Uttara felt a tight tug over her arm. This tug was rough.
"Who the hell..."
"Shut your filthy mouth, Dr. Uttara Bose." Sanskar was boiling with anger.
"Oh! The new saviour of my di!" Uttara chuckled.
"Rape! Do you even know what does rape mean!" Sanskar said dangerously, "I don't know why do you hate her, but at least have some compassion. Rape is not a joke."
Uttara chuckled again, "I just said it was a possibility. And even you can't deny. She doesn't remember anything. Maybe it was not rape. May be consent would have been there na."
Sanskar was taken aback at once by her words. She was talking so low of her own sister. He was in a great disbelief.
"She is your sister."
"I don't consider her. I was better off without her." Uttara again said.
"You are jealous of her." Sanskar, capable of reading emotions through eyes, reached the conclusion.
"Jealous! My foot! She stole Nikhil from me. I loved him and he loved her. And then came you, I got a crush over you. And then, here you are, the hero di's life." Uttara said and stormed away.
Sanskar felt the difference between two sisters. Swara, so pious and calm, and Uttara, jealousy at it's peak.
He turned to find Ayush staring at him, "Thanks for confronting her. She didn't attend even di's engagement out of jealousy. I remembered how badly she cried that day."
Sanskar nodded, "How is Dr. Bose?"
"Fine now! Sleeping!" Ayush replied, "Why did you directly confront her? Who is di to you that you didn't thought to even ask me once about everything?"
Sanskar was speechless. He too now realized that he could have asked Ayush about everything.
"Uttara di had a huge crush over you since the day she saw you in Nikhil's funeral. But your care for di has made her more bitter. You did right to confront her." Ayush smiled.
"She can be proved dangerous to Swara. Keep this thing in mind." Sanskar was concerned.
He moved out of hospital. His whole plan of apologizing went flop. But a new problem had stood in his way, he had started to feel the same way for Swara as he used to feel for Kavita.
He was sitting in his room when he heard a knock. It was Sujata.
" You haven't had your dinner. So I thought to bring it here you know." Sujata smiled and and took a spoonful of dal and rice.
"I am not hungry ma!" Sanskar said and looked away.
"Should I make something else?" Sujata asked.
"No! It's not like that. I am..I am just ...." Sanskar didn't have words to express his feelings.
"Laksh told me something." Sujata said.
"About what?"
"Dr. Swara Bose!"
Sanskar turned at once hearing her name, "Ma! Laksh is an idiot."
"May be it's you who is showing the idiocy, my son!" Sujata placed the plate on table and came near him, "Kavita was your past. Hateful, but past. You know very well that I never liked her, and so was every Maheshwari except you. We all agreed just because you loved her. But Swara, she is really loveable. I have met her twice in hospital in these days. Despite her health, she always try to be as humble as possible. I like her."
Sanskar just stared at her for a while. It was the first time Sujata was approving of a girl. Sujata was very protective of him since childhood. She never approved of any of his girlfriends since high school.
"Ma! It's not like that. I don't have the capacity to love after my divorce. I can't love. Even if I get in a relationship with her, I may not be able to keep her happy." Sanskar said.
"You are capable of love Sanskar. In fact, the worry over your face we all witnessed in last week, was enough to tell us how much you care for her. You should at least ask her." Sujata suggested.
"She had not yet came out of trauma of Nikhil's death. I can't traumatize her more."
"Then try to be friends with her. You never know what does destiny has in store for you." Sujata shut Sanskar's open mouth, "I don't know anything. You are going to talk to her tomorrow. That's final and now have your dinner."
Sanskar smiled. He didn't remember when he smiled like this before, maybe when he first realized his love for kavita.
"Bless that girl. My child's precious smile returned." Sujata said and left the room.
Sanskar thought something. Enough of this bitterness now. If she could invade his heart, then this is definitely a plan of destiny. But he will remove everything related to Kavita from his life.
