Strangers- Part 6

Hii all I know all will be hell angry on me as I am not updating correctly. But what to do guys my college is gng to start on june 21 as I am mvng to Chennai I am packing things so only delay. Well this one will also be not so good but slightly ok from next one you will be able to see abhigyas love and a message for u all at the end. Pls have patience as you all will be bashing me at the end. So love u all now turn to the story.

It was two months since Abhi and Pragya were married. Abhi was so absorbed in his work all day that he forgot that there was a party organized in his honor that evening to celebrate the successful completion of one of their toughest but also the most lucrative projects. At eight o’clock that night his staff entered his cabin and forcefully escorted him to the party venue. As drinks were being served, Purab had excused himself from the party but Abhi had no such hang-ups. While he was not normally a party animal, once in a party he knew how to enjoy himself to the fullest. He hit the dance floor and jived to the fast numbers and swayed to the slower ones. All the attractive women cued up to him wanting to dance with the hottest man on the floor. He obliged and danced with a couple of them but soon lost interest and instead hit the bar. Although he was not a habitual drinker, he did enjoy the occasional drink. After he had consumed four pegs of vodka, he stopped himself, knowing he had reached his limit and went ahead to the buffet counter to have a scrumptious dinner. He chatted with the people around. It was midnight by the time he bid farewell to his staff and got into his BMW.

When he reached home it was nearly 12.30 a.m. After parking his car, he slung his coat over his shoulder and walked up to the front door. He was about to insert his duplicate key in when he found the door being opened. Looking up he saw Pragya standing before him. Shocked to see her still awake, he asked her what she was doing at this late hour. She did not answer him but walked up to the dining table, turned over one of the two plates on it and prepared to serve his dinner.
“I’ve already had my dinner,” Abhi said abruptly and turned to go up to his room when he noticed the second overturned plate.
“Have you had your dinner?” he asked apprehensively.
She shook her head in the negative.
Seeing this, something within him snapped and he strode up to her, caught her shoulders and shook her.
“Just what do you think of yourself? Are you playing the role of the ever dutiful wife waiting up for her wayward husband? Did I not tell you that this marriage is a farce? Then what is the need to do all this? What is the need to starve yourself and your baby for me?” His voice kept rising with every question he posed as he brought his face close to hers, his flaming eyes boring into hers. Catching a whiff of the alcohol in his breath she wrinkled her delicate nose slightly.
He noticed her gesture and straightened himself up, letting go of her shoulders.
“Your duty is towards the life growing in there…” He dragged each word out, pointing to her stomach. “.. Not towards this full grown man who can take care of his own needs,” he pointed to himself.
He then pushed her on the chair and went about filling her plate with the food on the table. Thrusting the plate in front of her he roughly said, “Now eat your dinner quietly and go to bed.” With that he turned around and climbed up the stairs to their room, leaving a stupefied Pragya to stare at his retreating back. Entering their room, he slumped on the bed, feeling drained. He promptly went off to sleep as soon as his head touched his pillow.

Back at the dining table Pragya soon recovered to finish her dinner and she cleared up the table. When she went up to their room she noticed that he was sleeping in the clothes he wore to work. He had not even removed his shoes. Tut tuting, she hit her forehead and bent down to remove his shoes. She tried removing his socks but seeing him getting disturbed she left them on. After she brushed her teeth she stretched her tired body in her corner of the bed, forgetting to lay the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ between them. She barely managed to sleep for a couple of hours when she was rudely awakened by a large arm which fell heavily across her face. Opening her eyes she saw Abhi’s large palm covering half her nose and her lips. She gently lifted his hand and turning around she saw that Abhi was still fast asleep. When She was about to lay his arm by his side she heard Abhi mumbling “ Sorry Pragya I am sorry to shout at you.. but.. you.. eat..to..baby..healthy.. else… baby.. thin..like you.. “ and after that she couldn’t hear clearly because of his drinking. She smiled at his concern for her unborn baby which is so divine. She leaned firther and kissed Abhi’s forehead lightly not wanting to disturb him and got up to line the pillows between them. She did not want to be accused of violating the norms of their sacred farce marriage when he wakes up.

