Hey Guys, I am extremely apologetic for not being able to post earlier and again failed to post yesterday which I intended to do. I was not keeping well and it took me a while to writer this chapter. I hope you like this update.
Thank you very much for all your comments and sorry again as I haven’t been able to respond to them, I will be responding to all the comments by tonight. I love you guys 🙂
————————————————————————————————————
Previous Chapter : Episode 3
————————————————————————————————————
LAKSHYA
After the meeting with Ragini I was feeling lighter. Yes, she didn’t forgive me but that was quite evident that she wouldn’t and she has all the rights to keep that loathe for me. At least what I achieved out of meeting her was that she would acknowledge me, even though as a stranger, but she would acknowledge me and that was enough for me to clear my conscience.
I was confident that now that we’ve started on a clean slate we would make good friends. She has that fiery charm which intrigues me. I remember the first time I saw her, not met, actually saw her. I was given the work to keep an eye on her because she was in-charge of the witness who was going to testify against my boss and I had to wait for the right time to make sure that didn’t happen.
Those two days of putting her under surveillance, I had seen a fiery young girl who had ambition to reach for the stars. It took a lot of my willpower to frame her at the time, I had to channelize my inner selfish soul to do that but it didn’t last long.
What Ragini knows is that I framed her and it was her colleague that helped her out but what she doesn’t know is that I paid her colleague to testify for her. She doesn’t need to know this because it will make her question her all the hard work that she has put in for her achievements and the last thing I want is to break such a strong person’s confidence.
“What are you thinking?” I heard mom’s voice as she snapped her fingers at me
“Mom” I got up to greet her “What are you doing in office?”
“I was just going to Sumi’s place” she said as she sat across me “Sheena called me to come over for a while so I thought I’d drop in and meet ask if my son would pick me up later?”
“Stop being so dramatic mom. I was anyway going to leave now; c’mon I’ll drop you on the way”
“Aman, I am going home for the day. Mail me my schedule for tomorrow” I told him as we approached his desk while walking out
“Yes Boss. Good day Mam” he greeted both of us
“It’s high time you give Aman a raise” Mom said to me as she sat in the car
“Because he works as your part time detective?” I said with a laugh
“No, I pay him for that already” she joked “He works too hard”
“I know he does, I’m planning to promote him and increase his salary next month”
“Well, a little birdie told me that you met with a Ms Gadodia today” she slyly asked me
“Your birdie has been telling you too many things”
“Why do I have a feeling that there’s more that it meets the eye?”
“You have been watching too many drama series mom”
“Try and avoid as much as you want but I’ve got my eyes on you son” she said
She laughed and as we pulled into Ms Gadodia’s apartment complex I saw a car passing by us, I recognised the car from last night. It was Dhruv’s car.
“There you go. Call me when you want me to pick you up” I said to mom
“Come up with me, greet Sumi and Sheena and then leave. It wouldn’t look nice if you go without meeting them”
“You go on; I’ll park the car and come”
I parked the car and walked up the stairs to their apartment. Honestly, I was expecting that I would bump into Ragini and it would be awkward but it would also be interesting to see how she would react. Now that we are acting strangers it would be fun to see her agitated but still not be able to do anything.
“Lakshya, so good to see you beta” Sumi aunty came over to give me a hug
I really like her, she is such a warm person and by what I have heard about her, she’s a strong lady too.
“It is a pleasure to meet you too pretty lady” I said as I put an arm around her and we walked to where mom and Sheena aunty were sitting.
My eyes were scanning the area to see if she was around when I Sheena aunty said “Lakshya, how sweet of you to drop Anu here. Come have something to eat”
“No thanks aunty I have to be somewhere and I am already late”
“Oh, you just missed Dhruv and Ragini. They left a few minutes ago”
“No problem, I’ll catch up with them some other time” I went to mom gave her a kiss “Give me a call when you want me to pick you up”
She smiled and nodded as I bid everyone goodbye and left.
I sat in my car and went to meet up with an old friend, Karan Mehra. Karan and I have been friends since college and we even bagged internships at the same place after the internships we moved to different places for work but we were always in touch with each other.
He knows me in a way that nobody else does and he is the only person who has ever been able to read my mind even before me. I know it sounds funny but he is always aware of my next move in any situation and I have never been able to figure out how he does that.
I reached the location, parked my car and went it. I didn’t realise how swanky this club had become since the last time I was here, I scanned the place searching for Karan, I spotted him near at a table having his beer and reading something on his phone. He has never been the one to let loose and party, he has always been the silent and observant guy, the ambivert.
“You know it wouldn’t hurt to look at the surroundings instead of peeping into your phone”
“I did that already and found absolutely nothing interesting enough” he said as he got up to hug me “How does it feel to be in Mumbai, Delhi boy?”
“I have a feeling someone asked me that already. I think I am starting to like this city”
“Well, the city has always been charming, but I want to know who charmed you?”
“What are you talking about?”
He gave a little laugh and sipped his drink “There’s a goofy smile on your face that is definitely not because of me and it doesn’t seem to go away”
“You’re halluc-”
He held up a finger and continued “Since the time you’ve arrived you have been scanning the room as though you’re expecting to bump into somebody who cannot be me because I am sitting in front of you and not on the dance floor”
“Why do you have to be so observant?” I said and he laughed
“Remember Ragini Gadodia?”
“The girl you had gotten in trouble? What about her?”
“Turns out she’s a family friend of our family friend. I met her at a house party”
He narrowed his eyes at me “Which I am sure was not your last meeting with her”
“I met her again today to clear out the past and start clean slate again”
“To which she refused” he said “Or she refuses to acknowledge your existence”
I took a sip of my beer and said “Second one”
“She’s a smart girl then. I would be keener on slapping the shit out of you” he said and I threw a peanut at him
“Shut up”
He gave a smile and said “Oh, you’re interested in her”
“There is nothing in her that interests me”
As we were talking and sharing the daily happenings of our life I noticed a familiar looking face at the bar counter. It was Dhruv talking to a girl which I wouldn’t have to guess, was Ragini. Now that I had spotted them it was difficult not to look into their direction again and again
“Who are you looking at?” Karan asked while trying to figure out
“Someone I know is here. Wait I’ll be right back”
I walked towards them. To say that I haven’t noticed that she’s pretty would be a lie but man she looked beautiful right now and she a contagious smile.
I reached that table and heard Dhruv say “I have fallen in love with you Ragini”
I watched as the colour drained out of her face and she turned her face to me, frozen as she was.
————————————————————————————————————
Next Update : 18th December
————————————————————————————————————