Glitches glitches 😅.  I hope it's displaying. 🎊

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

"Word in double quotes" - Talking

Chapter 37 - Modus Operandi

"Thanks."

"You're welcome Manisha." Ragini replied as she brought her own cup to her lips.

"So, you live here alone?"

Ragini shook her head. "No. I'm currently living here with my...my husband to be you could say." Ragini smiled to herself. 'Sanskar gave me a ring. Does that mean I could also call him my fiancé?'

She didn't notice Manisha tightening her grip on the cup, almost making it shake. "Oh. You two love each other then?"

"Yes of course."

"Ah! Be careful Ragini. You never know these boys. They might easily leave you for another. You should be alert and question his every move when he's out of your sight."

"Haha... It's true that times are changing. But there are still boys who are gentleman, know how to respect women, display proper manners and also, give their heart to only one. My Sanskar is one of those and I am lucky to have him."

"I see. You really are lucky." Manisha said in a extra sweet tone. 'I guess I won't be able to drive them apart by creating suspicion in Ragini's mind. Was worth a try though. No matter! I've got a whole lot of tricks up my sleeves.'

The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation.

"I wonder who could be at this time."

"Maybe Sanskar?" Manisha guessed. She hoped it was him. She was dying to see him from close, to hear his voice utter her name.

Ragini shook her head. "No. He left for the office an hour ago. He isn't supposed to return so soon." placing her cup on the table, she got up to open the door.

"Eh? My my, it is really you Sanskar. But you ha-" Ragini looked at him quizzically. "You look glum. Are you not well? Headache?"

He shook his head in denial.

"Then?" a thought struck her making her look at him with a smirk. "Were you missing me so much that Raj Uncle sent you home?" she wriggled her eyebrows at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Mr. Sanskar, is that it?"

"Ragini..."

His one word made her smile turn into a frown. She could hear the sadness and distress in his voice. Whatever happened must have been serious.

She looked him with a concerned look. "Did something aweful happen? Are you okay Sanskar?"

He didn't answer her questions. However, his pained look and red eyes were enough for her.

Without a word, he surged forward with raised arms, as if to hug her. But something seemed to stop him.

Ragini followed his line of sight and saw him looking at the third person in the room. "Oh I almost forgot to introduce you." she held his hand and led him near the guest. "This is Manisha. And Manisha, this is Sanskar."

'Wow. He's more handsome in real then in the low quality picture in his official bio.' Manisha got up and walked closer to them, extending her hand towards him. "Hello. Nice to meet you."

Sanskar simply nodded towards her and turned to Ragini. "I'm...I'm tired. You both chat. I'll be going to my room." without any further words, he walked away.

Ragini watched his retreating back in worry. 'He looks so tensed. What could have happened? Maybe Mani bhai would know if anything wrong went in the office...'

"That was cold."

Manisha's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Oh. No, no. Don't misunderstand please. He just seems to be in a bad mood, that's all."

Manisha's hands balled into fists in anger. However, she composed herself and smiled a fake smile. "I can understand. Work can exhaust one sometimes."

"You're not wrong. I think I'll go make him tea. It will provide refreshment. Please excuse me."

Manisha's watched her go with gritted teeth. 'He only talked to her. Only a nod towards me. To me!? How could he not admire my beauty?!' she calmed herself so as to not break something. "It's okay. It's all okay. He doesn't realize what a jewel I am. He's used to average girls like that Ragini. That's why he doesn't think I might like him. That's why he's probably ignoring me."

Manisha picked up the picture of him. "Don't you worry. This diamond has come to you itself. I'll show you luxury like no other! I'll love you more than her! I'll make you a King in my mansion!" she hugged the picture to her chest. "And we shall live happily ever after. Just you, me, money and our little family. Wouldn't it be just perfect?"

#Maheshwari Mansion#

"I can't believe you would do this to us Uttara!"

"Why not Maa? What's wrong with wanting some property for myself? After all, I need money for shopping and my jewellery." Uttara replied carelessly.

Durgaprasad's legs seemed unable to hold him and he fell back on the couch. Annapurna sat down beside him, her own tears surfacing. "Annapurna, how did we end up here? How did Laksh and Uttara turn out like this? Were my upbringings so faulty? Did I fail as the family's supreme?"

"Don't say that brother. You raised them right. You taught them all the values that a respectable and honourable individual should possess." Ram assured. "It's their poisoned minds that couldn't learn. Although we do share the fault of spoiling them with what they wanted. We should have made them gruel and work for each prize."

"I should have slapped you the moment you stubbornly requested for a big teddy right when you were a child!" Sujata shouted. "Then nothing of this sort would have happened."

"Enough!" Laksh hollered. "I'm bored from all this family drama. This isn't some daily soap that I'm gonna keep hearing your lectures and speak up only when you're done. So shut up!"

"Laksh Maheshwari!" Annapurna got up from her seat in rage. "How dare you talk to your elders in such a tone?"

