"Look who is here!!"
Kumud froze.
She turned to face him and... there he was smiling at her with his whisky in his hand.
"Tum???"
"You thought it was your lover Saraswatichandra, right??
He started laughing. His dry and sick laugh.
Kumud demanded:
"What do you want??"
"Ha ha ha. Now is that any way to address your husband Kumud?" Pramad said as he drew closer to her. He stopped about four feet from her and gawked at her, with a nasty smile on his lips.
Kumud immediately understood who was behind that letter. She should have known that Saras would never ask her to come and meet him so late at night when that predator was still roaming around to hurt her.
"kumud we have some unfinished business in that room the last time".
He smiled at her with an excited evil grin and closed the distance between them.
Kumud's stomach began to curdle.
"Don't you dare lay your dirty hands on me, I..."
Pramad threw the whisky away and lunged towards Kumud. Holding her upper hands tightly, he barked:
"What will you do Kumud? Your avoidance of me is growing tiresome Kumud. The game of the cat and mouse has been played for a long time in my house but not anymore".
He was drunk, his face was distorted with anger and hate but to her surprise he started to laugh again and then stopped and smiled at her wolfishly. He continued very calmly:
"You see Kumud, I grow impatient when I don't get what I want. You are still my legal wife and... I am planning to enjoy my wife today."
The man was sick and Kumud now understood what Saras meant when he said that Pramad could stoop very very low.
Kumud's heart began to pound in her chest.
His grip around her arm was unyielding.
But she would not let this brute soil her, she would fight and if needed she would kill him.
She twisted, writhed and physically demanded escape...
But she found herself falling on the ground with him on top of her. Kumud had no idea how she managed to dislodge that brute. All she knew, she found a hard thing just at her right and she had knocked him out.
And without looking back, she found herself running frantically without really any idea where she was heading.
Was he following her? She didn't look back.
All she knew, she had to run away from that beast.
Strangely her feet didn't lead her to the haveli, to her home where she would feel safe and secure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saras was having trouble to sleep. Kumud was upset with him and he so hated it to see her miserable but unfortunately he was the one who turned out to be the root of her miseries as usual.
He had gone to the haveli in the morning to meet Vidya kaka and his heart had nearly skipped a beat seeing her smiling lovingly at him and asking him to come in the kitchen for breakfast. When he had learned that the family already had breakfast, he had declined the offer. She had looked disappointed and annoyed too. And without a word she had left for school. Later he had found out from Kumari that her didi was waiting for him to have breakfast together.
He had felt bad and had gone to meet her at school to explain, no to say sorry but she would not talk to him and concluded the conversation with:
"I tend to forget that things have changed and... I am no longer the Kumud you..."
She had not completed her sentence but had merely given him a small smile but the hint of sadness in her eyes hadn't gone unnoticed to Saras.
Saras had been restless since then. What did she mean? That he no longer looks at her or feels for her the same way now after her marriage?
How to tell her that she would always be the Kumud he had loved, he loves and would love all his life?
How to tell her that he was making a huge effort to stay away from her for her welfare?
He didn't want people's tongue to wag about them...about her.
He cared a hoot for himself but for her, he would make sure that nobody makes derogatory remarks about her.He was feeling very uneasy as if something was wrong... as if Kumud needed him. It was late but he has to check on her to appease his restless heart and mind. He called her mobile but no answer. "Why are you not picking up the phone Kumud?" His heart muttered.
Suddenly he heard a sound at the door.
He turned around.
There she was as if he had conjured her. But...
She was holding on to the door. She looked terrible and was a mess. He looked at her numb with shock for a minute and finally called her name in a strangled voice "kumud!!"
Unable to contain herself, she flew like wind in his arms. When Saras lifted his arms to hug her tightly, she started crying uncontrollably. She was shaking and all cold in his arms. Alarmed he demanded what had happened but she would just cry in his chest clutching to his shirt. Finally he had no choice but to draw her away and asked as he took her face in his hands:
"What happened Kumud?"
She stuttered in between sobs: "Pramad...
Saras' blood turned ice in his veins. He had not dared hurt her; he would kill that bas...
" WHAT. DID. HE. DO. TO. YOU? Tell me Kumud."
Kumud told Saras how Pramad had fooled her to meet him and had tried to molest her. And then she added:
" I am sorry. I don't know how I landed here. I wanted to go home but I ..."
Saras gathered her again in his arms. She was very traumatised and that troubled him to the core. He was also livid.
"Ssshhh, you are safe now. I swear Kumud I will kill this man!!"
"No, please. I swear if anything happens to you I will die. I am the source of all your troubles and I don't want you to land in jail because of me. I know you want to stay away from me but... I am sorry Saras..."
They looked at each other, tears prickling the back of their eyelids. Her eyes were calling him for support. His were inviting her to come in his embrace.
It was time to tell this woman that nothing else matters to him than her and for her; he would even kill and go to jail.
He has been restraining himself but for her but it was time she understands that for him NOTHING had changed.
Moving closer, his hands came up to frame her face. His gaze locked to Kumud's teary ones, he said:
"Kumud I swear if anything happens to you my heartbeats will stop. You were never the source of my troubles. You are the one who freed me from my insecurities. You are the one who made me live. You are the one who made me love and..."
He looked at her with anguished eyes and continued:
"And I promised to give you happiness but ended ruining your life. Every time I see you in this hurt and in pain, I die inside. You, the family, have forgiven me but I still can't forgive myself for shattering your dreams".
Looking at him, she could see the turmoil in his eyes. Her palms were resting on his front shirt. She could feel his erratic heartbeat.
It was time for her to open up her heart to him.
"Yes you are the one who had been the cause of my miseries.
You are the one who have made me dream and shattered it the next minute.
You are the one who has hurt me beyond measure".
The lump in her throat was choking her. But she would not let this conversation unfinished like they are usually do. She continued:
"But you are the one who can heal me Saras. You are the one who can make me dream again. You are the one who can bring back happiness in my life. You are the one who I have never stopped loving".
He looked at her with eyes full of love and gratitude. God was giving him another chance to win back the woman who meant the world to him.
Without a word, he took her in his embrace and she closed her eyes to submerge in his warmth.
Time to start life afresh together, to make a brand new ending.
"This is not the beginning of a new chapter in SaMud's life;
This is the beginning of a new book!
That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed;
This new book is newly opened, has just begun!
Look, it is the first page!
And it is a beautiful one!"
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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