Back with Part II of the fic. This one is a long one. Just hope you have the patience to read till the end. 😂

Was too lazy to update. But then made myself write it out anyway. So I hope my efforts were worth it and I hope you like it. If you do, please vote so that I feel motivated to continue.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes." - Talking

'Words in single quotes.' - Thoughts

Symphony - Part II

Ragini woke up to the sounds of the morning hustle and bustle of the city. Blinking her eyes, she looked around at the unfamiliar room. As she noticed the various equipments and the four white walls, everything came back to her and she realized she was still at the hospital.

With the realization came back her father's words and the tragedy that has befallen her. However, Ragini's eyes didn't shed a tear after the entire night she spent sobbing. Tears failed her. They failed to express the extent of heartache she was going through. Only thing she did was let out a shaky sigh that expressed how tired she was.

Tired of being pushed over. Tired of being taken for granted. Tired of being used. Tired of everything...

Ragini looked out of the window towards the birds flying freely in the sky. 'What would I give...if I could live...out of these waters...' she smiled to herself. That was the tune of her favorite mermaid fairy tale when she was a child. 'Sometimes...sometimes I just wish I could be a child and not have to face all the problems of adulting.'

The door creaked open, distracting her from her thoughts. She looked over to see Swara emerge along with Shramishtha. Ragini nodded at them.

"Hello Ragini." Swara approached with a soft smile. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"I...I see. Are you healing well?"

"Yes."

Shramishtha came near and placed a hand on Ragini's head. "We hurried over as soon as we got up. I'm glad you're fine beta."

Ragini smiled at her. "I'm okay Maa. You shouldn't over worry. Where is Dadi? Doesn't she want to see me?"

"She wanted to come right at the crack of dawn! But Grand Pa wanted to come as well. And you know he cannot leave until he has his morning meal according to the planned diet. So, they'll come after an hour. As for your baba, I sent him home just now. He will be back with your grandparents no doubt."

"I see Maa." Ragini hugged her with a content smile. "I missed you."

"I'm always there for you beta."

Swara swallowed with a saddened look. 'Ragini talks with Maa. But she's  giving me clipped answers. Is she mad at me because of what happened? I won't blame her if she is. Even I blame myself!'

Nevertheless, Swara put on a smile and sat near Ragini. "You'll be fine in no time Ragini! And then we can go eat all the panipuris you want!"

"I would like that." Ragini smiled back, but Swara could see it didn't reach her eyes.

Shramishtha noticed the tension between the sisters. "I brought you some foods. But I have to go and confirm with the doctor you are allowed to eat it. You girls chat."

Shramishtha left them alone thinking they would be able to resolve their conflict. However, there was an awkward silence. Last time such awkwardness happened was when they didn't know they were half sisters.

And Swara hated that Ragini was treating her as a stranger. It pained her.

"Ragini what happened was...I..."

"Did you eat Swara?"

Swara was taken aback by Ragini's change of topic. "I...yeah."

"Good. I hope the doctor allows me to eat Maa's cooked food." she spoke with a smile.

"Yeah." Swara smiled back. She bit her lip, wondering if she should try again. "Ragini, what happened with Laksh and me wa-"

"Did Baba eat?"

"Ragini please...please let me explain." Swara pleaded.

However, Ragini looked away. Moving a bit, she turned away from Swara and closed her eyes. "I'm feeling tired Swara. Could I please rest until Maa arrives?"

"Ragini..." Swara felt tears cloud her vision as Ragini kept ignoring her pleas. "Rag-"

"Please Swara. I'm tired."

Swara sucked in a shaky breath and swallowed hard. Nevertheless, she nodded. "O-Okay." Ragini's cold responses hurt her deeply. But she knew it was because Ragini was hurt and heartbroken. Without a word, Swara walked away, knowing she would end up crying if she stayed longer.

As she felt Swara leave the room, Ragini slowly opened her eyes with a pained look. She bit her lip to stifle her sob. A single tear fell from her eye onto her pillow.

She knew what she did hurt Swara. And she wanted to hurt Swara. She wanted Swara to be in pain, even though she knew it was wrong for her to want that since it wasn't Swara's fault Laksh liked her. But she wanted her to be in the same pain she was going through. 'She's got Laksh's love. She's always been the better daughter. And she will also succeed me in singing now that my voice is...my...' Ragini fisted the bed sheets in her hand and squeezed her eyes shut hoping to stop the nonstop tears. However, they refused to stop.

Later...

