Namaskaram 🙏

Date of Update: 02.02.2023

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"So let's celebrate our friendship!" He said stopping the car aside after ten minutes of drive.

"Sanskar we will get late for the meeting. He must be waiting!" Ragini tried to deny.

He ignored her and got down the car. He rushed towards the small shop present there. He got two chocolates from the shop and rushed towards the car.

"So here is the chocolate for the celebration of our friendship!" Sanskar said forwarding one chocolate to her.

She smiled and took the chocolate. She might have accepted the friendship but it wasn't like very comfortable staying around him. She has to give in because she knows there is no other way the things can get into place atleast for her. And she really appreciated the way he is trying to make her comfortable by not making any awkward conversation.

"That one?" she asked looking at the other one.

"Ofcourse for me dude!" he said already opening the chocolate.

"You like chocolates?" she asked opening her chocolate.

"Why? Am I not human?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes.

"I thought you don't! That's all!" she said.

"And why did you think so?" he asked.

"Laksh..." she stopped suddenly realising.

"Okay!" he understood.

Laksh doesn't like chocolates and she thought he also would have that dislike.

"There is no rule that boys shouldn't like chocolates. Yeah some people think chocolate is girly! But chocolates are made for humans irrespective of gender." Sanskar said smiling while driving the car.

Ragini just smiled as he understood her. He understood her discomfort.

"So now what is the lesson you have learnt?" Sanskar asked.

"What?" she asked confused.

"That next time you buy a chocolate for yourself remember you have a best friend who equally loves chocolate and buy for him too." Sanskar said shrugging.

Ragini laughed. Sanskar smiled at her laugh.

"Well Miss. Stranger!" he started the conversation after five minutes of silence again.

Ragini looked at him surprised of the way he called her.

"Hmm?" she asked humming.

"You look good in this dress!" he said smiling but just concentrating on the road.

She looked at herself and smiled. She knows he is just trying to make a positive atmosphere around them.

"Thank You!" She responded with happy smile.

He nodded smiling at her.

"I think we should have breakfast and then restart the journey!" he said.

"Won't we get late?" she asked.

"Nope. Zoya has calculated the time accordingly and told me the schedule. Don't worry!" Sanskar said as he stopped at a restaurant so that they can have breakfast.

Ragini got down the car following Sanskar. They got settled at a table.

"You going to have?" he asked.

"Anything!" She said.

He looked at the menu card and then at her.

"There is no dish named Anything here!" he said smirking.

She glared him while he continued smirking.

"I will have dosa!" she said irritated.

He chuckled. They ordered the food.

"You get irritated so frequently!" he shrugged.

She frowned. He shrugged again only to get a hit on his hand making him control his scream due to pain since she has hit him hard.

"From now instead of getting irritated I will practise kick boxing on you. Nice idea right!" she spoke smiling sweetly.

"Why? No need. You look so beautiful even when you are irritated." He spoke fear evident in his voice.

Ragini gave a winning smile. He shook his head in disbelief. The waiter gets their order. Ragini immediately digs her head into the food. To be honest she was very hungry. But keeping the time in mind she didn't bothered about it. Sanskar smiled seeing the way she is so much into having food. He just made sure he keeps concentrating on her along with having his food. He didn't remove his eyes from her all the time he had food while she didn't look up as she was so much into have her food.

"Ahhh! I am so full and happy!" she said satisfied of her food and looked above.

Sanskar immediately looked away to make sure she doesn't get caught him staring at her.

"How much time will you take to complete two idlies Mr. Stranger?" she asked annoyed.

"You know I chew well not like you to gulp of everything!" he said glaring her.

"Whatever!" she said rolling her eyes.

He just looked down to complete his breakfast and also to make sure he doesn't stare her again forgetting the surroundings. They get back to journey after done with breakfast. It was silent travel for few minutes that Ragini felt sleepy and fell into happy sleep. Sanskar kept taking glances of her every now and then.

"Miss. Beautiful!" he whispered with his bright happy handsome smile.

