Hello everyone,
So sorry for going off like that... I thought I would be able to post through Ramadan, but I didn't get time during Ramadan then kind of got busy and lazy to post. Very sorry to keep you all waiting. Will try to post once a week from now on. In Shaa Allah
Pragya sat on her new bedroom in nervous excitement. She hears the door open and nervously sat up as her heart started beating faster. She got married to Abhishek Prem Mehra today even though she had met him only once when he had come to see her, she was in love with him. How could she not love him? He had accepted her in spite of her short comings. He was the answer to the fervent prayers of her parents for that perfect husband for her.
She feels him sitting on the bed opposite to her and he slowly lifts her ghooghant. Then she hears a nervous chuckle, she blushes realizing even he was nervous like her.
"All the rituals and ceremonies felt never ending." Abhi says lightly chuckling.
Pragya smiles in reply.
"So, Pragya..." Abhi says taking her hand in his and Pragya feels ghoosebumps all over her body with that touch.
"You are happy, right?" Abhi asks her and Pragya shyly nods.
Abhi smiles and asks, "Are you so shy that you can't even say a yes?"
Pragya looks at him confused and he continues, "Say something. I can't believe that I am married and I haven't heard my wife's voice till now. At least, say my name."
Pragya looks at him panicking, didn't he know? Why is he talking like this?
"Pragya... say something."
Pragya's eyes fills with tears as her heart and brain started screaming.
"What happened, Pragya?" Abhi asks confused and slightly worried seeing her tears.
When she continues to cry, he asks worried "What is it? Do you want me to get my mother?" then without waiting for an answer he starts to get up from the bed when Pragya holds his hand.
Abhi looks at her and asks again, "Please tell me what is the matter."
Pragya points her finger to her tongue and waves her hand in front of him indicating no.
Abhi looks at her in horror and asks her, "You can't speak?"
Pragya nods her head in yes.
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Abhi asks her furiously.
Pragya starts signing to him.
We told you.
"I don't understand sign language!!!" Abhi says irritated.
Pragya looks at him in panic not understanding how to tell him.
Abhi gets up from his bed and furiously walks towards the door with Pragya running behind him.
"DAD! MOM!" Abhi screams out loudly as he ran down the stairs with Pragya behind him.
"What Abhi? What is it?" Mohan asks as he came out of his room followed by Radha. Very soon the whole clan i.e his sister Disha and Maasi, was there with the servants.
"She can't talk!" Abhi informs them.
"WHAT?" Radha asks shocked.
Seeing everyone's shocked expression, Pragya looks at everyone in panic. None of them knew.
"And they hid such a big thing from us?" Maasi asks furiously.
Pragya shakes her head in no, unable to express herself.
"Cheating!" Mohan says outraged.
"ROCKY!" Abhi shouts.
"Yes sir?"
"Bring her things from my room."
"What are you going to do?" Radha asks confused.
"Take her back to her house." Abhi tells her and feeling Pragya holding his hand he turns back to look at her. She was giving him a pleading look.
"I can never tolerate liars. And this is cheating." Abhi tells her furiously. Then looking behind her he says, "Keep it in the car."
Pragya turns to see a man carrying all her bags and walking out. She feels Abhi taking hold of her hand and he walks out furiously with her running behind him. She turns to look at her in-laws with a pleading look asking them for help but they remained where they were without saying a word.
Abhi stops the car in front of her house and starts taking her bags from the boot while Pragya remained in the car in shock.
Abhi opens the door and says furiously, "Come out!"
Raghuveer opens the door hearing the insistent ringing.
"Pragya? Abhishek? What are you doing here?" Raghuveer asks worried.
Hearing him Sarala comes hurrying out and seeing a crying Pragya and a furious Abhishek, she holds Pragya's hand and asks her, "What happened, Pragya?"
Pragya continues to cry.
"Did you think that you would hide the truth from us and I'll just accept her because I married her?" Abhi asks her furiously.
"What truth?" Raghuveer asks confused.
"That she can't speak!"
"You know, right?" Sarala asks confused.
"We told you everything right?" Raghuveer asks him confused and worried.
"Such liars!" Abhi says in disgust and then dropping her bags there he walks out.
