The Marriage Story: Ragna FF; Part-23, Part-24(Edited) Pg-131, 31/10 - Page 85

Originally posted by: nandinidavid96

Gosh buddy this is simply incredible 👏👏👏

I just read 13 parts in one go and at loss of words to appreciate your writing skills...this is simply awesome, amazing, mind blowing and exceptionally beautiful. I simply don't have any words or superlatives to say...am presently under spell 🤪 will

Please continue ASAP !! once again thanks for the superb FF

PART-22

Raghav peeked at the lady sitting in the passenger seat beside him, now completely unconscious and shook his head in disapproval. "Stupid woman" he thought "how dare she try to trap me, once a Kapoor always a Kapoor". He was now going to Kapoor House to drop Pakhi home after her infamous encounter with spiked drink. His blood boiled to think as to what would have happened had Pakhi been successful in her plan; what would have Kalpi thought of him; her trust and her family's trust which was now his family also would have broken forever. Even before making their relationship public God knows what all more they'd have been forced to see. He had to apply brakes to the slowly building up anger inside him at the voice of the man sitting on back-seat of Pakhi's car.

"Did she drink too much, or she took drugs?"

Raghav frowned, not liking the intrusion by the man only hired professionally to look after Pakhi for one night when Raghav was not around her. "Hmm, something like that maybe" he replied in as few words as possible in a stern voice as possible. "Is she too depressed?" Raghav looked back at the man once "Why? You want to cure her?" he said tauntingly.

"No, of course how can I? I was wondering a rich and beautiful girl like Pakhi Kapoor would drink or take drugs out of depression or because she is like other rich, spoilt brats? She seemed quite harmless to me; and if she is not well then why couldn't you or her family members leave her alone at all?" the man behind seemed quite fearless when it came to chatting so much with the Raghav Singhania'. Even Raghav couldn't help but smile at him, though half in irritation and half in amusement; irritated because he was trying hard to come into Raghav's personal space and amused because he recognized the hint of liking man had seemed to have develop for Pakhi. "You seem to be her fan. Anyway, since you are so curious to know about her, Ms.Kapoor is a friend but nothing more. Still when I meet her it is my responsibility to take care of her well, but I cannot be with her all the time. Her mental state is not quite good these days. That's why services from your company were hired, to have a close watch on Ms.Kapoor only when I am not around. Now if you are satisfied, can I focus back on driving? I'll pay you double for keeping your mouth shut rest of the way". When Raghav didn't have a reply he looked back and he saw the man had already kept a finger on his lips. "Things money can make a man do" Raghav smirked.

Few minutes on they reached Kapoor Mansion and Raghav instructed the person behind to bring Pakhi with him, not wanting to touch her himself. Their car was already inside the gates and guard would not know anyway about it. Raghav pressed the doorbell, waiting for one of the Kapoors to open the door. He then told the other person to wait outside the gates as he took charge of Pakhi by her arms. Neetu opened the door wondering who it must be, since she wasn't expecting Pakhi to return home tonight.

Her shock knew no bounds when she saw an unconscious Pakhi and a fully conscious Raghav at their doorstep. Raghav had somehow been holding her steady by her arms, and throwing angry glares at Neetu. Without another word he gave Pakhi's charge to her mother as Neetu stumbled a little at this sudden weight thrown upon her. "God, I did not even carry Pookhi in my arms when she was a kid, and now I have to bear the weight of this fully grown child of mine. Why couldn't Raghav carry her inside" she thought frustratingly. But then she threw one glance at an angry Raghav and understood that he was angry and in no mood to oblige either mother or her unconscious daughter. So she did not say anything, dragging Pakhi's limp body with her she made her lay down on her bed and returned to the living room where Raghav was pacing like an angry tiger, ready to pounce upon her any moment.

Raghav saw Neetu coming, by then Sahil too had come out of the bedroom. "This is the right time" Raghav thought and started with the next step of his plan.

