Cool breeze swept his hair away from his forehead but this time not even that could bring him back in his senses.
It was night time, and Sanskar still wasn't sleepy. He was sitting on the place near his window, and was staring outside thoughtfully. The thought that he indeed needed to sleep did not even cross his mind, rather he was drowned in his own thoughts...
Memories of his times spent with Swara, memories of her gaze being averted from him whenever they approached each other, and then... memories of their first meet -- where Swara was about to fall down from the stairs and she landed in his arms, with him saving her... that was the first moment for him with her ever, the moment in which he had begun to get attracted towards her.
He was simply watching the nature outside the window, where clouds were threatening to burst and a slight drizzle had already begun. It was raining outside and that reminded him once again of that time when he had dropped Swara back to her home when it was raining very heavily at that time.
These rains, this weather... it rendered a feeling of peace and satisfaction in Sanskar's heart. He closed his eyes and remembered that one moment which was too close to his heart by now.
The moment where he had confessed his feelings for Swara!
She didn't hear his confession, he knew, she was sleeping at that time. But still, he confessed his love for her because he wanted to speak his heart out to her, irrespective of her listening to him or not, and he couldn't stop himself from speaking his heart out.
And now that he had realised this feeling, which was in his heart for her ever since long... he was finally content. He was at peace. An unusual emotion aroused him as he recollected all that Swara had gone through in her life. Her mother's words, Swara's courage to stand up for her family, her strength all these years...
"You have suffered a lot in your life Swara. It's not easy to come out of that pain which I can clearly see in your eyes today as well. The pain of always being judged by people even if you're not the one at fault, the pain of being betrayed by people who are meant to love you and stand by you, the pain you have carried all these years in your life... it's not easy. Still, you stood strong for your family and never let your past become a hurdle in your way, and today you are finally what you have always wanted to be. A doctor, an ideal person, an inspiration, and a wonderful person... for me."
A deep breath followed. A moment for him to ponder.
"Tum bohot special ho Swara." Sanskar admitted, as he stared outside but Swara's thoughts still occupied his mind. "Tumhare jaisi ladkiya iss duniya mein bohot kum hoti hai, jo apnon se apni jaan se bhi jyada pyaar karti hai. You can do anything for your loved ones and that is what makes you so different and special. I really never thought that I'll realise my love for you under these circumstances but still, I love you, Swara. I have realised it and I'll always be there for you whenever you need someone. I want you to know that you have someone whom you can always count on and trust."
Another sigh followed and with that, he closed his eyes as he let his emotions arouse him completely. He knew, it was not going to be easy for Swara to believe in goodness once again. He knew it was hard for her to believe in love and trust once again. When she'd herself seen the inevitable split between her own parents, seeing them separating and her mother's sufferings, seeing her own fate betraying her by bringing that Sahil in her life -- it was altogether very hard for her to believe anyone again.
But... not anymore.
Sanskar Maheshwari was soon going to break this outlook for Swara, for he was going to show her that she deserved much better and she deserved to be loved more than she would have thought. He was going to show her that she could trust someone... and that 'someone' was him!
And for that, he definitely knew what to do.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Next day, morning...
A new day, a fresh day. And perhaps, a new beginning for everyone. And... the day of Sharmishtha's discharge!
Sanskar, Rajat and Anushka were seen waiting in the main area of the hospital, with Anushka ready with their own bouquet. The bouquet was beautiful, it was glorified with red and pink colour roses. This gift was planned by all three of them together. They knew Swara's mother was going to be discharged today, and they wanted to bid her a good farewell with this gift. A gift, on account of her excellent recovery and bravery.
"When are they going to come?" Anushka voiced her concerns out, and by now even Sanskar and Rajat glanced towards the door of the room. It had been a while now, they should have come.
And just then they saw... the door was open and just within a few seconds, Sharmishtha walked out of the room with slow steps, with Swara alongside her, holding her and giving her support. Sharmishtha's eyes travelled towards the three kids standing far away from her who were looking at her only, and she smiled towards them warmly, and Swara too smiled back towards them in response.
Sharmishtha made her way slowly towards the main area with Swara holding her, and within a few moments they were in the main area of the hospital.
