This one is for arviabhigya . Sorry yaar. DiyaSanskar wala plot I forgot. Uparse, deleted it long back too. I don't think I'll be writing on it now again. Wo serial v dekhna kab ka bandh kardi even before it ended. Maaf kardio pleassssse.

In exchange this one is for you! This will be an OS, or maybe a two-shot.

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes." - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 1 -  Somebody To Lean On

He watched as the leaves fell down from the trees due to the breeze. Like a feather they swayed in the wind, eventually falling towards their doom in the pond. They were minute compared to the vast body of water. However, that didn't mean they didn't manage to create ripples to the peaceful sheet of water that reflected the colors of the sky. Each ripples spread and eventually died down.

Unheard...Unnoticed...Unimportant.

Not with a bang, neither a whimper...but a silent scream.

'They are so beautiful to watch as they ruffle the water. Yet, terrible when you think of how they are insignificant. Is that how I am? I exist to be acknowledged. I know I'm me. Yet, my happiness is insignificant to my own family.' Sanskar thought with a heavy heart.

A bouquet was beside him. The flowers, dead. It didn't take much thought to figure out that for whoever it was, he never gave it to them. If his red eyes were to be taken into account, something terrible must have went down.

He sat alone by the steps leading to the tiny pond. Passerbys watched as this man in an expensive suit sat there with a gloomy face, his shirt and hair disheveled, his shoes dirty and his face holding tear tracks.

However, he didn't pay attention to any of it, but continued gazing into the horizon as the sun began to set. A painter would see the color of love in the red sky. But all he saw was the color of a bleeding heart.

"Focus, fire a gun, all we need is somebody to lean on!"

Sanskar was broken from his thoughts when he heard a voice beside him. However, he was too tired, both emotionally and physically, to be bothered about it. He didn't turn.

However, as it was coming from near him, the voice continuously reached his ears. It was feminine. And judging by the voice, he could make out that she was sitting on another step near him.

"Focus, fire a gun, all we need is somebody to lean on!"

It made him wonder what the girl was implying or why she was repeating the same line over and over.

"Focus, fire a gun, all we need is somebody to lean on! 🎶"

His mouth formed an 'o' as he realized what she was doing. He could not help but let out a dry chuckle and turn towards her.

"Focus, fire a gun, all we nee-" she stopped as she felt eyes on her. Turning to look at him, she simply smiled and waved his way. "Yo there! Sorry dude. Didn't mean to disturb you. I get carried away while listening to songs." she put away her headphones and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I hope I wasn't shouting too loud."

"It's not 'focus'."

"Eh? Wha?"

Sanskar turned to look forward once more. "Nothing. Forget I said something."

"Aww...come on dude. Now you got me curious. If you don't complete your sentence, then I won't be able to sleep tonight thinking over it."

"It was nothing."

"It was something if you're trying to deny it! Tell me already. Or you'll get a stomach ache."

Sanskar turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. 'That's what children say. Is she for real?' However, the serious look she gave him made him realize that she won't leave the topic unless and until he said it out loud. 'I should have expected it. With the kind of luck I'm having, I guess I can't even suffer in silence.'

"So? What is it that you were saying?"

"Blow a kiss."

She blinked, unsure if she heard it right. "Come again?"

"Blow a kiss."

Abruptly she got up and pointed a finger at him with an angry face. "Ah ha! That's why you were hiding what you said. You were trying to flirt with me, weren't you!? Why would I blow you a kiss?! Why you two faced, lanky, son a bitch!"

Sanskar gave a dead sigh. "Think whatever you like. You asked me, I told you. Now leave."

"As if! You just disrespected me you nitwit. You expect me to leave just like that without giving you a piece of my mind you...you...you dolt!"

"Yes. That's exactly what I expect."

Her jaw dropped at his attitude. "You arrogant prick! Don't treat me like I'm a pest. You're nothing but a pompous pig! You hear me!"

Sanskar rolled his eyes at her words. "Creative. Very creative nick names."

