Well good news, Shikha and I are back with an update. So, here it is. Enjoy 😊
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"Are you sure yehi library hai??", Nachiket inquired over the phone.
"Haan bhai, yehi hai. Aur bhabhi 2nd floor ke right side par bethti hai." RK confirmed.
"Chal mein dekhta hoon. Thanks."
"All the best bhai," RK said disconnecting the call.
Nachiket climbed the first step and then stopped. Puri umer meine kabhi library mein qadam nahin rakha aur aaj.. Sach kaha hai kisi ne pyaar ke chakkar mein insaan ko kya kya karna padta hai.
He entered the library expecting everyone to welcome him kind of like in the movies. But to his disappointment he was inquired by the receptionist about his membership. He was surprised by the number of people in the library. It was filled with people from all ages yet a pin drop silence, which was killing him. He sighed and climbed upstairs to the second floor without looking around. Taking the turn to the right immediately, he spotted Ragini.
She was wearing one of the kurti's they had bought the other day and he forgot to tell her that it was his favorite. Her hair were tied into a bun with a few lose strands which kept distracting her and she kept locking them behind her ear. She was so engrossed in her studies that she didn't even notice him standing in front of her.
Nachiket walked to her side,
"Kya mein aap ke saath beth sakta hoon?"
"Sure." Ragini replied without even looking at him.
Nachiket pulled the chair and sat beside her. It was then Ragini's mind register the familiar voice. She immediately turned to his side, exclaiming,
"Nachiket! Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho??"
"Ssshhh.." whispered the girl sitting next to Ragini.
"Library mein aur kya karte hain, Ragini? Padhne hi aaya hoon." He replied trying to sound casual.
"Jhoot! Tum aur library mein padhne aoge. Sach sach batao mere picche aye ho nah?"
"Tumhe aisa kyun lagta hai Ragini ke mein har cheez tumhara liye karta hoon?" Nachiket whispered into her face, teasingly. Ragini made a pout and looked down. She couldn't help not being affected by Nachiket.
Nachiket smiled at her reaction.
"Ragini suno!" he cried when Ragini didn't look back at him and resumed studying.
"Silence please!"
"Nachiket, please," Ragini whispered into his ears "I know tum yahan par sirf time waste karne aye ho. But I have to study. Isliye ya tou khamoshi se padho ya phir chale jao." Ragini continued reading a book after making her point. Nachiket also tried to study but he got bored very soon.
He wrote something on a paper and slid it to Ragini's side so that she can read it.
"Mein tumhe kuch batana bhul gaya tha usdin."
Ragini looked at him in a disbelief.
Nachiket took back the note, inscribing something on it again.
"You look gorgeous today! This was my most favorite kurti."
Nachiket was closely observing her face when a trace of blush appeared on Ragini's face. She turned her face towards him..smiling slightly.
He quickly wrote another note pushing it to her side,
"Hassti raha karo. Acchi lagti ho."
Ragini made a pout snatching the note from his hand before he could take it away.
"Kya matlab hai tumhara, weise acchi nahi lagti mein?"
Nachiket smiled..Finally! Ms. Ragini Patel, you can't resist me.
"Nahin!" wrote Nachiket.
Ragini turned her head instantly to see Nachiket wink at her.
"I have to study!"
"Tou padho, meine kab mana kara hai."
By now the note was settled in the middle and they both were busy writing to each other. Ragini too had forgotten about her studies.
"Tum jao yahan se!"
"Mein nahi ja raha. Tum aise padh ke dikhao."
"Nachiket please! I really have to study."
"Accha suno."
"Kya hai??"
"Kab aa rahi ho mere ghar?"
"Tumhare ghar?? Kyun?"
"Read between the lines ;) "
"Nachiket tumhe library mein bhi flirt soojh raha hai :/ "
"Meine flirt kab kara? Mein tou Dada ji ke liye keh raha tha. Tum bhi nah Ragini. Thoda sabar karo, sabar ka phal meetha hota hai ;) "
Ragini looked away, embarrassed.
