So, about time Laksh met his lover's mum. Let's see what unfolds.
Moving on... 💃💃💃
"Words in double quotes" - Talking
'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts
(Words in braces) - Telephone conversations
Chapter 9 - Meeting the Family
"I take it back. I'm not a man. I'm still a boy."
"Oho Laksh! Stop being incorrigible."
"One, I don't know what that means. Second, all I know right now is that you're taking me to my doom."
"Shh! Just hush!" Ragini stopped in front of a black gate. She reached over and fixed Laksh's messy hair. "Ah! Now you look like a gentle guy."
"Ragini..."
"Stop whining already. You'll do great!" she assured. "Now then, make sure you don't have any cigarettes hidden with you. Or any other illegal things. Make sure you don't have any tobacco packets either. Mothers hates them with a capital H!"
Laksh was about to check his pockets, when he recalled he didn't smoke. "In nervousness, I'm forgetting I don't do those things. Ragini! Stop making me more nervous."
"Sorry, sorry. Just making sure."
'Other than the gun hidden in my back, there's nothing out of place.' Laksh thought with a flat face. 'Must make sure they don't notice it.'
"Laksh? Laksh!?"
"Huh, what?"
Only then did he notice that they had already passed the gate and were at the front door.
"I said I pressed the bell. Mom's gonna be at the door any moment now. Be ready!"
"But...but..." the door opened at the exact moment and an elderly looking woman came out.
Laksh gulped and forced a smile. "Hello Ragini's Mum. It's a pleasure to meet you!" from the corner of his eyes, he saw Ragini widen her eyes and shake her head at him. 'What did I do? Should I be more gentle like as she said?' he cleared his throat and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. Ragini speaks so much about you!"
"Am I that old that you mistook Ragini's grandmother for me?" came a voice from inside.
At this, Laksh looked to the side towards Ragini. "This is your Dadi?"
Ragini sighed and smacked herself ik the face. "Yes Laksh. Anyone with common sense would know that." she chided. 'There goes the first impression.'
"Indeed." agreed the voice from earlier, coming into view. She was a woman who looked in her early forties. "So you're Laksh Maheshwari I see. I'm Shramishtha, Swara and Ragini's mother."
Laksh nodded stiffly. "I'm so-sorry ma'am. It-its just that R-Ragini said she stayed wi-with you and Swara and s-so I...I..."
"So what? You thought I was that old?"
"No! It's n-not that!"
"What did you mean only 'you and Swara', huh boy?" Ragini's Dadi shouted, making him jump in fright. "Are you saying I can't come to stay at my daughters house!? You'll decide for me now, huh!?"
"N-no no! Absolutely not! I d-didn't mean it like that!"
"Then what did you mean?!"
"I me-me-me-"
"Are you a sheep? Stop with the 'meh'!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Yes ma'am what?"
Laksh could feel himself panicking. The little confidence he had left was gone.
Locked away in a chest.
Thrown into the ocean.
Eaten by a whale and taken to the depths.
Then buried under a mountain.
He looked towards Ragini for support.
However, she wasn't looking his way. Instead, she was glaring at her mother and grandmother.
"Maa, Dadi! Stop pranking him, will you?"
Laksh blinked at her. 'Prank?'
"Hahaha...aww you ruined our fun."
"Maa's right. It was such fun teasing him. He looks close to crying. Hahaha...!" Shramishtha admitted, laughing with her mother.
"Um...what exactly is going on?"
Shramishtha chuckled. "I guess we owe you an apology for fooling you." she walked forward and greeted him with a warm smile. "Welcome Laksh to our little home. Ragini spoke so highly of you, I was really eager to meet you."
"T-Thank you ma'am."
"Oho! You don't need to be so formal damadji. Come inside. You're sweating profusely. Let me get juice for you all."
"I'll help you. You both have a seat." suggested Parvati, Ragini's grandmother and followed Shramishtha inside.
Laksh let out a deep breath and tumbled down on his knees to sit at the doorstep. "I feel like I just survived an encounter with Hitler."
Ragini chuckled and sat down beside him. "Sorry about that. They both can be quite the pranksters when they have the mood for it."
"But I acted like a total idiot! Maaaaaan!"
"Haha...not really. I can tell they liked your awkward and simple behavior. Your confusion and nervousness didn't seem fake. If they had disliked you you would have known by now."
"How so?"
"Well, they would have told you directly to your face. That's how." spoke Swara as she came near them from inside. "Laksh bro...hahaha...you looked like you'll shit your pants. I saw everything."