He was about to open the gate when he felt her hold his hand. He turns back to her furiously but she was looking at him with a pleading begging look. He looks away and slowly removes her hand from his and walks out.
It's been three days, and Abhi still couldn't get her pleading look out of his mind. Every time he closed his eyes he sees her looking at him with those pleading eyes begging him to understand. Her parents had tried calling him multiple times but he hadn't attended their calls. His father had told him that her father had come to see him but he was not in a mood to hear any of their explanation. Abhi sighs as he tried to get back to work but then again her face haunted him. Finally giving up he gets up from there and leaves.
Raghuveer opens the door to find Abhi there.
"Abhishek?"
"I need to talk to Pragya." Abhi tells him.
"Come inside." Raghuveer says as he opens the door for him. "We were under the impression that you knew."
"I would like to talk to Pragya first." Abhi tells him.
Raghuveer nods and Sarala takes Abhi to Pragya's room.
Sarala opens the door and Abhi steps in behind her to find Pragya at the window looking out.
"Pragya..." Sarala gently calls her.
From behind Abhi could see Pragya wiping her tears before turning. Guilt started building up in his heart seeing her like that.
"Abhishek wants to talk to you." Sarala informs her and Pragya looks at him in shock.
Sarala leaves and Abhi closes the door and walks towards her and Pragya takes a few hesitant steps forward.
"I couldn't take your face out of my mind." Abhi tells her. "You were trying to tell me something, I am here to hear that."
Pragya looks at him in shock and then she starts looking around and spots a notepad and she quickly takes it and jots down. Once she was done, she passes the paper to him.
We had told the marriage broker to inform you about me and he told us he did. Papa had tried telling you when you came but that time somehow the talk were brushed aside. We thought you knew.
Abhi reads the letter and he remembers that conversation she had mentioned.
Mohan: Now that both of them like each other, we should finalize on a date.
Raghuveer: Balraj told me that he told you everything but still I just wanted to make sure you know about Pragya...
Balraj cuts him off: I told them everything and they have no problem. Now before the auspicious time gets over we should fix a wedding date.
Raghuveer: But still...
Mohan: He is right... he told us and let's not discuss all that and waste time. We will fix a wedding date.
Abhi closes his eyes remembering that conversation. They had tried and he had called them a liar.
"We were told that you had failed for your masters' exams and you were really embarrassed about it. We just assumed that was what your father was trying to tell us." Abhi tells her.
Pragya looks at him in shock and then she hurries to her table and frantically starts searching through her things.
Abhi watches her as she brought a certificate to him and he looks at it. "M.Sc Mathematics 2nd rank." Abhi reads with a humorless chuckle.
Abhi hands it back to her and says with a sigh, "Take your things we are going home."
Pragya looks at him in shock and then she takes her notepad and quickly starts jotting down.
Abhi takes the paper from her and reads it.
I just wanted you to know that we didn't cheat you. I understand that I am not the type of wife you wanted or needed. You don't have to compromise with your life for me. You should marry someone who you will be happy with.
Abhi looks up at her and then he tears the paper and throws it down. "Let's go?"
Pragya looks up at him in shock and then turns to write something again when Abhi holds her hand and Pragya turns to look at him.
"Pragya Abhishek Prem Mehra." Abhi calls her with a smile and she looks at him in surprise, "my behavior might have made you uneasy about me but let me assure you I am not all bad."
Pragya looks at him in wide eyed surprise and he continues, "I am sorry for my behavior. I should have let you explain before insulting you like that."
Pragya's eyes starts filling with tears and she shakes her head in no.
"You cried a lot and I don't want you to cry anymore. Okay?"
Pragya nods in reply. Abhi gently wipes her tears and then he cups her face and kisses her on her forehead. Closing her eyes in joy, Pragya smiles then she hugs him happily. A chuckle breaks out of Abhi when she hugged him and then with a smile he hugs her happily.
"Pack your things." Abhi tells her and Pragya points at her bags smiling, she had never unpacked. Grinning Abhi walks towards her bags and takes it.
Abhi opens the door and walks out when Pragya holds his hand. Abhi turns to her with a smile and she with a shy smile shows him her closed fist then puts up her index finger then stretches out her thumb and finally her pinkie.
