Just an SS. Inspired by the song Symphony by Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson.

Moving on... 💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking.

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Timeline - After Ragini hears Laksh confess to Swara.

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Symphony - Part I

"I'm sorry but that's how the situation is."

"Please doctor. Isn't there anything we can do to help her improve?"

The doctor sighed. "Look Sir. These type of cases...they're really hard to say. But..." he smiled at Shekhar with positivity. "The human will is an amazing thing. Who knows if she herself might be able to break of the shackles that hold her down?!"

Shekhar smiled with renewed hope. "You don't know my daughter Doctor. She's one of the strongest woman I've known. I'm sure she'll pull through."

The doctor got up to shake his hand before he left.

"Thank you for everything Doctor."

"It's my duty Sir. I'm glad to help."

Shekhar opened the door and exited. However, his smile changed into an angry frown seeing the very two persons responsible for the accident. "Who let you here?!"

"Baba, will Ra-"

"You do not have to ask about her. You're a nemesis in the name of her sister. GET OUT!"

"Shekhar, calm down. I...I let them come." Shramishtha explained. "Shekhar, please. They're already guilty."

"They deserve to be! Ragini's lying there almost lifeless because of you two!"

Laksh flinched. "Sir, it was my fault. Swara is innocent."

"Even after everything that happened, you're here to show off your young puppy love for each other?!" Shekhar grabbed Laksh by the collar and dragged him away. "Leave, or I might do something I'll regret!" he shouted, throwing Laksh towards the floor.

However, at the last moment, Adarsh arrived to catch him.

Looking up, Shekhar noticed all the Maheshwaris there.

"What is this Shekhar? I didn't expect such behavior from you." Durgaprasad criticized.

Shekhar let out a humorless laugh, moving a few steps back and pointing to the room nearby. "I didn't expect your son to get my daughter there either! I can't believe I ever thought to trust her entire life with Laksh as her husband!"

"Shekhar ji, what happened? How is Laksh responsible for Ragini's condition? I...I don't understand." Annapurna asked, genuinely confused.

"Why don't you ask your son?!" with one last sneer, Shekhar left towards Ragini's room.

"Laksh."

Laksh flicnhed at his father's hard tone. "Papa I..."

"Tell me that it is the Gadodias showing their uncivilized culture. I hope you haven't blotched the family name." Durgaprasad spoke, crossing his hands behind his back and looking at Laksh with a pointed look.

"Papa I...I confessed to Swara that I love her." a number of gasps were heard, making his fear increase. However, he continued. "Ragini overheard and ran sawyer before I could explain things and...and got into an accident."

"How could you Laksh?! Ragini loves you dearly! And you go betraying her like that?! That too...that too with her sister?!"

"Maa, it's not like that! I never wanted to string Ragini along. I wan-"

"Is this what I taught you Laksh Maheshwari?!" Durgaprasad hollered. "How much will you let me down in the fee years of life I have left? Are you determined to see me bow to Parvati Gadodia?!"

"Papa..."

"What? What can you possibly say to justify your actions?!"

Laksh kept looking at him with moist eyes. However, after a moment, he shook his head and turned away.

"Don't turn away. Face the consequences Laksh Maheshwari."

"I'm not running away. I just can't believe that someone whom I have high regards for is more worried about his pride than Ragini's life."

"Are you looking down upon me Laksh?!"

"No. I would never Papa. But...but how can you not ask if Ragini was okay? Or if she'll recover? Rather you are concerned about your tiff with her Dadi?"

Durgaprasad grit his teeth. "Control your son Annapurna. He's got a mouth on him nowadays that he even tries to teach me." Durgaprasad turned around. "And tell the Gadodias we shall pay for Ragini's recovery till the end. Other than that, our deal with the Gadodias is over. From now on, none of the Maheshwaris will meet with the Gadodias."

With those words, Durgaprasad left the place. Adarsh took one last look at Laksh and left with Parineeta, not willing to disobey his father.

