I am extremely cautious of Ekta shows because I have seen practically all of them crash and burn because of her ridiculous twists and turns and at times, ridiculous tracks. Her shows are always good in the beginning so I really want to enjoy this show while it's still at it's current pace and track.
So I bring you a short untitled OS. I seriously couldn't think of an appropriate title for this one.
Anyways, here it is!
*Edit*
I have decided to turn this into a 3-shot with a happy ending.
Index
Part 1 - Page 1
Part 2 - Page 4
Part 3 - Page 10
Untitled
Part 1
Abhi hugged Bulbul to himself as she cried on his shoulder for her Pragya Di.
Abhi felt horribly guilty as he did a sweep around at the distressed faces around him. Her family was a mess. His family was no better. Even Tayaji and Tayiji, who's stone cold hearts Pragya had managed to melt, were sitting silently in a corner.
The only person unaffected by this seemed to be Aaliya who was texting away merrily on her phone. She might even have had a small smirk on her face.
This accident was entirely his fault.
There was a teacher's social function at her school and she had nearly begged him to attend with her. Just to trouble her he had gone to Tannu's place before hand and only showed up at home to pick her up and escort her when he knew they were already late. To add to her irritation he had also had a good few drinks at Tannu's.
At the social event he had barely been able to handle her constant praise from her colleagues. Pragya is this and Pragya is that and blah blah blah.
And to top it all off that creep Suresh had been making puppy-dog eyes at her all evening.
Bulbul had told him their whole history and Abhi personally found the man disgusting.
But then again he had married the chasmish to revenge his sister so what did he know?
What he did know was that he felt insanely jealous when Pragya had slipped and Suresh had supported her holding her by her bare waist.
In their 4 months of marriage Abhi had found himself becoming somewhat possessive of his little bespectacled wife.
Now, he certainly didn't love her or even like her for that matter. He barely tolerated her and her wide-wounded-innocent eyes, her cute pout, her even cuter anger, her never ending lectures, her...
Okay, he was getting off track.
But the point was that she was his wife damnit. She was his. And Abhi had never learned to share and play nice. His things were only his things. And that Suresh touching what was his had made him blow a fuse.
He had clasped her wrist in a painful grip, made a crude announcement to the crowd that probably left little to imagination about what his intentions were with her, and dragged her out of the party.
She had cried tears of humiliation but her pain was his joy. The sadistic bas***d that he was, he liked to see her helpless and hurting. But she had been scolding him for his deplorable behavior and that combined with his drunken haze and boiling rage he had crashed the car head on with another car.
Luckily the single passenger in the other car had survived and agreed on a (large) cash settlement to keep this incident quiet from the media.
He himself had gotten away with nothing but a few scratches, bumps, and bruises.
But Pragya was in critical care. She had too many injuries to count and the doctors needed to stop the internal bleeding and stabilize her before they could give then any news of her condition or her chances of survival.
Abhi felt like a complete fool. Why had he let that chashmish get to him? (And by chashmish he meant Suresh.)
Abhi knew that Pragya felt nothing for that Suresh. Pragya was his wife. And anyway, he was richer than Suresh any day of the week. Why would a girl like Pragya, who was only attracted to money, want to be with middle-class Suresh?
Abhi was brought out of his thoughts by a sniffling Bulbul. He ran his hand over her head in a soothing manner.
Over the last 4 months he had grown a lot closer to Pragya's family. They were all nice warm people (and you had to wonder how Pragya turned out the way she did). He had even started to feel a fondness for Purvi, though she irritated him most times. But the person he had grown closest to was Bulbul.
If there is one good that came out of his marriage to Pragya was that he now had another girl he could call sister and would do anything for her. She was bubbly and lively and it was hard to not like her.
Bulbul had kept her distance from them at first because she had some silly notion that her presence might cause her sister's life to turn sour. No, he wanted to tell her, her sister's gold-digging nature was enough to do that.
However eventually, by her sister's coaxing, Bulbul had started to spend more time with them. It was heartwarming to see at times the bond both sisters shared. It was a marvel how both sisters had turned out so different. One so sweet and lively whiles the other so manipulative and power hungry.
Abhi felt Bulbul lift her head off' his shoulder and stiffen. He looked up to see Purab standing a few feet away from them in the hallway.
Abhi felt his jealousy burn again. Here was lover boy again to see his precious girlfriend.
"Purab," he heard Bulbul whisper softly, almost to herself.
