Cloudless
A sudden breeze touched his cheek and he finally could feel it. He was not even blinking his eyes at her. His eyes moved down to her lips which were curved up at one side. She knew. She knew it was his plan. But how? He was so cautious that no one will ever doubt on him. And more precisely Ragini who was the only person who knew he wasn’t the way he looked.
His ground seemed collapsing beneath his feet. And she could sense his astonishment. “But… What are you talking about?” he suddenly changed the flow of words. “Oh you are such a pretender” she bent her head a bit back. And he was rooted in his place.
“Damn yaar Ragini. The Sanskar Maheshwari can’t believe he could not fool an innocent girl who doesn’t know anything other than crying over and blaming herself. The girl who can’t think out of the brain of her Dadi. The girl who is so mahan that she sacrificed her self respect to protect her sister’s ruined marriage. Sarcastic ain’t we?” she walked across him and he stood still.
She smirked looking at him. His sweat droplet over his forehead made her smirk darken. “Tchu tchu… Poor you. Assumptions, assumptions and assumptions” she made a pity face.
“You are mistaken” he tried defending. “I’m never” she closed her fist as the heat grew inside her. “You surely thought you won’t be caught if you come with a costume. Isn’t it?” she crossed her arms.
***Flashback***
Ragini turned after serving Sujata the tea. She saw someone descending the stair flight. He had worn a typical Rajstani dress and his face was covered with the beard. Momentarily he looked at her and she found him familiar. He avoided the eye contact and rushed out of the house with his cloth bundle before she could react.
“Dida who was that?” Ragini asked and Sumi said “Some poor fellow. I just gave him some old clothes” said Dida who walked down the stairs. She felt it weird but could not do anything. She brushed her thoughts and walked to the kitchen.
“99, 100…. I’m coming” Laksh dragged his face out which he had pressed against the Banyan tree. Ragini who came out saw Sanskar who was hiding near a branch. He was alerted by something and rubbed his cheek quickly as if hiding something. She felt she is hallucinating something. But her brain wasn’t at peace.
***End of Flashback***
“Now everything is falling in place” the intensity of her gaze deepened. “You are hallucinating things for your own good. And I would suggest you to see a psychiatrist soon. Before you completely lose it” he pretended strong.
“Look who is talking about brain. The one who has no brain. May be I don’t have the proofs now but count your days Mr. Sanskar Ramprasad Maheshwari. You will be out of this mask soon. And I will be the proud discoverer of your truth” she took a deep breath.
They looked straight into each others eyes. Life can be sassy sometime. Sometimes the difficulties of our life make us as hard as stone and on the other hand the same difficulties make you the fighter of your own battle.
One side it was Sanskar who had lost his love and was fighting for his revenge. Who had grown as hard and cold as ice.
On the other side it was Ragini who had lost her love too but she fought for her sister. Who had emerged as the fighter fighting her own battle.
Their consequences were same or they were almost same for both but the way they emerged out was different. It was as different as sky and earth.
He took a deep breath and his lips curved into a smirk before he opened his eyes with enlightened orbs. “Try it” his voice was cold. “You can’t prove single thing” his shoulders now straight. Again his orbs were inline with hers as they stared each other with cold daggers.
“Don’t challenge me” she fumed a bit. “I have challenged you long back” his smirk deepened. Her eyebrows cocked trying to understand.
“You have just a day to figure it out Ms. Ragini Gadodia. Don’t waste your time in this stare game” he turned and walked away leaving her with her thoughts. He walked with a bit of bent head and with a wide smirk.
What does that supposed to mean?’ her mind was just trying to decipher what he just confessed.
The sun at the horizon was going to dip himself in the black color. And her mind was covered with the same darkness.
***.***
As she entered the hall with the questions in her mind she was pulled by someone. Uttara dragged her to the center of the hall where all were cheering her for the dance. “Dance and me? No” said Ragini trying to get away. “No yo have to dance” Uttara held her hand.
She looked at Swara who pleaded her and then her eyes moved to her Dadi who was just sitting without any emotions. The song started playing and after sometimes her body swayed with the music.
Do tole ki mudhri laade Teen tole ka kangana
Muh Dikhayi dede phir tu le jaa apne angana
Naa samaj tu cheez purani chehra mera piece nurani
Dekhe ga tho kha jayega sau sau jhatke
Pallo latke re mharo pallo latke
zara sa zara sa zara sa tedha hoja balama.
She played with her dupatta and moved her body with the music and all the people could not take their eyes off her. She had the perfect expressions which bound everyone.
