Sun Saiyaan

"Blame is a game that everyone wants to play."

. . .

Chapter 18

"Ragini Akka was forced to marry someone she didn't want to marry?" He questioned, sounding frightened and Ravi looked down whereas Dhruva looked away and started crying, "just like Amma was. . . And you saw how that ended. She died! Now, Ragini Akka is going through the same. . ." He panicked "we need to stop it. We need to bring her. I'll go, I'll go and get her. You guys can't but I can. I'm going to go. . . I. . ." He stopped and stared at the ground after lowering his head, his heart ached and he felt as if he was sinking in anxiety and fear.

His memories with Ragini flashed before his eyes and tears flowed uncontrollably, he clearly remembered the first time he saw Ragini, it felt as if he was witnessing his mother, she reflected Janaki's beauty and had been the prettiest amongst the crowd full of others. His eyes shone the brightest but his smile wasn't genuine because she didn't know who he was. It was when he was 10 years old and Ragini was 15 years old, he met her when he went with his Uncle Dhruva to Kolkata.

"Akka. . ."

"Akka?" She confusingly asked while sat on the steps, eating ice cream with him.

"Akka means older sister."

"Ohh. So that makes me your older sister. What's your name?"

"Raghav." He replied with a tiny smile over his lips and she smiled back at him, "Raghav? My name is Ragini. We're both Rag! What a coincidence, if I ever had a younger brother I would've definitely called him Raghav!"

"You can just see me as your younger brother." He sounded so hopeful and she giggled, "where are your parents?" She asked and his smile faded, "I don't have a father and my mother passed away before I was born."

He watched her expressions change and her smile turn into a frown, "I'm so sorry. . ." She apologised and he shook his head, "do you not have a family?"

"I do, I'm here with my Mama. We came to visit for a business, we'll soon go back."

"Go back, where did you guys come from?"

"We came from a village near Chennai."

"Chennai, that's in South India isn't it? I'll definitely come and visit you one day. Can you teach me few words in your language?"

He nodded his head, "nan. . ."

"Ragini!" Before he could complete, Parvati interrupted him and stood in front of them, frightening Ragini. "What are you doing here? What is all of this? Is this what you do every day after school?"

"Daadima I was just. . ."

"Why are you eating this?" She threw the ice cream out of Ragini's hand, "you're going to get an upset stomach. Come with me. Thank god I came to the temple and saw you otherwise god knows what else you would've been doing!" She grabbed Ragini's hand and started dragging her.

Raghav felt sad and helpless as he watched Ragini being dragged away.

Other times he stayed at a distance, watching her with Dhruva whenever he visited during his school break.

"You guys said you'll bring her when the time is right! But look what happened!" He yelled as loud as he could, "I had enough of waiting. All that patience only for her to end up suffering, again!" He exclaimed while walking towards the gate, "I'm going myself."

"Raghav, wait." Ravi held his hand, "wait. I'm going to go myself."

"I'm done listening to you guys, I'm going myself." He wiped his tears and tried freeing his hand from Ravi's grip but it was too tight, "I said I will go myself!" Ravi raised his tone and pulled Raghav away from the gate, "you're still underage. You're 18 in a month and then you'll legally be an adult, you can go and create a scene then and they won't be able to do anything!"

"You keep using that as an excuse but I'm done, what's the worst they could do!"

"The only reason we kept you away from them was so that they don't take you away from us!" He reminded Raghav again and stood in front of the gate, facing him, "So that we could keep you! So that they don't take your custody and separate us from you! We took you without their knowledge, they don't even know you exist and have been living with the assumption that you're dead, they're still eligible to file a kidnapping case on us and because you're still a minor, it'll be valid! Do you want Ragini to hate us even more?" Raghav went silent at Ravi's question, lowering his head while wiping his tears.

Raghav had never been lied to while growing up, they told him the truth of how Dhruva isn't his real father but his mother's brother, but in front of the world they had to raise him as Dhruva's son, only to protect him and keep him. He knew all about his mother, and his sister Ragini who didn't even know he existed. On the day of the accident, Dhruva took a promise from Janaki and had taken Raghav away secretly, paying the nurse to lie that he died.

