Bound by Rhythm - A SanGini Story (Chapter Four Updated)

Chapter One

Sanskaar Maheshwari got out of his car and looked around, taking in his surroundings. A large playing field which was currently occupied with children of all ages by the looks of it, another smaller group of kids huddled around a teacher, the relatively small car park he was stood in and the vast building of the music academy he was stood facing. In Manali.

Nice place. Completely her comfort zone. The sun seemed to be shining over the place abundantly. Small but still quite packed, an old building which was being renovated while still being open, but colourful and brimming with the laughs of children. The only potential place where she would not be depressed by the distance between herself and her family.

Sanskaar walked up the steps in to the building and decided to walk around the school before meeting the principal. Holding the doors open for a few kids who were running past without any care, he merely smiled. Despite taking all the time he could, he was now in front of the principal's office. Devyani Malhotra; the placard outside the door read. He looked at the time, noticing he was 5 minutes early. Deciding to go anyway, he knocked on the door and entered when summoned.

Devyani looked up and saw a young man enter. Sanskaar Maheshwari, she remembered. He had called a few weeks ago to meet her. Why? She was unaware. The nephew of Kolkata's high renowned governor of a Marwari society. What could he possibly need from a small government funded music academy in a small hill station such as Manali?

"Mr Maheshwari, please sit. I hope you're well." She smiled at him as he sat down. He nodded and smiled back.

"Thank you for seeing me today. I really needed to meet you."

"Yes, I was informed of the urgency, but I'm still not aware why."

"Mrs Malhotra, I've been looking for someone. A...friend...of mine. It's been about 6 months since she's been missing."

Devyani listened closely as he spoke, still not entirely sure what she could possibly do here. She looked up at him to continue.

"Well, I've managed to track her down. And now, according to my information, she's here. More specifically, a student at this academy."

Sanskaar looked at her hopefully, once he had finished speaking. Devyani raised her eyebrows in surprise. A girl missing from Kolkata. In her academy. But how could that be possible? Not if the girl had ran away of her own accord and was here to not attract attention to herself. Or maybe if...

"I think I know who you're talking about, but please elaborate just in case I'm wrong." The young man in front once again took a deep breath of relief. And so continued.

"Ragini Gadodia."Devyani smiled and nodded in response.

"Ragini Rathore, Mr Maheshwari." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before shaking his head.

"For us, that is. However, we are more likely to be wrong if you knew before 6 months ago."

He leaned forward a bit.

"I also met a Ragini 6 months ago. I have no idea where she came from or not. But I let her in the academy after an audition. And an impeccable audition at that."

"Mrs Malhotra, it's very urgent that I meet her."

"However, Mr Maheshwari - there's something you should know."

He leaned in further looking at her intently but once again confused.

"We took Ragini to the hospital when she arrived her. And unfortunately..." She now took a deep breath and looked at him.

"Mr Maheshwari, Ragini has suffered from retrograde amnesia."
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Sanskaar sat down on a bench outside in the field. He had discarded off his black suit due to the sun and its blazing heat. He was still hot but too occupied to even care.

No wonder, Ragini had not returned home. She didn't even know the way, for crying out loud. And everyone had made all sorts of assumptions ranging from being in shame to having killed herself. But she had been here, all the time. With no idea, who she was or where she was from. The principal had uncovered a lot.

"Mr Maheshwari, she does not remember anything from her past."

"She has suffered an ordeal which has left her in trauma which apparently was too much for her to cope with."

"And such traumas, the brain decides to reject. Which is what happened in Ragini's case."

"Now the last thing she remembers, is that someone had shouted out her name, Ragini."

"The doctor advised that subtle reminders of her past would help in encouraging her memory."

"Unfortunately, so far there's been nothing that has reminded her of her family. The only thing we have so far discovered is the fact that she sings classical and plays the sitar. The students playing the sitar here were to thank for that."

"She's studying history of music here alongside teaching some of the younger kids how to play the sitar."

Sanskaar leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes. Ragini remembered nothing. So this was going to be difficult. But how to remind her?

He let out a laugh as he remembered how he had thought that she had chosen this place of her own accord. When in reality, the principal had just come across her, due to her good luck.

Ragini Gadodia. Shekhar and Sharmishta Gadodia's younger daughter. He had only met her about a year ago but knew her so well. Maybe because there was not so much about her. There had been her one obsession which he had encouraged to some extent. It would be wrong to not admit that. She had wronged a lot of people in a bid to win over love. A love that she knew had never been hers. But still she tried. In the end, circumstances had been such that they had BOTH given up their foolish attempts. However, the regrets of their actions had crawled upon Ragini the most. And that too quite seriously. She had acted most foolishly. Her adamancy to confess had also ignited her fear of being punished. Punishment she was ready for. But how could she face them after having confessed. This had scared the living daylight out of her. And she had confessed before having taken a drastic step. She had jumped down a cliff after having ran away from home.

It had been Sanskaar himself who had shouted her name last. It was his call out to her that she remembered.

Hi everyone. So I know the forum as well as the show is a very ANTI Ragini place right now which is why I felt I wanted to do something where Ragini could have a potential positive role and storyline for herself. Therefore, I got encouraged (thanks SanGini shippers, especially Priya) to write a story on my preferred (but not likely to happen) couple, Ragini and Sanskaar.

I hope you guys enjoy.

Index will be updated here.

Index


Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Wow! Laila...Thank u...thank u for Sangini!

loved it update soon next prt

Wow finally sangini

Eeekkkss you know right how super duper happy and proud I am!! Laila you are the one who still make me continue shipping Sangini, when I feel like, ok it's impossible now, I know I got you to tell me that it's not the end! I don't care about the show anymore since really long but you girl!! You are my heart!! And I love you twice because of the special mention you gave me in the post!
This FF is the best thing ever for me! Love you Laila!!!

