BALH Paanch Saal Baad Part 103

As Priya sat on the rocking chair in the room, thoughts of Pihu engulfed her completely. She was so unsure of the effect or after math of the decision taken by Advik. Though Ram tried to convince her about the positivity of the decision, reminding her of Advik being the Doctor and she was the first one to bestow her trust and support to him. Now, with trains of thought she sits alone in the master bedroom, thinking about her daughter and what might she be going through just then as she thinks.

~~

“What are you doing here?” Pihu expressed her unpleasantness seeing Dev there, who smiled in response.

“Can we sit and talk.” Dev said gently to her.

“Now what’s Mom has asked you to do?” She was really not in a mood to talk to him at all.

“Neither your Mom nor your Dad, I just came to say you hello. I was..” Pihu cuts in between, “Leaving your entire job and going behind your boss’s wife and daughter, is that your favorite hobby or time pass?” Pihu sounded much rude.

“I can understand. Actually when I first saw you, I felt bad for your parents, especially Priya, the way you were behaving with her. That caught my eyes.” Pihu again cuts in and misbehaved again, “And that’s why you were around my mom all the time, waise, let me tell you something about The Ram Kapoor, her husband, you know him naa.” Pihu smiled as she leaned back on her seat, “He is an over protective husband, right from my childhood I found him to be reacting straight from the heart when it comes to his wife, so take this as a piece of advice STAY AWAY from her.”

“Well Pihu, I think you are connecting the wrong chord all the way.” Dev Smiled, “I am here for you, and I also have a daughter almost of your age, few years elder to be specific. I felt the pain that Ram or Priya might have failed to feel.” Now Pihu looked more suspiciously to him. “No Listen to me.”Dev tried to make a firm hold of what he was trying to say, “I am serious. I am here to know how are you? I mean I know Ram has earned a lot and …”

“Okay.. Cut!” Pihu stood up. She was followed by Dev. “Look Mr Dev, note it down just note it down you are a very bad actor and what the shit you are trying to say and all that, just put into your mind, I know how and where to put the pieces of the puzzle to design the jigsaw as I want and…” She stepped closer, “What advice I gave you please glue that into your head, stay away from my mother, else don’t tell no one has warned you..” Pihu without giving a chance to Dev walked away.

He stood there knowing how miserably he failed in his plan, calling Advik he asked him to meet in his car. While he walked to his car, he saw Pihu reading out some notice that was placed there. Getting into the car he found Advik there. While driving out he informed him about the whole conversation that took place.

“Basically she manipulated you and you where trapped in. Clever girl, more than I thought. I don’t know how to cope with her. Direct at her face we can’t tell her.”  Advik sounded pretty nervous and thoughtful at the same time, “This is the reason I don’t take up any case from family or friends, these emotional chords are not good for a Doctor Patient relationship,” He vent out his frustration.

~~

“Priya” Ram called before entering the room.

“Ji.” He responded back, “I am here.”

“Someone wants to speak to you. Your phone’s battery exhausted, it was in my coat’s pocket all night. You carry on I will put it on charging.” Ram gave the phone to Priya and walked to the changing room.

Priya smiled looking at the display, which had Kush’s name on it and a smiling picture of his, “Hi Kush Kaisa hain bachhe?” Priya started.

“I am fine Badi Maa, but you have forgotten your son completely. Not a single call to me.” Kush complained, “And that day when Bade Papa rushed there, no one, I mean no one even bothered to inform me, neither he himself. I would have come along naa.”

“You have your college right?” Priya’s voice has command this time.

“Yes.” He answered softly, “But bade papa said your health was not good. What happened?” He asked.

“Nothing just a Low BP. Your bade papa has issues of making little issues look like monsters. I just vented.” Priya answered casually throwing a stern look at Ram, who sits right infornt of her pulling another chair. As he stretched out his legs, his toes brushed against hers’. Before she could pull them off, he teased her not to.

