Kambaqt Ishq – Episode 38

For Rabul’s Girl…the continuation of Purab and Bulbul’s story.
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Episode 38

Purab awoke the next morning feeling as though he’d been run over by a truck! His stomach churned and his body ached… If only his head would stop pounding! With his eyes still closed, he lifted a hand and pressed his temples to ease the throbbing pain. Wanting to lie on his side, he tried to turn but something was preventing him. He opened his eyes just a fraction to peek at what it was and his gaze landed on….Bulbul? Na…maybe he was mistaken. What would she be doing in his bed? Maybe he was dreaming… He lifted a hand and touched her hair and his eyes widened as he realized she was actually here with him…in his bed! Her head was on his shoulder while her hand rested on his bare chest. His bare chest? Where the heck was his shirt?! He asked himself, his eyes roaming around. Why was he even shirtless in the first place?!

OMG! He exclaimed as another thought hit his mind, causing him to panic. Did they….? Na, he thought, shaking his head. They couldn’t have… They wouldn’t h—…. would they? He tried his best to recall the events of last night that possibly led to this, but nothing came to him. This is so messed up, he thought, covering his face with one hand.

Here he was, lying in bed half naked, with the girl of his dreams in his arms, and no recollection of how they had gotten here. Just great! Maybe if this headache would just go away, he’d be able to think clearly! He needed to get up….take a shower, drink some water, take a painkiller…something…anything… that would make this awful feeling go away! Purab slowly and stealthily tried to extricate himself without waking Bulbul up. He got out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom to take a shower…

After taking a shower, Purab stared into the bathroom mirror, half- dressed, where a thousand questions plagued his mind. How did they get home? Did he drive in that condition? Why was Bulbul here instead of at her house? He pressed his temples once again to ease the pain, trying to recall the events of last night for a second time. Yet, still, nothing came to him….well nothing substantial anyway. He remembered going to the party with Bulbul and their engagement announcement… talking to some girl he didn’t know and Bulbul’s anger.

Everything after that was pretty much a mystery to him. What if he had crossed his limits…? He wondered worriedly. He knew he wasn’t that type of guy… but with those drinks in his system and a gorgeous Bulbul there, Come on, Purab, just relax….Just take a deep breath…and chill out… You don’t know for sure that something happened… This is not the first time you’ve gotten drunk, remember? This was, however, the first time he had woken up with a girl in his bed, he reminded himself. How did he even get that drunk in the first place? He guessed would just have to wait till Bulbul got up so they could try to solve this puzzle together. Purab put on his white t-shirt and ran a hand though his hair, slicking it back, when heard a sound coming from his bedroom. Was Bulbul awake?
“Owwww” Bulbul winced in pain, as she lay in bed, pressing both palms to the sides of her head.

This is the absolute worst I have ever felt in my entire life! Why do people drink if this is what they have to look forward to the next day?! With her eyes squeezed shut, Bulbul kept turning her head from side to side, hoping to shake off the pain. Stupid headache! She groaned. “Sarla Ma!” she called childishly, “My head hurts!”
Purab grinned as he heard her calling out to the Nanny who had practically raised her. According to Bulbul, her parents were always too busy keeping up appearances in their high-class society to even bother with their only child. After trying so hard to get their attention, she finally gave up and accepted the fact that this was how things were always going to be, and there was nothing she could do to change that.

So little Miss Bulbul Mishra formed an unlikely mother-daughter bond with Sarla Ma, the woman who given her so much love, that she hadn’t really missed her parents much over the years. Sarla Ma never married and chose to spend her years taking care of Bulbul. He got the Aspirin out of the cabinet and poured her a glass of water. “Here, take this.” he said. “You’ll feel better.”
Hearing that familiar voice, Bulbul opened her eyes slightly and saw Purab. Purab? What was he doing at her house? She wondered. He was standing there with his wet hair, looking so handsome, that Bulbul couldn’t help but stare. He cleared his throat and she realized he was holding out a glass of water and what looked like an Aspirin. She took the pill and water and handed the glass back to him. “Thanks” she said.

