It was morning and the heavy rains had also stopped, and a beautiful, pleasant earthly smell could be felt when it filled up the nostrils of those who loved this nature.
No sooner Swara felt the beauty in this nature, a smile graced her features and she felt like with every passing moment, she was being engulfed by this beautiful thing called 'happiness'!. She looked outside the window. She felt like everything she could see outside the window, be it the clouds, the rainbow due to the rains, the trees, the chirping of birds, everything was smiling at her. Everything was making her happy from within.
All the memories of yesterday she had with Sanskar, rushed to her with a great intensity when she saw herself in front of the mirror. Each of the moment they ever shared with each other flashed across their eyes. Their first meet, him saving her, her hugging him when she was scared, the time when they played truth and dare and his confession that he loved her when he finished singing that day, when he told her yesterday that he loved her, and when he kissed her. Oh, out of all the moments they spent together, him confessing his love and kissing her on the forehead was the most special one. She felt loved by him and now she wished to be loved by him forever.
Her eyes automatically travelled towards the area where his 'touch' still lingered, over her forehead. She caressed it slowly, and she smiled closing her eyes.
She loved him.
She loved him!!!
There, she poured her heart out. And she didn't regret it one bit. In fact, now she wanted to welcome this love with open arms.
She wanted him. She wanted him in her life. She wanted to be there for him and with him. She wanted to hold his hand in hers and think of their future together. She wanted to double their joys and halve their sorrows. She wanted to do everything -- with him, and that too together!
So, this was how it felt like. To love someone and to be loved by someone equally. She felt like she was the happiest person alive who got everything.
Yesterday, when she felt her love for Sanskar deep within her soul, she could see everything in this world felt so lovely, so pure, so serene to her. A world where she could be with Sanskar and everything else would look so great.
"After all these years of being deeply indulged into what I knew matters in my life, I have finally come to realise that there is also someone else in my life who matters to me... more than anyone can imagine. I feel like I finally have a reason to live my life, kyu ki uske bina meri zindagi ka koi matlab nahi hai. Ab mujhe sirf apne liye nahi, uske liye bhi jeena hai. He loves me, I knew that from before. But now, he also showed me. Sanskar, tumne mujhe yeh ehsaas dilwaya ki tum se jyada pyaar mujhe iss pure duniya mein koi bhi nahi kar sakta. Or ab meri zindagi mein bhi, mere liye tum se jyada or tumhare pyaar se jyada badhkar ab kuch bhi nahi hai."
"So, you finally admit that you love him?" Her inner voice shouted to her and she sighed in content.
"Yes, yes. A million times yes. And now, I want to follow my heart and accept everything. I want to let him know that he means so much to me. He owns a very special place in my heart and I just can't wait to tell him this."
She closed her eyes smiling and kept her palm near her heart as if feeling it's beating. That was all it took for her to realise that her heart was already owned by someone else. And if this was where her destiny was taking her... then she wanted to accept it with open arms. She wanted to accept that she loved Sanskar and that he meant a lot to her, he meant everything to her!
And now she didn't want to step back after how far she'd come. All this while she had a lot of struggle with her own self whether or not to accept these feelings, and now that she had, she didn't want to let it go.
She believed he was the only one for her and undoubtedly he would always be.
"I don't know, since how long he has silently been in love with me and I took so long to accept his as well as my feelings for him. But now no more. Intezaar ki ghadi khatam. I just can't wait when I'll confess my feelings to him and can't wait to see how he reacts! I bet, he will be very happy-"
"...and will not look at the front or back at all and welcome you in his life immediately and give you the most special place in his life!" Anushka chirped, entering the room and hearing Swara's self-talks. Heat rose in Swara's cheeks knowing how right her friend was, and honestly telling, she also wanted this. She smiled shyly looking down.
"My God, Swara! I have never seen you blushing like this!"
Swara rolled her eyes trying her best to brush off the redness in her cheeks. That's when, Anushka thought of something.
"Umm, Swara? Yesterday, when Sanskar told you that he loves you, what did you say in return?" She asked.
Her smile fell a bit, replaced by a guilt-stricken expression. "That is the problem Anushka! I couldn't say anything. And I'm feeling very bad."
"Why? What happened?" She was surprised.
