Sanskar for a moment was speechless looking at the board in front of him. It had all the pictures of his from the childhood till the recent one. “How is it Mr. Rawat?” Ragini placed her elbow on his shoulder. He dragged her holding her waist and kissed her on her lips hardly. She widened her eyes in shock.
“It was this good” he gave her a teasing smile. “Don’t you ever ever ever do that” Ragini warned him panting for breath.
“Oh when you say that” he dragged her again and sealed her lips closing his eyes. “I feel like I should do it more” he winked at her shifting her to the other arm of his.
“Stop doing that” she whined taking quick breaths. “I was just rewarding you for the surprise” he said like a small kid.
She rolled her eyes at her cute husband and moved to kiss his cheek tenderly. He smiled widely and tightened his hold over her petite waist and Ragini’s cheek reddened.
“You know when you be so sweet I don’t mind being diabetic” Sanskar smiled looking into her eyes. “And I am not going to make you suffer diabetes right now. Get going sweet husband you will miss your flight” she moved him away only to get dragged by him and to land on his chest.
“What if I miss this flight? Can I?” he asked cutely. Ragini pulled his nose.
“Then you won’t be spared of those journeys every fortnight. Think about it just a 3 days trip or a year full of journeys every two weeks” she gave him a questioning look.
“Ahhh” Sanskar groaned frustrated.
“You do the blackmailing thing so well. Were you on a ransom call center by any chance. You know a part time secret job?” he asked making her chuckle.
“The only secret job I ever did was secretly loving you” she gave him a sly smile. He hugged her and kissed her hair and she closed her eyes feeling his cologne and the warm feeling his loving embrace brought.
Life can’t be any blissful than this.
“I’m gonna miss you” he held the luggage looking at her already feeling empty inside him. “But I will not” she shrugged her shoulders while he stared her blankly. “Because you will be here” she moved pointing to her heart and he smiled bowing his head down.
He raised his head to meet her sparkling eyes. “You will never be away from me Mr. Rawat. Even if you ever try to move away I will pull you towards me and lock you for eternity” she dragged him holding his tie and he stopped just an inch away from her.
“I would love to stay locked to you for the end of my life” he said and Ragini placed her hand on his mouth and nodded her head negatively.
He kissed her hand and she smiled taking it away. “Shall I come till the airport?” she asked cutely bending her head.
“I won’t be able to board the plane then” he said giving her a sorry look. “I will stay outside please?” she asked and he gave up to her innocent request. “Fine then” he said and she walked with him.
He drove the car towards the airport. Ragini’s phone buzzed and she received the call with a happiness clearly depicting in her eyes. Sanskar looked at her confused.
“Hello Bhayyu” she squealed and Sanskar smiled at her childishness. Who else brings that wide smile on her face? Of course her bhayyu.
He turned the steering at the edge of the road. “You know he is Sadu Sahil’s cousin only right? Even if you want his good he will be Sadu” she said cutely bringing her lips to form a pout.
Sanskar suddenly banged the brakes of the car and it stopped with a jerk.
He and Ragini bounced a bit forward due to it. ‘Is he talking about what we discussed yesterday?’ while Sanskar thought this his heart fell into the pit and he pulled his hair not understanding what to do.
He snatched the phone from Ragini and disconnected it immediately.
Ragini who was still not in a state to understand anything looked at him asking for the explanation. “What is wrong with you Sanskar? Why did you disconnect the call?” asked she as annoyance covered her.
Sanskar took a deep breath and closed his eyes. For how many times more will he keep avoiding things like this? For how many more times he will win this battle with time? He had all the possible ways of losing and time had all the ways of winning. But he could not stop trying everything possible. Can he?
He loosened his seat belt and walked out of the car to reach it’s bonnet. What was he going to tell his wife? He lowered his head annoyed due to his own behavior. Ragini looked at him confused. She got concerned when he started hitting on the tier feeling utterly helpless.

She loosened her seat belt and walked out of the car and stopped him from doing so. He was literally hurting himself and how could she let him do that? “What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked and he just stared the ground.
“Sanskar” she called his name to get his attention but in vain. He did not seemed to be responding. She moved closer to him and tried looking into his eyes but could not.
“Please Sanskar. Talk to me” she said painfully and he immediately looked up at her.
“What happened?” she asked calmly and his eyes turned painful. “I…I’m sorry” he uttered finally and Ragini’s heart flinched looking at his state.
