2011
For 5 years Abhi never came home. Then one night Mohan Mehra passed away in his sleep. As the mourners came and went Pragya took care of Mehra house as Radha was in no condition to look after herself. Abhi thanked the mourners for coming as they left he heard her voice. “Aunty, please eat something.” He turns to look at her and finds her sitting next to his mother as she tried to feed his mother. “I don’t want anything, Pragya.” “You can’t miss your meals, aunty. You are diabetic. Please have something. Then you have to have your medicines too, right?” Pragya coax her. “I’ll eat later.” “I know you, you won’t eat later. So eat now.” Pragya stubbornly says. “I don’t feel like eating.” “I don’t care. I know why you are not eating. You want to lose weight and look like a babe. If you look like a babe all the guys in the locality will be behind you and no one will look at me.” Pragya says pouting. “Pagal!” Radha says as she hits Pragya’s head gently smiling. Abhi smiles seeing his mother smile. “Then eat.” Pragya says and Radha opens her mouth. Pragya starts feeding her. Abhi stood there watching her take care of his mother. He remembers how he had blamed her for what had happened between them. It took him a long time to realize that Pragya wouldn’t take advantage of the situation like that. Maybe even he was equally responsible for that. He wished he could remember how they had ended up like that. He remembers calling her a wh**e and here she was taking care of his mother and running his house while none of them were in a position to take care of it. No one asked her, she just simply helped. He wondered what she was made out of.
“Abhi…” he hears her call his name and breaks out of his thoughts. After five years, this is the first time she was talking to him. “Aunty slept. I have kept your food on the table. If you will eat it now, I’ll clean it up before I leave.” Pragya tells him. He notices that she hadn’t looked at his eyes even once and her usual smile was missing. “I’ll eat it later and clean it up.” “Okay.” Pragya tells him. “I’ll leave then.” Pragya says and starts to walk off. “Thank you, Pragya. For all that you did for us.” “You would do the same for me too. We were friends.” Pragya tells him as she looked at his eyes. Seeing his hesitation she says as she again looked away from him, “Right… we were never even friends.” Pragya says in a bare whisper. “I’ll bring food in the morning.” “You don’t have to do that.” “Good night.” She simply says and starts to leave. “I am sorry, Pragya. For what I said that day.” Abhi says. “I forgave you a long time ago, Abhi. I hope one day you will forgive me too.” Pragya says without even turning to look at him.Next day morning, Abhi wakes up and on an impulse looks through his window to see if Pragya was in her room. Her room seemed empty. He sighs and starts to go downstairs to check on his mother. The moment he opens the door he hears her voice as she excitedly chattered about the gossips happening in the locality as she coaxed his mother to eat. He watched as she gave his mother her medicines, she seemed to know what all medicines his mother was taking as she gave her the medicines without any questions. She was taking care of his mother like how a daughter would. “Abhi… come.” Radha calls him as she noticed him standing there. Abhi walks to her and notices Pragya serving him his food. Radha leaves the table a while later and Pragya gently asks him, “When are you going back?” “I got leave for two weeks.” “Have you decided about aunty? Will she stay here alone?” Pragya asks and Abhi thinks for a while and says “My cousin Akash is studying here. He is staying in the hostel. I’ve talked to him about it, and he said he will stay with Mom. But his college will start only three weeks later. So I was wondering what to do for that one week. I am trying to extend my leave.” Abhi tells her. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay here for that one week. Mama and Papa will be fine with that.” Pragya tells him. “Thanks, Pragya.” Abhi tells her. “Aunty is alone now, so try to come home at least once a year. I’ll try to keep her happy but I can never be you. I know you didn’t come home for five years because of me. I am sorry for that, and I promise you that I will never trouble you again. So please come home more often. Your mother needs you.” She gently tells him. Abhi looks at her as he wondered how she can think about others so selflessly. She has started making him feel so small, so insignificant like a tiny speck of dirt.
2012
Abhi was back home for his leave again. Like Pragya had asked he was home the next year. He was home for two days and hadn’t seen her even once. She still came home but left before he woke up both the days. Today he had woken up early to see her but she didn’t come home today. He was disappointed, the last one year he would think about her at times and he wanted to find out if she still loved him. He realized that her distance was affecting him more than he would like to admit. He didn’t understand why it was like that. He still loved Piyali, not as intensely as before. He didn’t even think about her as often as he used to, but still her memories and that love was there, just not as intense. He hated to admit it that he thought more about Pragya than Piyali now. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Sarala furiously screaming at Pragya “STOP IT, PRAGYA! It’s been five years! Stop it!” Abhi runs to his window to see what was happening. He could see Sarala standing looking down as she furiously screamed at Pragya. He couldn’t see Pragya, maybe because she was on the floor. He wondered what the issue was when he heard Pragya’s anguished cry, “I can’t Mama… I can’t… I can’t bear it, Mama.” Hearing her cry he runs out without even thinking.Seeing the door open, Abhi hurries in and runs to her room. He stood there as he watched Pragya on the floor crying her heart out as she clutched something white. “Give it here! I will destroy it!” Sarala says as she furiously snatched it from Pragya. “NOOO!” Pragya screams as Sarala took it from her. “Don’t do this, Mama.” “This is the only thing left. I will not let this be in my house anymore. It’s been FIVE YEARS Pragya!” Sarala angrily says though Abhi could see that even she was crying. “If you do anything to that, I’ll kill myself, Mama! I WILL! I will just kill myself, Mama! That is all I have left.” Pragya angrily tells her mother as she cried. “Please Mama… I’ll die.” Pragya cries as she begged her mother. Seeing her daughter’s heartbroken plea Sarala helplessly gives the thing back. Pragya quickly snatches it and covering her face in it crying. And Abhi finally saw what it was; it was a baby’s dress.
