Chapter 6:
Ragini took her hand vigorously out of Sanskaar’s hand once they reached the canteen. He was surprised by her reaction.
R: “why did u say that?? What was all that??”
Sa: “ragini u are misunderstanding me. I said all of that just to save u from him.”
R: “so, by telling a lie, u mean u have settled this matter, rgt?”
She was kind of fuming with anger because she didn’t want anyone to take advantage of her. The whole scenario didn’t seem good to her. It was like it was bound to happen again.
Sa: “ragini, I can understand y u r angry on me. But try to understand me, may be what I said was wrong but my intentions aren’t. Trust me.”
Ragini didn’t give heed to his words.
Sa: “I wouldn’t have said that if he hadn’t kind of threatened u.”
He hoped ragini would understand him. She replied him this time.
R: “okay, this time you have saved me. But the next time, I will have deal him right? So u should have allowed me to figure out the situation.”
Ragini was shocked at her own boldness when she was yelling at sanskaar. Actually she had been terrified when karthik was expressing his love, she was literally praying for someone to help her at that moment, but she didn’t want to admit it to sanskaar.
Sa: “am sorry ragini, I didn’t think abt it like that.”
He felt really idiotic now. He didn’t know what to say to her to calm down.
R: “so u said it all without even thinking?? Woah! Don’t try to take advantage of me okay. and what are doing in this col?” with her eyebrows raised.
Sanskaar finally got a little irritated with her attitude. He was actually trying to help her but she was not trying to understand him.
Sa: “hoi, itni filmy hone ki koi zaroot nahi hai. Nobody is trying to take advantage of u..I am telling u na. I just wanted to save u from him and said that in a haste manner that’s it. and I don’t think I have to tell u why I came here.”
R: “haan am the one who is filmy, rgt?” and rolled her eyes. “too much of attitude” muttered under her breath.
Sanskaar saw her lips move but couldn’t hear what she was saying.
S: “did u say something?” with a hint of doubt in his voice.
R: “har baat tumhe batane ki koi zaroot nahi samjhi.”
R: “okay ma paradevadha (tamil word meaning angel from god.. sanskaar uses it here sarcastically). Leave me.” And joined his hands at her.
Ragini got confused at his words as she didn’t understand it.
R: “hmmm what was it “para..ahh..”u told me? Come again? I dint understand it.”
Now it was his turn to snub her.
S: “actually same here “har baat tumhe batane ki koi zaroot nahi samjhi”. Okay” and quoted it.
Both glared at each other.
Both shrugged their shoulders and didn’t know what to say to each other and stood turning their backs on each other.
Sa: “okay. I will not disturb u again or interfere in your matter until u ask me for” and left his card on the table.
Then he turned to leave and remembered one thing.
Sa: “how is harry? He is doing alright rgt?”
Ragini just nodded her head and sanskaar left the place.
After that she took the card and looked at it for a long time. She was thinking abt what had happened. She was totally lost when she thought abt how sanskaar had saved her. It was totally filmy and she was so thankful to him but she didn’t openly accept it. she was partly angry on him for lying that too “the girlfriend lie” was way too much for her. May be he didn’t have any wrong intention but she didn’t want to complicate it by continuing the lie he told for her. Anyway “karthik wouldn’t disturb me anymore I guess” to herself.
She got reminded of swara, when she got a call from her. She was kind of angry on her. If she had been there for her, sanskaar wouldn’t have interfered. She attended it.
R: “kahan ho tum??” with a slight angry tone.
S: “di am really sorry. i..i.. was stuck up in the staff room as nilasha mam had called me suddenly.” She lied to ragini.
Ragini believed her, but still her anger didn’t recede.
S: “di, did everything go well? Am soo sorry that I had to go.”
R: “don’t even mention that, I ll tell u what had happened once u reach home.”
S: “does this means, the problem is solved rgt?” was hoping for an affirmation.
