The wound in her back still hurt when Ragini opened her eyes with slight memories of things before she went unconscious. Her ears still had the voice which belonged to her husband trying to comfort her. Slowly she tried to register what was around her.

"Dadi?" she quizzically looked at her grand mother Parvati who was watching her in hope and happiness. "Oh my Lado" she grabbed Ragini in a bone crushing hug. "I am so happy that you are finally awake" she sobbed cupping Ragini's cheek. Ragini smiled back assuring. She tried to sit up but the shooting pain in her back made her fall on the bed again. "Ouch" she shrieked trying to touch the wound.

"No.. Lado.. Lie on the bed. You need to take rest" her grand father spoke from beside Parvati concerned. "Where is Sanskar?" she needed to know where was her husband who was on the verge of getting killed. She might have saved him from Adarsh who was threatened to kill Sanskar but there were people who wanted him dead for the reason she was unknown of. May be she knew.

"He wasn't here when we arrived." She heard a voice turned to look on the other side. Her father was sitting on a chair with his face still stiff. He was still angry. "How did you people came to know about me then?" she asked confused. "He had called me" Sharmishta walked inside the room with the doctor.

Ragini wasn't sure what was happening around her. She had to see him now. She stopped the nurse who was injecting her with the medicine and removed the pins which had pierced her skin to test her vitals. "Hey relax" the doctor tried to calm her. "Where is my husband? I want to see him now" she said controlling her paining throat. "How long I was out?" she asked the doctor.

"Not long. Just few hours" he tried to make her sit on the bed but she refused. "No...no... I can't calm down. There are people trying to kill him and you want me to relax? I can't" she cried. "I don't even know how he is right now?" she held her forehead trying to suppress the growing headache.

"He is going to be alright" she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look at her father who was trying to hold her steady. She first could not believe that he was trying to calm her. He was trying to calm her mentioning her husband whom he hated with no regard.

He finally made her sit on the bed and dragged the chair facing her. Holding her hands caring he smiled at her kindly. "He will be fine Lado" and the name which rolled out of her father's tongue was the most soothing thing she ever needed.

"He has to be" he kissed her hands and she hugged him this time letting all her tears on his shoulder. He patted her back and she relaxed a bit and the nurse injected her the medicine finally and fixed the apparatus which were tracking her vitals.

The sleep seemed like temporarily making her forget the worries and everything in her head.

***.***

"What were you thinking that this all will be that easy?"

Sanskar's head was pulled up to look at his enemy who was faceless all this time. But was he really? Instead of anger he showed him his sarcastic smile which sure dug deeper than the real dagger would ever.

"You need me" he spoke with his ragged breaths smirking with his bleeding lips and morphed eye. His head fell back with the force and he glanced at his brothers who were tied lifelessly to the chairs in front of him. The virtual reality he created had turned into a reality now. But the only satisfaction was his wife was safe. She was saved and she is unconscious that means she wont land herself in a new trouble sooner or later.

"Have you ever thought your smartness really is your enemy? Because if you weren't smart the way you are lot of things would have been easy. Isn't it? Including the deaths of people you love" he bent to Sanskar.

"My only enemy is you Manpreet" he spat some blood out of his mouth. Manpreet was shocked. He turned to look at Sanskar who was still smirking. "Shocked how I know you?" Sanskar asked pointing at the mask he wore and Manpreet removed it revealing his baffled face.

"The picture of me and Kavita in marriage attire. You think I will not notice them? They were of the college fest play and you were the one who clicked it. I and Kavita were in our casual dresses when we were in Mandir to get married" Sanskar spoke.

"Then suddenly you brought me Laksh's locket which was lost the day before and claimed that it was found on the murder sight. You are over confident enough to assume that I don't even notice the locket I gifted my brother is in his neck all the time and I will simply not see when it exactly went missing" Sanskar nodded his head slightly.

"You never left India" Sanskar's lips twitched mocking his best friend. "Oh your smartness. What will it fetch to you? Just the end of your life" Manpreet snapped his head forcefully and Sanskar's neck started to hurt.