He took out an empty cardboard box. He put all the photos of Kavita in it followed by her letters. With dropping her each and every memory in the carton, he felt a sense of relief. He needed this relief since a long time.
He put the carton near dustbin and went straight towards Ashna's room. Ragini was trying to make her sleep.
"Ragini! You spend time with Laksh! I will make her sleep." Sanskar came inside and said.
Ragini's jaw dropped in surprise. She ran towards Laksh and pulled him to the room.
"Ragu! People will think we...." Laksh said followed by an opened jaw in astonishment, Sanskar was playing with Ashna.
"Is it a dream?" Laksh asked.
"No! It is reality!" Ragini wiped a tear away from her eyes, "Thank you God!"
"Nah! Say thanks to Swara!" It was Sujata who came from behind.
Everyone was shocked to see Sanskar trying to make braids of Ashna next morning.
"Bhai sahab! Are we all dreaming?" Ram asked.
"If this is dream, I wish never to be awaken." Durga Prasad replied.
Sanskar was taking deep breaths. He was standing in front of the main gate of Swara's house. With a bouquet of tulips in his hand, he finally rang the doorbell.
"Mr. Maheshwari! Please come in." It was Shekhar who opened the door.
"Sir! I... I came to meet Dr. Bose!" Sanskar strut a little. His nervousness was not hidden from Ayush who winked at him.
"Oh! You mean dad right!" Ayush said while forwarding a glass of water to him.
"No! I mean...." Sanskar again stamerred.
"Uttara di! Have you come to say sorry to her for your scoldings! No need. She deserved that." Ayush smiled and winked again. It increased Sanskar's nervousness more.
"No! I came to meet Swara..." Words came out automatically from his mouth. His heartbeat rose as Shekhar smiled at him.
"Oh! Swara! She is in her room, resting. Ayush, inform your di." Shekhar said.
Sanskar by waited in anticipation. He just smiled at Shrkhar's questions as he knew that slip of tongue may be possible.
For eg
"How is your work going on?"
Sanskar smiled.
"How is your bade papa. I want to thank him."
Sanskar again smiled with a little additional nod.
"Do you have problem in your throat?"
Sanskar again smiled.
This smiling session led to a little confusion in Shekhar's mind so he forwarded a medicine to him, "Before bed for three days. Your throat will be happier."
Sanskar again smiled.
Suddenly Sanskar felt a flowery fragrance filing up his nose. He turned at once. Swara was coming to hall. Ayush was behind her.
Sanskar had a look of her and judging by that, he could clearly understand the turmoil she went through. There were still bluish marks around her wrist. Afterall her hands were tied up for 7 days straight. Sanskar wondered if the same marks could be over her ankle too.
Her hair were tied in a loose braid. Her face was looking exhausted. But still, the twinkle was there in her eyes. Sanskar felt relieved seeing that. He knew she had not broken.
"Flowers for you!" Sanskar forwarded flowers to her which Swara took.
"I am sorry for that day, Mr Maheshwari! I behaved in a wrong way." Swara said.
"Anyone would have done the same. But I am happy that you didn't dwell in that lie." Sanskar assured her.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Ayush spoke, "Tea or coffee?"
Sanskar nodded in no but Swara insisted, "It's not fair! Have some tea please. After a tiring day, tea is like a relief."
Sanskar couldn't say no. He couldn't even express that he never drank tea. He always had coffee.
And Ayush came with tea in his hands. Sanskar smiled and took the cup.
"Don't you like coffee, dr. Bose?" Sanskar asked
"I prefer tea over coffee! You?" Swara asked.
"Same!" Sanskar smiled and took a sip. He smiled again looking at Swara.
After finishing his cup of tea, he looked at Swara. His eyes wanted to express a lot, but his tongue betrayed him.
"You wanted to say something?" As if Swara knew his condition.
"Yes! I.... I wanted to say sorry, for you know what!" Sanskar could say this only before his phone rang. He was called urgently to head quarters.
"Out talk remained incomplete. I will come soon to finish it." Sanskar said before bidding goodbye to everyone.