Chapter – 6 Right now my priority is Swara

Maheshwari Mansion

"After this, I dropped Dida at Badi and Sanskar will be staying at hospital" Adarsh concluded all the details explaining to Maheshawari Family. 

Ragini and Laksh were already asked to pray at house temple and were send to Laksh Room. Pari was in kitchen who was looking after dinner preparations. DP, RP, Annapurna and Sujata were there at family room. "Raghu please ask Pari Bahu to send dinner to City Care Hospital, Sanskar is there, he must not have eaten anything." Annapurna asked servant. "But why Laksh took this step?" Adarsh asked to his family. Nobody replied, everybody was silent on this actually there was no answer for this question.

"Ragini I respect this relation and trust me, I will fulfill all responsibilities as your husband, but please I need some time to gather myself. You are my best friend and hope you will understand" Laksh said holding Ragini's hand. 

Ragini nodded in confirmation, and Laksh went to washroom for change. 

'Take how much time you need Laksh, I am ready to wait, now you are all mine and Swara will never come in between us.' Ragini thought while looking at mirror she was removing her jewellery. Ragini was caressing her Mangalsutra and touching the sindoor Laksh put in her hairline feeling content.

Next day

Kalibadi

Swara stepped inside badi along with her Dida. Dida have decided she will take Swara back to Massoori again where atleast she will be away from all the betrayal and taunts, when in morning Swara got cautiousness, there was Dida with her. When Dida declared her decision to move back to Massoori, Swara did not oppose it, even she did not utter a single word about Laksh and her marriage. That surprised Dida. Doctor completed the formalities of the discharge. Dida said she had already made arrangements and they will go to badi only once to get their stuff. Swara was again silent, she just nods her head.

"Mhari laddoo Maheshwari khandan ki choti bahu hai, uska swagat to dhum dham se to karana padega na" Parvati Gadodia was trying to showcase her laddoo happiness to full badi. 

Laksh had come with Ragini for Paghere rasam. All members of Maheshwari family were with the couple as per their family tradition. 

Sanskar just came to check on Swara since he got information about Swara has been already discharged. Early morning when Dida came back to Hospital, she asked him to go home and get freshen up.

Maheshwari family were being welcomed by Gadodia family at the veranda. When Swara saw entire Gadodia & Maheshwari family together she started walking towards them while taking small steps. 

"where are you going Shoru, forget it we don't know these people" Dida said trying to hold Swara's hand. 

But with steady steps Swara was walking, Ragini felt Swara is coming towards her to spill all her truth? Did Swara saw her on the Ghat while doing the horrendous act. Could, be she? Ragini does not want to take any chance right now. So, to defend herself she wears a mask of perfect loving sister. 

Ragini asked coming towards Swara with fake concern "Swara how are you? Where were you? You know how much worried I was, what happened? how did you got the wound?" 

"Leave her Ragini she does not deserve your kindness" Shekhar said while giving angry look to Swara. 

"No Papa she is answerable to me." Laksh said while gritting his teeth coming infront of Swara. 

"Laksh please, what are you saying? wo hamari behen hai. Look at her condition, Swara I am sorry please forgive me, but to save reputation of both families I did this marriage. I am so sorry" Ragini said while shredding crocodile tears.

Swara did not even looked at her, she was just taking small steps. Ragini thought Swara will go towards Laksh, Ragini knows her husband, one word from Swara and Ragini will lose her place. Ragini was starring Swara with hate in her eyes, along with Ragini everybody from Gadodia and Maheshwari family were keen to know what the next reaction of Swara will be, Swara and Laksh will be confronting each other?

But Swara passed Laksh, she was still moving towards Sanskar, without any emotions in her eyes. She stands in front of Sanskar just a few steps away. Sanskar does not know how to react, what will be his stand now? Is she gonna blame him, accuse him again for all her problems?

A day before marriage she blamed him saying "because of you all these things are happening, I am not able to concentrate on my marriage. I am supposed to be happy with these proceedings but the moment you stepped in my life I have lost my existence, what should I do now?" these all things she said to him post Sangeet Function. He looked at her accusing eyes which are right now shedding tears on her chubby cheeks.

After Mehndi function when Swara returned to badi, she was looking at her mehendi which has become dark red, "your husband will love you the most." Dida said smilingly when she looked at Swara who was staring at her Mehendi designs. But then one particular shape captured her attention, there was heart shape made in the middle of the design and there it was written 'Sanskar'.

