SWARAGINI: The story begins again… [2]

Hi everyone 🙂
Who remembers this story? You know… Starting from the Swara’s fall in river and changing everything because she never came back again!

Link to previous part:
episode-1
Now let’s move further inside… The next chapter will come today itself so enjoy and tell me what do you think about it
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Maheshwari mansion.

Sitting in front of her mirror, Ragini looks to her reflect not really seeing it, her memories flowing back years ago to that same day, ten years back when she became Ragini Lakshya Maheshwari.

Her eyes get moist at the memory of that first night, when Laksh’ came home drunken and out of control…

FLASHBACK

Sitting in her decorated with flower garlands and petals’ bed, Ragini stayed there for long hour waiting in apprehension. In the silent of her new beginning life, time wasn’t about celebrating, but about fearing and thinking about the consequences. She’s startled by the image invading her mind when she closes her eyes. Swara’s shocked face and teary eyes disappearing in the river’s flows…

Unwillingly, tears fill her eyes thinking that her sister must have hated her so much in last moments of her life just because she snatched her “love” from her. Wiping her cheeks angrily she shakes her head convincing herself:

– Now only you know what I felt when you took my Laksh from me, when you stole my happiness and raped my innocent heart… you more than anyone should understand my feelings by now and ha Swara… I’m not like you… even now I’m not hating you… no… I never did… I’ll never do… it’s… it’s just justice… Laksh’ is MY love, you taught me to fight for my rights… I’m just…

She’s startled again her shoulders raising and falling down in surprise as the door’s part with a deafening sound, she’s shocked at Laksh’s unsteady stature making its appearance at the entrance and runs toward him as he’s about falling trying to put a foot in front the other to walk in unsuccessfully.

– Laksh’ ji!

His drowned with sweat and tears face turns toward her with a blank expression, his red eyes emotionless and the smell of wipe emanating from his parted lips as she sustains him putting one of his arms above her shoulder.

– Th… thank you… Rag… Ragi… ni

She breaks in tears reaching their bed where he throws himself almost making her fall, seeing him in this state is unbearable.

– Laksh’ ji, be careful…

He looks to her again his moist eyes reflecting the sorrow his heart is feeling and wipe a tear on cheek saying:

– You… you’re suffering too, hai na?… s… sorry Ra.. gini… it’s all my fault…

Looking aside, his
gaze roams over the room’s décor remembering all the dreams he had made till now of the life he’ll never have with his first ever love, he continues:

– I’m really sorry Ragini… I deserve this pain… I deserve this betrayal because of my own choices… but… but you are so innocent and kind… you shouldn’t be correcting your blo*dy sister’s errors…

His words swipe over her heart like a balsam, he’s finally understanding her… all what she did wasn’t vain… her mind screams:

– See Swara… this is my Laksh’… this is the man who would have never turn his back to me without your presence…

He looks back to her again adding:

– You’re really my best friend Ragini… after all what I did, here you are still here… accepting me…

He looks up to the sindoor shining in her hairline and the heavy mangalsutra decorating her chest, he takes the necklace between his fingers saying:

– How cheap you’re surely thinking me being, hai na? marrying my love’s sister on my wedding day!

She doesn’t reply, the “my love” strangling her heart in pain and jealousy, how hard was it to hear it say it again… she’s lost in the fire of jealousy devouring her when she feels his palms cupping her face making her look in his filled with endless tears eyes:

– Why Ragini?… why?

She blinks for a moment, feeling like an accusing masked tone in his voice, she sees the image of Swara falling in the river reflecting in his pupils which makes shivers run over her shaking body, his broken voice snatches her from the awful memory:

– Why it had to happen to me? Why had I to live this pain?… I just… I just loved her so much… so… so much and deko… what she did?… she took my heart and throw it in dustbin like a overused tissue!

Ragini closes her eyes tightly, feeling her own sentiments poured in words out of his mouth. Deep inside, she wanted to shout at his face and say that now only he could know what she felt when he preferred her sister on her but kept silent… calm and lowering her head, she takes a deep breath before looking up to him trying to print reassuring smile on her face:

– Laksh’ ji… don’t do this to yourself… I can’t explain why she did so with you but I can understand your pain, your aching heart after this betrayal…

Pressing her hands over his still cupping her cheeks, she wipes his tears adding soothingly:

– Please… please Laksh’ ji… put all this behind your back and forget it, I can’t see you like that…

He smiles sadly crying more and says;

– I’m trying Ragini… I’m just damn trying hard but… but I can’t… I can’t forget her… she’s haunting me… her smile, her eyes, her angelic face… that love I used to see in her eyes…

She gasps at his words as he breaks more desperately plunging in her embrace and continuing:

– That fake love, Ragini… I… I hate her… I hate her as much as I loved her… I hate her… I hate…

He kept repeating this words like a mantra he needs to know by heart sinking down to her lap where he lays sobbing his eyes closed from tiredness, sorrow and drunken state, her hand caressing his hair childishly until he calms slowly down drifting in a dreamland filled with nightmares… his last words:

– I hate her… still… I can’t stop loving her, Ragini!

