Ragini gadodia X Nikhil khoda FF Broken but beautiful

chapter seventeen

Ragini stood by the counter in the kitchen, flour dusting her hands as she rolled out dough for chapatis. The smell of spices simmering on the stove filled the air. Today, however, was different—she wanted to make something special for Nikhil.She picked up her phone and dialed her mother-in-law’s number. She felt a little nervous speaking with her mother in law, they had rarely had conversations.The line rang a couple of times before it got picked up.

“Hello, Ragini! How are you, beta?” her mother in law greeted warmly. She was surprised by Ragini's call.

“I’m good, Aunty!. I was hoping you could help me with something,” Ragini replied, both her excitement and hesitation evident. She felt a little relaxed with Sandhya's voice which sounded welcoming.
“Of course! What do you need?” Sandhya asked.
“I wanted to ask about Nikhil’s favorite foods. I want to surprise him with a special meal tonight,” Ragini said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Sandhya chuckled lightly. “Oh, Ragini, you don’t have to worry about that. We have cooks for a reason! They know how to make everything.”
Ragini hesitated for a moment, feeling the warmth of the family she had just joined. “I know, Aunty, but I really want to do this myself..”

There was a brief pause on the other end,. “Well, if you insist! Nikhil loves my dal makhani and the paneer butter masala. And don’t forget the jeera rice—he can’t resist it!”

“Yes! That’s perfect,” ragini said, her heart racing with excitement. “I hope I can get them right”

“ I’m sure you’ll do great. I still remember the kheer you prepared for pehli rasoi.” Sandhya compliments her daughter-in-law."Nikhil toh waise bhi tumhara haath kuch bhi ke la dho woh kush hoga" she adds on a teasing tone knowing how whipped her son is.

“Thank you so much” Ragini replied, feeling a little flustered with the teasing.

“Of course, beta. And Ragini you can call me Ma. Stop calling me aunty ,” Sandhya added with a chuckle.

Ragini smiled,. “Ji maa! Thank you”

Ragini hung up after speaking with Sandhya for a few minutes, in the conversation she found a sense of comfort. She turned to organize things in the kitchen. This was the first time she was preparing something for Nikhil she hoped he would love it.

Nikhil stepped inside the mansion, a bouquet of daisies and roses cradled in his hands, their rich colors and sweet fragrance filling the air. He looks around for ragini, he goes to bedroom checks in the dining hall but couldn't find her.

“Good morning!” he called out, his voice filled with warmth as he finally spotted Ragini in the kitchen. She was dressed in a soft pink kurta, her hair tied back in a loose braid. The faint sound of spices sizzling and the aroma of freshly made food wafted through the air.

Ragini turned, her eyes widening as she caught sight of the flowers.
" Are cooks on leave today?"Nikhil asks moving towards her.
" Today I felt like cooking food, so I gave them a leave" Ragini says, she gasps in surprise as Nikhil hands her the bouquet.
" Yeh hamara liye hai!!" She exclaimed, reaching out to the bouquet.
Nikhil grins, " whom else could I bring it for?"
Ragini's heart swells in delight. She blushes slightly and inhales deeply, savoring the fragrance of the bouquet. No one had her feel so special like this. This romantic gestures she had only seen happening in movies but in real life she never thought she would experience it.

" Chaliye let's eat" Ragini says. Nikhil moves towards the table only to find his favourite dishes laid out.
" Ragini yeh toh..."
" Apki favourite dishes hai na" Ragini completes the sentence.
" Maa ne bola, kyun surprises sirf ab kar sakte woh?" Ragini teases him.
Nikhil feigned disbelief,. “But you did not have to do this, we have cooks ....”

