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Chapter 17: Intention Revealed

"But I can't. . ."

"Ragini, please. . . For me?"

She sighed, giving up and Swara smiled at her, knowing that sigh was to agree.

"You have to come with me then."

"What, no."

"Why not? If you want me to go then you should come with me too." Ragini uttered, looking at Swara who was sat on the table munching on chocolate ice cream.

"Ragini this is not fair, take Daadima with you."

"She's not willing to come."

"No I'm not going."

"Then I'm not either." Ragini proudly says with a smile and Swara made a face, licking the ice cream from the box.

"Fine, I'll go." She sighed and Ragini smiled. Soon the lights turn on and both shockingly stare at the entrance, seeing Parvati looking at them.

"You were meant to be asleep weren't you?" She asked Swara and Swara dropped the spoon. "And you're eating ice cream?"

Seeing Parvati's concern for Swara had slightly put Ragini in doubt as Parvati never showed her care towards Swara.

"And you, why are you frying pakode?" Parvati asked while looking at Ragini, who turns the gas off.

"Daadima, Swara wants to come to the party with me." Ragini lied and Swara looked at her while Ragini turned to her and winked.

"So get ready cause you're coming too." She added, picking the spoon up from the floor and looking at Parvati who shakes her head.

"No, I don't want to go."

"Daadima, please. . . Don't be boring." Ragini slipped out and then bit her tongue.

"I love the way I am, I don't need anyone to like me."

"Hmm hmmm, since Daadi's ageing she has no one to impress anymore but Daadi, there's some people your age there too. . ." Parvati glares at Swara, walking away after sighing a dismay.

"Daadima please." Ragini requests but sighed as Parvati wasn't willing to go. Ragini then turned towards Swara. "I guess it's you and me." Swara nodded "Let's go get ready then." She uttered and Ragini nodded.

**

The Maheshwari Mansion was decorated and loads of people had started walking inside, greeted kindly by the members expect Lakshya.

Sanjay, who had already been in the party glanced around, looking for Ragini. He clashes into Uttara, who looks at him irritatedly. "Sorry." He apologised before she could say anything.

"It's okay, but please focus." She sighed and walked off.

"Sanjay." He turned around towards Ram, who had called him over. "Yes Sir?"

"Meet him, one of our employee and most trusted, he joined recently and has already made things easy for us." Ram introduced Sanjay to one of the other clients and Sanjay smiled at them.

Sanskaar was stood near Sujata, who was merely smiling at the female guests of the party. Annapurna walked down and towards Sanskaar, shaking her head negatively.

"He's sleeping." She tells after coming closer towards Sanskaar and Sanskaar sighed, gazing around and back at Annapurna.

"Ragini's not even here and neither is Lakshya, who will we credit?"

Annapurna looked down, not knowing what to say and Sanskaar gazed up, looking back down but stopped, looking back up to see Ragini walk inside with Swara, nervously.

"She's here." Sanskaar finally sighed a relief and Annapurna turned, looking at both Swara and Ragini.

"Which one is she?" Sujata asked to clear her confusion.

"The one with Orange dupatta." Sanskaar tells, then glances at Swara who was nervously walking down with Ragini.

"Ragini I wanna go home."

"Shh. It'll be okay, just be casual and smile." Ragini advices, trying to keep her lip movement low.

Swara inhaled a deep breath, glancing around the hall with a small smile. Ragini sees Sanjay, Ram, Durga Prasad and few people from the office.

"Hi, welcome." Sanskaar greets and Ragini looks at him with a small smile.

"Thank you for having us around." She responds and Swara bites her inner cheek to control her laugh.

"Badimaa, Mom, this is Ragini, the one we were telling you about." Ragini folds her hand and greets them with a smile and they reciprocate to the smile.

"This is my sister Swara." Ragini introduces and Swara curls a small smile, greeting them with her hands folded.

"Jiji, this Ragini is the same girl who slapped Lakshya." Sujata whispered, surprising Annapurna as she keenly notices Ragini.

"Please excuse us." They nod at Ragini and Ragini walks to the side with Swara.

Sanjay notices Ragini and smiles, excusing himself from the colleagues.

"Which one's Lakshya?" Swara asked and Ragini glanced around, trying to find him. "I can't see him." Ragini whispers and her eyes land on Sanjay who was walking towards them.

"She looks like a very respectful and modest girl. She wouldn't slap Lakshya without a reason. . ." Annapurna trialled off while speaking to Sujata and surprising Sanskaar, who was unaware of the fact that it was Ragini who slapped Lakshya.

"What? Ragini slapped Lakshya?" Sanskaar gasped and this had stopped Sanjay as he decided to listen from far.

"Yes, she's the same girl." Sujata reveals and Sanskaar looks at Ragini, who was talking to Swara.

