Sorry for not having sent out pms. It is quite cumbersome to send them via the phone. Please bare with the absence of pms for the moment.
Chapter 49
Hearing the doorbell, kalpi's heart skips a beat. Racing to open the door, she thinks excitedly, "ragav... Ragav has come back." Her steps begin to slow, her smile falters, questioning herself, "why would ragav use the door bell. He has a set of keys." Her smile wiped, her steps slow, she continues to the door.
Maya grins when she sees Kalpi, ignoring the sadness radiation from her, she says chirpily,"here take avni. The girl has become too heavy."
Startled, Kalpi takes avni into her arms and automatically murmurs, "mummy is just kidding sweety. Don't you listen to her." And proceeds to blow raspberries, making avni giggle in delight.
Seeing the happiness return in kalpi's eyes, maya mutters, "step one complete. Now step two. What the hell is going on between them?"
Smiling maya says, "we have so much to catch up with." Kalpi smiles hesitantly, thinking, "oh no. She is wondering why I am living with ragav. They are friends. She must know his wife." With dread she awaits the firing.
"Last I saw you... You were in coma... Fighting for your life," Maya says softly. Confused when she sees surprise followed by relief in kalpi's gaze. Nodding, Kalpi says, "yes. It was a terrible time. Aai was besides herself."
"We never found the culprit," maya says. Kalpi gives her a weak smile, thinking, "of course you wouldn't. Ragav is hardly going to be sloppy." Frowns at her thought, thinking, "how come it was so easy for Neetu ma'am to prove ragav's guilt?" Curious and confused, Kalpi says, "from what I understand... Ragav was involved."
Nodding, maya replies, "yes he was involved initially... Then Sammy and I took over." Shocked, Kalpi reacts, "are you telling me that you were involved in trying to kill me." Aghast, maya screeches, "what!" Avni starts crying. Her mind in shambles, maya grabs avni, rocking her, trying to soothe her, continues, "you think we tried to kill you... Are you crazy! Why would you think that?"
Not waiting for an answer, Maya focuses her attention on her daughter, whispering, "sorry sweety. Mummy should not have scared you. Mummy right here with you," as she plants kisses on her cheeks.
Kalpi watches this with a frown, her mind a jumble, confused as to what is going on... Was Ragav involved in the accident or not?
Once avni has calmed down, Maya turns her attention back to Kalpi and asks, "why do you think Ragav tried to kill you?"
"He wants to hurt my aai," Kalpi replies.
Trying not to laugh, but failing miserably, Maya replies, "seriously that's your reasoning. No offence, but you expect ragav to turn into a cold blooded murderer because he wants to hurt your aai... Sweety are you even hearing yourself."
Folding her arms defensively, Kalpi replies, "why not... He.. He..." She stops, leaving her sentence incomplete, unable to say the words, he slept with me to hurt aai.
Maya understanding the unsaid words, Sammy had eventually told her everything, completes her sentence, "he seduced you to hurt your aai."
Embarrassed, Kalpi nods. "Not true,"Maya replies, "if you think Ragav slept with you to hurt your aai... You are wrong. I am betting he probably forgot about your aai."
Hopeful, wanting to believe her, but knowing better, Kalpi replies, "it is true Maya. I was there... I heard him..."
Shaking her head, Maya replies, "Kalpi, Ragav would never hurt you. He..." Stops and corrects herself, "he has a temper and does lash out, but he would not... Look maybe initially he may have planned to hurt your aai through you... But once he met you... I don't think he has done anything..."
Kalpi interrupts sarcastically, "oh he hasn't done anything to hurt me, yea Right! What would you call him taking me forcefully from the village... Did you know he tore my clothes?"
Maya shakes her head and says defensively, "he over reacted. I agree, but come on... You have to give him some leeway. He sees you after months... The last time he saw you was at the hospital... you were supposed to be dead... Instead you were getting married."
Seeing the unconvinced look in Kalpi's eyes, Maya says, "come on... Switch places... If you saw Ragav getting married to somebody else, wouldn't you flip."
Recollecting that Ragav was indeed married, Kalpi decides this conversation is fruitless, wanting to end it, she says sharply, "look I am not interested. I don't want to know anything. There is nothing you are going to say that will change my mind. I have decided to leave. You are welcome to wait with me while I wait for aai to come and get me."
