SECOND CHANCE (Chapter 34)

Hey everybody….. I’m back after a long break. I know I haven’t updated the story from almost past 4 months and I’m really sorry for the delay. Actually I was really busy with my xms and stuffs. And when I was free from all these I was too lazy enough to pen down anything…..?
Hope you all haven’t forgotten about the plot, if yes then no problem…..
Here is the link to previous chapters:

Previous chapters
So, here goes the next chappy….. Hope this ain’t as boring as I had expected……. Happy reading….

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Sanskaar was standing at his balcony, clutching on to its railing, with his eyes closed. The cool breeze of the night touched him, giving a temporary relief to his soul. Tanish entered his room calling out for him, breaking his reverie. Sanskaar immediately turned towards Tanish who was having a serious expression. Both were soon seated on the couch inside the room.

T: Sanky, I enquired at the college where Ragini studied in London…

S: And what did you find out?

T: Our doubt was correct. Laksh studied at the same college.

S(waving his hand in air making a fist): I knew it.

T: Actually, both Ragini and Laksh were in a relationship and were one of the most popular couple. But then no one knows anything about their breakup or anything.
Both left the college after their first year.

S: I remember Rago telling me that she was in love with someone and he was only behind her money. At that time I didn’t bothered much to know further details about it and left the topic there itself.

T: Maybe she was talking about Laksh.

S: Hmmm. Maybe. But if he was after her money, then why is he with her now, hiding her identity?

T: Anyways, I had been informed that after he left college he returned to NY, where his family stayed. He kind of isolated himself and after his father’s death he took over their business.
Since he remained reserved from the media, no-one knows much about his personal life….
And the thing that is interesting is, he shifted to Austria almost 5 years back. Almost at same time Rago met with the accident.

S: Do you mean to say Laksh has something to do with the accident.

T: Well…. I don’t know. Maybe, just maybe…
Anyways I’ll leave now, Nayna would be waiting. We will think of something soon.

He gets upto leave and moves towards the door but stops and turns.

T: Sanky, have you informed Shekhar uncle and Janki aunty?

S: Hmmm. They would be reaching here by tomorrow morning.

T: ohh. Ok then, I’ll make a move. Take care.

S: Ya. Bye.

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Next Day

Ragini was sitting in her room deeply immersed in her thoughts. Laksh comes in just then and sees her lost. He moved towards her and sat beside her on the bed and held her hands. Ragini jerked and looked at him, then faked a smile and kept her head on his shoulder.

L: what happened Rags? Why do you seem tensed?

R: nothing Lucky, bas aise hi.
(After a pause) Lucky, can I ask you something???

L: hmmm. Bolo

R: Are you sure, this is the first time I’m visiting India?

Laksh was initially startled but then composed himself without being noticed.

L: ya. Vaise, why do you feel like that?

R: I don’t know. Everything here seems so familiar. It feels like I had been here before.
(After a pause) Lucky​, do you remember, I used to get these weird dreams of a couple at some unknown places, and I was never able to see their faces?? (Laksh nods). Well, I could relate those to some places here…..
Everything feels like a jigsaw. And whenever I think about all these, I’m only getting some blur images and also severe headache..

L: Rags, see it may just be a coincidence. Don’t stress yourself thinking of it. Just let these thoughts out of your mind. You know na, that it’s not good for you to stress your brain. It may cause you harm.
(cupping her face) I had almost lost you once, I don’t​ want to loose you again. Now, stop thinking about all these and cheer up. I Love you.

R(smiles​): Love you too.

Laksh leaves the room and Ragini smiles and goes to freshen up.

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@ Laksh’s room

Laksh was pacing along the lengths of his room, looking hell angry with bloodshot eyes and frustrated look on his face.

L: Arghh!! Despite all my tries, Sanskaar and Ragini are coming closer. I had done so much to separate them​, though the brake failure of Sanskaar’s car was not​ ment for Ragini, but then even that helped in a way and when everything is going as I wanted, I can’t let whatever I had done get ruined.
I should not let them come closer anymore. I will have to keep them away without letting them have any doubts.

Laksh was continuously blabbering that he was literally startled when he heard a knock on his door. He immediately turned and to his biggest horror, there stood Sanskaar. Laksh immediately schooled his expressions and tried acting calm, by the time Sanskaar entered into the room.

L: Sanskaar, you here, this early morning. Is there anything important?

