Back with shot 2.

Scene crafted by/ Idea credit:
AkshithaReddy4

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Timeline - Ragini's accident after she hears the truth about Laksh's love for Swara.

Hate To Love You

Laksh gathered up his courage to open the door to her room. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open and got ready to face the cause of his guilt.

It was Ragini's fragile body that lay on the hospital bed.

Laksh swallowed hard and pushed his shaky feet forward towards her bed.

However, a voice stopped him.

"Get out."

It was a soft whisper. But in the silence of the room, it echoed like a scream.

"Get...out."

"Ragini, I'm so sorry."

"Get out Laksh. I don't want to hear...any of your excuses." she weakly replied.

"Please listen to me!" Laksh rushed towards her, his actions explaining his desperation. "I never meant for you to find out about me and Swara that way. I...I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you did."

Laksh somehow held back his tears. "I didn't..."

"You planned to keep me in the dark about it?! Y-You selfish jerk! Same with Swara."

Laksh could see her sweating and breathing hard due to her weak condition. However, he couldn't stop himself from talking further with her.

"Don't blame Swara. She tried to make me go to you!"

"I don't want a traitor and worthless person like you anymore! Go away!"

"I know I deserve your bitterness. But I...I had to choose between healing Sanskar and yo-"

"So you chose to make me scapegoat! And I still loved you like an idiot." the device beeped, signalling danger, but Ragini kept shouting. "I hate myself for it. And more than that, I hate you and Swara! Why don't you both disappear from my life?!"

"Rag-"

"Just GET OUT!"

The machines beeped louder, alerting the staff and making them rush to Ragini's room.

"Stablize her pulse!" shouted the doctor. He glared at Laksh. "You're ruining her condition. Do you want to kill her?!"

Laksh looked at him in horror. "No! I...I..." he looked at Ragini and back at the devices. Everything was making him dizzy. The doctor's statement rang louder in his ears, blurring his mind and making him want to puke.

He felt like he couldn't breathe. Without a word, he ran away.

If he had looked back, he would have seen Ragini mouth 'sorry'. A single tear escaped her eye as she succumbed to unconsciousness.

#Hospital, 10 pm#

Ragini slowly opened her eyes to the living world. She blinked a couple of times to adjust her vision. She coughed as her throat felt dry.

She tried to reach for the glass kept nearby.

A hand reached over and placed a spoon inside it to fetch the water. With a smile, he held out the spoon full of water to her lips.

Ragini looked at him in surprise. Nevertheless, she took a sip, and then another.

"Sanskar? What are you doing here dost?"

Sanskar shrugged. "I asked mother to tell the family I have a checkup. Actually, I wanted to chat with you."

"Oh. How swee-" Ragini's smiling face turned into one of suspicion. "Wait a minute. You're acting..."

"Normal?" he finished her sentence with a smirk. "I never had been mad anyhow."

He said it so casually in contrast to Ragini's look of utter disbelief. "W-what?!"

Sanskar chuckled and proceeded to explain everything.

After sometime...

"All this time it...it was all an act?" seeing him nod, she felt her head hurt. Everything felt so overwhelming to her. "But...but why are you telling me all this?"

"So that you can help me."

"What?!" it seemed she wouldn't get a relief from getting metaphorical shocks that day. "Why!?"

"I heard everything when Laksh was here. He betrayed you, like he betrayed me. He's a horrible guy. Both he and Swara are!" Sanskar moved his face closer to her and sneered. "You hate him just as much I do. You should hate him even more for how he treated you. You should plan his death. We both will destroy him complet-"

A slap resounded through the room as Ragini hit him. Although she was weak, she hit him hard.

"Don't. Don't you dare think of hurting Laksh!"

Sanskar looked shocked. However, it soon turned into anger. "You dare slap me?! That too because of that guy?! The guy who broke your heart?! For that rascal you hate?!"

