The competition was over: Ragini, Laksh, Sanskar and Swara were ready to leave London.

So the day after the singing competition they took the flight for Mumbai.

For whole the journey, they just kept silence, each in their respective thoughts.

Once the plane landed at Mumbai's airport Swara and Ragini and Sanskar and Laksh went to separate ways, without exchanging a word.

AFTER ONE MONTH:

A hand is showed lighting the diya placed in front of Ganpati's idol.

Suddenly a voice from behind shouted: "Swara hurry up, Ragini is waiting for you in the car!"

Swara turned removing the green dupatta from her head: She was wearing a yellow anarkali and her hair were gathered in a braid.

Swara: "How much shopping does Ragini want to do Maa? She takes me to the mall almost every day."

Sharmishta: "Even I can't understand what happened to Rago. You have changed so much too but she... there is nothing of the previous Ragini left in her. She has started wearing such short clothes and she doesn't listen to me anymore! Sometimes I need to give her a tight slap to bring my Laado back!"

Swara laughed: "Don't worry Maa. Only her likes and dislikes changed, but she is our Laado only."

Sharmishta sighed: "I and Shekhar cannot recognize her anymore and you are saying she is still our Laado."

Just then Ragini's voice is heard shouting: "Hurry up Swara!"

Swara: "Coming!"- She looked at Sharmishta – "The lioness is calling me."

She giggled and went.

Sharmishta looked at Ganpati's idol and joined her hands: "Save my daughters from the evil's eye."

MAHESHWARI MANSION

Durga Parsad was shouting on the phone: "Can't you understand? Once I said that meeting has to happen today it means that it has to happen today or else cancel that damn deal."

With this he angrily cut the call.

Annapurna came from behind: "Listen..." – Durga Parsad turned to look at her – "Sanskar and Laksh are coming back from USA after one month and also Sujata and Ram are coming with them so why don't you stay at home and don't..."

Durga Parsad: "I don't have time to waste."

With this he went away. Annapurna looked down.

Annapurna: "I wonder how Laksh must have handled himself without Ragini. He went to USA with Sanskar just to stay away from her and not to fall weak. But from tomorrow he'll see her every day. God please give him his happiness back."

She joined her hands looking up.

AFTER FEW HOURS

Sanskar, Laksh, Sujata and Ram Parsad came out of the airport.

Sujata: "Wow! There is something different about India! It's surely better than USA. It feels so nice to be back."

Ram Parsad: "It's great how you were literally dancing when we shifted to USA... and now..."

Sujata angrily looked at him.

Sanskar: "Mom, Dad... you guys started here also..."

Sujata: "It isn't my fault darling. It's your dad who doesn't leave a chance to taunt me."

Laksh smiled a bit.

A car stopped in front of them.

Ram Parsad: "Here is our car. Now just lock your mouth and sit inside."

Sujata went in the car grumbling followed by Ram Parsad.

Laksh was about to put everybody's bags inside when Sanskar stopped him.

Sanskar: "You don't need to do any favor for me."

And he almost snatched his bags from Laksh's hands.

Laksh looked at him hurt.

AFTER A WHILE

They reached the Maheshwari's Mansion and, while Sujata and Ram Parsad were entering in the house recalling some memories, Sanskar and Laksh silently went inside without any expression on their face.

Annapurna saw the four coming inside and a big smile appeared on her face: "Finally you are here!"

She happily went to them and hugged Sujata.

Sujata: "I missed you a lot Jijji!"

Annapurna: "Now don't even think about leaving."

Sujata: "No Jijji, now we are back here."

Annapurna smiled and then looked at Sanskar and Laksh who were silently standing a little far from each other. They noticed Annapurna looking at them.

Both Sanskar and Laksh went towards her.

Sanskar was about to bow down to touch Annapurna's feet when Laksh bowed down too.

Sanskar stopped immediately and backed off.

