Namaskaram 🙏
Date of Update: 17.11.2022
****
Next morning Ragini's sleep broke due to commotion and she looked on to see Shekhar unconscious on the floor with his hand on the left side of his chest. Laksh is trying to wake him.
"Papa!" calling him she hurried towards him.
"Laksh call the ambulance!" She screamed in teary eyes.
"It's on the way Ragini!" Laksh spoke calm.
Laksh just took Shekhar into his arms and ran out of the house. Behind him followed everybody. As they reach down they saw ambulance entering into the apartment. They got Shekhar into the ambulance. Ragini got into the ambulance along with him.
Laksh got everybody into the car and drove off behind ambulance. Ragini is pacing in front of OT. After sometime when Doctor came out Ragini could just shoot her questions immediately.
"Doctor how is papa? What happened to him?" She asked concerned.
"It's heart attack. Did he face this before or is it the first time?" Doctor asked.
"First..." Ragini was cut off by Swara.
"Third time!" Swara spoke.
Ragini immediately looked at Swara shocked who is just staring at doctor with teary eyes.
"It was very severe this time. I can't just give you false hopes." Doctor said and left inside forwarding a prescription to Laksh.
Ragini sat on the chair there in thud.
"I don't hate him!" She conceded to herself and put her palm on her mouth just to condense her sobbing sounds.
Swara sat beside her and kept her head on her shoulder understanding what her di is going through.
"Why did you hide from me?" she asked softly as she felt her eyes stopped tearing.
"You blocked every one of us. We tried a new number every time to contact you. I lost energy after seeing papa's condition as it is only giving him more and more pain. I just left it." Swara spoke.
"Do I even have the right now?" she asked herself but heard by Swara.
"It was always you di. He cares me because he is guilt of asking to kill me even before I was born. But the love he has for you is unconditional. He sleeps in your room, he lives in your room everything he does only for you." Swara spoke.
"He had to give in to let us inside the house as you weren't ready to agree for us to stay at your grandparents house. The marriage was just for name sake. He wanted me to not face anything in future as he realised he was at fault. He doesn't want me to lose everything just like you lost." Swara spoke.
Ragini just cried silently. Laksh came back after bringing the medicines doctor had asked to bring and looked at her. He sat beside her and held her hand. She felt him but still kept staring ahead crying silently.
'Ma! What should I do? I love him as much as I hate him ma. Should I let my guard down or be this way? Help me ma. Help me!' Ragini just asked her mother to help her in her mind.
Just like her mother had heard her she felt Laksh speaking to her.
"If letting your guards down reduces your pain let them down. You aren't weak Ragini but that only makes you forgiving." Laksh spoke.
'Should I forgive him for becoming the reason of my mother's suicide? If he isn't at mistake why should he hide everything from my mother? Did he fear losing her really?' Ragini thought in her mind.
She is fighting a huge battle inside her when doctor called out her name.
"Who is Ragini here?" Doctor asked.
Ragini immediately stood saying it's her.
"He is just taking your name even in unconsciousness. He is out of danger. You don't need to worry. But if he has to face this once again I don't guarantee you." The doctor informed.
Everybody sighed in relief.
Ragini fidgeted her fingers for few moments before entering inside the ICU as they shifted Shekhar and he got conscious. Since he was taking only her name all the time doctor had asked only Ragini to go and speak to him.
"Ragini!" Shekhar beamed even in that weakness.
She just sat there beside him on the stool looking down.
"Just hold my hand please." He requested.
Her hand slowly moved towards his hand and held it.
"I promise I won't disturb you any more. But would you just let me have the happiness of knowing how you are every now and then. I won't call you. It will be your dadi who will speak to you. I won't even let you hear my voice." Shekhar requested her.
"Okay!" Ragini said still not looking at him.
Shekhar smiled sadly at her.
"Swara would do in place of Dadi!" she said and stood up.
"So you still love Swara!" Shekhar stated.
"She was never at fault!" Ragini spoke before turning and left the place.
She just held Laksh's hand as she got out of ICU and moved from there and he followed her silently. They both settled on the bench at the waiting area of the hospital instead of near ICU.
"I couldn't forgive him!" Ragini spoke still staring at space.
Laksh just pressed her hand comforting her.
"I agreed to take Swara's calls and would let them know that I am doing good." Ragini spoke.
Laksh once again pressed her hand assuring her that it's good decision if that's making her feel good.
