Her ears interpreted the weird sound. A music hit them and they confused her. The vision in front of her started clearing.
“OMG I missed you so much. I’m sorry Lado I did not wanted to do that but I was helpless” Swara hugged her and she was not understanding anything. She felt the hurt on her head. “Ouch” her scream made Swara drag herself away. “I’m sorry” she looked worried.
Ragini held her head and felt a cloth and her brain understood that it was a band aid. She could move her limbs now which seemed impossible just few minutes back. “Are you okay?” when she heard Swara’s voice she looked at her again analyzing her. She was in a bridal look. Her hairline was filled with vermillion and the mangalsutra hung across her neck dangling with the light in the room.

She looked around and realized that it wasn’t their house. “Where am I?” she asked with confusion blocking her senses. “We are in Maheshwari Mansion” Swara spoke with sparkling eyes. “Swara” they both heard Sumi’s voice. “Maa see Ragini gained consciousness” Swara walked to Sumi who was at the door.
Ragini held her head which hurt. She couldn’t understand what was happening around her. “Swara your after marriage rituals are going to start. Come down” said Sumi. “After marriage?” Ragini looked shocked. “Ya sad that you could not do anything to stop…” ” Maa” Swara glared her mother who moved her gaze to Swara. “Come down soon” said she walking out.
Swara sighed and turned and looked at Ragini who was just sitting numb. “Lado don’t take mom’s words seriously. She is just angry and she will be fine” said Swara approaching her. “Swara you got married? but” she did not knew what to say further.
“Actually I did not wanted to do this when you were not in senses but all started pressurizing me saying that the so called auspicious time will pass and as you told earlier as a daughter in law of this house I should follow the traditions of this family so I gave up” Swara sat sad bending her head.
‘How should I tell you that’s not what I’m bothered of’ Ragini thought and looked at Swara. She held her hand and patted it and Swara looked up. “It’s okay. I’m not angry. It’s good that you are adjusting yourself with the traditions” said Ragini and Swara hugged her back.
Her mind was not able to decipher the things around. She did not know what she was missing but something was there which was invisible or was it just visible but her illusion did not let her see that. She was utterly confused. She just smiled patting her sister’s back.
***.***
“Arrey Ragini beta you are okay?” asked Annapurna when Ragini held her head sitting on the sofa. “Yeah aunty I’m just fine” she gave her a casual smile. Laksh walked down the stairs and walked to Ragini. “How are you feeling Ragini?” asked he.
She smiled at him and nodded her head. Her eyes weren’t at rest as she stood up. They were trying to match the thoughts with a face which she desperately wanted to see right now. At last he walked down the stair flight. What confused her more was his walking style.
Freak!!! He was walking normally. More precisely he was walking like a normal person. As her eyes met his; she noticed his lip curving up at one end and forming a smirk. As the time passed she was just becoming more and more confused. What is happening around her?
“Laksh you have to perform your after marriage rituals” Sujata yelled and he excused himself and walked where Swara sat waiting for him. Swara and Laksh placed their hands inside the milk and searched for the ring and Swara caught the ring which made Laksh pout.
“You are gonna rule him all his life” Sujata teased. “That she is doing already” Laksh winked at her and she blushed lowering her head.
Ragini’s eyes did not move. She observed Sujata and all the family members behaving normal with Sanskar. She wondered more what’s happening. Either she was in a illusion till now or she is in illusion now. She did not knew which to believe and which to not.
As she put more pressure on her brain the skull hurt more. She held her head and as her hand moved to the wound it started bleeding again and her vision started blurring again. She was about to fall but she felt someone’s strong hold on her shoulders. It was him. She could not record anything further and passed out.

