Morning was greeted by thunderstorm so loud that Sanskar did not need Swara to wake him up. Looking at the time, it was 6 in morning. He tried to find Swara but she was not there. Suddenly, he saw her coming out of washroom, her hair wet dripping with water.
"Swara!" Sanskar said, "It's raining outside. And you took bath so early today."
Swara smiled and replied, "Today is ma's death anniversary. There is a pooja kept by papa in Bose house."
"You did not inform me!" Sanskar complained.
"I was about to. But you came so late last night and I was tired too." Swara replied.
But Sanskar did not feel why, a little annoyance covered up him. Was it because of extra stress of the professional front or the sense of not getting included in something so important in Swara's life.
But his annoyance faded when Swara took out a kurta pyjama for him.
"It will take only half an hour for pooja. Can you please spare sometime? I will feel good!"
Sanskar smiled. For making her feel good, he could do anything. And paying respect to the lady who moulded her daughter in such a beautiful way was definitely his duty. Though he never met Swara's real mother, but he admired the way she single handedly raised Swara.
He came out and found Swara ready in a light pink coloured suit. He had expected and he was right too in judging Swara's emotions today. She was not crying but quiter than the usual. Sanskar was not liking her silence but he knew forcing Swara to be happy would account for something not practical.
He came in front of her and looked into her eyes.
"I never said this! But I am proud of your mother's upbringing. Wherever she is, she will be happy seeing her daughter so strong yet so gentle."
Swara smiled lightly. Her smile again caused butterflies to dance in Sanskar's belly.
Whole Maheshwaris except Durga Prasad who had some important work, attended the pooja.
After the pooja, Swara looked at his father who was smiling at her.
"What happened papa?" Swara asked.
"I can see my daughter smiling from her eyes again."
Swara smiled. Shekhar was right. Sanskar's presence in her life had imparted a glow on her face.
Unknown to her, Sanskar who heard the words of Shekhar was smiling too. He knew more than Swara, it was him who started to smile from his eyes.
Swara was working in her lab. She was busy with the autopsy body when a sense of being watched felt by her. She looked in front and noone was there. She looked behind and saw the lab almost empty. Looking at the time, she realised it was more than 1 hour exceeding the closing time.
She continued her work. But the sense of being watched was so uncomfortable that she needed to turn back again and again. Anyhow, she finished the autopsy and removed her autopsy cover. It was last June and humidity was at it's peak. But Swara felt a little suffocated. She thought to move out of lab. But as she looked at the door. It was closed from outside.
Swara's forehead frowned. Jagram dada always used to check the lab before closing. She tried to knock the door. She banged the door again. There was noone.
She took out her phone. She dialed Jagram's number but there were no network. She switched off and on her phone again. Tried to dial emergency number but all was vain. Now her instinct clearly told her something was out of the place.
For her safety, she took out pepper spary from her purse and tried to look for possible escape from the labs. Ventilation was closed too.
A state of panic was aroused in her. What was going on!
She was feeling little suffocated now. The headache which she thought was due to panic attack was increasing. She tried to take deep breathe but was not able to.
She knew what was going on. Somebody had deliberately connected the air supply to the carbon monoxide pump. And now, it was taking the place of oxygen in room.
Swara was panicking now. Her mind could not think properly. Her head was feeling as if it would split in two parts with pain. Her feet were not ready to move. With lots of efforts to keep her eyes open, Swara tried to find something heavy. With God's grace, she saw a weapon, an axe to be precise which was brought for the examination an hour or two before.
Anyhow, she took the axe and with all her power, she hit it on the glass window. The glass got broken. Swara never knew fresh air would feel so good to her someday. There was no escape from the room though as glass window was covered with metal grill, but still, keeping her face in front of it, she knew she would at least be protected from the dangerous gas.
Swara sat below the glass window. Her body was giving up now. For one last time, she tried to call people from outside. But her eyes closed and she fell down on the floor.
Sanskar looked at the time. It was 7:30 in evening. Today, when he arrived early, madame needed to be late. Great!
He tried calling her but phone was out of coverage. It used to happen sometimes, he thought.
"Umm Ragini bhabhi!" Sanskar said silently so that Ram and Durga Prasad could not hear. Ragini glared at him. Being called bhabhi from Sanskar angered her always. And Sanskar loved to tease her.
"Ji Sanskar bhaiya!" Ragini said in the same sweet tone.
"Acha sorry! Ragini, now okay?" Sanskar replied, "Have you tried calling Swara? When is she returning?"
Ragini showed him her phone call history. She had called her 2 times and phone was unreachable.
"She is too busy with the dead that she forgot that her living and loving ones are waiting for her here!" Sujata said with a little anger, "Even your papa came! She told him she will come by 6:30 and see the time! Let this girl come! I will show her what a mother in law is!"
Ragini giggled. Sujata stared at her and said, "Laugh! Last night only she told me she loves sabudan khichdi. I thought to make that this evening for her. And now, it get cold. Let her come!"
