A Game Called Love - A Swasan Story

1# Family Ties

Hello all ..So back with an another story . This chapter lies down base for rest of story, hence not much of Swasan. You will meet most of important characters in this part ..few more in next part Thanks for all for comments on Sneakpeak. It's very encouraging ..and sorry for super delay in revert . Will do so .. since I have some time off and on that note .. At this moment I have lenience to add any scenes/ sequences  you would like to read on Swasan in college setting. I cant promise but if there is a chance ..I will definitely fit in wherever I can ..so feel free to drop .

Happy Reading. Please ignore any errors and typos and do drop in your thoughts.

Kaali badi , Kolkata

Life is strange sometimes .It doesn't go as per expectations..when you feel everything is perfect, it throws in a googly which might just turn your world upside down.

Leaning onto wooden window in living room, Swara held photograph of her mother close - Sharmistha Bose, her only family till a week back.

She loved living in Mumbai, its home .. the place where she was born and brought up single handedly by her mother, who worked as music professor in one of reputed institutes.They lived in simple 2BHK , their sweet home. She never knew who her father was , or one can say her mother never revealed it to her. It would have been easy to live knowing he no longer existed, but that wasn't the truth. During her childhood there were times when her eyes stung with tears watching kids play with their parents in a park near by ..she would rush to her mother crying.

" Maa..agar main good girl baungi tho papa aayegne hamare paas ..main choclates ke liye bhi jidd nahi karungi , toys ke liye bhi ..I will be a good girl Please unko aane ko kaho."

Sharmistha would simply clutch her little daughter to her heart and shed silent tears...but Swara never had an answer.All she knew was he doesn't stay with them. As she grew up,the resentment grew too ... there were fights ,arguments ,sometimes she picked with her mom when hurt by some nasty comments passed , but soon realised..these would just lead to nothing but pain.

Instead she started looking at things other way . Other than few occasions she never missed her dad much ..her mom didn't let her. She gave her enough love , took care of her every little wish, had been her strength and support through every high and low . She managed work and home efficiently ..and Swara often wondered if her mom was super woman .And slowly she took pride in her mother's fight all through these years. How tough it would have been to bring up a child with no one to take care of as single mother and with all those taunts from neighbourhood aunties.

One day as they walked in together, she heard few more " Pata nahi iska pati isse chodkar kyu chala gaya "," hain bhi ki nahi kya pata" and that raised her shackles.She would have given an answer right back if not for her mom who dragged her inside.

"Maa.. apne mujhe roka kyu?shayad aap bardaasht karnge lekin..I will not tolerate a word against you ... I .. "Sharmistha watched as Swara tossed bag angrily on floor fuming.

"Kya farak padta hain shona .. "Sharmistha fetched a glass of water for Swara, " aur kitne logon se ladegi tu .. aisa baton pe dhyan mat de. Main khana banati hoon hain, .Chalo ..change karlo, She gently patted her hair, " aur kal tere MBA admission ke liye kal jaana hain.na." Swara nodded, gave her a hug, picked bag and headed to room in a much better mood. "Inn aunties ko na main chodungi nahi. "She muttered under breath.

That night.. Watching her daughter sleep peacefully, Sharmistha left to her room. She leaned back on bedpost pulled out photograph hid in her personal diary and recalled the events that changed her life and that one person ... Sekhar Gadodia.

Belonging to Kolkata, Sekhar came down to Mumbai in matter related to business .. and one of evenings , he took time to attend a musical concert ..That's where Sharmistha met him.Seated next to each other somehow they got in conversation and hit it off instantly. Sekhar had been in Mumbai for 2 weeks ..and since he didn't have many acquaintances in Mumbai, he hanged out with Sharmistha most of time. She took him around and very soon they realised they have much more in common.Their common love for books and music and Sharmistha's kolkata roots before they settled in Mumbai bond them well . For Sekhar it was just a harmless friendship , but for Sharmistha it was much more. But very soon Sekhar found himself drawn to guileless and vibrant nature of Sharmistha something he was not .She was like a breath of fresh air , fiery ,independent yet sorted out ..and that scared him . He was already married just a few months back to Janaki .. and he didn't make it a secret.