~◍☆-✿-☆◍~
~Maheswari House~
"Are you going to leave Ragini?"
Laksh stared Sanskar blankly. Obviously anyone would ask that question, especially to him. He looked upwards as then closed his eyes in search of an answer within himself.
"I said, Bhai. I can't hurt her anymore." Laksh's voice held pain and defeat.
He was indeed tired of himself and life. Whatever he tries to do, it always ends up being the worst.
Sanskar's gaze on Laksh was unwavering, as if studying the human infront of him, his brother. "Lucky, you know what you're telling, right?" What he heard just now was not something he expected. "Like really, you're in senses? Because you need to start taking time to think before deciding something. In that manner, the chance of this guilt would be less."
"Haan Bhai. You heard truth. I didn't tell that I love her. It's just that I'll leave it to her to take the decision this time. No decision; no need of time. I don't want to do anything that would end up in another mess."
"Laksh" Both brothers turned to see Annapurna standing at the doorstep.
"Maa" Sanskar immediately reached her side, pulling her inside the room gently.
"Laksh, we even warned that you will end up regretting your decision. Now look at the situation." The worry lines on his mother's forehead made Laksh hang his head. "At least from now, whatever decision you take, please make sure it's not taken hastily. That would never favor us in the future, beta. And let me remind you Marriage and Relations are like glass; you need to handle with utmost care. It's not a game to expect another chance. For every chance, we will lose something irrecoverable." Annapurna tried to make her son understand.
"Maa, don't worry. Your beta has become little more intelligent, now. Everything will be fine. Don't take a toll on your health by getting tensed for him." Sanskar said with a smile, blinking in order to assure the elder lady.
Sanskar was always fond of his elder aunt who supported and motivated him in every stride of his life. Things had changed with time but he could feel the old bond between them.
The unwavering love of his two mothers!
"Haan Ma. Don't get tensed. Everything will be sorted." Laksh also backed his brother's words. "I know I don't have any say in forthcoming decisions. It would be better like that."
"You don't have to step back from your life's decision, Laksh. No one here is saying so. Your Pappa have decided to call them here for a talk. Be there with a sorted mind." Annapurna tapped her younger son affectionately before glancing the latter.
Sanskar blinked in assurance with a smile at her and her face reflected a faint smile.
•~•×✿ו~•
~Baadi~
The silence remained between the sisters after the elder one's question. Swara could feel the rush of thoughts in Ragini's mind by her unfocused gaze and misty eyes.
Something was terribly wrong!
"Ragini..." Swara called her out breaking her thoughts.
Ragini looked at Swara, her eyes glistening with tears. She could feel the clenching of her heart; she could see the pain in her sister's eyes; she could see the acknowledgement of her pain in Swara's eyes.
"He was in pain Swara, he was hurt, was screaming and behaving like a maniac. I couldn't do anything else... I.." She hugged Swara, unable to finish her words and whispered numerous Sorry amidst her sniffling.
"Look Shona, I'll talk to Pappa. You don't worry, okay. I'll make him conduct both of your marriage. Don't get distressed on this matter. He knows the value of love and sacrifice. He won't make you guys live away from your love. So you don't...."
Swara instantly hugged Ragini to stop her from her frantic blabber. Ragini shut her eyes tightly as she bit her lower lip controlling her whimper.
"Stop Meri Ma... You don't have to lose anything for me again Ragini. Please, not this time. I know, you love Laksh more than anyone. Then all those happened. Now you're married Ragu. It's not a game. We can't just play it. Maybe destiny had yours togetherness!" Swara told wiping her tears and held Ragini's hand, passing a smile which didn't reach her eyes.
"I know Swara, marriage is not a game and you know that I respect relations to the extreme. But marriage can't be complete without love and the truth is Laksh loves you. Moreover, I don't want to be in a forced relation like my Maa and Papa." A lone tear escaped from her eyes.
"Ragu!"
"History has repeated Swara. Papa loved Mishti Maa but had to marry Janki Maa. What was the outcome? All three had to live life of misery and pain. It took 20 years for them, Swara! 20 years... And now.... Laksh loves you but married me. Same, right? The only difference is circumstances. I can't live this life for decades Swara. I can't live dying every single day." Ragini sighed as she glanced around, taking the rein of her emotions. "Now, the matter can be handled, in fact, in a better manner. And Ms. Shona, let me tell you, I won't lose anything. In fact, I will be free from this suffocation. Everything was so overwhelming for me. Let me live freely without any strigs attached. The Ragini who dreamt of a novel love story is long gone. Actually, I'm free now. After your wedding, everything will be perfect." Ragini said contented.