Laksh, who was touching Annapurna's feet, noticed it and felt hurt.

Annapurna looked at Sanskar while blessing Laksh.

She recalled how before Laksh and Sanskar used to hug her together and give her bouquets whenever they used to meet her after a long time.

Laksh recomposed and Sanskar took the blessings from Annapurna.

Sujata: "Now Jijji first of all I want your special tea!"

Annapurna nodded smiling a bit still looking at Sanskar and Laksh.

Sujata, Ram Parsad and Annapurna went to the hall.

Sanskar was about to go away too when..

Laksh: "Can you please at least tell me what I did? You haven't been talking to me since a month."

Sanskar looked at him and recalled Ragini's words.

"How easily he said that he just broke my heart and didn't take my life..."

"I loved Laksh with whole my heart but he broke it..."

Sanskar looked angrily at Laksh and went away without saying a word.

Laksh sighed a bit fed up and turned around going to the opposite side.

LATER

Both Laksh and Sanskar were coming downstairs when Annapurna called them.

Annapurna: "Sanskar! Laksh! If you got fresh already, have something before going out."

Laksh: "Maa I'm going to Omi's place. I'll have something with him at the McDonald."

Sanskar: "And I am going to meet Ragini. She just called me at the Infiniti mall."

Laksh looked at him.

Sanskar looked at Laksh too once before leaving.

Laksh went out of the house too.

Annapurna looked at them from behind: "What has happened to my family..."

She looked down sadly.

AFTER A WHILE

Laksh and Omi were sitting in the car and Laksh was looking around with a serious expression.

Omi: "What are we doing outside of the mall Laksh?"

Laksh: "Waiting for Ragini. I just want to see her once."

Omi: "Ragini? Why are we waiting for that behanji? Academy is starting from tomorrow na so..."

Laksh glared at him: "Don't you dare talking about her like that."

Omi got scared a bit and looked away.

Laksh looked around and as there was no sign of Ragini, he sighed: "Let's go."

He started the car.

They were just coming out of the parking area when suddenly two more cars came and stopped just in front of Laksh's car.

Laksh and Omi looked on confused and it's just then that Sanskar came out from one of the car.

Also Laksh and Omi came out.

Sanskar to Laksh: "What are you doing here? Weren't you going to the McDonald with Omi? Did you change your mind after hearing that Ragini will be here?"

Laksh was about to say something when the door of the other car got opened and Swara came out.

Swara: "Guys don't fight like that here in the middle of the road please."

Sanskar, Omi and Laksh looked at her from top to bottom, surprised to see her in that look.

Omi: "Wasn't her sister the one to be behenji type? So what happened to her?"

Laksh looked angrily at him.

Sanskar: "Swara you here..."

Just then the other door of the car got opened.

A girl's foot is shown getting on the ground. She was wearing white heels.

Camera ran from her bottom to top while she came out of the car: a skinny denim strapless jumpsuit, sleek middle part hairstyle, a little black Gucci bag and dark sunglasses covering the eyes.

Sanskar, Laksh and Omi were just left stunned seeing HER.

Omi: "Is she really..."

Sanskar and Laksh together said in a shocked tone: "RAGINI?!"

Ragini removed her glasses and looked at them with a cold expression on the face.

She started to walk towards them.

Laksh's heartbeat was increasing with each step Ragini was making towards him.

Ragini and Laksh stood face to face. She was looking at him with anger and hatred while Laksh was just stunned to see her.

There was silence all over except the sound of the wind which was moving Ragini's open hair while blowing.

Sanskar and Swara were looking at Laksh and Ragini furrowing their eyebrows.

A stunned Laksh, lost in Ragini's eyes which he was just waiting to see since a month, raised his hand to touch her face.

Ragini's emotionless eyes welled up a bit seeing this movement of Laksh but she immediately turned going towards Sanskar and hugged him shutting her eyes to control her tears.

