Sanskar’s eyes moved to Ragini who was busy in her work just sitting in front of him. Her hair strand moved and she adjusted it.
Though they were just few meters away from each other it looked like there is a gap of galaxies in between them. And suddenly his heart flinched and he felt the pain at the thought.
And that cold breath made him collapse in his place realizing that he had caught a pain which he is not able to understand. But it is intolerable.
He squeezed his hand and the pain came alive making him wince. Ragini heard his low whisper and looked up and he looked at his wounded hand.
Without his knowledge his heart was breaking silently and he neither clue about it nor cure for it.
“Why don’t you stop hurting yourself” she spoke with a mixture of annoyance and pain. He did not reply .
While he had lowered his gaze not meeting her eyes his eyes moistened. “Am I talking to the walls?” she looked at him expecting an answer but what she got was only coldness.
Her eyes turned painful. “You know what? Be happy with your ego” she just continued her work and he looked up at her while annoyance covered her face his pain was visible on his face which burned him.
It was evening when Sanskar silently walked out of the cabin. Ragini was in the file room and she did not realize the time.
She thought at least Sanskar will talk to her for informing while leaving.
She waited but he did not call her. She held the door knob and tried opening it. She worried when it did not open.
She had left her phone in the cabin only and she banged on the door to grab other’s attention but she least knew that it was already night and she was left in the office all alone.
As she did not get any response for a long time she realized that she was stuck in the file room and everyone had left.
Her blood turned cold as the fear ran through her spine.
Sharmishta was looking at the door continuously but there was no trace of Ragini. She dialed Ragini’s number again but like earlier it went unanswered. She worried more with each second.
“Sumi” Shekar looked at her and walked to her. “What happened?” asked he. She looked at him worried. She did not knew how to tell him.
A tear tripped her eye. “Lado is not yet home” she said weakly and Shekar looked at her horrified. “What do you mean?” he asked her in disbelief. “Shekar” they both heard Parvati’s voice and looked at her jerked.
Shekar was about to share his worry but Sumi stopped him and he looked at her confused. “Lado had the food?” Parvati asked and Sumi smiled at her weakly.
“Maaji she is in Maheshwari Mansion. She could not go in the morning so” Sumi covered it and Shekar was still confused. “Oh. Okay. Call her and tell her to stay there only because it is too late” Dadi instructed and walked away while Sumi nodded her head.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” Shekar asked Sumi and she took a deep breath. “If she came to know she will worry a lot and you know it ain’t good for her health and second thing she will not let Ragini walk out of the house also from tomorrow. I don’t want to snatch our daughter’s wings and let her sit inside the house” Sumi held his shoulder and Shekar nodded his head.
“I will search her outside” Shekar said and Sumi nodded her head. As he walked out something flashed in her mind. She knew it was only him who could help her now.
She dialed a number and waited for him to pick the call.
Sanskar who was lying on his mother’s lap after the dinner looked at his buzzing phone. “Whose number is this?” he got up and answered the call.
“Hello” “Hello Sanskar” Sumi spoke in a worried voice.
“Yes?” he spoke confused. “Sharmishta here” she said and Sanskar brought his mobile in front of him to confirm whether it was her only. “Ji?” he asked her.
“In any case Ragini is with you? She has not come back from office and I’m worried. I think she has left her phone somewhere” Sumi spoke and expected a positive answer.
Her query scared the hell out of Sanskar. He stood up immediately and Sujata looked at him confused. “What?” he almost screamed.
“She isn’t with you also? I better inform her father. He went out searching her” she spoke with cracking voice.
“Um hm. I will just see what I can do” he acted that he did not care but inside his heart was jumping in a dangerous speed. So much that he felt that it might come out of his mouth.
He called Ragini’s number which went unanswered. He then dialed Shreya’s number.
“Hello Shreya. Do you have any idea which way Ragini went after the office?” asked he. Sujata now understood what bothered her son.
At the same time she started worrying for Ragini. “No sir. I did not saw her leaving the office. I thought she moved out with you while I was busy on a call that time” Shreya replied and suddenly Sanskar’s heart fell more in it’s cage.
“Um. Okay” he disconnected the call. “Sanskar” Sujata held Sanskar’s arm who was walking towards the door. “What happened?” she looked at her son and tried analyzing his expressions. She could trace pain and worry blending.
“Maa wo Ragini” he gulped the saliva through his paining throat which had become sore due to the pain.
“Kya hua Ragini ko?” asked she worried. “I will tell you mom. But don’t tell it to anyone right now” he said and walked out of the room leaving his mother behind in her thoughts.
He ignited the car engine and his car was exiting the Maheshwari Mansion gates when Swara noticed him. She narrowed her eye brows. She walked inside her room and found Laksh working on the files.
