Always,Only You--(fiction) THREAD 1 - Page 41

Chapter 11

Mere bhagwan ki kasam look at that girl Aarti! How she dresses and flaunts her good fortune?

Thought Maya, coming to the dining area herself,as she saw the two bahus go towards the kitchen.

Is there no justice in this world? How many times do I need to have my nose rubbed on the fact that my life has no value here? Bhaiya was only concerned about his SON and his remarriage but no one bothered about me...ever. Has anyone even had the least bit of concern about me? ...NO.

And that Yash, what do bhaiya and bhabi see in him? He always had a special place in their heart. How they always pampered him and neglected the other two boys? Uff... I do not like the couple of them...Aarti and Yash... they grate on my nerves.

Maya settled on a chair and peeled the orange with undue force as the kids looked on and smiled unaware of the bitterness brewing in their Bua-dadi's mind.

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Back in the kitchen

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"What are you talking about bhabhi? I am sure you are mistaken. Pankaj bhaiya will never betray you. He loves you" Aarti said after she recovered enough from the shocking disclosure.

"Oh Aarti you have no idea how difficult it was for me to believe it too. But I cannot be blind to all the proof that is pointing towards his.. straying" continued Vidhi with great difficulty.

"What proof are you talking about Bhabhi?" asked Aarti still refusing to believe there to be even a remote possibility of it being true.

"His coming inexplicably late nowadays, not talking with me...avoiding me and those hushed conversations he has on the mobile when he thinks i am not there or not noticing. And I even smelled some female perfume on his shirt once" recounted Vidhi loathing to even mention these things.

"What did i do Aarti, why did he do this to me? So many years of marriage and just like that everything gone down the drain" Vidhi broke down.

Aarti was at a loss to console a broken Vidhi. She thought back of her time with Prashanth and all the misery she had suffered when she found out that he had cheated on her.

No Pankaj bhaiya is not like Prashanth. He is a very honest person, a caring husband and he loves Vidhi bhabhi. I am dead sure there is something missing here.

"Bhabhi please don't jump to conclusions. Maybe there is some explanation behind all this. Please do not trouble yourself thinking about it over and over again... Have you spoken to Pankaj bhaiya about this?" Aarti asked.

"No... How can I? What if he confirms this? What if he says he does not love me...does not want me anymore...What is he says that our marriage is over?... I will not survive if he leaves me Aarti ... i will not survive" Vidhi started to cry.

"Bhabhi please...please do not think like this. Let me speak with Yashji. Yes,let him speak to Pankaj bhaiya ...and find out what the matter really is? But promise me you will stay strong till then. You are a pillar of this family,bhabhi don't let yourself be shattered. Please...and worst comes worst we are there for you bhabhi...we are always there for you. Just promise me you will not do anything hasty" Aarti pleaded of Vidhi.

To which Vidhi nodded and tried to control her tears.

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Later that night when the household had retired to the bed, Aarti finally thought of discussing the issue with Yash.

"Yashji, there is something I need to talk to you about?" ventured Aarti.

Yash who was busy working using his laptop, stopped and crocked his neck and gave a serious look to Aarti. He noticed that Aarti was very restless as if something was really bothering her.

"You have my attention Aartiji. Tell me what this is about" said Yash closing his laptop and turning on the chair to face Aarti who was standing close by with her fingers busily meshing together.

"Yashji, its about Pankaj bhaiya"

"What about him?"

"Vidhi bhabhi feels that he ... that he... that he is having an affair" Aarti blurted out after a lot of hesitation.

"What?... You are joking, right?" came an immediate response from Yash who stood up from the chair.

"No Yashji, Vidhi bhabhi thinks she has evidence that points to that. She feels that he has cheated on her."

"That's utter non-sense. How can bhabhi even think that Bhaiya would cheat on her? That's preposterous. Impossible" Yash vehemently denied.

Seeing that Yash was not taking this seriously enough and refusing to accept even a possibility of it Aarti said

"He is a only a "MAN" Yashji not a "SAINT". Who knows when a man can stray?"

That hit Yash on the raw and he retorted by saying bitchily

"Well a "MAN" will only stray if he is not getting what he wants at home"

"Uh" Aarti took a quick indrawn breath as she was shocked to hear such a comment from Yash.

Yash too immediately regretted having said that.

"I am sorry Aartiji. I did not mean that. I don't know what came over me. It's just that I refuse to even encourage a thought that my Pankaj bhaiya, the eldest son of the Scindia family, the family man whose second name is honour would ever do anything to hurt his wife whom he loves unconditionally" amended Yash.

"Why don't you speak with him? If it is only a misunderstanding nobody would be more glad than me. Promise me Yashji, you will speak with him the minute you get a chance. I cannot bear to see Vidhi bhabhi in such agony. She refuses to speak to him herself as she is too scared to find out the truth. You have to do this for her, Yashji. Please make things right for her...please" Aarti pleaded with folded hands.

She was very hurt but what he said, it brought back many old unresolved issues for her but still she had full confidence in him. If there was any problem which needed to be solved Aarti knew Yash was the best man for it. She prayed with all her might this was nothing that they were making a mountain of a mole-hill and that once the truth was out in the open all will have a laugh that they even thought of this in a wrong way. But then again the doubt crept in bringing with it the possibility of Pankaj actually straying.

"Oh how I wish all this is not true" she said to herself.

"I will see what I can do Aartiji... I will see what i can do" was what Yash said finally.

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Next day in their office Yash asked Pankaj if he could have a word with him. When they had the room to themselves Yash asked without any preamble

"Bhaiya... are you cheating on bhabhi?"

To which Pankaj replied

"Not...quite" after a stunned silence.

TO BE CONTINUED...