"What happened? Got no answer for me?" Sanskaar tilted his head to the side, "Want me to help you?"

Lakshya stood silent, staring at Sanskaar.

"Fine ..." Sanskaar rubbed his finger across his forehead, "Naina was never pregnant. You let it slip, on purpose, to give me an emotional reason, a moral reason to break this wedding."

Lakshya looked away.

"Not going to deny it?" Sanskaar shook his head, "No. I didn't expect you to. When you cannot get your way, you always do fall back on drama and emotional blackmail. You thought I would see through that act?"

"Fine!" Lakshya waved his hand, "Fine. You got me. Happy?"

Sanksaar watched him silently as Lakshya walked towards Sanskaar.

"I was trying to calm down your conscience so that you wouldn't get distracted from the goal. If you want to do it the hard way," Lakshya shrugged his shoulder.

"Thanks so much for your consideration."

"That are what brothers are for, right?" Lakshya said.

"Spare me your love," Sanskaar warned, "And stop pulling these stupid stunts of fake babies and fake girl friends."

"Naina is my girl friend and I love her," Lakshya said plainly.

"No, you don't," Sanskaar shot back, "If you did, you would have spoken to the family about her. You never did. You didn't want to risk your money supply and luxurious life."

"And what is wrong with that? It wasn't as though our orthodox family was going to accept her with open arms, right!" Lakshya rolled his eyes.

"You know how you can keep that money supply intact?" Sanskaar said, "Go through with the wedding with the girl they have chosen. With Ragini."

"Ragini! Ragini! Ragini!" Lakshya spat, "I am tired of hearing that name."

"Get used to it. You aren't someone who can live without his luxuries," Sanskaar shrugged his shoulders, "She is a really nice girl."

"Then why don't you marry her?"

"Why don't you suggest that to Badi Maa and Bade Papa?" Sanskaar challenged, "Lets see if you have the guts to do that."

"I have the guts to tell them about your secret. Want me to do that?" Lakshya's voice was cold.

Sanskaar ignored the bait and looked at him hard, "You think you are going to have all these comforts if you break the wedding?"

Lakshya clicked his tongue, "You have a really short memory. Did you forget that you are the one who is going to break the wedding? I will be the poor heartbroken soul who has just lost his fiancé." Lakshya put on a sad face and pouted before letting out a chuckle.

"What happens if Ragini and her family don't agree to break this wedding?" Sanskaar asked quietly. 

"You are extremely resourceful when you have the right motivation. Haven't I motivated you enough?" Lakshya raised his eyebrows.

Sanskaar looked back at Lakshya, "Doesn't your conscience prick you? Does it not bother you what it will do to the family if they find out?" 

Lakshya looked at him and smiled, "Maa!" he called out looking behind Sanskaar.

Sanskaar turned around on his heels to look at the door. There was no one there. He let out his breath in relief, before his eyes widened. 

He had left the door open. 

Anyone could have walked it. Listened to them. 

He took a step towards the door when Annapurna walked in front of him.

He stepped back, heartbeats racing seeing her. Did she hear anything? No. She couldn't have. She looked calm.

"Yes, Lakshya," Annapurna replied.

"Talk to Sanskaar Bhai," Lakshya complained

"About what?" she looked between the two.

"He is angry about those girls rejecting a marriage alliance with Raghav Bhai. He was asking me why cannot they see how good he is and why they are so focused on his leg."

Sanskaar gritted his teeth. 

Annapurna looked at Sanskaar with a sad expression. Behind her, Lakshya titled his head towards Annapurna with a smirk.

"Sanskaar ...," Annapurna looked between the two again, "We cannot force the girls' families to see things our way. You know that ..." she tried to explain, "In a way, it is good that they rejected the alliance. We don't want Raghav to be with someone who doesn't value him, do we?" she asked patting Sanskaar's cheek.

Sanskaar nodded.

Annapurna looked at Lakshya.

"Maa, you haven't oiled my hair in a long time. Give me a head massage," he dragged her away, but not before shooting a warning look towards Sanskaar.

Sanskaar saw them leave. He opened his wardrobe and pulled out an album. Turning its pages slowly to reveal old family photo. He stopped at one. It had the entire family. 

What he wouldn't give to go back in time and change things. 

***

Sanskaar sat outside the temple lost in thoughts, memories. Seeing those photos had brought everything back in full force–not that he could ever forget what happened. He had a visual reminder of it at home after all: Raghav.

He saw a hand wave in front of him. He looked up to find Ragini looked at him concerned.

"Are you okay?"

Sanskaar nodded.

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes. Just didn't get enough sleep last night," he made an excuse.

Ragini looked at him for a long minute before letting it go, "I didnt realise you were going to be here today. We seem to be meeting every day."