“Kush I think it’s early morning there at India right?” Priya tried to escape the situation. “Is..Isn’t it..” she stammered as Ram, with a fixed a gaze at her, eased, by stretching out his legs brushing them against hers’. The silk fabric of her salwar couldn’t prevent Ram to send the shiver right down her spine. “You have college right?”

“Maa you don’t want to talk with me right?” Kush unaware of the situation, complained.

“I do beta but not at the cost of your health. Do one thing after your college, drop me a call in my number and I will call you back. We will have some private chit chats then. Right now infront of your father, it is not possible, samjha kar yaar come on.” Priya smiled.

“Right! I will call you . Bye Maa and take care of yours and..” Kush paused a bit before saying, “ I miss you maa.”

“And I Love you..” Priya said and surprised to see Ram smiling, “I Love you” she repeated this time looking straight at her husband’s eyes, “and I miss you too…” her gaze didn’t shift for a while even then. The known silence of the room allowed Ram to hear the line going dead on the other side as Kush hung up. The chipper of the birds outside became more vibrant with the silence prevailing around. With his eyes fixed at his wife’s he leaned to her, making her fall on her back on the rocking chair, which rocked in its rhythm. Slipping the phone into his pocket, he brought the chair to stillness.

“Please Mr. Kapoor..” Priya looked to the other side, avoiding him.

“I know you said it to me.” He said still looking at her.

“First you stop starring at me. There is nothing to stare at me.” Priya sounded nervous, a tension is building inside her, which can make her go weak and break the shield anytime sooner that Ram knew.

“If I say I can’t.” Ram teased.

“Let me go then.” As she shifts her eyes, the dark eyes staring at her motioned her into the love that those reflected for her. “Let…” she felt like losing her voice. Ram leaned closer to her, making her tremble and failing to sit up.

“Say that you hate me. Say that you can never forgive me. Say that you don’t love me anymore. I will move back.” Ram whispered into her ears. Priya looked up, the love with which he was looking to her cannot be ignored, “Say it for once and I will back off.” He kept on starring at her, but there was no response from her, “You know what;” moving his forefinger along the hairline of her face trailing to the cheeks, making his wife closing her eyes tight to hide her emotions, “I know I am fully to blame. I must be punished for what I said to you, but you can never hate me, nor can stop loving me and that you proved yesterday.” He smiled. Now Priya looked straight to her husband with many questions arising, “You know, I can’t resist myself when you look like this to me, even after so many years of marriage.” Ram smiled.

“What happened last night?” Priya asked out of her tension.

“Nothing” Ram answered, “You were out of your senses last night but the way you cling to me, the way you wanted to be with me made one thing pretty clear that still how much you love me, trust me.”

“Trusting you after what you said…”Ram cuts in, “I know I am your guilty but stop acting, you still trust me.”

“No.” Priya looked straight, “just No is the answer Mr Kapoor.”

“Should I…” Ram looked back as someone knocked at their bedroom’s door, which he locked after entering. After some repeated knocks he has to step back from Priya. Opening it he found Advik and Dev with Apeksha at the door steps. From their faces it was a clear sign of failure.

“What happened?”Priya asked as she stood by.

Sighing deep three of them entered while Dev let the cat out of the bag.

“So now what?” Priya looked at Advik for an answer.

“Now you have to tell her when she comes back.” Advik said, “That is the one way we can make her know that she is not fine.”

“That is a very bad idea.” Ram interrupted, “Advik, Pihu somehow..”he paused and looked at Priya, “She will react badly at Priya.”

“That I want.” The doctor said.

“And what about her health.” Ram countered.

Before Advik could defend Priya spoke this time, “I am Mr. Kapoor. I will do this for my child.” Though Ram was not convinced he chose to keep quiet and allow Priya to do what she wanted to do.

~~

That evening, while Pihu was in her room discussing some kind of trip with Mia, Priya knocked at her door for permission to enter. Without trying to know who it is Pihu asked to come in. Her mother stood in silence, till she turned and faced her. “Mom.” She said, “I will call you back Mia.” Disconnecting the call she looked up.

