RAGLAK FF : THE SPRING OF LOVE – Part 4

Hi friends…I’m back with another update thank you so much to all those who had commented on the previous update as I have my final exams ahead I decided not to update any stories of mine till I complete my exams nd my exams will be completed on end of march
So I won’t able to update until end of march but I promise after that I will give regular updates hope you all Understand nd here is the next update ………..

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The small wedding ceremony took place the next morning The bride wore a dusty rose colored lengha and choli with copper embroidery The groom wore a cream coloured sherwani both barely glanced at each other throughout the ceremony the only time their eyes really met was during the mangalsutra and sindoor ceremony both not being able to look away as they were tied together forever in the most pure of ceremonies. 

Swara : I am so happy for you.

Swara said hugging ragini close nd ragini felt tears spring to her eyes. 

Swara : It’s going to be okay

Swara told her, wrapping an arm around ragini nd says

Swara : besides now that you’re moving to Mumbai I’ll get to see you all the time My hostel isn’t far from your new home.

To which ragini just nodded She was about to start a whole new life  A new city, new people, new expectations of her or in Laksh’s case no expectations of her It would be good to have Swara there through it all. 

Ragini : I know you liked him…I’m sorry.
Swara ( with an smile ) : ragini….. He’s hot and you know me, I fall in and out of “like” all the time So don’t worry about me
Ragini : I wish he was omi

  Her eyes glistening with unshed tears.. She hated herself for thinking of omi, after everything he’d done to her  Left her in such a position that she was forced to make a decision that would change the whole coarse of her life But today was supposed to have been their wedding day The house should have been packed with guests Laughter..happiness not like it was now with everyone speaking softly around her, barely making eye contact with her  It didn’t even feel like a wedding.  

Ragini : It feels like I’m at a funeral.

she suddenly heard herself say out some what loudly nd Her eyes widening as she saw Laksh who stood 2 feet from her, lift his eyes and give her a cold, hard stare to her ragini gulped there was no way he missed hearing that but I don’t care she suddenly thought standing up straighter and giving him a cold stare back Laksh’s eyes darkened

Laksh ( thoughts to himself ) : Well I’ll be damned, First, she basically compares marriage to him… to death nd now she was staring him down ragini gadodia, no Maheshwari had a backbone after all but then he shrugged  What difference did it make to him His parents lived in the same house and had very little use for each other, he knew that’s what would happen with ragini and him too nd eventually she would  adapt or she would get tired and leave nd if he’d figured right, he was pretty sure it would be the latter.

 “I guess a divorced ragini would be better then a jilted ragini in some people’s eyes.”

  None of this would have even been happening if ragini and omi had not acted like fools jumping into marriage a wave of resentment washed over Laksh as he glanced back at ragini He’d had his life all laid out the way he wanted nd marriage was never supposed to be part of it  All he could hope for was that ragini abided by what he had said yesterday nd if she didn’t then he would need to remind her that when laksh maheshwari issued a command it was to be followed.

Ragini’s doli was only going one house over but she cried like she was moving to a different country Just another example of how everything was ruined She had always thought that being right next door to her dad she could see him every day  Make sure he was taking his medicine, eating properly But now she’d be moving to Mumbai with HIM Just the thought of it brought on a new onslaught of tears Who would take care of her dad now?  

Shekar : Beta, please don’t cry Just remember whatever I did, I did because I love you and I want you to be happy.

To which ragini just nodded, she knew that but how could she explain to her dad that he was sending her into the greatest depths of despair marrying her off to Laksh  Her dreams of true love and happily ever after ran away with omi, now all she was left with was a husband that had no need for her and a lifetime of loneliness as her dad helped her into her doli she squeezed his hand tightly trying to reassure him that she would be okay but the problem was who would reassure her, that she would be okay That this arrangement wouldn’t suck the very life out of her.  

