Big Boss 19: Daily Discussion Thread - Aug 28, 2025
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 28 Aug 2025 EDT
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 29 Aug 2025 EDT
BHAROSA THODNA 28.8
Trump imposes 50% tariff on India for buying Russian oil??!
Who impressed you more in the movie Saiyaara?
MAIRAs SCHOOL 29.8
Anupamaa 28 Aug 2025 Written Update & Daily Discussions Thread
Abhira : The self-respect queen
10 years of Phantom
Anupamaa 29 Aug 2025 Written Update & Daily Discussions Thread
What is love? For me love is companionship for life. We love our families our friends to death still deep down we reserve a special place for a special someone, till we meet that someone we dream about him/her, love the idea of being in love and wait for that moment when we come across him/her. The world seems blissful and colorful with and around him/her. However with time the color of love changes, for some it gets deeper and then they move on to the next level of their relationship where as for some it fades away leaving a vacuum behind which may or may not be filled in again.
Love knocks at our door, sometimes early,sometimes late and sometimes we just keep waiting for it to happen but the true test of love starts when we begin to live with that person under the same roof. Falling in love is easy but staying in love is difficult. Accepting and loving the person as he/she is, is tough.
Loving someone immensely gives him/her strength and being loved deeply gives us courage. Love is when we look into somebody's eyes and go all the way inside to their soul. Love warms up our hearts and glitters our eyes but sometimes it may break our hearts and glisten our eyes, still we hope to live and hope to love.
'Woh Humsafar Tha' is a search for true love which is hard to find and difficult to attain. Its not about getting what you desire but sacrificing all you desire for the happiness of the one you love because true love can never be found where it truly doesn't exist nor it can be hidden where it truly does. So let's unfold another love story where feelings change, relationships change, emotions change, everything changes except one dream and that is to truly love and be loved in return.
Teaser
For five years he was a dutiful husband, doing all that was necessary to keep her happy and their marriage going. However today he felt like a failure, and why shouldn't he? After all the most important person and relationship of his life was battling for her own life because of him, Because he refused to give in to what she desired.
" I promise I'll never ever ask you for anything more." She requested lending her hand out.
She was the only one who he had in his life, if he said yes today, he feared that he might lose her someday but if he said no then he would definitely lose her, there was no doubt about that. Clenching his jaws firmly, he raised his hand slowly and placed it on hers, believing that one day she'd surely regret this!
thanks a lot nasreen for helping with the banner
Chapter 1
Abhishekh Mehra's life was never smooth, at a very early age he lost his father, being the only child the responsibility of his mother and the house fell on his young shoulders but he didn't complain, he faced life with a smile and began working hard to earn a living.
After slogging for hours as a cab driver he still managed to keep that young and innocent boy alive in himself, thanks to the radiant smile of the love of his life, tanu and the comforting lap of his mother where he would find solace. Whole day's exhaustion would just disappear in minutes when his mother brushed her fingers through his hair and he would slip away in a peaceful sleep dreaming of a simple life with both of them. So everyday he'd wake up and work towards fulfilling this dream.
However things took a dramatic turn when he caught tanu cheating on him and why? Because she didn't wish to spend the rest of her life with a struggling driver, she desired money and a luxurious life which he couldn't afford to provide her. Therefore only to prove her wrong he stepped into an unknown dangerous territory of crime where he succeeded in making loads of money and attaining power but lost out on simple things of life. His lips no more curled into a smile, his eyes dared not to dream, how would they? When every night he'd drown himself into alcohol to forget what he did the whole day which included, How he soaked his hands with the blood of other's? how everyday he killed the innocent and vulnerable abhi in himself ? and how Abishekh Mehra the Gangster became stronger and powerful, overruling him and his emotions?
Days turned into months, months into years and with each passing year the wall that he'd built around himself cutting away from the outside world, from any kind of relationship and from happiness in particular became harder and stronger till one day she entered into his life. She wasn't welcomed with open arms but still after remaining in isolation for years he gave himself and his life a second chance by marrying her.
