A random one-shot on RagLak.

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Five Hugs

The first time it happened, it was completely accidental.

She had been waiting at the bus stand for the rain to stop pouring. It was raining cats and dogs. Everyone was rushing away quickly to their parked vehicles, or under the roof of the bus stand. It was getting cramped there with all the people. Nevertheless, she was thankful that at least she wasn't out in the open.

'Should of listened to mum's warning and brought my umbrella with me. I wouldn't be in this situation if I had brought it.' Ragini thought to herself.

"Excuse me. Please move a bit so that I can take some shelter. Thank you." came the voice of a guy as he pushed into the already full bus stand.

His jacket and hair were completely wet. He shivered and shook his head like a dog that came out of a pool of water, throwing water droplets at the people around him accidentally. He let out a grin at the others who were glaring at him. "Sorry, sorry. My bad." he laughed nervously and crouched down into a sitting position, hugging himself.

Ragini noticed that there was a flower tub in front of him. It wasn't there before. 'He must be carrying it. But it's out of the roof. It will get spoilt in this heavy rain!' being the nature lover she was, she couldn't help but feel uneasy as she kept looking at the plant as it shook in the violent. Each droplet of rain seemed to her as if they were bullets attacking the innocent blossom.

Ragini bit her lip to prevent herself from shouting out. She tapped her feet in restlessness. On one hand, she didn't want to drench herself in the rain and get sick. But on the other hand, she also couldn't bear to keep watching the flower get wet.

'Ugh! I can't take this torture anymore!' Ragini pushed her way towards where the flower was. She put her dupatta over her head and kneeled down before the plant. As she tried to take it into her arms, another pair of hands caught it.

"Hey, that's mine!" said the owner, the guy.

"I know. But you shouldn't let it get spoilt in the rain!" she shouted back so that he would be able to hear her voice over the pelting rain.

"Plants need water, don't they. So it should be okay!" he shouted back for the same reason.

"Not this much water. Neither does it require such heavy rains! Try to understand!"

Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder resounded through the sky making her yelp in fright and hug the person closest to her.

Which happened to be him.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. In the stunt that she did, the flower pot ended up getting squished into his chest. Good thing he was wearing a thick jacket, lest he got seriously hurt. "Um ma'am...could you please let go? You're kind of cutting off my wind supply."

In response, she only tightened her grip. "Please make it go away! I hate thunderstorms! When will it stop?!"

He could feel her shake against him. From the way she was acting, he knew some past trauma must have been the reason she was so afraid of the sound of thunder. "Shh...it's okay. You're okay. I'm here, alright? I'm here." he awkwardly brought a hand towards her hair and patter her head. "There, there."

Her shaking seemed to relax and she loosened her desperate grip a bit. She seemed to calm down at his words.

They stayed like that for some minutes, with her hugging him with her eyes closed and him standing there with a girl in his embrace, and also a flower pot.

Luckily for him, the rain slowed down soon enough and soon, it reduced to only a light drizzle.

"Hey? It's okay. You can let go now."

Ragini swallowed hard, but slowly let go. She looked at the sky which was dropping innocent droplets like it was throwing petals. Suddenly, it occurred to her that she had hugged a stranger out of fear. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe that I bothered you like this! I'm...I'm so so sorry!"

He chuckled. "It's okay Ma'am." he smiled at her. "It's the least I could do after you saved my plant."

She looked down in embarrassment and nodded. "I'm still sorry though. I caused so much trouble for you."

"But you saved my daisy plant! That counts."

Ragini smiled at him. "Taking it to your girlfriend?"

"Nah. It's for my grandma. She loves gardening. And she loves daisies."

"I see. That's sweet of you." she replied in a good natured way. "You don't find young boys doing this for their elders nowadays."

"Well, I always have been unique as my friends tell me." he answered with a smirk. He freed one hand and extended it for her to shake. "I'm Laksh. Laksh Maheshwari."

She took the hand and shook it. "Ragini. Ragini Gadodia."

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The second time it happened, it was in happiness. It was he who initiated it this time.

Laksh had been helping our his grandmother in her nursery. It was Sunday, which meant twice the number of customers than the other days.

"Laksh beta, come here for a moment please."

"Coming dadi!" he dusted off his hands on his jacket and walked towards where his grandmother sat at the counter. "What is it? Do you need help with anything?"

"No dear. I just wanted to give you this." she handed over an envelope to him.

"What's in it?"

"Why don't you open it and see for yourself?" his grandmother answered with smile.

The doorbell jingled as another customer walked in. His grandmother smiled at her. "Hello Ragini dear. You're late today. All the fresh red roses have been sold out already."

Hearing the name Ragini, Laksh wondered if it was the same girl he had met a month ago on that rainy day. He turned around to face her.