“Is there anything important at your college” Priya asked.

“Are you here to ask me that or you are here to stop me from going to Sydney?” Pihu behaved rude.

“Sydney?” Priya was surprised, “How would I know you are planning to go to Sydney?”

“Oh! Come on mom; don’t try to fool me out. You have sent your spy, Mr Dev, and he must have informed you about this.” Pihu sat on her bed.

“First Pihu, I have not sent anybody and second he is not my spy.” Fumed Priya.

“Come on Mom, can’t I see how good both of you are going along! He can do anything for you.” Pihu smiled nastily.

“Have you lost your senses Pihu. He is your father’s employee that’s it.” Priya shouted almost.

“Did you tell papa that how you two spent good times looking around Melbourne. Did you?”

“You are speaking to your mother.”

“What Mother? That mother who spies her daughter, snatches all the happiness out from her life, puts her behind the bar of lectures, values and ethics. A mother who separates her daughter from the father for her own self satisfaction. A mother who is always right, who has to be always right and every other person on the earth is wrong.” Pihu stepped to her mother, “You know what; you are a self centric, self obsessed, directive woman. Everyone is good, if they behave as you desire and not they have no right to live freely, like me..” She laughed.

Outside the room where Advik, Ram and the other two wait for the result, a tension build up there too. “I Think Aunty will fail too.. I mean she is behaving very rude. I was wrong sending Aunty in this situation and she is also not well.” As Advik said, Ram rolled his eyes saying he will do his worse if any wrong happened to Priya.

“Then I should have died yesterday. I regret that I survived.” Priya said and turned to leave.

“What!” Pihu exclaimed, “What did you say, you regret to what!” She almost ran and stood infront, “You regret that you survived. How dare you?” Now this unexpected reaction from Pihu startled Priya, “How dare you mom? See what you are always upto thinking about yourself, did you ever thought what I would do without you around.”

“Correction Pihu!” Priya retorted, “Say whom you would be bad mouthing if I die.”

“Don’t say that mamma..” Pihu suddenly hugged her, “Don’t say that. Why are you so self obsessed? Why can’t you think anything other than you? Why you think you are always right.”

“I am disturbing your life right!” Priya raised her voice, “I am leaving Pihu, do whatever you want. Party Drugs Drinks boys whatever. I will never stop you but there will be no mother for you. I am done with you. I am done with continuous tension around. Do whatever you want to do just discard me off from your records.”

“See how you are behaving. Do you ever felt how it feels if there is no one to call Mom. How can you feel? I felt that yesterday. I had that fear, just for a moment, but I had. Mom, why can’t you be my that cool mom that you used to be? Why you always keep a suspicious eye on me? Why is there so much nagging? Even I was not allowed to go alone in birthday parties mamma, you were always there and you know what I became the mamma’s girl who is still being feed. Why you keep spying on me? Why you stop papa from pampering me? Why you stop me from using Papa’s credit card? Will it matter even if I spend some thousands or may be lakhs from it. He has a huge empire maa. Mamma why you want me to be always your little Pihu. Why can’t I have boyfriend, go clubbing, driving? Why everywhere you need to be with me? Just why?” The trains of questions hit Priya with the realisation how her over possessiveness has pushed Pihu into this, now somehow she felt what her husband said to her “She was responsible for what Pihu was in.” Then she remembers that she need to tell Pihu that she is not doing good.

“I have a better idea, with no mamma around you can do what you want to do. Credit cards, cars, shopping clubbing, boyfriend everything that you desire ...” Priya stopped with the screech from Pihu.

“CHUP !!!!! just SHUT UP!!” Pihu shouted at the top pitch of her voice, “Why the hell you don’t get it I need you and Why can’t you just be like the chilled out mother I want you to be.”

“A Mother on your terms and conditions” Priya said.

“Yes.... now you get it on my terms and conditions.” Pihu said very proudly.

