(Flashbacks in italics)

SwaRagini- Unwanted Destiny !!

Chapter3- Leap!!

It felt like yesterday only when she was completely shattered, the words still stabbed her heart and the wounds are as fresh as ever. Tear leaked her eyes continuously as she stared at her picture with her sister. The picture was hidden beneath her mother pillow which accidentally fell down. It's been four weeks since she last saw her, four weeks to the betrayal she faced. Four weeks of her breaking down daily. Four weeks of consoling herself. Four weeks to her colourless life. She wanted to clutched the picture in her fist and wanted to completely destroyed it but, she couldn't. The smiling face of her and her sister prevents her from doing it which makes her hates more.

Let's give ourselves time to heal. She remembers his words keeping back the picture back to where her mother hides and headed out of the room taking keys for which she came. She wipes her tears and inhaled a deep breath plastering a fake smile across her lips and walks towards kitchen where sharmishta was present.

"MAA, here are the keys you asked for", she forwarded the bunch of keys fake smiling at her mother who looked back at her taking the keys and keeping her one hand on her cheeks, "were you crying?", Sharmishta asked looking at ragini who instantly shakes her head in a NO.

"Ragini?", She worriedly utters her name with moisty eyes. Ragini hugged her mother instantly blinking back the tears which threatened to flow," MAA, hum thek hai. Sach Mai", she breaked the hug and look at sharmishta fake smiling. Sharmishta nodded her head fake smiling as she understands her turmoil while shehkar stood at the door looking at the duo with teary eyes. It's been four weeks they are seeing her all smiling and behaving all normally with them. Mahehwari's also come and apologized to her personally on which she forgive them. No one is understanding what is going inside her. That day when she come home almost in devastated state making everyone cry and worried as well thinking something bad would have happened, everyone tried to talk to her but, she without saying anything locked herself inside the room all night and from next day she was back to the same Ragini Gadodia she used to be. Everyone is unaware of the fact that by physically she is the same Ragini but, internally she was shattered and dead beyond everyone imagination.

"MAA, call swara for pagh phera", sharmishta hand stopped stirring the vessel and she looked at ragini dazed which changed into anger, "No", she sternly says as she continued making food. Ragini clutched the end of her stole as she gulps, "MAA! please! Forgive her", she says while sharmishta stopped her hand and looked at her," Why are you doing this Laado?", She asked as her tone softened and her eyes become misty. "Because, I can't see you hurt", she utters as tear leaked her eyes, " I also did mistakes, didn't I? When you can forgive me then you can forgive her too", she utters as she holds sharmishta hands. "You did this all for your love ragini. You do this for laksh and she even knowing everything takes laksh from you and not only you, she also faked her love to sanskar and hurted him too. I can't forgive her. I can't forgive them both", sharmishta utters as tears leaked her eyes which she wipes.

"The truth is laksh was never mine Maa, he always belong to her. It's all due to my stupidity which caused me this. I'll never forgive her MAA nor laksh but, the truth is I am not the same evil ragini who'll hate her sister this time I am freeing myself from the burden called HATE. Because in the end it'll be me who'll burn in this fire", she utters as she tightly holds her hand with moisty eyes.

"Please, MAA ! Call her and her new husband. Let her complete all the rituals. I won't be able to take if someone accused me for snatching their family", ragini says with moisty eyes looking at sharmishta who understands her.

"I won't forgive them wholeheartedly", sharmishta utters as she closed her eyes sighing, "Don't do that", ragini utters.

"And you?", Sharmishta asked cupping ragini cheeks," I'll not be here when they'll come", ragini utters lowering her gaze to hide the tears that peeps from her eyes. "I am proud of you" , sharmishta utters planting a kiss on her forehead while ragini closed her eyes as she felt a gushed of emotions go through her body, she smiled weakly at sharmishta and rushed from there not stopping the tears which flows helplessly.

Sharmishta was about to run after her when shehkar holds her hand and nodded no teary eyed," She is hurt Shehkar. My daughter is hurt", sharmishta utters crying hugging shehkar who stared at the direction his daughter left," Yet, she is portraying herself strong", he uttered with a little amusement and pride in his tone.

