Chapter 22 : Endangering Past

Chapter 22 : Endangering Past

Priya fickle open her eyes, it was time to come out of her dreamless sleep. Stretching out her hands over her head she shrugged off the rest tiredness. Her mobile rests lifeless on the other side of the bed. Her fingers reached for the power button as soon as she held it in her grip. Coming to life it beamed up with missed call notifications from her mother and Jayesh.

She stood against the window while calling her mother. A bundle of lies to encounter her mom were stacked properly inside her brain. The line on the other side came live with the concerned voice of her mom. “When are you coming back Priya?” Shipra asked being unhappy with the suspicious absence of her daughter.

“Soon Maa.” She replied in a heavy voice.

“Are you sleeping?”

“Comeon Maa, if I am how could I be talking to you.” The reply was sarcastic. “I was sleeping.”

“And that was your important work?” Shipra asked.

“Maa, can you keep your anger aside for few hours. Let me freshen up and head back home. I know Kapoors must be offended with me but I had reasons to elope.” Priya justified her absence.

“Come back right now.”

“I don't own a teleporting machine, unfortunately.” Priya giggled.

“Priya!” scolded Shipra.

“Okay. I will be back within 2 hours or 15 minutes plus or minus.” Priya promised her mother before disconnecting the call.

“Coffee?” Meera extended a cup towards Priya. “I heard you speaking to Shipra ji.” She sat on a chair. “Everything's okay there?”

“Must be.” Priya sounded little interested about developments at her home. She sipped from her cup.

“May I ask you something?” Meera asked pretty seriously.

“Please.”

“Your marriage is in two weeks and nothing about business is sorted. How will you balance?” Meera looked at Priya.

“I think you changed your mind at the last moment. Isn't it?” Priya grinned ear to ear. “This may be a query but please let the kitty out of your bag. You are worried about my life post marriage particularly with Ram. Am I right?” Priya looked at Meera, who smiled in response. “Accepting your silence as a positive response, I am still clueless about my post marriage life with Ram.” She sighed.

“Priya, a girl after marriage is not only entrusted as a wife but with many other relationships and you are being into many of it all of a sudden.” Meera shifted her near Priya. “I am not questioning your abilities to cope with the changes but how will you live with someone whom you hate?” Priya looked straight to Meera as she ended. “You hate Ram right?” She asked again.

“Can we discuss this later?” Priya looked out through the window to nowhere.

“No, I am worried about you. You may have protected yourself by barring him from being physical to you, but emotionally how you will keep him out of you?” Meera stood up after Priya. “He may not be able to touch you, but his presence around you all the time will it not make any impact on you? Are you that tough to tame your heart? He may not have the permission to consummate this marriage, but how will stop him from affecting you, you will be with him 24X7. When he is all over you already?” Meera smiled faintly under her sigh when Priya looked at her perplexed. “Comeon I am the same person who trained you. You are the same Priya who loved Ram or I should say still love him as you said to me this afternoon.”

Priya maintained her silence, her eyes traced to the aimless horizon visible through the window.

“How will you cage your heart? What is your game plan?” Meera again poked Priya. “What is the plan to escape Ram’s love?”

“Do you think any plan will work?” Priya retorted. “Why you are reminding me every time that I still love him? I have no plan. I don't know how I am going to ploy his plans, what I know is, I can't do injustice to myself by loving him again, allowing him to love me again.”

“Injustice?”

“No one will feel what I felt that day. I was in pain Rajat left me with a scar for life. A scar that will remain till the last day of my life. But Ram left me with a wound that never healed. Everytime I see him, it deepens. I feel the pain of bearing it along. My heart goes back to that day when he asked me to wait for the right time. Right time for what?” Priya shouted. “Right time to say that I was raped.” She froze at her place.

“What did you say?” Meera turned Priya to her; “What did you say Priya?”

“Please let's not discuss this. Please.” Priya refrained from answering. She shivered at her place.

“No. You have to speak Priya. I have never forced you but now it's time you speak and you are going nowhere without telling the truth.” She held Priya firm in between her hands.