She was about to ask what he was doing here when she turned her head and noticed her surroundings. This is not my room…she realized slowly. Purab put the glass down on the nightstand and turned back to her. He saw the puzzled look on her face as she took in the unfamiliar territory. “You’re at my house.” he said, clearing her confusion. “Oh…” she replied. In most cases, a girl would freak out after waking up in a guy’s bed, with barely any memory of the night before…but not her. She trusted Purab. He wasn’t that type of guy to take advantage of anyone…much less a drunk girl. “What am I doing at your house?” she asked. “You didn’t kidnap me, did you?” A smile formed on his lips. “I’m not sure.” he replied. “What do you mean you’re not sure? Who would forget kidnapping a cute girl like me?” she asked. Purab grinned. This was his Bulbul, he thought. So damn cute. His Bulbul? When did she become his Bulbul? “So how did w-…” She started to ask, but before she could finish her sentence, a flash of the night before entered her mind, taking her totally by surprise. “Oh Oh” she whispered to herself. “What happened?” Purab asked, seeing her eyes widen. Then a few more flashbacks came to her. “You okay?” Purab asked, after noticing the tensed expression on her face, but Bulbul didn’t hear him. “Bulbul!” he called and she immediately snapped out of her daze. “You don’t remember….anything?” she asked all of a sudden. Purab shook his head. “Oh” she said sadly. “What happened?” he asked. “What did you recall?” “Nothing….umm… I think I should go now.” she said hurriedly. “But we need to talk.” he said.

About a lot of things…. namely their sleeping arrangements, which he noticed this morning. They would sit down over breakfast and have a discussion like two mature adults. His stomach turned at the thought of food. “I have to go to work.” She said, out of nowhere, but then she realized she actually did have to work today. “On New Year’s Day?” he asked surprised. Bulbul nodded.
“My shift begins in an hour and I have get ready. Besides, my parents must be wondering where I am.” she said. I’m so stupid, Purab scolded himself. I didn’t even think about that. Her parents didn’t care where she was or what she did, Bulbul thought, unless it affected them. But Sarla Ma would definitely be worried. “Ok, just let me get my keys and I’ll drop you home.” They could talk on the way. “It’s okay.” she said. “I’ll go on my own.” “No, I will —” “It’s okay!” she stated firmly this time. Purab was taken aback by her tone. Was he missing something here? She seemed a little teed off. “I’ll call when I’m home, ok?” she assured him. “But…” he tried to interject. “Thanks for last night.” she said. Giving him a quick hug, she turned and went out the door. “Bulbul!” he called but she didn’t turn back.
I should have gone after her, Purab thought as he sat down on the sofa trying to figure out what just happened. And what? Make her even more late for work? He asked himself.

He was a bit surprised that she had to go into work today, but he had forgotten for a moment that being an RJ was different from a regular job as they were required to work even on holidays. They would talk after her shift, but for now, he needed to know that she was ok. Why did she react like that? Was it something she remembered from last night? At that moment, Purab’s phone beeped and he looked at the screen. It was a message from Bulbul saying she was home…and thanks for everything. Why didn’t she call him? He needed to speak to her…. To hear her voice…to make sure she was alright. I should call her, he thought. He dialed her number but got no response. He tried twice more…but still no answer. She was probably busy getting ready for work, he thought. He would try calling her later.

At least the case of his missing shirt was solved, he thought wryly, as he spotted it on the floor resting comfortably next to his jacket….
Bulbul stood in front of the mirror, dressed for work, staring sadly at her reflection. She glanced at her phone, wondering if Purab would call again. It had taken every ounce of her strength to keep from answering his call. She couldn’t talk to him just yet. She needed time to think. She loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. The question was…did he feel the same way about her? Last night was the most beautiful night of her life….and the one who made it beautiful couldn’t even remember… “You are going to be late!” Sarla Ma said, interrupting her thoughts. Bulbul pasted a smile on her face and turned to her, but Sarla Ma sensed something was wrong. “What’s the matter?” she questioned Bulbul. “Nothing Ma” she replied. “Are you sure?” she asked worriedly. “Because my daughter is not usually this quiet.” “Yeah I’m fine.” she replied. “You don’t look like you’re fine.” she stated. “I’m just sad I have to go to work today.” she lied. “When I could be spending the day with you.” “Well dear, the sooner you get to work, the sooner you can get back.” she said. Bulbul nodded.

She then grabbed her purse, phone and car keys and after bidding goodbye to Sarla Ma, she headed off to work. Sarla Ma knew Bulbul was lying to her. But just like when she was a child, Bulbul needed to be coerced into revealing her problems. They didn’t have time for that now, but as soon as Bulbul was home, she would find out exactly what was bothering her.
He was left feeling so confused after Bulbul’s message, he needed to talk to someone. No one gave better advice than his Di. He picked up his phone and video-called Pragya. “Hey Di!” Purab said as Pragya’s image came on screen. “Hi Purab! How are you?” she asked. “I’m good, Di. How was the concert?” “It was really awesome!” she exclaimed. “And where is our Rockstar?” Purab asked. “Sleeping like a log, as usual.” she replied, turning her phone toward the bed where Abhi lay asleep. “Our plane leaves for home in less than two hours and the idiot is still sleeping!” Purab laughed.