Sarala turns to leave as she couldn’t take the sight of her daughter’s suffering anymore. She sees Abhi standing there and she quickly comes out of Pragya’s room closing the door and angrily asks him, “What are you doing here? Why did you come inside?” “I heard her.” Abhi finally tells her as his mind screamed with questions. “You should leave.” “That baby…” “Please leave.” “She had a baby?” Abhi asks as his throat closed up and he had difficulty breathing. “Please don’t tell anyone.” Sarala begs him as she held his hand and hurried downstairs. “My daughter’s life would be ruined. Please don’t tell anyone. She had looked after your parents ever since you left to join the army, in return for that please keep our secret.” Sarala begs him. “That baby… where is it? What happened? I need to know.” Abhi asks her. Sarala looks at him confused for a long time then she asks, “Can I trust you?” Abhi nods his head as words were eluding him. Having wanting to share the anguish she had been going through for the last six years, Sarala unburdens on him. “My Pragya became pregnant 6 years ago.” Sarala confesses as Abhi’s heart fell to the pit of his stomach as he remembered what had happened between Pragya and him 6 years ago. “She wouldn’t tell me who did that to her. Kailash and I tried asking her but she refused to name him. She even refused to abort her baby threatening us that she will kill herself if we killed her baby. Finally I took Pragya to my cousin’s house so Pragya could give birth. Kailash and I had decided that we will give the baby up for adoption though we never told Pragya about it as we knew how much Pragya wanted that baby. She was a very good mother, always taking care of herself so her baby is healthy. She would do exactly what the doctor would advise. But she couldn’t do anything about her mental condition. After all she was an unwed girl becoming a mother. Her mental stress took a toll on her and she went into labor when she was 7 months. The baby was born in the morning but it didn’t survive into the night. Pragya never recovered from that. Today is the 5th death anniversary of her baby.” Sarala breaks down recounting what had happened. Abhi stares at Sarala as he took in what she had told him. He stood there numb as he thought of what he had done to Pragya and their baby. Finally, he walked away silently.Pragya was lying on her bed as she clutched her baby’s cloth. She no longer could smell her baby in the cloth. It smelled more of her tears. Sighing she closes her eyes and opens her eyes when she hears her mobile ringing. She takes the call without checking who was calling. “Hello.” “Pragya…” Abhi says her name. Pragya’s heart stops beating hearing his voice. When she remained silent he says “I need to see you.” “Why?” “Please, I just need to see you.” “I can’t come to your house at this time.” Pragya tells him. “I am standing at your front door. Please open the door.” “Okay.” Pragya says hesitantly. “Thanks.” Pragya quietly walks down the stairs in the dark to open the door. She opens the door and finds Abhi standing there. “What is it?” Pragya asks as she looked inside to see if her parents would come out to look for her. She was looking over her shoulders when Abhi hugs her and breaks down, “I am sorry, Pragya. I am sorry.” “Abhi? What happened?” Pragya asks worried as she tried to make him leave her so she could see his face, but he clung to her. Fearing that he would wake up her parents Pragya urgently tells him, “Come inside.” Abhi finally leaves her and Pragya takes his hand and hurries up to her room.
Pragya locks her door and turns to look at him and finally sees his face. His eyes were blood shot and his face was tear stained. He hugs her again. “I am sorry.” He kept chanting between his sobs. “What happened, Abhi?” Pragya asks worried as tears started flowing from her eyes, she could bear her pain but never his. Abhi slowly slips down and finally falls on his knees as he continued crying hugging her. “What is it?” “I am sorry, Pragya. If I had shown you a little kindness then our baby would have been alive.” Abhi wails loudly. Pragya falls on her knees and quickly hugs him. Her boss*m muffling his loud sobs. “It was not your fault. You never knew about it. I didn’t tell you about her.” Pragya cries as she tries to console him. “We had a daughter?” Abhi asks as he looked at her. Pragya nods her head sadly, “But I can’t even remember her face now. I don’t even know if she had a dimple.” Pragya breaks out crying loudly. Abhi quickly hugs her, “I am sorry, Pragya. I should have checked on you.” “Piyaaaliii.” Pragya cries as she hugged him. Abhi’s heart stops beating, he stops breathing as he froze for a moment, then he asks her as he pushed her a little away from him so he could see her face, “You named her Piyali?” Pragya nods her head, “I thought if I named her Piyali, maybe you would start to love her. And maybe it would make you happy that Piyali had come back to you in another form.” Finally, with a heavy broken heart he realized the extend of her love for him.