“Laksh I saw Sanskar jeth ji getting out of the house and he looked worried” she said and Laksh looked up at her.
“From when did you started worrying about people. Surely it isn’t your part of job right?” he looked back at the file.
She rolled her eyes and looked at him annoyed. “Will you take me ever serious?” she asked throwing her hands frustrated.
“I had enough of taking you serious. And no more can handle it” he spoke looking at the file.
“And by the way Sanskar Bhai has his own life he need not inform anyone about his moves. Not at least to the sister in law who is always finding ways make his life hell” Laksh still was gazing at the files.
Swara closed her eyes twitching her jaws. “If that so. I don’t give a damn either. He had not left any stone unturned to make my life hell” she crossed her arms.
Laksh looked up at her and fumed. He threw the file aside and held her by her shoulder. “If you want to stay in this house just remember one thing Swara you have to respect my family and specially Sanskar Bhai. Remember if you are having all this comforts it his generosity. He can just throw you in the footpath in the midnight but then I know my Sanskar bhai. He will not stoop this low” he jerked her.
Swara looked at him teary eyed. “And if I don’t?” asked she. “Then even I have no choice other than getting rid off you” he stormed away leaving her in the room and she collapsed on the floor as the days of her and Laksh in the past passed in her mind.
How the life changed just in few days. And her mind made her blame Sanskar for her situation when she did not realize she was digging her own grave.
Ragini cried and it did not help. She felt suffocating in that small room. And the moving time made her more vulnerable.
Sanskar was driving his car looking around. He remembered how Ragini walked to the file room. And hit his hand on the steering wheel. How did he let her stay there and just walked out of the office.
Number of fearing thoughts entered his mind. And it made him more and more anxious. “Damn this girl” he cursed turning the steering wheel.
He parked it outside the office building and ran towards it. He climbed the stairs taking big leaps as his mind was processing bad thoughts each second.
He opened the office and walked inside. “Ragini” he screamed looking around. He walked further inside screaming her name.
“Ragini” he screamed again.
But there was no response. When he was passing near the file room he heard sobs. “Ragini” he banged on the door hard. But there was no response.
He pushed the door but it was jammed. “Ragini” he cried again. He banged his shoulder to the door when he heard her increasing sobs.
Somehow after many hits the door flapped open. He stumbled entering it. “Ragini” he looked around. He walked to particular rack and found Ragini sitting on the ground. She had buried her face dragging her knees near to her chest.
“Ragini” he skid near her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She jerked initially and looked up to see his face.
She could not define what she felt then. All this time she was in a place where darkness had blinded her and Sanskar arrived as the ray of light and gave her the eternal peace.
She moved and hugged him immediately. Her heart was beating fast really fast. Sanskar fell a bit back by the sudden reaction. His heart pained as her body cringe to him and shivered.
He took a bit of a time for acting further. He moved his hands slowly and placed it on her back. And he felt her jerking.
“hey” he whispered after controlling his pain. “Everything is fine. See I came” he kissed her shoulder and she relaxed a bit. Her shivering decreased.
He rubbed her back to console her. But her sobs did not stop. He dragged her out of the hug and cupped her face. It was brimmed with tears and sweat.
And he could not see her like this. “Are you alright?” he tried meeting her lowered gaze. She just nodded her head.
“Sure?” he asked and she responded with a nod. His heart was still restless looking at her state. He helped her to get up and they walked out. He picked her phone and dialed Sharmishta’s number.
“Hello Lado” Sharmishta answered the call immediately. “It’s me Sanskar Aunty” he spoke and Sumi just waited confused.
Actually Ragini was in her friend’s house and she forgot her phone in the office. I just came here” he said and Sumi relaxed.
“Thank god” she left out a breath. “I’m bringing her” he said and was about to disconnect the call. “Hello hello no Sanskar. I told a lie to her Dadi about her being at Maheshwari Mansion. Will please tell her to stay there tonight?” she asked. “But” he stopped himself because he did not wanted to reveal in what state Ragini was right now. “Okay” he said and disconnected the call.
He looked at Ragini. She was hugging herself still feeling the shivering. He walked and covered her with his jacket.
And that closeness made her numb and she moved her gaze to look into his eyes which were deep.
“Um” he moved a bit away from her. “I did not wanted to tell your mother about this and she told you to stay at your friend’s house” he said unsure of what he was speaking.
“So you have any friend in whose house you can stay for tonight?” he asked and she nodded her head in negative. He took a deep breath.
“Okay then. I think you have to stay at my apartment for tonight” he said and she looked at him. “No no. I won’t be staying there. I will come back in the morning to pick you” he said and she nodded her head.
