Star Crossed Lovers RagLak

Chapter XIII

"It's a good thing Dadi isn't here. She trusted Laksh fully." Ragini uttered in spite.

Sanskar decided to control the situation. "Ragini Di, bh-"

"Shut up!" Ragini shouted, turning to glare at Sanskar.

Sanskar abruptly stopped speaking. He hadn't ever seen her this angry.

"I want no explanation from you. You're the same! Another brat working under his brother's whims."

"No.." Laksh interrupted. "He...he's not guilty. I've never let Sanskar join the activities of the criminal world. He's a normal guy Ragini...just like any typical University student." Laksh defended. He looked at Swara pleadingly. "You may blame me, but don't blame him Swara. Sanky never wanted to be part of the underworld. He just wants to be a regular guy with a degree, a girlfriend and a well-paid job. That's it!"

"I don't care! If you're guilty, so is he. He hid the truth from us. That's lowers him in my eyes whatsoever!" Swara shouted, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

Shramishtha, their mother, stood beside them looking devastated. Never did she expect her son-in-law to be hiding such a big lie from her.

The guests, the ones that weren't being able to escape, stood bewildered by the events. While they were giving Laksh looks of disgust in between, they were more busy looking frightened for their lives as they were surrounded by men with guns.

"We never wanted to be a part of something like this. Laksh bhai did this because it was the only way we would survive. He did it so that I could have a proper home, three meals a day, proper education, a roof over my head!" Sanskar cried out. He seemed to be barely holding back his tears. "Please Ragini di, don't hate him."

"Hate him? Oh, I don't." Ragini turned to Laksh with anger and pain evident in her red eyes. "I despise him. I despise him so damn much!"

"Awww...trouble in paradise lads?" Amar questioned, coming near them once more.

"Go away!" Laksh shouted.

"Ahahaha...! Now this is what I'm talking about. This is fun, fun, fun!" Amar cackled in glee, delighted by the events playing in his favour. "Say, did he also not tell you about the countless people he murdered?"

Laksh turned to glare at him with utmost hate. "You son of a witch! I never murdered anyone without reasons. The ones I killed were to defend my brother and my gang! The ones I killed were mass murderers themselves!" he turned to the Gadodias. "Believe me. Trust me Ragini! Please!"

"And that gives you the right to kill people? To take the law in your hands? Does the means justify your ends?!" Ragini bit back.

Laksh looked at her helplessly.

How could he explain to her that he didn't know how else to protect the people close to him. That was the only way to survive in a criminal world.

It was the survival of the fittest.

"Ragini I di-"

The sound of skin touching skin echoed throughout the entire hall as Ragini slapped Laksh...hard.

Laksh's eyes remained wide in shock, face turned to the side from the force of the hit. Even as seconds passed by, he didn't dare look up at her.

"I...I loved you. I loved you! And you betrayed my trust?! Made a joke out my faith in you?!" Ragini screamed in anguish. "Why? Why did you do this? Why?!" Ragini shouted, hitting him with her hands over and over with each word.

Laksh received them without a word. He knew deserved it.

"Didn't you love me enough to tell me the truth? Did you love me at all?! Did...did you..." Ragini's voice broke as she tried to speak out the words. Her hands went slack to her sides from feeling helpless and pitiful. All she could do was use her eyes to express the pain and suffering her heart was going through. "Did you...did you even love me one bit?" Ragini stumbled as she felt the strength leave her. Her knees couldn't keep her upright and she fell to the floor in a heap.