Inauspicious
"ARRGHHH!!!! D-DON'T YOU EVEN DARE T-TOUCH ME!! LEAVE ME!! LEAVE M-ME!! AAA"
Dhruv could hear Thapki shriek as he pounded up the stairs.
"Stop it Thapki, everyone will hear"
Dhruv could hear someone talking in a low tone. Was that Bihaan's voice?? What the hell was Bihaan up to?? Was he misbehaving with his Thapki. He would surely kill Bihaan today.
"Do you t-think I care?? Do you t-think I give a rat's ass that a-anyone can hear me???Today I w-want everyone to h-hear...Today I will k-kill you then d-drink...STOPPP... D-DONT TOUCH ME... or else I will p-push you down from the t-terrace edge..."
"Okay do it then, if you think you will feel better after doing it..."
There was a moment of silence.
"Don't... Thapki please don't cry like this...hit me if you want but don't cry..."
Something was not right, Dhruv must be missing something, doesn't look like Bihaan was misbehaving with Thapki... he halted by the wall from where he could see Thapki-Bihaan but they couldn't see him.
Both of them were standing by the edge of the terrace...Thapki was standing facing Bihaan... her head bent down to her chest...but anyone could tell she was sobbing because her body was shaking... and Bihaan was looking at her miserably.
"Thapki, please don't--" Bihaan coaxed...At that Thapki began to hit his chest with her small fists haphazardly, Bihaan was pushed backwards at the force of her strikes. But he let her hit him, not trying to stop her at all.
After a while Thapki stopped when she got tired and rested her head on Bihaan's chest still sobbing softly. Bihaan's arms came around her.
"M-Mujhe nehi j-jana...n-nehi jana mujhe..." Thapki hiccupped into his chest.
"I know baby, I promise I will be behind your car all the time on my motorcycle, you can even see me in your side mirror...I promise" Bihaan was feeling upset seeing his wife so upset.
"Ma will again s-sent you away with s-some work...and you will f-forget me and then I have to spend the entire day with him"
"Is that ever possible?Me forgetting you? Thapki look at me please.."
"Nehi" Her head was still buried into Bihaan's chest but she shook her head.
"I have already asked Raghu to takeover my work which Ma gave me today...I promise I am free."
"I s-still don't want to go."Her voice muffled because she was still talking into Bihaan's chest.
"Thapki, we discussed this remember?? We won't hurt Ma more than it is necessary...and just think about it...you will get to talk to Dhruv...without any interruptions...Isn't that what we decided??? What better opportunity than this to get him alone??"
Thapki didn't reply...she began to play with the button of his t-shirt on his chest instead with her fingers.
"Thapki go with Dhruv only this once...tell him everything on the way...make him understand, this is the best opportunity we will ever get...samajne ki koshish karo Billi..." Bihaan requested intently.
She remained silent for a while then she sighed."Okay...I will ex-explain everything to him on the w-way as quickly as I can...then I will r-return home with you...deal?? Thapki looked up.
"Thik hae...I need to speak to Dhruv too, after you are done...I will talk to him , I need to ask his forgiveness as well...then I will bring you home"
"Not home---you have a f-free day remember?"
"Okay my Queen, I will take you wherever you want ...aab khush??"
"Ha thik hae" Thapki said grudgingly.
"Ruthna koi tumse sikhe...have you done a PHD on it?"
Thapki hit his chest..."Bohut bure ho tum Bihaan...tum ----", she was still sulking.
"I know, now give me my forfeit you troubled me a lot" Bihaan suddenly got business like.
"No you don't deserve it."
"Gajab, only this morning you were moaning and saying I am the best---"
"Stop it Bihaan you are so shameless..."
"Arey wah, am I lying? I still have proof of it...should I show it to you, you bit me here to stop yourself from screa--------"Bihaan pointed at his shoulder.
Thapki grabbed Bihaan's collar and brought down his head to her level before he could finish his sentence and closed her lips over his just like he wanted...he won't stop nagging till he got what he wanted...better she obliged him with that.
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Dhruv left Thapki -Bihaan kissing on the terrace and made his way down the stairs...How did he feel? He asked himself...Did he feel anger? Rage? Sorrow? Pain? Not really...what he felt was humiliation...sheer and utter humiliation...he was feeling like a fool...And its not the first time...he had felt like this before...he had been made a fool like this before...again and again..and again...when Bihaan married Thapki...when he got to know about Shraddha's fake pregnancy... when he got to know Shraddha's real nature...when he got to know it was not Bihaan but his own mother who duped him... Dhruv stumbled into his room somehow...
