Pragya's bedroom
Pragya stood by the window wondering what surprises lay ahead for her today. It seemed like Abhi really wasn't the monster she thought he was for that last two years... 'He is the same person whom I loved, whom I cared for. Par woh kya tha? Unka ghusse me aakar kuch kar baithna, jaise pehle bhi hua hai... ya phir... ya phir kya?'
She knew she wanted to talk about it to Abhi and ask some hard questions which would be difficult for her too but she couldn't help feeling she is in a 'damned if I do and damned if I don't' situation. For if Abhi was innocent, she felt guilty for all that she did, even though it may not have affected him. And if he isn't... 'well... I cant hate him any more can I?... and do I even know how to hate him? ... pehle bhi kar chuki hoon aur haar bhi maan chuki hoon ...'
'And how did he know about what I did to Alia? No one knows that... Sushma aunty? Haan.... Unhone kaha tha na ki subah baat hui thi inse... but he was happy with it? Unhe ab lag raha hai ki maine sab Alia ke khilaaf kiya hai. But what if he comes to know I did it against him? Unhe sachch ka pata chal gaya toh? No... Mein unse jhoot nahi bol sakti... if I am guilty ... I am guilty ... well... I hope I am actually guilty... aur ye... innocent... par kaise?'
Pragya heard the bathroom door open and saw Abhi walk towards her. The outfit she ordered for him looked good on him and she couldn't help notice the aroma of a fresh hot water bath coming from the only man she had ever loved. Everything felt like just the way it was back when they were together, in love with each other... 'except for this doubt that I have in my head... and the fear it brings'.
"Looking good?" he asked.
She smiled and nodded a yes.
"Par aapko ye trim hair suit nahi karta" she said.
"Oh... yeh to mera incognito look hai" he said, "Not many people recognise me with this, thoda mota bhi ho gaya hoon... that also helps."
She smiled and looked at the wound on his temple. She walked over to get the first aid box and signalled him to sit down on the chair as she picked up a tube of ointment.
"Arre nahi ... ointment ki jaroorat nahi hai... dekha maine" he said, "Tum bas ek bandaid de do."
She took a better look at the wound and said, "Theek hai... lagta hai bandaid hi kafi hoga."
She peeled off a band aid and applied it over his wound. She could notice his eyes staring at hers but she avoided eye contact.
"Ho gaya" she said, "Purab deodrant lekar aayega".
"Why? Do I smell bad?" he asked.
She smiled and said "nahi... bas abhi yaad aaya... woh ... kuch nahi".
"Batao... no issues." he said.
"Abhi yeh bandaid lagate waqt..." she said, "woh smell yaad aaya... miss kiya".
'God!!! miss kiya!!!' she thought, 'I actually did!'
He smiled and reached out to cup her face, but noticing her getting nervous he held back.
"Aapki ... coffee" she said, "Wahan rakhi hai."
"Haan... coffee" he said and walked towards the sofa and picked up the cup from the teapoy.
Tears welled up his eyes as he had his first sip of the coffee.
He let the coffee run around in his mouth before swallowing it, enjoying the calmness and peace it brought with it. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations that he felt and the memories rising up in his mind – of Dadi, Pragya, Fuggi, and Nikku. He kept the cup on the teapoy and wiped the tears that had found its way on to his cheeks.
He looked at her, grateful that she had come back into his life. She was looking outside the window unaware of what he was going through... 'unaware of the joy and peace she has given me now, just by making me this coffee.' he thought 'wahan kyu khadi ho Fuggi?'.
He startled and looked down and picked up the cup as he noticed she turned around and walked towards him... 'God! Can she can read my mind even now?'
She sat on the bed facing him as he had another sip.
He looked up and said "I never thought ki mein ye coffee dubara pee pavoonga."
She smiled.
"Thank you" he said, had another sip, and continued "Mujhe bohot kuch yaad dila raha hai ye".
She smiled.
"Toh ab kiski baari?" he asked.
She looked at him with a surprise and asked, "Matlab?"
"Sawaal poochne ki... we have a lot to catch up on, don't we?" he said and had another sip.
She nodded a yes and said, "aapse ek baat jaan ni thi."
He nodded.
"Maine Alia ke business ke saath jo kiya, us se aapka kuch nuksaan hua?" she asked.
"Naah" he said, "Nuksaan tab hota na... jab sab kuch mera hota. Mera to kuch bhi nahi tha."
He had a sip of coffee and asked "Par kya kya kiya tumne? Purab bol raha tha ki Pharma ke ilava kuch bacha nahi hai Alia ke paas."
She nodded a yes.
"Actually, bohot kuch kiya... kuch bees pachchees cheezen thi jo maine karvayi... jaise artists ke music ki piracy karvayi, unse case karvaya, jo jo events woh leti thi unko kisi na kisi tarah se flop karvati thi, resort me drugs rakhvaye, phir Alia ek apparels ka business try kar rahi thi... usme bhi problems khadi kar di... aur sab kuch ek ke baad ek karke kiya... so that she wont be able to manage them. Kuch 2 mahinon me sab karvaya."
"Karvaya yani? Kisne help kiya?" He asked.