That night, things at Laksh’s place were as jovial as could be expected..  His family had tried to make ragini’s entrance into their home a welcome and happy one His immediate cousin’s sitting around her, trying to make conversation like

 “Bhabhi, your lengha is so very pretty.”  
“The color suits you perfectly.”

To all those compliments ragini gave a small smile, thanking them Laksh stood across the room talking to his uncle but his attention kept shifting to ragini He could tell she was uncomfortable Which was no surprise since she had just married the wrong brother.  

Ap : Beta, you must be tired……Let me take you upstairs so you can rest.

To which ragini just nodded and stood as she looked up, her gaze met Laksh’s She quickly looked away a wave of anger sweeping through her 

Ragini ( to herself ) : Who had told Mr.Self Righteous to step in for his brother?Who had asked him to be Mr. Noble!?  Not her!  

As she passed omi’s room nd entered HIS room she felt the anger getting more intense Wrong , Everything was wrong, Wrong room, wrong brother, wrong life

Ap : Beta, I know how hard this is for you…But I promise you, things will get better and Laksh will take care of you….I know he seems very hard and set in his ways but underneath all that, is a good  caring man….I love both my son’s equally but Laksh has always held a special place in my heart…Maybe because he’d grown up too fast…Seen too much at too early of an age….Maybe because he felt he needed to take on the role of protector of his younger brother…. Maybe because sometimes when I look into those eyes I can catch a glimpse of that same lost, sad little boy Dp nd I have done a lot of damage and I hope that you will be the balm that he needs to soothe his soul behind the facade is a good pure heart and one day I know you two will grow to love each other.

 Ragini turned away from her mother in law before she could see her bitter tears.  

Ragini ( to herself ) : Love, now that was a joke nd HIM loving her… was a bigger joke She was no one’s balm, she was barely holding it together herself, she couldn’t heal anyone especially not someone like HIM

Ap gave a soft sigh and then squeezed her shoulders nd says

Ap : If you need anything I’m just down the hall.

 To which ragini just nodded and listened as the door shut behind her Forcing back her tears, she looked around her surroundings Dark wood furnishings, solid, neutral masculine colors a sharp contrast to omi’s room which was bright, vibrant and bold taking a deep breath to clear the direction of her thinking,ragini slowly began to undress She had no worries of Laksh expecting any sort of wedding night from her If her life wasn’t falling apart she would actually laugh She’d saved herself for her wedding night, making omi wait and her would be groom runs away Then she marries his brother who pretty much loathes the sight of her and even before they’re married has given her permission to end the marriage whenever she likes Her life had become a movie, and not a good one No infact it had become one of those B grade movies with a cast of D-grade actors As she slipped on her night clothes nd thought some more about the it she felt a hysterical giggle escape her lips nd then another, when she remembered how Laksh heard her compare marriage to him, to death nd soon she was on his bed laughing uncontrollably Laughing like she’d never laughed before Laughing until tears rolled down her face Laughing until her laughter turned to inconsolable sobs Once the sobbing finally stopped to make way for soft teary eyed hiccups

ragini thought about what was happening with her life  She was now in a loveless marriage with a virtual stranger The man she loved had run away from her She was leaving everything she knew, behind to start a whole new life in a new city with new people and a new home.  

Ragini : This crying and feeling sorry for yourself ragini, will not do anything to you this is the hand you have been dealt Now either deal with it and stop feeling sorry for yourself or let yourself scumble in self pity and be miserable while omi is probably having the time of his life out there, wherever he is

As these thoughts continued to run through her mind she eventually fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep In the morning when she did finally awake, she glanced to the other side of the bed The bed was untouched Slowly she got up and started getting herself ready for the day Picking out a red sari from her suitcase she made her way to the washroom Laksh stopped outside his bedroom room thinking irritability if he should knock

Laksh : This was ridiculous

By saying this he opened the door and walked in Glancing around he didn’t see ragini  She was probably in the bathroom he thought as he started rummaging through his things looking for something to wear.

