Sanskaar's eyes snapped open. His heartbeats racing against his chest. He stared at the ceiling letting the visions of his nightmare slip away from his conscious, back into their hiding place.

He rubbed his hand across his face and looked at the time 5:30AM. It was too early to wake up, but he wouldn't have been able to close his eyes now.

He got out of bed, forcing himself to get ready for the game that Lakshya was playing with him as the pawn.

He was at the temple already but the time it was quarter to seven. He wasn't sure what trick Lakhya had played on his mother and Badi Maa to keep them away. Right now he didn't care much. He had enough on his plate.

Sanskaar was pacing by the temples steps for a while when he saw Ragini alight from a car.

He quickly rushed away from the temple and walked back towards the steps, pretending that it was the first time he was doing that. Ensuring that he would be seen.

'This is just for a short while until I sort Lakshya,' he kept chanting to himself. It didn't change that he was fooling this innocent stranger but it helped him live with some of the guilt. The alternate-risking the secret-was after all unthinkable.

"Sanskaarji!" He heard Ragini call out, surprise evident in her tone.

He turned around, pulling on the mask of surprised look on his face, "Ragini?"

She walked over to Sanskaar with a smile on her face, "What are you doing here?"

Sanskaar glanced at the temple in response. Sometimes it was better to let people make their own conclusions rather than lying to them outright.

She hit her forehead gently, "I am really silly! Of course you are here to visit the temple."

Sanskaar gave a small smile and a nod.

"I didn't realise you came to the temple," she commented casually.

Sanskaar shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing wrong with coming to the temple, right?"

"Of course!" Ragini said shaking her head quickly, "I am sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"You know you should change your name to 'sorry'," Sanskaar said with a teasing smile. The girl apologised way too much!

"Wha-," Ragini asked surprised before seeing his expression. She shook her head, "Shall we go?"

"Where?"

Ragini smiled and signalled towards at the temple.

"Oh right! Yes! That is why we are here," Sanskaar said taking his slip-ons off. He climbed up a step before he heard Ragini clear her throat. Sanskaar raised his eyebrow in question.

"Shouldn't we get a basket of the offerings for the goddess?" She asked titling her head towards the numerous stalls that were overflowing with garlands, coconuts, incense sticks among other things.

"Right!" Sanskaar said feeling chastised. He ran a hand over the button of his kurta before joining her at one of the stalls. He was messing this up royally!

Ragini handed a basket to him before picking one herself. As they walked towards the steps, Ragini saw a man selling 'Raksha Dhaka' or protection threads. She hesitated for a second before walking up to him.

"Can you give me one of these threads?" She asked tentatively.

"Who is this for?" Sanskaar asked, seeing her nervousness.

"Lakshyaji," she said shyly, "Will you give to him?" She asked him with hopeful eyes.

Sanskaar nodded. He didn't mind giving to Lakshya; not even when he knew that Lakshya would never wear it.

She smiled at Sanskaar and quickly paid the man for it. When he handed the thread to her, she looked at it for a minute.

"What is wrong?" Sanskaar asked seeing her still stuck with the vendor.

She looked at him tentatively before turning back to the man, "Can you give me one more?"

"Who is this one for?" Sanskaar asked.

"For you," came her plain answer.

"Me?" Sanskaar asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

She nodded, "For your safety. You are helping me pass this to Lakshyaji. That is the least I can do. Pray for your safety."

Well the way Lakshya was going, he wasn't the only one who needed safety. His entire family was going to need one too. And not just his entire family, but this girl right in front of him, praying for his and Lakshya safety was going to need one too. Worst thing was that she was going to need it because of the actions of the very same people she was trying to protect.

"Give us one more," Sanskaar said gravely.

Ragini jerked her head looking at him before a teasing smile broke on her lips, "For your someone special?"

Sanskaar shook his head, "For you."

Ragini looked at him wide eyed.

"What?" Sanskaar shrugged his shoulders, "You are buying one for me too! Everyone can use a bit of safety, right?"

She nodded her head, even though she looked uncertain.

"You don't want to buy any more these, right?" Sanskaar asked her.

She shook her head quickly.

"Good! Let's go to the temple then," Sanskaar said as he walked away from her.

***

Sanskaar was consuming the prasad (sweet), while waiting for the priest to finish tying the protective thread around Ragini's wrist.

The priest chanted verses as he went about it, just like he had minutes before when he tied one around Sanskaar's wrist. He looked at Sanskaar, "You make a good couple. May god bless you and keep you together," he said.

