Hi buddies! Long time no see, eh?

Anyways, Moving on!

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"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

(Words in braces) - Telephone conversations

Chapter 3 - Engagement...Or Not!

Laksh looked cross-eyed at the razor and shaving cream that was in front of him. "I do have my own things Adarsh bhai. Why are you giving me yours?"

"If you have your own, then why are you roaming around looking like you just evolved into a human from an ape? Just look at yourself!"

Laksh got up and stood before the mirror, the new one which replaced the one he had broken days ago. His eyes widened on seeing his own reflection. "Is...is this really me?"

Laksh'e eyes looked red from lack of sleep, with dark circles around them. His face had lost its shine and looked dull. He even grew a beard in the week's time.

Adarsh came and patted him on the back. "Yes. Its you Lucky! What has happened to you? What's wrong? You even forget to come at meal times. Maa has to bring your food to your room, which you eat only a bit!"

'Everything...' That is what Laksh wanted to say. However, he refused to speak his thoughts out loud. "It's...it's nothing bhai. I don't know how this happened. Work kept me busy and I...I must have gotten too lazy as well."

However, Laksh knew he was lying to himself and his brother. He did know why he was in that state. Ragini was the cause. Every moment, her sorrowful face kept flashing in his mind.

At times, he wondered why he was so bothered by it, even more than the time Swara rejected him. He justified it by the thought that maybe it was because it was he who wronged Ragini. It was because he was the one who hurt her.

Ever since the day he told Ragini the truth a week ago, he hadn't heard anything form her. Not a call, not a visit...nothing. Sanskar, who keeps demanding for his dost, had to be put on sedatives and sleeping pills to calm him down. At times, Laksh wished he himself could take some of those sedatives so that his mind gets some rest from all the worrying. He forgot to eat, to shave, to bathe...his mind too caught up with worry for her.

Laksh thought of calling her, but discarded that idea. He wanted to call Ragini to make sure she was doing well, but feared that he would cause more harm than good. Even thoughts about Swara couldn't prevent him from worrying about Ragini. In fact, he realized that his worry for Ragini was over-powering his day-dreaming about his love, Swara.

"Gotten lazy, eh? Lazy is the exact word for you!" Adarsh bit out as he looked at laksh with an irritated look. "The heart-throb of the girls now turned into an early man out of a cave. Next thing you know, you'll be pounding your chest with your hands and shouting 'Tarzan!'"

"Not funny bhai." 😑

"It is to me." Adarsh snickered. "But this isn't going to do. The entire week you've been in your room all day. How could you get so lazy? *sigh* Anyways, forget all of that. Improve your looks bro, because pandit ji has selected tomorrow for your and Ragini's engagement."

Laksh turned to look at him in shock. "To-tomorrow!?"

"Yep! I want you to look your best for your about-to-be-wife and my future sister-in-law. Maa and your Parineeta bhabi wants to go for shopping in the afternoon. Get ready by then, okay? Bye Lucky." Adarsh left with a wave.

Laksh looked down in distress. 'I still haven't found a plan to stop our marriage and tell the family the truth. How could they decide the engagement tomorrow!? And...and Ragini? Didn't she tell her family about me?'

*phone ringing*

This broke Laksh of his thoughts. He was shocked to see that it was Ragini calling. He finally gathered the courage to pick up the call."Hello Ra-"

(Meet me at the park in an hour.)

The line went dead before he could say anything. Laksh kept blinking at the phone like an idiot. When his brain was finally able to process what Ragini said, he rushed to the washroom to shave his beard and get cleaned up.

#1 hour later#

Laksh looked around the park for Ragini and spotted her sitting at a nearby bench, looking pensive. 'Is she angry? How should I act in front of her? Should I...should I go and apologize again?' From the corner of his eyes, he saw an ice-cream cart nearby. 'Well, I still haven't met any girl who hates ice-cream. This will cheer her up for sure!'

Laksh got two cones and walked upto Ragini. "Ra-ragini? Um...hi." Ragini looked up at him abruptly. It seemed his voice broke her of whatever deep thought she was in. "I...I um...I got you an ice-cream."

Ragini smiled at him and took the cone from him. "Thank you. Come sit." Ragini moved to the side, making place on the bench for Laksh. "And thank you for coming here."

"Its okay." Laksh told her with a smile. 'Its the least I could do after everything I've put you through.' He looked at her quizzically. "So? Why did you call me here?"

"By now you must know about our engagement tomorrow, don't you Laksh?" when he nodded, she continued. "You must be wondering why I haven't told my family the truth, aren't you? I...I tried. I tried to tell Swara and Maa. But it turns out, they already knew the truth."

Laksh flinched at her words. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about them knowing. I didn't want to cause any misunderstandings between you all. Ragini they we-"

"I know Laksh. I understand why they didn't tell me anything. They didn't want to see me hurt. I told them that I no longer want to marry you, now that I know you don't love me. But they wouldn't listen to me! They said that it was your mistake to lie and cheat me and so now you must bear the responsibilities."

