OS — Let’s Start Over
Priya had never thought she would do something that involved lying, self-harm and deceiving others. But she was doing it.
She was lying to her husband, deceiving his family and her own mother. Knowing that she was allergic to cashews, she had eaten eighteen nuts so far.
Any other day Priya would have been against anyone who did what she was doing.
But today, she had a valid reason for doing it. It was for Akki and Shivi. From the start their relationship had faced one problem or another. Didn't they deserve happiness?
Either way, her marriage was going to be dissolved, like it never existed. It looked like Mr. Kapoor was serious about distancing his family from hers. It broke her heart. Just when she had started looking forward to the growth of her marriage, and like the adorable Mr. Kapoor, he had decided to call it off.
If he had gone to the extent of getting the marriage annulment papers ready, she was sure he would do anything to keep Shivina from marrying Akshay. They didn't deserve that. She was more worried about Shivina's attempt at taking her own life.
"Log pyaar main sach mein paagal ho jaate hain." She had thought to herself. How could Shivina not see how her action could have impacted Akki? Akshay would have been broken so badly had anything happened to her. Again, love was something she never understood. So she didn't try either. But she knew that Akshay and Shivina had what she would never. They had a love that was rare to find. In very short time, Shivina had become like her own sister. Priya had convinced herself there was no other way.
Her way was wrong but not her intention. She was sure eventually everyone would forgive Akki and Shivi and accept their marriage. So what if she had to carry the tag of a girl who couldn't handle a marriage for a week. People always said one thing or the other. One more would get added to their list.
Few hours later :
Ram stood outside the Emergency Room staring at an almost lifeless Priya. Seeing her run short of breath had taken away his own breath. He was glad he had forgotten his phone and had come back to the mansion. He had reached just in time to see Priya struggle for breath as she had an anaphylaxis attack.
He turned to look at others. Shivina was crying bitterly in Akshay's arms. Meera Maa was weeping like there would never be a new morning. His friends looked worried. Priya’s sisters were blaming themselves for it all. He sighed, looking at her disappointed. She was supposed to be the smarter among the two of them she was supposed to be the one who always chose to do the right thing no matter how hard it was. Everyone had rushed to the hospital when he had called. He had told them he found her with a bowl of cashews. Her family was shocked to learn that she was eating cashews voluntarily despite being aware of her severe allergy to it. They had then learned about the plan from Maitri. The plan to help Shivina elope and marry Akshay in secrecy and fake Priya's medical emergency.
Ram's trust was broken. He never thought Priya would be someone who would go behind his back and do something that was not morally right.
He stared at her with a dull ache in his heart. “Why Priya?” He whispered. He wouldn’t be able to trust her again.
Few Days Later :
———————————
Priya had never felt so foolish. Her mother took care of her but didn't bring up her actions that had led to the dicey situation. Priya knew her mother was disappointed. Her sisters, Akshay and Shivina, all of them had all apologized and scolded her for her stupid action.
That morning her mother had just said that Mr. Kapoor was coming to pick her up.
No one answered her questions. No one spoke to her freely. She understood it was all her mother's instructions. She hadn't seen Mr. Kapoor in three days but she knew he came to see her when she was asleep. She had seen the signs, like the pista shells in the bowl by the side table, the slightly open window one morning, the discarded empty medicine strip in the room's bin. When she had asked Sandy about it, Sandy had neither confirmed nor declined. Priya knew with the almost smile that was on Sandy’s face that he did some to see her.
Ram had been awfully quiet too when he had come to pick her. He had only spoken to her mother. Everyone wore a serious face. When she had tried to ask why... her mother had asked her to keep quiet and go back to her home. It made her sad. She had begged her mother to forgive her, cried before her but this time around her mother was very upset and didn’t budge.
"Sab log aise kyun behave kar rhae hain?" She asked him as they sat in the car.
"I have a short call. Uske baad baat karte hain," He had said and closed conversation.
Once inside her room she looked at him.
He silently sat on the bed, shuffling through his tray of medicines.
"Mr. Kapoor," she said losing patience.
"Haan?"
"Aap gussa hai."
He didn't answer.
"What about Shivina and Akshay? Shivina mujhse milne bhi nahi aayi. Akshay won't stop looking at me like he was responsible for what happened to me. Maa baat nahi kar rahi hai. Sara di mujhe dekhti hai toh guilt se aakhein bhari hoti hai." She walked over to him. "Aap sun rahe hain?"
He stared at her.
Priya was almost in tears. "Pehli baar mujhe samaj nahi aa raha main kya karoon. Koi sunna nahi chatha, koi uss baare mein kuch nahi bolta. Shivi kahaan hai? Is she okay? Please baataiye naa..."
"Shivi Singapore mein hai. She needed a break."
After a pause he spoke up again.
"Priya, mujhe laga tha ki tum samajhdaar ho. Sensible ho. You're always right. Tum kuch galat kar hi nahi sakti ho. Ek jhatke mein you proved me so worng yaar." He looked at her disappointed.
Priya stared at him.
"Why?" He uttered.
"Shivina aur Akshay..."
"Are you out of your mind Priya?" He almost screamed. "Tumhe Zara sa bhi idea hai, that you could have lost your life?"
Priya’s defences fell. "Galti...ho gayi. I was going to eat a few only. Lekin kuch ho hi nahi raha thaa toh maine shaayad kuch zyaade kaaju khaa liye."
"Itni badi galti? Ek shaadi nahi hoti naa. Kaunsa pahad tut padta? Uske liye tumne apni jaan..."
