Secret Love Story #wattys2017 (COMPLETED)

Walk Out That Door

Kajol-2000

I dump my bag in Shah Rukh's room before crashing on his bed stretching my arms out wide. I still feel the rush from this weekend. We took no calls, we spoke to barely anybody and we just rediscovered why we love each other so much.
"Oi, move over," Shah Rukh laughs kneeling on the bed next to my legs. I smile sitting up and giving Shah Rukh a peck on his cheek. I fold my legs in front of me as Shah Rukh lies back a rests his head in my lap. I let my hands subconsciously move to his hair as I smile at him, watching my wedding band glinting in the fading sunlight.
"I should check my phone for messages," I mumble using one of my hands to remove my phone from my bag. I switch it back on and wait for it to gain signal placing it on the bed next to me. I go back to losing myself in Shah Rukh's eyes letting a smile subconsciously take over my lips. Right now feels like nothing can touch this perfect moment of husband and wife having some downtime together. Well that's until my phone has some sort of attack next to me. I dart my eyes to the illuminated screen and watch as the number of missed calls, text and voicemails blinks into the 60s and beyond. I stare at the phone as the vibrating and flashing stops before picking it up like I'm handling a bomb. I go to my last missed call and recognise the number as my parents home phone. The texts are from my parents telling me to call them back immediately. I click on my answerphone and listen to the first couple of messages. They all seem to be from my parents who have anxious voices. I told Tanishaa I was going away and told her specifically to tell my parents not to worry and that I'd have no phone signal-a lie but still needs must! I put my phone back in my bag and rub my face with my hands.
"Everything okay?" Shah Rukh asks removing my hands from my face and smiling concernedly at me. I nod my head with a sigh.
"I've got to go see my parents," I purse my lips waiting for Shah Rukh's answer. He nods his head understandingly and strokes my hands with his thumbs.
"Okay."
"Whilst I'm gone maybe you could unpack and then we can cook a meal when I get back?" I ask playfully. The smile on Shah Rukh's face turns into a grin.
"So that's the only reason you're going, so you don't have to unpack!" He laughs and I roll my eyes . I lean forward and kiss his lips not wanting to leave the comfort of his touch. If my parents had been leaving me this many messages then I must be in trouble which means Tanishaa didn't tell my parents I was away!
"Joa before I change my mind," Shah Rukh rolls of the bed before holding his hand out and pulling me off the bed. I lace my arms around his neck trying to spend as much time as possible before I go in his arms.
"I love you," I mumble kissing his lips again.
"I love you more," Shah Rukh winks pushing me away with a smirk.

