Hi guys...thanks for being patient with me...I just returned from a very memorable and beautiful trip...hope you like this chapter.
CHAPTER 16
Ragini paced around her room in tension. She was trying to process what she had seen. Maintaining composure until the Maheshwaris left had been very hard for the straightforward Ragini. She wondered how her sister managed it.
She had felt something was amiss the very first time at the engagement party. Her Di who had until then been rather cheerful, had suddenly become all nervous. Ragini had put it down to her tension about the arrangements. Even Rishi who had been extremely happy when he arrived had seemed worried a little later. But she hadn't paid attention to it. The next time when they had been selecting the wedding card, she had sensed tension and coldness between Swara, Sanskaar and Rishi. But she had convinced herself that it was just her over creative mind. However, the incident at the mall left her bewildered. Sanskaar had excused himself and her sister had followed suit. They had come back seperately but almost at the same time and both of them looked angry and hurt. And soon after coming home her sister had gone up to Rishi and that very afternoon they had declared that they wanted to get married as soon as possible. When Dadi and Nani suggested that both the weddings should be held together, Swara had silently agreed.
She could overlook all that. But there was no way to ignore what she had seen a few hours ago. During the puja Ragini had seen her Nani crying , her daughter's photo in her hand and she missed her mother. She wondered how happy Sharmishta Gadodia would have been to see her daughters getting married on the same day. She didn't want anyone to see her crying and so she stepped out of the house quietly. She was standing behind the bushes consoling herself when she saw them.
She wondered how they knew each other. It was very clear that they had known each other for quiet some time but she couldn't see how they had met. Was it business rivalry? No. They were on a first name basis and the way they talked to each other seemed more a result of pain and betrayal than anger. They had very openly insulted each other. Why had her Di not objected to this wedding if she hated Sanskaar so much? Maybe her sister didn't want her to know about this but there was no way she could ignore it. She sat contemplating the different possible courses of action. None of them was satisfactory. She wondered who she could confide in.
Just then her phone rang and Laksh's name flashed on the screen. She answered reluctantly.
"You were looking gorgeous today. As always. " Laksh complimented her.
"ok. "she answered absent mindedly.
"Ragini are you ok? You sound worried. " Laksh asked.
Could she confide in him? After all he was her soon to be husband. But he was also Sanskaar's brother. How would he react? So she stayed silent.
"Ragini, in a few days you will be my wife. As I told you the first time we talked I want to be your friend. If you trust me then you can tell me what is bothering you. " Laksh told her.
She knew he was right.
"Laksh will you meet me tomorrow. At Kali mandir? " she asked.
"ok. " he said and hung up.
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Lakshya arrived at the temple and walked towards the shrine looking for Ragini. He saw her coming out and she smiled at him. She looked around cautiously and walked towards him.
"Can we go to the bridge behind the temple? There won't be much of a crowd there right now. " she asked leading the way.
He followed her. She looked breathtakingly beautiful as always but she wasn't her usual shy self. There was a business like aura around her. He wondered what she wanted to say. He feared losing her already. They sat down by the bridge. There weren't baby people around.
"Thanks for coming Laksh. It's important. I want you to listen patiently and not misunderstand me. Please. " she said nervously.
He encouraged her to go on and she told him what she had seen the previous day. He was patient and so she went ahead and told him how she had felt something was wrong for quite some time. He was silent for some time and then he placed his hand on hers reassuringly.
"Ragini, I am happy that you told me. We have to get to the root of this. I love my brother and want to see him happy. If this is in any way the reason for his pain I want to end it. " he said.
She smiled releieved.
"How do we go about it? Asking Sanskaar bhai or Di is foolishness. They would have told us earlier if they wished to let us know and considering Jeej's reaction to Sanskaar bhai asking him wouldn't be any better. " Ragini said confused.
"We have to find out on our own. Let's see. How could they have met? They work in quite different areas. Also this doesnt seem like business rivalry. Bhai wasn't even in India the last 5 years and your sister never left Kolkata the last 5 years. " Laksh said confused.