"Akka. . ." Dhruva cried while sat next to Janaki's bed inside an ambulance, Janaki was in pain, she clenched onto her drape and looked at Dhruva, trying to endure the pain and catch her breath.

"Dhruva. . . If anything happens to me, please. . ." She stopped and started screaming "ahhh." Tears were flowing out of her eyes uncontrollably. "Please take care of my children. I trust you. If my child survives, please raise it and get Ragini's custody too. Promise me you'll take care of them. Promise me you'll raise them. Promise me you won't let them suffer. . ."

"I promise Akka." He cried and held Janaki's hand, "but nothing will happen to you."

After reaching the hospital, Janaki was taken to the Operation Theatre and Shekhar and the family followed afterwards. But during that gap, Dhruva managed to talk to the nurse.

"Please can you not tell them about the child? Here's some money, keep it. I need to protect the baby from their abuse." The nurse was hesitant at first but agreed, and did as told. She lied to the doctor that the baby passed away 10 minutes after being born and the doctor broke this news to the family.

Dhruva took Raghav away, and gave him to his younger brother Shiva, who then took him to Chennai and Dhruva stayed back to try and get Ragini's custody.

"I made a promise to Akka that I'll take care of both of you, and the only way to get you was to take you away without them knowing otherwise they would have never let us near you, just how they put a restraining order against us and now we can't even be near Ragini." Dhruva uttered and stood up, wiping his tears. "That was the only way to protect you. But we failed to protect Ragini. . ." He was sad again and started heading inside.

"I hate them! They're the worst! I absolutely hate them!" Raghav yelled in pure hatred and stormed back inside the house.

"I need to do something." Ravi spoke to himself and nodded his head, "even if it means there will be a bloodbath." He sounded serious and certain, clenching his fists again while staring into space.

X X X

Maheshwari Mansion.

Ragini had finished adding things to her suitcase, which had already been packed but not with what she wanted, but with what her Daadima packed it with, it had traditional saree's, jewellery and her Daadima's gold. She zipped it up and sighed a relief, pulling the suitcase off the bed but to her surprise, it was much heavier than she anticipated and stumbled backwards, hitting her back onto Sanskaar's chest.

She instantly moved away and turned to face him, and he blinked at her. "I've booked the tickets. The flight is in 4 hours. . . We'll reach there for 10pm."

"Thank you." She softly mumbled and Uttara walked in, "thank you so much Bhabhi for letting me come too. Now the trip won't be as boring because you have me."

Sanskaar sighed while looking at Uttara, "I don't understand. This isn't a vacation, you and Mom are acting like we're going to Paris or something."

"Either way, it's still a break right? Last year of college is getting stressful for me, I need a change of environment and it'll be fun, finding Ragini Bhabhi's family and the secrets. They're Tamil. So how what when, it must've been that Ragini Bhabhi's Nana Ji and Nani Ji eloped. . ."

"Uttu. . ."

"What?" She questioned and looked at both of them and then at Sanskaar again to continue, "that might be the case because there's no way their families would've allowed inter-caste marriages, especially back in those days. I mean, our family are strict even now. Lakshya Bhai practically had to beg for Swara Bhabhi. Anyways I'm done packing, me and Mom are waiting downstairs. Whenever you're ready." She smiled and started heading out.

"I'll drop this down for you, then I'll come and pack mine. . ."

"I packed yours." Ragini answered back and pointed at the suitcase near the door, "that's yours."

He was surprised, "thank you."

"But you can double check and see if there's anything else you want to take. It might not even be needed, we might come back tomorrow." She uttered, not sure why she doesn't feel like she'll get a positive result from this trip. She had already assumed they won't wanna meet her and that this trip will go down in vain.

