Laksh’s hand just touched the bag when he heard Shekar’s voice from the other side. “Laksh” Shekar spoke. Laksh brought himself out of the car and closed the door so that it locks itself.
The Kalash appeared out of it but Laksh had passed the car.
“Baba. You had the medicines?” he asked. “Haa. I was about to go to sleep” Shekar replied. “Okay. Sleep well. I will be there in some time” Laksh disconnected the call and walked forward to reach his car.
He drove his car to reach the guest house of the hospital where he and Shekar were staying.
***.***
Sanskar was tired. He dropped his shoulders whenever the Sehra fell off. He heard Ragini’s giggle and looked at her through mirror. “Aww you look adorable” she pulled his nose. Sanskar pouted and she pecked his lips. She made him to sit on the chair and tied the Sherwani.
Sanskar smiled looking at her. She took a pinch of kohl and applied it behind his ear. “Oye am I your kid?” he frowned. “You are more kiddish than any kid Mr. Rawat” Ragini mocked him. “Acha” he covered her stomach with his hands and dragged her. She stood just an inch away.
“So what were you saying?” he gave her smoldering look which could melt her at any instant. She blushed and tried maintaining her calm but her fast beating heart had already given up. She pushed him a bit and he dragged her more close and she looked at him shocked.
“Feeling loss of words Mrs. Rawat?” he teased running his hands all over her belly and she felt ticklish. Pushing him a bit away she ran from there to hide her blush. Sanskar nodded his head smiling looking at the direction she went.
***.***
Ragvi brought some of the puja items required for the marriage and placed it near the agni kund. She started arranging the things. She tucked the hair strand which was disturbing her. But it was falling back.
She felt a hand touching her hair strand. Her hair strand was pinned with a clip. She looked at the hand and turned to find Sahil. He smiled at her weakly. He cleared his throat and walked from there. Ragvi was confused whether to smile at his gesture or frown.
She just stared at him while he walked towards the decoration of flower strands. He made himself busy. Ragvi nodded her head and got back to her work.
Sahil watched her when she turned. ‘What the hell is wrong with me?’ he questioned himself. And there was no answer. Because it wasn’t his mind but the heart which was feeling different.
Sumi walked out with some more items and helped Ragvi to arrange the place. The guests started arriving. Ragini came and hugged Sumi squealing. Sumi smiled caressing her cheek and welcomed the other family members of Rawat family.
“Where is Bhayyu?” Ragini looked around. “He is in his room waiting for you” Ragvi said surprising Ragini. Ragini smiled at her weakly and walked towards Vikram’s room.
“Bhayyu” she entered Vikram’s room. He was sitting nervous. “Bacha” he hugged her tightly and his nervousness could be guessed by Ragini. She rubbed his back.
“What happened?” asked she worried. “I don’t know this all feels so weird like I’m not ready” he said as he sat on the chair and Ragini knelt in front of him. She placed her one hand on his cheek.
He looked into her sparkling eyes.
“Nobody ever is” she smiled bending her head and he narrowed his eyebrows confused. Her smile widened.
“Nobody ever is ready for the responsibilities life brings. But then life is so uncertain. And you never know what comes on your path and you have to carry that” she adjusted his Sehra.
“But that uncertain nature of life is what makes it beautiful. Will you not be happy to find happiness at the most unexpected turn of your life. Will you not feel pain more if you find a sadness at the unexpected turn of your life. A known turn brings nothing but the boredom to life. Unexpected things spice up your life. Don’t think it is not what you planned. Just think it is better than your plan. Just go with the flow. Life is a flowing water with the unknown falls and rises and that makes life a worth living and worth fighting for” she smiled and Vikram smiled widely as he understood what she said.
“My bacha has grown up finally” he said caressing her cheek and kissed her forehead and Ragini’s smile spread from one ear to another.
He walked out with Ragini. She proudly assisted him till the mandap.
The pandit started chanting the mantras after he lit the agni kund.
“Get the bride” he said and Sumi looked around. “Shona get Sriti” she said finding Ragvi and she nodded her head and walked towards Ragini’s room where Sriti was getting ready.
“Hey” she said and Sriti smiled at her weakly. Ragvi stood behind her and looked at through the mirror. “You look beautiful. Bhayyu will be flattered” Ragvi chuckled and Sriti glared her. She lifted that necklace and tried wearing it. But the hook was a bit tricky.
Ragvi helped her and finally Sriti wore the necklace. “Heavens have opened their door for the beauty they are seeing in your eyes. You are looking breathtakingly gorgeous” Sriti felt Diya repeated her words which she always used to say standing behind Sriti in past. A tear tripped her eye when Diya’s image disappeared. ‘I miss you’ she spoke in her mind feeling that pain of separation from her best friend. How many things she had planned together. But they had no control over the time.
“I know you are missing Diya” Ragvi held Sriti’s shoulder who nodded her head emotionally looking at her.

