“Angel.”
Came a voice few feets away.
“”She…She is just a relative beta. No one important. Forget about it. See Sanskar is looking for you. Come on.” Ramu Kaka urged her to leave, dragging her outside the library with him.
Just as she stepped outside the room she was engulfed into two strong arms as her eyes met with Sanskar’s concerned ones.
“What took you so long Angel? I thought you got hurt or something. You were gone for too long.”
“Actually I-”
A voice interrupted Ragini before she could speak further.
“You know na beta how much Ragini bitiya likes reading. So she was engrossed in her own little world of books.”
“Oh okay.”
******////////
“Don’t do that Angel.” Reprimanded Sanskar busy analysing the legal terms and conditions of his new venture as he felt a tingling sensation in his ear but Ragini just giggled in response.
She somehow found a feather and now she was annoying him with it.
He was about to go back to his file when she softly kissed him on cheek.
“That’s not fair on you Princess. You’re distracting me.” He complained playfully.
“Okay.”
She was about to go when Sanskar stopped her.
“Okay? You agreed just like that?” He asked shocked.
“Don’t tell me you did that to tease me Angel.” He said sternly with his eyes narrowed on her.
“Nope.” She replied innocently but the smile on her face gave her away.
“Just wait. I’ll show you how to tease.” Saying so he abruptly stood up from the chair.
Squeaking in surprise Ragini dashed out of the room as Sanskar chased her.
Apparently her tiny legs couldn’t compare to his large ones and Sanskar scooped her up in his arms.
“Hey put me down.” She squealed trying to move from his arms.
“Not a chance sweetheart.”
“Say I’m the most handsome man in the world.” He demanded while tickling her.
Her melodic laughter filled the room as he himself laughed along with her.
“No”
“As you wish baby.”
With that her started tickling her relentlessly.
“O-kay. You a-are t-he mo-ost hand-some man in the w-world.”
Ragini yelled in between her laughs.
“That’s my girl.”
Kissing her softly on the lips both sat there for sometime basking in each other’s presence unknown to the fact that this day will mark the beginning of the new chapter of their life.
The course of their lives will change.
For worst or better only time will answer.
*****///////
“Go batman. Go.”
“Punch that stupid bad guy.” Exclaimed Ragini jumping on her seat with excitement.
“Yay!!!” She clapped with a wide smile on her lips as her favourite anime character punched the villain.
“Shh. Calm down Angel.” Chuckled Sanskar somehow trying to calm the little bunny hopping beside him.
“Don’t disturb me Cupy. See Batman is going to beat the ugly monster black and blue. You Shh.” She reprimanded cutely not even bothering to look at him.
“I know bunny but we are in a movie theater sweetheart and we have to be quiet in here. See people are getting disturbed.”
Now only Ragini saw the people around her glaring in her direction. Smiling sheepishly at them she buried her face in Sanskar’s chest to hide her embarassement.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” She asked pouting.
“Well, I certainly did Angel. But a certain Princess over here was only focusing on batman.” Teased Sanskar with a smirk.
“You are teasing me na. See now I’ll not give you any popcorn.” She teased back.
“Please.”
“No.”
“Angel.”
“Fine.”
Huffed Ragini and forwarded a popcorn near his mouth.
The moment Sanskar opened his mouth to eat she withdraw back her hand eating it herself.
“Got you.”
She yelled happily sticking her tongue out at him.
“Fine you won.” Said Sanskar while Ragini did a little victory dance on her seat.
“Now give me a kiss Princess.”
Raducing the distance Sanskar moved his head forward as Ragini closed her eyes in anticipation. But Sanskar has other plans. Snatching the popcorn from her hand Sanskar munched on them happily with a smirk on his face as Ragini looked at him shocked gaping at him like a fish.
“You… You cheater.” She exclaimed angrily.
Narrowing her eyes at him she jutted out her lips.
“You can eat too Angel. No need to be angry on me.”
Ragini opened her mouth but he too tricked her just like she did it to him and laughed at her stunned facial expression.
“Silence please.” Reprimanded the old lady sitting behind them and this time Ragini giggled at his expense.