"You didn't want to meet me?" he asked casually as they walked towards the vendors again. 

"No," Ragini said wide-eyed, "I didn't mean that. Sorry!"

"Miss Sorry, I was kidding," Sanskaar shook his head giving her a small smile. 

Ragini bit her lip and then smiled back at him, "I did it again."

She was a really nice girl. And he ...he was really selfish. 

He shook his head to ignore the thought that were popping into his head. He needed to do this. There was no way out.

***

Ragini was laughing at they sat at the edge of the hill.

Sanskaar glared at her, "Okay. I get it. There is no reason to have a fit over of it."

"You managed to scare the priest! Did you see at him. He wouldn't even give you a bigger piece of prasad this time," she giggled, "I thought he was going to have a heart attack."

"Ha Ha Ha. So funny," Sanskaar muttered.

"It is. He is more scared of you than you are of marriage," Ragini said.

"I am not scared of marriage," Sanskaar grumbled.

"Umm hmm. Tell that to the priest."

Sanskaar rolled his eyes, "What are you doing today?"

"Why? Is there another concert?" Ragini teased.

"I don't have much to do. I am getting bored."

"I am going for dress fitting. Want to come?" Ragini asked smirking.

"You think I cannot handle it?" Sanskaar asked raising his eyebrow.

"I don't think. I know," Ragini said primly.

"When are you going for this fitting," Sanskaar asked annoyed.

"Why?"

"I am picking you up."

***

Ragini and the designer Shruti giggled as they whispered to each other. Sanskaar scrunched his face as he tried to look through the magazines there. This was tiring. 

How did the girls have so much energy to try to all these clothes, he would never understand.   

He threw the magazine aside. Great! Another one full of wedding clothes and make-up. He could gag!

"Here. Try this," Shruti said pushing a sherwani suit towards Sanskaar.

Sanskaar knit his eyebrows as he looked at her, "What?"

"You are going to be part of the wedding right. You can be useful and try this out," she shoved the suit at him again.

He looked at Ragini, who was busy looking at her dress fitting in the mirror. He sighed and picked it up. 

He walked out five minutes later buttoning the sherwani on his way out, "Is this good enough?" he asked them.

Ragini looked at him seriously, tilting her head. Shruti walked towards him and pulled his hand.

"I can walk by myself," he muttered, but Shruti ignored him dragging him to stand next to Ragini.

"You know the groom's sherwani had to be special," Shruti said to a bored Sanskaar, "It can only be evaluated properly when compared to the bride's wedding lehenga."

"Are you done?" he asked looking at the sherwani.

"Ragini, what do you think? This works really well right?" Shruti asked pointing between the two, "He does make a perfect groom to your bride."

"What!" Sanskaar screeched looking at the two clothes together. He tried to pull the buttons off to get out of the sherwani.

Ragini and Shruti burst out laughing, "I told you he would crack," Ragini blurted.

Sanskaar's hands stilled on his sherwani. He glared at Ragini, "You! You did this."

Ragini bit her lip to avoid bursting into laughter all over again.

"You put Shruti on to this task to get to me!" Sanskaar said wide eyed.

"You were the one who said you wouldnt been scared out of your brains if you had some warning next time. What happened to that?" Ragini smirked.

***

Ragini giggled as Sanskaar dumped the bags on the sofa.

"Hasn't this joke gotten old yet?" Sanskaar asked

Ragini shook her head, "I don't think it ever will."

"Very funny!"

"It was. You should have seen your expression!" she smiled.

Sanskaar shook his head, "Where do you want me to put this?" he asked pointing to the bags.

"Leave them here. I can carry them."

"Really," Sanskaar asked, "Why don't you show me?" He stepped away. He had carried the bags only for a short while, but they weighted a ton. Even his hands hurt.

Ragini picked one up looking at him confidently. She took a step forward before stumbling and almost falling down. Sanskaar steadied her.

"Still think you can carry them?"

Ragini looked down chastised before looking back at him with a pleading look.

Sanskaar smiled, "Come on! Show me the way," he shook his head and picked the bags up.

***

Ragini's room was simple yet really nice. It wasn't anything like he would have expected. There was nothing remotely traditional in it. With its pastel colors and contemporary furniture, it was a complete opposite to the way she dressed and behaved. 

He dropped the bags and walked towards one of the walls which seems to be covered with photos.

He scrunched his eyebrows when he saw the photos. 

This didn't make any sense. They didn't make sense. The Ragini in these photos was dressed in western clothes. She seemed far removed from the one he was interacting with every day.

What was going on?

Thanks for all your love and your comments. I hope I am keeping you entertained with this chapter as well. Let me know what you think of this one.