Chapter 22

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

CHAPTER 21 : MEMORIES BRING BACK YOU

"Aastha , my wife." Raghav was too shocked to react on the newly found information. Was Shiva already maaried?

"Kya soch raha hai?" Shiva asked with a smirk.

"Tu yeh- , aisa-" Raghav was finding it hard to form sentences. What had he missed all this while.

" Tujhe laga tune mujhe daaru pila diya. Tu bhola dikhta nahin hai lekin pakka hai." Shiva mocked taking drowing the leftover drink to the ground.

"Seedhe seedhe bol tera yeh kya naya drama hai." and my friends, The Raghav Rao was back. What? Everyone needs a few seconds to revive from shocks. Raghav is no exception.

"Pehli baat, Pallavi idhar 3 mahine se hai toh uski green tea trick mujhe bhi aati hai. Aur agli baar na daru ki bottle kisi achchi jagah chhupaiyo aur bhagwaan ke liye darwaza band karke plan discuss kra kar." Shiva laughed while Raghav made a phase. He indeed should start locking the doors whn he's discussing a plan with Farhad. Noted.

"Aur dusri baat , Ganpati ka time hai isliye no drinking. Tujhe laga main daaru piyunga idhar baithkar. Marna thori hai ghar walon se." Shiva dropped the bottle to the ground shattering it into pieces.

"Kya matlab ki woh ladki tera wife hai?" Raghav had enough of sniffing around so he got straight to the point.

"Yahi ki woh meri biwi hai. Isme matlab kya hai. Iska naam Aastha hai aur yeh meri biwi hai." Shiva patted his back and got up to leave.

"Zyada smart matt bann. Tu jaanta hai ki main aisa kayko puch raha hai?" Raghav too got up.

"Yahi janne ke liye ki main Pallavi se pyaar karta hoon ya nahin? Haina?" Shiva mocked putting his hands into his pocket.

"Han kyunki Pallavi mera pyaar hai aur main jaanta hai ki woh bhi sirf mujhse hi pyaar karta hai. Tereko hopes nhin dena chahta hai main. tera hi bhala hoga." Raghav looked him direct in the eye.

"Chal bata deta hoon." Shiva laughed looking down and then back up. Moving closer to him he spoke, " Han karta hai main pyaar usse." 

Raghav clenched him hand into a fist but Shiva backed away and added, 'lekin ek dost ke naate. Because mere bhai, i am taken." 

He walked around Raghav sitting back on the wall and patting the space beside him for an invitation to join. Raghav was relieved to hear the truth but now curious to know this man's story.

"Aastha aur main ek NGO ke kaam par mile the. Bhale hi uska baap paison se ameer tha magar Aastha dil se ameer tha. Sabka help karna. Idhar society main sabko apna family manne." Shiva started him story while Raghav looked at him giving his full attention.

"pata hi nahin chala kab iss yede dil ko usse pyaar ho gaya. Bahut chakkar lagata tha main. Ladai ke bahaane uske saath rehne ke tareeke dhundhta tha. Deva shapath uske liye na akkha life ghuma sakta tha apna . Isliye ek main usko roka aur sab kuch bata diya. Bol diya ki pyaar karta hai usse." Shiva smiled remembering how stupid he behaved just to get Aastha notice him.

"Toh kya bola woh?" Raghav asked, it somehow felt like his and his SKD's story where he maybe somewhere fought with her just to spend time with her, keep her closer to him.

"Yahi ki woh bhi merese pyaar karta hai. Par uska baap tha na Sanki sa, maanich nahin raha tha isliye idhar apna colony main sabka help se, support se hum dono bhaag kar shaadi krliya." Shiva clapped his hand in excitement to which Raghav gave an 'o' expression. 

"Socha uska baap maan jayega lekin sanki mana hi nahin. Aaji ke liye Aastha unka beti tha. Kaka Kaku ka life tha woh. Hum khush the idhar apna chhota sa duniya main lekin kehte hai na ki mere jaisa rakshas hi apna kaal hota hai. Toh maine hi sab kuch barbaad kardiya." Shiva's face went from smile to guilt in seconds. Raghav could feel the sadness radiating from him cause it was the same thing going on inside him too. He always felt like a monster who destroyed his own happiness.

" Sala apna lafandargiri main usko hamesha gussa dila deta tha. Woh mereko sudharne ka koshish karta raha, bolta raha ki main badal skta hai. Promise liya ki main job karega aur yeh wasooli wagaira chhod dega. Uska wala Shiva banega jo pariwar ko samajhta hai." Shiva gave a sad smile and Raghav couldn't help but have his thoughts wander where Pallavi once told him that ' she will change him for good cause she's seen a hope on him' and he had very subtly asked her that if he changed, would she stay. He was honest then, he would have definitely changed his ways if she stayed but then again he was Raghav Rao, as soon as that honestly built up, in a second it was gone and he was back to being the don ruthless.

"Toh tum badla uske liye? Asaan hota hai kya?" Raghav asked.

"Jooth bola main. Office ka bolkar wahi lafandar giri. Bhau ke wasooli kaam yahi karta tha isliye 3 mahine pehle, ek baari woh dekh liya mereko. Bahut ladai hua hamare beech aur phir woh deicde kara ki woh job karega. Achcha khasa degree tha uske paas. Job bhi asaani se mil gaya." Shiva replied.

"Phir kya hua?" Raghav ushered him to continue.

"Mereko bahut gussa aya ki woh yeh sab kar raha tha mereko badalne ke liye. Agle din woh job par jaa raha tha. Main Aaji ke bolne par chhodne gaya usko par usse kuch bola nahin. Road cross karte time ek truck ne usko takkar maara aur main dekhta reh gaya. Udharich tha main aur woh mera saamne khoon main." a lone tear escaped his eye as Raghav kept a hand on his shoulder.

