Hi ya! Hope you like! 🤗

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 15 - When Did I Fall For You?

"Let's go Ladoo."

"No wait! Please Dadi! Don't take her away!"

Parvati glared at Laksh. "Don't you dare call me Dadi you double crossing two timer! Here, you make promises of marrying Ragini, and on the other hand you go confessing your undying love for Swara?!"

Laksh flinched at the accusation. However, he knew she wasn't wrong. "I...I'm sorry for lying."

"Dadi, at least listen to his side of the story." Ragini pleaded. "Please Dadi."

"Don't fall weak by seeing his miserable expression. He has no right to act so. Come on!" As she was about to drag Ragini outside, she saw Swara try to tag along. "You don't come with me! You're no better than that Laksh."

"What did I do? I never told him to love me!? Neither did I ask Ragini to hopelessly and completely be in love with Laksh. She already should have realized Laksh always paid more attention to me."

Ragini was confused at Swara's behavior. 'Doesn't she love Laksh? Then why is she lying?' Ragini looked at her with an understanding look. "You don't need to be afraid of the consequences Swara. Tell them the truth. Laksh won't be harmed if that's what you are worried about. Bade Papa understands now."

Swara felt cornered.

On one hand, she could see Laksh's pissed off face. She knew he was getting out of her grip. On the other hand, if she agreed to love him, then she keep accusing her. 'Lucky is already in trouble. If I say I love him, it will get me into trouble too!'

"Swara? Say the truth."

"I don't know what you are talking about. I never loved him! I said I only admired him."

"Wh-"

"Leave it Ragini! It's about time she showed her real colours." sneered Laksh. He came near Swara and stood before her in disgust. "I can't believe I ever fell in love with you. Oh, wait! I was an idiot to think I was in love with you. I can't believe I thought you were amazing! You may be pretty on the outside, but just as much ugly on the inside!"

Swara snorted. "Says the guy who betrayed my sister! Not to mention kept his family in the dark."

"Really now? If you were so good, then why didn't you reveal my truth to them? Why did you keep clinging onto me, trying to be near me, speaking how good we look together? Why, huh?"

"Wh-what?! Those...those a-are li-lies!" Swara stuttered in her words.

Laksh looked at her with a grim face, but sighed. When he looked up, he had a smile on his face. "Whatever it might be, I guess I should thank you. First, you made it easy for me to tell you I don't love you anymore. If you had been in love with me, I do not know how I could have told this truth to you. But you told it yourself. You never loved me. It was all a farce to you!"

Ragini didn't utter a word, but looked at Laksh with an understanding look. He may look angry, but underneath she could see the hurt and regret I'm his eyes.

She could understand what Laksh was going through. After all, she knew what heart break feels like. But she didn't understand why her sister would take such a step.

"So it's me who's guilty now?!" Swara shouted. "Lay the blame off of me. I didn't do a thing!" she tried to go past him, only to be caught by the wrist in his grip. "Let go of me!"

"I wasn't done yet." Laksh calmly stated. "I told you the reason for the first thank you. Second is for making me realize what it is to love someone unconditionally!" as he spoke those words, he left her hand and turned to look at Ragini. "To love someone truly."

"If you thi-" Swara stopped speaking when she realized he wasn't even paying her any attention any longer.

"To have someone in your heart for whom you are willing to give anything just to see them smile. To have someone who's presence makes you feel butterflies in your stomach. To have someone who's smile makes your heart flutter." Laksh added.

'Who's he referring to?' Swara followed his line of sight as his smile widened. 'It...it can't be. It... It can't!'

"To have someone who could turn your gloomy day into sunshine. The one who can make you smile for no reason whatsoever. Someone who can fill your colourless world into a rainbow." as he spoke he kept walking closer and closer to Ragini.

Ragini, on the other hand, felt her heart thump at her ears. On one hand, she had the feeling all the words were directed at her. His eyes seemed to see through her very soul as he spoke those words. She felt overwhelmed by his words.

But, on the other hand, she could not help but remind herself that this was the same person that had hurt her once. The one who broke her fragile heart into pieces. The one who selfishly claimed to love Swara and nor her.

"Ah! Seems like Lucky finally understood what his heart knew all this time!" Adarsh chuckled. "Slow and steady wins the race I guess."

"All of this is making my head spin. But you?! You seem to know beforehand!" Parineeta accused. "You Mr. have a lot of explaining to do!" Parineeta grabbed Adarsh's ear and led him away towards their room, while he kept yelping in pain.

"I assume you are happy how the events are turning out?" Annapurna noted as she saw a smile spread out on Durgaprasad's face.

He chuckled. "Annapurna, I'm clueless about what and how things have led here. This entire mess had started because of Laksh rejecting Ragini. But I think he's realized his mistake."

Annapurna nodded and looked ahead at the scene playing out, hoping for the best.

Ragini stepped back as she saw him approaching her. "L-Laksh...Laksh stay back!"

However, it didn't bother him. He wouldn't stop until he had made himself clear.

Laksh came in front of her and smiled brightly at her. "They say, sometimes the love of your life comes after the mistake of your life. Swara was my mistake. And I'm glad I did that mistake because...because it led me to you." he took her hand in his and knelt before her. "I was a fool to never value you. I was a fool to reject you. I was a fool to push you away."

