Kismat Ka Khel Part 10

PART 10

It was a trap! Ayesha was there in the hotel but her presence was a diversion, the real target was you and the weapon was Kush… Although at that time it was not clear to us and instinctually you ran to your baby sister untying her legs and arms from the chair. She got up and fainted in your arms and we rushed her to the hospital. I entrusted my driver to pick up Kush but I should have called and checked to see if he was safely dropped home. It would have surely saved you the heartache in the coming days. Within an hour Ayesha regained consciousness, got checked up by the doctor and was cleared to go home. You sat in the back seat with her; she slept on your shoulder. The doctor concluded that she was very lucky that she was not injured, not even a bruise on her arms and legs where she was tied. He had also said to make sure she got complete rest and avoided any kind of stress. When we reached the KM everyone was fast asleep… I lifted Ayesha in my arms on your request and took her to her room. You thanked me and told me to go to sleep insisting that you would stay with Ayesha. Obeying your command I went to my room to rest…

Priya wiped her tears thinking about the state in which she had found Ayesha. A strange fear ran through her veins as Ayesha's voice echoed in her head on repeat. "Sid". Ayesha had said Sid, was he responsible? But how, if Ram had fought for her innocence than shouldn’t Sid be in jail? She had got a 14-year sentence, so his sentence should have been similar. It didnt make sense so she had to ask Ayesha the details of her attack. She stroked her head gently and placed a kiss on her forehead before she went to Pihu’s room to check up on her. Pihu was not in her room and so Priya went to Ram’s room knowing for sure that she was with him. The steps on the stairs creaked slightly almost as if they were welcoming her back. This route was one that she had not treaded in 5 years, a path to her bedroom, their kingdom. Her heart was beating as fast as her legs were lunging forward. She opened the door to be greeted by Pihu sleeping soundly on the bed. Her eyes searched for Ram, a task that they did daily in the past 5 years but today they failed. She opened the door a bit more, her leg lifted and floated forward to step into the room but it froze midway and returned back to the ground as someone pulled Priya back. It was Ram. He let go of her hand and closed the room door and than turned to look back at her.

Ram: can I help you?

Her heart sank at this strange ackwardness between them. How can two people be so close yet so far apart? She decided to answer him politely and clear the misunderstanding between them once and for all. Her heart was eager to tell him that she loved him only, the conditions under which Rajat and her got married and most importantly her decision to divorce Rajat so that herself and Ram could become one again. This thought made her heart happy and it reflected in her expression.

Priya: Ram I want to talk to you about something very important.

Ram (snapped): what's left to talk? hmmm? (he stepped towards her) Do you want to tell me about your day and night with Rajat at Hotel Exquiste? Must have been grand since you are looking very happy tonight.

Priya: JUST STOP IT RAM. You wanna know why i am happy? i am happy to see you (she pointed at him with tears in her eyes). My problem is still the same Ram; everywhere I go I only see you.

Ram: If that is such a problem than why dont you leave me? You did it once you can do it again... Besides Rajat will be there to handle you; you dont need anyone else these days…

Priya (getting frustrated): Ram why do you keep bringing Rajat in all this? I want to talk to you about us…

Ram (scrunches up his forehead, speaking through his teeth): US? What about us Priya? There is only one thing that keeps US connected and that is Pihu, our daughter who you kept away from me. If you wanted US then why didn’t you ever contact me?

Priya: I did Ram as soon as I found out I was pregnant I did… You never answered and when you did you were talking to some lady about her ear rings and I thought you had moved on..

Ram (ram’s tone getting louder): MOVED ON?!? Look around me Priya does it look like I have moved on? 5 years later I still (he was about to say “love you” but than he stopped mid-sentence, Priya notices this and knows what he was about to say)

Priya: you still what Ram?? Love me??? Say it Ram. I can see it clearly in your eyes Ram, why won’t you say it???

Ram (says nothing and is looking down): It doesn’t matter Priya, you have moved on… You don’t need to say it, I can tell by your actions. The way you look at Rajat, the way he looks at you, your hug, your night out at the hotel…

Priya: Oh god Ram!! In these five years nothing has changed. You know what you’re right (she looks around) everything is the same even your attitude. You still only believe what you want to believe. So you saw me hugging Rajat but you didn’t see me crying my heart out to him telling him how much I LOVE YOU! You saw him looking at me but you never saw that since the day I came back here I was only LOOKING AT YOU!!! And you know that we got married (Ram clenches his fist) but you don’t notice that I have no sindoor (she points to her head) and no mangalsutra (she points to her neck)…

Ram: Okay!! Enough…

He grabs her hand forcefully she winces in pain as he pulls her towards the mandir in the house.

Priya: Ram you are hurting me. Ram please let go of me…

Ram keeps walking forward with the same tightness in his grip. With her free hand she tries to hold on to the stairs but misses and accidently knocks over a vase that shatters into pieces with a loud crash. Krishna, Dadi, Rishab, Soumaya, Shipra and Rajat wake up to the sound of the crash and priya pleading, “Ouch Ram Stop it that hurts. Where are you taking me”?  They all come out of their rooms looking at each other and than they follow the sound of Priya’s voice to the mandir. Ram pulled Priya in front of him, still holding on to her wrist tightly so that she cannot get away. Before she or any of the other family members could say anything, Ram grabs some sindoor from the pooja place with his free hand and decorates Priya’s maang roughly. He grabs both her shoulders, talking through his teeth and shaking her in between his sentences. She stands there in shock with what Ram did and what his intentions might be but Ram didn’t leave her wondering. He began speaking immediately, knowing very well that everyone was there, but he didn’t care.

Ram: there!! Now you are looking like a wife. But you still look the same to me. What did you say? That I know that you and Rajat got married but I didn’t notice that you don’t even adorn sindoor in his name? Well now you have sindoor and you still look the same. What we see doesn’t mean anything only the truth matters. Even the most characterless women can be dressed up to look like a queen, today in one outfit and tomorrow in another (He points at Rajat).

That was the final push off the ledge for Priya. Today Ram had questioned her character without even trying to know the truth. The only mistake she made was loving him and loving her daughter. She slapped Ram. Everyone’s jaw dropped, now they were wide-awake, no sight of the slightest bit of sleep in their eyes.