With marriage his life treaded a different path, now he was not only the sole care taker of Ratnagiri but he was also responsible for the happiness of this new person who left her parents home for him to be part of his world full of blood and gun shots and most importantly who accepted him as he was without attempting to change him even a bit.
Although in his long life span he shared very few relationships but he always did justice to them, be it with his parents, tanu , work and now his wife. For five years he was a dutiful husband, doing all that was necessary to keep her happy and their marriage going. However today he felt like a failure, and why shouldn't he? After all the most important person and relationship of his life was battling for her own life because of him, Because he refused to give in to what she desired.
Taking her soft hand in his, he glanced at the life saving machine attached to her which was monitoring her heart beat with a microcomputer. Her beats were now steady and regular unlike a few minutes back when they were weak and irregular making the device send out a series of electronic pulses through fine wires leading to her heart. He closed his eyes and thought back to the conversation they had a few days back.
He'd come back home after attending a meeting and found her sitting on the bed with her hands covering her face. He could see her shoulders shaking and hear her sobbing softly.
" what's wrong?" he asked worriedly walking up to her. His gaze fell on a big white envelope placed next to her. Picking it up he took out the papers from it and read them. They were her medical reports, once again her pregnancy test had turned negative. She was unfit to conceive still she didn't lose hope and underwent several medications and medical treatments much to his dislike because with every treatment she'd endure severe physical pain and when the results would turn negative then she would suffer emotionally.
Pursing his lips he sat close to her and pressed her shoulder," aren't we both enough for each other?" with tears rolling down her cheeks she looked at him and shook her head before saying," no. I want a baby."
It pained him to see her agonized like this but he was helpless, they'd done everything that was possible.
" you know we have been trying for years. But we can't fight against our destiny. Perhaps we aren't destined to be parents. But we have each other, don't we?" he lowered his head in disappointment and thought may be this was HIS way of punishing him. With his hands he'd taken away so many lives so maybe he didn't deserve to hold a new life with these blood stained hands.
" there is a way." She said staring at nothing in particular.
"what?" he asked turning his head.
" I can't be a mother but ..you can father a child."
"what do you mean?" he knitted his brows in confusion.
" I mean...you could..with someone else." She suggested gulping the lump formed in her throat. His eye brows ironed out as he realized what she meant, she wanted him to have a baby from some other woman! His eyes grew wide in shock and disgust. He stood up and wondered, had she really lost it? How could she even think that he'd do something like this?
" you've gone crazy." he barked through his greeted teeth.
It wasn't easy for her as well but for the sake of having a child she was willing to take this huge step. Fresh tears glistened her eyes seeing his enraged and disappointed form. He curled his fingers in a fist and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He could understand her eagerness but what she was suggesting was absolutely impossible for him to do.
Holding her by her shoulders he pulled her up slowly and said," we can go for adoption." She cupped his face in her hands and replied," but he won't be like you..his face..his eyes ..his smile..won't be like you." She wished to mother his child, she wanted to nurture his flesh and blood and not adopt some random child.
"please agree. For my sake." she pled, fighting hard to hold back her tears.
He flared his nostrils in rage and went out without uttering a word leaving her crestfallen.
For days he ignored her hopeful eyes, avoided talking to her fearing that she would definitely come up with this topic again. He worked more, spent most of the time out and came home only to sleep and that too after having his daily doze of whiskey. She also started taking the assistance of sleeping pills to induce some hours of sleep. Knowingly or unknowingly both of them were drifting away from each other but neither of them was willing to bow down.
One such night, lying on the bed he was staring blankly at the ceiling above while she was tossing and turning on her side of bed.
" can't sleep?" he asked huskily. She turned to look at him then rolled over and snuggled close to him," if you say yes ..we both could sleep peacefully."
He held her hand that was on his chest, her glass bangles tinkled, he liked that sound then closed his eyes in despair before asking," where will we find such a woman who would give away her child?
Seeing him at least discuss the issue and not push it right away, flickered a hope inside her and she lifted her head to say something that made him explode like a volcano," there are some women who..for money..."
