“Mumma” Ragini looked up at Sumi who was caressing her hair. “Haven’t you slept yet?” Sumi looked at her. She nodded her head. “What now?” she bent her head casually. “Tomorrow is Sunday na?” Ragini squealed like a small kid. “Hmmm” Sumi continued patting her head. “Kavi invited me to her home tomorrow” she played with Sumi’s Saree. “So you want to visit her home tomorrow?” Sumi bent holding Ragini’s forehead. She nodded her head with puppy eyes.
Sumi kissed her forehead and smiled. “Ok Go” she caressed her hair. “Sachi?” Ragini widened her eyes with glitter in her eyes. “Muchi” Sumi shook her chin. “You are the best mumma in the world” Ragini caressed her cheek. “Dramebaz. Sleep now” Sumi turned her head and patted her shoulders and head and Ragini slept with a smile on her face. Sumi leaned back to the wall and her eyes fell on the portrait on the wall. Her lips curved into a smile and her glassy eyes shone.
***********.*********
“Mumma mai jaavu?” Ragini stood in front of Sumi after finishing the breakfast and with her bag. “How many times should I tell you?” Sumi glared her. Ragini who was playing with the strap of her bag looked up at Sumi and stopped biting her lower lip. “Oopsi. I will go and come back” she said after biting her tongue. “Better” Sumi turned and Ragini squeezed her almost back hugging. “Love you cho much” Ragini screamed and ran out of the house before her mother could react. Sumi smiled at her antics and got back to her work.
Ragini walked to the bus stop and reached the place where Kavya told her to reach via bus. She looked around tucking her flying hair strands behind her ears. “Where is this Kavi?” she bit her nail and tip toed to get a vision of a bit distant place. A car came from her back side and stopped just beside her. She jerked and stood a bit away. The screeching halt made her brain cells numb for sometimes.
It was black, her vision was black.
“Hey Ms Dumb head” she heard a voice and felt a pat on her shoulder which broke her trance. She realized the world and blinked her eyes and tried recollecting what exactly is happening. “You dumb head, your dad dumb head your grand pa is dumb head. How dare you call me dumb head” she cursed before she could get a complete view of the person.
“Yeah obviously I think you trained us all” Yohan stared her folding his hands. “Huh you idiot of a best friend. You don’t need any training you are born dumb head” she crossed her arms too. “You…” before he could complete someone’s voice stopped him. “Yohan” called his father Harish who was peeping out of the car window. “One minute please” both Ragini and Yohan said at a time. “Hun?” he looked at them confused.
“Guys” he said annoyed. “What?” both of them again said in unison and looked at him. “Am I invisible?” he asked confused. Both of them nodded their heads in NO. “Then why are you behaving like I am?” he almost shouted. “I… I’m so sorry Dad” Yohan finally landed in the real world. “Oopsi” Ragini bit her tongue when she realized the person was Yohan’s dad whom she just called dumb head in flow.
“Finally” he gave the two grown up kids a fake smile acknowledging their realization. “So if you don’t want to be late can we move?” Harish moved his head to Yohan who nodded his head scared. “Better” he leaned back to his seat. “Come now” Yohan dragged Ragini’s hand and made her stand near the door. “Where? Don’t keep proving you are kidnapper every time I meet you” she asked him confused. “Ohho idiot to Kavi’s home. She told me to pick you from here” Yohan opened the car door. “That you should speak na idiot. I’m not any antaryami” Ragini crossed her arms.
He just signed her to sit inside the car annoyed. Ragini huffed and sat inside the car beside Harish. Yohan moved to the driver seat and sat inside. Ragini sat like a small kid folding her hands. When Yohan looked at her through the mirror she twisted her lips. He started the car and Ragini jerked due to it and fell back. “He he” Yohan chuckled looking at her. Harish smiled looking at their cute fights.
