'Cheating on you? With whom?' Shahrukh asked trying to keep himself calm
'I don't know'
'Do you have any proof? Do you have chats or you have heard him speaking to someone? Is he acting weird?'
'no' Preity said and shrugged
Shahrukh wiped his face with his palms 'so, how did you find out?' he sighed and asked
'I didn't, but I can feel it'
'Okay, I know that his strange transformation to the loving husband after all what you have gone through is kind of confusing, I can understand that'
'Shahrukh, you have to believe me. I can really feel it. A woman knows' Preity said with confidence
He placed his palms over her shoulders reassuring 'Preity, I am not good at these things, but I heard that pregnant women tend to be emotional and that the hormones kind of have a hand in what you are feeling. So, I don't think you need to worry. But anyway, I promise if I noticed anything strange, I will come and tell you and you can decide what we can do with him. Agreed?'
'agreed' Preity said uneasily still not convinced
'What do you want us to do if we found out that he was cheating on you?' Shahrukh asked helplessly trying to cheer her up
Preity shrugged 'I don't know' she said calmly
'You are going to be fine, trust me' Shahrukh said patting over her shoulder
'Coffee is ready' Saif said and both came in again 'so, as we are talking about hobbies, what are your hobbies Kajol? Other than riding horses of course' he asked when all sat down
'Well, reading books, analyzing things and situations, travelling, and when I was young; I really enjoyed flying kites and I don't really remember why I stopped'
'interesting' Saif said 'what about you Rani?' he asked
Rani thought for a moment 'other than reading medicine books, I like sewing and knitting when I get the time' Rani replied
'I remember, Rani made me a pullover once and it was great' Preity said happily
'Oh my god, yeah. She made me a scarf too' Kajol said and smiled when she remembered
'I think you should go back to your hobby because I didn't get anything' Shahrukh said coldly
'I promise; if I get the time, I will make you a pullover' Rani said sweetly
'I want socks for the baby' Preity said in excitement
'Okay sure, any other orders?' Rani asked sweetly
'Can I ask for a scarf? Take your time for mine' Saif said
'No problem' Rani said smiling
'So, Saif; you have been asking everyone about their hobbies but you didn't tell us about yours. What is your hobby?' Kajol asked wickedly
Saif looked at Preity, held her hand and kissed it 'my hobby is to take care of the most beautiful woman in the world' he said kindly
Preity smiled silently to Saif and when everybody was busy talking and drinking coffee, she looked at Shahrukh helplessly and shook her head in silence.
'Don't you think we should tell uncle about you Preity?' Rani asked
Preity passed her palm over her belly that started to grow 'I think yes, I feel very bad that we are hiding it from him. Uncle really loves us and I don't want him to be disappointed at me. We shouldn't have hidden it from him'
'I think it is time to tell him, half the truth is better than hiding it all and your belly started to be noticeable. Just make sure you wear larger sizes of clothes so it appears like that you are at the beginning of it' Kajol commented
'I will' Preity said and nodded
'Good night' Rani said when they all reached home and she left Shahrukh and Kajol alone at the parking
'Good night, Rani' both said then Shahrukh spoke 'I am happy that things between you are okay'
'Yeah, we talked a little bit. Everything is fine now' Kajol said
He sighed 'thank god'
'I am really happy that things are going nice and smooth around us, away from mom's strange behaviors of course. Other than that, everything is thankfully fine' Kajol said and held his hand
'I want you to just focus on your studies. Exams are so soon and you have been wasting a lot of time' Shahrukh said and pulled her cheek gently
'Ugh, fine. I will study really hard, I promise'
'let's get inside?'
'Yeah. Let's go' Kajol said, wrapped her arm around his and they walked together 'I am happy that you finally chose a hobby'
'Me too. I really need a change in my life'
'But, are you sure about the motorcycle thing? It is dangerous' she whined
'So, you mean you won't ride it with me when I buy it?'
