So basically, serial's veery dry and sonia's very annoying with her entitlement syndrome and Karmarkars definitely deserve hell.
So, this one shot is going to cover all those bases.
If you read, and enjoy this, please, and I insist, do share your views.
Thanks!
Sonia always took pride in the power she had over Kunal. when he had loved her. He had done it with passion and when she had left, he had hated her all the same. So broken, she had left him that she had no doubt in the fact that he would never love another, ever again.
NEVER.
But then Indro, kept hinting otherwise, time and again.
He kept on asserting that there was something between Vandana and Kunal. and the basis for this assumption was the fact that they were always supporting each other. Be it, Kunal threatening Vandana's cheater husband or be it Vandana encouraging Kunal, as his employee.
That woman even had a relation with Tara now- Vandana mimi.
But, that was just Kunal's sense of camaraderie speaking what with both of them being shunned partners.
Hadn't he brutally reminded Vandana to mind her limits when she had brought Tara with her, without his permission. He had been absolutely livid.
Sonia scoffed. Indro had been so wrong. She smirked at him as he raised his brows.
Every word that she spoke was capable of wounding Kunal. Every confrontation with her would leave him a little more broken.
And there was no mending it.
NONE.
*******
Kunal didn't know what to do with his hands as Sonia was seated in the drawing room of Malhotra house, playing with Tara.
The hell did this woman want. What, in general, was wrong with the women in his life?
Like, Miss do die do always had to be poking her nose where it didn't belong! Her own life was a buffet of mess, but she liked to play his and Tara's messiah.
"Stop it, dada!"
"What has happened to you!!"
"Dada!!"
Breaking out of his thoughts, Kunal turned his head towards the commotion coming from outside, a singular name finding his lips, as his brows furrowed. "Vandana", and then he was striding out of the house.
Everyone else followed suit and so did Sonia and Indraneil, at the smell of drama.
And there in the foyer of Vandana niwas was the entire Karmarkar household- begging, crying, shouting. Their new normal basically.
Vandana struggled against Hemant's grip as he continued to drag her out of the house while she resisted, trying to tether her feet to the ground.
She attempted to hold onto Anagha for support but the latter was quick to shirk her away, while Mrunal and Vaibhav rejoiced in the background.
"Tune humse kaha tha na ghar chhodne ko, ab tu nikal yaha se!" Anagha spat, chucking out Vandana's belongings like trash pieces.
"Main nhi jaungi! Ye mera ghar hai!" Vandana retorted, as she dug her fingernails hard enough to draw out blood and wincing Hemant let go her hand.
"Ghar tha tai", Mrunal remarked coolly before adding, "Par ab ye property hamari hai, legally".
"Fraud kiya hai tumne!" Vandana glowered raising her fingers as she glanced at all the four, "Ye signature nakli hai!"
"And what proof do you have of it!" It was Vaibhav who spoke and Vandana bit her lips due to lack of response.
"Baba toh hospitalized hain tai, toh ab kya karengi aap!" Mrunal laughed and Hemant grabbed Vandana's wrist again, "Bahot ho gaya, Vandu. Time and again I requested you to sell this house, but you refused. Fine by me! Because I am past taking your opinions into consideration!"
And Hemant yanked Vandana towards the stairs, as her feet slipped from the sudden descent.
But a very familiar pair of arms came to her aid, as Vandana grasped them for support and looked up to see Kunal's face looming over hers.
Kunal gave her a onceover before helping her straighten up, and then gingerly holding her wrist he pulled her behind his frame and glared at the despicable lot, his blood erupting.
And before, anyone else could grasp it, Kunal had climbed the stairs and gripped Hemant's wrist in his as he twisted it, his jaw tightened.
Out of instinct, Hemant bent his arm at the elbow, to protect his wrist which brought Kunal towards his backside, as he clutched even more firmly, pressing the captured wrist into Hemant's back, forcing him to arch out in pain.
Hemant winced, trying to free his hand but Kunal clasped his other one too and repeated the same motion, making Hemant protest.
"Chhodo mujhe!!'
Kunal was beyond furious. These bl**dy b*stards! How dare they gang up on Vandana! How dare they hurt her!!