Swara felt unknown happiness in her heart while caressing his name on her palm. She has beautiful smile on her face, and twinkling eyes. Her trance was broken by the mobile ring, she looked at her phone 'Laksh Calling' was on the mobile display, that brings her to reality. 'What is she doing? She is feeling something for her fiancée's brother. She should not feel for him. Only Laksh have right on this kind of feelings, but she never felt this happy with Laksh this is what the truth is. She was disturbed, confused, heartbroken and tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Next day when she danced on the Sangeet, Dadi hold her hand roughly and took her to terrace without anyone's notice 

"What do you think are you doing? Koi sharam hai ya nahi?" Dadi was scolding her very rudely. Swara was looking down and shedding tears. Dadi has raised her hand on Swara. 

"Dadi please No" Sanskar said from behind while clenching his fist tightly. 

He watched Dadi when she took Swara with her, he followed and came to terrace. Dadi left while giving angry look to Swara. 

"Are you ok?" Sanskar said coming near to Swara. 

She just raised her head and looked at him there was ample concern in his eyes. She just nodded and tried to leave when Sanskar hold her wrist. 

"What happened to you? Why did you dance like that?" he asked while narrowing his eyes. 

"I don't know." Swara wanted to be with him, she wanted to hide herself in his embrace, but he is not the one for her. 

This realisation frustrated her, and she blasted all frustration and confusion on him while jerking his hand, "it's because of you all these things are happening, I am not able to concentrate on my marriage. I am supposed to be happy with these proceedings but the moment you stepped in my life I have lost my existence, what should I do now?" She gave him accused look and left from there while wiping her tears.

Swara took one more step and raised her right hand. Everybody along with Sanskar thought she is going to slap him. But she put her hand on his chest, she did the same with her left hand. She was looking at her hands which are currently on his chest. There were tears in her eyes, and then she raised her head to look in his eyes. 

She was just looking at his dark brown eyes without blinking. He stared back in her eyes, there was something in her eyes, he got confused. BUT then he wide his eyes with the realisation this is what he wanted to see in her eyes from last five days, this is what he wanted to feel when she is close to him, this touch of hers he felt that he is alive.

"I am sorry Sanskar" Swara just mumbled her words, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. 

Sanskar was too shocked with this behaviour of Swara, he was not expecting this kind of turning tables around. Everybody from both families were beyond shock, nobody could understand what is going on in front of their eyes. For them Swara and Sanskar are two strangers just met five days ago. Was it? NO

When Sanskar felt her heartbeat against his, he wrapped his arms around her petit figure, digging his face in her shoulders, tears were continuously flowing from both of their eyes. 

"I love you Sanskar" this is what Swara could barely say. 

Sanskar tighten his hug to assure her. "I love you too Shona."

"What a shameless girl she is Shekhar, yesterday she was going to marry Laksh and today she is in the arms of his elder brother. Chii what upbringing you gave to her Shobha?" Dadi said making disgusting face. 

Dida could not reply back this time since this itself is a huge shock for her. Everybody was in same state, looking at Swara and Sanskar with wide eyes and shocked face. 

"What a characterless girl, wherever she found good looking rich man she goes behind him." Dadi keeps on taunting Swara. 

This was enough for Sanskar. He broke the hug and stands besides Swara holding her shoulder. 

"Enough, don't you dare to say a word against My wife" Sanskar roared, Dadi and everybody flinched at their place looking at his red eyes.

'Wife' yes, she is his wife, his love, his life, his heartbeat, his entire existence. Swara hide her face in Sanskar chest, holding his jacket in her fist, the safest place on the earth for her, her husband, her love, her everything, her knight in shinning armour. When he is with her, she does not need to worry about anything.

'Wife' that was bomb on the Gadodia's and Maheshwari's, how could it be, no this cannot be possible. They must have heard something wrong. Annapurna was the first one who came out of the shock, she asked Sanskar to confirm while looking at Swara who was hiding her face in his embrace, "Sanskar what are you saying?" 

"Badi ma please I know you all have questions for me, but right now my priority is Swara, doctors asked her to take rest. I am taking her to her room" Sanskar took Swara in his arms in bridal style, she was still hiding her face in his chest. 

Dida quickly opens her lock of Bose house and Sanskar enters the home and took her to the adjacent room and lay her on the bed very carefully.

"Please don't go, don't leave me alone." Swara was shivering with fear of losing him again. 

He sat beside her, to make her calm. All family members entered the Bose house to witness further. 

"Shona I am not going away, I am here only, this time I will not let anybody to come in between us". Sanskar said to her while kissing her hairs since her face was still hiding on his chest. 

"I am sorry Sanskar, how could I, believe me, I .... I don't understand how this happened?" Swara was keep on saying while crying bitterly. 

"It's ok Shona, please stop crying, doctors said you need rest, it will affect your health if you keep on crying. Please for me stop crying" Sanskar said while rubbing his hand on her back to calm her down. He was concerned about her health. She should not take this much stress.

"Bhai, you love Swara. How could you Bhai? You knew she is my fiancée but still you...?" Laksh was saying not believing what is going on but Sanskar's full concentration is on Swara. 