Finally he stopped at the place they have to reach. He sighed looking around. He looked at Ragini and shook her a little.

"Wake Up queen! We are here!" he spoke softly.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. He smiled. She smiled back at him.

"Sorry!" she muttered stretching a little.

"For?" he asked.

"For sleeping leaving you alone for driving!" she muttered.

He smiled.

"It's okay! I will just call the person whom we have to meet to check on his location. Till then you can wash your face." He said pointing at the water bottle.

She nodded. Her face looked so sleepy. She washed her face and wiped it slowly looking around. She found someone familiar. She placed her napkin back in the bag and moved towards the familiar person. She patted that person's shoulder.

"Ragini!" Rudra exclaimed seeing her there.

"Ragini?" Sanskar who is on the phone with Rudra questioned and looked around to see her and a person standing at some distance.

He without thinking twice just rushed there.

"Ragini!" he called her.

"Yes it's me. Why are you both just reciting my name?" She asked.

"I was surprised!" Rudra said shrugging.

"I was thinking what are you doing here!" Sanskar spoke.

"Oh yeah! He is my friend. I saw him here so just came here." She said to Sanskar indicating Rudra to be her friend.

Rudra smiled and side hugged her. Sanskar frowned suddenly as she let him side hug her. She wouldn't get comfortable with a man to let him atleast side hug her. But she let this man side hug her. He suddenly didn't like this man. She is smiling and talking so comfortably with him. He cleared his throat when they are talking something which he least bothered.

"Mr. Rudra can we get to work?" Sanskar asked.

"Wait! So you are under this project!" Rudra asked realising that it was Ragini who is going to be organising the functions that are going to take place in his family.

"Yup!" Ragini said grinning.

"Great! One week and you already got a big project. I am so proud and happy for you Ragini!" Rudra said smiling happily.

"Thanks Rudra!" She smiled back gratefully.

Sanskar once again cleared his throat trying to gain their attention.

"I think time is really precious Mr. Rudra!" Sanskar spoke pointedly.

"Oh sorry! So yes It is going to be my little sister's wedding next month. And she has lots of dreams and demands regarding it. This resort is the venue. I wanted you guys to see the locality so that we can think of the themes and decorations." Rudra spoke.

"Let's go then!" Ragini said.

Both of them nodded and they went inside. Rudra is explaining where he wants to get what. He is explaining things very clearly while Ragini is noting down in her notepad and also recording what all he is speaking so that they don't miss anything later. While all this time Sanskar is just lost in his thoughts. He is feeling uneasy, suffocation, anger, irritation and what not just by the presence of this man. He wants to run away holding her hand pulling her very far from this man.

He got out of his thoughts when Ragini shook him.

"Where are you lost?" she asked.

Sanskar looked at her and then at Rudra who are looking at him questioningly.

"You continue. I just need to make a call!" Sanskar said and left from there.

He stood at a decent distance just to make sure he can see both of them. As he stood there and is watching them this time he actually observed how both of them are conversing. He saw both of them giggling, laughing, hi-fi ing in the middle of their discussion. He felt himself curling his fingers into a tight fist controlling his anger. He felt himself gritting teeth looking at that man. He despised this man. He clutched the pillar at the place he is standing tight just to make sure himself that he doesn't sprint towards that man and do something to him which he would regret later. He didn't understand why is he feeling so much angry, despise of this man. May be due to the level of comfort his girl has with this man is making him to feel such things towards this man. He wanted them to complete the discussions as early as possible. Just as he thought so Ragini looked around searching for him. And as she found him there, she got confused but still signed him to come. He took deep breathe and moved towards her.

"We are done here! I think we can go!" Ragini said.

"Hey let's have lunch together." Rudra spoke.

"Ye..." Ragini was about to say Yes but Sanskar interrupted.

"No! We are getting late. We actually have some other work to deal with. Need to leave." Sanskar spoke trying to sound as calm as he could.