Suddenly Ragini grabbed his hand. He looked at her surprised and knew that something had struck her.
"You are right Laksh. They couldn't have met in the last 5 years. So they knew each other before that. Before Sanskaar bhai left the country he wasnt in Kolkata right? You told me he left home after a fallout with your father. Where was he? " Ragini asked eagerly.
"Ahmedabad.He was working with a friend there." Laksh told her.
Ragini looked at him shocked.
"Di was doing her MBA there before 5 years. " she said quietly.
"So thats when they should have met. But I still don't understand how they were acquainted. Your sister was studying and my brother was running a company. How did they come across each other? Maybe some internship ? " Laksh suggested.
"We have to find out. But whom do we ask? " Ragini asked.
"I know. Di would surely have pics from the time. Check those pics. See if there is anything that can be linked to my brother. I don't think bhai has any pics from that time. So it's up to you. I will see you tomorrow. " he suggested.
"No Laksh. I had enough trouble sneaking out today. Dadi would kill me if I leave home again. " Ragini said embarrassed.
"That's ok. We can make video calls. I will leave now. " he said smiling and left.
*****************
Ragini sat in her room waiting for Laksh's call. On her lap was the album she had taken from her sister's room. She wondered if he had changed his mind about getting to the root of this. But she had to find out anyway. She was convinced that Sanskaar had something to do with the change in her sister's behaviour over the past 5 years.
Just as she dozed off, her phone rang. It was Laksh. He apologised to her for keeping her waiting. He had been held up with some work his Papa had entrusted him with. She told him that she hadn't found anything related to Sanskaar in the album.
"Ragini, show me the album on video call. Maybe I can identify someone linked to Sanskaar. " Laksh suggested.
The next few minutes she showed him a series of pictures but he hadnt seen anyone except Swara and Rishi before. Just as they were getting towards the end Ragini showed him a pic of Swara alone. Suddenly Laksh stopped her. Something had caught his eye.
"Ragini, the chain Swara Di is wearing in the pic, where did she get it?" Laksh asked taken aback.
Ragini looked at the golden pendant with a S that Swara had around her neck.
"I don't know. She was wearing it when she came home for her vacaction during her first year. She said it was a gift from her friends." Ragini said confused.
"She was lying. When was the last time you saw it?" Laksh asked.
"She didn't have it when I met her on her engagement and I dont remember seeing it after that. But Why are you so interested in it? Why did you sayshe was lying that her friends gave it to her?" Ragini asked more confused now.
"Because I was there when my brother bought it. " Laksh said and then told Ragini about Kavita and Sanskaar.
"Kavita Bhabhi told bhai that she wanted a ring of his choice which would remind her every moment that she was his. But Ma already had the ring chosen. Bhai felt that since they had agreed to accept his choice of bride, he wouldn't refuse to accept the ring chosen by Ma. So he decided to give her a special gift on their engagement. So we bought it but he never got a chance to give it to her. " Laksh explained.
Ragini was silent for a moment.
"Could it be a coincidence?" she asked looking at the pic. She knew it wasn't.
"I don't know Ragini." Laksh replied but it was clear he didn't think so.
"Laksh, your bhai gave Di the pendant he bought for the girl he loved. There is only one possible explanation for that." Ragini stuttered.
"They were in a relationship. And from what we know about them they wouldn't have been in a casual relationship. They were in love. " Laksh said.
"But what about Jeej? How did he come into the equation? What happened between Di and your bhai?" Ragini asked .
"We will have to find out. But how? " Laksh asked.
Ragini was about to tell him that it was a very difficult and almost impossible task. But right then she heard a voice. Someone was calling for Swara from the hall downstairs. Ragini knew that voice.
"Laksh, I think God just snowed us the way. I will call you back. " she said hanging up and went to meet the guest.
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So any guesses about the guest?
Hindi TV Shows
Kumkum Bhagya
Cricket
