Thank you all for voting and commenting on the previous part guys... This story is an Abhigya-ised version of Cinderella
"Pragya!"
"Coming!" Pragya answers back hearing the furious summon for her.
"Pragya!" comes another summon from the other end of the house.
Pragya stops in the middle contemplating on whom to attend.
"Pragya!" "PRAGYA!"
"I am coming." Pragya answers as she picked up her skirt and ran to her step mother's room.
"Gau..."
"Yes?" Pragya answers panting as she dashed into the room.
"Didn't you hear me screaming for you? Why does it take you so long to come? What the hell were you doing?"
"I was making breakfast." Pragya says panting.
"You will always have excuses."
"PRAGYA!"
"I am coming." Pragya screams back at her step sister and looks at her stepmom helplessly.
"Turn the heater on."
Pragya runs to the bathroom and turns the heater on. "Anything else?"
"Are you being insolent?" she asks frowning furiously at her.
"No... Aaliyah is calling, so I thought if you didn't..."
Pammi cuts her off and dismisses her in irritation, "Go!"
"PRAGYA!"
"Coming!" Pragya screams and runs to the other room.
"Yes?" Pragya stumbles and a second later, a shoe gets thrown at her. Pragya quickly catches it.
"When I call you, I want you here!"
"Madam called me." Pragya tries to explain.
"Yeah right! Why would Mama need a useless like you? Press my clothes." Aaliyah says as she pointed at a dress crumbled up on the bed.
"I already pressed your pink dress."
"Now, you would decide what I will wear?" Aaliyah asks furiously.
"You told me last night you are going to wear that." Pragya reminds her.
"I changed my mind. Now make it quick. After that I want you to do my hair."
"I have to make breakfast too." Pragya tells her earnestly.
"HOW DARE YOU? When I tell you to do something, I want you to do it. Don't forget you are in my house because of our kindness. And you need to move your ass and do your work. You should have got up early."
"I wake up at 4:30." Pragya softly mutters as she turned to walk out.
"Then wake up earlier if you can't finish your work on time." Aaliyah instructs her.
"PRAGYA!" Pammi calls Pragya just as she was about to leave Aaliyah's room.
"I am coming." Pragya answers back.
"I want my dress in 3 mins." Aaliyah orders her.
Pragya runs back into the kitchen half an hour later to find the breakfast ready.
"I told you to rest." Pragya turns to Mitali frowning irately.
"I am fine." Mitali answers as she continued to make lunch.
"You have fever. I told you I'll make breakfast." Pragya scolds her as she pulled her away and made her sit.
"You don't have a moment to sit." Mitali tells her. "Then how can I rest by giving you my share of the work."
"Because if anything happens to you then I will be all alone. So, I need you to be fit and fine always. NOW rest!" Pragya scolds her.
Mitali sadly smiles hearing her, "You are so like your mother."
Pragya smiles happily hearing her, "I know. Now, you sit here and tell me all about my parents while I take care of lunch." Pragya tells her.
Evening, Pragya was sweeping the living room, when Aaliyah walks in with her boyfriend, giggling happily. Pragya looks up at them, and seeing the handsome man, for a fleeting second she feels jealous of Aaliyah's good fortune, she had everything, mother, friends, and a rich and handsome boyfriend who dotted on her. Only if her father was alive, maybe even she would have been so lucky.
"Pragya! Didn't you hear me?" Aaliyah calls her irately.
"Yes... sorry?"
"Get me orange juice and Purab apple juice."
"I'll have orange juice then. Don't trouble her." Purab tells Aaliyah.
"You wanted apple juice, right?" Aaliyah turns to him. "Have that. What are servants for?"
Purab gives her a regretful look while Pragya politely smiles at him and walks off.
"So, you are coming, right?" Purab asks Aaliyah just as Pragya came back with the juices.
"I'll see." Aaliyah says with a teasing smile.
"Come on... I want you to meet my family."
"You mean, the elusive Abhishek Prem Merha is going to be there?" Aaliyah asks curiously.
Pragya stops for a second hearing her question as she waited for his reply.
"Yup and mom too... Mom is hoping bro will find a girl from the party. Come... it's a masquerade party. We will have fun. Your family is also invited so please bring Aunty too."
Pragya hurries to the kitchen.
"Mitali! There is going to be a party." Pragya tells her excitedly.
"Party? Here?" Mitali asks her warily.
"Not here. At the Oberoi Mansion." Pragya tells her excitedly.
"Oberoi Mansion?" Mitali asks confused. "Purab's house?"
"Yes. Even Abhishek Prem Merha is attending." Pragya tells her excitedly.
"Who is he?"
"Oh Mitali! You should read the papers. He is this big businessman of Motihari. He is Purab's elder brother. But he is a recluse. Never gives interviews. Doesn't make public appearance because he values his privacy more than anything. But they have managed to capture his photos once in a while. It is always a blur because he would be trying to avoid the media." Pragya tells her excitedly as she started going through the old newspapers. "Here is his photo."
