Namaskaram 🙏

Date of Update: 29.01.2023

****

The next day Ragini entered the office in a hurry as she got late due to late night work and also struggle to get some peaceful sleep. She still looked tired. When she is rushing inside the office in hurry she didn't notice the person coming opposite to her and BANG! She hits directly to the person's chest. The person immediately held her through waist making sure she doesn't fall down and get hurt. She sighed as she didn't fell down and looked above to check who the person is. She rolled her eyes finding him.

"Why is it always have to be you?" she asked rolling her eyes.

Sanskar is just smiling at her. He liked the feeling of her in his arms.

"Hello!" she waved her hands in front of him bringing him out of his world.

"What?" he asked.

"Would you mind leaving me?" she asked pointing at his hand which is around her waist.

"Yes!" he said in subconscious state.

"What?" Ragini asked shocked.

"Nothing!" Sanskar said realising what he said and left her.

She huffed and moved towards her desk.

'Damn! Why am I feeling weird suddenly?' she thought as she felt something missing in her after he left her.

Sanskar sighed.

"It was so good with you in my arms. Damn! Why life has to take such tests? If I wasn't stupid at that time may be by now we both must have been happy in being each other's embrace!" he spoke to himself frustrated as he entered his cabin.

"Ragini! Zoya and Aditya want to talk to you." One of her colleagues told her as she is sitting bored as she doesn't have work for that day.

Ragini nodded and moved towards their cabin. She rolled her eyes as she found Sanskar also sitting opposite to AdiYa.

"Zoya you called me?" she asked.

"Yeah! Please sit!" Zoya said.

Ragini looked at Sanskar who is sitting there and only the chair beside him is empty.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing!" she huffed and sat pulling the chair away from him.

"I don't have any infectious diseases." He said.

"But I have! I don't want you to get affected!" she said.

Sanskar frowned.

"Guys!" Aditya gained their attention.

"Sorry!" Ragini said.

She forgot the existence of other people actually. Now she is worried that they would ask her the reason about her equation with Sanskar. But AdiYa spoke nothing about it.

"So... the thing is we have a really big event coming at the end of next month. They had already told the venue. You guys have to visit the venue, meet the clients, know their requirements and also arrange everything. Means everything related to this event is only on you. You both only have to do everything." Zoya said.

"Why him?" Ragini asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Zoya looked confused or say acted confused.

"I mean... sorry. I am in." Ragini said sighing.

Sanskar is glaring her. How much she irritates him? Yet he can't get irritated of her. All he was thinking is about the huge time they are going to get to spend together.

"When should we go?" Sanskar asked.

"Tomorrow morning! You need to start by 6.00 in the morning so that you can reach on time. I have sent you the location where you have to meet the person in charge of the clients. He will give you the tour of the venue and guide you about their requirements." Aditya spoke.

Sanskar nodded as he was already looking at the location in his mobile.

"Done!" Sanskar said standing from his seat.

"Sanskar take the other car. Not that stupid bike of yours!" Zoya spoke.

"Do not call my bike stupid and I am not stupid to use bike to such long distance that too with this Miss. Stranger!" Sanskar spoke and left from there.

Ragini fumed but she can do nothing. She also left from there murmuring some cursing words to Sanskar.

"What will happen to them if this continues?" Zoya asked worried.

"I don't understand why he is irritated of her. If she is irritated there is a reason. She must be getting the glimpses of her past seeing him as he is her ex husband's brother and also her sister's ex husband. But this guy always loved her, and loves her then why is he behaving this way?" Aditya looked confused.

"She called him a stranger! And it irked him!" Zoya chuckled.

"He told that they were best friends! And she just called him stranger. How would he feel?" Zoya added.

Aditya nodded understanding.

"Chalo let's get to work then!" Aditya nodded.

****

"Yes papa! I am fine! Don't worry!" Ragini is assuring Shekhar who is worried of her.

Even after more than a week he is worried. Ragini is packing some necessary things in a small bag so that she doesn't have to face any problem the next day when she leaves for the meeting next day along with Sanskar. She knows it would take a bit long journey as the location stated.

"Yes Papa I will have after sometime." She said to her father who is asking her not to skip her dinner.

"Yes! I have everything around near me. I already told you. Don't worry papa." She once again assured her father who is worried for non availability of the necessary things around her locality though she had told him every time that everything is available around the locality.

"Ragini come back beta. It is hell for us without you here." Her father said like everyday while she sighed.

"Papa please!" she pleaded.

Shekhar sighed on the other side.

"Here Sharmishta wants to talk to you." He said giving phone away to Sharmishta sadly.

Ragini continued talking to Sharmishta, then Dadi and Dadu. She then spoke to Swara before going to have dinner and then to bed.

****

"Ma!" Laksh called his mother.

"Yes Laksh you need something?" Ap asked as he came to kitchen at late night.

She was arranging things after dinner along with Sujatha. Sujatha just went as Ram called her and here Laksh entered the kitchen.

"Oh... actually... I was thinking to ask from many days but I was hesitant. Where is Sanskar bhai?" he asked.

He is missing his brother a lot. After that day he conversed very less with his own family. He is missing everybody.

"I... I don't know Laksh. Sujatha told me he went on a trip with his friends. When I asked her why he didn't return even after more than a month, she told he has taken multiple trips with different friends groups." Ap explained sighing.

"He isn't taking my call too. Today I called him." Laksh said sighing sadly.

"Did something happened to him or between both of you?" Ap asked.

"I don't know ma." He said sadly.

"Sujatha told he is fine. May be he really wanted to enjoy his life. He will be back once he gets satisfied. Don't worry." Ap spoke.

Laksh nodded and left from there to his room.

"Laksh what happened?" Kavya asked.

