Ruhi:
For once I glanced at the bike Ekansh gifted me. Then I sat in my car and drove away from his house.
That was never mine. Yes, he lied about everything to me. Yet, somewhere in my heart, I still feel that he is not lying. He is hiding something from me. But then the image of the two on the dance floor replayed in my head.
I stopped at a random place and phoned Saniya.
She lifted immediately and asked, "Ruhi. Is everything alright?"
I snorted, wiping my tears but it was no use cause another set of tears were ready to flow out. "Saniya, can I stay with you?"
"Yes. Yes, of course."
"Thank you. I am on my way." I informed her and cut the call.
When my car approached the dorm building, Saniya was waiting for me. I parked the car in a space, and she helped me pull my bag out of the trunk.
I was silent and even she until we reached her room. Once I was in, she pulled me in a hug. I hugged her back and cried from the bottom of my heart. "Today, I lost everything, Saniya."
"What do you mean?"
"He cheated on me. He did everything only for his papaji's property. And he didn't forget her."
I pulled away. She made me sit on the bed. "I can't believe he went that low," she expressed.
"But I spoiled my image in front of the only person I love. My Dadu. I forgot that he is gonna visit us."
"I don't get you, how come you lost him?"
I pressed my lips. "Though he doesn't like me, I love him Saniya and I can't see him suffering. So, I took everything on me. I said that I am loving another man to our grandfathers. And Ekansh had already applied for our divorce, which I signed and left him forever."
"Oh, God! Ruhi. Aise kaise sab khatam ho sakta." (It can't end just like that.)
"Hum bewakuf the, Saniya. Bas unhe samaj nahi sake." (I was stupid, Saniya, I never understood him.)
She huffed. "You hadn't eaten anything since last night. They may have kept lunch ready by now in the mess."
"I don't feel hungry, I just want to sleep."
"Butâ" I lay down on the bed. She covered me with her comforter and sat beside me, "Ruhi, are you gonna stay here?"
"I don't have anywhere to go."
"There are a few requirements you have to fulfil, admission and all. If you want I will do them on your behalf."
"Yeah. Ok. Take my card from my wallet."
After she left, I looked at the ceiling and walls of the room.
One by one all the images of our moment crushed into multiple pieces in front of my eyes.
But my heart was even occupied by my Dadu. He looked so weak. I wish him to get my life too.
Ekansh:
I stared at the emptiness of my living room. It's like a draught has destroyed every happiness of my life. And it's all because of my fucking mistake.
She left and I just stood like a fucker instead of stopping her.
I hope she is fine. I don't know where she went but. I asked Gurpreet to make a call to her and confirm that she was fine.
After a few minutes, she approached and informed me that Ruhi was living in the dorm. Both Dadaji's came back. It hurt like hell to see them. She was too excited about their visit but everything got destroyed in a span of the moment.
"We are leaving," my dadaji announced.
"But Dadaji, you both decided to stay for a few days."
"Yes, but Sajjan doesn't feel good. I will take him back to Ludhiana."
Ruhi's assumptions were true, her dada ji does look weak. I wanted to speak with him but I had no backbone. It might be the first time that he and Ruhi both had a misunderstanding.
I took his blessings. "Hume maafâ" I caught his hands and cut him off, "âno dadaji..." before I could speak anything his mobile vibrated. I left his hand. He walked out leaving me and my dadaji alone.
"Dadaji, Sajjan dadaji doesn't look healthy?"
He pulled me in a hug and cried, "he is suffering from the final stage of blood cancer, Ekansh." The moment he said that my heart stopped all of a sudden and I gaped at him in shock. "We are not sure when we will lose him. That's why he decided to spend a few days with Ruhi but... Now." I can't be this selfish. Why did she take everything on her?
They left the house too, and I was left alone. I felt like a loser. The girl who showed me the true colours of love has left me. And I didn't stop her.
My mobile rang with the caller ID of Anthra's mother. I answered the call but said nothing.
"Anthra wants to meet you. Come to the hospital," she informed and cut the call.
I inhaled deeply and walked out of the house.
I went to the hospital where she was admitted. It was not the one we work.
As soon as I entered the room, she was in, her mother inquired, "Did she sign the divorce papers?"
I clenched my jaw, flared my nares, and responded, "Yes. Exactly as you wanted." But I didn't want to lose hope, so, I printed the papers they handed me. And the papers on which Ruhi signed weren't original.
"Anthra is awake she wants to speak with you. My eyes drifted to the woman, sitting at the edge of the bed. She and her mother are snakes in human skin, they were planning to separate me from my Ruhi. And even kept the divorce papers ready to use against me. And it seems like this situation helped them to use it. I want to kill them.
Anthra approached me and hugged me tight. But I didn't hug her back.
"I got you back, Ekansh. I know everything will be fine."
I chuckled drily before responding, "What you got back is a lifeless man. My heart, my soul and my body belong to only women and that's my Ruhi."
She pulled away and glared at me. "Don't forget it, Ekansh. We haven't withdrawn the case, yet. Any stupid from your side and that bitch of yours will be behind the bars."
"She left home. What do you want more? Withdraw the case!" I demanded, feeling enraged.
"And that we will withdraw after you marry Anthra," her mother spoke from behind. If I get the chance to kill them, I would torture her mother for 1 week and then kill her. "After two days, you will marry her," She declared. My glare intensified at her mother.
All these years they played with me. And they are trying to play with me again by separating me from Ruhi.
I left the hospital but instead of going to my house, I stopped at the bar. I went inside and drank back to back. I wanted to speak with someone and the only person that came to my mind was Ruhi.