"She's the first girl that had slapped Lakshya and decided to speak against him. We all know how Lakshya doesn't let anyone speak against him, he was just listening to this girl cuss and warn him." Sujata added while adding extra to the scene she had witnessed.

Annapurna continues to stare at Ragini, amused to hear Sujata. "I like this girl, she is beautiful and whenever I see her, a hope in me rises that she's the one for Lakshya, who will help him reform and bring him closer to us. . . She gives me the feels of a positive powerful energy, that all of us need in our lives. I want this girl to be my daughter-in-law." Annapurna decides, shocking Sanjay while surprising Sanskaar and Sujata.

"But Jiji, Lakshya will never agree."

"I don't care what he says, she will be a perfect wife and daughter-in-law for this house. It's her choice that matters, not his. He doesn't even deserve a beautiful soul like her but I'm being selfish, I want her for our house and that's my final decision."

Sujata simply nods while Sanskaar looks at Ragini. "I don't think she will agree either Badimaa."

Sanjay was shocked by this, not knowing why he felt angry and upset. He feels Ragini deserves much better than that Lakshya that they're about to praise. He hears their names being joined together no less than a snake hiss, not knowing why, which was agitating him with irritation.

He clenched his fists and walked towards Ragini but stopped, seeing her approach Annapurna.

"Aunty, can I use the washroom please."

"Sure, it's upstairs on the right hand side." Annapurna directs and Sujata looks at her along with Sanskaar.

"Thank you." Ragini smiles and Annapurna nods at her.

Ragini slowly started to head up the stairs while Swara, Annapurna, Sanskaar and Sujata watched her walk up.

"Jiji, why did you tell her to go upstairs? There was a washroom down here too and why on the right hand side? That's where Lakshya's room is. . ." Annapurna turned towards Sujata, "Let my daughter-in-law see the house Sujata and don't worry, even if she enters Lakshya's room then it will be by fate, that will be a sign for me to understand that even god wants Ragini and Lakshya to be, because Lakshya's room is four rooms away from the stairs."

Sujata shakes her head in disbelief while Sanskaar looked back at Ragini, seeing if his Badimaa's superstitious thought turns out to be correct or not.

Sanjay, who had heard this shakes his head, talking to himself 'No, I will not let that happen.'

Durga Prasad grabbed Annapurna, Sanskaar and Sujata's attention while bringing a client near them. Sanjay takes the advantage of the situation and walks up the stairs, which only Swara notices, assuming him to be a member of the family.

"Which room is it. . ." Ragini thought as she walked down, looking at the rooms on the right side, there was only one room on the left.

While walking, she inhaled a deep breath and stopped in front of one, pushing the door open. Sanjay manages to reach there and watches her walk inside the fifth room, trying to remember Annapurna's words.

Ragini sees Lakshya laying on the bed, sleeping like a child and looked on. "Oh gosh! I entered his room. . ." She sighed, turning back around but stopped after her eyes fell on the guitar leaning against the wardrobe.

A smile curls on her lips as she walks towards it, touching the strings. "This looks so beautiful." She whispered to herself, bending down to view it careful. It had a dark smokey coloured base, starting from black and moving up to white. She hears a movement and turns around, seeing Lakshya change sides and lean his head on his arm.

She stood up and glanced at him. "He looks so innocent and quiet while sleeping, when he's awake, he's no less than a devil." She mumbles to herself and then remembered today's caring nature of his. "But he's not that bad. Even tough it was for this room of his, he was still caring. I'll give him 5 out of 10, he needs to improve his attitude." She added, thinking about it while rating his performance in the morning.

She released a sigh and looked at his bathroom. "Instead of wondering around to find the washroom, it's better to use his. Besides he's asleep so he won't know I came into his room." She smiled, feeling proud on herself and walked towards his washroom, entering it.

Sanjay was stood outside the room and fumed seeing her walk inside his washroom, his eyes then land on Lakshya, who was sleeping.

"I don't know what it is but I'm sorry Lakshya, Ragini can never be yours." He says to himself, feeling evil as his heart wouldn't tolerate another person being with Ragini, not knowing why he started to become so attracted towards her.

His phone starts buzzing and he moves to the side, sliding it out and answering it.

"Hello Boss, do we attack today?"

"No, not today, she's here with someone else."

"Okay Boss. Message us once you need us."

"Hmm." Sanjay hums and disconnects the call, staring into space as he remembers what he had done.

"Hello, Munna I need a favour. . ."

"Yes Boss, say."

"I want you to attack a girl, she's walking out in a Saree from Khuranna Villa. I want you to misbehave with her. . ."

"And then you come and save her like a hero, right?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry Boss, we will do that."

"And don't touch her okay."

"Boss, we can't promise that."