Maya stares at Kalpi with disbelief, studying her cold eyes, she thinks, "what just happened here? She doesn't care... How dare she..." Suddenly angry over what Ragav had to go through, having seen his suffering, Maya lashes out "hell forget that... What were you doing in that mandap? Dressed as a bride? You couldn't even wait for Ragav to die! If anyone should have any complaints or be outraged it is Ragav! He did one thing wrong... Okay two... Marry you without your consent and lie to your aai. You want to sit and itemise ragav's faults... How about you itemise your faults!"
Kalpi stares at Maya, trying to grasp what Maya is saying, her mind replaying the words, "marry me... Marry me... Marry me..." Unable to hear a word, overwhelmed, she tries to lip read, while her mind focuses on, "Ragav and I are married... Huh... How... When..." She asks gruffily, needing confirmation, "Ragav and I are married?
Maya stops, stares at Kalpi, seeing how overwhelmed and shocked she was, she asks, "you didn't know?" Shaking her head, Kalpi asks, trying to contain her joy, "how? When?"
Seeing how earnest she was, Maya looks on in confusion, then says, "didn't your aai tell you that you and Ragav were married?" Unable to answer, Kalpi just shakes her head. Perplexed, Maya says, "maybe we should start from the beginning... There is a lot you dont know... You know he loves you right..."
Tears eyed, chocking on emotions that were threatenIng to spiral out of control, Kalpi whispers in disbelief, "he love me..." Looks at Maya, her gaze pleading her to not lie... Tears fall as she waits, her gaze searching. Maya looks at her, saddened that their insecurities and goes were tearing their hearts unnecessarily. Smiling weakly, she says softly, but firmly, "yes he does... Ragav loves you very very muchr. Just as you love him very very much. Stubborn fools is what you both are." Surprised that Maya knew how she felt, Kalpi flushes in embarrassment .
"Come," Maya says, patting the seat next to her, saying, "sit, let us make ourselves comfortable and I shall tell you everything."
Her voice husky, Kalpi says, "from the start." "From the start," Maya repeats compassionately.
"I don't know everything, but I shall tell you everything I know," Maya starts.
"Initially when Ragav pursued you, it was to hurt your mum. I don't know how or when you two got married. The marriage was just a means of him getting his inheritance," Maya pauses expecting Kalpi to say something. Instead Kalpi quietly sits, watching her, absorbing everything she was saying.
Needing to defend Ragav's action, Maya says, "many moons ago, when Ragav was a child, your aai testified falsely against his father. Ragav tried, pleaded with your aai that she was mistaken. Unfortunately your aai did not believe him. This led to Ragav's father being found guilty and in turn he had a heartattack and died. Neetu and Sahil Kapoor became his legal guardian and stole his inheritance. Ragav thought it would be ironic if he were to use you, the daughter of the woman who was responsible for him losing his father...his inheritance to get back his inheritance."
Kalpi quietly nods her head when Maya stops speaking, silently encouraging her to go on... Her heart was aching as she pictured a young Ragav trying to help his dad only to end up losing everything.
"Ragav set his plan in motion, he had accounted for everything. The one thing he did not account for was falling in love." Maya smiles, recollecting the suttle changes she had noticed, "Ragav started doing things he never did... Small things... But one thing that stood out was him rushing home every evening. Before you came into his life we had to drag him out of the office."
"You mentioned Ragav seduced you as part of his revenge," Maya says, "I don't think so. I think he was falling for you and subconsciously wanted you to fall for him. Having been a one night stand kind of guy... Never having done relationships... he probably didn't know any other way. He probably took it as far as he did because he knew you were married... You were his wife... Are his wife," Maya corrects herself, adding, "and I guess he started seeing you as his wife."
Kalpi's memories race to the morning they made love for the first time. In her mind's eye she saw the sequence of events... His hesitation... Reassuring her that they did not have o go all the way... Stopping in the middle... Telling her that she can change her mind... She can stay stop. Frowning Kalpi wonders why she never saw it before. Why she never realised that his words that day had not matched his earlier actions. Shutting her eyes as tears fall, she whispers with relief, "him making love to me had nothing to do with revenge."
Opening her tear filled eyes, Kalpi says, "I could kill him for making me believe differently." Smiling Maya says, "man ans their egos. Which is probably why he bullied you to stay with him. He probably scared of losing you and his ego was too big for him to realise it."
Smiling sadly, Maya says, "but you did leave... And that accident... The news of your death..." Maya stops, suddenly tears eyed, taking a moment to compose herself as recalls Ragav's breakdown. Needing to distract herself as recalls how Ragav has rushed into the kitchen thinking Kalpi's death had been a dream. The look on his face when he realised he was mistaken, that Kalpi was indeed no more, was something she could never forget... Of him dropping onto his knees, hugging her as he cried... Pleading for Kalpi to come back... She had never seen Ragav cry before... it had haunted her for days. Maya gets up and walks up to avni who is fast asleep on the play mate.
