Laksh was hiding his face in her neck while Ragini was standing there rooted. Her skin gets goosebumps as she feels him moving his face from her neck to shoulders. He was stepping forward while Ragini was stepping back until she dashes with the wall. He holds her closer through her waist and keeps his other hand on the wall. She closes her eyes shut at the feeling. She wasn't understanding what was going on, what he was doing and why but she was indeed melting in his arms. Her hands automatically goes to clutch on his shirt. Laksh starts kissing her from the shoulders to back till her neck. He bites on her neck and Ragini hisses. Her voice brings him back to reality. He stops suddenly. He glances at Ragini's face and finds her eyes closed.

Laksh (thinks): what am I doing? How can I play with her feelings like this? Already, I'm giving her so much of pain and now I'm confusing her with my actions.

He inhales her fragrance and plants a last kiss in her neck, where he bit her and moves back and immediately runs into the washroom. Ragini opens her eyes when she feels him missing. She looks around for him but he wasn't there. Then her eyes falls on the closed door of the washroom.

Ragini: from when he's inside? Was... Was it a dream?

She was confused with whether it was a dream or reality. Tears starts tricking down her chubby cheeks thinking that it was a dream.

Ragini: how will I live my life like this? When you'll keep my mind, my heart and my body occupied always.

She makes her heart strong and leaves the room.

***

Ragini finds Naina and Misha with their bags in the hall. The brothers looks at her helplessly. Ragini smiles at them.

Ragini: take care of yourself and... him too.

Tears starts flowing from the eyes of three of them.

Trio: we're sorry bhabhi. We couldn't do anything.

Ragini shakes her head at them.

Ragini: it wasn't your fault. There's nothing you can do.

She smiles at them for the last time and starts moving out of the house, followed by the others.

The brothers unwantedly keeps the luggages inside the car. Swara looks at Sanskar who nods to her.

Sanskar: she needs you more now.

Ragini: no Swara, you stay here. I'll be fine.

Swara: but di...

Ragini: I'm saying na.

Swara nods half heartedly and hugs her crying. Ragini hugs her back.

All this was watched by Laksh, who was standing near the window of his room. His heart was breaking into billions of pieces seeing her condition.

Laksh: I'm sorry bachcha. I'm so sorry. I told you that loving me can give you pain. Your swollen eyes are the proof.

Just then Ragini looks in his direction but he hides behind the curtains. She turns her face away again and sits inside the car along with Naina and Misha and they leaves from there while Laksh keeps on looking at the disappearing car.

***

The three of them reaches the Gadodia mansion. Ragini gets out of the car and immediately runs to her room. The other two follows her running. They reaches her room and finds the door closed.

Naina: di, open the door.

But they got no response from her.

Misha: di, please open the door. You're scaring us. Please...

Ragini: I'm fine. Just leave me alone for sometime.

Naina: no, you're not fine. We know you. Please don't cry.

Ragini: I'm not crying. Why should I cry? I'm happy in his happiness.

Naina and Misha: dii...

Ragini: you both go. I'll come out after sometime and don't worry, I'm fine.

Naina and Misha looks at each other and leaves from there unwillingly while Ragini keeps on crying her heart out.

***

Laksh comes out of his room and finds his brothers sitting in the hall with pale faces. They looks up at Laksh, hearing his footsteps.

Laksh: can we spend some time together? Only a few minutes?

Trio: no!!!

Laksh: please...

Sanskar: you didn't do right bhai.

He gets up and leaves from there. Arjun too gets up. Laksh was about to say something but Arjun didn't let him.

Arjun: I don't want to talk to you.

He also leaves from there. Laksh makes a fist of his hand and looks at Ryan.

Laksh: Rey...

Ryan: not now please...

He leaves from there too. Laksh was standing alone in the hall.

Laksh: if not now them never. We'll never be able to spend some time together after this.

He looks in the direction in which his brothers left and then leaves the house.

