A Tale As Old As Time - Page 11

Chapter - 16

“Ansh!” Piya woke up screaming. To her horror, she realized she was back in her world. What’s worse, she found Saavi and Naman lying beside her, unconscious, suggesting they were still stuck in the dreamland. “No no no… This can’t be happening!” Paralyzed by fear, she tried to reach Saavi but fell down the couch, scattering the medicines kept beside her. “It’s alright Gudiya, calm down.” “Baba!” She crawled towards Nishant and hugged him in momentary relief, “I am sorry Baba,” She cried out, “I failed… Saavi…” “Is absolutely fine, and so is Naman. You haven’t jeopardized anything.” “But…” “Take a deep breath and relax,” He made her sit properly and offered her a glass of water, “Now listen to me carefully…”

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“Perfect!” Rishi cursed under his breath, “This just keeps getting better and better.” Karan couldn’t decide what to say and sighed. He remembered once Ansh jokingly said one day he would have to make it up to him for everything he had done to help him impress Mansi. Never had he imagined that favor would weigh so much. Watching his brother getting humiliated and staying mum was perhaps the hardest thing he ever had to do. But he was helpless.

Knowing his brother, he was certain Ansh wouldn’t leave Piya’s side until he was assured she was fine. And he couldn’t blame her sister or fiancé for misbehaving with Ansh because that’s exactly what he would have done if Kajal or Neha were hospitalized and he found some weird guy hovering over them. If there was anything, he was rather grateful to them for not calling the police or taking some other drastic step against Ansh. Unfortunately, his brother was too dumb to understand that and was only complicating the matter further.

“That’s it, I’m going in.” “Crap!” “Now what?” “Papa’s calling.” Rishi said nervously. “Great!” “Do you think he knows about Dev?” “Maybe, it would be foolish of us to expect he wouldn’t complain after Ansh beat the crap out of him.” “What do we do now?” “Put the phone on speaker, I’ll handle Chachu.” “Alright,” Rishi took a deep breath and answered his phone, “Hello Papa?” “Are you guys out of your minds!” Avinash shouted so loudly that Rishi almost dropped his phone, “Breaking into someone’s house and assaulting him in the daylight and you think there will be no repercussions?” “Chachu it’s me, Karan.”

“I’m really disappointed in you Karan. Rishi is immature, I get it, but what happened to you? You knew Ansh’s condition, then why did you take him to Mr. Dev’s house?” “I…”“Enough with your explanations. Bring Ansh home now!” “But Chachu…” “Mridul has returned.” Avinash lowered his voice, “I haven’t told anyone at home about Dev. You should be thankful that he hasn’t put any charge against Ansh as of now and called me only to inform about the incident.” “Does Papa know about Ansh attacking Maa?” “No. He’s already worried about Ansh. We didn’t want to alert him further.” “Thanks!” “Whatever… Bring Ansh home NOW!” “Yes Sir...” Before Karan could ask anything, Avinash put the phone down.

“We are toast.” “Big time.” Karan stared at the phone despondently. “Bhai?” “Hmm?” “What are we gonna do now?” “First, we’ll try to put some sense into our idiot brother. Then we’ll think about the rest.” “That’s it?” “What else did you expect?” He started walking toward Piya’s cabin, “Kidnapping that girl and turning this already crappy situation into some mindless Bollywood movie?” “The way things are going,” Rishi joined Karan, “You never know what we might end up doing.” “Fair point, but for now, our focus should be on getting out of this. We can help Ansh finish his incomplete love story later.”

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“You let them do what!” Piya felt as if the ground beneath her feet was shaking. Clearly, her sudden outburst did more harm than good as her throbbing headache made a comeback, making her nauseous. “Please calm down.” “I was this close Baba… This close! If only I could tell Ansh about the spell, he would have been here by now and...” Tears streamed down her face, interrupting her for a moment, “Why did you do this Baba? Didn’t you have faith in me?”

“It’s not about questioning your capability Gudiya, when you opened your eyes, you took Ansh’s name but ran toward Saavi, why did you do that?” “What sort of question is this?” “You were afraid about the link getting broken, weren’t you? At that particular moment, all you could think about was Saavi and her well-being.” “So?” “So cut her some slack. Yes, we have made a huge blunder. But we did it unintentionally. We couldn’t have possibly anticipated Ansh would be there at that time.” He paused for a moment, trying to control himself, “You have every right to be upset with our decision. But deep down, you know why Saavi took that decision on your behalf.”

