FF - RaYa Random Scenes updated Pg8 Nov22 LastPart - Page 5

The door shuts with a loud bang. Priya is rooted to the spot, as if someone has clubbed her on head and sucked all the air out of her system. Ram's parting words are ringing in her ears, making it impossible for her to entertain any other thoughts.

"It pains to see someone you live for, putting you behind everthing and everyone else in her life. It pains like hell!"

She feels someone tugging at her kurti hem.

Pihu - Mumma, papa kahan gaye?

Priya comes out of the shock seeing Pihu stand before her.

Priya - Pihu, bachchhe, papa neeche car mein aapka wait kar rahe hain. Chalo, lets go. (She takes her daughter's hand in hers and takes a step forward but then something stops her.)

Priya (thinking) - Jaaoon ya nahi?

Her brain orders her not to go but her heart wants to see him, assure him and comfort him; to douse his anger. Ultimately, he heart wins the battle and she takes Pihu to the car park.

In the car park

Ram is sitting in the back seat of his car, trying to cool down his anger and pain, which erupted before Priya like an enraging volcano. He closes his eyes, deep breathes and relaxes his muscles. A dishellved and enraging Priya floats before his eyes.

"Aapko pata hai meri problem kya hai, Mr. Kapoor? Yahi ki mujhe aapke alawa koi aur nazar hi nahi ata!"

He opens his eyes, trying to erase that face and those words away from his mind, his heart. The futility, the hollowness of those words is mocking him at his face and he is unable to stand it. He glances at his watch and looks towards the lift. He finds her coming towards him, along with Pihu.

Ram - Inder, open the door for Pihu.

The driver gets out and holds open the door for the kid. Pihu goes and happily hops inside the car, her ponies swinging happily.

Ram - Chalein, Rockstar?

Pihu nods her head.

Ram - Inder, chalo.

Priya - Mr. Kapoor, I wanted to...

And the car zooms out of the society gate.

*************************

Ram is sitting in his cabin, trying hard to focus on his work but the morning events are not letting him be in peace. His mind involuntarily spools back the reel to Priya's flat. He is unable to decide what is causing him more pain: Priya's reluctance to give him Pihu's sole custody;  her indifferent attitude towards him; her easy acceptance of his non-existent marriage with Ayesha;  or Rajat's presence in her life, as he knows it very well that his friend is head-over-heels in love with his wife.

'Why is my mind, my life in so much conflict? What do I want?' He ponders hard. 'Deep in my heart, I know that by demanding sole custody, I am wronging Pihu for no fault of hers. And I really don't want to do that. I want her to have a normal life. But how can she have a normal life if her parents are not leading a normal life like any ordinary couple? I don't want to separate her from Priya. But I don't know how we can be a normal family ever again.'

He was pondering over all these things when he heard the door knob clicking open. He looked up and saw Priya standing there.

Ram - Tum? (His forehead scrunching up)

Priya notices his expressions and the tone of his voice and quickly steps inside, turning the door shut securely behind her. She then looks up at him.

Priya - Mr. Kapoor, can you please spare a few minutes for me? Kuchh kehna tha aapse.

Ram - What?

She takes a deep breath and prepares herself for all those things coming to her.

Priya - I am sorry. I really, really am. For everything. For all the mess.

He sniggers and smirks.

Ram - Really? (He notices her on the verge of tears and finds himself unable to hold his anger. Sarcasm comes to his defence) Main abhi tumhare bare mein hi soch raha tha. Kaise ek din tum achaanak meri life se gayab ho gayi, phir kaise achaanak ek din meri life mein waapas aa gayi... bahut mazaa aaya hoga na is hide & seek mein, nahi?

Priya - I know aap bahut naraaz hain mujhse. Main bas aapse ye kehna chaah rahi hoon ki... aapne aaj jo kuchh subah kaha, wo sach nahi hai. Aap mujhe galat samajh rahe hain...

Ram - Achchha? Ok, let's do one thing. Let's start from the start. You walked out of my life one fine day, just like that. and never bothered to tell me that I have a daughter with you while I mourned your death and thought you are dead for past 5 years! How could you?!! And then you tell me that you did all that to make me move on.  And yes, you actually thought that I could move on, without you.

