The Runaway Bride (Epi 2)

Guys!!!! I love you all so very much! Thanks for your support! It means a lot! Please keep commenting and I promise I won’t disappoint you ever! Anyway, I’m glad you liked Ragini’s character in this ff. I’ll try to keep up to your expectations. Thank you so much for your love and support! Love you guys! ??❤❤
P.S. The next chapter of ‘A Night To Remember’ might be delayed a bit. I really am out of an idea for the next part! But, till then, I’ll be posting ‘The Runaway Bride’ as regularly as I can! (Sorry for ANTR fans! But I’ll be back soon with it!)

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“Ariba bi! I’m back! Please close the door! I’m exhausted!”
It was night when Laksh came back from his friend’s housewarming party. Extremely tired, he simple collapsed on the couch as soon as he entered the living area. He closed his eyes to relax, his tiredness had made him forget the morning incident. He heard the door being closed, softly as Ariba bi does, as always. As soon as he was starting to feel relaxed, he a heard noise, a glass-crashing, perhaps. Startled, he sped towards the kitchen, for the sound came from there itself.

“I’m so sorry! There was water here and I just lost my balance and to save myself, I held onto this but..”
“Gosh! You’re real? Good god! I thought it was just a nightmare! But you! God!”
“Excuse me?”
“Tell me something Ms. Runaway, do you always carry trouble with you?”
“Rude! Most rude! You’re talking as if you know me very well! Like, I’ve been troubling you since ages!”
“A day with you counts much much more than ages!”
“You arrogant filthy rich spoilt brat! What do..”
“The f**k are you wearing?!” Laksh shouted at her, eyes widened with shock.
“Mr. Future Maheshwari, I thought you weren’t blind! But I was..”
“Take them out! Right now!” He screamed.
“Wha.. Are you out of your mind?” Ragini screamed equally, enraged.
“What happened Laksh baba?”
“Ariba bi! These.. These clothes! Why is she wearing my clothes! Tell her to take them out, right now!”
“Baba, What are you saying? She..”
“Enough! Mr. Future! I’m not going to take them out!”
“You don’t speak a word, okay? How dare you touch my clothes?”
“I’m not wearing these out of any pleasure, whatsoever! It’s just that.. I.. I didn’t bring any clothes with me.. So.. I was uncomfortable in that bridal attire.. And.. I.. I saw this shirt and pyjamas lying on the couch.. In.. In your room.. So..”
“Unbelievable! You ran away without any luggage?” Laksh asked, baffled.
“Dude, for your kind information, I ran away from my wedding! Ran!!” Ragini stressed on ‘ran’ as she spoke, irritatedly. “I would have been caught easily, had I cared about bringing some luggage with me! When you elope, you just elope! You really don’t think of anything except for the eloping part!”
“You..”
“I’m very sleepy right now! So, goodnight!” Before Laksh could speak, Ragini interrupted and waved him a bye. Laksh glared as she walked past him, wearing his favorite blue tee and gray pyjamas.
“Ariba bi, arrange some clothes for this trouble!”
“Okay.”

•••

“Ragini, I never knew you loved me so much! I’m so glad you eloped!”
“Baby, you’ve no idea how I missed you! Papaji just fixed my alliance and..”
“Sshhh! Not a word about it! We won’t look into the past anymore! Only future. Our future! I love you a lot Ragini! Will you marry me?”
“Yes ! A thousand times yes dear! I love you too!”
“Mind a hug?”
“Never! I’m the happiest person alive! I love you!” Ragini mumbled as he hugged the pillow tightly.
“Say something baby!” Ragini continued mumbling, and that’s when she lost her balance and fell off the bed.
“Oww! Damn!” Ragini mutterred as she opened her eyes slowly. Awake, she looked at the room she was currently in.
“It was all a dream!” She muttered disappointed, tears brimming in her eyes. She sat there, on the floor, for a moment, recalling her past, him, their moments, her marriage being fixed, her elopement, and finally, yesterday. Laksh. Grrr. The sad emotions turned into anger and irritation. She stood up and that’s when she heard a knock at the door.