He walked out of the office and sat inside the car and she sat beside him. He drove it towards his apartment.
He made her sit inside his room and was about to move when he felt her grip on his wrist and he stopped. As he turned to look at her she was staring the ground.
“Don’t go” she whispered. “Please” she looked up with tears in her eyes. He looked at her blank.
“Um” he hummed and nodded his head. “I will be in the hall. If you need anything let me know” he said walking towards the door.
“Sanskar” her voice stopped him and his heart beat at the same time.
“I’m sorry” she said with a cracking voice. “What for?” he turned looking at her. “For making you go through all this” she said and her painful eyes squeezed his heart.
“Why are friends for?” he smiled bitterly and that word suddenly pierced her heart. She did not knew why.
And for a strange his heart did not approve that sentence. He walked out brushing his thoughts.
He lied on the couch and everything just replayed in his mind. Her fragrance while she crashed herself on his chest was driving him crazy.
He strangely did not wanted to depart from her. He closed his eyes expecting the sleep to cool his anxiety but it was not helping.
His phone buzzed and he looked at the screen. “Hello haa maa” he spoke answering Sujata’s call.
“Where are you beta and where is Ragini? Is she fine?” asked his mother worried. “She is okay mom. She is staying in the apartment and…” he narrated her everything what happened.
“Okay. Take care of her” Sujata said and was about to disconnect the call but stopped.
“Sanskar” she spoke and he stopped disconnecting process.
“Do you love her?” her question sure stopped his breathing and in a second his heart took a high leap trying to release itself.
“Maa” he could just utter that word. Because he himself did not knew the answer for this. He was still not able to understand what he was feeling.
“Answer me” she demanded. “Maa I have loved only Kavitha in my whole life and Ragini…” he paused when that name of her just cooled his anxiety and it sure surprised him.
“You know I did not say her name” Sujata smiled. “Don’t stop yourself binding back to the past when future can promise you better things” she said and a cool air touched his skin making him feel all alive suddenly.
“I..” he stopped again with the confusion. “You know the answer. Only thing is you have to realize” she smiled and he closed his eyes and a tear dropped his eye.
“I’m confused” he finally spoke his heart. “And that confusion is called love” she said and he nodded his head with still closed eyes.
“That word is not for me mom. I have always deprived of it may be by destiny or by some cruel heartless people” his hand formed a fist in rage.
“And I don’t want to lose her” he said in a choking voice. “And there is your answer” Sujata spoke calmly. “She is your answer Sanskar. You can’t see her in pain. You can’t even imagine losing her, you cry looking at her pain and you feel peace looking at her smile. Don’t you?” she asked.
“I do” he nodded his head folding his lips. “Then you say it’s not love?” asked she and he looked at the ceiling.
“I don’t know mom” he said and she took a deep sigh. “Did you felt dead when you heard about her missing? You sure did and I felt it” she said. “Hm yes I did” he said finally confessing.
“And that you feel when you love some one Sanskar not in friendship at least. Yes you will be more worried for your friend but that madness suddenly to end your worthless life thinking that you could not be there with her is what makes love different from friendship” she said and Sanskar just remembered his every feeling around Ragini.
“And she is engaged mom” he said and Sujata chuckled. “And that’s stopping my son?” she asked and Sanskar could not answer her.
“You love her and nothing matters. Don’t fear of rejection. As far as I have seen her I think she will be feeling the same but something had stopped her. First get a confirmation of her feelings. If she doesn’t feel the same I will not tell you to pursue her but if she feels the same don’t stop trying till the last second” she smiled and Sanskar nodded his head biting his lower lip.
Finally the clouds of confusion had moved away and there was light. Light which his love brought.
After disconnecting the call he walked to the room Ragini was. She was sleeping. He walked slowly to her and admired her face.
She looked no less cuter than a baby. He was about to touch her cheek but stopped himself. He caressed his hair and smiled looking at her.
“Tomorrow gonna be your best day Ragini Gadodia. I can’t wait for the sun to rise” he whispered controlling his excitement.
He blinked his eyes at her and walked out of the room.
He lied on the couch. As the confusion left his brain and heart he felt peaceful.
The sleep did not took long to take him to his land of dreams. Dreams of future a bright and melodious future.
Tujhe sochta hu mai shamo subah
Isse zyada tujhe aur chahu tho kya
Tere hi Khayalo me duba raha
Isse zyada tujhe aur chahu tho kya
Uss saare gham me sang hu Tere
Har ek mausam me jaana sang hu tere
Abb itne Inteha bhi na le mere

So what do you think what is running in our Superman’s mind.
?????
So how was the chapter and sorry for the ghisa pita track.
Running out of creativity lol.
Love
Sally ?