I am so sorry for the late update… I was busy with one of my relatives Hospital work.. He is still in hospital but since I have caught cold and fever, the hospital staff won’t allow me enter his ward.. Even I am on bed but in my house…Sipping coffe and writing this ff..
All the comments that I had received had been answered personally and I am glad to receive responses.. Few are those who have already commented in my earlier ff but major are the new pl who have commented… So I am doubly glad.
Thanks a lot Sanchami, Ana, Megha, Sofia, Prateeksha, PP, Shagun, S Priya, Lovely, Aditi, Fairy, Dev, Hope, Chhahat and Piya. Guys do read my comments and please
Let’s begin from where we had end.
Seeing her leave, Arjun couldn’t resist asking, “Papa, are you really sure about this? I can do it.”
Their Papa, Rudra Pratap Singh, looked at him thoughtfully. “It may hurt your pride, Arjun, but her business instincts are much better than any of you siblings. A pity that she became a doctor but I didn’t want to restrict her interests. Fortunately, choosing her own career has not dulled her business sense but made it stronger with her moral values. In this current business world, people are looking more into ethics than profits. And her role in the beginning phase is more important for the image of the company.” Arjun stared at his
Papa with utter disbelief as he understood he couln’t argue further.
(Arjun) “But, Papa, she has been rebelling. You realise she is strong headed. She didn’t heed to your words before. She quit her job from the Hospital because a patient didn’t want to listen to her advice of taking the surgery. And she didn’t even come back.”
(Arjun continued) “She was back for the meetings . Besides that, she was not even here! She is not in the least regretful of her actions. She is unstable, fickle.” RP glared at his son who has desperately been trying to point faults in his sister.
Seeing RP started, Arjun felt intimidated. He bit his inner lips not to talk further. No matter how much he has a good relationship with his Papa, here, his great papa RP Singh was still the Chairman of the company.
(RP) “Arjun, I am not going to hear one more word from your mouth. I have been listening to this since you came in today morning till she entered. I have decided. She feels burdened by Singh name more than any of you. I am going to relieve her of that burden. Don’t force yourself to talk bad of the sister you adore. Since she has left, I think it is about time for you also to leave. You are dismissed.” RP was completely irritated
(Arjun with great difficulty) “Fine. Just one more question. Are you sure about her fiancé? She will go nuts, I tell you, if she finds out. He is not”
(RP shouts) “Arjun! I don’t care if she goes nuts. She knows what my answer will be even before you can even guess it. If she comes to like him and agrees to marriage, then she won’t leave this business world that she hates so much. If she doesn’t like him, then like she says, it is only for another six months. She can manage.” Arjun looked annoyed. He didn’t like the way Ragini was getting engaged and single again because of RP’s hope that she would come to love someone. Whether Arjun tried to protect her or offend her, Papa always had an answer for him.
(Arjun in a loud voice) “Do what you like! She is your favourite anyway. You always made that clear.” Arjun slammed the door as he left. RP saw him leave. No matter how reserved and controlled these siblings are, only in front of their closed ones, they lose control of their emotions. He didn’t know if it was good or bad.
(RP in his mind) “Favourite daughter, he smiled at the thought. That she is”. None of the children had the courage to be frank and open like her. The stubbornness and unyielding character of his, was solely and only inherited by Ragini. If only he could have persuaded her to take up business. But he had no intention of letting her away from the Singh name. He will try any method possible to tie her to this world. Hence, he selected this fiancé for her. If what he heard from Sanskar is true, then this is going to be fun. Both of them are equally matched in status, knowledge and pride. He wondered who will give in first.
(Ragini’s POV)
I went back to my cabin. It is still the same. Light flowed through the full sized windows when I opened the curtains. Before, I only came here during meetings in HQ.I sat down and looked at the five bulky files in front of me. On top of the files, was a sheet saying that the meeting was going to be held day after tomorrow morning at 10. Has the old man finally gone batty? He wants me to read and summarise all these files and be ready by then! I guess if I start now, I can catch up some sleep tomorrow night.
When I had opened the file,I was literally shocked to see the Company’s name with whom the joint venture was supposedly to be entered into. The Kapoor Group. The first son is Laksh. I am engaged to Laksh Kapoor? Papa!!!!! How dare he? How did he know? AP Chachi does not know a thing about what happened with him, the word wars between us, who……. Sanskar! I should have known! I am going to complain to Papa right now. I got up furiously but on a second thought, going to him isn’t going to solve this problem. He will ask me to retire from the project and my dreams of going solo, poof! It annoyed me. I have to deal with that stuck up arrogant man for at least next six months. Wait, I ran through the introduction records. Looked like he was not dealing with the project. He is going to be just my fiancé. I have to just stick with him during the parties. That’s all. I don’t think that is bad. I can just grit my teeth and bear with it. Tolerate his presence. It has to be total coincidence, isn’t it; that we are having a venture with the Kapoor group. I hope it is a coincidence instead of incident by Papa.
That day, by seven, I took the files and went home. It is no use sitting in office and preparing. I might as well do it at home. As I entered the grounds, mom met me out. She smiled and welcomed me with open hands. I went to hug her, when out of nowhere she slapped me._
(Ragini shocked) “Ma?” I was shocked beyond words. She looked exasperated.
(Sujatha) “This is what you get for not coming home for more than a year and worrying us. Get in now.”
(Ragini’s POV) I went in carrying the files like a fool. The butler, James, came out giggling, trying to control his laughter, to carry my bags.
(Butler James) “Welcome back, Ms. Ragini. A welcome you never expected.” He said teasingly. Though he is the butler, James was more like an older brother to all of us.
