Three years and seven months ago

Royal Hotel, Kolkata

Ragini enters inside the party area with a large gift in her hands. She was surprised with the decorations and arrangements. It was looking very much expensive for a middle class family. She looks around for her best friend cum love but couldn't find him anywhere. There were girls and boys moving here and there. Some were dancing, some were talking and laughing. Many of them were even drunk. Ragini cringes at that.

"This stupid Arhaan has arranged alcohol too. Let him come in front of me then I'll tell him." she says to herself as she keeps the gift on a couch.

She was about to move ahead but someone stops her by holding her hand from behind. She turns and looks up at the face of the person. He was a classmate of her.

"Hey Ragini! Let's dance." says the boy trying to pull her to himself.

Ragini looks at him keenly and realises that he was drunk. She tries to free her hand from him.

"Ronit, you're drunk. Let me go, I don't want to dance." she says still trying to pull her hand from his grip.

"What's the problem? It's just a dance." he says as he pulls her to himself and holds her waist.

Ragini's eyes widens at that. She starts struggling in his grip but was unable to get free from him. Her eyes starts watering with fear.

"Just let me go. I don't want to dance." she says in between her sobs.

Ronit was about to move closer to her but he was pulled back by his collar. Ragini looks up at the person who pulled him and starts crying more, seeing Arhaan.

"She said she don't want to dance with you that means you should go away. A no means no. Don't you understand a simple thing?" Arhaan shouts at him as he starts beating him.

Ragini tries to pull Arhaan back so that he don't murder the boy but she wasn't strong to his level. Finally, with the help of others Arhaan is pulled away.

Arhaan looks at Ragini's tear filled eyes sadly. He holds her hand and pulls her to a couch in the corner. He makes her sit and he himself sits besides her.

"I'm sorry!" he says hugging her while Ragini keeps sniffing in his chest.

"Why did you bring alcohol?" she asks sniffing.

"I didn't! The boys brought it." he tells her while rubbing her back to calm her but she wasn't stopping.

"Ragini, I'm here and no one will say anything to you. You're safe. Now stop crying. My babu don't look good while crying." he says wiping her tears.

Ragini somehow stops her sniffs and pulls herself back. Arhaan removes her hair from her face.

"What would you like to have?" he asks.

"Anything besides alcohol." she replies lowly.

Arhaan chuckles at that. He calls a waiter.

"Two orange juices." he says to the waiter.

The waiter nods and leaves from there.

"You'll not drink?" asks Ragini surprised.

"If I'll get drunk then who'll take care of you?" he asks smiling.

Ragini smiles feeling good with his words. He cares for her.

The waiter comes back and gives their juices to them. Arhaan passes one glass to Ragini and he himself takes the other.

"Let's see who drinks it first." says Arhaan.

Ragini rolls her eyes as both of them starts drinking at the same time. And in the race of drinking first, they didn't realise the weird taste of the orange juice.

Ronit smirks as he sees both of them drinking the juice and leaves from there.

After they finishes drinking they keeps the glasses on the table and looks at each other weirdly.

"It tastes weird." says Ragini making faces while Arhaan nods in agreement with her.

Both of them then gets up and moves to their friends. They starts talking and laughing and slowly their heads starts spinning.

"Arhaan, my head is spinning." says Ragini as she holds him for support.

"Even mine. Something is wrong." he says as he holds her from her shoulders.

"I'm feeling tired." she says as she keeps her head on his shoulder.

"There are some rooms here. I'll take you there." he says as he holds her and starts making his way out of the party.

They reaches a room and Arhaan closes the door behind. Ragini directly falls on the bed. Arhaan starts moving towards her but stumbles due to the carpet on the floor and falls on the bed, over her. Their faces were mere inches apart from touching. Their chests were merging and their hearts were racing. Arhaan balances himself upon her as he tucks her hair behind her ear while Ragini was looking directly into his eyes and there was an idiotic smile playing on her lips because of the effect of alcohol. They keeps staring each other for a few seconds before Arhaan starts leaning in. Ragini closes her eyes at that and the next second, his lips were on hers and they starts kissing each other softly.

They were not in their senses and they were not realising what they were doing. Their hidden feelings and love for each other was overtaking everything.

They kissed until they felt the need to catch breath. They breaks the kiss and were looking deep into each other's eyes, trying to read the feelings of the other. Trying to know if the other feels the same like them and they could see so many emotions in the eyes of the other.

"I love you." the words slips out of Ragini's mouth without her knowledge and that was a push for them.

The words blew all their remaining senses and self control. They weren't looking at each other like before. There was a newly found emotion in their eyes. The emotion called passion. They loved each other and their love and feelings were pulling them towards each other. Arhaan smiles at her as he pecks on her nose.

"Ditto, aalu..." he says smiling.

Ragini pouts when he calls her aalu. Arhaan chuckles as he pecks on her pout and starts moving his lips from her lips to her cheek and then her neck. The scene fades as two drunk friends and secret lovers slips into their own world, crossing all the limits.

***

Present time

Bangalore, Karnataka

Ragini comes out of the washroom and looks at her daughters who were sitting on the bed, playing with their toys. She sighs as she moves out of the room and checks on the windows and doors again. It has become a habit of hers to check them again and again to confirm that they're locked perfectly. Living alone with two daughters is not easy. She don't feel safe and she can hardly sleep because of the fear.