"Aww. I wish there were some left. You know how much I lo-" Ragini stopped midsentence when she saw the face of the guy who turned around. "Laksh, was it?"

"Yeah. And you are Ragini, right?"

She nodded and came near with a smile. "So this sweet lady is your grandmother. She always saves the best of the fresh roses for me. Too bad I was late today. Had to finish my college project."

"Aww geez. What a bummer!" he sympathized with her. "But I'm sure she can pluck some more for you."

"No. She only plucks a numbered amount for a day so that the rose plants aren't completely bare of roses."

"Say, how would you like to watch them for sometime, since you didn't get to buy them?" suggested the old lady. "My grandson will take you there. Laksh, will you please?"

"Anything for you dadi. Come on Ragini." he took a step forward expecting her to follow.

Ragini couldn't be more happier. She merrily followed him.

As they walked on, she noticed an envelope in Laksh's hand. "What's in that?"

Laksh turned back to look at her and followed her gaze. "Oh, this? I don't know either. Dadi wouldn't tell me until I opened it myself."

"Then you should open it now. I too want to see what's so special in it. Don't you too?"

For a moment, he couldn't help but think she looked beautiful while smiling. A mesmerizing sight indeed.

He shook his head of those thoughts.

"Well?"

"Right!" he nodded thoughtfully and stopped to open the envelope. Once he opened it, he noticed there was money inside. "Eh? But I didn't want any money fr-" he gasped as he read the note which was with the notes.

"What is it?" Ragini asked in curiosity.

"This...this money...its for the guitar." he looked at her with the broadest smiles. "It's the amount needed to bit the latest model of this guitar! Hahaha...! Dadi knew I wanted it bad and so she has given this money to me as an early birthday gift! This is so amazing!" he cupped his hands in front of his mouth and hollered. "THANK YOU DADI! YOU'RE THE BEST! LOVE YOU!"

Ragini saw the old women smile back towards them and wave. "You must be really excited to buy it."

"Excited couldn't describe how happy I am!" he replied in an over enthusiastic tone. "Oh I can't believe I'll finally be able to buy it! I can't...I just..." with no prior notice, he abruptly pulled her into a hug. "I'm just so so happy! I feel like I'm at the top of the world!"

Ragini was shocked at first. However, she could understand he was high on emotions and let him hug her. He was careful not to touch her inappropriately and Ragini admired that. "I'm glad you'll get what you desire."

Laksh calmed down and let go of her with a slight blush. "Sorry."

She couldn't help but find his expressions cute. "It's okay. By the way, you said your early birthday gift? When is it anyway?"

"It's one week from now." he responded. "Sorry again for hugging you like that."

"Like I said. It's alright. Take it as my gift for you, why don't you?" she said with a smile and a playful wink.

"Haha...! If you put it that way, then thanks I guess."

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment. He really was a handsome guy. She blushed at her thought, mentally smacking herself. Putting aside those girly thoughts, she smiled back at him. "You're welcome Laksh."

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The third time it happened, they were both heartbroken. They became each others' shoulder to cry on that day.

There was a bomb blast that shook the town to the very core. A bus exploded in the middle of the town. There were 25 passengers in it. All died.

One of the unfortunate things was that the incident right in front of the nursery that Laksh's grandmother ran. She was outside drinking her tea when the bomb exploded and made her fly back into the wall with force. She fell to the ground and stopped breathing.

It had been two weeks since those incidents and one week since Laksh and his family did the necessary rituals to put her soul at peace.

It took him great courage to return to the nursery which had ashen black marks on its front wall. "She wouldn't have wanted her plants to die. It's time I took responsibility and continued running this place."

"You're right. She would want to see her plants bloom to its fullest. They were her darlings." came a voice to his side, making him look at her.

"Ragini? You, here?"

She let out a shaky breath. "Nikhil. My best friend. He was on his way to college on that bus when..." she took her phone in her hands. "I was talking to him. One minute his voice was there and the next..." she trailed off with a look which made him believe she still still hoped that everything was a bad dream. "He was right on the phone..."

"And then it happened?"

"Then it..."

She didn't need to finish her sentence for him to understand the implications.

Laksh looked down instead of her trembling figure. After all, what could he say to comfort her when he himself didn't know how to cope with the loss he suffered?

"I just...I don't even know what I was expecting by coming here. Maybe...maybe I hoped that he was still alive and would somehow...anyhow...come back." he heard her sniff and could see her trying to be strong, trying to not show her tears.