“Rajat did everything to tear me apart. Meera that time I graved it inside my heart. No one knew what happened with me. Do you think I was frail that time? No I was not. But how could I tell my parents, Jayesh Uncle that I was...” Priya’s voice broke. “So I found it easy to give up, but see my luck I was saved by Jayesh Uncle. Yes I denied a complaint that time because I was afraid that if my medical test will happen, they will know that I was sexually active, I and Ram had gone far, we have no secrets to hide from ourselves. I felt used when Ram didn't turn up. Ram forgot me like I never happened to him. So, I agreed to live a life that Jayesh Uncle wanted me to live.”

“But you did the same by hiding Rajat’s crime. You let him free.”

“Because I was afraid of the truth to get exposed. What I would have said to Papa. He would have died then only. I wanted to protect my family like Ram did.” Priya replied. “And I kept it secret from Jayesh Uncle because I knew if he comes to know about Rajat uncle would have killed him and Ram will not be spared too. I saved Ram by saving Rajat or you may say my hiding my truth.” Tears tickled down her cheeks. Meera hugged Priya. But her thoughts moved back to the day when Jayesh exposed the truth to her, but did he knew what Rajat actually did to Priya? Ashok’s words started echoing and re-echoing inside her head “he is living a life gifted by Jayesh Ji” What he tried to mean, she could smell the uncanny, a crime might have taken place. Is Rajat alive even? Her thoughts shivered her; she quivered thinking about her husband and Jayesh’s unforgivable sin if her assumptions come out to be truth. She felt the surge to meet Jayesh then only. The truth has to be told.

“I think you should leave for home. Freshen up I will drop you.” Meera turned to leave after coming apart from Priya and wiping out her tears.

“Are you hiding something Meera?” Priya asked in a very low voice.

“No. I am trying to feel what you went through. Priya I have a daughter too. I can feel what your mother would have felt if she knew the truth. But Priya covering a criminal... i just want to collect some courage to face you.” Meera looked at Priya. “Why you feared to speak the truth? What would have happened? Your and Ram’s relationship would have got exposed. Nothing more than it. Your parents, Jayesh ji they would have remain angry with you for a time. But tell me is it right to leave a criminal free? Did you do justice to yourself and if you have not done it with you, you should not blame anyone else for the same thing. Even if I try I will never ever feel what you went through what you go through when that day comes into your head. But I can't accept that you have let Rajat go free only to protect your false thoughts. I see no difference between you and Ram. He did hide in fear of his father then you did the same in fear of your family. He did injustice to you, but you cheated yourself. Why?” Meera came in front.

“I did what I felt to be right that moment.”

“So did Ram.” Meera retorted, “I am not defending anyone. The fact is both of you were kids that time. But I am sad that you denied justice to yourself.” She continued being distorted. While she pretended to be there along with Priya, Meera’s thoughts went straight reverse to the conversation from that night; she doubted Jayesh and Ashok and accused them hiding the truth from her. Before reaching to any conclusions she wanted to confirm their depth of information. Alongside she feared a crime that might have taken place twelve years back and still in shelves.

“Meera.” Priya’s touch made her shiver out of thoughts. “I need to head back home. Promise me you will not disclose this truth to anyone.”

Meera fixed her gaze on Priya without delivering an answer. She was supposed to reply but looking at Priya she failed to feel the horrific pain that Priya went through. The wound that will never leave her. “Please...” Priya quivered her pray. Meera took her into a deep embrace.

 “I am okay Meera. I have learnt to live with that wound. I am used to all the sleepless nights now. I am okay.” Priya came apart.

“I don't know......” Meera lost her words. “Come I will drop you back. I need few drinks to gulp this inside me. I am sorry but I am not okay Priya.” Meera said under her deep sigh.  

In sheer silence they drove back to The Sharma House.

~~

When Priya entered the hall, there prevailed a silence but a peaceful one though it was void of any occupants. “Kaka..” she called the chief valet of the house. Within a minute an old man came almost running to the hall.