Kajol thought for a moment 'I didn't say that' she said and giggled
Kajol sat at her desk and started studying. She didn't have much time left before the final exams and she has really wasted a lot of time so she had to focus. While she was studying, she got a message on her phone, she decided to take a short break and checkup her phone. She found a message from Saif.
"I am really glad that all of you came to our house, I hope you all enjoyed it and I hope if you come more often. You have no idea how this cheered Preity up; her mood wasn't in place for a while but I think that pregnancy is the cause of this and I think it would be a great chance for Shahrukh too; to busy himself and get better. I wish I could speak to Rani but you know that things between us aren't great as you know, So, your help would be appreciated"
Kajol was glad that things between Saif and Preity are going good finally, also she agreed with Saif that Shahrukh needs company and needs to busy himself with things that makes him happy. She knows that Saif somehow can't be fully trusted but it is Shahrukh and Preity now that needs to be focused on.
Kajol picked up her phone and messaged Saif before she continues studying "Thanks for having us at your house, I am glad to hear this and the most important thing that makes me happy is to make sure that things are going good between you and Preity. I agree with you but I can't promise that we will show up a lot because of my exams; but I will try my best'' after few seconds she got a message from him "I understand and I wish you good luck" she read the message then turned the phone on its face and placed it on the desk to start studying without distractions.
Weeks passed smooth like silk, Kajol was busy in her studies and exams, Shahrukh finally went back to work and started practicing his new hobby which he surprisingly really enjoyed. As for him and Kajol; things were going fine. He would take her and pick her up from college on some days, and on the other days he would enjoy fishing for hours. Preity and Saif informed Arjit of the happy news, and Rani was happy that all her worries would end forever. There was nothing to be afraid of as Poja has no proof of Preity's before marriage pregnancy, and Arjit's busy life; won't make him count the days until Preity gives birth, or notice that they lied at counting the days. Breakfasts has passed with peace and with no more fights.
Shahrukh was standing in front of the sea, with many others with their fishing rods. He didn't know that he needed this so much, the sea, the calmness and the meditation he was practicing while he fishes. He didn't know that he really needed that change and he didn't know that he could isolate himself outside of the house. He didn't try to get to know any of the people fishing next to him; When he would find it crowdy at the sea; he would walk a little bit in front of it or roam the streets and enjoy being an introvert. He was used for being at the office, at home or at his car. He finally needed a break of all these closed places, and the motorcycle was a great idea. A fish clung to his rod and disturbed his train of thoughts, he smiled and started pulling it up. He caught it and placed it in an ice box next to him then closed it and called it a day.
His phone rang and he picked it up, it was the place he bought the motorcycle from and they were informing him that they are delivering it today. He hung up, took the ice box, the fishing rod and all his tools then walked towards his car.
'I barely saw you since you fell in love with fishing' Kajol said sarcastically to Shahrukh once he entered the living room and sat at the opposite sofa 'I am surprised that you came early too'
'I got a call and knew that I am going to receive my motorcycle today' Shahrukh said
'I didn't know you were serious about it' Rani said raising her eyebrows
Kajol shook her head 'I still don't see any point of buying it' she said in boredom
'There is a point of buying it, it will make me happy' Shahrukh said calmly
'Fine. I give up, do whatever pleases you' Kajol said helplessly
'Why is the house so quiet?' Shahrukh asked looking left and right
'Shivan and Meera are busy with the fish tank; thanks to you. Uncle Arjit and auntie Poja are at the Bachchans'
'Again? Why?' Shahrukh asked trying to act calm
'For the sake of the so-called friendship between the families' Kajol said sarcastically
Shahrukh felt worried and thought for a second before speaking 'is there anything going with Amitabh?'
