CHAPTER 7

Note - Conversations between Priya and her cousins and friend are in their mother tongue i.e Telugu

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Samrat followed Aditya to his study and snatches the file which is in his hand and throws it on the table.....

Aditya(eyes red with anger) - behave Samrat....

Samrat - u can't just go and crush someone's self-respect like that Bhai.... U don't have that right....

Aditya is taken back by Samrat's words, he never back answered him and literally, this is the first time he is talking to Aditya in that tone and this increased his anger on Priya more.....

Aditya - u r shouting at ur brother for that good-for-nothing girl.....

Samrat(calmly) - Bhai, first listen to me, and then if u still find her wrong then I'll do whatever u want me to do....

Aditya - r u sure samrat??

Samrat - yes Bhai, at the end of our conversation if u r not convinced, then I would stop talking to Shree di, I know this is what u want...

Aditya - okay go ahead....

Saying this he picked a file and started reading it... Waiting for Samrat to start but he stayed calm...

Aditya - what r u waiting for??

Samrat - I want ur full concentration when I tell u the truth....

Aditya huffed but kept away his file and sat straight....

Samrat(calmly) - Bhai.... This morning, when I and Shanaya were about to go out, Shree di called me and asked for money, her colleague got into an accident....

Aditya - it might be fake Samrat, she must be lying to get money from u.....

Samrat - Bhai, u were never this impatient, y r u so eager to prove her wrong even before listening to me completely??

Aditya(uninterested) - ok fine tell me....

Samrat - it's her money which she asked me Bhai, she has a very big hand, she gives money to everyone who ever in need, and because of that she couldn't do any savings..... So every month she transfers some amount to me as her savings..... And in that way I had 1.8 L of her money with me, she badly wanted to buy her mother a necklace which she liked a couple of years ago, she was saving the money for that, but she gave all her one-year savings to save her colleague, whom she barely knew.....

Samrat shows his account details in which it was clear that Priya sent a fixed amount every month to his account....

Samrat(continued) - u know Bhai, she needed 2 L and I gave her that, she immediately transferred the remaining 20 k to my account, she doesn't like to take someone else's money.... She is the most self-respected woman I have ever seen..... During our college times too, she was always ready to take out the money without even thinking for a while.....

She sees money as money Bhai, she never bothered to whom she had spent it..... She never cared about herself but for others..... And when she tied rakhi to me for the first time, I gifted her a diamond bracelet, she refused to take it, instead, she asked for chocolate, that too if it's mandatory to gift her something and from then, I always gifted her a bar of chocolate on rakhi..... That woman u called cheap is anything but cheap Bhai....

Saying this Samrat wiped his tears which are about to come from his eyes...

There is a teardrop in Aditya's eyes but he fought it back....

He remembered his behavior towards her, the way he talked, the way he pushed her.....

Samrat - she was not acting Bhai, she didn't eat for the past two days, so any normal girl would get dizzy, she stayed all the day at hospital because her colleague's family didn't arrive..... 2 L might be a very small amount for u but for her, it's her dream to see her mother happy, it's her wish to surprise her mother, her right to get the satisfaction of doing something to her parents.... But without even thinking for a second she gave all that away to save a life.... And on the other side, us.... We have all the luxuries in the world but we lack a good heart.... We don't even care for others Bhai.... We feel that we can crush anyone's self-respect just because we are rich.... Just because we have power..... Till today u might have hurt many people's respect but that's because they are working for u and u r paying them... So they are supposed to tolerate whatever shit u throw at them i.e. according to yours and mom's policy but y did u hurt Shree di's respect when she is neither ur employee nor ur slave.....

Aditya had no words to say in his defense, he is completely wrong and this is the first time he reacted so impulsively, he badly wanted Priya to be wrong, he knew he liked her and he wanted a reason to avoid her and in that urge, he did a grave mistake.....

Samrat - that's all I wanted to say Bhai... It doesn't matter if u get convinced or not because she is never going to talk to me again, and about u, I'm sure she doesn't ever see ur face, she is very good at heart, she forgives anyone and everyone even though they hurt her but she never lets anyone hurt her self-respect, because she knows that she couldn't forgive them if they do so... Well, y am I saying this to u.... It's not like u r going to ask her forgiveness, hell y will u ask sorry to a middle-class cheap girl like her... Am I right Bhai??

