CHECKMATE

Chapter 24

Pratap stood with his arms crossed and a scowl written in bold across his face as Anjali tried her best to console Meenakshi who was sobbing her guts out.

Leaning closer to Siddharth, Pratap asked, "Is Indrajeet dead? What's all the fuss about?"

"You married Anjali, so Indrajeet is....you know..." Shrugged his friend trying not to laugh.

"What?" Asked a confused Pratap.

"Depressed." Came Siddharth's reply nearly making Pratap laugh. But pursing his lips he simply decided to watch the drama.

"YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE PRATAP...." Came a roar from the threshold of the door.

Indrajeet came running and was about to hold Pratap's collars when Shivendra put his leg in between making the man fall face down on the floor.

Although Pratap wanted to laugh he gave a mock glare at his friend. Immediately Shivendra clicked his tongue and teased, "Careful my brother, careful..."

"SHUT UP." Roared Indrajeet who's clothes were crumpled and crushed. His hair disheveled, his eyes bagged with dark circles.

It looked like the man was a compulsive drinker and hadn't slept in ages. But the fact of the matter was, Anjali and Pratap were only married for two days.

The day after their legal registration, Pratap drove Anjali to her maternal house for the pag phera rituals. To their surprise, both Indrajeet and Meenakshi were present as well.

"PRATAP." Shouted Indrajeet once more. "ALL OF THIS WAS YOUR PLAN. HOW CUNNING YOU CAN BE.... I'LL KILL YOU."

Pratap simply whispered, "Why is it that when Meenakshi and her son's are around the melodrama increases?"

Siddharth simply shrugged saying, "When God was distributing dramatic abilities they were first in line."

"Listen," began a bored Pratap, "you are free to think whatever you want to but can you please stop this drama. I mean....it's just obnoxious."

"How dare you." Growled Indrajeet and was about to hold Pratap's collar but he simply moved aside making Indrajeet stumble. "You did this on purpose....you took my Anjali on purpose..."

"First off, she's mine not yours. Second, please find another lady, third, please leave." Snapped Pratap.

Anjali couldn't help the grin that spread over her lips looking at Pratap's possessive nature. Walking over to Pratap, she stood beside him and looked at Indrajeet saying, "None of this was Pratap's fault."

"Anjali you are too naive, you can't understand..."

"And I think you don't comprehend a no." Interjected Anjali in a firm voice. "I told you in clear words that I do not want to marry you. Is it so difficult to understand?"

"Then I'm sure....that Pratap abducted you to Nahargahr on that day." Shouted Indrajeet.

Immediately Anjali's parents gasped in horror and exclaimed, "Abducted? What happened? Anjali you said you lost your way."

Anjali bit her bottom lip and glanced at Pratap who immediately covered up saying, "She lost her way and her phone got turned off due to lack of charge. Indrajeet what abduction are you taking about?"

"She was abducted. I'm absolutely sure." He shouted once more.

"Prove it." Replied Pratap.

"Then how did the media come there?" Shouted an irritated Indrajeet.

"On that day near Nahargahr, a residential complex had broken into a fire. The media was right there and I and Anjali happened to be there. The rest is history."

Anjali's brows pulled into a frown thinking, was there really a fire? Or is it a lie?

Indrajeet and absolutely nothing to argue about. He had no proof of what happened. Anjali's abduction was hearsay and if he wanted to prove Pratap wrong, he'd have to investigate.

"Are we done here?" Asked Pratap with a no nonsense look on his face.

Indrajeet simply marched off in a huff and his weeping mother ran behind him.

"So...you were... abducted or not?" Asked Anjali's mother in anxiousness.

"No. She was just lost." Came Pratap's quick reply before Anjali could fumble.

With the rituals complete, the two headed towards their home.

"We shouldn't have lied to...maa papa." Sighed Anjali biting her bottom lip.

"There was no choice." Replied Pratap without turning to face her. "They would have gotten anxious."

"Do you think they'd blame you for...my... abduction?"

"They are your parents, you should be knowing the answer to that question."

"I don't." She pouted looking at him. "But...I think it was good we didn't tell them."

"There's actually no proof of your abduction. You might have lost consciousness because of lack of breath. There was no trace of chloroform in your blood also."

"The blood test was for that! I thought you wanted to check if I have AIDS or something." Chuckled Anjali impishly.

Pratap glanced at her for a moment and shook his head at her not knowing whether to laugh or taunt her in response. Pratap had instructed Siddharth to take Anjali for a blood test before the haldi ceremony could begin and send him the reports.

The confused girl simply did as she was told since even Siddharth hadn't told her anything.

"So...you want to do an AIDS test?" Asked Pratap pursing his lips.

"I don't have it."

"How can you be so sure?" He teased making her narrow her eyes at him exclaiming, "Because this is my body, not neighbours."

"Ok...umm....where do you want to go for a honeymoon? Greece? Venice? Paris! I mean you might have gone to those places. Any other exotic location you have in mind?" He asked.

"Udaipur!"

Pratap glanced at her in disbelief for a moment as he parked the car near their house.

"Udaipur isn't exotic." He stated as he locked the car.

"Udaipur is...Venice of the east and that's where I want to go!" She replied with twinkling eyes.

"Have you never been there?" He asked in a chuckle.

"No..." She pouted, "and my first love is the great king Maharana Pratap!"

"Oh...I thought I'm your first love." Sulked Pratap narrowing his eyes at her.

"You are second." She teased and ran into the house as soon as he unlocked the door.

"Then we'll go somewhere else..." He shouted from behind her. "Because you'll only pay attention to history!"

"Udaipur...." She insisted making a puppy dog face at him.

"Fine..."

"Let's go!"

"Wait....let's plan something..." He insisted and she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the couch and placed his laptop on his lap and said, "Search, plan and book fast. I want to go!"

He smiled at her shaking his head teasing, "You are kiddish."

"And your an old man." She replied as she sat beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Turning a little he taunted, "So....I'm a better choice than your ex right?"

Immediately she gave him a smack on his head making him laugh at her.