His eyes snapped open, she wanted him to sleep with a prostitute? The very thought cringed him and he sprang out of the bed. How desperate could she get to have a child that she was even willing to put their marriage at stake? He felt sick to the stomach!
" you know earlier I used to feel sorry for you. But not anymore." Shaking his head in disgust he stormed out of the house only to get a call in the wee hours of the morning informing that she was in the hospital after taking an over doze of sleeping pills.
He questioned himself, Was he really wrong by refusing her so that they could hold on to this relation which they'd shared for so long?
Her fingers moved slowly in his hand pulling him out of his thoughts. He sat on the bed close to her, pressed his forehead against hers before kissing it softly. He looked deep into her eyes with a quivering smile playing on his lips, she glanced back for a moment then turned her head to the other side taking her hand back from him.
" how are you feeling?" he asked softly.
" as if you care." She retorted
" of course I care." He replied in a hurtful tone.
" if you really cared then today I wouldn't be here." She stated turning her head in his direction.
He pressed his lips and lowered his head thinking, why wasn't she understanding that what she was asking for was not so easy, it would jeopardize their marriage forever?
" before dying you had promised mummy ji that you would always keep me happy." She reminded him of the promise that he had made to his late mother.
Lifting his head he glanced right back at her and asked bitterly," and what about the promises that I made to you when we got married?" how could she overlook the vows that they'd taken? How could she forget that he'd promised to be faithful to her?
A tear trickled down her eye on remembering the promises that they had made to each other while encircling the holy fire on their wedding day. He came closer to wipe off the tear and questioned," do you think all this is very simple? What if we don't succeed?" What if things didn't turn out as she had planned?
" but at least you can try...just once." She urged.
He stood up and turned his back to her, should he really give it a try? Should he take the risk of bringing a stranger between them?
" I promise I'll never ever ask you for anything more." She requested lending her hand out.
She was the only one who he had in his life, if he said yes today, he feared that he might lose her someday but if he said no then he would definitely lose her, there was no doubt about that. Clenching his jaws firmly, he raised his hand slowly and placed it on hers, believing that one day she'd surely regret this!
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Few days later when like every morning he was brushing his wet hair, he saw someone's reflection in his mirror. A young fair girl, black eyes, extra pink cheeks, sharp nose, thin lips was smiling back at him. He turned around in surprise and narrowed his eyes. Placing her hands on her waist, she shamelessly swayed in her low cut, tight fitted blouse and long skirt. He pursed his lips in anger, how dare she enter his room without his permission?
" who are you and what the hell are you doing in my room?" he roared. She was a little taken aback by his tone nevertheless she continued to chew on her bubble gum then blew a big bubble that burst right in front of him, making him even more furious. Before he could open his mouth again to scream, his wife entered.
" shalini , who's she?" he asked glaring at the girl standing.
Placing her hand on the girl's shoulder and after taking a deep breath she replied,
" abhi..this is ..pragya."
a stranger beckoning to enter their or should I say his life.
Thanks for reading
Rose
Chapter 2
Pragya a simple and a beautiful girl lived in the slums of Mumbai. She was God's favorite child when it came to showering sorrows and hardships on somebody. Her father passed away just a few days before she opened her eyes in this world, therefore she was considered inauspicious.
However her mother doted on her and for her pragya was her priceless possession. Thinking that pragya needed father's love as well, she married once again to shashi and that was the biggest mistake for which not only she but her daughter also paid later on.
Shashi an alcoholic and jobless gambler did nothing to earn a living and only survived on the earnings of his wife. Pragya grew up seeing her step father fight and beat her ailing mother. He was a heartless and shameless man who would spend money on his drinks instead of buying medicines for his wife as a result one day she too left pragya's side. Her world fell apart still she managed to gather herself and continued living a lonely life.
