A/N : Inline comments are love, so are your final comments on how you feel about the whole story after you read it. Looking forward to lots of both as you read each chapter!

Happy Reading!

***

It's been two days now, Abhi hasn't come to the room to sleep at night. To say the least I am agitated now. The first night, when he wasn't returning, I had smugly walked downstairs to see him sitting on the sofa and discussing something with Purab – they both saw me and ignored me. It hurt me, but I hid the pain, instead I made a snide comment about sleeping on time, because I wouldn't give him extra time to sleep in the morning. He looked at me with his determined child-like face and turned his head back towards Purab and continued talking. I went back to my room, relieved that he is at home. I must have dozed off while scrutinizing the company's balance sheet, because the next time when I woke up, it was due to my alarm ringing in the morning. I quickly turned around to find that his side of the bed was neatly done. Why hadn't he retired for the night? I was anxious, what was he up to now? Had he gone drinking again at night? Did Purab accompany him? How irresponsible of Purab to not drop him back home, I thought annoyed. Maybe he had crashed at Purab's, so that he can sleep longer? I almost laughed to myself, at his childish ways – that's when I heard his voice from the corridor, "Bye Tanu, I gotta go now" then I saw him cross our door in a flash,  not looking inside even for a moment.

What was going on I had wondered, but instead of confronting him, I had decided to wait for the night to see how things unfold. However last night was another no-show. I asked Robin if he had come back home, and he replied in affirmative, I asked him irritated, then where was he at such late hours, but for some reason, Robin seemed to be averting my eyes and avoiding my question. It didn't take me long to get him to speak – he revealed that Abhi was staying with Tanu for the last two nights. My insides scrunched at the news, and a shot of disbelief ran through my veins. Why was he spending his nights with Tanu? I decided to confront him, but thought it was better to wait until morning. After all I was the one to set the rules to go to bed early every night, if I would wake people up, it would give them a chance to raise their heads again.

I didn't sleep much that night, just kept twisting and turning on my bed until morning – somehow, something felt oddly wrong – I had no doubts that even if he was with Tanu, there was nothing going on between them, but I was uncomfortable – why would he move to her room when we didn't have any arguments to stimulate such a reaction? I was debating whether to talk to daadi first, but then decided on confronting him first thing in the morning. In the early hours of dawn, I gave up on trying to sleep and got up and paced around in the room, forming coherent arguments in my head, as to how to approach him. By the time I took a shower and got ready for the day, it was finally morning for the Mehra household, and people were stirring on their beds. I summoned Robin, and asked him to fetch Abhi Sir and Tanu Maám to my room. He nodded and left.

***

As I approached her bedroom, I glanced at Tanu and winked at her, she looked nervous, this way we'd be caught no sooner we entered her room. I took hold of her wrist and nodded at her in assurance; she smiled weakly, but seemed slightly less anxious. Then I knocked her door.

"Come in" came her crisp voice, and I almost chuckled to see a low shudder escape Tanu.

We entered her room, to see her sitting on the sofa with a newspaper and cup of tea in her hand. She was wearing one of her "not-like-fuggy" sarees that was rich plum in colour, she had matched it with a bronze coloured halter neck blouse. She was looking exquisite. I stared at her for a moment, and forgot the work at hand, I realized how much I missed seeing her in the last two days. I almost sighed when she looked up at us with her sharp hawk-eyes.

"So what gives Mr. Abhishek Prem Mehra the right to move to Ms. Tanushree Mehta's room without my permission?" she asked nonchalantly and went back behind her newspaper. I saw Tanu gulp from the corner of my eyes.

"I assume my movement around the house, hasn't caused you any monetary expenditure, then why the concern Ms. Pragya Arora?" I replied back, as coldly as I could. I don't know how she reacted to the statement as her face was hidden behind the newspaper, but I thought I saw her tightening her grip over her teacup for a moment – I could be mistaken though.

