Check if you've read the previous update.
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Episode 14:
The Big Day!

Scene: Wellness First Hospital's Cafe

"Sweety, I know tomorrow is the big day for you, to collect all the smithereens of your heart, dignity and respect which once was broken and scattered on the stage. There will be huge crowd once again infront of you who would come to watch you perform. Your dad will be there as well. Par inn sab se jyada tumhe apne liye perform karna hai. Jo bhi darr ya pressure hai usko tum bhool jao. Tum yeh kisi aur ke liye nahi kar rahi, tum yeh karoge sirf aur sirf apne liye. Tumne kaha tha na ki tumhara muqabla khudh tumse hai. Toh give your best.", Agastya speaks placing his hand over her hands kept on table.

"I know Agastya, I have been failing miserably at the climax expression since past few days. I will work on it and give my best.", She assures.

"Let's go home now. You need to grab some beauty sleep for tomorrow's play as well.", He says with a smile.

She chuckles and they both take cab home.
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Scene: Sweety's apartment

Agastya woke up even before the set alarm time. He was still lying in his bed while looking at Sweety's sleeping face. He delicately caressed her face with his thumb while he cupped her face.

Agastya's POV
She looks so divine. Subah utt the hi iss chehre ko dekhne ki aadat padh gayi hai. Kuch bole bina hum ek dusre ke saath toh reh rahe hai. Yeh saath jo hum play ki wajah se aaye. Aaj play khatam ho jayega aur uske baad? Uske baad kya hoga Agastya? Kya woh mere kisi aur play ke liye phir perform karegi? Ya apna safar aaj iss play ke saath yahi khatam ho jayega? Main toh uske saath rehna chahta hoon, par kya woh bhi mere saath rehna chahegi?

Flashback:
"Toh tum uske saath yeh sab sirf apne profession bachaane ke liye kar rahe ho?", Rishab asks.

"No.. it's just overlapping with the profession. Actually, I love her.", Agastya confesses.

Rishab and Farah looks at each other.

"Aur woh? Kya woh bhi tumse?", Farah asks.

"Usse kya farak padta hai Farah? Usse mera pyaar toh kam nahi padh jaayega uske liye. I have stopped expecting from anyone. Woh mere saath rahegi utna hi kaafi hai mere liye.", Agastya replies.

"Par aise kab tak chalega Agastya? At one point of time, everyone starts expecting something from their relationship.", Rishab points out.

"Agar at some point mujhe lage na ki I will start expecting something from her, I will back off myself. This time I won't allow myself to be broken, I will end it on a beautiful note instead. I won't ever pressurise her. It's about two people, her decision is equally important. Joh mil raha hai utna kaafi hai mere liye.", Says Agastya.

"Apni philosophy yaad rakhna Agastya. We just don't want to face whatever we've been through earlier.", Says Farah.

Flashback ends..

Kya main expectations rakhne laga hoon usse? Nahi Agastya, tum phir se raasta nahi bhatak sakte. Usse expect karna galat hai. Uske saath ka ya pyaar ka expectation rakhna tumhari galati hogi.

Sweety subtly smiles while her eyes were still closed. He slowly takes his hand off her cheek and she opens her eyes on losing a warm contact on her skin. They shared an intense eye lock while having their faces just few inches away from each other. She caressed his stubble slowly for a while before she slid her hand in his hair and ran her finger into his scalp. She gradually covered the distance between them and kissed him slowly taking her own time to show how much she loved him. Their eyes were closed as they devoured the love they had towards each other.

The doubts he had few minutes back seemed to be vanishing.

Sweety's POV:
For all the time we got intimate with each other, today seemed to me as if he made love to my soul. Free from all the lust, I felt we had nothing but ourselves to give each other. This moment feels so surreal and pure that I've decide to confess my love to him at this very moment.

He was hugging her bare figure which lied on his chest and caressed her back slowly. She kissed his chest before she lifted her head and looked at him. His eyes were shut as if he was just living in the moment with her.

"Agastya..", she said

"Hmmm..." He hummed with his eyes still closed.

"Agastya, I... I... Lo..", she fumbled to speak those delicate words which were most precious when the alarm went off. He opened his eyes and glanced at her before his arm stretched reaching out to the alarm kept on the table to turn it off. A few nano seconds of his glance ran a shiver down her entire body.

"We need to get ready quickly Sweety and head to theatres.", He said placing back the alarm clock on the table after turning it off. She nodded her head silently and rolled down from his body. She felt shy for the first time hence she wrapped herself in the duvet while he got down from the bed still nude and hurriedly walked into bathroom.

"Sweety, can you pass me the towel please.", He said after few minutes, putting out his hand from the gap of bathroom door.

