BREAKING FREE (Pragya’s story) Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The room was filled a chilling silence, the only sound audible was the faint cries of the little creatures of the night which only added to the eerie atmosphere. Pragya and king sat on the bed, the door closed and the lamp lit, they sat there completely iMobile, neither of them knowing what to say to the other. King was trying his best to read his wife’s expression and guess what she was thinking, he was literally paralyzed with fear, now his worst nightmares were slowly rising to the surface and he could not bear it.

He tried with all his might to stop the tears from falling, he felt his throat close up and a burning inferno rage within his chest, but still, he could not move. He just sat there and stared at pragya who was just as paralyzed with fear as him, like a deer caught in headlights she sat there with a look of absolute horror on her face, yet somehow her expression remained blank, her eyes, her eyes were what showed the horror and fear. Her gaze was fixed on the documents she held in her hands, she could not move her gaze from them, she kept reading that one passage over and over in her mind so much so that she memorized every single word and was now simply staring at the paper.

The minutes felt like hours as the clock ticked away in the corner of the room, the only sound coming from inside. Kingya each had a million thoughts running through their minds, one crippled with the fear of losing his heart, his life, his love…and the other suddenly face to face with her horrible past, just when she thought she’d outran it, it came like a bulldozer back into her life, she was afraid, she was angry, she did not know what to say or do.
Finally, after what felt like years silence king spoke, he composed himself and pushed back the gut-wrenching fear that tied his tongue and pierced his heart

King :  I won’t do it

This statement startled pragya out of her turmoil and she lifted her head and looked at king in shock, she was furious and spoke

Pragya : What! What the hell did you just say?

King was taken aback by her reaction, his fear grew wider and that thought that hid itself in the back of his mind powered it’s way through, his worst fear was coming true now. She wanted to? His heart couldn’t bear the thought of it and the tears started flowing from his eyes now. He looked away and cleared his throat to speak, he did not want her to see

King : the promise, I’ll never break it, so I won’t do it

Pragya’s heart sank to her stomach, this man, why was he like this? Why was he always like this? Even now, he cannot think of himself? She was plagued with guilt, guilt that he was yet again sacrificing for her, he was still giving and giving, never taking or asking in return. How much more of himself would he give? What more would he give up for her? No! Not this time, pragya thought to herself as she looked at him, his back turned to her. She knew he was crying but this time she will not let him. This time she would be the one to give.

She looked at the documents and then put them aside, she reached her hand out and put it on his shoulder then spoke

Pragya : you have to do this, it’s your dream

She said with tears in her eyes

King : I can’t, I won’t… it’s not my dream

He said painfully

Pragya : yes it is, it still is.

She reached out her other hand and turned him to face her, his head was hung down because he was did not want her to see. But she already knew and she gently took his chin and lifted his head up to look at her, she saw something in his bloodshot eyes, something she had never seen before and it hurt her to see the pain in his eyes. She held both his hands and kissed them, she smiled at him and spoke.

Pragya : Mon Chéri, please, You can’t do this. Not this time, I won’t let you

She pleaded with him through her eyes and he saw, he saw her sincerity and he spoke

King : This dream is expensive cara mia, I can’t take that risk, it’s not worth it

Pragya was now getting frustrated with his adamance and shouted

Pragya : Enough! Why are you so stubborn?  Can’t you see? You’re so afraid that you’ll let all the hard work you’ve done, all the blood and sweat go in vain?

King was now getting frustrated as well at her adamance about it, how much she wanted this, why? Can’t she see he’s protecting her? Can’t she see how much she means to him? That nothing in this world is worth losing her?

King : I said I won’t do it, infact I’m going to return the documents tomorrow and put an end to it once and for all.

He shouted with just as much resolve as she did, he released his hands from hers and got up from the bed, he was so hurt that she really wanted this, how? Maybe the fear was right, he really wasn’t enough and she was never his…she really wanted to? Did he really fail so much that the first chance she got she was ready to do it in a heartbeat? He could not bear the pain and he tried to leave but pragya stopped him

Pragya : King stop this nonsense! This is not done, the possibility that what you’re thinking will happen, happening are a million to one.

King spoke with his back still turned to pragya

King : Even the absolute slightest possiblity is enough, I won’t risk it happening. Never!

