“Ansh” Ragini’s eyes gleamed finding Ansh in front of her at an unexpected time. “Hello Aunty” he waved at her with a wide grin. She got up and walked out of her cubicle to reach him. “How are you? Had your food? No school today?…” she queried non stop. “Arrey arrey bache ki jaan logi kya. Abhi exam me questioning se pareshan hokar aaya hai and you are torturing him here” said Yohan who came there.
She gave him an aberrant look and sighed not willing to get herself into a duel with him right now. She bent to Ansh and caressed his cheek. “Will you like to have an ice cream?” she asked and he nodded his head vigorously. She smiled kissing his cheek and picked him in her arms.
“Ansh” a smile crept on Sanskar’s face when he saw Ansh through the glass door. ‘who’s that’ he thought and as he observed keenly he understood that it was Ragini. ‘what is she doing with Ansh’ he wondered. Not willing to waste the time he got up from his place and walked out.
****.****
“Chocolate or chocolate?” Ragini asked and made Ansh giggle. “Chocolate forever” said he nodding his head. She asked the seller to give two chocolate ice cream cones and handed him the money. When the seller gave her the ice cream she gave one cone to Ansh and held the other one.
“Come” she said and they sat on the chair nearby. Sanskar who came behind her watched them standing at the gate of the company. The security guard who was surprised to see his boss neat the gate at unusual time asked him do he need anything. Sanskar nodded his head and signed him to continue with his work.
He looked on the other side of the road Ragini and Ansh were enjoying the ice cream. When she laughed he felt a bizarre feeling. A kind of calmness which he was craving from years. He snapped himself out to the reality and looked at them. “This girl” he gritted his teeth fuming.
Inside the office Sahil was searching Ansh. “Ansh” he looked around. “Your current son is with your ex and Sanky bhai’s current secretary” said Yohan playing with something in his hand. “Talk in a language which I can understand” said Sahil. “Ragini took him outside” said Yohan.
“And you let her take him Yohan. Just like that” Sahil asked. He pushed Yohan a bit and walked out of the office in a hurry. ‘Hope she has not caused one more trouble’ he thought.
Sanskar was crossing the road looking right and left. Ansh found him and his face glittered with a wide grin. “Chachu…” he screeched and ran towards him. Before Ragini could understand and stop him he was already near the road. “Ansh stop” Sanskar screamed to stop him.
But Ansh was not able to hear what Sanskar told due to the noise and continued running towards him. Ragini acted swiftly and ran towards Ansh to stop him and Sanskar did the same forgetting that he was in middle of the road. For the time being Ansh’s life was what mattered to him.
“Ansh” Ragini screamed trying to stop him. But all in vain. “Ansh” Sahil also panicked who was at the gate. A huge truck was approaching Ansh which Sanskar and Ragini both noticed and ran to him more swiftly. In a negligible amount of time Ragini picked Ansh and stood and Sanskar who sensed the distance between the truck and them pushed her on to the shore and the truck hit him and he flew up and crashed on the road. The vehicle coming from behind stopped with a screech just near him.
A chaos was created on the road. Ragini who was on the ground stood up holding Ansh and rubbed his shirt and face and wiped his face which was covered with sweat and tears. He was horrified. “Ch…Ch…chachu” he hiccuped due to his loud sobs. Ragini turned back and found Sanskar in a pool of blood.
Her heart stopped beating for sometime she felt. She did not know what to do and ran to him. “Sanskar… S..s.. Sanskar” she shook him vigorously with tears flooding out of her eyes. She felt breathless when he remained unmoved. “Sanskar get up. Please” she said in a pained voice. Her world felt blank. Sahil who was crossing the road came near the crowd.
“Sanky” he screamed finding Sanskar in that condition. He knelt in front of him and shook him. Ragini wiped her face with blood soaked hands and looked at Sahil. “Sir we have to take him to hospital” she said. Sahil was in a deep dismay. He was numb. “Sir” she shook him. Sahil gathered himself and wiped his tear filled face.
“Please help me to take him to hospital” he pleaded the people around and all helped him and Sanskar was taken to the hospital. Ansh cried hugging Ragini’s legs scared outside the operation theater. “Ansh” Ragini knelt in front of him. “Nothing will happen to your chachu bacha” said she wiping his tears. “Pinki Promise?” asked he and she looked at him painfully. “Pinki promise” she said and hugged him.
As she was patting his back Sahil who was doing the official formalities walked to them. He held Ragini’s wrist and dragged her from there. ‘What is wrong with him?’ Ragini thought. They reached the small garden outside the hospital and he dragged her in front of him. She stood stumbling.
“What you think of yourself? Without my permission who told you take my son outside. And moreover you are totally responsible for Sanky’s condition. You have brain or sold it to someone?” he asked furiously. ‘I did not meant any harm’ she thought.
“Speak now. Why not finding any justification?” asked he. “I..” she was cut in by Sahil who approached her dangerously. “Dare you show your face to me again. I will surely not hesitate to kill you” he deadpanned at her. “Get lost” he screamed and Ragini jerked due to his voice.