"Yeah, I did. And you deserve it. You're right about him hurting me in the worst way possible but..." Ragini tried to keep her voice from breaking as her broken heart wanted to bleed out in the form of tears. "But he did it for you! For his family!"

Sanskar let out a bitter laugh. "You really think he's so selfless. No. He knew you'll be hurt. He knew he was betraying and leading you on. Swara, your own sister betrayed you infact. Yet, you're so pitiful to think they're so great?!"

"Yes I do! Yes, I am pitiful! Yes, I hate him for breaking my heart. But I won't hurt him or Swara."

"So what? You'll just let them be?!"

"No. I'll hate him and Swara. I can't forgive them so easily. But I won't hurt them." she surmised. She looked at him in the eyes with a glare. "And I won't ever let you hurt him either!"

"Like you can stop me." he spit out.

"You dare to touch a hair on Swara or Laksh's head, and I'll go after you. I'll destroy you! I'll reveal everything about your evil deeds." Ragini warned. As she kept speaking, her energy was slowly leaving her. "Listen to me. Laksh cares about you. And I've seen how kind Annapurna Maa is. They're people who trust you. So for their sake, I'll not reveal anything. I've giving you a chance. So don't try anything smart. Change! Or I'll destroy you!"

"Are you threatening me?!"

"No. It's a promise."

Sanskar balled his hands into fists, falling in the hole he dug for himself by revealing the truth to her. He was sure she would help. But he underestimated her love for Laksh.

Without a word, he left.

Ragini let out a sigh and leaned on the bed post.

She was tired both physically and emotionally.

Not only Laksh betrayed her, but her supposed dost too was a fraud.

"You said you hated me."

Ragini's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Laksh's voice in alarm. "Laksh?"

Laksh nodded. "I stayed back for Sanskar. But decided to visit you and heard an argument." Laksh looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Who was it?"

'He didn't spot Sanskar? He must have left by the time Laksh decided to move out of his hiding spot.' Ragini thought in relief. "None of your business. Now leave."

Laksh sighed and moved closer.

She watched as came to sit beside her. "Leave Maheshwari."

"Just stop Ragini." he cried out. "After what I heard, I know you're just pretending."

"Pretending? I don't know what you're talking about." she scoffed.

"Pretending that you hate me and Swara. Pretending that you're cursing us. Pretending to be a bitch so that we hate you. And you're doing all of this because you want me and Swara to be happy together, don't you?"

Ragini's eyes widened and her hands dropped to the side in defeat.

It seemed he figured out her plan.

"Ragini, don't do this. Please. You're only hurting yourself further by pushing us away. At least...let me be your friend...like I had been."

He was expecting a cuss or a sneer. But not her defeated look.

"Why are you doing this Laksh? Am I that pitiful that you're trying to comfort me by being my friend. You think I'm so weak?"

"What?! No!"

"Yes it is. You pity me. You think 'poor Ragini needs me since she can't get over me'."

"That's not..."

"'Aww, I should play hero and save her by offering my friendship'. That's what you think, don't you?!" Ragini sneered. "You wa-" whatever she was about to say was stopped by Laksh's hand over her mouth.

"Just stop Ragini. I'm not that cruel." he spoke with pained eyes. "I really want to be friends. I can't handle your hate."

Ragini removed his hand and glared. "I'm the obstacle between you and Swara, ain't I? So why care?!"

"I just do!"

"You're lying. I do-"

"I miss your smile." Laksh admitted, shocking her to silence. "I miss your selfless care. I miss your presence. I took it for granted, but now I realize how much I miss you when you're not with me."

Both didn't realize, but their faces were really close, hearts beating fast as they gazed into each others' eyes.

Unfortunately, Ragini's speeding heart rate made the machine beep and they broke out of their trance.

He at once jumped back in horror. "I...I..." without another word, Laksh ran off.

Ragini sat there with wide eyes. 'We almost...'

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Hope it justified the scene you imagined Akshita. Thanks for it! 🤗

Next one will be : amita291 's.