She smiled as the cliche dialogue from every single movie played in her mind where a typical husband asks his wife for the towel after getting into the shower as a way to romance her.

She passed him the towel and sat on the bed. He came out wrapping the towel around his waist while she ogled at him as he still had few droplets of water kissing his well chiseled body.

"Sweety.. jao fresh hoke aao.. late ho jayega", he said breaking her trance while brushing his wet hair.

She nodded her head and took her clothes inside the bath and took quick shower. When she came out, he had already poured breakfast cereal into the bowl along with some freshly chopped fruits for both of them. They both ate their breakfast quickly and left for the theatre.
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Scene: Broadway Theatre

Agastya got busy checking at all the stage settings, props, systems, etc. while Sweety and the entire team did a final rehearsals.

"Hey Agastya, do you need any help?", asked Rumi. Agastya gave her a plain stare.

"No, thanks Rumi. I'll let you know if I need anything.", he said while resuming his work.

Rumi slowly left the place.

"Rishab, what about the lights here? Call the electrician and get it done quickly.", He said.
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"Sweety, are you ready?", asked Agastya as he barged into the dressing room. She turned and looked at him.

"Yes, Agastya. I am almost ready.", Sweety said.

"Hmmm.. Let me see! I want you to change the dress. Wear the other one there.", He said by unzipping her dress from behind making her gasp at such sudden move.

"What? Why Agastya? I have to enter the stage in another 20 minutes. Plus that one isn't even altered properly. It's a bit loose.", She said in surprise.

"Just do as I say. I'll send the tailor to fix it quickly.", he said.

"Hmm..", she frowned..

"Sweetheart, I checked the lightings and that colour would look good compared to this one. I want the best for you.", He said cupping her face.

"Hmm.. could you check if dad has arrived. I was about to call him but looks like I won't be able to call now in this chaos.", She said.

"Hmm.. maine already check kiya, woh hospital se nikal chuke hai, he will be here 5 minutes before. Aur haan, tum kissi ke haat se kuch nahi khaa sakti play khatam hone tak. Main khudh tumhe juice aur paani dunga. Okay?", He asks pointing his finger at her.

She smiles and nods. He cups her face and gives her a quick peck.

"Agastya, mera lipstick!", She says and bites her lips.

"Kuch nahi hua tha, par yeh jo ab tum kar rahi ho na, isse zaroor ho jaayega. Daant saaf karo apni, lipstick lagi huyi hai.", He said and went out.

Sweety quickly took off her dress and wore the one he pointed. She held the loose end and made a sad pout when she heard a knock on the door. It was the tailor. He quickly started off with his work while she wiped her teeth to take off the lipstick.

"Please be quick there are just 5 minutes to go.", She said looking at the digital clock on the wall.

"Yeah, it's done!", said the tailor. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

"Thanks", she said to the tailor.

"Sweety, I am going on stage now. Take position at the backstage. Aur haan, dad aa gaye hai. All the best. Remember, you ain't doing it for anyone but yourself. Okay?", He asks.

"Hmm..", she nods.

"Go now", he says. She rushes to the backstage.

"Listen, I want you to check for this dress carefully and fix any malfunction. You have exactly 1 hour before she comes for a change and don't allow anyone to enter this room except for her and me.", He instructs the tailor before leaving.
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The hall was filled with audience. The spotlight shone on Agastya as he introduced himself.

"Good Evening N.Y. I welcome you all to Broadway Theatres. Duniya mein shayad hi koi aisa ho jisne kabhie kisi se pyaar na kiya ho. Aur unn love stories mein, kitno ka pyaar mukkamal nahi hota, kitno ko dil toota hoga, kitno se sab loota hoga aur kitno ko pyaar ke badle sirf dhokha mila hoga. Statistics ke hissab se death due to suicide is at 4th position jismein jyadar log 15-44 years ke hote hai. Waise pyaar karne ke liye koi age nahi hoti magar yeh wahi age hai jaha log aksar pyaar mein padte hai. Aur jinka dil toot ta hai woh aksar aise jaan dene ki harkat karte hai.

Aaj hum sunege ek anokhi kahaani. Yeh kahaani hai Aparajita ki. Jo aapke sab ke soch se pare hai. Kaise? Aaiye  dekhte hai.. 'Aparajita - the Undefeated'. "

The spotlight goes off and Agastya disappears in the dark to occupy his place at the extreme left of the stage. The curtain opens and the spotlight reappears on the centre of the stage. Dressed in purple colour gown a chirpy girl appeared infront of the audience holding a purple umbrella.