"Teri himmat kese hui..." Kunal gritted as he crushed Hemant's wrist, "HIMMAT KESE HUI VANDANA KE SATH ZABARDASTI KARNE KI!!"
And Indraneil laughed silently, giving Sonia a 'I-told-you' look. He had seen this one coming from a mile away. The man standing there was no boss, no neighbour. He was Vandana's Kunal.
In his side vision, Kunal could see his sister caressing the red marks on Vandana's wrist.
He couldn't help but recall Vandana fainting when she had seen Vaibhav and Mrunal together.
He remembered her shouting in pain from the toxic mehendi.
He remembered vaibhav pushing her.
He had faint recollection of him manhandling her, in his drunken stupor.
And, Kunal lost it.
*Thwack*
All set of eyes on the scene widened as a moment later, Hemant howled in agony while Kunal pushed him away making the former stumble into Anagha's arms, his now limp right wrist clasped in his aching left one, his features twisted in unbearable pain.
"Tai ke Kunal sir toh ekdum Singham nikle!" Mrunal murmured, rejoicing at the excellent shot she had captured. A little editing here and there, and this was going to blow over.
But before she had a chance to put her phone away, Kunal was in her face as he ripped the phone out of her hands and slammed it on the floor in another deafening display, before stomping his shoe on it, making sure to crush the hell out of fragile parts.
Bewildered and angered, Mrunal raised her finger but when Kunal looked at the raised digit, any warnings on her tongue dropped dead, and she quickly hid her hands behind her back.
"Ae hero! Zyada ho raha hai tera!" Vaibhav stepeed over finally, his patented leery disgusting smile pasted on his lips.
"Aag dono taraf lagi hai, huh! Vo tere baare main kuch bolne par collar pakadti hai, aur tu toh seedha haddiyan todta hai! Nahi matlab, khoon main itni garmi hai toh jao bedroo-
--!!" He couldn't finish the sentence for a sturdy fist had been firmly planted in his face by then and he fell onto Mrunal with the impact. But before, he could gather his bearings, he found his lips being pried open as Kunal caught his tongue between his thumb and forefinger and pulled at it.
"Aaaah!!!" Vaibhav screamed fearful of his tongue being detached from his mouth.
"Pehle bhi kaha tha tujhse- sasti zubaan, choti soch-apne paas rakh!" Kunal was menacing, as he caught Vaibhav by the scruff and pulled him towards himself.
"Last warning de raha hu, sun le, samajh le. Forget cheap words, if you even dare to entertain cheap thoughts about Vandana- I promise you-" And Kunal pulled harder at the pink organ, "-you will never speak again, and-
Kunal let go off Vaibhav as he gestured towards Vaibhav's bleeding nose, "-I will terraform the terrain of your mug so spectacularly, that even you won't recognize yourself".
Vaibhav held his nose at the remark as Mrunal supported him.
Convinced that he had put them all in their place, Kunal pocketed his hands and announced, "Fake signatures can easily be identified by experts so don't rejoice yet. Because jail awaits you all. Not just for forgery, but for inflicting mental and physical harassment on Vandana. And I assure you, I will bring in the best lawyers there are!"
And finally, Kunal pivoted on his heels and skipped down the stairs.
"One more thing- he halted and looked at Anagha, "You-whatever your name is, take Vandana's belongings inside".
Anagha clenched her teeth at that not taking a single step.
Kunal chuckled, "No problem. Shivam will be thrilled to know of his parent's feat, nhi Bobby?"
Kunal looked at his brother who nodded, "Yes, bro veere. I have recorded each and every moment. All I need is your nod, and this will go viral".
"NHI!!" Anagha shouted, immediately rushing down the stairs to gather Vandana's belongings that she had hurled out. Shivam already thought of them as greedy parents. If he were to know that they were hurting his aatya, he would leave them altogether. She couldn't let that happen.
Kunal walked over to Vandana then, who was already looking at him.
"Don't leak the video".
"Why not?"
"Because that's our family matter".
Kunal scoffed, "Then you should've kept the drama within your walls".