"'I' happened! There, Sanskar told me he loves me and in the other side there is me, who is always overdriven by emotions. Not even a word was able to come out of my mouth. But it's not my fault. I was also so nervous and excited at the thought of both of us being together. But it's okay if I didn't tell him yesterday. I can tell him today also, right? As soon as we will meet each other, the first thing I will tell him are my feelings for him! I can't express it in words Anushka, that how much Sanskar means to me. All I know is that I won't be able to imagine a life without him in it. He holds so much value to me that I would never ever let him go."
"Toh who is telling you to let him go?!" She asked. "Arey pagli, just go and tell him that you love him so much! Or fir dekh lena, sab accha hoga, jaise chahiye waise."
"I will. Jaise hi mai Sanskar se milungi, I will tell him."
"Please, please go ahead. God, I can't wait to see you both get into relationship!" She cheered for her best friends making Swara even more red but more determined to admit her love for him to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
He smiled as he lifted up something that happened to be a beautiful bracelet made up of gold, it's speciality being the 'S' design carved beautifully on it and it was studded with gold. As he held it in front of him, it shone brightly, corresponding to the glint in his eyes.
Yesterday's evening was a wonderful time, in fact the most beautiful moment for Sanskar. He finally confessed his love to her, and she too, the way she looked turned his dream to reality. He had this desire, that she also fall in love with him. What more could he want! And now, there was no going back from their bloomed love for each other. He had decided that whenever they would meet, he was going to gift her this bracelet and make her wear it by his own hands, telling her that he loved her deeply, very very much and wanted her in his life. In other words, he was going to 'propose' her officially!
"A special gift for the most special girl of my life. Ms Swara Bose, I will make sure that this time you become mine, and I will happily be yours." He said to himself and smiled.
Soon Sanskar got lost in his own thoughts, where he was wondering what to tell Swara and how to propose her and how to gain her acceptance. Even her acceptance was important here. And he wanted to do it in a way that both of them -- especially her -- followed their heart and accept each other in their lives.
He smiled to himself but was soon shook by Rajat's voice calling out his name that was followed by his mobile phone's ringtone.
Rajat came to Sanskar bringing his phone with him, "Sanskar your phone is ringing from when. Kab se bula raha hoon tujhe. Dhyan kaha hai tera?"
Sanskar took his phone from Rajat and smiled guiltily to him, "sorry Rajat. I didn't hear."
"Yeah fine. Now just pick this phone before it's ringing begins to give me headache."
Sanskar saw the name of the caller flashing on his screen first, which said 'Unknown'.
"It is an unknown number." He blurted out.
"Really?"
"But what if it is from the hospital? Maybe something important."
He swiped across his phone screen to answer the call and kept the phone near his ear.
"Hello. Dr Sanskar Maheshwari here." He said in a professional tone.
"H-e-e-e-e-l-l-l-o-o-o" came a very soft female voice which was breaking a lot from other side. Sanskar frowned as there was a breaking voice and lot of disturbance on the other side.
"I'm sorry? I think there is some network problem. I can't hear properly."
"B-u-t I c-a-n h-e-a-r y-o-u-r v-o-i-c-e v-e-r-y w-e-l-l S--a--n--s--k--a--r. O---h, it t-r-a-v-e-l-s w-a-a-a-y-y-y d-o-w-n my h--e--a--r--t."
He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at Rajat who was also frowning.
"What is this? The voice is breaking so much that I can't understand anything what the person is saying."
"Sanskar, it is a common occurence these days. We are living in that area of Jamshedpur where one can hardly find network. And second thing is it was raining so heavily yesterday. So maybe..."
"Okay, but now what should I do?"
"S---A---N---S---K---A---R!" came the voice from the caller again and Sanskar grimaced due to too much disturbence. And Rajat gave out a small laugh at his friend's face.
"Just leave it." He pulled Sanskar's hand down away from him. "Whoever it is can call you later. By the way, I just want to know what all happened yesterday. Subah se dekh raha hoon, bada khush dikh raha hai tu! Not that you are not always happy, but still. Today, something seems different. Even when I was calling you, you were not in this world."
Sanskar kept the phone aside and a smile came on his face on the thought of Swara and whatever happened yesterday. And seeing that smile, Rajat immediately knew the reason behind his friend's happiness.
