Ragini - The Adventurous Tail

Done yet?

The dim light of flickering oil lamps barely reached the corners of the small room where Ragini sat, huddled in the shadows. Her body trembled with a mixture of fear and exhaustion. The events of the day played on a loop in her mind—Jordan’s cruel words, the cold disdain in his eyes, and the way he had spat at her, as if she were nothing. But she wasn’t nothing. She was Ragini, and she had come too far to be broken now.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It creaked open to reveal Matheo, his face a mask of worry and regret. “Ragini, I’m sorry,” he whispered, stepping inside. “I never should’ve let it get this far.”

Ragini looked up, her eyes blazing despite the fear in her heart. “Matheo, it’s not your fault. We knew the risks. But now... now it’s up to me.”

Matheo knelt beside her, his hands clenched into fists. “You don’t have to face him alone. We can find another way. Please, Ragini, don’t go to him.”

Ragini shook her head, determination etched in every line of her face. “There is no other way. Jordan has the necklace, and he’s the only one who can end this. I have to confront him. But it’s not just about the necklace anymore. It’s about breaking free—from this place, from this time, from the hatred that binds us.”

Matheo’s eyes filled with tears. “He’ll hurt you again, Ragini. He’ll—”

“Let him try,” she interrupted, her voice steely. “But I won’t break. Not this time.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ragini steeled herself for what lay ahead. She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and made her way to Jordan’s quarters, the air thick with the impending storm. Her heart raced, but her resolve was unshakable. She would face Jordan and whatever demons lurked within him.

When she reached his door, she hesitated for a brief moment before knocking. The door swung open, and there stood Jordan, a glass of whiskey in his hand and a smirk on his lips. His eyes, cold and calculating, scanned her from head to toe.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” he drawled, taking a swig of his drink. “Come to beg for your precious necklace again?”

Ragini stepped inside, her voice calm but firm. “No, Jordan. I’ve come to understand why you’re so determined to keep me trapped here. Why you hate me so much.”

Jordan’s smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of surprise. He hadn’t expected this. “You think you can understand me, little Indian girl?” he sneered. “You know nothing about me.”

Ragini took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering. “Then tell me. Show me who you really are, not this cruel mask you wear to keep the world at bay.”

Jordan’s expression darkened, his grip tightening on the glass. He turned away, staring into the fire as if searching for answers in the flames. “You remind me of everything I can never have,” he said quietly, his voice laced with bitterness. “Freedom, strength, love. You’re everything I hate because you’re everything I’ve lost.”

Ragini’s heart clenched at his words, but she didn’t relent. “Then why not let me go? Why not let yourself be free of this hatred?”

Jordan laughed bitterly, but there was a tremor in his voice. “Because I don’t know how. All I know is how to hurt, how to destroy. It’s all I’ve ever been good at.”

Ragini stepped closer, her voice softening. “It doesn’t have to be that way, Jordan. You have a choice. You can be better than this, better than what you’ve been made to believe.”

For a moment, Jordan stood frozen, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He looked at Ragini, really looked at her, and for the first time, she saw a glimmer of something vulnerable in his eyes. “I don’t deserve to be free,” he whispered, his voice breaking.

Ragini reached out, gently placing her hand on his arm. “Yes, you do. We all do. You can make it right, Jordan. You can choose to end this.”

Jordan’s resolve crumbled, and he staggered back, almost dropping his glass. “I don’t know how,” he said, his voice filled with anguish. “I don’t know how to be anything other than this monster.”

Ragini’s heart ached for him, but she knew what needed to be done. “You’re not a monster, Jordan. You’re just lost, like me. But we can find our way out—together. Give me the necklace, and I promise I’ll go. I’ll leave you with your demons if that’s what you want, but I believe you can be free.”

Jordan’s hand shook as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the necklace. He stared at it, the symbol of everything that had kept Ragini trapped, and in that moment, the weight of his choices bore down on him. With a trembling hand, he extended the necklace to her.

“Take it,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Take it and go. Leave me to my fate.”

Ragini took the necklace, her fingers brushing against his as she did. “Thank you, Jordan,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. “You’ve done the right thing.”

Jordan turned away, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Just go,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “And don’t look back.”

Ragini nodded, clutching the necklace to her chest as she backed away. When she reached the door, she glanced back at him one last time, seeing not the cruel, hateful man she had feared, but a broken soul yearning for redemption.