~◍☆-✿-☆◍~

She continued drowning; gasping for breath as water continued rush to blur her senses. She thrive to push forward past the fast current of water but she wasbeing pushed down. Breathing became hard and the hope of getting past this started fading. Is it the end?

Swara woke up with a jerk. She was sweating badly. The incidents came back leaving her delirious. She gulped down a whole  glass of water kept besides her bed. It was a dream. She turned other side to hug Ragini but she was nowhere to be found. 

"The clock is ticking at 3.30. Is she in washroom?" Swara checked the washroom;her heart praying for avoidance  any chance of disturbing events but it was empty.

The door was unlocked from inside. That means she went outside. Swara decided to look for her; maybe she is having thoughts on yesterday's decision. Swara smiled a bit. She wanted Ragini to stand up for herself always; wanted to thoroughly think before deciding, keeping herself as priority.

As she entered the verandah, Swara stood astonished seeing Ragini lying with her head in Sharmishta's lap. "Haww... You both are spending quality time without me?" Swara said playfully; her voice amused. "That's not fair, Ma. You forgot me in 2 days?" The dramatic tone in her voice earned a light slap from Ragini.

"I was not feeling sleepy." Sharmishta said. "And when I came on to check you both, she was also awake."

Swara also laid down with Ragini and Sharmishta caressed both her daughters. 'This moment is precious!' She smiled happily. As a mother, she always wanted to be the solace for her daughter. But when she saw Ragini eyes brimming with the crave to be held closely; the urge to cocoon her in her embrace was so strong. Now, she could do that! She had two daughters, beautiful and gentle.

"Ragini, you're having second thoughts?" Swara asked hesitantly. She didn't want to broach the topic at this moment of tranquility. But she knew Ragini had to let it all out. She should be blind not to see her sister struggling to control bursting out into tears.

"Why Swara? Do you think that I lied to you?" 

"No Ragu... Ma, you explain her, na. Why are you being so defensive? Ma, I feel her being different Ragini. Something..."

"Swara, we discussed and decided on the matter yesterday. Why are you pulling Maa into this?" Ragini sat up facing her sister.

"Yeah, but maybe because I was excited or careless, I just heard what you said. But I also saw what your eyes conveyed. When I thought more after we went to bed, its.."

"Swara, I decided on this matter and that's final. Your marriage..."

"Drop my marriage, Ragini! We are yet to talk on that." Ragini and Sharmishta startled at the tinge of rage in Swara's voice. "Ragini, you only said you treasure relations. It had been only 2 days of your marriage and you realized now that it will be loveless marriage? Even before, you knew how it would be, even the moment you agreed to marry Laksh. You're not Swara to take decision like this. You first think of what Papa, Ma, Dadi and Dadaji would need, what would be the result, what others..."

"Swara, that time I couldn't think about all these."

"That's what I'm asking why? And how? How could you not be Ragini then? Couldn't think about all these? Something was wrong! And why are cutting my words in between? As if you're avoiding my questions; trying to cover up something."

"Swara, no more discussions on this matter. We decided yesterday and we told to our family also, right. They agreed to our points and that's all, it's over!" Ragini stood to go to her room after while Swara pulled her down.

"No Ragini, it's not over. Our family agreed to our points because they want our happiness. We need to talk more. Tell me, only 2 days and you realized? What rubbish!"

Sharmishta shook her head seeing their argument and stood to leave them to each other. As soon as she rose to her feet, both her hands were tugged to each sides.

"Maa.." Ragini called out softly, a slight pout forming on her lips.

"Swara, Ragini, stop arguing each other. Ragu, we heard your decision but we can't decide anything alone beta. Laksh's life and opinion is also involved in this. We need to talk to Maheswaris. But don't worry, nobody will force you into anything." Sharmishta caressed Ragini affectionately. "You need to speak to Swara, you know that. The strongest support for both of you are you each other. So it's better to make everything clear between both of you. Both of you talk, okay."

"Maa, why are you speaking like this to her. You should also demand answers from her. She can't deny you." Swara whined making Sharmishta shake her head and knocked on her forehead playfully.

"I won't deny you also." Ragini said in a whisper, her gaze fixed down.

"Both of you talk. I'm going downstairs." Sharmishta stood up, leaving the sisters to speak again.

"Speak!" Swara ordered.

"What? Are you ordering me?" Ragini frowned, remotely expecting to skid the topic.

"Or what else should I do? Can you speak something open? You only said that we will have an open talk and now everything is again a mess because the conversation we had was incomplete."

"Yeah, right! Because what I said was incomplete. You didn't want to know anything else. You just wanted to hear the ultimate decision and that I have said to you. Had you been with me the whole time, you would not have gone missing. You were not here, so I became a choice for Laksh. I had to say yes! I had to marry him even knowing that he loves YOU. I had to live in that house even after knowing it was all yours. Everything, each second, I felt I'm in hell suffocating to death. Urgh.. This life. I'm tired!" Ragini couldn't help letting out the frustration, directing at Swara.

A pang of hurt hit Swara when she heard her sister. She wanted to know her thoughts also. She wanted to know what she feels, she knew Ragini's state would have been terrible; but she didn't intend to make her feel tired of life.

"Ragini, what happened?" Swara hugged her seeing her unexpected outburst.