"Is this how you have raised your daughter Mr. & Mrs. Kapoor, huh? I was away for some moments to freshen up and when I return I see a drunk or drugged Pakhi! I didn't know she was so habitual to these things. Else I'd never have married her, can you imagine paparazzi clicking away Pakhi Kapoor's pictures in the arms of an unknown man who God knows was taking her where. Had I not reached in time, you don't even want to imagine what could have happened? I collected Pakhi's belongings as fast as I could and stopped the man from taking Pakhi with him. He has been taken care of now though" Raghav growled, threw one angry glare at Kapoors and started again.

"I am so embarrassed, and then you'll expect me to accept my relation with Pakhi in front of the whole world! Perfect" he said throwing his hands in air.

Neetu tried reasoning with him "Raghav beta, I am sure there is some misunderstanding. Pookhi is not used to such things, I am sure someone else spiked her drink with alcohol or drugs. Otherwise my Pookhi...never!" she emphasized.

Sahil agreed with Neetu: "Yes, beta. Neetu is right. I am sure there is something else which is not meeting the eyes. Please calm down" and Neetu nodded her head in agreement.

Raghav: "Ya right. Your Pookhi baby is a child who doesn't know to take care of herself. That when I was with Pakhi all the time, even when the waiter had served drinks to us. Tell me who can do this to her and I'll make that person pay myself. But as far as I can see, it was Pakhi's doing herself. This is what I found in her purse when I was keeping her phone inside" he said holding out a small bottle of drug which widened Neetu's eyes.

"I have known the ways of the world too well Mr. & Mrs. Kapoor to not know what this particular drug means. But she took full contents of it, really? Not even caring that we were to have dinner together tonight and that too at her insistence. Not caring about her, your or my image. I am sure, she's got some bad company lately it seems" he taunted, "otherwise she was not like this before. You better check on who she is friends with lately and whom she talks to; discourage her from being with bad company. As for accepting our relation is concerned, now this is not possible for another few weeks; at least not until this drama washes out from public brains considerably. Being Mrs. Raghav Singhania and being acknowledged as Mrs.Raghav Singhania is not some other ordinary, everyday news. Do you get that?" he asked loudly, to which both the Kapoor husband-wife nodded having left with no other option now but to agree to Raghav's every word. With this Raghav walked off to his driver and car waiting outside whom he had called on his way here.

The man who was earlier sitting with him in Pakhi's car was also waiting for him there by Raghav's car. As Raghav sat in the back-seat of his Audi, he came to stand by the window to collect his payment. Taking out large bundles of money from the leather briefcase kept in his car, as per his promise Raghav made a double payment to the man for keeping his mouth shut. A smile appeared on the man's face as he collected this huge amount of money. Raghav had signaled his driver to start the car when he spoke again "Sir...sorry for all that talking. But a common man like me doesn't get to see the Raghav Singhania' at such close quarters, much less talk to you. I was making the best of that time. And Sir...will I also get anything to get myself photographed with the lady in there" he asked gesturing towards Kapoor House. Raghav reached out to the bag and threw another bundle in his direction.

Catching it, the man replied "Thank You Sir, mouth shut" he said imaginary zipping his lips and saluting Raghav before turning his back to go away.

"What's your name?" Raghav asked suddenly, unable to resist the urge to know the name of this uncanny man. He turned and said "Ramesh it is Saab" (Ramesh it is Sir), "But my friends call me Ramu" and he left after greeting Raghav once more, who was smiling at the number of unique Ramus' he seemed to have in his office, home and everywhere.

****************************************************

Next morning Pakhi woke up to a heavy head and still drowsy eyes. She remembered the events of last night when she had seemed to lose her consciousness and had felt someone holding her and breaking her fall. Confusion still wreaked havoc in her brain as she wondered whether the vague feeling that she was being forced to walk in her semi-conscious state and some distant noises of people around her was her dream or reality of last night. Holding her head she was still wondering this when Neetu walked in with lime-water and coffee, placing it with a loud noise on Pakhi's bedside table.