Annapurna sighed. "I'm worried about Ragini as well Laksh. But her family is here for her. However, if you don't leave now, your father will be angry at you. Let's go beta."

"Maa, I want to see Ragini before I go. Please Maa..."

Annapurna looked at his desperate eyes. "Okay Laksh. I won't tell your father about it. But hurry back."

Laksh nodded and watched his mother leave the place. Hearing footsteps, he turned around. "Swa-" however, his words stopped feeling his cheek sting from her slap.

Swara breathed in hard, trying desperately to hold back her tears. "You...You! I told you to forget about me. I told you not to do this to Ragini. Look what happened now!"

Laksh simply nodded. "I...I never wanted her to get hurt. Believe me. She's a true friend to me. I ne-"

"Don't. Even. Try to say she's your friend. If you ever cared for her, then you wouldn't have led her to that room!" Swara shouted. "Because of you Baba hates me! I'm the biggest enemy of Ragini now in his eyes. How...how am I supposed to make him understand now?! He's fighting with Maa because of me. You broke our family apart!"

"That's enough Swara." Shramishtha came near and held her. "Shekhar is just worried for Ragini. That's why he was too harsh on you. Let's leave for now and let him calmly down."

"But Rag-"

"She'll be okay. We'll come back in the morning."

Despite Swara's hesitation, Shramishtha took her away, leaving Laksh alone in the corridor clueless as to what he should do.

#Ragini's room#

Shekhar sat beside Ragini on the bed. He stared with teary eyes at her sleeping face. If it wasn't for the various devices attached to her body, she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. "Beta, I'm so sorry. I should have never let Laksh near you. Only thing he had ever caused you is pain. I'm...I'm sorry beta."

Shekhar felt her hand twitch and looked at her in alarm. "Ra-Ragini?! Ragini beta? Beta, wake up!"

Slowly, but gradually, Ragini's eyes fluttered open. She closed them again as the lights were too bright. Shekhar turned them off and let the dim light on.

"Ba-Baba?" Ragini croaked out, her voice hoarse from not talking for hours.

Shekhar reached over and got a spoon full of water for her. Ragini took a sip and then another.

What both father and daughter didn't see was the person who stood outside her door and watches with a smile as she woke up.

'Thank goodness you're okay Ragini. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if something happened to you...ever!' Laksh sighed in relief and happiness. "You're okay..."

Ragini tried to sit up while Shekhar was putting back the glass on the table.

Laksh's feet almost moved inside. However, he stopped himself. He didn't want to distress her further by creating a scene.

"Careful beta!" Shekhar helped her sit and placed a pillow behind her back to make it comfortable. "How do you feel now beta?"

"I...I'm okay. There's...a bit of a headache. And I feel a little weak."

"Really?"

"Your daughter is strong Baba. I can still beat you at arm wrestling."

Shekhar chuckled. "I'm glad." he hesitated before speaking. "Do you...do you remember what happened?"

Ragini blinked owlishly at him.

Laksh watched from outside as her eyes moved left and right as if recalling. He felt his heart clench when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes followed by her stiffled sob.

Shekhar pulled her into a hug and patted her softly on the back. "Shh...beta. It's okay. You don't need to cry for that cheater Laksh or your betraying sister. They don't deserve your tears."

"Why Baba? Why does he not love me? Where did I go wrong?"

"The fault isn't in you Ragini. The fault is in him. He is the one who is drawn by looks and fickleness. You can't expect a fool to know the value of a diamond."

Ragini weeped in his hug, hiccuping now and then.

All the while, Laksh stood there outside, looking at them with eyes filled with regret. "I do realize the value of a diamond. And I know you're an amazing person Ragini." he spoke to himself. "But...but I can't help it if my heart already beats for another."

Laksh watched as Shekhar was finally able to calm her down enough to stop crying. He rubbed away her tears and handed her the glass of water. "Have this."

Ragini sniffed but took it. As she drank, she coughed. "Baba, I..." she cleared her throat. "My voice...somehow, something feels different."

