Yo! Good evening!

In this fic, Laksh has received the most hate I think. ShivangiSinha0 ko to bas ek chance chahiye. Ye murder kar degi Laksh ka. 😂😂😂

IMPORTANT

Ye chapter parhne se pehle, tell me one thing. What are your feelings towards Laksh in this fic till now? Tell it as an inline comment here, k? 😜😜

Ans -

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

(Words in braces) - Telephone conversations

Chapter 27 - Macabre

"No one will know Ragini. Just surrender to me Ragini. For Sanky."

"B-but Lu-"

"Shhh Ragini. Let me take care of you. Just leave everything to me. I'll make it alright." Laksh consoled. He smirked to himself as he felt no resistance from her as he touched her cheek and brought her into a kiss.

However, the moment he neared her lips, Ragini turned her face, his lips meeting her cheek. She pushed him back at once.

However, Laksh wasn't disappointed. The moment his lips met her skin, all Laksh could feel was bliss like no other. He felt a high which was better than any feeling he ever had in his life. It was a dream come true for him. He pulled her closer, despite her protests. Today, Laksh knew he would have his way with Ragini with no one to stop him. Today, he would make her his.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a whimper. It took him a moment to realize it was from Ragini.

Laksh looked at her face. Her cheeks had a tint of redness, like that of the rose bouquets in the room. Her long eye-lashes were beautifully aligned, adding to her beauty. Looking at her, Laksh felt foolish for denying his marriage to her and chasing after Swara.

Laksh smiled to himself and caressed her cheek. "It's okay Ragini. I'm here. Your Laksh will make everything alright."

Laksh watched as Ragini squeezed her eyes close and whimpered again. Nevertheless, she nodded with hesitation.

"Aww...Ragini, don't worry. I really will solve everything for Sanky. Just forget about everything and concentrate on the love I'm showering you with. Think of what I'm making you feel right now." He kissed her hand lovingly. "Just think of the love you had for me once upon a time. Think about it and let it consume you."

Only response he got from Ragini was a pained breath and a shaky sigh. It was one of misery, rather than joy.

'Oho! This girl!' Laksh broke away from her and looked at her pointedly. "Ragini? Just calm down and stop thinking about the consequences for a moment. Like I said, no one will know what happens here. We'll keep it as our little secret. Sanky doesn't need to know about it and neither will I tell him." he tempted her.

"And what about my own mind?" Ragini spoke in a meek voice, looking down at the floor. "What about my conscience? Will I ever be able to live with the fact that I betrayed him?"

"But you're doing it for his happiness, aren't you?" Laksh tried to manipulate her. She still wasn't looking at him in the eyes, which irritated him to no end. Laksh brought his hand to her her chin and made her look up. "Ragi-" however, the words disappeared in his mouth when he saw her eyes.

Throughout all the times he had spent with Ragini, never had he seen her look so lifeless...so utterly dead.

"But the cost is much higher than the prize." Ragini spoke in a broken voice.

Laksh felt a prick in his heart as he looked at her. She looked as if her soul was slowly being sucked out of her. The way that she was looking at him, he felt like as if it was he who was doing it. Laksh shook his head of those thoughts. 'Concentrate Lucky! You went through so much to get her. You can't back down now! Besides, you love her and can give her more happiness than Sanky could ever give her. Ragini just doesn't realize it yet.'

Laksh held her face in his hands. "No it's not. Even if Sanskar loses you, he can find another girl to love eventually. But he cannot make new birth parents. So don't you think giving him back his parents is more important?"

A tear fell from Ragini's eyes. "It's not only about my betrayal to Sanskar. It's also about the injustice I will be causing to the three most important persons in my life. I will know, my mind will know. How will be able to live with that knowledge that I betrayed them?"

"Ragini dear, you overthink." Laksh responded, gaving her a comforting smile. However, Ragini seemed to be lost in her own world of despair. She continued speaking as if he was superfluous.

"Sanskar cares for me, trusts me, loves me more than anything in the world. And me? I would be betraying him. I would betray him beyond forgiveness."

"But he would have his parents' support once I solve the problems." Laksh assured. He smiled to himself. 'Of course I will tell Sanky about what happens here. Once he knows about you and me, he will never accept you back Ragini. And neither will anyone else in our families forgive you. I will be the only person to comfort you. I will eventually convince you that it is I that you love Ragini. And then...then we'll be happily marred to each other.'

"The second one is Swara. I will be betraying her. She loves you even if you don't love her Laksh. By letting you have your way with me, in a way I am betraying her. In a way, I am her culprit."

"Oh Ragini! You're solving her problems too. I won't trouble Swara anymore after this." Laksh responded. 'Poor Ragini. She doesn't even realize it is he own sister Swara that helped me get her here. Can't thank Swara enough for that!'

"And third..." Ragini choked back a sob as she kept herself from breaking down.

Laksh's eye twitched in irritation as he looked at her miserable state. 'Today is supposed to be the most important and happiest moment of my life. How can this moment be a happy one if she behaves like this?' He nuzzled her neck and pulled her closer, trying to make her lose control and give into him.

