As promised, updating the next part. I assure you more questions in the updates to follow and then the answers... 😆
Sorry and thank you! 😛
Rachna, this one for you, least I can do to cheer you up :)*******************************************************************************************
Part 2
'Oops! Mamma', Ranbir bit his tongue as he forgot that his mother must be worried for him after his sudden disappearance.
'Where have you been? How many times have I told you not to run away like this without telling me?', a worried Ragini walked past Nachiket without noticing him and squatted a little to reach up to Ranbir's height and hugged him. She seemed visibly upset to notice anyone apart from Ranbir.
When she'd calmed a little she realized someone's presence around. She immediately got up and turned around to see a man she knew, in a split second he looked at Ragini and immediately recognized her. She blinked twice to clear the tears blurring her vision, to see someone she had never ever expected to see in her life again.
'Nachiket!?' Ragini murmured and stood rooted to the spot. She was shocked to see him in front of her. A small pleasant smile played on Nachiket's lips while their eyes arrested. Everything came to a standstill and there was a prolonged silence between the two. Millions of questions could be read in one each others' eyes but there were no words to kill the prevalent silence. The time froze at that moment as after years Nachiket and Ragini met once again.
'Hi!' Nachiket spoke up excitedly. His eyes sparkled to see her in front of him. He could feel this sudden rush of blood in his veins, his heart beat like never before. It felt like someone just breathed life into him. Strange as it seemed to him but he was diverted when she finally spoke up.
'ummm...Hi', Ragini responded in a small voice. She searched for some distraction unable to look into his eyes. Her mind still refused to register and believe the sight in front of her. She'd long forgotten that Nachiket too existed on the same planet as she did and this accidental meeting of theirs is quite a possibility.
'Is it him?', she thought again 'or am I just assuming it to be him?' She closely watched his left hand scratch his left temple before he spoke, a very old habit of Nachiket when he was confused or hesitant. 'Yes,' it was him she believed, after all it was she who had noticed Nachiket's minutest habits closely which were often unnoticed by many but not her. Nothing has changed over the years she thought, he had just gained some weight which suited his Punjabi Businessman persona quite well. His day old stubble made him look rather more handsome than he already is. But there was one thing that disturbed Ragini; he looked pale, uneasy and restless. His eyes looked as if they were searching for something or someone miserably and yes he'd aged and aged for good she sighed.
'So...so good to see you after so many years.' Nachiket finally spoke.
Ragini smiled to acknowledge his excitement and asked formally, 'How is everyone? Your parents?'
Nachiket sensed some difference in Ragini, not physically for she was still the same delicate and pretty looking girl he'd last seen. Dressed in a pale yellow kurti and beige trousers standing 5 feet 3 inches tall nothing really seemed different in Ragini. Even today her beautiful eyes now hidden behind a pair of spectacles were still the same. 'What is it that's different?', he thought to himself.
'Nachiket! What happened?' Ragini's voice broke his chain of thoughts.
'Oh! Nothing...nothing...They all are...all are fine.' He answered still in confusion.
When she smiled yet again, 'The twinkle! yes...the twinkle in her eyes is gone.' Nachiket noticed. He'd told her once that her eyes were the mirror to her personality; calm, pure and dazzling!! But today he could read emptiness and pain in her eyes. With a heavy heart he concluded the reason to be the absence of Ranbir's father.
'I last heard you were in US and now not surprised at all to see you have such a wonderful son!' Nachiket said with a hint of sadness in his voice.
Ragini looked sideways at Ranbir, who stood there quietly watching the two, and laughed sarcastically as if she laughed at her fate and replied without looking up. 'Yes! We shifted just a year back', she said and patted Ranbir's head.
Shrugging away some unwanted thoughts she turned to Ranbir and said,'Say Hello to uncle!'
'Uncle?' Ranbir questioned looking at Nachiket with both his hands on his hips. Dressed in a white T-shirt with "I am a Rockstar" scribbled on it and smart blue jeans he looked petite and cute. His confused frown coupled with the dimpled chin made him look like a cute little monster. His sudden question puzzled both Nachiket and Ragini.
Ranbir had taken spontaneous liking for Nachiket and instantly felt some attachment to the gentleman. He looked at his mother's confused looks and then back to Nachiket's puzzled expressions. After about a minute's analysis of their confused faces Ranbir declared, 'I thought we were friends! Mom, don't you always say it's only friends who care and share?'
'Yes, I do...But...'
'This new friend of mine did both, he apologized when he accidentally bumped into me that means he cared and he offered to buy me that helicopter which he could buy for himself that means he wanted to share...'
Nachiket was so fascinated with the boy now that he quietly watched the mother-son conversation uninterrupted until he realized Ranbir tugging his suit to call for his attention and answer his genuine question.
'Of course! He is right, we are friends. Right buddy?' Nachiket said chirpily and extended his hand to shake that of Ranbir's.
'But beta, he is elder to you, how can he...'
Nachiket cut her in between, 'Ragini let it be...am fine. He is a kid after all and I'd love to be friends with him than be a boring uncle. Right Ranbir?'
'Right on', Ranbir quipped and highfived with Nachiket.
Ragini looked on at the sight. How simple and uncomplicated life was for Ranbir? And how even now Nachiket could connect so quickly with anyone irrespective of their age?
Looking at Ragini admiring her little hero, Nachiket complimented, 'Really Ragini you are blessed to have such an adorable boy'.
'Thanks', she said and smiled.
Suddenly there was an awkward silence between the two and both were avoiding the very obvious questions about their respective spouses. Nachiket had quite guessed by now about Ragini's husband, he avoided to ask for it would only hurt her and that was the last thing Nachiket wanted to do. Somehow he was very curious to know as he'd never met or seen Ragini's husband and Ranbir's optimism to meet him someday which of course was Ragini's belief made him want to know about him all the more.
Ragini too contemplated to talk anything off topic but about his wife as there was a need to break the silence prevailing between them. Without realizing, something within her overpowered her mind and she blurted out, 'How is Rupali?'
Nachiket looked a little uncomfortable which Ragini noticed and she cursed herself under breath for having asked this to Nachiket who was expecting this question from her but was definitely not prepared to answer it.
Almost after one full minute when Nachiket began to answer, Ragini's phone rang. She excused herself and went ahead to attend the call. Nachiket sighed with relief.
'Yes mummyji, I remember I have to drop Ranbir at Ronit's place for his birthday, Dimpy had called in some time back.' Ragini spoke to her mother-in-law, who was truly a mother to Ragini.
Nachiket watched her patiently answer the call. 'Life had instilled a lot of patience and endurance in her', he thought. There was a time when she was so skeptical of simplest things she did and today she seemed to be more confident and organized. Life must have been tough for her he thought and a child definitely brought in a lot of responsibility.
Ragini finished her call and quickly checked her watch which showed it was quarter to six and she rushed towards Ranbir.
'I think we shall take your leave Nachiket, we need to rush somewhere and we are getting late. Nice meeting you.' Ragini said and clutched Ranbir's wrist and turned around towards the exit to leave when she heard Nachiket ask her, 'When do we meet next?'
She turned around hesitantly to face him and smiled before she said, 'Soon...if we are destined to meet!' and walked away.
Nachiket watched her retreating figure from behind till she was gone and muttered, 'Destined to meet'...he sighed and looked up skywards where he thought god resides.
If nothing else he definitely felt positive about this accidental meet.
To be Contd...
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