"He is good." Mitali says approvingly looking at the side profile of a young man.
"They say that he is even better looking in real. That he looks like an angel. That you wouldn't want to take your eyes off him." Pragya tells her dreamily. "His mother wants him to choose a girl from the party as his wife. How romantic."
Mitali shakes her head at Pragya.
"He is no less than a Prince." Pragya says dreamily. "You know, every time I pass by his house I stop and wait for a few minutes hoping to see him, but never have I seen him." Pragya says sadly sighing.
"You should go." Mitali tells Pragya thoughtfully.
"What?" Pragya turns to her surprised.
"You should go for the party."
"You think Madam would take me?" Pragya asks her hopefully.
"Yes and they would even personally get you ready too." Mitali replies sarcastically.
Pragya's face falls hearing her.
"Pragya darling, you are way more beautiful than Aaliyah. They would never take the risk of taking you anywhere near the Oberoi Mansion. So, you should go without them finding out."
"They will be furious at me if they find out." Pragya tells her worriedly.
"Hmmm tell me about the party."
"Mom! Seriously, what is the need for all this?" Abhishek asks his mother irately.
"We already discussed this." Jhanvi reminds him.
"Yes. I will come. I will mingle with the guest. If I like any girl I will tell you and then I disappear."
"How about you not disappear?" Purab asks him.
"I can't tolerate all this. I don't know why you two think that parties are fun." Abhishek tells them irately.
"Abhi, there is more to life than business and money."
"I know, Mom... I just don't want to rush into anything because you think it is time for me to settle down. I will marry when I meet the right person."
"And how are you going to meet the right person if you avoid meeting people?" Purab asks him.
Abhishek irately looks at him and then tells him, "Anyway I don't want anyone from this guest list."
"Why?" Jhanvi asks frowning.
"Because these people... I have heard about them... they are all fake... I can't tolerate these people."
"Seriously bro, you need to grow up. You are not going to find those fairy tale full white with no grey shade heroines in real life. That is all fiction. Take Aaliyah for instance, she is a darling but she has her grey shades too. She is a little snobbish but that is how people are now."
"You are not like that. I am not like that. Mom is not like that." Abhishek argues.
"All Purab is saying is that, no one is perfect."
"I don't want a perfect person, all I want is a girl who is perfect for me." Abhishek tells her and gets up. "I'll come for the party but you have to keep your end of the deal too."
"Yes, no throwing girls at your face and no forcing you to attend a party for a year."
"Good." Abhishek says smiling and starts to walk off.
"But you gotta meet, Aaliyah. And please be nice to her, she is important to me."
"As long as she doesn't irritate me." Abhishek promises.
"Three dresses have come from the designer from Mumbai." Mitali informs Pragya.
"I know. They are so beautiful." Pragya informs her.
"Aaliyah will wear only one." Mitali tells her.
"Yes... but they are going to send back all three saying they didn't wear them." Pragya tells her.
"The other two would be lying here during the party." Mitali tells her.
Pragya looks at her confused.
"You can wear one. Just slight alterations and it would fit you perfectly. It has come with all the necessary accessories."
"They will know it is me if they see the same dress."
"Just stay out of their sight." Mitali tells her.
"But..."
"I already talked to Rocky. He would give the key to one of the cars. I will drive you there and you leave the party exactly at 12. So, we can get back home before they get back home."
"But..." Pragya starts to argue.
"Live a little, Pragya. Act your age. Do something reckless. Live the life that you were born to live." Mitali advises her. "Your mother would want that."
When Pragya looked thoughtful, Mitali continues, "I was with your mother the longest. I was not just her maid, I was her best friend. So, trust me to know what she would want you to do."
"I would need a big mask." Pragya tells her.
Half dead after running around the whole house helping those two get ready, Pragya leans against the door as Aaliyah and Pammi drove away for the party.
"Now, let's get you ready." Mitali tells Pragya excitedly. "Are we happy that Aaliyah chose the most revealing dress instead of the most elegant one or what?"
"I am scared, Mitali." Pragya tells her worriedly.
"This maybe your only chance to meet your angel." Mitali tells her with a wink.
Pragya starts smiling hearing her, "Okay, let's meet Abhishek Prem Merha."
"All the best and please please have fun." Mitali tells Pragya as she stopped the car in front of the mansion. Pragya gets out of the car nervously and looks at the mansion in amazement. It was even more magnificent up close.
Gulping nervously, Pragya starts climbing the stairs. Each step she took, she was doubting her own decision.
"I shouldn't have come. I shouldn't have come." Pragya softly mutters.
"Then why did you?"
Hearing the unexpected question, Pragya turns around in shock to see a man standing in the dark looking at the sky.