“So how is everything at home?” Pragya asked. “Everything is okay, Di.” he said and then paused. Pragya saw the disturbed look on his face. “You okay?” she asked. Purab nodded. “Umm…Di…can I ask you something?” he said to Pragya. “Sure…anything” she replied. “How did you know that you were really in love with Abhi?” he asked. Pragya was taken aback by his question. “What?” “How did you know it was the real thing?” he asked again. She turned to glance at a sleeping Abhi and then turned back to Purab. “I just knew…” she replied simply.”It was like my heart recognized its soul mate and just refused to let go.” Pragya’s words hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew he liked Bulbul….a lot. But hearing his Di’s words made him realize the extent of the feelings he had for her. He tried to envision his life without Bulbul and couldn’t. In just a short span of time she had become so important to him. Would he be able to stay away from her? Somehow he didn’t think so…

“So it has finally happened.” Pragya said, interrupting his thoughts. Purab looked confused. “What has happened, Di?” “You have finally managed to fall in love!” she said happily. “How did you k—” he started to ask, but Pragya interrupted. “The look on your face alone gave it away…” she replied. “It’s Bulbul, isn’t it…” It wasn’t really a question, more like a statement and Purab nodded. “When are you going to tell her?” Pragya asked. “It’s kind of complicated right now, Di.” he said. “Complicated? How?” she asked. Then he gave Pragya the story of what happened with Bulbul…well whatever he could remember, anyway. “…and now she’s upset and I don’t know why.” he said frustratedly. “Take it easy, Purab. It’s okay.” she said calmly. “It will all come back to you eventually. You just need to relax. The more your mind is stressed, the longer your memory will take to recover. And if there is a reason she might be upset, just give her a little time and then you can talk to her about it, ok?” Purab took a deep breath. “Okay Di, I will try.” he said. “But it is not easy.” Pragya nodded.

“I know it won’t be…” she said thoughtfully. ”Ok well, I better go wake King Abhi up or we’ll miss our flight.” “Good luck, Di” Purab said. “Thanks, I’ll need it.” she said. “Maybe I should roll him off the bed. He will definitely wake up when he hits the ground.” Purab laughed. “I would love to see that.” he said. “Well I better get going now.” she said. “Okay, Di” Purab said. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” he said. “We’ll chat more when I get back, ok? See you soon.” “Yeah Di. Bye. See you soon.” And then they hung up.
Ten minutes later and Purab was going crazy! All this waiting was slowly killing him! He needed to find something that would occupy his time. Work! He thought. The office would be empty and he could work in peace. He looked around for his keys but couldn’t find it. Must have left it in the car, he thought and went outside to search.

Today was not her best day, Bulbul thought, two hours later. She lost her temper with an ‘on-air’ caller and snapped at her co-worker, who just had a simple question to ask. Her boss noticed her mood was off and called her into his office. “Bulbul, are you okay?” he asked. “You seem to be in a bad mood.” “I’m fine, Purab. Nothing to worry about.” she said. Purab? Did she just call her boss, Purab? “Who’s Purab?” Her boss asked. Nice going, Bulbul! How are you going to get out of this one? “No one” she replied, feeling slightly ashamed. “Really?” he said. “And is this “no one” the reason your mood is off?” “Actually, Sir, I…” she made an attempt to explain. “Listen, Bulbul, why don’t you take the rest of the day off and sort through whatever it is that’s bothering you. I’ll get Soham to cover the rest of your shift…” Good grief! One ‘slip up’ and now her boss thinks she has issues… Could this day get any better? She thought sarcastically. “But Sir, I don’t need any time off. I’m fine.” “No arguments.” he said. “I’ll see you on Monday.” “Ok Sir” she said. “Bye” and then went out of his office.
That was a total waste of time! Purab thought as he made his way inside his house. He had been sitting in his office for over two hours and still hadn’t gotten any work done! When he realized he wasn’t accomplishing much, he decided to return home. His mind kept running back to Bulbul.

He sat on the sofa and turned on the television and just flipped through the channels. He saw a movie that looked interesting enough and began to watch it. As his eyes focused on the television, his mind relaxed and began to wander on its own back to the events of yesterday, after which, Purab’s memory slowly returned…
Bulbul exited the building of the Radio Studio, unaware she was being watched. She took out her keys and made her way over to her car when her phone rang. Forgetting to glance at the caller id, she answered. “Bulbul, we need to talk.” that familiar voice said. Oh, crap, it was Purab! His tone sounded urgent and serious. “Actually, Purab, I’m a little busy right now.” she replied, trying to get him off the phone. “Can we talk another time?” “No! I need to see you right away.” he answered. “Stop avoiding this. I know that’s why you practically ran out this morning.” “But I had to—” she tried to say, but Purab interrupted. “No excuses, Bulbul.” he said. “Where are you? I will pick you up from there.” What was there to talk about if he couldn’t remember a thing? Bulbul thought. “Purab, I’m —-“. Before she could complete her sentence, she felt a piece of cloth…maybe a rag or a handkerchief… over her mouth. She struggled hard trying to free herself from whatever…or whoever was confining her. “Bulbul? You there?” Purab asked. Something was wrong.

