One Shots KB

honor and decision

Track: Preeta and Karan came back from spooky haveli to Luthra's house (episode 182)

The trip to the farmhouse was arranged in order to have a getaway from the city’s hustle and bustle and to enjoy some natural serenity with family and friends. However, the plan flopped when Prithvi caused a scene after being hit by Karan’s ball. He left the farmhouse in anger and the ladies of the house started another drama. They convinced Preeta to go look for a grown-up man (wow) who pathetically seeks attention.

Preeta and Karan did not return the whole night while others left for Mumbai. In Luthra's house, chaos and doubts keep on brewing in the absence of the protagonists. Prithvi splattered a volley of disgusting words on both Preeta and Karan. Their absence was like a key to Prithvi’s revolting thoughts that he had been locking in his head. Sarla Arora did try to stop him but he assumed that he was standing on a morally high ground and Preeta’s absence gave him the legation to accuse her of whatever he wanted to.

When Karan and Preeta finally joined them, the drama took another turn and the accusing words and stares were narrowed on Preeta only. She was first confused, then things started sinking in that she was indicted with a sin of illicit relation with her best friend. She was put on trial because people thought she shared some intimacy with her best friend. The trial was already planned and the jury and judges already decided that she was immoral. At first, she tried to reason with the people present but when the accusations didn’t stop, Karan took the reign in his hand and made a story for others to believe.

Preeta, however, didn’t cry or plead with anyone. She only felt anger and disgust. She can never imagine a man thinking so repulsively about a woman and that woman who is going to marry him. When everyone praised Karan and as usual Prithvi apologized to Aroras and Karan, Preeta took a step back. Karan’s smirk and everyone’s smile flatter a bit while the darkness under Prithvi’s eye surfaced a little.

“Preeta, I’m sorry look I’m a man it is natural for me to have such thoughts when my fiancé didn’t return home. I made a mistake hence I’m apologizing. I hope you could forgive me and forget this uneventful day”, Prithvi holds Preeta’s hand and said ever so sweetly. For the first time, Preeta could see behind his mask, his touch was portraying what his words were hiding, insincerity. She looked straight into his eyes, and Prithvi became conscious of her gaze as if she was looking straight into his soul. People around them thought they were drowning in each other’s eyes but Preeta only see the darkness of his soul. He was manipulative and insincere, she knows. Karan wanted to detangle them but with what right.

“Let’s break up Prithvi”, Preeta said with finality. Different reactions surfaced. Karan, Rishab, and Shristi have wide smiles whereas others were shocked or panicked.

“Preeta what are you saying, I know what Prithvi did was wrong but breaking relations over an argument is stupid” Sarla tried to reason.

“Right Preeta you are always so mature, relationships are not playing house when you fight you break the house this is not how it works beta”, Rakhi also came forward to explain.

“I know what relations mean Rakhi Aunty and I’m not breaking it over an argument Ma, I’ve thought it straight we are not meant to be, it's better to end it before we develop this mismatched relationship”. Preeta said sternly that even Sarla was speechless. Karan was dancing in his head, he didn’t know why but he felt so happy and light.

“Preeta why are you stubborn I already accept my fault what do you want me to do”, Prithvi said, he was pale now he saw his plans unfolding right in front of him. His years of drafting were going to flop over a single mistake. He was thinking that everyone will apologize to him, beg him, plead with him, Karan have to bow his head in front of him but things slipped from his fingers.

“Preeta Arora if you break the relationship now it will be your second broken engagement. What will people say, a rejected woman and what reason will you tell others that you spent a night with Karan Luthra so your fiancé left you” Kareena Luthra sneered venomously at Preeta. Karan shouted ‘Bua’ while others also gave her disapproving reaction but Preeta was calm. She was like that clear water stream who was so calm and composed as if nothing happened. Kareena was expecting some tears or sobs but her words didn’t have any effect on Preeta.

“Why should I care about people, I work independently and feed my family, we are not relying on someone’s charity so why should I worry about people’s words. Two engagements or twenty since when did you start keeping track. You should go out and work a little to keep yourself busy and stop meddling in others' business.” Preeta said with a no-nonsense tone.

“And before you remind me of my class and everyone tells me how I should behave as you are an elder, let me inform you, I put up with your rubbish because you are Karan’s aunt, if I talk back, he will be hurt. Otherwise, you never give me any reason to respect you, I mean just because you are old doesn’t legitimate your ill manners, the way you speak confuses me about your class as well. A madam of a reputed family won’t scream like a shrew right”. Again, Preeta’s cold voice made everyone speechless. Kareena felt so embarrassed as if she was splashed with cold water. Karan felt bad for his bua and wanted to reprimand her but he also thinks that someone needs to show his bua the mirror of truth.

“As for engagement, it was I who broke the first engagement because that scourge was my father’s murderer unfortunately if I married him then people like you will hoard together to call me unfilial. You understand Kareena Ji, people like you just want to talk that's all. And now it is I who is breaking this engagement because Prithvi stinks with the aura of deception, he is shallow, his thoughts are pungent and his air is insincere, I said yes to him as Ma was happy, I have zilch feelings about him but even Ma will be sad when he will eventually pull off his mask. So get your facts straight I’m rejecting him not the other way round”.

“Preeta are you crazy was I wrong about your boundless friendship why are you making a big deal out of it I……”, Preeta brutely interrupted him

“Then you shall marry a woman who has no relations to anyone, a poor orphan. A submissive creature who will sit on your sign and breathe on your instructions. But apologies I’m nothing like that so get down from your invisible moral high horse that you are riding to hide your mucky self and stop trying to guilt trip me. It is not even funny anymore”.

Karan was amazed by the ever-so-understanding Preeta who was cruelly ripping Prithvi’s carefully built persona. He was amused by her face-slapping prowess even the mean Kareena Bua was speechless and hiding in the background to save herself from embarrassment.

“Preeta you are angry right now we will talk when you are pacified,” Prithvi said and Sarla nodded hurriedly, she also didn’t want Preeta to make a hasty decision. She conveniently forgot that she also rushed with the decision of Preeta’s marriage because Deepak bruised her ego. Karan knitted his eyebrows. He doesn’t want this uncalled relation to drag. He felt a heavy stone pressing his chest and if this engagement breaks today, he will finally feel free of that pressing weight.

“There is nothing to talk about anymore, I’m neither angry nor aggrieved. Maybe you people don’t know this……...” Preeta raised her eyes and meet her gaze with every person present then locked it with Prithvi and Sarla, her eyes were so cold that the warm chocolate orbs changed to hazel. The air became thick, and people in the hall were flabbergasted by her aura. “The matter is over when honor is granted” (Baat jab izzat pe aah jati hai tu baat khatam ho jati hai)

With that, she took off her ring calmly and put it on the central table. She greeted everyone goodbye and apologize for the inconvenience. Then she left with Shristi and Sarla without further ado.