"I don't understand sign language, Pragya." Abhi tells her with a gentle smile.
Pragya grins widely and noticing her parents walking towards them worriedly she quickly touches the side of her forehead with the tips of the fingers.
"Pragya..." Abhi says with a chuckle.
"She said, I know." Raghuveer tells Abhi smiling happily seeing them smiling at each other and Abhi with Pragya's bags.
Abhi smiles at them, "Oh! And what did she say before that?"
Raghuveer turns to Pragya and she quickly starts talking in sign language.
He'll understand it one day.
"She is saying that you'll understand it one day." Sarala tells him.
Abhi grins at her, "Spunky... I like it." Then he turns to Raghuveer and Sarala and tells them, "We were told that she had failed her exams. I think Balraj had lied for the commission. Now that everything is cleared I want to take her home."
"She is your wife." Raghuveer tells him smiling.
Abhi smiles hearing that and then in a regretful tone he says, "That day without knowing the truth I behaved very badly with you all. I apologize."
"You gained our forgiveness when you came here to talk to her and find out the truth." Sarala tells him smiling.
They walk into his house happily smiling when they sees his family members there.
"Abhi... what is she doing here?" Mohan asks frowning.
"I brought Pragya home, Dad. Just like us even they were cheated." Abhi tells them everything.
"So you brought her here?" Maasi asks him.
"Yes." Abhi replies frowning hearing the weird question.
"Abhi, she can't talk." Radha tries to tell him in a motherly tone.
"She is my wife." Abhi tells her calmly. He feels Pragya holding his hand and he reassuringly keeps his hand on top of hers.
"But Abhi think, how will you live with her?" Mohan asks him.
"There is nothing wrong with Pragya, Dad."
"She can't talk!!!" Maasi tells him.
"That doesn't make her any lesser of a person." Abhi tells her getting angry.
"You are ruining your life, Abhi." Mohan tells him.
"I am not. I'll not be able to live with myself if I abandon Pragya."
"You are doing this out of pity but Abhi, you have your whole life ahead of you." Radha tells him.
"This is not pity, Mom. I like Pragya and I want to be with her all my life." Abhi tells them and then ending the discussion he says, "I am hungry, mom. Please ask Rocky to have dinner ready for Pragya and me."
Saying that Abhi walks off holding Pragya's hand while she kept glancing at his family, they were not happy, she could see that. She could understand their apprehension and hoped they would accept her soon.
"They will need a little time, Pragya." Abhi tells her gently as he kept her bags on the floor. Pragya nods her head with a gentle smile.
"You take rest I'll take a quick shower and come." Abhi tells her and Pragya nods. Abhi starts walking towards the washroom when he turns to her and says with a smile, "Now that you are not going anywhere, you might want to start unpacking."
Hearing that Pragya starts smiling happily and Abhi grins at her.
Dinner was a quiet affair with his parents giving them worried glances, his sister looking blissfully unaware and his Maasi giving furious glares at her, in midst of all that she had remained with her head high as her husband had been holding her hand under the table the whole time.
Much later, Pragya watches as Abhi locks the door and walks to the bed. She gets on the bed and he also joins her. They lie down next to each other looking at the ceiling as their hearts started beating fast realizing their physical proximity. They slowly turn to look at each other and see the other looking at them passionately. Noticing the slight blush creeping up her cheeks Abhi quickly rolls over on top of her and looks down at her while Pragya looked at him holding her breath. Then he slowly leans down and gently takes her lips in his.
Pragya feeling a weight on her opens her eyes to find her husband lying so close to her that his shoulder was on her shoulder with his face on the crook of her neck. She blushes remembering how they had made out the previous night. She shyly pushes him off her, gently make him lie on his back and gets up. After her bath, Pragya goes to the kitchen and had made coffee for him, since she was not sure what he liked she had made a guess and made coffee for him. She comes back to the room and keeping the coffee mug on the bed side table she sits next to him watching him sleep. She was so happy, she had thought everything was over between them but her husband who had abandoned her halfway through had come back for her and was now walking with her holding her hand gently in the journey of life. She couldn't love him anymore for his support. His family's disinterest in her did hurt her but at present she was basking in the support and care he had shown her to worry about anything else.
