The Best of Things
(RagLak, SwaSan) Fan Fiction Series
By Bubble
Chapter 32
Ragini wore a wan face to breakfast the next morning.
Sanskaar had seen Lakshya leave, he had had a quick word with him, so everyone knew he had gone and would be gone indefinitely. Annapurna sighed all over the place, Durga Prasad Maheshwari was grim, and everyone else just looked quiet and listless. No one said anything to Ragini. They all knew by now how much care Lakshya had lavished on her... and they had heard the screeching tone of her voice yesterday and the litany of complaints she had so unfairly made...
She spent most of the day in her room. In the evening, still moping, and actually desperate for a little company, she knocked on Swara's door.
Sanskaar opened the door to her. "Sanskaar, Swara hai kya?" she asked timidly.
Sanskaar looked over his shoulder into the room and said "Swara?" questioningly.
Swara was sitting on the bed, with a few pages of sargam notations around her... she glanced up at the door, took in Ragini's presence at the door, and shook her head slightly but emphatically.
Then, as if she was a pesky salesman, who had already been told that there were no takers for his wares, Sanskaar gently shut the door on her face.
Back in her room, sitting dully in the balcony, Ragini remembered the fight last night. The truth, the truth, the truth... that had been his constant demand.
***
The next day, Ragini became a little anxious. The day passed without a word from Lakshya. She waited for Sanskaar to come home and met him the minute he came upstairs.
"Sanskaar, he's not answering his phone," she said breathlessly.
"Yeah... he came to office today and gave me this... you can keep it," he said, and handed over Lakshya's phone. Ragini looked at it, horrified.
"Why has he given you his phone? Now how will he keep in touch, Sanskaar!?" she asked.
"Right now, I don't think he cares," Sanskaar said quietly.
Ragini saw the notification bar and the 12 missed calls from her own number. She swallowed and raised painful eyes to Sanskaar's face. "Woh kaise hain?" she whispered.
A tinge of sympathy crossed his face but he said honestly, "He looked tired. Disappointed... unhappy."
Shoulders slumped, she walked away to her room.
Her Daadi called later that evening, full of endearments and blandishments. "Kaisi hai, Laado?"
For once, Ragini told her nothing of what was happening in her life and in her heart... She had been wondering if Lakshya had been right after all... if her grandmother had indeed had such a big role to play in the way she had behaved these past few months...
Ragini just sat in the dark and thought and thought till she felt dizzy.
+++
As she was closing up the kitchen for the night, Swara felt Ragini at the door. She stood hesitantly but looked determined to have her conversation. "Swara, please hamari baat suno!"
Swara nodded, washed her hands, put off the kitchen lights and walked out. Ragini followed her. Swara pulled out a chair from the dining table, sat down and clasped her hands.
"Bolo." She said and waited.
Ragini quickly pulled up the chair next to her and sat as well. "Swara, I'm sorry."
Swara said nothing.
"Woh... woh, I got jealous... I thought, anyway you weren't in love with Sanskaar... and you weren't interested in staying married.. I thought, if you left the house, Lakshya would forget you sooner... I instigated Maa and Choti Maa against you..."
Ragini looked searchingly as Swara's face and found nothing but placid acceptance.
"Theek hai. I knew it anyway. Can I go now?" She pushed back her chair.
"Swara! Maaf kardo, please..."Ragini asked.
"Okay!" said Swara easily and moved away.
"Swara!" Ragini was loud and a little more desperate. "Please Lakshya ko manane mein hamari madad karo!"
Swara turned around, with a laugh on her face. "Me?! Are you sure? I thought you thought the planet was too small for the both of us?"
"He's gone away, Swara!" said Ragini despairingly.
"What did he say that night you fought?" Swara asked her.
"He wanted the truth," said Ragini dully.
"What you told me just now?" Swara asked piercingly.
Ragini nodded.
"You told me in two minutes flat, why didn't you tell him?" she asked.
Ragini looked a bit struck by that... "I don't know... I didn't want to let him down, think badly of me."
Swara laughed, "You're a fool, Ragini, did you know? You went to such lengths to win him, and now you've snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. You want his respect as well, don't you?"
Ragini frowned. "Yes!"
Swara sneered, "Then why are you behaving like an idiot? Are you a moron who doesn't know how to count her blessings? You're ruining your own life! He's giving you everything - EVERYTHING! And you're smearing dung on the whole situation... by targetting me, by being so stupidly jealous, when there is absolutely no need... I thought you loved Lakshya!"
"I do! I do!" averred Ragini.
"Then why are you hurting him? He accepted you with everything he was capable of... why are you flinging it all in his face? Why are you making it so difficult for him and for yourself when you could have a win-win life?"
"I'm not, Swara!" she said, tearing up. "It was a stupid mistake, it just happened... I didn't even think it through!"
"Just missing your regular quota of spreading discord and misery in your surroundings, huh?" her sister asked mockingly.
Ragini remained silent.
"Well, make your explanations to him. He's the one you should be talking to, not me!" Swara declared and walked away.
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