Chapter 27

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

A whole freakin monthhh....

I know I know i deserve chhittar but before that here goes the next part

CHAP 26 : BATTLE FROM WITHIN

Not much of a talker and interactor on stories but this chapter is going to be a little long. Also i recommend you to listen to the playlist songs for better feels.

7:00 PM, HYDERABAD

"Bappa majhi mulagi khupa sundar diste." (My daughter looks so beautiful) Aaji exclaimed putting a kala teeka behind Pallavi's ear as she addressed her in the dressing room.

"Aaji tu bhi na." Pallavi got up hugging Aaji. She indeed looked beautiful today, even to herself. Both the ladies adored their duo in the mirror. Pallavi wore a white anarkali suit with golden and maroon work on it while Aaji wore the saree that Azoba had gifted her before he died.

"Tu theek hai na Pallu?" Aaji asked her and Pallavi sighed. This is the millionth time she's been asking this question since Pallavi told the truth to their entire Pallavi.

Once she was back from the hospital after leaving a dejected Raghav behind, she had decided to stop hiding behind the bush and finally face the issue for one last time. And she had done exactly that, she had told her new family the truth of her life beginning from her birht to Raghav being here. All this while Shiva stood like her shield holding her hand like a true best friend while Aaji had a fury burning inside her eyes. Pallavi had to actually make each one of them promise to not do a thing and let her fight this battle. All she needed from them was a support and immense amout of love she's been deprived of her entire life and thankfully they had all agreed.

"Ho aaji main theek hoon. Tu kitni baar wahi sawaal puchegi." Pallavi side hugged her.

"Jab tak mere dil ko tasalli nahin ho jaati ki tu sach main theek hai. Uss sheher main jisne tujhe bahut takleef di hai." Aaji stroked her hair.

"Lekin aaj wahi sheher mujhe meri Aaji ke face pr smile dega. I promise Aaji aaj main tujhe bahut proud feel krwaungi. Tune jitna pyaar aur bharosa mujhpar kiya hai na, ek anjaan ladki ko apne ghar rakh kar jo panaah di hai tune, aaj wahi ladki tera sar garv se uncha karegi." Pallavi bent down to touch her feet.

"Tula khupa subheccha." Aaji blessed her.

"Agar mere Bajirao ki tayyari ho gayi ho toh jang par chale." Shiva asked standing by the door as he extended his hand to Pallavi who gladly took it.

"AND FOR THE NEXT PERFORMANCE LET'S HAVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MISS PALLAVI." And as if on cue the host announced her name while Pallavi looked at Aaji for one last time before making her move towards the stage with Shiva by her side.

AT THE OTHER SIDE OF HYDERABAD

"Aai" Raghav shouted getting inside the Deshmukh House.

"Raghav tu aa gaya." Aai came running to the door and so did the other family members.

"Raghav! Sab theek hai na tune hume idhar kayko bulaya." Amma too came on time along with Keerti and Farhad who picked them from the mansion.

"Main sab bataunga aap dono ko par abhi hume chalna hoga." Raghav pleaded them.

"Lekin Raghav mujhe bhi tumhe kuch batana hai woh Vijay ji aur yeh ghar-" Aai tried explaining him something that had been bothering her since a few days only to be interrupted by Raghav.

"Aai aaj pehle aap mere saath chaliye. Aaj sab clear ho jayega i promise." Raghav requested them all and everyone silently nodded knowing this was serious.

CONVENTION HALL, HYDERABAD

Pallavi took the blessings of the stage before stepping on it as the curtain drew for her entry. Her heart beating at it's fastest pace for some unkown reason. She knew this wasn't just nervousness but something big. Somewhere her heart wished for Raghav to be here. To watch her do something she's loved her entire life. As the stage assistant gave her a countdown for her music , she closed her eyes remmebering about the other people she wished were here. People she was here to seek answers from. And seconds later the curtain was up.

"Raghav hum yahan kyun aaye hai?" Kaka asked as Raghav got them seated somewhere at the back of the hall. He could see Aaji and Shiva sitting in the front along with Kaki and other family members and he definitely didn't wanted to create a scene before he got what he was here for.

"Bass thora dair aur." he replied helping Amma with the chair.

He closed his eyes sending a silent prayer to the man above for his Pallavi who was here to prove herself infront of the world. And seconds later the curtain was up.

(Playlist - Chunar)

O jheena jheena jheena re udaa gulaal
Maai teri chunariya lehraai

She gazed across the lacquered wooden tiles and, with a sudden burst of courage that she hadn't known she'd possessed, stepped onto the dance floor. As the thrumming rhythm of classical music whispered into her ears, she began to dance. Raghav heard the gasps beside him and he knew the facade was over.

Rang teri reet ka
Rang teri preet ka
Maai teri chunariya lehraayi

Sliding her right foot back and the other one forward, she dropped low so that her dress brushed the ground, then sprang back up again, so quickly that she got whiplash. She knew what she was doing and so were the others. This was her story. A story of a girl who had always been alone in this world. As she remembered the ones she had once called her mothers; Aai and Amma, she knew she did wrong to them by breaking away but they hadn't been honest too.

