A Coffee, a Tea, Stars and Some Talks - PreRish One Shot

A Coffee, a Tea, Stars and Some Talks

Her palms rubbed her arms, as a cold breeze caressed her skin, as an attempt to produce some warmth. The persistent torrential rain that had lasted for a week had left its chills in the air. She didn't bother if it was midnight. She put down her bare feet, pressing against the cold floor and she got her head in her lap. The last couple of hours hadn't been pleasant. The guilt of her negligence towards Cookie was consuming her to the extent where she could neither eat nor sleep. Cookie had dozed off in her lap right after she fed her the dinner and she had stayed with Cookie, for over two hours, cuddling the tiny little figure, adoring the sleeping angel, assuring herself that Cookie was alright and hours later, she had stepped out of the room after double ensuring that Cookie was sleeping fine and had walked up to the terrace.

How could I be so careless with Cookie? How could I? She was filled with remorse for letting her attention get off Cookie. Anything could have happened. She wasn't just a girl anymore. She was a woman with a responsibility - responsibility of a kid.

The flashes of an unconscious Cookie continued haunting her, almost suffocating her. She thought that, a while on the terrace, would help her breathe but it didn't do anything rather than adding on to her misery.

She held her gaze at one particular star before travelling it around to find him. Her heart ached, her eyes brimmed and, soul cried. Why do I have to fail at everything I do, Baba? She passed just another question at her father like she usually did, despite knowing there was no way with which he could answer it for her.

Oh how much she missed him! She had spent countless hours in the nights with her father, watching the different element residing in the infinitely ranged sky. The father - daughter duo was insanely fascinated by astronomy. She would insist for a tale almost every other night and her father would gladly accept. She missed the long conversations she used to have with him - about stars, constellations and just anything they could view up there.

"Coffee?"

His voice broke her reverie. He stood there, with his one hand folded to his back and another, holding a mug of coffee in front of her.

She was slightly taken aback, definitely surprised to have him there, at that hour of night. She tried for a smile anyway, despite the pool of emotions clouding her mind. "I don't drink coffee." Her hand once again reached to her arm to fight the cold air.

He took his hand back, wordlessly and got his another hand that was behind his back and held it in front of her. "Adark - Ilaychi wali chai."

Her eyes shot up right after she heard him. He couldn't be serious. Really? She rose on her toes to look inside the cup in his hand and her mouth fell open. "I genuinely appreciate your stalking skills. Teach me some?"

He fought the smile that was dying to appear and he sat beside her once she grabbed the cup from his hand. "Anyday."

"Why did you ask about coffee it you already knew I do not sip it?"

"I didn't. I sure know about your liking for the tea but was clueless about your thoughts for coffee. I wasn't sure what you would prefer right now, so I brought both."

Silence resonated in the already quite atmosphere when she chose not to act surprised to his gesture. Perhaps, because she was so occupied with her own thoughts that she wasn't willing to question anything.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he struggled to speak what he was there for but looking at her sipping her tea, he waited for her to finish.

"Prerna."

"Hmm?"

"I am sorry," he mumbled an apology for the thing he did that was burdening his heart. "I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did. I didn't have a right."

She shrugged it with a small smile. "It's okay. I didn't mind because I was at fault. I was careless. I was negligent but it wasn't intentional. Wo Shivi -" She left the rest of the words in the air, and he didn't ask for the same, clearly getting that she wasn't up for sharing it with him.

He was amused at the woman's reaction. There was no doubt that what he did was just not done. He had shouted on her. Had screamed at her. Hadn't let her touch Cookie in that moment. Had said a lot of stuff that wasn't on his part to utter and she was saying it was okay?

"It is not. We had a deal. You would get married to me and I would get Mr. Basu out. I did not mention anything about Cookie to you. You taking care of Cookie wasn't a part of our deal. At least we did not have it verbally but you, after knowing it, still accepted Cookie, loved her and became her mother. I don't get to make you feel like I have brought you as her nanny because I truly haven't. I admire you for the kind of a woman you are to my daughter and I am grateful. I don't know what came over me and I -"

"Fear. Fear came over you to see your daughter lying unconscious in front of you. You know what Mr. Bajaj - hear it from me today. Cookie is not my liability. I don't consider her one. I am not taking care of Cookie because you have married me whatsoever and I am bound to look after her because she is your child. Honestly, it has got nothing to do with you. All that I do for Cookie is solely and solely because of what and how I feel for her and for what and how Cookie feels for me. I don't know if you would understand when I say, it is a surreal feeling to have a kid who is not your blood and yet so attached to you. Cookie is mine because she considers me as hers and that makes an unsaid agreement that she is mine to look after."