Surprised to see Maya trying to compose herself, Kalpi wonders what must have happened for Maya to get teary. Anxious, she ask as Maya picks up a sleeping avni, "what happened next Maya?"
Turning towards Kalpi with a smile, Maya wipes the tears that escape and says, "let's just say that Sammy and I were very relieved when Ragav went into coma."
Taken aback, Kalpi exclaims, "Ragav went into coma! What happened?"
Surprised that Kalpi didn't know, Maya replies, "you don't know... It was in the news."
Shaking her head furiously, Kalpi says, "please tell me... What happened?"
"Sahil Kapoor happened,"Maya retort vhelmently, "he tried to kill Ragav. Luckily the bullet missed any vital organs."
Tears fall uncontrollably as Kalpi takes in this information as she pictures Ragav lying in bed, uncousious and wounded. Maya places her hand on her arm supportively and says, "I will be right back. Let me put avni in the guest room."
Chocking with emotion, unable to say anything, Kalpi nods.
When Maya walks back, Kalpi rushes to her, hugging her tight, whispering, "I never knew... I never knew... Had I known I would have come running..."
"Kalpi, why did you leave? Why did you fake your death?" Maya asks.
"Because Neetu ma'am and aai told me that Ragav tried to kill me. They had pictures and everything," Kalpi answers angrily, "I was so stupid... Argh! I am so stupid."
Patting the back of her head as they hug, Maya says calmingly, "shhh. It's okay. You know now. You were vulnerable and they took advantage. I am sure Neetu played on your mother's fears and Ragav definately had not helped when he confronted your mum."
Pulling out of the hug, Kalpi looks at Maya searchingly, reading no judgement, just acceptance, she asks, "what happened next?"
"The doctors had given up on Ragav. They couldn't stabilise him. Then miraculously, he stabilised. It has not even been three months since he is out of coma," Maya says.
Wiping her tears, she continues, "you know when he came back to us and realised that you were no more, he asked the doctor to put him in an induced coma. He did not want to live without you." Chuckling as she cries, Maya continues, "luckily the doctor called me and I was able to put a stop to it."
"Pakhi found a clue, telling us that you were alive," Maya says. "Pakhi?" Kalpi asks. "Neetu and Sahil's daughter, Pakhi... Your childhood friend Pakhi. Today Ragav is safe and her parents in jail is all thanks to her. She never gave up on looking for you and her kamla maa... But that's a story for another day," Maya says fondly.
"Your baba called Ragav and told him that you were alive and we're going to get married... You dad knew that the marriage would be illegal because you were already married to Ragav..."
Kalpi interrupts, exclaiming, "are you telling me that aai and baba knew I was married... That I was married to Ragav!"
Biting her lower lip as she gives Kalpi a sheepish look, Maya nods, saying, "yes they knew."
Shaking her head in disbelief, her eyes fiery as she thinks about all the pain she went through... As she thinks she was not by ragav's side when he needed her, she ask, "what happened next?"
"The rest you know. We came. Ragav dragged you or should I say carried you from the mandap and bullied you into coming back with him..." Maya says with a smile.
Kalpi smiles, seeing the recent events with new eyes... Relieved as she understands everything... His sudden anger... His unhappiness... His pain... Frowning she adds... His cruelty.
Seeing the smile, Maya says teasingly, "I am guessing you want to unpack."
Laughing, Kalpi replies, "yes please." Then adds,"Oh and Maya the divorce papers please," as she recollects the conversation Ragav had over the phone that morning. Instinct telling her that the person on the other end of the call was Maya.
Laughing, Maya gives her the papers and watches as Kalpi tears them into tiny pieces. Smiling she says, "I hope you are going to give him some grief... Especially for marrying you on the sly."
Smiling happily, Kalpi says, "definately. Goes without saying."
Her smile falters as she thinks about her aai, who was on her way here. She looks at Maya and says, "Maya please ask pakhi to come over."
Precap: special chapter 50 - a teaser - finally Kalpi and Ragav say the three words... I love you :)
Ragav stares at kamla maa in disbelief... His happiness knows no bounds... Too impatient to wait still for the lift... He races up the stairs... His heart racing... As he thinks... She hasn't left me... She chose me...
Am off on a vacation... Will be away for two weeks... No promises... Will try to update if I can :)
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