"Neetu, can you not keep it with less noise? I am having a headache here" Pakhi complained.

Neetu: "Headache toh ab mere hoga, teri galti ki wajah se. Tera headache toh kuchh bhi nahi hain, mere aur tere Dad k headache k aage. Subah se thak gayi hoon main logo ko jawab dete-dete" (I'll be having a headache now because of your mistakes. Your headache is nothing in front of mine and your Dad's headache. I am tired answering people since morning).

Pakhi: "What are you saying Neetu? I am not understanding a bit of what you are saying. What headache and what are people asking you about?" she asked her Mom reaching out to drink lemon water.

Neetu: "About you, people are asking about you. You defamed us in front of the whole society, now how will I face my kitty party friends! I'd sent you after so much tutoring, but how could you do the blunder of giving the wrong drink to Raghav? Do you even know what the effects of this one mistake of yours were? Everything is finished, Raghav has refused to acknowledge you as your wife for yet another few weeks; and you are on the page three news of all local newspapers" Neetu finished as she threw a newspaper on Pakhi's lap.

With trembling hands Pakhi picked up the paper to look at what seemed to be her photo more carefully. She seemed to be in a semi-conscious or unconscious state and she was...she was in the arms of an unknown man. The photo was with a write-up with a heading, "Victim or Spoilt Young Brat?" It had gone into details that how Ms.Pakhi Kapoor, daughter of famous once construction business king- Sahil Kapoor was seen in a drunken or drugged state with an unknown man. The man seemed to be taking her to one of the rooms in the ground floor, but he was spotted by paparazzi that were already present to cover an ongoing party in the hotel. They started clicking photos of Pakhi with him and then he was seen exiting the hotel, but before that the reporters had got the shots they needed. They noted down that it was Mr Raghav Singhania had seemingly gone behind the man and Ms.Pakhi Kapoor to rescue her.

"Oh no, this cannot be" Pakhi said crying.

"This is so Pookha beta, have a look at these also" and she threw a couple of more newspapers all carrying similar stories. "Now will you mind telling me how did this happen, how did you had the wrong drink?"

"I don't know Neetu, I don't know" she tried recollecting last night's events. "Oh no, I know how. Our glasses were kept side by side; I was going to hand over Raghav his glass when the waiter spilled water on my feet and dress. I had been wiping that, when maybe Raghav drank from the wrong glass".

*****************************************************

Like everyone in the city, Kalpi too had seen Pakhi's photographs and article in the newspaper. Seeing Raghav's name she had frowned, wondering if Raghav was behind this. Wishing it was not so, she didn't like a girl being defamed. Sonal who stood beside her, reading the newspaper in Kalpi's hands commented "Strange it is? I cannot believe Pakhi Kapoor can do this. But on second thoughts, she was always lost in her small world of fame and money power. Don't know what is true". Kalpi did not reply to this, except "Hmm, but it is sad to see her defamed".

"Yes it is" agreed Sonal, "Anyways, don't think too much of it".

"Okay Sonal, I won't" she assured Sonal, though she couldnt stop her train of thoughts, especially because she knew somewhere Raghav was connected in all this. But luxury of thinking was not something busy mornings gave to her, so she went to take bath as her early morning supposed office hours were still on.

Once she was inside bathroom, Sonal came tip-toeing in her room to check Kalpi's mobile which was connected to charging. Looking at her locked screen's wallpaper she smiled, it was Kalpi's photo with her Baba and Kalpi had a sweet smile on her face something which Sonal seen only sometimes on her face now. Sometimes Kalpi seemed so happy, almost in dazed state, and sometimes all lost. She wondered why, then she remembered the purpose of why she had been checking Kalpi's phone.

