Always Besides You.... (Editing)

3. Tears of Past

~◍☆-✿-☆◍~

"TODAY I CAN'T LAKSH. I'M SORRY"

Laksh's anger knew no bounds reading those words. 'What does she mean by saying she's not ready. She only said yes; she enjoyed each and every function and now need more time!' His mind roared

'Swara. She loved him and now, in a matter of hours, she's not ready to marry. No, this cannot be truth. Swara can be childish but this ... She can't do this. She will never!' Ragini's thoughts broke with Laksh's angry outburst.

"No... It might not be like that. Why would Swara feel like that? Laksh, Swara can never cheat you, she'll never leave you like this. You just keep your faith on her." Ragini told him, her voice rigid, but laces with helplessness.

"Shekhar, do something! My Swara can never break a heart like this. Something is amiss. Do something Shekhar..!" Sharmishta whimpered as she huddled close Ragini.

Annapurna and Parineeti moved to her side to support the mother in agony.

Within no time, Durgaprasad called the commissioner for help to trace Swara's number and got the location as Darjeeling.

"She LEFT" muttered Laksh. 'How long should I control myself?' He couldn't further and started throwing away the things kept in mandap like a maniac while Sanskaar and Adarsh tried to control him. His actions ceased abruptly when he heard loud gasps of the people around him. Laksh regained his senses and was shocked to see the scene before him.

A shocked Ragini was standing before him with tears in her eyes, bathed in the sindoor thrown by him. Her hairline was fully filled with sindoor which made the priest say involuntarily "Hey bhagwan".

Laksh approached Ragini and frantically started to apologize to her. "I didn't see you... being here... In the anger.. I just threw things...it was an accident"

He never see me!

Ragini's eyes were filled with tears of pain and anger. 'What is this? Why fate make things even worse for me?' She turned around to change her dress while her Dadi and Sujatha were murmuring about the significance of falling 'sindoor' on her. For a change, her Dadi didn't intend to create a scene.

"It is the last minutes of the auspicious time. It is better to complete this wedding now." Everyone's eyes widened on the words of the Pandit.

"No Panditji, it wasn't their wedding ought to be done. Actually..." "I'll marry her, now." Laksh declared cutting Annapurna's words.

"Laksh! Are you even thinking before you speak? Do you know what you told just now?" Annapurna asked, her voice raised at her son's absolute stupidity.

"Swara could have thought before taking such a sudden step Maa. She left like this punishing us. She could have told us in the discussion regarding marriage itself. She didn't do it. Ragini also loves me. I'll marry her. That's all. I've decided"

"Laksh!" Ragini stared him for a few seconds and she could see the grief in his eyes. "Just..." She just shook her head, a foreign emotion creeping to her mind as ran into her home.

"Laksh, don't take decisions in a haste. You may regret in future. And stoo taking others for granted" Durgaprasad expressed his concern to him.

"Durgaprasad ji is telling right, Laksh. Nothing can be decided in a moment. We are not sure about the happenings." Shekhar controlled his emotions and tried to make him understand. "Let me try talking to Commissioner sir once more".

Laksh looked for his phone and once again glanced at the screen; Yes, it's from Swara only. He closed his eyes and sat on the floor with a thud. He could feel his heart breaking; he could feel pain coursing through it, and her could feel the frustration bubbling in him.

It wasn't to be like this!

The atmosphere turned thicker with the silence with few whisperings while the elders tried to reach out for helps.

Neither Sanskar nor Adarsh knew what can be done in the moment other than staying silent with Laksh consoling him; all they could understand was the turbulence.

"I'll marry Laksh!" Ragini stepped out, in a simple red lehenga, but her face tired and pale, giving another shock to the people over there.

•~•×✿ו~•

"But the message you sent?" Laksh enquired with an anxiously. He was confused. What have he done??

"Which message?"

Swara asked confused; and stumbled backwards, balancing herself when Ragini hugged her suddenly.

She felt and extreme peace for a second. She could imagine the storm that the families would have faced. And now she felt relieved that even others refrain from believing her, her sister would be there besides her.

Laksh's eyes widened. He felt his throat dry. Again, life played with him. Now what next?

"Forgive me Swara. I should have been with you the whole time. It's my mistake. I'm sorry"

"Stop it dee. You should stop being sorry for nothing. I should have been more careful. I should have remained by your side. Going after a lost phone got me into, God knows, what all troubles. You had been with me, always. But I want to talk to you, a lot. Will you stay here today?"

"Ofcourse. What today? I'll stay here till you get better" Ragini said with happy tears and went for one more hug with Swara.

"Papa, I'm leaving. Will come later." Laksh said and excused himself from there.

~◍☆-✿-☆◍~

A decision made in the heat of the moment and out of impulse, now three lives, connected with a single thread went on tangled and tangled!