She leans down and gently kisses him on his forehead. He opens his eyes with a frown and seeing her he smiles as he closed his eyes.
"I forgot I was married." Abhi tells her grinning. "Was wondering who dared to kiss me."
Pragya laughs hearing him.
Abhi wraps his arms around Pragya's waist and pulls her towards him. Pragya quickly takes the coffee mug and offers to him. He sighs loudly and leaves her as he took the coffee from her.
"I've to go to office today but I'll come early." Abhi tells her and Pragya smiles at him.
"Did you have coffee?"
Pragya nods.
"Next time onwards bring yours too, we'll have together." Abhi tells her as he drank his coffee.
After having breakfast, Abhi left for office with Mohan. Pragya tries to talk to her mother-in-law but Maasi had intervened and stopped her. She had made it clear that Pragya was an unwanted liability that they would throw out the moment Abhi came into his senses. Pragya decided to not let it affect her as she trusted her husband over his Maasi. And like her husband had stated she had always believed that even though she couldn't speak that didn't make her any lesser of a person.
Since his mother seemed uncomfortable around her, Pragya decided to remain in her room. She left her room only when it was most necessary. She was sitting in her room watching TV when she hears a buzz on her mobile. She checks it to find a message from Abhi.
Pragya... Howz it going?
Good.
No idea why but I am missing you terribly.
Pragya blushes hearing that and replies back.
Come home soon.
I'll come around 6, be ready we'll go book shopping.
Book?
Yup. Work... gotta go.
Evening Pragya got ready and waited for Abhi to reach. Abhi walks in to his room to find Pragya dressed up in a beautiful yellow anarkali. She smiles happily seeing him and he walks towards her with a sexy smile on his face.
"You ready?"
Pragya nods her head.
"I'll just freshen up and come." Abhi tells her and walks towards the washroom.
Pragya noticing his laptop bag on the couch she decides to keep it on the table when she was about to bend down to take it she suddenly felt his hand on her waist and he turns her around to face him. She looks at him curiously and he starts kissing her soundly on her lips. Pragya starts kissing him back with equal passion. They slowly break off the kiss and he grins at her then without a word walks back to the washroom.
Pragya and Abhi walks into the book store.
Pragya asks him in sign language.
Do you read a lot?
Abhi gives her a look and says, "First let me get the sign language book then you ask me all these."
Pragya grins at him embarrassed then start smiling realizing why they were there. She liked the way he treated her, the fact that she couldn't speak was not a big deal to him. For him that she couldn't speak was just same as that he couldn't understand sign language, not a sin or a big deal.
"Pragya, which is better?" Abhi asks showing her two books on sign language.
Pragya looks through both and picks one she feels is more accurate.
"Do you want to get any books?" Abhi asks her and Pragya nods as she goes around looking for books and Abhi quietly follows her.
Once they were done with the shopping, Abhi and she go to a restaurant to have dinner.
"I was just googling sign language today in office." Abhi tells her with a big grin on his face and Pragya looks at him with a smile.
"And I went to google image and guess what I found." Abhi tells her with a big grin.
Pragya's heart starts beating against her chest wondering if he found out what she had told him yesterday.
"One of the images was I Love You in sign language." Abhi tells her grinning.
Pragya looks at him in nervous panic.
Abhi makes a fist and then opens his index finger then thumb and finally pinkie.
Pragya turns pink seeing him show that.
"So, should I say it in your language or mine?" Abhi asks her grinning widely.
Later Abhi and Pragya walks into the room. Abhi locks the door while Pragya walks to the dressing table. She was removing her ear rings when he holds her from behind. Pragya shyly turns around to face him. Abhi caresses her cheek as he looked at her lips hungrily. Abhi leans down and she meets him halfway. They start kissing hungrily as they frantically removed each other's clothes.
"Pragya..."
Pragya turns to look at him and he was leaning on his elbow as he watched her. He says I Love You in sign language and Pragya smiles happily with a hint of tears in her eyes.
