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"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

(Words in braces) - Telephone conversations

Chapter 32 - Peace at Last

Swara at once rushed towards Ragini and grabbed her hand. "Sanskar isn't here. But he told me where to take you. Come on!" saying so, she pulled away Ragini without giving her a chance to say anything.

#Boutique#

"Stop here." as the auto stopped, Swara and Ragini got down. Swara paid the driver and dragged Ragini inside the store.

Ragini looked towards the counter and found a girl standing there, looking bored. Ragini thought she had seen her somewhere, but couldn't pinpoint where.

"We're here!"

On Swara's shout, she looked towards them and smiled. Ragini watched as she walked towards them. Her eyes widened as she realized who the girl was. 'This is the girl who helped Swara in her plans. She's Sanskar's sister, Uttara.'

Uttara came and looked at Ragini with a broad grin. "Hello Ragini. Or shall I say my future bhabi?"

Ragini blushed, but nevertheless smiled back. "Hello Uttara."

"Where is it Uttara? I can't wait to see it!"

"Chill Swara. I'll show you." Uttara responded, while searching something in the bag she was carrying. When she found what she was looking for, she pulled it out. It was a beautiful rose pink dress.

At once, Swara squealed in excitement. "It's so pretty!"

"I know right." Uttara looked up towards Ragini. "Sanskar bhai is nearby at the park where you both spend most of your time together. Once you change in the changing room, please go there. Bhai is waiting for you."

Ragini looked at her quizically. "But won't you and Swara come with me?"

Uttara and Swara looked at each other and giggled.

"No Ragini, we won't be going. From here, you're on your own. Bye!" saying so, Swara went away, with Uttara following right behind.

Ragini watched as they both whispered to each other and walked away squealing about something. 'Swara was already notorious. Now with Uttara, they'll team up to cause more troubles. Oh my!' she shook her head and proceeded towards the changing rooms.

After sometime...

'Well, I hope he likes this dress on me.' Ragini checked herself one last time on the mirror and headed out.

The park wasn't far away from the boutique she was in. It was only a 15 minutes distance which she could easily cover by walking. Ragini adjusted the folds of her dress and proceeded to walk by the footpath. However, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Ragini?"

Ragini's eyes widened at his voice. She could easily recognize it.

She turned around and checked to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "La-Laksh?"

Laksh gave her a small smile and walked forward.

Ragini couldn't stop herself from taking a step back. Although she knew Laksh had changed, it happened by reflex.

Laksh gave a bitter smile seeing her actions. "You still aren't fully over the incident yet, are you?"

"Its not that Laksh. I...I didn't mean to offend you. I ju-"

"It's okay Ragini. I'm not offended. After all, I deserve it, don't I?" he smiled at her as he came to stand beside her. "Let's walk together, shall we? Although I won't force you if you don't want to."

Ragini contemplated on what she should do. On one hand, Laksh seemed genuinely regretful for his actions. On the other hand, she was still insecure after everything that happened. "I'm on my way to meet Sanskar at the park. He might get worried if I'm late."

"That's okay. I'll walk you till there then." Laksh reasoned. "I only need a few minutes to say what I want to. I thought I would be okay after hearing you say you've forgiven me but...but I couldn't let it go. I won't be able to rest until I speak to you."

Ragini thought for a moment and nodded. After all, she didn't see any harm in his suggestion.

After sometime...

Ragini looked at Laksh from the corner of her eyes. They had been walking on, but he hadn't said a word so far. She turned to look at him carefully and noticed his state.

It had been two days since everything happened. Two days of constant nightmares, flashbacks and what not for her.

But as she looked at his face, she could see that she wasn't the only one suffering.

Laksh had dark bags underneath his eyes. It looked as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep for days. He looked thinner than usual as well. His hands, which he kept inside his pockets, seemed to be shaking. If it wasn't for his well dressed state, Ragini had no doubt that he would look like a weak patient in a hospital.

She sighed to herself. "You should take better care of yourself Laksh. You're not a child, you know?"

Laksh turned to look at her, surprised that she started the conversation. He let out a small chuckle. "Um...yeah. I guess I got a little irresponsible."

Ragini's eyes softened as she looked at his miserable state. "How are you Laksh?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm fine too."

"Don't lie Ragini. You can't possibly be fine after everything."

"I think I can lie since you're doing the same." she replied, glaring back at him. As they kept glaring at each other, they let out a small chuckle.

Like old times when they were working to unite Shekhar and Shramishtha.

"I wish I could go back and change things to the way they used to be. To when we were good friends. To when bhai, you and Swara didn't hate me and thought of me as a friend."