"And the third is you Laksh. I'm betraying you."

This made him pause his motions. Laksh broke the hug an looked at her confused. "Me? How are you betraying me by doing this? In fact, it's me who is asking you to do this."

Ragini looked at him with the same dead expression. "I am Laksh. I am betraying you. You...the third most important person in my life."

Laksh smirked. "So you do admit that you still love me, don't you?"

"Yes I do love you." Laksh's smirk turned into a smile at her words. However, her next words made it turn into a frown. "But the love I have for you is of a best friend, not a lover. Even though you were faking friendship with me, I really thought of you as the person who I could share each and every little thing with. For me, you were the person who I could die for. Because I loved you, not romantically, but as a best friend."

"That's ridiculous Ragini. You loved me as a lover. You really did! And no one forgets their first love."

"But what I had for you wasn't love. It was simply an obsession. Besides, if I had loved you truly, I wouldn't have fallen for another."

Laksh chuckled. "That's too naive of you. You love me. You just don't realize it yet." He spread his hands wide. "Look where we stand now? The situation we are in. I woudn't have to do all this if you realized it own your own Ragini." and he wasn't lying.

Laksh really loved Ragini with his very being and he didn't want to lose her. He was sure that she loved him and that she had the illusion that she loves Sanskar. 'That's why I'm doing this. This is the only way to make you mine for once in for all. Once you are away from Sanky, your mind and heart will be clear. You'll then thank me for making you realize that I was indeed the one you truly love Ragini.'

"I don't love you Laksh." Ragini looked directly into his eyes. "Look into my eyes when I say I don't love you. Do you see any fear or uncertainty in my eyes as I speak these words? No, right? It's because it is true. I. Don't. Love. You. And never will. I'm sorry, but that is the truth."

"You're in denial Ragini." Laksh shouted in frustration. However, he could feel a sense of uncertainty and anxiety himself as he looked into her eyes. Her eyes seemed to be speaking the truth. "You're refusing to accept the truth Ragini. That's it!"

Everytime Ragini or anyone else told him the same, he dismissed it and thought it was not true. But now, as he looked at the raw pain and naked truth in Ragini's eyes, he could feel dread settle in his heart. For the first time, the realization that Ragini indeed didn't have any such romantic feelings towards him was settling down. His heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over with knives. He felt as if needles were being shoved into his heart.

Ragini looked at him with pity. "I'm sorry for not being able to make you understand it better and sooner. I'm sorry for not being able to make you realize that you're choosing the wrong path. I'm sorry for not making you realize that it is only lust you have for me, not love."

Laksh grabbed her shoulders and held her harshly. "Shut up! How dare you say it is only lust? How dare you say that I don't love you?! How dare you!?" He pulled her closer to his eye level. "Do you know of the countless nights I spent thinking about you after I realized what you meant for me? Do you know how foolish I felt when I realized that my biggest mistake was refusing my marriage to you? Do you realize how much it hurt when I realized that you no longer want me, but now love Sanskar? Do you!?"

"Loving someone means wanting them to be happy. Do I look happy to you?" Ragini questioned.

"You aren't happy now, but will be once you marry me!" Laksh shouted in a desperate voice. Everything seemed to be falling out of place. Laksh felt like a man trying to hold back water in a pot with a hole in it. It was like he was desperately trying to hold sand in his fist as it slipped down.

Laksh put his hands on her face. "Ragini, try to understand. I am a possessive lover Ragini. And I love you with my very being! I could take a bullet for you. I could die for you. I would do anything for you! But I can't see you be with someone else that isn't me. This is why I am doing this. It's for you to realize that I am the one who can give you happiness like no one else!"

Ragini gave a miserable sigh. "That's your delusion Laksh. Only one who holds the key to my happiness is Sanskar."

"No!" in rage, he tighened his grip on her face and brought her as close as possible. His black eyes looked directly into her brown ones. There was only a hair's distance between their eyes. "You. Love. Me. Ragini. You don't realize it. But that's okay. Once I take you away from Sanky, you'll soon realize it!" Laksh spoke in desperation and I'm half-crazed manner.

Ragini gave him a wry smile. "You can take me wherever you want. But my heart will always belong to Sanskar. It will always be with him. And without my heart, I'll only be a living corpse that will remain with you."

Laksh could feel himself shaking. He felt his heart shatter into pieces as he kept looking at her eyes from such close proximity. The conviction with which she spoke the words spoke millions. No matter how much he denied or tried to convince himself, Laksh knew it was true. He may as well turn the entire world upside down. But Ragini will only love Sanskar.

Laksh moved back and put a hand over his eyes to prevent his tears from falling. He knew he was fighting a battle that Sanskar had already won. No effort on his part would bring Ragini back to him. He lost her. He lost her...forever.

