Hey guys! Here's the third chapter. Hope you like!

This one is a lengthy one so I hope you don't get bored. 😂

Comments are most welcome! 💜

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Part 3

'Time heals, time heals, time...heals. And yet, even after all these years, my wounds re-open. All it takes is just a look from him.' Ragini sighed. All this thinking was giving her a headache. It wasn't good inside either. The presence of Laksh made her feel suffocated...a presence which once brought her bliss. 'He's as amazing as he was then. As handsome as he was when we were together. Only thing that has changed is his feelings for me. The person who passionately loved me now hates me with the same passion. And I've got no one but myself to blame for it.' wiping a tear from the corner of her eyes, Ragini let out a bitter smile. "A tale of unrequited love that could match Romeo and Juliet's."

"Alteast it wasn't they who betrayed each other."

Ragini turned around hearing the familiar male voice. "Laksh...what are you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same of you Ra...Ragini." he felt odd speaking that name after so long.

Ragini avoided his gaze and shrugged. She wouldn't lie. It felt good to hear her name being uttered from his lips, even if with hatred. She would keep it as a nostalgic memory. "The lights were too bright and so I needed a break."

"Needed a break from teh lights or from my presence?"

Ragini flinched at his words, but refused to back out. She knew she didn't deserve to be angry at his accusations as it is her who made him spiteful towards her. Getting her act together, she hels her head high. "Well, someone once told me if the shoe fits, you should wear it. Now, if you would excuse me."

"Bailing on me now, are you? You just love doing things like that, don't you? Running away when you're faced with your doings?"

That made Ragini grit her teeth. "I keep running away?"

"Or else what? You refuse to meet eyes with me now. You know who does that? Thieves and liars! You know you are guilty and hence you want to escape."

That seemed to hit a nerve in Ragini. "Running away, escaping...these aren't my traits. And even if I have acquired them, it is from the likes of you!"

"I've never run away!"

"YES YOU DID! ALL YOU EVER DID WAS RUN AWAY! IF IT WASN'T FO-" Ragini sucked in a deep breath, stopping herself from speaking further. "Let's not fight and go inside. We're not high school kids anymore. We have reputations to keep."

Laksh cursed under his breath as he realised his folly. He had come out to make a truce with Ragini. To try and start over again. Not start another verbal fight.

Quickly he walked near her and grabbed her by the wrist.

"No wait! There's something I have to tell you."

"You can tell me inside."

"No, it has to be here where we're alone."

Ragini broke free of his grasp. "I have nothing to discuss with you."

"But I do. And I plan to kep it private as it's personal."

Ragini sneered. "I have no interest in your love life. Thank you very much."

"Just listen for once!"

"I DON'T WA-"

"I'M SORRY!"

Ragini was surprised at the force with which he uttered those words. His face looked pained and his voice came out as desperate.

"All these years I... I'm sorry for blaming it on you for leaving me. I...I'm sorry."

Ragini blinked, not understanding why he was bringing up the past after such a long time. "La-"

"No let me finish. Perhaps you never knew it. Perhaps you don't even care what I think of you but...but I feel guilt eating me now that I've realised how wrong it was for me to blame you for everything when it was me who told you to marry Ratan."

Ragini's eyes softened on his confession. "You have no reason to be guilty Laksh."

Laksh stepped back and shook his head in denial. "I do! Look what I did! I didn't have enough confidence in myself. Because I let my insecurities get the better of me. I pushed you into the arms of Ratan and later, accused you of betraying me. And...and I'm sorry for that."

Ragini didn't speak anything. She just stared.

"By accusing you of something which was my doing, I made myself a victim and you the convict. Perhaps it was easy that way for me." Laksh let out a bitter smile. "That way I could ignore the pain of losing you and concentrate on the hate I have for you. I kept that hate burning in me with passion because...because I was so in love with you that I didn't want anyone else in my heart. Even if it is hate that filled me, I wanted to to be focused on you so that no one ever replace you in my heart. An-"

Laksh's words stopped flowing when he felt a sting on his cheek. The mark of the hit was red and fresh. It took him a moment to realise that it was Ragini who slapped him. He brought a shaky hand towards his cheek, but did not utter a word. He stood silently in front of Ragini.

Both of them stood, Laksh unsure what to make of Ragini's silence. Finally, his thoughts came to a halt at her tiny whisper.

"Seven years..."

"I..."

"Seven years Laksh. Seven years you and I remained out of contact. Why?! Because you thought I had betrayed you."

"I know."

"We used to be friends before we became lovers. And you didn't even want to be friends just because I accepted Ratan into my life!"

"I know."

"You were the one who pushed me to Ratan and said you would be happy if I married him. That you will always be there for me as a friend!"

"I know. I know!" Laksh looked down in shame and guilt. "And...and I'm not asking you to forgive me for I have been a jerk. I know that."

