Hi ya! Trying to be regular with the updates. Will try to give the next one sooner than this.

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 17 - Lost and Found

2 days later...

As Ragini arrived at the airport, she looked around for any signs of Laksh or any of his company employees. However, noticing none familiar, she decided to book a cab herself to the destined location.

She grabbed her luggage and proceeded towards the exit.

"So this is Ohio, eh? It's beautiful."

"I know, right?" came a voice from nearby.

"Um...do I know you?"

He smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Ray. Ray Stilinski. You're Ragini Gadodia, aren't you?" seeing her suspicious gaze, he raised his hand in surrender. "I'm no thug, chill. I'm the one who Mr. Maheshwari sent to pick you up. Sorry I was late."

"Ah! I see. And here I thought Laksh forgot about me."

"Haha...no way. Otherwise his Mrs. would give him a piece of her mind."

"That Swara will!" Ragini responded with a hearty laugh.

There was a jingling in her laugh that reminded Ray of the bells in Christmas. 'I love that sound. Her voice sounds the same.' he put his hands in his pockets, and continued looking at her with a smile. 'I won't mind making her smile more often.'

"Um...so Ray, shall we book a cab?"

"Huh? Oh no! No, no. I brought my car."

"I feel like you're filling up the post for my personal assistant." Ragini teased.

Ray shrugged. "Mr. Maheshwari has assigned me a job with you as my charge. I guess you could call me your P.A for now." he responded in good humor. "Wait here. I'll go get the car."

"Sure."

Soon, Ray brought the car over where she was and got out to open the door for her.

"I assure you Miss Ragini, under my care, you won't feel any discomfort whatsoever!" remarked Ray. "Let me help you with the bags."

However, before he could grab them, Ragini herself took them, opened the back seat and placed them inside. "It's nice of you to offer, but I prefer to do things my way. Thank you very much."

"Um...okay."

"Can I drive?" without waiting for an answer, Ragini took the keys from his hand. "That is so generous of you. Please seat yourself." saying so, she went round the car and got into the driver's seat.

'Um...what just happened?' Ray blinked to himself. The car's honking broke him out of his trance. 'Better seat yourself quick, or she'll probably leave you here!'

Soon she started the car and sped up. As she watched over the scenery, she noticed maple leaves falling out from the trees. They made a beautiful sight to see.

"They are the Red Maples. We have Sugar Maples, Silver Maples here as well." Ray commented.

"Ah, wonderful!" as she noticed one about to fall on the car window, she quickly caught it and placed it beside her seat.

"Wow! Do you know what you did?"

"Um...caught a leaf?"

"Dude! You caught a Red Maple as it was falling. I saw it somewhere that catching it means you'll soon find your love."

Ragini felt a pang in her heart. At once she grabbed the leaf and threw it outside.

"What the heck? Why'd you do that!?" Ray exclaimed in disbelief.

"I don't think that's gonna ever happen." Ragini stated in a flat tone. 'I don't deserve love. Because I didn't know how to value it when I had it.'

"So you don't believe in the 'colours of love', eh?" Ray chuckled. "Well, sometimes it could be near you in plain sight and yet you might not realize it." he joked, wriggling his eyebrows at her.

'You're right about that. Sanskar even confessed to me. Yet, I ruined everything.' Ragini let out a deep sigh. 'Whatever! I just hope where ever you are Sanskar, with whoever you are...I hope you are happy. I'll always love you. My mistake cost me your departure. But I hope my well wishes bring away all your troubles to me, and you live happily.' Ragini took a deep breath and smiled looking ahead. "I don't know why but...but I have good feeling about this place."

"It's Ohio Miss. And with the Red Maples blooming..." Ray looked at her. "What better time it would be to fall in love again?"

#Warehouse#

"Achoo!" he sniffed and shivered as the cold of the room was getting worse with time. "Either someone is remembering me, or my nose is about to freeze up."

Sanskar had the slightest urge to cuss heftily at his enemies. Only thing preventing him was the thought that they might have done something to Laksh.

He paced around the room where he was kept locked up ever since he was brought there two days ago. In these two days, he had tried to look for ways to get out of the room. However, he didn't find any other way of escape.'It's highly unlikely that they'll give me the keys if I just ask them.'