"No–," Ragini tried to explain.

Sanskaar choked on the prasad, breaking into violent fits of cough.

Ragini jerked around to look at Sanskaar. Her eyes widened looking at his state. She rushed to him and tried to pat his back the best she could.  

The priest was shaken out of his wits by Sanskaar's reactions as well. He rushed helter-skelter trying to find some water for Sanskaar before finally pushing the copper vessel filled with tirth/holy water into Sanskaar's hand.

Sanskaar gulped it down in midst his coughs.

The priest rushed away trying to get help, worried he was going to have a dead person in his holy temple.

Sanskaar's coughs finally calmed down after a few minutes, but not before others had crowded around him worried. There were some yelling for a doctor. When he finally stopped coughing, he had tears streaking his eyes and cheeks from the effort.

He took a big gulp of air as he tried to sooth his body and his ribs. He looked around quickly, "Lets get out of here before the priest returns," he caught hold of Ragini's hand and dragged her out of the temple.

"That is one dangerous priest," Sanskaar said as they wore their footwear.

Ragini pressed her lips trying to hold back her laughter.

"What?" Sanskaar said looking at her, "That guy can think some crazy things!"

"You know we could have just told him the truth and set that right," Ragini commented shaking her head.

"Yeah well, I don't want to meet him again! I don't know what goes on in his head," Sanskaar muttered as he walked towards where the cars were parked.

He had walked a bit when he felt things were too silent. He turned around to look for Ragini but couldn't find her. He rushed back to the temple, but she wasn't there.  It took questioning a couple of vendors before someone pointed him in the direction that she had gone.

He walked for a couple of minutes in the direction before he came across the edge of the hill that the temple was situated on. He saw Ragini sitting some distance away on a big rock.

"Do you do that often?" he asked plopping down on the rock next to her.

She looked at him confused.

"Do you walk away without telling that you are leaving?" he asked firmly, "Do you know how much I had to search for you." He was annoyed, "And what do I find, Raginiji is sitting here calmly while I was worried someone had kidnapped you!"

"Why would anyone kidnap me?" she asked innocently.

Sanskaar made to reply but thought otherwise. He shook his head.

"I am sorry," she said quietly.

He looked at her and raised his eyebrow, "What exactly are you doing here?"

She looked down, chastised, "I come here to sit for a while after visiting the temple."

"You could have told me," Sanskaar complained.

"Sorry," Ragini said holding her ears.

Sanskaar shook his head but gave her a small smile. "So what are we doing here?" he asked after they had sat there for a while.

"Why do we need to do anything?" Ragini asked calmly, "Sometimes it is just nice to sit, look at the entire city and find some peace to think."

Sanskaar looked back at the sight in front of him. He could see the Howrah Bridge from there and the dome of the Victoria Memorial; the lush green cover of the trees around them. He looked back at Ragini, "So what do you come here to think?" he asked.

Ragini looked at him. She was quiet as though pondering over something, before she spoke, "I come here to remember Maa." Her voice was soft as she spoke. Softer than usual.

"You miss her." It wasn't a question. "When did she..."

"5 months ago," Ragini said quietly before looking away.

"I am sorry...," He wished he hadn't brought it up. The pain must have still be raw for her.

She gave him a sad smile before looking away again.

"She must have been happy to have a daughter like you. You are a really good person," Sanskaar  said.

"I am not all that good," Ragini said seriously, "I have my flaws."

Things were getting too serious. Sanskaar looked at her, "I know," he said trying to lighten the mood, "I know of one."

Ragini looked at him questioningly.

"You say sorry too much, remember!" he said with a grin.

Ragini shook her head, but smiled back at him.

"So what are your other flaws?" he asked cheekily

"Why do you want to know?" Ragini asked raising her eyebrow.

"You are going to be part of the family. We should know what we are dealing with," he said smirking.

"Are we finding out eachothers flaws now?" Ragini asked turning to face him.

"You wouldn't be able to find my flaws," Sanskaar said jutting his chin.

"Why? You don't think you have them?" Ragini asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"No. I am just too good at hiding them," he smirked.

Ragini narrowed her eyes, "What if I find them?"

"Are you trying to bet on that?" Sanskaar asked raising his eyebrows in challenge.

Ragini met his eyes with a mischievous smile in hers.

Thanks for reading the chapter and thanks for all the wonderful comments and votes for the last chapter. Please do keep sharing your comments and your views with me. Do vote if you like the chapter.