Shooting back to the shots
“Life is not a bed of roses,” Said Bulbul
“Agreed,” shouted Pragya as Bulbul continued with her lecture to the kids. After the accident Bulbul had become a philosopher, always talking about Life, analysing everything, and irritating Pragya with her silly her cute talks.
Once Pragya had asked her to select a date and she had replied “Dates are rates so I don’t choose them,I don’t like anything to do with numbers.”
“Nut kids it’s not a bed of thorns too, it both,”she said and came near. She whispered “Where is your crush?”
Bulbul blushed.
“Pragzie I am taking a class, he must be around managing stuff,she said with a blush and sneezed.
“He must be missing you and thinking of you,” she said while Bulbul shook her head in disbelief.
Pragya moved around the studio and found him in the lawn giving water to the plants singing “chan churaya mera kis ne o sanam, tuune, tunne.”
“Hey besurili awaz wale aashiq,” she spoke as Purab stopped humming and turned behind.
“Hey di,” he said
“Purab I need your help,” she said.
“How can I help you? I’ll try my best to,” he said
“Well not beating around the bush, How do you know Abhi? ” she questioned. Purab’s face turned pale as he heard Pragya.
“We were like brothers, in college together, no one could separate us. Abhi loved sports, especially cricket. He was the head of the sports department as well as sports secretary, and to his fortune only at 18 got selected in the national team, but then they say he started doing drugs which I don’t believe cause Abhi wasn’t like that, and then…. then he got suspended and I never saw him, the sad thing is he never contacted me, his best friend, he considered me as his brother but didn’t tell me, I tried to find out about his whereabouts but failed to do so. I really do miss him.” He ended.
Pragya thought to tell him. But the decided to surprise him once she convinces Abhi to come here. Purab had been a great help. His father was a trustee of this Centre and he too took part in these welfare actions very enthusiastically. He was a great addition to the family of the centre and probably her’s in the future.
She consoled Purab and then was determined to change Abhi.
“Hey Purab , don’t worry, where ever he is he would be fine and surely will come soon to meet you,” she said with hope reflecting in her eyes
Abhi sneezed three 5th time as he grabbed another tissue.
“Someone is thinking or talking about you,” she said appearing on the sofa.
“Stop talking like my dadi, she too says this,” he said.
“Don’t you miss her?” She asked.
“I do but I can’t leave this addiction and dadi won’t come back until I do so,” he said. He again I jested himself as the dosage and his need grew every day.
“Someone will change this Abhi, for sure!” She said and vanished.
The next day Abhi woke up and without thinking took a bath
why did I bath even though I hate to, is this here affect
He heard noises from the outside. He looked outside the window to find her waving at him. He shook his head and as she jumped trying to catch his attention. She then pouted with her ha SS on her hips looking at him. He climbed down the stairs and reached the door. He had just opened it when Pragya barged in. He just closed the door and turned around to look at her.
“We’re going out,” she said
“Is that an order or a request,” said Abhi.
“Whatever you wanna consider now go wear that blue jacket,” she said.
“Why I’m ready,” he said spreading his arms looking at himself.
“You look good in it now go, I am waiting outside,” she said and marched outside.
Abhi went up and out of his oldest bags took out his blue jacket.
How does she know Abhi it this jacket, I haven’t worn this since college ended
He came downstairs while Pragya smiled brightly at him. She sat on the bike ready for him.
“You’re driving,” he said
“Yes me now get on,” she said. Abhi sat behind her reluctantly.
“Would you mind telling me where are we going?” He asked.
“Mind wo karte hein Jin k pass mind Hota hai and me, I’m brainless,” she said to which Abhi couldn’t help but smile.
After sometime
“Woooo,” said Pragya while wiggling the bike and stopping thick forest could be seen on their side. Pragya parked the bike and got down. Pragya walked ahead as Abhi followed behind. They reached the waterfall. Pragya stopped on the edge and she stopped. She looked at the watch and waited while Abhi looked at her patiently.
“Now,” she spoke and at that moment a cluster of butterflies came out of nowhere. Pragya and Abhi booth looked at them in admirations one of them sat on her hand. Abhi league day her and all of a sudden Abhi was filled with butterflies ?.
Pragya giggles as Abhi looked at all like a small kid looking at it. She took
out her camera and clicked another photo of him.
On their way back Pragya stopped at a tea stall. “let’s have shall we,” said Pragya. While having tea Abhi started to cough badly. Pragya patted his back and looked at him with concern. “Are you fine?” She asked him to which he nodded. Pragya then dropped him back at his house. The next day when Abhi woke up and came out he found everything clean In the dining area and all the white cloths lifted. All the cobwebs removed, was she doing the same as in for real.
