Okie! So, this is one of my Abhigya plots. I just thought I would maybe publish a Swaragini version of it. 😁

Well, hope you like. Fingers crossed!

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

A girl could be seen walking towards her home.

"Maa! I'm home! Swa-" she stopped mid sentence as she looked at the grim faces of the three occupants in the living room. Her mother was sitting there with her two cousins, Samay and Nikhil. They all looked worried and distressed.

"Maa, Samay, Nikhil...why do you guys look so worried? Did... did something happen?" Ragini gasped "Where's Swara?! Did something happen to her? Please tell me she's okay. Maa, answer me please!"

"Calm down Ragu. Swara is fine. In fact, she will be here in a minute. She went to freshen up first."

"I'm here. Hey di!" Swara spoke, as she came to the room.

Ragini went and gave her a hug "Thank goodness you're alright."

"Chill di. Nothing can harm your Swara that easily." Swara tried to lighten the mood.

Samay stood up and spoke "Now that all of us are here, we want to tell you that we have decided to shift Ragini to Mount College."

Ragini and Swara looked towards him in shock.

"Samay isn't lying Ragu. We have already talked with your Principal and we are transferring you to Swara's college." spoke Nikhil.

"But why? Why do you want to transfer me to Mount college?"

"Its for Swara's safety. You and I both know that someone is after her. And Samay and Nikhil received some information about those people keeping an eye on her." explained Shramishtha.

"What!?"

"Yes Ragu. That is why we want you to shift to Mount College. If you go to the same college as her, you will be able to watch over her inside the campus, where we won't be allowed."

"But are you sure that someone will try to harm her inside the college? I mean, would someone dare to cause a scene at such a crowded place where they would easily get caught?"

"We just don't want to take any chances Ragu. Please Ragini, I know how much your college means to you. But please, would you do this for your sister?"

Ragini looked down in thought 'Leaving my college, my classmates, my friends...... it would be difficult. But Swara's safety matters to me the most. I would do anything for her'

"Okay Maa. I'll do it. I'll transfer to Mount College."

"But Rag-"

"Its alright Swara." Ragini gave her a smile. Swara smiled back.

"By the way di, Sima had been searching for you. You should go and meet her. She is at Karthik's shop"

Ragini nodded and moved out. Swara turned to the rest of the people in the room "Alright. I've had enough. Now tell me the truth!"

Nikhil, Samay and Shramishtha looked at her, shocked.

However, Samay composed himself quickly and spoke first. "What truth are you talking of Swara? We already told you everything."

(Samay 👆 )

"Don't even try to lie to me. I know that you three have been keeping secrets from me and Ragini. Di believes you blindly, but I know that you're feeding us lies!"

"Swara! What are you babbling about? We haven't lied about anything. You're imagining things."

"Maa, please. Don't think I haven't noticed. Two years ago, when the accident happened, and me and Ragini di were injured, you told us that it was me who was being targeted. Me and di accepted that truth. But I realize the actual truth now."

Samay moved forward and placed a hand on Swara's shoulder "Swara, whatever you're thinking I-"

Swara smacked away his hand and moved back "Don't even try to lie. After the accident, you kept guards around the house. When we went to school, a guard would follow us. Whenever we went shopping, the same happened. I thought it was for me. But as I observed more, I had a suspicion that the guard kept more vigil on Ragini di than me. So I kept observing more closely. Once I even disappeared from the mall and hid myself to see what the guard would do."

Swara looked into Samay's eyes "And the guard didn't go look for me. Instead he kept his watch over di."

"Swara beta..."

"It wasn't me that was being targeted Maa, was it? It was always Ragini di who was the target. You all are transfering di to Mount college not for me, but for her own safety. Isn't that true? Its her life that is in danger. Not mine. Am I right, Maa?"

Shramishtha looked down, which gave Swara her answer.

Swara moved forward and held her mother's hands "Maa, I'm right, aren't I? If I am right, please tell me the truth Maa. Please tell me. Ragini di's life is more important to me than my own. I want to help keep her safe. Please Maa, don't keep me out of it. Please let me help keep di safe. Please Maa!"

Shramishtha looked at Nikhil and Samay.

Nikhil sighed "I guess you figured it out Swara. Never thought you had such an intelligent brain. I always thought it was empty from within" He joked. "Getting some of my intelligence I see."

(Nikhil 👆)

"I'm far more intelligent than you cousin" 😣 Swara huffed out in anger.

"Sit down Swara. We will explain everything to you. But I think it would be best if your mother starts explaining first." Samay said, looking at Shramishtha.

Shramishtha nodded and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Swara, whatever I'm about to tell you, you cannot tell your sister."

"But Maa-"

"Its for her own safety. Please Shona. Promise me you won't tell her anything."

Swara thought it over and nodded.

