Chapter 16

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

CHAPTER 15 : NEED TO KNOW

As soon as Raghav entered his room, a vase came crashing down the floor. Thankfully Farhad was quick enough to close the door in order to buffer the voice of his boss's anger.

"Tera bhabhi mereko samajh nahin aa raha hai Farahd" he shouted slumping on the chair.

"Kya hua Anna? Unhone car main kuch kaha kya?" Farhad asked tensed on the outburst.

" Kuch bol hi toh nahin raha hai woh. Aur jab bola toh kehta hai ki woh move on kar chuka hai uss Shiva ke saath." he gathered his head in his palms.

"Par Anna yeh aap bhi jaante hai ki woh jhooth bol rahi hai. Bhabhi kabhi aapse alag nahin ho sakti hai." Farhad kept a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down.

"Janta hai Farhad lekin tum dekha na ki kaise woh ghar aakar-. Mereko kuch samajh nahin aa raha hai Farhad. 3 mahine baad mera Pallavi mera saamne hai lekin main usko chhuh nahin sakta, gale nahin laga sakta. Usko sach nahin bata sakta ki main usko kitna pyaar karta hai kyunki main uske liye ab exist nahin krta hai." he slipped onto the floor finally letting his emotions take over. It had been so overwhelming for him to watch her after months. He had always had that grudge of not confessing his feelings to her. Only if he, would things have been fine? The only thought that had been bugging him from his sleep. The regret of loosing her without the truth.

"Anna abhi yeh sab sochne ka waqt nahin hai. Hume ab situation ko analyze krna hoga. Janna hoga ki jo bhabhi ne kaha woh sach hai kya." farhad sugegsted as he calmed the beast.

"Tu theek keh raha hai Farhad. Hume sach pata karna hoga aur phir ussi hisaab se main Pallavi se baat karega. Samjhayega usse." he got up wiping his tears as he stroked his thumb on his phone's wallpaper. Their wedding photograph.

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Pallavi switched off the kitchen lights and made her way to her room when she got pulled into the store room out of the blue. She was about to shout when her attacker turned on the lights.

"Tum!! Pagal ho kya dara diya mujhe" she released her breath.

"Pehle tu bata ki hua kya hai." Shiva replied taking her towards their hiding spot through the back door. It was the backside corner of the house with steps going down to a low level flooring area that Pallavi initially used for her classes until she shifted to the colony lawn.

"Shiva mujhe tumhe kuch batana hai" Pallavi spoke as soon as they sat down on the stairs beside each other.

"Woh toh main samajh gaya tha jab tune hamara double knock wala code kara tha mujhe hug karte time. Iska matlab tha ki tujhe mujhse kuch baat karni hai jo hum sabke saamne nahin kar sakte lekin kya?" he asked turning to face her.

"Shiva main-" Pallavi looked at the sky, torn from within as she realised she finally had to involve someone from her new life into her old one.

"han bol na" Shiva nudged worried for her.

"Maine tujhe bataya tha na ki maine Hyderabad kyun chodha." Pallavi took a deep breathe.

"han woh tera pati. Usne pareshaan kiya tujhe? Kuch hua hai kya? Dekh tune waise bhi bass yahi bataya tha ki kuch hua tha teri family, tere pati aur tere beech jiski wajah se tu sab kuch chhodhkar Banglore aa gayi lekin kya hua yeh kabhi nahin bataya. Aur aaj achanak tu woh baat- Pakka kuch hua hai na?" Shiva asked with rage in him. He remembered how Pallavi used to cry late night remembering her family trying to hide her pain from everyone else. How one night he found her in an upset state and she had whimpered in his arms and like a best friend, he had listened it all that she allowed him to know but never forced her for more.

"Shiva Raghav hi woh insaan hai." she unloaded the bomb on her best friend.

"Kya! Raghav tera pati- woh--" Shiva was confused.

"Han aur woh yahan mujhe lejane aaya hai" she turned to look at the sky, "Lekin-" she stopped mid way.

"Lekin tujhe nahin jaana kyunki zakhm kaafi gehra hai. Pallavi hum toh sab share karte hai na toh aisa kya hai jo tujhe itni takleef deta hai. Tu bata aur jo tu bolegi woh main karunga." Shiva held her hand as she looked him with tears in her eyes and finally let it all out to someone. The night grew darker and so did Shiva's eyes when Pallavi started the story of her life.

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DAY 1 , 8 AM

"Anna aap sure hain?" Farhad asked.

