SS. Arrangement - Page 3

N - put your list in this envelope. Mine is already in its envelope. The night before our wedding as per tradition we cant meet or speak. Open it that night.

Ragini smiled in appreciation of the effort nachiket was putting into the marriage.

N - my cab is here. Lets get you to work and then me to the airport.

They reached the hospital. Ragini hugged him and got out. She heard nachiket call out.

R - what now?

N - leave everyday at 5pm sharp. Message me when you reach home. Take maa for her check up on friday to Dr. Kumar. Most important stay away from aman and nivedita

R - i love you

Both just smiled from their heart

N - i should have had my dessert at home. Now we are in a public place.

R - you can have as much dessert as you like when you return. Now please go and no dessert in Singapore

N - love you. Bye

Nachiket spoke to ragini till it was time to take off. He called as soon as he landed. She was going home then. They skyped till ragini fell asleep.

The next few days were the same. They removed a lot of time for each other but also completed their work.

Aman did try to talk to ragini as predicted by nachiket but she kept away.

It was sunny in Singapore. Nachiket told ragini how his hotel had an infinity pool. She coaxed him to go try it out on the weekend. On Sunday he did go to swim as he waited for ragini to return from the temple with maa. He had 3 hours to kill. All of a sudden he felt a feminine body sneak up behind him and hug him in the pool. He turned around to see nivedita in a tiny red bikini.

Ni - hi. What a pleasant surprise. How long have you been here. I have been here since last week

N - i just arrived on tuesday.

Ni - good. Lets catch up for dinner tonight. No excuses. See you at 7. I have to go now. My boyfriend is waiting.

Nachiket went for the dinner after skyping with ragini. He did tell her. She just said she trusted him and wanted him to come back soon.

The dinner was a disaster. Nivedita kept getting too comfortable and clingy.

N - thats enough. You know i am engaged. Then why this behaviour.

Ni - chill nachiket. You started seeing ragini when we were engaged.

N - what rubbish. I dont owe you an explanation. Get a life and goodbye!

It was late in india. Ragini was asleep. Nachiket slept and got ready for his morning flight. Pam informed him to say bad weather had postponed her flight by a day. This gave him a day to be with ragini and tell her about nivedita

Before take off

N - ragini, i will pick you in my cab from work when i land.

R - ok. I will wait. Have a safe flight.

N - i cant wait to see you

R - me neither

N - hi. I just landed. Are you done with work?

R - not yet. Will finish at 7. Dr. Aman wants some changes made in some payroll related matter. It needs to be done so that the payments go through. He is waiting back as i need his signature. You sound tired. Go home and we can talk on the phone. You anyways need to pick Pam early in the morning

N - ok. But dont forget to call me at 7. I will wait.

R - ok. I will

Nachiket reached home and had some coffee. He felt very uneasy and was waiting for 7pm.

A - ragini this is sorted. You can go now. Its almost 7.30

R - yes. Goodnight!

As ragini walked out of the hospital aman followed her

A - its late. Should i drop you home?

R - i have gone home later than this before.

A - ragini we work in the same place. Forget the past. I will drop you home. I insist.

N - you shouldn't. Her driver is here Dr. Aman

R - when did you come here.

N - waiting outside since 7pm. Dr. Aman you have a good night. Chalo ragini

Nachiket held raginis hand possesively to show aman. Ragini understood that and she was glad he came

R - good you came. How was the trip?

N - it was ok. Ragini i know its late. Do you mind staying out for a bit. Where ever you say. I dont mind sitting in the car.

R - Lets go home maa has made dinner. You love her food

N - no. Another day. I will drop you home.

They reached home and ragini insisted nachiket come upstairs and say hi to maa.

M - how ru beta? How was your trip?

N - was good maa. I just came to drop ragini

R - and have dinner

Nachiket looked at her with an irritated face

R - maa can nachiket and me have dinner in my room. We just need to discuss the guest list.

M - yes. Why not. I am going to go meet some building ladies. They are having a send off dinner for Mrs. Shah who is going to live with her son in Canada. I will be back by 10pm. Ragini, you need to make rotis. I made the rest. I will just go change now.

N - thanks. Thats just what i need. Some good food and your company.

R - i will go make the rotis. You watch some television

Maa left and ragini was almost done with the rotis. She served the food and asked him to come to her room. They ate while Nachiket told her about the nivedita episode.

R - why did you propose marriage to her at that party? You never loved her

N - i was very angry when i heard about you and aman. I hated that man. Plus pam kept nagging me. She had met Nivedita a few times and liked her. It was all just too much. I wasnt thinking straight. Now that you ask me. Even I dont know why i proposed.

R - thanks for honestly telling me everything. Do you want dessert

Nachiket looked at her weirdly and ragini hit her head

R - i meant. I can make that quick halwa you like. You rest till then

She left the room embarassed. Nachiket sat looking around. He was in this room after 7 years. He saw a familiar diary on the table. The one ragini would always hide. He began reading it. It was the diary ragini would write all her hidden feelings for nachiket. His eyes got watery. The earliest entry was in college. It was around a paragraph each week or month. She loved him sense then. Last entry was the day he proposed a few days back which read.