********************

"Oh God Kajol " my mum pulls me into the house and pushes me straight into the dining room, no hello, no good to see you, no bone crushing hug, nothing. I furrow my eyebrows as I'm forced onto a chair and my mother calls for my father impatiently. I hear him almost trip down the stairs before he storms into the dining room and flings himself onto a chair in front of me.
"Kajol," he starts fury evident in his voice. I cut him off before he can start his lecture, if I get my explanation in before his lecture then it won't be seen as an excuse.
"Babu I told Tanishaa to tell you I was going away and that I wouldn't have phone signal," I say trying to sound as innocent and convincing as I can. My father looks at my mother who slides onto a seat next to him, both sharing a baffled look.
"Tanishaa told us you were away," my father laughs from shock, "have you not seen the pictures?" Now it's my turn to look discombobulated again.
"Pictures?" I ask with a hint of intrigue. My mother moves from her seat and leaves the room. She arrives back with some print outs in her hand. She hands them to my father who slams them on the table. He places his hand on top of the papers and swivels them before sliding them towards me. As he lifts his hands it dawns on me why they are so angry. I try not to let my emotions flood my face, instead sticking with a bland and neutral expression. I need to come up with a lie and fast. But how am I going to explain my way out of this one?
"Are you two an item?" My father asks through gritted teeth like just seeing the images make him want to punch Shah Rukh's lights out. I feel my mouth go dry, my throats tighten and the air in my lungs greatly reduce. I don't understand though we were so careful. Surely we would have seen a giant camera being pointed in our direction... Wouldn't we? Well the photograph doesn't lie we obviously were too engrossed in each other to notice a paparazzi hanging around. Now Shah Rukh and I have been photographed gazing into each other's eyes, with his arm around my waist and... kissing. I let my eyes move up from the photo. Now would be the perfect opportunity to tell them the truth, to just let everything out but then I see my fathers face. It's turning red, his eyes are bulging, his teeth are gritted, jaw pulsing, ears back, hands shaking with rage.
"Nahum babu," I bare face lie, "we were doing some takes for a new film to see if they would fit." I shrug like this happens everyday. Well filming does happen everyday but kisses... In Bollywood films... Well they are very rare.
"I can't figure you out Kajol," my father sighs shaking his head, "Ajay is such a nice boy. He is so caring and compassionate and would do anything to make you happy. He is reliable, trustworthy, honest. He is madly in love with you yet you'd prefer to hang around your ex!" I continue to stare at my father. Every single quality he has just listed can be applied to Shah Rukh. I'm fed up with all this hatred towards him. I can't deal with sitting here after marrying Shah Rukh, falling out with him for trying to show my father discreetly how much he loves me, after spending a dirty weekend with him in a hotel, after giving birth to our stillbirth baby and let my father slander him.
"And do you know how hard it is trying to keep up a professional and personal friendship with him after he broke my heart because of you? Do you know what it feels like to have your heart ripped out every time you sit down and have a meal with him because you just want to be in a relationship? Do you know how many times I've wanted to tell him I love him? Huh?" I turn on my acting prowess in order to embellish my lie, "I don't love Ajay. I will never love Ajay. Yeah he's a nice guy but he's not Shah Rukh. We are just friends okay? We were filming and yes I enjoyed that kiss because I love him but our relationship is purely friendly. It's because of you that I have my heart broken whenever I see him because it's you who forced his hand to break up with me!" I don't care how angry my father is getting or how worried my mother looks. I've wanted to say this for months and now I've finally plucked up the courage.
"Kajol there is no way I'd even consider Shah Rukh Khan as son-in-law! There is no way I'd even discuss the possibility of him forming a relationship with you so that's the end of it," my father tries to assert his authority by blanking out the fact that everything I've just asked him can be answered with one word: destroyed. I'm past the point of caring now.
"You're right it is the end of the discussion. In fact it's the end of any further discussions because unless you accept I want a relationship with Shah Rukh then when I walk out of that door this evening you will be left with one daughter. Until you come to your senses and realise I'm willing to leave this family on protest in order to gain your blessing to be with Shah Rukh then you lose the right to call me your daughter. I love him babu and that's not going to change because you say no. So it's either accept Shah Rukh and I'll stay or refuse him and I'll go and I'll stay friends with him and I won't come back until you realise you are throwing away your relationship with me for stupid reasons over Shah Rukh," I place the ultimatum on the table like my father did that night in 1995. Shah Rukh chose my response to that ultimatum but now the choice is up to my father.
"No," my father doesn't hesitate to answer. I nod my head and stand up. I look from my father to my mother. Ones face is emotionless, the others is scared, hurt and upset by the events that have just unfolded. I turn feeling a stab of sadness at the fact I've lost my parents but I just walk away, into the hall and out the front door not turning back.

********************

Tanuja

"Shomu please," I place my hand on his forearm begging him to change his mind. I don't see what his problem with Shah Rukh is! He treats Kajol with the respect she deserves and he's such a lovely boy. I can't believe when we both look at Shah Rukh we both get such different pictures of him.
"She'll be back," he shrugs folding his arms across his chest. I feel my eyes stinging with tears and my bottom lip trembles.
"But what if she doesn't come back?" I whisper letting a tear slide down my face. Kajol is our daughter, she is our family, she shares our blood.
"She just wants a reaction and when she realises she's not getting one she'll be back with her head hanging low full of apologies," Shomu replies full of confidence. He has no idea how stubborn he is and that passed on to Kajol. I slide off the chair and hurry upstairs to our bedroom. I sit on the bed before lying on my side and letting the tears fall. I've lost my daughter because I couldn't stand up to Shomu. I was so weak. All the opportunities to put in a good word for Shah Rukh, to stop Shomu from bashing him, to tell Shomu my opinion... I just sat there in silence thinking everything would fall into place and work out. Now I've lost Kajol and I hate my husband for being the cause of my loss.