"Hein... actually Sushma aunty ke jo husband they, unke ek friend hein." she said, "wahan humare security wahi dekhte hein ... aur koi problem hai to aise kaam bhi karvate hein. Unka ek contact hai yahan par... usne unki help ki... of course paise dene pade."
"Pata hai contact kaun hai?" Abhi asked.
"Nahi" she said.
"Purab ka friend hai... friend nahi, jaanta hai use... kuch problem ho toh he helps us" he said, "and ... Purab knew about this. Mujhe nahi pata tha... aaj subah he mentioned it."
She nodded as he had the last sip of the coffee and kept the cup back on the teapoy.
"But you are sure right" she asked, "aapko kuch loss nahi hua".
"Naah kuch nahi hua." he said.
"And one more thing" she said, "Alia ko jo bhi losses huve us se humara gain hua hai... usne jo bhi properties bechi hein humne hi khareedi hai. Businesses we just let it die... we have better ones. So it is with us and effectively you haven't lost anything. Ab bas woh ek Sainik farms ka bungalow hai, Pharma ki factory, aur humara ghar."
Abhi smiled and said, "humara ghar".
'humara ghar!' she thought and remembered what she had said to Sushma yesterday, 'hum ghar chalte hein... aapke ghar'.
"And it is easy to have it back" he said.
"Kaise?" she asked.
"Well... maine humare saare properties hum donon ke naam kiye the... jab humari shaadi ki registration ki thi..." he said, "So... whatever Alia got, she'll have to give it back... because... use transfer karne ke liye tumhari bhi signature necessary hai... not just mine. So whatever the deal was – legal or illegal – its now invalid. So we can go back soon."
Noticing she didn't say anything he said, "waise yahan par bhi achcha hi hai... no issues."
She nodded.
After a long pause, he leaned back and said, "So... I guess its my turn then".
She nodded.
"Ok, fine then... You know... us din ek baat hui thi jo mujhe odd laga tha." he said as she looked at him, and continued, "Aur aaj subah Purab ne bhi wahi poocha... and abhi nahate waqt bhi wahi yaad aaya... so... "
She waited.
"Tum jab wapas nahi aayi thi and I didn't know where you were tab mein police station gaya tha. Unhone poocha tha" he said, "ki last time kab aur kahan dekha tha. Time check karne ke liye maine call log dekha toh .... there was a call you made and that went for around 3-4 minutes. Tumne call kiya tha kya? I mean I remember tumne ek call kiya tha jab mein ghar wapas aaya, but I had not picked that up. Par ye call uske baad kiya gaya tha."
Things she heard during the phone call kept spinning in her mind. 'I hate you Pragya, tum mar chuki ho humare liye', 'Now I am happy with my new family', 'Maine tumhari gaadi ka brakes fail kar diya hai' , 'Ab tumhara chehra dekhunga to sirf mara hua', 'Die Pragya die'.
Abhi looked towards her and found she was visibly uncomfortable. He felt she was staring at him as if she had seen a ghost.
"Kya hua" he asked as he found she was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
"Pragya" he called out, "kya hua?" and hastened towards her.
"Kya hua?" he asked again and held her by her shoulders, supporting her.
She started trembling and he noticed she was trying to talk something but couldn't.
"Ok... Ok... kuch matt bolo, kuch matt molo" he said, "tum bas lambi saanse lo".
"Kyu?" she trembled as she asked.
"Pragya... tum bas lambi saanse lene ki koshish karo" he said.
He heard her phone ring, it was Purab. He picked up the call and said "Purab, kahan hai tu? Jaldi aa. Pragya... Pragya ko kuch problem ho raha hai"
"Hum neeche hi hein... aate hein abhi" Purab said.
Abhi looked at Pragya, who was struggling to breathe now.
"Kuch matt karo Pragya, dharo matt... mein hoon tumhare saath" he said, "Tum bas lambi saanse lo".
He heard Purab banging on the door, ran to open it, and came back to hold her.
She looked at him, staring at his eyes. "Kyun?" she asked, "why... did you ... why did you kill me?" which stunned Abhi.
Sushma entered the room and came near Pragya and comforted her "Beta don't worry... Mein hoon yahan... kuch nahi hoga tumhe."
Pragya looked at Abhi and cried. "Why?" she asked again as Abhi continued to stare at her.
Sushma wiped her tears, patted her cheeks, and hugged her.
Pragya looked at Abhi again and cried.
After a while Pragya closed her eyes and slept. Sushma laid her down on the bed and looked towards Abhi who was visibly scared.
"Dont worry" Sushma said, "She will be fine... aisa pehli baar nahi hua hai."
Abhi stared at her and asked "Matlab?"
"We will talk outside... let her lie down for a while." she said, "she will be ok in a while."
"Aunty, Doctor ko bulana hai?" Purab asked.
"Haan..." She said, "I'll call him up. But don't worry. Thodi der soyegi toh she will be fine".
Abhi stared at Pragya and sat down near her. He ran his fingers through Pragya's hair. He cupped her left cheek and rubbed it with his thumb, struggling to hold back his tears. He wiped the tears that had remained on her cheeks.
He looked at Sushma who nodded at him. He nodded back, got up from the bed, and walked out of the room and stood on the verandah. Purab followed him and asked him to come to Sushma's room.