"He will be fine right?" Ragini asked this time looking at him.
Laksh could only assure her by blinking his eyes once and nodding. Ragini nodded.
"Di!" Swara called.
Ragini stood up and just embraced her tight.
"Take Care!" Ragini whispered.
Swara smiled a little and nodded.
"Call me if you need anything." Ragini said.
Swara again nodded.
"No matter what I Love You di!" Swara said.
Ragini just looked down.
"We are staying in the nearby hotel. Doctor suggested to avoid journey for two days. But he is discharged." Swara spoke.
Ragini nodded. Swara kissed Ragini's cheek before turning around and left. Ragini smiled lightly as she remembered how she used to do five years ago too.
****
Two days later Ragini is back. She has struggled to get back but she is back. She got to know from Swara that they reached back to Kolkata home that morning. Both RagLak are cutting vegetables for their salad for afternoon lunch for office when Laksh's phone rang. He looked at the id which showed ma. He thought for a second before taking the call in front of Ragini as she was low till yesterday.
"Just because I don't have my ma with me I don't wish everybody doesn't have one Laksh. Go talk to your mother. Never ignore her." Ragini spoke taking the knife he is holding.
Laksh just left the kitchen sighing as he could hear the heaviness in her voice.
"Ma!" he spoke taking the call.
"You are not well Lucky?" his mother asked concerned as soon as he took the call.
Laksh smiled as he heard his mother's concerned voice.
"Just some work issues ma. I am doing good. I am sorry I didn't call you or took your call last two days. I was busy. I could only text you. You tell me how are you? How is papa?" Laksh spoke and asked about their whereabouts concerned about them.
After hearing Ragini's past and seeing her pain he felt that he is lucky to have such parents for him. He had made himself a note that he is not going to hurt them at any cost even though he didn't before too.
"We are doing beta. Your papa was also busy since two days. He comes late at night tired. We are really missing you. Why don't you visit this weekend? It's already a month." His mother spoke.
"Umm... I would look after my office work and inform you ma." He said.
He wasn't sure should he go leaving Ragini alone after what all happened that weekend.
"Okay babu. Did you have your breakfast? Did you pack your lunch?" his mother asked.
"Lunch is being made ma. I will have breakfast just before leaving to office." He said smiling at his mother's concern.
"Okay! Seems your father will take time to come out of his shower. We will talk tonight once he returns. You go carry on with your work. Bye. Take care." His mother spoke.
He bid bye to his mother and moved back to the kitchen to see Ragini already putting the vegetables in the cooker to steam cook them.
"We are going to have a steamed salad today?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Ragini said taking dishes to arrange on the dining.
He took the other things required following her.
"Well how are you feeling today? Do you feel still sleepy?" Ragini asked remembering how he struggled on the first day when he started adopting her schedule.
"It's just third day girl. How do you think a human body would adopt the change?" he asked rolling his eyes.
"Yeah! Whatever!" she rolled her eyes.
Laksh couldn't help but smile at her rolling eyes. They had their breakfast in silence. Laksh kept taking glances of her all the while, while Ragini just concentrated on her food. It's definitely difficult for him to adopt the change but he is liking the change. He felt this is necessary as he knows he needs to be healthy. He might be healthy for now but his habits definitely would cause problems in the long run. He was thinking about the change since long which was left as just thinking but Ragin had definitely inspired him. He just thought to go with a flow as he knows he would do it with her help.
The days started passing once again. It's Thursday night. Ragini is back to her shell. She is just being to herself like earlier. She is reading a book when she heard a knock on her bed room door. She frowned as Laksh never knocked the door at that time. He would be watching television after dinner. She opened the door and looked at him raising an eyebrow.
"Umm... we need to talk." Laksh spoke.
Ragini looked confused but still nodded. He guided her towards the couch in the hall.
"Actually mom wants me to visit them this weekend. It's been a month I visited them." Laksh said.
"So you are going tomorrow night?" she asked.
"Would you be okay staying alone?" He asked hesitantly.
"Sorry?" Ragini asked confused.
"It wasn't a good week for you Ragini. So I just wanted to make sure you are fine. I don't know whether you would be fine to stay alone or not. I am not sure." He spoke directly.
"Laksh you don't need to worry about me. I have adopted this pain. You just concentrate on your life." She sounded a bit rude and left from there.