Pragya hugs him and cries, “But she is gone. I just held her once. And now I can’t hold her anymore. Maybe it is God’s punishment for me for what happened, for hurting you. I know you think I slept with you to marry you but that is not true. I just wanted to ease your pain, you were so tormented and all I wanted was to ease your pain. But I ended up hurting you more. And God punished me for that. I am sorry, Abhi. I had no other intentions.
I just wanted to ease your pain.” Pragya wails uncontrollably. Abhi quickly hugs her, “Oh God! No Pragya. God was punishing me not you, Pragya. For all that I did to you, he was punishing me. Please don’t blame yourself. I am sorry.” Abhi cries. They hug each other and cry for their lost baby.
Pragya wakes up to find herself on the bed and Abhi stretched out next to her as he watched her sleep. She quickly sits up remembering waking up next to him years ago. “I didn’t… I was not… please don’t…” Pragya starts to tell him as she thought about what he had interpreted the last time. Abhi cups her face and tells her, “Never blame yourself for what happened to our baby. It was not your fault. It was mine.” “No. You told me to contact you but I didn’t. It was never your fault. Don’t think like that.” “I should have checked on you, Pragya. I didn’t.” Abhi tells her. “It’s been five years, Pragya. I need you to let go. Don’t cry over her.” Abhi begs her. Pragya hugs him as she wondered why it didn’t feel like someone was squeezing her heart when she thought of Piyali. Crying with him over their daughter might have given her the much needed closure. Abhi hugs her as he found peace after a long time. “I should go before your parents find me here.” Abhi tells her a while later. Pragya nods her head. Abhi gets down from the bed and then on an impulse he leans down and places a quick kiss on her lips and leaves. The next day, he went back.
2013
Abhi thanks Akash for picking him up from the airport and then waves him off as Akash went back home. He was going forever as he was done with his studies and was joining a company in France. Abhi sits down on the couch watching his mother as she talked excitedly about the last one year. He nodded at the appropriate places and hmmm-ed and ahhh-ed whenever necessary though he was not paying attention to her. He felt peaceful to be back home. He was thinking about Pragya, in the last one year he had only thought about her, but talked to her only once when he had called her on their daughter’s sixth death anniversary. Pragya was shocked to receive his call but then she had told him that she had made her peace with Piyali’s death and asked him to do the same, and he had also made his peace with it. After that he never called her and she didn’t call him. Where is she? He wondered as he looked towards the door hoping she would come in. “Abhi?” Radha calls his name frowning. “Haan?” “Are you listening to what I am saying?” Abhi grins at her guiltily. “You come once a year and that time also you never even listen to me!” Radha says sadly and she got up to walk off when he holds her hand, “Sit here. I want to talk to you.” “I don’t want to talk to you.” Radha say pouting. “Sit down! I have decided to make you happy.” Abhi tells her smiling. That caught her attention and she sits next to him and asks “How?” “I am going to grant your wishes. So tell me what your biggest wish is.” “Leave army.” Radha quickly tells him. “Done! I took VRS.” Abhi tells her smiling. “VRS?” “Voluntary Retirement.” “You did?” Radha asks unable to hide her joy as she hugged him happily. “I am so happy, Abhi. Thank God. I couldn’t always live with the constant fear of losing you.” Radha tells him with tears of joy as she thanked God. “Next wish?” “Join hospital. I can no longer look after it. Your father spend his whole life building that hospital.” “After one week’s rest, I’ll be joining the hospital.” Abhi tells her. “Any other wishes?” “Marriage. I want to see you married before I die.” Radha says hopefully seeing him in such an accommodating mood. “Will marry, whichever date and time you fix, I will marry.” Abhi tells her smiling. “Really?” Radha asks unable to believe her joy and her son. “Yes. And what about the girl?” Abhi asks her. “My friend has a niece and they seemed interested in you, she told me last week. I was thinking of talking to you about it when you come. I will ask her to proceed with that.” Radha says excited. Abhi’s face falls and he says shocked, “I thought you would say Pragya’s name.” “Pragya? Why would you think like that?” Radha asks shocked. “Because I have seen how close you are to her and how she was taking care of you all these years.” Abhi says frowning. “That is true but not her.” Radha says uncomfortable. “Why?” “Not her, I will find you some other nice girl.” “What is wrong with Pragya?” Abhi asks furious as the thought of his mother considering Pragya not a nice girl not acceptable to him. “She is 28 years old.” “I am 34, mom!” Abhi says exasperated. “Still not her.” “Why?” “I don’t want you marrying her.” “WHY?