Chapter 2

Nitya Ahuja

@Hot-Chocolate

Part - 2

Priya - Achaa ab aap bataiye, aapko kya baat karni hai?

Suddenly Ram became all serious, the goofy expression long gone, and looked at Priya with eyes full of sadness, questions, and doubts...

Ram - Priya, main sach mein ye bilkul nahi chahta ki tum ye sab kisi pressure, dabaav me aake, ya kisi bhi aur reason ki wagah se karo. Are you sure ki tum mujhse ye share karna chahti ho? I mean mai bilkul bhi tumko uncomfortable nahi karna chahta kyunki mai jaanta hu ye saari cheeze yaad karke aur batake tumhe kitni takleef hogi. To isiliye mujhe please batao, are you like ok, like really ok in sharing this? Nahi ho to bhi koi problem nahi hai, mai kisi doosre tarah se pata laga lunga. Like please don't take any pressure. 

Priya was taken aback a bit. She did not expect Ram to worry so much for her, for a stranger, or actually just an ex girlfriend of one of his employees. He could have pressurised her, or demanded an answer, but all he did was a request, and that too only if she was comfortable. These things coming from his mouth comforted her a lot, comforted her in a way that nothing else could. The air around her felt a lot more known and comforting, she no longer felt that she was sharing some of her most personal things with a stranger. Ram just did not seem a stranger to her anymore. It felt that she knew him from previous birth or something. 

And with this, she was reminded of her father, her papa, the best dad in the whole world. Though she loved everyone in her family, her connection with her dad was something special. They just understood each other effortlessly without a word. On most days it was her dad who gave her a comfort and strength that kept her going on. Going on even after such a big heartbreak. And then there was Ram today, something about him and his concern for her melted her heart. Even after 6 years of dating Yuvraj, she had never had any experience with him which was so pure and so comforting, just like her dad, which she had just in a single meeting with Ram. She was lost in these thoughts when Ram got up from his seat. Seeing him get up, she suddenly came back to senses and said,

Priya - Kya hua Mr.Kapoor? Kaha jaa rahe hai aap?

Ram - I'm sorry Priya. Mujhe tumse ye sab poochna hi nahi chahiye tha. Jab maine ye question poocha to tum shayad kuch der ke liye un purani yaado me kho gayi, jo tumhe dard deti hai, isiliye main tumse ye sab nahi poochna chahta, koi baat nahi, main kuch aur raasta nikaal lunga, main chalta hoon.

Priya - Ek minute, rukiye! Baithiye yaha.

Listening to her strict tone, he sat down like a obedient and scared student.

Ram - ( in his mind ) Yaar ise doctorni kisne bana diya? Masterni hona chahiye ise to. Professor Pillu Sood, nahi sorry sorry, Professor Priya Sood, Perfect! Ekdum wo Khadoos Masterni jaise baat karti hai. Bachhe to dar hi jayenge. Maine ye kya bola ki jaa raha hu, aise gussa ho gayi jaise ab bas punishment hi dene waali hai. Hey Ram, ab to Ram bhagwaan bhi nahi bacha sakte hai tujhe! Gaya aaj to tu!

Priya - Pehle aap ye bataiye ki aapko kisne kaha ki main unn purani buri yaadon me khoyi hui thi?

Ram - Nahi matlab tumhe dekh ke aisa laga, tumhare chehre se ekdum rang udd gaya aur tum kuch bol bhi nhi rhi thi, to isiliye mujhe laga.

Priya - Nahi aisa nahi hai Mr. Kapoor, main actually kisi aur baare me soch rahi thi.

Ram - Achha, ohk, to kya tum mujhse share karna chahogi?

Priya - Shayad koi aur hota to main nahi karti, par aapki dost ki poori zindagi ka sawaal hai, isiliye. To aap suniye...

Priya narrated him each and everything about her and Yuvraj's relationship, how they had been together for 6 years, and had already been engaged, and how she was planning her dream wedding this year itself. She told him about the incident which occurred on New Year's eve, and the day after that, including how she had baked a cake for him, which he did not eat since he was at Ram's party, and how he had ditched her the other day just in a moment, without giving any explanation or reason, leaving her heartbroken. 