It first seemed like Jab We Met. But with amnesia thown in, I'm sure it's gonna be interesting. I am not SanGini supporter but would like to read this story. Please continue.

Omg...finally a sangini ff..
Superb concept yar...loved it..loved it..
I loved ur way of writing..the prologue itself shows how talented u r in this department...n it makes me all the more excited...
The banner is beautiful..did u make it?...multi talented??

🤔 Loved it...! 👏 Please update tne next part ASAP

Chapter Two


"Mom, I'm okay...I'm in...in Goa. Just for...for a break.. I'll be back soon."

Sanskaar cut the call as soon as, not giving his mother another chance to speak and get her jasoos radar out. Neither was he going to let her know where he was and why he was there.

He stood in the balcony of his room in a hilltop hotel in Manali which gave him a magnificent view of the whole hill station. The sun was about to set so people were closing shop, heading home in all directions and some lights were going on for those that roam around at night.

He could see the academy as well. But he was yet to see Ragini. From near or far. He had been waiting for a while to meet her but decided against it when he realised he may scare her if unprepared as she wouldn't recognise him at all. He had been thinking for a while now about to approach her. He had refrained from calling Lakshya and Swara as well. Knowing the state of mind that Swara and her family were in, he wouldn't be surprised if they barged in unannounced and scared her out of her wits. He would need to approach her in his own way and break the news to her carefully.

The principal had said she had not required much practice with the sitar before playing confidently - she had remembered how to administer the instrument quite well. He had never seen her play before. But word of mouth from others was that she had been a pro. If that applied to him, how long before she would recognise him?

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The next day, Sanskaar had decided to meet her in charge doctor. It was not as if though he could talk to her during the day seeing as she was learning and/or teaching during the day.

After his visit to her doctor, Sanskaar knew nothing new that he hadn't been told by the principal previously. Her rejection of a trauma...no familiarity in her day to day life that may help her remember (apart from the sitar) anything from everything she had forgotten...and no indication of if she would ever regain her memory without encouragement. Therefore, the urgency to meet her had increased for Sanskaar.

And so, at the end of the school day, Sanskaar was once again, outside the academy. He waited as he saw students leave the building in groups, individually and so on. He looked up and saw a group of boys talking loudly a few feet away from him. One was being encouraged by his fellow classmates to, by the looks of it, approach a girl.

He let another laugh of disbelief. He had done the same a good few years ago. But now looking at the boys, he couldn't help but find it immature and foolish.

"She'll come out of class now. Just go up to her and talk normally."

"And then ask her, if she will go with you tonight."

"And then be ready to hear no."

The boys had then erupted in laughter, while the boy in question had simply rolled his eyes.

"Look there, she's out."

Sanskaar absentmindedly followed their gaze. He sat straight as he saw the girl they were pointing at. However, before he could even react, the boy had pulled down on his shirt to make the creases disappear and then approached her.

"Hey Ragini."

Ragini looked up from where she had been adjusting the strap of her bag. She gave him a radiant smile.

"Hi Shikhar. Kaise ho?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Never been better. Did you just get out of class?"

"No. My last class finished an hour ago."

"Oh. I'm done for the day too. But really hungry."

"Are you going to eat?"

Ragini nodded as she counted her money. Shikhar looked around nervously while she was occupied.

"Ragini, woh...I was wondering..."

"Yeah?"

"I...I..."

"Shikhar, carry on..."

"Iwanttolearnthesitar."

"I beg your pardon?" Ragini had now looked up confused. Shikhar let out a desperate breath and looked up at her.

"Could you teach me the sitar?"

She smiled and pat his shoulder.

"Itni si baath? Shikhar, I teach tomorrow morning. Come over."

Before he could say another word, she had gone off.

Sanskaar, who had been watching the two quite closely, could not help but notice a change in Ragini. A difference. It was evident that this boy, Shikhar, seemed fond of her. She, as normal for her, had no idea about the advances of this boy. But still. There was a change. She was still in her modest anarkalis. Simple accessories adorning her ears and wrists. Open hair falling straight down to her lower back. But then what was different?

He followed her to the small chai and chaat vendor just outside the gate and watched as she sat down after having ordered. The vendor handed over a plate of paani puris to her which she took after a thank you.

Sanskaar took a seat on another bench and ordered the same. Eyes still discreetly on Ragini, absentmindedly he had put the first puri into his mouth which immediately made him choke. The imli water had been too sour for his tastebuds and thus he looked towards the vendor for a water bottle to wash down the zingy sensation in his throat.

However, before he had even extended his hand, someone had bent over him with a water bottle and was patting his head as he drank.

"See bhaiya, I told you. Your imli is simply too khatti. You're not supposed to drain it so much."

Sanskaar didn't need looking up to know who was telling off the vendor and patting his head so vigorously that he was finding it hard to even drink his water, forget looking up. Once having rebuked the poor vendor, Ragini looked down at him.

"Aap teek hain?"

"I'm okay. Thanks." She removed her hand and went back to her seat. After a few more minutes, she stood up to leave and passed him another smile as she did so. And before he could respond, she had already turned on her heels and started walking. He looked at her, thinking hard on how to stop but he didn't-

"RAGINI!"

The effect was immediate. She had stopped in her tracks. She looked up but nowhere in particular, as if though, having remembered something. Then the realisation dawned upon her. Her eyes rounded immensely as she turned towards him. And the way, her eyes had stayed on him, Sanskaar knew she was aware that it had been him who called her. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to her. He looked at her for a moment before deciding to speak, however she beat him to it.

"How do you know my name?"

Taken aback at her unexpected question, Sanskaar parted his mouth for a few seconds before closing it again. Now, he was stuck.

"I...I...er...I want to learn the sitar."