"I won't call swara and laksh for pagh phera", sharmishta says cryingly. "And, make things more difficult. Mishti we as a parents had to fulfill our duties. If we'll support ragini then we'll make swara realize her mistake too. We can't undo whatever is done but, we can at least try to make things mend with all possible way. I want my both daughter's happy not being reason for each others cry", shehkar uttered consoling sharmishta who broke the hug and looked at shehkar.

"I won't forgive them", sharmishta says and shehkar looks at her, So, Do I. But, I fear that our ignorance might turn my both daughter's into each others enemy", he utters as tears flows from his eyes as he felt his chest tightened with the thought.

She collapsed on floor leaning her head back on the door. She covered her mouth to not let any sob escaped. She can never ever forgive those two for whatever they did to her. She can never yet, she need to portray that it don't matter to her when reality she'll die thinking about all this. She closed her eyes letting the tears flows as she remembered what happened yesterday.

Swara was continuously calling sharmishta and shehkar which went unanswered. She even tried to come to badi along with laksh but, was straightaway got banned by her own mother and father who disowned her. She was broken and hurt that their family is not ready to give her a chance when she herself makes them give a chance to her sister who snatched her laksh from her. The fire ignited in her heart adding more hatred in her heart for ragini. She without a second thought dialed her number from landline. Ragini who was engrossed in staring the star studded sky silently crying jerked hearing her mobile, she without seeing picked up the call.

"Are you happy after snatching my family again?", she froze seeing the voice and put the phone down to see the number. She inhaled a deep breath before keeping it back on her ear, " Did you forget that it was me who make everyone forgive you??? I told you, didn't i? You can't be selfless as i am ragini. You can never be. First it was your mother who snatched my mom's and mine happiness and now it's you who is doing same. I hate you ragini. I hate you for making me away from my family. I wish you never get the happiness. I wish ragini. I wish", she cuts the call after cussing her while ragini stood dazed hearing her, she tightly clucthed the phone as the the other end went on dead. She bites her lips tightly to prevent herself from crying. Why couldn't she argue back? She thought as a line of fresh tears flows making her weak again. She don't want to be the reason for a rift between swara and her parents. She don't want again to go through same which she is going through now. Can she make them one? She thought. No. She can't. She knows that swara deserves the punishment she is receiving but, she don't want herself to be the cause of it. It'll only worse everything. She picks up her phone and looked at the contact finding a particular number, she stared at the number on her screen, her fingers were battling to press the dial. She shuts her eyes as she keeps the phone back and covered her face with her palm, "you need to be strong,ragini. You need to be strong", she murmured.

She wipes her tears as she stands and drags herself to saw her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing dark blue color suit while her hair tied in french braid. "Hamne yeh sab kyun kiya? Kyun? Kyun, hogaye hain hum itne kamzoor? Kyun, nahi dekh paye hum sacchai pehle? Kyun, rakha khudko dhoke mai? Kyun? Hamse bardasht nahi hota. Ham nahi jeena chahte. Ham kya kren? Kya kren hum? Yeh dard hamein maarha hai. Khatam kardega yeh hamein andar hi andar. Kyun, hum khudko in sab se bahar nai nikal paarhy? Akhir kyun? Hamein toh sirf pyar chye tha par hamein kya mila? Dhoka? ", she cries and shouts looking at her own reflection in the mirror hurt and broken. She kneeled down on her knees and hugged her body shutting her eyes tightly.

Ragini, Will you marry me?

She shuts her ears tightly hearing his words.

We are one. We are swaragini.
I hate you.
I wish you never get happiness.
You snatched my laksh.

Tears continuously flows making her helpless, she weeped as she tried to shut everything out. The pain is unbearable for her. She stands wiping her tears and looked at the stole in her hand and then she gaze up towards the fan, Was it the only option to be away from this pain? She thought staring at the ceiling and tightly clutching her stole. She closed her eyes and let the memories passed once again crashing her heart.

Her phone beeped making her open her eyes, she wiped her tears as she walked towards the side table taking her phone in her hand. Her eyes beamed with tears as she held the phone closed to her heart.

"Thank You", she whispers as she smiled weakly.

Don't try to do something stupid which may cause the one who loves you harm. You are strong ragini. There is every two way for a path. Don't choose the one you saw instantly, search for the other one which you might see later.

