Agape & Eros

Hide & Seek

Priya sat on the corner of the bed. Ram sat beside her with a box of tissue. 

Ram- What happened, Priya? Please tell me. I'll fix everything. Just tell me. What's bothering you? 

Priya looked at him with tears in her eyes. His love and care were so precious to her. She couldn't think of the moment when this love, care and trust would vanish from his eyes. She was afraid of the moment when she would see hatred in those eyes of Ram. She tried to tell a lie. 

Priya- Actually, I was thinking...

She took a pause.

Ram- What? 

Priya- I remembered...

She took a pause again. Ram grew restless. 

Ram- Please, tell me. I am getting stressed now. 

Priya- Suddenly I remembered that Mahendra Sood is roaming freely. We need to get him arrested. He's a threat to our lives. 

Ram sighed listening to her. 

Ram- Baas itni si baat? 

Priya got worked up. She started to give explanations like a maniac. 

Priya- Itni si baat nahin hain, Ram. What if he does something again? What if he attacks us again? You don't know him, Ram. He is the cruelest inhumane person I've ever seen. I don't trust him. He is a nobody to me. I will never betray you for him. 

Ram hugged her to calm her down. The last line of her sounded odd to him but he didn't think much about that. 

Ram- I get it. But to start crying in the middle of a public place for this matter was really silly, Priya. What have you done to my strict masterni? 

Priya tried to stop her tears in his embrace. She heard his words in a haze. She couldn't process what he had said. She was only trying to clutch at a straw. She broke the hug and held his hands. 

Priya- Mr. Kapoor, trust me. Mahendra Sood is a nobody to me. I won't... I can't lose you for him. I am changed. I am completely depended on you. I can't live without you. Mujhe aapki aadat pad gayi, Ram. 

Ram looked at her with astonishment. He struggled to understand what Priya was going through. But nevertheless, he tried to stay by her side and validate her feelings. 

He wiped her tears and tried to calm her. 

Ram- Priya, Priya, Priya... Mujhe bhi tumhari aadat pad gayi. So, don't worry at all. Even I can't live without you. I'll never leave you. 

Priya heard him clearly this time. Being assured she hugged him again. Ram caressed her hair like he always do and kissed on the side of her hairs. Priya closed her eyes feeling the warmth of love. 

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In the evening, everyone in the family got ready for the Holika Dahan. It was arranged in the Kapoor mansion. The Sood family was invited. When they arrived, Ram ran to hug and seek blessing from Meera. Priya looked at them. Her heart wrenched in pain foreseeing the unfortunate future. In an absent mind she touched the flame of an oil lamp. 

A little sound came out of her when she burned her hand a little. And that sound was enough to alarm Ram. He ran to her and held her hand. 

Ram- Priya, kya hua? Laagi tumhein? Ek second dikhao mujhe. 

Priya's eyes brimmed with tears once again. She was lost in him so much so that she didn't notice the looks they were getting.  

Suddenly, Brinda and Sara's giggles brought them back to the reality. Brinda and Sara didn't leave this chance to tease them as always. Ram smiled shyly while Priya was too occupied in her thoughts to react to anything. Ram saw her through the corner of his eyes. He understood that she was still bothered. But he didn't understand what bothered her so much. 

Without giving much thought to the reason, he tried to cheer her up. After a few rituals, Ram got the chance to stand beside her. Her gaze was stuck on the burning Holika. Ram tried to distract her from her thoughts. He stood beside her and cleared his throat to get her attention. 

Priya looked at him. 

Ram- Ye jo tumhare lehraate huye baal tumhaare chehre ko chhune ke himmat karte hain; Bade achhe lagte hain. 

These few words were enough to clear Priya's mind in that moment. She smiled at him shyly. Ram smiled looking at her as well. He picked a kaju katli from the plate she was holding. He fed her. She took a small bite and proceeded to feed him the same kaju katli.  

Ram held her hand, devoured the whole piece in one go, and licked her fingertips. 

Priya couldn't stop smiling though there was a storm going on inside her head. 

"I did the right thing, right? Mr. Kapoor loves his dad a lot. He'd definitely feel unsafe around us around me if he knew. And Nandini Mom, she would abhor me and my family. She'd definitely chase me out from Ram's life. I am sure of that."

Priya thought in her mind. She thanked herself for not informing Ram. But little corner of her heart was in pain. It was sad for Ram.

"Ram deserves justice. My father is his culprit. Am I being their culprit too? By concealing the truth."

Another side of her mind thought this...