She doesn't want someone to enter into her life and care for her again which would make her weak once again. She wants to be the one whom her mother wants her to be. ALL STRONG! INDEPENDENT! She is not going to let any one to take over her emotions. That day wasn't a good when she broke down in front of Laksh. She was yet times thinking about it and even regretting about it but she was definitely thankful for him for staying for her at that time. She knows she is rude to him but she is also scared that she may let him in. She doesn't want to.
Laksh sighed as he registered her words. He rubbed his palms against his face before taking his phone to call to his mother.
"Haan ma! I am coming." He said.
"Wow... order me your menu my babu. I will make everything for you." His mother spoke excited.
That's it there came a smile on his face seeing her mother all excited for his arrival. How much he wanted to stay with his parents forever! But his career isn't cooperating with him. He always hoped to stay close to his parents but all he got was to get settled here in Mumbai for his career leaving them there in Pune. After having a good talk with his parents he went to his room to call it a day. He stretched himself before getting on to the bed and letting sleep consume him.
****
"Hope you don't mind if I call you!" Laksh said as he is leaving to Pune.
Ragini just nodded as she doesn't want to be rude this time. Laksh bid bye before leaving to Railway station. His cab is waiting already at the entrance of the apartment gate. He looked at her till the lift door gets closed longingly. He wanted to hug her but.... He sighed.
Ragini closed the door of her room before getting on to the bed. She just laid on the bed thinking of many things especially that weekend.
"I Miss You ma!" she spoke to herself.
She closed her eyes letting her tears flow.
"Ragini don't cry baby. It's just a small wound. You will be fine in two days." Her mother consoled her hugging her when she fell down while playing swing with her friends in the park that evening.
Ragini just sobbed in her embrace. Her mother started singing making Ragini calm and fall asleep in her embrace.
Just like that day Ragini fell asleep today too remembering her mother sing for her and imagining the pillow as her mother's lap.
Laksh smiled seeing her photograph in his phone which he took without her knowledge when she was working in her laptop the previous day at office.
"I Love You!" he whispered staring at her picture.
He heard the announcement of arrival of the station and got himself ready to get down collecting all the luggage. He got down the train and looked around to find his parents standing there waving at him excited. He just rushed towards them and hugged them tight at a time.
"I Missed You!" He whispered with teary eyes.
His parents broke the hug with smile and caressed his cheeks from either sides.
"Damn this stupid beard. Didn't I tell you to shave Laksh?" his mother spoke irritated of his beard.
He chuckled at his mother and hugged her again tight.
"I will in the morning." He said breaking the hug.
"Does she get irritated of your beard too papa?" he asked as they are walking out of the railway station.
"At the beginning days of our wedding she used to always caress my beard. I thought she loves me in beard looks and used to keep unshaved. But suddenly one day she spoke with irritation that she really hates my beard. I was shocked and when asked she told that I would understand and take the hint to shave it." his father chuckled.
Laksh followed his father's chuckle while his mother just smiled shaking her head.
"From then it was always a clean shave." His father said.
"Chalo go to sleep." His mother said patting his back as they reached home.
Laksh smiled nodding. He didn't have a glint of sleep whole journey and kept staring at Ragini's photograph. Even now all he could do was just stare her photograph. He opened his WhatsApp and opened the chat box of her number.
"Just reached home. I thought you would be sleeping so just texting you not disturbing you." Laksh texted her.
He then looked at her profile picture which has no display picture. He sighed and looked at her picture that he captured the previous day once again before putting the phone away to go to sleep thinking just about her.
*****
"Aww... you look like a baby when you blush my bacha!" He kissed her forehead lovingly.
She got even more shy but closed her eyes feeling his lovely kiss and hugged him tight feeling his arms around her with smile.
"I Love You Laksh!" She whispered in his embrace.
"I Love You too Ragini!" He whispered back smiling bright hugging her even more tight if he could.
Ragini sat up suddenly from her sleep and looked around to see herself in her room. She saw the sunrays peeping from the little gap between the curtains and windows. She rubbed her face with her palms sighing and got down the bed making her hair into a bun.
She opened the curtains and let the sunlight fall on her. Her skin shined bright in that sunlight. She shook her head to remove the dream from her head.
"You can't miss your work out Ragini. Buckle up!" boosting herself she moved to the washroom to freshen up before getting to her workout.
****
Thank You for reading.
With Love
Dharani (Dhaరणि)