Journey that made them (#IFFA2020) Thumbnail

Chapter 22

Tvfanatic85

@Tvfanatic85

Chapter 22 - My Shadow

Prerna was looking at her wedding photographs. She had wanted a proper photo album. Shivani had teased her saying that who keeps photo albums nowadays but she wanted those moments captured beautifully and Rishab had fulfilled that. There were beautiful moments in them. Kukki had stood in front of the car demanding that Rishab stop and allow her to dance and she had danced nonstop with everyone for half an hour whilst Rishab had stood and watched of course. A very small moment when Rishab had unknowingly matched her on a step.Her nervous walk, Rishab had helped on the steps, the varmala where nobody picked anyone and they were just showered the love and flowers. Her mother had done the kanyadaan and the amazing moment when Rishab with complete devotion had held her hand to never leave it. Whether the sindoor daan or each phera where they had pledged themselves to each other hand in hand this this was the man she had married and he cannot do what everyone believed. He never used her to get back at Basus then how could he. Why why had she got angry at him so much why had she had so much to drink why did she let her jealousy take over.But she will fix this she will fix this anyhow no matter what she had to do.

Rishab came home that night and went straight to the study. He poured himself a drink and finished it in one shot. Nitya’s words echoed in his head and so did Mr Bose’s. There was a large mirror in the study and he stood in front of it and another younger self of him was smirking at him.“Kya socha tha ki tumhare dhoke khatam. Kaha tha maine don’t trust anyone you didn’t listen” and Rishab broke the glass in anger with his hands and blood oozed out of it in an instant but he kept hitting until it was broken. Why was he always back to square one, Nitya Menaka Mr bose everyone why was everyone so sure that he doesn’t deserve this life. His kid his own kid? Was it a boy or a girl? He would never know never ever. Why did no one trust him? He had thought Prerna will but no she will she will she will she will she will she has to? She knows me she knows Rishab” but somebody from behind said “she already doesn’t” and Rishab threw something at that direction as well and threw all the stuff flying from the table.

That night Rishab didn’t come to meet Kukki and Sneha and Prerna was surprised at this. She called Mr Mehra and even he didn’t know. Prerna tried calling his phone but it was not reachable. He called at Bajaj mansion and the staff said that he came home early and has been in study since then. Didn’t know why but Prerna ran to Bajaj Mansion and the staff was standing in the hall scared.

“Kya hua hain Chandu. Shab kaha hain?”

“Pata nahin mam study main the aur kuch der se kuch tootne ki awaaz aa rahi hain”

“To aap log andar kyun nahin gaye” and she ran inside the study.Study was literally ransacked there were glass pieces and she could see some blood on a mirror. Then he saw Rishab, his hand hurt and a drink in his other hand as if unaware of the blood flowing.

“Kya kar rahin hain, kya kiya haan kya kiya apne, kyun kiya. First aid box first aid box” she went to the drawer and took one out. She then took some cotton and antiseptic and tried to clean his hands.

“Kitna khun beh raha hain Rishab. Aap sun rahin hain kya kiya hain yeh aapne. Rishab” and forced his face to look at her. “Kya hua?” and for the first time after a long time Prerna was scared of him from the anger in his eyes and for a moment she stepped back but Rishab grabbed her by her arms and made her near him forcefully. His blood-stained hands were grabbing her and he tried to come close to her. Prerna could smell the drinks that he had had and Prerna turned her face away he with a bit of force turned her to look at him as if asking “Why?” and then caressed her face from the same blood-stained hands.She wanted to run but she wanted to stay she was glued to the spot she was scared but she was surprised at herself that she was scared for him for what had happened that he was like this today. And then suddenly he saw himself standing in the back of Prerna and that someone smirked on him “She is scared of you”.He grabbed her again with force but saw fear in her eyes and shocked and jerked her away, and she fell on the ground. He took the vase near him and threw it at the wall.

“Rishab kya kar rahin hain? Kya kar rahin hain hosh main aaiye kya hua?” Prerna and was trying to stop him but he was not ready to listen and, in the tussle,, he pushed Prerna and she clashed with the broken mirror on the wall and her arms got hurt and she winced in pain and Rishab froze. He ran to her and looked at her arm. He ran to the kit that prerna was using and tried to stop the blood with the cotton but again and again it got redder from his own blood.

“Yeh ruk kyun nahin raha hain? Maine maine woh who waha pe mujhe baar baar ki he he laughs at me and I just maine dekha nahin.” And then suddenly he stopped cleaning the wound. “Sahi bol raha hain na sahi bol raha tha sab sahi bol rahin the? Aap aap bhi chali jaiye, aap bhi” and threw the antiseptic bottle he was holding on the floor and he tried to back off and was about to fall but Prerna stopped him and saved him from falling.

“Rishab sambhalye. Kaha jao main kaha jao main.” Prerna holding Rishab’s face.

