Always Besides You.... (Editing)

22. SURFACING OF FOES

"It seems to be an accident. The pipe connecting gas cylinder to the stove has probably worn out and an attempt to light the stove while the gas leakage might have caused the explosion. It doesn't seems to be deliberately cut. So speak with the family members once the panic is over. We will get a better picture of it."

Durgaprasad narrated the conclusion reached by the police officer, who was a close friend of him, to the rest of the family.

"Yes, it is." Swara was the one to react first.

Durgaprasad, Ramprasad, Adarsh, Laksh and Sanskar furrowed their eyebrows in confusion while the silence continued to prevail after it.

"Mohan had informed us before leaving about leakage of gas. He checked also. He said there is nothing serious and he will bring a new pipe. He also asked not to use the gas stove." Annapurna's head hung down while the men gasped in shock.

"Are you serious?? Such carelessness, Annapurna!" Durgaprasad reprimanded.

"It was my responsibility, Bade Papa. She was not here when all these happened. Moreover, what she would do even after knowing?" Ragini tried to back Annapurna.

"I could have paid a little more attention." Swara said as tears stroll down her cheeks. "I was here in the hall. Uttara went to kitchen just at the moment when I walked to the library to grab a book. If I hadn't been away that time, all these wouldn't have--" Her words trailed off in her sobs as Laksh slightly embraced her consoling her.

"It's okay Swara. It happens not because of your or Ragz', what you say as, carelessness but due to fate. We can't change it. What destined to happen will happen, no matter how we try to handle and control the situation." Sanskar said to Swara, his words indirectly aimed to someone else who was busy staring the damaged kitchen.

Sanskar's words grabbed everyone's attention, most importantly Ragini's. She stared him as she never saw him before, knew him before. He seemed to be different for an unknown reason. Even in absence of smile on her face, she could feel her muscles relaxed, her thoughts in peace and a calm heart.

"Well, I wish I had such support in my school days when all my friends were busy burdening me alone with all the pranks we did." He sighed. "And..... now I think everyone needs to embrace the most meaningful and peaceful thing in our life without any worries." Sanskar unleashed his drama mode in a try to lift everyone's mood.

"What? Happiness?" Laksh guessed.

"Love." Uttara chirped dreamily.

"Family?" Adarsh voiced Pari's whisper.

"Sanky is speaking, it will be Food." Swara giggled.

Everyone turned to Ragini who was again busy staring her husband's antics with her hands folded across her chest.

Sanskar pouted on her silence accepting defeat.

"Sleep." He said grinning like a five year old baby. "It's night time, means sleep time. So assembly disbursed. Everyone shall go to their rooms, please." He bowed dramatically earning a slight smack from Annapurna while all others chuckled lightly.

**

"You're so calm?" Swara sat besides Laksh who was sitting in balcony. 'It's so unlikely of him to be calm after such an incident.' She thought.

"Yes." Laksh projected a fake smile on his face while replying.

"I thought you'll burst-"

"I did!" Laksh sighed. "At least in my mind. Else I would have shouted on you by this time. It's not fine Swara. We are facing such incidents one after the other. It's not normal. We can't be normal. We need to do something. And... Damn. That's what we don't know. What to do? And don't you feel we are losing our focus? We are doing nothing but... just sitting and watching as if this is some show. Is it okay that the gas cylinder was left like that? Seriously! You three would have died!"

"Laksh!" Swara quickly embraced him rubbing his back soothing him.

"No Swara. Nothing is going to soothe me. It's getting worse and we might not be able to survive the next."

"Laksh, look at me." Swara made a vulnerable Laksh face her; cupped his face. "We will find it out. We won't lose anything, ANYTHING. Okay?"

NEXT?!

**

Sanskar was observing the petite figure pacing in front of him. Various expressions flashing over that face, anxiousness evident in words and something else which he couldn't describe curved his lips up and a sigh escaped unknowingly.

"Stop blabbering Ragz. Relax. Everything is under control now." Sanskar said pulling Ragini down to chair.

"Under control? How can you be so relaxed Sanskar? You really think it's an accident? Mohan kaka won't leave a thing like this undone. There's something fishy. How could something like this happen when I had... And one after the other. What if something happened in real? Who would have intruded? There's no such chances—You're smiling? I mean, for god sake why are you smiling?"

"What? Can't I smile? Do you realize that it had been weeks you had spoke like this? I just felt nice seeing you blabbering."

"Sanskar—"

"You really need to relax. Being anxious won't solve our problems. I understand the severity. But we need to be together in this. We need to share things. We need to trust each other. Will you do that? Don't you feel terrible after burying all your thoughts right in that small head? I would have suffocated to death, O' God!"

A slight smile crept across Ragini's face while she continued staring Sanskar. His words are having an entirely different effect on her now. She feels something alien; a feeling of having someone besides, so close that even distancing herself didn't made any difference.

Suddenly her eyebrows twitched earning his attention. "I'm having small head? How dare you? I'm the Malkin. Behave yourself Mr.Maheswari." She made a grim face making him roll his eyes while Ragini giggled.

"Felt nice to have you back, Ragz!" Sanskar's words washed off the sudden glow on Ragini's face. "You have me with you Ragz. Why do you---

"I think we should sleep Sanskar. It's too late and tomorrow's meeting is too important."

AGAIN!!

**

The silver rays of moon hit Ragini's face as her lips curved up into a full smile. The gentle breeze carried her tresses as she continued staring at moon with fondness. Her 'secretskeeper'. How she used to talk to it, share her worries and requested to take care of her mom. Her companion in loneliness, the source of illumination in gloom, her secret admiration. In real, how big the moon is! But it chose to appear small to human. Sometimes, it would be dark whereas there will be few fully bright days. But mostly it would be partially bright and partially dark; just like life. It would be our take whether to be content seeing the brightness or be depressed focusing on the darkness. She always shared her grief and at the end her lips always curved up seeing her Chand. He always promised her that a bright day would be compensated for a gloomy one.

A cold palm pressed on her shoulders making her turn backwards. There he is! Her new hope. His wide smile and lively eyes are doing something to her which she can't decipher. If this moment could get frozen!

She smiled back to him as he raised his palms to her cheeks and caressed gently. She shivered a bit at the warmth of his touch and closed eyes devouring the feel but for a second. As if darkness engulfed, he was no where to be found. She turned around only to see him at the edge of the place they were, which seems to be a cliff. Someone else is with him, facing him. As she took a step ahead in haste, her eyes widened in shock.

SANSKAR!!!!!!!

Somewhere else in a huge home.

Three people are staring a glass model of a house. One of them slightly hit it with a hammer.

THIS HOUSE IS FAMILY AND THIS PILLAR IS NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT MEMBER HERE. IT HAS BOTH THE DUTIES OF SURVIVING ITSELF AND ENSURING OTHERS SAFETY. BUT, AFTER ALL, THE CRACK IT HAS WON'T LET THE WHOLE HOUSE SURVIVE FROM GETTING SHATTERED INTO BITS!!!

GAME HAS BEGUN VERY BEFORE!
NOW JUST THE INTENSITY HAS INCREASED.

They smirked.
___________________________________

It's a filler episode 🙈. Do drop comments okay!

Stay Safe!
Sameera