"To answer to that, it has actually caused me loss Mr. Mehra. I didn't know you weren't returning so I had to keep the bedroom door ajar. Since the door was ajar, the air condition wasn't working at the set temperature, I had lower the temperature further to have the room adequately cool with the door ajar – you see, extra power consumption, more electricity bills!" she said testily.

"Well for your information, from now on, I will be sharing Tanu's room. So you needn't keep your door ajar and soar the electricity bills" I replied, and was about to turn around and leave.

"That's not what I asked. You don't get to instruct me you know. I am the owner of this house and I am also the boss, plus I own your brand name too, hence with all these authorities vested in me, I demand to know why you moved to her room – I have the right to question about anything I feel like, about my most prime asset" she replied back heatedly, finally pushing away the darn newspaper.

Then she stood up and circled around us like a hungry lioness and hissed near my ear, "You shall move back to this room right now. Or I will ---"

But this time, I didn't let her complete, "You will – nothing. Ms. Arora, because you can't do anything about this. I am legally allowed to be with Tanu now, and share her room. We are married now." I spoke aggressively through gritted teeth, holding Tanu's wrist firmly.

Something in those eyes died. She took two steps back silently and I could feel something shrinking inside her, though I have to give it to her for still standing still – but I could see something else beyond this carefully crafted exterior of hers today – something I have been hoping to get a glimpse of from the moment she came back to us – my fuggy – I saw her flash to existence for a short moment in her eyes. Instinct almost made me take a step towards her to support her, and hold her close, but I stopped myself. If I take that step today, that Fuggy I just saw would be lost again – to bring her back, I have to stand still and be where I am.

As much as I hated myself for the moment, but I convinced myself to take an about turn and leave the room with Tanu on my heels. But then she spoke.

***

His words slowly sank in. For a moment I was brain-dead, I don't remember if I said anything to him or not, all I could register was his agitated expression, and felt an unknown hate coming from him, maybe I could also make out a smirk coming from Tanu from the corner of my eyes, but that wasn't important now. Nothing was, the game was over. I had lost the truest love of my life – Abhi. I was over. I saw him turning around to leave with such a fierce finality in his gait that my heart wanted to stop him at any cost.

"Suniye.." it escaped me, before I could filter my cry. I saw him stop abruptly, I felt warm inside for a moment, that word, that I used to refer to him – I hadn't used it even once after my return, and the visible flinch in his body confirmed that he missed hearing it as much as I missed using it. He turned around, and looked at the floor – the fact that he wasn't even looking me in the eye – it stung bad. It was the last blow, and I had mentally crippled after that. I could feel my body and brain going on auto-pilot and making enquires that didn't interest me the least, I felt oddly detached from my brain, that guided my mouth to ask the mandatory questions like, why? when? how? where did you get the money from? where was the marriage certificate? etc.

***

As she bombarded questions on me a bit breathlessly, somewhere, it made me happy; I could see the Fuggy ebbing out of this money machine who stood in front of me. She was still there al-right, inside this devil woman, the deal was to make her win over this side of Pragya, the deal was to bring her out.

"I know you wouldn't give us the money to get married lavishly or even simply. I also knew you didn't want me to get married before the launch of my new album, because you feel it will cause loss in my album sales – but how could you stop me if I wanted to marry Tanu? I took her to a temple and had a simple wedding" I finished.

"Where is your marriage certificate?" she asked expressionlessly, still clutching the tea cup like her life depended on it.

"As I said, we went to a temple, registration takes time, we have applied for registering our marriage but the date is a month later – we didn't want to wait because Tanu would start showing by then, hence we did the temple wedding first" I replied a bit too fast and never meeting her eyes. I don't know why, but I could feel her disintegrating to pieces, standing right there in front of me. I dearly wished that she showed even one sign of what she was internally going through, one weak move and I would be able to pull Fuggy out of her, and then I would be done with this charade of being married to Tanu. But she was way stronger than I ever gave her credit for. She pursed her lip and didn't say a word.