“Ji beta.” He  stood there for further instructions.

“Where is everyone?” Priya asked.

The man updated Priya with latest developments. The Kapoors who were scheduled to leave for Mumbai next day has shifted to her place for a family get together and they will spend the night at Sharma’s place. All the butlers are busy in preparing the rooms for the guests and few in kitchen. About the family he informed Priya of them to be at the garden.

“Okay. Aap jayiye.” Priya asked him to leave and looked back when Meera stood just behind. “They will stay here today. Come.” Asking her to follow Priya walked to the Garden.

At the Garden prevailed a warm atmosphere. One unknown to the agitations took place few hours before could never guess that the alliance was in stake. Her eyes tried to find Ram, but neither he nor Rishab was there.

“There she is!” Shipra happily looked at her daughter. When Priya joined the families Meera excused herself stating her prescheduled appointment as a reason. Priya being grilled amongst her in laws was not able to counter Meera.

~~

JAYESH’S Bungalow.

Parking her car Meera rushed inside and with the piece of information from the valet she hurried to his bedroom where he sits with his back facing to Meera, smoking his pipe. She knocked for permission before entering. Averting his eyes towards the door, Jayesh gestured her to come inside. Before anything, Meera closed the door behind her.

“Now what is left to know?” Jayesh said still acquiring his seat. “I am on the verge of losing my daughter. Ram will snatch away her from me.”

“What is making you so insecure Jayesh Ji?” Meera asked. “What exactly you want? Priya to be happy in her life or Priya to be a robot?”

“You are unaware of the fact what Ram can do to Priya, he has done much harm to my child before.” Jayesh breathed heavy.

“Just answer me something Sir, Do you really unaware of what Rajat did to Priya?” Meera walked in front of him looking for an answer on the startled face. “I can understand Priya blaming him, she was a kid and still one, but you? How could you even think of Ram to be guilty and responsible for what happened then?”

“You don’t even have an idea what Priya went through! The horrific tortures….” Jayesh looked gloomily to Meera when she said that she is aware of everything.

“I know.” She said under her sighed, “I know it was not an attempted rape, but was a rape.” With her eyes closed and deep breathes, Meera stood in silence for next few minutes.

“Wh..Who told you?” Jayesh’s voice broke while he asked.

“Priya. She told me. But I don’t believe that you have let go Rajat so easily. Did you?” Meera noticed the red ragging eyes of a ferocious beast gleaming towards her. “No.. you can’t kill him.” The ruthless woman felt the earth moving aside underneath. “You can be a monstrous beast but you can’t commit such a crime.”

“Huh!” He puffed his pipe. “Your husband stopped me from doing so. He is living. He is breathing.”

“Where is Rajat?”

“In Asylum. He is a mentally retarded man now.”

“That is also a crime.”

“Prove it.” Jayesh challenged. “And now it is Ram’s turn. Yes I am using Priya to pick him up, but he did the same with my Priya. Rajat told me every truth. It was Ram, who made him believe that Priya is a whore, who ….” He threw the lit Pipe on the floor, which stopped after skidding few meters after hitting the side wall. “Ram also….” He clutched the head of the arm chair tight.

“How I wish I was right!” Meera said, “I thought you must be a rational man, but no you are the same; a father blind in filial love. You might have traced out her guilt did wrong to him, which is again another wrong.  And for you kind information Ram did nothing, Rajat manipulated you to escape adversity, which he guessed was wrong. He failed to escape. Ram and Priya loved each other. Yes they loved each other, and whatever intimacy happened among them was with full consent of Priya. Ram never forced himself on Priya. That doesn’t mean she became available for everyone.”

“HE FOOLED HER!!” he squealed.

“No he hadn’t. Ram still loves Priya.”

“He fooled my daughter now he is manipulating you too.”

“No he is not.”

“He is!”

“Jayesh Ji. Please open your eyes. He is not. He loves Priya with all his heart. But can we keep Ram and Priya aside for a while because till you will not see that love with your eyes, no one will be able to make you believe you the same. Can you please elaborate about Rajat?” Meera asked. When Jayesh continued with his silence, Meera almost begged to him.