R: “no, I won’t tell u anything now. This is your Punishment for leaving me. (And stuck out her tongue and smiled a little) okay. When will u come? I will wait for u at the canteen.”
S: “di, aap bhi na.. aaaa…no di, looks like am in a great difficulty right now. I have to sort it now. Have got some work.”
R: “kounsa work swara?”
S: “hmmm I will also tell u once I reach home” and laughed. Actually she didn’t want to tell abt the dance thing. If she knew abt it then she would start nagging her. She wanted to finish this matter without her di’s knowledge.
S: “di, inform mom also, I will reach home by 7pm”
R: “okay swara. Come home safe okay. Bye.”
S: “bye di. Love ya”
And cut the call.
Ragini got ready to leave for home. She once again looked at the card. She was having mixed thoughts. “Should I have his no or should I throw this in the bin?”
After some thinking she chose to throw it in the bin.
She went to her locker where she had kept her bag. She took it and got ready to leave the place. Some girls passed her at that time.
G1: “hey did u see that guy in the canteen…that half white t-shirt guy.. he was so hot!! Man.. I wonder in which stream he is!”
G2: “no yaar, I haven’t seen him around here. He seems to be new in the campus. I too wanna see him again.” in a drooling voice.
G3: “me too… But there was a girl with him. Does he already have a girlfriend?” with a hint of sadness.
G2: “stop it de. It wouldn’t be necessarily his girlfriend. She may be his just a girl-friend”. And all three were giggling.
Ragini heard their talk and understood that they were talking abt sanskaar. She rolled her eyes and felt some urge to correct the G-3 when she speculated abt ragini being his girlfriend but controlled herself from over reacting and started walking fast.
On her way he bumped into someone in her hastiness.
It was laksh. Both said sorry to each other. After he went past her only she realized her part of talking to him abt swara. She had totally forgotten abt it in the whole fiasco. She had to speak to him as soon as possible.
R: “excuse me, you are laksh rgt?”
***
Sanskaar got into his car and drove it in his maximum speed. He didn’t know how to react but definitely he hadn’t expected this kind of meeting. He was disappointed too much. “Oh my, this girl can really give me fits… I actually helped her. she could have said a thank you. If not Atleast she could have restrained from yelling at me. What is the use of blaming her? I am the one to be blamed.”
Looking at himself in the small mirror in the car, he said “did u really need this sans, u stupid fool!”
Throughout his drive he was just talking to himself, he wanted to clear his mind so drove straight to viki’s place. On his way, he got a call from London. It was from his professor of the university where he completed his MBA.
S: “yes sir, how are you doing?” …
S: “sure sir, I will be so glad to be there.”…
S: “I ll get in touch with u as soon as possible. Thank u.” and cut the call.
It was really a happy moment for him.
He reached viki’s place in another 5 mins.
(viki is preparing for his CA intern exams)
Viki :” wow what a surprise, ! what are u doing here? That too this early?” and winked at him.
Sa: “hmmm, they said that there is a new kind of animal in this place. As I was going by this place, thought of visiting that animal.”
V: “ohh have u seen that animal?” tagging along.
Sa: “idiot, tumse milne ke liye aaya tha” and caught viki in a stranglehold position from back.
V: “okay okay, understood.”
They both sat in the balcony. Viki brought him a cup of tea.
V: “so, tell me, what is bothering u right now??”
Sa: “what? Nothing.”
Sa: “haan, I received a call from my professor, asking me to participate in the investors meeting of this year of the col. and he also said he would help me meet Mr. Bradley depp. It’s my desire to meet him.”
V: “hmmm definitely a good news. But did u really come here to tell me this? Seriously! Common sans, u can’t fool me. Okay. What is it?”
Sa: “u caught me. Yeah there is something else which is bothering me.”
And he narrated the whole incident.
Sa: “I mean, I just tried to help her, but in turn she was just fighting with me.”
And let out a sigh. After a moment’s silence viki spoke up.
