Words Count- 3800
Attached Song- All too well.
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[ Dr. Priya ]

The sound of the incoming footsteps huddled me out of my reverie as I glanced behind to see him strolling towards me with a smile. It was the dawn of afternoon.

"Sit here." I said as we settled on the long grasses near the fence. The misted grasses felt genuinely mesmerising to touch. I spared a look at the papers on my hand.

"What was she doing?" I questioned involuntarily as the cool breeze eased my anxiety.

"She is busy gossiping with Zara after she fed me the dinner." I just hummed, hearing his smitten voice.

"Did she tell you anything?" I asked, to which he looked at me, suspiciously.

"No. Why?" He seemed confused.

"Is the news anything related to her?" He inquired in a grave voice.

"About your family, including her." I replied, rubbing my face with my palm.

Why is it so difficult?

"Shay, I am sorry for sharing this information with you but you need to know this. If you are willing to believe me or not is totally up to you." I handed the black file with the copies of the legal papers to him.

He sat as he kept looking at me.

"Pri, you are terrifying me." He mumbled as his hands were trembling while unzipping the chain of the file.

He again paused and looked at me. He was desperate to look at the contents of the file but an unknown fear was holding him back.

"Priya, I have a gut feeling, this will ruin me. So, I am not opening it." He zipped the file again as he stood up to leave.

"You can never run away from life, Shay. So, don't." I advised.

"Do you not realise it, Priya? I am now living a happy life with my wife. Everything is so beautiful and as I had dreamt, my life to be. Why would I want to tear up my present?" My blood boiled hearing him, he has definitely lost his mind, hasn't he?

"Shut up, Shay. Which happiness are you talking about? Stop wandering in your dreamland. It's the reality. Here only some dreams come true and sorrows are the constants of life." I raised my voice as he seemed stunned at my outburst. By this time, Kshiraj also joined. He knows about all the matter after listening to our talks yesterday. I had called him here to console Shay.

"Shay, she is right." Kshiraj affirmed as he unzipped the file again.

"Is this the happy relationship you are talking about? A marriage, that is counting it's last days in the court being evaluated by lawyers. Shay, what do you have to say now?" Kshiraj asked him, stacking the pile of papers on his palm.

"What are you saying?" Shay's rusty whisper reached my ears.

"See the papers." His head levelled down to go through the lines of the paper and struck on their wedding picture along with Neha's signatures near the photographs. Shay was stoned as his breathing wasn't audible anymore as if he had forgot to exhale too.

Kshiraj and I shared a glance of worry as the stillness of the dark night was cut off by the shrilly crickets and grasshoppers noises, as they hopped on the bushes and grasses.

"I never signed any such papers. It's not possible." He claimed as his feverish eyes met ours.

"It's a contested divorce, appealed by Neha two years ago." I answered, trying to gauge his inner emotions as he didn't give away anything.

"Two years ago?" He asked, shocked. I nodded.

"On what ground?" He asked and I was at a loss of words.

What do I say you now?

"On the ground of cruelty under section 13 (ib) of Hindu marriage act, 1955. In the records, she has mentioned being morally harassed, physically and verbally abused by you. She has her medical reports as in, blood tests and physical examination reports affixed with the file that shows she had major depressive disorder due to isolation, stress and lack of support. Along with the proof of her depression, there's some prescriptions of a trauma therapist with prescribed acupuncture, biofeedback with complementary therapy and continuation of anti-depressants for two months." Kshiraj described.

"Isn't it necessary to let me know about it before the case proceeds?" His voice was hoarse, the usual enthusiasm was gone long.

"It is necessary to have your response before the case proceeds. But, Mrs. Smita Mehta and your brother Viraj Mehta curbed all the ways through which the court notice would reach you and you could respond in the stipulated time. So, the civil court took your silence as affirmation for case proceeding."

"My Maa and Bhai helped her in this case." He told to himself, trying to sink in those information into his head. His legs were rustily trembling at the weight of his heavy heart. They were quite close to give up.

"But why?" He inquired, his voice stammering at times.

"Neha's dad and your mother had signed a deal before Neha and Viraj's engagement for a collaboration between both their companies. Mehta's enterprises was benefitted but Mehra's foundation lost many of its shares and was in ruins two years ago. Hence, as a solution they asked Neha to contest for divorce." I explained slowly, trying to read him as his composed behaviour was frightening us.