"I don't know how or when. Maybe ever since our marriage got fixed, or maybe when I married you or the way you had shyly smiled at me on our suhag raat or when you had looked at me with those pleading eyes when I was leaving you or when you smiled at me after I came back or whether it was when I kissed you for the first time or when you woke me up with a kiss today or whether it was when I realized what you had told me yesterday. I don't know when but I feel it in me. In every bit of me I feel it. So does it matter when?"
Pragya shakes her head in no as she happily smiled at him with tears in her eyes.
"Tell me, Pragya."
Pragya signs to him.
I love you.
Abhi leans down and kisses her.
"This is more complicated than maths." Abhi says as he learned the signs from the book.
Pragya chuckles hearing him as she walked towards him wiping her hair. She sits next to him as he tried imitating the signs to learn them. She smiles seeing him, he has been trying to learn from the book for over a week and he was learning quite nicely too. But he seemed to want every sign magically ingrained into his brains all at once.
Pragya signs to him.
You are doing really well.
"I am what?" Abhi asks as he frantically looked through the book. Pragya chuckles and lovingly ruffles his hair as she got up from the bed.
"Oh thank you, Pragya." Abhi says smiling proudly finding out what she had meant.
Pragya grins at him and walks out of the room. She had tried to help her mother-in-law in the kitchen yesterday. She could see that her mother-in-law was mellowing down towards her but then Maasi would enter and curse her for ruining Abhi's life. Pragya ignored her and her words without a second thought.
"PRAGYAUU" Abhi calls out to her from room. Thirty seconds later when she hadn't magically appeared in front of him thinking that she didn't hear him he calls her again "PRAGYAUU" few seconds later he again calls her "PRAGYAUU"
He hears the door open loudly and he looks up to find her glaring at him.
She points to her mouth and shakes her thumb in no and then points to her ears and shows thumbs up.
Abhi cheekily grins at her and says, "I thought you didn't hear. You parents are calling you on skype."
Pragya smiling happily hurries to get her ipad and turns it on. She starts happily chatting with her parents while Abhi tried to follow the conversation to learn the sign language, in the end he simply gave up as they were too fast for him. He had to rely on his book.
Next day, Abhi comes to their room after office.
"Pragya... show me your hand."
Pragya with a curious look gives him her hand. And Abhi puts a watch on her hand.
Pragya looks at her watch with a smile when Abhi presses a button on her watch and his watch starts beeping. Pragya excitedly looks at his watch.
"This way, if you want to call me or answer when I call you, you can use this." Abhi tells her with a smile then he adds cheekily, "this way you don't have to scream at me."
Pragya laughs and then signs to him.
Thank you.
Abhi with a grin reply back to her in sign language.
You are welcome.
You are doing good.
Thank you.
Things were going smoothly for Abhi and Pragya though Pragya was being treated like an outcast still she didn't tell Abhi about it. They were happy with each other and madly in love with each other and Abhi was getting good at sign language.
"Pragya..." Abhi calls out to her from the bathroom.
Pragya turns to look at him.
"Pass the towel."
Pragya takes the towel and walks towards the bathroom. She offers him the towel and he looks at her for a moment and then pulls her inside the bathroom. Pragya gasps in shock and struggles to free herself when Abhi keeps the towel on the rack and pulls her into the shower.
Pragya looks at him and gets lost in his eyes as he looked at her intensely. Abhi pulls her closer to her and starts kissing her as he tried to get her out of her clothes at the same time.
Abhi leans back as he helped Pragya get back to her feet. Pragya shyly smiles at him with a content smile and he grins back at her. then he leans down and kisses her pulling her under the shower again letting the water run between them.
Abhi grabs the towel before Pragya could and walks out wrapping it around his waist. Pragya pokes her head out of the bathroom and bangs on the door. Abhi turns back and look at her.
Give me towel.
Abhi gets her a towel and passes it to her. Pragya wipes herself dry and again she pokes her head out and bangs on the door. Abhi turns to look at her as he buttoned his shirt.
Pass my clothes.
"Come out and take it."
Please.
"We were just naked in there and now you are shy?"
I am shy. Please. Just pass my clothes. At least pass me a bathrobe. Please?
"Meri maa!! I can't follow you if you talk a mile per second. Either slow down or break down the sentence."
