The Saxena Complexity

My current option

~|| CHAPTER 12 ||~

"Rakshi. I.."

"Cat caught your tongue? You were talking to Jahnvi Di, weren't you?"

Raima slowly but steadily nodded her head.

"How did you know? I was quiet. I wasn't even letting out a sound.""It's just, a sudden stomach ache on the night of your reunion. It was way too coincidental. Neither I nor Abheer could believe it. So, I came to check the situation myself. I was right. So, now tell me, what is happening? What happened? Something between you and Adhir? A fight? Something else?"

"Rakshi, answer the questions by yourself only. Let me speak, at least."

"Fine, speak."

"Please sit on the bed."

"Ok." As Raima called out to her, Rakshita hesitated, a subtle knot of apprehension forming in the pit of her stomach. Raima's inviting smile and pat on the empty spot beside her seemed innocent enough, yet Rakshi couldn't shake the unease that settled within her.

Uncertainty etched across her features, Rakshita took a tentative step forward. As she comfortably settled beside Raima, there was a palpable tension in the air, the kind borne due to the situation.With a deep sigh, Raima began to share the story of the distressing encounter with her husband. Her words carried the burden of disappointment and hurt, each sentence a testament to the vulnerability she rarely allowed others to witness. As Raima spoke, the heaviness in her heart spilt into the room.

Rakshita, understanding the unspoken need for support, gently placed a hand on Raima's shoulder, offering a tangible connection amidst the intangible weight of emotions.

As the narrative unfolded, Raima's vulnerability became more pronounced. A profound sense of trust lay in her decision to lay her head on Rakshita's lap, seeking comfort in a gesture that echoed a child finding solace in a mother's embrace. The touch of Rakshita's hand on Raima's head became a soothing balm, bridging the emotional gap between words and understanding.

"He has to be lying, Rakshi. He has to be. Ruhi Ma would never do that to me and I know it. I know it well enough. Adhir is lying. He is. He is desperate for my attention, that's why he is saying stuff like this. Rakshi, you tell me, you know Ruhi Ma, right? Do you really think she would do that to me? No, right. She gave up her whole life to take care of orphans like me. If she wasn't there, I wouldn't even be there. She's the reason."

"Shut up. Stop talking about death. You will always be there for me, ok. Nothing would ever happen to you. Argument on one side and death other side. Don't mix them up and don't talk about not existing or living. Do you not know that you are such a big part of my life? Do you not care about me? How it would affect me?"

"Rakshi, I know. I promise I won't ever leave you, ok. Half of my heart is owned by you only, na. But, Rakshi, you tell me. Adhir is lying. Do you think that Ruhi Ma would do something like that?"

"Raima, I know Ruhi Aunty and I have truly seen her care more about you than she ever cared about Jahnvi Di. And, I'm not kidding. I don't think Ruhi Ma would choose someone like that for you. Maybe Adhir had a misunderstanding. Clear it out."

"CLEAR IT OUT? That trashy human is lying to me about the person I admire and love the most in my life and you want me to talk to him calmly. I'll uproot his entire universe. I'll emotionally torture him. He can say whatever he wants about me but he's got another thing coming if talks about my Ma like that." screamed Raima. Her heart was burning, to say the least. That wretched man dared to blame her Ruhi Ma, he deserved worse than torture. 

Rakshita's heart ached in empathy, and she silently acknowledged the weight of Raima's emotions. Every word Raima uttered seemed to echo the pain that had permeated her recent experience.