Shramishtha continued "There is no other way to tell you this but...Ragini isn't my own child. I... I adopted her."

Swara's mouth opened in shock. It was as if the earth had disappeared from underneath her feet. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"You're....you're joking right? Maa, you're lying right? Right!?"

Shramishtha had tears in her eyes "I... I wish I was Swara. But its the truth. One night, a year before you were born, your father and I found a lady on our front door. She was badly injured and had a baby in her arms. We tried to save her, but she said that there was no chance of saving her. She showed a tattoo in her wrist and told us that we should give the child to someone with the same tattoo. We tried to search for the family members of the woman, but we couldn't find anything."

Swara kept looking at her with wide, teary eyes. 'All this time...all these years, Maa never told the truth. How could she keep such an important thing from us? And di....she deserves to know. How could Maa keep such a truth from her!?' Swara looked at Shramishtha in disbelief. "H-how could you?"

"I know you might be thinking that I did wrong by not telling you and Ragu the truth. But it was for Ragini's own safety. Trust me Swara. Also.... I've never thought of Ragu as another's child. I may have not given birth to her, but she means to me as much as you do. I didn't want to tell her the truth because....because I feared that I would lose her."

Swara looked into her mother's eyes and could see the pain and fear in her eyes. The fear of losing Ragini, the fear of Ragini hating her after knowing the truth, the pain of hiding the truth from her. She could understand why her mother had lied. Even she wouldn't want her di to leave them. She loves her Ragini di. It doesn't matter that she isn't her real sister.

Swara wiped her tears and spoke "I... I understand Maa. And it doesn't matter to me. Ragini di may not be my sister by blood, but I have accepted her as a sister from my heart. Nothing can change that"

Shramishtha smiled at Swara.

Swara turned to Samay. "But that still doesn't explain why she is in danger."

"Three years ago, a man came here. He wanted to meet your mother. He said he was Ragu's maternal uncle(mama), Vinod. Shramishtha aunt didn't believe him, but he showed her a picture of Ragu's mother and he also had the same tattoo in his hand. He left after seeing that everything was fine. However, it is he who told her that Ragu was being targeted."

"But by whom?"

"You see Swara, Ragini isn't just any orphan. She is the the last survivor of the Pratap family. And she is the only one who is the key to the Pratap family treasury."

"These people are targeting di for the money?"

"Money or bonds, or gold....no one knows what is stored there. But the Prataps stored their most valuable things there. Only Ragini's voice and eye scan can open the vault."

"I don't get it. They had so much time to kidnap di. They could have tried when she was a child as it would have been easier. How come they are trying now?"

"Because no one knew of Ragini being the last survivor. Every detail of the Prataps had been deleted. No one knew but....but someone found out. Someone knows Ragu's true identity. That is why we want her to transfer to Mount College. You will be there and there are some other agents of Vinod there."

"So this is why you want her here. But why lie to her that it is my life that is in danger. Wouldn't it be better if di knew it was her life on stake?"

Samay shook his head "We know how Ragini is. If we tell her it is she who is in danger, she would never agree to transfer here. She would think that by transferring, she would put your life at risk. She won't leave her college. Also, she might decide to leave us. She would decide to face her problems alone than put us in danger."

"I understand."

"Swara, Sima wasn't at the shop. And when I called her, she said she hadn't been searching for me. Why did you lie?" Ragini questioned as she came inside the house.

"Oh I...I guess she was searching for someone else and I misheard. Sorry di."

"Fine, fine. Maa, I'm hungry. I'll go freshen up. Please make me something to eat. Please please?"

"Okay Ragu. You go and freshen up"

"Thank you Maa. You're the best!" Ragini shouted as she went towards her room.

Swara looked at her mother "I promise you Maa, I will keep a close eye on Ragini di and make sure no harm comes to her." Shramishtha smiled at her.

Swara continued "However, Maa we shouldn't lie to Ragini di about her true parents. You should try to tell her sooner or later. If she finds the truth from someone else, it would break her."

"I know Swara. I know" Shramishtha looked down in sadness.

"You can tell her everything Shramishtha aunty, Swara.But not now. After the crisis is over, you can tell the truth to her." Samay told them, as he stood up to leave.

"Take care all of you. If you need any help, call us." Nikhil stated as he and Samay got up to leave.

"Call us okay?" once they nodded, Samay and Nikhil left.

"You know Maa, Samay and Nikhil help us so much in every matter. Sometimes it feels like they are not cousins but brothers, although they are arrogant jerks."

"Did you insult them or praise them?"

"Depends on the listener I guess."

Shramishtha shook her head " You'll never improve Swara."

"What? I didn't even do anything yet!"

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To be continued...

Well, I'll continue of you want it that is 😁

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Thanks!

~ 🌹 Mona 🌹