She moves back to the room and closes the door. She gets on the bed and lies down in between her daughters as she starts caressing their heads to make them sleep.

"Mumma..." calls Ishanvi as she drapes her small hand around her mother's waist.

"Yes baby..."

"We don't have daddy?" asks Ishanvi.

Ragini's heart skips a beat at that. She looks at Ishanvi who was looking at her for an answer.

"What brought this question in your mind?" asks Ragini.

"Today Shanu's daddy dlopped(dropped) hel(her) at the shchool(school). Fom(from) that time Ishu ish(is) ashking(asking) thish(this)." replies Aanya.

"Shanu said that hel(her) daddy lives with hel(her). He even blings(brings) chocolates and toys fol(for) hel(her). Whele(where) is oul(our) daddy?" asks Ishanvi innocently.

Ragini wasn't getting what to say. She was feeling vulnerable. She may lie to them about their father now because they're kids and will believe her words but what she'll tell them when they'll ask the same question to her after they'll get young. She was feeling like crying at that moment, seeing the innocent faces of her daughters. She was feeling so miserable, so heartbroken at her daughters' state and their destiny. They don't have the love, care and protection of their father. Why? What is their fault? What they did to deserve this?

"It's so late. You both sleep now. Tomorrow you've school. We'll talk tomorrow." says Ragini trying to divert their minds.

The little girls nods as they hugs their mother and closes their eyes, feeling the warmth of their mother's presence but Ragini's sleep was blown away. She wasn't feeling sleepy anymore. Tears were trickling down her cheeks.

'See what a life you've given to our daughters. They're living without their father, just because of you. Everything is your fault. I will never forgive you for this. Never ever. I hate you.' she thinks as she bites her lips to muffle her cries.

***

Kolkata, West Bengal

"Thank God you called. You don't have any idea what all I've gone through because of what happened that day. You left just like that." says Laksh as he takes a breath of relief, hearing the voice of the girl at the other side of the call.

"I have called you to talk about that day only. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for bringing you to that state. I'm sorry Laksh." says Trisha.

"It wasn't your fault Trisha, then why are you saying sorry? Fault was completely mine. I shouldn't have done that to you. You didn't do anything to deserve that." he says.

"Leave it Laksh. I forgave you for what you did three and half years ago. I have moved on and I have got an amazing person now and I hope you'll also get your true life partner soon." she says.

"I'm happy for you." says Laksh.

"Hmm... Goodbye Laksh... It is probably our last phone call." she says in a sad tone.

"Goodbye Trisha." he says and she disconnects the call.

Laksh sits on the couch and keeps his head on the back of the couch as he moves his eyes around the large mansion.

"Money don't bring comfort and happiness. I've everything besides happiness. I'm alone. I don't have anyone to call mine. I lost everything. I lost my family. I lost my friend. I lost my love. What I am even living for? I don't have a single reason to live but thousands of reasons to die." he says as he closes his eyes.

***

Bangalore, Karnataka

Another week passed like every week. Ragini was trying to find another way by which she can increase her income but till now she didn't get any idea. Ragini was about to leave after her shift got completed but was stopped by her boss, saying that she needs to accompany him to a meeting. Ragini's colleague, Tina was also going with them. Having no other option Ragini agreed and called Naina to inform her that she'll be late. She told her to be with the twins until she reaches home.

As they comes out of the car and moves inside the venue, Ragini's eyes falls on the large board.

"Annual Businessmen Meet" she reads the words on the board.

Her breathings stops and her heart starts running a marathon as the realisation hits her.

"Is this the same event where the businessman of the year award is going to be be given?" asks Ragini to Tina as their boss moves ahead.

"Yes, Laksh Maheshwari is going to get the best businessman of the year award in this event." Tina tells her.

Ragini shakes her heads as her legs starts turning weak.

"I can't be here. I have to go." she says as she turns around and starts running in the opposite direction of the venue, not caring about Tina's shouts.

While running, she bumps into someone. She mumbles a sorry as she looks up at the person. The person just nods his head and moves away. Ragini keeps walking away. She reaches at a good distance from the building and starts taking deep breaths. Her body was literally shaking. Just then her phone starts ringing. She looks at the caller I'd. It was Tina. She picks up the call.

"Hello..." Ragini says.

"Ragini, why did you run away like that? Boss is very angry. He's saying that if you didn't come here in five minutes then you'll lose your job." says Tina from the opposite side.

Raging doesn't say anything and disconnects the call. Her eyes starts flowing. She wasn't getting what to do. She can't afford to lose the job. It'll affect her daughters very badly.

"Raging, you can do it. You have to. You just need to stay away from his eyes. Nothing will happen. He'll not even notice you. You have to go back. You can't lose your job because of him. Think about Aanu and Ishu. Think about your daughters Ragini. Be strong." she says as she wipes her tears.

She starts walking back to the venue with a determined face. She enters inside the hall and looks around for her boss and Tina. There were many businessmen present in the meeting, along with their managers or secretaries. Her eyes finally falls on Tina. She was about to move towards them but her body stops moving when a male voice calls her name from her left.

"Ragini!!" he calls her and Ragini gets rooted on her place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I guess all your confusions will be cleared in the next part🙌😁. Congratulations😹!!

What would you like to say about the flashback part?

Who do you think was Trisha?

And the last scene?

And ya, tell me which one would you like to read next?
TRIPLE TROUBLE
or
BIWI NO. 1

Please ignore any mistakes.
Thank you for reading.