Laksh made a fist of the hand with which he was about to touch Ragini's cheek, and looked down.

Swara looked away too.

Sanskar, who understood that Ragini was stopping herself from crying, placed a hand on her back to calm her down.

Ragini took a deep breath and broke the hug.

She smiled: "Finally you are back Sanskar! It's been so long since we last met!"

Sanskar: "You changed a lot since the last time we met."

Ragini looked at Laksh and then back at Sanskar giggling: "Just few changes."

Omi: "JUST FEW?"

Ragini: "Just few. Anyway Sanskar... I wanted to go shopping but my mood is off now after seeing someone. Meet you tomorrow at the academy. Let's go Swara."

She glared at Laksh and went back in the car.

Swara looked at Sanskar who was a bit confused by Ragini's behavior: "She is suffering of mood swings nowadays."

Sanskar chuckled.

Swara smiled and followed Ragini in the car.

Laksh was just still and he was looking straightly at Ragini, who was already in the car.

Ragini noticed it and for a moment their eyes filled with pain met but Ragini put on her glares and started the car.

Laksh looked away too and went in his car followed by Omi.

Sanskar sat in his car too.

And once again... they took separate directions.

Swara looked at Ragini while she was driving.

Swara: "Can I ask you something Ragini?"

Ragini: "Ask."

Swara: "Why did you change yourself so much?"

Ragini recalled how Laksh shouted:

"I don't love you!"

She tightened the grip over the steering while her eyes welled up.

Ragini: "You know Swara, someone had pointed out that we middle class people have no standard, we are weak. I just want to show that person who we really are. The money we got by winning that competition was enough to bring these little changes but now I want to achieve more after that victory. I was weak, definitely I was. But not anymore. I'll show the difference between my standard and his one now."

Swara: "How?"

Ragini: "Tomorrow it's an important day and not only because it's the beginning of a new academic term. I got a meeting with one of the most famous record labels of India and we'll go there in the evening."

Swara: "Wow Ragini! How did you do this?"

Ragini: "There is actually a lot of power in money. But you know what Swara... I didn't want all this at all. I just wanted a simple life. But it's fate that forced me to take this step. Behind success, there is always a broken dream, a broken heart. We all want to get successful but we don't want to break. Even I didn't want... but fate..."

A tear skipped on her cheek.

Swara looked at her and then out of the window thinking: "I changed to win something too, not success but love... Sanskar's love."

Both Swara and Ragini were silently lost in their thoughts.

THE NEXT DAY

It was the beginning. of a new academic term for the Art&Music academy of Mumbai.

Sanskar and Laksh were standing at the gate and talking to Omi and some friends when swaragini's car stopped in front of them.

All the students present there looked at it. The door got opened and Ragini put down her foot.She was wearing very high heels. She came out.

Everyone looked at her, from her bare legs, to her short pink dress fitting exactly on her slim figure.

Ragini, with full style, removed the sunglasses she was wearing and looked around with a little smirk.

Laksh and Sanskar were still looking at her with big eyes when Swara came out of the car too fixing her dupatta on the shoulder.

She smilingly greeted them waving her hand.

Ragini closed the car.

Omi, who was standing near Sanskar and Laksh, looked at her from top to bottom.

Omi: "It's so true that money changes people. Just look at her."

Ragini looked at him. She smiled a bit walking towards Omi and once face to face with him she said: "I just changed a bit my wardrobe and my attitude. Does that bother you? Is that an issue for you? Did I hurt you?"

Omi: "I was just saying that you changed Ragini and it's the truth, isn't it?"

Ragini: "I changed, so what? Does that change your life? Do not try to judge me."

Laksh: "Calm down Ragini, it's not a big deal."

Ragini looked at him: "It isn't. The change in me isn't a big deal. Tell your friend about the changes that matters, that may hurt someone, that can change someone else too. Tell him. You are an expert, aren't you?"

She gave him a sly smile and then went to Sanskar and Swara.