Sharmistha knocked on her door worriedly, "ragu beta?", she called her name fearing her heart. Ragini opened the door and smiled at sharmishta," i am fine Maa. Don't worry", she assures her mother hugging her. He is right, she can't hurt the person who loves her genuinely for those who don't value her. The only thing she wondered was how come he know about her inner turmoil?

"I called them", sharmistha utters hesitantly looking at ragini who nodded in response. "I'll leave in 10 minutes, you need help?", she asked and sharmistha instantly shakes her head in a no cupping her cheeks," Ragi....", she was cut off by ragini. "I'll be fine maa. Just take care of dadi otherwise this house might have another world war before the world ends", ragini joked making sharmistha smiled lightly. She patted her cheeks planting a kiss on her forhead while ragini smiled slightly. Sharmistha left while ragini goes back to her room taking up her bag and keeping her mobile inside it. She left the house once informing shehkar and sharmistha who couldn't say no to her.

"Yeh sab jo haina swara k maas maachi na chorne ki karan hua hai ji", sujata says to ram who was sitting holding his head. "Can you please shut up for a minute sujata?", he asked glaring at her who frowns. "No, one wants to listen to me. Even my son leaves me and now you want me to shut up too", sujata sheds tears while ram facepalm himself. "Uttaaraaa", he shouts his daughter name who come in running,"yes papa?", she says as soon as she enters. "Please,take your mother and do some pooja with her", he told while uttara nodded and take sujata with her while ram sighs in relief. He called his son again only to get it declined from the other hand. It was only today when he stepped into this house after four weeks and now he vanished again without telling. Being a father he was worried for his son and was equally hurt as him. He could never though that his favorite daughter-in-law, whom he considered as his daughter will do something like this to sanskar and her own sister. Same goes with laksh. It was all because of his son who told them to forgive swalak and accept them, he tried to talk to him several times, not only him adarsh and durga prasad too but, all went in vain when he asked them to leave him alone and cope up his life for sometime. Today, after much blackmailing done by him and his wife he agreed to come back but, something happened unknown to them which makes him again go from here.

Everyone didn't forgive swalak fully except annapurna, who favours her small son more. She was happy but, was disappointed too. She didn't held any grudges against ragini for torturing them but, she agreed to her son's and swara's reason too. Well, it was a blow for everyone because they never expected this from the two of them, mostly swara for her known nature. But, it happened.Swara and laksh sheds their crocodiles tears and makes them accept them a little. The mun dikhai ritual as well as pagh pehra and other traditions were on hold due to the current scenario on the Maheshwari Mansion. They all went to Gadadia only to get surprised by the sudden forgiveness they were granted by the ragini, who was same as they saw her for the first time. It makes all of them a little guilty for the deed their son and the daughter-in-law did but, they couldn't say it. Swara and laksh tries to seek forgiveness from Gadodia's too which straightway received a rejection. They even tried to call sanskar back who go suddenly underground but, they give him his time too yet, they tried to talk to him which went in trash too.

He was swinging his legs sitting on the bridge staring at the water while cool breeze touched his face. If we look closely we can see his red eyes with unshed tears, which he isn't letting to fall. His face held pain while he was fisting his both hands. He sighs closing his eyes and letting the tears flows tracing his face and fall on his light pink shirt.

He was hesitant to enter inside his own house, he was feeling uncomfortable and the feeling to faced them was making his state bad yet, for his family more precisely for his mother and father he is here again the same place he left four weeks back. "Sanskar?", he was brought back to world by adarsh voice who is waiting for him to come. "Are you fine?", he asked while sanskar nodded with heavy heart as he gulps keeping his both hands inside his jeans pockets and entered inside brushing off his thoughts. His eyes land on the same place which was decorated as their mandap four weeks back and that day incident played in his mind making difficult for him to breath in the air. "Sanskar", sujata screeched in happiness seeing sanskar while annupurna smiled widely and uttara goes and hugged his brother telling him, how much she missed him. Sanskar thanks his stars otherwise, he would have been exploded with emotions it not they have come in time. He put on a fake smile as he hugged his mother and badi maa while parineeta comes with aarthi thaal, annapurna does his aarthi and put on tilak on his forhead while he bends down and takes her blessings.