"Nothing Kavya. Let's go to bed." He said sighing.

"You said you would call to Sanskar today. Did you?" Kavya asked.

"He didn't take the call!" Laksh said sadly.

"Did something happen between both of you?" Kavya asked holding his hand.

"May be he is angry for what happened. Ragini was his best friend after all!" Laksh sighed.

"It's okay!" Kavya consoled him.

"I want to ask sorry to her." Laksh spoke.

"You think she will talk to you?" Kavya asked.

"I... I don't know!" he said sadly.

Kavya just stayed silent as she didn't understand how to console him. All these days all he did was feeling guilt for Ragini. He was sorry for betraying her but he has no option. He doesn't love her and it is only making him suffocated in the relation. He knows she would never accept to divorce him if he asks her. Even if he try to explain things she wouldn't be ready as he knows she loved him with all her heart. But he doesn't. He has never had those feelings for her. He never got such feelings for her. He doesn't want to lie he definitely tried to accept her but he could never accept her. He doesn't have any reasons but he didn't feel she is the one for him any time. It was when Kavya entered his life he felt peace. He had moved on from Swara long back. When he is suffering with his inner turmoil Kavya entered into his life. His friend's sister. They became friends and slowly fell in love. He wanted to give himself once again a chance. But it was only Ragini who is a barrier for his life. He had thought different ways but all the ways he knows would only lead his life into more suffocation as Ragini wouldn't accept directly to divorce him since she had did so much already to gain and he also knows she loves him so much. She wouldn't give up on him. So he planned to bride swipe. And finally he got the love of his life.

*****

'Why is this guy calling me suddenly after more than a month?' Sanskar thought when he got a call from Laksh.

Anyways he had decided to ignore the call. He is not going to converse with him atleast not right now. He sighed and thought what to do with Ragini as she is in Miss. Stranger mode.

****

He drove to her house and called her.

"Would you mind coming soon or will it take another eternity?" he asked.

"Coming!" Saying Ragini just cut the call.

"Wow... she didn't counter back." He thought.

She came holding her bag. She placed the bag in the back seat and sat beside him who is in the driving seat.

"You aren't well?" he asked.

"Why?" she asked surprised of his enquiry.

"Nothing. You didn't counter me in phone. So I got doubt." He said shrugging his shoulder.

Ragini is in no mood. She was in bad mood since morning. How much she tries to move on from her past those things still keep haunting her. She couldn't sleep whole night. So she is really in bad mood. Sanskar is driving silently. He is not liking the silence. He knows how much Ragini loves speaking and here she is sitting silent.

"Ragini!" he called her.

"Huh!" she responded coming out of her thoughts.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No. Nothing!" she said.

"You look dull?" he asked.

"Nothing!" she said again.

"What's this nothing, nothing yaar? I am just trying to be friendly to you. We are friends. And still you behave like this." Sanskar spoke.

"I already told we are just Strangers. Now we are colleagues. That's all." Ragini said coming back to her mood.

Sanskar stopped the car a side and turned to her.

"I don't understand why are you so adamant to play this Stranger, Stranger game!" Sanskar spoke looking at her.

"I just want to move on!" she spoke looking out.

"By avoiding me or your family, not sharing your sorrow you think you can move on. Do staying alone makes you strong or what? It's just your stupidity!" Sanskar tried explaining her.

"We are getting late!" She said.

"Let it get late." He said.

"Look Mr. Stranger! You may don't bother of the loss your friends would face if this deal goes out of hand but I get bothered if they get loss because I am loyal to my job and my bosses. So just concentrate on the work we need to do." Ragini spoke looking at him angrily.

"If they suffer loss I would suffer loss too. May be you don't know that I am also a share holder of this company!" he shouted.

"Yes just 15% but Zoya and Aditya hold 40% each so their loss is more than yours." Ragini rolled her eyes.

"Hey how do you know about our ownership?" He asked.

"I researched!" she said.

"Why?" He asked.

"To see how many days I have to bare you!" she said huffing.

"Oh so you got the conclusion that as long as you are in this company you have to bare me!" he grinned.

"Sanskar please start the car. I am in no mood to talk about past." She requested.

He smiled hearing his name from her.

"Okay! You want to move on I will not bring anything from past in middle. But I want something from you. Let's atleast start a fresh. Like now you anyway called me a Stranger. A stranger who is your colleague can become your friend right. So let's be friends!" Sanskar spoke and forwarded his hand.

Ragini held her head in her hand.

'How much will I run away from him? He was really a good friend. I also have to get stronger. Everyday I have to see his face at office. There is no chance I would not get to see him. If I keep remembering past I can't move on. You have to accept this. Yes he is Laksh's brother, Swara's ex husband but he was also your best friend then. He had been great support, he is good. He is trying to be normal and trying to comfort you from day one. Moving on doesn't mean just avoiding the past, but accepting it and trying to anticipate a good future. Yes you have decided to maintain just a colleague relation with him but you also know that wouldn't be possible as he was your friend. Just give in Ragini!' she thought to herself.

She has to take a step. She has to move on in every means. Just because calling him stranger and trying to be rude to him she wouldn't be moving on. But he definitely was the reason for her sister's life troubles. She knows it was a collective decision of his' and her sister's. She sighed. After finally getting into the conclusion that it is not going to help if she keeps running away from him to move on she decided to give in to his suggestion. Start fresh. There is no wrong in this. This would only help her to cope up. If it didn't? She would think about it then. For now giving a chance might help her is what her brain told her.

She looked at his hand and finally kept her hand in his shaking his hand with his' with smile on her face.

"Friends!" she said smiling.

"Wohooooo!" Sanskar shouted happily.

Ragini laughed seeing his happy reaction.

****

Thank You for reading.

With Love

Dharani (Dhaరणि)