He retorted and angrily stormed out of the room, pragya sat there dejectedly and she turned her gaze to the documents laying on the bed. Those stupid pieces of paper that caused this storm, she grabbed them and spoke

Pragya : Look what you have done you devil! I hate you! You will not ruin this for me, I will not lose him because of you

She threw the papers on the ground and buried her face in the pillow and cried her heart out

INDIA  – DELHI

A woman is shown waking up from her “beauty” sleep, she yawns and sits up stretching her arms, she looks at the Time on her phone and it’s 12 noon. She slowly gets up from her bed and into her slippers, her hair is a mess and her face lined with drool markings from when she was sleeping. She sleepily walks to her closet and grabs a towel and heads to the washroom.
As she is taking a shower, the door to her room stealthily opens and a little person sneaks in, they tip toe towards the bathroom door and press their little ear against it to hear if there was someone in there, after hearing the shower on and the sound of awful singing coming from inside they give a devious little smirk.

Meanwhile the lady finishes her shower and gets in her robe, after drying her hair she opens the door of her bathroom and walks out when suddenly a loud scream is heard in the whole house

Downstairs

Everyone is sitting at the table for lunch when they hear the scream, a lady rushes upstairs to see what happened and the lads reluctantly follow her, one of the ladies does not move and stays sitting and eating her food like nothing happened when one of the lads turns and asks her

Man : Disha aren’t you coming?

Purab asked his wife with a surprised look on his face at her absolute lack of concern

Disha : coming to where?

She asked casually without even lifting her head from her food and typing something on her phone which annoyed her husband

Purab : seriously? How can you be so cold?

Disha was irritated with his questions and she looked at him with a deadly glare which scared the hell out of the poor lad

Purab : fine, nevermind

He spoke and went upstairs to see the commotion, while Disha sat back on her chair with a smirk on her face

When purab got upstairs and made his way to the room he was shocked to find everyone in the room laughing, he turned his gaze to the direction of their eyes to see what they were laughing at and as soon as he saw he too burst out laughing.

It was tanu laying on the floor looking like a mad person with her hair all frazzled and a stupid angry look on her face, apparently she slipped and fell after stepping on baby oil.

The only person not laughing was her so called best friend Aliyah who had a furious look on her face, her husband was laughing so hard he was rolling on the floor and this irritated the hell out of her and she shouted

Tanu : Shut up! How dare you!

To which everyone only laughed harder at the expression on her face. But Alia also shouted

Alia : what is wrong with you? Why are you laughing at her? Can’t you see she’s hurt?

Saying this she tries to help Tanu up but she also ends up falling because the floor was still oily

A little voice burst out laughing at the sight of both grown women on the floor like that and everyone turned to see little sunny rolling on the floor with laughter, this infuriated  Alia and Tanu.

Tanu : You! I know it was you who did this you little brat! I will not spare you

She tried to get up and grab sunny but she just slipped again

Then they all hear a voice

Don’t you dare threaten my son you wench!

Disha roared and furiously walked in glaring at the duo on the floor, she picked up her son and held him in her arms protectively.

Abhi spoke for the first time to defend is wife

Abhi : Disha you can’t insult her like that, don’t forget she’s your Elder sister in-law

He foolishly declared with arrogance but Disha gave him a fitting reply

Disha : What nonsense “Sister in-law”? I cannot have a sister in law because I only have one sibling and that is my Sister PRAGYA.

This statement angers the foolish floor duo and Hurts abhi who feels bad that Disha hates him so much and angry that pragya is the “reason” for her hatred.

Disha looks at sunny who is smiling sheepishly with a momma bear glare and he realizes that he is in trouble for pranking again and gives a cute little pout.

Disha : My son is learning all this bad behavior from you Mr. MEHRA, I will not warn you again to stay away from my child

She said with an angry tone which broke Abhi’s heart hearing her call him Mr Mehra and upset purab who tried to come to his brothers rescue.

Purab : Disha, that’s not fair na.

But disha showed him her palm and walked out of the room with sunny who was showing his tongue to the floor duo.

LONDON – KENSINGTON

SINGH VILLA

Pragya had fallen asleep after tiring herself out from crying, she laid on the bed without a blanket covering her and the windows were still open from morning so the room was cold. King walked in and found her sleeping, he could clearly see her puffy eyes and deduced that she cried all night, he cursed himself for bringing tears to her eyes and hurting her. He walked to the windows and closed them and then turned on the heating system so the room would warm up.

He gently lifted a sleeping pragya in his arms and laid her properly on the bed and proceeded to cover her with the blanket, then he sat beside her and gently stroked her hair, she was a light sleeper most of the time but when she was exhausted she would sleep like she was in a coma. He placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and whispered to himself.

