“Ragini be ready in the evening” Sanskar spoke as he was leaving to office. She looked at him confused. “Be ready” he went out with his bag. Ragini just stared in his direction lost. “Ragu…” Sujatha’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Ayi maa” she walked to the kitchen.
“Ragu what are you doing?” Sujata’s voice jerked Ragini who looked in the direction Sujata was signing. She was peeling the vegetables and peel she was putting inside the vessel and peeled veggies outside. She widened her eyes shocked and looked at Sujata apologetically and started cleaning the mess. Sujata held her hand and Ragini looked at her. “What happened?” her concerned voice broke all the barriers to her emotions. Ragini burst out crying and hugged Sujata tightly. Sujata looked at her worried.
“I don’t want to hurt him maa. But I can’t help it I just end up hurting him more” she spoke in a cracking voice. Sujata brought her out of the hug and cupped her face with one hand on her cheek. “Why do you hurt him then?” asked she. “I don’t know maa. It just happens without my will” she confused Sujata. “I can’t understand Ragu say it clearly” she stated. “I can’t explain it maa because I don’t understand it” she spoke looking down. “You love him?” Ragini looked up at Sujata instantly.
“But I…” said Ragini. Sujata pressed her hand which she was holding with her left hand. “There ain’t anything wrong in that. And many a times we have to do something or hide something from our loved ones for their own good. And you think it will hurt them. Of course it will hurt them. Every relationship has to go through this. You can’t avoid hurting someone but you can give them one thing which doesn’t depend on situation or time” Ragini looked at her confused. “Your love which will heal them and make them strong to tolerate the pain. Ya one disadvantage is that person will forget about it when they are hurt but the strength you give them without their knowledge will be with them to tackle it. And moreover love is not about counting the things you do for each other. It’s about just doing things for each other not counting them. Neki kar aur dariya me daal suna hai na(Do good and forget about it you have heard na) Just have faith on your love everything will be fine” she caressed Ragini’s cheek and kissed her forehead.
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“Oye question bank what happened to you?” Sanskar’s voice brought her out of her trance. She controlled her tears and looked at him. “How much ever you try. You can’t hide your emotions from me. Why do you even try?” he asked as he stopped the car. Her eyes turned glassy and eyebrows shrank. She burst out crying bitterly. Sanskar loosened his seat belt and neared her and cupped her face with one hand. “I’m sorry” she said resting her face on his palm. “Hey Ragu what happened to you. See I’m sorry I should not remind you all that. Ok ok I promise until you yourself want to share it with me I won’t ask you. I promise. But please don’t cry.
See you know na I can’t tolerate your tears” his cracking voice made her heart pain. She looked up at him and immediately hugged him. “You won’t go away from me na?” asked she. He held her back. “Mujhe Pagal Kutte ne Kata hai kya(Has any mad dog has bitten me?) where will I go?” he asked. “Was that even a joke Mr. Maheshwari?” she smiled a bit. “May be not but it made you smile” said he smiling. He dragged her out of the hug and wore his seat belt and continued driving.
“Why here?” she asked as they stood out of Gadodia Mansion. “You will know come” said he and forwarded his left hand. She looked at it and looked at him. He smiled nodding his head. “What if I can’t be always with you?” she asked him. “I don’t count the time when you are with me. You are with me that matters. And for the future. I don’t want to waste my present thinking about it if you are not going to be with me. I just want to live the moments happily when you are with me”his words touched her heart. She held his hand and walked with him with a wide smile on her face. Can anyone understand her better than him. No nobody can. He knew her every heart beat so well that even there were no words between them still communication was there between them. A magical bond between them which was difficult to understand.
“Happy Birthday” Everyone screamed as the lights turned on and glitter fell on Ragini as she stood at the door numb and shocked. She even forgot it was her birthday. “Oye dare you drop a tear now” said Sanskar when he sensed Ragini’s emotions. She looked at him and then at the people. “Maasi cake cutting time” said Piyu and dragged her to the table. She looked back at Sanskar who stood smiling at her. “How can you love me so much Sanskar. You forgave Swara for me. You reconciled me with my family for my happiness. You forgot everything for me. How will I hurt you? How will I?” she turned and walked to the table with the dilemma in her heart.
