Hi SwaSanians! Here's the last shot of Not Guilty. I wrote it purely due to my yearning for Happily Ever After however, the shot doesn't go exactly to that extent. Once again, it draws some scenes/dialogues from the show due to their relevance and appeal. If you liked it, please let me know through your Votes and comments.

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Swara walked to the door when she saw Ragini move.

"Laksh? Did you come to see me? You forgave me?" She stretched her hand to reach Laksh.

"Never!" Laksh hadn't forgotten the games Ragini played and pushed her back in anger.

Swara rushed to hold Ragini. At the same time, Sanskaar yelled, "Laksh! You don't know what you are doing. If you can't help, just go and sleep. But get out of here first."

"Bhai! This is my house."

"Laksh, this is Ragini's house too. You married her with complete rituals. Remember, Lucky?"

Swara had to sedate Ragini to sleep as she became restless after seeing Laksh.

In the evening, Sanskaar was waiting for Swara in their room. When she walked in, deep in thought, he asked, "How is Ragini?"

"I gave her the sedative. She should wake up by dinner time."

"Swara, are you okay?"

"No, Sanskaar. Today Laksh has brought up this topic after so long. Sanskaar, what is the way forward for us? We grew habitual to this relationship which was to end when my parents came together. But, with Ragini, all the things happening one after the other, we never thought about this."

"It's okay, Swara. For now, just concentrate on Ragini. Let her get well first. Today she responded to Laksh. Maybe we should take it as a good sign."

"Hmm..." Swara was lost in untangling the knot of her relation with Sanskaar.

"Lot of things are happening. You try to get a short nap. It will help you relax for a while." He started towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to check on Laksh. I still care for my brother as you care for your sister."

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Sanskaar went to Laksh's room. He looked better seemingly in his senses now.

Sanskaar entered Laksh's room "Lucky, can we talk?"

"Bhai, I wanted to come to you as well. Bhai, please tell me whatever happened in the afternoon..."

"...happened for real. Lucky, you have to control your nerves with Ragini. She is responding to you, but if you push her away, she will drift apart."

"Bhai, what about all things she did with me?"

"Lucky, do you remember that you had kidnapped Swara? Due to your immature ways, you cancelled your wedding with Ragini twice? Brought out the truth of Swara's parents and used it to your advantage? You led to the shaming of the Gadodia family and got them ousted from the society? I know Lucky. Probably even Swara doesn't know all of it. Now you tell me when Swara can hate you, and then forgive and accept you even after all your acts, can't you accept Ragini?"

"Sanskaar, you called me your brother. For the sake of that relationship, can you be honest with me?"

"Regarding?" Sanskaar asked, suddenly wary of Laksh's questions.

"Is your marriage with Swara real?"

Shoot! Sanskaar thought. He should have seen that coming. What did Swara say about their relationship in the afternoon? He took time to recall. There was no conclusion to that discussion. He had ignored it and asked her to ignore as well. But he couldn't give that answer to Laksh.

"Lucky, my relationship with Swara started from being strangers. In the past, we never really shared any relationship. We were just on the path of the other to reach our respective targets. The situations forced our marriage. But today, it feels all too real because we have grown to accept it as part of our lives. Trust me; we have issues. But we are working them out. So this marriage is real for us." Sanskaar felt like he found the answer to Swara's question in his reasoning.

Laksh digested the answer. It was tough to hear then again who was to blame? "Bhai, do you love Swara?"

Logical but please, not now, thought Sanskar. "I don't know!" he simply answered. "And before you ask any other question, let me tell you, you owe an apology to Ma for the drunken charade you did in the afternoon. Next time, don't go drinking as if the world has come to an end. Discuss with someone. You would be better off than drinking."

Sanskaar left the room. On his way out, he spotted Swara by the wall. He closed his eyes as if closing one chapter while the other starts.

Laksh came out of his room. "I called her here."

"What is your decision, Laksh?" Swara asked.

"Swara, have you heard our conversation?" Sanskaar asked. He couldn't start to imagine what would be her reaction to each topic they spoke.

"Laksh, I am asking you something!" Swara raised her voice.

Laksh took a minute to answer. When Swara tried to walk away, he spoke up. "I will help you recover Ragini."

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Three months passed. Laksh stayed true to his word and spoke to Ragini on a regular basis. He would take her to the regular medical check-ups. He was genuinely trying to accept her back in his life.

After the confession, Swara treated it as just another event on the long list of recent events. She grew silent to Sanskaar. She couldn't help but share her worries and concerns with him. He was the only person in her life who knew everything and with whom she could talk about anything.

Sanskaar still monitored Laksh's feeling for Swara. Ragini gave them the reason to spend more time. Swara turned to Sanskaar for help time and again. Initially, he thought it was to make sure Laksh walked towards Ragini. But trivial things like the way she would touch his elbow during the aarti or how she spoke her thoughts with him made him wonder otherwise.

While Ragini was undergoing her checkup, Laksh asked Swara, "Are you serious about this marriage?"

"Laksh, are we back to that?" Swara was irritated.

"Just answer me. Are you serious about this relationship with Sanskaar?"

"Yes," Swara answered without much thinking. She wanted to get off the topic.

"Then why don't you marry properly?"

"Laksh!" Now he was getting on her nerves. She had been waiting to hear the doctor say Ragini is doing better now. Else she wouldn't have been standing here answering Laksh.

"Swara, I know you both are not married. You would never commit suicide, Swara. You wouldn't take such a weak way out of things subjecting your Ma and Dida to the tragedy. When I asked Sanskaar, he said this marriage is real for him. Watching you both, I think you should honestly go through a proper marriage. Then you wouldn't have to get so irritated by my question. Or Sanskaar wouldn't be so wary of me spending time with you."

"He is not!"

"He is. I bet." Laksh continued. "Tell him your decision, Swara. He has been waiting for it too long. For him, this marriage is real. But what's your decision?"

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That evening, Swara told Sanskaar, "Laksh raised the topic of our marriage today."

Sanskaar immediately placed his laptop aside and came to stand next to her at the window. "What did he say?"

"That we should get married."

"Are you sure?" Sanskaar didn't believe Laksh would say that.

"He did." Swara insisted.

"Why all of a sudden?"

"He said it was something to do with you and how you have been acting possessive of me."

"Swara, between you and me, there's nothing called acting. I am possessive of you because I love you. Also, it's true that I warned Laksh to stay within his limits. That's because he can at times act without thought."

"Is that it?"

"What else do you want to know?"

"Was it just because he acts without thought?"

"Not really..." He started withdrawing then turned back and asked. "What do you want to hear?"

"I want to hear something like 'Swara, what do you want?' Because you always say about your feelings and walk away."

Sanskaar drew a smile. He asked, "What's your decision, Swara?"

"I want to make this marriage official." Swara beamed at him.

Sanskaar wasn't sure if he had heard it right. "What? Swara, you don't have to take Lucky's nonsense seriously."

"Sanskaar, I have taken this decision, not for Ma-Baba or Ragini or Laksh. Nor is it because of you. This is for us, Sanskaar. I have never felt so free and close to anyone, maybe excluding Dida. With you, I feel like living this relationship. No one loved me to the extent that you do. You never forced me to love you back, and that's when I started falling in love with you. Yes Sanskaar Maheshwari, I love you."

Sanskaar stared at her blankly. He wondered if Swara got replaced. But when she threw her arms around him, he felt the weight of her words. And this time he didn't move back. Instead, he took a step forward and embraced her.

"When do you want to get married?" Sanskaar asked without pulling back.

Swara replied "Tomorrow?"

Their hug muted their laughter.

~ End ~