Ragini was confused of about what work is he speaking but stayed silent as may be she doesn't know. There is no rule he has to say everything to her and beyond all that it was just few hours ago they both again became friends. Till morning she was showing him cold shower, was all glaring him, was irritated of him. It was in the morning she has decided to actually take steps for moving on.

"Okay then. Take care! Bye!" Rudra said shaking his hand with Sanskar.

Sanskar just nodded firmly. Ragini smiled at Rudra while he hugged her. This time it's a hug and she comfortably hugged him back. That's it for Sanskar. The limit of his patience crossed. He suddenly held Ragini's hand and pulled her along with him towards the exit.

"Hey! What happened?" Ragini asked.

"We are getting late!" he said fisting his other hand tight but making sure he was holding her hand soft.

He wouldn't want to hurt her. Ragini got convinced and just moved along with him. She didn't bother about him holding her hand. He opened car door for her and left her signing her to get in. She got in and he moved towards the driving seat after closing the door of her side.

He drove off silently. Though he is silent he is clutching the steering really hard just to make sure he controls his emotions. He was actually taking deep breathes to make sure his anger doesn't get burst out. That guys has crossed limits with his girl. He just got on to his nerves. While Ragini on the other side is just watching the road. She doesn't know what he is going through. He suddenly switched on music making her look at him. Though he knows she looked at him he didn't look at her. Ragini hummed the song along and it did definitely helped him to control his emotions. After few minutes of drive he stopped the car a side. Ragini looked confused and before she could ask he got down the car taking water bottle. He splashed water on his face washing his face and drank some water. He sighed as he felt himself in emotional control. Ragini got down the car.

"You are hungry?" she asked.

He looked at her.

"Yeah! A bit!" he said as he really is feeling hungry.

She must be feeling too! He thought.

Ragini moved towards car and opened her bag. She brought two packets of chips.

"See! I am here with all arrangements." She grinned.

He smiled and took the packet. He loved that grin on her face. He looked at the bonnet of the car and at her. She understood and nodded vigorously. He chuckled seeing her excitement. That was the old Ragini whom he remembered and also loved to let her go for her happiness. They both got on to the car bonnet and sat there staring the sky. It wasn't sunny that day may be because of winter. It was kind of romantic too but he can't think of such feelings atleast for now with her.

Both of them are silently having their packet of chips. Sanskar in his thoughts while Ragini in her own thoughts. Not every second around him is a discomfort or comfortable. She is having different types of comforts around him. Sometimes the reminiscence of past things make her uncomfortable while sometimes his actions make her comfortable. She knows it's not just like that she would move on. It will take time. She has to try her best to cope up with the things around and him around.

"Ragini!" he called her suddenly but softly turning to her.

"Haan!" she responded.

"If I ask you something will you answer properly?" he asked.

She got confused and also worried that he would get her past but still nodded.

"That guy, the one we met few minutes ago, how do you know him? I mean college friend or school friend?" he asked.

Ragini sighed a little as he didn't get the topic of past. They became friends back just today and she is definitely not ready to speak about past for now.

"Rudra?" she asked just to speak before she say how they met and became friends.

"Did we meet someone else too?" he asked sarcastically.

Ragini smiled sheepishly.

"I met him the day I came here at Kolkata. I mean we were co passengers in the flight. He was so kind to help a stranger to distract from the fear of first flight. Later we spoke and then he helped me in finding my accommodation." She said.

"Just one day meet, you got comfortable with him?" Sanskar asked what he felt.

Ragini shook her head with smile.

"A bit definitely. But he is my apartment mate too! I mean both of our houses are in same apartment. We meet almost daily and became good friends. He even helps in getting the groceries and vice versa." She said smiling.

Sanskar looked above at the sky. Just like ten days and she is very much comfortable with him that she hugged him back when he hugged her. He didn't like it at all! He huffed and got down the bonnet.

"Let's go." He said.

She nodded and the journey started again. He had tried to push away the feeling he is feeling inside his brain other than anger and frustration, the Green-Eyed Monster-Jealousy!

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Thank You for reading.

With Love

Dharani (Dhaరणि)