I don't know why but at this point, Tanu felt the need to open her mouth, "You see Pragya, how much ever you try to separate us, true love finds a way!" she sneered. Her comment was the last straw, Pragya's head shot up at her with blood red eyes, the way she looked at her, it even intimidated me for a moment.

"Leave. Now." She told her in the most eerily soft and dangerous voice and advanced towards her with murder in her eyes. Tanu didn't need to be told twice, she turned around and ran for life.

Then her gaze turned to me. The choler in her eyes changed to tenderness and then to agony. I fisted my palms in the depth of my pocket, to stop myself from reaching out to her. "It was that easy?" she asked softly, and then came pouring her tears. I needed to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying anything that would change the game. My Fuggy was so close to me now. So so close. I took a deep breath and replied, "Yes. Ms. Pragya Arora"

***

"Ms. Pragya Arora", never until now did my name sound more like an abuse to me. I hated it. I denied it. It wasn't me. I was Mrs. Pragya Abhishek Mehra, and that's who I wanted to be for the rest of my life, but was that ever possible again? I questioned myself as tears came pouring out of the destroyed mess that was my soul – but then, much to my amazement, I actually had answer to that question of mine – and the answer was yes! Yes, it was possible to be Mrs. Pragya Abhishek Mehra again – possible indeed! In fact I still was that! And with a hail and hearty Mrs. Pragya Abhishek Mehra moving around the face of this earth, Ms. Tanushree Mehta couldn't ever be Mrs. Tanushree Abhishek Mehra, whether they have a temple wedding or not.

I turned to look at Abhi. He was looking at me with baited breath, as if he was waiting for something – maybe for me to break down? Or maybe for me to give out something that would convince him that Fuggy still was alive somewhere within me – a part of me wanted to give him a sign, but the wife in me relented – it was my duty as his wife, to protect him and his interest – when he had put that vermillion on my head on our wedding night, and numerous occasion thereafter, thereon the universe and infested this right on me – to be with him and safeguard his interest, come what may – to go against him if need be, for his own good – and I will fulfil my duty as wife to him no matter what – I told myself.

I smiled maliciously at him, and he looked surprised at my reaction, "No Mr. Mehra, you may think it is easy, but it is not. I am still your lawfully wedded wife, and as long as I am alive, any other wedding of yours will be deemed null and void. Hence registry marriage of temple wedding, it doesn't stand true and Tanu isnt your wife." I almost grinned in relief and satisfaction.

"But I did sign the divorce petition and you did too, and it was sent---" he stuttered hopelessly confused.

"No dearest husband, it wasn't the divorce deed that you had signed, it was the property papers transferring properties to my name – hence, how much ever painful this news maybe to you, but you're still my husband. So move your things and yourself back to my room before leaving for office today" I said smugly and walked out of the room. Once outside, I breathed a sigh of relief, it was one close call, I had almost lost everything in a jiffy, I decided to have a word with daadi and convince her to add even Abhi in our plan – it was high time.

***

I stared at the door that knocked shut after she left the room. I didn't know whether to feel infuriated that my plan of a fake wedding with Tanu failed to work or feel happy at the fact that I was wrong all this while, Fuggy and I were never divorced at all? I did feel annoyed thinking of the two painful nights I had to spend with Tanu, after convincing her to help me put up this charade, ( I convinced her  that if Pragya could be surprised with something like this, she might falter and let a few things slip that might help us. I had even promised her, that if nothing worked we would eventually go to a temple and get married) – but to think I did all this and endured Tanu for fruitless results? I huffed in anger and walked back to Tanu's room to inform her of mission failure.

But I can't help feeling I had seen Fuggy today, and she was for a moment strong enough to overpower the "Nayi Pragya". A few more similar doses until Fuggy comes back to me, I thought as I whistled across the corridor to the other room to move my things back to our room. Aah after two whole nights I will be able to look at her beautiful sleeping face for as long as I want and pretend to myself that she is my Fuggy, and she is back.

***

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