Part~17
Thank you to everyone for their extremely kind words and patience! As promised, here is the update that I said will be updated on Tuesday. The next update will be up on Friday! Thank you so much!
-xxx-
Priya's birthday ended with cutting a cake at Neha and Vikram's house, and unfortunately Priya did have a little more to drink than normal...and Ram was the only one who could handle her now.
At the parking lot:
'Happy birthday to meee! Happy birthday to meee! Clap kijiye naa mere liye!!' Priya pouted.
'Ghaadi mein baitho tum'. Ram dragged her to car. 'Meine tumse kaha tha ki dhyaan rakho ki tum kitna pee rahi ho!'
'Sorry'. Priya sang unapologetically. 'Lekin aap mere liye clap nahi karenge?'
'Arre kitni baar kiya tumhare liye clap yaar!' Ram yelled.
'Mujhpar chilaayiye mat! Mere birthday pe no chilaana allowed! No chilaana zone hai yeh!' Priya cringed her brows together.
Ram sighed and sat her down on the car seat, making sure the seatbelt was well clicked in before he went to sit down himself.
'Pata hai...aaj meine bohot enjoy ki. Thank you so much'. Priya giggled. 'Tum logon ne naa...mujhe bohot khushi di aaj'.
Ram smiled at this, he couldn't help it. Drunk Priya was very difficult to manage, but you did hear quite a bit from her than you would from normal Priya.
'I'm glad you enjoyed. Sab kuch tumhare liye hi toh tha!' Ram exclaimed. 'Anyway tum ghar chalo ab, bohot pee li aaj tumne. You just have to go and sleep'.
'Waise...aapko pata hai na ki aapki shaadi ho rahi hai?' Priya questioned.
'Haan'. Ram chuckled.
'Pata hai, aap toh aise lagte hain ki aapko yaad hi nahi hai ki aapki shaadi ho rahi hai. Aapse zyaada mein involved hoon aapki shaadi mein'. Priya laughed.
Ram didn't want to talk further on about his marriage...today, he just wanted it to be Priya's day. 'Chalo Priya ghar chalte hain. Aaj tumne kuch zyaada hi pee liya hai aur abhi toh tumhe sirf sona chahiye, let's go'.
Without waiting for Priya to respond, Ram started the car and drove off.
The next day:
Priya woke up to a throbbing headache and a world full of dizziness. She couldn't remember much for the first few minutes, but then remembered that she did drink...and obviously this was the result. She was still in her birthday saree from yesterday, so she knew nothing happened...that wasn't supposed to happen.
'Oh god'. Priya cursed herself. 'Pata nahi meine kya-kya keh diya ya kar diya kal raat'.
'Uth gayi tum!' Ram popped in and smiled. 'Good morning'.
'Good morning'. Priya groaned.
'Sir mein dard ho rahi hai na?' Ram guessed.
'Haan'. Priya nodded. 'Kitna peeya tha meine kal?'
'Normal amount se kahin zyaada. Tumko kaha tha meine ki itna mat peeyo, tumhe aadat nahi hai lekin tum maani hi nahi aur peeti gayi'. Ram explained.
'I hope kal meine kuch zyaada embarrassing nahi ki'. Priya said, trying to fix her headache with her palms.
'Not really. Mein bas tumhe wahan se ghar lekar aaya aur tum khud hi bistar pe aakar ek jhatke mein so gayi'. Ram laughed. 'Thak gayi thi tum'.
'God, aadat nahi hai naa peene ki. It's been a long time since I've had a drink, aur kal kuch zyaada hi pee li meine. Apart from that, I had a great time yesterday Ram. Thank you so much'. Priya smiled. 'Tum logon ki wajah se itne saalon ke baad mujhe sach mein khushi mili hai. Thank you'.
'You're welcome'. Ram returned a smile. 'Chalo tum jaakar fresh ho jaao, tab tak mein nimbu paani bhejta hoon tumhare liye'.
'Arre, Ram. Sonali kaisi hai?' Priya asked, before he left.
'Umm...haan, theek hai'. Ram replied.
'Shaadi ke liye bohot excited hogi, hain na?' Priya said.
Ram nodded in agreement and left her bedroom, leaving her to get ready.
That afternoon:
Priya was in her room, her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop. She had totally forgot about lunch, because surprisingly she wasn't really hungry, and her reply to Ram saying 5 minutes turned out to be almost 3 hours now. Ram peeped in every now and then to see if she was doing okay, and she seemed good but she was clearly working on something really important.
'Kya kar rahi ho?' Ram asked, sitting beside her on the couch in her room.
'I was looking for caterers, and even a good wedding hall. Aaj kal sab kuch itna mehenga hai, it's just ridiculous!' Priya sighed.
'Priya, mujhe tumse kuch baat karni hai'. Ram began.
'Haan kahiye'. Priya allowed, her eyes still stuck to the screen of her laptop.
'Tumhe nahi lagta ki tum yeh shaadi zaroorat se zyaada...seriously le rahi ho?' Ram hesitantly asked.
Priya raised an eyebrow. 'Kehna kya chaahte hain?'
Ram sighed, wondering how to explain. 'Look, I'm just saying that...iss shaadi ko tum...itna serious mat lo. I mean don't make it a burden on your shoulder'.
'Itna serious mat lo?' Priya repeated. 'Kya ho kya gaya aapko? Aapki shaadi hai yeh! It's supposed to be the best day of your life!'
'I know!' Ram defended himself. 'Lekin tum...apne aapko itna stress mat do'.
'Sonali ke saath jhagda hua hai kya?' Priya raised an eyebrow. 'Kyunki kuch toh hai Ram jo tum chuppa rahe ho mujhse'.
Ram couldn't digest the fact that she called him 'tum', since she only called him 'aap', and he would always tease her about it.
