The office was fully decorated and Sahil was running around looking after the arrangements. Ragini adjusted her bag strap entering and looking around. “Ohho Ms. Asthana you are so on time always” Sahil stood in front of her crossing his arms. She smiled sheepishly at him. He nodded his head moving away.
“What’s happening?” she asked the busy Riya who was handling multiple things in her hand. She was about to drop all of them but she was given a helping hand by Tarun who smiled at her holding few things. “Your Karela boss is gonna come back” said Tarun giving her a wide smile.
“He isn’t Karela okay” she whined like a small kid. “Oh really Barbie Doll. You know you only gave him the name Dumbledore not me” he shrugged his shoulder and placed the decorative items on the table in front of her. “Ms. Asthana?” Sahil signs her to come and she walks to him.
“Here is the list and you have to keep the cabin ready in” he looked at his watch. “In an hour” he said handing her a paper. “What cabin?” she looked at him confused. “The cabin where your boss lives” he gave her a tight smile. “You’re kidding me aren’t you?” she looked at him.
“No. I’m not. It’s usual that you are his secretory and you are supposed to decorate his cabin for his welcome. That’s as obvious as it should be” he patted her shoulder walking away. She stared at the paper and nodded her head annoyed and walked to the cabin.
“Why am I doing this?” she asked herself after 10 minutes holding the star which she had to stuck to the glass window. “Because you are happy that I’m finally coming back” she heard Sanskar’s voice and turned. He was grinning at her. She pinched herself to make sure he was really there and plus grinning at her.
“Ouch” when she moved her gaze to the place he was standing he wasn’t there anymore. She sighed and stuck the star. “Weren’t you missing me?” she heard his voice just near her ear and looked at her left but again it was just her hallucination and he wasn’t really there.
“Ragini” “Don’t you irritate me” she threw a wooden paper holder which landed on Yohan’s head. “Ouch” he winced in pain. “Jeez what’s wrong with you” he rubbed his temple. “You really are here? I thought I’m again hallucinating” she said with a relieving sigh. “Seriously people pinch themselves to get snapped out of reality and I’m seeing a first girl who hits the other person” he mocked her to just get glares in return.
“That was bad I know” he stretched his lips. “It was not just bad. It was very very very very bad” she punched him on his shoulder. He rubbed his shoulder. “By the way what are you doing?” he asked her when she fixed the flower bouquet. “Um I thought anyways we are official boyfriend girlfriend all thanks to you so let me propose you” she smiled at him crossing her arms.
“He he very funny” he showed his teeth. “Didn’t you brush your teeth and sorry I’m not a dentist to check them so change” she waved her hand and walked to the chair. As her hands moved over it she felt Sanskar sitting on it and smiling at her. “Ragini” Yohan had to shake her to bring her out of her dream world again.
“Ms. Asthana. Is the cabin ready? Sanskar is already here” said Sahil and she smiled at him and nodded her head. When Yohan found Kavya walking and he lost his balance when slipped on the carpet and bumped into Ragini. “Oh half crack what are you doing” she screamed at him. “Sorry sorry” he stood straightening himself.
This caught Sanskar’s eyes when he was receiving the flowers from the employees. Tarun who handed him a bouquet and was shaking his hand with Sanskar who squeezed his hand not able to control his bursting anger. Ragini and Yohan were arguing and Sanskar squeezed Tarun’s hand. Poor soul couldn’t say his situation and struggled to get his hand out of Sanskar’s hold with a forced smile on his face.
“Sir” he called with difficulty. But Sanskar wasn’t paying attention. Ragini stamped Yohan’s foot walking out. Yohan held his leg and danced in his place with one leg. Then Sanskar realized the atmosphere around him and finally Tarun’s hand was out of his grip. Tarun blew air on his hand to get some relief and Riya looked at him feeling sorry. “Why I become the bali ka bakra always” he made a crying face which made Riya chuckle. She controlled her laugh when he glared her.
Ragini stood just in front of him when she was walking miffed with Yohan. “People don’t know where to use the goggles. Wish you had the wits of Dumbledore” Ragini crossed her arms looking at him. Sanskar removed his shades and placed them in the pocket and looked at her. “Ragini” Riya held her hand and dragged her away to prevent her from further blurting out.
“Can’t you keep your mouth shut for a minute? Is it necessary to comment on every little thing?” Riya asked her. “You know Ri. Few years ago my nerves in brain were effected in a way that I had lost my voice for six months. That was when I realized what is the importance of words” Ragini looked at her and controlled the lone tear in her eye.
She walked to the office balcony where there was a small cafeteria. She held the railing and looked at the sky. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Yohan whom she hugged immediately. There was no second thought that they fought like enemies but there was no one who could console them better than each other.
“You want to talk about it?” he made her sit on the bench and sat beside her. “It was bad. Too bad” she wiped the tear.
“I had met with an accident and during that time I was all fine but my mind was not stable due to heavy blow. After a month when I was still getting back to normal something crossed my mind” she stopped remembering the day.
****Flashback***
“Bhai I saw something weird. I saw an aged person and I was in a apron” she told holding Vikram’s hand. He panicked looking at her. “Ragu bacha. Relax. So much stress isn’t good for you” he tried consoling her. “Bhai who am I?” Ragini asked looking at him painfully.
Her head hurt so bad in next moment that she choked on air as tears streamed down her eyes and covered her cheek. “Ragu…” Vikram held her and took her to hospital and when she gained consciousness she had lost her voice.
“Her brain cells are still weak and her nerves have got tangled so she is not able to talk” the doctor said which made Vikram’s world spin. He sat beside her like a defeated man. Ragini shook him and tried letting her voice out but it did not help. She cried hugging him not able to share her pain.