"Bulbul," He said as though in reply, his voice pained.
"Purab!" Bulbul exclaimed loudly and launched herself at him. Purab caught her she sagged against him and started to sob again. "Pragya Di... Pragya Di," was all Bulbul was able to mutter through her sobs.
Purab rubbed her back and tried to shush her.
Abhi was super confused. How did Bulbul know Purab? Was it from the time that Purab and Pragya were dating?
Abhi exchanged glances with his sister who looked just as confused at the scene as he did.
He glanced over at the duo again and saw that Purab had cupped Bulbul's cheeks with his hands and was tenderly wiping away her tears. He then leant forward and placed the most gentle of kisses on her forehead.
No.
This was no friendship.
No. No. No. No. No.
This could NOT be happening.
He looked over at Aaliya again and saw that she was fuming at the sight.
But Pragya had said... Pragya had TOLD him, the words had come out of her mouth. She had aid that she loved Purab.
That lying, cheating, manipulative gold digger!!
What kind of mess has she created?
"We are going to get some tea and snacks for everyone. I think everyone needs refreshment." Purab announced this and then laced his fingers with Bulbul and lead her away.
For the first time in his life Abhishek Prem Mehra didn't know what to think. He was truly at a loss.
What the heck was going on here?
Purab loved Bulbul?
Then how was Pragya involved in all of this?
Aaliya had been convinced that the girl was Pragya. She even had a photo to prove it.
And Pragya herself had admitted her guilt to him.
But then again, Abhi knew his sister well. Her anger could take her to any lengths and make her act incredibly irrationally.
Did he seriously fall for Aaliya's manipulation again?
Why were all his siblings out to screw him? First Aakash and now Aaliya?
But Pragya had confessed to him damnit! She had told him she loved Purab.
What the heck was going on?
He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palm in frustration.
He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw that it was Purab smiling at him in reassurance. "She will be okay Bhai. Just have faith. She always says that you need to have faith."
And here goes Purab talking about Pragya in that intimate matter. He was so confused. Why wasn't anything making sense?
Purab held a small tea-stall type glass of tea out to him. "Drink some Bhai. It will make you feel better."
His pleasant smile and positive disposition was irritating him to no end. Shouldn't he be devastated that his girlfriend was in the hospital fighting for her life?
Abhi slapped Purab's hand away in frustration making the tea spill on the floor. "Just leave me be." He growled in anger.
Just then the doctor came out of the OT grinning ear to ear. Everyone rushed to him and Abhi was the first one to get there. "What news doctor? If she okay?" he asked eagerly.
"Your wife is perfectly fine Mr. Mehra. She is out of danger and has even regained consciousness. She is still weak and has lost a lot of blood so I can only allow a few people at a time to see her, but she will be discharged in a few days.
Everyone around him pushed him towards the door and insisted that he should be the first one to see her.
Abhi entered the room and saw Pragya smiling as the nurse chattered away about something and checked her vitals.
What was it about her? She attracted people like honey attracted flies.
"Mr. Mehra, your wife is a fighter. She will be perfectly fine." The nurse reassured him when he entered. She then addressed Pragya. "Just press the red button if you ever need anything Mrs. Mehra."
Pragya smiled and nodded and the nurse left the two alone.
Pragya looked away from him and observed her surroundings as though they were the most interesting thing in the world. She looked over at him again and must have noticed his many small bandages. She frowned in concern. "Aap theek ho? Aapko zyada chot toh nahi..."
"Do you love Purab?" Abhi cut her off, eager to see her reaction and hear it from her own mouth.
She looked at him, clearly confused. "Kya?"
"Do. You. Love. Purab?" He punctuated each word, his anger rising at her hesitance.
Pragya looked away and he noticed her troubled look. "H-haan."
No.
She could not lie.
And if she lied she was unable to look at the person directly.
No. No. No.
He went to the door and indicated Bulbul and Purab to join him.
Bulbul immediately ran and hugged her sister, sobbing again, while Purab stood and watched in concern, his eyes not once straying from Bulbul.
Bulbul.
Not Pragya.
No. No. No.
Pragya noticed the 4th person in the room and frowned again in confusion. "Purab? Tum yahan?"
"Di, who actually, Purab and I talked, and we've sorted out our differences."
Bulbul smiled shyly and looked at Purab who just seemed awestruck at her beauty.
Purab went over to Pragya and held her hand gently, and for the first time Abhi didn't feel that stab of jealously or anger. He now understood what the little vixen had done.
