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epsiode 18
Hello everyone, I am sree’s friend Lasya. Actually she was admitted in hospital due to temporary paralysis and pancreatic infection. We thought that she will be discharged today but the infection started increasing again. She asked me say that she will surely give regular updates though not daily and for swasan readers, as only few parts are left, she will give back to back episodes once she gets discharged. Actually she gave me this part two days ago but I was busy with my work. sorry for delay.
Remember her works guys..
Thankyou.
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Its almost midnight but laksh is still awake. Firstly,he hasn’t seen ragini from morning and secondly, she is in the garden,pacing. Her silence is irritating him.
Ragini’s mind is reeling her father’s words. A fresh set of tears came to her eyes thinking about how badly she sketched her father.
Casually she lifted her head to her room’s balcony and saw laksh staring her. As soon as there eyes met, he went inside. She smiled for his behavior.
Laksh: any thing which I can solve?
Laksh asked once ragini came inside their room. She again gave her best smile to him while arranging bedsheets. Deep inside, she wanted to cuddle herself with him and cry her heart out. Suddenly, her breathing increased about her stupid wish and without talking to him, she slept. Laksh shook his head for her weird behaviour but didn’t want to force the reason from her. So he too slept without a word.
NEXT MORNING
Swara: please sanskar
Sanskar: I said no
Sanskar protested her packing their luggage. Swara pouted and crossed her arms.
Sanskar: don’t make faces swara. I want you to stay at baadi but you forced me to accept to take you to Goa with me. So no argument further.
Parineta: what happened sanskar?
Sanskar: she wants to travel by road.
Parineta choked her glass of milk.
Parineta: sorry?
Sanskar: she wants to reach Goa by road.
Ragini: that’s not a bad idea.
Ragini took her sister side while descending the stairs. Swara’s face lit up.
Ragini: but not for didi.
Ragini’s lips twitched seeing swara’s face.
Swara: please sanskar.. Please.
Annapurna: you shouldn’t make a preganent lady to plead sanskar but swara, this is immposible.
Sanskar sighed. He has never said no to her
Sanskar: fine but we will reach Mumbai in flight and from there road. Okay?
Swara smiled as a child who got his favorite chocolate.
SAME EVENING
Everyone bid bye to ragini, swara,Sanskar and laksh. Ragini laced her fingers with laksh’s which took him by surprise.
Ragini: its my first
She explained her fear wiggling her eyebrows. At that moment, laksh found her adorable, too adorable. He raised his left hand to tug the lock of hair but immediately withdrew it after coming to senses.
Laksh didn’t leave her hand until the plane took off.
Swara saw sanskar talking to someone while receiving their luggage at Mumbai airport
Swara: who?
Sanskar: I have booked a vehicle for us. It will be here at any time.
Swara pouted listening him.
Swara: I want to go by public transport.
Sanskar’s glare shut her and all of them followed him out of the airport.
Swara: where are we going?
She asked once she felt something fishy. Ragini is too tired to indulge In the conversation. Laksh smirked at sanskar who is driving.
Laksh: a special treat.
Swara: So, we aren’t going to Goa?
disappointment is written on her face. Sanskar chuckled before motioning her into the hotel.
Swara scowled and turned to other side. Soon, they entered a lavish restaurant.
Ragini: I am too tired to eat.
She said yawning. Swara pressed her lips into a thin line, still angry at sanskar.
Laksh: we are boarding here for tonight.
Laksh Declared and followed sanskar to the reception while Swara and ragini sat on the sofa. Swara ordered orange juice.
Ragini casually gazed her husband and saw both brothers almost flirting with the receptionist.
Ragini: are you not jealous?
She asked Swara who just sipped orange juice. She turned to the reception and her blood boiled. it’s not the time to show anger but should convince her sister with smart answer.
Swara: should I be?
Ragini scrunched her fave in confusion.
Swara: see, you will feel jealous when you are either possessive or feared of loosing because its not yours.
Ragini turned to laksh before giving a faint smile. She felt a sting in her heart seeing laksh laughing with the lady at reception. She is surely not possiessive it means that…ragini brushed off her thoughts before he heart gets into a conclusion. Swara smriked victoriously.
