~ Always Besides You ~

20. TRANSFORMATION

"What needed to be talked was done before. I've nothing new to say Sanskar. And I think, discussing more on this will only lead to argument between us. Trust me!"

"Trust you?" Sanskar asked exasperated. With each moment passing, this petite woman standing in front of him was showing more and more stubbornness draining out the last drop of patience he has. "You try to trust me, for God sake, Ragz! I'm done pleading with you."

"If you're done, you may go to office. It's getting late." Ragini walked out without a change in her expression leaving behind Sanskar.

***

The atmosphere of Maheswari Mansion drastically changed about one and a half week before. To everyone's shock, Ragini took over the properties and brought her rule over the Maheswaris. Though she was not being ruthless to anyone of them, the sudden change in her created a deep worry in them. Everyone knew that Ragini was deeply disturbed by her grandparents' sudden demise but becoming their 'malkin' was something none could understand.

All of a sudden, Swara was sent to office; it was made sure that Uttara was accompanied by someone to and fro her college and Pari having extreme rest and care and much more. While the household chores were handled mostly by Annapurna and Sujatha, Ragini visited Badi thrice in a week. The most disturbing thing was the extreme calmness in her voice combined with a tone of command.

**

"What happened all of a sudden that you had to transfer everything to Ragini, Papa?" Laksh was pacing inside Durgaprasad's cabin while Adarsh and Ramprasad waited for the answer but they were disappointed with silence.

"Papa, it's not about property but we need to know the reason." Adarsh tried to make his father speak.

"She asked me for it." Durgaprasad said as if in a trance making others twitch their eyebrows. "I had promised her a wish during a talk before Ragini and Laksh's divorce. She then said, she will ask for when the time comes. And she asked now."

"Sounds like Ramayan, Papa. Sorry, but it sounds too lame." Laksh said with a pinch of sarcasm.

"Can you believe Bhai?" Laksh asked while pacing across Sanskar's cabin. "Do you find any logic in it? It's all getting more jumbled each day. Ragini is being silent 'thoofan' and Papa is calm in his 'moun vrat'." Laksh rolled his eyes.

"I think Ragz is trying to become Lady Hitler 2.0. The girl is so stubborn that even if we get her drunk, she won't blurt out a single word. In fact, Lady Hitler was better than her." Sanskar sighed while rotating his revolving chair.

"Oh, hello! You both are talking about my sister. Watch your words." Swara warned. "What is these 'thoofan' and 'lady hitler'?"

"Out of all these problems, you got to hear only those words?" Laksh hissed out of irritation making Swara draw her head back. "With all due respect, please make her talk about her problem."

"What can I do? She never lets me stay in the house for questioning her. The whole time all she has to talk is about deals. " Swara complained to her husband and jiju.

"You could have fought with her." Sanskar tapped the table startling Swara. "You could have yelled at her. You're her sister. Where is that 'Goddess' form of yours?"

"You're her husband!" Swara and Laksh reminded Sanskar together.

"But she never values." He replied with a sigh.

"Why?"

"What why?"

"Ragz, I know you won't do this without a reason. I need to know that." Sanskar demanded keeping his temper calm.

"Trust me, Sanskar." Ragini talked with calmness, looking straight into Sanskar's eyes.

"I always trusted you and will always trust you. But I need my answers too. You're becoming 'Malkin' of Maheswaris out of the blue; there is something behind it. Ragz, you need to tell."

"Sans.."

"We are friends and friends don't have secrets; remember that. Moreover, you're my wife; I have the right to know it."

"Sanskar." Ragini made Sanskar sit with her on the bed. "Do you see anything wrong happening because of it? I'm just.."

"I want to know the reason, Mrs. Ragini Sanskar Maheswari."

"It's for our better future, Sanskar. That's all what I know."

"Is 'this' necessary for a better future?" Sanskar asked frustrated unable to comprehend Ragini and her thoughts. "And who all are there in that 'our'? I can never understand such sudden steps taken by you."

"You and I are definitely there. I think you should go to office now. Don't forget to pick Uttara." Ragini turned to walk out of the room as Sanskar continued.

"Once, you all of a sudden took decision to marry Laksh, then to divorce him and now to acquire the properties?" Sanskar hoped the words to hit her so hard that she bursts on him and eventually shares the matter.

"You know what; we should have our right with us; either someone may give us or we may have to acquire it." Ragini replied as she exited the room.

"In these ten days, at least two times a day, I tries to initiate a talk about this to her. All she says is 'Trust me; It's for better future; for benefit." Like seriously? I want her to talk openly to me as she used to; share her woes, feel secured around me, trust me—

"-- like me, love me" Laksh interrupted Sanskar.

"From where did all these come in between, now?" Sanskar rolled his eyes seeing Laksh and Swara beaming with a naughty glint in their eyes. "Be serious, guys!"

"I think you should say it to her, Sanky." Swara smiled along with her words. "She will, then, feel secured around you, share her woes and most importantly she will feel that there is someone out there, for her, only for her."

"True Bhai. At this time what she needs is support. As she is not letting anyone cross her boundaries, you should try to encroach into the territory with courage, utmost belief and bravery."

"She is my sister not country's border. Courage and bravery, it seems." Swara rolled her eyes.

"But.. She knows that I love her. And let me clear it to you that it's not like what---"

"Oh Bhai! Don't start your gyaan on 'Dosti waala Love' again. There is a limit for everything. You both are husband-wife now; so equation will change to 'Ishqwaala Love'. You just need to accept it." Laksh interrupted Sanskar again.

"I know what love is. You don't need to preach on it. And I'm not that kind of man who will stay confused over my feelings for entire life. I too know that the equation we share has evolved over time. But, I won't say that we LOVE each other as you guys mean. When I get sure about my feelings, I'll tell to her... We slipped from the topic, again." Sanskar sighed as the trio again tried to make sense of the happenings.

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