Part 33 (PRESENT TIME)
Ayesha and Sid’s wedding will go down in history as a lesson to all those who
dare to love… The product of love is
the forbidden fruit that all to many people carelessly indulge in all to many
times. Due to the illusion that there is no immediate overt consequence for the
persistent indulgence of this fruit it is rarely conceivable in this selfish
world. However, if you stretch a rubber band far enough, it will eventually
snap back in your face. Similarily evil has a breaking point, and those who
hatch evil plans will reap what they sow. Ayesha stood as a barrier between
love for the sake of her own but realization was a hard slap on her face; when
she reached her goal what she thought to be gold was nothing more than a
deceitful trap. She came to know of Sid’s affair with Chamelli
but instead of making amends with those that she erred; she walked lifelessly
on the path of enragement. When Sid confessed his true intentions regarding her
on the video that was shown to her, each syllable that he uttered stabbed
Ayesha repeatedly in her heart. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Her heart bled uncontrollably and the only coagulation for her grief was Sid’s death. So she grabbed a knife and charged him, burying it into
his chest before anyone had a chance to protest. Her eyes fell upon Kush, the
piece of thread that strengthened Sid’s intent. His demise felt
right to Ayesha in that moment, she proceeded towards him but Ram injected
himself in front of Kush.
Ram: Ayesha, calm down… I understand that Sid
has wronged you, but isme Kush ka kya galti hain? Please give me that knife… Look Sid needs help (he points to Sid laying on the floor
grabbing his chest and moaning in pain) and so do you… stop all this so I can help the two of you…
Ayesha kept walking
forward, getting dangerously close to Ram with a bloody knife in her hand. She
took a swing at him as everyone held their breath but before it made impact
with his body, Priya intervened gripping Ayesha’s hand mid-air. She
slapped Ayesha across the face with her free hand.
Priya: have you lost your mind? What the hell are you doing? Ram has
supported you all these years and this is how you will re-pay him? By trying to
hurt him?
Ayesha: Di I am sorry… But Ram is getting in
the way, I have to handle my business and fix my mistake…
Priya saw Ayesha eyeing
Kush as she spoke. Still holding on to Ayesha’s hand she tried to
release the knife from her grip.
Priya: Ayesha, give me the knife… Dekho you are mad
because Sid’s love wasn’t sincere but Ayesha did you ever truly love him.
Ayesha: Off course Di! I loved him so much and did everything for him. It
is because of him that I gave birth to Kush, he convinced me that in the long
run Kush would serve as a key role in bringing us together. I told him and
Mamaji where Apeksha and Rajat were supposed to get married so that they could
kidnap Pihu and tear you and Ram apart.
Priya: Ayesha, if you ask me, you never loved anybody… Those who truly love never wish to separate other people who also
love like them. This is not love it is lust… Sid never pretended to
love you; he just took advantage of your lust… In all this the only
person that loved you was Kush… He would yearn for his
mother’s love… I saw him yearn so did
Ram and everyone else in this family. We all supported him when you dejected
him. And you claim that you know about love? Today I am so ashamed of myself I
feel like I have failed as a human being. I raised you dammit… and this is what you have become, so what does that make me?
Where is the Ayesha that I used to know? The one who would bend backwards for
her Di, the one who would talk about all her little problems with her Di? When
did the same Di become her biggest problem? What did you want Ayesha? Money?
Fame? Pyar? Everything was in your hand already Ayesha. You had money and fame
from being a model. And pyar was always in front of you in the form of your
son, but you were too busy chasing the falsified verson of pyar that was being
fed to you… Ayesha this is your
fault. Please baachi please yeh saab baaandh kijiye and get some help…
For a moment, Priya had
thought that she had gotten through to Ayesha but the next moment was the
biggest and harshest dose of reality for everyone in the room. Ayesha shrugged
Priya’s grip off of her hand and pulled the knife towards her abdomen.
Priya quickly pulled Ayesha’s hand back…
Ayesha: Di, Leave me… I don’t want to live anymore… Let me die…
Priya: no Ayesha this is not how it’s going to end… Please listen to me, let me help you… Give life another chance so that atleast you can learn the true
meaning of love... Trust me Ayesha, it’s worth living for…
The struggle ensued and
Ram sensed some impending danger that was about to unfold around him. Priya was
not supposed to be here, this was not the way that they had planned it. She was
supposed to have waited for him in Dubai but instead she was here with Rajat
and Apeksha. He watched as Priya struggled desperately to grab the knife out of
Ayesha’s hand but was unable too. Both Priya and Ayesha pulled the knife
towards themselves. Sudddenly Ayesha and Priya felt a third person grip the
knife pulling it more forcefully than both of them. Ayesha loosened her grip and
the knife lodged in Ram’s abdomen.
