THE FORGOTTEN COUPLE: ARHANA

EPISODE 36

Pragya was strolling casually, talking with the guests when she heard Alia talking with someone on the phone.

"Yeah, that stupid Pragya is back......No, I can't harm her directly, bhai will throw me out of the house.......I have another plan.......Pragya is an emotional fool, she suffers when her near & dear ones suffer.......Yes, her adopted daughter.......I'll make her fall in love with my son and then marry him with someone else. This will break her heart and Pragya's too.......I have heard that she is psychologically weak too and may even commit suicide after the heart break and later I can blame Pragya for it.......No, they don't love each other still......Don't worry, I'll ensure it. In fact, I paid the dj to play the romantic song today.......Bye"

Alia finished the call and walked away without noticing Pragya where as Pragya stood rooted to the spot. She was thinking about Alia's plan. She had to do something to stop it. She knew the pain of losing one's love and didn't want Shahana to experience the same. 

-----

Aryan was standing at the window of his room, staring at the moon. He kept on playing the events of the day in his mind again and again and could not hide his smile each time he recalled his and Shahana's moments.

"So, bro did you enjoy the dance?" Ranbir asked, breaking his train of thoughts.

"Yeah....." Aryan blushed.

"I didn't know you could blush too. When are you proposing her?"

"Propose?" Aryan was surprised.

"Yes PROPOSE. Now that you have realized your feelings for her, you should do it before someone else does." Ranbir advised.

"Do you think this is the right time?"

"No, bring me your horoscope and let me check the placement of planets, then we will find the auspicious moment." Ranbir replied with a sarcastic smile.

"What non sense are you blabbering?"

"If you ask me stupid questions, I have to give such answers. Of course this is the peak time."

"Ok, I'll propose her soon, but you will have to help me." Aryan finally gave in to Ranbir's persuasions.

-----

The next morning seemed to be a normal day until the door bell rang.

"I'll go and check who is it." Rhea jumped before anyone could even react.

Soon she was back with a pandit ji with her.

"Pandit ji? How come you are here today?" Dida enquired.

"Someone from your family had called me and asked me to come here." he replied.

But, everyone denied contacting pandit ji.

"May be it was a prank call." pandit ji said and turned to leave.

"Wait! Pandit ji has taken so much trouble to visit our house, we can't let him go like this." Rhea said. "Dadi, weren't you saying the other day that you will have our horoscope checked to see why mishaps occur frequently in our family." she added.

"Oh! Yes, I had forgotten about it. Thank you reminding me. Can you check the horoscope of our children, pandit ji?" dadi said.

Pragya brought Prachi and Rhea's horoscope while Pallavi brought Ranbir's. Pandit ji examined them carefully and his brows knitted in some thought.

"Is there something wrong?" Pallavi asked apprehensively.

"Your son will have to face some problems in the near future. He may have an accident too." pandit ji said scaring dida and Pallavi.

"Isn't there a way to prevent this?" dida asked while Pallavi hugged Ranbir protectively.

"Actually, there is a solution......."

"What is it? I can do anything to save my son." Pallavi cried.

"He will have to marry someone as soon as possible." Pandit ji said gravely.

"That's an easy solution. We can Ranbir and Prachi married if Prachi's family agrees." Dida expressed happily.

"We don't have any problem but we must have Prachi's consent." Pragya turning towards Prachi.

"But....My.....studies......" she muttered.

"You don't have to worry about that. If you come to our house, it will be as our daughter and not a daughter-in-law. You will continue your studies and chase your passions. You won't have to change anything expect your room." Pallavi said.

"What is your decision now, Prachi?" Abhi asked.

"I don't have any problem." Prachi said in a half-whispering tone with a deep blush covering her cheeks.

"There's an auspicious moment for wedding after 10 days." Pandit ji informed.

"In that case, it's decided that we have Ranbir and Prachi's engagement in a week." Vikram announced.

"So, Ms. Arora, no Ms. Mehra, oops.....soon to be Mrs. Kohli, please share your feelings with us now that you are going to marry your boyfriend." Shahana said holding a vase like a mike to tease Prachi.

"Shut up Shahana!" Prachi scolded.

"We are the paparazzi and it's our job to extract juicy information for people." Rhea came in with a piece of rolled up into a cylinder and being used as an imitation of a mike. 

"Both of you have joined hands to tease me! I'll not spare you!" Prachi said picking up a cushion and throwing it at them.

Rhea and Shahana ran away to evade the incoming cushions and Prachi followed them. The elders laughed at their antics.

"Thank God that they were not together in childhood. If they are behaving like this now, God knows what would have happened if they were children." Pragya said shaking her head fondly.

"Congrats bro! Your dream is about to come true." Aryan hugged Ranbir.

"You should start practising. You have only a few days in hand." Ranbir said seriously all of a sudden.

"Practise for what?" 

"Don't you remember that you had said that the day I marry Prachi, you will perform a naagin dance?" Ranbir said with a grin.

"Oh! I don't need practise for that." he winked.

No one noticed that Rhea had managed to give a discreet thumbs up to the pandit ji.

-----

"Did you call for me, maasi?" Shahana asked coming into the room.

She was particularly in a good mood. They had spent the entire day discussing about the arrangements for Prachi and Ranbir's wedding.

"Shahana, will you answer my question honestly?" Pragya asked.

"Yes maasi" she nodded.

"Who I am to you?" Pragya asked directly looking into her eyes.

"Why are you asking this question, maasi?" Shahana's wasn't expecting such a question to be asked.

"First answer it." Pragya demanded.

"You.....You are the figure who is the nearest thing to a mother that I have known. You are the one who had filled the void in my heart after the death of my parents, the one who took care of me as her own daughter and the one who never let me feel that I'm an orphan. You and Prachi are all that value the most in my life." she replied.

"Will you do what I ask you to do?" Pragya said controlling her inner emotions.

"Just name it maasi. I can do anything for you." Shahana said confidently.

"Think before you say or promise anything because it won't be an easy task." Pragya warned.

Shahana couldn't understand what Pragya was getting at. She could think of nothing impossible which Pragya could demand from her. So, she said, "I promise I'll do what ever you say, even if it hurts me."

"Break all the relations you have with Aryan immediately. Can you do this for me?" Pragya asked holding her shoulder while Shahana's eyes widened in shock.