruptly shaken by a sudden realisation; she considered Abhi's home more of her 'home' than her ma's house- the house she had lived in for more than twenty five years. How did it come to this?
Here, there wasn't the mischievous, lively Dadi and co to take care of or Bunty and Bubbly to play with. There wasn't Robin to command around, the person who helped her take care of the huge house. There wasn't the daily dramas between Tauji and her two daughter-in-laws or the quieter ones like Akaash and his dad whose presence seemed to calm you down in all the hustle and bustle. There wasn't the loud music from Aliya's room as she exercised. Pragya was happy to see no Tanu around here though- she was sick of seeing her day and night. Even though Tanu had been living there for a while now, Pragya hadn't still become accustomed to her constant whining.
And then the person who always managed to crawl back into her mind- there was no Abhi.
Abhi.
There was none of those silly fights or taunts from Abhi, none of his childish, cheeky smiles when he teased her. She didn't have to tell him where his phone was or where that or this document was. There was no one calling out her name every five or so minutes, sometimes for a reason or sometimes just 'because he felt like it'. And none of those looks he gave her when he was just staring into her eyes, as if he had forgotten about everything else in the world and only she mattered. But of course, that's not what he's really thinking, right? He doesn't love me... why would he feel like that towards me?
Pragya looked at the watch on her bedside table. It's only been six hours since I got here and I've already thought about him a hundred times! I should really stop. We'll be divorced soon and I'll leave him forever. Bulbul was married now. They had no other excuse to stall the inevitable.
Pragya closed her eyes and all she could think of was him. And then came the vicious cycle of thoughts where she'd hate herself for doing it, then convince herself that this was a justifiable phase she was going through so she'd let herself think about him again and so it continued. This time, alone in her room in pure silence, it had gotten to the point where she was almost in tears.
No, Pragya! Stop! Pragya sat up and shook her head, messing her hair.You're going crazy! Stop thinking about him! I thought coming here for two weeks would help him get used to not having me around but now it seems I need to get over him as well!
She tried to calm herself down, preoccupying her thoughts with the comforts around her. Oh, Bulbul didn't take her scarves from this room with her? That picture, what year was that picture taken again? Uh, let's see...two-thousand and-?
I wonder if he's thinking about me. Does he miss me as much as I miss him?
Pragya gave in and let a tear fall down, catching it in it's fall with her hand. She looked at the tear, glistening on her palm. How am I ever going to live without him?
Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming towards her room. No, Ma can't see me like this! My eyes are too red! So Pragya quickly lay down, pretending to be asleep. As she had expected, she heard the door creak open.
"Oh yes, yes! Pragya?!" called out an excited Sarla-ma. There was a brief silence, before she said, "Oh, she's asleep. I better go then- I'll talk to her later," Pragya heard the door close.
Pragya kept her eyes closed. Nothing was right. Her life had turned into one long nightmare. Pragya felt another tear run down her cheeks.
Suddenly she felt the path of the tears on her cheek, wet and cold, as if something was blowing air on her face. Wind? But I closed the windows?!
Alarmed, Pragya opened her eyes, scared of the unknown, and felt her heart stop when she figured out what was happening.
Abhi was kneeling down on his knees, looking at her straight on, straight into her eyes, a loving smile playing about his face.
"Cute," he said quietly, almost in a whisper, moving a stray strand of hair from her face. He leaned in closer, as if he was about to kiss her. Pragya, blushing, quickly sat up.
"Aap?! What are you doing here?!" Pragya quickly fixed her dupatta and fixed her glasses.
"Um... I came to buy something nearby so thought I'd come-"
"Jhoot! Everything's closed around this place!"
"Dadi sent me-"
"I just talked to Dadi- she didn't mention you coming-"
"Fuggy! Maybe she didn't tell you because she wanted to surprise you or something-"
"Aap! How could you use Dadi in one of your silly lies again?!"
"I-! I'm not lying!"
"Jhoot! I know you-"
"Why do you know me so well?! That makes everything so hard!!!"
"Well, if you're excuses weren't so lame-"
"Shoosh!" Abhi pressed her nose quickly. "Why do you talk so much!"
Pragya, silenced but bursting to speak, widened her eyes and Abhi read her expression correctly as: "Seriously, what are you doing here?!"
"Fine, since there's no use lying to you, I'll just tell you, okay?! I came here because... I wanted to see you..." Abhi looked away for a second, unable to make eye contact with Pragya. They were both blushing profusely. Pragya took Abhi's hand, surprising him, and made him press her nose again.
"Is everything alright? Did you need to tell me something? Or some work?" Pragya asked, still blushing, trying to sound as calm as possible.
"Actually, yes," Abhi sounded rather thoughtful.
"Go on then. Baataiyein na." Pragya tried to relax herself but she suddenly felt a sense of disappointment. See, he just came for some work. Nothing else...
"Do you remember my favourite pillow? Hatto na!" Abhi signalled Pragya to move over and Pragya reluctantly did so. Abhi lay down next to her, alarming Pragya.
"Aap?! You can't just-!"
"Yes I can! Aunty-ji said I can sleep here for the night," Abhi said with a broad grin on his face.
"What?! Of course Ma would say that- you're her 'son' and my husband!"
"I'm glad you remembered that," Abhi said, smirking, his face looking up at Pragya with a gleam in his eyes. Pragya found herself blushing again.
