Ram came inside the room where Priya was still lying in an unconscious state oblivious to the world around her. The words of Dr. Neha didn't left ringing in his ears that " Priya can come out of the coma soon enough if you continue to talk with her, make her feel that you are around her , she wl take no longer to come back in your world." Ram was joyous, ecstatic after he heard those assuring words from Dr. Neha, some positive news regarding Priya which he was badly anticipating and here it landed in front of him today.
Ram sat near Priya's bedside and kept on looking at her longingly, lovingly, he caressed her face, moved his fingers in her hair, across her cheeks and touched her lips. The soft touch on her gave him a bit of satisfaction knowing that she does sense him being around her. And it made him happy and feel good at heart.
" Priya, I know you are hearing me, you know what our baby is now 2 days old. She is so tender Priya, her little fingers are just like you." While saying this Ram slided her fingers into his and holded her hand. He continued further: " Priya, our baby angel reminds me of you all the time, you remember we had kept a bet on this. You said, that she wl represent me and I said, she wl represent you. Priya I am sry to say this but you lost the bet, she is so like you yaar. Haan but I have to also admit that she does resemble me more than little. Anyways, you know what Priya, after bringing her home I changed her clothes, changed her nappies, even sang lullabies for her, and you know wht she slept in my arms so finely so what if I had to be awake for a long time. Oh dear, I cant even tell you how did I felt doing all this.. Priya I have been never so happy, never been."
He looked at her lovingly yet again, cuddled her hand with his cheek, gave a peck on her hand and continued : " Priya this happiness belonged to us, and not only me. You had to be with me, I don't know how will I be managing alone, haan Maa is there, but still I needed you in bringing our child, Priya I need you all the time, wish you could have heard this before, wish I could hv told you this before."
The marriage preparations were in full swing in the Kapoor household. Everyone was in a happy and a cheerful mood. Ria's family and Ram's mother along with his best friends Vikram and Neha, and their kids were just moving here and there to make sure that the wedding goes off smoothly.
Ram was too happy and ecstatic and the feeling that he is getting married to the girl he had been dating for long was extraordinary. From their engagement to this day of the marriage, Ram and Ria talked with each other on phone, several times talking about their wedding preparations and their life after marriage.
Today was the D day for both of them. The arrangements were set, the priest had arrived as well, and Vikram Neha went on to check Ram as per krishnaji's instructions. Ram was looking damn handsome and ravishing in his purple lighted shervani, Neha even whistled after seeing him.
" Vikram samhalo apni biwi ko, kahi tujhe chodke mujhse na aaj shaadi kar le." Ram chided Vikram seeing Neha behaving this way.
Vikram too chirped saying : " Acha hai fir, meri to jaan chutegi, kabse jhel raha hun isey." " Dus saal baad apni azadi paonga main."
Neha came near Vikram and gave a slight kick on his stomach and said : " Acha azadi haan, arey koi mujhse bhi to puche ki main kya chahti hun." She turned towards Ram and said : " Ram sach kahun, agar ye mujhe tumse pehle na mila hota , aur agar tum Ria ko date na karte hote, toh kasam se main tumse hi shaadi karti."
"Acha' Both Ram and Vikram said this together, and Neha just giggled , after which all 3 of them broke into a hearty laughter.
Krishnaji walked in Ram's room and in a complaint tone said turning towards Vikram and Neha : " Maine kya karne ke liye bheja tha tum dono ko Ram ke room mein, isko tayyar karne ke liye I had sent you right? aur tum log kya kar rahe ho? Hasi mazak.. " " Waha niche panditji bhi aa gaye hain.."
Vikram said : " Sorry auntyji, lekin kya karein, jigre yaar ki shaadi hai, thoda toh hasi mazak banta hai na."
Neha quipped : " Aunty, aap tension na lo, Ram dulha banke abhi 5 min me neeche aa jayega."
Seeing his mother's restlessness Ram went near her and said : " Ma, kyu tension le rahe ho? Sab thik ho jayega.."
Krishnaji didn't said anything but just gave a smile but Ram sensed her uneasiness and asked her : " Ma kya hua? Aap pareshan kyun dikh rahe ho?"
Krishnaji tried to avoid the topic by saying tht he shd come down soon bt couldn't succeed as Ram asked her yet again : " Maa kya baat hai, boliye na, kyun pareshan lag rahi hai aap? Aaj toh apke bte ki shaadi hai Ma, aaj toh khushi ka din hai fir kyu aap tension me ho.. sab ache se nipat jayega Ma.."
Krishnaji slided herself in Ram's arms and said : " main janti hun aaj bahut khushi ka din hai, mere bte ki shaadi ho rahi hai, par pata nahi kyu beta, ek ajeeb si bechaini, ek ajeeb sa darr khaye ja raha hai mujhe., kahin kuch galat .." She said this and her heart skipped a beat, even Vikram neha got worried listening this, and Ram , well he didn't said it since morning but somewhere down the line he too was worrying about something, though he tried to wash off the thoughts from his mind, but couldn't.
