Priya looked up and wiped her tears.
Priya: Ma aap? soyi nahi abtak?
KK: tum bhi to nahi soyi Priya? Priya tumse kuch poochu to bura toh nahi man
ogi?
Priya: kaisi baatein kar rahi hai aap, ma, aapka to haq hai.
KK: Priya kyu chod ke chali gayi tum. Yahan nahi aana chahati thi mein samjha sakti hun? But why didn't you call me? I could have helped you. I would have asked Apeksha to arrange tickets for you and sent you to Australia. Kamse kam hamare najron ke samne to rehti. Tumhe khone ka dukh to na jhelna padta.
Priya: Ma us waqt Raina, bhi mere sath thi(She explains about the accident and all). Ma mujhye us waqt kuch sujh nahi raha tha. I just followed the path that came in front of me, without giving it much thought. Now when I look back, I feel I could have done this, I could have done that, but its no use now. Believe me ma, if I could, I would reverse my decision and never leave your son. Mein tab bhi unse bahot pyar karti thi aur aaj bhi unse bahot pyar karti hoon. mein janati hoon ki shyad woh mujhe kabhi maaf nahi kar payege.
Just then it starts to rain, and KK and Priya go inside.
Next day at the breakfast table. Pihu: mamma mujhe aloo paratha hi chahiye.
Priya: Pihu, tumne kal hi to khaya tha, isliye aaj nahi milega, yeh cheeje healthy nahi hoti beta, roj roj nahi khate.
Saumya: Pihu tumhari mamma thik keh rahi hai.
Just then Pihu spots Ram who is coming down for breakfast, and runs over to him and complains that Priya is not letting her eat aloo paratha.
Ram: Accha, chalo aaj to mein bhi aloo paratha with extra makhhan khane wala hoon aur tum bhi wahi khana. dekhte hai kaun rokta hai.
He takes 1 paratha and serves it to Pihu and takes one for himself. Then adds a dollop of makkhan on to both. Then looks at Priya, who has a worried face and takes some more makkhan and adds to his plate. Ayesha who has been watching all this from a distance decides to make full use of this opportunity and runs over to the table with a concerned look and stops Ram from taking the bite
Ayesha: Ram aap bhi na, kitne laparwah ho gaye hai apni health ki oar. You must take care of yourself. I have been so concerned about your health lately. Aap ne apni tablets li? Can I get them for you. Let me do one thing, let me call up my dietician and she will give you some nice tips on eating healthy.
Ram who is least interested in what ayesha has to say, gives a "whatever" look to her, but at the same time he is enjoying watching Priya expressions of jealousy.
Saumya: Ayesha tumhe bhappa ki phikar kab se.. Just then KK puts a hand on Saumya shoulder and asks her to stop as she doesn't want to get Ram upset than what he already is.
Ram just grabs an apple and walks away.
* * * * * * * *
Days pass by and the cold war between Ram and Priya, is still on but Ram is warming up to Priya a little bit. One day:
Pihu has now been enrolled in Khush's school. Both of them are off to school in the morning around 9am and get back by 12pm. Priya on that particular day decides to go and meet the head of the TOEFL institute where she used to work. Ram has also left for work.
Priya: Ma mein aaj toefl institute jake sir se milke ati hon. I want to see if they have any opening and if they do, may be I can take up something in the morning when the kids are at school.
KK: haan jao na Priya.
Priya leaves and after about 1/2 an hr or so, there is a call from Pihu's school. KK takes the call and the school informs her that Pihu has come down with a fever and they want her to be picked up immediately. KK calls up Priya, but is not able to get thru, so she decides to go and pickup Pihu from school and also calls the doc and asks him to come over in 1/2 hrs time so that she will be back with Pihu by then. On the way KK tries calling Priya and this time gets thru.
KK: maine Pihu ko pickup kar liya hai, tum sedhe ghar chali aao. Meine doc ko bhi bulaya hai.
Priya: ma I am on my way, but there is a lot of traffic.
KK: don't worry Priya, I will take care of Pihu.
KK reaches home with Pihu and the doc examines her and tells KK that its just a viral infection and he asks her to give Pihu a fever reducer medicine and also prescribes "XYZ" medicine. He leaves. KK asks their driver to get the medicine from the medical shop. The driver gets back with the medicine. KK gives Pihu the fever reducer and is about to give her the other medicine, when Priya walks in.
Priya: Rukiye ma, Pihu ko ek medicine ki allergy hai, let me make sure its not that medicine. She check the name and the name is similar to the one that she is allergic to. She immediately calls up the doc.
Priya: Doc mei Priya bol rahi hu, Pihu ki mom, woh medicine jo apne prescribe ki hai, Pihu is allergic to a similar medicine call "XYZabc". Are these the same or should I give it to her.