"I..."
"You missed the door. The party is in that hall. This side is off limits to the guests."
"Oh sorry." Pragya says as she turned to look at the door. She missed the obvious door, isn't that sign enough that she shouldn't be attending the party?
"I should just go home." Pragya decides loudly.
Hearing her, Abhishek curiously turns to look at the girl. And seeing the girl, dressed in a green floor length gown, her face covered completely with a mask and only her eyes were visible. Those eyes, he could keep looking at those eyes all his life.
Seeing the Abhishek Prem Merha, Pragya gasps softly.
"You truly do look like an angel." Pragya softly whispers.
Abhishek chuckles softly as he took a step towards her, "I can say the same about your eyes."
Pragya blushes as she shyly looked down.
"Why do you want to leave the party?" Abhishek asks her.
"Not anymore."
Abhishek smiles hearing her, and he offers her his hand "Come with me then."
Pragya takes his hand smiling happily.
Abhishek takes her hand and starts walking towards the back garden.
"Why aren't you at the party?" Pragya asks Abhishek.
"I hate these gatherings and the people inside were just... I had to get out." Abhishek tells her. "Are you going to remove that?" Abhishek asks her pointing at her mask.
Pragya shakes her head in negative.
"Why?"
"Because I am not supposed to be here." Pragya honestly tells him.
"Gate crashing?" Abhishek asks with a teasing smile, he just couldn't take offense.
Purab had told Aaliyah that her family was invited and she was technically family. So,... "No... I was told to stay at home."
"Hmmm... I am glad you decided to be rebellious." Abhishek tells her smiling.
"Even me." Pragya says smiling. She was going to live a little.
"So, you won't even tell me your name?"
"Cinderella ."
"Cinderella ?" Abhishek asks chuckling.
"Yes." Pragya says laughing happily. "That was what my mother used to call me when I was small."
"Ah!" Abhishek says smiling. "So, what made you decide to be rebellious and come for the party?"
"I wanted to see you." Pragya whispers shyly as she looked at his handsome face. Hearing her Abhishek starts smiling.
"So, Cinderella ..."
"Yes?" Pragya turns to look at him as they gently strolled around his garden.
"I want to know about you."
"Me? What about me?"
"Everything." Abhishek says smiling.
"I am nobody." Pragya tells him as she looked away. "Do you want to dance?"
"There is no music and I don't know to dance." Abhishek tells her regretfully.
"Yeah... I was just feeling foolish." Pragya says smiling.
"Do you want to go inside? There would be dancing inside."
"No. I like this better." Pragya tells him as she looked up at the sky smiling happily.
"This is perfect." Abhishek tells her as he took her hand in his. Pragya slowly interlinks their fingers together. "I have never felt like this." Abhishek tells her amazed.
"Even me." Pragya tells him smiling.
Hearing his mobile ring, Abhishek takes it and noticing that it was Purab, to meet Aaliyah, Abhishek cuts the call. Pragya smiles seeing him cut the call and just before he put his mobile back into his pocket Pragya sees the time on the mobile screen 11:58.
"I have to go." Pragya says hurriedly.
"What?"
"I have to get back home." Pragya tells him as she started to run off.
"Wait... what's your name? Where do you stay? How will I find you?" Abhishek asks her as he ran after her.
"This was for just this one night." Pragya tells him as she turned to look at him. "Now, I have to go back."
"Give me your number."
"I have to go."
"Call me." Abhishek tells her and shouts out his number to her.
"I just wanted to be with him, Mitali." Pragya tells her dreamily as she recounted her encounter with Abhishek Prem Merha. "It was like, I was just made, so I could be with him all my life."
"Why didn't you tell him who you were?" Mitali asks her.
"How could I, Mitali? I am a servant and he is..."
"You are not a servant. You are the only daughter of Raghuveer Arora." Mitali reminds her outraged. "They are enjoying your wealth."
"When Papa had financial problem, Madam gave him money to overcome it. So, it is hers now. I have no right over it." Pragya tells her.
"But still this house and everything was your father's."
"No, Mitali. It is Madam's." Pragya tells her again. They were stopped from further conversations when they hear the doorbell.
"How dare he insult us like that?" Pammi fumes as she walked in with Aaliyah.
Seeing both of them so furious, Pragya starts praying. If they were in bad mood they would take it out on her by making her do all kinds of jobs around the house. It was something like, when they made her do work they felt powerful.
"I am breaking up with that Purab." Aaliyah says furiously.
"Have you gone mad? Did you forget how rich he is? If I hear you talk like that once more..." Pammi turns to her furiously.
"Did you forget that his brother insulted us by making us wait for hours and didn't even bother showing up?" Aaliyah furiously asks.
Pragya's heart skips a beat hearing about Abhishek. Her thoughts going back to him and their beautiful encounter. Before she could help it, she was smiling thinking about him.