The only things that kept her going were talking to the stars at night hoping that one of them were her mother and remembering her mother's words that one day someone really caring and loving would definitely come in her life and take her away along with him. Other than these things she loved listening to music especially romantic songs on her age old radio. The love and romance in the songs would take her to a different world where everything was nice, sweet and perfect. She lived happily in her dream land waited for her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet like any other young girl. In her dreams she would see herself embracing someone closely, listening to his rhythmic heart beat, feeling his warmth around herself but could never see his face, still she was in love with her dream and truly believed that one day it would surely come true, after all she wasn't asking for the impossible.
Thus with a smile on her lips and faith in her bappa she faced everything that came her way, be it the wrath of her father or the abuses that were hurled at her at the places where she worked as a house maid.
However one day life took an imaginably new turn when her father was put behind bars for cheating on somebody. He'd borrowed Rs 7000 which he eventually lost in gambling. Although she was never loved by him and didn't have the much needed money still she couldn't let him rot in jail so went to the police station to get him released somehow and that's when Neil, the cop got smitten by her beauty. He agreed to free and repay the debt on behalf of shashi but on one condition that he got her daughter married to him.
Shashi without blinking his eyes said yes, didn't even care to think that in the absence of pragya how would he survive, after all she was the only one earning, the sole thing that he wished was to be out in the open at that point of time hence the very next day for a meager sum of seven thousand rupees pragya was sold, nope married off to neil.
So was neil her dream man? No, how could he be? He was a leach a monster who craved only for her body. Every morning she'd wake up with a blistering body ache and puffy eyes questioning, would these traumatic and forceful nights ever end? With every passing moment she was dying a slow death and one day everything killed inside her when her husband who had been married several times and who after sucking as much pleasure as he could from her left her in a brothel , again for money.
Music was still part of her life but not the way she'd wanted. Now every evening she danced in a beer bar to some raunchy song being music played in the background. As far as talking to the stars was concerned that was out of question, nights were spent in a different way, satisfying lustful and sensual needs of men.
In no time she was reduced into nothing but a money making lifeless piece of flesh. She no more dreamed, how could she? When sleep hardly invaded her eyes and the desire of being loved eluded her completely when her heart stopped beating after witnessing the harsh realities of life.
Its said that there is light at the end of the tunnel, maybe god thought of sparing her for some time when destiny came knocking at her door.
One day shalini , a rich powerful yet dejected wife approached her, though she was unaware that neil was the one who'd told shalini about her.
" how much do you end up making in a month?" shalini asked crossing her hands in front of her chest.
"hmm around 20,000." pragya replied with her chin held high, she earned the maximum amongst all the girls around and she was proud of the fact.
" what if I offer you one lac for a month and ten lacs for ten months?" shalini said titling her head slightly.
Pragya's eyes popped out and her mouth formed a perfect 'O' on hearing her offer. She had indeed pressed the right button, shalini thought and continued further," in these ten months you'll only do what I'll say."
Still in a state of shock, pragya nodded her head and hoped that the lady standing in front of her told her what she was expected to do, for ten lacs she would do anything.
Shalini paused for a moment then added," I want a baby."
Pragya looked at her carefully, she seemed to be a married woman with vermillion filled in her parting and mangal sutra dangling around her neck.
" listen madam if you want a baby then ask your husband not me...nonsense!" she blurted. Shalini went quiet and her eyes scattered the floor.
" what? Can't you guys even manage a baby on your own?" she chuckled in amusement. Shalini didn't enjoy being laughed at, still gathered her courage and told the entire plan to pragya that she wanted her to carry her husband's child, till delivery she'd stay with them and afterwards leave the child and go away with her sum of ten lacs forever.
Always been accused of breaking homes, today a wife herself was inviting pragya to sleep with her husband, she sniggered at the thought. Ten lacs wasn't a small amount and considering that money till date played such a crucial role in her life as she was married off for seven thousand, then again sold off for money and every night she made nothing but money so money was all over the place, the lack of it ruled her life but now with ten lacs in her kitty, who knows she might get an opportunity to live on her terms in future. So without thinking twice, she agreed to the proposal.
"so when do I get started?" pragya asked eagerly.
