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Chapter 8: Presentation

Ragini was in the room, finally starting the presentation she was allotted to do. Soon a knock grabs her attention and she turns towards the door, Sanjay walks inside and her expressions slightly dull as she expected Lakshya to be here to help her with the presentation.

"Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing." Small smile curled up on Ragini's lip. "No, not at all." She lied and he walks further inside.

"First time we met, it was a confusion. . ." He trails off with a nervous smile. "Hi, my name is Sanjay."

"Hi Sanjay, I'm Ragini." Ragini introduces herself and forwards her hand. Sanjay was hesitant at first but connects his palm with her palm, shaking her hand with a smile.

Soon the door creaks open and Ragini pulls her hand away, seeing Lakshya walk inside. Her expressions change and she gazes at the laptop screen. Sanjay turns to see Lakshya walking in and Lakshya was confused while gazing at Sanjay.

"Hi, I'm Sanjay. The new member of this company." Sanjay introduces himself and forwards his hand, which Lakshya instantly shakes. "Hi Sanjay, my name is Lakshya." Lakshya introduced himself and they pull their hands away after greeting each other.

"Friends?" He offers and Lakshya thinks for a while, he then nods. "Friends."

Sanjay smiles at him "I've got some work to do and hopefully I will catch you two later." He says and Lakshya nods while Ragini doesn't look that way.

Sanjay walks out and Lakshya slowly moves his pupils towards Ragini, who began to type for the presenation.

"Poor guy, I hope he doesn't get unlucky after shaking his hand with yours." Lakshya taunts and walks towards the chair, Ragini looks at him. He takes a seat and curves a wide fake smile, pointing at the screen.

She moves her gazes away from his face to type again.

"Let me type." He utters as he got bored watching her doing the work.

"Do you know what you need to type?" She asks, low-key taunting him.

"It's easy." He responded in a sarcastic tone, pulling the Laptop away from her.

"You. . . Fine!" She gives in, rolling her eyes and then forwarding the file.

Lakshya types something and all of a sudden music turns on, she widens her eyes and glances at him. "You're meant to be working, not listening to music!"

"I'm multitasking, listening and typing so just let me do that, find yourself some other work to do cause you're not getting the laptop back."

Ragini glares at him and nervously inhales a deep breath. Placing a hand on her stomach to control the feeling which was slowly taking over her body, she was afraid it would take over her mind too. The music beats were making her sweat, Lakshya, who heard her taking deep breaths gazes up while typing, he then stops and stares at her in confusion. The incident earlier flashes in his mind and he remembers how Ragini was telling him to stop playing the guitar.

"C. . . Can you please turn the music o. . . Off?" She requests, placing her other hand on her lips, pressing it with the other hand she had brought up.

"What is wrong? Don't tell you you have musicphobia. . ." He trailed off with creased forehead.

Ragini pleads him through her eyes, by narrowing them but he pays no heed. "No, I can't concentrate without music." He says and she presses her lips together, parting her lips away from her palm.

She drops her hand on the table and looks at Lakshya in disbelief, wasting no more time, she leans forward and presses the space bar. Lakshya jerks her hand away but this time she stood up, slamming her hand on the keyboard and the music finally stopped, Lakshya pushes her hand away but in the process, Ragini falls forward and her forehead hits Lakshya's forehead. "Ahh!" Both hiss and Ragini immediately moves away.

"What the hell! Are you mad or what?" Lakshya irritatedly shouts, rubbing his forehead while gazing up at her. She touches her forehead and rubs it, glancing at Lakshya.

"If you listened to my request from the beginning then this wouldn't have happened!" She retorts, making him angry. His gazes move to the screen and he looks on.

"You idiot! You deleted the whole presentation! Now we have to start again." He cussed a complain and she looks on.

"What?" She couldn't believe him and leans forward to see, he moves his face to the side to glance at her and straightaway moves his head back before his lips could touch her soft milky cheeks.

"Oh no!" She frowns and moves away, palming her forehead and showing displeasure with the act she had done.

"What's wrong with you and music? This is all your fault, instead of leaving you had to wrestle the keyboard!"

Having enough of his yell, she retorted back. "I have a major problem with music! I can't work or concentrate when the music is on and I requested you by saying PLEASE but you didn't pay heed so stop only blaming me. If you had switched the music off then this wouldn't have happened!"

"Now you're trying to blame me? Why the hell do you have a problem with music? Music is a pain reliever!" He says and starts fiddling with the laptop, he soon presses the button and music starts playing.

Ragini frustratedly glares at Lakshya and rushes towards the exit but before she could leave, she feels a hand stopping her from leaving. She turns her head around and stares at the hand, soon at Lakshya.

"I'm not going to let you leave until you tell me the truth. What is seriously wrong with you?"

"Let me go." She pleads, feeling the pain in her stomach, a feeling of restlessness yet again hovered around her as she starts to inhale deep breath, the music was affecting her and this is what confused Lakshya.

"What's wrong?" He asks. "M. . . I get panic attacks with music. . ."

