Ragini was feeling a little relieved after telling Laksh about her true identity and the reason behind her stay at Shanti Sadan. After explaining everything to Laksh and signing the documents Mastishka had brought, Ragini had come back while Mastishk stayed with Laksh at office, they needed to sign some papers.
Currently she was in a taxi, going back to Shanti Sadan. Laksh had told her that it might take more than one week for Shekhar Gadodia to come, that’s what bothered Ragini. Just one day and her secret was out, fortunately only Laksh knew about that but seriously how’s she gonna handle it all for a week, 7 days, 7 long days!
Feeling emotionally drained Ragini rested her head against the window and closed her eyes. Though she was still awake but her head was starting to ache causing slight dizziness. She wanted some peace before she goes back in that mad house where she won’t be able to get a single moment of peace. But unfortunately for her, fate had its own plans.
Ragini was jerked away when the taxi stopped suddenly. She pinched the bridge of her nose, “What happened Dada?” she asked.
The taxi driver tried to restart the car but it didn’t, “I don’t know, let me check.” the driver went out and opened the bonnet, checking for any fault. Ragini sighed and leaned back on the seat, the day was turning from good to worse.
“Madam there’s some problem in the engine, I’ll arrange another taxi for you.”
Ragini shook her head, “Today is not my day.” she shook her head, “It’s okay, I’ll manage. Here…” Ragini handed him the fare and got out of the taxi and started walking.
The sun was starting to set, sky turning a beautiful shade of orange with streaks of pink. She smiled rubbing her arms as she walked on the street. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of street food, puchkas, pavv bhaji and much more.
Early tiredness forgotten, Ragini walked towards the puchka stall, “Dada make a plate for me. Make it extra spicy.”
She licked her lips in delight as the stallman gave her a plate of puchkas. Ragini devoured them, praising the stallman for the delicious treat. Ragini enjoyed the street food unaware of a pair of eyes watching her every move, clicking pictures of her when she’s not looking, keeping an eagle eye on her.
Ragini asked the stallman for some more puchkas.
Flash. Click
She paid for the spicy snack.
Flash. Click.
Ragini walked away from there and started looking for a taxi.
Flash. Click.
A taxi stopped in front of her, she sat inside and the taxi driver away.
The man who was clicking Ragini’s photographs took his phone out of his pocket and dialled a number, “She just left for home.”
“No. I couldn’t, she went with them but came alone.”
“Okay, yeah. Just two more days, my sources are looking for more information, I’ll keep you posted. Bye.”
(xxxxxxxx)
Absentmindedly, Ragini walked inside Shanti Sadan. Her eyes focused on nothing in particular, she was rolling the end of her scarf between her fingers as she walked totally oblivious of Dadi who was coming from the opposite side.
Dadi noticed Ragini lost in her own world. They were about to collide but Dadi held Ragini’s arms before they could, “Don’t think about something so much that you aren’t able to see where you are walking.” Dadi taunted.
Ragini raised her head and looked at Dadi, “I am sorry Dadi Ji, I was just..”
Dadi stopped Ragini in mid with a gesture of her hand, “I am not your Dadi. You are just another servant, behave like one.”
Ragini stared at her Dadi, ‘only if she knew’, Ragini thought. Without saying a word Ragini just went away leaving behind a frowning Dadi.
Dadi watched Ragini going at kept looking at her retreating figure until she disappeared from her sight. From the moment she had met Ragini, Dadi felt restless. There was something in the girl that caused dread to settle in her mind.
Those eyes. Those hazel colored eyes with golden specks reminded Dadi of a certain girl who had same eyes as Ragini’s. The last time Dadi had seen that girl was the day of her son, Shekhar’s marriage with Sharmishta. After all those years….
Ragini brought back the haunting memories of the past, reminded her of the secrets she had kept from the family, those skeletons that still reside in the confines of her closet. If those secrets came out then things will get complicated. No..she won’t let that happen.
“I need to keep an eye on this girl. What if she’s..? No if she’s who I think she is, I will make sure that she doesn’t break my family.” Dadi thought as she took out her phone from her potli bag and called someone, “Is the report ready?”
(xxxxxxxx)
Laksh was still in office thinking about Ragini. Mastishk had left an hour ago, Laksh had offered him to stay at his home but Mastishk was adamant on staying at a hotel. Now that he was alone, Laksh couldn’t help but think about what Ragini had revealed.
After his father, his Uncle Shekhar was his idol, the man who Laksh thought of as his mentor. It was hard to believe that his uncle would do something like that but he also knew that Ragini wasn’t lying. Laksh felt suffocated. In his eyes, Shekhar was an ideal son, perfect husband, loving n caring father, an amazing friend and a fantastic mentor. There wasn’t a flaw in that man.
But now thing seem to have changed. Laksh knew Ragini wasn’t lying. Why would Ragini, the top most fashion designer, a multi millionaire and a part of the Elite 9 group lie about something like this? There is something else in all this, some sort of secret.