'Dad said earlier that he is fine. Just ups and downs with his health like all old people' Kajol replied shrugging
'So, this means that the whole company is yours now?' Rani asked
'Kind of. We would say so after the official authorization that Amitabh still has to sign; but I am handling everything now. Every single thing. Away from his health, I bet he doesn't want to see my face anymore' Shahrukh replied and exhaled loudly then looked at Kajol 'don't ask any unneeded/ annoying questions'
'I wasn't going to ask about anything' Kajol said and shrugged
'Just checking' Shahrukh said teasing Kajol
'Do you think he will sign it?' Kajol asked
'He has to, he is just stubborn but he will' Shahrukh replied
'I think your break has finished since long time ago' Rani said looking at the clock hanged on the wall
'I have studied for a very long time. I need rest' Kajol pleaded
'You need to finish your studies and take care for the exams' Rani said firmly
'Is there anything you want to talk about with Shahrukh and you don't want me to hear it?' Kajol asked teasing
'no' Rani said happily and punched Kajol jokingly in her arm 'thank god that there will be no secrets and nothing to fear anymore'
'I am glad. You deserve to be happy' Shahrukh said kindly 'all you have to do now is to take care of Shivan and Meera'
'that's not an easy job too' Rani said sweetly and giggled
Anarkali appeared at the door 'Shahrukh sahb, your motorcycle has been delivered, it is down there in front of the house'
'Thanks, Anarkali' Shahrukh said and stood up 'want to come?' he asked looking at all the girls in the room and Anarkali clapped in excitement
'Can you smile and congratulate me at least' Shahrukh said to Kajol who wasn't excited when he showed them the motorcycle
'I don't mean to be spoiling the moment but this thing is dangerous' Kajol said uneasily slouching
'I will take care and won't use it in the streets except when I learn how to use it very well, there is no need to worry' Shahrukh said reassuring
'Congratulations Shahrukh. The color is great' Rani said happily
'Yes, blue and black is an awesome choice' Anarkali said sweetly
'Thanks girls' Shahrukh said in amusement and looked happily at his motorcycle and Anarkali left to go back inside
'Congratulations' Kajol said with a half-smile
Shahrukh sighed 'thank you' he said sweetly 'and to feel very safe, I will be adding those training wheels for a long time' Shahrukh said reassuring
'Awesome' Kajol said happily
'Oh wow. Congratulations' Poja said coming from nowhere startling everyone
'Thanks auntie' Shahrukh said calmly
Poja looked at the supporting wheels attached to the motorcycle 'great, you'd better be careful driving this thing. You don't know what might happen on the roads' she said advising
'Sure, don't worry' Shahrukh said
'Okay. My break is over, I will go back to my room to study' Kajol said and went inside
'Seriously, I don't know for how long she will be behaving like this around me. What did I do now?'
'I will go to check on Shivan and Meera' Rani said and left
'I am not being mean now I promise, but why am I being punished for her decision?' Poja asked and shrugged
'It is just that anyone can hardly believe that we are at peace, Auntie' Shahrukh replied sarcastically
'Again, I won't annoy you as long as my daughter is saying no to you. As simple as that'
'They don't know that, or to be more specific; they don't know that you promised not to annoy me; as it is easy to spot that you are happy with Kajol's decision. And again, it is a matter of time until things go the way I want it to be, until then I am getting benefits of the truce' Shahrukh said smiling 'how is your friend?'