Sanskar: let’s go
Sanskar forwarded his hand to Swara but she refused and he understood that he must face a cyclone in his room.
Waiters followed the couples with their luggage.
NEXT MORNING
Ragini opened her sleepy eyes when she felt like someone shaking her vigoursly.
Laksh: we need to go! Get up
Laksh said and removed his hands from her body when once he conformed that she is awake. Ragini nodded her head in no and pulled comforter to her chin. It looked so adorable to laksh.
Ragini: suddenly, I am suffering from fever. I don’t want to go.
Laksh: get up!
He ordered and she got off the bed, pouting. She turned to left side and learned that it is still dark outside.
Ragini: where are we going at this time. It looks like 3:00 in the morning.
Laksh: yeah! If we start now, we will reach there by afternoon.
Ragini: oh!!
Laksh:and also, we don’t directly go to Goa because i have a meeting in a town near to it. So we will be staying there tonight.
She gave him a smile and went to washroom to get fresh. Soon, they reached car where their siblings are waiting.
After few hours of journey, sanskar stopped the car near some hotel beside highway road. After finishing their breakfast, ragini felt like someone staring her. When she turned back, her heart raced along with her breath.
Ragini:( to herself) how can this happen? Its just hallucination.
She comforted herself seeing a familiar musculature of a person but he is standing opposite with his back to her
She shook her head and got inside the car.
That day went boring for both sisters. While sanskar and laksh were busy in meeting, the sisters just chatted till they felt bored.
NEXT MORNING
Once again, laksh asked ragini to get up early in the morning. This time, she glared him before entering into the car. She thought that Swara would sit beside her as usual but much to her surprise, laksh occupied the seat. For some reason, her cheeks flushed. To avoid the awkwardness, she simply started out of the window until darkness consumed her.
Ragini opened her eyes when she felt someone tapping her shoulder. She scrunched her face in disgust and turned to her left only to see a smiling laksh, really a smiling laksh that stole her heart.
Laksh: look at there
Laksh shouted and nudged ragini to see the secenary. Ragini turned rolling her eyes but her jaw dropped seeing the view. A perfect sunrise as they were descending to some valley.
Swara: its the reason you have planned an early morning journey..huh?
She is equally mesmerized as her sister. Sanskar gave her a smile , still driving the car
Ragini: its…its beautiful
Ragini murmured and leaned back. Her head touching laksh’s shoulder but both of them didn’t notice it, maybe they have started getting comfortable.
Ragini: it was really…really nice.
Ragini chirped once they entered the room. Laksh closed the door behind him. They both made a quick tour of the room.
Laksh: get ready ragini. We have lots of things to do.
Ragini: yeah, I must shop for my father
She informed unpacking her luggage. Laksh’s expression changed from shock to surprise to confusion to happiness.
Laksh: well then…I know a perfect gift for him.
Ragini dropped her dress and turned to him with curious eyes. Laksh smriked.
SAME EVENING
Swara and ragini threw themselves on bed along with shopping bags. Laksh grabbed a water bottle from fridge and completed it with in two minutes. Sanskar smiled.
Laksh: one must never shop with girls.
Laksh said panting.
Sanskar: I am happy at least to know that you have finally realized.
Swara and ragini shot daggers to sanskar and he shrugged innocently.
Swara: so what are the plans now?
Sanskar shrugged and turned his eyes to laksh.
Laksh: of course, it is dinner time. So all we need to do is get into some good restaurant and make justice for the bill we pay.
All the other three laughed while laksh narrowed his eyes.
Sanskar: okay then..we will be ready in half an hour.
He declared before leaving his brother’s room. Swara followed him.
Ragini searched a suitable outfit but ended in wearing a simple, plain pink cotton kurthi with green pyjama and duppata. Her fingers first went to make a braid.
‘ I like your hair loose’
But laksh’s words made her to leave her hair. Grinning like a lunatic, she stepped out of the room where her husband is waiting for her, dressed in casual wear. Surprisingly, he too wore a pale pink shirt with black jeans. Their eyes met for a moment and she immediately dropped her lashes due to some foregin feeling that has started in her body just a few days ago.
As both couples reached the restaurant, sanskar went to reception to get a table booked.