"woh jahan bhi hai tumse bahut pyaar karta hai." Raghav was no good at consoling people but he knew what it felt liek to loose a loved one.

"Mara nahin hai zinda hai woh." Shiva explained and Raghav felt him release the breath he was holding, "Sir par chot lagne se clot hua aur woh Coma main chala gaya. Main toh tha hi gareeb , isliye uske baap se uska beti ko bachane ka bheek manga main. Woh uska mehenge doctor se ilaaj karwaya jisse woh bach toh gaya lekin Coma main chala gaya. Uske baap se deal kara tha ki ilaaj ke badle main uska beti se bahut dur chala jayega aur dekho kaisa akele baitha hai main idhar." he added.

"Woh tumhe milne nahin dete?" Raghav was angry. He would have killed his Sanki Buddha, aka Marathi father in law if he was ever not allowed to be near Pallavi.

" Hospital ke aas paas bhi bhatakne nahin deta. Main toh soch liya tha ki Aastha nahin toh main bhi nahin. Azoba ki tabyat theek nahin rehti thi aur ek din unko heart attack aa gaya aur Aaji ko mera zaroorat tha. 3 mahina pehle hum Hyderabad gaye the unka koi family property ka kaam se , magar Aastha ka tabyat bigad gaya, yeh khabar sunke Aaji ka Bp low ho gaya bus stop par hi. Tabhi hum Pallavi se mile aur usne Aaji ko apni bus chhodhkar sambhala. Ek ghante baad pata chala ki uss bus main aag lag gayi, isliye Pallavi hamare saath Banglore aa gayi aur usne bass itna bataya ki kuch hua jiski wajah se usne sab kuch chhod diya. Koi pariwar nahin tha uska. Idhar woh hum sabko smbhala. Mereko sambhala. Main toh marna chahta tha lekin woh mereko samjhaya, jeene ka wajah diya ki jab Aastha uthega aur usko main nahin mila toh woh tut jayega." Shiva smiled looking at Raghav. Indeed Pallavi was his angel. raghav couldn't have felt more proud of his love, his Pallavi. She was always the hope of light in everyone's dark life.

"Aur Pallavi ko main toda isliye woh merese dur chala gaya." Raghav was guilty.

"Tum sabne usko bahut takleef diya hai. Mann toh karta hai ki tujhe maar doon lekin Pallavi ki khatir ruk jata hai. tu special hai uske liye." Shiva spoke and Raghav's eyes shot up in happiness.

"Aise matt dekh. Tum dono ke chehron pe saaf dikhta hai. Pyaar kya hota hai yeh main achche se jaanta hai aur usko khona kya hota hai woh bhi main achche se jaanta hai. Tune galti kari lekin tu usse pyaar bhi bahut karta hai." Shiva gave an honest opinion.

"Khud se zyada bharosa karta hai aur apna zindagi se zyada pyaar karta hai usko." raghav confessed.

"Isliye main tujeh support karunga lekin agar Pallavi maani toh. Decision uska hoyega." Shiva got up giving his hand to Raghav.

"Mujhe tera ko madat nahin chahiye. I am Raghav Rao aur apna Saree Ka Dukaan ko manana mereko aata hai." Raghav smirked.

"Pallavi sahi kehti hai tu Ghamandi hai." Shiva scoffed.

Raghav looked at him and then hs hand. there was no way he was getting Pallavi back without Shiva's help, he knew that.

"Aakhri mauka de raha hoon." Shiva warned to Raghav which he gladly accepted ina reflex shaking his hand.

"Pallavi ke liye main tereko bhi jhel lega." he replied.

"Aur main bhi. Lekin yaad rakhiyo, tujhse pehle main Pallavi ko support karunga. jaisa woh chahegi wahi hoga." Shiva warned walking to leave but turned back.

"Aur sunn, jo feel karta hai bata de usko isse pehle aur bhi lae ho jaye." he adviced and made his way down to meet the others.

Raghav stood there not able to belive that he had a civil conversation with this man but he was right. It was too late and he can't take anymore chances. He should confess.And so with that thought he ran down lookign for her whehn he found her in the kitchen looking for something. It looked like everyone was still out for dinner, so he slipped in behind her.

"Shiva tumhe samajhta hai. Yahi kaha tha na tumne." he spoke in a soft voice.

"Raghav" Pallavi was startled to see him there, "Han kyunki yeh sach hai." she replied getting out from the sudden surprise.

"Tum samajhte ho ek dusre ko." Raghav added.

"Han Raghav" Pallavi grabbed the bowl she was loking for and turned to leave only to be stopped by his voice.

"Kyunki tum dono jaante ho ki ek life partner ko khona kisse kehte hai." Raghav voiced out.

Pallavi was rooted to her stop. Is he aware of everything now? She thought.

"Kyun haina Saree Ka dukaan?" he asked coming closer to her as her back touched his chest.

"raghav mujhe jana hai" Pallavi whispered.

"Kyun saree ka dukaan pehle toh bahut pyaar ka baat kar raha tha tum." he whispered near her ear taking the bowl from her hand and keeping it aside.

"Han because i love him." she stuttered.

"Are you sure?" he asked pulling her closer by her waist.

"Raghav i-" Pallavi felt it hard to concentrate feeling his breath on her neck. He was too close for her consciousness.

"I Love You Saree Ka Dukaan." Raghav confessed.

My poor Shiva .

But yaay Raghav finally confessed. Took him long enough . My fault 

Sorry if it was short. The recent track has been making it way too difficult for me to connect and write.