“What is bothering you? If you don’t share with me I can’t help you” she said looking at him pleading. “And I can’t see you like this” she said and he gave her painful smile.

“Some things I wish you should never know Ragini. Never” he said and she narrowed her eyebrows. “I know I’m being difficult but trust me I have no better way to make you understand this” he said throwing his hands in air.
“I know I’m not making any sense to you but I…..” he struggled to put his feelings in the form of words. And he failed.
She hugged him as she knew that is what he needed right now the most.
“I promise I wont ask you questions. Tell me to do a thing and I promise I will not ask you the reason. I promise” she tightened her hold across him.
“It ain’t easy” he said looking down at her. “I don’t care. I can’t see you like this” she said determined.
“Avoid talking to your brother for some days” when he said that he felt a sharp pain in his heart. And Ragini hold on him loosened a bit.
“Okay” she said after a lot of pause and Sanskar exactly knew he was asking her not to breath for some days actually. Ragini dragged herself out of the hug and looked at him with her swollen eyes.
“I’m sorry” he said and she gave him a weak smile nodding her head. “You know I promised I will do whatever you say” she said taking a sharp breath inside.
“I love you” she cupped his face and placed her forehead touching his. “I love you too Ragini” he closed his eyes feeling her pain in his heart which was beating for her survival than for him.
They drove towards the airport and after bidding bye to Sanskar she boarded a taxi to reach back to Rawat Mansion.
When she reached she was surprised to find Vikram. He immediately hugged her as soon as he found her.
“Oh my good lord I was so scared” he said caressing her hair and Ragini looked at him painfully. She opened her mouth to talk but stopped as she remembered what Sanskar had told her.
She released herself from Vikram’s hold and walked towards her room and Vikram stood there puzzled and it pained him the way his baby sister for the first time behaved in a manner she will never do.
“I think she is missing Sanky already” Kishan said moving his gaze from Ragini to Vikram who was standing lifelessly.
He did not reply but walked away from there. He could not take this behavior of his baby sister.

Even if she is going through hell she will not just move away from her bhayyu like this. What happened to her suddenly?
Kishan walked to Ragini and found her crying dragging her knees to her chest with buried face. He got worried and moved to her.
“Ragu” he caressed her hair and she immediately hugged him and burst into a bitter cry. “Hey sister in law what happened?” he asked rubbing her back trying to console her. She did not stop her bitter cry.
“I’m such a bad bad sister. Worst sister” she spoke in between her sobs. “Shhh. Stop crying first” he dragged her out of the hug and cupped her face.
“How can I behave with bhayyu like this? How can I?” she asked pained. “But why did you behaved like that?” he asked her worried. She narrated him everything.
How from some days every little thing is making Sanskar worry and she had no other way to make him feel better and worry less while he was on a business tour.
Kishan was even confused. He was not understanding what bothered Sanskar so much. He wiped Ragini’s tears while she continued to sob.
“Shhh Ragu” he said and she just squeezed her eyes imagining that painful look on her bhayyu’s face. “He is your Bhayyu. He won’t be angry on you for this” he said trying to cheer her.
“That’s the problem na Jethji. If he gets angry and scolds me for that I won’t mind but he will keep the pain for himself. Why these two best friends are alike and both are in my life alone” she said and it made Kishan chuckle.
“Destiny sister in law. One is trying to control it and the other is frustrated about it. And isn’t it destiny which brought you in their life?” he asked and Ragini nodded her head.
“So in a way you changed their destiny and they are fighting the same destiny” he said and looked blankly. ‘Forgetting the same destiny can snatch you away in a blink of an eye’ he thought in his mind.
He then smiled at Ragini and patted her head. “You know you can heal the wounds you give? So even if you are hurting your bhayyu just make sure you heal him” he said and she smiled at him nodding her head.
Annapurna who was at the door looked at Kishan who gave her an assuring nod with a smile. She smiled back at him walking to her room.
Anjali saw Kishan and Annapurna’s gestures and grew suspicious. She walked behind Kishan to their room.
“What are you upto now?” her voice made Kishan to turn and look at her in confusion. “You and your mother don’t like any couple together is it?” she crossed her arms.
Kishan narrowed his eyebrows staring her. “Don’t you try to fool me alright? If you or your mother try to break my Sanky’s marriage. I’m warning you. This time I will not keep my mouth shut” she said warning him.
