RAGLAK FF : THE SPRING OF LOVE – Part 3

Hi friends…I’m back with next update thank you so much for all of those who had commented on last update here is the next update hope u all like this too……

Last update : Part 2

@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*

Ragini opened her eyes to see the worried faces of her dad, and omi’s parents peering down at her. 

Ap ( worriedly ) : Are you okay beta?

Ragini slowly started to get

Ragini ( shaking her head as to clear it ) : What happened?
Laksh : You fainted!

HE snapped from across the room ragini’s eyes met HIS cold ones and the words
“Omi has run away from home” came back to slap her in the face She let out a little gasp and quickly got up from the sofa Her dad grabbing her arm to steady her as she felt herself get woozy again. 

Ragini : This is impossible….omi would never have left me …. Something must have happened Is this one of his practical jokes!
Ragini ( Looking around hysterically ) : omi if you’re hiding, you better come out right now because seriously this is not funny!

  Laksh stared at a nearly hysterical ragini

Laksh : Here read this

he said finally handing her an envelope Laksh grabbed it from his hand and saw her name in omi’s handwriting scribbled on the front.  Quickly pulling out the letter she let her eyes skim over the brief words.  

  “I’m sorry Ragini, more sorry then you’ll ever know I just cant’ marry you  I’m not ready for marriage, I know it had been my idea in the first place but now that it’s actually happening I just can’t.  It’s more then just cold feet I have so much I want and need to do before committing to something as serious as marriage  I know I’m leaving you in a lurch here and  believe me when I say you’re the last person in the world I would ever want to hurt  But I can’t go through with this  I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. I will always love you, omi.”

  The tears were instantaneous  She couldn’t believe he’d done this to her.  

Shekar ( shouted suddenly ) : My daughter is ruined…Ruined..
Who will marry her now?
Dp : Bhai saab…
Shekar : NO..Don’t bhai saab me….I have a house full of guests, my daughter’s hands are adorned with mehendhi……Everyone thinks there’s a wedding tomorrow nd there is no groom I have to go out there and tell everyone that the groom has run away No matter how modernized this society has become they’ll still point their dirty fingers at my daughter My daughter’s heart is broken because of your son My daughter’s dreams have been shattered because of your son!

Shekar shouted pointing at omi’s parents who looked completely broken 

Dp ( whisperd ) : What can we do?
Shekar ( snapped ) : You can’t do anything Other then bringing your idiot good for nothing son back to marry my daughter But we all know that’s not going to happen Who knows where he’s run off too Making promises to my daughter!

Ragini squeezed her eyes shut. 

Ragini ( whispers ) : Dad, please

Saying this ragini touches shekar’s arm trying to calm him down  But her dad was not ready to calm down.  

Shekar ( with cracking voice ) : That no good useless spoiled boy has destroyed everything How can you expect me to calm down?HOW? Laksh : Enough

Everyone turned towards the soft but firm command that came from across the room. 

Laksh ( mockingly ) : Your reputation will stay as intact, pristine as ever My brother has made your daughter a promise that he didn’t full fill, I will fulfill it I’ll marry her.

Laksh said staring at ragini, his eyes betraying no emotion ragini’s gasp filled the room. 

Ragini ( furiously ) : I will not marry you

” How dare he ” she thought to herself But no one else said anything as they stared at Laksh in shock  A few moments later ragini’s dad finally spoke. 

Shekar : Under the circumstances I think that would be best.

By listening to this ragini’s eyes widened in horror. 

Ragini : I will not marry him dad How can you expect me to do this!?No, it can’t happen!……How can I marry omi’s older brother?

  Ragini said shaking her head miserably. 

Shekar : ragini, please listen to me, you have to marry him You have to, honestly I will not be able to live with the fact that that boy abandoned you a day before your wedding I will not be able to take the taunts and the ridicule that will be aimed at my daughter I know times have changed, but people never fully change This black mark that omi left on your image it will always stay with you if you don’t get married tomorrow

By listening to this a sob escaped Ragini’s lips. 

Ragini ( with broken Voice ) : Dad this is your thinking, and personally I don’t care what people think I am in love with omi so how can you expect me to marry his older brother?Aren’t people going to question the fact that I married his brother?Aren’t people going to talk then?I can’t live my live for people!

Ragini said harshly trying to push down the lump in her throat She couldn’t let herself break down right now She just needed to get through this and then when she could escape to the privacy of her own room she could let the tears come But not now.  

  Laksh watched her, being careful not to show any evidence of the surprise he felt at ragini’s words She didn’t want to marry him, in fact she didn’t care what society as a whole thought that was new Most girls would be hysterical right now, crying and yelling and thinking their life was over  But not Ragini, he felt a grudging sense of admiration at her quiet strength  He didn’t want to marry her He didn’t want to marry anyone He liked his life the way it was…he liked living it the way he wanted without having to answer to anyone nd he certainly didn’t believe in love, that was a useless, soft emotion that definitely didn’t have any space in his life ragini would be a complication that he didn’t want nor need nd there was kavya, waiting back in Mumbai…he’d have to deal with her too  It was good that ragini herself had declined the proposal Hearing her dad going on and on about omi had made Laksh furious  Fine omi did a very very stupid thing He himself had had a few choice words for him But it was one thing to hear it from him and one thing to stand by and listen to someone else put down his brother ragini’s dad wasn’t wrong in his anger but omi was the most important person in the world to Laksh  There was only so much Laksh could hear before he’d had to step in and offer to marry Ragini himself.  

  Ragini’s staggered back into a chair His posture showing that he was completely broken. 

Shekar : I, I need to speak to my daughter alone for a moment.

he said, his voice thick with unshed tears Dp patted ragini’s shoulder awkwardly  Not being able to meet her gaze Ap hugged her close. 