He could hear a commotion taking place in the background. “Bulbul!” Purab shouted again when she didn’t answer. He could hear the panic in his own voice. Purab…she whispered faintly in her mind before she passed out, dropping her phone to the floor…
What was happening there? Purab wondered frantically. Then he heard unfamiliar voices. “Carry her to the van” a male voice said. “We have to get her to the temple on Pretty Hill in half an hour…and we’re already running late. Boss is going to be very angry if we’re not there on time. ” Boss? Temple on Pretty Hill? Why would her kidnappers take her there? Purab’s eyes widened. Unless… He grabbed his keys and rushed out the door.
Bulbul opened her eyes and slowly looked around, taking in her surroundings. Where am I? She wondered groggily. She tried to get up, but couldn’t… she was too weak. What happened to me? Why am I here? She asked for the second time today. Can’t a girl nurse a hangover and a broken heart in peace?! The last thing she remembered was talking to Purab and then everything went dark…

She looked down at her clothing and realized she was wearing bridal attire. Who changed my clothes?! What in the world is going on here?! A door opened and a familiar face walked in… Mom? Her mom saw her and then shouted, “She’s finally awake!” “Mom…w-what’s going on?” she asked, pressing a hand to her head. “Well darling, today is a very special day!” she said happily. Bulbul looked at her confused. “It’s your wedding day!” she said. “My what?!” Bulbul shouted. “Your wedding day, dear” she said again. “Yours….and Suresh’s.” Only this was left to happen to her today…now it was officially the worst day of her life! “N-noo…y-you c-can’t do this to me.” Bulbul responded weakly. But her mother ignored her protests and said in a cheery voice. “Come on, my beautiful daughter…the auspicious time is going…”
Bulbul was made to sit next to Suresh at the temple’s mandap. He turned to her and gave an evil smirk. She couldn’t believe her parents had betrayed her for this piece of scum. She would never ever forgive them. “Y-you are t-the lowest human being on the planet and I h-hope you die a horrible death!” she said with all the hate she could muster. “Don’t be like this darling. It’s our wedding!” he said. “Come on, cheer up!”

He tried to touch her cheek but Bulbul moved her head away in time. “Don’t touch me, you brute!” she said. “I hate you!” He just laughed and told the Pundit to begin reading the mantras. Was her fate so unlucky that it would let her get married to a man like Suresh? No, she couldn’t this happen…at least not without a fight. She looked around for something…anything…that would help her out…
After getting rid of the two goons outside, Purab ran up the temple stairs. He saw Suresh and Bulbul sitting at the mandap, while the Pundit read the mantras and two elder folks whom he presumed were her parents. The Pundit stopped immediately when he saw the look on Purab’s face…and everyone else followed his line of vision. “Purab!” Bulbul exclaimed in relief. She tried to go to him but Suresh held her hand, stopping her. Without saying anything, Purab grabbed Suresh by the back of his sherwani and dragged him outside the temple and began hitting him repeatedly. Suresh was already on the ground, when, Mr. Mishra, came running down the steps. “Stop this now!” Bulbul’s father shouted at Purab. “This is my son-in-law!” Purab turned to him, “How can he be your son-in-law when your daughter married me!”

Pre-cap: The Party Flashback.
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Hey Everybody! I’m back! I know it’s been a while (two months I think). I’m hoping you are not too angry with me and will forgive me for leaving you for this length of time. How are you all? Missed you sooo much! Hopefully I’ll update regularly now. (I should really stop saying that! Every time I say I’m going to update soon, I take wayyy longer than the expected time!)

This was supposed to be last part for Rabul’s Story but somehow the story keeps stretching. (It’s like they don’t want their story to end!)…So I decided to give them an extra epi. Please forgive me for any mistakes in the story. (For grammatical errors, you can blame Microsoft Word!)

Thank you to my episode 37 commenting team: Di, Shabana, Rabul’s Girl, Achu, Reshma, Vigan, Nivethaa, Priyanka, Hemu, Saranya, Sugan, Misthi, Choti Suhani, Lotus and Minu!
Silent Readers…I hope you’re still there.
So what do you guys think of the episode? Did Purab and Bulbul really get married…or is he just saying that to save his girl Bulbul from marrying Suresh? What do you think really happened at that party? Share your guesses in the comment section…
Till next epi…take care…love you all!