Sanskar was the first one to smile in acknowledgement and he approached her. He bent down in front of Sharmishtha to take her blessings, which she gave to him wholeheartedly.
"Stay blessed, beta." Sharmishtha said to Sanskar, and Sanskar smiled nodding his head. And Swara stared at him and then at Anushka who also came forward holding the lovely bouquet in her hands.
"Aunty, this is for you." Anushka forwarded the bouquet towards Sharmishtha, who looked at it and then at her in amusement. "This is a gift... on behalf of all three of us. Congratulations on your successful recovery aunty." She said to her, and made Sharmishtha take the bouquet.
"Thank you so much Anushka." Sharmishtha smiled brightly and took the bouquet holding it in her hands. "Tum sab bachcho ne mere liye yeh dino mein jo kuch bhi kiya hai unn sab keliye thank you so much."
Anushka smiled back and she and Rajat both took Sharmishtha's blessings one by one.
"Seriously beta." She said smiling. "You all took so much care of me and Swara. No words would be enough to thank you all."
"Then don't thank us!" Anushka stated quickly. "If you consider us as your own people, then please don't thank us. And by the way aunty, this was our duty! So from now on you will never thank any of us!" Anushka repeated the same thing once again and Sharmishtha chuckled shaking her head.
"Maa!" Swara called out to Sharmishtha, as she glanced at her phone once again. "Dida ka message aaya hai. She is on her way to the hospital." She informed her, and Sharmishtha was shocked at this piece of information.
"What?!" Sharmishtha reacted in shock. "Maa is back from Benaras already? But..."
"Yeah," Swara admitted in uncertainity. "But now I have messaged her back informing her that we both are on our way to reach home. Dida must be very tired because of her trip, so I don't want her to come here now. Besides, I'm coming with you back home na. So she has nothing to worry about."
"Okay, good." Sharmishtha let her know. "Chal Shona, ab Dida bhi aa gayi hai toh ghar toh hume bhi jaldi chalna chahiye. Woh bohot pareshan ho rahi hogi."
"Yeah." Swara nodded her head and then, she raised her hand to hold her arm, supporting her. "Aaram se chaliye Maa. I have already arranged an auto for us and he is waiting outside."
Both of them took their leave from Sanskar, Rajat and Anushka as they were leaving the hospital soon. Swara was near the auto and was picking up the huge bags to keep them on the seat, and being busy in that, she didn't notice Sharmishtha turning to look towards Sanskar. And by now, Sanskar had come up to Sharmishtha one more time to give her good wishes.
"Get well soon aunty." Sanskar said to her smiling. "And take care of yourself."
"You also take care of yourself Sanskar." Sharmishtha replied to him smiling. "And..." She drowned in her own thoughts thinking how to frame her concerns into a proper sentence, but Sanskar already understood what she was about to say.
"And don't worry aunty. I'll take care of Swara too. I'll always be by her side." Sanskar said to her in assurance. He knew what it felt to leave your daughter after many days of being together. Whereas on the other hand, Sharmishtha smiled delightfully. He was all that she'd ever wanted for her Shona. And she also knew, that fate surely had something in store for her Shona in the form of Sanskar. She trusted Sanskar with her daughter, and she knew nothing would go wrong in Swara's life anymore as long as he was with her. For her now it was only to see that when Swara would accept Sanskar in her life.
And after their final conversation, Swara called out to Sharmishtha telling her that everything was ready. Soon, the auto drove away with both ladies sitting on them, leaving Sanskar to gather up his own thoughts which chanted only one thing...
"Mene Swara ki Maa se vaada kiya hai, ki mai kabhi unki beti ka saath nahi chhodunga. Hamesha uske saath rahunga, har wakt, har pal, zindagi ke har mod par."
And Sanskar Maheshwari never broke his promises. Swara, for him was his first priority. And his promise!
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Bhai Sa. What do you think about this..."
Dean Ramprasad Maheshwari voiced out his thoughts to his partner cum elder brother Durgaprasad Maheshwari who was sitting right besides him, in their cabin. Durgaprasad adjusted his glasses as he turned his head towards Ram.
"Yes, Ram?"
