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Episode 11
A small message: hello everyone. I know that I am really being late at updating episodes but I takes four hours to type my two fictions and more two hours two reply you all. Another hour to read few fictions on this site
I spend seven hours on this site and besides I need to give time to myself and my family too. So sorry for being late and from today, both acceptance and second love will be posted after 6:00pm sharp and I will daily update
If not, I will surely let you know
***
Two days passed and laksh behaved as if nothing has happened. Ragini was initially annoyed but again she composed herself making her calm by saying that all men are arrogant. She thought to concentrate on studies as the exam is not far.
Ragini saw laksh reading some book leaning to the head rest when she entered bedroom. He closed the book as soon as he saw her. Their eyes locked for a second but both of them broke it.
Ragini went to her couch arranging sheets on it. Laksh cleared his throat behind her. Ragini raised her eyebrows.
Laksh: I want you to sleep on bed from now
She gasped because she is still not ready to share his bed. So simply, she nodded no.
Laksh: don’t act foolishly, I have seen you rubbing and exercising your neck. I won’t appreciate if you suffer from spondylitis.
Ragini sighed
Ragini: it’s okay laksh. I can manage.
Laksh: listen to me, at least for once
Ragini: that’s what I am doing from the day I entered the house.
Laksh narrowed his eyes and fisted his hands to surpress his anger
Laksh: okay! I dont like my wife not obeying my order. You are meant to listen to me.
Her eyes turned to blood shot red to his words. She wanted to scream at him but that was not what she taught to do.
Suppressing her anger, she directed towards the bed. Laksh smirked victouriosly and turned off the main lights. He slept within few minutes and wondered for sleeping quickly with her in bed, always. Ragini bit her lower lip to swallow her sob but tears didn’t stop oozing out from her eyes.
NEXT MORNING
Laksh opened his eyes and smiled brightly. He then turned to ragini to wish her good morning but shocked seeing her staring ceiling with half closed eyes. It seemed like she didn’t sleep whole night.
Laksh: didn’t you sleep well?
Ragini: I haven’t slept at all.
She answered him still staring at ceiling.
Anger filled him for her behaviour. He isn’t a sadist or a murder after all for her to fear so much. If he was lucky, he would have gave her a smart answer that would hurt her equally but he isn’t lucky any more. Without speaking any word, he got up from bed and went inside washroom slamming the door behind..
Even ragini is not at fault because, since her childhood she was always made to accept every wish of their parents even if it aganist her wish. Laksh behaving in the same way ached her. As said, we feel for the person whom we care for. If she was the same girl who entered manison, she surely must not have felt bad for his behaviour.
Laksh left to office without eating breakfast. Ragini didn’t gave a damn to him.
Annapurna received call from laksh around afternoon.
Laksh: ma. Will you please give red file and three green files from my desk to driver?
Annapurna: I don’t know anything about them laksh and I really have much work to complete. Ask ragini.
Laksh: but ma..
Before he could finish, Annapurna disconnected the call. She then turned to her right and gave a thumbs up to parineta who is already smiling.
Laksh thought for a while before dialing her number.
Ragini: hello
Laksh: hello
They kept silent for few seconds.
Laksh: what are you doing?
Ragini: learning. You know, tomorrow is my exam.
Laksh: oh! I forgot about it.
He lied, to show that he cares least about her. Ragini suddenly felt pain in heart.
Ragini: do you need anything?
Laksh: files,from my study. Please send them with driver
Ragini: wait a minute,I will go to the study.
Ragini got to her feet and reached study.
Ragini: which one?
Laksh: a red one on table and three green from study rack.
Ragini grabbed the red file and went to rack to collect green files but her eyebrows furrowed seeing a pile of green color files.
Ragini: I think there is a collection of them.
Laksh sighed.
Laksh: okay then, two files belong to arora and one is suryavanshi.
Ragini searched for the names and finally found arora
Ragini: but suryavanshi is not here.
Laksh: what! I kept in tack myself. Check once.
Suddenly he heard laughter of ragini on phone. It sounded so sweet.
Laksh: what happened?
He asked worried but laughter is the only answer. So he asked her again but in a high voice
Ragini: did you write the name suryavanshi by hand?
Laksh: yes. Any problem?
Ragini: you really suck at writing laksh. I think ansh writes better than you.
With that, she bursted out laughing again. laksh felt embarrassed.
Laksh: will you just stop laughing? I saw yours too. It is not even comparable to me.
Ragini: Its because mine is better.
Laksh: send the files
He immediately disconnected the call. Ragini gave the files to driver still laughing.
SAME EVENING
Laksh: how is your preparation going on?
Laksh asked ragini once they reached their room after dinner.
Ragini: not bad. I should night out today.
Laksh: any help?
Ragini: it’s okay. I don’t want to be a burden on you.
‘ you are not a burden’ he wanted to scream but gave her a glare to which she shut her mouth
Laksh sat infront of her with crossed legs and both of them deeply involved in reading and helping each other till the clock struck three in morning.
Ragini yawned and tears came out of her eyes.