He balled his hands to his sides feeling helpless. At last, he took a few steps towards her. And a few more until he was right in front of her. He raised his hand slowly and placed it on her shoulder. "Hey...hey Ra-"

She abruptly buried her head into his chest. Laksh could feel his T-shirt get wet from her tears. "Wh-why? Why them, Laksh? Why did it have to be them!? Why did they leave us? Didn't they love us? What leave us so early. People say it's sad for the dead. But it's twice hard for the ones who mourn the loss.

Her words reopened the emotions that he was trying hard to bury and forget. He too felt that it was unfair! Why did his Dadi have to die?! Didn't he always tell her to stay inside the nursery to avoid trouble? Why wouldn't she listen?!

Laksh raised his hands and wrapped them around Ragini. "Maybe...m-maybe they have some greater purpose to fulfill. One which cannot be fulfilled in this life of theirs. Ma-"

"And what about us? Didn't...d-didn't we matter to them?" she hiccuped as sobs wrecked through her body. "I m-miss Nikhil. I miss g-grandma Khushi too. W-who's gonna keep r-roses fo' me now? Wh-who will I call mm-y best friend no-now?"

"Who'll be there to twit my ear when I flirt with girls? Who will be there to defend me when father scolds me? Wh-who's gonna make kheer for me like grandma used to?" Laksh uttered his thoughts, no longer being able to keep his voice from stuttering. As tears flowed openly from his eyes, he hugged her tighter, burying his head into her hair.

Ragini didn't let go and wrapped her own arms around him.

Both cried for the loss the suffered. Both cried for the pain that was in their hearts. Both cried for the emotional trauma that they had gone through alone, threatening to eat them alive! Now, with someone to share their pain with...someone who didn't offer pity or sympathy but empathy and compassion, they felt like a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts.

She slowly calmed down. Laksh too composed himself after a much needed outlet to his emotions. Even he himself didn't know how much he needed to vent out his emotions.

Ragini moved away and looked at his wet shirt. "I'm sorry I got your shirt wet. I di-"

"It's okay. I...I don't mind. In fact I think I should say thank you to you." he smiled a small smile at her.

Ragini didn't ask for explanations. She just smiled a soft, but wavering smile at him. "I shouldn't have burdened you with my problems when you too lost someone close. I'm sorry th-"

"No. It's okay." he pacified. "At least...at least I'm glad that Dadi lived a full life. Father made sure she was happy and she even got to see her grandkids grow up! I'm sure wherever she is, she must be at peace." he smiled looking at the clouds.

"I'm sure she is proud of you."

Laksh's lip quivered, but he grinned. "Yeah. But she would hit me over the head if I don't fix her nursery."

Ragini chuckled softly and stepped closer to him. "I'm ready to help you out. Let's fix it...together!"

Laksh grinned at her gratefully. "Let's get started."

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The fourth time it happened... Well, it was the best day of their life.

Laksh entered the nursery to find a distressed looking Ragini. "Hey Rags!"

Ragini looked up at his arrival. "Lucky! I'm so glad you're here. Come on!"

"Eh? What happened?" he questioned as she grabbed his arm and pulled him deeper into the place.

Eight months had passed by after the blast. Ragini and Laksh had grown closer over time. Their grief had made them bond at first. But over time, they began to work as partners in running the nursery. As a result, they became good friends and later, best friends.

"Look at this! All the roses from the plants. They only have one flower per plant now! They seem to have disappeared overnight! It's...it's just...how could it have happened?!"

"Oh. So that's the matter." Laksh rolled his eyes. "Rags, it's nothing to be so worked out over. Maybe Shyam plucked them for the day." he reasoned. Shyam was the boy who they kept as someone to tend to the plants when they were busy with their college classes.

"I did ask him! He said he didn't know. Oh Lucky! Where could they have gone? Did I never notice someone steal them? How could I have been so careless. I can't believe I let this happen! Oh my precious roses!"

"Rags, calm down. Calm down. I'm sure you kept them for the day's trade."

"But I don't remember plucking them."

"Oho Ragini Gadodia. You stress too damn much! Learn to chill, will you?" he smirked at her and tossed her the coat that she had kept on the nearby chair. "Tell you what? I'll treat you to some hot chocolate. In this cool weather, it will be a nice refresher. Besides, today college is closed! Let's go out and enjoy! Shyam can handle the customers for some hours."

"But...but the roses? Wh-"

"No more of that! Let's go!"

After sometime...

Ragini blinked at the cabin in front of him. They were in an expensive restaurant where Laksh had booked a cabin for them. "I thought you meant having hot chocolate at some cafe. What's this all of a sudden out of the blue?"

"You ask too many questions. Just get in!" he pushed her inside the cabin.

Raining squinted her eyes as she tried to spot the things into the dark room. "Lucky, the lights aren't working! Lucky? Lu-" she gasped as the lights suddenly flickered on. But it wasn't the kind of lights she expected.