'He is okay. And No news if you really care, bad or good' Poja said casually 'anyway, kindly speak with Kajol. Don't let her spoil the calmness of the house and remind her that I am her mother after all'
Shahrukh chuckled 'sure, I will'
'Congratulations my son' Arjit came happily saying and hugged Shahrukh
'Thanks a lot uncle' Shahrukh said and they departed
'Where did you disappear?' Poja asked
'I went inside quickly to take off the new shoes, they really hurt my toes. I don't know why did you insist on wearing these shoes'
'They looked very elegant, Arjit' Poja said blaming and they walked inside leaving Shahrukh with his motorcycle. He kept checking it for a while, he was alone for some time, then Kajol came back again
'Why aren't you at you room?' Shahrukh asked
'Was mom annoying you?' Kajol asked sadly
Shahrukh laughed 'Actually no. She was complaining from you' he said
'Complaining? To you? Are you kidding me?' she asked narrowing her eyes and scoffed
Shahrukh chuckled 'that's what happened' he said
'Why was she complaining if I may ask?' Kajol asked wrapping her arms before her chest
'because of the way you are treating her'
'Why is she acting like she doesn't know?' she asked throwing her hands in the air
Shahrukh clicked his tongue and sighed 'Never mind' he said
'She is just acting; few days and she will behave normally like she always does. Why is she surprised?' she asked and bit her lower lip trying to keep calm
'Just calm down and enjoy the unusual calmness and silence of the house'
'This is the silence before the storm. Actually, I am surprised that you aren't worried or shocked. Okay, it is great that she isn't being mean to you for a while, but why do you look like you guarantee that she will remain like this for a long time? Give me a reason' she asked coldly
Shahrukh blew in boredom 'let's just not talk about it okay. You promised you won't fight with me or say something annoying, kindly stick to your promise' he said helplessly
Kajol looked blaming at him 'who said that I am here to fight? I just want to understand'
'There is nothing to know' Shahrukh said calmly
Kajol sighed 'fine, as you wish' she said and went inside. She went to her room and sat at her desk but instead of studying, she wrote for a while in her journal. After that she left the room and went out to the big balcony, she looked through it but she didn't find Shahrukh so she knew he might have gone back to his room. She walked to his room and knocked then went inside. Shahrukh was standing in front of the dressing table combing his hair to get ready to sleep. He looked at her and put down the brush. Kajol walked towards him, when she reached him, she placed her palms over his cheeks and kissed his lips.
'You know what's stupid?' Kajol asked suddenly
'What?'
'That mom thinks that I will take a century to say yes to you when it is just a matter of weeks. I can't believe that you are thinking like her and taking advantage of the so-called calmness of the house'
'What do you mean?'
'For god's sake Shahrukh! I can't wait to get married to you'
Shahrukh gave a big smile, kissed her lips and hugged her tightly 'I love you'
'I love you too' she said sweetly 'but this doesn't count. I didn't say yes yet' she said jokingly
Shahrukh pulled back 'Kajol' he said blaming
'Man, I am busy, I need to go to study' Kajol said jokingly leaving and he finally smiled
'Yes Rani, I know it was stupid of me to ask that question; as we all know that mom is not annoying Shahrukh anymore because I said no. But that's not what I was asking about' Kajol said and sipped her coffee when she was with Rani in the living room after the breakfast
'So, what were you asking about?' Rani asked furrowing her eyebrows not understanding
'I just wanted to know if there is something else mom is doing to him or if there is something in his mind other than thinking that I will take ages to say yes to him' she said explaining
'Did you come up with anything useful from your conversation with him or you ended up making him upset as usual?' Rani asked with blame
'Rani, don't be cruel. And yes, I got something. I knew how sweet Shahrukh is and how he is really working hard on himself. He could easily give me the answer and say "yes your mom is treating me well and I know it will be for a long time because no one knows how long you will take to accept my offer" but he didn't even mention it. He preferred to wait for me instead; no matter what. He didn't even want to put pressure on me with his words'
Rani put her cup over the table in front of her 'but take my advice and don't take benefit of his situation, I am not saying that Shahrukh will look for someone else if you took a long time, but don't break his heart and take unneeded time to make you decision. At least give him some hope' she said advising
'That's what I did' Kajol said smilingly 'we talked at his room for a little bit'
'Talked?' Rani asked and winked
Kajol pushed her arm jokingly 'Rani!'