"But you can't. All you can do is look forward and try to repair what is broken. It might hurt to hear the truth but...but no matter what you do, it will never be the same." Ragini replied in a quiet voice.

Laksh swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "I know. And I also know I've no one to blame but myself."

Ragini sighed out loud. "What did you plan to achieve by coming to meet me now Laksh? You already know I'm willing to forget your past mistakes. Did you come here just to recall all the painful memories?"

Laksh shook his head. "No. I came to apologize to you."

"You already did. It's en-"

"No. I didn't get to say everything that I wanted. I want to apologize to you properly this time. Please, let me Ragini. Don't deny me this." he said in a desperate voice.

Ragini could do nothing but nod to his request.

Unknown to them, Mani was silently following them and peeping from behind the buildings they passed. 'I always knew I could make a great spy. I don't know why my parents didn't let me get a job as a detective.'

Too lost in his musings, he didn't notice someone come up from behind him.

Mani smirked to himself. "I'm so awesome. I ca-eeep!" Mani exclaimed, feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"Geesh! Stop screaming. It's only me!" Swara shouted.

"Witch, you want to kill me or something!? I knew you were out to get my soul! I knew it!"

"What?! Quit spitting nonsense Ape!"

"Me?! It's you who's spitting your saliva on me with all your screaming!" Mani heard a giggle and noticed Uttara standing nearby. "Hello pretty lady. Lovely day, isn't it?"

Uttara blushed but smiled nevertheless. "Yes, it is Manish."

"Please, call me Mani. It suits me more. Not to mention sounds better from your lips." Mani said with a wink.

Swara pushed him without a warning, making Uttara look at her confused. "Eh? What was that for?"

Swara sniffed dramatically. "Nothing. I just felt like it." she cleared her throat and compsed herself. "Anyways, Mani we were looking for you. You said you had to tell me something about Parineeta and Adarsh?"

Mani got serious and nodded. "Those two good-for-nothing dimwits are planning to take over the Maheshwari property."

Uttara gasped. "What?! Parineeta bhabi and Adarsh bhai? But...but they're so good. How could they go against the family?"

"Believe me Uttara. I heard it with my own ears."

Uttara couldn't believe what she was hearing. So much of anarchy in her own family? "Then we must stop them at any cost!"

"I agree. But what were you doing here Mani?" Swara asked as she peeped in the direction Mani was. At once, she could feel her blood boil in anger. "Laksh?! How dare he meet Ragini?! I'll kill him!"

"Oi lady mogambo wait! I allowed him to talk with her."

"What?!" Uttara and Swara exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes. I had a good chat with him and I...I think he deserves a chance to clear his image."

"Did you forget what he did?"

"No I didn't Swara. But I also remember how devastated he was after everything happened. I kind of felt bad for him."

"You're being an emotional fool Mani."

Mani simply shrugged. "Whatever. If I am, let it be. Anyways, I think I took the right decision. Let's go think about how we will expose Parineeta and Adarsh."

"And what about Laksh?"

"I was spying just in case something went wrong. But I guess we need not fear. Let's leave."

Swara still didn't feel like leaving, but chose to trust Mani and left.

#With Laksh and Ragini#

"I don't think I've confessed for every wrong I did to you."

"Laksh, what's the point of bringing up past memories?"

"Ragini I...I thought about what I did. I thought about the past things and I...I realized that I never treated you the way you deserved. Not even once." Laksh spoke, looking at her apologetically. "The first time we met, I disregarded you because of your simple looks. After we became friends through Swara, I treated you like a third wheel. When I wanted to make Swara fall fo me, I used you as an excuse. When bhai faked his madness, I used you again for his treatment, for my own selfish wants! Even after our engagement broke, I apologized for lying to you. But that was just something I did out of courtesy. I never regretted using you. And for that I'm sorry."

"La-"

"Ragini please. Don't say anything today. Let me say it all out. All I want to do right now is srceam and wail for my mistakes because its killing me inside! Let me speak out." Laksh cried out. "I treated you with such unfairness and yet...yet, as if my wretchedness wasn't enough, I had to go and try to steal you from Sanskar. The one who truly loves you, the one who saved you from despair. the one who became your ray of light in a world of misery."

Ragini didn't say anything but listened to him. Seeing him in such a state was making her feel sad for Laksh. But what could she do? With what fake words could she console him when it was the actual truth?

"I tried to steal you thinking that I loved you Ragini. But I never did. I couldn't have loved you truly because if I had...if I had I wouldn't try to hurt you. I wouldn't try to destroy your love life. I knew damn well what I was doing, I knew what I was breaking but still...still I chose to go through my evil ways just for my stupid obsession that clouded my judgement, my lust that made me greedy, and my greed that made me destroy not only my own, but a whole lot of other lives!"