"So..." Ram began. "Our hospital staff is thinking of organizing the medical camp which will be held by some of the doctors of our hospital and even a few interns included. You remember, we have it every year? By this, there will be a social awareness among people regarding good health care and tips. What do you think about it, we need your opinion on this."
Durgaprasad thought for some time. Undoubtedly, this had always been a good idea and this could also maintain the hard earned reputation of their hospital.
"That's great, Ram." Durgaprasad agreed to him. "But we need to talk to Mr Sareen first. So that we know the proper plans."
"Don't worry about that, Bhai sa." Ram smiled. "He has already suggested us some things and I found them really good. Now all we have to do is just hold a conference for the same so that we make the final decision."
"Yes, we definitely will." Durgaprasad smiled agreeing with his brother. "But Ram, tell me, when would this medical camp be, exactly? And where can it be?"
Ram thought for sometime before opening up about what he had come to know from his staff so far.
"I guess, by the end of this month, which is hardly two days away. And I am assuming that this year our medical camp can be in Jamshedpur. And like always, we need some senior doctors and some interns as well so that they can take care of everything. Every year, it has always been Sanskar and Rajat who take the initiative but this time we are thinking to ask some interns to volunteer. So... what do you think about it? Do you have any intern in your mind?"
That was one tough decision to make for Durgaprasad. "Ram, we hardly know any intern. I am affirmative about Sanskar and Rajat but from interns... I'm not very sure-"
"Uncle! How about taking Anushka and Swara?"
Durgaprasad's sentence was cut short by the intruder inside their cabin who was revealed to be Rajat. And even Ram turned to look at him.
"Rajat?"
"Yes uncle." Rajat said coming towards them and standing besides them. "We all know that their performances in every task have always been up to mark. I think these two can volunteer because they are amazing with anything they do. And partially also because I, Sanskar, Swara and Anushka get along very well. I assure you, that this would be a medical camp worth remembering."
Durgaprasad and Ram took note of what Rajat just said, and with one glance towards each other who reflected the thoughts of the other, they finally nodded their heads.
For them, the decision was made. And Rajat was glad he could make that happen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Evening time...
"Dada, stop here only! Thank you."
After making the necessary payment to the driver, Swara got out of the auto and the first thing she did was message her mom, informing her that she had reached the hospital safely.
After finishing doing that, she took a moment for herself to take a deep breath before she proceeded, thinking about whatever happened today.
The first thing she remembered was her Dida's panic. How much panic-striken she was only to check if her daughter was alright. The second thing she remembered was... her words.
'Yeh Shomi hai na... dhyan se dekh kar chal bhi nahi sakta! Did you have any idea how much scared I was?! Ab toh teri class mai leti hoon, bas dekhti jaa. Huh, careless girl.'
The statement just made Sharmishtha burst out in joyful laughter and though the matter was actually serious, even Swara couldn't help but smile a bit. No, not on her Dida's statement, but on seeing her mother having a full fledged laughter after a long time. Her mother's, her family's smile and happiness, that was all that she'd ever wanted for them. She couldn't express it in words that how content she was about her Maa's recovery.
Hmm, all was well and that finally ended well. For a moment, Swara joined her hands to pray to Durga Maa for her family.
"Hey Durga Maa, please mere family ki raksha karna. Please unhe khush rakhna. Or Maa ko himmat dena, taaki woh puri tarah se jaldi thikh ho jaye. Please stay with them. Love you." Saying that, she smiled closing her eyes.
And that being done, she turned around and made her way towards the entrance of the hospital...
~*~*~*~*~*~*
No sooner she entered the hospital, a frown replaced her positivity reflecting facial features as she noticed something really fishy going on around. Or atleast, she just got a feeling like that.
Before she could even think of doing something, she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she started hearing some really weird sounds... perhaps a noise as if...
As if... someone was panicking in pain!
But who it might be?! Was it some small child? No, Swara thought to check it out.
But all her anticipations came crashing down as soon enough a figure seemed to be appearing right in front of her and it was then when she began to realise who was the owner of that voice... not only the voice but she could even recognise that person who was right now lying on the bed, yelling as if he was in pain, and many nurses surrounding him and carrying him away looking for a room.