Laksh : I can’t wait to get home

Nd This was no longer home, it hadn’t been for a long time Maybe because he could count on both hands the number of happy memories he had here  If it hadn’t been for omi, Laksh would probably have left even earlier then 19  His home was now Mumbai, his life was in Mumbai But he wouldn’t be returning alone, he’d be bringing a wife he knew there were going to be a 101 questions from friends and business associates about his sudden marriage But he also knew that he could shut most people up with one look He didn’t owe any one any explanations and neither was he planning on sharing any more then was necessary  He was visiting family and he decided it was time to get married That’s it He knew no one would dare to ask more Pulling out a pair of charcoal grey trousers and a navy blue v-necked sweater he moved around the hidden cupboard and instantly collided with a flash of red ragini’s sudden intake of breath was the only sound that could be heard as she hit Laksh’s chest,

and his arm wrapped around her waist tightly to steady her Laksh blinked his eyes as he felt droplets of water scatter over his face He slowly shifted his gaze to ragini Her hair was wet hanging over one shoulder, her eyes as big as saucers as she stared back at him, her lips trembling slightly He’d never noticed how flawless her skin was or how soft her lips looked She wore no make up and still she had a glow about her, a sweetness and simplicity that he was not used to from the women he knew His hand was cupping her bare midriff and he could feel ragini’s heart racing against his chest, as she stared back at him innocently His gaze then wandered down to where she was clutching his t-shirt ragini’s eyes followed his gaze making her realize that she was holding on him. 

Ragini ( quickly muttered ) : Sorry

by saying this she quickly backed away from him Laksh just nodded moving past her and into the washroom.

  Ragini glanced back at the closed bathroom door that man had a way of making her feel so inadequate He couldn’t even say good morning Couldn’t waste the few words he apparently allocated himself to speaking in a day…

Ragini’s brain : Come on… ragini  That man is now your husband

Ragini shuddered involuntary. 

Ragini ( to herself ) : Husband….. House mate was more like it. 

They would be two individuals, two strangers to a certain degree that shared a home together If he can be all cold and business like regarding their arrangement then so could she After last nights self talk to herself she had promised herself no more tears She wasn’t the crying all day type but omi’s betrayal had reduced her to that Just something else she could thank him for She knew it wasn’t going to be easy but she promised herself the tears were stopping right now She might not be happy, but she didn’t need to show the whole world that  He’d hurt her but he hadn’t killed her spirit, she wouldn’t let any man do that to her.

Resolutely she brushed and dried her hair until it shone down her back  Her choora jingled in her arms as she slipped on her large pearl and crystal tear drop earrings She applied her make up so that it enhanced her best features, her eyes and her full lips Not over doing it because that wasn’t her style Looking in the mirror she glanced over her pretty cherry red sari with white pearl and thread embroidery, which was tied perfectly A knock on the door had her looking up. 

Ragini : Come in

  Her mother in law nd laksh’s chahi opened the door and walked in smiling.

Ap : How are you doing Ragini???I hope you slept well.
Ragini ( with small smile ) : I slept fine

By saying this she walked to chahi and getting blessings from her Looking around her mother in law asked

Ap : Is Laksh in the bathroom?

Ragini nodded and turned as she heard the bathroom door open. 

Ragini ( mumbling ) : Speak of the devil

nd almost gasped when his eyes flashed at her in anger How could he have heard her from across the room when her mother in law next to her hadn’t heard her. 

Ragini ( to herself ) : No, he couldn’t have heard her.

she thought shaking her head at her silliness.

 Laksh : Speak of the devil, indeed!

Laksh thought furiously.

Ap : Laksh beta are you ready to come down?
Laksh : Yes, and I hope there isn’t some ceremony today mom, because we’re leaving for Mumbai. tonight….
Laksh ( to ragini ) : Unless you want to stay longer?There’s no rush for you to return with me to Mumbai.

