Laksh woke up and was always amazed by Ragini's dedication. She was managing it to be herself in her own way and new life.

"Shit."

They all looked at him, "Laksh what happened?"

Laksh shook his head, "I forgot something and now Rhea, Chris and Rohan are gone."

Ragini was holding a cup of tea in her hand, she placed it on the table, "Call them if it's important, they can't be far from here."

Laksh refuses, "no, but don't move from here." He required them and rushed upstairs to their bedroom. How could I forget to give her it?! He was cursing himself, while Ragini arranged the afternoon tea. They were waiting for him.

"Ammi I was thinking to make Pakooray or Samosay, what you say? Potato stuffed or minced meat?"

"If you would ask me, I would be for hot and crispy pakooray."

"Oh Abbu not bad, taking the opportunity cause I didn't asked you. Done, who knows when he will come." She stood up and went into the kitchen.

"When she can accept us then there is a good chance that Laksh will win over her heart soon." DP said being called Papa instead of Uncle.

Laksh was back and looked around, "where is she?"

"Making pakooray." AP said and Laksh smiles, "Hot and crispy!" Like DP had said it before.

So father and son have some similarities. Be it just in food taste.

Ragini was holding a tray, "I'm coming. Here is it." She placed it on the table and looked at them, "this is a sweet chutney, sour and a spicy one. This is just plain yogurt."

"Ragini why so many?"

"Not yet mom, I have something to give her. Ragini here."

Ragini saw that small package in his hand, "thank you, but for what?" She was confused and not alone in this matter.

"It's for your Muuh-Dikhayi {first appearance/face showing}. Actually I forgot to give you it, cause I was so tired."

Ragini smiles looking at him, "shall I open it?"

"Please!" AP and DP said it.

Ragini unpacked it and found a small golden chain, "oh it's beautiful thank you." She tried to bind it behind her neck, but found it difficult.

"Laksh help her," AP said and Ragini nodded, "haan help me and don't stare just like this. Otherwise no more hot and crispy Pakooray."

AP and Ragini laughs while DP and Laksh frowns, he helped her and soon her neck was decorated with the chain.

"I have made so many chutney's cause I want to be prepared for Ramzan."

AP frowns, "so soon?"

Ragini shook her head, "Ammi think, I can be called anytime to the hospital to resume with the work. Then I'm not sure if this man," pointing on Laksh, "has planned a honeymoon?" She shrugged and Laksh shook his head, "no, I don't have any plans in this case. Sorry."

"But these plans can be made." DP said and RagLak shook their heads, "not yet, I haven't applied for holiday." Laksh agreed to her, "same that's why not planned. I mean the whole wedding was a surprise, best of all."

"Still isn't it too soon? If I'm not wrong then it's in two months?"

Ragini nodded, "right. I will make Samosay, minced chicken and potato. I will prepare bread, parathay and sheekh kabab."

"So much?" Laksh asked and Ragini nodded, "yes, Abbu and I always eat fry stuff." Laksh wasn't saying much.

"I think it's a good idea, you know I will try all the foods, just in case you need a second opinion in taste." DP said and Ragini nods, "Haan, good Abbu."

It was the same night and they were in the bedroom. She said Abbu and Ammi to my parents it's a good sign, right? He was waiting for a reply be it from his mind or heart, but there was nothing.

"Laksh?! Listen." She shakes him and he comes out of his trance, "yes."

Ragini sat next to him, "I was thinking if I should stay at my Abbu's place while Ramzan. I didn't thought carefully. I mean I just said it and the house isn't Muslim, not that I have a problem, it's just I don't want to put my stuff on anyone unnecessarily. Abbu and I will make it together."

"This is a good idea, as long as you will return to me."

Ragini laughed, "yes, I will come back to you. Don't worry." She took the duvet and placed it over her legs, a book in her hand and she started to read.

Laksh was staring at her, "Ragini." Her gazed shifted to him, "yes."

"Why do you fast? I mean mom does it too, but not the same way like you do. She does for Dad's long life," he shrugs, "and you?"

"For my Allah, for myself."

"No, tell me why? The reason behind it."

Ragini put the book away, "it's to respect the food. To respect the wealth we have, nothing is forever it's temporary. You never know what can happen the next day, we take everything for granted, we don't honour what we have."

Laksh was looking at her, "that's it?"

"Laksh in our past of history
### (Copy: "One of them, in particular, is mentioned in the Qur'an, and that is in order to develop a higher consciousness and a higher level of mindfulness of Allah the creator,"

"The second (is) purification of the self from all bad habits or sinful characteristics so, while we fast as Muslims, we are obligated to reflect and to pay attention to our own habits and to sort of unlearn the bad ones and, hopefully, learn some good new ones in their place."

