Bold Italic - Pragya
Italic - Abhi

Aaliya meets Pragya......

Aaliya, "Pragya, I don't know why Bhai is throwing a party all of a sudden now. But if you come to it and give him a surprise then maybe something might happen."

I am not coming. You know it's over.

Aaliya, "Please na.... At least for the sake of our friendship."

No way. I came to meet you today as you said you were feeling sad and want to talk to me. I am not here to talk or hear anything about your brother.

Aaliya, "Teek hai. At least come in some disguise. I will feel better if you're around. I mean.....you know it feels awkward now when you're not around."

You have to get used to it Aaliya. I am not part of your family anymore. I am your friend and of course King's friend as well.

Aaliya," Alright. If this is your final decision then I am not compelling you."

Pragya looks away and Aaliya wonders whether Pragya will turn up or not. Aaliya looks Pragya from the corner of her eyes and sees Pragya to be thinking.

"I guess it is working out...." Aaliya tells to herself and smiles inwardly.

A few days later,

Abhi had arranged everything and it was the evening of the party at his house.

Nobody knows the purpose of the party except that it was a very private one with just Abhi's family that includes King and his family as well. He also invited his close friends, which is obviously Purab and others are mostly his staff.

Abhi was dressed up well as usual and everyone wondered the reason for the party as he came to the stage and looked everyone with a wide smile. He then took the mic and starts to speak.

I guess all are wondering what's the purpose of this sudden party! No more suspense. I will reveal it now. Just wait for another 2 minutes.

After his words, the lights went off making everyone there to be taken aback.

Chill guys! Don't panic and don't think the lights went off as I never paid my electricity bills!

Everyone burst into laughter at his joke except for King and Aaliya who were wondering what is he trying to do now.

The lights went off as part of revealing the suspense.

King, "Did he tell you what suspense is that?" he asked Aaliya who was standing beside him.

Aaliya, "If I had known, I would have told you right?"

King, "Alright. I believe you don't know about it."

Aaliya, "I really don't know! And if you never believe me then I don't know what to say."

King was about to say something when the lights came back and Abhi cheerfully said, There she is! By the way, she is my fiancé.

Everyone looked at the direction he was pointing at and all of them were shocked.

Aaliya, "She? Are you sure Bhai? She is....."

Abhi in response nods his head as yes.

Aaliya then tells her mother about the girl Abhi says to be his fiancé.

Pragya was in disguise as the waiter and looks at the person from a distance. She was also shocked by seeing the person.

If seeing the person he says was his fiancé was a shock to everyone, then seeing the person accompanying her was like a huge shock to everyone and especially to Pragya.

"Papa?" she muttered to herself and was completely confused at what was happening now.

Abhi's mother asks, "What's this Abhi? Pragya have a sister?"

No Ma.... It's her cousin sister, Bulbul. And Mohan uncle is like her father too.

Abhi's mother, "So you like her now?"

Yes and she also likes me.

Aaliya, "Bhai! Are you in your senses? You're liking her sister and what you're doing now, isn't it the same what Suresh did to her? He preferred Bulbul to Pragya as well."

It's not like that. Even Mohan uncle will agree with me. Isn't it uncle?

Mohan, "Yes Aaliya. What happened previously was Pragya's misunderstanding. Now it is not like that. And now that Pragya has moved on, it's nothing wrong for Abhi and Bulbul to like each other."

Abhi and Bulbul smiles at each other and King couldn't stand it anymore seeing what was happening now.

King," Abhi, whatever you're doing is personal but I would like to know when did you even get along with Bulbul?"

Bulbul," I will answer that. May I?"

King signalled her to carry on and she said, "We met and we talked....then... We liked each other. When and where is all unnecessary as what matters is, it happened!"

Mohan, "Yes and you're saying it rightly Bulbul."

King, "Huh? Uncle.... If what Abhi and Bulbul are saying is shocking to us then your presence and support to them is even more shocking to us! Don't you think how bad Pragya would feel by hearing all these?"

Mohan, "She is not hearing right? Then why worried about that now? Anyways, I know how to handle her."

Pragya who was seeing all these was controlling herself not to break down into tears.

King, "Handle her? Uncle, I really don't understand why do you even support Abhi now when you should be with Pragya!"

Abhi teasingly, Actually, I also have this doubt uncle. Do you love me that much?

Mohan, "No! I don't love you for sure!" he said looking sternly at Abhi.

Abhi, Then why here?

Mohan, "Because I am happy that Pragya had finally managed to get rid of you. And about Bulbul, she asked me to come here like a father. I knew this is the best thing that is happening in my daughter's life as now she will never ever think about you!"

King, "So you dislike Abhi?"

Mohan, "I don't dislike him. He is a good guy only. But I don't like anything that is surrounding him. Just see King, his mother was missing for years. He had no parents to upbring him and his sister. His sister.... I am sorry to say... she troubled my daughter a lot initially and now she is acting as if in support of my daughter. It's too much King. Abhi is surrounded and brought in a completely different environment and it affects in whatever he does now. That is why I even inform Suresh to come back in Pragya's life. I updated him everything about her life to follow her. But he...all of a sudden changed his mind!"

King," Follow Pragya?"

Mohan," Yes. I gave him information about Pragya as an anonymous person." he sighed and Abhi clapped hearing everything.

Uncle, you blamed about what I am surrounded by but what were you surrounded by?