He takes parineeta blessings too,"congratulations bhabhi!", he greeted parineeta with a small smile which was genuine. Parineeta blushed and thanked him. He was going to become chachu and that's one of the reasons he is here. After, all the bad things happening it was the only news which makes the family happy. He looked around the house with uneasy feeling,"sanskar go and freshen up. We'll prepare the lunch", annapurna says and sanskar nodded uninterested ascending the stairs as he don't want to disappoint his family instantly leaving. He felt his heart heavy as he take steps towards his room, it's the first time after that day he is going to enter in his room where he thought to cherish his all life along with her after their marriage. Where he was going to claim his love for her, his heart felt heavy on his chest and his throat dry while his eyes turned moisty with the pain is going through. He hold the door knob tightly entering inside the room. He stood there as his legs jammed on his spot, he couldn't move further as the gushed of memories flooded inside his mind making his heart sink more, the pressure of tears turned more and more as he with great difficulty entered inside closing the door. The each corner of this room now reminds him of his love, he bites his lips to prevent himself from crying. He never thought all of his hard work of consoling himself will turn into a dust with his step in this room which belongs to him only him. He slides down on the door leaning back covering his face, his heart screamed the pain he is in. It's not easy to forget the person you love and cherished moment's with now gone. The room which gives him peace back then is the same room which is making difficult for him to breath. He leans his head back with tears flowing, "Get a grip sanskar. Get a grip.", he murmured with shaky breath as he joined his both hands and keep it near his lips murmuring with closed eyes.

'Shall we die sanskar?', he remembers her words, "and let them win?", he remembered his answer opening his eyes and wiping it. "No, sanskar. You can't do this to you. You can't. Even if you want to die and want this earth to swollow you, you can't. You have to keep up your words. Not for you but, for her too. You can't cry for the people who don't value you but, you can keep yourself happy for the people who truly value you. ", he murmured to himself as he took a deep breath calming his nerves. He stands as he entered inside washroom washing his face with the cold water to calm himself. He wiped his face with the towel as he walks outside after feeling a little bit ok. He moves his eyes around the room and shut his eyes again taking a deep breath. He sighs opening his eyes as he walks towards the door and holds the door knob about to open it when he heard a voice which makes him froze.

"Laksh", swara squealed in happiness stopping laksh hand who was ready to move down. "Guess what?", she asked wiggling her eyebrows while laksh looks on confused. "What?", he asked narrowing his brows. "Maa called", she shouts in a low voice while her eyes turned moisty, " she called us for pagh pehra rasam today", she told holding his shoulder while laksh looks on surprised. "Really?", he asked still not believing. "Yess", she nodded and hugged her husband. "I am soo happy laksh. Finally, they forgive us too. I told you right that they loves me and they knows whatever i do was right only. I love you laksh...i love you", she uttered resting her head on his chest while he circled his arms around her. "I love you too", he replied back.

He shut his eyes tightly clenching the door knob seeing them from the gap, their conversation repeats in his mind making him feel vulnerable and broken. Suddenly a thought striked his mind. "Ragini?", he closed the door and rushed back and sits on his bed taking out his mobile. How would she react after knowing this? How would she face them off? What will be going on her mind after knowing about her parent's decision and their arrival? His mind exploded with questions making him worry. "I hope you are not thinking, what i am thinking", he muttered under his breath calming his nerves and typed a message instantly sending it. He stared at his phone screen for a minute or two. He instantly relaxed seeing the 'read' and sighed. He was sure that his words might effect her the same as her words do to him. His mind instantly travlled to the scene he just saw and the words he heard just back then, 'i love you'... 'i love you too'... 'i am soo happy'..... these words ringed in his ears making his eyes turned red with unshed tears and fury. This is what he always wants, her happiness. But, not after snatching his. He instantly gets up and leave before any notice  as he can't hurt himself more.