One thing he was sure of was that the two people who had kidnapped him weren't part of any mafia gang or so. They must be working solo as he hadn't heard any other voices other then of the two who had kidnapped him.

So far, he hadn't any clue about who they could be. Only thing he could say was that the shorter one of the two was the brains of the operation. "Shorty", as Sanskar called him in his mind, acted calmly and with tact. The other one, whom he named "Lanky", was simply obnoxious! He irritated Sanskar to no end.

There were two tiny lids that could be opened from the outside on the door. Through the one at the top, his captors talked to him. Through the bottom one, they gave him food.

Sanskar felt angry, irritated, hungry, itchy...but most of all, he felt vulnerable. And he hated feeling so.

If he could know why his captors were kidnapping him, he could at least have a semblance of sorts. They weren't asking for ransom, they weren't torturing him for revenge, they weren't asking him for family secrets and neither were they demanding his company shares.

They simply had him trapped in the room, giving him three meals a day.

He was clueless of their intentions, and this made him anxious.

Last time he felt so clueless and vulnerable was six years ago when was sitting at the airport.

*flashback*

'Am I making a mistake? Should I go back? Ragini...should I go back to her?' Sanskar looked at his hands, his empty palms. 'She did look like she wanted to say more before losing consciousness. What if she loves me too? But...but what if it was just to tell me the harsh truth that I don't want to hear?'

Just then, the news on one of the many screens there showed the hospital where Ragini was. It caught Sanskar's attention when he heard the name "Maheshwari" being mentioned.

"Breaking news! The person who was responsible for the gunfire and chaos at the City Mall has been caught. She was arrested by the police as she was trying to escape the hospital where, Ragini Gadodia, the injured casualty from the shootout, was admitted in. Yes, you heard me right. It is a 'she' who tried to assassinate the eldest heir of the Maheshwari bloodline. This is her.

Miss Ragini is unharmed. However, this poses the question whether the same could be said for the Maheshwaris. If a lady sniper is capable of so much chaos, what would happen if those enemies hire some elites? Reporting from City County, Rita Singhania."

Sanskar could feel his blood grow cold in his veins. He didn't miss the smirk on the reporter's face when she logged off. 'That reporter is part of the Singhanias' plan to eliminate me! "Hire some more elites"? Was that a warning in disguise? Shit!'

*flashback end*

That news concluded his final decision. He had to leave and disappear if he wanted his family to be safe. He could either stay back for Ragini to wake up and listen to what she actually wanted to say. Or leave and let everyone be in peace. Besides, more he thought about past events, the more it seemed Ragini would reject him. Why stay to get his already broken heart break further?

So he left for the better. After all, he couldn't keep the cake and eat it too. He could have only one.

Sanskar was broken out of his thoughts by the upper lid on the door opening.

"Hello dear friend on the other side of this metal door. How you doing?"

'It had to be Lanky! Irritating brat!' Sanskar's eye twitched in irritation. "I'm good. But I could be better if I got to punch you dolt!" Sanskar replied in an angry tone.

His captor chuckled. "Aww...and here I thought we had become friends. After all, I bring you food."

"If you can call it food that is. All you serve is rice with boiled cabbage. Every. Single. Time!"

"You're our prisoner. So excuse me if I don't bring you five star food and a Starbucks coffee."

"Let me out and fight me like a man!"

His captor rolled his eyes and pushed the tray of food inside. "Eat up Hotshot. You're not gonna get anything till tomorrow. You can throw it away if you want, but you'll only be causing trouble for yourself."

Sanskar fumed in rage as he listened to him walk away whistling."Come back coward!"

"Eat your veggies and shut up!" came the response as the man left.

Only other sound left in the room other then Sanskar's angry huffs was the dripping of the broken pipe. He didn't even have anything to break to calm his anger!

He looked down at the plate with burnt out rice and boiled cabbage. Sanskar sighed knowing it was useless kicking his food and flopped down on the floor. He would need his energy. 'Do what's necessary. You've gotta escape somehow!'

Carefully he poked the food as if it would leap up alive. "At least Lanky could have given me some salt to go with it. Bon-freaking-apatite!"

