Twist of fate

Part 10

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Hope you enjoy the following part :)

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The next morning brought with it a glimmer of hope and the anticipation of battles yet to come.

Dadi shared equal concern for Ragini. Today was significant as a special pooja was arranged for her granddaughter, and Ragini accompanied Dadi to the temple. As Dadi engaged in conversation with the pandit, Ragini stood before the idol, grappling with complex emotions.

Following the conversation with Swara the previous night, she sensed a lifting of burdens. She expected to feel a surge of jealousy or anger, but was instead met with a blank canvas of emotions. Had she truly forgiven Swara and Laksh? The precise nature of her feelings eluded her.

In the span of three months, many changes had unfolded in Ragini's life. She embarked on a new journey. Any lingering emotions for Laksh seemed to have faded away, replaced by a prevailing sense of disgust. Ragini questioned the nature of her past feelings—was it love, infatuation, or merely a projection of emotions arrived from envisioning a future with him?

In prayer to her Khanaji, she asked for strength and wisdom,

And a tiny hope, Hope to have the ability to find genuine love—a chance for lasting happiness.

As they exited, Dadi engaged in distributing meals to the poor nearby, prompting Ragini to wait in the common room.

In the common room, a group of Marwadi ladies caught her attention. Fearing recognition and questions about her engagement, she contemplated leaving but halted upon hearing Sanskar's and the Maheswari family's names being discussed.

"What a great trajectory that has happened to the Maheswari family. DP ji, who once threw his nephew Sanskar out for wanting to marry a Bengali girl, now has his own son shamelessly chasing another Bengali girl," remarked one of the ladies.

"You're right, Mrs. Agarwal. DP ji used to communicate society values, and now, the hypocrisy is unbelievable," chimed in another.

Ragini stood there, shocked and surprised. Laksh and Sanskar were brothers, but didn't Rudra introduce Sanskar as Sanskar Kamra? She felt a sudden revelation, a memory fragment when they first met, and Sanskar mentioned someone.

The realization, as the fragment of memory played in front of her eyes

{ Ragini inquired, "You are mourning her. What happened?"

"I trusted the wrong person. That person shared some information with someone he shouldn't have. The other person, upon learning about it, shared it with someone further, and that further person snatched her away from me—for forever," he explained, unveiling a painful chapter of his past. }

Sanskar had loved someone, and a surge of anger filled Ragini.

Did he still love her, she wondered?

However, another thought struck her, stopping her in her tracks: why was she feeling hurt and cheated when she didn't even know him back then?

Ragini felt conflicted, her emotions tangled and confusing.

The revelation had opened Pandora's box of feelings, leaving her grappling with unexpected heartache.

As the weight of her feelings threatened to overwhelm her, she felt a wave of dizziness, almost losing her balance when a stranger nearby steadied her.

"You okay, Miss?" the concerned man inquired.

Perplexed, Ragini glanced at him, and just then, her Dadi arrived at the scene, surprised by what she saw.