RAGHVI FF : A PHOENIX

CHAP 17 : NEW DAWN

Pallavi woke up to a much lighter weight in her heart as she pulled out a fresh pair of jeans with a light blue chicken kurta and matching silver earrings. A fresh shower and 10 minute tackle with the hair dryer later, she was all set for a new day today. She had let out her feelings last night, answered all the questions ; maybe not all but like 80% of them and now she can just move on. Her steps were a different kind of melody today as she hopped like a rabbit down the stairs; yes literally hopped ; turned on the radio to the tunes of Lata Mangeshkar's voice as she sang ' Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh '. Aaji could sense the change in her aura as she sang along helping her in the kitchen.

"Aaj toh koyi bada chehek raha hai." Aaji teased her.

"Han toh chehkungi kyun nahin aaj Bappa jo ghar aa rahe hai." Pallavi smiled getting the table ready for breakfast.

"Aur iss baar toh poori colony main hungama hoyega." Shiva too joined them as he did some really ridiuclous dance steps ; the one you do at weddings.

"Han kyunki iss baar ka mandap main saja rahi hoon." Pallavi sat down taking her seat.

"Aur murti laane ki zimmedari meri hai." Shiva too sat down beside her.

"Bass Bappa iss saal sab achcha karde. Bola Ganpati Bappa." Aaji placed the dishes infront of them.

"Morya" They all chimed in.

"Aaj sab bahut khush lag rahe hain?" Farhad asked entering along with Raghav who looked wierdly fine to Pallavi. She had expected him to leave after her outburst but well had he ever listened to her.

"Are aaj Ganpati ghar aarela hai. Poori colony dulhan ki tarah sajegi. Sabke ghar Bappa ayenge aur colony ke mandap par badi wali murti ayegi." Shiva explained to them.

"Kaafi bada festival hai na yeh tum logon ka?" Raghav asked looking at Pallavi with a small smile.

"Ho. Are Ganesh Chaturthi par Bappa ka janam hua tha aur woh iss dharti par apni Maa Parvati ke saath padhare the." Aaji explained the motive of the festival in a brief.

"Phir toh bahut saari mithai banegi?" Farhad asked getting excited.

"Han bahut saare modak banenege. Laddu bhi banenge." Aaji nodded laughing over Farhad's excited face.

"Achcha Aaji main chalti hoon mandap ka bahut saara kaam hai. Aur tu Shiva chal Bappa ko lekar aana hai. Dhol walon se bolna late nahin karein." Pallavi pulled Shiva up from his chair pushing him towards the main door as he continued stuffing his mouth with food.

"Are mera naashta toh karne de." Shiva retaliated.

"Naashta intezaar kar sakta hai Bappa nahin. Chal ab" she pushed him out as aaji laughed over their bickering.

"Tum dono aaj kaam par matt jana . Puja mai sab honge toh aashirwad bhi leloge." Aaji smiled at the two men.

"Han main Farhad ko bata diya hai ki yeh 5 din Bappa ke naam. Main kabhi Ganesh Chaturthi nahin manaya na." Raghav replied with honesty.

"Toh ab tum hamare pariwaar ke saath manao na waise bhi yeh pariwar ab tumhara bhi hai." Aaji stroked his face lovingly. Oh how Raghav had always wanted the love of a Grandmother but his live hadn't really been of warm touches.

"Han ab yeh family mera hai." Raghav smiled.

Pallavi stood on a table intructing everyone of their work. The mandap was getting set and trails of flowers were brought in. Boxes filled with diyas and gulaal were unloaded. Raghav stood at a fair distance from her as he adorned this girl who was excited like a little kid yet stern like an old teacher as she guided everyone. wasn't it always like this? Her guiding everyone in their lives but no one guiding her. He laughed as he saw how everyone, even the ones olders than her feared her lectures. She had always been his lecture ka dukaan. The mere thought of her sent him to the previous night where she confessed her pain to him. Her every word breaking his heart even more from the guilt. He was ashamed of how he had treated her due to his misjudgements. Maybe last night he would have left her to live the life that she actually deserved among the people who cared for her until his conversation with Farhad in his room.