S: No. Nothing like that. I just came to invite you people for dinner​ tonight at my house. I thought of inviting you in the morning itself so that you don’t make any other plans for tonight.

L: oh….

S: vaise, why do you look stressed? Is there something wrong? Maybe I could help.

L: It’s just nothing. I’m fine. Just some work pressure.

S: ok. And both of you don’t forget to come for dinner. I’ll just tell this to Ragidha and leave (turns to go).

L: NO. I mean, I’ll inform her. She is still sleeping. Voh…Actually…… ha…. she slept really late yesterday.

S: ohhh… Ok then, I’ll make a move. Meet you in the evening. Bye.

L: Ya sure. Bye.

Sanskaar leaves and Laksh heaves a sigh of relief.

L: oh god, what if he had heard what I spoke. No Lucky, if he had then he wouldn’t have remained unaffected.
I should be more careful for the next few days till we go back.

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@ Airport

Shekar and Janki came out of the airport and scanned around the place till their eyes landed on Sanskaar and started moving towards him. They both were looking dull and the that always used to play on their lips had seem to had gone on a vacation from a very long time and their eyes deprived of any happiness. Soon Sanskaar also spotted them and headed towards them. He hugged both of them.

SG: Sanskaar, why did you want both of us to come to India as soon as possible?? You know na, that after all what had happened we had never been here and would not have come even now, if it wasn’t for you.

S: I know dad, and trust me this is really important. We can’t talk about it right here. First we will go home and then I’ll tell you everything. It’d a delicate matter.

JG: It’s ok beta. Now come, let’s leave.

They then drove to Sanskaar’s house.

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@ Sanskaar’s Mansion

Sanskaar, Shekar and Janki was sitting on the sofa. Shekar looked seemingly filled with a mixture of emotions. His face clearly depicted his anger, sorrow, happiness and what not. Janki was shedding silent tears but her eyes also portrayed a kind of long lost happiness.

SG: How dare he? How dare that bast*rd try to harm my princess? He…he made a fool out of every one of us. He will have to pay for separating Ragini from us.

JG: Shekar calm down. This is not the right way to react. We can’t risk her life again Shekar, not when we know that we could get her back.

S: Haan dad, mumma is right. Rago trusts Laksh more than anything. We can’t take any decisions in a haste. This is our last chance and we can’t let it go.

SG(heaving a sigh): Fine.

S: Mumma, dad, we need to be very much carefully around the both of them. Laksh shouldn’t get any doubts that we know everything. For the time being we should behave with Ragini as if she is Ragidha.

JG(sobbing): I don’t know Sanskaar, how I will be able to control myself, afterall I’m her mother.

Sanskaar immediately hugs her consoling her burning heart. He then breaks the hug and hold both her palms in his.

S: Mumma, you shouldn’t be crying. Instead you should be strong. All this is for our Ragini right? We could do atleast this much for her, so that she be with us forever.
Now enough of both of your emotional athyachaar, now smile and let’s have a group hug.

The trio had a group hug, with all the three having a hope of getting their lost treasure back. But also engulfing them was the fear of loosing it again.

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@ Evening

Laksh and Ragini were coming out of their house, locking the door when Laksh’s phone rang.
After attending the call he seemed tensed and miffed.

R: what happened Lucky?? Who was on the call?

L: It was from the clients. They said they wanted to meet me now if I was free and that it would take most probably just 3 hrs. And I clearly denied them.

R: But why?

L: Because I don’t want you to go there alone. (Ragini gives him a confused look). Ah… I mean, you may feel lonely there, I wanted to accompany you throughout.

R: No, Lucky you should go. I don’t like it when you neglecte your work for me. And don’t worry, Sanskaar would be there na, so I won’t be lonely. And even Naynish would be there.
And also, its just the matter of 3 hrs. You just don’t worry and get going.

L(in his mind): vahi toh mera problem hai. I don’t want you to be around them, that too alone. What if….. What if that Sanskaar try to know more about her.

R: Lucky, where are you lost???

L: Ah… nowhere. But Rags…

R: No but vut… I don’t want any excuses. Now get going.

L(sighing): Fine. I’ll inform them. I can never win over you.

R(smiling): never ever.

Laksh then makes the call informing his clients about his approval for the meeting.
Raglak then move towards Laksh’s car. They both hug each other and Ragini kissed his cheek after coming out from the hug.

L: I’ll try to come back as soon as possible. Bye

R: hmm. Bye.