“Woh waha waha dekhiye in in pieces main dekhiye he he” Rishab butPrerna went behind him and suddenly all Rishab saw was Prerna in the pieces in the surrounding. Prerna turned him towards her “Sirf main hoon aur koi nahin hain sirf main hoon aur main..”

“Lekin aap nahin hain nahin hain aap. Aapne bhi to nahin manaa apne bhi nahin mana.Sabki tarah aapne bhi nahin mana” And Rishab almost fainted in her arms. “Kya hua kya ho gaya Rishab?” and hugged him and almost sat on the floor with his weight on her.

She called the staff and with their help moved him to the room. He was boiling with fever and Prerna asked them for a first aid kit and some cold water and strips. Then sent all the staff downstairs. Prerna took of his shoes his jacket and covered him with blanket. She first properly bandaged his handand then started keeping cold strips on her forehead. He kept coming and losing his senses and was restless so prerna went and kept his head on her lap all the while keeping cold strips and caressing him and then fell asleep sitting there only. “Was she responsible for this what had she done? When he needed her the most what had she done. What happened?” He was dreaming about what happened in the study and Rishab was again going to fall and this time she was not able save her and she woke up with a jerk. “Kuch nahin hoga kuch nahin hoga aapko kuch bhi nahi” she thought with a determination.

Rishab woke up with a heavy head but his fever had broken. He opened his eyes to Prerna face and realised he was sleeping in her lap. He woke up with a start and the motion woke up prerna too.

“Aap aap theek hain?” Prerna and touched his forehead to check his temperature.

“Haan yeh blood aapke kapdo pe face pe?” Rishab and suddenly he remembered what had happened and looked at Prerna shocked. Prerna had completely forget about them.

“Main fresh hoke aati hoon” Prerna and she went to the washroom.

When she came out Rishab was sitting on the sofa looking outside the windows and cigar in hand. He went near her and checked her arms. “Aap theek hain?” Prerna nodded. “I am sorry Mrs.Bajaj. But you should have left. I could have done something wrong” Rishab

“Nahin karte aap kabhi nahin.” And went near him and tried to take the cigar from his hands. He tried to move her hands away but she held firm and took out the cigar and put it down in the ash tray and forwarded him the coffee that was lying on the side table. “Kya hua tha kal Rishab?” Prerna

“Kukki aur Sneha wait kar rahin honge aap jaiye” Rishab and he went towards the bed to lie down and his head was killing him and he didn’t want to talk about anything at all. But she touched his arm and tried to stop him.

“Please Rishab. Can we talk?” Prerna

“No Mrs bajaj we cannot. It doesn’t work this way har baar aap nahin decide karengi ki when you get to have answers and when you can’t. Is baar I will decide if I want to give answers or not.”

“Rishab who us raat Mr bose ne aur upar se Nitya I just?”

“I just I just kya?” Rishab.

“Mr Bose ne “and then very slowly she narrated the entire thing to him. ”I know I am wrong I shouldn’t have let my jealousy take over but I saw you with Nitya and then your past I just I just lost it thinking that somehow she was in our world that maybe she could have been in my pla…. But I guess it was karma mujhe bhi to feel hoon jo kabhi maine aapko feel karwaya but kya karo aapki tarah separate karna nahin….” And Rishab looked away towards the window. Prerna knew she had nothing more to say. She went to the table and took out his medicines.

“Aapki medicines.” And Rishab took them and gulped them with some water. and went to sleep. Prerna tried to help him with the blanket – “Its fine” but she still continued and said “Main questions nahin puchne wali thi. I was going to I was going to say that I trust you with my everything aur main kahin nahin ja rahin. Also, main aapki sorry ka bhi wait karungi for not telling me about nitya.” And she kissed him on the forehead and left from there. Rishab was stunned.

Prerna stayed at bajaj mansion as he was still very weak and she didn’t want to leave him alone. She went into the study and asked the staff to clean everything.Every place of this house had beautiful memories for her even this study where Rishab had for the first time bared his heart out to her and for the first time they had all slept like a family. Suddenly her phone rang and she came out of her thoughts by the sudden ring. It was a video call from Kukki and Sneha.

“Hello mumma. Where are you? Wait is that dad’s study what happened?” Prerna cursed herself to not come out of the room.

“Nahin who mujhse kuch gir gaya tha. Tum logo ne breakfast kiya and Kukki please apna revision ache se kar lena tumhara test hain aaj. Please”

“Mom relax I have done it I know everything. Trust me”

“Ok then show me show me your practice writing now.”

“Mom please maine kar liya hain”

“To writing dekhane main kya problem hain.”

“Somethings you need to trust” Kukki and Prerna was stunned at what she had said. Suddenly she realised what she had said in just like that manner.

“Mumma mumma are baba don’t be like this I will show you the revisions.”

“No, you don’t need to. I know you don’t lie you will be amazing in the exam. All the best. Sneha kaha hai” Prerna

“Thanks,mumma. Aur Sneha muh fula ke bethi hain. Ro roke pagal kar diya hain.papa kaha han she wants to talk”

“papa he is sleeping”

“mumma papa is ok?”