"Yes. That's the room." Shekhar pointed to Parvati. "Go ahead. I have to meet with the doctor."

She nodded and walked forward with her husband towards Ragini's room.

Shekhar took a turn and knocked on the doctor's cabin.

"Ah! Mr. Gadodia. Right on time."

Shekhar sat down on the chair with a confused look. "Did something happen?"

The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry if it makes you feel guilty but...but did you go outside around 1am yesterday?"

"For some fresh air." Shekhar sighed. "I didn't want to. But the day's stress was so muc-"

"I understand Sir. But the fact is that Ragini...how to put this...she was in fatal danger."

Shekhar's heart skipped a beat in fear. "Wh-what?! But you said she was out of danger!"

"She is. But...but I guess the news of the defect in her voice affected her drastically. She seemed to have clogged her throat from all the crying and sobbing that somehow her air pipe had difficulty sucking in air."

"But she said she was okay. She...she..." Shekhar shook his head in regret. "She always hides her pain. I should have never believed her! Why?! Why did I listen when she said she was okay?!"

"It's fine Shekhar ji. The boy from yesterday...one you shouted at...he came on time."

"Laksh knew about it?" Shekhar asked in surprise.

The doctor nodded. "It would seem that he was keeping an eye out for her. He rushed inside my office, almost breaking the door! It was because of him that we could stabilize her in time."

"And I was strolling right outside?! I'm a stupid excuse for a father!"

"Hey, don't blame yourself. You couldn't have known."

"Thank you doctor. If it wa-"

"The boy is the one you should thank for this, not me."

Shekhar grit his teeth. "So what?! Is this some sort of great deed that is supposed to make me forgive him? If he thinks this will make me forget what he did, then he's fooling himself!"

"Actually, he told not to tell you anything, since he thought you would blame yourself. I'm the one who's revealing it because I want you to let him near Ragini." the doctor spoke with a chuckle. "I know I should be a professional, but his devotion to Ragini really touched me. I think you should give him a chance."

"You don't know what he's done."

The doctor sighed and opened his glasses. "I don't. But from my own experiences in life, I can say that everyone deserves a second chance. After all, if we were so perfect, we wouldn't be humans."

"Why should I give him a second chance?"

The doctor cleared his glasses and put them back on, getting up to leave. "Well, think about it Shekhar ji. In life, we all commit some grave mistakes and it's often then that we change. After all, can you say that you've never done something drastic that you regret? I'm sure you were thankful to have a second chance."

#9 pm#

Laksh peeked from the hallway to see who all were there in Ragini's room.

He had skipped work and came to the hospital after his breakfast without telling anyone back home. He had stayed hidden and kept an eye till night. He knew his father would be angry if he knew. But Laksh didn't care. Ragini's health was more important. And after the incident the night before, Laksh felt more fear for her fragile state.

The previous night, he had been watching her cry helplessly from the door. Every cry if her pained him. But he made himself watch it. Because he wanted to feel the pain, the guilt. He knew he deserved it. However, what he didn't expect was Ragini to suddenly choke and gasp for air.

Laksh stood there frozen for a minute, unable to look away and also too struck by horror to move.

However, he managed to get back to his senses and rushed towards the doctor's cabin.

Shaking his head from the memory of the terrible real-life nightmare, he tried to listen in.

From what he could make out, it seemed only he and Shekhar were the ones who knew about the problem with Ragini's voice. The others seemed unaware of it.

Laksh watched as Shekhar told a nurse to look after Ragini, while he came out to bid the others goodbye.

Once they left, Laksh emerged from his hiding place and peeked into Ragini's room. It brought a smile to his face seeing his friend eat the pieces of an apple. The nurse beside her made her sit straight while she fixed the pillows.

Laksh glared at the nurse's head from outside. 'Can't she fix one, place it behind Ragini's back and then fix the other. Why is disturbing Ragini while eating? Aish! She should be charged!'

Too caught up in his own musings, he was too late to notice that Ragini saw him. She was looking at him with wide eyes with her hand half way towards her mouth, holding an apple.

Seeing him, she put it back on the plate and handed it back to the nurse. Laksh didn't know what they talked, but the next thing he knew the nurse was walking out with a glare towards him.

"Um...hi?"

She huffed and placed the plate in his hand with an angry huff. "Go make her eat! I made her have this after a lot of convincing, and she stopped after seeing you! Now, go and make her eat before I lose my job!"

"What the...you should be able to do your duty properly. Wh-"

"I WAS UNTIL PEST LIKE YOU BUTTED IN!"