"You love him Ragini!" Swara reminded her, her brows etched into a frown; her voice held exasperation.
"You love him!" Ragini asserted. "I used to love him. Yeah, I can't say that I don't love him anymore. It won't vanish in this air so easily but you know, now I feel having the control over feelings towards him. You are his love Swara. And I love U! You know that right.." She looked at Swara, expecting her to understand her words "Don't think that I'm being a mahaan behena by sacrificing my love. I told you I'm doing this for myself. This is the right thing Swara. I'm sure about what I'm doing." Ragini pressed Swara's hand assuring her, a convincing smile adorning her lips, her eyes held plea.
"It's too late to backout." Swara said shaking her heads. "Be serious. You're Ragini! You're not the one to backout from a pious relation like marriage. You're daughter-in-law of that house. It's not right. Don't make me feel selfish, Ragu. I won't be able to smile freely if your heart breaks because of me anymore. I had done it once already, not anymore!"
Ragini let out a shaky breath, a tear rolled down her cheek. "I... I want to smile, Swara. I want to scream out of happiness. I want to love limitlessly. I want to have a friend, who always supports me, corrects me. I want to be free. I want to giggle in happiness, blush in love and squeal in excitement. I want to tease someone without any hesitation. I want to marry a person who will understand me, trust me, respect me. I want my sister, to back me in my every decision, without any regret or guilt. I want our parents to be proud of me, happy of my life and content with my married life. I want our grand parent to gush over our life equally, shower us with blessings on every step of our life and pamper us and our husbands with all they have." Her voice turned from cracky and dejected to dreamy and hopeful as she let out her mind. "This is not the end of my life. When I faced this situation, I realised how small I always used to dream. I used to just think about being a good wife and daughter-in-law forgetting about myself. I don't want to change myself but I want to change the ways of my life; I want to explore and bring forth myself."
"Am I dreaming Ragu??" Swara asked in awe, a full blown grin adorning her face. "This... This Ragini is... Where were you?" She asked brokenly. "I was selfish with Laksh, but I... I'm feeling that everything will be right soon.. Are you sure that you will be happy? Matlab...I mean.. You're sure, right... You will be..."
Ragini said nothing but squeezed her hands in return making Swara smile through tears. "But Laksh doesn't deserve you, Ragu." She said brokenly. "He... He claimed to love me but... His love is so shallow; without an ounce of trust for me. I knew he is impulsive but.. I expected better. Even when I was taken away by the flow of river, somewhere I believed him to search for me, pray and wait for me. But he... believed what; a message? If he married you out of love, it was fine but, he did it out of his rage and distrust. He's a heartbreaker; that too a pathetic one."
"Swara..." Ragini rubbed Swara's hand soothing as tears rolled down. Both were hurt by one man. He was the reason for the agony, even if he meant or not.
"I don't want to marry him, Ragu! I don't want to be pathetic to cling on to him even after he tossed me away like a tissue paper."
"Swara, Laksh loves you, truly. What he said was out of haste but what he did was after my consent. That all was a mistake, a dark dream. Your life with Laksh will be so beautiful and meaningful. He has no perfect human. You should be there to let him know his faults and help him redeem himself. He won't be able to love anyone more than you. Believe me!"
"Doesn't make sense, Ragini." Swara sighed, exhausted.
Ragini stared at Swara's defeated face, her eyes brimming with tears. She poked Swara lightly making the later look at her. Ragini nodded slightly while Swara blinked confused.
"I know what would make sense as of now!" Ragini teased, nearing Swara while the other shifted backwards, darting warning towards her sister.
"Don't!"
"Oh please!" Ragini waved her hand and lunged at Swara, tickling her down. The two laughed merrily as the took turns of tackling down the other.
"Feels like I'm dreaming!" Swara said, trying to catch breath, while the sisters lied down on the bed.
"Ohh.. So you feel you are dreaming. Wait, let me tell to Papa that his Shona is dreaming. Let me also tell him what you're dreaming. Wait I should also tell Dadi. And Dadaji... They would have returned by now." Ragini said playfully with a smirk and ran to Shekhar and Sharmishta in delight.