Laksh said quickly as he glanced at Ragini Before Ragini could speak his chahi quickly interjected

Laksh’s chahi : Ofcourse ragini will go with you She’s your wife now nd there is no reason for her to stay here alone.

Ap nodded in agreement nd looked away as Laksh stared at her with open contempt but didn’t say anything Annapurna Maheshwari could feel her son’s obvious resentment She knew she shouldn’t be the one to be talking about a husband wife relationship considering hers had been such a failure..  But as a mother she wanted better for her sons She wanted them to have  

“happily ever after.”  

Especially this son who she felt had to grow up too fast She didn’t know why but her gut told her that ragini could change him and make him believe in love.

Laksh’s chahi :  ragini, you’re not wearing your sindoor
Ragini : Oh..

 Ragini answered looking around in her cosmetics bag for her sindoor tin Pulling it out she went to apply it when chahi stopped it. 

Laksh’s chahi : Let Laksh put it on you.

  Ragini’s eyes widened and Laksh’s lips drew into a hard tight line. 

Laksh ( softly ) : I don’t think that’s necessary
Laksh’s chahi : Ofcourse it is You’re her husband Your chaha ji used to put sindoor in my maang every day of our marriage It’s a symbol of your love and pledge to each other Girls nowadays don’t wear sindoor, actually they rarely wear a mangalsutra Giving both items no importance But those two items are the rights of a married woman They bind together a husband and wife so that even when they are not together…they are together They should always be worn and…

  As Laksh’s chahi kept on going about the virtues of the mangalsutra and taking care of ones husband., Laksh’s anger only intensified until he stalked to ragini, grabbed the sindoor out of her hands and quickly swiped it over her maang ragini and Laksh’s eyes met for a single moment and seeing the intensity in Laksh’s eyes she felt a shiver run through her Her hand involuntarily moving to her maang where he had marked her yet again, as his Then suddenly he was turning away, banging the sindoor tin onto the table and moving past the three shocked woman, out the door.  

  The day flew as ragini did some packing, but choosing to have most of her things shipped  She could have chosen to stay here longer, there was no one forcing her to leave But why prolong the inevitable She had to leave eventually so why stay here where there were so many memories of omi  No, make a clean break and leave now is what she told herself She also spent some time with Laksh’s family and then went to visit her own dad Which ofcourse turned out to be too emotional for ragini and even though she promised herself she would not cry, she couldn’t help the tears from flowing as she embraced her dad. 

Ragini ( with teary eyes ) : I’m going to miss you so much…Who’s going to take care of you now?
Shekar : I don’t think I’m that old yet that I can’t take care of myself
Ragini ( in warning tone ) : I’ll call you every day and if I find out you’re not eating properly or taking your medication I will be here on the next flight

  Shekar had held her tight trying to soothe her. 

Shekar : You’re my strong bacha You always have been nd you might have survived what omi did to you but I couldn’t have, ragini, i couldn’t bare the thought of my daughter unhappy and alone Please forgive me for forcing this marriage on you but believe me when I say I did the best that I could and I do believe that you will be happy with Laksh

  Ragini squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out those words Her and Laksh happy together The likelihood of that was seem to none, but that was okay, she didn’t need a man to make her whole nd definitely not a man like Laksh As she left her dad’s house she looked back one more time, remembering all the good times she’d had here now it was time to start a new chapter in her life A chapter she until 2 days ago didn’t even know would exist in her life But now this would be the chapter that she would learn the most about herself The chapter where she would either need to learn to swim or sink nd she had no plans of sinking She didn’t know what the future held for her but one thing was for sure she would get through this period of her life and she would come out stronger There was no other alternative.

Ap : Ragini beta are you ready.

her mother in law asked that evening as she came to get her. 

Ragini ( mumbled ) : As ready as I’ll ever be

By mumbling this to herself she picked up her purse and followed her mother in law out of the room. 

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