"Before your father passed away, he gave away his shares in the Mehta's enterprises in your name. So, you are the greatest shareholder of the company. That was the reason Neha's dad approached Smita aunty for his only daughter's alliance with you. But, Smita aunty seemed to know their intention so, she set Neha's alliance with Viraj and coincidentally, she had a crush on him. But, on the day of marriage, Viraj ran away for Kiara Kashyap and you had to marry Neha. Neha's parents used your identity to gather some deals but, it never gave them the fame they yearned for." Shay nodded as Kshiraj continued giving his details of all the conspiracies his family has been into till date behind his back.

"But their dreams got a paved path as they got a golden key." I said, as I handed him another set of papers.

"These are the last will and testament of your dad giving his shares to you. There's a legal clause written on the contract that states, If in any case, you divorce your wife after two years of marriage, all your shares would be handed over to your wife. Only and only if, she has already conceived your child." Kshiraj told him with distaste.

"Neha has the original file." I informed him.

"Oh. That's why he wanted a grandchild sooner." Shay said.

"Does she know about this legal clause too?" He asked to which both of us nodded.

"Priya, tell me, it's not a pathetic prank you both are playing on me. Even Neha has told me multiple times that you don't like her. And, who knows Kshiraj's distate towards Neha more than me. I hope, you both are not instigating me to believe this catastrophe, you are displaying before me to make me let her go." His voice hitched as he begged us to say it's a pathetic joke from our side.

"Don't you trust us, Shay?" Kshiraj questioned him, looked at him, unbelievably.

"I don't. I don't trust you." He screamed at us, though his voice conveyed how scared he was.

"Priya, I can't unsee how I felt with her in these last few months. It was love, and trust me, when I say this, I have never felt this cared before. How would I convey you, how I felt with her? I trust my heart, she can never do this to me. Just because I said, she never said she loves me, don't you both dare use that on me. I don't believe in this bullshit." He threw away the papers as he breathed out, agressively.

"We can prove you, Shay." I said, calmly as I gestured Kshiraj to get ready with the car. In a few minutes, we were on a ride to my uncle's place.

"Uncle, call Mrs. Neha here. Someone needs to believe it." I spoke up as soon as we entered the floor as he nodded, eyeing Surfraaz's lost state.

"Shay, seeing Neha here would make you believe it, right?" I asked him softly as he begged me through his eyes not to do this to him. But, I was helpless.

Uncle asked us to sit in the adjacent balcony and see through the window from the other side, not to let Neha know that we're here. We waited outside as soon enough we heard a shrill sound of the door being opened ajar.

"Uncle, you wanted me here? Anything urgent?" My heart broke as we saw Neha right infront of us, talking to uncle as we saw Surfraaz looking at her, without blinking.

"I need your signatures. Didn't Mr. Viraj accompany you? I needed his signatures too." Uncle played along like I stated him earlier.

"He will be here soon enough." She stated, signing on the papers.

"What's the progress of the process, uncle?" She inquired as true to her words, Viraj arrived in hurry.

"Anything urgent?" He inquired, upon his arrival. While, Kshiraj and I could only feel the painful shredding of our friend's love and trust like a broken mirror.

"We're close to get this divorce approved. I just need both of your signatures." He showed Viraj the spaces of the paper as both Viraj and Neha shared a quick glance. I was stupefied as a hand held my palm in a death grip as Surfraaz dropped on the floor in silence.

××

It's been two hours, we returned from that place and mourned for the silence of grief, Surfraaz held in his heart.

"I'm sorry. I should've known, how could I be this happy in life?" He laughed out, mirthlessly. His each word clenching our grieving hearts.

"I never had an option to not marry her, neither I have any option now to not leave her. My whole life was just dictated by some or the other people. No one asked me ever if I wanted to do what they wanted me to. No one ever did! I won't even have come to know about this, if not for you two." He rambled as he laughed showing us the papers. Kshiraj was already crying, but there, that man was still laughing at his life.

"They wanted to use me and my child for some shitty shares." He said, as his voice broke.

"Let's go back, Shay. You are not fine." Kshiraj dragged him towards our tent.

"I am good. Leave me here. You go and rest." He told as he handed me all the papers.

"I can't carry them. You keep them with you." He whispered as if the weight of the papers crushed his heart.