"What are you smiling about?" Aaliyah asks furiously.
"Nothing." Pragya quickly says shaking her head and quickly leaves from there on the pretense of turning down their bed for the night.
Later at night, Pragya curled upon her bed in the attic as she thought about Abhishek. his smile, his talk, his face. Pragya sadly sighs, she had taken forever to get ready and because of that she had got to the party really late and she could spent only 20 mins with him. Will she ever see him again?
"Anything about her? A distinctive mark on her face? A smile? Anything?" Purab asks exasperated.
"She has brown..."
"Other than brown eyes and about 5.4 - 5.5 height."
"Sweet..."
"And a sweet voice. You are describing half the female population. Tell me something else." Purab says irately.
"I felt complete with her." Abhishek tells him dreamily smiling at his memory.
"That helps a lot." Purab says sighing loudly.
"Abhi... think... maybe she said something or you saw something that could help us identify her."
"She was invited for the party. She didn't say anything else. And that her mother used to call her Cinderella when she was small."
"Hmmm... I don't remember any of my friends calling her daughter Cinderella ." Jhanvi says after thinking.
Abhishek sighs loudly as he sat back.
"How are we going to find her?" Purab asks loudly.
"Have another party." Abhishek tells them.
"WHAT?" Purab and Jhanvi shouts out at the same time in shock.
"Yeah... all those who were invited they should be invited again."
"What party would it be?"
"New year party." Abhishek says shrugging as New year was in a week's time. "Make it a theme party."
"Theme party?"
"Fairy tale."
"And we keep an eye out on Cinderella ?" Purab asks him.
"Whether she is Cinderella or not, I will know her." Abhishek tells him.
"Okay done... and I am still pissed at you for not meeting Aaliyah yesterday." Purab tells him.
"I am sorry, Purab... I was trying to find her. This time, I will definitely meet her."
"I don't know... I didn't like her." Jhanvi hesitantly tells Purab.
"Why?" Purab asks upset.
"She seemed so rude and arrogant." Jhanvi tells him.
"Give her sometime, Mom... she is very nice beneath all that."
"If you say so then I will give her a chance." Jhanvi tells him.
"You are still upset that I didn't meet your Disha." Purab accuses her.
"Yes that is there... but all I want is my sons to be happy."
"No matter what, that we will be." Purab and Abhishek promises her.
Hearing the doorbell, Pragya opens the door to find Purab. Pragya politely smiles at him.
"Pragya, right?" Purab asks her politely.
"Yes."
"Can you let Aaliyah know that I am here to meet her?"
"Sure. Please sit." Pragya tells him and goes to call Aaliyah.
"I am sorry, baby. And trust me, even bro is really sorry for what happened." Pragya hears Purab tell Aaliyah as she walked in with refreshments for him.
"Yeah right."
"We are having a new year bash at our place. And he wants to meet you then." Purab tells her.
"Another party? And he is attending?" Aaliyah asks curiously.
"Yes. He met this girl at the party and he has gone crazy about her."
Pragya gasps in shock hearing Purab. Purab was about to take the juice from the tray Pragya was holding when he notices the shock on her face. Brown eyes and about the same height. Could it... Nah!
"Thank you." Purab takes the juice from her.
Pragya nods and starts to hurry back.
"It's a theme party. Fairy tale. Please come." Purab tells Aaliyah and then on an impulse he turns to Pragya and calls her, "Pragya?"
"Yes?" Pragya turns to look at him curiously while Aaliyah frowned.
"Why don't you also come?"
Pragya panics hearing the question though her heart started beating faster at the opportunity to meet Abhishek once again.
"Why should she come?" Aaliyah asks furiously.
"You know, she can have fun too there." Purab says shrugging.
"You think, I would attend a party with my servant? Don't you have any respect for me that you are putting me on the same level as my servant?" Aaliyah furiously asks him as she stood up and glared at him.
Purab was shocked to hear her question. He had always assumed her tantrums and arrogance to be her childishness but now... was his mother right?
Seeing the turn of events, Pragya quickly hurries back into the kitchen, not wanting to get caught in the cross fire.
"He wants to see me again." Pragya whispers to Mitali as she hugged her from behind.
"Really?" Mitali asks smiling happily and Pragya quickly retells her what she had overheard.
"You should go." Mitali tells her.
"But Aaliyah got so furious when she heard Purab invite me."
"So,? You are invited Pragya. Go." Mitali tells her just as Aaliyah walks in.
"Don't even think of going there." Aaliyah furiously tells her. "If I find you anywhere there, then I would throw you out of the house."
"You should go." Mitali tells Pragya at night.
"No, Mitali... you heard Aaliyah. If she throws me out then I have nowhere else to go." Pragya sadly tells her.
"You can come with me."
"The deed to your house is with Madam. And you would lose your job too. We will not be able to survive if we leave this house." Pragya tells her shaking her head.