He reaches the police station. Aryan looks at him and gets confused and surprised.

Aryan: hey buddy!! You here? What a pleasant surprise. Yesterday only I was saying that you forgot me and today you came to meet me. Not bad!! You should have told me, I must have come to meet you.

Laksh: I killed him.

Aryan: what?

Laksh: I-did-a-murder.

Aryan: are you mad? Don't joke, ok.

Laksh: I'm serious inspector. I murdered Rajat Kapoor.

Aryan: what are you saying? Have you lost your senses?

Laksh: if you don't believe me then you can check xyz place. You'll get his dead body.

Aryan looks on shocked.

Flashback ends.

Ragini was standing in front of the mirror. She was looking a mess. She assembles her hair and ties them in a bun. Right then her eyes catches something on her neck. She traces her finger on it. It was a mark. It didn't take her much time to understand what it was and how it came.

Ragini: it wasn't a dream!!

She starts smiling like an idiot.

Ragini: it wasn't my imagination. It was real. He really did that. It means... It means he didn't want me to go away. He's doing all this because he's helpless about something. He's bounded. But what must be the reason?

Just then Misha enters inside the room. Ragini immediately unties her hair and let them fall over her shoulders.

Misha: di, Aryan sir is here.

Ragini nods and both of them leaves.

***

Aryan: we know that he didn't do anything!! We trust him right?

Everyone nods without thinking once.

Aryan: now, it's not the time to cry but to be strong and fight for him. We have to find the reason behind all this. We have to find why he's doing this?

Ragini: why he's helpless?

She says absentmindedly. Everyone looks at her.

Aryan: bhabhi, tell me what was the reason he beat Rajat in his office?

Ragini sighs and sits on the couch. She takes a deep breath and starts telling everything to them. She looks at everyone after finishing. They were angry.

Arjun: he deserved what he got!!

Others: exactly!!

Ragini: but my Laksh didn't kill him. I know.

Naina: we know that too di.

Aryan: Rajat was murdered on xyz date.

Ragini: it was Sunday. That day, Laksh was in his office from the morning and I was in the house. In the evening we went to a business party together. We met my college batchmate Gaurav there. He can be a witness for us. We came back late at night and then directly went to sleep. I didn't even see him going anywhere.

Aryan was noting down everything.

Aryan: he was murdered in the morning not night.

Ragini: we can check the CCTV footages. He was all day in the office.

Aryan nods. He then looks at others.

Aryan: where were you all that day?

Swara: me and Naina were in the house all the day.

Ryan: me and Misha were at an inter college competition. We were in the camp, near the jungle.

Sanskar: and me and Aru was also in the same area for a business meeting. All four of us came back together, next day.

Aryan nods.

Aryan: it may be possible that there's someone behind all this. Someone is blackmailing him and forcing him to do so.

Ragini: but what the person must be blackmailing him about?

Aryan: that we have to find and you all have to think. Maybe, something is left from our eyes.

Everyone starts thinking. Naina and Swara leaves for the kitchen and comes back with snacks for everyone.

Swara: guys, please eat something. You all didn't eat anything from the morning.

Ragini: I don't want to eat.

Ryan: how can we eat when we don't know whether he might have eaten anything or not!!

Everyone nods agreeing with him. Aryan gets up.

Aryan: okay, I have to leave now. I'll make sure that idiot eat something and then I'll call you. Then you all will eat, right?

Everyone nods and Aryan leaves from there.

***

Laksh was sitting on the floor in the cell, facing the wall. He was deep lost in his thoughts.

Flashback:

It was the time after Laksh's accident. He was staying at home. His wife and brothers didn't let him join the office. He was roaming here and there on the terrace. He sit's on a bench placed there. The weather was cold and he was feeling it but didn't want to go back to his room. He was fed up by being in that room. He was rubbing his arms to get some warmth when he felt a warm cloth around himself. It was a shawl. He looks at the person and meets his wife's smiling face. Ragini sit's besides him.