So this was why everyone was acting strange around him...everyone knew...Ma must knew it too...something wet fell onto his hands...water?? Was the roof leaking?? He looked up...No...he felt it then on his face...it was his tears...he was crying...so silly of him...he laughed...
Then he started to feel anger...No, not towards Thapki...not towards Bihaan even...Thapki never lead him on he could honestly say that... he felt anger towards himself...how could he not see it...how could he not see how much Thapki loved Bihaan?? How much Bihaan loved Thapki...everyone said that day downstairs...but he didn't listen to them...it was his own ego that didn't allow him to see what everyone else could see...it was his own vanity that didn't let his brain register the fact that Thapki could love a boy like Bihaan...
It was not really their fault they fell in love...Thapki was so lovable who could ever resist loving her?? And Bihaan...all his Bihaangiri and his rough and tough behaviour was nothing but a facade...inside he was a pussy cat...how could Thapki resist that??? No, they were not to be blamed...If anyone had to be blamed it was he... himself, his own inflated ego, his own conceit, his selfish self-absorption, his super sized vanity...it was all he ...It was all his own fault ...he began to sob earnestly holding his head with his both hands.
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Kitchen, Pandey Nivas
"Do you understand Thapki?? Be calm and take your time...no need to rush...and don't hurt him more than that is necessary" Suman bhabi said as she prepared a tiffin carrier for Thapki-Dhruv's journey.
Thapki nodded.
"And don't be scared...Dhruv devarji is very smart and logical...he won't hurt you..."
Thapki again nodded.
"And in case if anything untoward happens, Bihaan devarji is there, he will be right behind you...so don't worry at all"
Thapki nodded again...
"Bhabi just see, this pagli is already scared stiff...only nodding head like a mannequin. How will she speak to Dhruv?" Bihaan said frustratingly from where he was sitting perched on the counter.
"I am not s-scared...I just don't want to embarrass Dhruv sir...because no matter what it will be em-embarrassing and humiliating for him...and I don't want him to feel like a f-fool"
Suman Bhabi patted Thapki's shoulder understandingly...
"But what to do Thapki it has to be done...sooner the better...for his own good..." Suman bhabi said sympathetically.
"Haan, and I better leave before Ma sees me here" Bihaan jumped to his feet.
"Don't worry Bihaan devarji, Badi Sasuma is not at home ...she went somewhere the moment after she gave her orders in the breakfast table" Preity bhabi said as she strolled inside the kitchen and leaned against a counter.
"She went out?? Where to?? That too so early in the morning?"Bihaan asked.
Preity bhabi shrugged prettily "I don't have a clue"
"Thapki go get ready...I have already fixed your lunches and packed some snacks inside this bag to eat on your journey" Suman bhabi said with a self accomplished smile.
"Bhabi I doubt Thapki and Dhruv any of them will be in mood to munch on snacks on the go..." Bihaan rolled his eyes.
"I know that..but Badi sasuma ordered...and I was only following her orders..." Suman bhabi said petulantly.
Suman bhabi was so scared of Badi Sasuma, she would probably walk to hell if she was ordered by her. Bihaan and Preity bhabi laughed. Even Thapki smiled.
"What's happening here? Comedy circus??" The subject of their conversation walked in without any warning.
Vasundhara looked at Bihaan and then at Thapki who was standing on the other side of the kitchen away from him thankfully. Everyone froze seeing her.
"And Bihaan what are you doing here? Do you have any responsibility or not? I gave you some job didn't I?? Are you doing it?"
" I was just leaving---" Bihaan moved...
"Vasu Bahu I asked Bihaan to bring my medicines...my medicines got finished last night..." Dadima strolled in to the kitchen leaning heavily on her walking stick and winked at Bihaan. Preity bhabi discreetly blew a flying kiss at Dadima's direction.
"Toh Maji why did you wait till this morning...you should have asked when you saw your medicines were near- finishing... you shouldn't be so uncaring about your health...achcha doesn't matter... it is good I found Bihaan here" Vasu smiled at Bihaan. "Bihaan come with me beta, I have something to show you" She turned to leave and stopped," Thapki beta why are you standing like a statue? Jana nehi hai kya Dhruv k saath?? Go get ready"she barked.
Thapki nodded quickly and started to move, "Haan M-Ma, I am g-going to get ready this in-instant" Vasu nodded and left.
Thapki looked at Bihaan and discreetly asked him with a flick of her chin, did he know what Ma wanted to show him? Bihaan shrugged his shoulders looking confused saying no...he started to follow Vasu...what was she up to now? Bihaan wondered... leaving everyone intrigued in the kitchen.
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