Laksh looked down in shame. "They aren't wrong in a way Ragini."

Ragini put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! No more of that self-blaming Laksh. Yes, you made a mistake. We all do! It's just that yours was of bigger consequences. But at the end, you choose the right path. That is all that matters now. Let go of the past, alright?"

"Can you let go of it?"

At his question, Ragini removed her hand from his shoulder and looked away. Although she did not say anything, her actions spoke much louder than her words could ever have.

Laksh decided to change the topic. "Okay. About you meeting me here. You were saying...?"

"Yes. I have an idea how to break off our engagement without causing our families to blame each other. Dadi would no doubt blame you if you tell her the truth. So we must find another way. One that doesn't end up with our families becoming enemies."

Laksh sat up straight. "Okay then. Let's hear it!"

After sometime...

"Are you sure it will work Ragini?" she nodded in determination. "Alright then. I trust you."

Ragini simply nodded. "Be ready at 3 pm. Bye." She moved forward to leave, only to be held back by Laksh.

"Ragini...how have you been? Its been a week since...since that day at the beach."

"I'm doing well, I guess? I think? *sigh* I just want to forget it all and not think about it. It only brings me pain and tears. But don't worry. I will be able to move on. Let's just forget these things and try to be good friends. Don't you want the same?"

"I do consider you my good friend."

"Then why do you keep bringing up the past? If I am your good friend, then why not leave those things which cause me pain?"

"Its just that I...I want to know that..."

"That?"

"Ragini, will I...will I ever get your forgiveness?" Laksh asked with hope. However, from the look she gave him, he knew how ridiculous he must have sounded.

He felt disgusted at himself for hoping she would forgive him so soon after everything he did. He knew he was being unfair but he couldn't help it! Knowing that she was uncomfortable around him, that she was angry with him distressed him to no end! He could handle Ragini's anger or her harsh words. But not her indifference towards him.

Ragini pointed at her ice-cream and smiled playfully. "You brought me ice-cream, didn' you? This is one step towards me forgiving you. But there is still a long way to go. Bye!"

Laksh looked at her go with wide-eyes. 'Did she just tease me in a way? Did she make me seem like an idiot? She...she did, didn't she?' He smiled at the thought. 'Well, if it makes her smile, I'm ready to be an idiot anytime! Anything for my good friend.'

#Evening, 3pm#

'Never in my life have I went skydiving, but...but I believe this is exactly how people feel when they are about to dive.' He shook his head off those thoughts and took a deep breath to calm himself. 'Or the deep breath that one takes before jumping into the freaking ocean!'

"You ready Laksh?"

Laksh looked towards Ragini with a miserable face. She looked confident and up for the challenge, in contrast too his 'I-will-wet-my-pants-right-now' look. "No I'm not! And honestly? I don't think I ever will. There has got to be another way to do this."

Ragini sighed in frustration. They have gone over this conversation more than ten times! "Laksh, this is the only way! If we don't do this now, then we will both suffer for the rest of our lives!" She grabbed his arm and pushed him forward. "Move it!"

Laksh stumbled forward and looked ahead at the Maheshwari Mansion. "By walking forward, I feel like I'm signing up my own death warrant." Nevertheless, he walked alongside Ragini inside the house.

They found both his and Ragini's family gathered there. They felt a sense of fear as they got ready to execute their plan.

Earlier, Ragini had made a call to her family, asking them come urgently to the Maheshwari Mansion. Laksh had told his family to remain home as well. Laksh's eyes fell on Swara as she rushed forward towards her sister.

"Ragini?! Are you okay? Why did you call us all here? Did something happen?" Swara gave Laksh a nasty look, no doubt thinking that he must have done something to her.

Ragini smiled at her. "Calm down Swara. Everything is fine. I'm okay."

"Then...then why did you call us here? What was the emergency? I was so worried about you!" Swara pulled her into a hug.

Laksh looked at the worry Swara had for her sibling. He wanted Swara to worry for him as well. But not as a sibling, as a lover. 'Ragini is right. We must do this today. Or else, I won't be able to get Swara.'

"Ragini, ready?"

Ragini turned to look at Laksh and nodded. Laksh took her hand in his and both moved forward, leaving Swara to look at their entwined hands. For some reason, she didn't like them holding hands. 'I claim to not like Laksh. Then why? Why does it feel so wrong when he and Ragini hold hands? Why do I feel like Ragini doesn't deserve to be his wife. She is my sister! I should be happy for her. And I am...aren't I?'

"Maa? Papa?" Annapurna and Durgaprasad looked at their son quizzically. His voice sounded grim.

"Maa, Baba, Dadi?" Shramishtha, Shekhar and Parvati looked at Ragini with worry. Looking at her, they knew that whatever she was about to tell them would have grave consequences.

"We've decided to break off our engagement." Ragini and Laksh spoke in unison.

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To be continued...

A few of the next chapters are private. No mature content though. Chill 🤣😂🤣

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