Terrace, Chawl: A couple of hours later.
There were 2 black, a white, and the queen coins on the carrom board in the winner takes all game.
Sumit struck the black coin but failed to pocket it. It was now Abhi's turn.
"Chal bhai Prashant... tu dhar mat" Sumit said "Aaj tak Abhine rani nahi liya hai. Jeetenge to hum hi".
"Haan... yaar" Abhi said, "Ye rani humesha se meri weakness rahi hai" as he prepared to take the strike.
"Aur Rani mili to bhi cover nahi nikalega" Amit said and laughed, "Lekin Abhi, mein hu yahan... ye bachche bolte rahenge, jeetenge to hum hi." Abhi laughed along without any complaints.
Abhi and Sumit were considered the weaklings in the game – Sumit because he actually didn't play well, but Abhi for very different reasons. Ever since he had started playing with his friends he had never pocketed both the queen and the cover coins. That seemed like the eternal duty of whoever his partner was. He could clear up all the other coins but when it came to the queen and the cover, he faltered. Its something that he was annoyed with in the beginning, but soon something that he learnt to accept, and something he kind of liked deep down, for he had started associating the queen coin with Pragya.
Pocketing the queen coin felt like the times she came into his life, and not taking the cover coin, to him were the times he lost her because of his foolishness. He believed he didn't deserve the queen in any of her forms – be it the carrom coin or Pragya. There were times when he liked to think that the day he gets the queen and the cover together will be the day Pragya comes back in his life forever and in the first few months he would deliberately try to make it happen, but had never succeeded. After a while he gave up trying as he did with expecting her back in his life.
He aimed his striker towards the queen. He had a smile on his face when he got it.
"Ab cover" Sumit said "Cover kaise nikaloge bhai?"
"Ye to mere naseeb me hi nahi hai" Abhi said and aimed at the white coin. Though the aim was good as it went right towards the pocket, he did strike it a bit too hard which made it hit the frame and flip. But then it rolled towards him slowly much to the anticipation of all, and fell into the pocket on his right.
Everyone cheered and laughed and Abhi joined in the celebrations with them. It seemed like quite an achievement for him, something he hadn't been able to do for a couple of years, but soon he couldn't help feeling dejected too.
He walked towards the parapet and sat on it, had a sip from his hip flask, and looked over at the skyline at the rising moon. He was happy that he did get the queen and the cover like he always wanted, but now he was met with the stark reality that Pragya isn't alive any more to come back to his life, to be with him, to love him... well... to love her, and to live with each other.
The sadness though led to peace when he considered that perhaps this can be the day he unites with her again, in heaven. 'And what better day for that to happen' he thought 'on my birthday.' He was sure his Fuggi was waiting for him, ready to have a fight, with that stern look that would shatter the lens of her spectacles if she didn't ground it by touching the frame at the right moment. That image brought a smile on his otherwise morose face – Fuggi being as Fuggiest as she could be.
Prashant approached Abhi and said "Sirji... aaj jaa sakte ho kya aap? Mujhe kuch kaam hai" breaking the small trip to memory and peace that Abhi had.
Abhi looked at him and said "Arey nahi yaar... Mujhe aaj gaana gaane me koi interest nahi hai" and had a sip from the hip flask.
Prashant insisted "Sirji... please... Rani milne ki khushi me"
"Khushi?" Abhi said with a smirk "Ye rani mili hai yaar... Asli rani... woh to gayi na."
"Sad song ga dena Sirji", Prashant said "Sad song ke liye aaj mood achcha hai aapka"
"hmm..." Abhi said, "Chalo... kitne baje"
"Wohi ... 7:30", Prashant said.
Abhi nodded a yes.
–
Tandon House: Evening
Sushma was in conversation with the client as Pragya walked down the stairs to meet him. Sushma got up to introduce her to him. "Mr. Khanna, She's my daughter with another surname, Ms. Pragya Arora. From now on she will be handling all our businesses over here."
Pragya walked towards him to greet him and was shocked to see who it was when he turned around to face her. Purab was equally shocked and all he could manage to say was 'Di!!!'
He took a few hasty steps towards Pragya and hugged her. She returned the hug and they couldn't help themselves from crying.
After a few moments Purab wiped his tears and asked "Di kahan thi aap?'
Pragya wiped her tears and waited to be comfortable enough to speak and asked "Tum kaise ho Purab?" smiling at him.
It was for the first time that Sushma saw what seemed like tears of joy on Pragya's face, something she had longed to see ever since she met her. She had thought that Pragya's success in business will bring this emotion in her, make her forget her past and move on in life, but she noticed she was wrong. Its only her loved ones that can move her daughter so much. It scared her, for she noticed she cant take her daughter too far away from her roots. This is where she belongs and she didn't know whether it was for her good or bad.
Holding back his tears Purab said "Achcha hoon di... bohot miss kiya aapko... bohot" and hugged her again for a brief moment, "Thank God aap theek hein Di..." he said retreating from the hug and holding her shoulders, "You have no idea how badly we missed you".
"Purab" Pragya said "Ye... Sushma aunty hein... And aunty... ye mera bhai hai Purab. Purab Khanna." She looked towards him and said "Mein inhi ke saath thi... Australia me."
Purab and Sushma greeted with a namaste, "Mein Pragya ko apni beti manti hu" Sushma said. She knew it was an odd thing to say but wanted to let him know she'll be there for her. From what she could see Pragya seemed to be welcoming towards him, but she wanted her bases covered, just in case.
He said "Thank you.. Thank you meri di ka khayal rakhne ke liye" and looked towards Pragya "Par di... Australia me?"