Ram was laughing too having the khichdi by himself. And so was Laksh.
"Ma! Another plate please!" Sanskar said
"No! You all will not leave anything for Swara! Nobody will ask for another plate now!" Annapurna scolded all of the men.
But the atmosphere changed into a serious one when it was 8:15 already and Swara's phone was still not reachable.
"Let me call jagram!" Ram said. As he called him and talked to him, his face frowned a little.
"What happened?" Durga Prasad asked.
"He is saying he is at home and Swara had sent the keys to his home from someone."
"What?" Sanskar stood up .
"Yes! And he had been told to go home early by Swara only. She messaged him."
Sanskar felt an anxiety taking over his senses. Where was Swara?
Immediately, he took his car keys.
"I am coming with you!" Laksh said.
Sanskar nodded.
Together, they went straight to hospital first. Witnessing Swara's car still parked in the lot, Sanskar knew something wrong was happening.
Guard of lab was sitting outside, half asleep.
"How long lab was closed?" Laksh asked seeing the lab closed. But guard did not reply. He was drunk badly or somebody deliberately made him drunk.
Sanskar looked at the lab closed. His gaze suddenly fell on decontamination vent. The functioning light was on. And the light just below the carbon monoxide gas was on.
Sanskar shuddered. And so did Laksh. What if Swara was inside!
"Bhai! Calm down!" Laksh said looking at the state of Sanskar. Other hospital staff came running there too.
"Sir! But we rarely use CO for decontamination. And today was not even the day of decontamination." The expert of department said.
Sanskar did not say anything. He was praying for the safety of Swara. He knew what CO could do to a person.
Efforts of breaking the door went futile. It took 10 minutes to get the keys of the door.
There was complete darkness inside. And the atmosphere was so suffocating that even he felt a little dizzy as he stepped inside. The others rushed inside too. Opening the windows, and switching on the lights, the scene inside was not less than a nightmare to Sanskar.
Swara was lying on the floor with her eyes closed. The broken pieces of glass scattered around her. Her forehead had a little cut from the glass piece and an axe was lying just near her. The window just above was broken a bit.
Sanskar immediately rushed towards Swara. He patted her face first gently. But she did not open her eyes.
Sanskar never knew he could've felt so anxiety ever in his life. Even after calling her name repeatedly, she was not opening her eyes.
"Sanskar! Let the doctors do their work na!" Laksh said as he saw a senior doctor coming.
After half an hour, Sanskar was sitting with his face in his palms. Doctor was checking Swara inside. He did not want to stay away from her in this condition but he had to.
Laksh came and sat near him. Though Ram and Durga Prasad had already reached there, Laksh knew it was only him who could calm down Sanskar.
"She will be fine!" Laksh said, "Don't worry!"
Sanskar nodded.
"Swara knew what was happening! So she broke the glass. She is braver and smarter than we think!" Laksh again tried to cheer up Sanskar.
"But who wants to take revenge from her! And that too so badly." Sanskar said.
Laksh was about to say something but Doctor's arrival made him forget that.
"She is doing fine now. It was all due to her presence of mind that she broke the glass of window. Otherwise whoever did this, was completely hell bent on taking her life!"
"Can we meet her?" Durga Prasad asked.
"Yes sure! In fact you can take her back home too. Just some basic care and she will be fine!"
Sanskar felt a great relief hearing his words. He wanted to see her immediately. He wanted to hold her hand immediately. And wanted to catch the culprit immediately too.
Laksh patted his shoulder again. Sanskar couldn't help but held his hand lightly and let a tear fall from his eyes which he kept hidden till now.
"Let's meet her once! Then we will drive her to home!" Laksh said. He did not say anything about the tears as he knew words would be insufficient to console his brother right now.
When Sanskar entered, Ram and Durga Prasad were already there with another officer recording her statement. Swara's voice had become feeble. Her face and eyes were pale too.
"Thank you so much ma'am!" Officer said and left the place.
"Swara!" Laksh came near her and sat, "I don't think you are liking this room much! Hai na!"
Swara smiled.
"Your sister will eat me up if I delay your arrival to home." Laksh again said. Even in this condition, he knew how to lighten up the heaviness.
Swara's gaze fell over Sanskar who was still standing in a corner. Laksh too sensed her and his brother's emotions.
"Sanskar! You be with her here. Let me look at the formalities." Laksh said alomst pushing him towards Swara.
As if the elders were understanding too, with Laksh, they too moved out of the room leaving the two shy love stricken sweethearts alone.
Sanskar sat near Swara whose eyes were on the verge of closing again. He did not know what to say! But he just wanted to be near to her.
"Sanskar!" Swara said, "I am fine!"
Sanskar nodded. He gently caressed her hair and placed his palm on her eyes.
"We will talk about everything later. You need rest!"
As Swara closed her eyes, Sanskar did not know when, his fingers intermingled with hers.