Laksh looked at her with painful eyes.

LATER

Laksh and his friends were sitting in the canteen when Ragini came there with Sanskar and Swara.

Ragini: "Hello people! I was told that you guys are the coolest dudes of the academy..."

Sanskar, Laksh and Swara looked at her confused.

Guy: "We are, any doubt?!"- He said looking at Ragini with a smirk.

Laksh clenched his fists.

Ragini: "Many doubts. If you are really cool then why are you silently sitting in the canteen like boring people?"

Guy: "Come in the corner baby, we'll enjoy."

The guys around laughed while Laksh made a disgusted face feeling his anger increasing.

Sanskar to Ragini: "What the hell are you doing Ragini?"

Swara: "Yes Ragini, why are you even talking to these insolent guys?"

Ragini: "Shut up you both." – She looked at the guy – "Actually I was thinking about truth or dare... what do you say?"

Guy: "I have a better idea. We'll spin this bottle twice and the people who'll be indicated by it, will have to kiss."

He smirked looking at Ragini.

Ragini felt uncomfortable and looked away but just then she recalled how Laksh was behaving the first day she and Swara came in the academy.

(Laksh: I'm challenging you to do what I say or you'll become the loser of the year.

Laksh: "You have to kiss someone on his cheek too, but it must be a boy!")

Laksh: "We won't do anything like that."

Ragini: "You will have to play it... or else you will become the looser of the year."

Laksh looked at her recalling the same words he had said to Ragini.

Sanskar: "Ragini, what the hell are you doing?!"

Ragini: "Take a chill pill Sanskar, it's just a game!"

She sat on the table with Laksh and his friends.

Swara and Sanskar looked at each other and then at Ragini.

Ragini: "Have a seat guys!"

They sat with her sighing.

A guy spun a glass bottle on the table and they started to play.

After some spins, Laksh, forced to play, spun the bottle... and it stopped on Sanskar.

Swara, Ragini and Laksh looked at him.

Laksh spun the bottle again and... it stopped on Ragini.

Ragini and Sanskar looked at each other with big eyes.

Laksh and Swara were shocked too.

Guy: "What the fuck! Sanskar you are damn lucky bro! What an item you got to kiss!"

Laksh glared at him. His blood was boiling hearing those kind of lines for Ragini. He looked at Ragini who was seeming really uncomfortable fidgeting her fingers in her fists looking down.

Sanskar noticed it too.

Sanskar: "N... no! Guys leave it."

Guy: "Sanskar are you stupid? Do you really want to waste this chance? If you want... shall I do the honor on your place?"

And the next he knew was an hard slap hitting him on the cheek.

Everyone looked on surprised to see a Laksh in rage glaring at the guy with extreme anger in his eyes.

Laksh: "Nobody taught you how to respect girls? What a disgusting language are you using for her?"

He angrily threw the bottle on the floor breaking it in many pieces.

Sanskar, Swara and more than everyone Ragini looked at him stunned.

Laksh held Ragini's wrist tightly under her shocked eyes and dragged her away.

He took her out of the canteen.

Ragini: "How dare you touch me? Leave my hand!"

Laksh angrily held her by her arms and pinned her against the wall: "Shall I leave you for those guys?"

His face was just some centimeters distant from Ragini's one.

Ragini straightly looked in Laksh's eyes: "You have the habit of leaving. And why are you getting so angry? It's my life, my choice; I will do whatever I want to do. Who the hell are you to stop me?"

Laksh tightened the grip over her shoulders gritting: "Whatever you want? I can clearly see it in your eyes that you are forcing yourself to do this drama. You are not like this!"

Ragini pushed him shouting loudly: "YOU FORCED ME TO BECOME LIKE THIS!"

Laksh looked at her surprised.

Ragini: "IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! This is just your bloody fault Mr. Laksh Maheshwari!" - She said gritting her teeth and showing him a finger.