“I told you Meera. He is in an asylum.”

“What you did to him?”

“Prove it! If I have done any harm to him. He is there for his sins.” Jayesh claimed calmly. “Prove it before accusing me, and as much it is concerned about Ram, I don’t see any reason to discuss him to you.” 

“Right, there is nothing to discus. I don’t know what is written for them in future, but it is Ram who can bring her back to life, but after this hell truth that lies naked, I fear will Ram ever could get her back. Rajat left her alive with a wound which is incurable. It will never heal. You, me, no one in this earth could ever feel her pain.” Meera said under her deepest sigh. “How much even Ram fights, he tries he will never get her back into life. He can never. He is fighting a battle with a dead! A battle which has already declared him as defeated.” She sat carelessly on the chair looking into nothingness.

~~

3 am. Sheer Silence prevailed all around. Having said the unsaid, Priya was unable to shut her eyes. Engulfing darkness everytime teleported her to the time when the beastly act torn her apart. Deciding not to sleep for the rest of night, or two hours left to start a new day, she pricked the silence and made her way up to the library that soothes her soul. Sliding open the glass door, she stepped out on the open terrace sheeted under the starry sky. Shifting her mind from the garden swing to the garden chair, Priya leaned against one of the two kept beside one another. Plugging her earphones, she turned on the music player with her favourite playlist.

 A moment or few minutes later,

“So you still love these songs.” Ram’s voice and his slight touch on her ear lobe made Priya aware of the presence of another person. She was caught in the frisson of the old thoughts that kept her grilled since that evening. When Ram moved closer to put the ear phone back to her ears she struggled a bit to keep him away but failed. Without permission Ram took his seat by her.

“Why are you following me?” Priya asked immediately.

“I am not following you. I was in the hall when you climbed up here like a crook. Out of my curiosity to know what my would be wife is doing in such wee hours took me here after you.” He said under her smile that irritated Priya utmost.

“Is this a joke? If it is let me tell you it is poorer to be labelled as lame.”

“Hmmm. I see.” Ram moved close to Priya. His hand made Priya to reflex back. After his eyes meet her it became tougher for to keep her breathes even and sorted. She quivered while shutting her eyes tight. She still felt his smile over her. Ram took the right earplug off from her and put it on his right ear before leaning back to the chair. “Relax I just wanted to share your earphone, this is my favourite song too.”

“Please go and sleep you have flight tomorrow.” Priya said without looking at him.

“I was neither sleeping before following you.”

“Why are you intervening my privacy?”

“Sharing an earphone? Does it imply cribbing privacy?”

“Ram! I need sometime alone.”

“Have it! Imagine I am not here.”

“Will you just stop it!”

“No.!”

“You are breaching your contract! We agreed not to intervene in one another’s privacy remember?” Priya looked straight to him.

“The same contract stated that if one among us wants to take care of the other, there should be no friction from the other one, and Miss Sharma.” Ram looked back straight to her this time, “I am here to company your weird behaviour in the middle of night. If I asked you what is keeping you awake or why you cannot sleep, then there would have been breach of contract, because those are personal. You cannot stop me from accompanying you to take care of you in these wee hours.” He smiled after he ended.

“Ram I am not sleeping today. Few days are there when I can’t sleep, so you don’t need to make yourself busy by thinking about me. Please go and have some sleep, you will be travelling this morning.” Priya tried to send him from there.

“I am not travelling for 14 hours. I will be travelling for 3 hours and half approximate in first class. I think there is no chance of getting sickness anyways. I travelled a lot when I was at Florida and still travel a lot.” Ram countered.

“Okay Fine!” She leaned against the chair. A moment later into the silence Priya shivered and jumped up to a straight sitting posture.  When ever darkness engulfed that night came infront.

“What happened?” Ram came parallel to her, after her sudden unwanted reflex. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah!” She gulped air in her throat. “Please leave me alone.”

