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Moving on… ???
“Words in double quotes” – Talking
‘Words in single quotes’ – Thoughts
(Words in braces) – Telephone conversations
Chapter 3
“Swara, do you know where they went?”
Swara finished putting her earrings and looked up at Caleb. “Where who went?”
“Your sister and the new guy, San…San-something.” he spoke in a stiff and uncaring tone.
“Sanskar?”
“Yeah, that one.”
Swara got up in confusion. “But, they’re outside in the living room, aren’t they?”
Caleb sighed. “I guess you don’t know.”
“Well, I haven’t gone out yet to meet the guests.”
“I see. Never mind. Bye!”
Swara looked on confused as she saw him leave. ‘What was he talking about? Did Sanskar and Ragini leave for somewhere? Oh my! I hope Ragini doesn’t mess up everything.’ she was broken out of her thoughts by her mother’s shout.
“Swara, please come here beta.”
“Coming Maa!”
She gave herself one last look in the mirror and headed outside.
Shramishtha smiled on seeing Swara come out. “Ram, Sujata…this is my younger daughter, Swara.”
Swara smiled at the guests and joined her hands. “Namaste.”
“And Swara, that is their younger son over there.” Shramishtha spoke, pointing to the couch.
Swara turned to greet him. However, her eyes widened on seeing him. “You?!” she shouted, surprising everyone.
Laksh simply smiled in response. “The one and only.”
“W-what…how…when…” Swara stuttered out, barely able to believe what she was seeing.
“You both know each other from before?” Sujata asked in confusion.
“Yes Maa.” answered Laksh.
“No Sujata aunty.” Swara responded, glaring at Laksh.
“Aww…forgot me that easily?” Laksh asked with a playful smile.
Sujata and the others looked at both in confusion. “Okay, what’s going on in here?”
Laksh chuckled. “You see, we met at the café the other day. I accidentally bumped into her and dropped her cup. In apology, I bought her another one. But I guess she isn’t over the matter yet.” Laksh turned to look at Shramishtha with the most innocent look possible. “I really felt bad for it. That is why I tried my best to apologize.”
“Laksh you ar-”
“Oh come on Swara! The boy is trying so hard to make it up to you. Why are you being so hard on this good hearted boy. Come on, forgive him already.” Shramishtha advised, fooled by Laksh’s gullible look.
Swara looked at her mother in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me Maa.”
“No I’m not. Come on, forgive him already. He apologized, didn’t he?”
“But Maa, I ca-”
“Swara.” Shramishtha warned.
“Oho! Shramishtha, let them be. You know how kids are these days. Maybe she is feeling shy to speak before us.” Sujata reasoned. “Laksh, Swara…you both can sort it out on your own outside if you’re uncomfortable here.” she suggested.
At once, Laksh got up. “You’re right Maa. And maybe I can apologize properly to her without fear of being embarrassed before you all.” he put forward his hand for Swara to take. “Let’s go, shall we?”
Swara wanted to refuse, but didn’t want to seem rude. ‘Why do I end up in such situations!? But I can’t refuse either.’
After all, Sujata and Ram might be Ragini’s future in-laws if Ragini decides to marry. She nodded and took his hand, following him outside.
#With RagSan#
As Ragini sat beside Sanskar in the front seat, she turned to look at him.
Sanskar, feeling eyes on himself, turned to look at her as well.
As their eyes met, they smiled to each other and gave a small chuckle.
However, the moment Sanskar turned back to look ahead, his smile disappeared, only to be replaced by a frown. ‘Why does she keep smiling at me like a love smitten puppy?! Ugh! Females and their girly natures. I can’t take this anymore. I’ll tell her my views about her right away!’
Ragini turned to look outside, her smile disappearing as well. ‘Creepy! He smiled at me like I’m really special for him. I hope he doesn’t start singing love songs and start making love poems for me. Eeewwwww!’ she shivered at the thought. ‘Come on Ragini! You need to tell him the truth! Tell him Ragini, tell him!’
Ragini made up her mind and turned to look at him with determination. It so happened, Sanskar chose the same moment to look at her, his mind made up to voice his thoughts. As their eyes met, they just smiled nervously at each other, their confidence deflating like a balloon with a hole in it.
‘Damn it!’ the same thought erupting in both their minds.
After sometime…
Sanskar brought the car to a halt as they reached the petrol pump. “Um…you stay here Ragini. I’ll just come from the washroom.”
Ragini nodded politely and watched on as he left the car. Once he was out of sight, she let out a scream of frustration. “Why?! Why me why me why freaking me!?”
“Err…anything wrong ma’am?” asked an employee of the petrol pump as he passed by the car.
“Mr., my life is ruined! I’m doomed!”
The man’s eyes widened. “W-what?!”
“Whyyyyy? Oh why!?” she wailed miserably.
“Um…ma’am?”
Ragini paused her wailings and looked at him in irritation. “You’re so annoying. Go away!”
The man glared at her. “I was just trying to be helpful. Bhalayi ka to jamana hi nahi raha!”
Ragini at once put her head out of the window and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you going or shall I show you how to leave!?”
He abruptly left the spot fearing her wrath.
Ragini sat back down with a huff. “All this shouting has made me thirsty.” From the corner of her eyes, she spotted the convenient store.
‘I’m sure the owner will let me have some water.’ She got out of the car and headed towards the tiny convenient store at the pump.
#Gadodia house#
Laksh merrily sat down on the bench in the garden. He patted the space beside him for Swara to sit. However, she kept glaring at him. He pouted. “Now what did I do?”
“Why did you lie?!” Swara accused.
