AbhiGya SS ~ No Strings Attached

Chapter 2: Past, Present and the Truth

Those last few days of her stay in the Mehra Mansion, when Pragya kept calling him "Abhishek" he indeed found it a bit off, but he never asked her why she did. He never sat down to even think that why he consciously never asked her for a reason. Then she left. True that he was a bit lost in his own house after she left, but he learnt to manage. The first few months were rough, he felt her absence now and again, but he knew she was happily teaching away in some distant land far away from all his tensions and a harrowing press. It eased his guilt somewhat, and then there was Tanu - jumping at every opportunity to be all over him. Then there was a lot of work going on, he had also bought that Media Company around that time, so work, family, friends and music had successfully taken Abhi's mind off Pragya. It was only about some ten months later, when Abhi had tried calling her (it was her birthday, and Abhi just wanted to wish her) that he realized she didn't use the same number anymore. He had even called the university, only to find out that she wasn't even working there anymore. A surprised Abhi had called up Purab to enquire. "Yeah bhai, she isn't there anymore. She is somewhere else." - There was a tone of finality in Purab's response, it almost felt like he silently made it clear that he wasn't going to entertain anymore questions about Pragya from Abhi. Abhi didn't push either. As long as she was fine, he didn't need to know more.

As time passed, chashmish moved to a silent corner of his brain. Abhi was still a humorous, brash and successful rockstar, he hadn't changed. Sometimes when he sat at his verandah to compose music, the couch never reminded him of Pragya. Her books were gone from their bedroom, but the shelf still remained, in fact now it flaunted his newly acquired trophies, but he never glanced at it longingly. Any given day, when he was introspecting, Pragya would never cross his mind. Yes, while going through family albums with daadi (daadi kept selecting photos from the albums, to frame and hang them in the hall) once in a while they would come across some photos of Pragya. Daadi would gently run her finger on the photos sighing and Abhi would simply smile if he remembered any funny incident he and chashmish shared before the photo was captured. Pragya Mehra was only restricted to Abhi's good memories, not beyond.

***

Abhi had failed to understand how exactly Aakash failed to join him in his press release today, when until morning he kept ranting about how important it was for them. As far as Abhi remembered, he was there until the thing started. He had got a call and he excused himself to take it. Then he just never returned. Abhi knew Aakash was very responsible, then why would he fail to show up? After the press release, he left the auditorium and was walking towards the lobby to enquire about him. That is when he saw him, and there was a crooked smile on his face. "Ah, finally he is over Rachna. A new girl in the block" he thought and walked up to them. He was leaving with her from the venue, when Abhi caught up with them.

"Ah I was wondering what was keeping Aakash my responsible manager cum brother away from such an important press release today, but now I guess I know. Only someone as stunning as you can manage the impossible my lady" he finished with the perfect smoothness and waited for the lady to turn back and get the biggest surprise of her life - a compliment from none other than the rockstar Abhi! He hoped she didn't faint! But when Aakash turned around, he looked anything but smug to have a lady such as her beside him - instead he was looking anxious? And maybe a little scared even. Abhi was wondering why, when the lady turned to face him - and it was in fact rockstar Abhi who got the biggest surprise of his life.

"If my taste in music had changed even the slightest bit to your favour, I would be a girl thrilled beyond my wit, at receiving such a compliment from the rockstar himself! But alas, I am no fan!" sniggered Pragya at a thunderstruck Abhi and then continued jovially, "How are you Abhishek?"

Abhi for the first time in his life was at a loss for words before a lady. He simply stared at her, making no effort to hide his shock at the sight of Pragya without glasses! It took him a mere fifteen seconds to just digest that there weren't any glasses! Before going ahead to notice that she had even put on a bare minimal eye makeup! She had let her loose curls fall freely down her back, only she had cropped her hair, it wasn't as long, it just crossed her shoulder by a bit. She was wearing a rich plum coloured V-neck casual day dress that went onto a few inches above her knees and to compliment that she wore a pair of stilettoes.