"I lost that house when I took money from her for my husband's operation." Mitali says remembering her dead husband. "All the interest she took from me itself is double the amount I owe her. it is best to let that house go."
"Take a risk, Pragya. Don't you want to see him?"
"I do, Mitali but..."
"Is he worth it, Pragya?" Mitali asks her. "Is he worth the life you are leading now? Is he worth the risk of losing every single thing that you have?"
"Yes." Pragya whispers. "He is worth more than that."
"Then, go for it, Pragya." Mitali advices her. "Don't think about anything else. Go for it."
"Purab..." Abhishek walks into Purab's room.
"Yeah?"
"Teach me to dance."
Purab who had been drinking water, spits it out and starts coughing in shock.
"Only one dress came this time." Pragya informs Mitali. "The designer was pissed about them not purchasing any of the three dresses. And they paid for this dress, so they won't be ordering any other dress."
"Don't worry. I have the perfect dress for you." Mitali tells her smiling.
"Really? But it is fairy tale..."
"And who had a fairy tale wedding?" Mitali asks Pragya smiling.
"Mama and Papa." Pragya says smiling excitedly.
"Padmini had kept her Cinderella dress safely." Mitali tells her as she pulled out a big trunk from under a lot of junk in the attic.
"Is it in good condition?" Pragya asks her worriedly as they took it out.
"It should be as we had wrapped it up safely. I'll check it and if there is mending to be done, I will do it. Till then you stand guard outside and don't let anyone in." Mitali orders her.
"This is so beautiful." Pragya says emotionally as she ran her hands through the gown.
"Your Mama spent a fortune on it." Mitali tells her smiling.
"Is this why she used to call me Cinderella ?"
"Yes." Mitali says smiling.
"What about the accessories?" Pragya asks her.
"All your mother's jewels were taken by Pammi. But I still have the glass slipper."
"Really?" Pragya asks smiling.
"It is not comfortable though. That is why Pammi never took it." Mitali informs her regretfully.
"That's okay." Pragya says happily. The discomfort was worth it if she could spent a second with Abhishek.
"Do you really want to wear the mask?" Mitali asks Pragya as she stopped the car at the driveway.
"Yes, if Madam or Aaliyah sees me then..."
"Okay... have fun and tell him who you are." Mitali advises her.
Pragya nods and with nervous excitement starts climbing up the stairs.
"You are earlier than I expected." Abhishek says as he stepped out of his hiding spot at the end of the stairs.
Pragya stops in surprise to see him and smiles happily. "What gave me away? The same mask or Cinderella ?"
"You gave yourself away. I just knew that it was you." Abhishek tells her as he took her hand.
"Prince Charming." Pragya says smiling happily seeing his costume.
"I did guess that you would be dressing up like Cinderella ." Abhishek says smiling. "Come with me."
Abhishek takes Pragya towards the side instead of the back garden. That side of the house was decorated beautifully.
"This?" Pragya asks amazed as she looked around the lights and candles.
"For us." Abhishek tells her as he pulled her close to him.
Pragya smiles hearing him.
"Why didn't you call me? Why did you go away like that?"
"I... I had to go." Pragya says sobering down.
Seeing her mood change, Abhishek asks with a smile, "Would you like to dance?"
"You said you didn't know to dance."
"Purab taught me. I am still bad but I guess I can manage." Abhishek says as he turned up the music and offered his hand.
Pragya smiles happily as she took his hand and slowly started dancing with him around the area.
Being in his arms, having him hold her close to him, felt perfect. "This feels so right, so lovely." Pragya tells him happily.
"It's heaven." Abhishek tells her.
They were dancing around and talking when they hear the crackers burst. Abhishek and Pragya looks up at the sky to see beautiful crackers.
"Happy New Year." Pragya whispers to him
"Happy New year." Abhishek wishes her as he turned to look at her. Then he gently holds her mask and starts to lift her mask up.
"Abhishek..." Pragya holds his hand to stop him.
"I won't see your face without your permission." Abhishek promises her. Pragya leaves his hand and Abhishek raises up her mask a little, till he sees her lips.
"Masha Allah." Abhishek gasps seeing her beautiful lips. Seeing her nervously biting her lips, Abhishek leans down. Seeing her parting her lips in silent invitation, Abhishek moves closer to her and takes her lips in his. They continued to kiss as the fireworks continued on in the sky.
Abhishek and Pragya part and they smile at each other.
"Tell me who you are. Show me your face."
Pragya shakes her head in negative.
"What are you hiding from me?" Abhishek asks as he tried to read her eyes.
"I don't know." Pragya replies honestly. What was she hiding from him? Her poverty? Her status as a servant? Or the truth that she wasn't worthy of him?
"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter to me." Abhishek tells her. "I love you."
"You don't know me." Pragya replies as she looked away unable to accept their love.