Aditya looked at Samrat with pure guilt in his eyes, this is the first time Aditya felt guilty for hurting someone's self-respect and Samrat knew this but he didn't care.... He is very upset with his brother for doing that to his Shree di, the girl who stood beside him during his odd times, helped him in every step, guided him, and took care of him like he is her own brother.....

Aditya(fumbles) - what should I do now??

Samrat - the same which u r doing before I came here.... Go back to ur work Bhai...

Aditya - Samrat.... U know what I'm asking....

Samrat - what can u do for the damage u have done?? She would never forget that incident, it's very difficult for a girl like her to forget ur insults Bhai.... U throw words like swords..... But only to the people whom u hate... And till today, ur assumptions about people never went wrong and so ur words are justified but today the great Aditya Deewan failed in judging a girl..... Anyways good night, I'm going to Mumbai tomorrow....

Aditya - y so suddenly?? U came here to stay right??

Samrat - I came here to stay with u as well as catch up on our old times with Shree di but thanks to u.... That won't happen ever.... And about u, I don't feel like spending time with u anymore.....

Saying this Samrat leaves the study and goes to his room leaving his brother in a pool of guilt.....

Aditya worked all night, he didn't sleep as he knew he gets Priya in his dreams which has become a daily activity these days, and to be Frank he is afraid to even face her in his dreams..... He doesn't want to see hatred for him in those innocent and beautiful eyes...

Samrat went to the gym for working out, but he didn't find Aditya there which surprised him, Aditya rarely missed his workout...

Aditya fell asleep in the early hours on his study table itself, he woke up with his phone buzzing, rubbed the sleep off his eyes, and took the call....

Aditya - yes dad....

Ritesh - how r u, Adi.....

Aditya(frowns) - I'm fine dad, and please call me Aditya.... Well, why did u call me early in the morning ??

Ritesh - to check on u Aditya... U didn't call me in the past few days....

Aditya(tired tone) - just busy with work dad....

Ritesh(sighs) - just ask sorry from her and end ur guilt son.....

Aditya(shocked) - dad.... U... How do u know??

Ritesh - Priya told me....

Aditya(shouts with shock) - what ??

Ritesh(smiles) - don't shout Aditya... Ur brother told me obviously....

Aditya - oh.... So Samrat complained about his elder brother....

Ritesh - of course not.... I called him yesterday night, he sounded low, he said that he would be back by the next day, when asked the reason he told me what all happened, he was blaming himself for what all happened to Priya..... But I convinced him not to think like that and to stay there for a few more days.....

Aditya - thanks dad, I needed time to set the things right between me and Samrat...

Ritesh - u think they would get fine till Priya forgives u....

Aditya - I will send a sorry card and a bouquet to her.....

Ritesh - u still didn't understand the depth of the situation..... Do u ?? Anyways I gotta go, see u soon son...

Aditya - bye dad....

Aditya hangs up and calls his assistant to send a sorry card and bouquet to Priya's flat..... He knows how big his mistake is but his ego came in between to accept his fault...

Priya gets up and gets ready for the office, she thinks to visit Arun at the hospital before going to the office....

She visits the hospital and his family thanks her for whatever she has done..... They tell that they would transfer the money to her soon..... But she tells them there is no hurry they can return her later too, she asked them to take care of Arun and his medication first..... They thanked her again..... And she left to her office....

At her flat, pooja opens the door to find a person holding a card and a big bouquet.... She had an idea but wanted to confirm and she fumed in anger when she got the confirmation but didn't react... She thought that it was Priya's right to do anything with that, Aditya's man directly came to deliver the sorry card but on finding another girl, he called Aditya and Aditya asked him to deliver it to her office.....

Aditya's man went to Priya's office to deliver it, luckily he found Priya at the entrance gate itself....

Aditya's man - ma'am sir asked to deliver this to u..... Please accept it....

She didn't even touch the bouquet but took the sorry card..... And opened it...

"I am sorry - Aditya" is written on it...

Tears rolled down her eyes but she wiped them, She immediately handed the card to that man, went inside and returned with 3 big chocolates and a note....

Priya - please give it to ur sir, and I don't want all this....

Saying this she rushed inside.....

Aditya received back the bouquet and the card.... He Somewhere knew that this would happen... His man also handed him the note and chocolates Priya gave him.....

He waved his man off and opened the letter....

