Peehu: mamma chalo na jaldi se mujhe ready kardo, I don't want to miss the party. mamma... and she tugged on Priya's arm.
This brought Priya out of her thoughts and she got Pihu ready.
Party:
Everybody was having a good time at the party. Sudheer walked in thru the door. On seeing him, Priya took Pihu by her hand and went up to sudheer.
Priya: Papa..
Sudheer looked at her but didn't acknowledge her presence and just walked past her. He was really mad at her for putting all of them thru so much grief. Priya's face got pale and tears started flowing thru her eyes. Pihu couldn't figure what exactly was going on. She was just upset seeing her mother in tears. Ram saw all this from a distance and walked up to Priya.
Ram: Pihu chalo mein tumhe tumhare Nanaji se milwata hun.
Pihu held Ram's hand and went with him. Ram walked up to Sudheer.
Ram: Papa, inse milye, yeh hai meri beti aur aapki natin Pihu.
Sudheer: Arre beta, aajo aajo. I am so glad to see you. You are even cuter that I had imagined. Do you know who I am? mein aapke mummy ka papa hun. Sudheer eyes moistened.
Pihu was really confused by now. Just a little while ago when her mom met the same person, he was so cold, and didn't even bother to look at her mom and suddenly now when her Papa introduced her, he was so warm towards her.
Just then Kush came : Nanaji.. (and he gave a hug to Sudheer). Nanaji chaliye na mein apko mere naye toys dikhata hoon. Pihu didi tum bhi chalo.
All 3 of them left for Kush's room. Priya also followed them.
She watched as Kush and Pihu excitedly showed their new toys. Sudheer was also very happy being with the kids. Priya walked in and said: Bacchon ab aap bahar jake khelo, muhje nanaji se baat karni hai.
Both the kids ran out. Sudheer also started to leave, but he stopped when Priya requested him. She explained to him why she did what she did.
Priya: Mr Kapoor ne mujhe ab tak maaf nahi kiya hai, aur pata nahi kabhi kar payenge bhi ya nahi, lekin please papa aap to mujhye maaf kar dijye. Mujhse bahot badi galati hui hai. lekin mera yekin maniye papa meine jo kuch kiye Mr Kapoor ke liye hi kiya.
Sudheer: Priya mujhe tum par bada garv tha, ki meri ye beti kabhi kisko dukh nahi de sakti, pur tum ne Ram ko jo dukh diya hai, mein to tumhe us ke liye us din maaf karunga jis din Ram tumhe maaf karega.
Saying this he walked out of the room, leaving a shattered Priya behind. Tears started flowing thru her eyes and she dropped down on the floor burrying her face in her palm. Natasha who was standing outside the door, walked in and put her hand on Priya's shoulder
Natasha: Mat ro Priya. Koi samjhe na samjhe, but I know how much you love bhai and I also know that whatever you did though wrong, but you had bhai's well being at heart. I had supported you earlier also, and I will do that even now. Don't worry, I will talk to Papaji and Bhai. I know it won't be easy, but things will be ok. Come let's go out and join the party. They both walked out.
The band at the party was playing soft music and Nuts and Kartik and many of the other couples took to the dance floor.
Ram and Priya were stealing glances at each other. Vik noticed this and asked Ram to go on the dance floor with Priya. Ram refused, and just as Vik was about to drag him, Ayesha came and asked if Ram would care to dance with her. Ram didn't want to dance with Ayesha, but just to make Priya jealous and upset, he agreed to.
Ayesha was trying her level best to get cosy with Ram while Ram was trying to maintain a distance between them. Although he was dancing with Ayesha, his eyes were on Priya. Vik sensed this and went up to Pihu and Kush and whispered something in their ears.
Pihu went on to the dance floor and walked up to Ram and Ayesha
Pihu: Aunty, mein mere papa ke saath dance karna chahati hoon, so will you please excuse?
Ayesha: Lekin.. But before she could complete her sentence, Ram said: Yes Ayesha I too wan't to dance with my daughter, so..
Ayesha, gave a killing look to Pihu and stomped from there.
Kush went up to Priya and asked her: Mamma kya aap mere saath dance karoge.