"I looked into your eyes and I just knew that I had to spend the rest of my life with you. My mother and brother think that I don't interact with the girls because I feel they are not worthy of my time. It is not true, I don't interact with them because I have never felt the need to talk to a girl or hear her talk again, before meeting you. I just want to listen to you talk. I just want to be with you."
"I know you love me. I have seen it in your eyes." Abhishek tells her.
Pragya looks away unsure of what she is supposed to do.
"Whatever it is, tell me." Abhishek tells her.
Pragya was trying to make up her mind when from the corner of her eyes, she notices Pammi and Aaliyah furiously leaving the party.
"I have to go." Pragya says as she started to run.
Abhishek quickly holds her hand and pulls her back. "No. I am not going to let you go away from me again."
"Please Abhishek, let me go. Otherwise I will be in trouble." Pragya pleads him as she panicked.
Seeing her panicking Abhishek as her earnestly, "Tell me the truth, Cinderella . What are you scared of? Why do you keep leaving me?"
"Please Abhishek, leave me. I have to go otherwise I would be in real trouble." Pragya pleads him.
Seeing the tears in her eyes, Abhishek leaves her hand. Pragya quickly starts running away. She turns back to look at him one last time and sees him starting to run after her.
"Don't go." Abhishek shouts at her as he ran behind her.
Seeing that Pragya panics and picks up speed only to stumble. Her shoe comes off and she leaves her shoes behind realizing she had no time to waste and runs out into the dark ignoring him calling out for her.
Pragya runs out the gates and runs alongside all the parked cars to find Mitali.
"Pragya?" Rocky calls out to her seeing her running like the mad.
"Rocky... they are coming. I need to get home before them." Pragya tells him panicking.
"Oh God! Okay hurry... Mitali is there." Rocky tells her pointing at a stretch of cars. "Don't worry, I will delay them. Once you reach home and it is safe, ask Mitali to give me a call till then the car will have engine problem."
"Thank you." Pragya tells him in gratitude and runs away.
Abhishek picks up one of the slippers that she had left behind and holds it close realizing that he had only one way to go about now, the Cinderella way.
Pragya was crying in the attic as she thought about Abhishek. Should she have told him who she is? What if he had insulted her because he was Abhishek Prem Merha and she was a mere servant or the truth be told, a slave.
"She is so furious." Mitali tells her as she walked in. Pragya quickly wipe her tears and pulls the blanket over her. "Your Abhishek didn't meet them today also. They are feeling humiliated and they walked out of the party."
When Pragya doesn't respond, Mitali assumes Pragya had slept and turns off the light to sleep while Pragya realized another thing, both the times, Madam and Aaliyah were insulted because Abhishek was with her. If they find out, they would make it all her fault.
"What happened at the party? You didn't tell me anything." Mitali asks Pragya the next day.
"We talked but this has to end." Pragya tells her.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to take it forward." Pragya tells her and walks out of the kitchen to avoid further conversation regarding that.
"Stop acting like a brat, Aaliyah!" Purab furiously tells her.
"Did you just call me a brat?" Aaliyah asks him furiously.
"Yes... why can't you just understand that my brother too has a life of his own and he has his own problems? He didn't invite you to insult you. He got caught up with things." Purab argues.
"If that was the case then he shouldn't have invited us."
"I told you he didn't mean to insult you."
"What could have been more important than me?" Aaliyah asks him furiously.
"Excuse me?" Purab says in shock at her question. How could she even put herself in such a high pedestal were his brother was concerned? Indeed, she is important to him, so she will be important to his brother but to expect his brother to leave aside his life for her was asking too much.
Sighing, Purab says, "I understand it was his fault and mine too... but please try to understand. My brother is in love and he is going crazy as he doesn't know who the girl is."
"What kind of crap is that?" Aaliyah asks him. "Are you making up stories?"
"No... it is the truth. I told you about the girl he met at the party. He is trying to find her. He is in love with her and all he has is her glass slippers. He is going around all the guests' house with the glass slippers to find the girl he loves."
Feeling a movement from the corner of his eyes, Purab turns to look and sees the place empty, but he could have sworn that he had seen a girl running away.
"Your brother is a psycho."
"Don't you dare say anything against my brother!" Purab furiously tells her.
"FINE! I won't. And if you want us to be together anymore then your brother and your mother has to come to my house and meet my mother." Aaliyah furiously tells him.
Hearing her, Purab becomes furious, "I was planning to bring them here but after hearing you, I am starting to ask myself whether it is worth it!"
"Calm down, you both." Pammi says as she walked in. "Why are you two fighting?"
When they remained silent, Pammi continues, "We are really upset, Purab but I know Aaliyah loves you a lot, so I want to give you another chance. When it is convenient for your family, bring them home."
