Posted:
Hey PYKEKians!
'Tis Tia here. I ain't an active member in this forum but have always wanted to write something on AbhiYa, but whatever ideas came to mind were suitable for a SS/FF for which I didn't have the time. However, after Saturday's maha epi, something started bubbling in my mind and I had to put it down, though lemme warn you, it isn't AbhiYa. It's Neil and Panchi.
For those who read, if it isn't too much of a pain, do hit the LIKE button and/or leave a comment so that I know whether my effort was a wasted one or not.
Cheers!
Something was drastically wrong, was his first instinct when he saw her across the hall beaming at him. He knew Panchi Dobriyal was a surprise freak but this, he knew, could not be 'was not- a part of a surprise. He closed the distance between them and came to stand beside his mother. She introduced him to the Dobriyals and to his utter horror and amazement said, "Neil, we've decided to get you and Panchi engaged this eve."
Call him a fool for throwing away the much coveted love that life had served to him on a golden platter, but he knew this just couldn't be true. He hadn't misconstrued her meaning upstairs, mere minutes ago; when she'd said she wasn't ready to enter into a relationship, yet, - with anyone. There was no room for misunderstanding. She had stated it explicitly, loud and clear: She needed time, she needed space. Then where the hell had this whole engagement business come up from?
With an intention to get the answer straight from Panchi, he turned towards her but she flashed him such a heartwarming smile, that for a moment, he forgot everything. They were getting engaged and she was happy about it. What else could he ask for?!
Amidst cheers and applause, the rings were exchanged.
A tiny voice in the corner of his head said, "But how can this be possible?"
He tried to focus and reason but all reason fled when his beautiful fiance clung to him with a childlike smile dancing on her face. His heart melted at the sight of it and he ended up saying, "Thanks Panchi. You have given me the world today."
Before he could get a response, he was dragged away for a toast by a very joyful Mr.Dobriyal who seemed to be basking in the glory that his darling daughter, Panchi was now happily engaged. To one of the most eligible bachelors in town, Neil reminded himself with satisfaction.
The party was in full swing and Neil was held back by business associates and friends and it was over an hour before he could make way back to pretty Panchi. He liked the sound of it, Pretty Panchi.
"Neil, where've you been, I've missed you!" she said as she draped her hand around his arm. He flashed her a knowing smile and she leaned closer and placed a kiss on his cheek. And that was when the tiny voice in his head turned to a full yell, "I TOLD YOU, SOMETHING WAS WRONG!"
He smelt the familiar whiff of alcohol and flinched. Panchi had been drinking?!
But as far as he could remember, he had been unable to take his eyes off her ever since the engagement and he'd never once seen her near the bar, even for an instant. In fact, Misha Dobriyal had been by her side throughout as they had been greeted by the guests.
But' Damn!
Realisation now hit home. Panchi hadn't wanted this engagement and neither had she agreed to it.
Panchi Dobriyal had been drugged into this engagement with Neil Khurana!
That explained everything! Why she was all smiles for him; why she was so cozy with him. And apparently, no one had noticed it. Yet.
"Panchi, darling, listen to me," he said as she leaned against him.
"Neil, I am so happy today," she said.
"Yes, baby, so am I. But listen to me, alright?" He tried to reason out.
"No Neil, I wanna dance; c'mon, let's dance. That's my favourite song!"
If Panchi stayed here any longer, people would notice and that would set tongues wagging. Panchi didn't need that. They had to get out of here. Everyone would soon be invited for the celebratory dinner. With luck, he hoped, they wouldn't be missed. Or if they were, maybe he could excuse themselves by saying that they wanted to spend some time together, in isolation. He contemplated on which was the safest place to take her to; somewhere they wouldn't be noticed.
His room.
No! His conscience reproached him.
That would be highly inappropriate if they were spotted. However, Panchi Dobriyal's expression he could visibly conjure was she to wake up in his room the next morning, on his bed, with his ring on her finger! And it did nothing to stop the wide grin that was now spreading across his face. Tempting though the thought was, he couldn't indulge in that. Panchi Dobriyal had a reputation to keep and he would ensure that even in her unconsciousness, it remained untarnished.
Misha Dobriyal scanned the hall in frantic desperation. Birdie was nowhere to be seen and neither was Neil "moron" Khurana! Damn him! Damn T! She had been watching Birdie and her fianc with all attention until she was distracted by that good-for-nothing bimbo, T! The woman was a loser with her ever changing loser ideas. Now she wanted to be friends with them again. To hell with her and her nonsense-friendship-business. Oh, she had to find Birdie before that moron did something stupid. The conspiratorial glint that she'd witnessed in his eyes came to haunt her. Damn! If that loser was planning to resort to any impropriety to make his claim on Birdie stronger, then he could start counting his last breaths. She would make sure she strangled him to death and would not hesitate to make it a live example for any other jerk who dared to stray beside Birdie in the future. Hell, she'd gotten Birdie drunk to save her from all this theatrics and drama, not to get her involved neck-deep! Where the hell were they?