"Why?"

"B. . . Because I do. Now switch it off. Please."

Her mind was slowly loosing control and she stared at Lakshya with the pleading look.

"Stop overreacting. You could've stated you don't like my taste of music, what was need to do this Drama?" Lakshya sighs, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's not drama!" She remarks, giving up and freeing her hand from his grip. "I. . ." She trailed off, finally deciding to tell him the reason why she wants the music off. "I promised my Daadi I won't sing and hearing music compels me to start singing, I have to battle with myself to refrain from it but each time I hear a song, I get restlessness and the urge to spit it all out." She completes, lowering her gazes and Lakshya shakes his head in disbelief.

"Please don't sing." He says, moving towards the laptop and turning the music off. "I can't be asked to explode my ears." He adds and she shakes her head, seeing him back at his old and famous antics which was to tease and insult her.

"I so wish I could. But my voice is too professional to explode the wax out of your dirty ear." She sarcastically insults Lakshya, who narrows his eyes at her.

"No ones laughing!" He remarked, "No wonder your Daadi took a promise from you. She knows how badly people would insult a ripped vocal chord."

"Correction, she knows how sweet my voice is so she just wants to protect it from people like you, who would merely jinx it." Ragini retorts and Lakshya sarcastically scoffs. "You're saying I don't sound good? Come on, I'm not a lost beggar to jinx your voice. Go and sing on the streets with the beggars, you might even get some money." He asserts and shakes his head.

"Why beggars? I could get into music industry."

"Prove it."

"I told you, I promised."

"Exactly, you didn't take a oath did you?"

Ragini was thinking, she then inhales a deep breath, showing him she's ready to sing. He crosses his arms across his chest, showing her he's ready to hear.

"Pal Bhar Thahar Jaao. . ." She sings and that first line was enough to change his expressions.

"Dil Ye Sambhal Jaaye. Kaise Tumhe Roka Karun. . ." She continued, closing her eyes while catching the tune and pitch. He stares at her being amazed as he did not expect her to sound. . . Good.

"Meri Taraf Aata Har. Gham Phisal Jaaye. Aankhon Mein Tum Ko Bharun. . ." She perfectly sings in her mesmerising and melodious voice, opening her eyes and raising them at Lakshya, who looks away and pretends to yawn.

"Bin Bole Baatein Tumse Karun
Agar Tum Saath Ho. Agar Tum Saath Ho." She sang, changing the pitch perfectly according to the tune.

"Behti Rehti. Nahar Nadiya Si. Teri Duniya Mein. Meri Duniya Hai. Teri Chaahaton Mein. Main Dhal Jaati Hoon. Teri Aadaton Mein." She continues, filling the emptiness she felt without singing for god knows how long .

"Agar Tum Saath Ho." She angelically sang and stopped after stretching the 'Ho'.

"Teri Nazron Mein Hai Tere Sapne
Tere Sapno Mein Hai Naraazi
Mujhe Lagta Hai Ke Baatein Dil Ki
Hoti Lafzon Ki Dhokebaazi Tum Saath Ho Ya Na Ho Kya Fark Hai." Lakshya finally sang, continuing it while loosing himself in the past where he used to sing.

"Bedard Thi Zindagi Bedard Hai
Agar Tum Saath Ho. Agar Tum Saath Ho." Ragini was surprised, never thinking he would know this song and sing well and he stops, not knowing how many years later he felt peace in his heart.

Same was for Ragini, singing after a long time had perished a peaceful feeling through her body, which she needed to feel better, now knowing she can listen to music without feeling the urge to explode.

Lakshya gazes at Ragini and then looks away. "You. . . Were good. But you must've gotten used to singing, after all you backbite and spread rumours a lot. That must've given you interest in singing." He compliments with a taunt.

Her eyes narrowed. "You sounded. . . Like a dead crow begging for help just before dying." She says and he looks at her.

Before he could say anything back to her, they hear a knock and look at the door, seeing Durga Prasad standing outside with Sanjay, Sanskaar, Ram and Adarsh.

Ragini moves out of the way and stands besides Lakshya, facing them. Durga Prasad opens the door and enters with Ram, Sanskaar, Adarsh and Sanjay.

"Is the presentation ready?" Durga Prasad queries and Ragini silently gulps while looking at him, Lakshya looks down at Ragini who was stood besides him.

"It's nearly ready." Lakshya lies and Durga Prasad gazes at him.

"Present please." Sanskaar says, shocking the two. "We want you two to experience how feels to be presenting in front of the clients so we decided that will be the clients and we would like to see where you got up to." He adds.

Ragini was hesitated and panicking from within, she wasn't sure on what to do or what to say. Lakshya was glancing at Sanskaar, trying to figure out an excuse to save his back.

To Be Continued . . .

Up Next - The projector 'breaks' which prevents Ragini and Lakshya to present. Ragini and Lakshya to promise each other not to argue and only focus on the presentation. Sanjay to be friendly with Ragini and Lakshya to backbite about Ragini.

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