“Hi” Harish spoke. “Hi Uncle” Ragini smiled at him. “But you called me something else that time?” he placed his index finger on his chin thinking. “Did I?” she smiled nervously. Harish nodded his head in YES. “No Uncle. I did not say anything” she smiled at him weakly. Yohan teased her showing his tongue and she glared him.
“Arrey ha……… dumb head” Harish looked at her with wide eyes. “N..n…no uncle” she fumbled due to fear. “Yes dad she called you dumb head” Yohan chuckled.
“She called me that due to you Nalayak” Harish glared him. “Exactly” Ragini teased Yohan and then when Harish’s gaze shifted to her she lowered her head and bit her nail nervous and slowly looked up at Harish. Harish who was looking at her seriously smiled and she sighed with relief. “Awww so cute you are” Harish looked at her with awe.
“Oh please don’t say this Churail as cute. All the churails will commit suicide” Yohan teased Ragini. “Haa like all the dumbs will commit suicide when they hear me calling you dumb” Ragini teased him showing her tongue.
“Okay okay relax guys” Harish interrupted them. “Like seriously you both are worst than kids” he looked at both of them.
“You are really sweet uncle I don’t know how is he became your son?” Ragini looked at Yohan at corner of her eye. “He he very funny” Yohan twisted his lips.
“Actually in your family all are sweet sir. Haa Sahil sir is akdu. But at least he laughs when he feels like. But this dumb and that dumbledore, both are carbon copies haa he speaks less but he is dumb…. And there is no doubt that this idiot is dumb….”
Harish interrupted her asking “Dumbledore?” “Arrey uncle that akdu who is so tall and with long hands with long fingers like churail” she was acting with her hands like she was explaining a kid.
Harish just looked at her confused. “LOL she means Sanky Bro” Yohan burst out laughing.
Harish burst out laughing when he heard Yohan. “Seriously whatever she said is true only” Harish placed his hand on his stomach to control his laugh but he was not able to.
“Dad” Yohan glared him. “Okay okay fine” he lifted both of his hands.
“Here we are” Yohan announced when he parked the car inside the Sinhgania Mansion parking area. “Come beta” Harish looked at Ragini. She gave him a small smile and got out of the car. She stood outside the huge mansion admiring it. It was a beautiful bungalow with a garden in front of it where there was a small pond. The water was sprinkling out of a small angel’s mouth. There were four medium sized stairs and a big sized stair which formed the veranda and touched the door. White marbles made them look royal.
Ragini had not seen a bungalow from so near. She was analyzing each inch of it astonished. As she was back walking and climbing the stairs and reached the last one she turned smiling. But as someone was present there she stumbled and fell on the person placing her hands on his chest. Sahil who looked at her strangely and she was lost looking into his eyes. He held her wrists. “Ms. Asthana?” he called her but no response from her side. She was lost in his eyes.
“Ms. Asthana” he said a bit loud. “Hun?” she jerked when his voice finally reached her ears. “I… I’m sorry” she tucked her hair behind her ear not able to meet his eyes. “Have you ever walked without colliding? Ms. Collision?” he asked her. “Wo no.. I mean I…” she felt it difficult to revert him.
“I mean finally your tongue is at rest?” Yohan closed his mouth shocked. Ragini glared him and he chuckled.
Sahil just walked away from there not waiting for her reply. Ragini turned and looked at the direction Sahil went. He was talking over the phone with the help of blue tooth. She smiled widely looking at him.
“Shut up Yohan” Harish hit his head and they both walked inside the house and Ragini did not realize she was standing alone admiring Sahil.
“Ragu” Kavi’s screeching voice made her to turn with a jerk. Kavya hugged her in a bone crushing hug. “Finally you are here. I can’t believe this” Kavya drooled happy holding Ragini who smiled widely at Kavya’s gesture. “Come” Kavya dragged her inside and she walked looking back at Sahil.