'You have been caught kissing many times, why do you act shy when I mention it?' Rani asked jokingly and winked again
Kajol rolled her eyes 'anyway. We talked and I told him how eager I am to marry him'
'Oh my god that's sweet. That's why he looked happy today'
'yeah'
'I told you, your support is really important for his mental health and it will help him feel okay faster'
'I hope so. I found out that you were right, he really needs me by his side' Kajol smiled sadly
'Kajol please, be happy. I have a feeling that things will go the way you like soon'
'We can't guarantee'
'I know you are scared for him, but both of you being together will make you stronger. And when you get married; you will know that the relationship between the husband and his wife is something beyond words' Rani said smiling kindly
'I don't want to sound pessimistic but I am really very scared. I feel like there is something that will happen and will be beyond my power' Kajol said and bit her lower lip sadly
'Don't think like that. Have faith in god' Rani said hugging her then they pulled back
Kajol nodded 'I will go and study' she said sniffing
'Before you go, can I ask you something?' Rani asked stopping her
'sure'
'I noticed that you stopped mentioning "her" at all, not even between us. I don't understand!'
Kajol sighed 'I have turned away that page forever'
'This means you don't forgive her too?'
'It is Shahrukh that has the right to do this or not. Not me. She isn't coming back again so there is no need to speak about that and hurt him, and I promised myself I won't insist on reminding him of her because there is no point of it at all'
'I see'
'I am off to my room'
'Okay, good luck' Rani said sweetly
Kajol was about to leave but she looked back at Rani 'why were you asking anyway?'
Rani shrugged 'Just a question that came to my mind, nothing else' she explained
Kajol looked silently at Rani for a few seconds 'fine, if he forgave her, I will too. Happy?'
'I swear it was just a question' Rani said helplessly
Kajol sighed 'never mind'
After hours of studying, Kajol decided to go to her father's study and read another book away from her college books. When she came in, she kept looking at the books over the shelfs and she was unable to choose. Her eyes fell on the photo albums and she found herself stretching her hands and grabbing them all. She didn't know why she picked them up in the first place but she ended up looking through the photos but she felt that it is not a bad idea to distract herself with some memories.
She kept flipping the pages and looking at the photos slowly with a smile on her face, she reached the photo that she and Shahrukh saw the last time that has his father, his mother, her mother and her cropped dad-she thought- after that she kept flipping until she reached a photo with a great quality of his mother and father which she hasn't seen before. They looked exactly like Shahrukh and Amira. Suddenly Kajol remembered how Amitabh would look angrily at her and how he treated her, she also thought about her mom and how she treats Shahrukh.
Kajol shook her head, put away the photo albums and stood up suddenly 'no, this can't be possible
'Kajol' Shahrukh called when they were at the roof and sitting on the ground when she was absentminded
'Were you saying something?'
'Try to take breaks more often, your mind really seems busy' Shahrukh said kindly
She nodded 'yeah' she said then smiled 'have you done anything interesting today?' she asked smiling
He shrugged 'nothing'
'Did Saif talk to you? About the visits thing?'
'Yeah, he keeps saying he enjoys us visiting him and he has been saying this for a few days'
'He said the same to me, he texted me once'
'hmm'
'I am just telling you so you won't feel that there is something being cooked behind your back'
'okay' he said 'I don't know, it doesn't look like it is studying that is busying your mind'
She shook her head 'Never mind, Shahrukh' she said
'Really, what is wrong? Has he annoyed you?' he asked feeling worried
'Saif? No not at all, don't worry. That's not why I told you, I just wanted to share what he told me with you, that's all' she said quickly reassuring
'So, what is going inside your mind?'
'Uhm, I was at dad's study today. I looked through the photos for no clear reason and when I was flipping the pages; I saw a photo that we both haven't seen before. Maybe you saw it but it was my first time to see it. It was a photo of your father and mother, and trust me it looked like it is you and your sister who were in this photo'
Shahrukh stood up at once 'I can't believe that we are speaking about this topic again' he said feeling annoyed
'No, that's not what I meant' Kajol said and stood up then shook her head 'you know what? Just forget about it. It is a silly idea anyway'
Shahrukh placed his palms over his waist and sighed 'Okay, I am sorry. Tell me'
'Okay, sit down' she said, sat down and so did he then she continued 'we all know that mom is treating... oh sorry, was treating you ill because of our relationship. Before that; I mean before you go to London, things between you seemed okay but it was like she was acting when she was nice to you for some reason'
'I don't understand. What do you want to say?'