“I know,” Ragini interrupted with a playful glint in her eyes. “But I wanted to do this for you, Patni hoon haq hai mera”
" Ji patni ji, sirf aapka haq mere upar kisska nahi hai" Nikhil stares at her intensely. Ragini looked flustered and sat down on the chair. Nikhil sits next to her smiling
“You cook so well ,” Nikhil said, taking another bite. “Jaduu hai tumhare hatoon mein”

Ragini smiled, her cheeks flushed with pride. “shall I start making food daily for you now?”
" Bilkul nahi" Nikhil shakes his head," make it only on special occasions"
" But you make hot chocolate for me whenever I feel like having it" Ragini argues.
" Woh alag baat hai, hot chocolate takes ten minutes to get prepared but not food. I don't want you to do things which we have people hired for already " Nikhil states firmly. Ragini wanted to argue more on the topic but for the time being let it go. She would speak with him later on this topic in a logical manner.
" Ragini mujhe kuch bol na hai"Nikhil says his voice tensed.
Ragini looks at him concerned about replacing the lightheartedness in her eyes. “What’s wrong?.
Nikhil hesitated. “Today I met the maheshwaris in the hotel, Durgaprasad uncle kept insisting for us to go to their house for dinner, I tried to decline it but he was not taking a no so I said that I will check with you and let them know "
Ragini's brow furrowed in confusion, she shifts uncomfortably hearing Nikhil's words. She did not understand the sudden interest or interference that maheshwaris are showing in her life. She was keeping quiet for swara's sake, she did not want to create problems for her sister but she doesn't want to meet the maheshwaris at all especially laksh. Something is wrong with that guy, the last time she met him, he was looking at her as if she cheated on him. Not to forget how he behaved in baadi. He has gone crazy.
" Ragini" Nikhil's voice snapped her out,
" You don't have to do this if you are not comfortable"
Ragini sighs, " what about you? You don't feel uncomfortable visiting my ex-in-law's house with me?"
Nikhil shakes his head, " No, as long as you're comfortable I will not be uncomfortable plus I don't care about them except that laksh, hopefully he keeps his mouth shut "
Sensing nikhil's frustration, ragini gets curious, " did he tell anything today when you people bumped into each other?.
" Chodo na ragini, why to discuss something unpleasant" Nikhil urges her to leave the conversation.
" No nikhil" Ragini insists " tell me what he said"
Nikhil narrates how laksh spoke about her and how he lashed out on laksh in fury. Ragini nods blankly without any reaction much to Nikhil's surprise.
" You don't care that he said such things about you" Nikhil asks her seeing her so calmly , there was no moment of shock in ragini's face hearing laksh's words.
" Nikhil, I have loved laksh at a point of time. I know him and these are exactly his thoughts. There is nothing surprising about it for me." Ragini explains to him.
" Isn't it wrong for him to think like that?"
" It is " Ragini says," but we can't change a person's thoughts and lastly I don't care about him to think this much. You have lashed on him, I'm sure he will watch his words next time around me"
" And I think we should attend this dinner. I don't want that maheshwaris again and again poking their noses in our life. Let's attend this dinner formally and try to clear it to them that we don't want to do anything with them "
" Theek hai wify as you say"Nikhil agrees.
" Wify " ragini's eyes widened hearing Nikhil calling her that.
" Kyun nahi bol sakta"Nikhil asks holding her hand.
" Aisa nahi hai..." Ragini stammered with the sudden closeness.
" Toh... Kaisa hai" Nikhil smirks at her reaction. Nikhil started to caress Ragini's face with his fingertips. He observed how the feelings on her face changed amazingly fast from shock, to awe and then finally shyness. But he continued.

Ragini momentarily felt herself incapable of speaking as his finger continued to stroke the side of her face. She saw the focus of his eyes shift as all his concentration was fixed on the piece of hair that had slipped out from her clip. He traced it back to its place. And then he looked at her in a way that he had never before. She felt herself momentarily entranced by his eyes that seemed to look right through hers.

She did not know if she was thankful or sad when the moment dissolved as her phone rang. She saw swara's name flashing on the screen.
" Woh swara ka phone hai" she says and walks away giving him a glance. Nikhil simply smiles at her nodding.
" I know Ragini you're running away from your feelings. I can sense your heart's desire from the way you were looking at me and reacting to my touch. Let me see how much more you can run away from your own feelings " Nikhil thinks smugly.