"Whatever! You all can compete who can shed more tears in a bucket later. For now..." he dramatically brought his hand to slam the table. "Rule 1. I'm the owner of this property and if you all want to stay, then you stay under me. Rule 2. Always listen to me and Uttara. Rule 3. Don't dare disobey Rule 1 and 2. Understood?"

"I would rather live in the streets than live here!" Durhaprasad firmly stated. "Annapurna, we're leaving."

"Baba, what are you saying?" Adarsh asked in surprise. 'I won't resort to live in a borrowed apartment like some low middle class family. I'm Adarsh Maheshwari for goodness sake!'

"You heard me right."

Parineeta looked pissed off. "Adarsh, I refuse to live as a commoner! Do something to make them stay. Moreover, we can't get the property in our name if we don't stay within!" she whispered to Adarsh.

"I agree with big brother. This is a humiliation I refuse to bear! After me and bhai worked so hard to build the entire business, we won't live like puppets in your hands at our own house!" Ram declared. "Sujata, go pack our things. We are leaving as well."

Amidst everything, they didn't hear the string of curses that were being uttered outside.

"Shit, shit, shit! This wasn't part of the plan. This was soooo not part of the plan."

"Ugh! You and your stupid plan. I shouldn't have gone through it and stopped you Mani!"

Mani glared back. "You didn't because you knew it was brilliant idea as well Swara!"

Swara's eye twitched as she failed to have at a fitting comeback. After all, he wasn't wrong. "Whatever! Now what do we do? We don't want them to go living on the streets."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"

"Think faster!"

"At least I'm thinking, unlike you who's eating my brain! Cut me some slack!"

"I'm trying to think of a solution as well you dolt!"

#Ragini and Sanskar's Apartment#

Sanskar heard a knock on the door, breaking him from his thoughts. It was obvious who it was since the new guest wouldn't dare budge into his room.

He got up to open the door and was greeted by Ragini.

"I brought you tea. It will help your mood."

Sanskar looked at the smoking beverage. He took it from her and tried it. "Thank you, it's good. Who's the guest by the way?"

"Manisha you mean." Ragini proceeded to tell him how they met.

"Why aren't you more careful Ragini? You could have been seriously hurt! And that woman. Doesn't she know how to drive?! If she doesn't, than she shouldn't endanger other pedestrians with her recklessness! I'll go an-"

"Shh... Calm down, calm down. She'll hear."

"Do I look like I give a damn!? Infact I'll be happy if she hears. She shouldn't be excused so easily!"

Ragini wondered if it was wrong that she was feeling happy at the anger he was showing on Manisha because he was worried for her. 'It's kind of cute though.' Ragini thought in amusement, failing to hide the smile that crept upon her lips.

"Are you laughing?"

His pout made matters worse for her. She couldn't hold in her laugh.

"You're laughing? Is this a big joke to you?!"

"It's not. But at least it seems to have lightened your mood." Ragini joked. "A grumpy, short tempered Sanskar is way better than a gloomy, depressed Sanskar."

Sanskar glared at her as she looked back with a challenging look of her own.

Staring into each others eyes, they didn't notice Manisha come and stand around the corner of the wall, peeking at them.

Manisha felt elated when she heard Sanskar shout. She was sure he was getting angry at something Ragini did. Unable to resist, she came to see herself. 'There they are glaring at each other. Oh! What better day to meet them!'

However, her smirk disappeared when she saw them break out into fits of laughter.

"I can't win against you can I?"

"Nope Sanky. You should just admit defeat." Ragini joked back.

Sanskar chuckled and shook his head. "I'm lucky to have you. You're someone who can light up even my worst day."

Ragini took the cup from him and placed it on the tiny table right outside Sanskar's door. "About that. I've been meaning to ask you about it. What exactly happened?"

Sanskar took her hand and pulled her inside, closing the door behind him. He didn't want any interruptions. Especially not from someone whom he already seemed to view negatively because of her rash driving.

"So?"

He looked down as he recalled the events of the day. "I...I met the new collaborator today. The one with whom the Dobrials will be sharing a business deal."

"And?"

"It's..." Sanskar balled his hands into fists. "It's my father. It was the most unexpected thing Ragini."

Ragini's eyes widened in surprise. "Your father is the new partner?"

"Yes. And I met him in my cabin today."

'By the looks of it, something serious went down.' she concluded. "Go on."

"Well, Raj Uncle brought him there and..."

*flashback*

"I...I uh..." Raj cleared his throat. "It seems there are some personal matters that need to be settled. I don't want to interfere. I'll be in my office if you need me." Raj nodded at both of them and left Sanskar's cabin.

Sanskar refused to meet his father's eyes. Ram Maheshwari, on the other hand, was looking at his son with affection. He was glad to see that Sanskar was doing well. He hadn't checked on him ever since he left to stay at Badi. It was only later that he got to know he and Ragini had left Badi as well.