"And you could've just ignored the same!" Vandana spat, making Kunal's brow twitch in anger.
He took a step closer to her, "That's all you got to say?"
It was Vandana's turn to roll her eyes. "At least, I am not dictating orders, unlike someone else".
Kunal laughed at that, surprised, "You hit your head? That's your boss you are talking to, remember?"
Vandana smiled mirthlessly in kind, "Boss honge aap office main, sir!"
"I can fire you!" He warned seething.
Vandana just shrugged, "As if I have a choice. Suit yourself".
She was angry. At everyone, at everything. She was angry at her situation, at her family and she was furious with this man for he had simply issued an order and forbidden her from meeting Tara. She was enraged for she had believed him to be on her side. She was enraged at herself for she had unconsciously given this man the power to hurt her. Despite all her betrayals.
She didn't care for his temper now. Good man or not, she didn't care for naught.
"FINE!" Kunal shouted and stepped past Vandana to go back. Why did he even bother helping!
"Vandana..." It was Vedika that spoke as she held Vandana's hand, "Let me just tend to your wound, it looks bad".
Vandana smiled but shook her head, "Thank you, but I am fi-
"Kisi ki toh sunn lo", It was Kunal who interrupted but Vandana chose to ignore him.
"Aapne itna socha mere liye wahi bahot hai, vese bhi I can't be stepping into that house, after all it's my employer's abode"
"Ah! That's what this is about!" Kunal whirled on his feet as realization struck him and he walked over to Vandana, "You are upset that I barred you from seeing Tara".
Vandana glared at him, "That's putting it mildly, sir. Your exact words were- Vandana air quoted, "Vo meri PA hai, that's it. Aur koi rishtedari nahi jod sakta main uske sath".
"And yes, 'koi haq nahi banta tumhara ki tum meri ya Tara ki life main interfere karo...that's what you had said"
"And what is wrong in that?" Kunal couldn't understand.
"Wrong?! The way you said it, it sounded like I am intentionally, forcefully trying to become a part of your life!"
"I said no such thing!"
"Yes, you implied that!"
"I did not!"
"Fine then!" Vandana threw up her hands in exasperation, grimacing slightly. "Apne ghar jaiye, sir. PA hoon main aapki. Isse zyada rishtedaari mujhe bhi nhi chahiye aapke sath".
With that said, she turned to leave for good. But Kunal had not only heard her hiss of pain but also seen the troubled expressions cross her face as she had glanced at the people who were once family.
"Honestly!" Kunal sighed out loud as he pulled Vandana by elbow and in the next second, lifted her into his arms and started to walk towards Malhotra house.
"Put. me. down! Don't make a scene!" Vandana seethed, looking around for any audience with camera.
"Why? Do you, per chance have exclusive copyright over Dram-edy!"
Vandana looked at him aghast, but she wasn't the only one sporting the expression. Sonia was as shell shocked, as she watched Kunal carry Vandana while she continued to struggle, flail and push against him in a bid to get down. But he wasn't deterred in the slightest as he walked through the door and into the hall, before lowering himself down to place her on the sofa.
But when Kunal made to pull away, Vandana flinched as she held her scalp and Kunal looked down to find her hairs stuck in his button.
Simultaneously both raised their fingers to untangle it, and as their hands brushed each other, Vandana actually swatted his fingers away before getting to work on sorting out her strands.
He was so going to make her work on weekends for being this crass with her employer!
Her open hair kept slipping past her ears disturbing her sight and she kept on sliding it back, so Kunal used his forefinger to hold them behind her ears forcing Vandana to give him a confused look, while Sonia gaped.
"Your hair is in the way. I can't be sitting here all day", he remarked as Vandana rolled her eyes and got back to the task while Kunal stared at her.
Indraneil leaned towards Sonia's ears and whispered then, "Call the fire station, shona"
She looked at him baffled as he motioned towards the two on the sofa, "Chingaari utth rahi hai wahan. Kabhi bhi aag lag sakti hai".
Sonia glanced towards the sofa, where after having successfully untangled her hair, Vandana was seated quietly with Tara by her side, as Kunal wrapped a compression bandage around her wrist.