“Ragu you be here. I will meet my friend and come she just works in that company” Vikram showed her a building and she nodded her head sitting on the bench. After some time when Vikram was returning crossing the road Ragini found a car approaching him from the opposite direction.
She wanted to scream but her brain did not respond. She cried but there was no voice. She walked towards the road but luckily Vikram was saved by someone. Her vision was blur due to her tears. But she saw Vikram arguing with him over something.
***Flashback***
“That was the worst day of my life. I realized how important our voice or talks are. And after few days the nerves luckily untangled and I could get my voice back” Ragini wiped her tears. Yohan gave her a side hug and she smiled at him. “Thank you” she said smiling. “Oh you use that word also? I’m surprised” he mocked her and she hit him on his shoulder.
“You are lucky you have a family beside you” Yohan smiled at her. “Yeah I am. Though it took me to adjust with them after the accident…” she was interrupted by Yohan who asked “Why so. They are your family” “Because I did not even knew who I was Yohan. I had lost my memory completely. They all looked strangers like I have not met them ever. I was hesitant initially but then I had no choice but to accept their efforts” she said which literally shocked Yohan.
“That’s why she doesn’t know about Sahil bhai and her brother’s friendship” he thought. “You don’t know that feeling of being stranger with your family. And I tried hard to remember the things for my family but it did not work” she said sad. “But what surprised me was Bhai never pressurized me to remember anything. He always said leave the forgotten and let us create new memories. He never tried showing me anything which will refresh my memories. And he always was worried when I told him that something crossed my memory” she looked confused.
“I need to go” she hurried out from there without giving a reason to him who just looked at her confused.
“Bhai” Ragini reached Vikram’s room. “Ragu” he looked at her surprised. “Can you tell me one thing?” she looked into his eyes when he cupped her face. “Hm” he hummed nodding his head.
“Why don’t we have anything related to my life before the accident?” his heart was in his mouth when he heard her question. His hands dropped down her cheek and she so did not liked it.
“Wo…” he struggled to form the words. “Have you hidden them somewhere?” asked she walking to his cupboard. His heart skipped a beat when she held a box. “Ragu… Ragu” he dragged the box from her hold and placed it back in the cup board.
“Say na bhai” she pleaded him. “Bacha listen to me. I did not wanted your past to surface and you suffer the same when you lost your voice” he said cupping her face. “You are lying aren’t you” her tears flew on her cheeks when she looked at him.
“Bhai answer me” she shook him and he looked down not able to look into her eyes. “No single photo bhai which is a proof that I was in your life before my damn accident” she back walked and her back hit the cupboard. He looked at her painfully and nodded his head in a no.
“Am I really your sister? For the sake of those Rakhis I tied you every year pleas tell me the truth” she held her paining throat. “No” he whispered painfully and she collapsed on her knees. “Everything around me was a lie. Just a lie?” she scanned the ground.
“No bacha” Vikram knelt in front of her. “I’m not your sister? Bhai tell me you are joking” she looked at him holding his hands. “I wish I could” he said touching her forehead with hers. “Then who am I bhai? Who am I?” she screamed and he closed his eyes painfully.
“We didn’t knew. I found you in a hospital” he remembered the night.
***Flashback***
It was raining outside but Vikram’s heart cried with a deeper pain. He sat on the hospital chair looking at a wall which looked unmoved. “She doesn’t have any identity card also. No cell phone. Whom to call? And she needs a surgery to be done. Her heart is weak and her brain is also crashed almost. It was a severe injury” the doctor’s words hit his ears.
“Doctor the patience pulse is dropping” the nurse ran to him. “We can’t help it unless someone signs this we can’t proceed with the operation” the doctor spoke helplessly. “I will sign the papers” Vikram spoke to the doctor. The doctor walked inside the operation theater as soon as he signed. The next day when she got consciousness Vikram went to meet her.
“Hello” he greeted her walking inside. She looked at him puzzled. “I’m sorry do I know you?” she asked him. “Um.. actually..” he was interrupted when she screamed due to pain in her head. “Why can’t I remember anything” she struggled. “Hey hey relax bacha. See I’m there na I will help you” Vikram consoled her and she cooled down feeling an instant connection with him.
“I’m your Bhai. Elder bro. And your name is Ragini. Ragini Asthana. You live with us in Mumbai I mean with me and my mother” he said and she looked at him confused. “Really?” she asked him and he nodded his head smiling and she immediately hugged him.
“I thought I lost everything and every little hope with my memory” she spoke in a cracking voice. He caressed her hair smiling at her.
***End of Flashback***
“And I thought I will lose you forever if you remembered your past. And that day when you lost your voice was the worst. By then I had got myself attached to you like I did not had the courage to live without you bacha. So I was scared. I did not wanted to see you again in that state” he burst out crying.
“I’m sorry. I’m the worst brother of the world but I could not let you go” he said looking at her painfully. She hugged him and cried bitterly.
“I could not lose my sister whom I got with a miracle. A miracle which happened when I thought I lost every little hope to live” he said caressing her hair and she buried her face deep in his embrace.
“You knew Sanskar before only didn’t you?” she clutched his shirt waiting for a truth. “Ragu bacha what are you talking I had told you that day right. I just know him by his photos in business magazines” he said and Ragini closed her eyes painfully.
“Then why were you arguing with him when he saved you that day on the road like you both are sworn enemies?” Ragini looked into his eyes dragging herself out of his embrace.
He did not knew what to answer her now. The passed time was not going to reveal anything pleasant but only was about to freshen their wounds which were healing due to her presence.
****.***
How was it?
Still a lot has to be revealed. Hope you are liking the plot.
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