"Ragu... Wait.. Ragini.." Swara also ran behind her.
Deendayal Maheswari and Parvati Maheswari had returned quickly on receivin the news of Swara's return. Shekhar along with Sharmishta explained them everything for which they expressed their gratitude to Almighty for returning their grandchild without any casualties and made themselves calm about the decision Ragini and Swara would make.
The Gadodhias now were anxious about Maheswaris. A day is what they have! Both the families should arrive at a conclusion which would assure happiness in their children's life. A day for Gadodhias to decide before visiting the Maheswari Mansion.
"Ragu.. Stop na." Swara tried to stop Ragini while others were surprised to see the sisters suddenly in a jovial mood.
"Stop Chori." Dadi maa took out her angry avatar seeing which Swara and Ragini silenced themselves and stood before her nervously.
"Do you know what all happened here because of you?" Dadi maa yelled at Swara making her flinched.
Ragini mind panicked seeing the encounter while Dadaji, Shekhar and Sharmishta was confused.
"Always irresponsible and careless; and did you see what it caused? What all do you have in stock for us, now?" Dadi maa continued pushing Swara to the verge of crying. Sighing, Dadi hugged her "Be careful dear. This world can't be trusted nowadays. What if something bad happened? Did you know how scared we were?" and kissed her forehead.
Swara sniffled in Parvati's embrace while others smiled seeing the affection. Dadi extended her other arm calling Ragini in as the elderly lady sighed sending prayers to her deity. Later Dadaji also showered his love on Swara.
A ruckus was about to erupt when Ragini informed the elders about her decision and asked them to discuss with the Maheswaris. Her Daadi Maa couldn't accept the way their life was getting complicated. But, she knew, tying her grand daughter in a loveless relation and separating the other from her love won't yield happiness.
Ragini felt herself at peace. She realized, may be with this meaningless marriage Swalak's love overpowered her love in her heart. She's not feeling any pain now; just a feeling that her first love will remain incomplete. Or is it what she wants her to do?
Laksh's mind was sorted. He left everything in the hands of his fate, more precisely hands of Ragini. He had messed up a lot; now not anymore. But somewhere he was also restless; he wanted to be selfish once more; he wanted to be bad one more but he couldn't afford losing his loved ones. Everything felt unconnected; something was missing.
Swara is now optimistic. She knows what may be going to happen; all because of her sister. Yes! Her Sister. Indeed, she is one of the best thing happened to her. 'Ragini will feel bad, for sure. No! She will be feeling bad. Even after achieving her love, she is going to let go of it.. It's not fair to her. But her eyes.. Her eyes were assuring me the confidence of her decision. It will be her decision now.' She closed her eyes and recollected her Ragu's words "Everything will be fine" But she didn't forget to limit her bubbling happiness.
Sanskar felt light after taking out all the burden of lies. He can be now the strength of his bhai and his friend; and of course being bhai's love and friend's sister makes Swara also his friend. He smacked his head on his weird thought. The situation is not light as it seems for laughing out. Things will get more serious. It's not necessary that everything will turn out as they wish.. But, what is the use of making our brain a pressure cooker!
|Conversation simultaneously between Swaragini & SanLaksh|
"After long time we're talking like this right?" Laksh asked Sanskar with delight trying to get out of his thoughts.
"True. Even though we had been together for these days, today finally I felt that sukoon of having a sister. And you know you are the best sister and I'm so lucky to have you." Ragini replied with a happy smile to Swara.
"So planning to sleep or what?" Sanskar questioned back to Laksh.
"2 am.... Oh My God. Now when will we sleep." Swara exclaimed dramatically to which Ragini chuckled and both lied down to catch up on their sleep. They were behaving as such after a long time.
"I missed you Bhai." Laksh hugged Sankar lovingly.
"But I didn't..." Sanskar replied making Laksh stare him confusingly. "I was mad, no?" He smacked Laksh's head and both retired to their rooms.
It felt nice to set aside the complexities and live the moment for sometime. No one knows what tomorrow brings. Whatever it is, we are bound to face! So make today less complex by adding light moment intentionally.
~◍☆-✿-☆◍~
Thank you @Sangad8 for giving your valuable and sweet comments in the previous parts and thanks to all the readers who have voted this work.