SWASAN – Acceptance (32)

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part-31

Sanskar was now running along the all familiar white walls with Swara following him closely. They both were panting hard. Sanskar skidded once he reached the I.C.U.
Please let it be a lie! He chanted hopefully but the sad faces of his bade papa and lakshya who arrived before them was showing the truth.
The truth he was afraid to listen.
” papa” his choked voice was the only element filling the void of the floor. Durga prasad shook his head sadly and motioned his chin towards door. Sanskar reached the door and traced the body covered in white sheets with his trembling fingers.
Papa! His once superhero whom he always aspired to be was now lying motionless on the bed just like him and the door separating them.
Cold and numb!
A small choke escaped his lips and he fisted his hands, shutting his eyes tightly to fight back the tears.
No..this cannot happen. He had checked his father the other day and doctor said that he was absoulety fine and they were also hoping that he would return from coma. What happened then? Even though he decided to hand over his father to court, he was still his father. He was fine these 12 years then why? Why now?
Durga Prasad patted his back ” the sudden palpitations of his heart when he got out of coma” sanskar nodded weakly still staring at his father. The pain was too much to take in.

Swara walked towards laksh. Though she loathed that man, he was someone else’s father and she was very much familiar with the feeling of loosing someone who were responsible for their birth and existence.
Laksh smiled weakly ” its him Swara. ” he nodded towards sanskar ” he was the one lost everything. Ram Prasad is my chacha and I am not the one who lost my father but him”
” but you will feel the pain.right?”
” mine is less than him..much more less”
Swara opened her mouth but closed it immediately when a normal, cold, ruthless sanskar came into picture. He was talking to someone on phone.
” make arrangements for funeral and postpone my meetings for two days….hey and also ask Leila to handle that business meeting with Mumbai”
” sanskar! ” Swara was shocked to see him. He fixed her with a cold glare and walked out of them.
Her eyes were locked with same set of confused durga pradad’s

” are you okay?” Swara asked sanskar as she strolled towards him the evening of funeral. He simply nodded.
Swara blinked several times ” its okay to show your emotions you know?” She nudged him. Sanskar was anything but cold during the entire funeral. He sighed.
” its okay Swara. I am used to this” he waved his hand ” my father was in coma and now he is dead. The only difference is that I cannot see him whenever I wish” he voice cracked and swara’s eyes stung.
They both fell into comfortable silence
” I am all right now, you can continue your plan of staying at hotel” Swara nodded and turned her gaze to the dark clouded sky which was about to pour just like sanskar but hates to admit it

” sir, laksh’s signs are needed to unlock the money on your brothers name ”
” what?” Durga prasad asked completely astonished by what his lawyer said. ” wouldn’t it be sanskar who should do that?”
” no sir, your father made a will in a cross pattern so that the money would be saved from going in hands of enemies. Just like ram Prasad’s money is transferred to laksh, yours to sanskar.” He stated.
Durga prasad shook his head and inspite of the sadness moaning in the house, a small smile came on his lips. His father was a very clever businessman and once again he proved that. Durga Prasad rubbed his face before yelling for his son.

Laksh was packing all his essentials for new York trip. He must do that at every cost and also prove that he was capable of holding a responsibility. Suddenly, a shirt stained with pink color attracted his view and a smug smile came across his face. He wore the same shirt at his second date with ragini and was pranked by a ten year old. He smiled from ear to ear but soon it turned into a wistful one. Ragini had asked him to redeem but she never spoke a single word let alone didn’t even glance his way. How would he even show her that he has change when she kept him far from her? Shaking his head to suppress the darkness blooming inside, laksh continued his work. There was a soft knock on his open door.
” hey Swara! Any help?”
” surely I should be the one asking that”
Laksh snickered ” so you are happy?”
Swara raised her eyebrow ” you know, your enemy died ” that made her sigh. Of course she was beyond happy but looking at sanskar and him, everything felt wrong. She shouldn’t party on someone’s death ” I don’t know. Your pain is all what I can see now”
Laksh flashed her a genuine smile before packing the last things.

Ragini was walking in one of those muddy roads in Kolkata with a small smrik on her face. If her assumptions were correct, the case would be closed. When the very much familiar surroundings cane into her view, she stopped in front of the house. A few minutes later, her assistants presented a witness in front of her.
” I heard that you saw the person who came to kamala bai’s house at a random rainy night” she asked to the elderly person in front of her. He gulped.
” kamala bai was a cheerful lady over here so naturally we all are aware of her. One night, I was very much late from work and as I was passing, I saw someone knocking her door and she opened with a wide grin. At first I thought he was….was..some fling but he returned within ten minutes”
Ragini nodded her head examining the old house of kamala bai. ” there is no source of light over here. Not even a street light. Them how did you see him?”
” thunder mam” he simply answered. Ragini clapped her hands ” so how did he look like?”
” tall, lean, messy hair. He was wearing a black kurta with white pant”
” tall huh” ragini said and reached for her mobile ” is this the same person you saw?”
He nodded. There! She got her answer.