"Am I doing right?" Sonal wondered, as her thumb was ready to look into the pictures folder of Kalpi's phone. "Kalpi trusts me so much and here I am, instead of asking her forthright as a friend, spying on her. Should I continue?", "Will Kalpi tell me if I ask her? What if she doesn't"?

"Chill Sonal, you have become obsessed with Raghav Sir and Kalpi. In any case I know Raghav Sir considers Kalpi his childhood acquaintance and friend. Maybe I am only thinking too much, or maybe not? Ooohhh...I'll go mad". Sonal told herself, too confused on what to believe, her heart or mind. Her heart said she is right, Raghav Sir did like Kalpi, and her mind said this is not possible. Raghav Singhania was the richest man in the country, owner of a big business empire and always so particular about every small thing. He never ever looked at other much senior and fashionable, model like girls too in the office; and with a richer background than what she herself or Kalpi belonged to. In fact she knew for sure about Pakhi Kapoor's liking for the man. But he never as much saw towards Pakhi in the same way as she did. "Maybe it is Saakshya, her friend whom she likes". Finally deciding on to believing in her friendship, Sonal threw Kalpi's phone back on the bed thinking "Even if Kalpi doesn't tell me, I'll wait. I cannot break her trust".

****************************************************

Kalpi had come out of bath and was now talking to Vitthal and Kamla. Her baba as always had showered blessings on her, where as her Aai was as always worried and crying for Pakhi. But today Kalpi did not mind it; the purpose of her call was Pakhi only. She knew that Kamla must be broken on seeing this news, and she needed a support and consolation.

"Don't worry Aai, everything will be fine soon. People will forget everything in some days. This is how it works. I am sure Pakhi cannot do this. You don't take tension, okay?" she managed to give some peace to Kamla and disconnected the call and her thoughts wandered to Raghav again "you need to answer some of my questions today Raghav". With this determined mind, she got ready for the little confrontation with the love of her life.

Sometime later she was sitting in the driver's seat of Raghav's car talking to Pakhya with her head tilted to one side. Pakhya was fighting with her for not talking to him before when she talked with both Baba and Aai. Somehow she managed to soothe the raging nerves of her elder brother "Achchha Dada main ab phone rakhti hoon. Theek hai? Der ho rahi hai" (Dada I am disconnecting the call now, okay? It is getting late) Once done she straightened her head, only to find that her jhumka' (long earring) had got stuck in the embroidery of her dupatta.

"Aah" she gasped, trying hard to remove the entangled earring without doing any damage to her dupatta. The dress was one of her favourites as Raghav had gifted her and she did not want to ruin the set. Raghav looked on amused at his wife with a crooked smile. Raghav's amusing eyes on her and his smile were distracting Kalpi and she was unable to free herself and now even her neck had started aching. Irritated at the effect he was having on her she said "here my neck is aching and you are smiling there" she said pouting disagreeably.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umqb9KENgmk[/YOUTUBE]

But soon regretted complaining to him for the next thing she felt was Raghav's fingers on her ear and his other hand on her dupatta. She could feel the heat in her earlobes by his light touch and she subconsciously moved back in her seat when she felt his touch on her shoulders. "What is he doing?" she wondered but by the time she stopped him it was too late "Raghav...."

Her dupatta was off her and so was her earring. She sat there with her mouth open as Raghav focused on getting Kalpi's jhumka out of her dupatta. Kalpi was wearing a sleeveless churidaar suit befitting for office wear. The finesse of the cloth and unique design making it stand out, and it was very clearly a designer wear. She had worn it for the first time, for Raghav. Somehow thinking of balancing her supposed, impending encounter with him by dressing up for him. Though now she sat there with a worried look on her face, for the neckline of the suit was very wide and deep. It was enough to show the hidden secrets of her beauty and the sleeveless look only made it worse. She had worn the dupatta across her shoulders as its spread covered her neck and chest. But now she had started fumbling with her fingers, suddenly too conscious of the situation she and Raghav were in, in the close confines of a car. She became more nervous on seeing that Raghav's eyes had reverted back to her. He had been eating her raw with his eyes, which went up and down from her face to the deep neckline of her suit. It was as if she had never been touched or seen by her husband before, and she became too conscious of the fact that they have not been close enough since days and this had made her reaction to him even more visible and stronger.