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” Radha tells him. “I want to talk about it.” Abhi says angrily realizing age was not the real issue. “NO! We will not discuss this further.” Radha says as she got up to leave. “If I marry it will only be Pragya and no one else.” Abhi tells her with finality. “She doesn’t have a good reputation!” Radha says angrily. “Not a good reputation? What do you mean?” “There are rumors about her.” Radha tells him. He knew what rumors that would be, still he wanted to know, “What rumors?” Radha looks at him helplessly then finally tells him, “Few years ago she and Sarala had left home for months. And there are rumors that she was pregnant when she left, some says she got pregnant after she left, some say she had an abortion, some say she had a baby and gave it up for adoption; some say the baby was still born. Now you understand why I don’t want you marrying a tainted girl?” Abhi looks at his mother in shock and asks hers, “She was good enough for you till she was taking care of you? If you found her tainted why did you let her in our house? As long as she looked after you like a daughter and worked around your house like a servant she was acceptable. But now when I say I want to marry her she is not acceptable to you?” “I like Pragya. Mohan and I had hoped to make Pragya your wife but that time you told us about Piyali. Then later we heard about these rumors and realized that it was good that we never talked to you about Pragya.” Radha tells him. “Well I am going to fulfill your old wish; I am going to marry Pragya.” Abhi informs her. “No, Abhi. You are getting blinded by your gratitude. You deserve better.” Radha tells him. “No, Mom. Pragya deserves better than you and me!” Abhi tells her. “And what you have heard is true. Pragya was pregnant when she left. She had a baby girl whom she named Piyali.” Abhi informs her, and the moment he mentioned the name he saw the blood drained from her face, she realized whose baby it was. “Yes mom, your granddaughter lived for a few hours before she was snatched away from us.” Radha sits on the couch as she cried. “If I marry it will be Pragya.” Abhi tells her then changing his mind he says, “No actually mom, if Pragya is still willing to have me then I’ll marry her with or without your permission.” Before his mother could react to that he heard Pragya’s voice, “I won’t marry you.” Abhi and Radha quickly look to the voice to find Pragya standing at the door. He wondered when she had come, she might have been standing there for a while if he was to go by her tear stained face. “Pragya…” Abhi starts to walk towards her when Pragya turns and hurries out of his house. He runs behind her.Pragya was about to close the front door when he wedges his foot in between. “Pragya, I need to talk to you.” “I don’t want to hear anything. I don’t want to marry you.” Pragya tells him as she cried. “Listen to me!” Abhi angrily tells her as he pushed his way in. The moment he walked in Pragya takes a step back and says, “I will not marry you. I don’t need your pity.” “It’s not pity.” Abhi tells her. “Guilt? I told you, you don’t have to feel guilty about anything.” “I do feel guilty about it but that is not the reason why I want to marry you.” “Then? Don’t tell me you are in love with me after all these years.” Pragya snorts at him. “I won’t lie to you, Pragya.” Abhi tells her as gently and as truthfully as possible, as she deserved nothing less than that. “I am not in love with you. I don’t know if ever I will be able to love you but you have become a part of me. Piyali is no more with me but she and her memories are still there somewhere in me and I want it to be like that, she deserves that and I know you have no problem with that. But for the last one year I have only thought about you. It has only been you. Not since last year, for years it has been like that, but never this intense. Now I want you in my life.” Pragya looks at him confused as she tried to absorb what he was saying. Seeing her confused state he tells her, “Three months ago I got shot and everyone including me, thought I would die. And for the first time I was scared of death. I realized I was no longer a soldier when I realized that I didn’t want to die for my country but wanted to die lying on your lap. I wanted to see you and be with you. I left army and took VRS.” Abhi informs her. Pragya looks at him in shock hearing that, “For you because you are more important for me now.” Abhi tells her. “I don’t love you, Pragya but you are the only person for whom I would leave the army for.” “I can’t marry you, Abhi.” Pragya thinks about what he had told her and finally tells him. “Is there someone else?” Abhi asks with a heavy heart. “You were the only one, you are the only one and you will be the only one.” Pragya vows to him. Abhi heaves a sigh of relief. “Is it because I don’t love you? I didn’t want to lie to you, Pragya.” “No, my love is enough to keep both of us happy all our life.” “Then?” “Radha aunty. Without her permission I can’t marry you.” Pragya tells him. Abhi starts smiling in relief, “If she agrees?” “I will marry you.” “My mom will come later to talk to your parents about our wedding.” Abhi promises her.