A stupefied expression dawned upon her face as she saw Sanskar freaking out in pain. She failed to understand what was going on! At morning he was fine, then what happened to him now?!
"Aaaahhh! Aaahhh!" Sanskar cried holding his leg. "Please, please help me! I c-can't tolerate this p-a-i-n..."
"Sanskar?!" Swara couldn't believe her eyes. She had to make sure several times that this person was Sanskar only. But... she couldn't believe this.
And that was the moment when Swara ran towards Sanskar to check out what happened to him and the nurses stopped the carrier bed.
"S-Sanskar!" Swara stared at him up and down, failing miserably to understand what happened. In response, Swara got a distressed look from Sanskar in return.
Was this person really Sanskar? The perfect-guy with personality and actions reflecting perfection! Right now... he seemed to be in extreme pain.
"Sanskar! W-What are you doing here?!" Swara asked him in disbelief. And maybe... with fear too. And soon enough Sanskar stopped yelling and looked at Swara.
"Can't you see it for yourself?" Sanskar uttered in distress. "I'm freaking out in pain! I slipped off the stairs!"
"You what?!" Swara was highly shocked. Never she would had expected Sanskar to... you know... be this careless. "B-But how come?!"
She still couldn't believe it!
"I slipped off the stairs." Sanskar continued, his voice revealing how much in pain he was. "B-u-t thankfully I didn't fall facedown to the ground. I slipped and t-h-e-n landed at the second last stair." He narrated to her and she frowned, a feeling of worry crept in her heart.
"Wait, just that much?" Swara asked as she could see no hint of injury in any part of his skin. Nor she could feel anything serious about this.
"Oh, yeah!" Sanskar began sarcastically. "It's really not that much. So I was just walking down a ramp which was all the way from the balcony to the downstairs. I walked it down and almost made it a possibility for me to win the title of 'The best ramp-walker of the century', when suddenly my not so steady foot gave up, and that's when I slipped off the stairs and after I slipped off the stairs I royally made a total fool out of myself and finally landed at the bottom of the staircases on my bu-"
"STOP! JUST STOP!" Swara yelled loudly to stop him from blabbering. Okay, in real she actually stopped him from saying that word. "I-I got it. Okay?"
"Really?!" A spark of mischievousness shone in Sanskar's eyes and Swara immediately realised her words.
"Shut up! N-Not like you are thinking. I-I mean that I got it, you got hurt."
And Swara realised that she shouldn't had asked that question to Sanskar. Whatever it was, it was still an accident. And Sanskar was in pain. Maybe he might have got some injuries as well.
To be honest, it was too hard for Swara to see Sanskar in pain. Maybe she wouldn't admit it, but she did feel a little pain in her heart after seeing Sanskar in this pain. The person who stood by her during her tough time, today he seemed in so much pain. Anyhow, she really wanted to help him.
"But why didn't you pay attention while walking?" Swara asked him in worry. "How did you slip from the stairs like that? You should have been careful, right?"
"I don't know!" Sanskar uttered in pressure. "But man does that h-u-r-t! Aaaaahhh!" He continued to yell much to Swara's dismay.
"B-But how come I didn't hear any sound?" Swara asked him.
"I don't know... maybe you are deaf!" Sanskar stated, slightly taunting her.
"Haan that's okay but... wait! What?!" Swara still couldn't believe what he just said about her. "Did you just call me deaf?!" She asked him angrily and Sanskar let out a painful laugh.
"As much as I would love to answer all your questions which are right now making me feel like a freaking celebrity, I'm not really in that condition. Please, please just throw me in any goddamned ward and I'll do everything you want." Sanskar told her giving her a glare and Swara closed her eyes tightly, not being able to digest any of it.
"Okay!" Swara told to him and Sanskar smiled widely. "Alright, but please stop yelling like this Sanskar. Do you even know that it looks as if a small child is shouting? Please, I know you are in pain, I know you are hurt but... get some control on yourself."
As soon as Swara completed, she told the nurses that she would handle this case and she began rolling the bed towards the corridor, searching for a room.
"Wow, I'm loving this ride." Sanskar gleamed, suddenly forgetting all his pain, which Swara noticed.