"Panchi, let's get out of here, darling," he whispered in her ear. She smiled and he discreetly guided her away from the boisterous shindig. He led her upstairs onto the terrace garden and sat her on the garden swing. A chilly wind blew in the cold night and he saw her shiver slightly. He took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders and then sat beside her on the swing.
"Neil, this is so beautiful," she said leaning into him. The stars winked at them in the dark night. The moon shone, its effulgence radiating over them.
He gazed at her lovingly for a long moment, then said, "Yes, it is."
He pulled her closer into his embrace and she huddled nearer, enjoying the warmth of it. They sat in silence, savouring the beauty of the moment. Neil rocked the swing gently as his thoughts wreaked havoc in his head. This illusionary evening was too beautiful to be true. He'd known it all along, only he'd refused to believe it. But now he knew, tomorrow when she woke up, their engagement wouldn't last a minute. He had only loved this one woman but fate didn't want to give them a chance. From the moment he'd laid eyes on her, he'd known, she was the one for him. She'd been easy on him initially, but now she didn't want to give their relationship a chance. What he failed to understand was the reason behind her aloof behavior. The problem was, she wouldn't explain. He had truly wanted only this woman in his life but it seemed the fates were conspiring against them and there was little he could do. He would have to let her go. He would have to come up with a plausible story to convince his parents. He had no choice, he would have to let her go.
"Neil, you're going to go away too, ain't you?"
He was startled out of his thought by her faint whisper. He stared at her bewildered, "Panchi, why are you saying that, darling?"
She laughed and it was an eerie sound. A mocking laugh of sorts, not the bubbly chuckle that he'd always associated with her.
"Because that's what Danish and Siddharth did."
"Danish? Siddharth? Who are these guys?" Neil asked baffled. He hadn't ever heard Panchi mention either of them before.
She looked away and let out an audible sigh, then said, "The fools I erringly fell in love with."
Neil nearly gasped aloud. Panchi was in love with someone else? Was that the reason she didn't want to give their relationship a chance?
"Panchi wh--?"
"Why did they go away?" she asked, turning to face him again. When he didn't speak, she leaned into him again. Neil somehow found that gesture comforting. As though she still trusted him.
She continued, "Danish was a two-timer and was interested only in my dad's wealth. I was the perfect tool to get access to it.
Neil was stunned incredulously.
"Siddharth wanted to get to his brother, Abhay through my sister, Pia. And I was the nave fool who unknowingly helped him with his devious ways. And he wasn't even human!"
A heavy silence lingered between them as he tried to process everything.
"So, tell me, who are you, Neil and what are you truly interested in?" The words were uttered with such bravado, it was impossible to miss the vulnerability in them. He had never seen Panchi this vulnerable. She had always come across to him as a strong woman, one who was in complete control, that he had never for once thought that there was a vulnerable girl hiding behind the strong woman faade. Now he knew. If he ever did lay hands on the two betraying bas***ds, he swore, they'd rue the day they decided to mess with Panchi.
"Panchi'" he began.
"Oh no, Neil," she cut him off, "I'd prefer that you be honest so that when your aim is achieved and you decide to walk away, I'm ready and not the least bit affected. Because this time, Neil, I'm doing it for my parents."
He gaped at her speechless. Then he framed her face with both his hands and forced her to look at him. "Look at me, Panchi," he gazed into her eyes and continued, "I am Neil. The Neil Khurana you know! And I'm not interested in anything but you. You have to believe me, Panchi. I love you," he said solemnly.
She stared at him, unmoved, as though contemplating whether to believe him or not. Finally, she said, "I like you, Neil."
Neil couldn't believe his ears. He placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled her in a hug. He knew he was a lucky man. If Panchi liked him, he was still satisfied. It was a good start for their relationship. In her state of unconsciousness, she had trusted him with her deepest secrets and he was fiercely glad of it. The decisions he'd taken at the beginning of the evening, no longer remained. He was not going to give up Panchi now. He'd fight for her. He'd fight for them. Now that he knew what ghosts haunted her, he'd make sure he drove them away. Panchi was a sweet soul and she needed to be pampered just like she pampered her sisters. And he would make sure that Panchi Dobriyal had everything she deserved.
He would change her liking to love, vowed Neil Khurana.
Misha Dobriyal stood stunned at her vantage point. She had come looking for Neil thinking that he was upto something inappropriate but the whole episode of interchanging emotions that she had witnessed had left her gaping and speechless. She saw her sister pass out in Neil's arms after her confession and she didn't know what to say! Apparently, Birdie, despite being deprived of her sane mind had a lot of sanity left in her. And if what Neil had said was true, which she believed was, then she was with Neil. She would help him make Birdie realize that the two of them were just perfect for each other!
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