Finally the entire truth about Laksh and Mansi's past is to be revealed.

Moving on... 💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

(Words in braces) - Telephone conversations

Chapter 17. Their Past

"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 thing?"

"She didn't tell him. 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."

"What happened?"  she asked. From his face, she knew she wasn't gonna like what she was about to hear. "Continue Laksh."

"I found out the reason she wanted to stick around for longer. It was because she had feelings for me too."

*flashback*

"Oh, I like you so much!"

"And I like you back." Laksh responded as he leaned closer to her. "You're so beautiful Sapna."

"Laksh!" came a shout from nearby, shocking them. They at once broke apart and looked at Mansi in shock.

"Um I...I'll be leaving then." Sapna uttered, looking away from Mansi's deadly gaze.

"You better!" Mansi threatened. Her eyes followed Sapna's movements as she practically ran away from there, leaving Laksh with Mansi.

It was around 5 in the evening, and the hall was almost empty. Seeing an argument about to break, the remaining students left the place as well.

"Ugh! Mansi, what the heck?! I was having a good time."

"Why are you being like this?! Why are you wasting time with Sapna?! Didn't you say you were past your 'player' days?"

"I am. As for Sapna, we're just being an item for some time. We know our responsibility."

"No you don't! Whatever is between you and Sapna is nothing but lust. That bi-"

"Hey, watch it! I've tolerated you badmouthing me, but I won't tolerate anything against Sapna." Laksh warned. "Why can't you see it Mansi. We're just enjoying life! Besides, shouldn't you just concerning yourself with convincing your father. Let me be my awesome self, why don't ya?"

"That's my business since you're my friend! You're ruining and wasting the valuable time of your life!"

Laksh tried changing the topic. “Did you tell the truth to uncle?”

“I will tell my father the truth soon enough.”

"So why haven't you?" he questioned. "Could it be that you're delaying it on purpose because now you like me too?" he asked as a joke.

Mansi remained quiet at his claims. However, after a moment she spoke up. "I have. But that isn't the reason for why I haven't told him!"

Laksh was shocked at her bold statement. "You like me?"

"Yes I do! That is why I want the best for you, even if you don't like me back! You need to change and stop hanging around airheads like Sapna. Have some dignity!"

*flashback end*

"One thing lead to another and we had a huge fight and…and I ended up blurting thoughts I shouldn’t have said. I told her that she was being a jealous airheads bitch because she wanted me back and she slapped me.

“You deserved it.” Ragini bit out. “After everything that she did for you, that was what you called her in return?”

Laksh flinched. “I know. I made a huge mistake. Her anger and the slap she gave me, I could have handled. But the hurt that I saw in her eyes…I don’t think I could ever forget that look.” He recalled with a painted gaze. “After that day, we weren’t on talking terms. Everyone in the college was aware of it. From teachers to janitors...everyone was aware that we weren't on talking terms. But one day, she just exploded on us...me and Sapna that is. She just came to me, grabbed my arm and dragged me away."

*flashback*

As Laksh slung an arm around Sapna, he felt himself being jerked away from her and coming face to face with an angry lioness.

Well, an angry Mansi actually.

Laksh chuckled. "Hey Mansi, what is this? Are you by anyway jealous? But you said you hate me now, didn't you?"

"You're coming with me!"

"As if I wi-" Laksh's words disappeared in his mouth when he saw her deadly glare. He gulped and smiled at her nervously. "Gussa na karo. I'll come with you. Don't worry, okay? Peace Mansi, peace."

Mansi just grabbed his hand in her vice grip and dragged him away.

Once out of the gate, she jerked him forward and looked at him like she wanted to rip him apart.

Laksh on his part, raised his hands in a surrender motion. "I practice non-violence!"

Mansi grit her teeth hard and clenched her hands into fists. "Ugh! Why won't you understand!? Why? Why won't it get to your head that you're ruining your entire life like this!?"

Laksh snorted. "What do you want Mansi? I thought you hated me now."

Mansi's glare deepened on his words. "I wish I could. I wish I could hate you. I wish I could leave you to destroy your life. But this heart of mine doesn't listen!"