"Why you condescending idiot!"

Sanskar let out a deep sigh and put his head in his hands. "I'll just wait it out until you run out of insults."

"What did you just say?!"

He glared back looking at her. "You heard me."

"Hey you!" he turned away, ignoring here. "Hey! Don't ignore me damn it!"

However, her efforts seemed to go to waste. She looked like she would burst a vein in anger. Gritting her teeth, she stomped over and went to stand right before him, blocking his view.

"Now what do you want?" he asked in the same bored tone.

"First you tell me to blow a kiss like a shameless flirt, and now you're belittling me and acting all high and sophisticated!? What exactly do you think of yourself, huh? You think you can mess with Ragini Gadodia and get away so easily? I'm a black belt, I teach judo to little kids myself! If you try to fight me now, I can easily throw you off! Infact, why don't we have a match right here!"

Sanskar rubbed his temples in distress. On one hand, he felt hopeless from everything that happened that day. He felt like screaming and crying at the same time. And this girl was making it worse. "Look. Just leave me alone."

Ragini heard his miserable tone, but she was too angry. "You don't have the right to sound sad after insulting me! Do you he-" she gasped as he suddenly got up and grabbed her wrist in anger.

"Shut. Up." he grit out.

Now that she looked into his angry eyes, she couldn't help but gulp. He looked like an angry lion...one who was cornered and was uncertain of how to escape. And she knew...a confused lion was more dangerous than a calculative one.

Sanskar held her firmly. "Why? Why don't I have the right to be sad? Can't I do something I want for myself just this once? Why do I have to sacrifice each and every time? WHY?! ANSWER ME!"

She flinched as his grip on her hand tightened. "Du-dude, let g-go! Let go!"

Her terrified face finally managed to make him see past his anger. Too caught up in his thoughts about his family, she had become his scapegoat on who he was letting out all the anger. Shocked at his own actions, he abruptly let her go and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't...I didn't mean for it to happen."

"You sure have a hard grip." she shook her hand violently to lessen the pain on her wrist.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Sanskar couldn't believe what he had done. 'I can't do anything right! All I do is destroy things! Anything that comes to me, I end up hurting it in some way or the other! Maybe that's why I didn't deserve Kavita.' thinking about his beloved and what he did to this innocent stranger made him loath himself all the more. Tears of frustration and anger glazed over his eyes.

"Oi dude it's okay." Ragini consoled. Her eyes widened as she saw him tear up. 'Shit no! Man! Why did I have to go and curse at him that much? He seems to be already in some sad shit and I just went rubbing salt on his wounds. Now I made a grown man cry. Ragu, how much of an idiot could you be!' she made him sit back down and sat beside him. "It's okay. Look, I'm fine! Your grip was like a girl's. Phisss...like it would hurt this black belt owner! Haha...cheer up dude! You really thought you hurt me? Hahaha...idjit."

Sanskar knew she was indeed hurt, but was trying to fake it for him. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay dude."

He felt ashamed of his tears and turned his face away from her. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I'm sorry I lost my cool."

"Hey, let it go already. I told you it's okay, alright? Besides, it's kind of my fault in the first place for not paying attention to your state. You look like you had enough of emotional dramas for the day. It's only natural that whatever someone would do would go through the lens of the personal shit you went through. Chill. It's okay."

There was silence for some time, with Sanskar facing the other way, Ragini picking at the hem of her long skirt in nervousness. Only other sounds that could be heard were of the wind rustling the leaves and the birds.

Ragini got alert when she felt him shift beside her.

"I meant the lyrics." he finally turned to look at her. "It's not 'focus', it's 'blow a kiss'."

Ragini's eyes widened in realization. "So that's it. But how can you be so sure?"

"You were listening and mimicking the lyrics of 'Lean on' weren't you? It's one of my favorites. That's why I know."

Ragini flushed in embarressment and coughed to cover it up. Clearing her throat, she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Whatever! If you had told me that simply, I wouldn't go and insult you in the first place. You made me waste my energy fruitlessly."