"So now that we are going to be married. I don't want to continue writing this diary. I will have you in person to talk to. This diary has served its purpose"

R - nachiket, the halwa is ready. Sorry i took sometime. What did you do for so lo...

Her words got stuck when she saw him with the diary. She just turned around and began to cry silently. Nachiket hugged her from the back.

N - all these years. Why didnt you tell me?

R - i never thought i could match up to the girls you would date.

He turned her around

N - for the record. You not being able to concieve is not something that bothers me. We can always adopt a child.

Ragini hugged him tight.

N - i am sorry i didnt fall for you earlier. I cant believe i have been such an idiot. We missed on so many happy years together. I promise i will make it up to you.

R - we should get the guest list done just to show maa

N - hmmm

R - stop staring at me. You make your list. I will make mine

Both had a list of about 75 people each. They wanted it small and intimate

R - can you get Pam here for dinner tomorrow?

N - i will speak to her and let you know. I think day after will be better. Let her rest.

R - that is better. That way she will have more energy to taunt me.

N - she is not that bad. In the years i was with her she spent her time just behind the kids. God has blessed her with kids that don't give her time to breathe

R - are you serious?

N - they are mini monsters. I was their partner in crime to make her life miserable. RK would bear the brunt of her anger. So it was all good

They both laughed and spoke till maa returned. Nachiket told Ragini he will pick her in the morning as by then Pam would be home and resting

Next morning as usual at 8.30 nachiket was waiting

R - goodmorning! How is Pam?

Nachiket burst out laughing

N - she has said she doesnt want to meet you or anyone till the kids arrive.

R - why?

N - she just wants peace and quiet. She wants to just sit at home and have the servants cook for her. She booked a different kind of spa treatment for the next 5 days.

R - wow. The kids are a handful

N - anyways. She has invited maa and you home on Friday. She just wants to be home. Is that ok?

R - i dont mind. As long as its a pleasant meeting. I don't want maa to be hurt or insulted

N - that is my responsibility.

They reached the hospital. While walking in nachiket reminded her that he needs to go to the apartment at 4pm to receive the delivery of the furniture.

They had lunch together and at 4 when Nachiket was leaving he saw ragini waiting near the car.

R - i left early from work. I want to be there when they get the furniture. Sorry but i am excited.

N - its ok. Its your house now as well

Ragini squealed and hugged him.

N - PDA...i thought that was off limits

R - for you. Not me

N - how rude. Lets go now, we are already late.

Ragini instructed where she wanted the furniture placed. It was all done by 5.30pm

N - good job. I like the way the house looks. Ragini i need to show you something. I hope you like them. Just some clothes i picked for you

Nachiket removed a big bag. Ragini got scared thinking they would be all western dresses. She slowly opened the bag. There were 3 very beautiful sarees and with them the 3 jewellery sets she had shortlisted but not bought.

R - these are the same ones right?

Nachiket nodded his head in agreement.

R - the sarees are so beautiful. This all must be so expensive.

N - they are part of your wedding shopping. Your going to be a bride. Its ok to have these. Please accept them as gifts from your future husband. Put them in this part of the wardrobe here.

R - this is your wardrobe.

N - its ours. We will share this one. I any way dont use the entire wardrobe. The new one you can use to put your other stuff.

R - i dont have so many things

N - your a lady. Trust me you will have enough to fill it up.

Ragini walked very close to him and put her hands around his neck

R - for this extremely sweet gesture you do deserve some dessert

For the first time Ragini took the initiative to kiss Nachiket. He was shocked at first. But then he began deepening the kiss. Both fell on the bed but continued. After a while they lay there in each others arms.

N - the wedding is so far away. Your so close to me yet so far. Pandit bhi naa.

R - so where are we going for our honeymoon?

N - ok. Who are you and what have you done with my Ragini.

Saying so Nachiket got out of bed

N - pehle PDA, phir kiss, now honeymoon

Ragini got up laughing and began arranging her new gifts in their wardrobe. She then walked upto him and hugged him

R - you know that day you asked me what i was hiding. It was the fact that i never told you for so long that i loved you. Then yesterday you read my diary and said we missed out on a lot and that you would make it up to me. But i want to make it up to you. If i had shown faith in my love for you we would have been together years ago. My fear of not having the ability to bear kids made us loose out. Also i felt inferior to the girls you dated. After you left last night i decided to be more open with you. I want to enjoy life with you.

N - i absolutely love this version of you

Nachiket bent down for another kiss. Ragini pushed him away.

N - what? Its only 6.15pm

R - maa needs me home. We have a 7pm appointment with the tailor.

N - cancel it

R - i can't. Chalo. Lets go

N - i can't believe this. I get you 3 sarees and 3 sets of jewelry and i get 1 kiss

R - thats how much it costs to kiss the to be Ragini Khanna

N - out of my budget.

Ragini laughed and walked out of the door with a frowning nachiket behind her.