"That's beside the point. What I meant to say was- why are you doing this?! I mean, why are you sleeping here?!"
"Oh, yes, back to my favourite pillow. Remember how I burnt it because of you-"
"No, it was because of you! You didn't believe me when I said that MMS was nonsense!"
"Yeah, but I still burnt it because of you, right?"
"No-"
"So anyway, you know how I couldn't sleep without it?"
"How could I forget?" Pragya said, glaring down at Abhi as she remembered all of their nok-jhoks that centred around Abhi and this pillow.
"Well, even after I burnt it, I could sleep. Do you know why?"
"You've grown up? Wait, that's impossible," teased Pragya, the smirking.
"No! Because I've found a new 'favourite pillow'!" Abhi said, excited.
"Oh, and what's this 'new favourite pillow'?"
"It's not a what, it's a who. Fuggy, lie down would you! Me having to look up at you all the time is hurting my neck!" Abhi pulled Pragya down so that she lay flat on her back. Abhi leaned up on his side so that he could face Pragya and look down her face. Pragya felt herself blush. We're getting way too comfortable... she tried to focus on the conversation.
"Fine, who's your 'new favourite pillow'?"
"You." Abhi smiled, his eyes glinting and alive in the dark. He was looking into her eyes again with what seemed like longing. No, you're imagining things again! Stop it!
"Mat...matlab?" Pragya managed to ask.
"Well, basically, now I can't sleep without you," Abhi concluded, lying back down. He stretched, yawning. It was Pragya's turn to lean up, her eyes wide and her cheeks blushing again. He's going to be the death of me if he continues saying things like this!
"That's... that's absurd!" Pragya let out a small laugh.
"No, I just won't be able to sleep if you're not there."
"Maybe it's another pillow?"
"Nope, I'm sure it's you."
"Well, we can't sleep like this!"
"Why not? Anyway, I have to do a recording tomorrow and I need to sleep well so that's why I came here, okay? So just let me sleep now." Abhi closed his eyes.
"Are! Aap?! Fine then, you sleep here, I'll sleep on the floor." Pragya prepared to get up but Abhi quickly pulled her back down.
"No, sleep here with me! Besides, we've slept together before. You've slept on me before, remember? When we were drunk?"
"Don't say it like that..." said a very red Pragya.
"Promise you won't leave me... I promise I won't cross the border..." Abhi looked at Pragya with puppy dog eyes. He's such a kid! Uff!
"Okay, fine then... Good night..." Pragya lay back down.
"Good night, Fuggy."
Pragya waited thirty minutes before she attempted to get out of the bed. We're going to separate soon. I can't sleep on the same bed as him... it would be wrong... But before she could move, she felt an arm envelope her waist, shocking her to the core.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked a sleepy Abhi.
"I...I! Sorry... I was just... Aap... you're crossing the border!"
"If you're not going to keep your promises, I'm not going to keep mine either."
And so, that was how Abhi and Pragya slept that night, with Abhi's arms securely around her. Pragya couldn't sleep at first. She was all too aware of Abhi's arm around her, his hot breath on her neck, his slow breathing. This is wrong, isn't it? But it's just one night... and we are husband and wife... Pragya too eventually found herself fall into a blissful sleep.
The next morning, Pragya helped Abhi get ready for work. The Aroras and Abhi all ate breakfast together and Pragya saw him off to his car.
"Don't come back here today," Pragya commanded although she wanted the exact opposite.
Abhi shrugged and as Pragya had suspected, he came back to her in the evening after his work, and using the same excuse as the day before, he once again slept with Pragya on her bed, in the same position as before.
"Do you have to hold me like that?" Pragya complained.
"Yes, or else you might escape."
"Fine, I seriously won't go anywhere. Now, can you take your arm off me?"
"Fuggy, let me sleep!" Abhi whined pulling Pragya closer towards him. It was useless, Abhi wasn't willing to let go of her.
The next morning, once Abhi had left for work, his Dadi called Pragya.
"Pragya, I've sent Abhi's clothes to your house."
"But Dadi, he won't come here tonight. He'll return home after work and-"
"Pragya, beta, I know my potha very well. His home is where you are, Pragya."
Pragya felt herself blush profusely. Home...
Sure enough, Abhi came back to her that night and the next night and night after that despite Pragya telling him not to. This went on for two weeks and it got to the point Pragya didn't bother to ask for his excuses anymore and Abhi didn't bother giving any. Sarla-ma was ecstatic to have her 'son' and daughter living with her, especially after she had married off both her daughters and was feeling quite lonely. Abhi enjoyed coming back there after work, eating, chatting (and occasionally drinking 'cough syrup') with the Aroras. They were a refreshing bunch of people who treated him with lots of love and affection, loving him for who he really was, not because of his fame or fortunes. But most importantly, he loved coming back to his wife. She was his source of comfort in all the noise of the world. At this house, the two had somehow pushed the thought of Tanu and what was going to unfold to the back of their heads and for those two weeks, they behaved like a married couple.
One night, as Pragya slept snugly in his arms, Abhi thought to himself, if only we could stay like this forever. If only I could keep Pragya like this in my arms every night without a worry in the world... Abhi pulled her in closer to him, and closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of the two being together.
Abhi was now pretty sure Pragya was his 'favourite pillow' and this one, he never wanted to lose.
Tum Se Tum Tak
Ganesh Kartikeya
622