FLASHBACK

Farhad got a miserable Raghav back in his room. His eyes were hollow like her, his face depicting anger for himself.

"Anna hosh main aiye. Anna!" farhad rubbed his shoulders scared of his friend getting another anxiety attack but nothing happened. And for some wierd reason, the silence scared him more.

"Farhad main usko tod diya Farhad." after a good 15 minutes of silence Raghav let his tears fall.

"Anna aap nahin hum sab unke gunehgaar hai." Farhad too looked down.

"Sahi kehta hai woh. Main usko deserve hi nahin karta hai lekin main kya kare iss pagal dil ko ussich se pyaar ho gaya. Pallavi mera life hai. Are mar jayega yeh Ghamandi Rao apna Saree ka Dukaan ke bina." he cried standing at the window.

"Toh kisne kaha hai aapko unhe chodne ke liye Anna." Farhad asked but it was more of a statement.

"Lekin woh bola ki-" Raghav turned to face his friend.

"Main jaanta hoon ki unhone kya bola lekin Anna main woh bhi samajhta hoon jo unhone nahin bola. " farhad replied in a soft voice.

"Nahin nahin farhad main phirse usko force nahin karega aur agar woh chahta hai ki main uska life se chala jaye toh main chala jayega." Raghav picked out his suitcase in a hurry.

'Aur jee lenge aap bhabhi ke bina." farhad stopped him, "Nahin Anna abhi aapne kaha ki woh aapki zindagi hain toh phir kaise rahenge aap." he added.

"lekin farhad tu suna na" Raghav tried to reason slumping on the bed.

"Anna main yeh nhin keh raha hoon ki aap unhe force karein. Anna iss baar faisla sirf aur sirf unka hoga lekin koshish aur pyaar aapka hoga. Iss baar aakhri faisla bhabhi lengi lekin ek mauke ki guzzarish aap karenge." Farhad spoke. Raghav looked at his buddy, his eyes burnign the old flame back.

"Tu sahi bol raha hai Farhad. Pallavi ko space chahiye aur woh main usko dega lekin main apna galti dubara nahin dohrayega. Main apna pyaar iss baar aise hi jaane nahin dega." Raghav stood up with a determination in his eyes.

FLASHBACK ENDS

He had decided to give her space but also to fight for her, not with her this time but for her. His thoughts were broken as he heard loud sounds of the dhol banging as Pallavi ran towards Bappa's murti that was held by Shiva from one side and others by different corners.

"Ganpati Bappa Morya" Both Shiva and Pallavi shouted in union as everyone gathered for the arrival of Lord Ganesh. They walked towards the mandap chanting the Lord's name when suddenly Shiva slipped on a wire looseing his hold on the murti which was gladly caught by both Pallavi and Raghav. Shiva still held the murti with his hand with Pallavi's over his and Raghav's over hers as the trio looked at each other. The people around them dancing and chanting as they brought Bappa home. The huge idol was kept over the mandap as the three stood infront. Raghav looked beside him at a deeply praying Pallavi which didn't get unnoticed by Shiva as he smoothly glided from his side, placing himself right between them as his friend's shield joining his hands to the Lord.

The pandit started the aarti forwarding it to Aaji forst and then the other resident which by the end reached to the youngsters.

"Pallu" Aaji called her as Pallavi moved forward to take the thali from her.

"Shiva" she later called out to him as Shiva stood beside Pallavi holding the thaali with her. Farhad looked at his friend/ brother who rather looked calm even after such a scenario making him wonder what his thoughts were.

Main kabhi aise pray nahin kara. Last time jab pray kara tha Venkateshwara se toh Pallavi ko hi manga tha. Usko Kolhapur jaane se rokne ka dua kara tha. Aaj bhi tumse mera pyaar , mera Pallavi ko hi maangta hai main. Bahut maanta hai woh tumko isliye tumse keh raha hai. Apna visarjan se pehle mereko ek ishara de dena ki tum bhi sochta hai ki main Pallavi ko deserve karta hai. Main uska life main ruke. Bass iss baari mereko mera pyaar jita do. , Raghav prayed to Bappa with a calm face as he looked at Lord Ganesha's idol and then at a peaceful Pallavi doing the aarti.