Shekhar looked down in sadness. "Y-Yeah."

"Baba...do you know something I don't?" Ragini asked. "Baba, please...tell me. You're scaring me with how you're acting. Baba, is...is something wrong with me? Baba, tell me...please!"

The same desperate need to know was evident in Laksh's eyes. He too could feel a sense of dread set in his heart. 'What could be wrong?'

Shekhar couldn't bring it to look into her eyes. "Ragini you...your high notes."

Ragini could feel her blood grow cold at his words. Her high vocal notes in singing were what she prided in. They defined her. They were what made her shine among the other singers. "Baba...what...what do you mean?"

"Beta, the Doctor he..." Shekhar looked up with pained eyes. "He said that you hurt your neck in the accident. Although it's not severe, there seems to be a nerve that got affected. Because of that...noe if you try to sing your high notes, it will cause you pain. So...so you have to stop doing them from now on."

Laksh held a hand over his mouth to stop his loud gasp. 'No...no, no, no! Not...not that! Singing is Ragini's life, her passion. She can't loose her talent at high notes!'

Ragini didn't speak. She didn't blink. In fact, she seemed to be frozen in ice.

"Beta, I know it's a big blow to you. I can't even imagine how it must feel. But beta, look on the bright side." Shekhar smiled a shaky smile. "At least nothing else was effected. You can still sing. It's just the high notes that you have to avoid. And you're good to sing the other notes. That's a relief, right?!" Shekhar tried his best to cheer her up.

Laksh cringed. He knew what Shekhar was doing was only like salt on a wound. 'The person she loved betrayed her. And now, the thing she's so passionate about is lost to her. Ragini...Ragini I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for the accident...Its all my fault. All my fault!' Laksh could feel his ownthroat clog from the sobs that threatened to spill.

After a moment, a smile broke out on Ragini's face. "You're right Baba. I can still sing. And that's a relief. Right?"

Shekhar sighed, thinking he finally was able to cheer her up. "Yes, isn't it? Haha...!"

Ragini nodded. "Ba-Baba, can you get me s-some food?" her voice was breaking, but she tried hard to control it.

"Of course! I'll go the cafeteria right away." Shekhar lovingly patted his daughter's head and stood up.

Laksh hid behind the door as Shekhar passed him. Once he was gone, Laksh looked back inside. He knew from her voice that Ragini wasn't hungry. Rather, she wanted Shekhar gone. She wanted to be alone.

Laksh felt guilty for spying on her when she wanted to have a personal moment to herself. He turned to leave.

However her soft voice made him freeze.

"🎶 Oh raindrop, Oh raindrop...🎶" Ragini stopped and squeezed her eyes shut no doubt from pain in her head. "🎶 Oh raindrop O-ah!"

Laksh felt helpless as he watched her try to pitch the high notes, but only ended up hurting herself. 'Stop Ragini. You'll ruin your condition!'

"🎶 Oh rai-ah!"

Laksh almost ran in when he saw her clutch her head in pain and let out a shrill cry. 'Stop hurting yourself Ragini! Please...please...' although it wasn't him who was in pain, he felt he could almost feel hers as he watched her expressions.

Ragini opened her mouth as if to sing again. However, she stopped. Only a sob came out.

And then another.

Laksh watched in anguish as she brought her hand to control her loud sobs. As heavy sobs wrecked her body, he watched her tiny frame shake on sorrow and frustration.

He could only keep watching as she wept into the bed sheets, covering her loudest and most heart wrenching cries. He knew he should leave. It was something too personal...a side of her...the completely broken side of her which she would never show to anyone.

And yet, he was mesmerized. He couldn't make himself leave. It was as if his feet were stuck and his eyes glued to her figure.

As he watched her, he could feel her pain. He could almost visualize how broken she might be from the heart. His own heart felt like it was breaking apart as he watched her cry...like someone was shoving a knife in and out.

And yet...all he could do was watch on...

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To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona🌹