The next morning Abhi squeezed open one eye with great difficulty and tried to check out the time on the timepiece by his bedside. When he saw that it was already 8.30 a.m. both his eyes flew open and he got up with a start, cursing under his breath. Just then Pragya came in with his morning tea. Looking at her with irritation he asked, “Why did you not wake me up?”
“I thought I was not supposed to perform any wifely duties,” she replied matter-of-factly and laying the tea tray on the side table she left the room before he could find a suitable retort.
Abhi quickly got up from his bed and spun like a top to get ready for work. Fifteen minutes later he was on his way out when Baba stopped him.
“Abhi, come for breakfast,” he commanded.
“Baba, I’m getting late for work,” muttered Abhi trying to get away.
“And whose fault is that?” asked Baba, raising his voice in anger.
Abhi knew that Baba was in one of his foul moods and decided that it was better that he does not rub him on the wrong side. He meekly walked up to the dining table and sat opposite him.
“Pragya beta, you too sit down and have your breakfast,” he said in a kinder voice to Pragya.
Pragya nodded her head and sat beside Abhi.
“Where were you last night?” asked Baba like a drill master.
“My staff had arranged a party, Baba. I attended it,” Abhi replied in a low tone.
“Should you not inform your wife that you will be late? The poor girl was waiting up for you all night.”
“I’m sorry Baba,” said Abhi apologetically.
“By the way, what is wrong with your cell? Pragya tried reaching you but was not able to.”
“I had switched it off Baba.”
“Very good,” Baba said sarcastically. “You don’t call your wife to inform her and on top of that you switch off your cell so that she too can’t call you up. Remember that your bachelor days are over. You need to act like a responsible husband and a father-to-be.”
Abhi turned his head and glared at Pragya.
“What are you glaring at her for?” bellowed Baba.
Pragya who was shifting uncomfortably in her seat all this while couldn’t bear the dressing down being meted out to her husband any longer.
“Baba, Abhishek did inform me yesterday morning that he would be late. It is I who had forgotten it. Last night after he came home he served me dinner before going to bed, Baba. He takes very good care of me.”
Baba’s eyes softened hearing his bahu’s words. “You do love him very much, don’t you? You’ll not let anyone admonish your husband. I am sorry I tend to forget that now he is your husband more than he is my son.”
“It is not that, Baba,” she tried to protest.
“Don’t worry. It is as it should be.” Turning to his son he said in a more benevolent tone, “Don’t repeat last night again.”
Abhi merely nodded his head and got up to leave.
As he walked up to his car, Pragya ran up behind him.
“Abhishek, I am sorry for what happened inside,” she said, a worried expression on her face.
Abhi did not respond immediately but got into his car. Looking up at her he said, “We have an appointment with your doctor this evening. Be ready. I’ll come to pick you up at 5.00 p.m.”
With that he sped away, leaving Pragya standing on the drive way with her mouth gaping wide.

So this is it. Hope u all liked it. As I said earlier from next episode I guess abhigya’s love will start and you will get to know pragya’s past. And my message to my readers,
“ as I said earlier, m college starts next week so I will try to finish it with next week or the next next week. I was first to be put in hosel which will make me to quit TU permanently but God has other plans it seems and he wants me to torture you all for some more time yes I am staying at my relatives I will come over to pondy in weekends so if I can I will continue my stories too. No one bothers about the stories much but I will try my level best and this is all because of all of your constant support which I will never forget. Because you all made me a good writer from ascribbler coz I know at the starting time even after many months I will write whatever I thought but now I know how to write to satisfy u all but still I didn’t get it to 50% though. Love u all …. Stay blessed keep smiling coz if u keep smiling I will also smile. Now its time for comments as I want to finish it soon as I don’t want to disappoint u all guys pls comment atleast a word as we writers (sorry joke of the year) gets energy to write more only by your comments, love u all
MY mind voice : looks like my personal msg is more than the episode shut your idiotic mouth vaishu or else they will be irritated and will skin u alive for ur non stop bak baks