(Thnx for such a great response, happy reading)
Ragini was going somewhere but she collided with the ward boy who was carrying a tray of coffee and tea which fell on the floor. She hesitated whenever she collided with someone. She gulped her saliva and felt a lump in her throat. ‘Can’t you watch where you go?’, he scolded. ‘Sorry jee, I can’t see,’ she apologized. ‘No apologies, if you’re blind then this isn’t the place for you, go stay at your home,’ he replied. Laksh came and stood before her giving a sharp glare to him. ‘Yes, talk to me, what were you saying? Can you repeat?’

The ward boy got quiet. ‘Tell tell, you called her blind, am I right? Look my father is the head of this office. My one complain and you will be out of this office, got it? So if you want to stay, apologize to her,’ he said sternly. ‘Sorry jee,’ the ward boy said plainly. ‘Not like this, do it properly, hold your ears and say sorry ma’am,’ he ordered sternly. ‘Sorry ma’am,’ apologized the ward boy. ‘Its OK jee, mistake is mine, I collided with you,’ she said. The ward boy left from there. ‘Don’t apologize if its not your mistake.’


‘Laksh, dad always says that by apologizing, none becomes small, it was my mistake only, I shouldn’t have walked, because of me it happened so I apologized. None knows how frustrated I feel by this darkness by which I m surrounded since birth, sorry you got disturbed because of me,’ she continued with tears in her eyes. ‘This darkness will surely go one day, a change will come in your life,’ he assured. ‘Laksh how can you be so sure? If it had to come, it would have come long ago, I would have found a donor,’ she said with defeat clearly visible in her voice.

‘Just trust on God, OK, you haven’t seen how beautiful He has created you else you would’ve been your own crush, I mean who won’t accept you,’ he said trying to cheer her up. A smile slowly spread on her lips and she wiped her eyes. ‘Thanks,’ she said in a soft voice. ‘You forgot, no thanks and no sorry in friendship,’ he reminded with a smile. A childish giggle escaped her throat. ‘OK I m back to work, its my first day,’ she said and he guided her towards her desk.

After making her sit and watching her type, he walked back to his desk. Somehow it was heartbreaking for him to see her like this. Though her eyes never met his eyes, but somehow he could sense her pain. Just then, phone rang on Ragini’s desk and she reached out to receive it. Before her hand touched the phone, Laksh kept his hand on the phone and their hands connected with each other. Ragini felt a tingle of excitement and butterflies in her stomach. He looked at her face which had a tiny smile. ‘Raginiiii.’ She startled at the sudden voice.
‘Laksh, what is this? Why are you calling like this?’, she asked faking anger. ‘I called you fifteen times, you’re just smiling on God knows what,’ he replied and her smile dropped. ‘Oh sorr…,’ her voice trailed off. ‘I can’t see but I can feel, so I can tell you’re angry as I said sorry,’ she said softly in a sweet voice. ‘I m, but not on your sorry, phone is ringing, please move your hand out of the way, I can’t jerk it na, they’re so beautiful,’ he said and she smiled lifting her hand from his hand.

He received the phone. ‘Hallo,’ he said. ‘Ragini di, I m missing you so very much, please come early na,’ said a girl’s voice on the other end of the phone. ‘Wait, I will give her the phone,’ saying this, he kept the phone on her ear and left it as she held it, their hands again connected with each other. ‘Hallo,’ Ragini said. ‘Hallo di, I m missing you so very much, please come early na, won’t you come to singing class today?,’ said the girl. ‘Swara I will come after an hour, there’s much work left,’ Ragini said.
Swara is the little sister of Ragini who loves her more like a mother than a little sister. That is why her parents never got tensed for Ragini as Swara was always there for her. But inside, they were always worried for her future, the reason for their worry was who will marry a blind girl like Ragini? She was too fragile. ‘Uh oh di, salute to you that you’re so confident, you sing, you play sitaar without seeing, how cool, if I would’ve been in your place, my life would’ve ended the day I was born,’ Swara replied praising her.

‘Chup kar, kuchh bhi bolti hai, I m used to it, its a long time experience,’ Ragini replied with a cute smile which was admired by Laksh secretly. ‘You’re a talent house di, OK now keeping the phone, but come after one hour ha, I will come to pick you,’ she said. ‘OK baba I will come, bye.’ The call got disconnected and she was keeping the receiver down when Laksh took it from her hand and kept it correctly. ‘Laksh,’ she spoke knowingly. ‘Hmm?’, he asked. ‘You were listening?’, she asked. ‘No, actually I stood here so that I could keep the phone correctly,’ he said.

She laughed a little. ‘Just joking,’ she said and sat down getting back to work. Laksh too laughed and got back to work. After one hour, Ragini finally stood up to leave and Laksh approached her. ‘Wait Rags, I will drop you,’ he said. ‘Thanks but my sister is coming to pick me,’ she said. ‘Ok, then I will drop you outside,’ he said and she smilingly forwarded her hand and he held her hand. ‘Thank you so much Laksh, you’re a pal,’ she said. ‘No problem, but don’t you think you spoke thanks and sorry so many times today?’, he asked and she giggled.
‘Now if I say sorry so your ears won’t accept,’ she said and they laughingly went out. They collided with Swara who was coming inside for Ragini. ‘Arey di, you came, who’s he?’, she asked. ‘Friend, his name is Laksh,’ she said. ‘Hi Laksh,’ she said forwarding her hand for a handshake and he shook her hand. ‘Come di,’ she said holding her hand and pulled her along but Ragini didn’t leave his hand even though. As they reached the car, Ragini hugged Laksh. He hugged her back. ‘Bye Laksh,’ she said and sat in the car. They still had hand in hand even though and Swara drove the car and they left each others’ hands.