Priya: RAM!!!
Kush: PAPA!!
He glanced into Priya’s tear-swelled eyes before he fell to the ground. Ayesha’s anger subsided leaving her standing stiffly watching her Di and
son cry over Ram. Shipra walked over to Ayesha and slapped her sharply snapping
her out of her zombie-like state.
Shipra: What have you done? This is entirely my fault; I always supported
you through all your stubborn desires. If I had slapped you sooner than aaj
tumhare waijai se Priya aur hum sub ko yeh din nahi dekhna paarta… Kaash I killed you before you were born. I didn’t know it was a cursed day, the day I gave birth to you, the most
selfish girl. But still we all loved you so much and you did all this?! (She
lifts her hand up to slap her again but Sudhir stops her)
Sudhir: Baas Shipra… Now this is not in our
hands, Saaza inko milengi aur yeh saaza inkey liye sahi hain… Don’t get your hands dirty by
beating her, she will not understand.
The police and paramedics
arrive at the scene. Ayesha is handcuffed and taken to jail while Sid is
transported to the hospital with police company.
The entire Kapoor and
Sharma family arrived at the hospital while Ram is rushed into the operating
room.
Shipra: (strokes Priya’s head) Don't worry
sweetheart Ram ko kuch nahi honga. (Priya hugs her tightly)
Priya: Maa I cannot live without him…
Shipra: Haan beta, and you don’t have to live without
him. Nothing is going to happen to him…
Rajat: APEKSHA!! (Everyone turns to the sound of his voice to see Apeksha
lying unconsciously in his arms) APEKSHA… What happned… DOCTOR, DOCTOR, MY WIFE … PLEASE HELP HER… SHE IS PREGNANT…
In the time that Apeksha
and Ram were in the operating room, everyone stood around helplessly holding on
to their breath and praying for good news… Once you get a taste of
the goodlife, you constantly want more. And when you have been living in the
shadow of sorrow for as long as Ram and Priya have, you begin to feel like you
deserve atleast a ray of happiness. There’s a saying… or was it a song? Whatever it was it held true to the current
situation. “Dene Wala Jab Bhi Deta
Deta Chappar Phaad Ke.”
Doctor: Ms. Ram Kapoor...
His voice sliced the
silence in the hallway outside the operating room.
Priya: Yes I am Ms. Ram Kapoor… Is my husband okay?
Doctor: I have some good news. Mr. Kapoor is absolutely fine. (Tears
streamed down Priya’s cheeks as she kissed
her palms together, intertwined her fingers and thanked god wholeheartedly)
Baas in a week he will be absolutely fine and he can be discharged.
Priya: Thank you so much doctor…
Before the doctor left
Rajat asked,
Rajat: My...my wife… Apeksha… She… she is also in there… (he pointed to the operating room) Is she okay? And our baby?
Doctor: sorry sir… I am not the assigned
doctor. (just than the operating room door swung open and another doctor came
out. Rajat rushed to him but before he could say anything the doctor asked
sternly)
Doctor 2: are you Ms. Apeksha’s husband?
Rajat: Yes… D…doctor is she okay?
Doctor 2: (suddenly smiled) yes she is fine and one more thing… you are the father of beautiful baby boy… Congratulations
Rajat: Thank
you…Thank you soo much… Can I see them, please?
Doctor 2: your wife will be shifted from the operating room soon… than you can see her… we have to do some additional
tests for the baby because he is premature… But there is nothing
drastic to worry about…
A week enveloped in joy
dragged by slowly but no one was complaining. Pihu and Dhaijaan returned to
Mumbai now that Sid and Ayesha were out of the picture. Mamaji was always too
spineless to act out a conspiracy on his own. Ram, Apeksha and Raj, the new
baby boy, were fit and fine… Krishna insisted that
her son-in-law, daughter and grandson stayed with them in the KM. Rajat was
delighted by the idea as he was also craving the love of his mother-in-law and
deep down inside Apeksha was also feeling her absence. He decided to shift to
Mumbai but until than he would stay in the KM with his family. Throughout his
stay in the hospital and from the time that they returned home Ram had noticed
that Priya was slightly irritated with him. He unsuccessfully yet adamantly
tried to recall an incident in which he was involved that might have pissed her
off. From the way that she had served him food that night, to the way that she
avoided eye contact there was something distant about her behaviour and it was
making him anxious. He excused himself from the dinner table and went to the
terrace to receive a call from one of his business delegates. By the time that
he had finished, he noticed that everyone had gone to sleep. A bit rejected, he
went into the kid’s rooms to see that they
had been put nicely to bed. Cautiously he walked into his room, locking the
doors behind him. No one needed to see him being bullied by his sherni wife, he
thought. She was in her nightgown and angrily arranging the linens on the bed
getting ready to sleep. He stood behind her, twirling his thumbs nervously,
looking at the ground and waiting for her to turn around. Unaware that he was
standing behind her, she turned around hastily bumping into him and losing her
balance. He held her up, gripping her bent elbows and gazing lovingly into her
eyes.
