Hi ya! Beginning the updates of this fic from today. Hope you like it! If there's any mistakes in typing, don't hesitate to inform. Thanks! ❤

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes." - Talking

'Words in single quotes.' - Thoughts

(Words in braces.) - Phone conversations

Chapter 19 - Glimpses

Six days.

Six days it had been since they found out about Sanskar living in Ohio. And also, six days been since they discovered he was kidnapped.

Ragini sighed to herself. 'Be patient Ragini. You found him after six years. Six days is nothing. You'll find him, don't worry. But...but what if they hurt him? What if they...'

Laksh looked up as he heard her slam her hands on the table. "Oioi, what happened?"

"We're sitting here doing nothing! That's what happened!"

Laksh sighed. "I want to find him as much as you do. But we can't do anything until the cops find any trace of him."

"So we just sit here?!"

"Yes. There's nothing else we can do."

Ragini knew she had lost the argument and sat back down with a huff. "Man, you're useless!"

The door opened as two individuals strolled in.

"I brought him as you requested, Boss."

Ragini's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the other person. "You?! What are you doing here?!" she came forward to greet him.

"I came to make sure you were okay." Caleb hugged her back. "Swara sent me."

Laksh scoffed. "See. Even your sister doesn't trust you to be not obnoxious."

Ray chuckled. "US could do without a trauma if you're that good at creating those."

"Huh! More like she didn't Laksh to keep me safe by himself." Ragini stuck her tongue out at him.

"So? Any news on Sanskar?"

Ragini sighed, going back to her depressed self. "None."

"If we could only get the number of that vehicle where he was taken..."

Laksh sighed. "You know, if we can get him free then we can meet him. But..."

"But?"

Laksh looked at Ragini with pained eyes. "If all of this is fake and he has actually planned all of this...then I think he has gone underground again."

Ragini gasped, stumbling back as if someone struck her with a physical blow.

'Damn you Boss! You really don't know how to comfort people.' Ray put a hand on Ragini's shoulder. "Hey, let's not jump to conclusions. I mean, this matter has become a big issue on TV!"

"E-Exactly! So this must be true! He must have been kidnapped, right?!" Ragini asked with renewed hope.

The irony of it. Right now, she was wishing for his well-being and that he be set free by his captors, and yet, she also wished his kidnapping was true and that he didn't disappear on his own.

"We never know Ragu. So it's best prepared for the worse." Caleb reasoned, looking at her sadly. "He might have left Ohio for good."

"You pessimists! How...how could you always think the worst!? You're idiots I tell you! Always thinking the worst. Tsk, tsk! What would I ever do with you two!?" she chided. However, her breaking voice reflected how much she was hurting from the probability of things. "Ray, you agree with me, no? Or are you with these dimwits?!"

"Y-Yes! Of course." he assured with a smile. However Ragini knew it was to comfort her. Instead of pacifying her, it only made her fear the worst all the more.

"You all just....just...I hate you all!" screaming out in anguish, she opened the door and ran away, leaving them in silence.

Ray was about to follow her, but Caleb stopped him. "I...I think it's best she's alone for now."

"You seem to know her well. Are you her boyfriend?"

Caleb chuckled. "Boy friend. Yes. Boyfriend, no."

"Eh?"

Laksh rolled his eyes and smacked Caleb in the head. "Must you always annoy other?"

#With Ragini#

Ragini looked up as the waitress served her coffee. "Thank you."

This was one place she found amazing in the neighborhood ever since her stay.

The café was really comfortable and the employees were polite. Moreover, each table was organized as a booth so that it felt as if you were having your own space and privacy even though it was a public space.

"You're welcome ma'am. Would you like to order anything else?"

"No."

"Alright ma'am. Just call me if you do." with a smile, she went away to attend to the other tables.

Ragini picked up her cup and took a sip of the hot beverage. Coffee always calmed her nerves. 'Sanskar...after all these years, I have a hope of finding you again. You might not love me anymore, but I wish to complete what I wanted to tell you back then.' she gripped the cup tighter, regardless of how hot the cup was. "Why are you stealing this chance from me? Please don't do this. Just let me speak out my heart...just this once...just this once." she kept whispering to herself, trying hard to control her sobs. 'Just this once...'

Elsewhere...

"Ah! Nothing like a good cup of coffee. This is great!"

"Thank you sir. I'm glad you like the coffee at our café."

"No, no. Thank you for bringing this cup of bliss. Say, can I have a mulberry muffin to go with this?" he asked, shifting his hat a bit to reveal his face a bit clearly.

The waitress blushed seeing his charming smile. "Of course Sir. You have an excellent choice sir. Our mulberry cakes go amazingly with our coffee!"

"You don't say! I would like two then."

The waitress giggled. "Okay sir. I think I'll ask the lady in the table two tables over to have one as well. Only coffee won't taste as good as with the muffin."

Sanskar nodded with a grin and watched her leave. It always amazed him how he still had the ability to catch the ladies' attention with just his smile. 'But there is only one who's attention I wanted.' Sanskar smacked his head. "Please do not think about sad things while I'm enjoying my coffee." he shook his head and began drinking.

'Ragini always liked her coffee with hot momos. An odd combo, but she was never normal to begin with.' Sanskar chuckled at the memory of when he got knocked on the head for questioning her choice of food.

He sighed and pushed away the coffee. "Seriously, I can't believe this is happening!"