Piya remained silent. As angry as she was at that moment, she knew every word spoken by Nishant was true. The dread she felt upon regaining consciousness, Saavi had been feeling that way all along. If the situation was reversed, she would have done the same thing. However, there was another part of her that was equally worried about Ansh. It was no longer limited to his physical health or safety; having connected with his mind, she felt his every emotion. Even after a decade of knowing him, it felt as if she had never known him at all. The deep dark void inside of him was still there, thriving on his complex. It only made her question her existence - the love that defined her, why wasn’t it nearly enough for him?

“Gudiya?” Nishant’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Are you listening to me?” “Yes.” She turned toward him. It was bad enough that Ansh was stuck in a maze of self-doubt. Her insecurity could take a backseat for the time being. “Naman and Saavi must have reconnected with their doppelgangers by now. If Ansh is still there, they should be able to convince him.” “I know. But I need to be there.” She tried to stand up but fell immediately.

“Gudiya!” Nishant rushed to her aid, “Look at your state. The spell has weakened you too much. I can’t let you put yourself through that again, I won’t.” “I understand your fear Baba, but I have to do this.” While she tried to smile, Nishant stared at her helplessly. He knew once Piya made up her mind, no one could deter her from her path. But how could he let his little girl risk her life when he knew it could all end up in smoke? “I’ll be fine.” She held his hand to assure him, “But I won’t be able to do it without you. Please! Help me!” “Fine,” He gave in to her pleadings, “What do you need?”

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“Which part of ‘You can’t meet her right now’ don’t you understand?” Saavi felt exasperated at the stubborn young man standing before her. The last thing she remembered was she went on a trip with Sanam. When or how did she land up in a hospital? She could ask Naman but for some reason, he looked equally surprised. What’s worse, this transient global amnesia kicked in right when Piya was hospitalized. And now this! She couldn’t remember Piya having any friend named Ansh. Then where did he pop up from and why was he bothered about her sister so much?

“Listen Sir,” Naman intervened, “We appreciate your concern. Once Piya stabilizes, I’ll let her know you stopped by. But you really need to leave now. We’re already stressed out, don’t make it any more difficult for us.” “I just need to know she’s okay, please! Let me meet her once!” Naman clenched his fists trying to control his anger. This guy had some audacity to openly express his feelings for his fiancé. But he knew how much Piya hated violence and more importantly, he trusted her. They had been friends before lovers. His faith wasn’t so fragile that any random person could come and create misunderstandings between them. Nonetheless, this guy was getting on his last nerves and he really wished for some divine intervention so he didn’t have to deal with this prick right now.

“Saavi!” Piya’s voice startled everyone. “Di?” Saavi rushed inside and found Piya awake. “How are you feeling now? Should I call the doctor?” “No, that won’t be necessary,” She tried to rise from her position and looked around, “What happened? Why are we in the hospital?” “You too can’t remember!” “No, I mean yes… I don’t know.” Piya shook her head trying to recall the incidents before passing out, “I remember helping a guy and spending the night in the hospital. But nothing about me getting admitted.” “By any chance, is that guy’s name Ansh.” “Yeah, that was his name! Wait… How do you know that?” “Because your guy has made our life hell when you were unconscious. He’s insisting on meeting you for God knows what reason!” “Hey Devi Maa!”

“Should we be concerned about him?” “What do you mean?” “He seemed really worried about you, I mean REALLY worried if you know what I mean. The way he has been behaving, anyone would mistake him for your fiancé. Naman has been very patient with him but I could sense his anger. Do you think it would be wise to call him in before Naman?” “It would, Naman trusts me, he knows there’s no place for a third person in our relationship. But this guy... Everything feels so different with him” “Different as in?” “Like... there’s something mysterious about his aura. I can’t put a finger on it but I just know... He’ll never hurt me. Which is why I think it’s better to talk with him now and clear any sort of misunderstanding that he might have than complicating things unnecessarily.” “Sounds wise.” “Then go get him.”

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“Any idea how we are going to approach them?” “Simple - I’ll apologize to that annoying duo on Ansh’s behalf and inform him about Papa’s arrival.” “Do you think it’ll work?” “Well... I’m hoping against hope. Ansh knows we’re here to support him He’s also aware of the ongoing chaos at our home. Sure, it would have been better if he had conversed with that girl…” “Piya.” “Yeah right, Piya. It would be so much easier for us to convince him if they talked. Nonetheless, we can try and reason with him so…” “Thank Goodness!” “What?” Karan followed Rishi’s gaze and saw Ansh entering Piya’s cabin.