V: “thank the god that u didn’t get any beating with slippers!”
Sa: “arey yaar, u too brutus!” “Tell me what wrong did I do exactly?”
V: “sans, first of all she doesn’t know u. she just knows u as a person who helped her dog return to her as u were the reason why she lost it. and then u suddenly appear and make a statement “she is my girlfriend” that too in her col and drag her from that place. I am not saying that u did wrong; I am just saying that any normal girl would react like this. That too as you said, she is new to this place and might not know how chennaities are. Look sans; I have seen girls who would react worse than this. Trust me.”
Sa: “whatever…”
V: “so tell me why did u go our col in the first place?”
Sa: “actually, I … just…ahhn I went to pick up laksh.”
V: “ohh really.” With a mocking smile and raised eyebrows.
Sa: “don’t look at me like that. Okay I went there to see her and the events happened in the opposite way in which I hadn’t intended.”
V: “ye hui na baat. So our Romeo has started feeling something for that girl.”
Sa: “it is not like that. I just wanted to know her better and so hmmm”
V: “okay okay, let’s leave this topic. So tell me when are going back to states? This time you didn’t even stay here for a week.”
Sa: “in two days. The conference is on this Sunday. I may or may not return after that becoz if I would get that job I had applied for, it would be difficult for my return.”
V: “have u talked abt this to ur parents?”
Sa: “not yet. If I told maa now, she would create a great ruckus and might not even allow me to attend the conference. I can’t afford that. For the time being I am just going to say abt the conference to my parents, but to lucky I ll tell the truth and go. Let’s see. If everything goes well, I might get my dream job in the company I want to work for and settle there or else I will return to India.”
V: “fine. I don’t know what to wish for.” And he sighed.
Sa: “offo, meri pyaari girlfriend, don’t worry, I ll be back soon.” And he pinched viki’s cheeks.
V: “stop it u donkey.” Viki slapped him hard on his hand. And he laughed after that.
***
Swara was still feeling damn awkward. She had run out of the class room after the mishap (according to her ;)) and found refuge in the nearby room. She could still feel her heart beating fast. She didn’t know what to do now. If she dint succeed in deleting tat video, then she would have to dance in the event. She felt like she was trapped in a lift. Over that, now she felt awkward to face laksh. After a lapse of moment, she realized that she had left her sister alone at the ground. She felt that she would slap herself.
She ran to the ground, and found it empty. She called her sister.
[Phone conversation I had mentioned above]
She cut the call. She was curious to know what would have happened.
For now, she dismissed that thought as she knew her sis was safe at this moment and thought abt the meeting she had with nilasha mam.
She went to the dance room and found Sanjana and rahul there.
S: “hi guys, has the meeting got over?”
Sj: “yeah, she gave an address and told all 6 of us to meet the dance instructor at that place. We both were waiting to inform u and laksh.”
R: “swara, I have sent the address to laksh. So come with him okay.”
Swara: “hmmm can u send me also the address; I think I can come on my own.”
R: “no problem, I ll send u now. Can I have ur no.? or else u can get it from laksh .”
Sj: “swara, btw where is laksh? was he with u?” expectantly.
She was actually waiting till now only to go with laksh and felt happy when swara said she would come alone.
S: “ohh I don’t know. I dint see him at all.” She was seriously hoping that nobody would have seen them falling over each other.
Sj : “ohh..” and her face fell. It was getting late.
R: “wait I ll call him.”
At that moment, nilasha mam came.
N: “guys have u all not started yet? And swara why are u late?”
S: “mam, I had to do some work. Sorry.”
N: “okay, no problem but make sure u ll always meet me when I tell u to okay. And did u get the address?”
S: “yes mam.”
N: “don’t come alone. you are new to this place so, come with laksh. okay. So as this is settled now, Sanjana and rahul get going.”
When Sanjana heard this, she started cursing nilasha in her mind. “arrgh, she spoiled my chance, aunty.”