For six years, he had made memories of Ragini dormant. Even if they appeared(which they always do), he was able to accept them as they came and just...just went along with them. Instead of thinking them as painful nostalgia, he accepted them as a golden time that he experienced in his life...him meeting Ragini Gadodia.

But ever since the last few days, he hadn't been able to feel at ease with the memories of her that kept flooding in. 'Not even my kidnapping was able to make me forget. Intact, I kind of miss my banter with that Lanky fellow. Yeah, he was the kidnapper, but at least he provided a distraction with is annoying attitude.'

After escaping successfully, he had taken refugee in a friend's house. He was currently living there without telling anyone else other than that trusted friend of his. He wanted to find out who the kidnappers were before going public. The media tended to ruin things. He was already do distressed about it, but he didn't seem to have any rest. If it wasn't enough,  his mind and heart were also troubled because of Ragini.

Sanskar leaned back in his seat. "I miss you Ragini. Real bad. And...and I wish I could meet you. You might have moved on by now. But I want to meet you...just this once."

#With Ragini#

Ragini abruptly moved the cup away when she hiccuped, some drops falling on her dress accidentally. "Ugh!" she took a tissue and tried to scrub away the stain. "Who is speaking about me? I bet it's Lucky and the boys. Ugh! Can't even drink in peace."

Thinking of Laksh, she was reminded of Swara. "Oh Shit! I didn't even call her this week even once." opening her phone, she dialed her number and waited.

(Finally you remembered you have a sister, Miss Ohio!?)

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Things just got so complicated that I got caught up."

(And forgot me. Yeah, yeah, I get it.)

Ragini bit her lip. They hadn't informed anyone back home about Sanskar. She and Laksh wanted to make sure it was Sanskar before giving false hope back home."I'm sorry. With a cherry on top!"

(Hahaha...okay, okay. How are you? I'm glad you gave Lucky an earful for not calling me daily. He calls every night now. He's not being a nuisance to you I hope.)

"Nah. It's okay. Infact, you needn't send Caleb over. You over worry Swara."

(Actually, he was the one who requested to come. I liked his decision and so agreed.)

Ragini blinked in surprise. 'But he told me Swara sent him.'

(It was good decision, wasn't it? He found one of the best hotels for you to stay there.)

Ragini's mouth opened in shock. "He came before me?"

(Eh? Silly you. Did you already forget he's the one who did all the arrangements? Bhulakar!)

"Ahaha...yeah. He did, didn't he?!" Ragini spoke with gritted teeth. "I'll call you later, okay?"

(Oka-hey!)

Ragini heard some shuffling and a child's voice sounded over.

(Mammy! Talk to me!)

Ragini moved her phone away from her ear with a flinch. The kid sure knew how to get her point through.

Putting the phone on the table on speaker mode, Ragini continued sipping her coffee. She wanted to finish it soon so that she could go back and punch Caleb. Then, she would ask questions. "Hey Riya. How are you?"

(Riya misses you Mammy! Why must you leave so far?! I can't even visit you!)

"Aww...I miss you too bacha. But Mammy got work to do. Only then can she earn to buy little Riya toys."

(Will you get me toys from Oho?)

Ragini chuckled. "It's Ohio dear. And yes, yes. Why not?!"

(Promise Mammy?!)

"PROMISE! PINKY PROMISE!" Ragini shouted, uncaring of the other customers. She wanted to make sure Riya was happy. The child mattered a lot to her. Her presence was what gave Ragini happiness in her times of gloom. And she owed her for that.

#With Sanskar#

Sanskar's eye twitched as he heard some noises from near him.

Will you get me toys from Oho?

'Aish! I wonder whose child is that shouting. Can't the person just talk to their kid without alerting the rest of the cafe? Geesh!' shaking his head at the ridiculousness of people, he tried to take a sip.

Promise Mammy?!

Sanskar chokeed at the sudden shout. "What is wro-"

"PROMISE! PINKY PROMISE!"

Sanskar froze. He literally froze up, with the muffin dropping from half way through his mouth.

He recognized that voice. He would recognize it anywhere.

It was her voice.

Ragini's voice.

Sanskar could feel himself shaking with the thousands of emotions running through his body. 'But...but how's that possible? She...she can't be here...can she?!' as he got up abruptly, he accidentally bumped into a waitress carrying hot tea.

"Ah shit!" Sanskar let out a shout as the hot beverage burned his skin and ruined his dress.

#With Ragini#

Ragini cut the call with a satisfied smile. Riya always had her ways for lighting up her world.

As she was about to get up, a scream made her pause.

The voice was familiar to her. She knew she recognized it, but it was escaping her mind right when it almost came to her.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as the bullet hit the target. "Sanskar!" she got out of her table and turned around.

Sanskar, too, who was standing two tables over, wiping his suit, looked up when he heard her utter his name. "Ra...Ragini."

Ragini felt her breath hitch as she heard him take her name in his lips after so long. It was really him. Her Sanskar. Her person.

No.

'The person who was once her person.' Ragini reminded herself, with a stone over her heart.

The waitress kept apologizing over and over. But Sanskar wasn't paying any attention. He was busy staring at Ragini.

The face that he longed for every day and every night. The face that robbed him of sleep. The girl that stole his heart. The person that mattered to him most.

The person who was once his.

The person who he always wishes to call...

You're My Person.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

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~ 🌹 Mona🌹