" tonight..however you'll only have one night to conceive." Implying she was required to spend just one night with him.
" just one night? What if I don't get pregnant?" she was confused and touched her belly at once.
Sighing deeply shalini replied," then you get nothing."
It was a gamble, if she got pregnant then well and good but if not then she would be back to square one.
" oh my god, it's like a twenty twenty match. Either a six or clean bowled." She laughed at her own joke and then rubbed her hands in glee before declaring," but I'm ready."
shalini nodded her head and took her to a clinic to ensure that she wasn't HIV +ve and was capable of bearing a child, she didn't wish to take any chances.
***********************************
From a slum to a wife abuser's house then to a brothel and now Mehra mansion , life was no doubt long and unpredictable for pragya. Her first encounter with the mighty gangster and godfather of Ratnagiri was not like the one she'd expected it to be. He was rude and enraged on seeing her in his room. She'd dismissed his whole behavior as a pretence, as per her he was just trying to portray a goody goody husband's image in front of his wife. She'd dealt with countless men in these three years and knew them inside out therefore ignoring how he'd reacted in the day she took a shower, wore her skimpy blouse and skirt, did her loud make up, pouted in front of the mirror before deciding to approach him as soon as he returned home late at night.
Without knocking at the door she barged inside his room, he was startled and furious to see her again.
"how dare you enter my room? Get out. Now!" he growled like a raging tiger. She smirked inwardly, he was simply playing hard to get. Coiling the loose strand around her forefinger she batted her eyelids ," you know this angry look on your face makes you all the more desirable?" then took a few steps towards him, she raised her hands to touch him but he backed off. She smiled naughtily and sat on his bed.
" tonight not in a mood? Never mind. But at least let me look into your dark pools and drown myself. " She said stretching her legs exposing a good amount of them to his already infuriating eyes.
In one frenzied motion he grabbed her hand, dragged and threw her out snarling," next time if I see you here I swear I'll break your bare legs." Fallen on the floor with astounded eyes she watched him slamming the door shut on her face.
Thanks for reading
Rose
Chapter 3
Shalini, deep in thought was thinking how to set things right between abhi and pragya. She remembered an angry pragya coming back to the adjoining room last night after being thrown out by him. He was stubborn, he wouldn't give in so easily, she knew that but even she was desperate to have a child and for that if she'd face his wrath, she was all prepared.
However here she was not in the picture, it was pragya who had to get her way with him but HOW? That was the question. After finishing buttering the toast she placed it on his plate quietly, he preferred to engross himself in the newspaper rather than talk to his wife who had gone crazy as per him, most of the house workers were given a few days off, she didn't wish them to be around when supposedly all that would transpire between both of them.
Stretching her arms in the air, pragya came down the stairs, yawning without covering her mouth. She gave him a sidelong glance while pulling the chair close to him then crossed her legs while sitting on it, he was avoiding her she was aware of that however he couldn't help being uncomfortable with her presence and shifted his weight on his chair making her chuckle.
" tea?" shalini asked softly.
" yeah." She replied instantly, morning tea was a must for her day to kick start, she couldn't live without it.
" how much sugar?"
" no sugar. I need to keep myself in shape. In fact good shape." she said while winking at him then leaned forward to grab an apple from the fruit bowl, purposely brushing her hand with his in the process. Fuming at her shameless behavior he dropped the newspaper aside and left the dining table gnashing his teeth.
Pragya slapped her forehead, thinking here he goes again.
" shalini..i mean madam ( how could she address shalini by her name?)"
" di. You can call me di."
" and him jeeju?" pragya chuckled .
" okay jokes apart di, why is sahib acting so pricy?" she questioned in confusion, she didn't know why he was behaving like this. Shalini rolled her eyes in response, she was badly hoping that the ice would melt between the two but things were turning from bad to worse.
" you last night I was wondering where do I lack. I'm beautiful. Have a flawless skin and a figure to die for. And most importantly I'm willing. Then what is his problem ?" she said before biting hard into the apple. With men throwing themselves at her and leaving no opportunity to take advantage of her she was finding it hard to digest his indifferent act.
