Here's the next part.. Such a long gap for this story.. Sorry about that..
Please ignore typos and errors..
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Laksh and Ragini were sitting facing each other at a cafe..
It was quite an awkward atmosphere with neither of them speaking..
A server comes there to take their order..
Laksh - urmm .. Will you have your ginger tea like ealier..??
Ragini - why do you think I still prefer tea after all these years.. ??
Laksh realizes that she is right.. Things have indeed chamged a lot..
Especially her..
Laksh - oh.. Alright.. Then coffee..??
Ragini (shakes her head and look towards server) - A cup of ginger tea and a black coffee please..
She saw laksh looking at her with raised brows..
Ragini (shrugging ) - well.. Many things might have changed but my love for ginger tea hasn't..
He looks at her in exasperation shaking his head..
Laksh - and how would you know that I still like to have black coffee.. ??
Ragini - because you still are as much bitter as you were earlier.. It has to be the effects of that bitter coffee of yours.
Laksh - what.. ??
Ragini (waving her hand) - Chill.. I was just kidding..
Laksh - but how can you be so sure that I like black coffee..
Ragini (looks at him challengingly) - don't you..??
Laksh keeps looking at her but then takes a sigh..
Laksh - fine.. You are right..
Ragini (chuckle slightly ) - thought so ..
Their order arrived and they both start taking sips of their beverages..
Ragini - Urmm.. Is there a specific reason that we are meeting here instead of having this talk at either of our homes..??
Laksh - Home.. ? ?
Ragini - Yeah.. We do live across each other after all..
Laksh looks up with widened eyes..
Laksh - I didn't even think about that..
Ragini looks at his face and an amused chuckle escapes her lips..
Laksh looks away sheepishly..
Again silence spread between them..
Realising that they were just going round about, she decided to take the initiative..
Ragini - So.... What is it that you wanted to talk about..?? I thought we had already said everything we had to say to each other..
Laksh - No.. (Laksh turns towards her) only you did.. Remember ..?? I was just listening all the time..
Ragini - you did say many things ..before the night reveal that is..
Laksh - There is still something I haven't said..
Ragini (taking a sigh) -Alright..have a go at it then..
Laksh - I m sorry..
Ragini got really surprised by this.. She wasn't expecting that at all..
Ragini - Sorry..??
Laksh (nodding) - I m sorry .. You remember that you apologized before leaving?? But I m yet to apologize to you.. So for whatever it's worth.. I m sorry Ragini..
Ragini - You don't need to laksh.. I kind of deserved that..
Laksh - No you didn't.. Atleast not the way it happened.. We both have done many things with each other.. We have really messed up each other.. And a sorry can't reverse any of that .. Neither what you did to me, nor what I did to you.. But a genuine apology goes a long way.. Isn't it..??
Ragini (smiling slightly) - Yeah.. But you don't need to laksh.. Really..?? I m not saying it just like that Or due to some grudge or anything.. Yes I was angry and hurt when it all happened but I left everything to free myself from all that and that's what I exactly did.. And anyways I already knew about it so I guess it doesn't matter much.. Somewhere it kind of helped me.. It made me open my eyes towarda the fact that how miserable I had made myself and you as well.. It gave me strength to break free from my love, hatred, revenge or whatever obsession I had.. And I m grateful that I m finally free of everything..
Laksh looks at her with a bitter smile..
Laksh - You are....??
Ragini looks at him with absolute conviction..
Ragini. - I am.. I m happy laksh.. I don't hate myself.. I don't hate you.. I don't hate your family.. Yes with my family I might have some unsaid complaints and vice versa and it had created a barrier between us but I don't let it affect myself.. I have accepted the fact that we don't get everything we want.. We can just buckle up and go our way.. I not some great human being but I can say that I m a good person and I don't look down on myself now..
Laksh - you have always been good ragini..
Hearing this she looks up to him getting slightly surprised..
Laksh -yes.... It true.. Yes you had changed and yes you did many horrible things which can't be excused no matter what and you had trouble me, my family and your family a lot as well.. But if you weren't a good person you wouldn't have done what you did for swara and her mother.. You wouldn't have done what you did for sanskaar.. You wouldn't have done what you did for driver kaka..
Ragini widens her eyes at this..
Laksh(chuckling sadly) - he told us how you helped him with your personal account.. You know ragini you really are an infuriating person.. You make me so mad, so angry that I can't bear to even see your face but then you won't even let me hate you as well.. Why..??
Ragini - Laksh.....