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“I love him” she stated determined. “Hey Juliet are you kidding me?” asked Rohan holding Ragini from her shoulders. “Do I look like?” asked she tears filling her eyes. “No” he gasped. “We are so near to our mission Ragini you cannot do that” someone spoke over the phone. “Stop making me a puppet in your hand. This mission has nothing to do with Sanskar. He is no where related to it and I can’t cheat him anymore” she collapsed on the floor. “You can’t back off like this. You know the consequences don’t you?” the voice spoke. “I very well know the consequences and I don’t care about them anymore” she wiped her tears and stood determined.
“I told you Rohan that day only she is diverting from our mission. Control her but no you never listen to me. For you your best friend is ultimate truth hai na?” Rohan bowed his head. “This is all your fault. In first place you shouldn’t have kidnapped Rohan and threatened Shona dee, I wouldn’t have interfered in this” Ragini spoke. “And don’t you know I did for Piyu’s security” asked the voice. “You could have told it to me initially we would have sorted it out” said Ragini. “Don’t argue like a small kid Ragini. Don’t you know I’m being watched by someone I can’t for that matter none of us directly can speak and discuss about it?” the voice spoke. Ragini had no reaction. Rohan looked at her confused. “What is running your mind blurt it out” the voice demanded.
“Sanskar has nothing to do with it and…” she paused. “And?” the voice spoke. “I love him and I will not stop loving him” said she determined. “Are you out of your mind? You know you will hurt him more if you confess your feelings to him. And what will you tell him then when he will blame you of cheating him in love?” the voice made Ragini think. “I don’t know all about that” in next moment she felt a slap across her cheek. “Shona dee” she looked at the person shocked. “When you had all this in your mind first thing you shouldn’t have planned all this. And now you are thinking about Sanskar and his pain. You want to tell him the truth now when we are just a step away from the culprit and spoil everything. Even put Piyu’s life in danger. Is this your love Ragini? So selfish.” she held Ragini’s shoulders. “And don’t you think I’m selfish when I’m using him and playing with his family and his emotions. Am I not selfish now?” asked she with redness covering her eyes. “I’m done dee. I’m totally done” she collapsed on the floor.
“One side it is my best friend and my husband and my love and on the other side my mission and Piyu’s life. I can’t decide dee. I can’t. However I try I will be selfish in either cases. I will be” she covered her face with her hands and sobbed. It looked like there was no barrier to her emotions which flew and flooded inside her like it will swipe away everything from her soul. Swara and Rohan looked at her painfully. “This revenge is getting on our nerves Rohan. I can’t see my sister like this” Swara sobbed in Rohan’s hold.
“Fine” the voice spoke. “I will let you live your life till the final stage of phase 2 starts. You have time till then. Remember two things. One is in any situation you cannot blurt out the truth. Second don’t confess him your feelings because it will cost you his life as I know him what will be his situation after phase two” the call got disconnected. Swara hugged Rohan and he patted her head trying to console her. Ragini was kneeling still tears flowing from her eyes and her vision blur.
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“Over your sissy and best friend talks?” asked Sanskar when Ragini sat beside him. She smiled at him weakly and turned her face but it was late as he had understood her emotions by then. He was about to speak but she kept her hand on his hand and held it tightly. It looked like she communicated all her worries to him. Sanskar paused and looked at her. Swara’s eyes turned glassy looking at them. “Control Swara” Rohan whispered. Swara wiped her tears and wore her smile back before anyone can notice.
“Ragu. Ragu” Adarsh clapped and stood in front of them and Ragini withdraw her hand from Sanskar’s hand and gave a weak smile to Adarsh. “I have written a poem for you” he said clapping his hand. Ragini smiled at him. “Recite AJ” said she. “Ok ok” said he and pulled a paper out of his pocket and started reciting the poem.
“Pari Pari in the sky.
