'Sanskaar!'

Ragini sprang up on her bed. She was drenched in sweat. She looked around, trying to find her bearing. She was home. Just as always. But the nightmare wasn't her usual one. Sanskaar! He shouldn't have been there. He shouldn't have consumed that poisonous prasad. She shouldn't have been there in the dream as herself. What was happening? What did it mean? Was this a new warning? A warning about Sanskaar?

Her stomach turned at the thought. She held her palm to it, but the sinking feeling refused to leave her. What if her Papa ...? No. No he wouldn't. 

It was just a silly dream. That is all it was. All the things and Sanskaar following her around had just twisted her usual nightmare around. Yes. That had to be it. 

Except, her heart refused to feel soothed by the reasoning. It had to know for sure. She had to know.

She grabbed her phone with cold clammy hands dialling Meera bhabhi. She needed his phone number. She needed to know he was okay. 

But all she got was an automated message that the number she had been trying to call had been switched off. She threw the phone away. This had to happen just when she needed it the most. She paced around her room. Where could she get the number? How?

Karma Industries. 

That was the name Meera bhabhi had mentioned. It was the company he had set up. She would go there. She had to.

***

Twenty minutes later, she was at the Karma office. She had dodged her mother when she rushed out of the house skipping her breakfast. But she couldn't think of food right now. 

'He is in a meeting right now. Why don't you take a seat,' the old lady at the reception suggested. 'Who should I say is here?'

Ragini bit her lip. He was in a meeting. He must be okay. She should just leave right now. She didn't want to give him a wrong message. But if she could see for herself that he was okay ...even if it was from far.

Ragini eyed the exit door. No. She should go. Now. Before she changed her mind. She took a step towards the exit.

'I have the refreshments for the meeting. When do you want me to take them in?' she heard someone say behind her.

'You can take them in now. Just don't disturb the presentation. It should be dark in there,' the receptionist instructed.

Ragini twisted her fingers. Should she? He would never see her in the dark. She would just get a quick glance to make sure he was okay and get out of there. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, opened them just as quickly. 

She had made up her mind.

***

Ragini sneaked into the boardroom behind the servers carrying the food. Her heart thundered against her ribcage. She had never done anything like this before. Not even when she was sorting Maya's cheating boyfriends. 

The room saw dark as the receptionist has promised. The only light came from the projector which had a presentation running. Sanskaar was speaking. She knew it was his voice. Deep. Resonating. 

He was okay. She should leave now. 

Except she didn't want to.

She rubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans trouser and followed Sanskaar's voice. A warning voice cautioned her. What if he saw her? He would never let her go. She would go away before he realised. Besides, it was dark. How would he even know? Another voice countered. You know he is okay. Leave now. Go. You wouldnt be able to stop him from pursuing you if he see you. A sneaky voice cut in, isn't that what you want? 

Ragini bit her lip and shook her head.

Liar. The voice shot back. 

She closed her eyes for a second, shaking the voice off before walking closer to him. 

Sanskaar was confident in the way he was talking. She had to give it to him. She was partly impressed. 

That close enough! A voice warned her when she got within few feet of him.

Ragini stopped. Just for a second. There was something in his voice that made her walk closer. You will miss me, he had said. She didn't trust his words - even now. She didn't want to. 

And yet, here she was walking closer. Close enough to get a whiff of the spicy and earthy perfume of his. It was the same as she had smelt in the dream. Was this just a coincidence or had  it embedded itself into her memory from the past? 

Had she observed such tiny things about him? His perfume? The deep warm tone of his voice? 

She shook her head. She really needed to get away. She listened to the voice this time and started to walk away. 

Only someone held her hand before she could go too far.

'Ragini?' he whispered. 

Sanskaar.

She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on. 

'Ragini,' he called out again. 

And before she knew it they were flooded with light. He was staring at her. A thousand questions  swirled in his eyes that were trained on her. She looked away. She didn't have answer to any of them.

She should have run away from here when she could. 