“Not possible. At least here. Come along, once you will be in your room I will leave you alone.”

“Why don’t you understand I need sometime alone?”

“Is there a second person in your room?”

“No.” Priya answered annoyingly.

“Then where is the problem. Your room is the solution to every irksome creature around you. Once you will be in your room, there will be no Ram Kapoor, no nagging, no more lame jokes etc etc. I am offering you a good deal.”   Ram stood up extending his hand towards her.

“What do you think will we be happy?” Priya asked Ram out of the context.

“What?”

“Will we be happy after marriage?” she asked again.

“I don’t know. Happiness has its definition that varies from person to person. For someone seeing the beloved beside is happiness, for some other one talking to beloved all long without getting bored is happiness, and so on so forth. I don’t have an idea if we will be happy or not together, but we may find happiness in moments.” Ram smiled.

“And if we don’t go along well. What will you do? Compromise?” 

“Compromise? Hmm a very complicated word. Priya, once I had compromised and both of us know what happened next. So I will not compromise this time, neither I will allow you to compromise.  If this alliance fail to work and keep on hurting our families and us constantly trust me I will be the first one to call it off because it is not possible for me to see you in adversity again.” Ram paused and looked to no where after realising what he said. “Now please come along, go to your room and also spare me to be the accused as a stalker.” He once again held his hand stretched out towards her.

“I said no.” Priya leaned back folding her hands near her belly.

“Please Priya stop torturing yourself.”

“Thank you for your concern but I am not!”

“Priya this time I am giving you the last warning. If you will not come willingly I will pick you up and don’t mind if anyone from your family notices me doing so.” Ram warned.

“Why you are always ready to pick me up?” Priya stood up this time.

“Because I love to flaunt my muscles!”

“I am not going anywhere.”  She replied adamantly.

“Okay fine! Rest you will be responsible.” Saying Ram and without giving her chance to react, Ram scooped her up in his strong arms. Priya struggled for her freedom, which went to vain. “Poor baby, you can’t fight my strength. I gave you my hand to hold, and if I have to make you obey me for your welfare  and health I will go any further, register this into your intelligent brain.”

“Ram. I warn you put me down .”

“Else?” He said sliding the glass door aside with one of his feet.

“I will shout!”

“Go ahead. We are engaged will be legally married in two weeks, so no one is going to yell at me for this and if you want to make this more embarrassing for you go ahead.” Ram said walking out of the room downstairs, when Priya kept struggling for freedom.

Still few hours to go to welcome a new morning, silence prevailed around the Sharma House.  Ram’s footsteps echoed against the walls of the mansion. The person looking for Ram around the mansion and was about to raise an alarm with the news of him to be missing, headed towards the footsteps. Shell shocked with the view in front, the person, Rishab Kapoor smiled broad.

“I have not seen anything.” He turned back. “Actually I am walking in my sleep.” Averting his eyes he winked to the couple standing behind equally shocked to have a witness of the drill. “Good Night Bhabi  and Bhai  please come to room before dawn.” He said mischievously before leaving.

It took good few minutes to summarize the unwanted event happened in form of Rishab for Ram and Priya too.  “Now put me down.” Priya jerked Ram clutching his collar. This time Ram obeyed her.

As soon as he dropped her down, Priya tried to make an escapade towards her den again, only to be blocked by Ram. “That way Ma’am.” He pointed towards her room. “And if you try to reproach trust me I will carry you on my shoulder and I give it a damn to Rishab or anyone else.”

“FINE!!!!”  She scorned and left. After her Ram left to the room shared by him and Rishab.

“Ayi haye Bhai! She is melting!” Rishab jumped to his brother.

“Rishab, remember she is your sister in law, respect her and never cross your limit because I trust you and rely on you the most. Let something be within me and her only. I want you to be that brother on whom she can rely on.” Ram said holding his brother between his hands, but the reason behind it remained unknown to both the brothers. The Younger one never showed the courage to ask and the elder brother said it in spur-of-the-moment.

Until We Meet

Love

NB