Just like he had promised, Abhi and Radha come in the evening to Pragya’s house with the wedding proposal. Radha seemed happy with the proposal. “You haven’t said anything.” Radha prompts Kailash as he seemed lost in thoughts. “Pragya is 28 years old and any father would want his daughter married. It is way past her marriageable age and I should be happy with the proposal. Especially when Pragya has agreed to this wedding.” Kailash starts hesitantly as he looked at Radha and Abhi. “Then what is the problem?” Abhi asks. Kailash looks at Pragya who was sitting next to his wife nervously. “As much as I want to see her married, I don’t want to hide the truth. If you find out the truth after marriage it would be disastrous and my daughter might never recover from it.” Kailash uncomfortably starts. “He knows everything.” Sarala tells her husband as she smiled at Abhi with happy tears. “He knows? You know?” Kailash asks shocked. When Abhi remains silent Sarala answers for him, “I told him everything last year when he caught Pragya and me fighting.” Abhi watches as Kailash and Sarala looking at him as if he were a God sent gift, a miracle. He couldn’t let them think of him like that when he was the reason for their misery. “It was me. I was responsible for that.” Abhi tells them while Radha looked down ashamed and Pragya nervously looked at her father.Kailash and Sarala stares at Abhi for a while then Kailash angrily stands up and pulls Abhi by his collar. “You have any idea what you did to my daughter? Do you know what she went through?” Suddenly his hands were pulled away when Pragya squeezed herself in between them. “He didn’t know, Papa. I never told him.” Kailash looks at Pragya shocked as he let what she said sink in. “Whatever happened, happened. Now let them be happy.” Radha requests Kailash. “I love him, Papa. I have always loved him. I’ll never be happy with anyone else.” Pragya tells him. Kailash moves back defeated realizing he had no choice. “Let’s just let her be happy.” Sarala tells him. Pragya has suffered a lot in her young life and he didn’t want to snatch it from her when her happiness had come knocking on the door. As much as he hated Abhi for what he did to Pragya, he realized that Pragya loved him and Abhi genuinely regretted what had happened in the past otherwise he wouldn’t have told them the truth. “Okay.” Kailash agrees.
Few days later, Pragya just couldn’t take the tension anymore and she decided to sort it out once and for all. She walks into Mehra house and goes to the kitchen knowing Radha aunty would be there. Ever since her marriage was fixed with Abhi she was forbidden to come here as it was considered inauspicious. She hasn’t seen his mother after that though Abhi would call her every day multiple times and they would talk as they stood at the window looking at each other. He seemed romantic too, Pragya thought with a smile as she remembered how he had insisted that she give him a kiss over the phone and she had refused. “Pragya, what are you doing here?” Radha ask shocked seeing Pragya walk in. “I wanted to talk to you, aunty.” Pragya tells her not uncomfortable as she was really close to Abhi’s mother. “Yes, tell me.” Radha says smiling. “Are you truly happy with this wedding?” Radha looks at her and says regretfully, “I am sorry that you heard what I told Abhi that day. And Abhi was right. I was being selfish. I am a mother, I guess it is a mother’s nature to want what is best for their child.” Then gently cupping her face, Radha continues, “Abhi told me everything and I realize that there is no one better than you for my son. Every mother want’s their children to find unconditional love from their partner even when they know that there is no such thing as unconditional love. Love comes with conditions, but you Pragya you have loved him so unconditionally and purely, my son might have done something good in his life that God gave you to him.” Tears of joy starts flowing from Pragya’s eyes as she says “I was worried you were not happy.” “You were willing to sacrifice Abhi for my happiness and you think I would give up such a girl?” Radha asks crying happy tears as she hugged Pragya. “Thank you, aunty.” “Mom!” Radha corrects her. Pragya chuckles, “Thank you, mom.” “Thank you for waiting for my son, for loving him and for giving him another chance.” Radha thanks her. Wiping her tears Radha tells Pragya getting back to her business of cooking, “Did you have breakfast?” “No, I’ll have from home.” “No, have it here.” “Mama doesn’t know that I came here and she would get angrier if she finds out I had food from here when she has been cooking food for me there.” Pragya tells her smiling. “Okay, then you have breakfast from home.” Radha tells her smiling. “On your way out, ask Abhi to come down for breakfast.” Radha tells her and Pragya nods her head and walks upstairs to call Abhi.