"I finally did what I wanted to do all this time."
"Oh. My. God. You did?!" He was shocked and surprised both.
"Yes. Yesterday, I finally confessed my love to Swara. The look on her face at that time was just priceless. I would do anything to make her smile the way she smiled yesterday! I love her so much. And now it is just she who has to tell me she loves me too. I know she does, but I want to hear her say this. Just for once. And then... we will finally be together and we will make sure of it, together!"
"Trust me bro. Swara will also tell you she loves you too and then you will be together. It's finally proved, you both are meant to be together and that God has made you for each other only!"
"Yes. Or ab duniya ki koi bhi taakat hum dono ko ek dusre se dur nahi kar sakti. Not even what happened with her in her past! I will remove all her insecurities and will make her believe in love once again. I will assure her that there is someone who loves her, so deeply and crazily, and is ready to even give up on his own life for her."
"I bet, she will see it too." Rajat said and Sanskar smiled.
The two best friends kept on exchanging words to each other to make the other feel happy, and by now they were completely unaware of the call on Sanskar's phone that was still ongoing, and that the person on the other side could hear anything.
Kavita's grip on her phone increased as each and every word she could hear from Sanskar and Rajat pierced her from within, or should one say, her ego mercilessly! She had called using an unknown number so that she could get to talk to Sanskar but God knew why couldn't he hear her. But after what she got to heard on the call now, it was a shock to her. Not that she didn't have any idea about Swara and Sanskar before but still... Now it was confirmed too that they both were in love with each other.
As the words kept on vibrating in her ears, her heart rate increased and so did her anger.
"I finally confessed my love for Swara to her."
"I love her so much. And now it is just she who has to tell me she loves me too. I know she does."
Her facial features kept on changing from shock, then despair, and then extreme anger.
"How?" She whispered. "How can this happen!" Her voice got sharpened and louder. "No. Sanskar... and Swara? Just no way! How did this happen?! How can they go this far!"
She shrieked out of anger and threw away the first things that were near to her which happened to be a flower vase and some books kept on the table.
"HOW DARE THEY! Just look at the guts of that little Swara. She dared to snatch what is mine. HOW COULD YOU, SWARA BOSE! And that Sanskar... What does he see in her that he doesn't see in me!"
She took a minute to calm down for some time. And she got into thinking.
"No! I can't let this happen. No. No. No. Sanskar is only mine. How can he fall in love with that Swara? I'm sure Swara only must have done something. He can't love her. Hell, she is not even beautiful. No makeup, so dull, she is like a 'nobody'. I really don't believe this. But I swear even if a bit of what I heard is true... I won't let them get together so easily! And Swara, now you... Just wait and watch what I do to end your so-called love story. And trust me, now what I will do next, you will yourself leave Sanskar and go away from his life!"
She looked determined and stared at her phone screen. She dismissed the call first, and then something came in her mind.
"Mrs Maheshwari! Who else could be better person to do my work for me? Ab toh bas samjho ki kaam ho gaya! Now Mrs Maheshwari, you will be the pawn for me to win! And trust me, if this time I fail to separate both of you, Swara and Sanskar, then my name will no more be Kavita Roy."
And her sinister smirk came back to her face! Only a clever and devilish mind like hers was capable of thinking about a way quickly that could cause wrong to others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Jab roothe tu, toh tujhko manana chahti hoon. Teri har muskurahat par muskurana chahti hoon. Meri zindagi mein aakar tune mera saara gham dur kar diya. Toote kaanch si thi mai, kohinoor kar diya. There is..."
Swara said the words which were there in her heart to herself, practising whatever she wanted to tell Sanskar. She had decided it, she was going to confess her love to him very soon! But the smile that she had in her face faded a little when she stammered a bit in between. She was still shy after whatever happened yesterday, but she knew that this was all worth it.
Only Sanskar Maheshwari had the power to make her blush like this!
Till now, she had never known what was it like when you finally find the love of your life, and then find out that he loves you too the same you love him. And now when it was right in front of her, she had too much love in her that she wouldn't be able to frame in words. The way she felt for Sanskar was so strong, so powerful, so deep. Yesterday, she lost herself in him. And she would love to lose herself in him forever, for eternity.
