Ragini and her husband (part-4)

So key points to remember in this story…

1. This story is happening around 1947’s the early days of independence.
2. The whole story happens in a small village.
3. Laksh and Ragini here are village persons. You have to imagine Laksh as a village boy with khadi shirt and dothi. Ragini in simple olden days half saree. Visit any old hindi movies to imagine them. I recommend, ‘mother India’ old movie.
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Links for the previous episodes.

Epi 1: part-1
Epi 2: part-2
Epi 3:part-3
Part 4:

Ragini reaches home later after serving lunch to Laksh.

Laksh reaches home at evening.
While he was washing his legs
(in olden days people used to enter house only after washing their legs outside)

Ragini calls “Laksh” and comes out. Laksh looks at her. Ragini is wearing a beautiful saree, she decorated herself prettily. Laksh stares at the beauty goddess in his simple hut. His gaze is disturbed only by her anklets sounds. Then he sets himself..

Laksh: what’s special Ragini?

Ragini: today is very auspicious day it seems. Let’s go to temple.

Laksh: then you go. Why me?

Ragini: oh Laksh! Wife and husband have to go together and do puja. Get ready fast.

Laksh again amazes with her words. They are wife and husband just on a purpose. On bonding with Ragini’s promise, he married her. And he asked promise just to save herself from landlord’s son. So, both don’t have any feelings on each other..! then, why she need to do these all..? Laksh thinks.

They both go to temple.

“If wife and husband come to temple today, they will be happy lifelong it seems.”
Says Ragini lighting deepas. Laksh remains silent. Ragini asks,. “what happened..?”

Laksh: Ragini…! Did you remember who we are?

She looks at him with those words.

Laksh: Ragini you are forgetting that we are not real couple. But you are behaving as if I’m your real husband. Did you remember that we have married on condition?

Ragini: Yes! (Looking down)

Laksh: So, you need not do this.

He goes away. Ragini looks on.

“It is may be truth. Laksh have forced Ragini to marry him..? he don’t love her. See how Laksh left her.” thinks some people looking at them.

Next afternoon,

Laksh will be thinking while doing some calculations in Jamindar’s office
“Did I say much to her? Did she hurt?”

Again a worker comes and says him that Ragini came with lunch. Laksh happily runs to her. She looks smilingly at him.

Laksh: Ragini you are here? I thought you were hurt.

Ragini: why I will hurt. Laksh, I did all of them because you have to be happy. You are the one who sacrificed your personal life for me. You are such a nice friend to mine. Can’t I do this small thing!

He feels happy.
Nikhil listens to their conversation secretly. “So, your marriage is acting. You are fooling everyone. I will teach you a lesson now!” he thinks and goes away.
Jamindar looks at Laksh and Ragini. “How lovely they both are.” He thinks.

When Laksh comes inside, Jamindar says, “Laksh, there is no work for tomorrow. So, you may not come tomorrow.”
Laksh says okay and leaves the place.

“Why did you give him leave tomorrow?” asks Jamindar’s wife.
“He is coming to work every day. He is not getting chance to spend with his wife. Let him enjoy for tomorrow.” He says.

When Laksh reaches home he sees Ragini is crying.
Laksh: Ragini…what’s wrong?

Ragini: nothing wrong! I’m just cutting the onions.
Laksh looks at the onions and laughs.

Ragini: Laksh! I know nothing about you. I just know that you are a nice boy and help everyone. What about your childhood? I have observed you don’t have many friends. But all the people treat you as their relative. Tell me Laksh, who are you?

Laksh goes and sits on steps. Ragini too sits beside him.

“Everyone knows about me. Even your parents know me. But it’s strange that you don’t know. But, I will tell you. I’m farmer Ram’s son. My father used to work in landlord’s farm.” says Laksh.

“You are Ram’s son. I know your story. That landlord has forcedly grabbed your land. And your father is made to work in that farm. But you were given less amount.” says Ragini.

“Yes. My parents did not bear the cheating done by landlord. So they…”
Laksh said and stopped.

“Laksh…” Ragini says and touches his hand. He continues, “Nobody has helped us. Even, Jamindar did not care. I was all alone since they left the world.”
There was a brief silence.

“Then why do you help these people who have never cared about your family? Don’t you have anger on landlord?” Ragini asks.

He says, “What I can do with that anger? Kill him? If I do so, his kids become orphans. My revenge shouldn’t suffer anyone. No one should be alone like me. No one helped us that day, so it happened. If someone has helped, my parents would have been saved. That’s why I keep on helping everyone.”