Her heart was beating fast in excitement as she was going to properly see him after these few days, till now it had been through the window. She knocks on the door and hears him shouts from inside, “Yeah Mom?” “Abhi, it’s me Pragya. Aunty asked you to come down for breakfast.” Pragya tells him through the door. When she doesn’t hear any reply she turns to leave when he opens the door. She turns back to find him in his jeans as his torso and hair were dripping wet. He was happily beaming at her. Before she could say anything he pulls her into the room and closes the door. She leaned against the wall next to the door as she watched him lock the door. She nervously looks at him and he moves closer to her and grins at her. “I should go. Mama will be looking for me.” Pragya tells him as she tried moving towards the door. Suddenly he moves closer to her so close that he was pressing up against her. “You come to see me and you are just leaving without even talking to me?” Pragya smiles at him and says, “I came to meet Radha Aunty… I mean Mom and I talked to her, now I am leaving.” She sees his face fall and then he muses, “Mom? Hmmm… so you were here to see your mom?” Pragya nods. “And not me?” she nods again. “Hmmm. Then off you go.” Abhi says as he moves back. Pragya was about to leave when he falls on her again imprisoning her. “Not so easy.” Abhi tells her grinning s*xily at her. “I am getting late.” Pragya tells him as he being so close to her and he paying so much attention was creating havoc in her. “Why were you acting so pricey yesterday?” “When?” “When I asked you for a kiss.” Abhi reminds her. “That… that…” Pragya looks at his chest as she couldn’t hold his gaze anymore. To get her to look at him he shakes his head and water droplets fall on her face. Pragya looks at him and he sees the water droplets on her face. He leans down and gently sucks the droplet from her cheek. Pragya closes her eyes as she breathed slowly. His lips trail down as he sucked the droplets. When he pulls back Pragya opens her eyes and sees him studying her lips. He gently runs his finger on the outline of her lips as he looked at the droplet on her lower lip. Pragya swallows hard. He leans down and sucks the droplet from her lips. Pragya sucks in her breath as he gently bit on her lips and she gasps. The moment her lips parted, he smoothly swoops in his lips and starts kissing her. Pragya was not able to hold back any longer and kisses him back. They continued to passionately kiss till Abhi realizes that he was on the verge of dragging her to the bed. Realizing his mother was downstairs he unwillingly parts. Pragya looks at him in wonder as she tried to calm her heart beats then realizing what had happened she blushes and pushing him off hurries out. (Some of you had asked me why I didn’t have this scene in My Village Belle, that was because I wanted to plagiarize that scene in this )
Pragya runs into her room blushing when she hears Elvis Presley singing on top of his voice, “Oh, my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch a long, lonely time.”Pragya hurries to the window to find Abhi grinning at her as he played the song. She glares at him and he again rewinds the song, and starts playing the same line again. “Shhh CHUP!” Pragya says angrily as she put her finger on her lips. He again plays the first line again. Pragya closes the window blushing uncontrollably while Abhi laughs.Few days later, Abhi was alone at home and he looks at Pragya’s room through their windows to see if she wanted to come home for some naughty time. Seeing her room empty he pouts and hears the gate opening. Looking down his window he sees Pragya walking out of the house. He quickly changes his clothes and hurries out. He stops his car near Pragya and she looks at him in shock. Seeing him, she starts smiling. “Get in.” Abhi tells her and she gets in smiling at him. “Where are you going?” Pragya asks him. “Where are you going?” he asks back. “I have the day off, so I thought I will walk to the library and read something there.” Pragya tells him smiling; he had been shocked when he found out that she was helping her father in managing her father’s supermarket now. He never knew she was working all these years. “Where are you going?” Pragya asks him. “Library. I thought I will watch you while you read something out for me.” Pragya blushes hearing him.
Abhi watches as her as he leaned on the table his head resting on his arms as she read silently. “I thought you were going to read out to me.” “Can you see that?” Pragya asks as she pointed at a keep silent board. Abhi pouts and then he smiles as he happily watched her read. He felt content just watching her. She being near him was making him happy and peaceful. At times he was tormented by the images of the war but her thoughts brought him peace which even Piyali could never do for him. “Your hair is growing.” Pragya says as she held a bunch of his hair. “I thought I will let it grow. It’s been 10 years that I have been spotting the same hair style.” Abhi tells her. “Oh! I actually liked your military cut. It used to suit you.” Pragya tells him. “Then I will cut it.” “No… no… you grow your hair. You don’t have to cut it.” “I want to cut it now. Everything should be the way you like it, Pragya.” Abhi tells her as he took her hand and kisses her palm. Pragya quickly snatches her hand back as she nervously looked around to see if anyone had caught their moment. Abhi chuckles, “I won’t kiss, give me your hand. I’ll just hold it.” Pragya looks at him suspiciously. “I promise.” She slowly gives him her hand and he holds it happily. As Abhi played with her hand Pragya continues to read or rather tried to, but he was distracting her. “Do you want to go for a movie?” Abhi asks her. Pragya looks at him confused as she thought about it. “When should you get back home?” “Evening.” “Then we’ll go for a movie?” Abhi asks her. Seeing the way he was asking her so excitedly she nods her head.
