The Best of Things
(Ragya, Swasan) Fan Fiction Series +16
By Bubble
Chapter 72
Ragini stood with her arms folded, her lips tightly drawn and a frown on her face. A shower of dried flowers and leaves softly cascaded down her head. She grimaced and picked the leaves out of her hair, casting a look at her husband before turning away in annoyance. A minute later there was yet another shower of flowers.
"Stop it, Lakshya!" she said.
"Achcha, sorry! Maaf kardo!" he said, gathering more dry matter from the ground.
They were at a beautiful look-out point at the peak of the hill, from where they could see glorious views of the hill range as well as the green valley below, with a silver thread of stream running through. A few houses dotted the landscape. The look-out point itself was a beautiful, supplied with rustic benches and a flowering trees to provide shade and romance.
It was a two-hour hike from the resort and they had brought a high-tea picnic with them. It was an isolated spot, and not very frequented. Ragini had been glad of her sturdy sandals and her salwar kurta outfit was very comfortable for a climb. He had worn a beige T shirt over jeans but there was an added flamboyance about his clothes today... ignoring her protests, he had snatched a multi-hued bandhej stole from her suitcase and wrapped it around himself like a scarf.
When they reached the hilltop, Lakshya had had to sweep off a blanket of leaves from the bench before they were able to sit down and bring out the cold pasta salad, sandwiches, cupcakes and a flask of coffee from their packs. They had eaten and there was still some cookies, juice and water for the way back down.
Lakshya prepared to throw the third lot of debris all over her before his wife's glare stayed his hand. "Kaha na sorry?!" he said again.
"Hum bhi toh keh rahe hain sorry! I've explained so many times ke hamara dimaag bas ek baat ko lekar baith gaya tha... I was thinking only about you, not about everyone else... I'm sorry! Aur aap hain ke bas... subah se itni baar toh suna chuke hain aap!" she complained.
Lakshya looked at her and sighed. He had found her grand idea of leaving him to make reparation dumb, idiotic and outright stupid and he had told her so close to ten times since this morning. What were you thinking!? What about the families? he had asked repeatedly, did you think about them? Ragini agreed with him and had tried to explain how she had felt but was now slowly beginning to get upset that he simply wouldn't let her off the hook.
"Okay!" he said. "Let's talk it through just one more time and I'll let it go, alright?"
She looked heavenwards and then nodded.
"Come here," he said, taking her hand and drawing her next to him on the bench.
He turned sideways to face her. "Ok, you didn't know I loved you, and ok, I didn't know it myself but you loved me, right?" he asked, his eyes on her face.
She glanced at him and nodded.
"If you left me, what did you imagine would happen to me? I'd just look around and marry someone else? Did you think I would be able to find another girl in the entire world who loved me half as much as you do?" He waited for a response. She looked out at the hills and shook her head.
"A quarter as much as you do?" he asked.
She swallowed and shook her head again.
"Phir?" he demanded. "How were you just willing to abandon me like that?"
"I thought you would be better off," she said in small voice.
He gathered her and pulled her onto his lap.
"The very thought of my life without you it in it was like a dagger through my heart, Ragini! I thought we were becoming more comfortable, I thought we had a better marriage but... I didn't know that... that even the idea that you wouldn't be around would be so unbearable! Like standing at the mouth of a dark, endless tunnel... without hope, or laughter, or light! Promise me," he said urgently, "waada karo, you'll never say that again!"
She touched his face with her fingers, "I promise!"
"Khao meri kasam! Swear that you'll never talk of leaving me again!" he insisted.
"Hum waada karte hain, aapki kasam khaate hain, hum phir kabhi bhi yeh baat nahin karenge!" she repeated obediently and fervently.
He relaxed slightly. "Now kiss me!" he ordered. She let out a little laugh, wiped the tears from the the corner of her eyes, and lowered her head to meet his lips.