Laksh wanted to point out how she didn't know to do her job. However, she looked ready to punch him. He simply nodded and went inside Ragini's room, closing the door behind him. Letting out a relieved sigh, he took in the scene before him.

The room seemed so peaceful and quiet. The rhythmic beeps of the equipments created a sound that sounded almost like a monotonous tune. Licking his dry lips, he walked closer to the bed with silent steps.

Ragini had her eyes open. However, she was staring at the wall in front of her, not looking at him.

Laksh looked around, thinking how to start a topic. The bouquet of flowers beside her bed on the table gave him an idea.

Walking closer, he poured some water into the vase from the bottle. "These flowers look lovely, don't they?"

"Maa brought them fresh." Ragini responded in a flat tone.

'She still doesn't look at me.' Laksh thought miserably. "Um...shall I get you some more tomorrow?"

"No thanks. And..." Ragini turned her head towards him, making him smile. "Don't come here any longer. You're ruining my mood."

Laksh was taken aback by the coldness in her voice. "I understand."

"No you don't. If you understood me, you would have never lied to me."

"I...I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry?!" Ragini's voice rose with each word. "I loved you and you betrayed me. That too...that too with my own sister?! You two were people whom I trusted the most, cared for the most...loved the most and...and..." Ragini let out a shaky breath, unable to continue further.

"I'm...I'm sorr-"

"Stop saying sorry! Just...just leave."

"I will. I won't trouble you again. But let me explain things to you."

"You cheated on me, broke my trust and my heart! You despicable being."

Laksh's eyes widened at the words leaving Ragini's mouth. Never could he have imagined such hatred from her. It was clear that she completely and utterly despised him. "I didn't mea-"

"You destroyed my life Laksh. You destroyed the thing that made me proud of myself...the thing that was mine and mine alone."

Laksh could feel his own guilt and regret emerge in the form of suppressed tears. She was no doubt talking about her singing talent for high octaves. "I'm sorry..."

"No. Don't be sorry." Ragini rubbed away her tears and glared at him with her red, puffy eyes. "I won't ever forgive you for this. I loved you, that's true. But I love my singing and my skill more than you. Now...because of you I...I lost it! You killed me!"

Laksh felt like he was being pierced with a needle with each word that Ragini uttered. "Ra-" Laksh's head moved to the side when he felt her throw the pillow at his face.
"LEAVE!"

"Rag-" Laksh 'oof-ed' as another pillow was thrown.

"I said LEAVE!"

Laksh watched with pained eyes as Ragini shouted at him. She looked angry, as well as broken.

"You ruined my life. You destroyed me! And I'm afraid what more you'll take from me if you be near. Please leave. L-leave!" Ragini shouted, sobbing out in anguish. "Just...just...l-leave..."

Laksh wanted to apologize... he wanted to help, he wanted to comfort her. Yet, the moment he stepped forward, she could see her harsh breathing and her eyes turning wide in fear from...from him. Laksh could take it no more and ran out of the room as fast as he could.

Closing the door behind him, he slid down the door and fell to his knees. As he sat there trying to stifle his sobs, Ragini's fear stricken face came back to him, haunting him. 'I'm a monster in her eyes. I'm the monster that stole the precious gift she had as hers!' Laksh rocked himself back and forth, his eyes distraught, his mind reeling and his breaths coming out in harsh pants. "Why? Why am I so wretched?!"

"How dare you be here?!"

Laksh looked up with pained eyes at Swara. "Swara, help me. I...I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless. I...I feel like I'm dying. I'm dying but not dead. I'm suffering, yet I can't let myself cry because that would be too easy. I deserve to suffer! But...but it's too much. I can't...I..."

"Enough!" Swara was too angry to listen to him. In her eyes it was Laksh's fault that Ragini was cold to her. He was the cause of the rift in their relationship and he was why Ragini had the accident. Too angry, she didn't notice how her friend was shaking in panic.

Surging forward, she grabbed him by the arm and pushed him away. "Go away. I don't want to see your face!"

"Swara, not you too. Please...I don't want to be alone. Please list-"

"Leave!" Swara pushed him hard.

Laksh was already too emotionally unstable and would have fallen down on the ground if it wasn't for the person who held him up.

Both Laksh and Swara were surprised to see it was him who helped Laksh.

"Enough! Swara, look over Ragini for now. As for you Laksh, come with me." without further words, Shekhar pulled away a shocked Laksh with him.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

To be continued...

If you liked this chapter, consider giving it a vote. Thanks!

~ 🌹 Mona 🌹