Laksh blinked at her, clueless, not knowing how to respond to it. "I...I di-"

"I don't hate you Laksh. I...I still love you. I really do."

Laksh looked down in guilt. He somewhat felt guilty for his behaviour, since he had a hunce that she still like him. "I uh...I guess I knew it. But still continued flirting and dating Sapna just to piss you off. Sorry I guess." he apologized in a murmer. However, he was quick to defend himself. "But you over did it too! You insulted my father that day!"

Mansi looked down and nodded. "I...I know. And I'm sorry for that too."

Laksh smiled at her. "Ah! Now that we both realized our idiocy that day, let's just bury the hatchet and move on with our lives, shall we?"

"Laksh, it's ju-"

"Can we go back to being best friends? I really miss our fun banter. There's not many intelligent girls I can hold a reasonable argument with. What do you say?"

"I will agree...only if you leave your habit of going around breaking hearts of girls."

"Oho! Back again to that stupid topic." Laksh rolled his eyes at her.

"You don't understand Laksh." Mansi stressed. She placed a hand over her heart and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "You don't know what it feels like to get your heart-broken. You don't know what it feels like to watch the one you love romancing another. You don't know what it feels like to love someone who doesn't love you back. I didn't either. But now, after loving you, I do. And I regret all the hearts I broke. I realize how wrong it was. And maybe...maybe I'm getting a heart-break as my punishment for my past deeds."

Laksh's eyes softened on seeing her sorrowful face. "Mansi, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. I know it's not your fault you don't love me back. But that's not why I want you to stop all this nonsense." Mansi rubbed away her tears. "Laksh, I don't want you to go through the same as I am going through. With the way you are continuing maybe...maybe one day, you will cross paths with the right one for you, only to have her leave you because of your attitude."

"Like any girl can resist me." Laksh joked with a wink.

"Didn't I think the same Laksh? True love comes from the heart. But if you continue your ways, you might lose the one who is really made for you. You may lose her Laksh. I don't want that for you. I want you to be happy."

"I will be Mansi. You worry too much." Laksh consoled. However, as he looked into her eyes, the truth in them scared him. He could see how much she cared for him. He could also notice the loneliness she felt as she knew he didn't love her. 'I...I didn't want to cause any harm to her. And neither do I want something like this to happen to me. Is she right? Will I end up losing the love of my life if I don't change?' as he kept thinking, he didn't realize he had walked into the middle of the road.

"Laksh! Laksh move!"

Mansi's shout shook him out of his thoughts. However, it was too late. He was too fear-stricken to move. He could feel the end nearing as the car sped at him. 'So is this how it ends for me? Killed in a road mishap?' Laksh closed his eyes, preparing himself for his end. 'And I always thought I'll go out with a dramatic bang.'

However, at the last moment, he felt someone push him hard. As he fell to the side, he heard the squeal of tires and the shouts of the people around. They seemed to be screaming Mansi's name.

At once, Laksh's eyes widened realizing what might have happened and he looked back so fast, he was surprised he didn't give himself a whiplash.

What he saw there made his blood run cold. "Ma...M-Mansi!" at once he rushed to where she lay with her face downwards. "Mansi? MANSI!? Mansi, damn it! Why did you have to push me and take the hit. Mansi!?" he turned her towards himself and placed her head on his lap. Blood flowed from her forehead and also her nose. "Hold on okay? You'll be alright. You'll be okay. Call the ambulance. Fast!" Laksh shouted to the nearby on lookers. One of them nodded and did as told.

"L-Laksh..."

"No, don't talk Mansi. Don't waste your breath. You need to keep your strength. Don't give up, alright?"

Mansi smiled a teary smile at him and let out a cough. She slowly raised a shaky hand towards his face and caressed his cheek. "Laksh...you...you haven't s-shaved?"

"Shut up Mansi, please! You need to survive. Come on!" Laksh spoke in a shaky voice. He could feel his tears gathering in the corner of his eyes, with guilt eating up from the inside. "Mansi please! I won't ever be able to forgive myself if something happens to you."