Ragini clutched her heart. Even though she wasn't the one suffering now, looking at him broke her heart. "Laksh I th-"

Laksh chuckled. "It's poetic justice in a way. I'm paying for the hurt that I have been causing others till now. It's all coming back at me now."

Ragini could no longer stand idle and keep watching him fall apart. She hesitated at first in fear, but made herself bold enough to placed a hand on his shoulder. "Laksh, that's enough. It's okay. Let it all go now. I already said I forgive you."

"That's only because you pity me. Don't ragini. I'm not worthy of your kindness."

Ragini shook her head. "Look at me Laksh. Who knows what could have happened if I didn't have Sanskar? Maybe I would have turned evil? Maybe I would have taken wrong steps to make you mine? Maybe I would have ruined Swara's life and degraded her in your eyes just to make you marry me? Maybe I would have mistreated your family once they found out my truth? There are a lot of 'maybe's Laksh, you see? All those thoughts did occur in my mind. I too felt envy, jealousy and what not! All of it could have been me. I too am human, I too could commit such mistakes."

"But you didn't."

"Yes, I didn't. That is the only thing changed the turns of our lives. Other than that, we are the same broken and flawed creatures." Ragini held his chin made him look at her eyes. "Look at my eyes Laksh. Do you see the truth in them? I'm not forgiving you out of pity. I'm doing it because I understand your dilemma and I want to help you move forward in life. I am your friend and I want to see you happy, which can't ever happen if I don't forgive you."

Laksh breathed in a deep breath. For the first time in those two days of despair, he felt like he got back his peace. Her words, her truth...with it, she seemed to lift a great burden from his shoulders. In a world of despair and gloom, he seemed to finally find his ray of hope. Where his heart was in conflict and distress, he could feel a sense of peace settle in.

Ragini, his love, didn't feel disgusted on him or hate him. Instead, she still considered him a friend. And she wasn't saying it for his sake. She meant it for real. "Thank you. Thank you Ragini."

Ragini smiled at him. "You're always welcome. And as for the others? I hope they forgive you as well." she noticed that by then they had reached the park. "We're here I guess." she turned to Laksh to say her goodbyes. "Laksh, I must go ins-"

"Yeah, I understand." he said with a smile, this time a genuine one.

"Will you be alright Laksh?"

"I will. Now, I can finally say that I've made peace with my past and ready to move ahead." Laksh reached for his pocket and pulled out the rose that he had kept. "Please keep this Ragini. Consider it a token from a friend on this special day of yours. I know bhai has planned something big for you."

Ragini took the gift with a soft smile. "Thank you Laksh."

Laksh nodded. "Goodbye Ragini." Ragini nodded and turned to leave, when he called out again. "One more thing Ragini."

"Yes, Laksh?"

"I know you have Sanky and great number of friends and family. They will always be there for you. But remember this Ragini. No matter what happens, no matter if you're in total happiness or utter despair, no matter if you're surrounded by loved ones or alone...just remember that there will always, always be this Laksh who would lay down his life for you. There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you. Remember always Ragini." saying so, Laksh left the place with his signature smirk.

The smirk with which he had greeted her the first time he had met her.

It was only fitting that he left the same way he came to her life.

Ragini watched as he left and turned to look at the park entrance. 'My first love, although not the true one, came to see me off as a best friend while I head towards my true love. Laksh, it's true you hurt me a lot. But it's also you who helped me realize what true love is. That is why...that is why I was able to find myself and the one who was truly made for me. Today, as I head towards my Sanskar, I won't ever forget the you Laksh. After all, no one forgets their first love.' with a fresh breath of air, Ragini stepped foot inside, finally reaching her destination.

Her Sanskar.

#Elsewhere#

Laksh hummed to himself as he walked away. After a long time he could feel happy.

Genuinely happy.

Ever since he came back from abroad, his life has been a rollercoaster. It was like he had just gotten in and went with the flow, without knowing what's right, what's wrong, what to do, what not to do. He's been like a headless chicken roaming around.

But now...now, he felt he has been able to finally find himself and decide for himself. He may not have got the girl at the end, but it no longer mattered. He felt like a winner himself. "Well, I guess I'm quite crazy for feeling happy that the one I love is going to another. Too bad I'm too happy to give a damn."

"One minute Romeo!" Mani exclaimed as he grabbed him by the shoulders. "Not so fast. Picture abhi baki hei. Planning to leave town?"

"Um...yeah."

"Too bad. I think you'll have to put a rain check on your leaving. Come on, I'm kidnapping you!"

"What the he-hey! Let go!" before Laksh could do anything, Mani dragged him away, despite his protests.

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To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