Lightening the Sky (Sloth Updates)

Chapter 19

Hours of hurling accusations, abuse, tears, begging, pleading, convincing were shared by Ragini and Lakshya in a restaurant near the Maheshwari's office. All that even after Ragini signed the annulment papers at once, not caring about the hollow cavity it brought her. In the end, she repeated her assurance, "I, in various means, am a criminal Lakshya. What more can I do to convince you? Send me to jail if you even suspect I am planning to part you and Swara."

"I can't trust you dammit," his fist met the table they shared, "I can't, how can I when I just can't forget what you did to enter my life in a manner I fail to imagine you."

"You are sick Ragini, I don't know, get medical help or something."

She stared at him without blinking, then nodded, "If you think that's what I am, a crazed girl mental in your love, fine. Sign me up to whichever medic you want, but listen to me and understand it, I love you, I love my sister as well. Your love for me overwhelmed all the other emotions, it's not the case now. I feel my sins." And their consequences...

Ragini did. The bone-chilling sensation of almost losing her sister, its comprehension in the ambience of their room did shake her. Suddenly, the emotions of all the people around her which she was disregarding were blatant.

She had expected Swara to survive the fall in the river. Unlike her Dadi, Nani and Maa didn't have any problem with sending Swara to the swimming classes, dancing classes during summer breaks. Whatever Ragini learnt was either by herself or from Dadi.

She could alway draw better, and it was flattering to find herself better than Swara at it. But swimming was something only she knew out of the two, those summers to be credited for it.

Lakshya brought two of them to a psychiatrist next, challenging her. She was serious, yet Ragini's resolve trembled slightly, the unwillingness to consider herself mentally unstable too strong till she entered the cabin. Her concern morphed to what she had promised Swara about her return, the sun had moved a little fast.

Back home, Swara's headache forced the elder ladies to take the whole house on their heads. Someone was instructed to contact Dr Rajaswi, someone massaged her head, the painkillers prepared by another pair of hands. Without Dr Rajaswi's objection, Swara wasa fed, given painkillers and tucked in the bed.

Ragini could get away scot free that one time, although her late return received a taunt from Papa, chiding from Maa and a worried glance from dadi, enough to consider her day a success even as Lakshya held his apprehension intact.

It's not an act Lakshya, when will you see it.

Lakshya refused to believe Ragini, her eager compliance making him suspicious. On the University premises, he messaged Ragini and waited for her to seek him amid cars. She had an uncanny ability to do so, after all in its pursuit she pushed all the relations to a side.

A loud screech jolted him out of the car, it was from nearby. Strage... it's a secluded corner of the parking lot.

Before he could ponder anymore, Ragini's poor attempt at fending off the goons surrounding her came in front of him. They had succeeded in tugging off stola off her shoulder and she was trapped by the wall behind.

If it was one of her schemes, then a good one, he praised Ragini's cunning mind in his heart. Getting involved anyways, what if it wasn't an act?

He doesn't trust her, maybe blames her for getting them late to the appointment... Ragini couldn't help but be enamored by his protective stance as Lakshya argued with the teasers. His being around did save her, she was surrounded by five of them and Swara wasn't allowed to attend college because of the headache fright last night. Ragini's chances of escaping unscathed were pretty low.