“shh shh” Ragini turned when she heard a sound towards the window. “Lucky” she whispered and walked to the window. He climbed up the window and landed in her room and she took him by surprise as she hugged him. “Hey princess what happened?” he dragged her out of the hug and cupped her face. She looked into his eyes and stretched her arm backward pointing toward the bed. Laksh looked at her confused and followed her stretched arm.
“Neha” his eyes widened in realization. “What is she doing here?” he asked as he walked to the bed. “I don’t know” said Ragini walking behind him. “Don’t tell me she landed in your room just like that” he said standing near the bed.
“I…” Ragini remembered something. “Arrey haa. Karan had called me saying that he found a girl when he was returning home. I think the girl he mentioned was Neha. And I had told him to drop her here as he could not take her home” said Ragini and sat beside Neha.
Her hands moved to caress her head but she stopped it and dragged it back. “She is your Bua’s daughter Ragu” Laksh placed his hand on her shoulder standing behind her.
She turned and hugged him. “She is also his daughter Lucky” said she as she sobbed. He brought her out of the hug and knelt in front of her. As he wiped her tears she smiled with glitter in her eyes.
“Life is how you are looking at it. Not how it looks like” he spoke looking into her eyes. Their eye lock broke when Neha moved a bit and hugged Ragini. “And how far will you run from these relationships. They will never leave you” said he smiling when Ragini was looking at Neha who was sleeping innocently.
He forwarded his palm. She looked at him confused. He blinked his eyes assuring her. One blink of his was enough to make her believe him for all her life. She smiled and placed her palm on his palm. Before he could drag her she stopped him holding his hand and he looked at her.
She signed him towards Neha who was in deep slumber. As he carefully removed Neha’s hand and released Ragini from her hold the smile on her face widened.
He bent on his knees and Ragini asked “What are you doing?” “Lighting the candles Budhu can’t you see?” asked he. She giggled a bit. “Don’t tell me you hit your head somewhere HK. There are no candles” she said and he stood up and acted like dropping something on her head. “What are you doing now?” asked she confused. “Roses princess. Beautiful roses like you” said he and locked his eyes with her and held her hand in his right hand placed his other hand on her back and she was still confused.
“There is nothing Lucky. Have you ….” she was interrupted when his hand moved and dragged her closer to him and she looked at him shocked.
“Meri ankho se dekhkar tho dekho har nazara tumhari tarah haseen lagega(see it from eyes you will find everything beautiful just like you)” he whispered in her eyes sending shivers down her spine.
Mai Jaan Yeh waar du
Har Jeet bhi Haar du
Keemath koi tujhe Be inteha pyar du
Saari hade meri abb maine thod di
Dekar mujhe patha awargi ban gaye
Haa Hasi Ban gaye Haa nami ban gaye
Tum mere aasman meri zameen ban gaye
She moved with him looking into his eyes and forgetting all her pain. That was the relation they shared. His presence was something more than a friend but was less than a lover and she could never understood or she hardly got any chance to understand her feelings towards her best friend who had crossed a limit ‘limit of friendship’
The air blew making her feel the surrounding and she closed her eyes partly and it made his heart flutter with joy as her face glowed in the moon light. He dragged her more and more closer and reducing the gap between them and her front touched his heart which was racing due to her closeness.
He moved more close to her and she closed her eyes sensing approach and he closed his eyes in response. Their heartbeats were so loud that could be heard by them. He could feel her breath and she also could feel his. Their noses touched and Laksh’s phone ringed disturbing them.
Both of them jerked and departed from each other. He looked at his phone and his face turned annoyed when it flashed “Popu Calling” He picked up the call and spoke “Haa bol” “Lucky” Akshat looked at his phone confused. “Teri tone ithni kaise change kaise hogayi?” asked he. “Abb galat time pe phone karega tho kya mai tere liye lori gaavu?” asked Laksh and Akshat got more confused.
“Dekh bhai mere pass time nahi hai jaldi aa. If I don’t reach home in 10 minutes my mom is gonna beat me not you” said he helplessly. “Ya ya coming” said he and disconnected the call.
Ragini was standing a bit far and her cheeks turned crimson as blood rushed to her cheek. “Wo” he caressed his neck as he was not finding words to speak.
“Waise log baath kya karte hai when they are about to kiss their best friend?” he thought to himself. “Damn Lucky what the hell were you about to do? She is still your best friend and you….” he paused his flooding thoughts. “Ummm Bye” he said as he escaped from there in a hurry leaving Ragini confused.