Swara: what’s worrying you?
Swara whispered in ragini’s ear. She turned to Swara with confused face.
Swara rolled her eyes.
Swara: you are looking tensed from yesterday morning..from our breakfast at highway.
Ragini’s face now became clear of confused and surely, tension replaced it. Of course, what she has seen is still running in her mind but she tried to assure herself every time she remembered.
Ragini chuckled nervously and walked towards laksh who is standing few feet ahead. When she reached him, she felt him being shift. She followed his gaze and froze for a moment. Another shock within fourty eight hours.
Anusha!
Ragini turned to laksh and saw him staring anusha with a strange emotion that she hasn’t seen till now. Anusha too locked her eyes with laksh and unlike every time, her gaze is filled with love and guilt! Her presence seemed not to affect either laksh or anusha and its like a knife twisting in her heart. She immediately moved close to laksh and held his hand, intertwining their fingers. Laksh came to senses and turned to ragini with an expression less face. Ragini tightened her grip in fear of loosing him though the whole emotion is very strange and new to her.
Sanskar and Swara reached them and four of them sat on the table opposite to anusha.
Swara: so ragini! What did you buy for papa?
Swara frowned seeing ragini tensed and occasionally looking at anusha. She then placed her palm on her sisters.
Swara: what happened?
Ragini: huh…um..nothing.
Though Swara knew that something was badly wrong, she kept quiet for time being. Sanskar and Swara kept on blabbering about something but neither laksh nor ragini are intrested in it because anusha is a sensation for her. Suddenly, laksh choked and ragini immediately rubbed his back with one hand, gave a glass of water with another. From the corner of eye, she observed anusha flinching and her inner devil satisfied. But much to her surprise, laksh shifted in his seat giving a clear message to ragini to back off. Tears came to her eyes but everything is strange for her. She may not love her husband but he is only hers now and the thought that he is still liking someone is paining her, a lot.
Ragini smiled a faint smile but her hands are becoming sweaty second by second. He is eyeing anusha the way he must see her. That love filled gaze is irritating her a lot.
Swara: ragini! Taste this one.
Swara chirped leaning towards ragini. Ragini abruptly shifted in her seat and the food fell on her dress.
Swara: I am sorry, really sorry.
Swara tried to clean the dress with some tissues but what irritated her is absence of laksh’s mind. Sanskar is on some call and here laksh is busy in staring his ex!
Ragini: its okay..I need restroom
She snapped and went to washroom. As soon as she closed the door, she collapsed on knees crying. Tears seemed to be endless. After some time , she composed her self and stood in front of mirror.
Ragini: what has happened to you ragini. You already know that he is only hers. You are in middle of them.
But tears didn’t stop oozing out. No! He is only hers. She wanted him to be hers but he already loves someone.
Ragini: Its not like I love him but he doesn’t deserve her. No! She doesn’t deserve him. How can she be back of some other’s husband.
” they both love each other”
” but he is mine now”
” he doesnt love you ragini. Then he is no more yours ”
Ragini wiped her eyes which are now red and swollen.
Ragini: why am I over reacting when he hasn’t said anything?
” because you are afraid of loosing him” her inner voice finally spoke.
Ragini shook her head, deceiving herself. She came out of the washroom wiping her hands but suddenly stopped noticing laksh’s absence. She immediately turned to anusha’s table and once again her heart started racing for her absence too
Ragini: where is laksh?
Swara: he went out to make a call. Why are you sweating?
She then realized her state.
Ragini: no…its…just..I will be back in a minute.
Without giving any further chance for her sister, she came out of the restaurant. After walking for a minute or two, she saw them, walking hand in hand. The area is almost empty. Ragini started walking behind them with a considerable distance so that she can hear their conversation. Abruptly, laksh and anusha stopped walking and they both stood facing each other. Laksh pulled her close to himself and she giggled.
Anusha: thankyou so much for forgiving me laksh.
Her voice had that genunity and guilt which any redeemed person would have.
Laksh: its our love that made me forgive anu.
Anusha: I should have thought in a different way laksh. I always thought that you and your family were trying to change me and my life style but…but I am wrong. I must learn compromising laksh. Look at me, you gave me an unconditional love but i …
Laksh: you just delayed in recognising anu.