Swara was not comfortable with this idea. She dint want to meet laksh or to speak with him. she strongly objected to the idea of travelling along with him.
S: “mam, I can come alone.”
N: “swara, listen to me. Go with laksh. Where is he? I don’t see him. Okay call him and go along with him.”
S: “mam but…”
N: “no ifs and buts.. in another 30 mins I want u people to reach there. Got it?”
Swara had to say only yes and nothing other than that.
S: “yes mam”.
But she was fidgeting inside.
N: “make sure u reach there with laksh on time… Coz the instructor doesn’t like people being late for her class. Got it?”
Swara nodded her head.
Sanjana didn’t want to leave but she had to because it was getting late.
Swara: “oh god! Why the hell am I getting difficulties over difficulties? Ahhh now where has this monkey gone??”
***
Laksh was in a dazed state when he left the classroom. This was the first time he felt something electrifying and his heartbeat increasing in a crazy manner. There had been only one other instance when his heart skips a beat, that was when he scored a goal. He didn’t wanted to think more abt it because the more he thought abt it, it just made him crazy.
He received a msg. he took his mob to see from whom it was. It was from rahul. Just then he noticed something shining on his shirt in the reflection on his mob screen. He noticed that it was a broken chain entwined in his shirt button. He took it out carefully. It had a heart dollar and it was a chain made of silver. For a moment he was confused of how suddenly it had got on his shirt, cauz he definitely knew it wasn’t there before. he then guessed that it must be swara’s and got reminded of how she fell on him again and again and in the end kissed him. It made sense now. He kept it in his pocket and made a mental note to give it to her without fail.
L: “ahhh, I planned to make her go crazy, but I guess my plans are backfiring on me. What the…?”
And he just bumped into someone as he was still dazed.
He said sorry and went forward as he was getting late for the meeting.
When he went ahead, he heard someone calling out his name. but he had never seen her before.
R: “excuse me, u are laksh rgt?”
L: “yes, but do we know each other?”
R: “I know abt u but u don’t know abt me. i am swara’s elder sister. I want to talk to u abt her.”
When she said, she was swara’s sis, he didn’t know how to react. He felt that swara would have complained abt him to her and her sis had come to meet him to tell him not to bother her sis.
L: “ohh, actually I didn’t actually mean to do all those things…u know… she was the one who started it.” he was struggling for words. He wanted to justify his acts before she could start scolding him.
R: “laksh, can you do me a favour? Will you help me?”
Laksh was surprised when she said it. he was expecting something but was hearing something.
L: “sorry, I don’t understand. How will I be able to help u?”
R: “hmmm, u know what, I know abt all the things which had happened between u and swara. Yesterday eve, I saw u guys fighting and heard it all.”
Laksh’s face got stern when he was reminded of it.
R: “but laksh u are misunderstanding her, rather than misunderstanding, she is actually lying to u.”
L: “but why is she lying to me? she clearly said that I am the reason why she doesn’t wanna dance.”
R: “no u are not the reason. I can assure u 200% on that. You are not the reason why she is hesitating to
dance. There is some other reason why she won’t dance on a stage.” And when she said that tearsformed in her eyes and she became emotional.
L: “what?? Then why did she tell like that? What is the exact reason?”
Laksh was bewildered when he heard that. So there was something else and not him. he was oddly pleased and at the same time confused.
R: “am sorry, I can’t tell u abt that. Because it is her personal and it would be better if she would tell u, if she wants to.” And she smiled.
L : “okay but how is it possible for me to help u in this?” he was still confused abt this.
R: “the thing is that I want her to dance on stage and the person who can do that is only you. So I want u to help me without her knowledge. Please can u do me this favor?”
L: “actually I don’t think so. I was pestering her and am giving her a hard because I thought she was insulting me, but when I know that she lied to me, how could I continue to do the same?”
R: “laksh, don’t think of it like that. If u do this, it will not mean that u are giving her a hard time.”
