Next day, Ragini arrived at the hospital to meet Rudra. As she entered Rudra's ward, she wast aken by surprise when she encountered Abhay there
Before Rudra or Sanskar could introduce him, he jumped to start a conversation with Ragini.
Abhay smirked, "Well, hello there, beautiful! Is this a hospital or a place where angels like you visit?
Ragini raised her eyebrow at him and looked towards Rudra, asking him who he was.Before Rudra could reply, Abhay spoke up, "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Abhay, the friend of the two Kadoo's here."
Ragini chuckled, finding his self-introduction amusing, "Kadoo's? Seriously?"
Abhay grinned, "Well, why not? It suits these two of them perfectly, don't you think?"
Ragini burst into laughter
"By the way, I must say, your laughter is the best medicine. Doctors should be taking notes!"
Ragini chuckled, "Flattery won't get you very far, Mr. Abhay."
Abhay, with a mock expression of shock, replied, "Oh, no flattery here, just stating the truth. Now, let me ask you a question that's been circulating lately?"
Ragini nodded, curious.
Abhay began, "Why did the Bollywood actor bring a ladder to the bar?"
Ragini, anticipating a typical joke, questioned, "I don't know. Why did he?"
Abhay grinned, "Because he heard the Drinks were ON THE HOUSE"
Abhay's flirtatious nature became more pronounced, drawing the attention of both Sanskar and Rudra, who gave him death glares, clearly not impressed by Abhay's antics. However, Ragini seemed to take it in stride, finding Abhay's flirtations amusing.
Attempting to defuse the tension, Abhay assured them, "Relax, guys, I have no bad intentions towards your sister." Sanskar, visibly irritated, snapped back, "She's not my sister." There was a moment of silence as Rudra, Abhay, and Ragini looked at Sanskar, surprised by his abrupt remark.
Quickly realizing the slip, Sanskar corrected himself, stuttering, "Friend, she's my friend." Abhay couldn't help but pass a teasing smile to Sanskar, enjoying the discomfort he caused.
Sanskar excused himself saying he had some work and in his usual stoic demeanor, he pulled Abhay along with him with a forced smile.
Abhay, on the other hand, waved a sweet goodbye to Ragini, adding a playful wink that didn't sit well with Sanskar.
Sanskar, guiding Abhay down the hallway, couldn't contain his annoyance. "What was that wink about? You're pushing it."
Abhay grinned, "Just having a bit of fun, Sanskar. Lighten up." to which Sanskar smacked him on the head clearly irritated by his behavior
Meanwhile, back in the hospital room, Ragini sighed. "I find Sanskar quite weird. He's so guarded."
Rudra defended, "He's been through a lot, Ragini. You can't judge him based on the surface.He's a good person, just carries the weight of his past."
"Yeah, and that doesn't mean you.." she wanted to say more but stopped
Rudra looked at her, confusion etched on his face. "What do you mean?"
Ragini went straight to the point, "Did you know Sanskar is Laksh's brother?"
Rudra nodded, "Yes, I knew. When you called me and explained everything, I already knew about Laksh and Sanskar being brothers. Honestly, I was glad when you decided to break off the engagement."
Ragini, feeling a surge of anger, questioned, "Did you tell Sanskar about it?"
Rudra shook his head, "No, I didn't. Sanskar doesn't like talking about the Maheswari family."
"Why?" Ragini asked, her curiosity piqued.
Rudra sighed, "It's a long story, but just know, Sanskar is not a bad person."
—---------------
Ragini found herself back at Badi, greeted by the unexpected sight of guests. Dadi signaled her to pproach, and confusion painted her face as she noticed Shekhar sitting with Sharmistha by his side.
Following Dadi's guidance, Ragini touched the feet of the guests, a couple and an elderly woman, trying to make sense of the situation.
The elderly woman, after a warm gesture, remarked, "Parvathi, your granddaughter is really beautiful. God bless you, beta." Ragini managed a forced smile and proceeded to touch the couple's feet. Her heart felt uneasy, sensing that something was amiss.
Before she could grasp the situation or make a move to leave, Dadi held her hand, placing her next to the elderly woman. Engrossed in their conversation, Ragini was lost in her thoughts when the elderly woman dropped a bombshell.
"Parvathi, we liked your Ragini. It's a yes from our end for this marriage. My grandson is not Present today, but he won't have a problem with our choice."