"han Farhad. Maind ecide krliya hai. Pallavi se kuch kehne se pehle main yeh pata lagayega ki woh jo kal mereko bola, usme kitna sachchai hai. Janne ka koshish krega ki akhir uss Gali ke Gunde ka rishta hai kya Pallavi se kyunki main usko force nahin karna chahta hai." Raghav explained to Farhad who nodded in return.

They both got down to the breakfast table where Aaji along with Kaku and Kaka were having their meal.

"Good Morning Aaji" Raghav greeted her looking around for a trace of her.

"Aao beta tum bhi naashta krlo" Aaji welcomed them with a smile.

"Ji aunty woh baaki sab kahan hai. Shiva aur sab" Farhad took the lead helping out his brother.

"Pallavi apne dance classes gayi hai aur Shiva bho uske saath hi hoga" Kaka replied.

"Han aur kahan jayega dono toh har waqt saath hi hote hai. yeh dono ladte bhi ek dusre se hai aur parwah bhi sabse zyada ek dusre ki karte hai." Kaku laughed unaware of the oil that she had poured over the fire. raghav fisted his fingers in anger desperate to get a glipse of his voice, preferably alone.

"Han nahin toh majaal hai ki koi inn dono ko kuch kehde. Sabse ladd jayenge" Aaji added hadnling the hot pot to farhad.

"Achcha aisa hai kya , lagta hai kaafi gehra rishta hai dono ka?" farhad asked.

"Han bahut. Pallavi toh hamare liye hamare ghar ki sab kuch hai. Agar woh nahin hoti toh Shiva toh- khair wahi hai jisne iss ghar ko, mujhe aur sabse zyada Shiva ko sambhala hai." Aaji replied with love and affection in her eyes. 

Raghav pushed the chair as he got up in anger ( i would say definitely jealousy but he's Ghamandi, will never accept it).

"woh mereko ek important call krna hai. Main abhi aata hai " he informed and left the place towards the lawn but what he saw just increased the flame.

Pallavi giggled as Shiva tried to copy her steps. Them joking around with the other kids as she ran behind him to beat him for making fun of her. But what disturbed him was the bonding that was radiant throuhg their actions.

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DAY 2 , 9 PM

 Raghav couldn't let go of yesterday's images from his mind even in his meetings. He had gotten up early in the morning and left for work because the meeting was an important one. They did work on the construction site at first from where he came to a restraunt for a meeting. he though it might keep him off from her but maybe it was just a stupid idea because the moment he saw her seated with Shiva in the same restraunt on the ground floor. All cool was lost. The way she stroked his hand as they spoke about something. That comfort and warmth. It was his and he wasn't gonna let that go. And so he was about to storm off when Farhad stopped him from making another bad decision.

"Anna abhi nahin. Yahan bahut log hai isse bhabhi aur naraaz hongi bass aur kuch nahin." farhad reminded him of their surroundings to which he gave a thought and waited as both of them left the place.

He was desperate and he wanted answers now. It had been enough torture on him and all he wanted was to know what made her drive away to someone else now. Why?

The house was preferably silent when he got back home. The girl from the neighbourhood told him that Aaji had gone to someone's house in the colony for some work and Shiva had too gone out with a friend which meant that Pallavi was alone.

Not able to take it anymore, he directly barged in her room startling her as she sat reading a book.

"Yeh kya battameezi hai Raghav?" she shouted getting up from her bed.

"Pyaar karta hai tum usse?" he asked and Pallavi knew who he was talking about.

"Han" she replied back with a straight face.

"Kyun? Aisa kya hai usme jo mere main nahin hai Pallavi" he took few steps towards her and she felt like a puddle under those eyes.

"Samajhta hai woh mujhe" came her honest reply as she tried walking past him.

"Aur main? Mera kya Pallavi? Main tumko nahin samajhta ? For God's sake Pallavi main tumhara pati hai, itna sach ka haq toh main rakhta hai na" he turned her around and that was it for her. Her patience level broke as she pulled her arm from her creating enough distance between them.

"Bass Raghav. Main tumhaari koi biwi nahin hoon. Bhulo matt ki tumne khud mujhe divorce papers sign karke diye the." she screamed taking a few steps back as he looked directly at her.

Happy to inform that the next chapter is gonna have the revelation. Also to the people who feel Pallavi and Shiva have a brother and sister bond. Nope they don't. Shiva is that male best friend every girl needs in her life and i always wanted Pallavi to have one , for her to learn the male perspective in a better way.