“Then I chose death, it is better than witnessing your daughter to spoil her life.” Priya said flat at her face.

“Just shut up mom.” Pihu hugged Priya, “Once more you say that I will hang myself up there. I can’t live without you.” She wept badly.

“Pihu” she caressed her daughter’s head, “Do you remember what you said right now to me? Anything?” Pihu looks at her mother breaking the Hug and suddenly she felt her head heavy, “Yes I will kill myself. You will kill yourself, you will chose death.” She sounded confused.

“Why?” Priya asked back.

Pihu holding her head between her hands dropped herself on the bed. “Don’t leave me mom.”

“I can’t be the mamma who has filial love for her child. If you want me to be that mamma I am sorry beta I chose to quit.” Priya sat by Pihu pressing her hand on Pihu’s shoulder she waited for reaction. “Pihu I know somewhere I started hounding you but baby but ..” Pihu cuts in, “Then why didn’t you leave me alone mamma.”

Priya could see her daughter’s thoughts clashing amongst. “I wanted to leave you alone just now, but you didn’t want me to.”

“You are lying.” Pihu replied. “I can never stop you, you are lying.”

“Then listen to this Pihu.” Advik came in suddenly, he pulled out a recorder that he placed when Pihu was at college. “Then listen to this what you said just to Aunty.” Pulling the chair he sat infront of her. Priya stood and walked towards the door to leave but being stopped by Ram at the door. He gestured her to come inside, when she denied silently and requested him to allow her to leave, clutching her wrist in his strong grip he made her stand by him.

After the record ended with Advik’s voice interrupting, Pihu looked up with moist eyes. “Pihu you don’t know what you want. You don’t know what actually you are up to. You are not doing well potato wedges.” Advik placed his hand on hers. She repulsed immediately. Ram looked at Priya and stepped to his daughter.

“Beta, you are my rockstar right?” Ram got no response from Pihu, “ Pihu, darling you need to hear Advik, you need to have medicines. We want our old baby back. We can’t see you like this. You are my daughter and Ram Kapoor’s daughter is capable to do everything on her own. Like she used to do in her childhood.”

“Papa I am mad right?” Pihu asked looking at the floor aimlessly.

“No.No.No Pihu. Who said you are mad? You need help to understand what is right what is wrong, we, I and your mom needs help to know you, to get you better to give you a better life and that Advik can do best. Please beta.” Pihu cuts in, “ papa mein so jayun?”  Pihu looked blankly at her father. With a nod from Advik, Ram asked her to come to his bedroom for that night.

“No I want to be here. I will do nothing. I want to..” Apeksha cuts in looking at Priya she was aware that Priya was getting tensed with every passing moment, “Can I stay Pihu here, or will you come to my room. I think you just don’t want to be with your Mom Dad; right?”

“Can I go with Apeksha Bua?” Pihu asked.

“Hmm.” Ram asked Apeksha to take care of her. After Pihu left Advik looked at Priya and Ram, “I think you two also need to have a session or two. What Pihu said if that is true Aunty..” Priya stopped Advik, “I see you tomorrow Advik.” She rushed out of the room. Ram with a deep sigh followed his wife.

~~

“Priya.” Ram stood behind her. “What happened? Advik has already informed us something like this will happen.”

“I killed the innocence of our child Mr.Kapoor. I destroyed her. Do even realise I am the one who pushed her to the cliff.” Priya sobbed.

“No.. No Priya.” Ram tried to console which she denied, “Priya look at me and listen to me please.”

“You were right Mr. Kapoor I was the one who pushed her, I am the reason of this you were right.” Priya said. Ram could see the tension building around her, The sweat beads on her forehead alarmed him about the ill health she had last night.

“Priya.” He now stands infront of her looking into her eyes. She denied looking up. Holding her chin he shifted her face to him and urged her to look up. She did respond this time, the moist eyes of hers made Ram feel the vulnerability. “Priya” Ram cupped her face, “Nothing happened due to you. Stop blaming yourself. No one is to blame. We are unlucky that our daughter, we are facing this. Please stop blaming yourself.”