Purab leaves without saying anything. Once he had left, Pammi turns to Aaliyah furiously, "Didn't I tell you not to push him away?"
"How dare he treat me like that?" Aaliyah asks her furiously.
"Don't forget his family is the richest here. At any cost, I want you to be married to that family. After Raghuveer's death, you know our business is not as it used to be and funds are running out. So, don't you dare ruin this." Pammi orders her and walks off.
Pragya couldn't sleep that night, thinking back on what she had heard Purab tell Aaliyah. Abhishek had been going around with her shoe, in the hope of finding her.
"Mitali..." Pragya shakes her awake.
"Yeah Pragya... what is it?" Mitali asks as she sat up.
"I love him, Mitali." Pragya tells her as she broke down.
"I know, Pragya. What happened at the party? You have been silent and upset ever since." Mitali asks her as she caressed her lovingly.
"He loves me too. And he is trying to find me using my shoe." Pragya tells her what she had overheard.
"Why are you pushing him away, Pragya?"
"I am a servant, Mitali. He deserves someone better."
"Let him be the judge of it." Mitali advices her. "And do it quickly too. And what if that shoe fit someone and he thinks that person is you?"
"He would know it is not me then." Pragya tells her without thinking.
"But still... tell him the truth. You have got nothing to lose by telling him the truth and everything to gain."
Unable to hold herself back, Pragya sneaks out of the attic and taking the land phone she dials his number. She had memorized his number, he had a fancy number.
Pragya had to call two times before he picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Abhishek..." Pragya nervously says his name.
"Cinderella !" Abhishek says excitedly.
"I love you." Pragya tells him as she broke down.
"I know." Abhishek replies happily.
"Please take me away from here... I want to be with you. I can't live without you, Abhishek."
"Where are you? Tell me, I am comi..."
And the line goes dead.
"Hello? Hello? Abhishek?" Pragya says panicking then she tries to call back again when she realizes the phone had died. Pragya turns to look at the base to see Aaliyah holding one end of the wire as she smirked at her.
"So, it was you." Aaliyah asks her.
"Pragya, it is very simple... you tell me everything about Abhishek and you, then you and Mitali can continue to stay here. Otherwise, you both would be thrown out, and poor Mitali's house would be forever lost to her. I would have it demolished and all those memories of her dead husband would be gone with that." Aaliyah tells her.
"What are you going to do? Abhishek would never believe that you are me."
"Even if he doesn't believe it doesn't matter. I wouldn't have you marry him." Aaliyah tells her evilly.
Next day, hearing the door bell, Pragya was about to open the door when she looks through the peephole and sees Abhishek and Purab. Pragya quickly runs inside without opening the door as she couldn't see him and not tell him that she was the one.
Finally, Aaliyah opens the door and sees them.
"Abhishek..." Aaliyah says his name in surprise and then turning to Purab acting as if she was noticing him just then asks him, "Purab... what are you..."
"My brother got a call and on checking we found out that it is from your house." Purab tells her confused.
"I didn't call him." Aaliyah says faking panic.
"What is happening, Aaliyah?" Purab asks her suspiciously seeing her acting weird.
"Who called me last night?" Abhishek asks her.
Acting defeated and in tears, Aaliyah says, "Now you understand why I didn't tell you who I was. I never realized you were Purab's brother. Please don't hate me."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Purab asks her confused.
"I am sorry, Purab. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just fell in love."
"What?" Abhishek asks her confused.
Turning to Abhishek, she tells him as tears dropped from her eyes, "I am Cinderella ."
"Isn't she the girl you love?" Abhishek asks Purab confused out of his wits.
"Was." Purab replies furiously.
"I am sorry, Purab. I just fell in love with him."
"I have been to a lot of houses and heard a lot of fake stories, that I am not even surprised by your act." Abhishek tells her in disgust.
"I am not lying. You have to believe me, Abhishek. It is me." Aaliyah tells him as she broke into tears. "Wait here." Aaliyah says and hurriedly runs in.
"Here is the other pair. Now you believe me?" Aaliyah asks him.
"You are not her." Abhishek tells her.
"I am the one. Ask me anything, I can tell you. The first thing you ever said to me was then why did you?"
"You were with Purab while she was with me." Abhishek reminds her irately.
"No... Purab wasn't with me. I was with you. Purab had left me alone at the party and I ventured out because I got bored alone. Ask him whether he was with me during the party."
Abhishek turns to Purab and Purab nods in affirmative then turning to Aaliyah he asks her sadly, "You never loved me... did you?"
"I thought I did but I fell in love with him." Aaliyah informs him sadly then turning to Abhishek, she says, "Please believe me, Abhishek. Like I told you last night, I can't live without you."
"Wear the shoes." Abhishek instructs her.
Aaliyah wears it and it was big for her. Abhishek smiles at her victoriously.
"It is loose for me. Why do you think it came off?" Aaliyah asks as she removed the shoes and waved it around.