'Mr Singh?' someone cut in, calling Sanskaar.

Ragini tried to pull her hand away, trying to use that opportunity. But Sanskaar wasn't in the mood to oblige her.

'Excuse me ladies and gentleman. I have something more important to take care off,' he said tugging at her arm and pulling her out of that conference room without bothering about the vehement opposition and comments that the others where throwing at him.

***

'You missed me,' Sanskaar stated the moment they got into what Ragini was sure was his office.

'No, I didn't,' Ragini shot back, pulling her arm away from him.

Sanskaar crossed his arms and leaned against the desk, 'Then what are you doing here?'

Ragini twisted her fingers behind her hand, away from his eyes, desperate to hide the real reason why she was here. Her nightmare. 'Someone called me telling me you were beaten up.'

'And you wanted to make sure I was okay?' he asked watching her closely

She shook her head, nervous tension flooding her, 'I thought my Papa ...he found out you were sending flowers ...' It was another lie. She squeezed her eyes tightly. She shouldn't mentioned her Papa. She shouldn't have.

'And you came here to see for yourself that I wasn't beaten up.'

Ragini shook her head again.

Sanskaar stepped closer. 'Then why did you come?'

Ragini looked away, unable to meet his eye. He always had that intense way of looking at her that made her feel as though he could see right through her. 

Sanskaar held her hands gently in his. 'Why did you come Ragini?'

'You should go. They are waiting for you. Your receptionist said it was an important meeting.' 

'Nothing is more important than you.'

Ragini could feel her pulse race. Her lips quivered as she tried to find something, anything to say to him to get away from him. She couldn't tell him the truth. 

Sanskaar took a step closer. 'Why did you come here Ragini? Why did you come if you didn't care about me?'

'I dont.' she said primly not daring to look at him.

'And yet, you had to come see if I was okay. What is that then?'

'I didn't want my Papa to be in trouble.'

'I would never have done anything to get my father-in-law in trouble. i know what he means to you.'

'I wanted to be sure.'

'Then look at me. Isn't that what you came here to do? As you say? For your father's sake.'

But Ragini couldn't look at him. He would know.

Sanskaar held her face between his palms, making her look up. 'If that is all you came here for, why is your heart racing so much? Why are you scared to look me in the eye?'

'I am not scared,' Ragini said, finally meeting his eyes. His warm melting black eyes.

'Why are you lying to yourself? Why are you fighting what you are feeling?' he asked in a tender voice.

Ragini pushed his hands away and moved away from him, putting some distance between then. It was getting to be too much for her. She moved towards the desk, her palm held her stomach, trying to stop her from spilling her non-existent breakfast.

Love only brings betrayal  her mind kept chanting. Don't fall for it. It will kill you like that nightmare.

Ragini heard Sanskaar sigh behind her. 

'You know I am okay. You can go now,' he said in a quiet tone.

Run! her mind yelled. But another part ached hearing his words. Without meaning to, without knowing where it came from, her lips let out a painful sob.

'Ragini,' came his concerned voice.

But she couldn't turn around and look at him. She should go away. She titled her head to look at the door, but instead her eyes caught something else on the table by the door. A platter. With flowers and prasad. 

She gasped as she rushed toward it, stopping a few steps short. She turned on her heels, looking at Sanskaar. Her breath caught in her throat, her voice cracked as she asked, 'Did you have the prasad?'

Sanskaar scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. His mouth opened to say something but nothing came out.

'Did you eat the prasad?' she screamed out, rushing towards him. 'Did you?' she asked shaking him holding his collar.

Sanskaar held her hand gently, 'What are you talking about?' he finally managed to ask her. His eyes wide as they watched her desperate actioned.

'Did you eat the prasad? Just answer me?' she asked, now sobbing openly.

Sanskaar wiped her tears even as he nodded. 'Yes.' he whispered, staring at her with a blank expression.

Panic shot through her the moment that word slipped his lips. Her sobs became louder. 'No!' she almost yelped. 'No.'