"Accha sorry. Mazaak kar raha tha mein. Ab please reply kardo. I'm getting bored here." Nachiket wrote again.
"Tou kis ne kaha mere picche picche chale aao idher?! "
"Tumhari picche picche library agaya hoon ek hafte mein. Puri umer saath rahe tou socho kitna seedha ban jaunga mein ;) "
"Nachiket! Phir shuru hogaye! Jao, mein baat nahi karti tumse."
"Kya yaar Ragini. Itni si baat par naraaz hojaati ho?"
Ragini pushed the note to his side without writing anything.
"I'm sorry yaar "
"It's okay. But pehle punishment."
"Kahiye madam ji. Kya punishment hai? Aap ka banda har saza ke liye haazir hai."
"Mujhe bhelpuri khaani hai. Lekar ao!"
Nachiket read and looked at her in surprise.
"Abhi?" He whispered unbelievingly.
"Haan abhi. Mujhe khaani hai bas. Aur woh bhi thelle wali" Ragini replied. They were now having a whisper talk.
"Ragini tum jaanti ho nah woh hygienic nahi hoti." Nachiket whispered loudly in a worried tone.
"Woh mujhe nahin pata. Tumhari saza hai tumhe khilaani hai bas." Ragini said looking satisfied with the punishment she chose for Nachiket.
"Mujhe bohot bhook lagi hai Nachiket. Chalo nah jaldi."
Nachiket stood up holding his hand out to her.
When they both were outside the library, Nachiket sighed a breath of relief,
"Thank God Ragini, tum baahir le aayi. Dum ghut raha tha ander mera. Pata nahi kaise padh lete ho tumlog ander aise."
"Nachiket tumhara exams hone wale hain nah?" Ragini suddenly remembered about his upcoming exams.
"Haan, tou?"
"Kal se tum mere saath library aoge aur padhoge." She said like ordering him.
"You must be kidding. Mein aur itna jaldi padhayi aur woh bhi library mein. No way!"
"Haan tum, kal se padhoge mere saath library mein. And that's an order!" Ragini said firmly and started walking towards the library gate.
Nachiket stood helpless. Kya yaar, kahan phass gaya mein. Ek ghanta nahi baith saka library mein aur ab madam ke saath roz padho. Dada ji bas aap ki wajah se bardasht kar raha hoon mein ab. He thought irritated and stomped out of the library.
***
"Nachiket! Mujhe bhook lagi hai." Ragini said in the middle of their studies. They had been studying together in the library for a week.
"Chalo utho mein tumhe ghar chod deta hoon. Ghar par kha lena." Nachiket suggested getting up.
"Nahin, mujhe chaat khaani hai aaj!" Ragini said in childish tone.
"Nahin, Ragini..tumne bohot kha liya hai baahir ka. Roz yeh unhygienic khaana ain't good for you. Mein ghar drop kar raha hoon nah tumhe." Nachiket started picking up the books.
"Mujhe chaat hi khaani hai bas!" Ragini insisted, "nahin tou aur kuch nahi khaana mujhe."
"Ragini bachon ke jaisi zidd nai karo! Meine kaha nah ghar ka khaana aaj. Chalo utho!"
Ragini made a pout and remained seated making Nachiket finally give up.
"Fine! Chalo!"
"Okay! You're cho chweet, Nachiket" Ragini pulled his cheeks.
Nachiket was driving his car and Ragini kept talking non-stop. And amidst all their talking, Ragini didn't even realize where Nachiket was going. Or that he was headed home, rather than to the dhaba, like she thought. Nachiket stopped the car and motioned for her to step out.