Listening to Priya's side of the story, Ram was shocked out of his wits would be an understatement. He had never even imagined that Yuvraj, who had been nothing but loyal and trustworthy to him for such a long time, would turn out to be like this. But there was a difference. Even though Ram should have been angry on Yuvraj for trapping Alekha and marrying her for her money, he was more angry on the fact that Yuvraj had broken Priya's heart so brutally, that he could not help but beat the shit out of that person. 

The way Priya was narrating how she had planned for her wedding, and the way her eyes shone bright at her excitement for the wedding, and then the way her eyes glistened with tears and sadness at the memory of that day when Yuvraj left her heartbroken, in the rain, that too without any explanation, made his heart constrict at the thought of what Priya must have gone through.

Keeping his thoughts aside, he took out a tissue from his pocket, and held it out towards Priya, who was barely trying to control the tears that flowed out of her beautiful eyes. The sight of her crying did something so bad to him, that he got up without a thought and slowly moved towards her to wipe her tears himself, and hugged her tightly.

The sudden hug came really unexpected to Priya. She was shocked at first, and wanted to pull out, but instead, found herself returning it with equal intensity. The warmth she felt in the arms of Ram was something so good, something she had missed so much when she had a breakup, and something which was different and unmatched, something never felt before. And as Ram caressed her hair behind, she found herself holding him even tighter and crying her heart out, something which she had not yet done, as she kept her feelings locked.

Ram - Shhh, calm down Priya. Calm down. Sab theek ho jayega. Sab kuch. Don't worry at all.

With this he parted and wiped her eyes again with the tissue, and offered her some water, which she drank silently. It was at this moment that they both realized their position, and everything became awkward. Ram turned his head back, mumbling a few curses to himself for not thinking anything and jumping, whilst Priya was still in a daze as to what just happened, and her cheeks heated up at the realization. 

Ram - Priya I'm really sorry, I mean I should have asked you before this, like, mujhe bina tumhari permission ke ye matlab...wo..actually..tum aise ro rahi thi to main...mujhe achha nahi laga...matlab

Priya - It's okay Mr. Kapoor. Thank you.

Ram - Thank you? Thank you kis liye?

Priya - Thank you, mera perspective aur meri side of the story sunne ke liye, thank you mujhpe bharosa karne ke liye, and thank you, meri fikar karne ke liye...also, thank you for this tissue.

Ram - Thank you nahi Priya, sorry! I'm really sorry you had to go through all this. But isse do baatein clear ho gayi hain. Pehli, I'm not gonna let this wedding happen for sure, aur doosri, ki Yuvraj tumhe aur tumhare pyaar ko deserve hi nahi karta. Wo jo tumhe aise chod ke chala gaya na paiso ke liye, wo tumhe deserve hi nahi karta, aur naahi aisa sachha pyaar, jo sirf tum kisi se kar sakti ho.

Priya was dumbfounded. In these few days, she had heard all sorts of bad things for Yuvraj from her family, friends and everyone, they had even called him a dog, but never had anyone said something like this, something which portrayed of her so highly, and something which probably she was starting to believe now, listening to Ram. Masking these things, Priya put on a smirk and said,

Priya - Achha, aap itna pyaar vyaar ki baatein kar rahe hain, aapko bada pata hai kiska pyaar kaisa hai, aur kaun deserve karta hain, kaun nahi haan?! Aap kya raat ko 9 baje radio pe love guru bante hain kya?

Listening to this, Ram had an overdramatic hurt expression on his face, whilst Priya was laughing hard seeing his face.

Ram - How rude! Ek to yaha banda tumhe achha feel karwane ki koshish kar raha hai, tumhari tareef kar raha hai, aur tum ho ki meri bezzati kare jaa rahi ho! Not fair! Nahi baat karunga main tumse!