"Surfraaz, let me ask you a question. Did you never have any problem when Neha still wears her and Viraj's engagement ring? Did you never felt bad when she never wore vermillion and she never asked you how was your day?" Kshiraj asked him, raged.

"I did, Kshiraj. But, somewhere I knew that she was mine and she had only me in her heart. But, after tonight, I don't know anything anymore."

My fingers curled up into a fist as his words had a rawness and prowess to make you weak at his honesty and the dusk was brimming with ambiguity. Before I could recover and grab him, he was gone.

"May he come back to normal soon." I said as Kshiraj affirmed.

I couldn't sleep that night as I was constantly reminded of his composed demeanour. I was up, listening to classic ghazals and this time, the time launched faster and farther.

We were meant to have our breakfast and leave for our respective locations. I was getting married in just 5 days to Daksh hence, I was nervous too.

I dressed up after enacting my morning routine, then ran towards the open breakfast area as I was famished. While eating as I scanned the people in my vicinity, I saw Shay was missing.

I stared at Kshiraj to see him already looking at me worriedly. I was about to lift my body off the chair and search for him, when Shay arrived. He looked normal. He sat by my side, probably on the farthest chair from Neha. My spoon dropped as he smiled at me like he did usually. I was not alone, Kshiraj's spoon too hit his plate.

"What's for breakfast?" He asked me. But, my voice seemed to have been robbed away.

"There's upma, cheela, gajar ka halwa. I have also ordered few mushroom pizzas, orange ice-cream and strawberry pie. Eat anything you like." I answered, after a while.

"What do you want me to eat?" He asked. He was behaving like a toddler.
"Gajar ka halwa." I said as he smiled. Strange!

"That's why I asked you. I knew, you know what's the best for me." He spoke up. I would be lying if I said, it didn't surprise me.

"Do you mind, sharing your plate with me?" He said as I coughed. What has happened to him?

"You can." I whispered.

I cut a small piece of pizza with my knife and pushed it to his side. He eat it with his fork and then he served himself with gajar ka halwa. In between eating, he stood up and walked closer to me. He leaned into me as his strong perfume hit my nostrils, sabotaging my senses.

"I need a lift back home." He whispered in my ears as his fingers brushed my hairs. My heart was beating too higher than intended. This man was sure to be a charmer!

I nodded as I framed a plan in my head. That was when, Neha rushed towards Shay.

"Raaz." She called out. Raaz deliberately threw his fork and ducked his head under the table to pick it up.

"My fork fell down." He said to no one in particular and literally rushed out to wash that fork before Neha could reach him.

He continued his silly acts to dodge her until I declared that we are going together in a Volvo bus.

In the bus, everyone settled beside their spouses or friends, and only Shay was left to sit with Neha, much to his dismay. Kshiraj, Daksh, Neil and I shared a glance, sympathising and thinking how would he manage now?

I just wished his destined happiness kisses him soon.

[ Surfraaz Mehta ]

Ever saw a man stabbing a tree with a dagger for woods repeatedly and with no regret. I was the same tree, but the man with dagger never understands your pain.

After thinking and roaming around all night long in the bone-chilling cold, I was trying to pick out all those times I felt suspicious of her.

Last night only, I realised how much of a fool I was. That day when I was cursing my existence after we made love and thinking I might've forced her, she was busy telling her friend that I love her too much to not get angry after knowing about her motive of marrying me.

Why did I never had a doubt, when she wanted us to move ahead, out of the blue?

I loathed my heart for still having fragments of feelings for her. She continued talking and my ears were on the verge of bleeding. Her once sweet words, suddenly seemed more harsher than any sharp arrows shot in my direction. I was staring at my hands, lying on my thigh as her palm instantly shot forward to clasp with mine. The ring on her ring finger caught my attention. For the first time, I didn't feel comfortable.

Unable to tolerate any longer, I stood up abruptly, sleekly pushing her hand aside. I knew, I was being a coward by running away from the circumstances but I didn't want to create a scene in front of our friends.

But, I would get my answers for sure.

"Why are you not sitting?" She asked me, as I looked at her face.

"I'm not comfortable." I said curtly as I saw her standing up.

"What happened to you? Why are you behaving, this strange?" Her palm cupped my cheeks as her concerned eyes stared into me.

As if you are not the reason!

"Stop clinging to me." I politely said as she tried to hug me. We were at the backseat of the car and everyone else was too engaged to care about us.