Pass my clothes!
"No."
Sighing Pragya wraps the towel around her and slowly steps out. Abhi ignores her and Pragya grabbing her clothes starts to run to the bathroom when he pounces on her and holds.
Pragya looks at him shyly as she struggles. Abhi bites her on her shoulders and Pragya hugs him blushing.
"In the bathroom... huh Pragya?" Abhi asks her grinning widely making her blush. "Never thought I was such a tharkey." Abhi says chuckling and then he adds "I love you, Pragya."
Pragya looks at him smiling and he tells her, "More than I could ever express in both your and my language."
I feel the same.
Abhi smiles happily and takes her lips in his.
Abhi and Pragya join the rest of the clan for breakfast. Everyone were eating when Abhi calls Pragya. "Pragya?"
Pragya turns to him smiling.
Earlier it was fun, right?
Pragya's eyes widen as her cheeks started heating up.
Maybe we should bathe like this every day.
Shut up!!!
Come on! I know even you enjoyed it. Abhi signs to her with a wink.
Pragya turns completely pink and kicks him under the table.
What is the hurry? Tomorrow.
What? Just shut up!!!
Seeing her getting all worked up Abhi just chuckles and turns back to find his family looking at him frowning, he just smiles at them and gets back to eating.
Noticing the tensed situation at the table, Abhi finally asks, "Is everything alright?"
Disha looks up at him pouting sadly while his parents and Maasi looks at him angrily.
"What happened?" Abhi asks them.
"Ask your sister." Radha tells him angrily.
"Disha, what happened?"
"Ask them... because I can't understand their stand."
"Huh?" Abhi looks at her confused and turns to Pragya, "What is happening here?"
Pragya shrugs in reply.
"Mom?"
"She wants to marry a Bengali." Radha accuses her.
Abhi turns to Disha.
"I love him."
"He is a Bengali." Radha tells Abhi. "And you should have seen the racket she created yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"She threatened us to elope."
"WHAT?" Abhi asks outraged. "So much happened and no one bothered to tell me?" then turning to Pragya he asks her, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What is she going to say?" Phabbo asks in disgust.
"I am talking to my wife. Please don't talk in between." Abhi tells her angrily and then he turns to look at Pragya.
I didn't know.
"How can you not know? You are here the whole day."
I didn't know.
"She doesn't know. Nobody talks to her when you are not around!" Disha informs him.
Abhi looks at Disha in shock and then turns to Pragya and asks her, "Is it true?"
Pragya gulps.
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Pragya?" Abhi asks her then turning to his parents and asks them, "You people don't talk to Pragya?"
His parents look down in guilt.
"Why? Why mom? And Dad?"
"And Disha you also?"
"Maasi wouldn't let me talk to her. Telling me that she is a curse on our family." Disha tells him sick and tired of the unfair behavior of her family.
Abhi angrily stands up as he glared at Maasi.
"Did you call my wife a curse?"
Pragya quickly holds his hand as she frantically shook his hand.
"You keep quiet, Pragya!"
"See he has gone mad, telling her to keep quiet!" Maasi says angrily.
"What the hell is your problem? Pragya can't speak but neither Pragya nor I have any problem with that. Then why are you stuck on it?"
"You deserve better than her!"
"There is no one better than my Pragya!" Abhi furiously tells her. "You disgust me, Maasi."
Abhi ignores Pragya who was trying to calm him down and then turning to his parents he says, "If you didn't know then let me tell you, I love her and she is my life. I can't live without her. So please treat her nicely. If anyone hurts her again, I'll not forgive them."
Abhi furiously walks off and Pragya hurries behind him.
Pragya nervously steps into their room to find Abhi furiously pacing the room. He turns to her and asks her angrily, "Why didn't you tell me that you were being treated like this?"
They need time to accept me.
Abhi angrily looks at her and Pragya gently holds his hand with one hand and keeps her other hand on his cheek lovingly.
"This is not done, Pragya. They shouldn't have treated you like this."
Maybe it is because I didn't try hard enough.
Abhi looks at her frowning.
They needed time and I just gave them time. I never tried to talk to them.
Abhi looks at her.