She walked to Sanskar and pushed him with her hip spinning and then held him as if teasing him. He controlled his anger and wore his innocent look back. She smirked looking at him and walked back to the center and continued with her moves. All cheered her when she finished her dance.
“And I have full day Mr. Sanskar Maheshwari and I will surely crack it down” she walked nuzzling her nose and he stood looking at her. His eyes moved to her waist which was moving with sink. He shrug himself. ‘Damn Sanskar stop gaping at her like a pervert’ his mind snapped him out to the reality.
***.***
The marriage day was already begun before the Sun rose and greeted Badi. People were on a rush to complete the works. Everyone’s anxiety level was on highest level.
“Arrey Dadi you forgot about the Kuldevi temple ritual? We should have done it yesterday only” said Ragini worried. “I’m not gonna participate or distribute my not so worthy suggestions in this marriage” she said cold. Ragini who was arranging Swara’s bag stopped and looked at her Dadi.
“Dadi sa” she placed her head on Dadi’s shoulder. “Please for my sake” said Ragini with a cracking voice. “Don’t try this emotional blackmail on me. Do you even realize how the people are ungrateful for whom you are sacrificing the only thing you loved all your life?” Dadi looked at her with painful anger.
“Laksh isn’t a thing Dadi Sa. He.. he is a person and like every other person he also deserves right to chose. If I was bound to him in a marriage with no love it wouldn’t had any life and would just have broken” she controlled her emotions and smiled.
“But they don’t deserve this sacrifice. Why don’t you understand?” Dadi’s anger had turned completely to pain now.
“It isn’t the sacrifice Dadi. It is just that I’m letting the deserving persons to be together. Nothing more” she smiled at her Dadi. “Has anybody won over you in arguments?” Dadi caressed her hair. “I don’t remember one” Ragini slightly chuckled.
“All right I will talk to Sumi and you can leave in half an hour and try to come back as soon as possible.” Dadi caressed her cheek lovingly and Ragini held her hand smiling at her.
***.***
“Oh God. Was this necessary Lado?” Swara complained as she walked behind Ragini over the bridge. “It is the tradition Shona and you should follow them with out think about the necessities” Ragini looked a bit over her shoulder.
“As you say. Anyways we finished it too soon isn’t it…ahhhh” before Swara completed Ragini heard her scream. She immediately turned to find her sister not standing behind her. Her eyes then moved to the water where Swara was struggling to stay at the surface of the water.
“Shona….” she screamed all the strength out of her. “Oh no. Some one please help help….” she screamed. But there was only one figure who stood at the one end of the bridge.
“Sanskar” she was not sure whether she recognized him or not. He stood crossing his arms. Yes it was him. It was him not anyone else.
She ran to him. “Sanskar.. thank god you are here. See Shona fell down in the water. Please save her. Please” she begged him and he stood with the smirk on his face.
She took a struggling breath. “Was this all about? The challenge you threw to me?” her eyes had the fire with the tears smearing her face. He stood unresponsive. “Was this all?” she screamed.
“So much hate Sanskar? So much….” before she could speak further her head felt a blow and she held her head which felt like cracking into pieces due to the immense pain.
As her hand touched the spot her fingers felt liquid- a thick liquid though. When she realized it was blood her pain shoot up and a scream escaped her mouth. She walked a bit forward then back stumbling.
Her knees felt weak and they bent not able to hold the weight of her body. She closed her eyes and then again opened to clear her view. But with each second it just became more and more blur.
Her knees touched the ground her head bent and she pressed her hands against the wound to stop bleeding and to control the pain. But nothing helped and her vision blacked out.
It was dark and dark everywhere.
She felt a faint light. She found a figure walking to her. As he reached a considerable distance she could recognize him.
“I told you. I had told you” he laughed evilly. “Sanskar why did you do this? Where is my sister? You were the one who pushed her right?” she tried moving but her body did not respond.
He did not answer and kept laughing. She screamed and struggled to move herself but couldn’t. The surrounding was still dark.
Her breath was speeding up suddenly. She felt suffocated. She felt paralyzed. “What’s happening to me? Where am I? Why am I not able to move” she screamed but her voice did not reach her brain.
She pressed her eye lashes as hard as she could. The figure grew creepier and she flapped her eyes open. Her breathing was still heavy.
She could see light, she could see colors. But she felt her senses were still numb to record them.
****.****
I’m sorry I know I have been missing from a long time.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do let me know.
And thanks to all my readers who have been my life support. Thanks a ton.
I couldnt reply individualy I’m so sorry about it. But I appreciate your words.
Love
Sally