THE FORGOTTEN COUPLE: ARHANA

EPISODE 39

"She is already committed to someone else........." Aryan gasped. Tears flowed freely from his eyes.

Now he understood why she was avoiding him. He was so blinded by his love for her that he could not see her uncomfortableness. She considered him only as a friend and may be he had crossed his limits. So, her boyfriend is jealous. He felt sad and angry on himself. He never wanted to cause problems in her life.

"If staying away from her gives her happiness, I'll do so. I'll not become the obstruction in her love life." he swore to himself and walked in the opposite direction, wiping off the tears from his face.

"Nice......Very nice. I knew that Pragya will forbid this girl from meeting Aryan but I never knew that this girl would come with such a brilliant excuse. This emotional fools and their stupid commitments are really helpful to me." Alia came out from behind a pillar. 

She had followed Aryan and Shahana to check if her plan worked. She was ecstatic to witness the drama unfold.

-----

Shahana turned around to check if Aryan was following her. She sighed in relief when she found no one following her. She felt bad each time she had shouted at him and had almost given away the secret. She prayed Aryan shouldn't be able to guess that it was Pragya on whose instructions she was working.

She hoped that Aryan would resign trying to persuade her after this outburst. It was hard to lie continuously to him.

She slid back to the hall where everyone was present. Pranbir's dance had finished by then and Prachi was searching for her.

"Where had you vanished?" she asked.

"I had to use the washroom." Shahana lied.

"Don't lie to me. I know everything." Prachi said sternly.

Shahana was shocked. Had Prachi overheard them? It was supposed to be a secret. "What do you know?" she asked apprehensively.

"You were with Aryan, weren't you? Ranbir and I saw both of you leaving. What's going on between you, huh? Looks like your love story is progressing at a fast rate." she teased.

"You shouldn't be focusing on me. It's your wedding. Your love story is coming to a happy ending." Shahana was relieved that Prachi had no inkling about the incident.

"Don't try to change the topic. You have teased me a lot earlier and it's my turn for a payback." Prachi smirked.

"Someone must be jealous of all the attention you are giving me instead of him." Shahana turned Prachi's face towards Ranbir who was staring shamelessly at her from a distance.

Aryan was standing beside Ranbir. Shahana couldn't help but have a glance of him. Their eyes locked for a split second before they were reminded of their resolves and turned away.

"Dude, what did you think of it?" Ranbir asked Aryan when he was forced to stop staring at Prachi due to some aunties surrounding her.

"About what?" Aryan, who was still lamenting in his heart was caught unaware.

"Why do you forget things so soon? Did you forget that you have to propose Shahana?" Ranbir said with a mischievous smile which did not last for long.

 Aryan's reaction was entirely the opposite of what Ranbir had imagined. He let out a deep sigh and had a melancholic expression.

"What happened bro? Is she still mad at you?" he asked.

"It would have been fine if it was upto that.......Leave it." Aryan answered sadly.

"What's the matter? You look troubled." Ranbir was worried.

"Nothing. Don't bother about me and spoil your marriage."

Ranbir wasn't going to let the matter go so easily. He was successful in extracting a promise from Aryan that that he would reveal everything to him once his wedding was over.

-----

Shahana got into bed. It had been a long day and she wished to drown herself in sweet sleep which would free her of her pain momentarily. She needed strength to continue the act all over the next day.

There was a knock on her door. She opened it and was surprised to the see the person. Alia was standing there with an unreadable expression on her face. Alia was the last person whom Shahana had expected to come in her room.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"Don't worry, I haven't come to ask for anything because neither do you have anything that I want nor am I selfish like your maasi." Alia said bitterly.

"Don't you dare compare yourself with maasi." Shahana spat angrily.

"Still defending her? I must say you really have a big heart. After what she did to you........." Alia left the sentence incomplete deliberately.

"Maasi must have done it for my well being." Shahana defended Pragya.

"Really? What logic she must have had? Has she ever ordered Prachi to stay away from Ranbir? Come on answer me." Alia prompted.

"No......."

"That's because she can do anything for the happiness of her daughter. She even cares about Rhea but you are only a girl whom she has kept out of courtesy." Alia used the harshest tone.

"Maasi loves the three of us equally." Shahana refused to accept what Alia tried to feed into her brain.

"Then why do you call her maasi and they address her as maa or mom? She could have easily mitigated the absence of your mother by taking her place, but she chose to remain your maasi. The truth may be bitter but you can't deny it." Alia was now encircling her.

"That's between me and her. You don't have to interfere." she replied.

"Of course, of course. I had come to thank you for moving out of my son's life. You are not at all compatible. But, don't worry, if you want, I can help you find boys of your standard.......boys like.....bittu......."

"Shut up. I don't want to talk to you." Shahana shouted and slammed the door shut.

Alia gave a contended smile and walked off.