He gathered the momentum and turned towards his mother by taking her face in his hands saying : " Ma ye apka darr hai, isey nikal dijiye apne dil se, kuch galat nahi hoga, sab thik ho jayega."
Vikram Neha joined too and repeated the same thing. Krishnaji got bit relaxed and went outside the room only to instruct Ram yet again to get ready soon. Ram just nodded in affirmative, he turned towards the other side and reassured himself with the words he had just said to his mother.
The stage was set for the wedding. Ram sat in the mandap and was doing the rituals as per instructions. Everyone were happy to see the ongoing proceedings. Vikram Neha, krishnaji and Ria's parents, her family were rejoicing the moments to come. The priest then ordered for the bride to be brought in the mandap. Krishnaji turned towards Ria's mother and said : " Samdhanji get Ria now."
Ria's mom nodded in yes and went to get Ria, the mood was set, everyone's joys knew no bounds and everyone with a bated breath were eager to c the wedding getting complete. Ram was eager to see Ria as his bride, and was waiting for her arrival too, when the huge commotion was being heard outside the house with a police van alarm going in the place.
Ria's mom hurriedly came down and whispered something in her husband's ear, both of them reacted strangely shocking. The priest kept on asking for the bride to be brought, and Krishnaji looked at Ria's mother and asked her : " Veena, where is Ria? U had gone to bring her , then where is she?"
All eyes were now on Veena, and everyone's ears were eager to hear her out. Veena was perplexed and so Krishnaji turned towards Ria's father and asked , " Mr Verma, where is Ria?" The expression on his face was turned into the same way as Veena's. Ram sensed something wrong happening around him, and so got up from his seat and removed his sehra, he went near Ria's parents and asked both of them quite lividly now . "What are we asking you people for so long? Where is Ria? Why is she not here?"
Everyone gathered around Ria's parents, Krishnaji, Vikram neha, Ram were eager to find out the answers from them and Ram especially was losing out his patience.
Ram shouted loudly asking them : " Kaha hai Ria Uncle? Kaha hai Ria"
Before he could hear the answer from Ria's parents he heard a voice of a female saying from his back..." Ria yaha hai Mr Kapoor."
Ram turned back to look in the direction from where the voice came and was rooted on the spot to see that known face again, this time with police with her., and a strange body lying on the ground.
Ram came near her and just said : " Priya., tum?"
He was shocked and amazed to c Priya in front of him, standing now close to him, their eyes met, and he could see she was standing in a state of shock, tears flowing from her eyes. Her voice was almost choked when she said looking at him : " Yes Mr Kapoor, its me, Priya. "
Ram asked her more : " Ye sab kya hai Priya, ye police, ye.. ( pointing towards the strange body) , ye kyun? Priya this is a wedding hall, not a court or a police station or a graveyard, that you are coming here with all this. Today is my wedding Priya, what are you doing here with all this?"
Vikram joined this commotion and questioned to the officer : " Ye sab kya hai officer?"
The police officer took the charge now and said : " Are Ria's parents here?" after seeing them in front of him, he continued saying : " We are sorry to inform you all, but this body belongs to Ria, Ria Verma"
After hearing this everyone went into a shock, and Ram just couldn't got himself to register wht he heard right now and so he asked turning towards the officer : " What are you saying? She is Ria, this body belongs to Ria, no, it cant be. She just cant be Ria, you all are in misconceptions."
" No Mr Kapoor, she is Ria, this body belongs to Ria" uttered Priya with a heavy heart. Ram turned towards her and questioned her : " How do you know she is Ria?" "Cmon tell me, how the hell do you know she is Ria?"
" I know she is Ria because she died in front of me, she died in front of me Ram, she died in my arms , in my arms Ram, in my arms" Priya cried heavily saying this and Ram was shattered after listening this. He holded Priya's arms tightly and shook her asking one more time, " You are lying, aren't you?" " You are lying, you wanted to always give one on me and so you are doing this to me , you chose this occasion , right Ms Priya Sharma?" " You are definitely lying" Ram shook her badly by holding her arms so tightly that it was hurting her but she didn't said anything , the only words she managed to speak were : " I am not lying Ram, she is really Ria, this body is of hers, she died in front of me Ram , she took her last breath in my arms Ram, she died in my arms" Priya cried bitterly and Ram just kept on looking at her with a shattered heart, his feet didn't found any ground to even stand on.
" Mr Kapoor, Dr. Neha is calling you." The voice of the nurse brought Ram back in the present, and he just said that he wl be coming in few moments. His eyes were filled with tears, he wiped those tears and looked at Priya yet again, he came near her, his hand was firmly holding her hand yet, and kissed her on her lips, and said : " Priya once fate deceived me by taking my love far away, I am not going to let this happen again. I swear by God."
He once again kissed her on her lips and released his hand softly from her hand, placed it sideways and moved out of the room but not before giving a glance yet again at this woman whom fate had brought in his life to remove the injustice done to him, a time back.
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