"Ek shaadi ki baat nahi hai. Akki aur Shivi...”
“Of course,” He scoffed. “pyaar karte hain. He completed. “Pyaar naa taakat ban jaata hai, Priya. Phir chaahe wo ek tarfa ho yaan usse manzil naa mile. Lekin jaan chali jaaye na toh wo waapas nahi aati.”
“Pyaar ka pata nahi Mr. Kapoor. Lekin shaayad wo kabhi dil se khush nahi reh paate. Shivina apni jaan de deti toh? Sab ke paas wo taakat nahi hoti hai Mr. Kapoor. Aur hoti hai toh, khushi nahi hoti. Aap khush hain? Nahi naa. Shivi kamzor hai. Wo tut jaayegi Akshay ke bina. Ek baar toh ussne stupidity kar li. Phir se naa kar baithe. Akshay shaayad manage kar lega khushi ke bina rehna. Aur Mama – Maami, apni eklaute bete ko naa khush dekh kar, kya wo kabhi khush ho payenge? Maine jo kiya, wo sabke liye kiya. Pata nahi kaise, meri tabyat zyaada bigad gayi..”
“do you even hear yourself, Priya?” He shouted.
“even if this went through, you think everyone would be happy? And what do you mean Shivina…”
Priya looked away. “I am sorry Mr. Kapoor, but that day Shivina ne ek chalti gaadi ke aage jump kiya thaa. Uss raat aapse ladne ke baad main jab nikli toh ….” She narrated the events of the night and why she decided to lie and help them elope.
Ram sat back on the bed unhappy. “Shivi…” He whispered.
“ab toh aap samjhte hain na maine yeh sab kyun kiya?” She asked sitting beside him.
He turned to her, “what about us?”
Priya gulped. “Aap shaadi ko khaarish karna chathe hain na?”
“Toh tumne assume kar liya,” He sighed and got up. He then turned to her, “Maine kaha tumse? Maine sign kiya unn papers pe?”
“Lekin aap karne waale thee…”
Ram looked disappointed. “Priya, I never signed them. Wo papers Maine ready nahi karwaye thee. Main kyun Topanga humaari shaadi? Aur kuch papers pe sign karne se … shaadi ke wachan mit jaaye hain? Main tumhara saath aise kaise chod skate hua? I promised, I would stay.”
Priya stated at him.
“Tumhaari yahi toh problem hai.” He accused her. “Trust, foundation thaa naa? Iss shaadi ka foundation. Toh why didn’t you trusted me?”
“Aap ne bhi toh nahi kiya. Kyun todi aapne unki shaadi?” Priya snapped.
Ram sighed and narrated everything about his step-brother's attempt to poison him.
Priya was shocked. “Aise kaise kar skate hai wo. Aur aapne otbi badi baat chupaai.”
“I didn’t want to upset you.” He said softly. “I told Meera Maa, whe you were in the hospital. She’s told me your equation with your biological father and his second family.”
“Police complaint ki aapne?”
“Let it go Priya. We don’t have solid evidence.”
“Aapki jaan jaa sakti thi… “
Ram looked at her. “Tumhaar bhi..”
Priya fell silent.
“We’ve got it all wrong Priya. Meera Maa sahi kehti hai… ek doosre se baat chupaana, assume karna, all of this…is going to always lead to problems. Trust aise toh nahi hota naa.”
Priya nodded in agreement. “Agar aap batate toh yeh sab…”
“Tumne butane ka mauka hi nahi diya. Pehle hi tumhaaare same kuch bolne se dar lagta hai.”
“Main kya rakshas hoon? Jo aapko khaa jaaungi?”
“ab daaton mat. Galti hum dono ki hai.” He said blinking uneasily. “Let’s start over.”
“Matlab?” Priya asked.
“Snakes and Ladders mein jaise 99 pe saap kaat leta hai toh number 1 pe se phirse start karte hain. Waise.”
Priya smiled a little.
“Okay,” she said.
“iss baar rules honge,” He said grabbing a paper and pen.
“we won’t lie to each other in serious matters. We won’t hide things from each other. You will allow me to explain myself.” He spoke aloud writing them down. While Priya watched on with a small smile.
“You will not beat around the bush,” she added.
He looked up and was about to argue when she gave him a look. Rolling his eyes, he wrote it down.
“What do you mean by serious matters? In any matter we won’t lie.” She said.
“But if I want to prank you, I need to lie naa,”
Priya narrowed her eyes at him.
“I mean…surprise mein, hasi mazaak mein toh…chalta hai.”
“Only once…in a..”
“week?” he asked.
“Month,” Priya said.
“Okay,” be muttered.
“You make this list, I will review it later. Mujhe book lagi hai.”
“Mujhe bhi,” He added.
She nodded, making her way out of the room.
“Priya,” He called and walked over to her.
“Hmm?”
“Kuch aur cheezein baatani hai, clear karni hai.”
Priya nodded. “Khaane pe?”
“Hmm,” He agreed.
“aur kuch?” She asked softly looking at his expression.
“Tum … theek ho naa?”
Priya smiled, letting him see it this time. She nodded, “I am fine.”
“Phir se, aisa kuvh kabhi mat karna. Tum naa bahut logon ki jaan ho. Bahit rulaaya tumne sab ko, pickle kuch dinno mein.”
Priya looked down, feeling guilty and emotional.
“I won’t,” she whispered.
He nodded, “Can I give you a hug? Who actually…. Emotional hoon na. You know it’s difficult to believe you are back.. “
No longer had he completed than Priya circled her arms around his torso giving him a hug. She needed one too.
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