"Mr.Deewan, these are the Raksha Bandhan gifts I received from ur brother, I am returning it to u, I want NOTHING from u, I got to know that Pooja called Samrat last night, I didn't know it, I'm so sorry, it would never happen again, tell Samrat that I'm sorry, I couldn't keep my promise"

- Priya Anand Sarma

Aditya hated himself for the first time, without any harsh words or any taunts this woman made him feel so low about himself..... He thought to approach her himself.... He by then got to know that she is a hard nut to crack..... After trying a lot he could concentrate on his work....

He has a very important meeting with the Chief Ministers about the project, so he got all ready for the meeting....

Priya came back from the office a little earlier as she is not feeling well...., she sat on the couch and switched on the tv

She saw her cousin Anupama coming out from the kitchen, she is surprised to see her....

Priya - Akka(di/elder sister), what r u doing here ??

Anupama (Priya's sister) - wanted to see u so came... Well, those two duffers are also there....

Priya(happy) - where??

Anupama - in ur room, sleeping on your bed....

Priya - oh no... Pooja will kill them if she gets to know.....

Anupama - don't worry, She knows, she only called me and told me what happened yesterday.....

Priya's smile vanished and the gloomy look is back on her face...Anupama came towards her and held her shoulders....

Anupama - don't care about his words Priya..... He didn't know u, I always keep on telling u not to care about people's words, they speak anything and everything just because they have tongue...

Priya - but, it's hard for me Akka, u know how I am....

Anupama - I know and that's y I am telling, change now, it's not too late.... The world is cruel, they won't let u live if u r this good and innocent....

Priya(strongly yet softly) - I won't eat grass just because everyone is.... I won't change Akka, I will live in the way my parents taught me....

Anupama - huh... Okay... Anyways come let's eat something, after that we can wake those two donkeys.... They already had their food....

Priya nods and both the sisters start having their food, and pooja joins them after she returns from her work.....

Priya - sorry about them pooja, I'll wake them up...

(Pooja doesn't like anyone sleeping on her bed, she allows only Priya, so if Priya's sister comes, she sleeps on Priya's side)

Pooja - it's okay Priya, for today I will sleep in the guest room

Priya - but we don't have a bed in that room....

Pooja - it's okay I will adjust there for today.... U and ur cousins sleep in the master bedroom....

Anupama - there is no need for that as we r not staying for the night....

Priya - what but y akka....

Anupama - because we r going out, and u r coming with us....

Priya - u know I won't come to the pub....

Anupama - we know baba... Even Siddharth won't come there and we are not going there.... So chill....

Siddharth and Rahul are Priya's cousins...

{Siddharth is Priya's mavaya's(mama/mother's brother) son and Rahul is Priya's pinni's(mausi, mother's younger sister)son, and Anupama is Priya's peddama's(mausi, mother's elder sister)daughter, so technically, Rahul is Priya's brother but Sidharth is not, in South mostly in Andhra girls can get married to their mama's or bua's sons, I mean they can't be considered as brothers....}

Priya - then where are we going ??

Rahul - drive in....

Rahul comes out rubbing his eyes...

Priya - huh... Slept well bro??

Rahul - yes Akka.... today we'll rock...

Priya(smiles) - sure...

Rahul - pooja Akka(di) y don't u join us??

Pooja(shooks her head immediately) - no no I'm fine u guys carry on...

Priya knows that Pooja is not comfortable with people, she is very reserved, so she didn't force her(pooja) to join them....

Priya - okay then just give me 5 min, I'll go and just wash my face....

Anupama - yeah go, while coming just wake that donkey up....

Priya(smiles) - okay.....

Priya goes and freshens up, and goes to wake up Siddharth.....

Priya - siddu, wake up.... Siddu...Siddu please wake up...

Sidharth opened his eyes and saw Priya.... He immediately frowned at her....

Siddharth - Priyu... Where is ur bindi??

Priya checked her forehead and realized that she didn't put bindi, she went to her dressing table and applied it....

(It's their culture that the woman should put bindi and it's compulsory but none of her cousins follow it except Priya, she loves to follow her culture as well as respects other cultures)Priya turned to Siddharth and showed it to him...

Priya - okay now...

Siddharth(smiles) - yes.....

Saying this he goes to fresh up and comes out after 10 minutes. He sits on the couch and puts on a news channel and Rahul joins him leaving the girls to wind up the work....

Suddenly Priya gasps seeing at the TV screen followed by Pooja....

