Chapter 23

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

CHAPTER 22: BREAK MY HEART COVEY

"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..

Pallavi felt an electicity pass through her boyd as soon as those words hit her eardrum. She stumbled back pushing him away as Raghav gave a confused look.

"No you don't" she replied back.

"Pallavi I Love You." Raghav spoke in a soft whisper as he realised how delicate the situation was. This wasn't gonna be a walk on rose petals.

"Nahin. Raghav -" Pallavi looked everywhere but him as she took some steps back finally colliding with the kitchen counter.

"Pallavi." Raghav called out to her.

"Pyaar karna tumne mereko sikhaya hai, shayad aaj tak ussi pyaar ki wajah se main zinda hai." he took a step towards her, "Tum aane se pehle mera life bina matlab ka tha, completely lifeless lekin tumne mereko jeena sikhaya hai." he added.

Pallavi looked into his eyes her own moistened, "Har kisiko apna banane ka aadat nahin hai mera, lekin jab tum mera zindagi main aaya , dil ne ek mauka bhi nahin diya sochne ka. I just want to tell you that-" he took her hands in his as tears started flowing through his eyes.

"I-Love-You Pallavi" he took long breaths confessing each and every word with honesty and purity, there was no second thoughts. It was just her for him. Pallavi couldn't stop the flow of her own tears as he joined their foreheads. She was at a loss of words. Did she love him? Ofcourse she did. But did she love him enough to forgive everything? Was love enough to mend her broken heart. Oh how long she had waited for him to say those words.

A moment of silence passed through them as they stood hearing each others heart beats. Raghav spoke what his heart wanted to but he was scared ; what if she leaves him again?

"Raghav" Pallavi was the first one to open her eyes back to reality as she retracted herself from his hold.

"Yeh tum nahin chahte ho." she spoke in a broken voice.

"Nahin Pallavi main yahi chahta hai. Tum, main aur hamara ek chhota sa duniya. Main kuch bhi karega Pallavi, jaisa tum chahta hai waisa banega. Tum chahta hai ki main wait kare toh woh bhi karega." he looked at her.

"Yahi toh baat hai na Raghav. Main tumhe nahin badalna chahti hoon. Shayad hamare raaste alag ho chuke hai kyunki hum alag hai aur wahi sahi hai. Yeh tum nahin keh rahe ho, yeh tumhaara mujhe khone ka darr keh raha hai." she wiped her tears turning away from him cause if she saw him for even a second, she might loose onto the ground and never get up.

"Main tumse pyaar nahin mang raha hai Pallavi. Bass ek chance mang raha hai. Ek last chance apna harr ek galti sudharne ka chance." he held her forearm turning her back to face him.

"Raghav kabhi kabhi choice ek aur chance ki nahin hoti hai, kabhi kabhi hum ek nayi kahaani choose karte hai. Kabhi kabhi hum ek naye waqt ka intezaar karte hai aur maine apne liye ek nayi kahaani choose kari hai. Main woh dard, woh takleef lekar aur nahin jeena chahti, main ek khaali slate chahti hoon jispar kal ka koi zakhm na ho ; har kadam par ek bure waqt ki koi yaad na ho." Pallavi looked at him.

"Aur tum woh deserve karta hai Pallavi par kya tumhara uss naya zindagi main mera ek naye qisse ka koi jagah nahin hai. Kya main iss naya life ka ek part nahin ban sakta? Bina purana dard aur pain ka?" raghav asked taking a step back as Pallavi gave him a confused look.

"Raghav yeh tum-" Pallavi wanted to ask but she got interrupted as Raghav pulled his hand infront of her.

"Hi Miss Pallavi, myself Mr Raghav Rao, kya hum dost bann sakte hain?" Raghav asked with a smile.

"Doston par bharosa karna hota hai Raghav. Kya main tumpar dobara bharosa kar sakti hoon?" Pallavi asked him ; a moment of silence passed between them as Raghav looked down. Pallavi knew his answer so she walked passed him turning to the stairs where she saw Shiva waiting for her. She smiled at him and made her way to the only place that gave her peace with Shiva tagging behind her.

Raghav stood rooted to his place. He had forgotten the first base of every relationship i.e. trust. Sometimes love isn't enough to be with someone but trust surely is. Can she trust him? Can he evolve for her into someone people can trust? She did trust him before when he made her sign those papers under a fake facade. Can he get the same trust back?

Shiva sat beside Pallavi on the stairs as they both looked up at the sky.

"Maine usko Aastha ke baare main bata diya" Shiva broke the silence.

"Hmm" came her reply.

"Pyaar karta hai woh tujhse." Shiva spoke without juggling the talk much.

"Jaanti hoon." she replied still looking up.

"Aur main jaanta hoon tu bhi karti hai." Shiva kept a hand on her shoulder.

"Shayad khudse zyada." Pallavi turned her head to face him.

"Toh idiot phir usko bola kyu nahin." Shiva scrunched his brows annoyed by his best friends lack of showing affection.

"Shiva tu jaanta hai ek relationship ko khatam karne ke liye ek insaan ki naa hi kaafi hoti hai aur Raghav ne woh naa mujhe uss din hi bol di thi jab usne Kirit ke jhooth ko mere sach ke aage choose kiya tha." Pallavi smiled at him.