Shalini looked at the way she was munching on to that apple along with sipping tea by making those irritating and weird noises. She didn't lack something but a lot of things, her way of dressing, talking, eating, sitting everything was so loud and different that indeed it was difficult for him to accept her.
Shalini gave pragya her red sari and helped her drape it properly, then pulled pragya's hair down into soft curls. Make up was kept minimum even though pragya was insisting on wearing her bright red lipstick, it matched with the sari she thought however shalini didn't allow her to do so. Everything should be simple and subtle as per his liking including the amount of blabbering she did. Shalini instructed her to behave with him as decently as possible, her over the top attitude would not go down well with him.
Pragya glanced at the mirror, she definitely appeared different. Crossing her fingers shalini hoped that he liked pragya tonight.
********************
Pushing the doors slowly pragya entered his bedroom, scenes of the previous night when he had thrown her out flashed across her mind, she shivered slightly remembering them, what if he admonished her this time too? Swallowing the lump in her throat she moved forward, he was sipping on to his drink with his legs resting on the table. Good, she was sent now when he was drunk, this would make things easier for her, shalini was a smart woman she thought.
He saw her coming in, tonight she appeared different, simple and lady like, without loud make up the sight of her was arresting but what he admired the most about her were her guts, after being chucked out she didn't give up on him, maybe such was the power and hunger for money.
His ice cold intense gaze was piercing through her body, the fact that till now he hadn't reacted outrageously encouraged her and she stepped in further. His glass was now empty, she picked up the bottle and refilled the glass without tearing her gaze away from him. His calm and non repulsive attitude was making her all the more confident, maybe her new avatar was casting its effect on him, the way she'd hoped.
She lowered herself to sit on the arm of his chair but before she could do that, he stood up holding his glass and walked to the nearby window. She shook her head on seeing his back face her. He gulped down the whole glass, the bitter liquid burned his throat and he relished every drop of it. He was glancing out with a faraway look in his eyes when he felt a pair hands snake from behind, come up and finally stop on his broad chest. She rested her face sideways on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Tightening his grip around the glass he sneered," can't wait to slip under the sheets?"instantly her eyes snapped open and she brought her hands down. He turned around and looked at her from head to toe making her feel as if she was some piece of dirt.
"what did you think that just as you have changed your clothes I will also change my mind ?" he mocked at her. She opened her mouth to defend herself but one glare from him and she went all silent.
" I'm drunk but I still know who is in this sari." If she thought that by making him drunk she could get her way with him then she was absolutely wrong. He took out his wallet and threw all the money he had on her face, she turned her face to the other side in response.
" you want money right ? then take it and get lost." he said through gritted teeth. Lowering her head she clutched the edge of her sari in her fist as he insulted her one more time.
" you haven't changed. You're still a prostitute in my eyes" he cringed at the sight of her. Tears of rage and hurt pricked the corner of her eyes.
"a wh*re like you.." she didn't allow him to finish and shouted back, " ENOUGH ... Not a word more."
Raising her head sharply she looked right into his eyes, instead of blood now anger was running in her veins. Enough was enough, how dare he think so low of her? her mind screamed. Yeah, she did all this for money but then who doesn't work for money? He himself was a gangster and killed people for money, she was at least better than him, here she'd come to bring a new life into this world then how dare he questioned her integrity and character?
Fuming in anger this time she left his room but not before giving him a piece of her mind,"I didn't come here on my own...your wife begged me to sleep with you...therefore show this anger to her not me..I'm not your wife, I won't take this crap from you."
Pragya went back to the adjoining room where shalini was sitting. Seeing her stomping her foot, shalini knew that again her plan had backfired but she wasn't expecting things to turn so ugly. He had this habit of not to think before he spoke when he got angry and hurt the other person however tonight he'd taken all this a bit too far.
" pragya come with me ..let me talk to him." Shalini said firmly.
