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"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 7 - Hurt

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sujata asked with a perplexed face. "Don't start with fake excuses now."

Laksh shook his head. "Listen to me. Maa, she is already so emotionally broken. How can she be the perfect one for me? Looking at her, I feel like I'm looking at a delicate flower. Sure it is beautiful. But one storm is enough to tear it apart!" he reasoned. "She's an emotional mess! I can't live with her!"

Outside, Ragini placed a fist over her mouth to hold back her sobs. She couldn't believe her ears. Listening to him saying such things, she felt like someone was suffocating her and squeezing her heart. She felt angry, embarrassed, insulted at the same time. But most of all, she felt hurt.

'After what happened in my past, I never thought I would fall in love again. Yet, I dared to love you. Yet, I dared to think that you were different. Yet I...Yet I believed that you wouldn't break my trust...that you wouldn't hurt me!' she thought, with tears of hurt and anger flowing freely from her eyes. 'I thought you would be the one to rub away my tears. But instead, you became the cause of it.'

Ragini leaned away from the caravan and rubbed at her eye angrily. 'I...I hate you Laksh! I hate you!' without a word, she rushed away from there. She ran as fast as she could, as if hoping she could even outrun the pain and hurt she was going through at the moment.

"Eh? What happened to Di?" questioned Swara to Uttara as she saw her sister run away.

She and Uttara had just come back from the photo studio after giving some of her pictures for a child fashion magazine. Uttara was pampering her with all the care and attention she could.

"I don't know Swara. Why don't you go ask her? I'm sure your Di will tell you." Uttara reasoned.

"You're right Uttara Di! Bye!" Swara waved at Uttara and ran after Ragini. Once Swara went away, Uttara turned to look at the caravan with narrowed eyes. 'If I'm not wrong, that's bhai's caravan. Why would Ragini come rushing from there. I'm pretty sure I didn't see her laughing face, but rather a distressed one. Something's not right.' with this thought in mind, she took quick steps towards the vehicle.

#Laksh's caravan#

To say Sujata was shocked to hear the words flowing out of her son's mouth would be an understatement. She stood there frozen for some minutes.

However, once the shock wore off, she moved forward and slapped Laksh...hard. "Take it back!" she shouted in anger.

Laksh's face was turned away as he had stilled after the hit. Slowly, he turned to face his mother. He could only look back at her in shock and disbelief. Never had she raised a hand against him. "M-Maa?"

"How dare you say such things about Ragini? How dare you!?"

"I...I only said the truth. Its no-"

"You're rejecting her because she is broken? How cruel can you be!?"

Laksh sighed. "Come on Maa. You know my intention wasn't to insult her. But it's the truth. She is in no way perfect."

"So what?! Maybe she isn't perfect, Maybe she is imperfect. Maybe she is broken! But you have no right to call her weak!" Sujata replied in anger. "Have you even tried to see the world from her view? You call her weak, but she is one of the strongest person I've ever seen!"

"Strong? Why? Because she is trying to earn for her and her sister? That is just her love for her sister. She is too emotional for her own good." Laksh spoke with a frown. "She wears her heart on her sleeves. Anyone can break her easily by playing with her feelings."

"Are you calling her weak because she cares to much? Because she loves too much? Then you're a fool Laksh. Nothing but a fool!" Sujata apprehended. "If she still is able to love you again after being broken and hurt, she is the strongest person for me! Because she has dared to give her heart to you even while knowing that you have the power to break it into a million pieces. Even so, she has dared to trust you with her heart! Do you have the courage?"

"Maa its go-"

"Don't try to tell me otherwise Laksh."

"Let go of this topic Maa." he looked uncomfortable discussing it.

As she kept overseeing her son, her angry face turned into one of realization. "I realize why you're saying this. Don't think I don't know why you are like this...why you refuse to accept a girl in your life." she can't and stood near him. "It's because you fear you will get hurt again. Its because your think that you will become a lifeless body filled without emotions again, isn't it?"

"Maa stop! That's enough." Laksh spoke with a grim face. His mother was beginning to remind him of his past.

"There is nothing more beautiful than a person who has been broken but still believes in love. Ragini is such a person. She makes broken look beautiful and strong look invincible." she spoke in a soft tone.

Laksh could feel emotions overwhelm him as his past played out in his mind. Nevertheless, he tried to shake off his thoughts. "Your words won't change anything Maa. I only want someone perfect!"

"You're looking for the perfect partner because you want that there is no complication what so ever! So that you're never hurt! So that you can take the easy way out!" she tried to make him understand. "Why are you doing this? You'll end up hurting yourself and Ragini."

"That isn't true."

"I know you Laksh." she looked at him with a sympathetic look. "I know your fears. I know why you're seeking the easy way, avoiding the challenges. Laksh... It's you who's the coward here."

"So what if I am?!" Laksh snapped finally. "What is so wrong in that? Is it wrong to want to protect myself from the pain of loss? Of heartbreak? Of loneliness?" Laksh spoke, with his voice cracking. "I don't...I don't want to make the same mistake again. I...I don't want to go through all of the pain again Maa. I...I..." Laksh turned away from his mother, rubbing his moist eyes furiously.