"Uff... What is this Swara? Yaha tu khud se hi apne feelings nahi keh paa rahi, Sanskar ke saamne kya khaak keh paayegi! No problem, I will start from the beginning again. No matter what happens, I'm not messing up." She complained to herself.
A pair of eyes watched her in adoration as she could clearly see her friend's cute, adorable side coming out after a very very long time. Anushka remembered what she had told Rajat that day... that Swara was much more than what she showed outside. Her friend, that was lost four years back was finally here and it had been possible only because of Sanskar and his love. She was back to who she really was. This was the real her -- the cute, adorable, innocent girl who believed in true love and happy endings, like she used to before.
Swara took a deep breath, unaware of Anushka watching her from the door of the room.
"There is lot of difference between the life I had before you came and the one I had after you came. With you, I have become much more me. You make me smile the way no one can make me. You affect me, make me blush the way I never did before. I couldn't have been more thankful to God for sending you in my life. I want to tell you, that I... ugh! Why is it so difficult?" She pouted in despair.
"Madam, if you wish, I can offer you some help." Anushka said.
"Koi jarurat nahi hai. I know you will only tease me in his name. So thanks but no thanks!"
Anushka chuckled and Swara decided to continue her practice. She would make sure this would go well!
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Annapurna just came out of the washroom and looked around the hospital that her husband and brother-in-law both had maintained so well. She walked a few steps but after some time, her feet stopped when she heard a few voices.
"I can't believe Swara would do that, man!" came a female voice that was loud enough to her. Just the name 'Swara' was enough for her to turn towards the source of voice. On going nearer, she found two girls standing and gossiping out of which she could recognise one of them, which was Kavita.
"I also can't believe it, Tanya!" Kavita said loud enough on purpose for Annapurna to hear. "Dekh na, hum Swara ko kya samajhte the or woh kya nikli."
"Kavi, is it possible for someone to be this two-faced? How do people do this yaar?" Tanya asked, clearly playing along for her friend.
"I know right! Like, I know I have a very bitchy attitude and everyone knows it. But at least I don't act to be sweet in the face like her. And she has succeeded in luring the most handsome and best doctor of our hospital!"
"Ahm ahm!"
The girls turned towards Annapurna who came to them after hearing their talks and they exchanged smirks to each other. This was what a part of their plan!
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Annapurna began "But are you both talking about... Swara Bose?"
"Yes Mrs Maheshwari!" Kavita scoffed in reply. "We have only one Swara working here with us."
"They are in Jamshedpur, right? What is going on there and how did this happen?"
"Kavi, I will see you later," Tanya excused herself and Kavita happily obliged as her work was halfway done.
"Mrs Maheshwari, nothing is going on there and nothing has happened now. In fact, everything has been happening since three months even before we knew."
"What do you mean? Listen, stop beating around the bush and tell me what is going on!"
"That Swara. Swara is going on. Mrs Maheshwari, all her attempts have become successful today. She has finally managed to wrap Sanskar around her fingers and control him as she wants."
"What?" Annapurna frowned. She had no idea what was going on and ehat this girl was telling her. Not that she cared that much about Sanskar but just for the sake of knowing everything going on behind her back, she listened.
"All of us saw it right from day one. Everything Swara did from day one. All she has been doing is try to get Sanskar's attention. And she succeeded, all thanks to her attempts. Poor Sanskar lost his heart to her." Kavita declared, waiting for Annapurna to give some strong reaction.
"W-What do you mean?"
"You still didn't understand? Okay, I will explain. That Swara, bhagwan jaane kaisa jaadu chala diya usne aapke bete jaise bhatije par! He sees no one, literally no one else apart from her. All the day, he stays with her. He is completely spelled by her. And this is all because Swara has totally manipulated him by her fake love for him."
"So you mean... Sanskar... Sanskar has fallen in love with her?!"
Shock would be an understatement. She wouldn't believe that a member from her own home would fall in love with the girl who her best friend obviously didn't like and refused to let her marry her grandson. "I can't believe it. How can he hide such a big thing from me?"
She still couldn't believe what this girl was telling her. How did things happen so fast? And was Swara the only girl for Sanskar to fall in love with? Couldn't he get someone better for the Maheshwaris? What was so much in her? She thought.