Laksh - You plan to trap my father and then after knowing the truth , brings it in front of everyone and save him.. You take all our property and make us your servant but name it back on papa's name just after few days but at the same time conginue to trouble us.. You showed yourself as this heartless girl but in secret help driver kaka, you even exposed kavya while you already knew what I was planning..You could have just let me ruin my life and enjoy the show but you didn't.. You won't leave me no matter what I did but then one day you go and..... Just never came back..... As you said, it was like no troubles, no problems, no ragini.. What should I feel about all this.. You know this thing has been hauntimg me dince years and nos you only give me answers.. What am I supposed to feel when it comes to you..??
He looks at her pointefly while ragini gets a troubled look on her face..
Ragini - I m sorry laksh.. I really don't know what to say..
Laksh - You have been do evil and still your inherent goodness peaked through.. You are such a complicated human Ragini.. You make me so mad and at the same time so grateful.. I really don't know what would have happened if you wouldn't have brought kavya's truth.. I almost ruined me family once again..
Ragini (sheelishly) - Talk about terrible choices.. Hunh....??
Laksh(rolling his eyes) - tell me about it..
Ragini - you know you don't need to bother yourself over it.. If it makes you feel better consider what ever good I did as a penance for my deeds and let it go.. That's what I did.. Besides..
Laksh -besides..
Ragini (smirking) - I did think of letting your marriage with kavya happen and then exposing her truth just after you were married to her..
Laksh looks at her open mouthed and then a chuckle escapes his lips..
Laksh - That would have been a great fun to you.. Isn't it..??
Ragini - Well.. I was tempted to try it..
Laksh (shaking his head) - As I said.. Infuriating..
Ragini just shrugs her shoulders in reply..
Laksh - Anyways but I really have to thank you for that.. And I m sorry.. (Before she could interrupt) no..not only for my betrayal but for everything.. For hiding the truth about swara from you, for getting engaged to you for wrong reasons, for betraying you then, for not considering your feelings while getting married to swara, for all the time I disrespected you as a wife after our marriage even when I didn't know your truth.. For kidnapping you and almost.......
He stops and couldn't say anything further..
He was so angey at that time he really wanted to take her life..
Laksh looks at her intently..
Laksh - I m sorry ragini.... For everything..
Unknowingly a tear escapes her eyes.. She wipes it and smile softly at him..
Ragini - Thank you laksh.. For this.. I thought that I had let go of everything but probably the last shred of hurt was remaining.. Even that was wiped away today.. Thank you for freeing me..
Laksh just smiles slightly at this..
Laksh - well.. If it helped you in any way then I'm glad ..
Ragini - And if it helps you in any way then I forgive you laksh..
Laksh gets surprised by this..
Ragini - I really do.. In fact I did.. A l9ng time ago.....
He saw her serene smile and asmile appear on his lips as well..
Laksh - Thank you..
Ragini - But there is one more thing ..
Laksh - What..??
Ragini - Your forgiveness..
Laksh was momentarily stunned hearing that nad then he looks down..
Laksh (in a low voice) - you already apologized years back..
Ragini - yes and I never got your forgiveness still..
He doesn't say anything and keeps looking down ..
Ragini notices this and smiles gently at him..
Ragini - It's ok laksh.. I understand.. You don't need to if you are not willing..
He looks up and saw her smiling face..
Ragini - Really.. You don't need to feel bad about it.. You are not ready so you can't forgive me and I'm not going to beat myself over the fact that I couldn't get your forgiveness.. I'm doing what makes me happy and you should do what makes you happy.. It's as simple as that..
Laksh keeps looking at her without saying anything and after few minutes he just nods his head..
Ragini - So.. I guess.. This is it then..(checking her watch) Anyways It's getting late.. I have an event coming up.. I gotta go..
Laksh (nodding) - See you then..
Ragini (raised brows) - you would want that..??
Laksh (rolling his eyes) - Shut up and go away..
Ragini (taunting with amusement ) - still the same laksh.. Always trying to get me away from him..
The corner of his lips slowly curls up at this..
Ragini goes away with a giggling..
Ragini - Bye.. Pay my tea bill as well.. Consider it as my divorce alimony.. .
Laksh keeps sitting at the chair looking at her gljmg with the smile on his face..
As she disappear oug of sight, his smile slowly drops as well..
Laksh - I can't forgive you Ragini...... I can't.......
He keeps looking at the direction she had gone from....
He couldn't express the unsiad words.....
"Because I'm scared that then I would lose even the last thing that is connecting us... "
Laksh takes a deep sigh and gets up from the table paying the bill..
Laksh - I have helped in freeing you but when will I be free Ragini..??
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Here it is.. Hopefully you like it.. Please do give your feedback..