'I mean...kuch toh hai jo aap chuppa rahe hain mujhse'. Priya corrected herself and reddened slightly.
Ram knew this was the wrong time to tease her about it, so he didn't say anything. 'Nahi...aisa kuch nahi hai'.
'Toh phir kya hai? Zaroor uske saath jhagda hua hai aapka'. Priya said.
'Nahi...Priya, aisa kuch nahi hai'. Ram assured her. 'I'm just saying that...tum yeh shaadi ko itna seriously mat lo. I mean, apne aapko thoda wakt do. Shayad tumhe kuch karna hai, apne liye?'
Before Priya could reply, Neha and Vikram had barged into the room suddenly. Neha seemed fairly shocked and surprised, with a helpless Vikram hurrying behind her. Neha glared at Ram with piercing mad eyes, and Ram instantly knew something was wrong.
'Arre...kya hua? Aise kya dekh rahi ho mujhe?' Ram asked.
'Just shut up'. Neha snapped. 'Ram how could you do this? Pagal ho gaye ho tum?'
Ram glanced at Vikram, silently questioning him what this was all about. 'K-kis baare mein baat kar rahi ho tum?'
'Apna drama band karo tum! Bataun sabke saamne?' Neha threatened.
'Ram tu Neha ko andar leke baat karna. I think tum dono ko akhele mein baat karni chahiye'. Vikram suggested.
'Neha what is this yaar?'Ram asked Neha in shock.
'Oh don't you dare act on me'. Neha nodded fiercely. 'I know everything, and I swear to god Ram I am so disappointed with you'.
'Tu chal mere saath'. Ram dragged her out of Priya's room.
'What is going on?' A confused Priya asked.
'K-kuch nahi Priya. Bas...college ki ek badi secret thi, jo Ram Neha se chuppa raha tha...aur aaj meine accidentally Neha ko bata diya aur woh gussa hokar yahan aa gayi'. Vikram explained.
Priya could tell clearly that he was lying, but she didn't want to embarrass him or get the situation to be even more awkward, so she just left it at that.
'Mein...mein unn dono ko dekhkar aata hoon. I'll be right back'. Vikram promised and rushed to Ram's room.
In Ram's Room:
'Tune isko bhi bata diya?' Ram snarled as soon as Vikram opened the door.
'Arre kyun na bataun? Tu khud hi accept nahi kar raha hai, ab Neha hi tujhe samjha sakthi hai!' Vikram snapped. 'Kal lunch ke wakt this is what we were discussing, aur Neha mujhse pooch rahi thi aur mein zaroori samjha usse bataane ki!'
'Tu...tu Priya se?' Neha stuttered. 'Tu Priya se pyaar karta hai?'
'Nahi! Mein Priya se pyaar nahi karta hoon! Yeh sab kuch tumhara pati ka assumption hai!' Ram shouted.
'Ram tumhari shaadi ho rahi hai! Bohot bohot jald! Have you lost it?' Neha yelled, ignoring every word Ram had uttered.
'I know!' Ram went on shouting.
'No I'm not so sure you do! Yeh kya pagalon ki tarah baat kar rahe ho? This is not a Bollywood movie, okay? You cannot just fall in love with someone else while you're getting married!' Neha screamed.
'Dheere baat karo Neha! Priya ne sun li toh...' Vikram trailed off, closing the door.
'Oh you better pray your life off that Priya doesn't know about this!' Neha taunted him.
'Arre mein Priya se pyaar-vyaar nahi karta yaar! Tum dono ko ho kya gaya hai?' Ram asked.
'Ram hum dono ne sun liya tha ki tum andar Priya se kya baat kar rahe the. You were telling her not to take the marriage seriously!' Neha screamed.
'Priya ko kuch mata bata Ram'. Vikram warned him. 'Waise bhi Priya inn sab cheezon mein vishwaas karti bhi nahi, aur agar tune bata diya usko toh tum dono ki dosti hi hamesha ke liye khatam ho jaayegi'.
'Arre kuch bataane ke liye hai nahi! Aur rahi baat shaadi ki toh mein bas yahi chaahta hoon ki Priya apne aapko zyaada stress mat dein! She's also human, I can't leave my marriage on her shoulders! That's all that was!' Ram defended himself.
'Ram I swear I'll slap you'. Neha warned. 'Kisse jhut bol rahe ho tum? Can't you see it? Tum Priya se pyaar karte ho!'
'But I don't! Haan mein maanta hoon ki mein shayad usse ek acche dost se zyaada treat kar raha hoon, lekin woh bas iss liye kyunki uss bechaari ki zindagi hi itni messed up hai. She's been through so much! I just want to make her happy, as a friend! Iska yeh matlab nahi hua ki mein usse pyaar karne laga hoon! Pyaar toh mein...pyaar toh mein Sonali se karta hoon!' Ram exclaimed.
'Ram it's not about your intentions, kyunki hum sab jaante hain ki tumhare intentions galat nahi hai! Lekin tumhare unintentional aur unnoticed harkatein...they are clear signs ki tum Priya se pyaar karte ho! Hum dono yahan tumse ladne nahi aaye hain, tumhare aankhein khulwaane aaye hain! Kyunki shaadi ke wakt mein aisa kuch nahi hona chahiye jahan sabko takleef pauncha jaayein'. Neha calmly explained.
'My head is throbbing'. Ram dropped on to the bed with a thud, holding hos face with his palms.
'Ram kya hua?' Vikram asked comfortingly. 'Is there something that we don't know?'
Ram kept silent. This gave Vikram the answer.
'Bata na!' Vikram urged him.
'Haan'. Ram finally replied. 'Bohot kuch hai jo tum log nahi jaante ho'.
-xxx-
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