So then all 4 of them were on the dance floor dancing next to each other. After a few min. Pihu winked and Kush and he winked back.
Pihu: Papa aab mein Kush ke saath dance karna chahati hoon, isliye aap mamma ke saath dance kijiye.
Kush: Mamma mein ab Pihu didi ke saath dance karna chahta hoon, so aap papa ke saath dance kijeye.
Before Ram or Priya could protest, Pihu and Kush dragged both of them together and practically made them hold each other. Now ag again all 4 were on the dance floor, only partners had changed.
Ram and Priya had an eyelock both thinking about their first dance together. Ram slid his hand across Priya's waist and his touch gave her goosebumps. She closed her eyes. Both of them were lost in their own world where no one else but the 2 of them existed and mattered.
Suddenly Pihu screamed and that brought back Priya and Ram back to reality. Both of them rushed to Pihu's side. Pihu was holding her foot and crying. Khush too was crying. Actually while dancing, Khush accidently stepped on Pihu's foot and so she screamed. Seeing her cry and everybody rushing towards her, Khush got scared and he too started crying.
Ram and Priya lifted the kids in their arms and took them off the dance floor and took them to a bedroom, so as to calm them down. Ram was consoling Pihu, and Priya was consoling Khush. Finally they got the kids to calm down. Priya: Pihu beta yahan aao, dekho bhai ko bura lag raha hai, tum ro rahi ho na isliye. He didn't do it on purpose, u know that right. so why don't you both shake hands and be friends again?
Pihu nodded and went over to Priya and then shook hands with Khush, gave him a hug and both of them ran out of the room.
Ram also got up and started to walk out of the room.
Priya:Ram.. can't we also forgive and forget? I know I wronged you big time, but.. before she could complete, Ram walked out of the room.
Tears started flowing from Priya's eyes, but she controlled herself and joined the party again.
After the party, all of them retired to their bedrooms. Pihu was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. While Priya was doing the bed, when her eyes fell on the mirror and she saw Khush's reflection, he was outside the door, peeking inside. She walked to the door, Priya: Khush, beta bahar kyu khade ho andar aajao, aap ko kuch chahiye kya?
Khush came inside. Khush: Mamma kya didi aapke sat yahan soegi?
Priya: han beta use akele sone ki adat nahi hai.
Khush: lekin mein to hamesha akele sota hun, mujhe dar nahi lagta. par..
Priya guessed that he too wanted to sleep in with her,
Priya: tum to bohot brave ho, Pihu ko tum sekha dena, par agar tum chaho to tum aaj ki raat yahan Pihu aur mamma ke sath so sakte ho.
Khush's face lighted up and he immediately took the offer and jumped into the bed. Pihu too was excited to have her brother sleepover with her and her mamma.
Ram in the meantime changed and went to Khush's room to wish him goodnight. Since he couldn't find Khush over there, he came out calling his name. Bansi kaka heard him call and informed him that he had seen Khush go towards the guest room.
Ram walked over to Priya's room and saw, Pihu, and Khush is bed and Priya reading a bedtime story to them. A smile crossed his face and he went back to his room and started working on his laptop. Meanwhile the kids were fast asleep, so Priya too decided to catch up with her book. But neither Ram nor Priya could concentrate on what they were doing. Their minds were racing towards each other. Priya finally kept her book down and decided to go to the backyard for a stroll. Ram too kept his laptop away and walked towards the window which overlooked the backyard and saw Priya taking a walk.
Priya walked for a while and then sat on the bench. She curled up her legs close to her stomach.
Priya(thinking to herself): Ram today being in your arms and being so close to you made me realise what I had been missing all these years. I know I have wronged you and Pihu by keeping you apart, but I was really helpless at that time. I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought I was sparing you from getting more hurt than you already were, but in the process ended up hurting you even more. I am sorry Ram, I really am. I really wish that someday soon, you will find it in your heart to forgive me.
Tears started flowing freely from her eyes. She burried her head in between her legs and started sobbing. Ram was watching her and couldn't see her hurting. He stepped away from the window.
Suddenly Priya felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she looked up..
to be continued..
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