Finally, after the next fifteen minutes, it was the end of my torment as we reached home. I waved at my friends before dashing into Mehta's mansion. Maa, Bhai and Bhabhi were sitting on the sofa as they were sipping their coffee. I had no mood to greet and smile at them.

As I unbolted our room door, I threw my bag on the couch. I stood in front of her cupboard as I unlocked it. Holding half of the hangers with her Kurtis and sarees, I unlatched them off the rod and threw them on the bed.

As I keenly searched through drawers and lockers, I found nothing. I was getting frustrated. That was when I spotted her wedding lehenga wrapped neatly.

As I pulled it out, a black file dropped from its folds. I unzipped the black file as my heart already knew what I was about to see.

That exact moment the door knob twisted as she entered. Her face lost its colours as she saw the room and then, the black file in my hand.

Under her sight, I drew out the papers one by one and they were indeed the original papers. I was shook that she was hiding all this from me from almost two years.

I wonder, what do they think me as. A fool!

But, this time I was not angry. I was simply shaken at their real faces. I was angry at my own self for giving them a chance to hurt me, when they weren't worthy of my trust.

It was me, who screwed up.

I threw the papers on the bed as I looked at the person before me.

"Come here." I roared in a low tone as she flinched.

Her fingers clutched her saree tightly as she trudged towards me, her head bowed down.

"Cut the crap. Look into my eyes and answer." I commanded.

She stood upfront me, her head still hanging low.

"Neha, I don't like to repeat. So, do as I say." I raised my voice as she looked into my eyes. Guilt swirling in them.

Was that guilt doing anything to cool me down?

Nothing.

I knew, I was worst at controlling my temper. So, I sighed and sat on the only clean couch of the disheveled room. I looked at her, gesturing her to be seated on the same couch. But, she was too engaged in hesitating.

"You, I asked you to sit." I grunted in irritation. She was still standing, looking at me. I grinded my upper jaw over the teeth of my lower jaw as she numbly kept looking at me. I pulled her towards the couch.

"You had no problem sleeping with me a few days ago, now you have the audacity to hesitate to sit by my side." I taunted as her eyes teared up.

"Tell me. You know, you can tell me everything without hesitation. I won't mind. I just wanted to know until how low you can fall for those shares of Mehta's enterprises." I hissed as I pulled her to my lap.

"Come on, Neha. Say it fast. Then, I have a nice offer for you." I whispered as I roughly pulled the sleeve of her blouse down.

"I am sorry" She yelped as my teeth grazed her earlobe.

"Aww, You did it so fast. But, guess what, I don't need it anymore." I voiced out bluntly.

"I want to hear everything. Speak them out." I threatened as I felt her palm clutching my arm.

"No. Hands off me. Who said you can touch me?" She glanced at me, shell shocked as I threw her hands off me.

"Now, answer everything I ask you." I roared, rage taking over me.

"When did you appeal for the contested divorce?" I asked as my heart went cold.

"Two. Two years back." She answered. Great!

"Were you forced or it was your decision?" I questioned.

"No one forced me." Wow!

"Why did you not use your influence to get the divorce decree sooner?"

"Because of the legal clause, I was needed stay in the marriage for two years and-" She paused, as she glanced at me in fright.

"And?" I quizzed as she held onto a shameful silence.

"And, I had to conceive." She confessed as her voice constricted.

"If and only if you would've been with my child, then what would've you done?" I asked as my nails dug into my curled palm.

"The divorce process would be escalated to seal our marriage sooner." She answered, her eyes down. Those salty tears still rained, but today they had no value for me because, I was exposed to its owner's heart.

Those tears were empty, just like her heart.

"What did your dad decide on the fate of my child?" I questioned her as my blood ran colder.

"Dad said- said to abort it before I remarry after our divorce." She voiced out, her eyes on me and it turned out that the girl I loved never had a heart, in the first place. Her heart was a hollow pumping machine.
Just an organ!

"So, Mr.Mehra and his princess have their fool-proof plan ready. At last, it feels so good to hear out everything from your mouth. It feels great to see another Vaani Chauhan in you and unravelling the real you. The same sly and wily opportunist." I hushed, as my heart burnt. Her glossy eyes plaintively met mine. She stammered, "I-I am sorry."

"Don't you dare to utter a single word. Let me tell you about my offer. I am willing to give you my shares and all my property, but-" I voiced out in crude rage as my grip tightened on her arm.

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