With angry tears in her eyes, Ragini balled her hands into fists and hit Laksh in the chest, pushing him back. "After all these year, after all the pain and loneliness...why? WHY NOW?! Just when I was finally moving on...when I was finally accepting the fact that you will always hate me for whatever had happened in the past, why now?! WHY DAMNIT!"

"I...I just can't do it anymore Ragini...I can't keep hating you."

"So it's all the same. Same old Laksh. Same old games!" Ragini seethed. "You run away when you think you can handle it. You try to seek an easy way out because you're a coward to take the hard path!"

"I accept it okay? I was a coward to let you go. I was scared, that's true. But it wasn't for myself but for you! I didn't want to see you suffer a terrible life. What if I hadn't been able to succeed? What then?!"

"So because of a doubt, a doubt that I never believed in, you decided to let the love of your life go?! Was my live not enough? Was I never enough?!"

Laksh could feel his own eyes tear up looking at her tear filled face. "I made a blunder...and I'm suffering my entire life for it."

Ragini let out a bitter laugh. "You didn't doom yourself. You doomed me too. Your insecurities ate us both up."

Laksh flinched at the truth in her words. "And I know I can't get back lost time. But I know what I could do ease the pain. Fir the both of us." He brought forward his hand. "This hate we have for each other? It does nothing but hurt us all the more. I want to hurt you for how you easily left me, but after I do hurt you wit my words, it is my heart that feels more miserable. And...and I think it's the same for you." He didn't need an answer. The look in her eyes told him he was right. "So...so let's start over as friends, shall we? Like...like we're back in middle school."

Laksh let out a shaky smile filled with hope. Upon seeing Ragini smile a little, he was sure they were going to atart anew.

However, Ragini stepped back. "But we're not in middle school anymore. And the arguments aren't over whose eraser you stole or who was the tiffin thief." Ragini turned around and faced her back to him. "You did your share of mistakes. I did mine. And we both are guilty for it. But today...today admitting that you were guilty made my guilt lessen knowing that it wasn't me who made all the harsh mistakes. You are equally guilty."

"Rag-"

"So...so let's just forgive each other. And leave it at that."

In other words, that was Ragini telling him that they couldn't be friends. Forgive and forget. That was what she wanted. Forgive...and forget him, them, their bond, their past.

"Just one chance. Can't yo-"

"I don't want to go through the pain again Laksh. Please. After all these years, thanks to you today, I feel free of the burden of guilt. Please...please let it end here and let us not move further. Because we're... we're going to hurt one another again."

Laksh felt his throat go dry. He didn't know what he could say to convince her. Moreover, he didn't think after everything, he had the right to demand a second chance. "I...I understand...Ragini." slowly he took his steps back, watching her form get distant...not only physically, but also from his heart. "I guess this is goodbye."

He saw her form stiffen and her shoulders shake from repressed tears. "G-goodbye...I guess."

He nodded and turned back to go inside. After all, he did promise everyone one last song.

However, he paused to ask one last question. "Just answer me one thing Ragini. If...if I had never asked you to leave me for Ratan. If I had asked you to stay and by misfortune, I couldn't make it as an artist, would... would you still have stood by my side?"

There was silence in the corridor, with only sound being Ragini's breaths that got harder by the second. Laksh was worried. Perhaps he had asked something he shouldn't have.

"Ragini?"

One moment he was standing there, the next he was pushed back with a strong punch to the nose. And the assult didn't stop. Laksh raised his hands to prevent himself from Ragini's hits.

"You dare ask me that?!" Ragini spoke while hitting him with her tiny fists. "After everything that I told you! After everyday I spent with you while your family abandoned you!" She continued hitting while angry tears spilled from her eyes. "After I even admitted I would take a bullet for you! After telling you it is you with whom I wanted future with, you dare ask me that question?!"

"I'm so-"

"Sorry? SORRY?! Is apologizing the only thing you're good at, you insufferable git?! I wonder why I even fell hopelessly in love with a hopeless punk like you in the first place! How dare you even think I was with you just because of your family's riches?!"

"I never said that!"

"The fact that you doubted me is enough to confirm my accusation!" Ragini raised her hands in the air dramatically to emphasize her point. "I understand that you have insecurities, but you take advantage of it, blaming your insecurities being the reaosn for everything! Have you ever even tried to fight them?!"

"You won't understand." Laksh grit his teeth. He was getting angry as well. She wouldn't understand how the insecure and intrusive thoughts ate up his happiness.

"No. I understand it fully! You use your insecurities as your excuse for everything! Because you're simply too irresponsible and lazy to take responsibility for your actions. You only know how to play victim, instead of moving forward to face your fears!"

"You don't know what demons I have in my mind! How much troubles I have keeping my thoughts at bay!"