Once done, Vandana rose to her feet ready to leave and yet again, Kunal stood in her path.
"What now?!"
"Tara, take Vandana mimi to your room", he addressed Tara who nodded and held Vandana's palm in hers.
Vandana didn't budge, however. "The only place I am going to, is my home, sir. Owing to your unwarranted intervention, I can still stay in that house, so I will be going there".
"You can't".
"Sorry. What?" Her brows drew together.
"I said that you aren't going back, right now anyway."
"Why? Who are you to stop me?!" Vandana questioned in a tone that Kunal felt was vaguely familiar."You may be my boss but that doesn't give you the right to control me". And she turned to leave.
But quick on his feet, Kunal turned Vandana around by her elbow for the second time in the span of last hour. But this time, he pulled her closer, now gripping her left arm with his right.
"Goddamnit! I am doing this for you!" He shook her, his eyes boring into hers, "How the hell can I let you go without being sure! Your siblings are not worth trusting. I am not letting you go unless I make sure it's safe!"
"Leave me!" Vandana tried to fight his grip in the earnest. It was in these moments that Kunal really scared Vandana. When he was so overcome by a certain sort of madness. Like when she had held his father by collar, or when he had been wasted on diwali eve.
He jolted her yet again, their faces a mere mm away now. And this time, he spoke in a dangerously calm tone. "Look here Vandana and listen well. Please, don't fight me on this. Otherwise-
His gaze shifted and voice dropped, "-I might end up doing something, that you won't like, and I perhaps won't regret".
Vandana shuddered. What was this man implying?
"W-What do you-
His lips drew closer to her ears, his warning a mere whisper, "You wouldn't want to know". And her eyes pinched shut in response. He was too close for comfort.
And suddenly, he loosened his hold on her and stepped back calling Tara to take her upstairs and this time, she complied walking away without another word of resistance while Kunal stared after her retreating form for a moment before scrubbing his face hard, and then he too walked away and out of the house.
**********
On their ride back home, Sonia remained eerily quiet, as she kept going over Kunal's incomprehensible behavior.
"You know- Indro broke her reverie as she shifted her attention to him, "-many a times, we cannot sort our own feelings, and that makes us miserable".
"Your point?"
Indraneil shrugged, "Point simple hai, Kunal tumhare liye pagal tha, wo uska pyaar tha, ye tum dono ko pata tha. Par ye jo pagalpan, jo junoon uske sar par aaj sawar tha- Indroneil added impressed, "it was fierce protectiveness for vandana that was bubbling out of him. I think, Kunal has no realization of how much he cares. I mean, when he fights with Vandana, he is ruthless. I am sure he never did that with you shona".
Sonia nodded negatively, with a smile, "No matter the mistake, Kunal always always apologized to me"
Indraneil smirked, "Exactly, ek wo pyaar tha, jisme Kunal jhuk gaya tha. Par jo uske Vandana ke liye jazbaat hain, they make him feral. He doesn't fear repercussions. Uske sath ladta hai, toh bhi shiddat se aur jab uske liye ladta hai, tab toh mano shivji tandav karne utar aae ho".
Sonia looked out of the window at that. She could still hear the sound of Hemant's wrist snapping.
"Agar Vandana ko aanch bhi aayi, toh main sab kuch jala doonga".
Sonia looked at Indraneil as he said that and added, "That's precisely what Kunal's mannerisms were shouting. He didn't restrict her from meeting Tara because she is interfering. He knows that if she were to stay a bit more, that if he were to cede to her even an inch now, he would not be able to let go of her. Love is not always akin to spring, all flowers and peaches. No. Sometimes, it breaks through like a storm and uproots you from the ground below".
Sonia didn't want to accept it. It was impossible. Kunal had never given any such indication.
"Unfortunately, it's already too late for Kunal to give up on Vandana. And, I think he can't accept it, and so he fights it, all unconsciously"
Indraneil bit his fist amused, "I am kind of looking forward to where this storm is going to take Kunal".
Sonia though disagreed, in her heart.
Kunal lovingly looking at another was something she never wanted to see.
Never.
comment:
p_commentcount