"Thanks Pragya Di. You've always supported me. You were the only one who understood me. You know Bhai, Pragya Di always said to me that if my love is pure then one day Bulbul and I will reunite because are fates are linked. Our fates will do anything to bring us together. I am so grateful to you Pragya Di."
"No Purab," she caressed his cheek lovingly, in a motherly way. "There is no need to thank me. And I am so glad to see that you've worked out your differences."
"We'll leave you two alone." Purab laced his fingers with Bulbul once again and started to lead her out. But stopped in front of Abhi and hugged him. "I'm so glad that you've married Pragya Di instead of Tannu Bhai. There's no one in this world that's better than her."
With that husband and wife were left alone in the room with nothing but silence.
Pragya cleared her throat awkwardly and scooted herself up the bed a little in a sitting position. She knew what was coming and lying down, she felt at a considerable disadvantage. Especially when her husband's agile 6 foot 3 inch frame stood looming over her.
"You lied to me." He said in a flat, emotionless tone.
That hung between them for a moment.
Well really, she had.
"Why?"
"I couldn't let you harm Bulbul." She said, her tone defensive. "You were bent on avenging your sister's broken heart without seeing the cause or the consequence for it. My sister is very innocent. I couldn't let you harm her."
"I would never harm Bulbul." It was him on the defensive now. "She's like my sister."
"Now she is. But back when we married we were nothing but a family of gold diggers for you. Ya mein bali ka bakra banti ye meri behen. Aapo koi farak nahi padta. Aapko toh bas ek bakra chahiye tha."
"Of course it would have mattered Pragya."
"Would it have? Even if I had married you for your money, did I really warrant your horrible words? That's how arranged marriage work Mr. Abhishek Mehra. You know nothing about the guy so you might as well judge him based on family and status. All families do this and my family did the same. What is so wrong with it? Is that such a terrible thing that I had to wear the label of gold-digger every day?"
Pragya sniffed and wiped some tears away. She hated crying in front of him but the tears just didn't stop for some reason. "You sing songs about finding love and true love but when two people are in love you set out to punish them. So what if Purab fell in love with someone else? You should be happy for your friend. You should be happy that at least now, your sister's husband won't be with her out of obligation. Now, when Aaliya does marry she will marry someone who loves her, not someone who loves someone else. Had she married Purab, would either of them ever be happy? Instead of seeing the positive and celebrating with your loved ones, you saw the negative. You always see the negative Abhi and I don't know why."
"You and I both know that if, that day at the reception, you would have found out that Purab loves Bulbul you or Aaliya would have gone after her and done something terrible to my sister. I just pray thanks to bhagwanji that you didn't find out about this before our marriage. Because if Bulbul was in my place right now I know that she would not have been able to survive. My sister is very innocent and you would have broken her beyond repair with your words."
Pragya was openly sobbing now and she didn't want to see his face.
"Leave."
Abhi felt hurt seeing her condition. What all had she kept stored inside her these last 4 months? So much fear, so much pain.
"Pragya." He said in a soft voice.
"I said leave!" She shrieked.
Abhi left the room and saw that the whole family had gathered by the door after hearing the commotion.
"Ummm... she's very upset with me." Abhi fibbed awkwardly. "The accident happened because of my rash driving. You know your daughter Maa, she had lectured me many times that I should drive slower." He said just to lighten mood. He saw a few people crack some smiles but most remained tensed. "And you know how much she cares for me. When she saw me hurt she started to scold me for being reckless. She was giving me her I told you so' speech and I made a joke and now she's mad at me." Abhi said, making everyone chuckle lightly. Their fights were legendary within the family. "Maa, she needs you in there." Abhi added sadly.
He sat himself at a chair as people went in one-by-one to see Pragya and thought over everything she had said.
How could he have done this?
How could he set out to ruin someone's life and not even bother to find out whether she is the right girl or not?
No matter what his reasoning, how could he set out to ruin someone's life, period? She was a person with dreams, and hopes, and aspirations. And he had left her with nothing, with no way out, and he had made sure of that. He made sure that all her paths led back to him, and being with him meant being in misery.
While these 4 months she had done nothing but played the dutiful wife. She had brought his broken family together as one collective unit. She had taken care of him when he was sick, covered up for him when he was wrong, and she looked after every aspect of his life.
He, Abhishek Prem Mehra, was a fool.
-End of Part 1-
Well, what did you think?
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