"I think they'll be very happy to see you, especially if they've been keeping an eye on you from a distance, it clearly shows you aren't forgotten." He wanted her to keep her hope up high and not feel nervous or demotivated, because it was true, if they had been keeping an eye on her from a distance that means they knew she existed but there must've been a reason they couldn't approach her, and they'll find that out once they reach there.

He took her suitcase and started rolling it towards the exit, and then he grabbed onto his.

"I can. . ." Before Ragini could complete her words, Sanskaar rolled the suitcases away. "Do it myself." She said it to herself in a low tone and sighed, staring at the floor. "Why are you being nice to me. . ." She softly whispered to herself and then slowly walked towards the door, watching him take the suitcases down the stairs.

Ragini glanced around at the room one last time to make sure she doesn't miss anything and her eyes stopped at the mangalsutra on the table in front of the mirror. She stared at herself through the mirror and noticed she didn't have vermillion in her hairline either. "Is it really worth wearing it when I don't accept or respect this marriage?" She touched her chest and scoffed, "I will be leaving him soon. So I don't need to wear it." She turned the lights off and closed the door from the outside.

Ragini was right in her own place, this marriage had happened without her permission and she doesn't even see this marriage as a marriage, so why would she have worn the mangalsutra and adorned her hairline with vermillion if she would never accept him as her husband. It would be disrespectful to mock this pure spiritual and blissful concept of marriage, just by wearing it for show and with no respect for it in her heart.

"I asked where are you going?" She heard Ram question as loud as he could and creased her forehead, rushing towards the stairs.

"I said none of your business!" Sujata answered back and held her pallu, "you don't care if we live or die, so why do this drama now? We're leaving because we had enough of being mistreated. Everyone can clearly see who the favourite is!"

Ragini slowly walked down, witnessing Durga Prasad, Annapurna, Parineeta and Adarsh in the hall watching Ram and Sujata who were on top of the stairs arguing. Sanskaar was silent and so was Uttara.

Ram sighed in frustration and closed his eyes for a second, "Sujata, why are you being so dramatic? We said we will move over the past and start afresh and now you're all leaving. . ."

"Please don't stop us." She interrupted him, making him speechless and he wasn't even sure what to say or how he should feel. "We never fitted in with you or your family. . ." She further added and he clenched his fist, giving up.

"I feel like I'm talking to a wall!" He frustratedly exclaimed and stormed up the stairs, passing Ragini a glance before walking past her.

Ragini felt uncomfortable and slowly took her steps down the stairs until she felt a tight grip over her wrist, she gasped shockingly and turned her head to the side, seeing an angry Lakshya pulling her down towards him.

"How could you do this to me Ragini? How could you ruin my life?" He questioned with tears seeping down his red eyes, and then stumbled a little, "you said I could choose Swara, so why did you make it sound like you didn't choose to give up and that Swara liked me behind your back?"

Ragini was startled and confused, scrunching her nose at the disgusting stench coming from Lakshya. It was obviously visible that he was drunk and not in his senses because he was holding a beer bottle in his other hand. She tried to free her hand from his grip but it was too tight. Sujata, Sanskaar, Uttara, Annapurna, Adarsh and Durga Prasad were shocked by Lakshya's sudden behaviour.

"What are you doing?" Sanskaar asked in a stern tone while walking towards Ragini. He managed to free her hand from Lakshya's grip and stood in front of her like a shield, protecting her from Lakshya's anger.

Lakshya smashed the bottle on the floor and made everyone jump in fear. The glass pieces from the bottle flew everywhere. 

"This is all your fault! You ruined my life!" He angrily shouted and charged towards Sanskaar, punching him across the face.

Annapurna, Parineeta, Uttara and Sujata gasped while covering their mouths, Durga Prasad and Adarsh widened their eyes. Ragini felt Sanskaar's back touch her chest after he had stumbled and held onto his shoulders with a frightened gaze. She was not expecting this at all, she doesn't know how things turned out to be like this and why Lakshya was so angry at her and Sanskaar. Did he find out she was involved in the plan.

