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Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' -Thoughts

Chapter 16

From the way Laksh's eyes seemed to darken, Ragini could tell whatever had happened was not something he was fond of recalling. She shuffled closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember. It's not happening now. You're past it. You're here. Don't let whatever sorrow you felt eat you up again."

Laksh placed his own hand on top of hers. "I know. But...but it's hard not to feel that pain when everything is so vivid in my mind."

"You can stop if you want. I want the truth. But not at the cost of your misery." she replied. "You don't have to."

"No. I have to. I love you and I want you to be able to trust me. For that I need you to know why I said all the things that I once had about you."

Ragini could hear the desperation in his voice. He wanted...no. He seemed to need to explain everything to her. As if he didn't want to leave anyth behind.

She tightened her grip on him and smiled. "Then remember that I'm with you if you need a shoulder to lean on. You're not alone Laksh."

As he looked into her eyes, he could detect the truth in them and smiled a wavery smile. "I hold you to that." taking a deep sigh, he continued his tale. "As time passed by, Mansi and me grew closer. We became the best of friends in those three months. Our parents thought it was good since we would eventually marry. But we knew the truth. We were planning a different story. One where we simply passed the six months in having fun and then, ultimately creating a drama and saying that we don't want to marry the other. It was an easy solution."

"So, you both continued to be friends in college?"

Laksh nodded. "And we continued our usual playboy and playgirl natures. We flirted around, went out on dates with other people and so on. But suddenly, something seemed to change in Mansi."

*flashback*

"Yo Mansi Yo!"

Mansi turned around and smiled as she noticed Laksh coming near her. "Good morning Laksh."

Laksh swung an arm around her shoulders and smirked at her. "Good morning! You seem to be enjoying your nature walk."

Mansi rolled her eyes. "Nature walk? Really? I was just enjoying the morning air in the campus."

"You really have become attached to this place in these three months, eh?"

"Mm-hmm."

Laksh tapped her shoulder. "So? What's the plan for today? Found another lovesick puppy pinning for your attention?"

Mansi chuckled. "No Lucky. Did you find me one, darling?" she teased.

"I know some guys who were fawning over you earlier. Want me to get you a date for the day?"

Mansi sighed and moved away from him. She shook her head and tightened her grip on her books. "No Lucky. I don't want anyone such."

Laksh barked out a laugh. "Don't tell me you got tired of dating all the boys here."

"That's not it. It's just..."

"Just?"

Mansi took a deep breath and looked at him pointedly. "I don't want to be a player anymore. It's...it's childish and cruel to the boys that I date."

Laksh looked at her in disbelief, which soon turned into a large laugh. "Ahahahaha...! You crack me up."

"I'm not joking Lucky."

"What are you implying!? Do you even know what you're saying? Are you drunk or something?"

"No. I think I was acting like a drunk headless teenager till now. But now...now, I can finally see the harm that I was causing others for my own fun, the hearts that I was breaking."

"Mansi! What is wrong with you?! Why are you being so sentimental?"

"It's not being sentimental. It's about being sensible and compassionate."

"You're being ridiculous!" Laksh shouted. "Besides, it's not our fault that those boys and girls fawn over us. In a way we give them happiness by spending time with them, while we also enjoy our time."

Mansi shook her head. "It's not right Lucky. Each of those boys and girls already know we would ditch them eventually."

"Then it's their fault to come fawning over us." Laksh sneered.

"But still they always hope that maybe, maybe they are the one we would fall for. It's...it's not nice to crush their false hopes. I don't want to break so many hearts that eventually...eventually I lose my true love as well."

Laksh laughed out loud. "Did you visit a shrink or something? You're talking gibberish."

"It's you who doesn't understand!?"

"You know what?" Laksh moved away and waved her away carelessly. "I'll just leave you to sober up. Meet you tomorrow. Bye!"

#Evening#

"🎶 Loving you always, you and only you... 🎶 " as Laksh came into the house humming to himself, he heard loud music from upstairs, no doubt from Uttara's room. 'Guess music runs in the family!' he chuckled to himself.

He was passing by his parents' room, he heard his father's voice.

"What am I supposed to do Sujata? What am I going to do?!"

Like he was bitten by the bug of 'curiosity', Laksh edged closer to the room and tried to hear what was going on. He heard his mother's voice next.

"Ram, calm down. We'll find a way. We'll find a way. We will find one, alright?"

"I've tried everything! But I don't have a clue how and where to get this much money." came Ram's frustrated and defeated voice.

"What about taking help from Yadav? I'm sure he would lend you some money."

Ram shook his head. "I don't want to Sujata. Not when I know that...that Laksh isn't planning to marry Mansi."

Laksh's's eyes widened on his words. 'How did he know?! I never told him. I'm sure Mansi didn't either. Shit shit shit!'

"What are you saying Ram?" Suajata's questioning voice came next.

"I know my son. And I know he's just passing away his time until six months are over. Already three months are gone. I...I don't know how I will face Yadav after these three months are over. I'm sure he's going to end his friendship with me."

"Then let me talk to Laksh. I'm sure I can convi-"

"No Sujata. Don't."

"But why not? Don't you want this marriage to happen?"