Pragya looked down and didn't talk. He noticed she was visibly uncomfortable and unwilling to talk about it. She signalled him to take a seat and sat on the sofa next to him, facing him.
After a long silence he continued "Us din ... Abhi, Ranbir, Aryan ... sabne aapko bohot dhoonda Di... par aap mili nahi...Agle din se mein bhi tha...ek hafte tak humne us jagah par aapko dhoonda... hospitals me bhi... lekin kuch nahi mila... bus doosre din aapki car mili aur kuch nahi."
"Unhone bhi dhoonda?" Pragya asked, rather surprised... but he didn't notice the surprised expression on her face.
"Pehle to use laga tha ki aap ghusse me ghar nahi aayi... Ranbir Vikram ko milke jab ghar aaya tab usne bataya ki aap ghar hi aa rahi thi ... That's when he got scared." he said... "Aur bohot dhoonda... Kisine bataya ke ek car khai se gir gayi hai...tab tak raat ho chuki thi... agle din hi woh car dikhi. Aur Aryan se pata chala ki Rhea Prachi ko balckmail kar rahi thi... phir aapko jo baatein kahi uspe pachtate bas rota raha".
Pragya wasn't surprised at that – that's how Abhi always has been. He would say the meanest thing when he is angry and then be ashamed of it, sometimes without even bothering to apologise, expecting her to forgive him just because she loves him.
"Kahan hein woh abhi?" she asked.
"Dilli mein hi hai ... par area maloom hai, ghar nahi pata di.. Uske baad bas 4-5 baar mila tha." Purab said, "Maine bohot insist kiya ki mere saath rahe... par woh nahi maana. Pichli baar hum chaar mahine pehle mile the jab Saritaji ka death hua tha. Abhi ne hi unka antim sanskar kiya tha. Kisi tarah use ghar le aaya par subah uthke dekha to woh nahi tha. I haven't seen him after that."
Pragya asked 'Saritaji? Kaise?'
He said 'Age related complications they Di.'
Pragya looked at Sushma and said 'Hum aaj hi baat kar rahe the... mein unka number try kar rahi thi mil nahi raha tha.' and remembered the moments she spent with her.
After a long silence Purab asked "Kya hua tha di us din?"
Pragya closed her eyes... and said "Pata nahi Purab... Kuch samajh me nahi aa raha."
"Kya hua di?" Purab asked.
She looked away downwards and remembered Abhi's words "Mujhe tumhare saath koi rishta nahi rakhna." "I hate you Pragya, Tum mar chuki ho humare liye", "Ab tumhara chehra dekhunga to sirf mara hua".
She was about to speak as Purab's phone rang and he picked up the call. "Disha... I'll call you later." but continued the conversation.
Pragya looked at him. She was relieved she may not have to talk about what happened, and was sure even if the conversation comes back to it, she will not talk about Abhi and what he did. She knew Purab will never agree with her version of it and will come up with something like 'Abhi aisa kabhi nahi kar sakta di'.
She also felt she needed more information before she could state something like that. Somehow, with what she had learnt from the watchman and Purab today, there were doubts creeping in her own mind to say things with the same conviction she had believed for the past couple of years. Purab hung up the call and looked towards her.
"Disha..." Purab said "Use abhi bataya nahi but woh bhi aapko bohot miss karti hai"
"Par... Disha?" Pragya asked.
"Humne shaadi kar li Di... ek saal pehle. Abhi woh London me hai... Sunny se milne gayi hai."
She was pleasantly surprised on hearing it but then thought of Alia.
"Lekin Alia?" Pragya asked.
"Actually, usse divorce deni padi. It's a long story aur ... Abhi bhi involved tha."
Pragya looked at him curiously.
"Actually Di... aapke jaane ke kuch 4-5 mahine baad, raat ko ek phone aaya tha ki Abhi behoshi ke halat me mila hai. He was hospitalised. Woh doctor mere pehchan ka tha and he called me up. Abhi ko kuch pata nahi tha ki woh wahan kaise pahuncha. Bus kuch dhundla sa yaad tha ki Alia aur Tanu use mile the aur kuch papers sign kiye the." He continued "Discharge hone ke baad hum neighbours ke ghar gaye. Abhi ne wahan CCTV camera fix karvaya tha, aap ayengi to pata karne. Footage se maloom pada ki us raat Alia aur Tanu Abhi ko ghar le aaye the, kuch lawyers bhi aaye the... aur shayad koi dusre officials bhi. Baadme pata chala ki Abhi ka business aur saari properties Alia ne apne naam ki hai."
Pragya listened on as he continued "Abhi ne kaha ki usey isme koi interest nahi hai... par mujhe Alia se divorce chahiye to is se blackmail kar sakta hai, to make her agree. Ek aur footage tha jisme Alia aur Tanu raaste me usey car se neeche dhakka marke chodd rahe hai. Woh footage dikhaya Alia ko. She agreed. She had to. Else she would have been in problem."
Pragya thought about it for a while and then asked "Yani ab sab Alia aur Tanu ke naam pe hai?"
Purab nodded "Alia ke... But he has enough money with him... actually ... that's the reason I let him be by himself. Bas woh akele rehna chahta hai."
Pragya nodded and asked "Aryan?"
"Aryan ab Mumbai mein hai Di... usne Shahana se shaadi kar li ... aur woh dono Prachi aur Ranbir ke saath reh rahe hai... chaaron milke ek business sambhal rahe hai... khush hein di. Unki thodi photos hein mere paas." Purab browsed his phone handed over his phone to Pragya.
She refused and said 'I've seen their photos. Facebook pe.'
"Di aap Prachi se contact me hein?" Purab asked.
Pragya nodded a no.