"Good to know my misery brought you entertainment Swara." Laksh muttered with a glare.
"Saali you mean."
"That's still to be decided. Let's go inside, shall we?" suggested Ragini.
After sometime...
"So you say you work in a company. May I know the name of that company?"
"Maheshwari and Co. It's not based here though. It's an international company with centres all over India. There's not one center you see." Laksh replied. 'Well, it's not a total lie. My gang is spread all over Delhi. And they've got links all over India. I guess I can term it Maheshwari and Co.' Laksh smirked to himself. 'Daba-daba-da...thuglife!'
"Ah, it's like a rhizome I see." Ragini uttered. See too had never sought full details of his job until now.
"Rhizome?" questioned Parvati.
"She means it's like taproot. It's root grows underneath horizontally the soil to give rise to another plant, then it extends horizontally to grow another. Over time, three are so many that you can't locate the original parent plant. Our company is like that she means."
"Wow damadji. I like you already. These University geeks know a lot of jargon, but not words to explain us simpletons. You're the one this generation lacks!"
Laksh felt proud of himself to be able to impress Ragini's Dadi. Even Ragini looked impressed by him. She was looking at him with a look that spoke of her surprise and wonder. 'Sanskar, I take back all the threats and cusses I threw at you when you tried to teach me biology once. It's coming handy now!'
"And what are your hobbies beta?"
"Hunting, taking care of gadgets, gardening." he responded without blinking. It was the truth. Although he didn't think they would be smiling if he added 'people, gadgets as in guns' with his reply. He wasn't lying about gardening though.
"You're fond of gardening? Wow. Boys usually stray away from things that would make them seem 'girly'." Shramishtha commented, rolling her eyes.
"Love for plants is an individual thing. Who says boys can't show their love for Mother Earth? It's not like they are beings that don't need fiber and nutrients! Only meat will probably make them have gas problems. Stupid macho maniacs." Laksh joked. However, he mentally smacked himself. 'Shit! I'm in front of Ragini's family. Not my pals!'
There was silence for some moments. But soon, Shramishtha's laughter broke the silence. "I think we're going to be great friends!"
Laksh let out a breath of relief. He looked to the side to see Ragini smiling at him proudly.
And he couldn't be any happier.
Later, meal time...
"Do you want some more Laksh?"
"No, it's okay. I'm almost full Dadi."
"No you're not. I'm sure there's more space. Look at you! You're lacking muscles!" Shramishtha chided. "How are you going to protect my daughter with that figure?"
'I'll have you know that I can knock out ten men with this figure.' Laksh wanted to reply, but simply smiled.
"Hey, don't bully my man Maa."
Laksh perked up like a child with a chocolate. 'She called me her man.'
"Your man you claim. But are you sure he calls you yours?" Shramishtha said as a joke. But Laksh knew what she meant.
After all, sometimes we speak our mind through jokes.
He stopped eating, put down his utensils and stood up. "Ma'am, rest assured. The beats of my heart is carved with her name. Every drop of my blood echoes with her name. She's not just someone whom I like. She's someone whom I love! And I will never ever take another as my wife if it's not Ragini. The only other girl for whom I shall be so protective and love more than my own life will be our daughter. I shall rather die than let my heart love any other than Ragini. I promise you that."
Only thing Ragini could do was hold back her tears at his honest and passionate confession. All the while he had been stuttering in upfront of her family. But now...the conviction and energy in his voice screamed of true love.
Swara flinched as her lip bled. She had to hold her squeal so hard that she ended up biting her lip.
As for the two elder women, they simply looked and smiled at each other, a silent conversation going on in between.
"Do you need more parathas Laksh?"
"No Aunty. I'm really"
"Not aunty. Call me Maa from now on."
Both Laksh and Ragini's head jerked up and their eyes widened.
Oh they knew what this meant.
"I guess I'm officially your Saali, no? Jiju, be ready with your credit card. For I won't shut to shop modestly!"
'Do I look like I give a damn?! I've got something that money can't buy!? I got Ragini's mother's approval. Fan-freaking-awesomy-tastic!' Laksh grinned from ear to ear and looked at Ragini. 'Finally...finally things are starting to look up. Adarsh is giving us a way out of the criminal world. Ragini's family is pleased with me... I think Sanky is right. We too can have good things. We too deserve it.'
And the smile that Ragini gave him in return made him believe it all the more.
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
To be continued...
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🌹 ~ Mona 🌹