“Ariba bi? Uhm..”
“Please come with me.”
“What? Where? Ariba bi.. What happened? Everything.. ”
Ragini was stunned into silence as she entered the room adjacent to hers. A huge line-up of clothes. Women clothings. From shirts to suits, dresses to gowns to jumpsuits to jeans to simple casual tops. God! Do they have a shop here? Her jaw dropped to the ground as she looked at them, wide-eyed.
“Beta, choose anything you want. Laksh baba told me to arrange some clothes for you.. So..”
“Some? These are so many! God! Thank you so much Ariba bi! You’re so cute!” Ragini squealed in excitement as she hugged the cute lady.
“Okay, now freshen up fast. I’ll prepare the breakfast. Okay?”
Ragini nodded like an innocent child and ran towards the clothes to pick up something for today. She grabbed an orange tunic top and a regular jeans and hurried off to the bathroom.

•••

“85.. 86.. 87.. 88..”
Laksh was busy in his push-ups routine when he heard a voice. A thud this time. He nodded in disbelief as he turned to look what fell. “Unbelievable!” He muttered as he resumed his exercise. “89.. 90.. 91..”
“I’m so sorry, but who keeps dumbbells midway on the floor?”
“92.. 93.. 94.. 95..”
“Anyway, I didn’t come for any chit-chat session with you! I just came to.. Uhm.. Thank you for the clothes.”
“96.. 97..”
“Mr. Future! I’m talking to you! Anyway, I need your phone. Right now!”
“98..”
“Are you even listening to me? I’m talking..” As Ragini proceeded to confront him, she tripped over the kettlebell and fell on the back of the ‘Future of Maheshwaris’.
“Oww!” Ragini muttered and the very next moment, Laksh turned and she fell on the ground, with Laksh on top of her. He was dripping of sweat, bare-chested. His well toned body was completely drenched in sweat and was all heated up due to the exercise. His hard hands were on her waist, gripping them tightly. Ragini’s left hand was on his back while her right one was placed on his chest. Both of them were captured by each other’s eyes, unaware of their proximity. Laksh looked at her lips, luscious and sweet, that’s how they appeared to him. Slowly, he was leaning on her. Ragini’s lips parted a little at his action. Heartbeats were out of control. Laksh leaned in much closer, his lips almost touching hers when he got up in a jerk and straightened himself. Ragini too got up slowly and looked at him hesitantly. Laksh was visibly uncomfortable and he quickly grabbed a tee and wore it.

“You.. You were.. Saying.. Something?”
“Huh? Uhm.. I was? Yes.. Oh yes! I was! I certainly was! I.. I was saying.. That.. I.. Wanted your phone..”
“Hm.. It’s broken. Thanks to you!”
“Oh I remember! But it was all your fault!”
“Excuse me? What did you just say? My fault?”
“Yes! Your fault!”
“You both are fighting yet again?”
“Ariba bi! Just tell her to get out of my room!” Laksh flared.
“Ragini.. Come..”
Ragini glared back at Laksh as she walked past him.

In the evening, Ariba bi and Dinesh mamu decided to ask Ragini about her. Her reasons for elopement. Laksh wasn’t interested to listen to that trouble’s story, but mamu convinced him that listening to her story is the only way to find the solution of this ‘trouble’. Hesitantly, Laksh agreed.

All the four gathered at the terrace. Ariba bi brought some light snacks and juices to the terrace. Finally seated, the trio began to contemplate who will ask her about her past. Meanwhile, Ragini, who was completely unaware of their plans, was busy munching the snacks. But soon she felt the trio were staring at her.
“You guys can also eat! I’ve no problem!” She smiled.
“Oh thank you Ms. Runaway! We were waiting for your permission actually!” Laksh retorted.
Ragini chose to ignore him and continued eating.
“Err.. Ragini beta.. Actually.. We.. We want to ask you something..”