"Aur phir, uska mooh pe pura shaving cream gir gaya tha!" Ragini cried, laughing. Nachiket looked at her and smiled. She looked so cute when she laughed, her dimples coming into prominence and her perfect teeth looking more beautiful than the stars lighting up the sky. Ragini grabbed her stomach and leaned on the car for support as she laughed harder and harder. Nachiket ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. He was one damn lucky man to be by this wonderful woman's side.
"Nachiket!" Ragini cried, "Hum tumhare ghar pe kya kar rahe hai?"
"Woh...umm...actually, kya hai ki..."
"Woh kya Nachiket? Hum toh dhaba pe chal rahe the na?"
"Ragini...woh mein apna phone ghar pe bhool gaya tha, toh woh lene ke liye aa gaya. Hospital se kuch zaroori call aa gaya toh..." Nachiket bluffed.
"Haan toh, yeh tum mujhe pehle nahi bata sakte the kya? Mujhe kitni bhook lagi hai!" Ragini whined, making a pout.
Nachiket smiled. "Ghar pe kuch hoga, hum wahi khalenge. Waise bhi bahut bahar ka khana ho gaya tumhare liye."
"Par mujhe dhaba pe jaana hai! And you promised!" she said, jabbing her finger into his chest.
"Ouch Ragini!" Nachiket crossed his arms. "Tum aa rahi ho ya nahi?"
"Nahi." she said sternly and turned away from him. "Tumhe jo karna hai karlo."
"Jo karna hai kar loon? Ek baar soch lo Ragini..."
"Soch liya. Aisa kya karoge?" she said with a laugh.
He didn't say a word; he just wrapped arms around her back and her knees and swept her off of her feet without any warning.
"AAhhh--Naachikeeettt!" Ragini yelped as her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck, holding on to the only anchor she had. His cologne overwhelmed her senses and it took all of her efforts not to close her eyes and lose herself in the ocean breeze that he was for her. Nautica, she thought to herself, making a mental note to remember that when his birthday came around.
He was surprised at how light she was. And at how perfectly she fit into his arms. As Nachiket walked up to the house, he was making every effort to stare straight ahead. And he smiled in his head, knowing that she couldn't keep her eyes from his face. He reached the front door, then realized that his house keys were in his pocket.
"Ragini, tum zar--"
Nachiket cut himself short as he realized what he was about to say. What was he thinking?! He set her down gently and she slipped her arms down his chest as he released her (did he sense a bit of reluctance in that motion?).
"Mein kya Nachiket? Kuch chahiye tumhe?" Ragini asked, confused.
"Nai, woh bas..." He pulled his keys from his pocket and waved them in front of her face before unlocking the door to his house. He pushed open the double doors and welcomed her in.
"Ragini, yeh hai hamara ghar." Nachiket said, proudly, spreading his arms wide to show off his beautiful home.
Ragini was awestruck. She had been inside his home before, but never through the front. And it was gorgeous. There was a huge living area in front of her, with double staircases that lead to the rooms on the second floor. As she peered to the left, she saw a media room and a study, each of which were individually bigger than her whole apartment. An open concept kitchen sat on the right, with a half wall that looked into the breakfast area. And a formal dining room stemmed from the living room, with enough table space for a meal fit for a king.
She brought herself back to the present and tried to remember what Nachiket had just said. Her eyes narrowed. "Hamara?!" Ragini asked, taken aback.
"Haan, hamara. Mera aur Dadaji ka ghar! Ya bhool gayi ki yeh mera bachelor pad nahi hai?" Nachiket replied, with a wink that made Ragini's cheeks go warm.
"Kuch bhi...," she said, hitting his arm lightly as she moved into the living room. Good save, Nachiket, he thought to himself, smiling.
She sat down on the sofa and he sat beside her. She looked up at him expectantly, and it was then that the phone rang beside her. Ragini turned around, startled at the noise.