Ragini could feel tears pricking at her eyes. "What are you do-doing Laksh? Why...why now?"

"Because I can't keep lying to myself any longer. I can't pretend I'm okay with being your best friend. I want us to be more. I want to be the person you look at as your world."

As Sanskar kept looking at the scene playing out before him, he felt uneasy. He could feel a different feeling crawl up in his stomach that made its way to his throat. He felt an unrest settle in his heart.

Oh, he knew what that feeling was.

It was the one which he felt when Kavita talked to other guys.

It was the feeling when Kavita was looked upon by other guys with admiration.

It was the feeling when Kavita was laughing with another guy.

It was the green monster called jealousy.

'Ragini someone I hate. She's my enemy! Then...then why am I feeling these emotions for her? What kind of joke is this?! She...she must have done something to me to make me feel like this! What have you done to me Ragini!?' Sanskar grit his teeth in anger. He could feel his rage shimmering in the surface. "What is she doing to me?! What is this feeling I have for her?"

Sujata could see his mask falling off. If he didn't compose himself on time, their secret might be exposed. Looking around, she slowly backed away unnoticed and grabbed Sanskar's arm. Motioning him to follow her, she took him away before his secret was exposed.

"You are the sunshine to my world Ragini. I realize that now. All this time you were right before me. But I too much of an idiot to not notice it! I love you Ragini Gadodia. I really do. With my heart, with my mind with my very being! I love you and only you." Laksh confessed, pouring his heart out into the words. "Love you, Only you, Very much Every day more and more! I am an indecisive brat, and quite picky. I know that. But one thing I'm sure about is you Ragini. Please...please accept me back."

Everyone stood silent after his confession. While Dadi and Swara remained wide eyed, Laksh's parents were smiling.

Ragini was silent.

She had her head bowed and was trembling.

She didn't utter a word for long moments. Slowly, she pulled her hand away from his.

Before anyone could comprehend, a loud sound was heard as she slapped Laksh.

Although the force behind the slap was minimum, the sound echoed through the entire room in its silence. It was indeed the silence before the storm.

Laksh was surprised by the hit. Although he knew she wouldn't accept his confession that easily, he never thought she would do that.

Harsh pants could be heard escape from Ragini's mouth as she tried to calm the inner storm in her heart. "You...you dare...you dare to confess to me! After everything that happened...after everything...you want to tell me that...that you love me?!" tears of anger and hurt escaped her eyes as she looked at him.

"I could not keep it to myself anymore. I'm brave enough to handle your anger, your rage. But I'm not brave enough to handle watching you become another's." Laksh confessed, looking up-to her with moist eyes.

She felt like hitting him again. But all she did was ball her hand into a fist in anger as shook like a leaf in pain and sorrow. "Why? Why would you play with my heart like this Laksh? Why?!" she felt her knees go weak and collapsed onto the floor in a heap. "When I was finally getting over you, when I was finally giving up on ever getting back the love I have for you, when...when I was finally, finally ready to accept a life without you as my better half, you come and say these things?"

"Ragini I-"

"How can you be so cruel? You don't accept me and then you don't let me escape from this heartache as well? Why do like toying with me? Do you hate me so much!?"

"I would never! I would rather die than hurt you on purpose!" Laksh confessed.

"I hate you right now. I hate you so much! I...I hate you!"

Laksh closed his eyes as he saw her raise her arm to hit him again. However, feeling no pain, he opened them to watch her breathing hard and looking at him with tears flowing.

With her white skin glittering with tears, her cheeks puffed red in anger, her hair and bangs astray...she was a masterpiece. She was beautiful to him even when she was disheavealed.

As she sobbed, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and lock her away somewhere where nothing can hurt her...nor even him. He wanted to be the reason for her smile. And here he was being the reason for her tears.

"Ragini I..."

"Don't. Just don't!" Parvati finally uttered, breaking from her shock. "Can't you see you've done enough damage already?!"

"I..."

"Shut it!" she held Ragini by the shoulders and helped her up. She hid her face on her shoulder as she cried. "I'll remember each tear of hers shed because of you Laksh Maheshwari! I'll remember it!"

Laksh couldn't do anything but watch with a heavy heart as she took away the love of his life away from him.

Like sand slipping away from fingers, he could do nothing but watch the inevitable happen.

'Is it a crime to love? If I knew I would hurt you so much with my love, I would...I would never have dared to do it. But...but who am I lying to? I know this would happen when I thought of confessing to you. But I couldn't help but fall for you. When did I fall for you? Why did I fall for you? How did I fall for you? Nothing matters anymore. Only one thing I know. I have fallen for you. And yet when I think I couldn't fall in love further, you prove me wrong.'

Laksh rubbed away the silent tears that escaped his eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you Ragini. I'm sorry I never valued your love. But..." he took on a look of determination. "But now, I promise. I promise I'll win back your love. I'll make you see that I am the one for you. There are many love stories, but I'll make ours the best. I promise you."

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

If you liked this chapter, consider giving a vote.
~🌹 Mona 🌹