It's Aditya talking to a reporter followed by the Chief Ministers of both the states...Aditya hardly spoke two to three sentences and left....

Both the chief ministers said that they are lucky to have the Dewan branches here, they are happy that Dewans are taking the responsibility of development in the newly formed States, they praised Sakshi Deewan and Raghav Dewan and especially Aditya Dewan for making the whole country proud.....

Pooja - he is the same Aditya.....

All the three cousins are shocked....

Siddharth - u mean the man who had hurt Priya is The Aditya Deewan ??

Rahul - wow Akka, Samrat Dewan is ur friend.... I mean they are the richest and famous people in the country.... And u know them....

Priya(painfully) - not anymore....

Siddharth understands her pain....

Siddharth - it doesn't matter who they are..... They shouldn't matter to us... No one should take their name from now....Am I clear??

Rahul(pissed off) - y do u boss around people....

Anupama - he is right Rahul.... Ok, guys let's leave now.....

All four go to the drive-in and enjoy it for a while... And after that, they go to gokarting...

All three are trying hard to divert Priya and they are successful to some extent.....

Aditya went to Priya's flat and pooja opened the door... She is shocked to find Aditya.... After getting to know Aditya's identity, it slightly shocked her as he didn't seem to be like that.... He didn't show any arrogance when she met him the other two times, but she hated him for hurting Priya, still, she maintained her calm, she doesn't want to create problems for Priya or herself by behaving rudely with Aditya as by now she had an idea of what he is capable of....

Pooja(calmly) - yes Mr. Deewan??

Aditya - I need to talk to Priya.... Can u call her ??

Pooja - she went out....

Aditya(panicked) - at this time?? It's half past 12....anyways where did she go??

Pooja is amused by his reaction.....

Pooja - I don't know... And she is with her cousins....

Aditya repeated himself....

Aditya - where did she go ??

Pooja(lied) - I don't know....

Aditya understood that she is lying but didn't want to force her... So he nodded at her and left the place asking his security team to trace Priya's number....

He got to know her location and asked the driver to go there..... He is determined to get Priya's forgiveness....

All the four cousins came out after enjoying the ride.... They were walking on the road passing some comments on their relatives who are conservative.... And as usual, Priya asked them to stop... But they are her cousins, who is she kidding, they would never stop their comments and finally, she too gave in and laughed with them but never commented anyone.....

Aditya spotted them.... He frowned looking at the two boys walking on either side of Priya.....

He put the translator device in his ear and got down the car and started walking behind them without getting noticed.... He felt like a typical stalker but didn't care, the only thing he wanted is to know about Priya's relationship with the two boys....

Siddharth seeing the sugar candy stopped and ordered 3 sugar Candys.....

Priya opened her wallet to pay but Siddharth bet her.... They took the Candys and Priya gave two to Anupama and Rahul as they were walking a head of them.....

Priya and Siddharth started walking behind as Siddharth had something to talk with Priya.....

Priya having her sugar candy says....

Priya - I should have paid na siddu.....

Siddharth(pissed off) - So what if I paid Priyu....

Aditya is listening to everything, he got angry with how Siddharth called her Priyu instead of Priya and how she called him Siddhu.....he figured out that they both are close to each other....

Priya - nothing happened, but u know me.... I don't like anyone paying for me....

Siddharth - but u take from Vivek, Tejaswi, atta, and mavayya(bua/aunt and phupha/uncle) don't u??

Priya - they are my family.... I mean....

Siddharth(hurt) - then who am I??

Priya holding his arm.....

Priya - u r my family too.... And I'm sorry... It's just I am not over the shock I received yesterday..... So I behaved like that....

Siddharth - stupid.... Never think about that.... That man doesn't know u... That's y he said all those things.... But we all know u... And the way u are raised.... We are ur cousins..... U can take our money... It's urs too.... And it's not like u don't pay for us.... Even u spend for us, don't u??

Priya nodded....

Siddharth - Priya.... What did u think of doing now ?? Samrat ??

Priya(hiding her tears) - what's there to think about him??

Siddharth - u're really going to break ur relation with him ??

Priya - u think I have a choice Siddu...

Siddharth - but u told that his brother sent u a sorry card....

Priya (tears dropping from her eyes) - doesn't matter siddhu, because Mr. Deewan didn't mean it, he may be asking that for Samrat's sake, u know how Samrat gets when someone talks ill about me... Well even if he means it, I don't care, I couldn't forget his venom-filled voice when he threatened me about destroying my family, and that man is really capable of doing so, I don't want my family to suffer, I am never going to see him again and moreover Samrat understands me, it's not like there is no one for him, he has his brother, sister and his whole family with him...