“Trust me. She will be the happiest person who will be watching you from wherever she is” Ragvi kissed Sriti’s side head and she closed her eyes feeling a bit light.
The Kalash’s image which was on the table behind them cleared. It looked like Diya was really watching over Sriti and smiling. “Come now. Bhayyu is so desperately waiting for you” Ragvi mocked and Sriti blushed.
Ragvi took her to the mandap. Vikram watched her and his heart felt as if it had forgotten to beat and for a long time he did not even inhaled the air. He left that deep breath when Sriti sat beside him.

His galloping heart and the deep sigh made Sriti blush when she realized it was the effect of her presence. She lowered her head and Vikram smiled looking forward.
“Gatbandhan” the Pandit asked. Ragini stopped herself when Ragvi move to do the rasam. She sure felt a bit pain but covered her emotions with a smile. But has she able to hide it from her Bhayyu her emotion?
“Bacha” he called her and Ragvi stopped her steps and stood blank. Sahil noticed her sadness and somewhere her pain made him flinch.
Ragini nodded her head looking at him weakly. Vikram glared her and signed her to come. She pleaded him through eyes.
“You want me to get married or not?” he asked and Ragini walked to him without any other option. She tied the gatbandhan and Ragvi smiled weakly and hid her pain. Sahil kept staring her face. Ragini looked at Ragvi apologetically. But Ragvi smiled at her. Relations had been going through tornadoes and there was no chance that either of them will be hurt.
***.***
Laksh banged on the steering wheel. “Damn” he cursed looking at the long pile of cars in front of him. “We should have left a bit early” Shekar who was sitting beside him told.
His phone ringed and he received it. “Oye hello Mr. Wrong time” Ragini spoke from the other side. “Are you planning to reach on the baby shower of Sriti oh what?” she asked and Laksh closed his eyes annoyed.
“I know Jhalli I’m late but this traffic” he said helpless. “Do one thing. Wear a spider man suit. Jump the buildings and come here in just 10 minutes. Did you get that. Or else. I will clean you off like a spider” she disconnected the call and Laksh threw the phone on the Chassis and looked at the slow moving traffic.
“Ragu is it?” Shekar asked and Laksh pouted. Shekar laughed lightly. A tear tripped his eye remembering Diya.
Jaan Baki hai magar Sans ruki ho jaise.
Wish his sorrows could bring her back. He would have immersed himself in the ocean of sorrows to just get a glimpse of her. But the path was one way. She will never return only that emptiness will remain for eternity. It will only end when his life will end.
Ragini flipped her hair back disconnecting the call back. Vikram and Sriti were taking rounds across the holy fire and all were showering the flower petals on them.
She felt a pull on her Sari edge and looked down to find Ansh giving her a wide smile. “Baby” she squealed happy lifting him. They both watched the rituals of Vikram and Sriti’s marriage.
The function was already over and all the guests started leaving and the family members started preparing for the reception.
“Maa. When are you people coming?” Sahil asked over the phone. “Just in another hour beta” Avantika replied. “Okay” said he and disconnected the call. Due to the fear of infecting the new born Kavya and Yohan stayed at Raheja Mansion and Avantika and Harish drove towards Asthana house.
***.***
Ragini sat outside the cabin. The board on the door of it read “Gynecologist’. She held the chair tightly.
“Mrs. Rawat your appointment” the nurse came out of the cabin and smiled at Ragini. She smiled back and walked inside the cabin.
“Are you sure Mrs. Rawat?” the doctor asked her and Ragini nodded her head. She was made to wear the uniform clothes and lied on the bed.
A tear tripped her eye as the doctor neared her. “STOP IT” they heard a scream. Ragini looked beyond the doctor and found him standing there.
“Have you lost your brain somewhere? Or you were never born with one?” Sahil fumed nearing her. “Excuse me. You cannot come in like this” the nurse stopped him.