He saw her standing there with a smile. “Hut Hut, let’s go we have to go out again, get ready now,” she shouted to which Abhi obliged.
They then reached the ground as Pragya walked ahead and wore her cap. Go, go.
They walked down the pathway when they saw a few children playing cricket. Pragya took abhi by the arm and pulled him as she approached them.
“Come on abhi you used play, let me see you talent as I never saw you play,” she said with an innocent smile.
The mention of his career brought back bad memories but the fact that her innocent smile made them all go away.
“You haven’t seen me play?” he asked. Pragya nodded with the most remorseful face she could.
“Alright then, you are in for a gift as you will today se the great abhi play,” he said and walked forward. Pragya after talking with the kids joined them. Abhi was in the opponent team.
Pragya was standing, ready to bowl. As soon as she bowled it crashed through the stumps. Next for batting was abhi. He got in position while pragya swapped with one kid and stood in field. The very first bowl abhi hit it out of the park. He kept doing it until pragya came in.
Pragya took the bowl, kissed it and winked at him. Abhi was stunned and the next second he looked down the stumps whilst everyone was celebrating, he had been bowled out. Pragya hi fied everyone and kept on giggling while abhi glared at her.
The continued to play. Abhi was standing in the field and caught the ball when he felt the earth slipping under his feat. Darkness over powered him and he went down. Pragya who noticed rushed to him and caught him before he hit the ground. She called Arjun who came and was shocked to see him.
“Arjun it’s not the time to get shocked help me,” she said and they got him into the car. Pragya followed back on the bike.
“this is the great abhishek, WOW!! He is here in front of my eyes,” exclaimed Arjun jumping like a mad person.
“Shh! Yes and you need to keep this a secret,” said pragya she had never seen this side of Arjun.
“why?” said Arjun
Pragya then explained her plan and Arjun after listening agreed and left.
Pragya looked back at him as her mind drifted down her memory lane.
Yes I knew him, the day I saw that blue jacket and that bracelet in his cupboard I realized it was him
In the last year of college pragya and abhi had been together and so was Purab. She had missed to notice them as she never knew but abhi was someone she knew as she had a long crush since school on him. He had never noticed her as they were in different sections but the incident which pragya remembered pretty well was that once while playing abhi had injured him badly. He had been taken to the sick room where pragya was at duty being a medical student and her turn. As soon as abhi arrived she had jumped and wore a mask to hide her face. Abhi lay on the bad as Pragya came and examined his wound.
“It’s just a bruise but the cut here on the leg is deep, I’ll get my stuff,” said Pragya trying to sound as normal as possible.
While treating the wound “you need to be careful and take care of yourself,” she said while abhi listened keenly. Once she was done she asked
“You have an upcoming tournament right?”
Abhi nodded his head. Pragya then took out a bracelet and gave it to him.
“Never lose hope, everything is possible to achieve even in the hardest times,” and left
Once he was angry and was taking out his anger on his blue jacket when Pragya had stopped and said “why take out your anger on a jacket, work hard and don’t repeat the same next time, oh and the jacket suits you,” she had said and her face was veiled.
He had failed to notice her but she had always noticed him and him ending up like this had been a big blow
After sometime abhi gained his consciousness and looked around to find Pragya looking at his belongings in his cupboard. She took hold of the bracelet and asked “who gave this to you?”
“A girl who had treated me, she was really nice, her scolding, her melodious voice and her eyes were very attractive,” he said
Pragya blushed as he was complimenting her unknowingly.
“Why are you blushing?” he asked. Pragya just shook her head and spoke “why don’t you go to therapy abhi?”
Abhi’s eyes shot up, his eyes showed a mix of emotion, anger, sadness and mainly FEAR.
“I don’t want to talk about this, and there is no hope for me to leave this addiction,” he said
“Never lose hope, everything is possible to achieve even in the hardest times,” she said.
Abhi looked up and realized he had heard the same words, the same words that girl had spoken, it was like déjà vu and she had the same eyes, abhi just shrugged of those thoughts and looked at her.
“you hungry?” she asked
“yeah but there is no food at my house,” he said
“let’s be adventurous, there’s a wedding going around at the corner,” she said trying to hint him.
“so what?” he said getting up.
“well we can go and get food from the wedding like as in 3 idiots style,” she said
“3 idiots style?” he asked
“now don’t say you haven’t watched the movie, okay well they go to a wedding of an unknown and have food, FREE FOOD,” she said
“Oh and then they get caught,” he said
“areey leave that part focus on food,” she said
“but how will we go in this attire,” he said
Pragya took a duppata and tied it around like a turban.