"N-No. Don't...don't blame y-yourself Laksh. It...it was m-my own choice to save y-you. I di-" Mansi took in a deep breath, as if her life was about to leave her body.

Seeing this, Laksh could no longer hold his tears and cried openly. "Mansi, please! Please don't leave me!"

"I lo-love you Laksh. I couldn't l-let you die."

"Mansi, hold on. Don't die on me!"

"I...I can f-feel myself slipping Laksh. I..." Mansi's breath hitched, making it hard for her to speak.

"Mansi, hold on. Hold on !"

"Lucky...s-smile please. I...I want to s-see you smile at me  b-before I go."

"How can I smile when you're dying in my arms?!"

"Laksh p-please. Think of it as…a-as my last wish."

"Mansi I...I..." Laksh tried to smile M. However, he knew how sloppy it would look. Nevertheless, he tried for her sake.

Mansi smiled back. "That's it Laksh. Al-Always keep smiling. And...and don't keep wasting time in flirting. Find t-the right one for yourself. T-tell Papa...tell him he's th-the best father ever."

"I will tell him. But you won't die on me, okay? Mansi, please stop speaking like its your end!"

Mansi looked at him with a peaceful look. "G-goodbye...Laksh. It...it was nice m-meeting you..." a lone tear escaped her eye and her hand fell to her side.

"Mansi? Mansi?! Mansi wake up! Mansi? MANSIII!"

*flshback end*

All Ragini could do was put a hand over her mouth to cover the gasp that threatened to escape her. 'Oh my...that poor soul...'

She could have never thought such a tragedy happened in Laksh's life. Never could she have imagined there was such a big reason behind his behavior.

Laksh's shaky breath inerupted her. "And that was the time I...I promised to stop all my nonsense. I left my earlier carefree attitude and became more serious about my life, my studies, my aims...everything. I...I never tried getting too close to a girl because I feared I may make her fall for me accidentally. And if I don't like her back, she may become another victim like Mansi did."

Ragini bit her lip to keep her on tears at bay from seeing his pain. "Lak-"

"I would worry and fret over the fact that I would have to find only that girl who would be perfect. Because Mansi wanted me to be happy. And I thought it's only someone perfect that could bring it to me. At least, that was what I had understood." Laksh looked at her with moist eyes. "I never meant to insult you. I just feared that you weren't the one Mansi would want me to choose. Although I...I was wrong about it I guess."

Ragini looked at his sorrowful face. "Oh Laksh..."

"Everyday...everyday I think about her. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't blame myself over her death. There isn't a moment where I think that maybe...maybe if I had listened to her, none of this would have happened. Maybe if I hadn't been so distracted, she would be safe! Her father wouldn't have lost his daughter. Her friends wouldn't have lost her. And her love? Even she may have had someone who loved her. What about him?!" Laksh shouted, tears flowing profusely from his eyes. "I...I hate myself for it! I hate myself so much for it!"

Ragini got up and came closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Laksh, calm down. It's okay. It's not your fault."

Laksh continued in a shaky voice. "Everyday! Every. Single. Day! Everyday is a st-struggle for me to be calm. P-people don't understand. T-hey think I'm...I'm being a prude! They think I'm too shy! But only I...I know my thoughts. Only I know how scared I get that I will m-make another girl fall accidentally for me and then...then put her life in danger be-because of me. I'm haunted by that fear. But will anyone understand it? No! They don't!"

"Laksh I..." Ragini looked down. After all, what could she say to him to replace the pain of Mansi's death?

"No one does!" Laksh sobbed, letting his tears flow down his cheeks. He abruptly pulled Ragini closer and cried holding onto her. "No one does. No o-one..." he let out his heart-wrenching sobs as he hugged her. He just needed someone close as a sense of comfort.

And Ragini? She let him cry.

She knew sometimes silence was all one needed. Laksh didn't need words of comfort or any pity right then. He just needed her presence. To know that he wasn't alone.

She wrapped her hands around him in comfort, letting him know that she was there for him. That she would care for him.

************************************
To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