'I was about to continue... You know how much I love you and I know you are the best man I ever met, but as we all know that mom was a little bit aloof about your parents as I heard the stories of the past'
'Kajol, I know that. I still can't see where this conversation is going'
Kajol placed her palm over her neck and clicked her tongue 'uhm, okay. Let me try to clarify myself more. Let's speak about the part that has something to do with you, if you looked at the photo; I swear that you will think that this is a photo of you' she sighed then continued 'What was between my mom, your mom and your dad? Why is my mom so judgmental?' she asked feeling lost
'You got it. Your mom is being judgmental and can't believe that there are adults behaving like this or solving their problems this way' he said shrugging
Kajol rolled her eyes and bit her lower lip 'I don't want to think wrong of my mom; because she is my mom after all' she said, took a deep breath then continued 'do you think that there was something between my mom and your dad?'
Shahrukh swallowed uneasily 'why do you say so?'
'I feel like mom is taking revenge of you but I don't know why exactly'
'I think it is better for you to go down to sleep because you are coming up with strange thoughts' he said jokingly
'Shahrukh, I am serious'
'Look, it is obvious that your mom doesn't like my parents. My father is your father's half-brother and as you mentioned "the stories of the past" it shows that my parents had many flaws. In the eyes of the society; they weren't the best role model for good parents. Why do you keep digging up graves?'
'Because I want to know the truth'
Shahrukh smiled sadly 'Trust me. It is sometimes better to be ignorant rather than knowing the truth of everything. Not everyone has the power to handle the truth'
Kajol narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously 'what do you mean?'
'I mean generally' he replied
'So, you say you don't know anything about what I am saying'
'I have no idea. I really don't know how you came up with these thoughts?' he asked and giggled
'I don't know, Shahrukh. I just can't believe that these reasons are the only reason for my mom's behaviors. I feel that there is something bigger behind it'
'Just relax and calm your mind down. There is nothing to worry about' he said calmly reassuring
Kajol stared at him 'I don't know. I can't digest your calming words easily, yet I don't have a proof of anything'
'Because nothing of what you said is true'
'Sooner or later, truth will stand out' she said and shrugged
'Until that time, focus on your exams and stop thinking about... just stop thinking; that's better for all of us' he said jokingly
Kajol yawned 'your mood is in place' she said enviously
'Yes, it is' he said and winked
'Good night' she said, kissed his cheek and stood up to go to her room
'Good night' he said and when Kajol left he lied on the ground, closed his eyes and exhaled loudly. His heart was beating very fast like it was going to jump out of his chest. He was surprised that he could manage to act calm in front of Kajol, when her every single word was true; he acted like she was saying rubbish 'how could she connect all the lines together?' he asked himself in a shock. He couldn't tell her that she was right, they have gone through enough in the last few months. He wasn't ready for another challenge and he knew how much Arjit will be upset if something like this was spoken about in his house. Shahrukh's target wasn't taking revenge of Poja or cause her a scandal; he just wanted to live in peace.
Shahrukh stood up, left the roof and walked towards his uncle's study. He found the photo albums. He opened the one he looked through before and flipped the pages until he reached the photo that Kajol talked about. He looked at it for a few minutes then he put the photo album away and closed his eyes 'Why do you keep adding gas to the fire, Kajol?' he asked feeling annoyed. He was sure that Kajol would try to find out everything, she could easily connect everything together and it is a matter of time until she finds out that he was lying to her. He just wanted her to understand why he did so. It wasn't easy for him to speak ill about Kajol's mother or play her game and dig in the past.