He sighs covering his head in between his palm. Why did he even go back to there? To punished himself? Maybe, he should. Afterall, he fell for the wrong person or is it in his destiny that he loved the wrong one always. Maybe he isn't fated to love or to be loved. He was trying to make himself strong from the past four weeks but, nothing is working. Everything's went wasted, his fake smiling mantra and all. He knows he can't back out from the reality for too long that's why he was preparing himself. He thought he was somewhat successful but all went wasted the moment he saw them together and their words which added fuel to the fire. He was trying to erase everything from his mind but it kept repeated like a broken tape recorder. All he wants is this pain to be vanished as if it's never existed at first place. Why aren't these tears stopping? Why isn't he in peace? Why is he feeling like to bury himself alive? Why don't he want to see the light and is liking night and its loneliness? Why in night the moon is depicting his life like a lonely in a star studded sky? Why did he even fall in love just to get broken at end? This is the first time he is understanding something about ragini which he failed to understand before. Her love for laksh. He always wondered how can she cross all the boundaries just to get her love until today. Today he realized that what all she went through the time she knows that laksh never loved her. Today in the moment just to get his love back he is feeling to kill his own brother which is beyond his values but he isn't hesitated at the thought. Today he realize that his manipulation to get her love back was all turned into motivation for her that time. That's why she supported him back then and understands him. Only if, he didn't do that then maybe the ragini that time would have choose her sister over her own love. Or the sake of happiness of her love. "You are a winner Ragini. A true winner", he muttered under his breath with a small faint smile. He shook his head as he looked back at his life. He wanted to cry but, he didn't. He stared at the sky which is painted in orange and red hue with shades of blue looking breathtaking. The sun is setting adding more beauty to the view. He kept glancing at the direction where the sun settled down.

"Will i ever get a life without pain and hurt? Will the new day in my life ever come?", he asked looking up in the sky. The voice of anklets grabbed his attention but, he kept staring at the sky as the figure sit beside him swinging her legs.

"You are late", he told still glancing at the sky. "Sorry", comes her low voice. He turned his head and looked at her who was staring down at the water. "Where were you?", he asked as he found her thinking something deeply. "Hun?", she jerked and turned to look at him. "I asked where were you?", he again said and ragini looked at him and then look down again fidgeting with her stole which he instantly grabbed stopping her from playing. Her head shot up at him," what happened? Did anyone said anything to you?", he asked concerned while she shook her head in a NO innocently. "Then?", he asked raising his one brow while he was still holding her hand. She lower her gaze feeling nervous,"vo...san..skar....vo....actually.....i....i mean.....me.....i", she stammered at her words making him more confused. "Just say it damn it", he told loudly jerking her while she shut her eyes instantly muttering in one breath,"vo....i got a job sanskaaar", she told while sanskar eyes widen as he looked at her.  "Really?" He asked.She opens her eyes to look at him nodding her head and then lower her gaze feeling disappointed at his shocked face.

"Omg! Ragini! I am sooo happpyyyyy", he screeched finally registering her words smiling while her head shot up hearing him. "Really?", she asked amused while he nodded his head tightly holding her hand making her smile,"Yes! Really! Now, tell me how come you get this job and where you get this job?", he asked while she looks at him smiling,"actually, there is a lady in which bakery i used to go. I was seeing her from a long time, she used to managed her bakery all alone. Today, when i go there i saw her all tired and exhausted. So, i couldn't help myself but, asking for a job which to my surprise she instantly agreed. So that's how i got this job", she told with a small smile while sanskar looked at her amused and proud. "You did a good thing, ragini", he told with a small smile as he stared at her. "Is it? But, i don't know whether, anyone will agree especially dadi and dadu", she told as her smile was replaced with worry and she starts fidgeting with her stole again. Sanskar frowns and again holds her hand making her to look at him, " No one will stop you doing from what you want ragini. Trust me", he assured her blinking his smile while she nodded. He drafted his hand back and now both stared at the sky with complete silent.

"Why did you send me that message?", she couldn't help but sanskar after a long silence. Sanskar turned and looked at her, "i heard that they were coming today for pagh phera", he told as he glance at her to which she stayed silent and nodded," i thought you'll be hurt and ......", he couldn't continued and stopped turning his face again to the front. "Thank you.... it was needed", she told him staring at him while he turned and looked at her, both stared at each other," i was actually thinking something like that", she bites her lips lowering her gaze while sanskar shakes his head. "Even i was thinking but, i didn't", he told as he sighs. "Umm, how come you know about it?", she asked as she knows that he is away from Maheshwari Mansion and also not in talking terms with anyone. "I was there", he said not meeting her gaze and looking down. "So, that's the reason you are here?", she asked while he choose to stay silent. As silent talks more then words. "Wanna share?", she asked looking at him while he looks up and met his teary gaze with her.