Seeing their seat Pragya looks at Abhi and he cheekily grins at her. He had got the back corner seat. She sits in the furthest seat and he sits next to her. The moment, the lights are off he puts his hand over her shoulders and pull her closer to him. Pragya was so engrossed in the movie when Abhi sighs loudly. “What?” “This is so boring.” Abhi says. “What? This movie is so awesome.” Pragya says shocked. “Nothing interesting happening in there.” “What more interesting things do you want to happen?” Pragya asks shocked as the movie was a thriller. Abhi leans close to her “Hmmm something like this.” Abhi tells her as he took her lips in his. Soon they were passionately making out. Realizing he was so close to stripping her and making love to her he parts from her. “Let’s go.” He says as he took her hand and walked out. Pragya worriedly looked at his back as he hurried holding her hand. She stops and pulls on his hand to stop him, and he quickly stops and looks at her. “Where are we going?” Pragya asks him. “My house. Mom is not at home and we will have the whole house to ourselves till 6.” Abhi tells her and turns to walk again when Pragya stops him. “Abhi… “”Yes.” He turns to look at her. “I know we have already… but I don’t want to… our parents trust us, I don’t want to break their trust again.” Pragya tells him. Realizing what she wanted he gently leaves her hand. “Even I want to… just like youbut not before marriage. The moment we get married… I won’t stop you then… please don’t be angry.” Pragya tells him worried. Abhi gently cups her face and tells her lovingly, “I am not angry, Pragya. We have already slept together and I thought… but I should have realized it. I am sorry if I embarrassed you or made you uncomfortable. Everything will happen just like you want. You waited for me all these years and I can wait for you for a month.” Abhi tells her. “Thank you.” Pragya tells him smiling. Abhi gently kisses her on her forehead, “Anything for you. I will do anything for you, Pragya.”
Finally the day they both have been waiting for arrives. They had a beautiful wedding and finally it was night. Abhi walks in to find Pragya sitting on his bed waiting for him. He locks the door and walks to her and gently gets on the bed. He lifts up the ghooghant and sees her still dressed up as a bride. He smiles seeing her discomfort. “Do you want to change into something comfortable?” “Yes. I feel suffocated with all the jewellery and the dress is so heavy.” Pragya tells him. Abhi gives her space to get down from the bed and she gets down and walks towards the dressing table and starts removing her dupatta from her head. She feels his hand on the hair pin and looks at him through the mirror. He kneels down next to her and starts removing her hair pin to release the dupatta. Then he starts removing her jewelries for her. After removing her jewelries for a while he asks exasperated, “How much jewellery you have? I didn’t know you were so rich!” Pragya chuckles hearing him. “I am the only daughter so my parents wanted me to get married like a princess.” “That you are.” “What?” “A princess.” Pragya blushes hearing that and he continues to remove her jewellery. Finally she was free of all her jewelleries. Seeing him lift her mangalsutr she stops him, “Let it be there.” Abhi smiles at her happily. Then helps her remove the pins on her hair. “Don’t you have a headache?” Abhi asks shocked as he pulled out what he thought to be the fifteenth hair pin from her head. “I do.” Pragya tells him as she looked at him through the mirror. Finally removing the last pin, he lets her hair fall down. Abhi’s breath gets caught in his throat, “You should have just come like this. You look so beautiful.” Pragya blushes as she stood up and turned to look at him. “Why don’t you change and sleep, Pragya? Your headache might ease with rest.” Abhi suggests her. Pragya smiles realizing how much difficult it would have been for him to say that. “I will change but I don’t want to sleep.” Pragya tells him as she looked him in the eyes. “It’s my suhagraat. Don’t know for how long I have waited for this, and you expect me to sleep?” Abhi looks at her in shock. “I’ll change my dress.” Pragya tells him and turns to get her night dress when he holds her hand and makes her turn facing him. They kept looking at each other for a while then she felt his hand on her back as it travelled up. She shivers as his fingers touched the naked area on her back. Then he pulled on her dori undoing it. She nervously looks at him and feels his fingers going down and feels him unhooking her hooks on the back one by one. Once he was done with unhooking her top he removes it and then his hands travels to her waist and he pulls on her lehenga dori. And a moment later her skirt pooled around her feet. Abhi continues to remove her remaining clothes. Pragya stood there naked in front of him. He carries her to the bed.Life was blissful, Pragya thought as she walked to her room. Abhi was a wonderful husband whose life’s mission was to keep her happy. If she got upset then he would become miserable and wouldn’t rest till he made everything fine for her. And she was happy with him, she still loved him like crazy and she didn’t know if he did. She never asked him and he never told her anything. She knew a part of him still loved Piyali but she also knew that there was a small corner in his heart that was just reserved for her. She was happy with that, and her life. If anything that was missing in her life it was a baby. They have been married for four months and she was not pregnant yet. They never bothered about family planning. Every month when she got her periods she got depressed but she made sure he never found out of her anguish. If she cut her hand slightly he would act as if someone had lit him on fire and if he found out that she was yearning for a baby and how it was affecting her it would kill him. She meant a great deal to him, she knew that. She puts aside the baby thoughts, baby will happen when it happens.