#Maheshwari Industries#

"Stop, stop. This is it."

Ragini stopped on Ray's words and looked at the huge building.

"Welcome to Maheshwari Industries, Ohio branch."

"Wow! This branch may be smaller than the Indian one, but it sure is beautiful."

"Ragini!" came a shout from nearby.

"Dear brother-in-law. Nice to see you." Ragini joked. She pulled him into a hug and patted him on the head. "You're progressing well little brother-in-law. My little sister is in good hands I see."

Laksh looked offended on being treated like a kid in front of Ray. "Ragini, must you always ruin my pride?"

"Hehe...it makes my day."

Laksh rolled his eyes at her words. "Whatever. Come on! I'll drive you to the hotel you'll be staying in. Tomorrow, we can leave to meet the middle man who will be introducing us to Mr. Ato."

"You haven't met the guy?"

"No. But the middle man said he was a good dealer."

Ragini smacked him on the head. "Unbelievable Lucky! How could you go on to sign a deal without even knowing who the other person is?!"

"Bu-"

"No buts! Call the middleman over right now. I want to know the details of Ato."

"Right now?"

"Yes!"

Some minutes later, inside Laksh's cabin...

"You wanted to see me Mr. Laksh?"

"No, I did." Ragini replied. "I would like to meet Mr. Ato in person before making any deals with him."

"But I have made all the arrangements. You need not be worried about it. In fact I have managed many such business deals for the Maheshwaris which have brought them profit."

"I understand that. But I can't bring myself to trust the deal without exactly knowing about him. Hence, although you're trustworthy, I would like a meeting with Mr. Ato himself. I know it's been only a year since I joined the business, but I fully intend to look over every matter myself."

"Mr. Ato's profile has been rechecked by me many a times! Trust me, you need not worry."

"Oh, but I insist Mr. Conner."

"But Miss, it wo-"

"Oh just let her meet him Conner. She won't budge from her decision. Trust me, I've tried." Laksh hollered, getting frustrated.

"B-but sir, I have it under control."

"If you do, then how come you're sweating?" Ray remarked.

"N-no, I'm n-not."

"You are." Laksh straightened up and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Okay, spill. What's the problem?"

Conner knew he wouldn't be getting out of this one and sighed. "It's Mr. Ato. He's missing."

"Missing?"

"Yes. He's been kidnapped from his apartment. It's all over the news. Haven't you watched it?"

Laksh shook his head. "I've got here just three days ago and straight up got busy in learning what the company was doing here."

Ray took the remote and put on the TV. He stopped at popular broadcast channel. Indeed it was all over the news. "Guess he ain't lying about this, eh boss?" getting no reply, he looked back to see the shocked faces of Ragini and Laksh. "Um... Boss? Ragini?"

Laksh and Ragini looked as pale as ghosts. It was as if they had seen something that was out of this world!

They were staring at the picture of Ato that was being displayed on the screen.

Ato...who was none other than someone they knew.

"Ra-Ragini, do you see what I see?"

Ragini looked towards Laksh with the same wide-eyed look. "A man that looks exactly like him if it wasn't for the goatee and the hat?"

"Hey, are they alright?" Conner whispered to Ray.

"I think so. Mayb-"

"HOW COULD YOU MISS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DETAIL!" shouted Ragini. "Everyone has been dying to know where Sanskar was all these years, and you!? He was the one you were about to make the deal with. You found him but was ignorant about it dammit?!"

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?! It's not like it came to me in a dream that Tomm Ato would actually be our Sanky!"

"That was why you should have at least checked the picture of the person who'll be your future business partner."

"I didn't know, ok?! But at least now we found him." Laksh replied in defence. He felt happy as well as nostalgic at the same time. "My brother. I finally found him!"

"You did? I DID! if it wasn't for me you would have never bothered to look into the matter." Ragini chided. "I can't believe you were going to ruin the one chance we would get to find Sanskar!"

"I didn't know, okay?! Do you really think I wouldn't go rushing like a speedster into his apartment if I knew he was here!?"

Ragini had unshed tears in her eyes. "I...I found him. I found Sanskar. My Sanskar."

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

If you liked the chapter, consider giving a vote. Thanks!
~ 🌹 Mona 🌹