He continued: "The third (reason) is to learn self-discipline and self-control so one of the major objectives of fasting is to teach the individual that he or she can control his or her desires.")
https://globalnews.ca/news/5288243/why-muslims-fast-during-ramadan/###

[being a Muslim, I have problems to describe it, so forgive my mistakes in advance]

Laksh was looking at her, "okay. What you do?"

"I fast from sunrise to sunset, I pray like daily 5 times, I do break my fast with a date and water. Before the Maghreb prayer. I read the Quran, it's a must to read it every year during the Ramzan. ###(The angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the Quran, the Islamic holy book. That revelation, Laylat Al Qadar—or the "Night of Power"—is believed to have occurred during Ramadan. Muslims fast during that month as a way to commemorate the revelation of the Quran. Copy: nationalgeographics)"####

"So you will just do what you do daily? I can't find any kind of sin in you. I mean you are not a sinner."

"You don't know, even by mistake you can be a sinner. Not helping a needful person, not giving food to a homeless human. To talk bad on someone, gossiping or even a small curse, a bad word. It's a tiny thing, but once you do it and keep doing it, you feel a kind of relieve, it helps you to work it out. It helps me to work with my struggle. I wanted to become a doctor, how much I wished to it, but then I accepted it, it's not for me yet I'm still helping ill people. I'm working in the same field I wanted to work, just not the same way, which isn't that bad."

Laksh couldn't believe it, but he found it plausible that she might not be a doctor like she wanted to be, it was never her aim to be a doctor as she only wanted to help needy people, "fine I got it. But when you work isn't it difficult to keep the fast? What when you are in the operation theatre?"

"What is then? I'm just doing my job, nothing to be afraid of, there isn't anything I haven't seen and I'm not doing it for my amusement, but for humanity. If I won't help, someone else will help, who also might be fasting, you can't see behind the facade."

Laksh couldn't argue with her, he knew, she is prepared for every thing.

"Okay you won I lose, do what you want."

Ragini frowns, "did we had a fight? Why and on what I won? You asked me the reason behind the fast I explained you and nothing else. If I want to win then I will let you know and make you lose, for sure. See a bad habit also called sin, to be a winner." She smiles and switched off her bed side lamp.

Laksh was speechless. Okay I can't win neither I can understand her properly. Is she liking me or not?

RagLak were working again, as both were called to their respective work places.

"Wow Ragini you look awesome." Rachel said and she confused, "I haven't changed at all, even my surname is the same."

Rachel bits on her lower lip, "I hope he can change you a little bit."

Ragini looked at her with an open mouth, "what is so wrong in and with me?"

"Nothing, but your perfection is a problem. It feels like we are dirty." Jack said it.

"Why you think like this? I never denounce anyone of you, I can't believe this." She left from there and the two shrugged, "the joke hit us back."

"I heard Laksh is coming for the operation, maybe he can lift her mood." Rachel said to Jack, "maybe I shouldn't be near him. I heard they can be very possessive and angry when it comes on their wives honour."

Rachel nodded understandingly, "you know, what we are doing right now?"

Jack shock his head, "no what?"

"We prejudice them."

"Oh right, that's not good. Okay I will stay."

Laksh came and was working only, he didn't even met Ragini, that was something Ragini liked.

He is keeping the professional life separate from personal life. I'm happy he understands it. I don't like it that all are connecting us, I'm here for my work and ability the same goes for him. We stand on our own feet, the company of the other one shouldn't effect our work life.

Laksh was sleeping while Ragini entered the room. She was exhausted as she had a double shift. Now I have to be very careful, not that I wake him.

Ragini took out her mobile phone and switched on the torch, she looked for the washroom door and entered it. Her clothes were arranged, she changed and came out, she moved to the bed and fall asleep after having a midnight snack, Laksh had prepared for her next to her sideboard.

It's not much, but every little effort was marking a new place in her heart. Especially when she is helpless.

It's the 3rd week and Ragini couldn't sleep at all.

Laksh felt the restlessness of Ragini, he turns and saw her showing him her back, which she had stopped long back.

Ragini was keeping her knees close, Laksh switched on the light and she closed her eyes.

"Ragini?"

She didn't react, but he stood up and left from there, he returned after 3 to 5 min.

"Ragini?"

No reaction.

Laksh stretched her legs, he lifted her arm and placed a warm bottle on her belly, "it might help you?"

Ragini opens an eyelid, "but I have another problem."

Laksh lifts an eyebrow, "what?"

"I don't have sanity pads. How foolish from me, I'm here, living for my more than 3 weeks and I didn't thought of it." She couldn't look at him.

"Get up," he said with care and she shook her head, "no, I used my safety pad, you always should have it."

Laksh laughs, "yes, you should. Come on get up, please."

Ragini stood up, he hold her hand, "you know my sister thought of it too and there is a cupboard in the washroom, there," he shows to her, "you will find everything, if you need to change now, you can."

Ragini nodded, "you stay here or go back to the bed. I can handle from here and that's my warm bottle, you won't take it." She entered the washroom and Laksh fall asleep.
___