Ragini will be looking at him as long he says. Laksh looks at her and she removes her eyes from him.

Laksh: hey, you know. Our kind Jamindar gave me leave tomorrow. I can take rest in home.

Ragini: yes, take rest Laksh. You really work hard every day. And, i promise.. i will take care for you ever..!!
Laksh smiles with her words. Ragini goes inside. He sleeps outside.

Next morning,

Laksh who was sleeping outside wakes up and sees doors of house are open. Ragini is also nowhere. He goes inside the house and sees a letter among his clothes. He takes and reads it. It is from Ragini.
“Dear Laksh! My life is waste without having your love. How a girl can’t love a hero like you. Accept me. From today, this girl is yours. I will bring white flowers now. Put them in my head and accept me.”

It was in that letter. Laksh gets angry reading it. ‘How could you think like this Ragini! You say that we are friends, but you have different intentions’ he thinks.

Then only Ragini comes home. She is holding a basket in which there are white flowers. “Laksh see…” while she is about to say something,

Laksh: I have never expected this from you.

Ragini: what?

Laksh: Ragini, I need not repeat anything. You know what you did.

Ragini: what did I do?

Laksh: if you want me or love me you could have said it directly. Why to act like this? Why you have to tie me with promise. Why to say lies that you feel me as a friend?

Ragini: why are you telling like that?

Laksh: you simply wanted me, for that you have rejected all the marriages.

She shocks with his words.

Laksh: bringing lunch for me, doing all these things for me is to attract me. Is that not true? Why did you bring these white flowers? Tell me!

Ragini rubs tears in her eyes.

Ragini: Is this is what you all understood about me?
She asks. He remains calm.

She throws that flowers basket there itself and runs away from there. Neighbours will see their whole scene.
“Yes..!! this Laksh is really hating Ragini. They both don’t love each other. Poor Ragini..!”
They thinks.

Ragini runs and comes to her house. On the way everyone will see her. Her parents amaze to see her.

“Dear, is everything all right? Why did you come suddenly? Did Laksh say something?” asks Sharmista.

Ragini: oh no mom! I just wanted to see you, so, I came.

Shekar: tell the truth. I feel like Laksh has did something wrong with you.

Outside some ladies will be talking.
One: see Ragini came home.

Two: I just amazed that she has married. But as I expected, she might have fought with her husband.

Three: yes! Marriage, husband these kinds of words don’t suit her.

One: Yes… it was just third day of their marriage. She couldn’t stand for three days.

Three: then, how she can lead throughout life?

Her parents look at her.

Meanwhile, a girl comes to Laksh’s house calling, “Ragini! Oh Ragini!”

He looks her.
She asks, “Where is Ragini? I have said her white flowers have bloomed. So, she can take them.” and she looks at the thrown flowers.
“Why did she throw them like this? She likes these flowers very much. That’s why today morning she came to pluck them.”

Laksh amazes and asks, “Did she bring flowers for her? Not for me?”

That girl laughs and says, “Do men wear flowers? Why she will bring for you?”

He says, “But she wrote in letter…”

“Wrote in letter..? She doesn’t know reading or writing. She is not educated. She used to run away from school to home. So she never learned anything!” she says and goes away.

Laksh then surprises. “That means that was not written by Ragini. Then who did it?”

Then only one man comes and tells him that Jamindar has called him to racha banda in dealing the case that was against him. Laksh surprised what did he do..?

Meanwhile in Ragini’s home,

Sharmista: now say, it was your fault? You fought with Laksh?

Shekar: you have to adjust instead of quarrelling.

Ragini loses her patience with their words.
“If you don’t like to stay of me here, fine! I’m going.” Says Ragini and comes out.

Then only all the people will be running to racha banda. “Jamindar is going to question Laksh.” Everyone will be discussing.

Ragini too runs there listening to it.

On racha banda, Jamindar questions Laksh,
“People are telling that you have forced Ragini to marry you. It is really crime to force any lady in this village. Did you do like that? If so, you are eligible to punishment.” says Jamindar.

Then Laksh remembers that he has promised Ragini that he will marry her. But, he knows that saying this truth will affect Ragini’s character. So, Laksh remains calm.

Laksh: if there is nothing to prove my innocence then you can punish me. Whatever village people are thinking may be the truth according to them.

Jamindar: Don’t be stubborn. Tell me correctly that you have forced her or not. No one can say lies before the justice stage. Speak the truth.

