Abhigya Short Stories

Lemons & Lemonade : Part One

Thanks to all for voting and commenting for the epilogue of Bewitched. Here is the new story as promised.

LEMONS & LEMONADE

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Pragya paid for the taxi and collecting her luggage, she dashed to the porch to save herself from getting drenched. She shivered as she kept her bag on the floor and rung the bell. She hoped someone was awake at this time and prayed that he not be home. She couldn't go back to her sister's place. Thinking of what she had witnessed there she wanted to puke, she had puked twice on the way. Taking deep breaths she rang the bell again. Bulbul was supposed to get back today from her cousins' place. Let him not be here, she prayed as she hugged herself. She hears the door unlocking, and she starts to smile at Bulbul or her parents, whoever was opening the door. Her smile froze on her face as she saw the person who opened the door. Abhishek Mehra!

After 6 long years the heart break was still fresh as she took in his handsome features. He was looking his best at 30 yrs, he was never this handsome. He looked shocked in seeing her then he hesitantly smiles, "Pragya... long time."
"Bulbul?" she asks shivering ignoring the pleasantries.
"You are shivering!" he says noticing her condition, "Come inside." he says as he took her hand and walked inside.
Once she got in, he took her bag and followed her in. "Where is Bulbul?" Pragya asks as he got her a towel and started wiping her head roughly. Pragya quickly takes over, as he being so close to her, was making her heart beat like drums and she was scared he would hear her heart beating. "I am fine." Pragya says indirectly asking him to stop.
Abhi leaves her and moves back. "Is everything alright, Pragya?" he asks in concern.
Pragya nods her head, "I will go see Bulbul. Uncle and Aunty are not at home?" she asks as she started collecting her bags.
"Only I am here." Abhi replies.
Pragya's heart stops beating as she asks hopefully, "They haven't reached yet? They are on their way?"
"They extended their trip for a week." Abhi replies.
"Oh!" Pragya panics as she wondered what to do, she couldn't go back to her sister's, and she definitely cannot go back home till Sunday, she had promised her mother.
"Were you planning to stay here?" Abhi asks suspiciously.
Pragya nods her head as she wondered what to do.
"You were staying with Tanu, right?" Abhi asks.
Hearing her sister's name from his mouth she looks at him in shock. How did he know that? Was he still in love with her? Was he keeping tabs on her?
Seeing her shock he clarifies, "I heard Bulbul tell mom that you were in town and was staying at Tanu's."
Pragya nods her head. "Okay, I will leave then." Pragya says as she starts to collect her things.
"Are you crazy? It is raining outside. Sit down." Abhi tells her as he snatches her bag from her and keeps it away.
"I can't stay here."
"What happened?" Abhi asks ignoring her comment.
"Nothing." Pragya replies.
"Are you saying that on an impulse you decided to leave your sister's house on a rainy night?" Abhi asks in a challenging tone.
"It's not your concern." Pragya says angrily.
"The moment you came knocking on my doors it became my concern." Abhi replies coolly. Pragya starts glaring at him, and he says as if not noticing her glaring at him, "Go to Bulbul's room and change else you will fall sick."
Pragya continues glaring at him. Abhi takes her bag and offers to her, "I am going to count till 3. If by the end of it you haven't gone to Bulbul's room to change, I am going to strip you." Pragya glares at him challenging him to do it. "One... two... Thre.." she snatches her bag and runs up. Once he heard the door close he leaves the breath he had been holding and gives in to his panic.

His heart was slamming against his chest as he made coffee for Pragya. It's been 6 years since he last saw her, but he had recognized her instantly. He could never forget her. She has grown up and filled out in the right areas, the last he saw her, was when she was 18. A skinny girl with braces, and she had changed a lot since then. Now she was a lady. He wondered whether she was still in love with him, he had found himself wondering about that time to time in the past 6 years in the most unexpected moments. Maybe she didn't love him anymore, remembering her expression when she saw him. Her face used to be vivid spring whenever she saw him, and today instead of joy it was bitterness and anger. He wondered why it mattered to him whether she was in love with him or not, it did pain a little and he didn't know why. The old her would have jumped at joy to stay with him all alone at home, even tried to rape him he thought with a chuckle. But now she couldn't wait to escape from here. Somewhere deep inside it did hurt.