Even though he was sulking on the outside, Ram was probably dancing in joy on the inside. Something about the doctorni laughing so freely tugged at his heart. It felt a kind of happiness, it had not felt in years. And he was ready to do anything, just to keep this beautiful smile on her face, even if it meant making fun of himself and sulking. He was just lost in her beauty, so lost that he could not think of anything else. 

Priya - Mr. Kapoor

Ram - ( absent mindedly ) Yes Priya

Priya - ( shouting ) Mr. Kapoor !!!

Ram - Haa...hann Priya?!

Priya - Apni coffee pijiye, warna abhi tak to sirf cold coffee bani hai, shayad aage ice coffee ban jaye...

Ram - ( in his mind ) Lo ji! Aagayi Masterni wapas! Taane shuru ho gaye inke phir se, pata nahi ye doctor kaise ban gayi, iske patients to itna pak jaate honge iske taano se ki bhool hi jaate honge dard kaha hai.

As he sipped his coffee, Ram glanced at her. He was glad he was able to get the Masterni, Doctorni, and the Sherni back, and he probably had begun to enjoy her talks and taunts so much, that he wished them to continue forever...

Ram - Achaa waise Priya, wo ghee upma kaisa hai? I mean dekhne me to kaafi tasty lag raha hai.

Priya - Achha hi hai, hamesha ki tarah. Afterall Sara makes the best ghee upma. Aap taste karna chahenge?

Ram - Are bilkul bilkul! Neki aur pooch pooch!

Priya chuckled at his words and shifted a portion of upma to his plate with a spoon. As soon as he tasted it, his face lit up like a glowing bulb. The cute expressions and sounds he was making while gorging on food, and the extra appreciation he was throwing all around, made his already handsome face seem even more good-looking to Priya. 

There was no denying that Ram was a really handsome man with a charming personality. His blue green eyes which shone so brightly ever, and his dazzling smile which could make even a stone smile. Everything about him was too pure and brightening, just like sunshine. And the way he comforted people around him, even strangers. She got reminded of that incident in the washroom, where a man outside the door comforted her with his words unknowingly, which were probably meant for his Jaan, after Priya had just faced her biggest heartbreak. 

Ram - Achha waise Priya, can I ask you something if you don't mind? Tumne itne bade dhokhe ke baad khud ko sambhala kaise? Matlab jab Yuvraj ne tumse ye sab kaha to main peeche hi khada tha, par maine tumhari shakal nahi dekhi thi, sirf peeche se tumhe rote hue suna, aur mujhe uss samay bahut bura bhi lag raha tha. To tumne khud ko uske baad kaise sambhala?

Priya - Aapne sahi kaha Mr. Kapoor. Main poori tarah se toot chuki thi. Khud ko sambhaal paana bahut mushkil tha mere liye. Lekin phir ek aisa insaan mila,ek bahut hi sachha, nek, aur apno se bahut pyaar karne waala insaan. Baarish ho rahi thi kaafi tez, to main waha guard se poochke guest washroom me chali gayi, jahan me bahut ro rahi thi. Phir pata nahi kaha se wo insaan aaya, shayad apne kisi kareebi ko manane aaya tha wo, koi naaraz tha uss aadmi se, aur use laga ki wo andar hai. To usne apne pyaar ko manane ke liye bahut saari baatein boli. Aur kahi na kahi unn sabko sunke, mujhe ek himmat, ek taakat, aur ek aasha mili, shayad ussi wajah se uss samay me khudko sambhaal payi. Ek taraf bura lag raha tha uski baatein sunke, ki meri zindagi me aisa koi nahi hai, par ek taraf khushi bhi ho rahi thi, ki chalo koi to hai, jo apne pyaar se sachha pyaar karta hai, sirf paiso se ya duniyadari se nahi. Aapko pata hai usne bola ki Jaan...

Ram - ( cutting her ) Jaan, I love you!

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A/N Sorry for stretching it to another part, but it was becoming too lengthy! 

NityaAhuja152023-06-04 21:18:24