Ram didn’t know how to react, as Priya placed her head on his chest and sobbed. Her cries made him more tensed. As she moved closer to him, somehow Ram failed to react back. He couldn’t understand, if his wife has forgiven him or a mother is reacting to the emotions to her child’s father. Whatever he thought, Ram comforted her in his arm. He could feel Priya reciprocating back to him. “Chup Priya..” he pleaded again. How long they stood in silence, neither of them knew.

“Priya. Come here. We need to talk.” Ram made her sit on the bed and sat by her. Still her eyes were moist. “Priya.” Ram took her hands on his. “There is no need to blame yourself. You have done nothing. I have left you alone to handle Pihu and Kush and I have pampered Pihu more. I am always over protective about Pihu. You did what was right for the situation. With no me around to discuss you did your best to give our children, my child the best they can get. Please stop blaming yourself. Please.” He looked at her. Tears rolled down her cheeks, “And.” He wiped the tears, “Stop crying. This is not good for you. You were not doing well last night.”

“Priya please say something.” Ram pleaded to her, “Please.”

“I need to see Pihu.” Priya stood up but her nerves failed. Ram held her at the right moment.

“She is okay. Apeksha is there to look after her. Please have some food, you have to take medicines and then sleep.” Ram sounded protective.

“I ne..need to..” Ram placed his forefinger on her lips as she tried to speak, “I am getting you dinner and you will do what I am asking you to do. Is that clear?”  Priya sat in silence.

Once Ram made sure that Priya is fast asleep, he dimmed the lights and went to Apeksha to see Pihu. He softly knocked at the door and waited. Apeksha opened it within a minute. Ram walked inside behind her.

“Priya? Is she okay?”  Apeksha asked.

“Kind Of.” He sat by Pihu. “Actually no. She has started blaming herself. Pihu ne khana khaya?” asked Ram caressing her hairs. “Pihu needs us Apeksha and at this time if Priya behaves like this I don’t know how to cope up.”

“Give her time bhai. She has faced what we didn’t from a long time. Since that accident, I mean even today she faced Pihu. No one else.” Apeksha said.

“I know. Even I have broken her heart, when she needed me I went off for business and let her left alone to decide the father’s part too and see when I heard about Pihu, the first thing came, if I had been there Pihu might have never ended up like this, but where I was when Priya was handling the father’s part too. I so selfishly blamed her.” Ram looked at Pihu, “I thought why I need to be there. I have Priya there but she needed her husband, my children needed their father. She did her role as a mother perfectly. I failed as a father, as a husband.”

“Stop it Bhai.” Apeksha said venting out her frustration, “udhar Priya and idhaar Aap. Do get it clear I don’t know what happened or what will happen? I know at this point Pihu needs you. Yes she needs you, she needs priya. So stop blaming yourselves and concentrate on Pihu please. She needed to be told about the therapy about the treatment about the counselling sessions. Please.”

“Yeah you are right. Take care of her. Mein priya ko dekhta hoon.” Ram stood to leave.

“Have some sleep too.” Apeksha wished him good night as he walked outside the room.

To his shock he found Priya standing there. “Priya” her name escaped his lips in shock, he made sure Priya was fast asleep. “Tum soyi ni thi.”

She nodded no in response.

“Come. Pihu is fine.” Holding her hand he walked to the room. Ram locked the room and looked back to Priya, who sat on the bed. “Please Priya sleep.” He settled on the arm chair, closing his eyes he rested his head leaning back to it. Priya slipped herself under the duvet; she leaned back to the head rest. A melancholy silence prevailed in the room. The medicines had its effect on Priya she fell asleep very soon after closing her eyes to rest. Ram, tucked Priya properly before lying down by her. Though Priya slept that night, Ram had a sleepless night. He tried to chalk out how to handle Pihu and how to get Priya out of every shit thing that she was facing partially due to him, may be.