His eyes glittered suddenly, his mouth agape with an understanding naughty smile as he bit his lower lip and shook his head. Understanding dawned on Raghav that it had been days, or maybe days which seemed weeks, or maybe weeks that he had actually touched or kissed Kalpi in a proper way, especially...there! He sat there taking in the unexpected morning view, his gift for the day; after days! He could see Kalpi closing her eyes tightly under his intense gaze as she turned to sit straight, and he saw her chest falling up and down with her nervous breaths. Raghav leaned a bit to check her out as he realized some other thing. "What? No way?" He looked at the passers by outside; who he was not sure if they could indeed had a clear view of the insides of the car. But he definitely didn't want to take any chances. Right now it seemed him as if every man outside coming from opposite direction was peeking inside.

Kalpi was sitting with her eyes shut, hoping and praying that Raghav detangles her dupatta and jhumka soon when she felt his hands first on her arm and shoulder. Then when she was close enough, his hands were around her waist and he had very effectively placed her on his lap the next moment, shielding her from every outside view. Kalpi had opened her eyes as she felt shivers on his touch but soon argued with him "Raghav my dress would have been spoiled".

Raghav: "I'll buy you a new one and...make you wear it too". Her cheeks reddened as heat rose up to them. She decided to keep her mouth shut for Raghav was in a very naughty mood now; and would have definitely said something even more shameless had she continued talking. His arms were now around her, her dupatta on her lap as Raghav continued detangling the jhumka and dupatta, but without looking at it. His eyes and her eyes were now in a magnetic pull, looking in each other's eyes without blinking. The softness in his gaze which was reserved only for her, made her feel very special as he continued staring where no other man was allowed to.

Soon he had done Kalpi's job and now he came closer to her to make her wear the earring. His face came closer to hers as she lowered her gaze and she felt his breaths on her cheek and neck. His one arm was around her waist. His fingers touched her earlobes and softness behind her ears. Kalpi raised her eyes to look at her husband; her doe-eyes' innocence pulling him closer to her. He lifted one hand to caress the nape of her neck and sides of her neck with his fingertips and his other hand moved downwards to touch her exposed skin. He started placing soft kisses in her neck and around all over, placing open mouth ones on the front of her long, slender neck. Moving ahead he touched her collarbone and exposed one of her shoulders as her suit was sleeveless his hand caressing her, kissing her there. Kalpi's breathing was rugged by now and she was experiencing involuntary shivers as she held on to his shoulders tightly. She could feel Raghav's lips moving down and down further, as he traced the outline of her cleavage and chest with his finger. He placed passionate and soft kisses there for a long time; it seemed he could not have enough of her. After ages he seemed to stop after kissing her all over her neck and chest. Putting her suit in place on her shoulder, he met her gaze. He draped and covered her with her dupatta now, saying "This is only for me. I'll never compromise your dignity with anyone else". Kalpi looked on with immense faith and trust for her husband, in awe of him. He had fully covered her now and went on to caress her hair, pulling back her fringes where he saw the tiny line of sindoor; which she had never left wearing. He kissed on her forehead, hugged her and she hugged back. He placed his palm on her cheek and when she looked into his eyes, he bent his head to kiss and nibble her lips passionately, trying to take in and enjoy his wife's innocence, beauty and nobleness. He let her know how much he misses her, how much he had missed her and what she means to him. Kalpi too kissed him back with full fervor, hoping that her kiss tells him what she'll never be able to voice out, at least not now; that he is her life, everything to her, her dream and even in her anger she'll never leave her love for him; that she missed him but was with him.

