Two days later...
Ram was feeling much better. With Priya around to take care of his food, his diet, he could gradually feel the old Ram returning. And Pihu - she was a blessing. She would come to meet him so many times during the day, and tell him stories, which Ram realised were really her experiences, her "adventures". And every time he heard another story, his eyes clouded over. This little girl had suffered so much for no fault of hers - it was all the greed of Nandini and Shubham and their hatred for Priya that had kept the three of them separated all these years.
Priya was watching her Mr. Kapoor silently from the door. She knew that she still needed to tell Mr. Kapoor a lot of things, but she wanted him to get stronger. Five years was a long time, and the two of them had a lot of catching up to do! She turned around to go to her and Pihu's room, but then heard a voice.
"Priya".
"Yes, Mr. Kapoor. Kuch chahiye aapko? Main Pawan ko bhejoon?"
"Haan chahiye. I need something, but Pawan cannot give it to me." Ram looked at Priya intently. "I need my wife Priya. I need her next to me, sharing everything with me. I want to get married again Priya, but before that, I want to know everything that you have been through."
Priya was in tears. The dreams she had had in the last few years - she, Pihu and Mr. Kapoor as a family - could it really be coming true? She walked in to the room and sat next to Ram, taking his hand.
"It's not a pretty story, Mr. Kapoor. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Yes, Priya. I am sure."
"I had so much hoped that you would really have gone ahead with the paternity test Mr. Kapoor, as you said in jail. Doodh ka doodh and paani ka paani ho jaata and you would have realised the truth then itself. But then again, your mom would have probably manipulated the reports. Anyway, soon after you left, I learnt that my case had been fast tracked. Since I had already accepted my "crime", there was nothing much left for the judges to do and I was sentenced to two years in jail. But Mrs. kapoor did not rest there. I was tortured physically despite being heavily pregnant; made to do physical labour and carry heavy load. Once or twice, the drunk wardens even tried to lay their hands on me, but my fellow roommates saved me. When I went into labour, these wardens did not even give me access to a proper doctor - I delivered Pihu in the prison cell assisted only by my fellow cell mates. Once Pihu was born, I was allowed one phone call. Since I had cut off all contact with all my family members" - she looked at Ram pointedly as she said this - "I called Krish. He came and took Pihu home with him, not caring about anything that anyone would say." For the next almost 2 years, Krish brought Pihu up as his own, without another thought. When I was released from jail, I decided to move to another state so I travelled with Pihu from one state to another - sometime by bus, truck, train - whatever came in handy. But wherever we went, sooner or later my past would catch up with us, so off we went on yet another adventure...."
Ram looked at Priya in disbelief. He could not believe what he had just heard! How much could his "mom" have dropped to do all this to Priya, let alone how much he had suffered in the last 5 years! And how strong was Priya to take all this quietly without a fuss. Hell, he had sent her divorce papers in jail, and she had quietly signed off on them without even a thought! Tears falling down his face, he took her hands in his.
"Priya! I am so so sorry. It is indirectly because of me that you had to go through all this, it is because of me that our little Pihu suffered so much. I just didn't think - I am so so sorry! But what did you mean when you said that you had cut off contact with all your family members? Why? They could have helped you in bringing up Pihu even while you were serving your sentence. And the bakery is also yours - you could have stayed in Mumbai and you would have had a relatively ok lifestyle. Why didn't you do so?"
"Mr. Kapoor, do you remember that you had asked me to choose between my mom and you? When Varun and MS were exposed as your dad's killers? Well, you didn't wait to listen to my answer then, but I made my choice Mr. Kapoor. I couldn't get my mom arrested, but I did the next best thing I could do - I cut off all contact with ALL of them - Mom, Sara di, Maitri, Sandy. All these years that Sandy has been working for you, she would never have taken my name, because frankly, she didn't know where I was. I even changed my mobile number so that I could not be traced. It was only a few months back that Sara accidentally bumped into Krish at a mall, and almost forced him into sharing my number. Then suddenly one day she and Sandy called me, and since then they would talk to Pihu regularly before we shifted to Mumbai to attend her engagement. And the rest, as they say, is history."
Ram took Priya's hands in his. "Priya, I don't know if you can ever forgive me, but from now on, that part of your life is over. Now it is time for a new chapter - with you, Pihu and myself." He kissed her hands, and then clasped her face with one hand, bringing back all those memories in Priya's mind. I promise to make up for all lost time and while it will be a bit rough, I know we can sail through if we are together. I cannot live with myself Priya. I cannot live with the burden of this guilt. Only you can save me from this burden."
"How, Mr. Kapoor?"
"Will you, Ms. Priya Sood, agree to become my wife? To be with me - for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part?"
Priya was overwhelmed. No words could come out of her mouth. The dream that she had dared not dream, was coming true! Without speaking a word, she could only nod yes, her eyes speaking everything that was otherwise left unsaid.
Without any further ado, Ram swept her into a hug. And as they looked into each other's eyes, sure of the love that each saw there, their lips met each other after five long years!
