Story of Our Life

Chapter 24

Prerna knew something was very wrong as soon as she entered her home. The entire house was silent, too silent. It was eight thirty in the morning and usually, the house would be filled with everyone bustling around, the kitchen clinking of utensils, the bathrooms steaming up with hot water. But not today. Today, not a whisper could be heard.

She could feel her heart thumping loudly, imagining the worst things that could have happened. 

"Maa?" She shouted, trying to shake away the negative feelings. "Baba? Shivi??"

No one answered and Prerna was sure something terrible had happened. 

Walking towards her parents room, she took a deep breath before opening the door with shaky hands. To her relief, she saw her family sitting together on the large bed, all safe and sound.

"Oh my God!" Prerna shuddered and entered the room. "Main kitna darr gayi, pata hai? Kya hua? Sab aise chup chaap kyun baithe hain?"

No one responded and Prerna frowned. Her parents looked at her with an expression she could not understand and her sister was not even looking at her.

"Kya hua?" She asked again and walked towards the bed. "Baba? Maa?"

Veena looked at her daughter who looked worried, confusion marring her delicate features as she tried to understand what was happening. 

Could it be true? Did Priyu really...

"Tu kahan thi Priyu?" Rajesh asked and Prerna blinked.

"Bataya tha na...apni friend ke gharpe thi." Prerna lied and Rajesh closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Sach bata Priyu." He asked again and saw Prerna flinch a little, looking away.

"Sach bol rahi hu Baba-

"Toh tu raat bhar...kisi ladke ke saath...kisi hotel mein nahin thi?" Rajesh asked directly and saw Prerna's face lose all color in just a moment. Her eyes went wide with shock and his fears were confirmed.

The rumors were indeed true.

"Baba...ye aap...kya bol rahe-

"Kya ye sach hai Priyu?" Veena asked in a loud tone. "Kya tu sach mein-

"Maa...main-

"Dobara kyun puchna Veena?" Rajesh said, looking at his wife. "Iska chehra hi humaara jawab hai."

Prerna could not say a word. Her parents were looking at her with disappointment clear on their faces and she felt her eyes well up with tears. But even as they fell down her cheeks, no one in the room moved. She wanted to ask them, who told them...how and when...but she could not utter a single word, drowning in guilt.

"Kyun kiya tune aisa Priyu?" Veena cried, hiding her face with her shaky hands. "Pata hai...poore sheher mein ye baat phail rahi hai...kya karenge hum? Kaise theek hoga sab?"

"I did not expect something like this from you Prerna." Rajesh said, his voice sounding defeated. "I cannot believe this is happening."

"I am...I am sorry Baba-

"Kaun hai wo?" Rajesh asked, ignoring his daughter's apologies. 

Prerna could not say. She could not take Mr. Bajaj's name. She could not drag him into all this. Her reputation was already soiled, she could not do the same to Mr. Bajaj.

"Main nahin bata sakti. I am sorry." She said and got up, leaving her family sit in despair.

---

"Mr. Bajaj!" Mehra entered Rishabh's study room in a hurry. "Ek problem ho gayi hai."

"Kya hua Mehra?" Rishabh asked and sipped his coffee leisurely.

"Shehar mein rumour phaila hai, aapka-

"What's new in that." His boss smirked, shaking his head. "Rumours are old news now."

"Nahin Sir...ye rumour...aapse aur Ms. Prerna Sharma se related hai." Mehra completed and saw Rishabh's head snap at his direction.

"What?" Rishabh growled and stood up. "What rumour?"

"Ki aapka aur Ms. Sharma ka affair chal raha hai. Kisi ne aap dono ko kal raat koi hotel mein jaate huye dekha tha." Mehra said and Rishabh's eyes went dark with rage.

"What the hell? Kisne bola ye?" Rishabh almost screamed and Mehra gulped.

"Meri wife aaj subah bahar gayi thi...jab wo wapas aayi toh usne bataya ki uske friend circle mein yahi baat chal rahi hai." Mehra explained, shaking his head. "Ye baat kal raat hi shuru huyi. Ab tak toh poore Kolkata mein phail gayi hogi."

Rishabh could hardly breathe. It was one thing to be in the news, but this time, Ms. Sharma was involved and he could not let anything happen to her. She was a simple woman from a simple background, she wouldn't be able to handle what was coming at her way. No, he had to fix this mess by the end of the day.

"What did you say? Ye baat poore Kolkata mein phail gayi hogi?" Rishabh repeated Mehra's words and wondered, did Ms. Sharma's family know of this?

Rishabh's phone was already calling Prerna in the next moment and she picked up in a few rings. But before he could say or ask anything, he heard her non-stop sobs and apologies. The urge to protect her was wild and he was on his way to her house in the next five minutes.

He would fix everything.

---

"Kya karenge hum ab?" Veena sat in the living room, shaking her head. "Do-do betiyon ki shaadi karni hai...kya hoga Rajesh?"

"Kuch nahin hoga." Her husband said and sat down. "Hum kuch hafton ke liye kahin bahar chale jaate hain. Jab sab shaant ho jayega, wapas aa jayenge."

"Aisi baatein shaant nahin hoti Rajesh." Veena wiped her tears with her saree. "Humaari Priyu ki izzat par sawaal uth rahe hain-

Veena's words were interrupted by a loud knock on their door. Sighing, Rajesh got up and opened the door.

A good looking man stood in front of him, dressed sharply in a dark grey suit. His determined eyes stared hard at Rajesh and Prerna's father frowned.

"Aap kaun?" He asked and the man folded his hands in a namaste.

"Main Rishabh Bajaj, Mr. Sharma." Rishabh spoke in a soft tone and Rajesh's confusion grew.

"Naam suna hua lag raha hai. Aap mujhe jaante hain?" He asked and Rishabh smiled softly, shaking his head.

"Nahin. Par main aapki beti ko jaanta hoon." Rishabh replied. "Kya main andar aa sakta hoon?"

Still confused, Rajesh just nodded and welcomed the stranger inside. Rishabh removed his shoes and entered the house, greeting Veena with a short bow.

"Meri kis beti ko jaante hain aap?" Rajesh asked, wondering who was this man and how his daughter knew him. He seemed quite older but too young to be Shivani's professor. Did he mean he knew-

"Prerna." Rishabh replied and the object of his affections appeared at the stairs at the same moment.

"Rishabh?" Prerna's quivering voice was enough proof for her father to realise that she recognised the man clearly and he looked at his daughter's teary face. Her red eyes were staring at the man, at Rishabh, with relief and guilt and as Rajesh followed her gaze, he saw Rishabh's eyes blink with assurance and promise.

With a jolt, he realised that he was looking straight at the man who had spent the last night with his daughter.