Sujata's expression softened on seeing Laksh's state. Her own son was suffering as well. It was his own insecurities and fear preventing him from seeing the truth. She placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him toward her. "Laksh beta, listen to me. You don't need to fear anything. Ragini isn't someone who will break easily. You said she was like a delicate flower that would easily be destroyed by the storm, didn't you? Yes, it is true. But Laksh, you forgot how much joy it brings to others. Even if it is destroyed, even if someone plucks it away, it doesn't mean that it would stop blossoming again. The reason is it's desire to spread happiness. Ragini is like that."

Laksh swallowed hard. His mother's words were hitting the nail in all the right directions, making his heart feel different emotions. Laksh's mind was running with chaotic thoughts.

"Listen to me Lucky." she spoke in a sincere voice. "It is because the blossom loves giving happiness to others. If someone is brutally broken, but still had the courage to be gentle towards others, than they are the most beautiful and strong people on earth. That blossom is Ragini. That blossom is her!"

Laksh looked down in thought at his mother's words. He was slowly realizing his error and the fact that his mother was right. He thought of Ragini as a weak and broken mess. But he failed to realize what strength he had to endure all the past traumas and yet, stay strong each day. "I'm sorry Maa. I...I guess I was wrong about Ragini."

"Now you realize it, you idiot! You can be so stupid and clueless sometimes." she chided, but nevertheless relieved. "If I wasn't sure before, I'm sure now that you got your genes from your father." Sujata joked with a smile.

Laksh returned the smile. However, it soon turned into a frown. "But Maa, this still doesn't mean that I love Ragini. I mean...is it really? How do you know that its love?"

"Okay. Answer me, alright? Do you think about her often? Do you like being with her all the time? Are you jealous when she pays attention to any other other boy more than you? Do you always feel that you could do anything to make her smile?"

Laksh blinked dumbfounded at his mother. 'How...how did she know exactly how I feel? Yes, indeed I think about Ragini. In fact...in fact, even when I don't want to think about her, she appears in my mind out of nowhere! And as for being with her, each and every moment with her was precious.' Now that he thought about it, he was so used to seeing Ragini everyday, he couldn't imagine a day without her.

'I don't have to worry about her giving other boys any attention as she always gives more to me.' Laksh thought proudly. Although he didn't take into account the fact that he glared and scared away any male member of the crew that came near Ragini. Not to mention he had 'accidently' punched Udip one time and made him trip 'accidentally' as well. He did it for his own mirth, and the fact that it made Ragini smile was a bonus. 'I would do anything for her smile. Her smile, her laugh...its so magical.'

From Laksh's dreamy expressions, Sujata could say that her words were having its desired effects. "Laksh, if its not love, what else would it be?"

Laksh got out of his thoughts, shocked that he lost track of himself again while thinking about Ragini. He smiled a genuine smile at his mother and nodded. "You're right Maa. I can't believe I have been such a fool for long! But not anymore."

Sujata flicked her hair over her shoulder with her head held high. "I know. I know."

However, Laksh's smile disappeared after a moment. "But Maa, are...are you sure I won't make the same mistakes again? What if I end up hurting her and myself because of my foolish actions!?"

"You won't." see assured. "Laksh, forget the past. Yes you did a big mistake in the past. But I know you've learnt your lesson. It's time to move on beta."

"But Maa, Mansi wo-"

"Whatever happened with you and Mansi is past." she reasoned with a grim face. "Now, Ragini is your present. Don't waste your time on 'what if's beta. Go and tell Ragini how you feel right now!"

Laksh nodded thoughtfully and rushed out of the caravan.

He didn't notice Uttara standing right beside the door and collided onto her. "Ow! Damn it bhai!"

"Sorry Utu. Bye Utu! Love you Utu siso!" he hugged her quickly and rushed off with a happy grin.

Uttara stood there looking like she just saw the dinosaurs come alive. "What...just...happened?" she slowly blinked her eye and shook her head.

She made her way in and looked around. "Mom? You, here?"

"Oh hey Uttara!" Sujata replied, cheerily.

She looked at her mother in question. "Why is bhai rushing out so happily? Why do you look so happy? And why did Ragini leave in tears if I'm not wrong that is."

"Eh? Ragini was here?" Sujata questioned in confusion.

"Yes. I saw her go away from the caravan a few minutes ago. Why was she crying?"

Sujata smacked herself in the head. "I guess Ragini must have heard only half of Laksh's words. Ugh! This is so troublesome! Let me tell you what happened."

After sometime...

"You're right Maa. This is freaking troublesome!" Uttara sighed once Sujata told her all the details.

"Well, I hope you have some idea to unite them. Whatever you do Uttara, make sure you get them to confess to each other." she uttered with a serious face. "I need to leave for home in a few minutes. I don't know when I'll be waiting again."

"Okay mother. Leave everything to me." Uttara assured.

"Okay. I'll take my leave then. Just have to meet your father once before I leave."

Uttara nodded and watched as her mother left the caravan. 'Now, Ragini would be more distant than ever towards bhai. And as for bhai, he will think that she is doing that because she doesn't like him. Ugh! How how how will I ma-' suddenly, an idea struck her. 'Wait a minute! If Ragini is in danger, and bhai is the only one who can save her, then...then she will realize how much he loves her!' Uttara squealed at the idea. Without delay, she dialed a number. "Hello? Aura drama house? I need some of your best actors!"

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To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