**** END OF FLASHBACK ****

Ragini’s closed eyes fail to see the coming silhouette toward her until a familiar touch grips her shoulders startling her suddenly. The smiling reflected figure of Laksh’ facing her in the mirror falls down as he sees her teary eyes rising up to meet his.

– Ragini?

He kneels in front of her turning her chair toward him and wipes a tear on her cheek frowning. Full dressed in a celebration attire composed of a white sherwani embroidered in silver and red and red shuridar, a silky scarf hanging over his shoulder, he was already surprised seeing that she’s not yet prepared, but now he’s shocked to see her sad.

Since the morning, she’s a strange mood, her forced smiles and long silences are worrying him, so he asks again:

– what happened?

She shakes her head trying to past a smile on her lips and stand up to get ready, but he blocks her passage his hands on her chair arms:

– Ragini?

– nothing… don’t worry, Laksh… it’s late, I’ll change…

He takes her chin between his fingers obliging her to look in his eyes and waits for her to speak which she finishes by doing knowing him well, he’ll not let her go without explanation, so she opted for truth:

– I was thinking about our first night…

Laksh’ gaze escapes hers immediately, he wasn’t excepting such a subject, not today, not just before their tenth marriage anniversary!

– Sorry…

Her small voice makes him melt in her sweetness; he looks back to her seeing after all those years the same innocent angelic face, maturity embellishing it with beauty year after the other. Smiling at her concerned frown, he takes her hands in his saying:

– Why sorry? It’s ok… on such celebration, thinking about the whole starting matter is normal…

– You think about it too?

Her question surprises him, in ten years of conjugal relationship, Ragini has never opened up about the past which was the unique way they succeeded in their marriage. Her enquiring eyes plunge him in that day’s events and he sighs brushing the submerging memories away before replying on a forced light tone:

– Rarely…

It was a lie and she knows it, she knows him more than herself and she’s aware of his absent minded moments at some or other evocation, he adds:

– But what makes you think about this now? Wasn’t you who taught me to put past behind our backs so we can move on?

For the first time since years, a moment of doubt wins her heart face to his eloping words, she can’t help but ask:

– Do you regret?

He blinks again in surprise, she could see in his eyes the same absent minded moment she’s used to feel in him whenever something refers to the forbidden subject between them. But immediately his bright smile erases it as he says shaking his head:

– I have a perfect life with a perfect wife and a perfect little girl… what should I be regretting, Ragini?

– And Swara?

He turns his back to her standing up, his tightened fists expressing his interior turmoil but today she’s unable to move on, the vivid images of her nightmare invades her once more and she stands up too, waiting…

– Swara is my past Ragini, I can’t change it… and you’re my present!

She comes in front of him holding on her mangalsutra nervously and asks:

– What if the past comes back again, Laksh?

He frowns deeply at her words, the idea of ever meeting Swara again never came in his mind in the last years, taking Ragini’s head in his hands, he draws her toward him holding her tightly not explaining himself this sudden concern about past in his wife’s thoughts and after what seemed to her like eternity, he whispers in her hair :

– I would close the door in its face once and for all… I’m happy with my life, Ragini… don’t ever doubt of that. I know that whatever passed then was some play of destiny and maybe Swara’s run from our marriage had to happen so I could live this happiness now…

Ragini closes her eyes holding her tears back, the guilt of her past deeds make its way to her heart fighting her still inextinguished burning fire of jealousy especially at his so caring tone regarding the woman supposed to have let him in front of mandap.

Regrets… hers, his or Swara’s… so long time has passed since that buried truth she’s the unique to know, but before she could stop herself, she couldn’t stop herself from asking:

– What if Swara has never run away…

Unexpectedly, Laksh’s face closes in fury, his shut eyes hides the myriad of feeling surrounding him suddenly. Ragini knows that she just crossed a line and doesn’t know how to back off.

During those years, Laksh’ became a perfect husband and a loving father for their unique child but even nothing is dearest to his heart than his small girl, he’s still unable to name her by the name she begged to give her, Swara.