Laksh then gets into his car and drove off while Ragini headed to Sanskaar’s house.

But unknown to both of them, Sanskaar who had came out saw the both of them hugging and Ragini kissing Laksh. He was deeply hurt seeing them thus and a tear tripped down his cheek and he closed his fist tight to control his flowing emotions. Not able to take it anymore, he immediately went in.

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Ragini was sitting on the sofa in Sanskaar’s living room while the servant went to fetch her master. Soon Sanskaar came down with a smile on his lips while his eyes clearly depicted it as fake. He then sat beside Ragini.

S: By the way Rago, where is Laksh? Haven’t he come?

R: Actually both of us were coming here together. But all of a sudden he got a call from his clients, and I asked him to go even while he was reluctant.
But don’t worry, he will reach by the time we serve dinner.
By the way where is Tanish and Nayna?

S: ohhh…. Ok.
Naynish would be coming any minute. Meanwhile, I want you to meet two people.

R: who?

Just then Shekar and Janki came down the stairs and saw Sanskaar talking with Ragini. They both stood numb at their spot with a turmoil of emotions running within them. The both were looking at Ragini without blinking their eyes as if they did so she may disappear. A tear dropped from Janki’s eye which she immediately wiped off and Shekar kept a hand on her shoulder soothing her.
That is when Sanskaar’s eyes landed on the duo and he turned to Ragini to introduce them to her.

S: Here they are. Ragidha, they are Ragini’s parents.

R(smiling): oh… Janki aunty and Shekar uncle, right.

Jankar comes towards Ragini with a heartwarming smile and Ragini introduced herself.

JG(caressing her face): you look exactly like my Ragini.

R(holding her hand): Aunty, we can never change what destiny has for us. It was all fate. You can consider me your daughter.

JG(smiling): but you should call us Mumma and dad, just like Ragini.

R: ok aunty, I mean Mumma.

Janki immediately hugged her and sobbed while a few tears escaped Ragini’s eyes, even before she realised.

Ragini couldn’t​ just express what she felt when Janki took her in her embrace. She felt warmth in her embrace, an unknown connection with both Janki and Shekar from​the time she saw them. It felt as if she was actually a part of their family.

Soon all of them were seated and were chatting, when Naynish too joined them.

JG: Accha, I’ll just have a check in the kitchen. And today I’ll make the sweet. How about gajar halwa.

R: oh my god, thats my fav…

JG: I know

R: huh??

JG: hmm… Nothing, I’ll back in sometime, you people carry on.

N: aunty, even I will join you.

R: and me.

SG: No princess, you stay here, we will talk.

R: ok dad.

They were talking, when Shekar shared some childhood memories of Ragini with them. While Ragini on the other hand was feeling as if she knew all these and she was experiencing a slight headache. Sanskaar saw her a bit uncomfortable.

S: Vaise Rago, I have never shown you my room till date na, come we will go there.
(Blinks at Shekar and Tanish who nodded in response)

R(smiling): ok.

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Ragini entered Sanskaar’s room and found it almost similar to hers, in Austria.

R(smiling): Sanskaar….. You know what, your room looks some what similar to mine. Most of these are what I would have preferred.

S: well, these are not……

R(cutting him): your but what Ragini might have preferred, right?

Sanskaar nodded.

He then showed her different things that connected him with Ragini and was telling her about all those.
By seeing all these Ragini was getting some blur images and her head started paining like hell. But she didn’t let Sanskaar notice it.

Finally, Sanskaar took out the crystal ball and forwarded​ it to her. As she held it, she noticed the small pic of ragsan in a heart shape.
Seeing it her head pained more and she immediately handed it back to Sanskaar and clutched her head tight to sooth her paining nerves.

Sanskaar kept the crystal ball aside and rushed towards her with concern and fear filling every drop of his blood. He made her sit on the bed and rubbed her back as she felt it difficult to breath and as he was about to get up to fetch water for her, she tightly held his hand preventing his movement. Soon Ragini felt her vision blacken and she fainted right in his arms.

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Pheww!!!! Finally done. Hope this ain’t boring.
Once again a big sorry for being late. I’ll​ finishing off this story as soon as possible, maybe within a few more chapters.
Me being the lazy freak, can’t assure you when I would be​ posting the next Chappy.
I’ll post it as soon as I finish penning it down.

See ya next time….
Till then, take care and stay blessed……