Chapter 1
A light footsteps moved over the wooden stairs making the sound. The sound seemed more deliberate as if made for foretelling about the arrival. Raghav opened the doors to his room with utmost precision to make sure he doesn’t bother the figure inside. The voices he made before coming to announce his arrival was seeing the other side of Don of Hyderabad. A circumspect and careful husband, unsure about his next set of actions. Past few days have been a war in itself for both Raghav and Pallavi. The mission of Pallavi to get the truth behind the death of her Ex-husband Mandaar and the resolve of Raghav to save his sister from a crime, he thought she committed. Both had their loyalties, priorities and understanding being challenged and questioned. The comfort felt and the bond tying them, both seemed to have taken a hit as their actions had other in ruins more than once. He saw her wife sitting on the bed side, looking down with a tear rolling down her cheeks. Her demeanor was calm but it seemed like the silence left after the storm has passed. The temple and ruins both remain in silence. The fire and ice both engulf chaos. But can chaos attain silence?
Raghav walked slowly towards her and sat beside her looking on the ground himself.
R – Why are you crying Saree ka Dukaan? I thought that you will be happy that finally you have closure for the death of your Ex-husband. But you are still crying. Is something still missing? You don’t seem content.
Raghav turned his eyes towards her face trying to read her expression but her face gave nothing. She seemed stripped of emotions. The tears rolled down and she kept staring at the ground. Her posture was screaming sadness but her eyes didn’t have a thing which didn’t surprised him. Her eyes were calm and his eyes seemed enquiring.
She spoke breaking the longing for answers Raghav so desperately portrayed to be looking for.
P - Some water are stagnant for so long that it freezes in the darkness of wait. It weighs down the mind and heart and for the survival, its flow has to be stopped. The warmth of hope and the light of truth do melt the ice but that weight flows down through the eyes to relief the heart. In past few days, we both have been to war and back. We both fought for our families. We both fought for our truths. And we both fought against each other. But at the end of the day, we are still together. This started as a plan, a cruel plan but when it changed to the sweetest memory of my existence I didn’t knew. Our destiny executed its wishes and we were the puppets to it. But in all this conflict I understood clearly about what I want, what I wish and what I desire. I don’t want to leave you Raghav Rao. I will never leave you now. The burdens and truths of my past and existence won’t come to haunt our future. I want us to be together from this day to the end of my life.
A tear left her eye and a surprise danced on her face. Some realization have far greater effect than comprehended at the time of event. One diamond in coal seemed to signify that moment. A sly smile danced on Raghav’s face as he looked in her eyes.
R – Fire flickers.
P – What?
Before he could respond, his phone rang. He saw the phone screen and gave her a look with eyes down seeking for permission. She nodded her head in approval and he got up and left the room.
She got up and walked to the dressing table. Her eyes stared right into the mirror in front of her. She saw her face and was unable to identify the person staring back at her. A storm was rising inside her as the feelings had been alien to her. Her whole life she had been taught to just one thing and these new pages turned on her by life seemed to be confusing her. Confusion, an emotion distant from her principles. Her eyes turned to the wrapped photo frame placed in the side. She picked that up involuntarily and removed the wrap. It was a photo of their marriage. She sitting with him. Her with him. The picture seemed to transcend to a memory. Memories… not something useful for her or that is what she has learnt her whole life. The rules and principles don’t leave space for emotions but the number of them she started feeling in past few months was making her happy and angry. Again a diamond made her presence felt and a smile graced her face. Her eyes sparkled. Innocence of a young girl would have been visible to the onlookers if there would have been any and for a moment things seemed good. Her life felt nice. Her heart felt something and that reflected in her eyes. She smiled but her mind chimed in to mute her heart and frustration grew on her face.
Her phone rang and she wiped her tears in a stroke of the hand. Her expression became stoic and her eyes became focused. She got up, closed the door in a swift action and picked up the phone.
P – Hello. No. It was a dead end. It wasn’t Raghav but his sister’s boyfriend and he doesn’t have any clue. All of this was of no avail. We need to plan something else.
A voice spoke from the other side and her face started filling with expressions.
P – I need to be back? But… but a lot can be done…
Her protest seemed short lived as the expression started to vanish and her face regained its stoic expression.
P – No. No problem. I got it. I will leave from here as soon as possible. Raghav won’t be an issue. He isn’t aware of anything. I will check on the plans for return and confirm. It will be done. I will be there in a week. Sana out.
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Chapter 2 : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/157921801
Chapter 3 : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/157957742
Chapter 4 and Epilogue : https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/158008390
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