'What is wrong Ragini?' he asked, unsure where this was going.

Ragini was shaking. She felt her knees go weak. A thousand thoughts ran through her head. She couldn't let him die. Not Sanskaar. Not her Sanskaar. He couldn't die. 'We need to go to the doctor. Now,' she all but yelled. Her eyes wide in almost maniac craze and deep fear.

'What? What are you talking about? Doctor? Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?' Sanskaar asked looking her over, his eyes widening in fear.

'Poison. Poison.' She whispered as she tried to pull him towards the door. 'We need to get to the doctor now.'

'What poison?' Sanskaar blurted as she dragged him a few feet.

'The prasad. Poison,' she muttered, almost lost in her dream. Her nightmare was coming alive! She couldnt let it. No!

Ragini felt herself dragged back and Sanskaar held strong. 'What poison prasad?'

'The prasad is poisoned!' Ragini whispered. The lines of reality and dream were blurring. She couldnt let it happen. It was her nightmare. Only her nightmare. She would never let it become real. 

Sanskaar pulled Ragini closer, holding her shoulder firmly. 'Ragini, what are you talking about? The prasad is not poisoned. My mother got it because we had an important meeting today. I had it hours ago. I am completely fine. See. Look at me.'

'No! It is poisoned.'

'Ragini, there is nothing in the prasad.'

'But in the dream. You had it. It had poison.' she blurted.

Sanskaar stilled for a second. 'Is this what this is about? A dream?' he asked, before holding her face in his palms. 'That was the reason you came to check on me, right? This dream?'

Tears streamed through Ragini's eyes and she nodded.

Sanskaar wiped her tears. 'I am okay. I am here all fine. In front of you. See.'

Ragini stared at him blankly. 

'You came here because of a dream where I was hurt,' he said softly, 'And you want me to believe you don't care about me.'

Ragini tried to counter but the panic, the fear the she had just experiences was still too strong her for to speak.

'You love me too,' he said softly.

She shook her head. 'I don't know you.'

'Then why did you panic at the thought of me getting hurt in a dream?'

'Because we are friends.'

Sanskaar smiled gently, 'How many friends do you feel this strongly for?'

'This is not love. I cannot love you. I don't know you,' Ragini said trying to push him away.

'Then what is it? Tell me?' Sanskaar asked pulling her closer and holding her face in his palms. 'What is it? Why did a dream make you feel so scared that you had to come and see me for yourself? Why did the sight of just the prasad, bring so much fear in you? Why?'

Ragini let out a sob.

Sanskaar touched his forehead against hers. 'Why did you feel so much fear of losing me? Why? What it is if not love?'

Ragini wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, sobbing against his chest.

Sanskaar pulled her closer and held her in his warm embrace.

***

Ragini pulled back after what seemed like ages. Her eyes had swollen by then. Sanskaar ran a gentle finger along her cheek making her break into a watery smile.

'You are one stubborn girl, do you know that?'

Ragini hit him gently. 'You cannot complain. You are stuck now.'

Sanskaar smiled brightly. 'So when can I come and talk to my father-in-law?'

Ragini could feel the heat rise on her cheeks as she sniffed. 'Are you sure about this?'

Sanskaar rolled his eyes, 'That is the question you have after all this?'

'You better impress my Papa,' Ragini said primly. 'If he says no, I am not marrying you.'

'No one has even said no to Sanskaar yet.'

Ragini narrowed her eyes at him, 'How many other girls have you tried this on?'

'I just care about one girl,' Sanskaar said wrapping his arms around her waist.

'Then impress my Papa, or forget me,' Ragini warned.

'Can you stay without me?'

***

Sanskaar saw Ragini walk out of his office and picked up the phone. He punched a number in it. 

'We did it. She said yes,' he said to the person on the other side before cutting the phone and looking back in the direction that Ragini had walked out of.

Thanks so much for reading. 

I would love to have some feedback on the story and whether you really like it or not. So if you can, so spare a line or two to share what you think of it - even if it is criticism for something that is not working in the story.