ONE
Prerna couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't truly comprehend what was in front of her.
How could Anurag do this to her? Why?
Where did she go wrong?
She had loved him. She had worshiped him.
She held him in the highest regard. Putting him, his family, his happiness, his Honour before herself.
She made him her priority. She put him before her own family. Her flesh and blood.
So, where did she exactly go wrong?
For the past 8 years, this one question remained in her mind.
Why would he betray her? When did he exactly stop loving her? Was it when Mr. Bajaj entered their lives?
When was it?
Was it when she refused to let him fire a complaint against Mr. Bajaj?
These questions often kept her awake. Anurag ruined her. He ruined her life, her existence, her soul.
HE KILLED HER.
And Mr. Bajaj, he kept her living. He breathed into her a new life, new start, a reason to live.
When she first went to London, she couldn't sleep at first. She couldn't sleep at all.
Every night, she would wake up screaming and thrashing.
Sometimes fighting her demons, sometimes desperately trying to save her daughter.
But her daughter was dead. And the realization and horror of it killed her every night. Her daughter, killed due to the efforts of her own father.
The realization that she failed to protect her child.
And every night, Mr. Bajaj would rush into her room, switch on the lights, sit in front of her. His eyes would be pained and yet reassuring. He would hold her hands until they stopped shaking.
He would caress her face and pull her back to light. To hope. To their daughter. Her daughter, who was alive.
Sometimes he would hold her in his arms, her head on his shoulder, her arms around him, desperately clinging on to her last hope of survival.
He and Kukki were her only thread that tethered her to the world of the living.
Sometimes, he would whisper to her. Encouraging words, promises of redemption and retribution, promises of hope.
Sometimes he would remain quiet and let her feel his heart beat and she would try to match her erratic heartbeat to his steady one.
He often sat by her side through the night. Sometimes, she would wake up early in the morning and find him, dozing off uncomfortably beside her, her hand curled up in his.
Sometimes waking up was different. There was an ache in her body that would keep her bed ridden for hours and sometimes it was her own broken heart and ravaged soul.
Her heart had become a barren island, on which nothing grew. The sun never rose.
In those mornings he would bring Kukki in her room and the three of them had breakfast then Mr. Bajaj would take Kukki to school and came back and worked from her room.
On days like these, she watched him. His commanding presence. And she wanted hers to be the same way. Then Kukki would come back and they would have lunch and then Mr. Bajaj would leave the both of them. He didn't say so but he was afraid that she would do something drastic if he left her alone for even a single moment.
And sometimes she felt like doing it but she would push those thoughts away. Mr. Bajaj and Kukki weren't giving up on her. For their sake, she would fight.
After six months of being trapped inside, she told Mr. Bajaj that she was ready to face the world. She wanted to go to Kukki's school because Kukki was the lead in a play.
Mr. Bajaj's eyes shone with pride but he was concerned. When they entered Kukki's school, she became anxious and her breathing became erratic and her head spun, watching all those people. She wanted to bolt but Mr. Bajaj would support her and be her anchor.
When Prerna watched her daughter act, she realized that Kukki had changed. Watching her mother in that condition had aged Kukki. Her daughter. The one who was alive. And though the thought pained her, it was now bearable and Prerna knew that she would survive.
And slowly, as days passed, she came back to life. She went outside with her family, greeted people, laughed, danced in the expensive galas with Mr. Bajaj and sometimes with him and Kukki in her room. The three of them, carefree of the world. And she finally gathered up the courage to call her family back in Kolkata. Three days later they were in London, hugging her and kissing her. And crying with her. Mr. Bajaj just stood in the corner and watched the Sharma family find their missing piece. Their Priyu. And when they gathered in the living room, in a group hug. She saw her mother go to Mr. Bajaj and thank him, while he touched her feet for her blessing. She gave him her blessings. Wholeheartedly.
After a year and a half, she asked Mr. Bajaj to become her mentor and lead her into the world of business. She not just wanted justice, she wanted to make her own identity.
She worked day and night, and Mr. Bajaj worked harder. always encouraging her, pushing her limits. Bringing her coffee at night, explaining the logistics to her. He became her friend, guide, life coach, mentor, companion, a confidante.
And right now, she wanted him. She needed him to be her with her and help her face Anurag Basu's betrayal and treachery head on.
Ch 1 on pg 1
Ch 2 on pg 2
Ch 3 on pg 3
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Author's Note
This is my first fan fiction. I know it isn't perfect but that's how imagine Prerna and Mr. Bajaj.
If you like the first chapter, please comment and let me know.
With love,
Aria
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