I did not mean it. I never knew it will turn out like this’ she thought looking at Sahil. When she tried to say something Sahil turned and stormed away from there. She was left devastated. She stood numb not able to move. Her heart pained but surely it was not due to Sahil’s words but due to Sanskar’s condition.
She remembered how her eyes met Sanskar’s for a moment before he pushed her and the truck hit him. She closed her eyes letting out the tears. Her heart was sinking with each passing second. She did not wanted to go. Leaving him in this state she could not go. She collapsed on the ground and burst out crying bitterly.
She was not able to understand her feelings right now. There was no doubt she did not like him. But why was his pain effecting her. Each second she thought about his pain; it pained her more. As the time passed she sat on the bench.
***.***
“Sahil bhai” Yohan came to the hospital and walked swiftly to Sahil who was roaming outside the operation theater. Sahil was a bit relaxed. He hugged Yohan and closed his eyes. “Where is he?” asked Yohan. “Still in operation theater. And doctors have not told anything” said Sahil with tears in his eyes. “Our Sanky will be fine na? Yohan” asked he and tears trickled down his eyes. ‘Our Sanky? Did Sahil bhai just said our Sanky’ he looked at Sahil surprised.
He wiped Sahil’s tears and smiled at him. “When his Sahil is beside him nothing can happen to our Sanky bhai” said he and controlled his emotions. Ansh ran to Yohan and hugged his legs and looked up with tears in his eyes. “Hey champ” Yohan picked him up. Sahil signed him to take Ansh away and he nodded his head. He walked over the corridor.
“Yohan chachu. It wasn’t Ragini aunty’s mistake. I only ran on the road. Chachu came to save me and bigg truck hit him” said Yohan sobbing. “Papa simply scolded Ragini aunty” said Ansh and sobbed holding Yohan’s neck. “Champ champ relax” said he consoling Ansh.
“Ragini aunty” Ansh called out looking at the garden. He got down from Yohan’s arms and rushed to her. Ragini was sitting with her head bent. “Aunty” he tried holding her face behind her hands which had covered her face. She looked up feeling his touch.
She gave him a gloomy smile. “I’m sorry” he held his ears cutely. She held his hand and nodded her head in a no and kissed his little hands and held them near her head and sobbed. Yohan walked to them. “Ahem” he cleared his voice and Ragini looked up at him. She immediately wiped her tears and looked on the other side. He sat beside her.
“Sahil Bhai is very possessive about his Sanky” said Yohan and Ragini looked back at him with blank expression. He gave her weak smile. “You know from childhood they are like this. They fight the most and they love also the most” he looked forward remembering their childhood.
Shall I ask him’ she thought looking at him. ‘I don’t feel the time is right’ she thought and waited for his further response. “Ansh” Kavya who came there found Ansh and walked to the garden. When she found Yohan there she felt a bit relaxed and hugged him.
He so much wanted to hide his emotions but Ragini had already understood his feelings. “How is he?” asked she coming out of the hug and he composed himself and gave her a weak smile. “Ah.. actually. Doctor has not told anything. I just brought Ansh outside as it is not good for him” said he. “Did you inform Pari bhabi?” asked she. He looked at her worried.
“You know she is pregnant and at this stage if we tell her then… you know how important their kid is” said Yohan. “I know but we have to inform Anu maa at least” said she. “I don’t know how to say this to badi maa” said he worried. “I will call her” said she and then only she noticed Ragini was present there. “Kavi..” she tried explaining but Kavya hugged her.
“I know you would have meant no harm Ragu. I trust you” she said and Ragini hugged her back. ‘ why is she so understanding. Do I deserve such a good friend in my life’ she thought. “Don’t worry he will be fine” said Kavya cupping her one cheek and Ragini smiled at her.
“Come Ansh. We will call Dadi” said Kavya taking Ansh from there. Ragini sat on the bench back. Yohan sat beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you tell her that you love her” her question made him to drag his hand back and look at her shocked.
“Because she is someone’s faience” said he giving her a disheartening smile. She looked at him shocked and he nodded his head. “And you still behave like it doesn’t effect you?” asked she. “It affects me. It affects me but I don’t want her to be hurt seeing my pain and thinking that she is responsible for this pain. I don’t want her to be flaked knowing that she cannot return me the same feelings” he said bending his head.
“From where you get so much strength?” asked she. “Love teaches you everything Ragini. It teaches you to go through everything for the happiness of the person whom you love” he smiled at her. She hugged him to console and he buried his face at last finding someone who understood his pain.
“You want to eat something Ansh?” asked Kavya who came back near the garden. He nodded his head in a no. She looked up and found Yohan and Ragini. She felt a kind of pain in her heart. And she did not knew why. ‘Why am I thinking all these. If Yohan has feelings for Ragini then it is good only. She is the best choice for him. I should be happy’ she tried smiling but her muscles did not respond.
***.***
“Where is he? Where is my son?” asked Anu who came inside the hospital. Sahil saw her and walked to her. The doctor came outside then only. All looked at him alerted.