Laksh was hurt to see Swara with his brother, his brother whom he lost three years back due to his one mistake. Laksh blamed himself all these years for Sanskar's pain, he was so happy when he returned. 

"I guess we need to wait outside, they will come." DP said understanding that they still need to wait for their answers.

"Papa she is my fiancée, my love." Laksh said while looking at Swara who was hiding herself in Sanskar's embrace from this big bad world. 

"She WAS your fiancée, Ragini IS your wife, don't forget you married her, you don't have any right on Swara." DP said clearly and dragged Laksh out of the Bose house.

"Me and Swara married three year back in New York" Sanskar said, he looked at Swara and caressed her hairs with one hand, she was sleeping, still holding his other hand. Swara slept due to medicine's effect, when Sanskar confirmed she is in deep sleep, he asked Badi ma and his mom to come to Swara's room along with Dida. Dida sat beside Swara, whereas Annapurna and Sujata were sitting nearby chairs rest others were standing holding their breath.

"I met Swara during our University years, initially we thought it's just an attraction we have towards each other but then we realised no this is beyond just mere attraction.... this is love. We were together and that was the best time for both of us. We both were aware that our families might not agree with this, but we could not control ourselves from confessing our love to each other, we had discussed that we will reveal our relation once I will finish my MBA and Swara will finish her Engineering. Everything was going well but still in back of our mind we had this fear which was eating us. We were scared to lose the each other, that is why prior coming to India just one day before we got married officially." Sanskar was talking to his family but his gaze was on Swara's face.

He swallowed the hug lump which formed in his throat. "That day when I fought with Bade Papa, I could not believe myself that I had said those nasty words to him in my anger. It was heartbreaking for me, I knew he was angry with me since I hided this truth. It was raining heavily, I needed Swara to share my pain, I was infront of Badi, I called her out, she came without anyone's notice, and then we drove towards nowhere. I was driving, she kept on saying that I should have control my anger, I need to apologise to Bade Papa and we both will convince our elders, her encouraging words soothed me. Due to heavy rains the car's battery went down, and our car halted at Howrah Bridge, I came out to check. Behind me Swara also came, she always loved rain, she was dancing in the rain raising her both hands, I was admiring her. Then suddenly from nowhere one truck came Swara was there in the middle of the road, driver had lost his control and the truck hit Swara, due to force Swara felled down the bridge into the river. I could not understand what happened, I am going to lose her that's the only thought was there in my mind. I jumped in the river to save her" Sanskar was crying on his past helplessness.

"When I got conscious in hospital, first thing I asked doctors about Swara, but they said they did not find anyone, I talked to Police as well but they were giving me the same answer. I need to find my Shona, these people are not going to do anything, I ran to badi, but the scene in front of me took my breath away, dida was crying, there was one dead...." Sanskar could not finish it.

"I could not live here, this place took away my love my Shona, the same moment I decided I will go back to US, because there we had our memories, our home.

"On Uttara's birthday when Badi ma you told me about Swara, I was hell shocked, I knew Swara never used her surname as Gadodia but Bose, but still my heart said she could be my Shona. I asked my assistant to find out the truth. He found out everything, I was so happy that my Shona is alive, I am gonna meet her, but then what happened three years back, I needed to solve this puzzle. My assistant told me that three years back Swara met with an accident and she was in coma for 2 months. When I came to India, I first met with the doctor who treated her. He told me when she was back in conscious state after almost 2 months, she was a blank paper, due to injury on her brain she forgot everything. Doctor explained how with the help of police they found the traces of Dida and Sharmishtha aunty and handed over Swara's responsibility to them." Sanskar wiped his tears and continued.

"Doctors explained her condition to me, when I told them about our relation that doctor was hesitant when I asked him should I tell her all truth. I wanted to be 100% sure that my presence won't affect her. I even send her reports to the best neurologist of US, they said she might gain her memory when she will see me but there are also chances that she may sleep into coma again due to stress. I was in dilemma what should I do, but the urged to see her once made me to return MM, and that was engagement day. When she looked at me she must have felt something but she could not handle and passed out. I knew she was disturbed and that is why I wanted to skip all the functions" Sanskar said while caressing her hairs.

"But then why you did not discuss with me or Sujata? We could have stopped this marriage." Annapurna asked him while wiping her tears. 

"I was scared Badi Ma, if I would have told you or mom, then you might have disclosed this with Swara, which she might not able bear. She forgot the biggest truth of her life that she is married, don't you think it would have been my act of selfishness. For me Swara ka mere saath hone se jyada jaruri uska thik hona tha." Sanskar finished while looking at pale sleeping face of Swara.

Precap - This is what she wanted to tell me?