He reached across her before she could react, his arm brushing her side. Ragini's breath halted in her throat as he came closer, close enough that she could smell his cologne, this time getting a better whiff. Not Nautica, she thought as her eyes closed against her will. Calvin Klein. She willed herself to stay calm as he fumbled with the phone, his wrist barely touching her waist. Ragini felt him pull away and she sighed.
Just then, he leaned back into her, this time closer than before. His ring was caught on her salwaar and his tantalizing touch on her waist was making hundreds of butterflies run amok in her stomach. His stubble was grazing her cheek and she couldn't bear his proximity. The phone was on its last ring now and Nachiket picked up the call, still in that same position, nearly on top of Ragini at this point.
"Hello?" he asked roughly as his lips brushed against her ear.
"Hello? Nachiket!" exclaimed a familiar voice on the other end. "Meri flight jaldi aa gayi hai, mein abhi raaste mein hoon. Jab mein ghar aaunga, tab hum dono saath mein dinner karenge, ok?"
"Ji, ji Dadaji," said Nachiket, breathing onto her neck. His breath was warm but refreshingly minty at the same time and it sent a shiver down her spine. "Mein phone rakhta hoon abhi, hum baad mein baat karte hain."
"Haan beta. Mein shayad ek ghante mein ponchoonga. Bahut bhook lagi hai, tum tab tak bahar se kuch mangalo." Ragini caught herself wishing that this phone call would never end.
"Haan Dadaji. See you soon. Bye." Nachiket added, in a hurry to get off of the phone.
"Tum itni jaldi mein kyun ho, Nachiket? Khair, we'll talk when I get home. Bye beta," Dadaji said, much to Nachiket's relief.
As Nachiket moved his hand to disconnect the phone, Ragini couldn't help but arch her back in his arms. He looked at her and he saw that her eyes were shut tight and she was breathing heavily. Nachiket felt guilty for doing this to her; yet it also gave him a strange type of pleasure to see that he could have such a strong effect on her.
He tried to free his hand, but he couldn't; so he wrapped his other hand around her back and to her waist. Ragini gasped and she immediately wished she hadn't. She knew he had heard her; his ear was right by her mouth. Nachiket lowered his eyes and pulled his ring free. He took one last look at her before pulling away from her and settling as far on the end of the couch as he possibly could.
Ragini felt him leave and she opened her eyes, not wanting him to see her like this. She cleared her throat and swallowed before asking, the embarrassment clear in her voice, where the bathroom was. Nachiket was dumbfounded himself by what had just happened between them and could only point towards the kitchen. Ragini rose and hurriedly ran off, trying to compose herself.
Ragini returned after a good 10 minutes of splashing her red face with cold water. Nachiket was still sitting on the sofa. He had a pillow on his lap now, and he was running his finger across the design, tracing out the little swirls rhythmically. Ragini had the sudden urge to walk up to him and slowly run her fingers through his hair and rub his temples lightly...
But she quickly buried those thoughts. Instead, she cleared her throat loudly. Nachiket was startled by the sudden noise and looked up at her. "Ragini! Ummm, woh I'm so--"
She cut him off, trying to avoid any potential awkwardness. "No Nachiket, it's ok. Dosti mein no sorry and no thank you, remember?" She started to walk back towards the kitchen. "Chalo abhi, tumhare Dadaji aate hi honge and unke liye khana banana hai na?"
Nachiket rose and followed her, surprised at how easily she had dropped the whole matter. Was she warming up to him? he wondered.
He snapped himself out of his daydream and as a thought popped into his mind. "Ragini!" he called out. She turned and looked at him confused. "Hum khana kyun bana rahe hai? Dadaji ne kaha na mujhse ki kuch bahar se order karlo?" Tum toh wahin thi... he thought to himself.
"Haan, lekin ghar ka khana is better for him. Hum dono ki baat alag hai, hum kuch bhi kachara kha sakte hai. Lekin Dadaji ki umar ho gayi hai, upar se unki tabiyat theek nahi rehti. Toh unke liye ghar ka khana hi better hoga," Ragini replied, tying the ends of her dupatta in a knot by her hip as she walked into the kitchen. She looked around, trying to make sense of all of the cabinets and drawers. Finally, she turned around to face Nachiket.