Laksh was not still convinced as he didn’t want to behave like a jerk to swara anymore.
R: “Just think that you are actually helping someone to come out of something. pls” in a pleading tone.
L: “okay I will try to help u.”
When he heard that sentence of “Just think that you are actually helping someone to come out of something.” he couldn’t say no to it.
R: “thank u so much laksh. If you ever want any help in this, feel free to ask me. Okay.”
Laksh nodded his head and gave her a smile. At that time his mobile rang. It was swara. He signaled to ragini that it was her sister who was calling him, and attended the call.
S: “where are you? Come to the dance room asap.”
L: “okay. I ll be there in another 2 mins.”
And he cut the call.
R: “thank u so much once again. Make sure that she doesn’t know abt it.”
And she left the place.
His mind started thinking abt swara again. He had misunderstood her. His perception changed a lot abt her. He always thought of her as of someone with too much attitude, but now he was genuinely interested in knowing what the real reason would be. Now he wanted to make her dance like any other dance mate would help out. He was in a different josh now.
He made his way to the dance room. He found swara standing outside the room. When he saw her, all his josh disappeared and awkwardness rose.
When he went near her, he cleared his throat to gain her attention.
Swara turned to see laksh.
She wanted to sound diplomatic as she was also feeling awkward.
S: “laksh, mam asked us to go to this place and meet the dance instructor. Rahul has already sent u the address.”
Laksh nodded his head in affirmation.
S: “don’t feel triumphed that I am going to dance, I ll delete the video asap and walk of this program.” And she tossed her hair around.
Laksh felt different when she tried to provoke him now, but still he got provoked when she did that.
Laksh smirked at her.
L : “shall we?” and motioned his hands forward.
Swara walked first and when they reached the bike stand laksh asked her to stop.
S: “why did u stop here?”
L: “then, how are u expecting us go from here? Let me take my bike.”
S: “what? Why bike? Can’t we go in bus?”
L: “oh hello madam, if u go in bus, u ll get stuck in traffic and btw I don’t know to travel in bus as I have never been in one before. So get on.”
S: “I don’t want to.” And she folded her hands.
L: “okay then, your wish. Come by walk. I ll inform nilasha mam.”
Swara pouted in frustration and hit her forehead with her palm before she got on his bike.
Laksh was feeling amused. It was always a treat for him to watch her getting irritated because of him. She looked cute when she pouted in frustration. She had to hold him for support when she got on the bike and swiftly removed it once she got on.
Laksh revered his engine as if he was getting ready for a race. He speeded up after they he rode out of the col campus.
Swara was holding the side extensions to steady herself so that she didn’t have to hold laksh for support and she sat with a distance from him. As he was speeding up it was getting difficult for her. Twice she dashed against him, when he braked.
S: “can’t u go a little slower?”
L : “sorry, I am intending to go a little fast that this. Because we are already getting late and we have to reach the place in another 10 mins. U don’t know abt the dance instructor, she is very strict with punctuality. I have worked with her before.” And he speeded up even more without waiting for her reply. He could see that she was feeling frightened with the speed through the side mirror.
L: “don’t worry swara, u ll be safe” and laughed at her.
She didn’t respond.
L : “just hold me tight for support and u ll not feel scared. Just hold me.” and speeded.
Swara didn’t want to, but in the speed he was going, it made her feel scary as she always made her papa go at only 50. She never allowed him to exceed that that. For her 100kmph was too much. As the rear seat was little elevated, she had no choice. She hesitated for a moment but after she felt that she no longer could put up a brave face, She decided to hold him, She was scared to death by speed and held him tight by hugging him from back. And she closed her eyes.
Bgm: de ra na de ra na de ra na na na…
Ishq bulavaa jaane kab aave
Ishq bulavaa aave jab aave…
When she held him like that, he felt something electrifying. His heart started beating like crazy.
To be continued…