“I will tell the truth.” Says Ragini and comes forward.
Everyone looks at her. Laksh sees her amazingly.

Jamindar: tell it loudly my child! You need not afraid of anyone. Did this man threaten you?

Then Ragini smiles and says,
“Respected Jamindar! First please slap the person who said like that. I don’t know how this rumour got spread in the village. But, Laksh never forced me to marry him. It is me who has asked him. No, begged him to marry me.”

Everyone amazes and talks silently in them.
Jamindar: but, why did you ask him? What is the need for you? You were about to get ready to marry landlord’s son.

Ragini: but I never liked him sir! I liked only Laksh. And I wanted to marry Laksh.

Everyone, even Laksh amazes with her words.
Jamindar: But why do you love him? What is there in him? He is not rich. He is just a gumasta(accountant). But you are a daughter of a business man.

Ragini: Which girl doesn’t like a person like Laksh? He is poor, but kind by heart. He is gumasta, but a hero. He has nothing, but he can do anything. His eyes are enough to fill them in heart.

Laksh really gets amazed with her words.
Jamindar: But, you never talked with that boy. How did you love him ever?

Ragini: How did Rukmini loved Krishna without talking to him. In the same way I did.

Everyone gets touched with her words.

Jamindar: So, this case is just a misunderstanding. I request the village people not to believe any rumours. I release Laksh for his innocence.

Everyone cheers.

“Wait a Minuit Jamindar!” everyone listens to a hard voice. It is Sahil. He returned from city.

“If this girl really loved that boy, ask her to explain why did they both fight today morning as same as yesterday evening.” Sahil asks.

Ragini: Jamindar garu, small clashes and fights are common between couple. My parents also fight like that sometime. I guess, even you too fight.

Jamindar laughs.
Ragini: this is known only to the married people. How can the kid like Sahil know about this?

Sahil gets angry with her words.
Rest all laughs.
Jamindar: So, the matter is clear. Laksh, Ragini you are the nice pair. May god bless you both. You may go now.

Laksh and Ragini will leave the place.

While they are walking both are silent.

‘She said that she loves me. Is that true? But no one can lie on racha banda. That means….’ Laksh thinks.

Ragini says out: don’t think that I love you. I just said like that because to save you. I can’t reveal that you have married me on my promise. People may think badly about us.

Laksh: But how can you say lies on racha banda.

Ragini: I don’t have another option to save you. I can’t betray you because you misunderstood me.

Laksh comes in front of her and says,
“I’m sorry for that. I have really misunderstood you. I just believed this letter.” and shows the letter.

Ragini: What is written in this? What is this letter?

Then Laksh says everything.
Ragini: that means someone is observing us all the time and they are doing it. Who might be it?

Laksh: Whoever it is, I’m not going to leave that person.

She remains calm.
He says again, “Ragini, I’m extremely sorry for what I said.”

But she moves away silently.

Night…

Ragini sat outside of the house near the pool. She is looking at the ducks and the moon’s reflection. Laksh comes near her.

Laksh asks: hmm, what are you doing Ragini.. oh, Ragini..!!

Ragini answers sarcastic: counting the stars in sky..!

Laksh: haha, it is even impossible for this great accountant in this village..!

Ragini: you need not humiliate my illiteracy like that..!

Ragini is about to go away in anger, Laksh holds her hand.

“What can I say more than sorry Ragini? I know that I have insulted you much, saying that this on you..! I’m a lonely man. I don’t know how to behave and talk. Especially with girls. Why can’t you excuse me?” Laksh tries to convince her.

But Ragni is silence still.

“I guess even your parents also never made you cry. But I did it.”
Ragini looks at him with his words.

“It’s already night. Go and sleep inside.” Laskh says.

“It is yours house. I can’t enter into it.” Ragni says stubbornly.

“Ragini, don’t say like that.”

“I know what to do. Leave me alone.”

“You are much stubborn” Laksh says and goes to sleep.

He will be looking at Ragini while he is sleeping. Ragini looks at him when he closes his eyes. She has unknown strange feelings in her eyes for him.

To be continued…

Precap: Laksh to fall in Ragini’s love. And what about Ragini..?

Meanings of words:

Racha banda: the stage of justice( term of ancient south india)
Jamindar: Village head.
Gumasta: accountant
Bhu swami: landlord.

{yes, yes..! i have said i will come after many days. But, reading.. studying..! i was bored and came here. Hope you all liked this part. }