Something’s amiss in all this and Laksh was determined to find about it. Shekhar was like a father to him and Ragini his friend (his future sister in law) so Laksh felt he needed to sort this situation out.
(xxxxxxxx)
Mastishk was lying on the bed as he contemplated about the other purpose that brought him here. He remembered the talk he had with his father back home.
———-
“Are you sure Dad? I mean we have been searching for her since years, are you sure that this girl us her?” Mastishk asked his father, Mr. Mukesh Kashyup.
Mukesh Kashyup slapped shut the file he had been reading and pushed it towards his son, “Peter is the best in this field son. He has done complete research. Apparently a girl was found few meters before the accident place. She was found by Manmohan Shastri, a sweet shop owner. He told Peter that the position she was lying in made it obvious that the girl had rolled down from the road and she had a nasty injury on her head.”
Mastishk looked into the file and read out the rest of the statement given by Mr. Shastri, “The trauma and the injury was the cause she stayed in coma for 3 years, and when she woke up she had no memory of her past. Since then Mr. Shastri took her in as his own daughter and named her Krutika.”
“Look at the photographs on next page.” Mukesh said.
Mastishk turned the page and what he saw made his eyes widen. There were photographs on a sleeping 5 year old (she’s in comatose state), one was of a slightly older and now awake picture of the same girl, another photograph was of an old and dirty looking purple dress which had blood splashes across it, there was a photograph of a circle shaped pendant which had MM engraved on it.
Mastishk gasped seeing that pendant, he had a pendant identical to the one in the photograph. He looked up at his father whose eyes were misty, “There’s one more at the last page, her current photograph of her.”
Mastishk did as told. There it was, she still had a part of her 5 year old self in her features. She was smiling at the camera, her thick and long hair were left open and was wearing a pink colored suit. She was still a little chubby, no she didn’t looked fat. Her eyes were still the same, doe shaped and black in color. She’s beautiful.
Mastishk was mesmerized seeing her, his Mili was cute and angelic. He had finally found her. Mastishk was brought out of the daze as his father said, “I know son that I never let you have some other girl in your life. It was wrong of me to keep you waiting for Mrinalini (her name is Mrinalini, Mili is her nickname and her foster father named her Krutika) just because I promised my best friend that his daughter will become my daughter in law.”
“Dad?” Mastishk didn’t know where it was going.
“Let me complete. I know that we have found her but now I will not force you to marry her. If you want to..”
Mastishk walked towards his father, placing a hand on his shoulder he said, “Dad it was mine decision to wait, in case I didn’t want to do so you know even you couldn’t do a thing in that. I know we were just kids back then when we were engaged but she’s the one for me. I don’t know why but she’s been an integral part of me even if she wasn’t with me. I am not saying that I love her, I need to know her for that but still. You understanding what I am saying?”
Mukesh smiled at his son and hugged him sideways, “Go get her son.”
———-
Mastishk unlocked his cell phone, he had used Mrinalini’s current photograph as his phone’s wallpaper, “Get ready Mili, you Tishu is coming for you.” he smiled.
(Imagine Ankita Sharma as Mrinalini/Mili/Krutika)
(xxxxxxxx)
(I was going to stop this chapter here but then thought why not answer the question I have been asked many times before. Continue reading 😉 )
From where he was standing he could see his family, sitting together and chatting. His family, huh? What family would throw their son out for no fault of his? Which family would trust the outsiders more and blame their own blood? All those insults, those hard words kept ringing in his head.
For the past 5 years, not only had he made a living as an interior designer, he has also started a small firm of hs own that dealt with interior designs of personal houses, flats etc. His clients were mostly the upper middle class, but due to his impressive sense of designing he also got many large scale projects.
In these years he has planned to destroy the one person who was the reason his so called family went against him. Sanskar Maheshwari wasn’t going to let Laksh Maheshwari off the hook easily.
His eyes wandered towards Ragini, his “caretaker”. She was something. Sanskar watched her move as she helped Parineeti Bhabhi serve tea and snacks to the family members. She’s beautiful, her eyes were the most mysterious and mesmerizing feature, they were unique. He has met numerous women but none of them was as beautiful as Ragini.
She had an aura if mystery around her and Sanskar was attracted to it. He remembered how good she felt in his arms when she fell on him in the car. Her intoxicating smell, her hot great on his neck, her skin so soft against his and her petite form over his. He had felt numb, almost hypnotized. And when he had stared into those eyes, for a moment it looked as if Ragini can see through him, the real him.
And in the wall, when they were jumping on the trampoline, she hadn’t only fell on him again but they had shared a kiss as well. Sanskar caressed his lips with his fingers remembering the little kiss they had shared. The intimacy that the sweet innocent kiss held had shaken him to core.
The feel of her warm, soft, gloss-free lips felt incredible against his own. His arms had tightened around her torso on their own accord. Sanskar closed his eyes and shook his head, no! He can’t think about it, he won’t. He won’t risk his plan by bringing Ragini into his life, she’s nothing to him.
Precap : Mastishk looking for Mrinalini, SwaLak moments, Ragini being stalked. Sanskar’s pov during RagSan moments.