See Ragu is by my side
She takes everything smiling
And she doesn’t know complaining
She is my superstar
And I’m her idiot duffer”
Everyone smiled and chuckled. Adarsh clapped his hands biting his lower lip. Ragini got up and hugged him and burst out crying bitterly. “She misses Pari so much” said Sujata to Sumi making Sanskar relax a bit when he was looking at her worried. Sumi smiled weakly at her and looked at Ragini. “It isn’t about Pari this time” Sumi thought looking at them. She understood something bothered Ragini and it was beyond her problems which she was facing. It might be a guilt or a fear she could not understand. Ragini was like other part of her heart like Janaki was and the way she knew Janaki she knew Ragini.
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“Are you okay Ghonchu?” Sanskar stood behind Ragini when she was removing her necklace. He held her hands and stopped her and removed the necklace and kissed her back and she closed her eyes shivering. “Sanskar” she whispered and he moved his lips over her skin and tickled her. She turned and hugged him immediately. “Please” said she pleading him. “As you wish your highness. After all I’m a clown anyways” said he in a painful voice and turned to walk. She held his and he turned looking at her. She dragged him and placed her lips on his lips and encircled her hands across his neck and he widened his eyes shocked. They both lost in each other for a moment. “You will hurt him more” Suddenly she heard a voice and opened her eyes shocked and jerked away from him. “I’m sorry” she looked down and tears flew from her eyes as she felt guilty of her act. He neared her and cupped her face and lifted it. But she was still staring the ground.
“Ragini” his pain filled voice brought a tornado in her heart and she looked at him and their pain reflected in each others eyes. “Will you be able to live without my confession Sanskar?” asked she. He looked at her confused. “I will never be able to tell you what I feel” she said and pecked his lips. He touched her forehead with his. “You never need to. I never needed your words to understand you.
I know I did not understand you when you were silent about our marriage. But trust me it was just my momentarily outburst but my heart always knew that you are not wrong. And now also and in future also I know you will not be wrong.” he smiled through his tears. She hugged him encircling her hands around his stomach. “If I ever go away from you?” she asked and he brought her out of the hug shocked. “I will never let it happen” said he holding her tightly. “But…” before she could speak he covered her mouth with his and they both moved to the bed.
“I know you will curse me for this Sanskar. I don’t want to give you pain but I end up giving you pain” a tear tripped from Ragini’s eye. Sanskar kissed her tear and whispered “Are you okay?” She smiled at him. He collapsed beside her and dragged her into a hug and she cuddled in his embrace. “I love you” he said as he kissed her forehead. She kissed his cheek and placed her head on his bare chest where his wild heart beat made her forget everything.
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“Sanskar stop it” she blushed when Sanskar kissed her cheek hugging her from back when she was standing in front of the mirror. “What to do Mrs Maheshwari you make me go crazy whenever I see you” He kissed her back on the love byte. “Sanskar” she moaned his name. “Hmmm ghonchu” said he in her ears. “you are getting late to office” she turned and pushed him. He stumbled and stood. He looked at her and smiled mischievously and held her wrist and dragged her near to him and she landed on his chest. “Leave na Sanskar” she said trying to get out of his hold when he encircled his hands around her waist. “On one condition” said he and kissed her cheek. She rubbed her cheek blushing.
“Tell me” said she looking at him with love in her eyes. “You are coming with me to London this weekend. My meeting will finish in 3 days and later for 5 days with my biwi” Ragini had a worried look. “Almost for a week?” asked she. “Hmmm” said he. “I can’t” said she. “Why?” he asked confused. “Wo actually Piyu’s school and all…” she tried reasoning. “Shh” he said placing his finger on her lips. She looked in his eyes. He pecked her lips and cupped her face. “I never ask you for an explanation Ragini because I trust you so much. No need of explanation. It’s okay if you don’t want to come. I will be back in three days” he kissed her forehead and walked out.
She stood numb. She knew the storm has landed and it is going to turn their lives upside down. And now at this stage Sanskar’s blind trust on her is going to hurt him only and so much that she can’t even imagine.
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Just two more chappies near to the end . And I will update next chappy next week only. Bye guys. Good or bad reviews are welcome.