"no ways. I don't wish to get humiliated again." Agreed she was a prostitute but then she also had self respect, moreover this was a husband wife issue, shalini should've made him agree before bringing her here. If he wasn't willing to share a relationship with her then they should've sorted this thing between themselves, why was she being made to face his flak unnecessarily? Her chest was heaving up and down in rage when shalini held her wrist and took her along.
"di ..i'm not coming." She said in irritation, however shalini ignored and barged in with her.
He flared his nostrils on seeing both of them. Shalini left her hand and pragya took a step back, standing behind supriya in a way that she could only see him partially.
"Abhi, you shouldn't have behaved like that."
"now you'll teach me how to behave and that too with her." He replied glaring at pragya whose eyes were scattering the floor, she was looking everywhere except him.
Shalini followed his gaze and said softly," she's in this house for us."
Clenching his jaws he spat back," what was the need to get this filth in our house?"
Pragya flinched on hearing his bitter words and tried her level best to maintain her cool, she was standing here tolerating his nonsense only because of shalini , in whose eyes she'd seen that despair to have a child.
Closing her eyes for a moment shalini attempted to explain the situation to him.
"you only tell me, who else besides pragya can help us?" he turned his head to the other side as if this whole thing was irrelevant for him.
" no girl takes up this profession by choice."
His eyes ever so slowly moved in pragya's direction who had her head bowed, somewhere even he knew that she was not at fault and was venting out his frustration on her without any reason, but then he was helpless he couldn't give in to what shalini was desiring.
" do you know abhi, who pushed her into this dirt ? her own husband! To save his own skin her step father got her married to a corrupt police officer who later sold her for money ..in all this what's her fault?"
He curled his fingers in a fist, all that shalini was saying was making him feel guilty, but still out of guilt he couldn't sleep with her, it was impossible for him to do that, he stared at pragya who brushed her finger at the corner of her eye where a lone tear was threatening to roll down.
For the first time someone had stood up in her defense and that too a wife against her husband! Otherwise wives and girlfriends always shielded their husbands and boyfriends from her, badmouthed, insulted, cursed and accused her for breaking their homes and relationships but never for once understood her plight and accepted that their respective partners were womanizers. Somehow shalini today managed to earn respect in her eyes.
" even then I can't do it. It's impossible for me." he refused flatly.
"why not? Don't you want someone to call you papa and me mama?" she urged with glistened eyes and wondered couldn't he see the eagerness of her becoming a mother in her eyes? How could he be so selfish?
"I can stay childless but I can't cheat on you." He too wished to be a father and could feel her restlessness but for that he couldn't giveaway her right to somebody else.
Pragya raised her head and glanced at him in amazement, for years she believed that men were sw*ne, not her fault, every man she came across was desperate to get into bed with her without caring what effect it would have on his family and here was a man who was adamant on not taking advantage of her, not cheating on his wife even when his own wife was allowing him to do so. She was dumbstruck seeing his loyalty.
" you're not having a relationship behind my back. This is not cheating. You're doing this for us." Why was he thinking that he was betraying her? it was only a matter of one night, what was hers would always remain hers, she was aware of the situation and all this was happening only for their baby, they would only gain out of this and not lose anything, she believed.
Abhi shook his head in frustration, seeing her turn a blind eye to the future. She was destroying everything that they shared with her own hands and the worst part was that she wasn't willing to acknowledge that.
"just to have a baby you're bringing a third person in our lives. Can't you see that?" In desperation to become a mother, she was forgetting that she is his wife first. To gain something you need to lose something but here they were losing everything. In an attempt to take their relationship to another level she was shaking the very foundation of their relationship.
Pragyya watched him silently, he was a gangster, who are not expected to have moral and ethics but he was so different. He desired to do justice to his marriage, he was giving so much respect to his wife and their relationship that she couldn't stop herself from getting impressed by him and comparing him with her cop husband, a crook, a fraud who only abused and tortured her. Those cruel, bitter words and that obnoxious behavior were his attempts only to safeguard his marriage not that she'd had any intention of ruining their relationship, she knew why she was here and would leave forever after doing her job.