Laksh shrugged. “Desperate situations call for desperate measures.”
Swara’s glare intensified on his words. “Us, meeting at a coffee shop? The whole incident with my cup and all! It’s all a lie! Why did you do it?!”
Laksh looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “So? Should I have told them the truth? That you and I have been lovers for over two years?”
“Of course not!” Swara exclaimed. “But…but I didn’t expect you to just turn up in our home like this. Why didn’t you tell me that your brother is coming to see my sister?” a thought struck her suddenly. “Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, no one in our family or among our relatives is known to the Maheshwaris. Then how did they suddenly know about Ragini?”
Laksh smirked and got up from his seat. He gave a bow in a grand manner. “That would be because of me. I took her picture from your phone and gave it to my parents.”
Swara’s eyes widened at his words. “What!?”
“Yep. I couldn’t think of any better idea.” he answered. “Swara, we’ve been lovers for over two years. Yet, you refuse to acknowledge our relationship because you want your sister to get married first.”
“So you’re just trying to marry her off so that you can marry me? How dare you Laksh?!”
“One minute Swara. Yes it’s true that I used this as an opportunity. But that doesn’t mean that I’m being unfair to your sister.” Laksh responded in complete seriousness. “The person I’ve chosen for Ragini is none other than my own brother. And I know my brother will keep her like a queen.”
“But Laksh, this is wrong. Yes, I love you. But I don’t want to deceive my sister just because I want to marry you.”
“Then let’s tell her the truth if you are so against it. I’m sure she’ll agree with me as well. I mean, she’s getting a good husband and you’ll get your love as well. At the end, everyone is happy! That’s all that counts, right?”
“But still. I fear we’ll be doing wro-”
“There isn’t anything wrong. I mean, she will be happy with Sanky and I know it! Once they marry, I can marry you. Then, both of you will be in the same house. Wouldn’t it be great?!”
Swara nodded. “It’s true but…but I doubt if my sister will be happy with your brother.”
“Of course she will! I mean, didn’t you see how she was smiling and blushing looking at Sanky?”
Swara sighed. “I didn’t see it, but I know it’s just Ragini giving her A+ acting.”
“Eh?”
Swara sighed and began explaining.
#With RagSan#
Ragini hummed softly to herself as she came out of the store. She stopped her tune when she noticed something amiss.
Not just something. A big something!
“Where’s the car?” she exclaimed in bewilderment. She looked around the place in panic, but couldn’t spot it anywhere.
Unnoticed by her, Sanskar peeped from behind a nearby pillar. He had hidden the car while she was away and was now waiting for her reaction.
‘Once she thinks I’ve left her, she will no doubt think I betrayed and left her. Then she’ll go to her parents and tell them what a bad courtier I had been. Once that happens, our marriage won’t take place. I’ll be a free man!’ Sanskar thought in joy. He was broken out of his thoughts by her voice.
“He…he left me? He left me!”
Sanskar chuckled at her words. “Sorry, but this has to be done.” he whispered to himself. Looking at her, he did feel a bit of sympathy. But he couldn’t let it weaken his goal.
As he watched, he saw Ragini look down. Her body shook as she gripped her hands tighter.
‘Oh no! She’s about to cry I think. I…I’m sorry Ragini. I don’t like to make girls cry. But the situations are such that…’ however, he heard a giggle from her.
He thought he was imagining it, and so tried to listen more carefully.
Soon, he heard it again.
“He left me.” Ragini spoke to herself and looked up.
Sanskar looked on with wide eyes as instead of crying, Ragini was grinning like a maniac. ‘Did she go mad because I left her? Oh my!’
“He left me, he left me. I’m free! Free damn it, free!” Ragini exclaimed.
Sanskar stumbled in shock at her reaction. “What the…she’s…she’s happy?”
“I’m freaking free! No more restrictions, no more being goody-two-shoes! No more of this…this ridiculous traditional wear!” Ragini shouted in joy. “He left me, he left me, ? uh-huh. Sanskar left me, oh yeah oh yeah! ? ”
Sanskar’s mouth dropped open as he watched her jump up and down in excitement, all the while singing to herself. She was practically dancing to her tune! He blinked to make sure it wasn’t him dreaming a nightmare.
Ragini, on the other hand, was on cloud nine. She felt like dancing and screaming out to the world that she was free from the bondage of marrying Sanskar. ‘And to celebrate, I think I shall visit my favorite place. The beach!’
Suddenly, she paused in thought. ‘But how do I get there from here? I didn’t bring my purse with me either.’ from the corner of her eyes, she noticed a bicycle parked nearby. It had no lock on it either.
Ragini smirked.
Sanskar’s mind was still in shock from earlier. From a timid, docile, innocent girl, Ragini went to become a full on notorious, obnoxious, loud and hyper super girl! ‘Well, smack me down and call me Rapunzel! I can’t believe my eyes! This…this is like she became a whole different person!’
He was broken out of the thoughts in his mind by a shout.
“Hey! Hey, stop! It’s mine! Stop I said! Give me back my bicycle!” shouted a man, running after Ragini.
“It’s mine now!”
She simply blew a kiss behind her and sped up on the bicycle, waving bye behind her.
If Sanskar was a cartoon, he was sure his eyes would have popped out and his jaw would have dropped to the floor, with swirls spinning over his head.
Sanskar shook his head and ran towards where he had parked away his car. ‘I must find out what’s going on in here!’ thinking so, he got inside and started the car as fast as he could.
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To be continued…
Next chapter – Sanskar confronts Ragini.
And if you liked this chapter.
~ ? Mona ?