I
Adi, Brinda, Vikrant and Sara entered Kapoor Mansion. Even though it was late night, arrangements were in full swing for the wedding the next day. The wedding agency staff were putting the stage and its decorations. Seeing this, Sara grew sad. Would she even have a wedding tomorrow? Vikrant did say that he would marry her despite everything they had learnt a while ago, but Ram? Would he agree? Anyway, now was not the time to think about herself. It was time to think about Priya, and do right by her. Her little sister had suffered enough.
The four of them went up to Ram's bedroom. They found him sitting on the bed, tears streaming down his face and with a piece of paper in hand.
"Ram?" Brinda gently touched his arm.
"She's gone Bri. She left me and went off again." Ram said through his tears.
"What do you mean, she's gone? It cannot be. Pihu is here, she's sleeping. Priya would not leave Pihu and go anywhere."
Ram handed Brinda the letter that Priya had written. She read it and slowly handed it to the others to read. Priya had left Pihu with her father, Ram Kapoor and gone off. She had again made the biggest sacrifice for Ram, not thinking about herself.
"She hates me. She wants to be with Krish. And because I found Pihu's birth certificate and she had no answers for me, she just copped out by leaving Pihu with me and going off with Krish. How could she? And what do I do now? This girl doesn't even like me much. " Ram's voice was part scornful, part angry and part scared.
"Ram, let's go to another room. Pihu is sleeping. She will get disturbed. There is a lot we need to tell you."
II
Ram could not believe what he had just heard! Priya was innocent. She was not involved in Shivi's death. He had always known that, but he had thought that she had been covering up for Meera Maa, who had been torturing Shivi and that's why Shivi wanted to come back to Kapoor Mansion. But now his thoughts were in turmoil. Was there more to this story? Had he reacted emotionally and not thought things through? Had he thought only about himself ? He had blamed the Soods for what happened to Shivi. Of course, they were to blame, Ishaan was one of them, but why did he not think about anything?
And Priya! Ever since he read her letter, he did not know how to react! He was stunned at the level of Priya's sacrifice! And now, if what Adi and others were speaking was true in any way, then he was in Priya's debt forever!
Now he was convinced that there was more to the story. Could mom really be involved in such a heinous crime? Did she really never like Priya? The more Ram thought about it, the more things started becoming clear to him that mom never wanted Priya to be his wife. It was just Shivi's false pregnancy scare that had made her take the rishta to the Soods. The pre-nuptial agreement, the annulment - mom had tried everything to split them up! But he didn't realise anything then! And then her constant attempts to link him with Vedika. But Priya had been accepting. Never had she said one word against anyone!
"Ram? What are you thinking?" Adi asked
"Yaar, what a fool I have been! All this time, I have only looked at things from mom's viewpoint. Priya! She did so much for me yaar! And today, she left her most priceless possession in my care. I am an idiot. I need to find her yaar. Don't know where she would have gone! It's so late at night."
"Ram, Priya ko tumse achha koi nahi jaante hain. You knew that she would be going to Goa when you went and got her back, you knew where she would be when she left after the Holi party, even now only you will know where she will be. Can she be at Krish's place?
Krish! The very name of Krish and Ram went into a tizzy! Priya and Krish! Whatever he had forced his mind to think, somewhere it refused to accept that Priya loved Krish! But then, what mom had said! Could it be true? Could Priya and Krish have had a weak moment? But even if they did, Pihu was not their child. She was his and Priya's! He was a father! And now he needed to find Priya and get her back. There was a lot of talking they needed to do!
"The bakery! That is where Priya will be! So late at night, she won't go anywhere and she definitely won't go to Sood House or to Krish's place. I need to go there and find her and get her back before Pihu wakes up!"
"Let us go with you, Ram." said Vikrant.
"Haan. Adi, you come too. Bri and Sara, could you please stay here with Pihu in case she wakes up? Especially you, Sara? I know it is your wedding in the morning but I need your help."
"Ram, you go. I will be here." Both Brinda and Sara said in unison.
to be continued...