King : I’m sorry cara mia, I made you cry today, I’m so sorry, please forgive me. I don’t want to lose you, I can’t live without you and this thing will tear you away from me. I know it is selfish but I can’t be any other way when it comes to you, you’re my life, I will give my life for you if ask me to, nothing is worth more to me than you. Please don’t leave me

At this moment his phone began to vibrate, he gently moved away from pragya and checked to see who was calling, a broad smile appeared on his face and he quietly walked out to take the call in his office.

King’s Office

King on the call

King : I don’t know what to do with her, she really wants it to happen

Caller : This one, I thought she would have learned by now, wait I will scold her

The caller said in irritation

King : Arrey no, you think she’ll listen to you? You know how stubborn she is na

Caller : I know, but I am twice as stubborn as she is, infact lemme do something right now.

Saying this the caller dials two other numbers and it becomes a conference call, the two other people pick up the call and now it was switched to video call

Caller 2 : Hello, I can’t see you, can you hear me

King and the other two callers giggle and the first caller speaks

Caller 1 : mom, you’re too close to the camera, we can only see your forehead

She face palms and sighs then continues

Caller 1 : Di don’t you teach her how to do these things na? Look now she’s muted herself

King : Arrey leave my maa alone shrishti, Maa, Preeta, how are you my ladies?

Preeta : I’m fine Jijuki, and this Shrishti is scolding me when she’s the one who keeps buying these hightech smartphones for mom knowing full well that she’s not good with technology

Preeta retorted and rolled her eyes,

Shrishti : Leave me, what’s wrong with spoiling my mom a little na

Preeta : spoiling is fine but buying her gifts she can’t figure out how to use is pointless

The two sisters started bickering back and forth while Sarla was still trying to unmute herself, king smiled broadly and enjoyed watch his beautiful sisters cute bickering.
Finally Sarla unmuted herself and put an end to the sisters bickering, she then proceeded to ask why they called her

Sarla : King beta, why did you call all three of us? Did something happen? Are you okay? Is pragya okay?

She asked rapid fire not giving king a chance to answer even one question then shrishti spoke

Shrishti : moom, ah, give him chance to speak na, Bhai tell them what you told me

Preeta : yes Jijuki tell us please, we’re damn worried

King then narrated everything to them about the document and Pragya’s reaction and they were shocked and angry. Sarla was the first one to speak

Sarla : This daughter of mine, what is going on in her head ehn?

Preeta : Right mom, I don’t understand Di sometimes, what the hell is she thinking wanting you to accept this nonsense?

Shrishti : Exactly Bhai, you did right by refusing it, you should have burned those damn documents

The other two ladies agree with shrishti, they were all furious and also upset with pragya’s decision, king felt dejected at that thought that crept into his mind again, this was noticed by the three ladies

Sarla : No my son

King was confused by her statement so he asked her

King : what do mean Maa?

Sarla : what you are thinking,  you’re wrong beta

Prishti in unison : yes Jijuki/Bhai

King understood that they knew what he was afraid of and what was in his heart. they spoke

Sarla : I know beta that you love our Pragya, that is why I got you married to her seven years ago, I saw it in your eyes and I knew that nobody could be better for my pragya than you.

Shrishti : yes Bhai mom is right, your love for her is so pure that you have not even confessed to her because you feel she is not ready, but I am telling you Bhai that di loves you, she truly loves you

Preeta : yes Jijuki, we see it in her actions that she loves you, so don’t you dare think that thing which you are thinking okay?

Sarla : yes beta your sisters are right, you are not just our sone in-law, you are my son beta and we can’t see you like this, and as for pragya, there must be some other reason why she’s insisting on this matter. Anyway leave it, you go and make up with her and we will talk tommorow, I want to talk to both of you

Saying this they all say their good nights and hang up their calls. King sits on the desk for a moment and he thanks his lucky stars that he found such an amazing family, he heads back to his room with a pip in his step and a smile on his face, determined to find out the reason why pragya wanted to go through with it and to apologize for making her cry earlier.

He gets to the room and sees the documents which fell under the bed when pragya threw them on the ground and picks them up to put them away, while he puts them in the drawer pragya opens one of her eyes and sees him with a smile on her face but when he turns and heads to the bed after getting into his pajamas she closes her eyes and pretends to be asleep. He gets into bed and turns of the lamp to sleep when she pretends to be turning and snuggles next to him then places her head on his chest, he smiles and kisses her forehead thinking she was still fast asleep and they both drift off into a peaceful slumber in each other’s embrace.

Unknown to him, pragya had never actually slept.
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What was in the document?
What was king so afraid of?
Will pragya and king patch things up?

Precap : New characters

Well that’s all folks! Please  hit up comments section and let’s interact ✨
This was 3165 words in total