Her eyes get moist suddenly seeing him turn his back to her and walking toward the door silently letting her alone. Her tears flow endlessly over her cheeks feeling helpless…

At the door’s locker, Laksh’ looks back to see her sobbing stature in their mirror… his eyes soften at the sight feeling once more drown in guilt, Ragini accepted during all those years all his demons and pure soul she is could bear his constantly hovering past over their heads, yet he find the way to make her cry like this on this particular day…

Suddenly, she feels him hugging her from her back… turning her toward him, he puts a finger over her lips stopping her from saying a word and bends down her face, kissing her eye’s corners brushing her tears away. She gasps as he leans further toward her neck kissing his way hungrily and soon their lips meet in a sensual redecovering dance… when she knots her hands around his neck, he picks her in his arms tenderly making his way toward their bed. Soon they forget everything in each other’s embrace letting their guest waiting a bit more for them…

Burying himself in her, he silent in her pleasure’s moans the last words she just spoke:

– What if Swara has never run away…

On side table, a framed photo shows a beautiful little girl’s smiling cutely to the photographer, her written in bold letters name claiming endlessly: Swara!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Mumbai…

Swara comes out of the washroom in a bathrobe, she’s finally feeling better after the biter night she passed alone. At her surprise, some boxes are waiting for her on the bed and a wide smile stretches her lips guessing the man who offered her so much fantasies on their wedding anniversary and disappeared God knows where.

A black long bal gown discovering shamelessly her cleavage and most of her back to her kidney, she blushes at the simple idea of wearing it. Matching pumps and purse, diamonds jewelries.., she wonders sitting in front of her mirror to put her makeup on and drops of her divine perfume on her sensitive spots if her lovely husband didn’t decide to take her somewhere out with all this attires… suddenly, she feels awkward to go out like that especially when he knows perfectly how much she prefers intimate dates only the two of them at home.

Some minutes later, she’s ready for… whatever he wants! She slaps her forehead at her silly thoughts thinking that shameless like he is, those thoughts would give him much naughty ideas to torture her with all night long!

She blushes crimson at this evocation shaking her head thinking that he’s turning her his perfect duplicate the memory of his morning surprising arrival making her shiver…

How easy was it for him to read in her like an opened book even if she tries to spare him her somber fears from an unknown danger filling her nightmares with terror? His words, his touch, his love and loving ways erase all that at the moment he takes her in his arms melting the world around away.

A last look toward her small naughty daughter’s smile framed in the photo at her bedside, she walks out of her room searching for him to find him nowhere in their huge mansion. She asks a passing domestic in the lounge:

– Sangeeta… Mr. Ranawat, where is he?

The good woman smiles to her warmly making her frown, the idea that he shares his plans with the domestics and not with her not really pleasant at her eyes, but she knows how silly is it from her. She follows her servant’s gaze toward the main entry door understanding her silence, and thanks her silently for not following the master’s orders fully as she’s not really in mood to search him for hours… what was the need of a so big house when they’re just the three of them? She makes her way their rolling her eyes as she recalls his long long explanations about their wealth and that she hasn’t to feel guilty for spending her money in all those “material” things she doesn’t really need, because it’s a money he’s earning with his own effort and he’s more than happy to share it with her.

At the moment she puts her feet out, all her thoughts evaporate instantly getting plunged in a dreamy land replacing her usual outside décor made of sand, long chairs and sea waves…

Framed with garnished with lights and flowers pillars, the terrace was enlightened with thousands of colors and scents. A table for two at the end on the covered with petals sandy floor, the way marbled with candles all its long toward it as much as the surrounding where candled all around here and there making it look magic and taking her breath away… she makes some steps further her shining with happy tears searching him around, all she finds is the endless ocean’s imposing presence filling her lungs with its so purifying breeze at the last colorful rays shading both his blue and the sky’s one in a masterpiece like only mother nature could create.

Her hair’s strands storms around her head brushing against her face playfully as she feels a chilling impression of coldness running goose bumps over her sensitive skin. Suddenly a blurred flashback replace her vision the sound of water filling her ears and she just jumps in place that far deafened voice screaming again “please forgive, Swara”…

Tow strong arms wrap her from behind sustaining her from falling feeling the same strangling sensation of her nightmares choking her… how could he forget that she’s hydrophobic? Why has he always to remind her how weal she’s face to any kind of water surface? She struggles to free herself from his embrace feeling tears submerging her…

– Let go me, please!

When she thinks that she has escaped him, he just grabs her elbow turning her abruptly toward him making her crash on his steady chest where she buries her tears saying:

– No… I don’t…

He hugs her fighting small stature harder toward him before saying:

– How can you feel afraid when I’m still alive, princess?

She looks up to him feeling the hurt in his voice her struggling senses calming down immediately… he’s so right! As long as he’s with her, nothing bad can even approach her…

Wiping her tears with his thumbs, he says a smile drawing his lips:

– Happy wedding anniversary, Mrs. Swara Ranawat!

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N/A:

So lovely poeple… here I am as promised with a new update in this story… sorry again for being so late, a second chapter is just coming after this one, so enjoy… the story is still it’s beginning, I know it was mostly a Raglakian’s chapter but don’t… just keep supproting me and i’ll try to don’t disappoint anyone.

As the story starts from the falling in river… Swa-lak ashes have their place here to explain how has been Raglak’s life if Swara didn’t came back… for the rest… just wait and see.