"Are par phir woh samjha tha na aur tereko help bhi kara phir kya problem hai Pallavi. Kyun yeh sab khatam krke khudko sukoon nahin dena chahti hai?" Shiva held her hand trying to make her understand.

"Tute tute tukdo ko Samet ke maine khudko wapas joda hai shayad isliye main baar baar bikhar jata hoon. Aur ab main nahin bikharna chahti hoon Shiva. Raghav woh aag hai jiske saath rehne ke liye mera jalna zaroori hai. And sometimes it takes alot to heal a broken heart lekin usse zyada it takes a lot to trust that it won't be broken again. Shayad aaj main usse han keh doon, ek mauka bhi de doon lekin yeh dil hai na Shiva yeh bharosa karne se darne laga hai." Pallavi replied with a smile.

"Yeh tera dil hai Pallavi aur iske faisle lene ka haq sirf aur sirf tera hai lekin main ek baat kahunga ki sometimes the moments that are gonna change your life are actually the moments that you've never expected." saying so Shiva stood up patting her shoulder as he bid a her goodnight. Pallavi sat their thinking of his words, both Raghav's and Shiva's. What was she gonna do?

Raghav woke up to a lot lighter self since he confessed his feelings to her last night. He knew she needed time and this time he had promised himself to do right by her and not force her. It was a chirpy morning but what made it more chirpy was the shriek tat he heard from the verandah. Both the boys aka Raghav and Farhad ran down the stairs worried for the person's wellbeing but got confused as they saw the little girls dancing around Pallavi.

"Kya hua?" Farhad asked.

"Aaji lo main jalebi bhi le aaya." Shiva walked in holding a box of sweets as Aaji hurdled ahead making Pallavi sit on the chair as she did her aarti.

"psshh" Raghav gestured Maya who walked towards him as he asked her in a low voice, "Hua kya hai?"

"Are Pallavi taai ka selection letter aa gaya." Maya replied in excitement.

"Selection?"

"Deva meri bachchi ko bass aise hi kamyaabi dete rehna." Aaji fed her sweets when everyone joined in too.

"  Kaisa selection?" raghav asked again.

"National dance competition main aur kahan. Taai ne last month hamare saath apply kra tha hamari coach bankar. Aur hamare aur unke performance ke basis par unhe finals ke liye select krliay hai." Maya clapped her hands.

'What!!" Raghav exclaimed as he looked at everyone showering their blessings on Pallavi who had a huge smile.

"Lekin Aaji abhi bass selection hua hai-" she was trying to calm everyone down as they moved around her dancing in circles.

"Pallavi tu jaanti hai na tu finals jeet gayi toh one of the 3 contestants bann sakti hai jo India ko represent krenge. Tu isko chhoti si baat samajh rahi hai." Shiva face palmed himself.

"Are lekin-'

"Shiva sahi keh raha hai saree ka dukaan. I mean Pallavi. yeh tumhaare liye itna bada opportunity hai aur tum hai ki isko normal baat samajh raha hai." Raghav walked to her.

"Jaanti hoon lekin finals main bass 4 din hi hai aur woh bhi Hyderabad main hai. Kaise hoga sab kuch." Pallavi spoke in a stressed voice.

"Sab hoyega. Have no fear when Raghav Rao is here." Raghav pulled his imaginary collars up.

"Aur main bhi" Shiva jumped in the conversation, "Main subah academy ka renovation dekhlunga office jaane se pehle tab tak tu lawn main practice krliyo." 

"Aur main baaki ke din workers ki help se dhyaan rkhunga." farhad added.

"Main ghar aur Aaji ke saath shop dono handle krlungi." kaku smiled.

" Aur main tumhara har wish, har requirement poora krenga. tumko apna practice chhodhne ka koi zaroorat nahin hoyega." Raghav too added.

"Thank You lekin itne kamm time main itna sab bahut difficult hai. hume 3 din main nikalna hoga aur wahan rehna hoga competition ke baad aage ki formalities ke liye uska kya." Pallavi looked around.

"Toh udhar tere Azoba ka ghar hai na." Aaji side hugged her.

"hyderabad main?" Pallavi asked.

"ho ho unka khandaani ghar hai. Udhar koi aur abhi reh raha hai lekin tum tension mat lo last week hum case ka notice diya unko. Woh ghr khaali krdega kyun woh property hamara hai. Tere Azoba ke jaane ke baad unki will se pata chala toh hum udhar rahenge." Aaji stroked her face.

"Toh ab?" Shiva asked.

"Jai Shivaji." Pallavi screamed as everyone laughed. Raghav was happy to be a part of such important aspects of her life but what he adored the most was how she had mixed up with the people around her in such a short span of time. His chain of thoughts halted when he got a call from Aai. He excused himself to one side greeting his mother.

"Hello Aai. Kaisi hain aap?" he asked.

"Main theek hoon Raghav. Tum kaise ho aur wapas kab aa rahe ho?" Aai asked.

" Bahut jaldi aa raha hai main Aai aur aapka aangan ka khushi bhi wapas laa raha hai." he replied looking at Pallavi who ran behind Shiva chasing him after he stuffed an entire jalebi in her mouth. Indeed he was bringing the happiness back home.

Long time no see. Blame the current track. I lost my entire will to write something including Raghav that doesn't piss me off.