Ragini closed her eyes. He had never called her with that love. Tears oozed from anu’s eyes
Anusha: why laksh? I have hurted you a lot. I am not a person to be forgived so easily.
Laksh placed his finger on her lips.
Laksh: for me, you are always perfect anu. Its just that situations were not in favour. Now that you realized your love, we can live happily ever after.
Anusha: but what about your wife?
Ragini’s ears became more sensitive after listening this question. Half of her wanted to listen laksh’s answer, and the other half wanted to leave him for her.
Laksh sighed
Laksh: I know..I remember about her but its okay for me. I will divorce her.
Ragini: divorce.
But her words didn’t came out of her mouth
Anusha: you can’t do that to her lucky. She is innocent
Laksh: but she doesnt love me. Few days back, I thought that I have started loving her but no..you are my only love. It was just an attraction..
Anusha: but that’s…I..mean..she will feel bad laksh. May be..
Laksh: she is loving me..is that what you think?
Anusha nodded faintly but ragini nodded her head vigorously.
Laksh: she doesn’t love me anu. She herself has clarified it. Her parents forced her into this marriage and I have tortured her emotionally. So this will be her freedom too.
Anusha: if you say so..then its okay. Because I don’t want hurt someone for my happiness
Laksh: ragini is a very understanding girl. She will definitely support us.
‘How can you think this way laksh?’ Ragini’s mind spatted.
Anusha: finally, everything are falling at its place. We will find a good match for her too.
Laksh: hmm..really a good person who will fulfill all her wishes and dreams.
‘ I don’t want anyone but you’ ragini’s inner voice screamed..
Anusha: you are still the same. Kind, caring, loving person and you are once again mine.
Laksh: yes, yours
Those two words held so much of promise and love which twisted knife ragini’s heart.
‘How dare you laksh and you …how dare you to snatch my husband from me?’
Anusha hugged him tightly.
Anu: I love you laksh..only you
Laksh: and I love you
Finished, ragini’s world collapsed this time. She trusted laksh more than herself. She refused him because she was afraid of taking in the fact that he shared his emotions which she wanted only to be hers. She lived in the hope that one day, that fear will leave her completely and he will be hers forever but…perhaps she must not have met anusha and give a lecture about relation.
She cursed herself for doing that. Okay, she has never met his needs but at least he must have thought about her before welcoming anusha back into his life.
‘She will definitely support us’ his words echoed in her ears and she closed them with her hands. Its the most paining line. How can she do that? Laksh is only hers and will be hers. Maybe she will make him more happy than her but still he is her husband but not anusha’s. No! She cannot let him to go to her again because she had given him enough pain and being laksh’s wife, she will never let this happen. Yes, she is determined now but laksh’s mobile ring brought her back to realty.
Laksh: ha bhai! I am busy with some work and won’t be able to come tonight……yeah..inform ragini….okay….take care of her and bhabhi too…bye.
He disconnected the call.
Anusha: seriously!! Where are we going tonight?
‘To attend your funeral’ ragini hissed venomously.
Laksh: a small surprise..there is a town near.
And ragini understood that he is talking about the town fro.where they reached Goa.
Anusha: wow that’s cool.
Laksh: yeah and tomorrow will be a big day. I pray that ragini accept us.
Anusha laced her hands with his, assuring him. He smiled as reply.
Anusha: she will
Laksh: she will
He repeated.
Ragini walked two steps forward to stop them but a sharp pain born in her brain..all this mental tension lead to migraine and she suddenly remembered that she stopped taking pills. She tried to walk further but her head is pounding. Her vision started becoming blur and noises around her grew more faint.
She blinked her eyes several times and saw laksh moving far away from her with anusha. She made a failed attempt to call him because now its clear for her that she is gonna loose him completely.
Ragini: laksh come back…back to me. You can’t do this to me laksh.
She screamed but the voice didn’t come out of her mouth. She slipped and fell on ground. She tried hard to keep her eyes open but her head ache is not allowing. Its then she noticed that she is crying, crying for him because…
Ragini: I love you laksh.
With that, she closed her eyes welcoming the darkness to consume her.