Once Upon a Heart

1# When Stars cross

It was at the age of 22, Sanskaar joined the business. At 25, lost his family and at 30, Maheswari group emerged to an unprecedented and indisputable leader in the business field. Many credited the success to Sanskaar, to his perseverance. Only Arjun knew it was not any of them but ...pain.

The pain of loss which threatened to break him, bring him down. And Sanskaar Maheswaari was not made for it. Work was his only solace and he worked like a monster for years followed. And it served him well. The numbers went up year by year but Sanskaar wanted more and more.

He hated social life and obligated business parties only because he had to. He smiled because he was the face of the business group. A smile that never reached his eyes and tears that never spilt out, frozen. Maheshwari Mansion was no longer a house, just a resting place at the end of each day when he drove himself to exhaustion.

His ruthless approach to work earned him the nickname 'Devil' for he turned into one expecting the same level of perfection from people around him. 'Do or die' was the motto. Arjun never complained because he was the only one who came close to understanding why Sanskaar turned the way he is. That's the very reason he would patiently put up with Sanskaar's demands, but ...things had been turning tough for him lately.

He had already been making enough comprises on family time, keeping up with his wife's complaining which escalated into continuous nagging past few weeks. He had to leave today and had been trying to hint him subtly but Sanskaar seemed in no mood to pick hints. An attempt to talk was dismissed, with a wave of the hand, then came a straight strict No!

"Not before we can close this!"

That broke Arjun's flimsy restrain. " Damnit Sanskaar!" Arjun snapped back for the first time, "Do you have any clue what you have been doing? Burning yourself up and others too. For years, I didn't say a word because I know this is your escape.Ab bahut hogaya, Yaar. You don't have a life..but others do and just because you don't have a family, don't expect others to ..."

He paused abruptly realising the intensity of what he uttered. One look at Sanskaar, he knew, he had hit him where it hurts most. Arjun immediately regretted. He didn't mean it come out that way but he could see the damage was already done.

"Sanskaar ..Sorry, I didn't mean to .." He tried.

"Leave!" came Sanskaar's voice, first as order then a plea "Arjun, Please."

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"Just because, You don't have a family..."

He had one once, a happy one, full of life and laughter. Standing in the hall of Maheshwari Mansion, for the first time in years, Sanskaar Maheswari didn't run away, but faced those voices, of his loved ones.

"Aagaya tu," his mother's loving pat and her mock glare to his dad, " Kitna kaam karwarahe hain aap maara chore se."

His dad's laugh followed. "Abhi se kaam na karega tho aage se badega, Sujata."

"Wow! Maa! You never say that when I go to college. You love bhai more." The chiding of his little sister.

He stood letting the emptiness descend on him as voices died slowly as their happy faces vanishing into thin air next. And he was all alone, again.

He cried.

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It took two days for him to make peace with Arjun, a few weeks to come into terms with the idea that he should not dwell in the past, but move on and one month to decide on getting married.

It wouldn't be tough at all once the word gets out, proposals will flock in for sure. But Sanskaar had issues to deal with.

He had always been socially awkward and Women were more or less like an alien subject to him. He had been absolutely content being in love with his books during college days, never entertained the idea of girlfriend. The chronicles of their famous mood swings, tantrums and demands made him reach a conclusion.