“done now wait for me,” he said as Pragya entered the washroom and was mesmerized when she came out dressed in a white, designer shalwar kameez with an orange duppatta, her hair clipped to the back.
“did you bring that?” asked abhi
“yes I keep this with me in my bag, you never know when you might need it,” said pragya. Abhi just looked at her in disbelief and they moved towards the wedding. Abhi entered the wedding easily but bumped into one of the guest. Abhi was really scared when she inquired who are they.
“hey sheela, meet my husband Abhi,” she said and just moved ahead while abhi looked at her in disbelief she turned around and winked at sheela to which she laughed.
“your husband?” asked abhi
“well we need to play the part, we can’t say we’re friends or else people might get suspicious,” she said making a non-sensible excuse.
After having food abhigya returned back to abhi’s house.
“that was close,” said abhi as they were about to get caught.
“yeah who said to pour yogurt on his shoes,” said pragya
“well in 3 idiots they do the same thing and so I did it,” he said with a chuckle.
They entered and sat on the couch in the hall. Abhi started to cough badly when pragya gave him water. Pragya looked at him yearningly and asked “why don’t you go for therapy?”
Abhi didn’t answer.
“abhi I won’t back down without knowing the truth today, I know that you joined therapy in the Sunshine Therapy Centre but then what made you run away, why did you end up doing drugs?” she said in a stern tone. She was using the technique of instigation to make him open up.
“I NEVER DID DRUGS MYSELF,” he shouted which made pragya to stop.
“I never did(in a softer tone) you really want to know why then listen, when I got selected in the national cricket team one of my friends was already in the team, we had met at the club. I rose up the ranks with my talent and worked hard and in no time was about to become captain but they say that good time doesn’t last for long and that someone always wants to put you down, the senior players couldn’t handle me about to be captain, so they started to add heroin powder in my food, and drinks. I got used to it. Without my knowledge I took them in me and got habituated to them. Then when I stopped eating I had problems. I faced fever, diarrhea and flu. My friend told me that he had heard Raghav one of the senior player talking that they had added heroin in my food and I couldn’t stand it, I went to him and started to beat him up, but the security took me away. In the next series I was unable to perform and raghav accused me of doping and when the results came back positive I got suspended until I overcame this addiction but I couldn’t. they took me to therapy which was the worst time of my life, they had tied me to the bed, they didn’t give me water, they gave me shocks everyday while raghav laughed from behind and then one day I ran away, and hid myself from the whole world,” ended abhi, he was shivering, fear was clearly reflected in his eyes. Pragya just hugged him and patted his back.
“dadi and aliya to left me and said that until I go back to therapy they won’t come,” said abhi
Pragya made him to look up at him.
“abhi, I am from the Sunshine therapy Centre, Dr pragya araoa, I wasn’t here when this happened to you but I assure you that the ones who did it will be punished, I promise you therapy is a way lot better experience,” she said.
“please come with me,” she said forwarding her hand. Abhi looked up at her, and her eyes reflected solace, and peace and he put his hand in her’s.
They arrived at the sunshine Therapy Centre where Purab was waiting at the gate. Pragya had told him that she had a surprise and to come on the gate. He waited impatiently and when he saw her car he smiled widely.
“he will be angry on me na?” he asked
“he has the right too and I know you will cool him down.” said pragya
Pragya exited the car and came to him.
“Purab what if abhi came in front of you?” she asked
Purab was alarmed by the question but answered “I would beat his ass and hug him tight hug.”
Pragya smiled and signaled him to come out.
Purab’s eyes widened as he saw abhi coming out of the car. His beard had grown much. he looked quite weak. Both of them walked towards each other.
“hey Purab,” said abhi
Purab didn’t say anything. “Now don’t start with your silent treatment,” said abhi. Purab just hugged him tight. Arjun walked in from behind and stood beside pragya.
“you idiot where were you,” said Purab as he hit abhi lightly on the back.
“on vacation,” he said sarcastically and told the happenings.
“I’ll kill them, they will be punished let me call..” said Purab
“hey man calm down lets go inside and have a chat with some tea,” he said and turned around.
“abhi this is Arjun, my brother,” said pragya. Arjun shook hands with abhi and spoke “I am a big fan sir,” he said.
“hey not sir, call me abhi,” he said. But wrong things come at wrong time, his hands started to tremble and his body shook uncontrollably. He collapsed as Arjun and Purab supported him. Pragya checked his pocket and found 3 syringes. She injected him with one but no use. He shouted in pain and pragya rushed inside. She came back with another syringe and injected him on the neck. It was a sleeping injection.
“we shall bring everything back to normal..” said pragya and looked on
To be continued…..