"I will be out of this country once I end your story my dear friend" he smirked and Sanskar looked at him spitting the blood of his mouth.

"Why are you doing this Manny? I trusted you. You were my best friend. If no one ever stood for me also I knew you will be there for me. Then why?" Sanskar screamed his last sentence. "Revenge is best served cold. Have you heard of it?" asked Manpreet which made Sanskar look at him confused.

"Revenge? What have I ever done to you?" asked Sanskar. "Oh the Sanskar Maheshwari. Heart throb of the college. Though I was smarter than you all people saw was your charming face. I never wanted to be the side kick of your life dude. I never" Manpreet spat.

"Tell me the truth Manny. This cannot be the reason for sure. If this was the reason then why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? Why were you playing with my mind and making me do things which I never wanted to?" asked Sanskar.

"You are right. That was not the only reason buddy" Manpreet placed his hand on Sanskar's shoulder which he jerked off.

"I did not wanted to just kill you Sanky. I wanted to torture you. Torture you mentally so much that you fall apart and go through same hell what I went through while I saw my father being killed by the land slide which happened in the mine ran by your family. What your family did after that was give some condolences and some money as compensation. Did they accepted that publicly that it was their carelessness and miser mind which killed not only my father but so many people along?" Manpreet screamed. "The families who were affected their list is long. But let me tell you the Khuranas whom you were dealing with, Kavitha's family all are the victims of the accident. Not fair isn't it that all we did was struggle for building a life and you Maheshwari's were leading a luxurious life?" he mocked.

"Listen Manny. I had no clue about it" Sanskar looked at his friend concerned. "No need to show me the fake concern Mr. Maheshwari. I want revenge for every single soul died that day. And each member of your family will pay for it" he smirked.

"You want revenge? Kill me dammit but don't do anything to them" Sanskar requested. "Now when it is about your family how are you suddenly so convincing?" he twitched his lips.

"I am sorry for your loss Manny. But how will it even the mistreatment happened to you or your family?" asked Sanskar pleading.

"Don't worry about it. It's my revenge and it will even every bad deed your family did" he shrugged his shoulder. "Okay so you have decided" Sanskar sighed. "Before you end my life may I know who was the one helped you to install cameras in our mansion and I know the same person brought you Laksh's locket and also mixed the drug in my drinking water" Sanskar asked.

"I thought you might have realized it by now" Manpreet shrugged his one shoulder. "Oh but you know you are the smart one here" Sanskar pointed out. "Arghh don't be surprised this is my best pawn" Manpreet wickedly smiled. "Oh trust me... I ..." before he could speak Sanskar saw Manpreet landing on the ground when someone hit him from behind.

"You wanted to dig my grave didn't you?" he spoke fuming tightening the hold on the rod in his hand. "Won't be surprised" Sanskar smiled looking at the person. "To find you Adarsh Bhai" he completed his sentence. "Of course you always wanted to be the lone heir of the Maheshwari industries" Sanskar pointed out.

"Smart move brother but too late" Adarsh threw the rod aside. "You really think so?" Sanskar asked faking shock. Adarsh stared at him confused. "Of course all the property is in my name finally. I got it signed from Ragini" Adarsh smirked.

"Oh poor you. Only if you knew the property was never in Ragini's name. Even if she had signed it giving it to you it is still invalid" Sanskar pursed his lips. "You are trying to fool me around aren't you?" laughed Adarsh.

"But he doesn't fool the people who are already fools" Adarsh felt a knife near his throat and his hands were shackled by Laksh who smirked.

Sanskar opened his hands and stretched his body to relax. He pressed the earpiece in his ear. "Shreya get the police inside" he commanded and in no time the police arrived and arrested them all. Adarsh fumed when he was being captured. "Revenge thoughts can be cured brother but the seeds of hate which were in your heart from the childhood cannot be taken out" Laksh looked at his brother with empathy.

"Sir here are the papers you had signed in the morning. I had get it legalized" Shreya gave some papers to Sanskar who smiled taking it. He moved to Manpreet who was holding his paining head and fuming.