*****///////
“Can we get more popcorn please?” Pleaded Ragini.
“Okay fine. Just stay here. Don’t move from your place and I’ll be right back.”
Pecking her forehead once he left to buy more popcorn for her.
Tapping her foot anxiously while waiting now Ragini was regretting her wish.
It was night time already since they attended the evening show.
The place she was standing at was rather lonely but she could feel someone’s prying eyes on her which gave her shivers. But not the good ones.
She was thinking of moving away from the place but Sanskar told her not to.
Lost in her thoughts she didn’t see the man creeping up his way towards her.
“Well. Aren’t you a pretty one.”
If she was not scared before then she was definitely scared now.
“Umm. E-Excuse me.”
Stepping backwards she tried to create as much distance between them as much physically possible at the moment.
“No need to be scared darling. I’ll not harm you. I’m just here for some fun.”
The man was now standing only two feets away reeking of alcohol.
“H-he’s gonna h-hurt me.” She thought to herself.
Whimpering at her thought her eyes searched frantically for any sign of Sanskar.
“Why are you crying huh?”
“Pathetic” Barked the drunkard angrily.
“Stop crying.”
He yelled which only prompt her to cry more.
Annoyed with her whimpers he threw the empty bottle of wine at her.
“Just shut up already.”
Fortunately since he was drunk his aim faltered and the bottle smashed few inches beside her head.
Ragini jumped at the sound terrified to her bones.
Not wanting to anger the man further she closed her mouth with both her hands to muffle her cries as tears fell rapidly from her eyes.
“You will not listen to me like that. Just wait. I’ll make you.”
Before he could punch her a firm hand stopped him in mid.
Looking at the owner of that hand the man gulped in fear.
The red bloodshot eyes of the man seething before him had all the affect of alcohol washed away and the drunkard was sober in seconds.
Before he could process anything a punch landed straight on his face breaking his nose bone as blood seeped out from his nostrils.
But that wasn’t enough.
Sanskar was seeing red.
Kicking him in the gut this time he aimed for his jawbone.
Not able to take any further assault the man sprawled out on the floor unconscious.
“Angel”
As gently as he could Sanskar called Ragini who was curled up into a ball.
Not wasting a single second she latched onto him like a monkey while sobbing.
“Man. Bad. C-come. I s-scared. N-no you. I-”
Stuttering she tried her best to explain him.
“Ssh Angel. I’m here baby. No one gonna hurt you. You’re my brave princess right.”
With her attached to him like a baby koala he made his way towards the car as she slept after crying for a good 15 minutes.
*******///////
“How dare that ba****d”
He bellowed throwing all his files off the table.
His rage far from gone.
Kicking at his table he watched as everything tumbled down the white marbled floor.
Waking up from her slumber by the sounds, Ragini followed the source of all the noise and her eyes widened witnessing the room before him.
The once well furnished room look like a hurricane passed from here.
“C-Cupy”
She timidly called him.
But lost in his own anger and wrath her voice fell onto deaf ears.
He continued to throw everything in his wake and punched the glass table to calm down his intense fury and aggression.
The glass shattered to pieces and it seemed to trigger something inside her.
The previous incident dawned upon her at full force and her breaths came out in puffs of air.
The images of the drunkard throwing the wine bottle at her and those girls who bullied her refreshed back in her mind and she had to rub her chest to sooth the ache that was slowly building up in her heart.
Frailing her right hand in his direction to gain his attention, she tried to call out to Sanskar who was facing opposite side from her but only short pants of breath escaped her dry, chapped lips.
Her vision seemed to blur and the ache only worsened.
Finally succumbing to the darkness she closed her eyes and fell down with a thud.
All the raging thoughts came to a halt as a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
His knees felt like a jello as he slowly turned in that direction.
And there laid an unconscious Ragini looking ghastly pale.
PRECAP – A LEAP OF TWO MONTHS.
You’ll see a new shade of Sanskar’s character post the leap. His past will also be revealed but in parts and don’t worry this ff will not have a sad ending.
Thank you so much for all the comments. If you liked this part then please comment.