Hello Lovely People,

Here is the next part

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As the morning sun cast its gentle glow upon the temple, Ragini found herself seated beside Sanskar, amidst the chanting of the mantras, in front of the holy fire. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, each one more tumultuous than the last. She felt as though she were trapped in a nightmare, and desperately wished to awaken from it. But the sacred chants echoed around them, and was a constant reminder that, whatever she was scared from, was her current reality.

Sanskar couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Ragini as he glanced at her solemn expression. He knew that this marriage was not what either of them had envisioned, but If he didn't step in, who knew what other hardships Ragini might face?

Ragini's heart felt heavy with uncertainty, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames of the holy fire, is it easy every time for someone or the other to break her heart or control her life.

She denied, she even requested sanskar to say no, but he was seated next to her with a blank expression.

(Flashback)

"Will you fulfill my wish, Ragini?" Dadi's voice quivered with a mixture of hope and desperation. Ragini's heart skipped a beat as she listened, the unexpected request sending shockwaves through her.

"Marry Sanskar?"

"But Dadi..." Ragini's voice faltered, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. The thought of marrying Sanskar, a man for whom she had conflicting emotions, emotions she couldn't name yet.

Dadi's words hung in the air, a subtle yet undeniable form of emotional blackmail. Ragini knew the depth of her grandmother's love and the sacrifices she had made for their family. Could she refuse her grandmother's plea?

(Flashback ends)

"Phero ke liye khade ho jaye" The pandit's voice echoed in the silence of the temple. Yet, she remained seated, her gaze fixed on the flames of the holy fire, lost in a whirlwind of emotions.

Feeling Sanskar's nudge, Ragini turned to face him, her eyes betraying the turmoil within her soul.

"I'm sorry, Ragini," Sanskar's whispered, barely audible above the solemn chants of the priest, but she heard it. And those words added fuel to the anguish of emotions she felt.

Why? She wanted to question 'You had a choice, Sanskar. You could have done anything... anything but this.' Her words hung in her mind, a silent accusation tinged with anguish. Sanskar met her gaze, his eyes reflecting a silent plea for understanding. Yet, Ragini's heart remained ensnared by the web of confusion and betrayal.

'Where are you Abhay' Sanskar whisper yelled in his mind

As the couple neared the final phera, the echo of Rudra's voice sliced through the air, halting their footsteps in their tracks.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rudra's voice boomed,

Sanskar's breath caught in his throat, a silent relief escaping his lips, while Ragini's eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding in her chest.

Before anyone could respond, Rudra's anger erupted like a volcano. He lunged at Sanskar, his fists flying in a torrent of blows fueled by frustration and betrayal.

"How dare you?" Rudra's voice cracked with emotion as he rained down punches on Sanskar, each blow a testament to the pain and anger festering within him. Despite his efforts, Rudra winced in agony, his injured leg protesting with each movement.

Ragini watched in horror as Rudra unleashed his wrath upon Sanskar. She rushed to his side, her heart torn between the two men she cared for deeply.

"Stop, Rudra, please!" Ragini pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion as she attempted to intervene.

"This is all your fault! You and your family have ruined my sister's life enough. She's coming with me."

Dadi's heart sank as she watched Rudra's determined stride, "Rudra you can't" she tried stopping him

"Rudra, please. Let's talk about this calmly."

But Rudra's anger had reached its boiling point. "There's nothing left to talk about," he snapped, his grip tightening on Ragini's arm as he led her away, leaving behind a trail of shattered hopes and relief of sighs.

—

In the car, Abhay focused on the road ahead while Ragini attempted to pacify Rudra's anger, her voice filled with regret. "Rudra, please listen to me"

Rudra's frustration boiled over, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Are you stupid or what? Every time they say something, you just agree without a second thought. If they were forcing you, you should have spoken up, and you didn't even care to inform me"

"and why would you?"

Ragini's heart sank at Rudra's words, her voice trembling with emotion. "Rudra, it's not like that. I—"

But Rudra cut her off, his tone sharp with anger. "No, don't speak to me at all. I'm so angry right now; I don't want to say something that I'll regret later"

"But you know what? I didn't expect this from you. I'm deeply disappointed."

Silence fell over the car as Ragini wrestled with her guilt, knowing that her actions had hurt Rudra deeply.

—------------

A week passed by, and much had changed in the dynamics of the household.

Ragini found herself residing with Rudra, yet their interactions were limited to mere syllables.

The weight of her decision to acquiesce to Dadi's emotional manipulation burdened her conscience; she should have stood her ground and attempted to reason with her grandmother.

Meanwhile, Dadi was grappling with her own turmoil and guilt. The events of those two days had left her shaken to the core. She never envisioned for her beloved granddaughter and their family to be in that situation. The hurtful words of neighbors and relatives only exacerbated the turmoil in her mind. Driven by a fervent desire to preserve the family's honor at any cost, she resorted to the first solution that presented itself — arranging her granddaughter's marriage — without fully comprehending the potential anguish it could inflict. And now she felt deeply guilty for the action she had taken.

When Shekar and Dada Ji learned of Dadi's intentions, they were deeply dismayed. Dada Ji sternly admonished Dadi for her actions, while Shekar maintained a stoic silence in the face of the unfolding turmoil.

Sharmistha and Swara found themselves most bewildered by the situation. Dida's questioning of Ragini's decision to marry Sanskar, despite any apparent affection between them, struck a chord of doubt in their minds.

Swara pondered whether there was any truth to the rumors surrounding Ragini and Sanskar, wondering why Ragini hadn't confided in her if there wasn't.She felt certain that she would have been able to assist Ragini in finding another solution.

Dada Ji, too, attempted to persuade Ragini to return home and Ragini herself longed to go back, but Rudra's ultimatum weighed heavily on her decision. The threat of severing ties was too daunting, compelling Ragini to remain with him.

But the worst affected along with Ragini was Abhay, he was tired of being a football between Sanskar and Rudra. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bridge the gap between them. Rudra remained stubborn, unwilling to lend an ear to reason, while Sanskar struggled to articulate his motives clearly to Rudra.

But the worst affected along with ragini was Abhay, he was tired being a football between Sanskar and Rudra

Rudra was not ready to listen and Sanskar failed to explain his reason's properly on why he agreed to marry that day,

"If you just wanted to help or save Ragini, you could have called me directly" Rudra accused him

"Why did you wait until the last moment in the temple, just a few moments before the marriage ceremony, to call Abhay to bring me there?"

Sanskar sighed, his expression troubled as he struggled to find the right words.

"Circumstances or excuses, Sanskar?" those were rudra's last word

His own conscience mocked him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that perhaps he was indeed giving excuses for the decision he took in a moment of furry.

Sanskar couldn't shake off Sujatha's words about Dadi finding someone to marry Ragini. It had irritated him to the core, the mere thought of Ragini being with someone else filled him with an inexplicable sense of possessiveness. She wasn't just anyone; she belonged to him.

In the midst of those conflicting emotions, he had made a decision, which he now deeply regretted. 

She was his friend nothing more, yet he felt weird at that point and ended up saying yes to the marriage out of impulse.

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