“Get out of my damn way” he screamed looking at the nurse who jerked to his burst out. He fumed and neared Ragini. He held her wrist and dragged her along with him.
“Sahil leave me what are you doing?” Ragini asked confused.
“You want to be Mahan. Fine be one. But if you dare use my Sanky’s kid for it I will not spare you for sure” he warned her. “Change yourself and come with me” he said stiffly.
“I don’t want this kid” she said controlling her emotions. “You are nobody to decide it alright?” he warned her. “I am its mother and I have all the blo*dy rights to do it” Ragini jerked his hand.
“And it is my Sanky’s kid too” he turned to the doctor. “How can you abort a kid without the father’s consent?” Sahil asked the doctor. “I will sue you guys” he roared. “She has produced the signed documents to us” the doctor said. “And you did not feel like cross checking it? Are you running a hospital or cow shed?” Sahil spat. The doctor bowed her head not able to answer.
“It was all my fault. I took Sanskar’s signature last night” Ragini confessed. Sahil closed his eyes inhaling a deep breath to cool his growing anger.
“I will talk to you. First change and come” he signed her. “I am not going” she crossed her arms. “Fine. I don’t care” Sahil started dragging her like that only. Ragini felt embarrassed when the people around looked at her.
“Fine I will come with you” she said and went to change herself and stood in front of him. He held her by her wrist and dragged her.
He did not speak a word whole journey. But his face clearly showed the anger he had.
“Sahil?” Sanskar looked at him confused when he walked in furiously. He dragged Ragini and made her to stand in front of Sanskar.
Sanskar who was confused looked at Ragini. “When did you go out?” he asked not understanding.
“Ask her why she went out also” Sahil fumed. Ragini stood there not able to look up. “Ragini” Sanskar moved to hold her by her shoulder. She cried silently closing her eyes.

“Are you listening to me” he jerked her and she still did not looked up.
“She went to abort her kid which she claims to be her private property” Sahil spoke and all looked at her shocked.
Sanskar looked at her shocked. His hands dropped down.
“Don’t joke around Sahil” Vikram nodded his head looking at Sahil. “If I’m kidding kill me right here” he said angry. “Bacha” Vikram moved to her. But she did not respond.
“How could you think of killing your own blood Ragini?” Anjali asked and she stood there not replying. “It is not just your kid. It is our Sanky’s kid too. How can you think about snatching the baby from him?” Pari spoke.
“Speak bacha why are you silent?” Sumi walked to her. She had no answer just silence. “Ragini beta say this is all a lie” Annapurna walked to her placing her hand on Ragini’s shoulder.
Everyone waited for her answer and Ragini had just the silence right now.
“Look at me” Sanskar cupped her face. “When?” he asked her dragging her more near. Though nobody understood what he spoke but Ragini understood him.
She looked into his eyes painfully. She nodded her head pleading. “Please” he requested her.
“That night when I was fainted, I gained my consciousness for some time when you were talking about it” she said finally not able to look at his state.

He collapsed on the floor. She knelt in front of him worried. All were confused.
“Why do you love me so much?” he cupped her one cheek and held those flooding emotions.
“I don’t know what is it called. Something beyond love. I don’t know. I just can’t have this feeling for anyone. I can’t think of sharing that part of my heart or emotion with anyone. I can’t.. Not even for our kid. I don’t love it more than you. When it was not making you any happy I don’t know how I started feeling it is of no value to me. I might sound selfish, emotionless, heartless. But the truth is I have drown myself in your love to a level from where I cannot float back to the surface nor I can drown completely and put an end to all these killing emotions” she looked at him helplessly.
“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry I made you go through all that. I’m really sorry” he dragged her and hugged her letting out more and more tears.
“Because of my reluctance you thought about ending that innocent life. I’m so sorry. I was about to snatch you something very dear to you” he cleared the air for others.
“What do you mean?” asked Sahil looking at him. “I did not wanted the kid and I was such a fool that I could not gather the courage to tell her. But she understood me and so that I don’t have to face the wrath of all she took this step” Sanskar stood up holding her in his embrace.
Sahil walked and held Sanskar’s collar and dragged him towards him. “You promised you will take care of her. This is how you are doing that?” Sahil pointed at Ragini.
“Do you even realize what she had to go through to take such hasty step. Do you even realize what and all she had to face with this?” Sahil asked furiously.
“Kadve Neem Ke pathe. Don’t give me diabetes today at least” Ragini dragged him away.
Sahil cried like a small kid and dragged Ragini into a warm hug. “What am I gonna do with you? Why can’t you let me live peacefully?” he asked and she chuckled.
“Because you deserve it” she made him smile and he kissed her hair. “How did you know?” Ragini asked. “I just followed you when you went outside. I asked the receptionist and she informed me why were you there” he said and she hugged him back. Sanskar hugged her from other side.
Sumi wiped her tears looking at them.
“What are they?” Ragvi spoke looking at them. “They share a special bond. Not hateful as enemies. Not friendly enough to be friends also. They can’t stand each other at the same time they stand for each other in any situation” Sumi smiled and Ragvi looked at her.
“Finally” Laksh sighed as he entered the house. Shekar walked and stood beside him.
And the time seemed stopped for Asthana family members.
“Shekar” Sumi looked at him shocked. Shekar was looking around the house and admiring the decorations.
***.****
For the final dhamaka you need to wait a bit more now.
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