"These are the papers of Karma Industries. I have named it in your mothers name. Don't worry I will look after it only till you come out of the prison" Sanskar smiled at him. And Manpreet looked at him shocked.

"When I was tracing Kavitha's family I came to know about the tragedy and all the victims of it. So I knew you were one of them Manny. But I also knew it was the tragedy which made you this. Otherwise there is still good in you which needs to be ignited"Sanskar patted his shoulder.

"You don't hate me?" asked Manpreet. "It's not that I never hated the person who tried to harm my family Manny. I hated the person more when Ragini's life was at stake. I won't forgive you for putting her life in danger not just once but thrice. I am sorry dude I love her. But then I know you are the victim of some tragedy so I forgave you for everything except for trying to harm her" Sanskar spoke.

Manpreet sighed closing his eyes. "You think I have a hope of finding someone like that who can change me?" asked Manpreet. "She is the only wonder woman dude. You won't find another. But sure you still have hope" Sanskar smiled kindly while the police took him along.

"What about the Shekawat siblings bro?" asked Laksh. "They are already behind the bars Laksh. I had informed Shreya on my way to the address where Ragini was" Sanskar told. "I will keep it in mind not to mess around you" Laksh chuckled and Sanskar snaked his arm around Laksh's neck playfully suffocating him.

"Ouch" Laksh screamed in pain holding his rib. "You're okay?" asked Sanskar. "I think I got hit on my ribs" he said touching the place. "Let's get to the hospital. Your bhabi is gonna eat me raw for sure if I am still more late" Sanskar laughed and Laksh joined.

***.***

"Hey Wonder woman. What are you thinking about?" Sanskar whispered in his wife's ear hugging her from back. "Ouch" she winced in pain. "It still hurts?" asked he turning her to face him. "What do you think I am iron man?" asked she complaining. "You can't be iron man Biwi. You can be Iron woman" he grinned at her.

"Sarcasm?" Ragini crossed her arms glaring him. "You know I love it" he whined. "Yeah you love every damn thing in this world other than me" she turned other side.

"Really? I did so much circus to save you from every trouble you intentionally fell into and you are saying I don't love you?" he spread his arms. "Like what do you want woman?" he asked annoyed. She held his collar and dragged him near looking straight in his eyes.

"And you call yourself the smartest person of the universe still Mr. Sanskar Maheshwari?" she seductively spoke while her one hand roamed on his chest. He closed the distance between them kissing her passionately. "I still am Mrs. Sanskar Maheshwari" he nuzzled her nose with his and carried her in his arms to the bed. Towering her he kissed her neck and jaw. When he was just untying the thread of the blouse she wore they heard a loud screech.

"Is this a house or some sort of circus?" he fell on her touching his forehead to her neck. "Sanskar. Swara might have got the pain" Ragini pushed him but he held her dragging and she fell on him. "There are so many people to take care of Queen Victoria. Why don't you save your attention for your husband and we can think of our baby too?" he moved the strand of hair which blocked his view sensuously touching her face.

"Sanskar" he groaned when he heard his mother calling from outside the room knocking on the door. "Okay how about no" Ragini got up adjusting her saree and hair. "Sanskar..." his mother called again. "Just a minute mom" he said standing beside Ragini and looking at her through the mirror.

"No for now? Or you don't want kids at all?" he asked kissing her shoulder. She turned and placed her hands across his neck and kissed him. "Will think about it when we want to. Not just because others are having kids okay" she said and he smiled pecking her lips. "Sure Ma'am" he saluted her and she chuckled and they both exited the room hand in hand.

Sanskar leaned to Ragini's ear. "I am so sure this drama will extend for another year" he looked at his family members running around to calm Swara who was holding Laksh's hand and screaming and he poor fellow could not even complain about how horribly his hand was paining.

"Shut up Sanskar" she hit him playfully and they looked back at their family.

***.***
Okay finally we reached the end of this story which took me like more than two years to complete.

Phew.

That's a long long time ago.

Hope you have enjoyed it.

Thank you for reading it and loving it.

Love

Sally. 🤗