The Best of Things
(RagLak, SwaSan) Fan Fiction Series
By Bubble
Chapter 15
Later that week, Lakshya had taken Ragini out to a movie and dinner, and it was late when they entered Maheshwari Mansion. The lights were still on in the family Entertainment Room, and before they made their way upstairs, he stopped to see who was there.
Uttara, Sanskaar and Swara were in the room, watching TV... Uttara was lounging in a plush single chair, Sanskaar occupied the sofa with his laptop open in front of him and Swara was on the thick carpet on the ground, leaning against the sofa Sanskaar sat on. Sanskaar had only half a ear to the comedy that was on, but Uttara and Swara were glued to the large wall mounted screen, laughing uproariously. Lakshya stood for a minute, observing them with a grin and said, "We should have opted for TV too!"
All three turned at his voice. "Hey, hi! Why, the movie was no fun?" Sanskaar raised his eyes from his work.
"Boring!" replied Lakshya.
The break came on and Swara leaned back, resting her head against Sanskaar's knee. She saw Ragini hovering behind Lakshya but didn't say anything. She was adopting a safe "no first-hi" policy with Ragini. One never knew what kind of mood she was in and what would make her insecure!
"Thanks for the warning!" Sanskaar said about the spy movie Lakshya was dissing, "I was wondering if it was worth it."
"Not a chance. Chalo, good night, everyone."
"Goodnight!" Everyone chorused back.
***
A little while later, in their room, Ragini was at the dressing table, taking off her bangles slowly. Lakshya came out, toweling his face - he'd changed into a loose maroon T shirt and checked pajamas.
"What a bekaar movie - next time, I'm going to trust the reviews. I thought the critics were being mean... but it was really a dud," he said, dumping the towel on the bed.
"Hmm..." nodded Ragini, picking it up and going to put it to dry on the rack in the bathroom.
She looked pensive as she walked back.
"Kya soch rahi ho?" he asked her.
"Kuch nahin!" she said, too quickly.
He plopped himself on the bed and quirked an eyebrow. "Kuch toh soch rahi ho! Ab batana nahin chahti, woh aur baat hai..." he teased.
"Nahin, woh hum Swara ke baare mein kuch kahenge toh aapko achcha nahin lagta... that's why..." she trailed off, as she came to sit on the bed.
Lakshya was sleepy and almost ready for bed, but mention of Swara raised the red flags... okay, araam se, Lucky, we're approaching something significant...
He made a show of yawning widely. "Swara ke baare mein kya?"
"Woh hamesha se aise hi thi!" Ragini said, abstractedly.
"Kaise? I don't understand?" Lakshya allowed himself to show a little more interest now.
"She's very open and uninhibited with men. She was always like that. Dekhiye na, she's not in love with Sanskaar, but she has absolutely no problem touching him, or hugging him... just now she was leaning against his leg! Dadi would always warn me against that kind of loose behaviour but Ma always let her roam around with boys, without even checking her! Even when she was 15-16, I remember she would get drenched in the rain with the children in the baadi. Dadi would never ever let me do that."
"Yeah, she had a different kind of upbringing..." Lakshya stayed non-committal.
"Haan, but she should understand that sort of behaviour doesn't fit into a traditional sanskaari khandaan like this one! Aapko pata hai, hamare baadi mein Swara had a special friend, Debabrata Bhattacharya. She would roam wild with him... play cricket, go off with him on his scooter, bully him into dropping her to music class... and Ma, Sharmista Ma wouldn't even scold her! As long as Swara told her where she was going, everything was ok! He went off to study in the US, soon after college."
Lakshya pricked his ears. Debabrata Bhattacharya - who was this new entry? There was something in Ragini's voice when she mentioned him. He tried to tune into the undercurrents of what she was saying.
He probed delicately for more information: "Yes, you were bred in a very traditional way, right? Especially with girls, parents can be very strict. Uttara also had a lot more restrictions than Sanskaar and me - she always hated it!"
She agreed, nodding chattily, "Haan, they're very strict with girls. Dadi was extra strict with me, because I had lost my mother early. I was not even allowed to dry my hair on the balcony, you know! But I was ok - I didn't want to talk to boys, or anything! In fact, I was surprised by this house - the family is traditional, and we need to maintain appearences, but there's also a lot of freedom... hai na?"
"It's getting better now that we're grown up," Lakshya told her, "Papa was very strict when we were growing up... but he's more chilled out now. He's understood that we have to move with the times... I mean, look at Uttara, she went abroad to study! She rebelled and rebelled till she got more freedom, so we all benefitted."
"Oh!" she seemed to digest that. He observed her, unnoticed. There seemed to be some thorny issues there... he was going to have to play therapist to Ragini, if they had to sort her out.
She smiled, "I'll go change." She gathered her nightwear and disappeared into the bathroom.
Lakshya clasped his hands behind his head and asked himself again: Yeh kambakht Debabrata Bhattacharya kaun hai?
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