RaghVi - UNCHAINED MY HEART

CHAPTER 2

It was a pretty morning with sun rays beaming into the curtains of Rao's house. Pallavi just showered and came into her room, she looked at her image in the mirror and heaved a sigh. She remembered how healthy and graceful she used to be a year ago before her marriage, that grace, poise, that healthy glow, was nowhere to be seen. She has turned as pale as a ghost, eyes lifeless, malnourished, and underconfident. As she was combing her silky locks, lost in her thoughts, a soft knock broke her trance.

Jaya was standing at the door giving her a soft smile,

Pallavi returned a pale smile when Jaya came and sat beside her, moments later even Keerti entered the room.

J: Kaisi ho pallavi? Abhi kahi koi dard nahi hai na?

P: nahi amma, waise toh kahi koi pain nahi hai... kabhi kabhi yaha ho jata hai (clutching under her left rib cage) par, chale jaata hai firr...

K: aur tumhare kalayi? Wo theek hai dono?

P: haa keerti, actually, dard hota hai but kuch heavy uthane ki koshish karu toh, jaise kitchen me kaam karti hu toh, par nahi karungi toh aadat nahi hogi firr, isiliye.

K: ice pack laga rahi ho na?

P: haa, dard zyada rehta hai toh, laga deti hu

She has been talking in her depressing tone, as if one is dead inside but they have to talk anyway, so that robotic tone is quite evident in her tone,

J: pallavi, tumse kuch poochna hai?

P: poochiye na

J: wo, beta... dekho, mai ek maa hu, aur tum me ek beti ko dekhti hu. Main chahti hu ki tum hamesha mere saath raho...

Pallavi nodded letting her continue

J: mujhe koi farq nahi padta society kya sochti hai par, main nahi chahti uske wajah se tumhe baatein sunna pade, isiliye

P: Isiliye?

J: main tumhe apna bahu banana chahti hu pallavi,

Pallavi was stunned.

J: mujhe pata hai tumhare liye bohot mushkil hai, par tumhe mujhpe aur keerti pe bharosa hai, toh socho beta, sochke jawab do mujhe... koi zabardasti nahi hai beta.

P: aapka beta bhi hai?

J: haa, uski ek galti ke wajah se main usse 10 saal naraz thi, par ab main usse maaf karna chahti hu, agar wo tumse shaadi karega toh.

Pallavi becomes silent and is lost in thoughts again

J: amrutha office me meri wait kar rahi hai, uske baad mujhe court bhi jaana hai, shaam ko baat karte hai beta? Amrutha ghar pe hi rahegi, tumhe kuch bhi chahiye toh

P: ji...

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Jaya enters her office room in her home, amrutha is waiting for her with some documents in her hands

J: Amrutha, Farhad ko call karo aur yaha aane ko bolo, aur Raghav ko pata nahi chalni chahiye

A: ji...

Amrutha dials his number and he picks the call in the first ring

F: hello?

A: Wo, maam chahti hai tum yaha aao abhi, kuch important baat karni hai and raghav ko batana mat.

F: theek hai, mai kuch bahana banake aata hu, kab tak rahegi amma ghar pe?

A: maybe 1 and half hour

F: theek hai, mai aa raha hu...

Raghav was there near him