"Baartan kahan pe hote hai?" she asked. Nachiket was taken aback by her question. "Mujhe kya pata?! Ghar mein cooks hai; mein aaj tak rasoi mein bhi nahi aaya!" he replied.
Ragini made a face at him. "What?!" She rolled her eyes and turned back around. "Aise bhi hote hai," she grumbled to herself.
"Kuch kaha tumne Ragini?"
"Nahi. Tum bas baartan dhundo." Ragini replied, bending in front of a large cabinet, opening it and then closing it, and then moving onto the next one. She repeated this process thrice before she turned around and looked at him again. "Dhundo!" she cried, gesturing towards the other side of the kitchen.
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After a while, Ragini had found a small pan and set it on the stove. She planned to make dal, bhindi ki sabzi, and rice. The cook had made rotis in the morning and left them in the fridge and the rice was cooking in the rice cooker. Ragini was sauteing the bhindi while Nachiket chopped tomatoes. But when he had nearly cut his finger while cutting, Ragini had given him the job of watching the stove while she chopped the vegetables.
"Ho gaya?" he heard her ask from behind him. Nachiket turned around and saw her moist eyes. His eyes widened. "Ragini?! Tum ro kyun rahi ho? Kya hua? Are you alright?!" he questioned, moving towards her.
Ragini laughed softly. "Yes, Nachiket, I'm fine! Bas pyaaz kaat rahi thi," she said, sniffling as she motioned towards the neatly diced onions on the countertop.
"Please, apni aankhein ponch lo," Nachiket said, handing her a paper towel.
"Haan, just let me wash my hands," she replied, moving towards the sink. She washed and dried her hands, then dabbed at her eyes with a paper towel.
Nachiket stood there, still shocked. How could a woman be so kind, kind enough to shed her precious tears to prepare food for someone she barely knew? Tears had always touched a nerve for him. Having lost his parents at a young age, Nachiket would watch his Dadaji cry silently, looking at his parents' wedding album; but Dadaji was careful to never shed a single tear in front of Nachiket. Nachiket grew up believing that tears were something private and sacred, something that you wouldn't share in public. He had never cried in public, not when he had been denied his favorite toy at the store, not when his professor had openly scolded him in front of the entire class, not when his first crush had rejected him. Never. And here this woman was, shedding tears, in front of him, for his Dadaji. Although it was only because of the onions, he couldn't wrap his mind around it...around her.
Nachiket resolved from that day that he would never let her cry...if only she were to give him that right.
Just then the pan sizzled and Nachiket rushed to continue stirring. He added the rest of the vegetables and sprinkled in the masalas like Ragini had instructed him to, being careful to mix all the ingredients evenly. As the curry simmered down, he turned off the stove and placed the pan to the side.
"Arrey wah!" cried Ragini, who had taken the rice out of the cooker and had just finished scooping the last of it into a serving bowl. "Bahut achi khusboo aa rahi hai Nachiket!" She walked over and took a big whiff of all the food. "Dadaji will love it," she said, clapping her hands together in excitement.
Nachiket felt something tickle his eye and he reached his hand up to brush it out. But he felt a hand on his wrist. "Nachiket!" he heard her cry. "Kya kar rahe ho! Tumhare haath pe mirchi powder hai!"
As he closed the affected eye, he felt her tugging him to the sink. He quickly washed his hands and she was standing there, ready with a towel for him. He smiled and accepted it, still marveling in her generosity in cooking a whole meal for him and his Dadaji. And now her care and concern for him.
The doorbell rang, snapping him out of his reverie. "Mein dekhti hoon," she said, running off.
She was perfect. For him, and for his family.
CID
Bigg Boss 19