“Finally!” Both the brothers became elated. Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived as Naman and Saavi collapsed before their eyes. “What the!” “You’ve got to be kidding me! Why do these sisters keep fainting!” “Rishi!” “Sorry, but I couldn’t help it. These people...” “Doesn’t matter,” He replied running, “Bring the doctor here, fast!” As Rishi ran toward the opposite direction, Karan knelt beside Saavi and checked her pulse. “She seems fine. But we can’t leave them here like this. Even Piya isn’t well. What do we do now?” Just then he noticed her phone was vibrating. It was a call from Divya. “Thank God! At least now I can inform their family members and they’ll handle the rest. Sorry Ansh! But I have to do this.”

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“Hi!” Piya greeted Ansh with a warm smile. “Hi!” “Gosh! You look exhausted. Shouldn’t you be resting or something?” It took Ansh a moment to register what Piya was implying and when he did, a smile crept across his face. “Damn those puppy eyes! I really don’t wanna hurt him in any way.” She thought to herself. “Don’t you think I should be saying the same to you?” “Maybe or not… I’m not the reckless one here.” “Nor the idiotic one. Piya I…” “Why are you here Ansh?” “What?” “I admit we met in a very interesting manner. But I didn’t think you would interpret my actions this way. If you haven’t noticed, we are in a hospital. My family is worried sick for me but amidst all this, they are being forced to deal with your tantrums.” “Tantrums?” “How else can I define it, you tell me. I told you I’m engaged. Yet, you came and created a ruckus before my fiancé. Do you realize how that makes me look? And more importantly, do you even care?”

Ansh stared at Piya in utter bewilderment. Was this a cruel joke? Or a nightmare? She told him she came back only for him. When she hugged him, he felt the same warmth as before. Then how come everything changed within a blink of an eye? No, this can’t be happening. She must be joking, after all, she had a bad habit of scaring the crap out of him with such antics.

“You are trying to get back at me, aren’t you?” “What are you talking about!” “I know I hurt you a lot. You can punish me any way you want except for this. Please Piya, I beg you! Don’t push me away.” “Are you even listening to yourself? We met yesterday and you are talking as if we’ve known each other forever!” “Because that’s the truth Piya. I know you don’t remember anything but yesterday wasn’t the first time our paths crossed. You found me when I was lost and you… You loved me! As I loved you! Despite my flaws, despite every hurdle, you held on to me even when I thought I didn’t deserve you. And our kids! You won’t believe the joy they brought to our life. They are waiting for us Piya! Let’s get back to our little world where only love prevails.”

“Stop it!” Piya finally lost her cool. “I was trying to be civil because you seemed like a nice person but this is the limit.” “I know it sounds impossible but let me show you…” “Stay where you are!” Ansh stopped in his tracks. “You know what? You are delusional. You need help.” “Piya…” “I don’t know why you think we are meant to be together but let me clear one thing - I don’t want you, nor do I have any interest in your imaginary happy family. Go ahead, get yourself treated, find happiness but LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Suddenly Ansh felt weak in his knees. The hope that had been driving him till that point was gone. All he was left with was an abyss of emptiness and regret.

“Do you regret it? Being tied to the one who's prophesized to be

the most evil entity this world has ever witnessed?”

“No, I have no regrets. And if I were given a choice, I would choose you all over again, with my eyes closed, in every single lifetime, in every alternate reality. I would choose you because I love you!”

Tears blurred his vision as realization dawned on him - he lost everything. He kept running behind the mirage of a perfect life and he got it at their expense. Now Piya's perfect world had no place for his broken self. That foolish, self-destructive girl finally chose herself making him realize what he felt to be a burden was the anchor of his existence. With great difficulty, he controlled himself and tried for one last time, “I’ll do whatever you want me to do. If you think you’re better off without me, I’ll leave, I promise. But give me one final chance, let me prove myself, please!”

Piya felt heartbroken seeing his condition. For some unknown reason, she felt the urge to hold his hand and tell him she would always be there for him. But she knew it would be wrong. She couldn’t give Ansh false hope only to break his heart later. If scorning him now ensured his better future, then be it, “I don’t know why are you doing this but I’m certain about one thing Ansh – I’ll never choose you, neither in this nor in any other lifetime. You and I… We don’t fit together. I don’t want to give you false hope and ruin your life. Let me go Ansh! Erase whatever image you have created of me in your mind and move on. Don’t ruin your life for an illusion when reality has so much to offer. If you truly love me as you claim, let me go!”

And that was it... While Piya kept explaining, Ansh simply looked at her, trying to memorize every single detail of her face for he knew this would probably be the last time he saw her. He didn’t realize when Rishi came in and took him away. It didn’t matter when he saw Divya and Nishant together, entering Piya’s cabin. All he could think about was her wish for a separate life and he knew no matter how much it hurt, he would fulfil that wish because he loved her…