She sees him following her to the bedroom locking the door and she rolls her eyes. They both had a crazy s*x drive. “No hangy-panky.” Pragya warns him. “Why?” Abhi asks pouting. “Because I am going to clean the cupboards.” Pragya tells him as she stood on the step stool and looked inside the cupboard. “Your husband is home on his off day and you are thinking of cleaning?” Abhi asks outraged. “Yes! It’s been four months since we have got married and we are going at it as if we just got married yesterday. First month it is normal, second month fine, third month excusable but fourth month it is unforgivable.” Pragya tells him. “Since I am not going to apologize to you, it is fine I guess.”Abhi tells her as he hugged her and kissed her on her exposed stomach. “Stop it! Now only at night!” Pragya tells him. In reply he bites her on her stomach. “Ouch! You animal! Stop it!” Pragya says as she whacked him on his head. Abhi pouts and moves back. “Go and do your homework!” Pragya tells him. “Homework?” Abhi asks confused. “Whatever work you have at home!” Pragya explains. “This is the only work I have at home.” Abhi tells her as he nuzzled her stomach. “Stop it!” Pragya says as she pushed him away and went back to cleaning. Abhi smiles and walks to the bed.
He gets comfortable on the bed as he watched her pull out the suitcases on the top cupboards. She was wearing saree again, he had mentioned to her once that he loved seeing her in saree and he had noticed how she started wearing sarees more often. Whenever he had a day off from the hospital she would wear saree. They were so happy together. They both had a hectic schedule, as both of them were managing a hospital and supermarket. But they managed to find time for each other; they always took their off days together so they could spend time with each other. Life was so perfect now. He didn’t even miss army, something he never thought he could live without. His life was Pragya and not army or anyone else. He suddenly wondered whether she realized it. She knew him so well maybe she did but what if she hasn’t? He wondered. He should tell her. He wanted to see the joy on her face when he told her. He gets up and walks towards her. “Pragya…” “WHAT?” she barks at him making him chuckle. “Do you know who I love the most in the world?” “I know.” Pragya says smiling at him. “You know?” Abhi asks smiling. “Mom.” she replies. “I love her but not the most in the world.” “Hmmm s*x?” Pragya asks shocked. “Let me just clarify, s*x with you. That would be a close second I guess.” He tells her as he stood next to her looking up at her. “Then I don’t know.” Pragya says frowning as she pulled out another suitcase. “I love you.” Abhi tells her. “WHAT?” Pragya screams as she turned to look at him and loses balance and starts to fall. Abhi catches her as the suitcase fell down. “I said I love you. Truly, madly and deeply.” Pragya looks at him wide eyed. “I just wanted you to know that there is someone out there who is crazy about you.” Abhi tells her as he cradled her in his arms. Pragya starts frowning, “Is that a movie dialogue? I have heard that before.” Abhi chuckles, “You haven’t heard that. You have said that.” “You remember?” Pragya asks shocked now remembering her love declaration a decade ago. “I do. I remember everything that you told me, even when I didn’t want to. Another thing that stuck with me was when you told me that it just take a moment to fall in love and a life time to forget it. I need more than one lifetime to forget you, Pragya. I have never loved anyone the way I love you.” “Are you sure?” Pragya asks. “I have never been surer of anything in my life. I have known this for a while. Don’t know why I didn’t tell you all this while.” Abhi tells her. Pragya happily smiles at him as her eyes filled with happy tears. “I love you, Pragya Arora.” as much as she loved him, she didn’t take his name and he never asked her to. “I love you Abhishek Mehra.” Pragya tells him. They start kissing and Pragya breaks off the kiss. “Put me down.” Pragya says as she started removing his buttons. Abhi starts chuckling as he put her down.
They stood outside the labor room nervously. Finally a nurse emerges from the room and Abhi hurries to her, “How is Pragya?” “She is fine. Congratulations you have a daughter. Both mother and baby are healthy. Birth time was 11:55.” Nurse informs him and walks away. Radha and Sarala turns to each other hugging happily Abhi and Kailash happily hug and start excitedly jumping.
“She is fine, right?” Pragya asks worried. “Yes, she is.” Abhi tells her. “Did you talk to the doctor properly?” “I did. She is very healthy and she will be discharged once you are ready to be discharged.” Abhi tells her. Pragya smiles in relief as she looked at her daughter. “We have to name her.” Abhi tells her. “I have a name in mind.” Pragya tells him. “No.” Abhi tells her. “What no?” “We need to move on, Pragya. I have let both Piyali-s go. I have made peace with their deaths. I know even you have. So let’s not go back.” “But I wanted to name my daughter Piyali.” Pragya tells him. “I don’t want to. We need to look at our future. They were our pasts which are never going to come back. Let it be in our past.” Abhi tells her. Pragya pouts. “I have a name in mind.” Abhi tells her. “I don’t like the name.” Pragya tells him. “You haven’t heard the name yet.” Abhi tells her smiling. “I don’t want to hear.” “It is Pratheeksha.” “I don’t like it.” “I love it.” “I am not happy with this name.” Pragya tells him frowning. “My happiness is enough to keep us happy all our life.” “What nonsense?” Pragya asks glaring at him. “When you said your love is enough to keep us happy did I say that?” Abhi asks offended. “That is love. It is different.” “Love and happiness go hand in hand.” Pragya glares at him. “For me, please.” “Fine!” “Our future, Pratheeksha.” Abhi says smiling happily at her.
Hy guys this is one of my favourite story I read so I posted