"Who doesn't have problems! Big or small, everyone has problems. But that's where family and closed ones come into play. You have to lay your trust on them. But no, you refuse to trust me because it was allll about you, wasn't it! You thought you could decide what's best for me!"

Laksh was equally furious at her acquisitions. "I choose to decide for you because I wanted a better future for you. Tell me you aren't happy with what you've got now."

Ragini grind her teeth in anger. "My personal life is my own. You should leave now. Go to your petty Kavya!"

Laksh's eyes widened. "What do you mean my Kavya?"

Ragini snorted. "You affair with Kavya is covered almost everyday by the paparazzi. Is it not true that you're in a relationship?!"

Laksh wanted to answer her question, but chose to answer in her tone. "That is my personal life. You should not interfere in mine when you can't answer about yours."

"What is between me and Ratan is none of your business. You're the one who wanted that, remember?!" Ragini mocked.

"I wanted you to be happy!"

"And in your eyes, money was happiness wasn't it?!" Ragini grit out. "I loved you damn it! I even chose to be with Ratan so that your wish was granted. You said you would be happy if you see me be happy! I made myself miserable just so that you do not have to worry about me! And now...now you go asking if I had stayed by you had you asked?!"

"I was being practical! If something went wrong, would we have been able to lead a happy life?! Would I be able to make you happy?!"

"You..." Ragini let out a harsh breath and chose to remain silent. She had had enough of Laksh's foolishness. "That's it. Go. Leave. And don't come to me. Yeah, you wanted me happy with a luxurious life, didn't you?! Fine! I am filthy rich now and I am happy with it! Ratan was indeed a good choice. Does knowing this make you happy now?!"

"Yes. Finally you told the truth didn't you?! Tell me you aren't thankful that you chose Ratan because you to had your doubts on me didn't you? That's why you left only after a few requests of mine." Laksh knew he was speaking out of line. But he was too pissed and wanted to win the argument anyhow.

"First you push me away. And now you accuse me? UNBELIEVABLE!"

Laksh opened his mouth to shout back, but paused. Instead, his raised finger dropped and he sighed looking down. "We're back to square one after we just made peace with each other."

"You're the one who started it!" Ragini shouted with seethed rage. "Go away to your Kavya and don't come to me again. I think it would be the best for both of us."

Laksh looked at her in sorrow, but nodded. It was better than fighting till eternity. "Goodbye. It was nice meeting you again." He turned back, but stopped after taking a step. "And just so you know, Kavya and me aren't dating. I let the rumours remain so that other girls think I'm unavailable. In fact, I'll soon denounce that false rumour once Kavya is ready to get married to Nikhil. Kavya doesn't mind me using her name as a fake affair. I'm telling you this because I want you to know that I still trust you with my deepest secrets." Looking over his shoulder, he smiled sadly. "An-" however, he stopped short when he saw her state.

Ragini stood there with her mouth open and eyes wide. It was as if she had seen a ghost. "Wh-what do you...what do you mean that Kavya is getting married to Nikhil. Doesn't she love you?"

Laksh chuckled. "She used to be a obsessive fangirl. But she finally got over it years ago!"

Ragini staggered back, as if being hit by a strong force. "N-no...no, it can't be. She...she loved you!"

Laksh turned fully towards her in confusion. Why was Ragini so affected by thr fact that Kavya didn't love him? He wanted answers. "She did. But eventually she understood that I could never get over you and so we became good friends instead."

"But...but the news alw-"

"Like I said it was a lie." Laksh smiled. "I could never forget our love Ragini."

"But she's supposed to love you DAMNIT!"

"Well, guess she doesn't think the same thing."

Ragini grabbed her head and shook her head in anguish. "No, no, no! This is all wrong. She should love you! She should be with you!"

"Stop worrying. It's not a big deal!" Laksh frowned in annoyance.

"IT IS A BIG DEAL!"

"Stop your overacting Ragini."

The last seemed to break as Ragini looked outright livid. "Not a big deal?! It is damn it! I left you to her! I thought she would take care of you! You tell me that you and Kavya were only acting for the paparazzi?! Then was my sacrifice for naught?! I acted to fall for Ratan for you?! Acted in front of you?! Was it for nothing?! Kavya should be here with you, not some other man!"

"What...what did you just say?"

"That Kavya should be with you!"

"No. Before that!"

Ragini gasped and put her hands over her mouth as she realised what she had just let out in a moment of anger. "I...I..." Ragini turned and tried to flee.

However, Laksh was fast and caught upto her. Pushing her into the wall and holding her hands beside her head, he glared at her. "You aren't being completely truthful, are you? Act in front of me? You pretended that you were happy with Ratan? WHY?! Tell me the truth. I won't have anything else Ragini. I want answers."

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🌹 ~ Mona🌹