Doc: No Mrs Kapoor, don't give it to her, they are the same. Its called "XYZabc" outside India and is known as "XYZ" in India, but the contents are the same. Do you have her previous medical records, if possible please bring it to my office immediately. I will take a look at it and then prescribe another medicine.
Priya: sure doc that won't be a problem I will bring it right away.
Priya leaves for the doc's office with all her previous medical records.
Ayesha is aware of all the things that are happening around but it determined to take advantage of the situation. She calls up Ram
Ayesha: Ram, aap jaldi se ghar aajayi, Pihu ko bahut tej bukhar hai aur Priya di bhi pata nahi kahan hai. Mummy ji went and picked Pihu from school and she has been trying to reach Priya di, but her phone is not reachable. I think she has gone to visit the TOEFL institute, and hence has switched off her phone.
Ram gets panicked hearing that his baby is sick and immediately leaves for home. He tries to call Priya, but as luck would have it, he is not able to reach her. Priya in the meantime has reached doc's office. Doc checks all the records and prescribes another medicine. Priya picks up the medicine from the shop and heads home.
KK who has been sitting next to Pihu leaves the room for a while and Ram comes back home. He goes to Pihu's room and is extremely disturbed seeing Pihu down with fever although the fever has gone down, her body is still burning. He is pacing up and down the room, and is very mad at Priya for being so careless. Just then Priya enters the room, along with Saumya
Ram: Aaye Priya ji, kahan thi aap. Aapki beti yahan bukhar se tadap rahi hai aur aapko institute mein apni meeting ki padi hai.
Priya: Ram woh..(he just doesn't let her speak)
Ram: Your phone is continuosly unreachable, are you not even this bit worried about your daughter. Meri tumhe phikar nahi thi isliye mujhe chod ke chali gayi lekin Pihu ki bhi tumhe phikar nahi hai? How can you be so careless( he raises his voice) Priya gets really scared seeing him in angry mode.
Saumya: Bhappa lekin..
Ram: Saumya tu bich me mat bol, koi explanation mat de iski behaviour ka, wahan Dubai mein bhi she had lost Pihu in the mall, had I not met Pihu, I don't know what would have happened. There is a limit for everything, (he turned to Priya)par tumhe issase kya..
Priya's eyes welled up and tears started flowing. She was so scared of Ram's anger she just couldn't find it in herself to reply or give an explanation.
Ram: tumhe to bas apni hi padi hai, hai na.. koi jarurat nahi hai tumhe kahi institute wagara jane ki. just stay at home and take care of the kids. Tumhe jitne paise chahiye mein de diya karunga.
KK heard all the commotion and came there,
KK: Kya hua Ram. but Ram left for his room without answering.
KK: Priya what happened, did you get the medicine?
Priya was still shocked with Ram's behaviour and also with all the accusations that he had made. She still managed to wipe her tears away and went near Pihu and gave her the medicine. She sat next to her and tears started flowing thru her eyes again. She could see the hatered that Ram had for her in his eyes and that made her even more sad.
KK: kya hua Priya, Ram kyu itna gussa kar raha tha?
Priya didn't say a word, but Saumya who had been a witness to all this, told what had happened.
KK:Priya mein jake ussse bat karti houn, he should have atleast tried to find out the details right before he blasted you.
Priya: rehne dijye ma, woh abhi gusse mein hai..
Saumya: lekin iska yeh matlab nahi ki jo man mein aaye keh diya. Ma aap jayeye aur unse baat kijiye.
KK went up to Ram's room.
KK: Ram..mein andar aajau?
Ram: Yes ma
KK: are you ok beta, kyu itna gussa karte ho? You should have atleast given Priya a chance to explain.
Ram: Kya explain ma, explain what, as to why she left me 5 yrs back and why she didn't attend to Pihu today?
KK: Ram you are mixing things beta. First of all she did attend to Pihu.(KK explains all that happened in the morning since getting the call from Pihu's school). This calms down Ram a bit.
KK: Ram woh ek acche biwi hai par ye shayad tum nahi manoge, lekin woh ek bahut acchi ma hai, yeh to tumhe manana hi hoga. Tumhara gussa jo hai, ke why did she leave you, wo jayej hai, par Pihu ke bare mein tumhare sare ilzam galat hai. Saying this she starts to leave..Ram haan aur ek baat..mein kayi dinon se dekh rahi hoon, ke you have been giving a lot of importance to Ayesha. I know as well as you do that she doesn't mean a thing to you. You are doing this just to get back at Priya, lekin beta yeh dhyan mein rakhna , ke Priya ko dukh pahunchate pahunchate tum khud ko hi jada takleef na de baitho. I know you love Priya a lot and so if she is hurt, it bothers you also. Just think about what I said.
and she walks out of the door.
to be continued..
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