"You took me away from Swara! You did something, what did you tell Swara that now she wants a divorce?" Lakshya screamed and held Sanskaar by the shirt, pulling him closer to him. Hearing the word 'divorce' surprised everyone, including Ragini, who froze in her spot. She thought about what had happened today and continued flapping her eyes at Lakshya, who started dragging Sanskaar.

"Laks, leave him!" Sujata shouted while rushing towards them, trying to separate them but Lakshya did not have any patience left in him, he was not having any of it today. \he was in a pure state of anger, resentment and heartbreak.

"Stay out of it Chachi!" His tone made Sujata stop and shiver for a second, he was so angry that it felt like he could kill anyone who comes in front of him and that made Sujata's heart drop. Ragini closed her eyes in fear and swallowed her spit, her heart skipped a beat and she felt scared and confused. She doesn't know why Lakshya's anger was unbearable for her to see and why she couldn't move or say anything.

"Lakshya. . ." Adarsh and Durga Prasad climbed up the stairs while avoiding the glass pieces as much as possible, and Ram came running down the stairs after hearing the commotion.

Sanskaar was silent and decided to stay silent while staring at Lakshya, who was eyeing him with pure rage. He relaxed his tensed shoulders and waited for Lakshya to finish venting, even if it meant for him to beat him up, only so that Lakshya could feel ease afterwards and take out all the grudge he had in his heart out on him rather than involving Ragini into it.

"I hate you!" Lakshya swung him across and let go, and Sanskaar hit his stomach on the railing near the steps to descend down and before he could lose his balance and fall, Adarsh held onto him tightly and prevented him from injuring himself down the steps.

"Lakshya Bhaiyya!" Uttara screamed in shock yet frustration while looking at Lakshya in disbeli, covering her mouth afterwards. She walked towards Sanskaar and held his arm. "Are you okay Bhai?"

Lakshya scoffed and started clapping his hands with painful gazes and a broken heart that is overshadowed with hatred and anger. Soon, he starts laughing, drawing everyone's concerned attention.

"You're not in your senses, go to your room." Durga Prasad said while standing in front of Lakshya, "we will talk about this later."

"No!" Lakshya answered back after he stopped laughing, "I will not leave! What has happened to all of you? Have you forgotten what that man did to us? To me? Was it that easy to forgive him after he saved our company from failing? Are you guys stupid and naive to believe him again? It was all his plan! His first plan failed so then he targeted the company and created this situation, only to act like he's the saviour! Just to win you guys over! And then he fed Swara's mind and successfully separated her from me, she said she wants a divorce! He ruined my life!"

"What do you mean she wants a divorce, why?" Adarsh sounded so confused, not knowing why Swara wanted a divorce all of a sudden.

"All because of Sanskaar! He must've told Swara that Ragini still had feelings for me and as a sister Swara felt heartbroken to have married me, because her sister liked me too. But Ragini said she was happy for me to marry Swara, so I don't understand what happened and what went wrong!" Lakshya swallowed his spit and closed his eyes as tears seeped down his eyes again, "I don't know why. . . Why she wants to leave me."

Adarsh and Durga Prasad sighed while looking down, and Annapurna and Parineeta were shocked.

"This is your karma! You broke Ragini's heart and now look where you are. . ." Sujata taunted Lakshya while walking towards Ragini, holding her by the shoulders, "like I said before, you built your palace on her miseries, what made you think you would've stayed happy for long? I'm glad Swara finally got some senses! But it's a bit too late for that now, why pretend to care now when she decided to turn a blind eye before marrying you? What is done is done, she should move past it and live her life with you."

Lakshya exhaled and clenched his fist, sick and tired of Sujata's daily taunts. "I hate all of you!" He exclaimed, "all of you acted like you cared for me but you never did. Chachi, you used to see me as a son but that was a lie wasn't it? You never wanted to see me happy or successful! After all your real son is your son, you kept wishing bad upon me and now look what happened, your curses worked!"

"I never wished bad upon you, it was your karma!" Sujata argued back and then sighed, "you were always the favourite of the family, you got everything you wanted but my son had always been mistreated and that's what I found unfair! Even then I still treated you right but you never saw me as your family, if you had, you would've forgiven my son!"