“Ladoo” she heard her Dadi’s faint scream before everything blacked out.
***.***
Everything around her was dark and at the edge she saw a light and as she walked towards it the darkness around her dissolved. “Maa” she whispered as her vision was clear now and she recognized smiling figure in front of her.
Janaki caressed her cheek and looked at her affectionately. Then she moved a bit forward and kissed her forehead and Ragini closed her eyes.
“Maa” she again whispered. Her mother just stared at her and did not speak. She tried touching her but her hand just passed through her. “Maa” she looked at her horrified and Janaki’s figure started lightening.
“I need you” she cried when she felt her mother disappearing fast. Janaki just smiled at her in the same posture.
“I had told you. What was the necessity to do that. She would have fainted with a chloroform also” it was someone familiar’s voice. It was too faint. Her brain cells were weak to act and it just increased the pressure in her brain. There was a blur image forming in her brain.
She quickly opened her eyes and sat sweating on the bed. “Lado you are okay right” her Dadi sat beside her worried. She was hyperventilating. Her face and neck was covered with the sweat. She closed her eyes and again opened them as if trying to understand whether it was reality or a nightmare.
“Dadi” she hugged her Dadi and she patted her back to relax her. She looked around as all surrounded her. “Are you okay Ragini?” Sanskar’s voice made her jerk. He sat in front of her on the bed. She looked at everyone as they did not react at all.
She looked at him with wide eyes. She did not knew how she should react now and just kept staring him. “I think she is just shocked to see him talking normally” Laksh smiled at her and she looked at him confused.

“Bhai’s memory came back Ragini and all thanks to you and Swara” said he happy and she knitted her eye brows trying to understand.
“Ladoo Sanskar was the one who pulled me up the river and then he was the one who fought with those goons who came to kill us and hit you on your head. And in that process his brain got the shock it needed and he recovered” Swara spoke with sparkling eyes.
“So much hate Sanskar…” when her own voice played in her mind she remembered she had seen him smirking. She looked at Sanskar with a confusion. He was smirking at her and when Dadi walked to him he immediately changed his expression.

“Thank you so much beta” she blessed him.
“Arrey Dadi she has done so much for me and for my brother.” he looked at her with anger filling his eyes. “Can’t I do this much for her” he turned to Dadi with a normal expression. She just looked confused. Again her head hurt and she held it.
“I think she is stressed out” Sanskar held her hand and she looked at him. Their eyes met and his intense eyes softened momentarily. But the noises around them made him realize and he dragged his hand away and looked around.
***.***
He smirked looking as he crossed his arms standing in front of the dark sky. “You think the game has started now Ragini…. Ha ha ha. You are so naive” he let out a laugh. The sparkle from the stars reflected in his eyes.
“Sanskar” Sujatha entered with a milk glass. “Mom I’m alright now. I don’t want to drink this” he whined looking at her. “You have to drink this all your life” she held him and dragged to the bed and made him drink it.
He made a weird face and she smiled looking at her son. “I’m so happy to get you back” she hugged him. He patted her head smiling. “Me too mom”
****.****
She stood at the window of her room and watched the black sky. It was dark just dark. And her mind and senses were also dark. She had never been so restless all her life.
“Why do I feel something is missing. I’m missing something. Although everything is clear it still looks unclear” she looked at the sky blankly.

She took a deep breath and tried recognizing the voice closing her eyes. “Was that necessary to do that?” the voice replayed. She opened her eyes wide open. “Sanskar” she spoke as her thoughts exploded with the realization.
“But why will he save Swara? He was the one who pushed her” she rewind the events.
“He was at the edge. We were almost half the way and how can he reach the edge so fast?” she looked thoughtful. She pressurized her memory more.
“He was standing in front of me when I felt pain in back of my head” she held the wound.
“You could have used chloroform” she replayed his voice.
“There was someone with him” her eyes went wide when the broken puzzle was falling into place again.
“There was someone who helped him” she spoke walking to her bed.
“But he wanted to stop this marriage. Then why he saved Swara” she was confused. “What is running in his mind now” she tried understanding his plan.
“I have challenged you long back” she remembered his words. “He planned it all” she gasped as the things were replaying in her mind.
“What does he want to do?” she looked puzzled.
***.***
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Sally ?