"I shouldn't have gone there", he muttered as he remembered their hug and their love confession. "So, you faced them?", she asked when he shook his head in a No. She holds his hand, "then?", she asked making him close his eyes and he told what hurted him. She inhaled a deep breath as she stared at him eventhough she knows that there would be going something like this only but, yet it hurted her. She looked away and blinked back the tears and then again turned her head to him, both were still holding hand.

"You can't run away from there forever sanskar. It's your home too. You have to go back there one day and face them and also live them. They are still part of family", she told making him look at her with a painful smile, " so, that's the reason you are here? Aren't you?", he asked making her speechless. She withdraws her hands back and turned her face. "You have to face them too ragini. You can't run away too.", he told her holding her shoulder while a tear leaked her eyes, she was looking down," i never want to see them", she told in a low voice while sanskar smiled painfully. "Me too", he told as a tear leaked his eyes too. Both stared at each other, " then,why did you make your family agree for the tradition ?", he asked making her bewildered. She blinks at him continuously as she wipes her tears and he looked at front now," i know it's you behind all this", he told while she bites her cheeks looking at him. "Why?", he asked as he turned and look at her again. "Because i don't want to be reason for the breakage of my family sanskar. Eventhough it hurts but, we are still sisters and shares the same parent's. If maa,baba, dadi and dada ji didn't forgive her because of me then it'll turned on me making me the reason for brainwashing everyone and spoiling everything. I know how much hurt maa is thinking about us and punishing swara and baba he always fears that his daughters will turned into each other's enemies who'll destroy each other in anguish and about dadi, she tho already disowns swara and even tells baba to leave shomi maa", she stared at him," Now, tell me was it bad to make them agree? I can't make shomi maa suffer the pain of loneliness again after what all she had gone through in the past nor i want swara to not get the family love due to me. It was me who was punished for my deeds not my family, so there is no way i would let it fall apart even for it i have to face someone i never wished to see", she told as tears continuously flows from her eyes as her eyes show pain and turmoil she was in, sanskar wiped her tears with his thumbs and side hugs her, "you did correct ragini. We can't punish our families for the persons who back stabbed her. But, it was never your punishment for your deeds. So, stop thinking like that", he told while she moves back from him ,"then what was it sanskar? Punishment of falling in love?", she asked him painfully while his heart pained as he looked at her. He shuts his eyes as a tear leaked his eyes. "I wish i know why are we being punsihed? I wish i knew.", he uttered painfully while ragini stared at him and wipes his tears making him open his eyes and look at her, she smiled weakly at him, "whatever it is we'll over come it", she muttered with heavy heart while he stared at her," really?", he asked with a hope in his voice and she nodded making him smiled at him weakly too. Her phone rings breaking the moment, she takes out her mobile and her hands frozed seeing the caller id and her eyes went widen while her heartbeat paced placed loudly, sanskar who looks at her expression peeps in and looked at the caller id, his expression mirrored her.

Laksh ji calling.........

To be continued.......

Hushhh..... so finally i completed it..... before anyone bombarded with questions like why isn't ragini and sanskar talking about their marrige or living away and showing weak and vulnerable....its all because they are overcoming the betrayal they have gone through. It'll take a little more time to see each other as husband wife but, before that they r forming a new bond of trust and support for each other. And, also for showing them weak and vulnerable its because they can not come through it easily they have to battled alot and have to support each other and for that they should go through the pain of seeing them together .... they have to give each other a time to heal........... and also i don't want the story paced faster that's also the reason as i can't hurry and make them live together as husband wife........ hope everyone's understands and also if there is any other question you can ask......

So, how's the update???? Hope it was worthy one.... Thank you soo much for showering your love on this....it means alot to mee😘😘😘

Read, Vote and comment to let me know your views..... and also do u want to see all family moments including swalak and others or most precisely on ragsan feelings... do let me know....

I'll be back, till then take care, stay happt, stay blessed,  stay home and stay safe..... 

Loads of love😘😘😘

Fizo❤❤❤