Chapter 26

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

CHAPTER 25 : EASY ON ME

"Tum aaj bhi mera wife hai Pallavi. Hamara divorce nahin hua." Raghav finally admitted the truth.

"What?" Pallavi turned around facing him in shock. The last few months moving like flashbacks infront of her eyes. She looked at Raghav and in that one second, she knew he wasnt lying and it took her back to the time she made her decision.

3 Months ago,

"Raghav ! Raghav!" Pallavi walked inside the RR mansion in anger shouting out his name when Amma came running in the hall accompanied by Kirti and Sunny.

"Amma Raghav kahan hai?" she asked as soon as she spotted Amma.

"Woh toh apna study main kaam kar raha par tum itna pareshaan kayko lag raha hai? Sab theek hai na?" Amma asked being concerned cause since the last few days all her kids have experienced is pain, immense amount of pain. It all started when two weeks back there was a new update in Mandaar's case and the police got a hint of a guy who looked like Mandaar to be working at a hospital. Pallavi being the person who had been handling the case from the family was way too tensed but Raghav kept assuring her that things would be fine and they would have been until that guy was actually found out to be Mandaar. Hence, Mandaar got back home and due to some legal formalities, Pallavi had to go back to her previous in-laws aka The Deshmukhs. 

Amma's line of thoughts were broken when she heard Pallavi shout again for her son.

'Pallavi hua kya hai tum kuch toh batao?" Amma asked her again.

"Amma aap-" Pallavi started to speak only to be interrupted by Raghav's voice who stood at the top of the stairs with Farhad by his side.

"Kya hai Pallavi? Tum itna kayko chilla raha hai?" he asked in a non-chalant way which in return boiled her blood more.

"Tumhari himmat kaise hui Raghav mujhe divorce papers bhejne ki!" she screamed , her tears threatening to fall yet her eyes holding fury.

"Taki tum usko sign kar sake." Raghav replied getting down the stairs.

"Main mazaak ke mood main nahin hoon Raghav." she marched towards him.

"Toh main bhi mazaak nahin kar raha hai Pallavi." Raghav slipped a hand inside his pocket.

"Raghav yeh kya ho raha hai? Yeh Pallavi kinn divorce papers ka baat kar raha hai." Amma looked at Raghav with a questioning gaze.

"Inka Amma. Yeh divorce papers jo aapke bete ne mujhe bhijwaye hai. Jinme likha hai ki aapka beta mujhse talaaq lena chahta hai kyunki hum dono compatible nahin hai. Pati patni ka koi rishta nahin hai hamare beech." Pallavi replied throwing away the said papers at him which scrambled on the floor.

"Han toh isme galat kya hai. Waisa bhi tum aur main ek dusre se dur hi toh rehna chahte the. Yeh shaadi ek deal tha, mereko mera family milne ke liye aur tumko tumhara bhai jab woh dono kaam ho gaya hai toh bina wajah iss deal ka shaadi main rehne ka koi point nahin hai. Aur ab toh tumhara real pati bhi aa gaya hai toh tumko sign krne se problem nahin hone chahiye." Raghav spoke in a calm voice which angered her more.

"Raghav Rao. Bass. Bahut bana liya tumne iss rishte ka mazaak. Deal thi na yeh toh theek hai kardete hai khatam." Pallavi pulled him closer as she grabbed his collar. Looking deep into his eyes, she never saw him flinch at her words and hence she knew it was all over. Pushing him back she grabbed the papers from the floor, pulled out the pen from his coat pocket and signed over her name.

"Yeh lo ho gaya khatam." she replied stuffing the papers back into his hand and walking out of the house probably for the very last time now.

Present time

"Tum jhooth bol rahe ho. Tumne khud papers diye the aur maine tumhaare saamne unhe sign kra tha." Pallavi spoke extremely confused of the situation.

"Jaanta hai main." Raghav moved closer to her, "lekin maine woh papers kabhi court main submit nahin krwaya ulta main unko khud phaadkar jala diya tha. Main realise kar chuka tha Pallavi ki main tumse bahut pyaar karta hai. Nahin reh sakta tha tumhaare bina. Main tumko batana chahta tha ki hamara divorce nahin hua lekin woh Mandaar ka sara drama main sahi time hi nahin mila." he held her hand but she shrugged it away.

"Ek aur jhooth. Agar tum mujhse pyaar karte the toh divorce papers diye hi kyun the. Kyun jaane diya tha mujhe uss insaan ke paas jo sahi tha hi nahin. Mujhse kaha ki Mandaar hi mera asli pati hai toh main uske paas chali jaun. zara bhi takleef nahin hui tumhe Raghav." Pallavi let her tears fall.

"Takleef hua tha Pallavi. bahut hua tha lekin main kya karta main Aai ko promise diya tha. Woh pehla baar merese kuch manga tha woh bhi tumhara liye. Main unko kaise mana kardeta." Raghav took a step closer while Pallavi stumbled back mumbling one word, "Aai".

3 Months back

Raghav was excited to see Pallavi at the restaurant. Farhad had told him that Amrutha gave him a message this morning, Pallavi wanted to meet him today to discuss something very important. He could care less about the reason and more of the fact that after 3 days of her leaving the house due to the Mandaar commotion, he would be seeing her face, smelling her fragrance. These 3 days have felt like 3 years to him and it had actually made his realise how important she was to him, that he was finally ready to confess his feelings to her.

The restaurant wasn't hell packed, all thanks to the Raghav Rao charm since he had booked a seperate portion for them to have a peaceful lunch at. His heart beating faster at every second.

"Raghav" he turned to the voice only to be disappointed when his gaze met Aai's.

"Aai? Pallavi theek hai na?" he asked in confusion.