I called her. Once. Twice. Thrice but she didn't lift my call. So I ended up calling Harshit.
He answered the call and I broke down, "Harsh, Ruhi left me."
"What do you mean? And where are you, Ekansh?"
"I love her so much, but I couldn't stop her. I am a loser, Harsh."
"Tell me, where are you?"
I told him the address of the bar. I had another couple of drinks and went through the pictures Ruhi and I had clicked all these days. Those are our happy moments.
Harsh arrived in a few minutes, he dragged me out of the bar. After a few minutes, I found myself lying down on his living room couch.
"Ekansh!' He patted my cheek. I opened my eyes but the bright lights tortured my eyes, and I shut them tight.
"Have this!" He handed me a pill and water.
"Thank you. What time is it?"
"7 p.m. Tell me Ekansh, what's going on, where is Ruhi Bhabhi?"
"And why isn't she lifting my call?" Mahi questioned from beside.
I shook my head and caught it with my palms. "Everything ended. And that's because of my stupidity."
"What did you do?" Mahi asked.
"Last night, Ruhi went to a club with her friends. I was alone in my house and received a call from Anthra. She called me and said that she would commit suicide..." simultaneously, I heard Mahi mutter curses. "She was drunk, and I believed her. I didn't want her to harm herself, so I went to the club she called me. I swear, Harsh and Mahi that I went only to clarify her things that I belong to Ruhi only. When I reached the club, she was drinking near the booth, so, I took her out so that I could explain things to her in peace. But when I was taking her out, Anthra tried to get close to me. I tried to push her but she started to seduce me by touching me inappropriately. Unfortunately, that club was the same one Ruhi went to with her friends. That's it. When Ruhi saw us, she had an emotional breakdown. She got drunk and cursed Anthra. Anthra didn't leave the chance and lied that I was sleeping with her.
"Ruhi believed her and said to go and kill herself. Then she left the club. I ran behind her to stop but she didn't hear me. I expected her to arrive home but she didn't come back. Instead, I received a call from Anthra's mother. Anthra drank poison and they admitted her to the hospital. When I reached there, her mother showed Anthra's death note in which she blamed the reason for her suicide is Ruhi. Her mother called the officers. They filed a case against her. I requested her mother to stop them. But she put a condition.
"That I have to divorce Ruhi and marry Anthra. I didn't know what to do. But my aim was only to keep Ruhi safe and away from my mess. When Ruhi came this morning, I scolded her and made her believe that I still love Anthra and I did everything only to get my papaji's property. Her dadaji and mine heard when I demanded to divorce me. But. I didn't understand, why she took everything on herself."
Mahi sighed, and mumbled, "Because she loves you, Ekansh."
"I know. And I don't want any property or expensive cars. I want Ruhi. I can't live without her. Aur hum ye bhi janthe hai ki hum unki mohabbat ke layak nahi hai." (and I even know that I am not eligible for her love.)
"But," Harsh cupped his mouth, "How will we get rid of this mother and daughter?"
"I have a plan," Mahi added and smirked.
Author:
"Ruhi shouldn't have said that," Mahi said to Anthra, who was sleeping on the hospital bed. And I thought she was an innocent girl. She curled Ekansh in her little finger," she added.
Anthra smiled but spoke nothing. She was careful because she didn't want their hard work to be in vain because of her stupidity. After two days, she would marry Ekansh, and then she could say anything.
"Well, how do you feel now?" Mahi pried.
"Fine."
"You shouldn't have taken poison for that stupid girl, Anthra. I know how madly you are in love with Ekansh. But still... Committing suicide is not the solution. You should have tried something."
Anthra nodded and asked instead, "How's your pregnancy going on?"
"I am good." Mahi addressed and stood up. "We shall leave you. Take rest. And give my greetings to Aunty." Mahi announced and walked out of the hospital room with her husband.
After a few seconds, her mother arrived and questioned her, "Why did they come?"
"To pay a visit."
"You didn't reveal anything to them, did you?" Her mother asked with anxiety.
"No Mom. But do you think he will marry me?"
"Atleast to save his ex-wife, he has to. Ruhi did our work too easy."
Anthra laughed, "I agree, mom. Our plan was too big. I had to get drunk and then bring Ekansh to the apartment. Spike his drink and sleep with him to fake a pregnancy."
"And fake or real pregnancy, you should have waited for 1 month, which is too far. Then set up the fake pregnancy documents and all, which wasn't easy. But this plan of fake suicide and that suicide note made our plan easy. Stupid Ekansh, he is smitten by his wife and will do anything for her."
Anthra's smile vanished and she stared at her hands, "Ekansh does love her so much."
"He even loved you," her mother argued.
Anthra shook her head. "It was just his kindness Mom but on Ruhi, he has incredible love, he can do anything for her. In those three years, I have never felt this for me. When he was getting married to her, it was me who implanted in his head that he shouldn't leave me."
Her mother sighed in exasperation, "Whatever, we don't need his love we only need money." Her mother implanted those words in her mind.
But Anthra knew that money is not everything and that at some other point in life, love will be the need of every human being.
Suddenly she felt like she was doing wrong. A sting of guilt stabbed her heart.
What you got back is a lifeless man. My heart, my soul, and my body belong to only women and that's my Ruhi.
He even said similar words back then but those words Anthra forced in his head. In fact, he never felt anything to her. He was just being a wise and gentleman to her. And Anthra does know that men like Ekansh are very rare.
Apart from everything neither Anthra nor her mother were aware of the spy camera Harshit installed in her hospital room while Mahi kept Anthra occupied with her conversation.
****
I feel pity for Dadu and Ruhi. Let's wish them to reunite soon before he loss his life.
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