"I swear if you touch her then you're not getting paid."

"Okay okay. We will do that. We're on our way."

Sanjay disconnected the call and smirked. "Now I will save Ragini and impress her."

"Now this feeling is much more than just impressing you Ragini. I don't know when or how but now if anyone even touches you, I would break their hands. You're only mine." Sanjay determinedly utters, clenching onto his phone.

Hearing Annapurna talk about making Ragini Lakshya's wife had triggered his inner feelings, causing them to merely enrage. A fire was felt within him, that he wanted to cool and he knew exactly what he had to do to cool himself.

Ragini stepped out of the washroom, fixing her drape and pinning it on her shoulder with a pin.

"What are you doing here?" She froze, shockingly gazing up and finding him sitting up in a sleepy state.

"Go to sleep, this is just a dream." She lied, trying to get away with it.

"What?" He confusingly asks and yawns, rubbing his eyes.

Taking that as an advantage, Ragini runs out of the room but she forgot that Lakshya isn't deaf. He opened his eyes again and glanced around, seeing her gone.

While she rushed out, she was confused to see Sanjay, who had joined her in heading down.

"What were you doing in his room?"

"I didn't know it was his."

"But when you did then why didn't you step out?"

"I was going to but instead of finding the washroom, I found it okay to use his."

"There were other bathrooms in this house!"

Ragini was surprised to see Sanjay behave that way, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He had sensed that and decided to calm himself down.

"I'm just afraid he would hurt you. . . You know he doesn't like you."

"Hmm." She nodded, giving it a thought while heading down along with Sanjay.

Lakshya steps out, stretching while leaning against the railings, looking at the guests. "Oh yeah, party." He yawned, seeing Ragini walk down with Sanjay and shook his head.

"I knew it." He sighed and headed back inside his room, now 100% sure that Ragini was in his room.

Swara sees them walk down and head towards her. "So this is Lakshya?" Swara asked and Sanjay felt angry, hearing Lakshya's name.

"No, this isn't Lakshya. Lakshya is an idiotic person. This is my friend Sanjay, a person much better than Lakshya." Ragini complimented, only to make herself agree Lakshya is a bad person but little did she know she gave Sanjay a wrong impression, calming his anger down and making him smile.

"And you must be Ms Beautiful's sister." Ragini looked at Sanjay while he looked at her with a smile. "Ms Beautiful?" Swara asked and Sanjay moves his gazes towards her while Ragini lowers hers.

"Yeah, Ragini is Ms Beautiful." He reveals and Ragini moves a strand of her hair behind her ears, shaking her head with a smile as this was the first time he had said that.

Annapurna notices Ragini and walked towards her with a smile, Sanjay feels awkward with her presence.

"Did you find the washroom?"

Ragini nods, "I actually accidentally. . ." Sanjay remembered Annapurna's superstition and decided to interrupt.

"Aunty, sorry. . . Where can I get myself a cold drink?" He interrupted and Annapurna, who was hoping to hear Ragini's answer looked at Sanjay, keeping her smile on.

"You simply ask the waiter." Annapurna replied and Sanjay nodded, pretending to understand even though he knew this before.

"Waiter." Annapurna stops a waiter and looks at him "Can you please get three cold drinks for them." The waiter nods and Annapurna smiles at him "Thank you." He nods and starts walking.

"Enjoy the party." Sanjay, Ragini and Swara nod at Annapurna, who walks away, disheartened to not get the answer she was looking for.

Swara looks at Sanjay, curving a small smile, not knowing why he was giving her negative energy vibe. Sujata, who was walking stops, gasping while staring at the stairs while Annapurna, who walks towards her turns her head instantly, looking on.

"Lakshya. . ." Annapurna trials off with a small smile, glad to see her son being part of this party as he had never been part of any family functions or parties in many years, for her, it was the best feeling seeing him walk down to join them, dressed appropriately.

"I can't believe this Jiji, Lakshya is dressed in a suit and walking down to attend a party hosted by us?" Sujata was more shocked, unable to believe her eyes.

Soon after Lakshya entered the hall, Parineeta and her parents walked inside, giving Sujata and Annapurna an extra moment to be pleased about but Sujata's smile slowly fades.

"Jiji, what if Lakshya planned something?" Sujata whispered and Annapurna's smile also faded as she also knew Lakshya wouldn't come to enjoy with them, now fearing.

Durga Prasad sees Mr Lalwani and then his eyes fall on Lakshya, shocking him. Ram, Sanskaar and Adarsh look to the side and their eyes simply stop on Lakshya while Uttara slightly worried, hoping he hadn't planned anything.

To Be Continued. . .

Up Next - Lakshya introduced to the Lalwani's. . .
____________

Question: Do You Think Lakshya Planned Something For This Party?

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