"Now you know, don't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then you can leave. Besides, it's almost nightfall."

"I guess." she mumbled. As she looked at him from the corner of her eyes, she couldn't help but feel bad for him. He looked so sad. She would have given him a hug if he was a kid. But knowing it would make her seem like a creep for hugging a stranger, she refrained herself. However, she wished she could make him smile somehow. It also bothered her since she knew she too made him more depressed by her interruption to his solitude.

"I'm sorry for earlier. Is there anyway I can help you out?" she asked outloud.

Sanskar smiled at her question. He could make out that she was someone with a spit-fire attitude. However, she seemed to have good at heart. "It's alright. You and I were both mistaken."

"Still, is there nothing I can do?"

"If you really would want to do something, then you should leave. I really want to be alone right now. I don't mean to offend you though."

"No offense taken." she cheerfully declared and hopped up. "Okie dude, bubye. And I hope you get better. See ya!"

Sanskar nodded. "Thanks."

He watched her skip away, putting her headphones back on.

Silence reigned over once again. 'Just me and this emptiness. The only thing that has been my companion for long. Unlike the others whom I trusted and loved, at least you don't leave me...the one thing I would want to leave.'

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he looked to the side at the kid. "Yes?"

"Mister, please take this." he handed him an ice-cream. "The ice-cream man is closing, but he made this one for you."

"Eh? For me? But I never ordered. You can have it though." Sanskar replied politely.

He shook his head. "No. I already had mine. This is for you. You should take it even if you didn't order it."

"Why so?"

"Because it would make you happy. Ice-cream makes everyone happy!"

Sanskar smiled at the childish innocence on his face. "Okay." he took the cone from the boy. "Okay then. How much did it cost?"

"Oh, don't worry! The pretty lady who bought it for you paid for it." however, after saying the words, the kid gasped with wide eyes. "Oops! She told me not to tell you." at once the boy ran away towards whom Sanskar guessed was the kid's mother.

'Pretty lady?' Sanskar blinked and looked towards the way the 'spit-fire' went. To his amusement, he saw someone hide quickly behind the tree. "Alright. I know you're there. Come out."

After a few moments, Ragini stepped out from behind the tree, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. "Ehehe...he wasn't supposed to tell." she blushed from being caught red-handed.

As Sanskar kept looking at her with fake anger, and she with a pout, they couldn't help but eventually break out into fits of laughter.

Ragini felt elated at heart to finally be able to make him smile. He looked so carefree at the moment. Even if she knew he would remember his dark emotions later, she was glad she could make him forget them even if it was for a moment.

"You're really a unique person, you know?" he commented.

"Haha...I do get that a lot, you know?" she repeated his words with a wink.

"Hmm...who knew?!"

"Hmm...who knew?!"

"Alright, knock it off. Now it's plain annoying."

Ragini chuckled. "You're no fun big guy." her cell phone ringing caught her attention. "Hello? Yes Baba. Oh, great! Yeah, I'll be here. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Awesome! Thanks!"

Sanskar couldn't help but look at her quizzically. He didn't need to ask, since she spoke up herself.

"Father just informed that he would pick me up since he was nearby today. This means I can stay here till he comes!" she happily chirped and came to sit beside him. "Such a relief. I hate walking all the way. Although it's just 15 mintues till home, I won't mind getting a free ride."

"I see."

"But don't worry! I won't be a bother at all! I'll keep hush. Just imagine I don't exist and you are alone like you wanted."

Sanskar smiled at her generosity. "That's okay. I don't mind your presence anymore."

Ragini blinked in innocence. "You don't?"

Sanskar raised the ice-cream in his hand. "You bought me ice-cream after all."

She chuckled and sat beside him in silence, just watching the water glittering in the night light.

Silence reigned over the place once again. However, it was a comfortable sort of silence, instead of a gloomy or uncomfortable one.

They both were enjoying each other's presence. It was silence they were sharing...together.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