Priya - Mr Kapoor, let me...

Ram - No, you let me finish first. How could you think that??!! Itna hi bharosa tha mere pyaar par? Ki tum meri life se chali jaogi aur main tumhein bhool kar life mein kisi aur ke sath aage badh jaaoonga? Tum aisa soch bhi kaise sakti ho? Mere pyaar ki yahi haisiyat hai tumhaari nazron mein? This is what you think of my love for you? This is the kind of person you think I am?

Priya - I am sorry. I know I made a terrible mistake. Par us waqt mujhe yahi sahi laga. Maine aapko call kiya tha Dubai se. Tab maine aapko kisi ladki ki earrings ki tareef karte suna. Mujhe laga ki aap koshish kar rahe hain mujhe bhoolne ki, normal life jeene ki aur main yahi chahti bhi thi.

Ram (shocked at the revelation) - What? Tumne is chhoti si baat ko sach maan kar itna bada decision le liya? You know what? (he opens a drawer on his desk and fling across a pair of earrings.) Ye raha tumhara jawaab. Tumhare favourite earrings. Ye usi lady ke hain. Maine unse ye request kar ke liye they... ye soch kar ki marne kea ad jab tumse milungi toh tumhein apne haathon se ye earrings pehnaoonga. Aur tumne 10 second ki phone conversation sun kar ye andaaza laga liya ki main tumhein bhool gaya hoon? Tumhein lagata hai ki ye possible hai? Isi liye main pichhle 5 saalon se apni 'supposedly' dead wife ke liye karwa chauth ka vrat rakh raha hoon?

Priya is shocked to hear this.

Priya - Ram, aapne mere liye... (words get choked in her throat as her tears find their way out. The depth of his love for her overwhelms her senses. Her brain refuses to register anything apart from the fact that she had been the luckiest as well as unluckiest wife in this world) I am so sorry Ram. I now realize that I am the luckiest as well as unluckiest wife in this world. I walked away from a happy life, a loving husband just because of my stupid assumption. And look what mess I have created now. But serves me right. I don't deserve your love. I have hurt you so much. I am sorry. I promise I'll hand you Pihu's cutody and walk away from your life. Main nahi chahti ki meri wajah se aapki life mein aur kuchh mess create ho. Aur Ayesha ko aapse shiqayat karne ka mauka mile.

Ram (grinding his teeth) - You still don't get it, do you? Main tumse pehle bhi keh chukaa hoon ki Ayesha is nothing to me. Humare beech sirf ek arrangement hai. Our marriage is non-existent. Kitni baar ye baat bolne par tum mera yakeen karogi? You know what, mujhe tumhari thinking samajh nahi aati. Jo baat mere dimaag bhi nahi aayi use tum sach maan kar meri life se door chali gayi aur jo baat main kabse tumhein bole ja raha hoon, tum use sunne-samajhne ke liye, accept karne ke liye taiyaar hi nahi ho. And then you say ki aaj subah maine jo kuch kaha wo sach nahi? Tumhari dictionary mein 'taken for granted' aur kise kehte hain, Priya?

Priya - Aisa nahi hai Mr. Kapoor. Main janti hoon ki aapki dusri shaadi ka sach kya hai. Par fact toh yahi hai na ki ab Ayesha hi Mrs. Ram Kapoor hai, main nahi. Aur main usse yeh haq nahi cheen sakti. Ye theek nahi hoga.

Ram - Aur Pihu ko apne maa-baap mein se kisi ek ke sath rehna padega, wo theek hoga? Tumhein samajh mein kyun nahi ata hai ki meri khushi sirf tum mein hai, Priya. Main aur kisi ke sath kush nahi reh paoonga! Tum apni behan ko sambhaalne ke chakkar mein mujhe, apni beti ko puri zindagi ki sazaa dene ke liye taiyaar ho? Tumhein chalega ki hum dono ek dusre se puri zindagi alag rahein, ye jaante hue ki hum ek dusre se pyaar karte hain aur humein ek dusre ke sath hi rehna chahiye? Ki humaari beti ko aone maa-baap dono ke sath rehne ka haq hai? Answer me, dammit!

To be continued!