Priya: (annoyingly) Oh… so you’re back. I have set the bed take your medicine and go to sleep.
Ram: (still holding on to her bent elbows) I am not sleepy…
Priya: (she yanked back her elbows from his grip and began fluffing his
pillow. He stared longingly as she lectured him) Of course… Why would you listen to your wife? In fact I think I am the
stupid one to waste my time telling you to do this and that. Kya karu I just
like bossing you around, it’s not like anything that
I am saying is good for you… (She turned around to
see him still standing there) Theek hain if you want to stand here all night,
than that’s up to you but I am
going to tidy my clothes and go to sleep (she walked past him but something he
uttered made her stop and turn to look at him)
Ram: I am sorry Priya…
Priya: Kya? (she folded her arms across her chest) what are you sorry
for?
Ram: (thinking: “oh shit… Now what do I say? I only wanted to say sorry and finish this
fight. Vikram said that that always works, but now Priya is asking me what I
did wrong?” he scratched his temple,
alerting Priya indirectly that he was just saying sorry to change her mood)
ummm… For everything… I mean I have done a lot
of things wrong and you are always right. And in fact I don’t what know what I would do without you… (Enthusiastically) If it weren’t for you than I would
just make so many mistakes and no one would guide me. But you always do and you
also forgive me so please (he went close to her and pleads like a little kid)
iss baar bhi mujhe maaf kardo na.
Priya: (analyzes him from top to bottom) I knew it… (she shook her head in disappointment) So you have no idea what
you did wrong right?
Ram: (blurts out) Haan! Exactly… (she gives him a shocked
expression and turns to walk away) No, No, No I mean I do… (He grabs her hand and turns her around) C’mon Priya tell me darling why are you so mad?
Priya: (begins her lecture) you know what your problem is Ram? You always
try to be the “great” Ram Kapoor and if I say anything to object your reckless antics
than I become the bad one. What was the need for you to intervene between
Ayesha and I? hmmm? And now you are hurt. Mujhe laag jaata toh koi baat nahi
but if anything happened to you than? (she grabbed his collar) Dammit Ram we
all need you…do you understand?
He wrapped his hand
around her hand on his collar
Ram: I know everyone needs me, but I need you and there would be no
reason for living if I didn’t have you. So darling I
did this for myself, I am very selfish…
Her hands escaped from
his grip as she took a small step back.
Priya: Don’t try to get all soft
with me Ram… I am still very angry… And what was that you did at the dinner table? Your work is more
important to you than your health? What was the need to answer that phone call
and woh bhi itna dheer tak? (he stares at her lovingly, a smile dresses his
lips) Why are you smiling? I am standing here telling you something important
and you are smiling…
Ram: sorry… But your bindhi… it’s not centered. (she
notices him analyzing her forehead)
She stopped talking and
tried to feel for her bindhi. Her fingers came in contact with her bare skin,
making her realize the obvious that went over her head.
Priya: Ram… I don’t have a bindhi…
Ram: Haan but you have to admit that if you did than it wouldn’t be centered. (he stepped forward, cuping her face in between his
palms) you see a bindi goes here (he
gave her a kiss centered in between her eyebrows) but you always place it here
(he kisses in between her eyebrows again favouring one side more than the
other)…
Priya (pulls away and begins to walk towards the wardrobe) Ram… Yeh saab nahi chalega… I am very angry and here
you are turning this serious conversation into a joke… I am going to tidy my clothes and than …
Ram: (interrupting her to address an overwhelming surge of pain in his
head) Oww Priya… Oww my head… AAhhh… (he slumps down on the
bed bending forward and squeezing his head in between his palms)
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