The set up looked like a market where few other dancers dressed in white danced with her. She finally lifts her umbrella and throws it away and dances gracefully showing a very bubbly and chirpy nature of hers.

Balbir, who sat in the front row smiled through his tears feeling proud of his daughter at the first glimpse.

At the end of her track audience applaud and she is now shown talking to a dove locked in a cage in one of the shop in the market.

"Hey Love, tum phir se pakde gaye? Kya tumhe khule aasman se nafrat hai ya iss bedard insaan se mohabbat joh tum phir iss pinjre mein kaid hone aa gaye? Dekho pyaar karna gunah nahi hai, par galat insaan se pyaar karna bahut badi gunah hai.", She says and pays money to the vendor of the shop and buys the dove.

She keeps talking to the dove explaining what kind of companion she needs in life when the dove flees and sits on the shoulder of a young man, dressed in white and black. She runs behind it and stood infront of him. He returns the dove to her and they pass a smile to each other.

(Music plays 👇)

Hulchal huyi...
Zara shor hua...
Dil chor hua..
Teri or hua...

Aisi chale jab hawa..
Ishq hua hi hua..

The two start moving in a different direction while the background dancers appear to dance. The two turn around and look at each other.

Off stage, Agastya imagines himself dancing with Sweety on the romantic track.

His imagination:
He turns and looks at her and opens his arms while she runs and hugs him. He lifts her up and swirls around while she spreads her arm and looks up. There are flower petals falling on them.

He slowly lowers her down, having an intense eyelock and keeps his hand on her waist and they move together performing a ball room dance. He then presses his left hand to his back and holds up his right hand for her to swirl around and holds her again by tilting her backwards while supporting her back by his arm.

Agastya's imagination was broken with applause from the audience as the song track faded out. Agastya smiles to himself and looks at the stage where Sweety was now sitting under a tree and the young man was now lying with his head on her lap. Their fingers were entwined as they shared some romantic dialogues, made promises to spend their lives together, have kids and so on. Sweety was laughing and blushing all this while.

"Aparajita, mujhe kaam ke silsile mein kuch din bahaar jaana hoga. Apna khayal rakhna.", The young man says.

"Tumhe dekhe bina kaise rahungi main? Main yaha rahungi par mera dil tumhare paas hi rahega. Jaldi aana.", She says. He nods and waves his hands.

The lights dim and the only focus light is now on Sweety. It was a solo contemporary dance which she carried out with full grace.

The dove from her hand flies yet again and she runs behind it only to find the man lying in some other girls lap with his hand entwined with her just the way she did with him.

The thunder sound appears and the lights goes off, flash of white lights appears as she is shown heart broken and falling on ground. The contemporary dance continues on the same track along with the background dancers.

The background dancers now cover Sweety behind them and Sweety exits to the backstage for a change of costume.

She knocks on the door and the tailor hands over the gown to her. She quickly changes herself into a maroon gown. The makeup girl quickly puts a dark shadow under her eyebrows and applies a dark maroon lipstick  giving her a fierce look.

While she still had 5 minutes to enter the stage again, she heard someone throwing up in the washroom nearby. The door opens and Rumi comes out.

"Rumi, what happened? Are you feeling alright?", Sweety asks in concern.

"Yes, I am fine. Just feeling nauseous. It's common for expecting mothers", Rumi says.

"What? You are pregnant?", Sweety asks surprised.

"Yes, please don't tell Agastya. It's his child. We parted ways because he wanted to focus on his theatre career. Broadway Theatre uska dream tha. Par uske jaane ke baad mujhe pata chala ki main uske bachche ke maa banne wali hoon. Isiliye main yaha aayi hoon, taaki hum dono apne relationship ko phir se ek naye seere se shuru kare aur humare bachche ko ek happy family de. Magar ab shayad tum meri jagah le chuki ho. I still love him. Shayad tumhe bhi woh pasand hai aur shayad aaj jo meri haalat hai waise kal tum bhi do rahe par khadi hogi.', she starts sobbing.

Sweety was heart broken. She knew they had never committed to each other in words but actions spoke louder than the words and the time spent with him always made her feel that she was loved. Her mind was stuck on Rumi's final sentence where she said that Sweety might end up at the same phase as Rumi in near future.

She moved towards the backstage where a team member called out her name.

"Incoming Sweety. In 10 seconds.."

She went and stood behind the background dancers again and looked at Agastya with a pained yet angry emotion. Agastya smiled and showed her thumbs up wishing her all the best as he could finally see the emotions which were required but missing during rehearsals unaware that they were her real emotions.

End of Episode 14

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To be continued.. ❤️❤️

Longer update as promised.. next update tomorrow please. 🙏