Mine to look after. He was amazed for he had no idea that her perspective towards Cookie would be so different that he had ever thought of it. She left him tongue tied.

Putting aside everything that was running in his mind, he whispered a thank you to her and she acknowledged it with her another smile.

"You are a good soul, Prerna."

She heard him earnestly confess and it had her chuckle. "Right. That is why I keep on losing the people I love. Baba. Anurag. Maa. Shivi."

It wasn't every other day when she voiced out the extent to which she was broken and it twisted something in his heart. He was responsible for her suffering. He had been selfish in taking her for his daughter without bothering what all she lost because of it.

"I certainly can't say that you are good man but you definitely are a good father. Perhaps, best for Cookie."

The duo sat in a comfortable silence for several more minutes, with one admiring the other for his love for his daughter and the other... ridiculously wondering if there would come a day when... he would be best for her as well. 

• • •

I am terrible at names so when I am stuck, I go back to my old stories and shamelessly steal names of chapters and bits of my own stories for the new tales. 😆

I am not sure how this has turned out. Do leave your likes and comments behind. :) 

Why isnt there a SUPER LIKE BUTTON ugh! I love how you churn out PreRish stories from the recent epis. And this is a piece of BEAUTY. But more than that i appreciate how you end with Bajaj pondering if he will be ever get some love/concern from Prerna too. Wonderful OS ♥️👏

Beautiful.we the audience deserves something similar like this ,in the show ,but what I can say 😭. Thanks for this sweet thing.do write more.

Very well written!

You captured their emotions really well.

The duo sat in a comfortable silence for several more minutes, with one admiring the other for his love for his daughter and the other... ridiculously wondering if there would come a day when... he would be best for her as well. 

^ Here's my favourite part. 

I know we won’t get such beautiful scenes in show.

Sometimes being with one when they feel alone would make a lot of difference 

Sometimes it better to be with a stranger rather than being alone

Sometimes a sorry would make a difference 

This tea and sorry should atleast make her feel better, poor soul 

Mr.Bajaj should start treating Prerna with respect whole heartedly, he made a deal and got married with a trust which got stumbled in a moment.

Superb writing, excellent dialogues. Simple and sweet gestures 

Wow.. Moi speechless.. Read twice..

Baju's stalking skills..🤣  i m impressed... 😎

Liked it more than that loved it.

It was beautiful. Prerna's guilt as a mother had to be there she considers Cookie to be hers. Giving birth does not make one a parent it's the care and love you give the child makes you a parent. The guilt becomes more if you haven't given birth to the child but for Prerna Cookie is as if she has given birth to her. Cookie has made her a mother. It was good that Prerna knows that she was careless but it was not intentional baki leads toh meri wajah se mein 2 episodes nikaal deti. Her father would have understood and consoled her if he was there. Bajaj mein bhi a bad man in her eyes but she knows he is a good father because she had one herself. 

See you get angry at Mr. Bajaj for making a deal and marrying Prerna shouting at her for Cookie but then gestures like this bring tea and coffee jo chahiye is so sweet. You automatically go Aww. 

After he has become best for her, he ccould be shown to bring tea, coffee She will ask sirf teea or coffee third option nahi hai... Me he should say.

Mr. Bajaj realized his mistake and apologized. He has learned to say Sorry and Thank you after meeting Prerna wo bhi sirf Prerna ke liye specially. 

It's good that they had this conversation if not MUs would be created and there would be tension between them which is not good for Cookie. 

He made a deal with her and thought because of the deal she is caring for Cookie, now think Mr. Bajaj if you had made the deal with a wrong woman who could have treated Cookie like an evil step mom but then he observed her even if it was 2 or 3 times he saw her with Cookie but he must have felt that she was the one so he made the deal with her. Also people call her a glorified nanny but she is a mother and when he says she is Cookie's mother he means it. She did not want to share her problem he let her be instead of pestering her batao bato karke increasing her frustration and agony. She will share when she will trust you enough so be patient. 

Mr. Bajaj ka Prerna ke liye RESPECT badh gaya. 

She wonders if he will ever be best for her, hoga Prerna hoga dheer dharo.

I want this, in the show.

There is so much silent love in this OS! I absolutely loved it❤️

This one is brilliant. Prerna is guilty of her negligence towards Cookie. Her conversation with her father looking at stars is 😢. I loved how Bajaj brought both coffee and tea for her. His heartfelt sorry❤️.

"Cookie is mine because she considers me as hers and that makes an unsaid agreement that she is mine to look after."

Loved this. Acknowledging what they think about each other with words and ofcourse his thoughts thinking whether he would be best for her.

Lovely. Their silent emotions are described well