Anger surged within Ragini as she stood up, ready to voice her refusal. However, Parvathit sternly grabbed her arm, signaling her to stay quiet.
"We need to discuss with Ragini's dadaji; it will be his decision," Parvathi responded calmly.
"You discuss, but we can't wait to make Ragini our daughter-in-law," the elderly woman added confidently.
As the guests departed, Ragini's emotions were in turmoil. She couldn't fathom why decisions about her life were made without her input. She turned to Dadi "It's a firm no from my side."
Dadi, attempting to justify her actions, said, "Beta, we were just thinking about your future. This alliance seemed suitable."
Ragini, unable to contain her anger, interrupted her
Shekar, trying to mediate, stated, "Ragini, we're just suggesting what we believe is in your best interest."
Ragini, growing more infuriated, responded, "Am I your daughter?"
Shekar replied, "Of course, you are"
" If yes then why its always your preferences, your choices? When will you realize that I am an individual with my own dreams and aspirations? When will you take a stand for what your daughter wants or cares about!"
Tears streaming down her face, Ragini turned away from Shekar, leaving him perplexed and torn between everything.
—--------------
Anirban Roy, fueled by a vengeful spirit, decided to make an unexpected visit to Laksh
Maheswari. Laksh was a pawn in the twisted game, Why should only he be one to suffer, why
not the one who paid for ammunition.
Laksh, in his eyes, was like a frightened cat, and Anirban took pleasure in exploiting that
vulnerability. Yet, his ultimate goal was to make Sanskar pay for the time he spent behind bars,
blaming him for the miseries he endured.
—----------------
As the next day dawned, Ragini's anger lingered, a fiery storm brewing within her. The events at the Badi the previous day were still etched in her mind. She felt a surge of frustration, grappling with the fact that her dadi nearly finalized her marriage without seeking her consent.
She felt a whirlwind of emotions – betrayal from her family, confusion about her own feelings towards Sanskar, and an overwhelming sense of injustice. The hurt she initially felt had transformed into a burning anger directed towards almost everyone around her.
With Rudra discharged from the hospital, they headed towards his home. However, before they exited the hospital, Sanskar tried to chase Ragini, desperately seeking her forgiveness.
"Ragini, please listen. I need to talk to you."
Ragini, however, was in no mood to entertain explanations. She briskly walked ahead, ignoring sanskar's attempts to communicate.
Sanskar earnestly "Ragini, please. I want to make things right. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Ragini finally looked up, her eyes revealing a mix of confusion "Sanskar, I don't need your apologies"
"It was a mistake, Ragini. I was frustrated, and I took it out on you. I regret it deeply."
"Well, your regret won't change anything. Just let it be"
Sanskar feeling a sense of urgency "Ragini, please, let me explain. I—"
Ragini cutting him off "Explain what? That you can insult me one moment and apologize the next?"
Sanskar feeling defeated " I am sorry Ragini, i ...."
"Ragini" he yelled her name as he instinctively rushed towards her
In an unexpected moment, she tripped, almost falling from stairs, and Sanskar swiftly pulled her into his embrace. Their bodies collided because of the force, and Ragini found herself in the crook of his neck, his arms securely around her waist. One of her hands rested on his heart, and both their hearts beat rapidly but in sync.
Sanskar chided her "why can't you look around when you're walking?"
Ragini sarcastically replied "Well I would have been cautious if I was not being chased by a mad monkey"
Sanskar feigned offense "I wasn't chasing you; I just wanted your forgiveness."
Ragini tried to wriggle out of his arms, but Sanskar tightened his hold, not letting her escape and her irritation reaching the peak
"You!"
But she was stopped by his intense gaze, and for a moment, words seemed to escape her.They locked in a stare-down, neither of them blinking. Sanskar mustered the courage to break the silence.
Sanskar sincerely spoke "Ragini, I'm genuinely sorry"
"I've lost many people, and I can't bear the thought of losing you."
As Sanskar spoke, Ragini's words got stuck in her throat, and her breath hitched.
"You're someone special to me. A someone I don't want to lose"
His confession caught her off guard, and he, too, seemed to realize the weight of his words.
"You matter a lot to me."
In that moment, Unbeknownst to him, he unwittingly revealed some of his true feelings, emotions he hadn't come to terms with or acknowledged. The air hung heavy with unspoken sentiments, and the intensity of the moment lingered between them.
_----_---------______-------
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@ Crystal