She walked till the window and before she could see him he had disappeared from her sight. She pouted sadly and turned and leaned to the window. As she remembered their close moments a huge smile curved on her lips and she blushed covering her face.
She walked to her bed walking dreamily and stopped stumbling when she found Neha about whom she had completely forgot. “Iska kya karu?” she sat beside her pouting and when sleep covered her she was unaware.
Morning rays brightened her room and Ragini slowly opened her eyes and Neha also lazily opened her eyes and both looked at each other and when Ragini smiled looking at her Neha screamed the hell out making the whole house to shake.
Ragini got up and closed her ears first when it did not help her she closed Neha’s mouth and stopped the noise pollution.
Karan who was at the door when Sumi opened the door and rushed inside ran behind her to Ragini’s room.
“Ahhhhh” again when Ragini removed her hand from Neha’s mouth she screamed and Ragini closed her mouth again. “Shhhhh” said she and looked at Neha who was looking at her with wide open eyes.
“You are screaming like you found a guy beside you” said Ragini. Neha blinked her eyes. “What?” asked Ragini. She signed her to remove her hand and Ragini did the same.
“Arrey kidnapper Ladki ho ya ladka cheekna tho padta hai na?” said she and again opened her mouth to scream and Ragini closed her eyes and ears expecting the scream but to her surprise there was no sound and she opened her eyes and looked at Neha whose mouth was covered by Karan and Neha was looking at him lost.
“First thing we are not kidnappers and second thing don’t you think you need a silencer?” asked he making her frown. She bit his hand and he winced in pain. “First thing this was the normal scream and second thing don’t test me I can scream more” said she feeling proud of herself.
“All the girls are same. Proud karne layak kuch na kuch tho dhund hi leti hai” said he without realizing. “Barfi” her voice made him turn to her and he found Ragini fuming crossing her arms.
“Okay can I speak now?” Raghuvendra interrupted the trio.
“Oh” said Neha when Raghuvendra explained her everything. “Yeah that’s what happened” said Sumi. “Then I’m really sorry I assumed you people to be kidnappers” she apologized.
“Aur tumhare jaisi half mental se umeed bhi kya rakhi jaa sakti hai?” Karan nodded his head. “You called me half mental?” asked she as she stood in front of him.
“No I said to your shadow. Hai Shadow half mental” said he waving his hands behind her. “Tho teekh hai” said she casually.
“Like seriously she lost her screws mahn. Some one please get her new pairs” said he annoyed. “Look who’s talking whose top floor is empty. Common mere ithne bure din aagaya I have to be saved from a crack” she acted placing her index finger on her head.
“Stop it” screamed Ragini as she sat holding her head. “Fine” said both of them and huffed turning in opposite direction and crossed their arms.
“Waise beta where do you live?” asked Shekar. “Wo bade papa actually she is new to the city na so she don’t know her address properly” said Ragini.
“How do you know? She woke up only in front of us and you spoke to her then only” said Janaki. Ragini smiled at them nervously. “Wo maa. She was murmuring in her sleep yesterday night” said Ragini.
Karan looked at her suspiciously. “But…” Neha was interrupted by Ragini who said “Arrey tell me your name and you go freshen up I will inform your family” said she and made Neha enter the washroom. She sighed when all went down.
“Ragzee you are hiding something aren’t you?” asked Karan. “She is Vishambar Kapoor’s daughter” her words made Karan widen his eyes with shock.
*********.**********
“Till now we are not able to trace her” said Nikhil looking at Simran helplessly. “I knew some day your dad’s deeds will eat my daughter” said Simran. “He is not my dad mom. He is just your husband and whose name I write while filling up a form. He doesn’t exist for me” he said as a tear tripped his eye.
Vishambar closed his fist and threw the phone which crashed on the ground and scattered into pieces. He collapsed on the sofa helplessly and covered his face with his hands.
“Now you really understand the pain of a girl’s parents pain Vishambar Kapoor…” Simran’s voice made his blood boil and he stood up and strangled her in his hold and his eye balls moved with rage.
He jerked and Nikhil held her and prevented her from falling. “She is my daughter Simran for god sake” he screamed frustrated.
“And she was also someone’s daughter” he looked at her and the tears flew from his eyes when some realization was making its way to his conscious