Laksh took a deep breath to calm himself. He steeled himself and moved forward towards her. He pulled her into a hug and refused to let go. "You say you only love Sanskar. I get it Ragini. But like I said, I love you with my heart and soul. And I can't see you in the arms of another. You may not love me, but I won't let you go away from me! I want you and that's it!"

"You say you can make Sanskar's parents forgive him if I surrender myself to you. Fine, I give up. For Sanskar, I'm ready to do it. Once I agree to you, I won't ever be able to be with Sanskar again. I won't let my impure self be with him. I won't do injustice to him. Hence, I will marry you as you want." Ragini declared. "But remember one thing Laksh. You can have my body, but never my heart. It will always, always beat for Sanskar."

Laksh smiled a crazed and maniacal smile. It was as if his grief was causing him to go mad. "You'll stop thinking of him once you marry me and start a family. We'll be happy with each other and our kids, Ragini. We will, we will!"

Ragini simply kept looking at him blankly. "Even if we marry, I won't be able to forget Sanskar. Yes, I'll fulfill every duty I have as a wife to you or as a mother to our kids. But I would be dead from inside. The moment you claim me Laksh, I will be as good as dead. From that moment, I will die every second every moment I live on this earth, waiting for the day I finally get to leave this life."

Laksh felt his heart clench at her words. As he looked at her eyes, he felt as if his life was being sucked out of him.

He had seen Ragini's eyes light up with joy when she laughed.

He had seen Ragini's eyes glisten with tears when she cried.

He had seen Ragini's eyes sparkle with mischief when she teased.

He had seen her eyes dim in sadness when she hid her sorrow.

He had seen her eyes narrow in anger when she was furious.

But now?

Now there was nothing.

As she stood there vulnerable in front of him, her eyes held no emotions. They seemed dead...so utterly dead. It was as if her posture was verbally screaming at him to get used to it, as it was how she would be if he stole her away from Sanskar.

Laksh stumbled back. "No no no! This isn't what I want! I want us to be happy together!" Laksh cried out in anguish. "I...I love you! I want y-you to be with me! But not like this! Never like this! I want you to be mine forever. I want to bring you happiness. I don't want to become the cause of your despair!"

Ragini stepped forward. "Laksh, if me surrendering to you and agreeing to marry you means you will help Sanskar, then so be it."

Laksh whimpered as she came forward. He always imagined that she would be happy to be with him and unite with him. He had dreamed of the day they would finally become one.

But now, it was nothing like his fantasies. Now, it was like she was sacrificing herself. He felt like an executioner about to kill her, rather than her lover. It was like she already was dead from inside and no longer cared what he did to her.

Laksh shook his head vigorusly, his tears glistening as it fell. "No! No Ragini! This isn't what I want! Move back! Move back I said!"

"I'm tired Laksh. Tired of everything." Ragini spoke in a soft voice. "Tired of being deceived, tired of being lied to, tired of being used, tired of being taken advantage of...tired of everything. Throughout my life, I've been used as a tool. And now too, I guess I am the tool to be used to make Sanskar's parents forgive him." She sighed to herself in hopelessness.

Laksh fell to the ground in despair. All he could do was cry. Cry for his lost chance, cry for his lost love, cry for the wrongs he had done for something that was never his, cry for the wrong he did to Ragini, cry for being the one to made Ragini feel as good as dead.

Clouded by his false belief that Ragini still loved him, he ruined all of their lives. But now...now, he could see through all of his actions clearly and could make out how wrong he was. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Ragini. I'm so utterly, terribly sorry! I...I was wrong to do what I did. But trust me Ragini. All I did was because I love you. I love you so much!"

Ragini fell to her knees on the ground. Seeing Laksh's state, she felt her own tears cloud her vision. How could she blame Laksh in all of this when he was a victim of wrong decisions and delusions himself? Only thing he did was hope and hope that she would finally accept him. Yes, it was true his means were not right. But Ragini knew what love could make one do.

She felt pity for Laksh. She got Sanskar. But Laksh? Laksh would never get her, even if he loved her with everything. She already gave her heart to Sanskar.

"How did we end up this way? We were the innocent ones Laksh. We were individuals who only needed to worry about what dress we would wear, what would make us look cool, what prank we can play, how..." Ragini's voice broke as she spoke. "How did we end up this way?"

"I...I'm a monster. I'm a monster!" Laksh screamed in despair. He got up and moved towards the table. He picked up the glass vase and slammed it on the table edge making the rose fall on the table and breaking the vase into pieces. "I...I don't deserve to live!"

Ragini's eyes widened as she saw him bringing up a large glass shard over his head and about to stab himself. At once, she got up as fast as she could. "No!"

"Arghh!" with a scream Laksh brought down the shard.

"Laksh, no!"

In the scuffle that ensued between the two, the small rose on the table silently dropped to the floor.

It lay on the ground, innocently. It would seem almost like the most beautiful thing in the room...only if wasn't smeared with red drops of fresh blood.

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To be continued...

Which one is that got hurt?

Where are the rest? Will they get there in time?

And as for Laksh, what do you feel about him now?

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