Kishan rolled his eyes. “Happy assumption day wifey” he said and that word made her shudder. She brought the serious look on her face back and rolled her eyes. Kishan smiled mischievously for that momentary effect his flirting had on Anjali.

“Don’t you change the topic alright? I know very well what are you both mother and son are upto. And remember I’m standing on that path right in front of you and I will never let you break one more marriage in this mansion” she said showing her finger.
Kishan stood dangerously near her amused. “Very well then. All the best Mrs.Kishan Rawat” he bit his cheeks inside teasing her and she looked at him confused.
“You are supposed to get angry when I talk about your mother aren’t you?” she asked confused.
“For your kind information she is your mother in law too. So you have all the rights in the world to talk about her. And about you disrespecting her with your talks; I have confidence on my father in laws upbringing. You will talk shit about me but you will not cross your limit when it is about my mother. Okay wifey” he winked at her and her jaws dropped to the ground.
She huffed and walked out of the room annoyed. And Kishan smiled looking at her back.
***.***
It was night when still Ragini was sitting lifelessly thinking how just a moment changes our life. Her phone buzzed disturbing her thoughts. She wiped her face and received the call.
“Ragini” she heard Sanskar’s voice. She wiped her face and adjusted her voice. “Hey. Did you land?” she asked pretending to be normal but Sanskar knew she was not in her normal sense.
Even though she was in a different universe he could sense the changes in her breathing. “Why do you sound different?” he asked her and then he smacked himself.
“Of course I am the sole reason. I told you not to talk to your brother and I’m such an idiot” his voice cracked and Ragini worried.
“Offo dumbledore. I’m fine. See today na you are not here na to listen to my long explanation. And that Sadu Sahil disconnected the call on my face. If he was in front of me I would have thrown the same phone to crack his head up then I remembered oh he is cracked up already. Then who will listen to my blabbering. Yohan? He is too worried about Kavya’s due dates. You know he is literally freaking out more than Kavya and I did not wanted him to freak me out so I did not even dare to talk to him. Then here in Rawat mansion who lets me talk so much. As soon as Adi bhai even sees me he will run like if listens to me his ears will bleed. And Pari dee and Anjali dee always busy in the kitchen. If I speak to them like this they will put extra masala in the curry and who have tolerate the wrath of ulcers in your mother’s mouth me right so I did not talked to them. Then Kishan Jeth ji. Haa I ate his head a bit. But you know he has recently started talking to Anjali jethani ji. He must be hearing a lot from her already….” “Wait Anjali bhabi is talking to him?” he interrupted her talks.
“Haaw. You didn’t knew?” she asked shocked. “No” he said shocked.
“Actually….” she narrated him again with her long explanation how she brought that board out of their room and how they started talking again.
“Why I never thought about it?” he placed his finger on his chin.
“Because you are a dumbledore” Ragini chuckled and Sanskar smiled hearing her chuckle which relaxed him a bit. But he definitely knew she was still disturbed. He did not knew how many more times he is going to hurt her.
What he really knew was that he will surely bring her out of the pain he gave her. And he will try everything possible to keep her away from the truth.
The biggest truth of their life.
But as said earlier. He needed to win every chance where as time needed just one chance him to fail.
Ragini bit her lower lip after disconnecting the call to suppress that cry which wanted to leave her throat.
She looked at her phone and caressed her bhayyu’s number. She found a new message.
She opened it and it read. “Sorry dear bacha if I have hurt you unknowingly. Or did I come on a very wrong to meet you. Your phone was disconnected suddenly and I was worried. I’m really sorry if I scared you due to it”
She looked up to control her emotions. One side it was her bhayyu who loved her may whatever the situation was and on the other side it was her husband who loved her to a limit she could not even think of. And their very love was suffocated her. She did not knew how far she will survive this.
“I’m going to Indore for four days and when I come back I want you to give that bhayyu bacha signature hug okay” he texted and she smiled through her tears nodding her head. “Okay” she said to herself looking at the phone.
Vikram smiled as though feeling her reply. “I don’t know why you behaved that way bacha but I know you did not wanted to do it. But we will start it again once I return from Indore” he spoke looking at the moon from his window.
He kissed the portrait of his and Ragini and placed it on the side table. The frame flipped and buried itself hiding the photo.
****.*****
So how was this?
Happy Ayudha Pooja.
Will meet you soon.
Love
Sally ?