"Ho ho Pallavi bilkul theek hai." aai replied.

"Amrutha ne kaha tha ki-" 

"Maine hi Amrutha ko bola tha tumhe yahan bulaane ke liye. Mujhe tumse kuch baat karni thi. Pallavi ke baare main." Aai replied as they both got seated.

"Han kahiye na." 

"Raghav tum meri Pallavi ko azaad kardo." Aai spoke not knowing the impact of her words that would do this man.
"Matlab?Main kuch samjha nahin."Raghav asked.

"Azaad krdo usse apne aur uske iss rishte se. Raghav tum bhi jaante ho ki Mandaar ke wapas aane ke baad sab kuch badal sa gaya. Hamare pariwar main khushiyan laut aai hai. Lekin Mandaar ki khushi Pallavi main hai. Raghav tum aur Pallavi iss rishte main ek saude ke wajah se hai. Main yeh nahin keh rahi ki Pallavi aur tumhara rishta galat hai par maine Pallu ko dekha hai ki woh apne ghar aakar kitni khush hai aur uski iss khushi ki wajah se Mandaar khush hai. Uski tabyat main sudhaar aa raha hai isliye main tumse yahan vinnati karne aai hoon ki azaad kardo meri Pallu ko. Wapas lautne do usse uske pariwar ke paas. Ab toh tumhe bhi tumhara pariwar mil gaya hai yahi toh tumhe chahiye tha." Aai folded her hands infront of him begging him to consider her words while all Raghav could do was sit back there in shock.

A few hours later

Raghav kept pacing in his den , Aai's words still ringing in his mind. He had taken the enitre night to think about the density of this situation and according to him Aai wasn't wrong. Was she?

It was tru that this was just a deal wedding and since the time Pallavi had met him, all she had gotten is pain and tears. He took her family away from her using false accusations on the characters while she mended his family with him as soon as she stepped foot inside his house. How was this fair? He loved her but he loved her and hence letting her go was painful but keeping her binded to himself when her true happiness lied with her family and that man who was supposed to be her actual husband was even harsher.

"Anna" Farhad stood at the door.

"Papers ho gaye?" Raghav asked him turning around not ready to show his tears to anyone.

"Anna mat kariye aisa. Aap aur bhabhi ek dusre ke liye hi bane hain toh matt jaane diiye unhe." Farhad tried to reason.

"Main faisal le chuka hai Farhad aur tujhe bhi yeh order hai ki tu kisiko kuch nahin batayega." Raghav faced him.

"Lekin Anna-" Farhad tried to speak only to be interrupted by the loud voice of his bhabhi.

"Raghav!Raghav!" they could hear her scream from the hall.

"Anna." Farhad's voice turned soft while all Raghav did was nod as he grabbed his coat and walked out ready for his act.

Present time

"Main kaise Aai ko mana karta Saree ka Dukaan . Tum hi batao. " Raghav revealed the truth to her.

Pallavi took her time to register it as she sat down on the sidewalk. A few minutes into the silence and she finally looked up wiping her tears.

"Chalo ghar jaana h late ho rha hai." she got up to leave when Raghav pulled her back by her elbow.

"Pallavi?" he gave her a puzzled look.

"Mujhe jaane do Raghav." she struggled to detach herself from him.

"Tum ab bhi kuch nahin bologe?" Raghav asked. 

"Kya bolun Raghav?" she detached herself from him, "Yahi ki wow thank you tumne mujhe a[ni biwi hone ki darja diya. Ya suhagan bankar khadi ho jaun tumhaare saamne. Main jitni baar sochti hoon ki main shayad tumhe samajhne ki koshish kar sakti hoon tum harr baar mujhe galat prove krte ho. Maine kuch din pehle hi tumse kaha tha na ki thak chuki hoon logon ko apni zindagi ke faisle lete dekhkr toh ab tumne phirse kyun." she replied moving back a little.

"Aaj sach main lag raha hai ki tum main aur baba main koi farq hi nahin hai. Unhone mujhe ghar se nikala lekin apne bete ke liye , apne liye wapas le aaye. sab bhool gaye. Aur tumne bhi mann kara toh Aai ki baaton main aakar mujhe divorce papers de diye aur jab laga ki 'main pallavi ke bina nahin reh sakta hoon' toh papers phaad diye. Arey ek baar mujhse toh puchlete Mr Rao ki main kya chahti hoon. Mere liye hamara rishta kitna mayne rakhta hai. Tumhaare saath rehna chahti hoon ya Mandaar ke paas jana chahti hoon. Bass ek baar tum puchlete na Raghav to shayad hum aaj yahan nhin hote. Aur ab mere paas tumhe kehne ke liye kuch aur nahin hai." she spoke with sincerity and left riding in an auto leaving a stunned Raghav behind.

Raghav drove back home, her words coming back to haunt him. She was right. If only he had asked her things would have been different since the veyr beginning. If he had asked her about Kirti's photos, she wouldn't have been humiliated by him and thrown out of her house. If only he had asked her if she wanted to be with Mandaar or hi,, she wouldn't have had to leave Hyderabad. What have he done?

As he entered the house, it felt oddly silent to him when he met Maya in the verandah.

"Sab kahan hai?" he asked

"Sab toh chale gaye." Maya replied

"Kahan?" 

"Hyderabad. Taai ghar aai aur boli ki unhe shaam ko nahin abhi jana hai isliye woh log jaldi nikal gaye." Maya answered leaving the house.

Pallavi took a deep breath as soon as they steppes on the land of Hyderabad city. 3 months of running away from it and the people residing here, she was yet back again to the same place. But this time it was different, she was here for 2 reasons. First to make her new family rpoud of her achivements and secondly to get a few answers from the people that had wronged her because this time she wasn't the same person they knew.