It has been three days since Ragini, Laksh and Swara accompanied by her nurse are in the Gadodias secondary residence at Ladakh, Kashemir.
In the middle of nature, surrounded by trees and waterfalls, the peaceful place is heaven on earth.
Looking to Swara who is busy finishing her breakfast, Ragini’s happiness knows no boundaries today. Since they reached here, something has changed in Swara’s behavior, she’s still mostly silent and all she needs is asked from Maria, but she’s starting to open up a little toward her, exchanging with her about her wondering toward the place where they are, asking her about her preferences for flowers, food, colors… Small insignificant things like just hearing her calling for her name, but which are huge enough for her as she’s craving for the old Swara, the sister she gave the place of friend and mother but failed to have as a confident…
She’s startled by a soft hold pressing her hand under the table, Laksh smiles to her widened surprised look daring him to misbehave more. He shakes his head smiling maliciously and signs her a hand under his eye to wipe her tears. She didn’t even realize that her tears where reflecting the guilt filling her heart every time she looks to her sister’s childish state.
– look at her, Ragini… She’s really getting better day by day. You should be happy, hai na?
At Laksh warm tone, Ragini’s smile disappears looking back to her sister who is taking her pills making lovely adorable grimaces. He continues taking her hand in his and bending a little toward her so only her could hear him:
– I feel like our Swara is getting slowly back since we arrived here… It’s like if her soul has been caught somewhere here and she’s finding it again… Maria said that even her nightmares are reducing a lot.
Ragini frowns thinking about Swara’s state when she woke up in the morning, it was the unique time she got up startled in her sleep since they arrived here, whereas she usually wakes up screaming twice in the night.
– may be you’re right Laksh… Those children were all her life before what happened… Maybe if we make her meet them once…
– no Ragini… We can’t take that risk… What if she remember abruptly about that small boy…
Ragini looks back to him sadly and sighs before saying:
– we don’t even know if Arjun survived to…
She’s cut in her sentence hearing a deafening sound from the other side of the table, a glass of water has fallen from Swara’s shaking hands. Ragini hurries to her worried… What if she heard them? What if she falls ill again? She never talks about the park’s incident and no one knows if she remembers it… But no one wants to take this kind of risk again!
Dr Kapoor was clear about that… No surprises… No sudden emotions… Even about the association’s children, when proposed by Laksh, the idea of making her meet them was rejected because they all need to be prepared, both her and children who are used to their Swara… The figure of mother they have all, a figure she’s unable to give for the moment.
– Sorry…
Swara’s childish tone makes her sister smile tenderly relived that it’s just an accident, she reassures her caressing her cheek motherly:
– it’s OK Swara… Don’t worry it happens…
A servant comes to clean the floor rapidly as Laksh approaches asking lightly:
– so girls? What about going out? Three days at home in this beautiful place? This is not what I call holidays!!
– ha.. Let’s go to the lake!
Laksh, Ragini and Maria turn shocked to the source of the proposition… Swara who’s face has lighten up at the idea, was smiling to the three of them enthusiastically. For a moment, they’re seeing the old Swara fresh… Bubbly and excited by the world around. her question makes them land back to the world:
– kya hua? The lake in the photo is here, hai na?
It’s true that she kept observing the photo for so long time that she must know every single detail in it. They recall Sanskar’s words:
– her past life’s memories are here in her brain, they’re stocked and nothing can erase them but they were engulfed in her subconscious mind when she had her trauma but sometimes… Infinite unexpected moments, flashes emerge from it… Maybe this photo is bringing back some unidentified memories from that trip she had there..”
Soon Swara follows her nurse to her room for getting ready letting Ragini pensive in place.
Laksh hugs her tightly by her back surprising her and says:
– don’t worry like that ragini… Deko, I’m sure that soon she’ll like before…
Ragini takes off his hands from her waist making a step away from his embrace and folding her arms on her chest making him frown surprised.
– then what, Laksh? How will we be able to face her after that? How will we face the world after that?…
Laksh blinks few times surprised at her rude tone before coming in front of her and take her hands in his unfolding them:
– we’ll see then…
She jerks his hands away bursting out suddenly:
– we’ll see then… We’ll see then… Always those three words which leaded us to here!!! Our graduation is approaching, Laksh…When will you talk to your father? we’ll see then!… Swara is asking me about the guy I’m secretly in love with, lets us talk to her… We’ll see then!… Papa is talking about the families’ relationship, have you talked to your father… We’ll see then!!!!!… Don’t you see where we’ve reached Laksh!?!? My sister has spent a year in coma to wake up mentally deficient… What can we wait for more than this mess!?”
– Ragini?
– to hell Ragini! I hate myself for how my love to you made me so weak that I still accept you when you’re having my sister’s engagement ring in your finger… I hate myself for not being brave enough to support her THEN… For not saying the truth THEN… For not breaking with you THEN… Then then then… I wish it was me who went in coma… I wish I could have died t…”
He stops her a hand on her mouth griping her hair forcefully making her look up to his enraged eyes:
– don’t you ever say that again! Do you hear me?
Her filled with tears eyes make him soften his grip as tears forms in his eyes too… Suddenly she pushes on his chest parting away from him angrily and shouts:
– or what? Tell me laksh? What will you do?
Brandishing a ring in front of his face she continues:
– When Swara will come to point at your face this ring and ask how did you pass it on her finger being in relationship with her sister for years, what will you say?
She turns her back to him gulping her tears while trembling with anger:
– when my father will arrange my marriage, what will you?
He closes his eyes tightening his fists at the idea but she’s unstoppable:
– When they’ll fix my marriage like they did for you, what will you do?
She looks back to him tears drowning her face and adds:
– What will you do when they’ll give me to another man, Laksh!
– Stop it Ragini!!
he hisses barely controlling himself, he turns his back to her and trys to not rise his voice, but again she comes in front of him looking to his closed eyes and saying:
– Or what Lucky?
Turning his face aside avoiding her, he says menacingly:
– Shut up Ragini! Just shut up! Don’t say such things… And don’t call me Lucky again!
– No I’ll not shut up!!! Tell me… tell me what will you do THEN!?
As he doesn’t reply, she hits on his chest shouting making him almost lost his balance opening his eyes:
– TELL ME DAMN IT!!!
He tries to touch her but she jerks his hands away again pointing at him:
– You took everything Laksh… everything…
Turning her finger toward her chest, she continues:
– … my heart, my soul, my body… and still you’re waiting another “then”, I hope being dead before it comes, Lucky!
– RAGINI!!!
Suddenly, he loses his temper and rising his hand, he’s about slapping her hard when someone catches his hand in the air, Ragini has already turned her face aside closing her eyes fearfully.
==============
Looking to his watch nervously, Sanskar is seen standing at the lake’s border. He sighs passing his both hands in his hair and says:
– Where are you princess?
To be continues…