Laksh: take rest ragini. Atleast for two hours
She nodded her head in no and drank water.
Ragini: I don’t want to sleep but I know that I am going to do that and if I sleep once, I will surely miss my exam.
Laksh sighed and leaned to headrest streching himself.
Ragini: entertain me
Laksh: what!
He almost jumped.
Ragini: entertain me
She repeated. It’s the only way she can forget her sleep but soon regretted for asking him. She opened her mouth to say sorry but laksh spoke
Laksh: okay fine. Come with me.
He said her forwarding his hand. She looked him then his hand and again him.
Laksh: do you trust me?
He asked, his voice deep. She looked into his eyes which made her weak at knees which is foreign to her but she nodded.
Laksh smiled and both of them came out of the manison.
Ragini: bike!
She exclaimed seeing laksh starting it.
Ragini: I won’t come with you.
Laksh: listen to me. Please
Ragini sighed and climbed. She initially flinched by the cool breeze but later streched her arms and inhaled. It is her first time to be in the streets of Kolkata at this odd time.
Laksh parked his bike and asked her to come her for a walk.
Ragini: tea?
Ragini asked him seeing a tea stall.
Laksh: your wish is my command mam
He mocked to which she narrowed her eyes.
Ragini: hmm. It tastes good.
Laksh: yeah.
Ragini: so, were you a naughty child?
Laksh: what made you ask this?
Ragini: don’t I have a right to know
Laksh smriked his smrik which brought smile on her lips.
Laksh: yeah. We three brothers did lot of naughty things like once we fired crackers inside our house
He laughed to himself remembering the events
Laksh: of course we were punished later. What about you?
Ragini: nothing much. Swara di is naughty but I was so obedient.
Laksh:don’t worry. You will soon turn into naughty girl. After all it is me whom you are living with.
Their smile fade away when both of them realized laksh’s words. Awkward silence did its work.
Ragini: shall we?
She asked breaking silence after sometime.
Laksh nodded and soon they reached Manison.
Ragini: laksh please don’t sleep
She begged him seeing laksh lying on bed with half closed eyes. But he didn’t pay attention to her.
Being tired, she slept beside him and turned to see his face
Ragini: I will sleep If you sleep. Please
She begged and closed her eyes.
Ragini opened her eyes only to see intense rays of sun. She immediately turned to see the clock when realisation hit her
Ragini: oh God! It’s 12:30. My exam is within one and half hour.
She exclaimed and turned to laksh who is snoring
Ragini: laksh, laksh. Get up
She shook him and he got up.
Laksh: good morning ragini. All the best for your exam.
Ragini: it is 12:30. Get up
She yelled at him before locking herself in washroom. She came back hoping to see laksh ready to drop her but he is still sleeping.
It boiled her blood and in angry, she threw a pillow at his face. Laksh opened his eyes wide and sat on his bed.
Laksh:what happened?
He asked irritated.
Ragini: your jaw will break in next hour if I won’t be at my examination centre.
Realisation hit him and he got from bed and ran into washroom.
Laksh: why didn’t you wake me ma!
He shouted at Annapurna once they came down.
Annapurna: look parineta. We didn’t wake him up it seems.
Parineta: yes ma
Their sarcastic answer gave him his answer that they came to wake them but being sleepyheads, it didn’t effect him.
Laksh: okay bye ma..come ragini
He said to them with mouth full of bread and caught hold of ragini’s wrist. Before she could register anything, she is being dragged by him
Annapurna: all the best
She wished ragini from behind to which she showed thumbs up.
Ragini kept reading all the way and he drove his bike as fast as he can. Ragini sighed when they reached the centre before half an hour for exam.
Laksh:do you have all accessories including hall ticket?
Ragini: yeah
She then involved in ragini. Laksh came to her after some time.
Laksh: your room number is 207 and here is the water bottle.
She simply smiled and packed her books when Bell rang.
Laksh: all the best. You will do it good.
He wished her but she shivered out of tension. He placed his palm on hers.
Laksh: breath
He ordered and she did the same
She smiled at him and entered the college. Every time, she ascended one floor,she saw laksh waving her from road. Tears came to her eyes because his care reminded her about her father. Deep inside any girl’s heart, she will always compare her husband with her dad.
Laksh: how was your exam?
He asked ragini totally excited when she came out. She opened her mouth wide.
Ragini:you were here all the time.
Laksh simply shrugged. She let out a nervous breath and smiled.
Ragini: fine, actually good.
Laksh: oh..I am actually in a mood to celebrate now but my eyes are stinging so I promise you to take out tomorrow.
Ragini: no need of that laksh.
Laksh: you really don’t know to live life ragini. But don’t worry. I will show you.
SAME NIGHT
Ragini and laksh came to their room early after dinner to sleep. Involuntarily, she slept beside laksh on bed because her mind became numb of being tired. They both slept flat on their belly staring ceiling. The silence between them is now comfortable.
Laksh: anusha!
Ragini: huh?
Laksh: her name is anusha
Ragini’s heart skipped a bit. Finally, he is saying.