As the warmth of embrace seeped in, Ragini realized that she blurted out the hint of things she wanted to conceal, at least for some time. She had to sort the current situation and then she would explain everything to them and handle the rest. But again it became a mess.

"Ragini!" Swara brought her back from her thoughts. "I'm here for you. I don't care what your decision will be. I just want you to be happy. Tell me, what happened?

For couple of seconds, Ragini stared her blankly. Should she tell her?

"Speak up damn it!" Swara roared fed up of her silence.

"You were kidnapped."

Swara couldn't believe the words. "Huh!?" Her voice held bewilderment, involuntarily demanding a repetition.

•~•×✿ו~•

•Flashback•

A shocked Ragini was standing before him with tears in her eyes bathed in the sindoor thrown by him. Her hairline was fully filled with sindoor. She turned around to change her dress and went to her room.

Tears broke the boundaries and wettened her cheeks. Her mind was repeatedly having the playback of the incident happened just some moments before. She shoved a flower vase kept on table nearby shattering it into bits.

Sharmishta ran into the room following Ragini and took her in a tight hug trying to console her but in vain. The hug made her whimper in pain more. This is the extreme for her!

"Maa, what is happening with me? These are making me crazy. Where is Swara? Maa, ask Papa to find her soon. I can't handle these." Ragini mumbled.

Shekhar, Dadi and Dadaji stepped in next. They all were in pain seeing the condition of their Laado. Shekhar tried calling Commissioner several times but couldn't get a positive response.

"Where have you gone, Swara? Have you disappeared into air?" Ragini yelled staring unfocused furiously while Sharmishta hugged her more tightly.

Suddenly Ragini's mobile rang which she disconnected being infuriated. Twice, thrice... Call came from the same number and she attended the call. Maybe Swara is calling, she hoped.

"Swara is safe with us till you do what we say." Sound came from the other side of the call.

"Who is this? Why is Swara with you? Don't dare to do anything with my sister, or else..."

"You won't be able to do anything. Don't play smart with me. Do what we say and she will be free." The threatening continued.

"What do you want? Money? How much do you want? I can do anything for her."

"Marry her fiancée and be that house' Bahurani and your sister will be back to you."

Ragini was numb. She touched her forehead and recalled the words she heard just now 'Marry her fiancée!'

"Hello.. Hello" Ragini wanted to negotiate with them but by then the call was disconnected.

She sat down with a thud lifelessly, hopelessly.

"Who was that? Where is Shona, Ragu? What do they want?" Sharmishta enquired with worry.

"I should marry Laksh." Ragini stated lifelessly while others stared her in utter shock.

"Papa, call the commissioner now. We should trace this call. We can find Swara, Papa." Ragini collected herself and tried to bring a solution.

They exchanged the number with police and tried to locate the place.

This time Ragini's phone beeped showing another number.

"I said you not to dare act oversmart, Ms. Gadodhia. Do you think that I will play a stupid game and will come in the hands of police so easily? Will you do what I say or should I drown your sister to death?"

"No!" Ragini pleaded. "No.. Please. Don't do anything. Please. She's my sister. I'll do. I'll marry him."

"That's like an obedient girl."

"But who are you? This is madness. And what will you get through this? I can do anything else."

"There is nothing for you to lose or gain with this. But he has a lot to lose with this deal. Your family knew this. I hope neither his family nor him comes to know this. Well, take care and happy married life. Your sister will be home soon even if you didn't do what I said. The only difference will be that there is a chance for her not having breath." The call disconnected snatching away Ragini's breath for a second.

Ragini was totally rigid for a moment, she let out the breath she holding and kneeled down beside Sharmista hugging her as they sobbed in their misery.

"Nothing will happen to our Shona, Maa."

"Why this is happening with my daughters?"

"Papa, Dadi, Dadaji, forgive me for taking this decision without your permission." She said and walked out.

"Ragini..." Sharmishta, Shekhar and others also followed her.

"I'll marry Laksh!" Ragini declared.

Everyone stood there freezed at the new development.

•~•×✿ו~•

"I couldn't risk your life."

Swara listened everything teary eyed. Her mind couldn't process what she listened just now. She was kidnapped. Her sister was forced for marriage because of her.

"I wanted to tell you all these after sorting everything. You just came and I'm bothering you with all these." Ragini continued.

"Who was that? And most importantly Why? It's connected to Laksh."

"Yeah. But till everything gets sorted we need to be silent. We can't afford to handle one more incident like this."

"Your decision.. What about that?"

"Even now, do you think that I married him out of the love for him? I love him Swara. But these days were so miserable for me. I can't continue to live like this. And Laksh, you can be salty to him but he did regret what he said, what he did. I had to manipulate him into the final decision after I agreed. I'm sorry for that too, Swara!"

"You did it for me,Ragu.. Stop making me guilty for what you're going through." Swara sniffled in between as she held on to Ragini's hand. "And Laksh.. We can't decide anything as Maa said. THE MAHESWARIS!" She said in a mumble, her voice non-chalant.

~◍☆-✿-☆◍~

Thank you!

I'm leaving the conversation between Ragini and Laksh when Ragini manipulated him into the marriage. What she did was to direct him own words to him to make sure that her sister would be safe.