(Ragini) After making sure mom went in, “Hey! James, stop laughing. Why is she is in a rotten mood?”
(James) He controlled his laughter and answered, “In fact, she is in a very happy mood. That slap was the replication of all the trouble you have put her through. Come on in. All are waiting for you. Even Master Arjun along with his wife Radhika and kids, Madam Uttara are waiting for you.” Arjun also, now that’s something new. Arjun and I have a good relationship as siblings but he and I have different values because of which we fight a lot and tend to ignore each other sometimes after a fight. Let’s just say he is overprotective, in place of my Papa who gives me all the freedom I wish for.
I went inside the huge manor straight to the waiting room, asking the maid to keep the files in my room. When I entered, Nisha, my younger sister ran over and hugged me tight. No matter how selfish Nisha is, she is as caring to the same extent. I saw mom angry sitting by the corner and Uttara and Arjun smiling at me. I hugged her back.
(Ragini to Nisha)“I am back, little troublemaker. Congrats on getting engaged. When is the wedding?”
(Nisha) “Thank you Rags. (She kissed me on my cheeks). It is in January. Papa wants to give it time. He wants to make sure I am not rushing in. But in the end, he is just being stubborn like you are. You should have returned back sooner.” She playfully pouted.
(Rags) “And be coerced back to work, no way! What are you so mad about mom? I was not alone. I was with Sanskar and AP Chachi.” She didn’t even look at me.
(Sujatha angrily to Rags) “And interrupting a newly-weds’ time together. When did you lose your sensitivity?”
(Rags) “Oh, they didn’t mind. Anyways, are you not happy to see me?” She looked like she was about to cry.
(Sujatha)“I missed you so much, beta.” Ma hugged me closely.
(Uttara and Arjun together) “Come here, you little rascal.” Uttara and Arjun came over me. Even though I am the third, I am treated like the youngest.
Then I met Arjun’s wife Radhika and his two naughty kids Raiyan and Ria, they were my best cutie adorable twins. Radhika looked as beautiful as ever with full of energy. It was nice getting back home after a year and as mom said disturbing the newly weds Swasan for an year :-D.
(Rags to Uttara) “Where is Jiju and cute little Mishti”??
(Uttara) “Your Jiju has gone for work and Mishti was not well today so I left her back home with her Dada and Dadi. She was dying to meet you but since her health was not good I wanted her to rest.”
Papa had come in the hall and said “Hey, don’t hog her to yourselves. Let me have my turn with her.” Looks like Papa just entered home.
All of us, sat together, both Papa and I didn’t even get changed and we kept talking.
We had dinner together and by midnight, Arjun and Uttara left to their homes. I went to my room to sleep. Nothing has changed. Sanskar will call me an idiot for trying to run out of such a warm family and ignoring them but sometimes, the weight of a name of a family of business is too much to take. Memories and expectations make me feel hard to breathe sometimes.
On the other side where Arjun was dropping Uttara to her home,
(Uttara) “She is finally back. Is she going back to the hospital’s position? It’s not yet been filled.” Uttara, the exact copy of her mom, slender, fragile looking, with light brownish red fluffy hair falling on her shoulders, having small face with sharp features and inquisitive eyes, no taller than 5’5”, in elegant evening dress than compared to Ragini, sat beside Arjun, who resembled his Papa to the exact.
(Arjun) “No. She is in charge of the new venture with Kapoor industries and later, few more will be dumped on her. I can’t believe that Papa called her back just for this. I thought he will order her to get back to her original position.”
(Uttara confidently) “You know that he won’t ever do that.” Arjun glared at her.
(Arjun) “I know that. He always lets her do what she wants and I know why. That is exactly the reason why we never contest with anything regarding Ragini; but I told him I could take care of this instead he rejected it. Even if he rejected it, I wouldn’t care but he said that I cannot do it.”
(Uttara supporting Rp told) “He must have his reasons. You should accept the fact Arjun, she is better than all of us, free willed. That is why she wants to be independent, just like how Papa became independent of grandpa. I find it hard to believe you still can’t accept it.”
(Arjun a lil jealous spoke) “Then, you mean to say I don’t have that drive?”
(Uttara) “Don’t be ridiculous. You are the eldest and still don’t get it. We all have the drive but what Ragini has is different. The feeling of not wanting to be bound is different. You cannot bind such people unless you break their will. Papa does not have the guts to do it. That is why he keeps a leash on her.”
(Arjun a little concerned) “Whatever. Somehow, I feel something bad will come out of this. I am really scared for Ragini”
(Uttara) “If Ragini is in charge, then I don’t think that there will be any problem. Just admit that you are worried about her.”
(Arjun) “No. I mean that is there but it is not about the project. It feels like Ragini will go somewhere far from us. I don’t want that. No matter how much we fight, I still love her, even if I am jealous of her talent.”
(Uttara laughing) “Very rare to see you talk frank. Even I love her. I don’t want to see her go away from here. After all, as her elder sister, I still have to bully her more.”
(Arjun) “Ha ha. You never change, Uttara.”
(Uttara as her home was arriving) “True. So do all of us. Don’t worry. See you later, Arjun. Bye.”
(Arjun) “Bye.”
Arjun’s POV : But deep in Arjun’s thoughts, he was still worried. Why did Papa have to put her in such a deal? Clearly, Arjun didn’t like Laksh Kapoor for her fiancé. She has had number of boyfriends but none with an infamous reputation as Laksh Kapoor. Ragini is not a kid but he couldn’t help but worry about her working with him. Because he was worried, he tried so hard to get the project out of her hands but to no avail.
Precap : The meeting of the Singhs and the Kapoors
I am so sorry for the late update