“Popsy” Kavya waved her hand to Dayal who was talking to Harish. He excused himself and walked to Kavya. “Popsy. This is Ragu I mean Ragini. Remember I told you about her” Kavya spoke excitedly.
“Of course I remember Doll. How can I forget the person who taught my Doll to laugh her heart out after years” Dayal caressed Kavya’s hair and smiled at Ragini. Ragini was looking at them blankly.
“Awww Popsy” Kavya hugged him lovingly and Dayal kissed her hair. “Come Doll now let us have food. Anyways the guest of honor of today’s family dinner is arrived” Dayal signed at Ragini. She smiled at Dayal weakly.
They walked to the dining table and all the members sat on the big dining table near the interior pool. “So Ragini beta let me introduce you to our huge family” Dayal spoke after he hit the water glass with the spoon dragging everyone’s attention. Ragini smiled at him.
“This is my daughter you know already” he smiled at Kavya. “This is my sister Avantika and Harish’s family the Raheja’s” he signed at the left side of his. “This is Avantika, and Harish, Yohan and Sahil tho you know already” Dayal showed them in order. She smiled at Avanthika and Harish who returned her a sweet smile. Yohan gave her an attitude look but she was non reactive. Then she smiled at Sahil weakly.
“I have one more elder sister. Due to some important function they could not attend the family dinner this Sunday. Anyways her son Sanskar tho you know already. He is your boss isn’t it? Kavya told me” Dayal asked her and she nodded her head giving him a weak smile. “Okay now let us start the lunch” he said and all started their food.
Dayal fed Kavya. “ Stop doing that Bhai. You know she will be married to Sanskar in a month and you know how strict Dee is about her daughter in laws. Kavi has to be used to stay without all this” Avantika complained.
Yohan felt a stinging pain growing inside his heart. “And moreover looking at your and your Barbie Doll’s antics my dumb head son will start demanding dad feed me also na” Harish acted imitating Yohan. “Dad” he complained. “Stop it Harish. That was such a lame joke” Avantika warned him.
“How much ever a daughter is grown up she will be small doll only for her dad” Dayal smiled caressing Kavya’s hair. “Waise bhi I just have one month to pamper her. Later tho I have promised Anu Jeeji that I will not interfere in her and her daughter in laws matters. Why does this girls grow so fast?” he looked at Harish emotionally. “Don’t ask me. I don’t have a single daughter” Harish gave him a helpless look.
“In a way your lucky Harish because your sons will not leave you. You grow your daughter with so much affection and then you have to send them away. That’s really so mean” Dayal’s eyes turned glassy as he remembered Kavya’s childhood. “I mean think about the dad’s also na?” he spoke helplessly. “Every girl has to go through this Bhai. And Kavi isn’t any special. She is a girl after all. And moreover it was your choice you chose Anu Jeeji’s family over ours so bhugtho” Avanthika teased her elder brother.
“No no not again. Stop behaving like typical siblings of TV serials” Harish interrupted the third world war. “Fine” said both of them and continued their food with other discussions. Ragini was lost and she wasn’t aware of the confusion in her mind.
“This is when she won her first race in the school” Dayal spoke to Ragini who was looking at a portrait on the wall in which a small girl was holding a cup and Dayal was kissing her cheek happy. Ragini gave him a weak smile. “She was very stubborn when she was a kid. And without me she couldn’t stay only” Dayal spoke with little moist in his eyes. Ragini looked at him when he narrated her Kavya’s childhood stories.
“Are you fine Ragu?” Kavya placed her hand on Ragini’s shoulder. “I’m alright Kavi. Just bit headache as I did not sleep properly last night” Ragini reasoned. But Kavya could sense she was telling lie. But she did not wanted her to force before she opens up herself. She knew something was bothering her best friend. She just wished everything goes well.
Hope I’m not boring you people. Do hit on star if you liked the chapter. And about the other updates bare with me for sometime I’m not finding time to sort the timings.