Hi there! This one's a bit short. Hope you like.
Moving on... 💃💃💃
"Words in double quotes" - Talking
'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts
Chapter 14 - Harsh Reality
"Sanskar, you plan to charge in as well?"
"I know Lucky doesn't like I and probably beat me later. But I won't stand back like a coward!"
"But it's dangerous!" Swara exclaimed.
It was a good thing everyone was busy watching Laksh, Ragini and Amar that they weren't paying much attention to them wrapped in a hug.
"Didn't Laksh say you don't fight?"
"I...I don't. I keep away from the gang matters. It's only recently that I became good at shooting with guns." Samskar admitted. "But this doesn't mean that I'm running away. I'll fight. I'll fight for my brother, for you, for Ragini Di and Shramishtha Maa, and for everyone here that needs to be protected." he broke Te hug and winked at her. "That's what my brother always taught me. To fight for the ones I care about with everything I got. To fight for the right cause and to value it more than my life!"
"Trying to play hero, huh?" Amar asked, hearing the last comment.
Swara straightened up and pushed Sanskar away. "You liar! I should have never loved you, jerk! Maa, I was so mistaken!" she cried out and hugged her mother. She cried and wailed, but amidst her sniffs, she whispered Sanskar's message to her mother.
"Aww...your lover doesn't like your hero role play." Amar tsked.
"Hero or not hero. I'll protect her...or die trying!"
Swara was touched by his words. As she sneaked a peak into his eyes, she could the determination, his courage, the selflessness and also, his love for her. 'He lied to us, it's true. But...but the love I see in his eyes can't be fake. Maybe he really was telling the truth. Maybe...' she looked towards where Laksh was. 'Maybe Laksh really was changing for Ragini di. Laksh bhaiya looks like the life has been stolen out of him. Just look at him. He looks so...so... I can't even describe the sorrow on his face. Only the pain and hurt of a broken heart could make one seem so.'
It indeed did feel like that to Laksh.
Ragini's words hurt. Even her physical hit wouldn't have hurt him as much as her spiteful words.
He felt like a walking dead body. Even as the threat of death lay before him, he didn't care. Amar was insulting him, but it was all on deaf ears. Laksh didn't care.
Everyone was either looking at him with fear, anxiety or disgust. He didn't care.
He was crying in front of everyone, but he didn't care.
None of it mattered.
Laksh Maheshwari wasn't broken by his enemies.
But the only thing that broke him was seeing Ragini's devastated state and her dead eyes.
Laksh thought he couldn't break anymore. However, he was proven wrong by Ragini's next words.
"Laksh Maheshwari, I hate you! I hate you more than anything this world! Never, ever show your face to me again! I would rather choose to die than to face you!"
"What...what are you saying Ragini? I...I can't live without you!" Laksh tried to put all his emotions into his words to make her realize how much he meant them.
"You say you love me don't you?"
"With all my being."
Ragini nodded and wiped her tears. She sniffed and steeled her face into a cold one. "Well then...if you ever loved me, even for a second...if you really did then leave! Keep my request and leave!"
Laksh couldn't bring himself to say anything. He kept looking at her with pained eyes, hoping against hope that her face would show some emotion. That she would change her decision.
But she looks firm. There was a rage in her eyes that seemed unforgiving.
He couldn't do anything but nod like a zombie.
What could he do? Everything seemed like a lost cause.
"Oh...so sad, so sad." Amar pouted in fake pity. "Alright! I'm bored now." he exclaimed, walking closer . He came forward and stood before Laksh, gun pointed at him. "Now! Now's the right time to kill you." he grinned like a maniac and removed the safety of the gun. "Laksh Mahrshwari, the former don, killed by the hands of the new don in the most pathetic way! How charming."
'Shit shit shit! It's too soon.' Samskar panicked. However, he managed to signal Swara to tell the rest it's time.
"Hahaha...! Bye bye Laksh. Don't worry though. I'll write a good eulogy on you. That's the least I could do." he laid a hand over his heart with a dramatic sigh. "See? I'm so considerate. And people say I don't show mercy. Tell you what? I may even send you brother along with you next. Maybe your lover too!"
Laksh looked up at him with a death glare. "Don't. You. Dare! Don't you dare touch them." Laksh looked at him with red, tearful, rage filled eyes. "Listen to me. Listen to me clearly! If you want to kill me, kill me right. Because if I somehow survive, you'll regret it till your last breath."
Amar's eyes widened for a second. However, he composed himself.
"Hahaha...! Big words from a pathetic weakling!" Amar taunted. However, anyone could see how his hand shook as he kept looking into Laksh's fierce eyes. He had to bring both of his hands to steady his gun. "Goodbye lowlife!"
"Amar, you bastard! Die!" came a shout from behind him.
Before anyone could fully turn, Adarsh emerged from his hiding position and fired straight away. However, Amar managed to duck out of the way and take cover.
"Now!" Samskar shouted, making Swara and the rest alert. It seemed the message had been passed successfully in discreet to the guests.
At once, both Adarsh as well as Amar's men leapt into action. Firing began from both sides. It was a chaos of screams and gunfire.
On Sanskar's signal, Swara began leading out the people towards the closet exit. People rushed to escape, while also being careful not to get hit in the crossfire. Swara rushed over and grabbed Ragini's arm. She pulled her up and made her run with her.
Laksh watched as they walked amidst the rest of the crowd. An unresposive Ragini was being pulled by Swara. It was as if she was acting on autopilot.
Laksh wanted to run after Ragini and take her to safety. To keep her safe before his eyes.
But he wouldn't and couldn't leave the battlefield. His men needed him.
Sanskar got busy shooting at his enemies once he was sure Swara and Shramishtha got out along with the guests.
"Di!"
Swara's shout made his heart thump. He looks over to where Ragini fell accidentally. However, she was still and showing no signs of getting up.
"Ragini! Ragini run!" Laksh got up to run to her. However, his men grabbed him. They wanted to move him to safety first. "No! Let go! Let me go!"
"Sorry boss. But we need to take you away from here. You're irreplaceable. She's not."
"She's the one who's irreplaceable! Let go of me! I don't care if I die. Let me go you dolts!"
"Sorry boss, but it's for your own good!"
"Le-"
"I'll get her to safety bhai. You go! Take him away!"
"No Sanky! Don't you da-"
"Take him away!" Sanskar hollered. The men nodded and took away a struggling and screaming Laksh from there.
"No Sanky, no!" as he was being moved further from there, he only had eyes for the fallen Ragini. Swara wasn't being able to reach her because of the crowd.
"Ragini! Ragini! RAGINI?! RAGINI!" Laksh shouted for her until he couldn't see her anymore.
Ragini, sat there, deaf to all the noise. She didn't pay attention to the chaos all around her. Her mind was still traumatized from Laksh's betrayal.
Suddenly, she felt someone grab her and pull her up. "Let's go Ragini Di! There's no time!"
"Leave me Sanskar." she replied in a soft voice.
"Let's go di, please!"
"No! Leave me! I want no help from you or your brother!" Ragini shouted and pushed him away, standing straight and trying to walk away.
"Di, please! Come with me!" Sanskar grabbed her hand and pulled her away with all his might despite her not cooperating. As he neared the exit amidst all the firing, he pushed her out quickly. "Di go! You'll be safe then!"
"Oh, but you won't." came a voice from behind him.
As he turned back, he watched in horror as the man fired at him.
Sanskar felt his breath hitch, knowing there was no doughing that bullet and prepared himself for his doom.
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To be continued...
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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