UNKNOWN TO HER (Ongoing)

PART 20

Vansh was deep in thought, his mind clouded with confusion.
"It's her," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Angre, his trusted confidant, looked at him with a questioning gaze.
 "The assassin?" he asked, trying to make sense of Vansh's cryptic words.

Vansh shook his head, dismissing the idea. "No, not the assassin," he clarified.

"If she were the assassin, she could have easily harmed my wife, Riddhima, right here in this hospital. But Riddhima is safe. The person who visited a while ago... she's not the assassin."

His words hung in the air, creating a sense of unease.

Angre, trying to understand, asked, "Then who do you think it is?"

Vansh turned to face him, his expression serious. He took a moment before he finally spoke.

 "Ragini"

_________________________________________

Anupriya found herself lost in the memories of her sister, Uma Raisinghania. A series of unforeseen events had led to her husband marrying both sisters. When Uma tragically passed away, the cause of her death shrouded in mystery, Anupriya made a solemn promise to care for all her children. She was acutely aware that she was the third wheel in her elder sister's love life. Ajay Raisinghania had married her reluctantly, and only with Uma's consent.

The birth of Vansh and Ishani filled Anupriya with immense joy. She was pregnant with her first child, Kabir, around the same time Ishani was born, resulting in a mere two to three months age difference between Kabir and Ishani. After Kabir, her angel Sia came into this world.

 Interestingly, all the firstborn were males. Aryan was born after Kabir, and Chanchal and Rudra decided to have only one child, given the responsibility of caring for all five kids. Indrani Raisinghania, the grandmother, would feed them with her own hands, regaling them with tales of Akbar & Birbal, Panchtantra, and more.

Despite Vansh banishing Kabir due to his misdeeds, Anupriya missed her child dearly. She found herself wandering the corridors of the mansion, her thoughts consumed by her eldest son. He had shouldered the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings at a tender age. Anupriya noticed a change in Vansh when Riddhima entered his life. Initially, she had reservations about Riddhima, having encountered many middle-class girls who would do anything for money.

 However, Riddhima won her over by fulfilling her promise to treat Sia within two months, a feat many doctors had deemed impossible. Such girls were rare, and perhaps that's why Vansh was drawn to her.

 Sia hugged Anupriya from behind and asked softly, "Is Vansh bhai alright?"

Anupriya nodded, wiping away her tears, and cupped her daughter's cheeks. "Sia," she began, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, "I know it's hard for you, but can you find it in your heart to forgive your brother?"

Sia froze, the memories of the accident flooding back. She had been terrified, in pain, and felt like her life was over when she learned she could no longer walk. She had spent three years of her life in a completely different way. She looked down at her toes and wiggled them."Whatever Vansh  bhai decides..." she said, leaving the sentence unfinished.

________________________________________

Kabir found himself seated on a bench, his eyes closed in deep contemplation. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all centered around Ragini. Sleepless nights and desolate days were spent in her memories. He staunchly defended her honor, refusing to entertain any negative words about the woman he loved. 

The past three years had been a grueling test of endurance for him. The guilt of Sia's accident weighed heavily on his conscience. The loneliness of living without family was a misery he had never imagined he would experience. His love for Ragini was the only beacon of light in his world of darkness and hatred.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

"Kabir" a soft voice whispered.

Kabir was taken aback by the familiarity of the voice. He turned to see a woman who had become a shadow of her former self. Her cheeks were pale, her body frail, and she was dressed in a hospital gown.

"Ragini?" Kabir could hardly believe his eyes as he instinctively reached out to support her with his strong arms.

"I'm sorry!" she murmured.

"Sh...you're...you're alive?" Kabir enveloped her in a tight hug, gently patting her head.

"I cheated on you!" she confessed, leaving Kabir stunned and unable to react.

"I was sent here by my husband...I'm married..." Ragini panted heavily. Kabir quickly handed her a bottle of water.

Ragini gulped down the water hastily before continuing, "It was all...a charade...I'm sorry..."

 Tears streamed down her face.

Kabir was in disbelief. Ragini, the simple, innocent girl he knew, could never deceive anyone.

Ragini clutched Kabir's hands, pleading for his forgiveness. "I don't have much time. I was in an accident and fell into a coma. Your brother has been protecting me all this while. I lied to you about my love every time. But now, I'm telling you the truth. Someone's after me. They'll kill me. Because I...I know who...who murdered your mother..."

Kabir's eyes widened at her confession.

"Tell me, Ragini...who murdered Uma mom? Tell me..." Kabir urged, patting her cheeks as she seemed to lose consciousness.

A sudden silence ensued. A gunshot echoed, and a bullet found its mark in Ragini's head. Just before she died, Ragini managed to place a piece of paper in Kabir's hands. Kabir frantically searched for the killer, but they had already escaped. The murder was flawlessly executed.

_______________________________________

Akash, despite his status as a business tycoon, was surprisingly naive. Reyansh, his father, found it hard to believe that his son, a descendant of a royal family, could be so easily deceived. However, he knew one thing for certain - Akash was not a liar.

Reyansh, with a hint of concern in his voice, asked, "Akash, does anyone else know about Riddhima or Hema?"

Akash shook his head, "No, not that I'm aware of."

Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh, by the way, father, I made a deal with Mr. Vansh Raisinghania to sell our old mansion. I showed him photos of Uncle Ridhan and Aunt Hema. He seemed interested in buying the property."

Reyansh's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Does he know anything about Riddhima?" he asked, his voice filled with urgency.

Akash smiled reassuringly, "No, father. I don't think so. I believe he doesn't even know that such a girl exists."

Reyansh sighed in relief. "That's good. Her identity could pose a threat to her. We need to ensure that no one in this world knows about her. And Akash, cancel the deal with Mr. Raisinghania. The mansion should go to its rightful owner."

____________________________________

"Boss, I've successfully deleted all the pictures from the social media accounts. It's time for your discharge," Angre informed Vansh, who responded with a nod of understanding.

Just then, Riddhima hurried into the room, noticing Vansh's struggle to get up.

"Wait, let me assist you," she offered, swiftly moving to his side. With her help, Vansh managed to walk towards the car.