Part 1: Introduction
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* PROLOGUE *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
“- please… Forgive me Swara”
Those so three words heard from so far away when feeling falling endlessly in the vacuum, her cardiac rhythm accelerates, its beats pounding against her throat, her heart menacing to escape from its thoracic protective cage… when her back crashes against water surface, she doesn’t has time to feel the ache spreading along her bones because she’s already wrapped by the imposing river’s flows embrace fighting all her attempts to free herself from its strong arms… her legs, her arms, her head… every inch of her body try to escape it but it was impossible… water… source of life was thirsty of hers in need of air… air that she starts throwing out trying to breath, to only finding water gulps filling her ears deafening all the sounds around then her nose and mouth muting her screams for help…
She tries again to fight… and again… and again… but weakness won her members as her throat start appreciating the taste of the chilling liquid flowing down to her lungs replacing the void left by the missed oxygen… slowly tiredness achieving its way on her body arrives to her still running mind… on a last moment of conscience… deep sorrow’s feeling chases any other physical pain and somehow plunging in darkness gives a fearful sentiment of deliverance while the small heart beat so far sound is becoming a shutting down murmur… then nothing!
Swara wakes up choked! Her hand on her throat searching for the air she’s swallowing with big gulps strangling her more… holding her face with her both palms, hiding the tears she chases hastily, she brushes back her long silky black hair closing her eyes tightly for a moment.
She discovers the glass of water on bedside’s and drinks its contain in one breath. calming slowly her heart beats letting the serenity of her bedroom give her the security feeling shattered by her nightmare, she takes the pillow beside her hugging it tightly landing her head on the back of the bed and letting out a long sigh of relief… she folds her legs under her chin her big eyes wide opened waiting for sun raising… she whispers tears filling her eyes again:
“- Ragini!”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
MAHESHWARI MANSION… KOLKATA…
Laksh’ is startled in his sleep by a scream, he frowns, struggles, then wide opens his eyes at the second scream.
Ragini is struggling in her sleep, blabbering incoherent words her face covered by a fearful expression, her fists tight closed on the shits of her bed, she’s suffocating…
“- Ragini!!”
Laksh’ sits straight immediately, his worried voice doesn’t succeed waking her, he cups her cheek with his palm pressing it gently, his other hand shaking her shoulder:
“- Ragini! Open your eyes Ragini… it’s just a nightmare… Ragini… Ragini!!… please… open your eyes sweetheart!! RAGINI!”
“- AH!!!”
Ragini opens her eyes screaming, tears popping endlessly from her widened with fear eyes. Laksh’ hugs her feeling her heart pounding against his throat… he says taking her face between his hands looking straight in her eyes:
“- It’s ok, sweetheart… it was just a nightmare”
Wiping her tears with his thumbs, he kisses her forehead tenderly then holds her again caressing her back trying to calm her.
She whispers hugging him back:
“- Swara…”