"I do. But I also do not want Laksh to be in a forced marriage. It's my fault I decided his marriage to Mansi without taking his opinion. If he breaks it then...then I guess I'll accept it. Anything for my son."

Laksh stilled at his father's words. Here he was blaming his father and cheating him. And there he was ready to sacrifice his friendship, his pride for his happiness.

If he didn't feel bad enough, his father's next words felt like it cut straight through his heart and made him feel like the a despicable being on earth.

"And please, don't tell Laksh anything about our monetary problems. I don't want to trouble him."

Laksh could no longer bear to hear his father's miserable voice and ran away to his room. He slammed the door shut and sat on his bed with his head in his arms. 'Dad's taking so much pain for me. He's in dept but won't tell me. And me? I'm wasting my time being a good-for-nothing useless college brat! He's willing to let Yadav insult him and break their friendship for me. He's thinking about my happiness before his.' Laksh gritted his teeth in anger. "I can't let this happen. I must do something. I must!"

#Next day#

"Carnivalization in Congreve's plays was lin-" the professor stopped speaking when Laksh burst into the classroom. "Yes Laksh? Do you require something? You better have a good reason for interrupting my class."

"Sorry Professor. But I must talk to Mansi urgently." he scanned the room for her and noticed that she was no where in the room.

"Not only you Mansi. I too need to have a few words with Miss Mansi. She has been bunking my classes since two weeks."

'Eh? But she always comes to college and attends the other classses. I see her hanging out with her friends too.' Laksh thought in confusion. "Um...she...she is going through a hard time ma'am. I'll talk to her. Excuse me please." saying so, he left to find her.

He went to the bench near the football field where he knew she liked to spend some alone time. "There you are! Mansi, your English professor says you're missing out on your classes."

"I guess I may have skipped some of them." she stated without much worry.

"Why?"

Mansi moved to the side, making space for him to sit. "I attend the other classes. I only skip hers. Literature has too much about romance and love, too much emotions and feelings if you ask me."

Laksh chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

"So? Why are you here?"

"Mansi I..." Laksh hesitated, but composed himself. "Mansi, you're my friend and so I want to ask you straight away. What qualities will you look for in your future husband?"

Mansi was bewildered on his question. "Um...any reason why you're asking me this?"

"Because I want to become such for you to agree to marry me."

Mansi looked shocked by his answer. "W-what?"

Laksh nodded. "I...I think I like you. And I want to marry you. Please tell me what I can do to become the person you want as your husband."

Mansi kept looking at him quizzically. Finally, after a moment, she laughed out loud. "Lucky, you said I'm your friend. Am I so cheap that you think you can lie to me about your intentions?"

It was Laksh's turn to be shocked. "I...I didn-"

"Shut up Lucky! I know you don't like me in that sense. But what I can't understand is why are you lying to my face about it?"

"I...I'm not!"

"Is it that...is it that you're bored of all the other girls and so you now want to play with me now Laksh Maheshwari?!"she shouted in anger, getting up.

"I would never do that to you!"

"Then tell me the truth. Tell me why are you lying to me. Right. Now!"

Laksh sighed in misery and narrated the events.

After sometime...

"I see. So you think that if you and I genuinely become a couple, your father won't hesitate to ask money from my father. And even their friendship won't end either. For your father you're doing this?"

Laksh nodded. "My father sacrifices so much for me. It's the least I could do for him."

Mansi smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need of all this drama. Ram uncle hasn't told my Papa about his money problems. But I can tell him. As for my Papa? I know him well. He won't refuse to help Vivian uncle."

"But Ma-"

Mansi placed a finger on his lips. "No 'but's Lucky. I'll handle everything, don't worry. We'll continue the way we were. No need for you to force yourself to marry me. And by the end of the next three months, I'll have my father convinced that you're not meant for me, while also making sure his friendship with your father doesn't end."

"But...but how?"

"Simple. I'll go tell him the truth."

"What!?" Laksh exclaimed in horror and disbelief.

"Relax, Lucky. My father is a good person and I'm sure Papa will understand."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you sure you're sure?"

Mansi rolled her eyes. "Yes darling. I am." she replied like she was talking to an immature teenager.

Laksh let out a sigh of relief. He felt as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you Mansi. Thank you so much. You're really a true friend."

"You're welcome." she smiled back at him.

Laksh's smile slowly turned coy as he reverted back to his playful self. "You know, sometimes I think you're falling for me since you do so much for me." he teased.

Mansi let out a loud laugh at his words. "You wish Laksh Maheshwari. I can't fall for you. Trust me, I won't." she said with a smirk and turned around. "See you later."

*flashback end*

"Mansi seems like a true friend." Ragini acknowledged. "Did she manage to help out?" she asked hoping for a happy ending.

Laksh nodded. "She did. She told her father about the money problem and Yadav uncle helped my Dad."

"And what about the marriage deal?"

"Well..."

"Well?" she asked with worry since she could detect Laksh's voice shaking.

"She didn't tell him right then. When I asked her, she said she would do it at the end of the six months time."

"But why not? Telling after six months or right then would be the same thing, wouldn't it?"

Laksh balled his hands into fists. "I didn't understand why either until...until it was too late. What she did? I couldn't have ever imagined it."

************************************

To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