Ragini: hmm... What were you doing here alone?

Laksh: just like that. I was feeling bored in that room.

Ragini shakes her head. She herself was feeling cold now. Laksh notices her rubbing her arms. He moves closer to her and takes her into the shawl. Ragini smiles looking at him but he was looking at the sky.

Laksh: the sky looks so beautiful with the stars know.

Ragini: yeah but the moon has it's own glory. There are countless stars in the sky but moon is only one, like you are the moon in my life.

She says staring him. Laksh was touched by her words. He looks at her for a few seconds and then again looks at the sky.

Laksh: night not only brings stars and moon but also darkness with it.

Ragini: but the shine and glory of the stars and moon comes out to be more enhanced because of the darkness my love. Everything has it's own perspective of existence in this world.

Laksh: and what's my perspective of being in your life? What I've done to you or for you till now? Why am I the moon in your life?

Ragini smiles at his question.

Ragini: there's not a single reason which I can tell you but there are uncountable. Don't worry, I'll keep telling you with time. I'll keep showing you what you are in my life and how I am incomplete without you. How much I love you and how much loving you is important for me.

Laksh: I don't think it's good for you to compare me with the moon. It's incomparable. It makes the whole world shine in the night.

Ragini: don't underestimate my husband Mr Maheshwari. He has given a beautiful and carefree life to his brothers. He has sacrificed for his brothers. He has made his wife head over heels in love with himself.

Laksh: you always find a positive side of every negative thing. You won't let me feel low ever!! Will you?

Ragini: never ever!! Not atleast till my last breath. You're great in your own way my love.

Laksh shakes his head at his wife's madness for him.

Flashback ends.

Laksh: I'm not the moon but the darkness in you life. I've given you nothing besides pain.

He then starts laughing.

Laksh: life is so funny. Till yesterday I was so confused about my feelings but today... Today, I found what this feeling is called. It's the shit called love. Yes it is!!

He laughs again and hides his face in between his palms.

Laksh: I love you Ragini. I really do but it's too late for all this. I'll be alone now. Forever and always.

Just then he hears some footsteps and composes himself. Aryan was standing there with a plate of food in his hands.

Aryan: will you please tell me what's cooking in your mind? Why are you doing all this god dammit?

Laksh: I don't want to talk about it.

Aryan: I'll kill you!!

Laksh: you don't have any guts to do that.

Aryan: neither you have any, to kill anyone.

He says angrily as he hit's his hand on the bars. Laksh shakes his head smiling.

Laksh (thinks): this much trust.

A constable opens the door and leaves from there. Aryan enters inside. He sits in front of Laksh.

Aryan: eat!!

Laksh: I don't want to.

Aryan: eat silently. Your whole family is sitting there hungry because of you.

Laksh looks at him shocked.

Aryan: they're saying they'll not eat until you will not.

Laksh (under his breath): stubborn creatures.

Aryan: just like you.

Laksh glares him and snatches the plate from him. He starts eating. Aryan takes out his phone and dials Ryan's number.

Aryan: ha Rey, tell everyone to eat. Mission accomplished!!

Ryan: okay... You're not lying na?

Aryan: I'm not lying Rey.

Ryan: ok...

He disconnects the call. Laksh's ears were all the time on their conversation. He wanted to hear his baby brother's voice but doesn't want to fall weak also.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I don't know what to say😶. Last time also I updated without votes and this time also. There's still a large difference between the votes. It's me who's compromising every time because of my genuine readers who has always supported me from the beginning. I don't want them to suffer because of others. I don't know what's the reason behind this. Maybe, you guys are not interested in the story anymore but honestly, it's very demotivating. It's the closest story to me and I can write it 24×7 but I'm losing interest in it because of the falling votes and response from the readers😥.

Next: the hearing of divorce.

Please ignore any mistakes.
Thank you for reading.