Small string lights lit up on the table. She looked on as the string from the table extended towards the wall and formed a beautiful contrast against the dark room. The miny heart shaped origami covered lights were the cutest. She couldn't help but feel amazed as she gazed at them.

"Lu-Lucky? What is all this?"

Suddenly, the string lights dimmed out and LCDs flickered on, filling the room with white light. She blinked to adjust her sight to the sudden brightness. Her eyes widened when she looked at the table. Words failed her as she kept staring in awe and bewilderment.

It was the same roses that she had been despe searching for. 'Thus this mean Lucky was the one who plucked them out even before I got to the nursery today? But why? What is all this?!' she had a hunch, but it still felt surreal to her. She shakily went near the chair and sat down to calm down her nerves. "L-Lucky?"

Laksh entered the room with a smile on his face. He had rose in his hand as he kept nearing her. "Ragini, it's been almost a year since we met each other. It was on that rainy day that we crossed paths, didn't we? I never imagined that you would come to become such an important person to me. Now that I've learned to love with you in my life, I don't...I don't think I can imagine a life where you aren't beside me."

She sucked in a breath at his words. By his words, anyone would know what he was trying to do. All she wanted to do was leap into his arms, but refrained herself. She bit her lip to stop the squeal that threatened to break out.

Laksh kneeled down before her. "You're my before everything else Ragini. And I refuse to give that place to another girl. You're smart, beautiful and kind. But most of all, you have a hart of gold. There's nothing I want to change about you, but your last name from Gadodia to Maheshwari. Any man would be lucky to be able to call you his. But Ragini, I want that man to be me. I want the person who brings you happiness to be me. You're the reason for my smile Ragini. Will you let me be the reason for yours?"

"Oh my goodness, yes, yes, YES!" Ragini jumped out of the chair and pulled him into a bear hug.

Laksh grinned the broadesrof grins as he hugged her back.

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The fifth time...it was the end of a happy love story.

"You still look so pretty." he winked at her.

Ragini hit him lightly with the little energy she had. "You're seventy. And yet, you flirt like a teenager?"

"I'm young at heart, my pretty lady." he replied in good humour. However, his shaky voice gave out his worry, making her smile at him.

"I don't have much time Lucky. Both the and I know that."

And indeed they did. Also did their children and their grandchildren. That was why they had just left the two of them alone in Ragini's last moments. They wanted to give the true lovers some quality time.

Laksh let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah. I wish I had more time with you beside me."

"I thought you found me irritating as a wife for thirty eight years."

"Hahaha...! True that." he tried to force out a laugh. But the sound was hollow.

Ragini sighed with a content face. "Don't cry for me Lucky. I've nothing to regret." she extended her shaky hand towards him which Laksh caught midway. He kissed it with affection, making her smile while a long tear escaped her eye. "I got to live a life as your wife. We raised two healthy children who are successfully established. They care for us and never have forgotten their duties towards us. And we also got to see our beautiful grandkids."

"Ye-yes. You're absolutely correct. They are angels in our lives."

She sucked in a deep breath and let out a shuddering one. The beep of the heart monitor slowed just by some milliseconds. But Laksh didn't need to know the technical signs. He already knew by the look on Ragini's face that she was about to rest....forever.

He never left her hand. He didn't want to. Not now. He wasn't ready to let her go. He didn't think he would ever b able to let her go.

"Laksh Maheshwari, I love you. I always have and always will."

"And Ragini Laksh Maheshwari, I love you to the moon and back." he replied with a shaky smile, his voice becoming a jumbled mess in his throat that refused to come out steadily.

She chukcled lightly and nodded. Her face was serene and peaceful. Like the day she looked on her wedding day. Just simply enchanting and out of this world.

"You're beautiful."

"Th...thank you Lucky." she replied weakly. "W-will you h-hug me one last tim-me?"

"Anything for you Ragini." he moved forward and wrapped his arms around her weakened form.

Somewhere, the breeze blew over a garden of daisies. The flower of love. The moon shine upon the two lovers from the open window.

A few minutes later, the doctors and their family members came in. They noticed the heart monitor had only a straight line displaying and they knew.

There eldest son looked at the pair won sorrow. "She's no more Dad. But...but she still looks beautiful, doesn't she."

"Yes brother. Mother looks so peaceful. Like an angel." spoke his younger brother. "Father, aren't we right?"

When they didn't find any movement from their father, they wondered if he was crying silently as he hugged their mother's body. After a moment, when there was no change, the eldest tried to touch his shoulder.

At that, Laksh's arm fell limp and hung lazily from his body. His face revealed to have a content smile, but other than that, he wasn't moving.

Their hands were still clasped together, but we're still.

It was enough a sign for them. And they knew...

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The End

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