This is a OS from Nachiket's point of view. Please note I don't condone cheating of any form, but it just happened (seriously, as I was writing it!). Not a resolution, but rather the consequence of moving in circles. Feedback/constructive criticism is much appreciated. :)
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The cool air beckoned him outside with the fresh smell of the earth having drunk its fill of a recent rainfall. Nachiket leaned against the fence, glad to escape the bustle and heat of the farmhouse. He had drunk his fill as well (whose idea was that again?) - and now his head was swimming in whiskey and regret.
It was a dangerous combination.
No matter - no one would miss him for a while, the children having gone to bed and the adults acting like children themselves, judging by the raucous laughter that traveled faintly over the grounds.
Out over the empty road, the trees rustled in the breeze, marking time against the rapidly darkening sky. Here he was again, rooted in the soft earth, unable to move forward despite crossing oceans to leave her behind.
The soft clink of bangles reached his ears and he knew she was standing behind him, her hesitation at approaching him speaking louder than words. "Nachiket," she said, and he turned to see Ragini clutching his blazer and scarf, almost ethereal against the blue-black night.
He must have been staring because she ducked her eyes as she always did when blushing, though it was too dark to catch her in the act. "Woh - raat ko thandi ho thi hai, aur tum bina kuch leke chale gay the..." She trailed off, unwilling to end the charade they had both been performing.
Resentment burned in his chest at how easily she was able to feign indifference. "Bahut khayal rakti ho," he sneered, alcohol loosening his tongue.
Ragini blinked at his tone and raised her chin, a defense mechanism he knew all too well. "Lo." She thrust the offending items towards him and as she turned to go, her dark hair flipped behind her and he belatedly realized she had let it down for him.
"Ragini, ek minute - " he caught her wrist and she looked back at him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Bahut khayal rakti ho," he repeated softly.
It was an acknowledgement of this strange place they now found themselves in, no longer bound in the eyes of society but destined to circle each other as the moon did the earth.
And like the tides in the vast ocean, she drew closer. He gently placed the blazer around her small frame, willing his clumsy fingers to respect her boundaries. "Sorry, kuch jyada pehlia."
Ragini studied him for a long moment, as if looking for answers in the lines that marred his forehead and the dark circles under his eyes. He expected a scolding but instead found her hands looping the scarf around his neck and resting gingerly over his chest. Between the whiskey and the heat of her touch the lines were blurring, and he was certain she could feel his heart racing in response.
"Kyon?" Her voice was almost hopeful.
"Yeh bhi batana parega?" What was left of his ego refused to give in, but even that began to crumble as her fingers tugged him still closer. "Raat ko neend nahin aati."
The tears threatened to spill once again. "Mujhe bhi," she confessed in a whisper, and tipped her chin up in silent invitation.
He needed no other words and kissed her, hands finding the soft skin of her waist as the world spun around them.
It was not the first time but could have been the last, and the ease with which they still fit together was marred by the tears dampening their cheeks.
"Ragini," he breathed as they separated. "I can't..."
"Jaanti hoon," she sighed, and still unable to see her cry, he wrapped her in his arms and felt her tears soaking through to his skin.
Above them, the moon peered out from behind the clouds.
THE END
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