****************************************************

In Raghav's chamber, Sammy sat opposite him with the newspaper in his hand, his eyes on Pakhi's photo. "Phew" he said blowing out a wind of relief out of his mouth. "That was something dude. You got saved by a whisker".

"Yes" agreed Raghav, he shook his head to one side with a wicked smile on his face. "They'll never know we knew of their plan beforehand and it was one of their own servants who passed on the information to us".

"All thanks to Sahil Kapoor not paying their long-time servants' salary since past two months. We paid them for spying on their own employer. It was our good luck that one of them found something fishy and overheard Neetu Kapoor and Pakhi's conversation".

"You know Sammy I tried so hard to not bring this situation to this, to newspapers. I knew Kalpi won't like it, but Pakhi left me with no other option. I had to make use of that agency guy whom we hired on the pretext of keeping a watchful eye on Pakhi for her safety. The media people actually thought that he was taking Pakhi to a room when in fact he was actually taking her out to the parking as per my instructions, near her own car".

"It is okay Rags. What Pakhi did was also not right; she too was playing with her own and your respect in society. She should understand that she cannot have everything so easy, in a shortcut way. By the way how did you manage to change the drink glasses?"

Raghav tells Sammy what actually happened last night.

FLASHBACK: -

Raghav has his tablet and file spread on the table and there is hardly any space on the table. Pakhi is waiting impatiently for the waiter to bring the mocktails they had ordered. Raghav had insisted on ordering a soup but Pakhi was stubborn in front of the waiter and she had ordered mocktails for both of them. Since Raghav was not talking to Pakhi she was getting bored, thinking "I've married such a boring man. He sees nothing else except work, work and work. But doesn't matter Pakhi, you get the most good-looking man in the country and the richest too. Think of the hardships you won't have to suffer with the tag of Mrs.Raghav Singhania'. Once we start living together, I'll change Raghav and make him do what all I like. He will start loving fun too. This much I can bear for you, Mr. Singhania".

Raghav by now had started talking on phone, seemingly with one of the clients though it was nothing but a fake call. He was scribbling something on the file and also extracting some information from his tablet. He was managing many things at once. From the corner of his eyes he watched the waiter approaching them. The waiter placed drinks side by side as due to space constraint he had no other option. Raghav excused on the call and asked for water and the waiter goes away to fetch water and Raghav observes from corner of his eyes Pakhi mixing the drug in one of the glasses, unaware that Raghav was watching her. She tried handing over the drink to Raghav who indicated her to wait. By now the waiter had returned. Raghav apparently by mistake dropped his pen on the floor, near waiter's foot. As soon the waiter stepped closer to lean in and place water on the other end of table, his foot slipped, dropping the glasses on his tray and the water flowed down. Some water splashed on to Pakhi as well making her dress and feet wet. She scolded the waiter as he apologized and looked down, in the process not forgetting to request Raghav to stop working and take his drink as she again tried passing over his glass to him, indicating the glass to him. But Raghav took the other glass, meant for Pakhi and very sweetly passed on the glass meant for himself to Pakhi. By the time Pakhi looked up, the glasses were exchanged.

FLASHBACK END

"Close call that was!" Sammy said "She had many other ways to make you drink that".

Raghav: "Yes, as a last resort, I'd have dropped the glass and paid the expenses to hotel for damage".

Sammy: "Anyway thank god everything worked out fine. Now you can relax. Tell me what the progress with Gauri Aunty's treatment is?"

"The doctor would give the treatment to Mom at home only starting today".

"Kalpi Bhabhi brought so much happiness in your life Raghav; you are one lucky guy. How is she, any progress on her moving in back with you?" Sammy asked Raghav.

Raghav looked at Sammy with a grim face and said "She is...angry with me".

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction using characters from the show 'Ek Mutthi Aasmaan" on 'Zee TV". The characters are owned by creators and owners of the show.