Siddharth - but having u beside is different, u r the only one who knows his interests and supported him, now what would Samrat do?? he has no one to share his feelings....

Priya - maybe in this way, he will open up to his brother, and Mr.Aditya Deewan seems like a matured person, he will understand his brother and supports him....

Aditya who is listening to their talks got surprised hearing her, he first felt bad knowing the effect of his words on her, but he is bewildered now, she is actually talking good about him even after what he did to her, he wondered what his brother is hiding from him, when he started following them, he felt ill, as he is not at all like that, but now it's all worth it as he got to know about Priya's real opinion about him.....

Siddharth - This is what I like the most about u....ur innocence and ur beautiful heart which always searches for something good in everyone....

Priya(smiles) - and this is what I like the most in u.... Everyone asks me to change my way of thinking as I only get pain from it.... Including Amma.... But only u and nanna(papa) support me and not for once asked me to change my ways....

Siddharth - u can't blame ur amma Priya, she had seen ur father getting hurt for being good to everyone, she is more hurt than him and u're exactly like him, so she is worried for u.... Our parents can bear any pain but when it comes to their children, they always wanted to protect them.... And attai(bua)is doing the same

Priya nods....

Siddharth - but frankly speaking I won't agree with ur statement.... "Mr.Aditya Deewan being mature and all" if he is so mature then y did he behave like that with u, like really!, of all the people he had to insult only u..... When u r nothing like that.....

Priya(softly) - siddu, u can't decide a person's character by one incident, yes he did bad to me, in fact very bad but I won't judge him by that one incident.... He behaved with me in that way because I'm an outsider, but we are talking about Samrat who is his brother, he won't think bad for his brother would he??

Siddharth - hmm yeah, maybe u r right?? Aren't u angry with him for whatever he did to u?? Till now u not for once cursed him....

Priya(hiding her pain and shruggs) - I'm angry with myself for getting into that situation Siddhu... And y would I be angry with him?? He is not related to me in any way.... If someone whom I love would have done that then I would get angry but his case is completely different, he is a stranger and most importantly he is no one to me.... So y would I be angry with him??

Aditya didn't like the way she called him a stranger, yes he did hurt her and he is at fault, he is rude and mean to her but definitely not a stranger, they might have met only three times but they had an unknown bond between them, it's not only felt by Aditya but Priya too, Priya felt something inside her whenever she looked at Aditya and he felt that.... Her calling him a stranger angered him but he controlled it as all this mess is the result of his anger only.....

Siddharth(seriously) - sare(okay) leave all that Priya, I wanted to tell u something, never ever let money come in between us, Even if u behave like that with our cousins I don't care but don't behave like that me...

Priya - and y is that so??

Siddharth(smirks) - because if everything is set, I will be ur husband and it's ur right to spend ur husband's money.....

She is shocked at his statement.... But Siddharth winks at her and runs and she runs behind him....

Priya(running behind him) - siddhu, I will kill u.... Idiot... stupid.....

Aditya who listened to their conversation froze at his place, he is shocked listening to Siddharth.... Priya thought it was a joke but he saw Siddharth's eyes filled with passion and he meant each word he told her.... And this thought didn't sit well with him.....Priya being someone's is not something he could accept, he got to know that by then.....

(Siddharth wanted to marry Priya as she has all the qualities he wanted, he had all that she wanted, so he is so sure that they both would eventually get married..... A few years back, when the cousins were playing truth or dare, Priya was asked to tell what all qualities she expects from her would-be husband and all she told is "firstly I want my nanna(dad) to like him and secondly, I should be his first in everything, he shouldn't have a past, that's all I want and thirdly, I want my husband to get along well with my brother as he would save me from my brother's beating" she stated funnily, and Siddharth is liked very much by her father, and he was never in relation with anyone as he always had his eyes on only Priya, but he never misbehaved or saw her in that way as he doesn't want to make any move until their marriage is fixed, he sees Priya as a cousin for now...and lastly Siddharth has a very good rapport with Vivek(Priya's brother)

Aditya is in no mood to talk to her or apologize to her as he got upset with Siddharth and Priya's closeness.... So he simply walked back to his car and asked the driver to drive away.....