Mohan," Look Abhi! I only did it for the well-being of my daughter!"

Well-being of Pragya but do you know it could have become dangerous to her? Suresh was not in a stable state of mind when you asked him to follow her. He could have done something to her and you could have regretted about it lifelong!

Everyone hearing it were taken aback.

Mohan, "You're exaggerating it. I know nothing like you're implying would have happened."

It didn't happen but you can't deny the fact that Pragya was scared to hell when she was being followed and how worried she was for her friend's actions!

Mohan, "Don't act now Abhi. Don't act as if you still care for Pragya!"

I do care for her! And do you think I am still acting? Uncle, for your kind information, your daughter is here silently listening to everything you have said.

Mohan panicked and looked around.

She won't come just like that.

He says and walks towards Pragya who was now hiding behind a pillar.

You're caught my dear.

She closes her eyes in defeat and he signals her to walk.

She shooks her head as no and he asks, Do you want me to carry you then?

No!

She shrieked and had no choice other than walking with him to see her dad.

Mohan in surprise looking at a waiter walking beside Abhi said, "Pragya?"

She removes her wig and takes a deep breath while Mohan was in shock now.

Mohan looks tensed and Pragya said, Papa.... I heard everything and that doesn't mean I am going to be upset over you or something. I understand you did all that for my well-being.

See! This is exactly why you have done it right? She easily takes things of whatever others do to her even though she herself knows that she is hurt by their actions.

Abhi says to Mohan and he looks down in guilt.

Mr. Abhi, you don't have the right to make my Papa feel bad.

Ya right! I have revealed who was behind trying to separate us and you're here angry.

He just did that. Nothing else right?

Nothing else? Ask your dad about it.

Pragya looks at her dad questioningly and he admits that he was involved in Abhi when he was missing as well.

Papa.... But why?

Let me tell you. He met me in airport and asked me to follow him as he said you were in some danger. Halfway through, someone attacked both of us and then I found myself alone in a dark room. I wondered where was your father and then from one of the goons, I got to know that it was your dad's plan for me to be kidnapped.

Mohan, "I knew you will know about it eventually. I also know you won't easily tell Pragya about it as she have high regards for me."

Ok! That's it guys! This is end of the party today. My intention was all my loved ones to know about what happened in my life prior to my fake break up. I am not going to blame or accuse Uncle now. He is guilty and that can be seen from his face. Whatever it is I still have respect for him as he is my Pragya's dad.

No....

No? No for what?

I need to talk to you in private that I am not yours.

Pragya! I know you took it serious but....

She runs from there in tears and Abhi follows her as the rest looks blank as whatever that is happening is still unbelievable to them.

He stands behind and says, Pragya....

Pragya wipes her tears and turns to look at him.

I still love....

She intervenes and says, You could have told me earlier right? Why do you need to do all this drama to let me know the truth?

Even I don't know Pragya. I mean not sure and that's why I had to do all these. Trust me, I am telling the truth.

How to trust you when you trust her instead of me in finding the truth?

Trust her? You mean Bulbul? I had this slight doubt on uncle and I didn't want to bother you by telling I feel suspicious on Uncle. I definitely can't tell it to Sarla aunty. That's when I remembered about Bulbul so I asked her help. That's all.

But still you never trust me to tell your doubts on Papa!

It's not like that. It's not that I never trust you. I thought of not bothering you this time.

Enough Abhi! Just leave me alone.

Listen Pragya.... It's....

I said enough Abhi. If you never leave me alone now then I will leave you alone forever.

Why are you saying like this? Pragya... Just listen to me once and.....

I am leaving now. And don't follow me if not I will do something to make you feel alone forever.

Abhi was dumbfounded by her words and he remains still as she walks away.

Pragya walks out of the house and manages to get a cab.

In the cab,

She cries silently and tells herself, How foolish you're Abhi. You think I don't know the truth? Even before you had teamed up with her to know the truth, I knew about it! And that's why I played along with your break up drama. All the while I know everything but I had to act as if I don't know anything. Do you know why Abhi? Because I love you.... And I don't want to see you getting troubled again because of me. It's enough Abhi..... Let's end this for real now.....

Abhi returns to where his family and friends were.

He looks lost and couldn't understand why Pragya instead of getting relieved that everything is sorted was crying and feeling that he didn't trust her.

He didn't tell anything to anyone but looks at Mohan who was in some thoughts.

She knew it earlier itself.

Aaliya, "What are you saying Bhai?"

Yes! She knew everything about her dad earlier and that's why she spoke like that just now.

Mohan, "What are you blabbering?"

Uncle! She knew it earlier!! That's why she spoke in support of you just now as she knows everything you did. She didn't want you to feel bad.

Aaliya, "Bhai... Where is she?"

She left..... She left as she didn't want to trouble me and I just realised it.
Damn it! Why didn't I realize this earlier when she had very easily break up with me? It wasn't my acting that made her easily to accept it. She was acting as well. Pragya was acting to show that she had moved on and finally she left as she didn't want to trouble me!

Mohan, "Trouble you? What are you saying?"

First it was because of Sarla ma then now because of you! She would have thought it's all because of her. I mean because for her that both of you had troubled me. That made her finally decide to leave me now!

Mohan looks amazed in response of how well Abhi understands Pragya.

King, "She wouldn't have gone very far. What if she had went to her house?"

No! She definitely would have left far away. I know about her!

To be continued......

Thank you for reading! 😊