Đọc truyện SHIKWA (✔)

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Song above: Shikwa by Mani Dhillon

***

Four years ago

Maheshwari group of Institutions, Kolkata

Like every other day, students were sitting in their class, waiting for their professor to come. Ragini was sitting alone because her two friends were sitting together. It was her turn to sit alone that day. The three of them were talking and laughing. Everyone turns silent as the professor enters inside, followed by a boy of the age of other students in the class. Everyone greets the professor who nods to them.

"Students, I know it's almost the end of your post graduation. Only one semester is left and here we've a new student who has been transferred here from some other college because of some personal reasons." says the professor signing towards the boy who came with him.

"I hope you all will help him about what all he missed in the studies and will befriends with him. So, I introduce your new classmate, Arhaan Mehra to you all." the professor announces.

Everyone just nods their heads and the professor tells Arhaan to take a seat. He looks around the classroom and his eyes falls on the empty seat besides Ragini. He moves towards her direction.

"Can I?" he asks and Ragini nods.

She was looking at his face. He was handsome without any doubt and his amber eyes were so attractive and beautiful that she couldn't help herself from drowning into them. He was charming.

Arhaan sits besides her and the professor starts with the lecture.

"What's your name?" he asks with his charming smile, looking at Ragini who was looking at him already.

"Ragini Gadodia" she replies.

"From where you've come to this college?" she asks.

"London" he says and then curses himself in his mind.

"What? London?" she asks a little shocked.

"Oh, did I say London? No, it's Landane." he says.

"Where's this place? I never heard of this." she asks confused.

'Even I didn't.' he thinks.

"It's one of the not so famous places in India. It's normal that you didn't hear about it." he says and takes a breath of relief when he feels her believing his words.

The class keeps going on. While Ragini's focus was on the lecture, Arhaan was looking at the girls who were giving him looks. He was even winking at a few and Ragini didn't fail to notice that.

'Playboy alert!' she thinks.

The class gets over and students starts leaving the classroom. Ragini also starts leaving with her friends but Arhaan stops her by calling her name.

"Ragini, can you help me with the notes?" he asks hopefully.

Ragini looks at her friends who nods to her. She then nods to Arhaan and both of them leaves together.

"So, you like playing around." she asks while they were walking to some place where they can sit.

"Maybe!" he says chuckling.

"You should have took my notes. Why you brought me with you?" she asks as a matter of fact.

"Because I wanted a company. It's my first day know. What if I got lost?" he asks innocently.

Ragini rolls her eyes as they sits on a bench in the ground of the college campus. Ragini started helping him but he was least interested. He wasn't doing anything sincerelybut was joking and was laughing seeing her seriousness.

"If you don't want to do it then don't waste my time. I'm going." she says as she stands up.

Arhaan holds her hand before she could move. He also stands up.

"Don't you feel that studying is the most boring thing in the world?" he asks with a pout.

"Just keep on cramming the words then paste them on the answer sheets in exams and the very next second everything gets erased from mind." he continues.

Ragini couldn't help but laugh at his words.

"You're funny." she says in between her laughs.

He also chuckles with her.

"This is the truth baby. Okay, let's go to the music hall." he says.

Ragini looks at him confused.

"Why? And don't call me that." she warns.

He doesn't reply but pulls her with him. They reaches the music hall with Ragini telling the directions.

"Do you know playing any musical instrument?" asks Arhaan to Ragini while looking at the various musical instruments.

Ragini shakes her head in a no. She was about to ask him whether he knows to play any but before that he moves ahead and picks up a guitar. He then pulls a chair and sits. Ragini keeps looking at him without saying anything.

Arhaan starts playing a beautiful and mesmerizing tune with the guitar. Ragini is left surprised with his talent. She smiles at him as he keeps on playing the guitar. Everyone who was present in that room were also listening to it.

After he finished everyone clapped for him. He smiles at them and moves towards Ragini.

"You were too good." says Ragini with a wide smile.

"Thank you. Let's go now. I don't think we have a free lecture at this time." he says.

Ragini nods and both of them leaves the hall.

"So, you like playing guitar." she asks.

"No! I love playing guitar. It's my passion. I don't feel peace if I don't play guitar at least once in a day." he replies.

Just then a peon comes there.

"Principal sir is calling you." says the peon to Arhaan.

Arhaan nods and looks at Ragini.

"You go to the class. I'm coming after meeting u... principal sir." he says.

Ragini nods and Arhaan leaves with the peon.

'The principal called him personally? Strange!' she thinks.

She shakes the thought away and leaves for her class.

Like that their friendship kept on growing and that day didn't take much time to come when they started calling each other their best friend.

Arhaan made many friends in the college. He was a total flirt, naughty, prankster, funny, dramatic and joyful guy. He never used to take anything seriously. Everything was fun for him. Flirting around was one of his most favourite hobbies. No one knew anything about his family and home. He never told anything to anyone.

Ragini used to prefer spending all her time in the college with him. Many times he used to go to his other friends and girlfriends which Ragini never used to like. She used to think that she'll never fall for the playboy but little did she know that her heart has already fallen for his charm. And Arhaan's feelings were also unknown to her.