Give me a chance; I'll try talking to Mom tomorrow.
"Okay! But if anyone ill-treats you here then you should tell me."
Yes.
Next day, Pragya goes to the kitchen when Radha was alone there. Radha looks at her with a hesitant smile and Pragya broadly smiles at her. Seeing Radha cutting vegetables, Pragya points to the vegetables and asks her for the knife. Radha gives it to her and Pragya starts cutting the vegetable.
A while later, Pragya holds Radha's hand and tells her in sign language.
I am sorry, Abhi shouted at you yesterday.
Radha gives her a confused look not understanding.
Pragya realizing she didn't understand tries in lay man's language. She rotates her hand to indicate yesterday.
"Earlier? Yesterday?" Radha guesses and Pragya nods.
Pragya holds her mangalsutra.
"Mangal sutra? Marriage? Wedding? Abhi?"
Pragya nods smiling, then makes an angry face.
"Angry?"
Pragya nods and then holds her ears with a sad face.
"Sorry?"
Pragya nods smiling.
Radha smiles and says, "No... he was right. You are his wife and Mohan and I have been noticing how happy he is with you but don't know why we just didn't accept you. I am sorry."
Pragya smiles at her and hugs her happily. Radha happily hugs her back.
Later, Pragya was in her room when she hears a knock. She opens the door to find Disha there.
"Can I come in?"
Pragya smiles and welcomes her in.
"I always wanted to talk to you but then Maasi always stopped me." Disha tells her.
Pragya just continues to smile.
"But when she opposed me regarding Purab I realized that she is not really bothered about our happiness, it is all her prejudiced mind."
Pragya doesn't react to her.
"So after listening to bhai, I realized I should just listen to my heart instead of her." Disha tells her. "I am sorry, bhabhi."
Pragya holds her hand reassuringly. They continued to talk to for a while and finally Pragya asks her about Purab.
"He is a Bengali and that is a big no no." Disha tells her sadly. "I can't understand why that is a problem. Did bhai say anything about it?"
Pragya shakes her head in no.
"Will you talk to bhai and ask him to help me?"
Pragya holds Disha's hand reassuringly.
The next few days were perfect for Pragya, as everyone except for Maasi have accepted her and they seemed to genuinely care for her. Abhi and she had managed to convince his parents for Disha's wedding. Everything was going smoothly when Pragya realized that she has been throwing up for the last three mornings. As Abhi got ready for office Pragya sat on their bed in daze feeling her stomach wondering if their baby had come to this world.
Later, Pragya goes to Radha and informs her of her doubt. Radha takes her to the doctor and confirms the pregnancy. Pragya eagerly waits for Abhi to come home to inform him of their impending parenthood. Finally Abhi gets home and Pragya excitedly goes to him.
I want to tell you something.
"What?" Abhi asks with a smile.
Pragya starts blushing as she keeps his hand on her stomach.
"You are hungry?" Abhi asks frowning.
Pragya looks at him in shock and then shaking her head she keeps his hand on her stomach again.
"Stomach pain?"
Pragya looks at him in shock then gestures a baby.
"You have been having stomach pain since you were a baby?"
Pragya furiously stops her foot and again tries to tell him.
"You want to take some medicine for your pain?"
Pragya furiously moves closer to him and shows kissing action and then furiously points at her stomach.
"What? You are saying that you are having stomach pain because we kissed in the morning?"
Throwing up her hands in the air Pragya walks off furiously. Chuckling Abhi hugs her from behind and asks her "So, is it a boy or a girl?"
Pragya turns to him in surprise.
"I had started wondering whether I should be the one telling you about the baby."
You knew.
"You have been throwing up. Of course I knew. I was going to tell you then today I saw you sitting with your hand on your stomach." Abhi tells her smiling.
Pragya looks at him amazed realizing he knew it before her.
"Then today when I called home, Rocky told me you and mom went to the hospital. When I walked in and saw the smile on your face I knew we are pregnant."
So you were making fun of me?
Abhi grins cheekily. Pragya happily hugs him.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!" they hear Radha shouting loudly. Hearing the shout Abhi and Pragya hurries out.
"Mom? What happened?" Abhi asks seeing her furiously screaming at Maasi.