"Do you really think that this shoe didn't fit any girl before? It fit a quite number of girls perfectly." Abhishek informs her. "But none of them were her and neither are you. This shoe is just an excuse. I would know her when I see her."
Aaliyah gulps hearing him.
"Now, are you going to tell me who she is?" Abhishek asks her.
"Get out of my house." Aaliyah says furiously.
Ignoring her, Abhishek turns to Purab, "Where is this servant girl you told me about?"
"Pragya is usually the one who answers the door." Purab informs him dejectedly his mind still on Aaliyah.
"PRAGYA!" Abhishek calls out.
"Leave right now!" Aaliyah orders him.
Abhishek furiously snatches the shoe from her and walks inside. "PRAGYA! PRAGYA!"
Unable to ignore his call anymore, Pragya runs out of the attic and towards him.
"PRAGYA!" Abhishek calls out to her and hears someone running towards him. He runs to that direction and sees a girl. The moment she saw him, she stopped. And the moment he saw her, he recognized her.
"It's you." Abhishek says as he sighed in relief.
Pragya nods her head as she broke out into sobs. "What gave me away?" Pragya asks smiling through her tears.
"You gave yourself away. I just knew that it was you." Abhishek tells her smiling.
Breaking out into tears and laughter, Pragya runs to him and hugs him tight as she broke out into loud sobs.
"Why?" Abhishek asks her as he hugged her tight.
"I am a servant. An orphan." Pragya tells him as she looked at him.
"And a fool." Abhishek tells her smiling.
Abhishek kneels on the floor and offers the shoe for her. Smiling happily, Pragya slips in her foot. He takes out the other pair and puts it on for her. Abhishek looks up at her and smiles at her.
"Come with me." Abhishek tells her as he stood up.
And like always, she went with him.
Two days later, Abhishek and Purab again comes to Arora house.
"Purab..." Aaliyah runs to him seeing him. "I am so sorry. That was a stupid prank. I didn't think you all would take me seriously."
"You seriously would think that Bhabhi wouldn't tell me about your love for my family money and not me?" Purab asks her in disgust.
"She is lying." Aaliyah saying outraged. "After all that we did for..."
"Enough!" Abhishek snaps at her. "We are here to see Mitali and Rocky."
"What do you want with them?" Pammi asks frowning.
"That is none of your business." Abhishek tells her as he called out for Mitali and Rocky.
A minute later, Mitali and Rocky were in front of them.
"How is Pragya?" Mitali asks Abhishek.
"Pragya!" Pammi scoffs. "She left you here. Did you forget?"
"Shut up!" Abhishek snaps at her then he walks towards Mitali and Rocky, and says with a smile. "I asked Pragya what she wants as a wedding gift, and all she asked was a good job for Rocky and freedom for Mitali." Turning to Rocky, he informs her, "Your job is ready, Rocky." And then he turns to Mitali, "My lawyers will take care of your house. And if you would like to join and be a part of our family, we would be really happy."
"I would love that." Mitali says smiling happily. Abhishek smiles at her. Then he turns to Pammi and Aaliyah, "You both."
They look at him hopefully. "We gave her everything and raised her." Pammi informs him.
Abhishek ignores what she said and tells her, "In spite of what Pragya thinks or believes, my lawyers would be calling you. They would like to know why in spite of being Raghuveer Arora's only daughter, Pragya didn't inherit her father's money, business nor house. You are going to pay back every penny that you stole from her and will answer for every single second you made her slave for you. Now that is my promise to you."
"Purab..." Aaliyah turns to him in panic.
"Don't even bother." Purab tells her in disgust. "I have decided to have an arranged marriage and at least this girl is not behind my money. She genuinely cares about my family and me."
"Shall we?" Abhishek asks Mitali smiling.
"Yes."
"We have a wedding to plan." Purab informs Mitali smiling.
"A fairy tale wedding, I hope." Mitali says smiling.
"Obviously." Abhishek chuckles at her.
"I don't think Rocky is very excited." Abhishek informs Pragya as they looked at the wedding guests.
"But he looks so cute." Pragya says smiling as she waved at Rocky excitedly.
Abhishek chuckles when Rocky acted as if he didn't see her wave at him.
"I don't think he saw." Pragya tells him.
"He is a rat. I doubt he would see anything." Abhishek tells her chuckling.
"He used to drive the car, so I thought it was fitting." Pragya tells him.
"Mitali drove you to the party both the times." Abhishek corrects her.
"But she is fairy God mother."
"So, Rocky became the rat?"
"The rat was the coachman."
"Thanks for letting me be the Prince Charming and not a pumpkin." Abhishek tells her in a teasing tone.
"You are and will always be my Prince Charming." Pragya tells him smiling as she turned to him. Smiling happily, Abhishek leans down and takes her lips in his.
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- Lazy