She held Laksh's collar pulling him closer. Her eyes welled up: "I loved you so much!"

She pushed him again.

Ragini: "But now there is just hatred in my heart for you. ONLY HATRED."

She shouted.

Laksh tried to speak stepping towards her: "Ragini..."

But Ragini shouted again: "Stay away from me! And what was that drama of yours in the canteen? Respect for girls? You are saying that? Please get a mirror Laksh before speaking about someone else! What was all that? That slap and all? What were you thinking while doing that? You wanted to save me from those disgusting gazes and talks? I am strong enough Mr. Maheshwari. Remember that. And stop interfering in my life. Got that?"

She stepped closer to him to look straightly in his eyes: "You better understand."

With this she turned to go away when she saw Swara and Sanskar standing in front of her.

Ragini looked away and left the place.

Sanskar went to Laksh and gritted his teeth: "This is your entire fault Laksh. And when you'll realize that, you'll regret doing what you did." – He said.

Sanskar: "Let's go Swara."

With this he went away too followed by Swara.

Laksh broke down on his knees while tears fell from his eyes.

Laksh: "I wish I could tell you how much I love you Ragini... but all this is necessary."

He looked on with teary eyes.

AFTER A WHILE

Laksh was about to get in the car when Ragini came there and gave him an invitation card.

Laksh: "What is this?"

Ragini: "Invitation for party."

Laksh: "Which party?"

Ragini: "Just like that. I thought it will be fun. There will be a party tomorrow in the Domino Club. Aren't boys from high class used to such parties?"

Laksh: "Ragini will you stop all this?"

Ragini shook her head: "I've just started baby."

Just then Sanskar and Swara came there too.

Ragini: "Sanskar I was just waiting for you. There is a party in the Domino Club tomorrow. Do come!"

Sanskar stunned: "Party?"

Ragini: "Party! Anyway... leave about tomorrow and think about now. I am in the mood of making bets. What about a car race? If I win, I want an ice cream treat."

Sanskar laughed: "You and car race?"

Swara: "Don't take my sister lightly Sanskar."

Sanskar brought ahead his hand: "The bet is on then."

Ragini shook his hand with a sly smile.

Laksh looked at their hands feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Ragini sat in the car with Swara while Sanskar and Laksh went on their car.

They lined up their cars next to each other and exchanged smiles through the windows.

Laksh did not like whatever Ragini was doing. He was exactly behaving like he used to do before her love could change him.

He recalled how they first met: he was exactly having a car race against Omi and accidentally hit Shekhar while driving fast and Ragini shouted on him.

A little smile appeared on his face. Ragini noticed it and got a bit confused.

Sanskar: "Ready?"

Ragini: "Always!"

They closed the windows of the cars and started driving in full speed!

With Sanskar and Laksh's surprise, Ragini was leading and they were trying to reach her.

Ragini looked behind at them with a smile when suddenly she turned and saw a man passing in front of the car.

She applied sudden brakes.

Ragini and Swara immediately came out of the car and got shocked seeing the man fallen on the road.

Sanskar stopped the car too and came out with Laksh.

A tensed Ragini quickly went to the man and helped him to get up: "I'm really sorry uncle! I'll take you to the hospital right now!"

Man: "No dear, it's ok. I'm fine."

Ragini: "You must be hurt uncle, please listen to me."

She was looking very worried while the man was trying to convince her nothing is happened.

Laksh recalled how he was just concentrated on the race he was losing because of Ragini and Shekhar instead of worrying about the accident he did.

A little smile appeared on his face looking at Ragini and he thought: "You can't become like Lucky Ragini. You have a heart, not a stone. You are still Laksh's innocent Ragini."

But is just then that his smile disappeared as he remembered... Ragini is not his anymore.

He looked down with a painful expression.

CHAPTER ENDS

Will the misunderstanding between Laksh and Ragini get solved? Or will Ragini's behavior just increase them?