"Forgiven him for what? Trying to ruin my life?" Lakshya ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "all of you are right but I'm the only one wrong! I'm the villain, I'm the evil one! Is that what you're trying to say? What he did was nothing but what I'm doing is heinous?"

Lakshya scoffed again, truly hurt by Sujata's words. "It's useless talking to all of you. . ." He walked past Ragini and up the stairs slowly. "I wish you guys never stay happy! After ruining my life, I pray Sanskaar's life is ruined! If God is real and if he's hearing me, then please don't give Sanskaar happiness. Please don't let him stay at peace after he ate my happiness and peace!" Lakshya loudly prayed, causing everyone to be appalled and flabbergasted.

Sanskaar stared into space, thinking of Lakshya's curse and sighed. 'I deserve it.' He told his mind and lowered his gaze, trying his best not to feel offended or disheartened.

Ragini swallowed her spit and exhaled, she felt her heart racing against her chest. Her fists clenched and she made up her mind to speak, to finally say what was in her mind. She slowly turned around and watched Lakshya walk past Ram.

"Lakshya. . ." She stopped and inhaled, controlling her anxiety and Lakshya stopped but didn't turn around.

"I'm s. . . Sorry." She apologised in a gentle tone and he turned, flapping his red teary eyes at her. "But it's not Sanskaar's fault, don't blame him. It's my fault. I fell for you when I shouldn't have. But falling in love wasn't wrong, me trying to get you and being obsessed with you was. . . And I didn't realise that until now. I don't love you anymore and I don't want my heart to break so I decided to let go." She spoke honestly from her heart and then lowered her head while exhaling, she wanted to scream and shout at Lakshya but she couldn't, she doesn't know why she couldn't.

Lakshya closed his eyes and let the tears slowly slide down her eyes, and Ragini's eyes watered as her heart ached. "Sanskaar has been the only person in this entire world, to have understood me and encourage me to go for what I want. I will always stay grateful to him for supporting me. As much as I hated him, I don't anymore and I never wished back upon him and I would hate if anyone else did too. You got your heart broken, I got my heart broken but. . . Sanskaar also got his heart broken. We're all on the same boat now. What he felt years ago after separating from his first love, me and you are feeling that now. But I decided to let you go and you will always be my first love." She tried to curl a small smile over her lips after speaking, lifting her head to look at Lakshya who opened his eyes while blinking at her. "I hated you, but I couldn't for too long. I just want to let you go so you can stay out of my mind. . ." She stopped and started crying, "please don't hate Sanskaar, he wasn't involved in this. It was me. I told them my honest feelings today."

"Ragini." Sujata rubbed Ragini's back to console her, "Sanskaar already went through so much." She continued crying while Sujata continued rubbing her back, "and now because of me he's facing more hatred and backlash."

Sanskaar's eyes started to water without his knowledge and the next second he realised he was in tears that were dripping down his eyes. Uttara stared at Sanskaar emotionally while he tried to calm himself down.

"It's my fault. . . Hate me, curse me but don't blame Sanskaar." Ragini requested and then turned to face Sanskaar while crying, "I'm sorry Sanskaar." She apologised and walked towards him, letting her emotions and feelings be exposed, she wasn't even sure why but she ended up hugging him while resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry."

He felt a sense of comfort and warmth, his tears uncontrollably dripped down and he hugged her back, feeling grateful and thankful for some reason. Maybe now he knew Ragini forgave him and that thought in itself was a good news for him, it made him feel better. He appreciated this gesture, to be accepted with his flaws and to be genuinely appreciated for the things he does. How it felt to be understood was indescribable for him, but still no matter who, as long as Ragini understood him that's all his heart desires. After all, she was his best friend, his dupatte wali dost!

T o  B e  C o n t i n u e d

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✨❤️ THANK YOU FOR READING! ❤️✨

Guess who's back, back again! So I'm finally with another chapter!

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And signing off for today,
H 😘🫶🏼✨