Ram worked up the courage and spoke first. "How are you Sanskar?"

"I'm okay."

"Good good. And...and Ragini?"

"She's fine as well. How are you and Maa?"

"We're fine too."

Sanskar sighed. 'Why did things have to be this way? We are family, and yet...yet we are talking like strangers?'

"Uttara is back if you're forgetting. She's doing fine as well."

"I see." Sanskar straightened up. "I think it will be best if we just concentrate on business matters. If you're okay with it that is."

"Beta, I ju-"

"It's Sanskar." he corrected.

Ram sighed. "You're still my son Sanskar, even if I'm angry at you for lying."

Sanskar glared. "Oh really? Weren't it you and Maa who disowned me because I lied to you? Weren't you the same people who refused to listen to my story?!"

His father flinched at the accusation. "Alright, I admit we...we should have considered it. But you wronged us! You took advantage of our trust in you. You can't possibly think we would just overlook it."

Sanskar's anger flared at his words. "No. But at least you could of listened to my side of the story and tried to understand where I was coming from! Yes, I was wrong. I was terribly wrong, I admit. But I was in the illusion that Bade Papa and Laksh were responsible for Kavita's death. Why didn't you at least try to understand my suffering?!"

"What was there to understand? You were wreckless! If instead of running off you would have come back and tried to talk things out, maybe everything would have been different!" Ram hollered, his own temper flaring.

"So you just decided to abandon me...just like that? When Ragini, a person who wasn't even related to me, could try to understand me, could you not think of giving me a second chance. Why couldn't you? Why not?! Why did you decide on your own that I won't change without letting me another chance? Did that mistake of mine make you forget everything I did for the family before it? Did you forget the fact that I was already making amends by the time you found out?! Answer me!"

His father didn't have an answer for it. He looked down in guilt. "I...I admit I and Sujata aren't completely innocent either. We too are to blame for not giving you a second chance. I'm so-"

"Don't." Sanskar balled his hands into fists. "Don't go apologizing now. It won't change a thing. There is a time for everything father. Even the right thing is futile at the wrong time. I've learnt to live without your support. And I'm happy."

"If you don't care about us anymore, why do you still keep this?" the older Maheshwari questioned pointing at the pen.

Sanskar avoided his gaze and looked elsewhere. "It's...it's a rare one. So I keep it as solveiner. Nothing more to it. Stop associating it with anything!"

Ram chuckled at his voice. He could imagine the little Sanskar that would cross his arms over his chest and pout when he didn't want to admit his attachment to his favorite blanket. "Liar."

"I am not!"

"You are."

"I said I'm not! An-" Sanskar stopped. He sighed to himself and ran a hand over his face.

His banter with his father was reminding him of old times. 'But it's not the same anymore. I wish it was, but it isn't.'

"San-"

"Just leave, alright? Don't...don't even try to pretend that everything is fine and dandy. It's not. You and Maa hurt me a lot by your rejection. It's a scar that will last me a life time." Sanskar spoke looking down. "But with Ragini's help, I let my anger go. I still respect you both and acknowledge you. I no longer hold grudges against you. So...so just let's keep it that way, okay?"

"Bu-"

"Your apologies will only act like salt on my wounds right now. Please...leave."

*flashback end*

Sanskar took a deep breath once he finished to calm himself. He let out a dry chuckle. "That's my sob story."

"Oh Sanskar..." Ragini held his hand in hers.

"I didn't...I didn't know how to face him. Should I smile that he apologized? Should I sneer for long he took!? Should I try to reconcile?"

"Sanskar li-"

"I...I was so confused Ragini. I didn't know what to do and I thought that if he stayed, I might end up hurling some hurtful words. He would do the same an-"

His continuous and frantic words were stopped when he felt arms around him, bringing him into a hug.

"It's okay Sanskar. It's all okay. You did good."

He put his head on her shoulder. "Are...are you sure?"

"Absolutely. If you hadn't stopped it, it might have ruined your relationships further. He apologized didn't he? Although it's too late you say, don't you think it lightened your heart even if it's only a tiny bit? Didn't it?"

"Even so, what's the use when it's only a drop compared to the ocean of hurt."

Ragini broke the hug and looked at him in the eyes. "Drops of water makes up the ocean. Today was one drop, tomorrow there may be another. And I believe...I believe one day, you will be able to reconcile with them. It may take time, but I know that day will come."

Sanskar entwined his fingers with her. "You really think so?"

"Definitely!"

#Dobrial mansion#

"Aish! Where is Ragini? She should have been here by now." Shikha let out a puff of air. Having nothing to do, she took out her phone gallery. Sanskar and Ragini's picture caught her attention. "Aww...they look so cute together! Such a cute couple! But the background of the grocery shops is uncool. What to do ab-" Shikha noticed something odd and squinted at the picture.

Her eyes widened as she noticed the figure standing behind a stall and spying on Ragini and Sanskar.

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