"What is going on? Kavita... I want to know everything that you know about that girl and what exactly you are pointing at. Whatever the truth is, just say it!"
"Truth chahiye na aapko? Toh suniye. Sach toh yeh hai ki aapka Sanskar uss Swara ke pyaar mein puri tarah pagal ho gaya hai. And that Swara... she is a gold digger. A freaking gold digger! All that she sees is Sanskar's richness, both financially and as a person. Well, we all know that your Sanskar is all in all a successful man who has got everything in life. The best doctor our hospital has got, is handsome, smart, kind and loving in nature and belongs to a rich family. How will any girl lose this opportunity? First making friendship with these handsome rich men, then trapping them into falling in love with them, and then... And you know what? Swara is also like those clingy type of girls who just look for a chance. A chance to trap Sanskar and satisfy all her desires. Name, fame, money, she will get everything from Sanskar. That is what she has been looking for all this while, Mrs Maheshwari!"
Kavita tried to brainwash Annapurna as much as possible, and she knew she was winning when the lady's expressions were turning harder with every word.
"But how can you say this about her?" She asked just for the sake of asking. "You know her?"
"I'm saying this because I know Swara since three months. I know everything about her, that how she is, and what she wants. Mrs Maheshwari, aapke bhalayi keliye hi keh rahi hoon, don't let that Swara come in Sanskar's life. You are his aunt, and after his mother you have only been his mother. You know better than anyone else what is good for him. Don't let him fall more in Swara's trap. Otherwise, she will leave no stone unturned in using your son for her own benefits!"
Annapurna was getting shocks after shocks. That girl was faster than she could think! She thought.
"How can she do this?" She whispered whatever was in her mind. "I can't believe that such an innocent-looking girl can be so clever and cunning. Wait... What if she did everything for her own selfish reasons? She knows she has got her one marriage broken, no other influential man will marry her. Is that why she is after Sanskar now?"
"Mrs Maheshwari! Now a days these girls... they know very well how to make fool out of an innocent man! Now you only think, both of them have gone on their own, there is no third person to look after them. Anushka and Rajat cannot be counted, as they are young themselves. Toh aise mein you know, aapke peeth pichhe waha woh kya kya kar rahe honge, iska aapko koi andaza bhi nahi aayega! You know... all alone!"
"STOP!" She said immediately.
Kavita chuckled nervously, "Mrs Maheshwari, what?"
"STOP! ENOUGH! You are crossing all your limits!" She bursted, scaring the shit out of Kavita wondering where did she go wrong.
"Just be thankful that I have not slapped you for saying such a thing about my Sanskar! You have no shame at all, at least think before saying anything. I don't know about that girl and I really don't care about what she wants. But I know that my Sanskar is not like that. No matter what happens, he will never forget the values that he has got from his family and he will never do anything that will bow down the head of his family members. Bachpan se maine paala hai usse! So remember one thing, if you say anything rubbish about him then that means you are pointing finger on my upbringing, which I will not tolerate. So from now on before speaking anything in front of me, think a thousand times."
Kavita didn't understand how to react. Happy, that her plan seemed to be working or angry, as this lady just insulted her for the third time!
"Damn, this woman and her ego and arrogance! How do these Maheshwaris tolerate her?" She thought to herself.
She shrugged her shoulders twisting her lips towards Annapurna telling her that whatever she said didn't affect her. And Annapurna grumbled to herself in annoyance.
"And now this Swara. What does that girl think of herself? That she will manipulate a Maheshwari and use him to satisfy her own desires! Well, then she has got another thing coming. No matter what happens I will never let Sanskar and Swara to get together... ever!"
She appeared strongly resolute on her decision. And she never went back on her words. Never!
Kavita peeped out from a pole near Annapurna, watching her. She folded her arms across her chest out of satisfaction, and her characteristic smirk playing on her face. "Finally. Now it doesn't matter if Sanskar and Swara even get together. Because now, I have poisoned this lady's mind so badly that now she will never let these two unite ever. Tch tch tch. Poor Swara darling, you have my pity."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Precap : Separation in cards for SwaSan 🥲
PS : Whatever Kavita and Annapurna said in the last scene of this part about girls DOES NOT represent the author's way of thinking IN ANY MANNER.