This whole conversation and his stubbornness was now getting on to shalini's nerves, she stepped forward and held his collar, shaking him a bit before reminding him," Abhi, you'd promised me in the hospital ."
Abhi wrinkled his nose in fury and freed himself from her hold then declared," and now I decide to break that promise."
Shalini stared at him wide eyed and started walking back in defeat.
" yeah break your promise and ruin everything ..turn selfish and ruin me..my happiness ..my desires ..and my dreams ." With that she left the room leaving a confused pragya and enraged abhi behind.
Pragya didn't know who was right or wrong, all she could see was a couple who was failing miserably to understand each other's point of view and accusing the other one of hurting him/her. if one wished to move ahead the other desired to hold back. If shalini's sacrifice of allowing her husband to have a physical relation with another woman baffled her then his loyalty and commitment towards his wife touched her.
The anger subsided within her and now her heart was only filled with sympathy for both of them. She wished all this hadn't happened with them, she wished she didn't have to come in between them.
He glared at her retreating back, how easily she'd blamed him for her misery? He picked up the glass bottle and smashed it on the floor, he looked at pragya and wondered how easily she'd brought her in their and in his life in particular, even if it was for just one night.
He held their wedding photo frame kept on the table and threw it down. Glancing at the red sari that pragya was wearing he thought, how easily she'd forgotten that this was the same sari which he'd gifted her on their first marriage anniversary, his blood was boiling with anger when his gaze fell on the bed which they'd shared for years, how easily she forgot the nights that they'd spent together? And after forgetting all this she conveniently wanted him to spend the night with some other woman in the same sari and on the same bed.
He smirked a devilish grin, if she could overlook everything so conveniently then so could he, if she could turn so insensitive then so could he, if she didn't care about their present and future then so wouldn't he, if she wanted it this way then it would happen this way.
With that he banged the door shut, startling pragya for a moment.
She saw him approaching her with blood shot eyes, automatically her feet began moving backwards till she hit the bed and fell on it after losing her balance. She knew what was coming but was she prepared for it? She didn't know neither he gave her the time to think so.
He was on top of her, pressing himself on her, he was anything but gentle as if punishing himself for doing this awful act. Her bangles tinkled, reminding him of shalinii, his head shot up instantly, no she wasn't shalini, no he wasn't making love to his wife but some stranger, the expressions which had relaxed for a moment disappeared the next second. He grabbed her wrists firmly not allowing the bangles to make the sound which he loved hearing. This time he was even harder and brutal on her, she wanted to wince in pain as the bangles broke and pricked her skin but she didn't protest, she knew what he was going through, the pain that he was enduring on himself was much more than what he was inflicting on her. Squeezing her eyes shut she allowed him to continue till he felt something wet in his hands, he glanced in the direction and found blood trickling down her wrists. He immediately left her hands and glanced at her with guilt, shalini's words that she'd been abused and sold off by her husband, that no girl gets into this profession willingly echoed in his ears. He looked at her pain stricken face and felt horrible, he hated himself for behaving like an animal with her, she was only here for their sake, so that he could be a father and he was punishing her for that? What he was being forced to do, she'd been doing it every night for years yet he couldn't understand her plight? Shame on him, he was disgusted with himself.
She opened her eyes slowly and looked back into his dark pools, there was no passion, love or desire in them, instead they were filled with hurt, pain and guilt. Both of them with teary eyes gazed at each other, their emotions were mixed however deep down the feelings that they shared were the same. They could feel the other person's anguish and helplessness. She lifted her hand hesitantly and placed it on his cheek, as if ensuring that she was with him in this. He held her hand which was on his cheek and dipped his head down slowly then with his other hand he pushed away the bedside lamp which went crashing on the floor plunging the room into darkness. He hoped that this darkness would swallow his dark act. She wrapped her arms around him, this time he was soft and tender.
She could feel droplets on her face, whether they belonged to him or her, she was unsure, she only knew that tonight somewhere they'd connected and for the first time she didn't regret sleeping with an unknown man.
Thanks for reading
Rose
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