***

Present time

Bangalore, Karnataka

Ragini was preparing breakfast while her daughters were sitting with Arjun. She looks at the clock and her eyes widens seeing the time. She immediately packs Tiffins for her little girls and fills their water bottles. She takes a plate full of poha and runs out of the kitchen.

"Aanu Ishu, come on have your breakfast fast. You're getting late." she says as she comes to the hall.

She sits in between her twin daughters and starts putting the spoons with poha in their mouths turnwise. After finishing she puts their Tiffins and water bottles in their bags. She hangs her own bag on her shoulder and hangs their bags on theirs. She holds both of her daughters' hands and moves out of the house after bidding bye to Arjun.

She makes her daughters sit in the backseat of the car and drives off to their school.

"Mumma, today we ale(are) going to lean(learn) to dwaw(draw) lines." says Ishanvi happily.

"That's great!" says Ragini smiling.

"Aanu, you also have to learn." says Ragini looking at Aanya through the mirror. She was sitting uninterested.

"Mumma, ish(is) it impoltant(important) to go to shchool(school)?" Aanya asks pouting.

"Don't you feel that studying is the most boring thing in the world?" he asks with a pout.

Ragini shakes her head at the thought of him.

"Yes beta. If you'll go to school then you'll become successful when you'll get big." says Ragini.

"Mumma, what is suc... suchcheful..." asks Ishanvi.

"You mean successful?" asks Ragini smiling at her daughter's attempt to say the word.

Ishanvi nods.

"Means, in a way you'll get whatever you want on your own. You don't need to ask anyone for it." explains Ragini to her daughters.

"Even chocolatesh(chocolates)?" asks Aanya excitedly.

Ragini nods chuckling. The little girls grins at that.

Ragini comes out of the car as they reaches the kindergarten and brings her daughters out as well. They enters inside the colorful building. She sits on her knees in front of her daughters.

"Be good girls and take care of each other. Don't fight in the school, okay." she says as she kisses both of their cheeks.

The girls also kisses either sides of her face.

"Okay mumma... We'll fight aftel(after) coming home." both of them says together.

Ragini laughs at the two little pieces of her heart. The girls then enters inside their wing. Ragini looks at her watch and runs to her car. She drives away to her office.

***

It was lunch time for Ragini. She was sitting in the office canteen with some of her colleagues. She looks at the time and calls Arjun.

"Hello! Did you reach school to pick them?" asks Ragini as soon as he picks up the call.

"Yeah, I did. You don't need to remind it to me daily." he says chuckling.

"It's just..."

"I know. You're a mother and you can't stop yourself from worrying about your daughters. Don't worry, I'm waiting outside the building only. They'll be coming out any moment." he says in an assuring tone.

"Okay... Thank you..." saying this she disconnects the call.

She stands up after finishing her lunch and turns to leave but her legs stops moving when her ears catches the voice of the girl speaking on the LED screen hanging in the canteen.

"The biggest news of the hour is that next week there's a big event going to be organized in Bangalore for all of the Indian businessmen. There are news that the most successful youngest business tycoon from West Bengal is going to get the best businessman award this year. The award will be given during the event. And if you don't know who that young businessman is then let us tell you, he is Laksh Maheshwari, the heir and only son of late Industrialist Durgaprasad Maheshwari. The Maheshwari group holds the second position among the list of best Industries in India." says the girl on the screen.

Ragini's heart starts racing at that. Her palms starts sweating and her body gets goosebumps. She didn't need to turn to look at the screen because she knew whose picture must be shown on the screen. She closes her eyes shut and takes a few deep breaths. She opens her eyes again and runs from there.

She enters inside the ladies washroom and stands in front of the large mirror.

"He's coming here! Why?" she says as she starts throwing water on her face.

"No no... He can't come here! He should not! Ragini Ragini Relax! He's coming to this city not to your house. He'll not even come to know that you're here. Just calm down. Everything is fine. Everything will be fine. You're worrying for no reason." she starts assuring herself.

She composes herself and makes herself presentable before leaving the washroom.

***

Kolkata, West Bengal

It is night now and a huge mansion is seen. A black car stops in front of the mansion and a man comes out of the car. He enters inside the house and directly goes to his room, ignoring all the questions of the servants about what he would like to have. He removes his suit jacket and makes his way to the washroom. He comes out after sometime with a towel draped around his waist and water droplets were still there on his body from the shower he took. He takes out his clothes from the wardrobe and wears them. He then makes his way out of the room again. He moves to a room in the very corner of the house and enters inside.

The room was completely dark. He moves his hand to the switchboard and turns on the lights. The room lits up at that. He moves towards a cupboard placed in the corner and opens it. He takes out a guitar from the cupboard and sits on a large chair placed in the centre. He closes his eyes and starts playing the guitar and also starts singing after sometime.

Mainu yaad ae oh din oh raat
Har pal har gal tere dil di baat (x2)

Mera tere val takna
Tu neevi paake hasna
Main tera haan tu meri
Har ik nu hai dasna