Jab jab mujhpe hai, utha sawaal
Maai teri chunariya lehraai
Jheena jheena re udaa gulaal
Maai teri chunariya lehraai

She threw her arms out and waved them from side to side, perfectly in tune with the beat, before jumping into the air. Her dress spun around her and for a moment it felt like she was flying ... then the ground was beneath her again. She smiled as her gaze met those of Aajis and kakus. They had been the motherly figure she had been waiting her entire life for. In true senses.

Aai too saw that slight glint of happiness making her confused as to why her daughter was dead to the world yet now standing alive infront of her. Away from her.

(Playlist - Kalank)

Hawaaon mein bahenge
Ghataon mein rahenge
Tu barkha meri
Main tera baadal piya

Jo tere na huve toh
Kisi ke na rahenge
Deewani tu meri
Main tera paagal piya

Raghav knew this one all too well. It was them; the beginning of them. She loved him, he loved her too but maybe they had been too broken for each other. Or maybe he had been too insensitive for her feelings. 

She couldn't remember the last time she'd done this — why had she ever stopped? Aah now she remembers, ' widows aren't supposed to dance'. It was what she had heard.

Hazaaron mein kisi ko taqdeer aisi
Mili hai ik Ranjha aur Heer jaisi

Na jaane ye zamaana
Kyun chaahe re mitaana
Kalank nahi ishq hai kaajal piya

Was it so bad to have actually fallen in love? She thought. Being thrown off from her house just because someone claimed to have a relationship with her. A widow of some household. Wasn't she supposed to recive love ever in her life. Was it always supposed to me immense amount of pain and restrictions for her. The white she wore today depicted her plight of wanting to have one chance at living for herself. Aaji couldn't stop her tears as she understood the tragedy of her child. Her every word about her story now making much more sense than ever.

(Playlist - Bezubaan)

Pallavi knew it was enough the moment she fell on the ground at her previous song. It was finally time to rise like a phoenix. It had long been that she was burnt and so she did as the final song came over and all people saw was a new sparkle in her eyes as the white got covered with splashes of color and a few background dancers too joined her on stage. Raghav was in aww of the way she was gracefully depicting her story. Proud was one word but what he was feeling right now was beyond everything.

Tooti hai roothi hai
Haathon se chhooti hai
Maana teri roshni
Gehra andhera hai do pal thehra hai
Rang aasmaano ka bhi
Aasaan raahon ko tune liya kab hai
Ziddi savere tere
Apne se waadon ke sau sau iraadon ke
Dil mein basere tere

That was when she decided to let ago. Let her worries, her pain, and sorrow go. Right here, right now she was living. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore; she allowed the music to take her anywhere it pleased on this dance floor. It went right, she went right. It sped up, she sped up. She became one with the song, with the dance and with the one she could see right among this crowded space. The one who stood away from her but so close to her.

Wo jo keh paaye na zubaan teri
Wo aankhen teri karde bayaan
Paanv tere kahin roke rukenge na
Ho khud pe yaqeen jo tera..

Teri kahaani, teri zubaani
Sunega ye saara jahaan

 When the song ended the audiences' applause filled her ears. She couldn't help but smile at him. In that very hour she wondered why she didn't see it before. Raghav was the one for her. In her eyes, and because of that dance, she can see how much she wanted to run away from him. Their destiny would always find them together.

Bezubaan kabse tu rahaa
Begunaah sehta kyun rahaa

Maybe Raghav applauded the loudest among that crowd. He looked to his side and saw mouths gape open and women crying. They were happy yet confused while she, Pallavi, she ran down the stairs to touch Aaji's feet and hug them all.

"So that was a tremendous performance and damn i think i still have goosebumps but looks like we have to wait for the results. Also do not worry we have a final twist in this competition for you which we will get back to announcing soon." The host concluded the performances as they commenced for a short break.

"Deva tune kitna sundar perform kara. Majhi mulgi." Aaji couldn't stop showering her love on her daughters with constant kisses.

"Aaj toh tune hila daala sabko." Shiva complemented her.

"Bola tha na." Pallavi winked at him.

"Are meri Pallu toh hai hi best." Kaku hugged her as she shed some happy tears.

"Bass bass meri beti ko thora pyaar mujhe bhi krne do." Kaka kissed her forehead.

"baba aap ke liye toh poori jagah hai." Pallavi giggled as everyone stood surprised. She had never called kaka as baba before no matter how many times everyone requested. As if understanding everyone's thoughts , she held out a hand towards kaku.

"Aai" she called out to which kaku gladly took it and Shiva smiled capturing this family on his phone.

Pallavi was enjoying with her family when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Pallu" Sharda Aai called out to her as Pallavi shut her eyes ready to face her past once again for one last time.

It's Pallavi VS The Deshmukh and Rao's.
Let's hope for the best.