After two hours of animated talk, Swara came to sanskar’s room to cheer him up. He was all dull from his father’s death. Sanskar was sleeping with his mouth open. Swara smiled at him because he looked very much peaceful so she didn’t disturb him because when his eyes would be open, he would surely have something or other to worry about. Just as Swara was about to leave, sanskar’s mobile vibrated. She immediately tiptoed and grinned seeing ragini’s name.
” hello” she chipred but there was no response except pant.
‘ sorry dear’ she heard a distant voice which wasn’t clear enough for her to decide whether it was male or female voice but the next one what she heard made her froze.

Sanskar stirred in his sleep and smiled beautifully at Swara but frowned immediately at her face. He got off the bed ” what happened?” He asked
Her face grew more pale and the mobile in her hands touched the floor.
“Swara” he yelled shaking her.
” save me!!” She looked at sanskar ” save her sanskar..she is dying” Swara whispered with a shaky voice.
Sanskar frowned but immediately called the head cop
” oh no! Her last mobile location was some parking lot in Kali badi” he explained. They always kept a track on their assistants.
” you people come there..we will be reaching shortly” the cop said once again before hanging the phone.

Swara was shaking badly when they reached the place. Even sanskar was feeling dizzy.
Let not happen anything to her!! He prayed just as the police van arrived. Gathering the courage, sanskar and Swara followed them to the parking lot but froze immediately.
” hey shona! What was your urgency d..” Laksh who just reached there, stopped in his tracks. His knees suddenly felt like jell while dizziness start overpowering him.
Ragini was lying in front of him on the cold concrete floor in a pool of blood with three bullets on her front. She was barely trying to keep her eyes open.
” ragini” laksh sobbed with pain while rushing towards her. He bent on his knees and patted her cheeks
” look at me..please” he begged but there was no reaction from her side.
” bhai!!…car…ragini…save” laksh fumbled with tears treating to fall. Sanskar was in no different case just like his brother and probably his fiance. Though laksh sturred, sanskar moved to car unlocking it. Swara got into driving seat.
Laksh lifted ragini into his arms who clutched his shirt tightly with her blood stained hands.
” live for me ragini please…breathe!!” Laksh once again pleaded. Ragini simply smiled.
As soon as laksh got into the car, Swara raced the car in 100 followed by the cops and sanskar back of them.
Laksh held ragini’s hand ” you can’t do this to me ragini…please..please” he choked. He can’t lose her. There were many he planned for them. Hell, he was changed because of her. What will happen to him if she leaves him in darkness again
Ragini opened her eyes weakly ” I am sorry” she muttered before her eyes closed. Laksh patted her cheeks but was of no use. He could feel her body turning cold… No!
Swara wiped her tears and stabbed the accelator. laksh leaned to her forehead and placed a soft loving kiss. Tears fell from his eyes and ragini frowned.
” nothing happens to you okay? Trust me please. Once you are out from hospital, I will take you to a south trip in the helicopter then we will go for a world tour….Paris!! You said you loved that place and after that, we both will see you getting promoted to higher ranks ragini and then..then…you will see me how much I changed, how much I have went back to being the lucky I am ..yours lucky..ragini please fight for me..please!!” He let the tears flow now just as his rambling.
” we both will be the annoying pain for Swara and sanskar at their marriage. We both will babysit their babies when they will be out arranging for our wedding. We both will hold our hands this way when we take pehras vowing each other for staying together for life time and then we both will grow old together, see our children grow, getting married and once again we will baby sit our grand children ragini…at that time also we will the only two..there will be only us and you are going to see it. In fact I have planned many surprises for you..please stay with me to enjoy it…please” he begged but ragini’s head fell back.

A moment distracted sanskar from thinking about ragini and years of their friendship. He looked the other side and froze immediately when his so called mother…Mrs. Annapurna maheswari crossed their van in swift car but she didn’t observe him. He frowned but again snapped back to reality when hospital arrived.

Ragini was rushed into the I.C.U with great commotion. Laksh sat on chair with his head buried in hands while sanskar stood near the door. Swara just leaned against the wall trying yo compose herself and act strong for the other two. Durga Prasad came running towards them.
” papa” sanskar spoke stifling a sob. Durga prasad patted his back and approached doctor who just came out of the room with a sad look on his face. Right beside him was the head cop who was also stiff and calm.
” how is she doctor?” Durga Prasad voice the other three thoughts.
The doctor looked at them and shook his head slightly. That gave the hint that what he was supposed to say wouldn’t be a great news.
” what’s wrong?” Laksh yelled.
Doctor turned to him locking their eyes ” she is dead! We tried our best but her body didn’t support. We tried for making her heart beat again but…” He trailed off
And that’s when Swara collapsed to the ground crying her heart out.
Any suppressed emotion when surfaces, it will be the worst…

A/N: Ah!! And yes ragini died. I don’t want to talk anything about that. Waiting for your comments here..

Hankies for those all over there who are sobbing now.