Ap ( whispered while hugging ) : It’ll be okay beta.

Laksh stared at her for a moment His eyes boring into hers like he was trying to figure her out nd then he stalked past her,shutting the door softly behind her Going to couch before her dad say anything ragini grabbed shekar’s hands. 

Ragini : I’m going to be fine.

she said, her voice cracking Her dad looked up at her and pulled her into his arms ragini’s sobs came rushing out, she was no longer able to control them this wasn’t supposed to happen to her this wasn’t the way things were supposed to turn out She was supposed to be marrying her best friend, the last person that would or should have hurt her they were supposed to live the perfect life together nd now everything was gone the man she loved proved that he was still just a selfish little boy as she rested her head in her dad’s lap she heard him say

Shekar : When your mom died I promised her that I would always do everything in my power to keep you happy….I failed…My beautiful, kind hearted daughter is hurting because I failed to see that boy for what he was.
Ragini ( bitterly ) : Dad, this is not your fault….I’ve known Vick for years, I wanted to marry him….How can any of this be your fault?No one knew he was going to leave me the day before our wedding.

Shekar sighed and stared at his hands for a few moments before he spoke again.

Shekar : ragini,you say you’ll be able to move on from this but I don’t think you will…I can’t take the chance of you not ever letting yourself be happy and I don’t know much about Laksh but from what his father has told me in the past he is the exact opposite of that omi  He’s responsible,  and intelligent and will take good care of you Financially you will never lack for anything… and I know he’ll keep you happy.

  Ragini gawked at her dad in disbelieve nd asks

Ragini : What about love?I don’t love him, I love his younger brother How can we be joined together forever when I love his brother?
Shekar :  Love will come
Ragini ( softly ) : That’s not how I pictured my life dad He’s not a man you can love nd I don’t think I can love anyone after omi she said softly. 
Shekar ( little hysterically ) : This is exactly why you have to marry him ragini You will never let your feelings for that omi go…you will never let yourself be happy again. Ragini : Dad I don’t know what the future holds….Let’s just leave it at that….Please go out there and tell everyone to leave….dad have you eaten anything yet, you know you have to keep your blood sugar levels up because of your diabetics I’m going to have food brought to you.

Saying this ragini goes towards door Her steps now becoming more brisk as she brushed away another onslaught of tears She couldn’t breakdown infront of her dad again was her only thought before she passes the door she hears her dad’s voice again

Shekar : Arohi, until you agree to marry Laksh, I will not eat.” 
Ragini : What??

Saying this she looks back at her dad in utter shock

 Scene shifts :

Dp ( on patting Laksh’s shoulder ) : That was a noble thing you did in there?

But one cold look from Laksh had him pulling his hand back with a sigh. 

Dp :I did what was necessary, what the responsible thing would be.
Laksh ( coldly ) : Responsible, now there’s a word you have no understanding of.
Dp ( bitterly ) : No, you two raised yourself I wasn’t responsible for that at all I wasn’t responsible for putting a roof over your head, food in your stomach, clothes on your back, I wasn’t responsible for paying for the best schools money could’ve for you both

Laksh : You were very responsible when it came to providing us with THINGS and STUFF…But tell me how many times you attended a function that your son was involved in at one of the best school’s money can buy How many soccer or football games did you attend ? How many times did you and mom ruin a birthday or a special occasion by fighting?How many times did we behave like a normal family I think you know the answer to those questions better then I do
Dp : I might not have been the best father but one thing that has never faltered was my love for you nd omi and..

Laksh ( laughed and shook his head in disgust ) : Don’t tell me about an emotion you know nothing about Love, I’ve seen what love does to people Didn’t you two love each other at one time?We all saw where that brought you.”
Ap ( furiously ) : Laksh….

but didn’t continue as they heard the study door open ragini’s dad stepped out alone. 

Shekar : ragini has agreed to the marriage Under the circumstances a big wedding will only bring more questions…..Questions to which we don’t have answers So tomorrow morning we can have the ceremony with immediate family.

  Laksh stared grim faced at ragini’s father.

Laksh : I need to speak to her alone.

he said moving to the door of the study and shutting it behind him, before the parents could react.
Ragini stood infront of the large bay window staring mindlessly out into the garden She was about to marry arrogant, egotistical, cold hearted, Laksh maheshwari The happiest day of her life was about to become the worst.   

Laksh : So you’re sure this is what you want?

she heard from behind her No this was not what she wanted But right now she knew if she spoke she would burst out crying.  

Laksh : I think we should clarify a few things before we move into this marriage.

she heard him say by listening this she tensed slowly turning towards him she stared at him waiting for him to continue. 

Laksh : I have a life in Mumbai that I don’t plan on changing in any way As far as I’m concerned this marriage is in name only You will get my name , access to as much financial resources as you need and whatever else you desire…..You can live the way you want, and I will continue to live the way I have been.
Ragini ( softly ) : Separate lives then?

Laksh ( bluntly ) : Exactly I won’t meddle in your life and you won’t meddle in mine Let’s face it, this is not a marriage either one of us wants I do own a very successful business and when it warrants it, I will need you to be by my side as my wife Business parties, dinners as such but other then that I have no expectations from you.

By listening to this ragini just nodded the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. 

Laksh : So we have an understanding?

Ragini nodded again, praying that he would leave now. 

Laksh : nd Arohi during this marriage at any time if you feel that this is not what you want, I won’t stop you if you want to leave.

Ragini turned around quickly, putting her fist against her mouth trying to stifle a sob Laksh stared at her rigid back for a moment. 

Laksh ( confusingly ) : I’ll see you tomorrow ragini

he finally said, turning around and walking out Ragini dropped to the ground, letting herself finally break down Her dreams shattered completely.

So this is the update how is it??? please do share your views through comments ….