Radha turns to Abhi and Pragya and looks at them helplessly.
"What is it, Mom?"
Pragya hurries to her and takes her hand worriedly.
"Radha?" Mohan asks as he comes towards them.
Radha looks at Pragya with tears as she caressed her cheeks.
"What is it, mom?"
"She told me to kill your baby."
"WHAT?" Abhi asks shocked as he turned to look at Maasi.
Pragya looks at her in shock.
"She is saying that if Pragya has this baby then she'll be here forever. So it is better to kill your baby." Radha tells him furiously looking at her sister.
"WHAT? How dare she?" Mohan asks furiously.
"How did you even have the courage to say that?" Abhi furiously asks her.
"Abhi!" Maasi says in outrage. "You are so madly in love with her. Did you think that her problem could be genetic and your kid could be dumb?"
Abhi sees Pragya's eyes going wide as she silently gasped.
"If our baby can't talk then Pragya and I'll teach him how to be strong and smart, just like how Pragya is!"
"It is a cruelty to the baby." Maasi tells him.
"Shut up and get the hell out of my house!"
Maasi looks at him in shock.
"Either you leave or I'll throw you out myself." Abhi tells her.
Noticing when Pragya was about to interrupt he says, "Do you want her to live in this house with all of us worrying whether our baby is safe?"
"She has to go." Mohan tells Pragya and then he turns to Radha and says, "I'll have Bittuji make arrangements for her to stay in our guest house but after today she will not contact any one here."
Abhi hears his watch buzzing and he ignores it. Pragya was calling him. It buzzes again and he ignores it. Then he hears the door open and he turns back to see Pragya enter.
"Did she leave?"
Leaving. Come down.
"No."
Just tell her that you forgive her.
"I didn't forgive her."
Please, I don't want her to curse our baby.
"Even if she curses it is not going to fall on our baby. She is wrong. It is not any of her business who I marry and she has no right to even think like that about our baby."
Pragya helplessly looks at him.
"Come here."
Pragya goes to his open arms and hugs him.
Do you think our baby won't be able to talk?
"Are we going to love him any less or any more if he can or cannot talk?"
No.
Abhi smiles at her.
"It is better she leaves, Pragya. Because of her, everyone here took time in accepting you and now they all have it is best she is not here. Now you'll be surrounded by people who love you."
Pragya couldn't argue with that point. Now, she was truly surrounded by people who cared and loved her.
6 years later
Abhi helps a pregnant Pragya on to the couch. Once she settles down he sits next to her and his son pounces on him excitedly. Abhi settles him on his lap.
"You are going to be a big brother now. You shouldn't sit on Papa's lap all the time now." Radha tells him to irritate him.
"This is my Papa and I'll sit on his lap!" Dhyan tells her irritated making Abhi and Pragya chuckle.
"Papa..." Dhyan calls Abhi and Abhi turns to him.
"Yes, Dhyan?"
"How did the baby get inside Mommy's tummy?"
Pragya's eyes go wide hearing the question while Abhi starts chuckling.
"Did you kiss Mommy and is that how the baby got inside her tummy?"
Pragya turns pink with his question and tries to clamp his mouth with her hand. And he very easily shrugs her off while Abhi burst out laughing.
"Who told you that?"
"My friend."
What all are these primary school kids talking these days? Abhi wonders and then he thought on how to answer his son.
"So is it?"
"Yes." Abhi replies making Pragya, Radha and Mohan gasp out loud.
"Abhi!" Radha says in a scolding tone.
Pragya furiously hits him on his hand.
"What?" Abhi turns to Pragya.
Did you want me to lie to him?
"Why do you want Papa to lie to me? Don't you know lying is bad?" Dhyan asks Pragya frowning.
No.
Dhyan smiles at her.
"You tell him the truth then he is going to be satisfied with it. Why lie unnecessarily?" Abhi asks his mother.
"So you kiss to get pregnant?" Dhyan asks Abhi thoughtfully.
Then Abhi started getting worried seeing his thoughtful look and asks him, "Are you planning to get anyone pregnant?"
"Yes." Dhyan replies confidently.
The End
Please vote and comment
- Lazy