"I thought you were in pain right now." Swara said to him and Sanskar, after some moments of being alert, turned towards her.
"I know..." Sanskar uttered to her. "Par pata nahi kyu tumhe dekh kar saara dard gayab ho gaya."
Even though Sanskar was serious, he made it sound as if he was not serious and was just kidding with her.
"Ugh, seriously Sanskar!" Swara commented shaking her head, while searching for the room. "I just don't understand what God was thinking while creating someone like you!"
"I'm one of the most special creations of God... you know." Sanskar winked towards her and Swara rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, keep believing in illusions." She commented back. "Anyways, that room is empty. Let's go in there."
"Aye aye captain!" Sanskar chirped raising his hand and soon he started yelling in pain again, much to Swara's disbelief. "Aaaah. I think I'll die today."
"For heaven sake Sanskar, stop shouting." Swara told him in an irritated voice. "It's normal to get hurt, I mean who doesn't? But does that mean shouting like this will make your pain go away? No na? Then?"
"Whatever. I just want treatment asap! My leg, my spinal cord, I think every bone of my body has got fractured." Sanskar concluded giving a distressed expression and Swara couldn't help but shake her head. Okay, now he was beginning to exaggerate a lot.
"Who will say that he is twenty five years old? Or toh or he is elder to me by three years! Lekin... Huh! Iski harkatein toh abhi tak bachche jaisi hai!" Swara commented to herself but suddenly thought of modifying her last statement. "Wait... harkatein hi nahi, pura ka pura bachcha hi hai yeh! Dimaag se bhi, shakal se bhi," Swara kept on mumbling under her breath in frustration, without even noticing that what she spoke right now made absolutely no sense even to her. "Argh, whatever! But he is seriously annoying."
"I feel like death is all set to come and grab me in it's arms! I don't think I'll survive. I'll die! Aaaahhh!" Sanskar chanted melodramatically but Swara immediately shut him up.
"Shut up!" Swara uttered to him. "You are seriously too much at times." She told him only to stop him from ranting more.
"Alright. I'll stop." Sanskar replied like an obedient kid, and unknowingly a small smile made it's way to Swara's lips.
"Good boy." She mumbled to herself before taking him inside a room.
Sanskar looked around a bit hesitantly and by now even Swara reacted awkwardly. "Y-You need some help in shifting to that bed? I mean... some help to hold you?" She asked him averting her gaze and Sanskar shaked his head.
"Nope, no worries! I'll get there myself."
And with that Sanskar pushed himself to get up from his bed, clutching his arm as if holding it on for his dear life. Swara furrowed her eyebrows in anxiousness, thinking if he would be able to make it. But she realised she was wrong.
"Ouch!" No sooner Sanskar lost his balance and was about to trip down, Swara immediately came to his rescue and gripped his arm with one hand, and the other hand holding his wrist, stopping him from falling down. Her own heart skipped a beat as she held Sanskar. And on the other hand, Sanskar seemed to be frozen feeling her touch against his skin. The way she was holding him so that she could save him.
Swara shaked her head, silently telling him to hold on for a minute. Sanskar, still staring at her, was made to lie down on the hospital bed by Swara and soon enough, she made him settle down and left him. Sanskar's gaze went towards the arm that Swara was holding a few moments back, and he was already missing her warmth against his skin.
"S-Sorry." Swara uttered to him hesitantly, but Sanskar was still staring at her as if trying to understand what Swara did to make his heart go nervy and jumpy only for her. How... how was it possible for someone to fall in love so many times with the same girl? Every time... every single moment he found himself lost in her large black orbs, and reminded of what she had gone through in her life, about the injustice her own fate did to her, but she was such an angel. Who would even think of harming the feelings of someone so pure, and so innocent like Swara? Just then Sanskar realised, that this world was too cruel.
But no, fate wasn't as unfair as they thought it to be. Right?
"Woh..." Sanskar called out to her but he realised she was staring at him only while he was drowned in his own sea of thoughts. And Swara acknowledged him telling something to her.
"Swara, ek baat kahoon tum se?"
"Haan, bolo." She uttered to him but somehow she felt being carried away by Sanskar's gaze towards her. No, she felt so agitated whenever he looked at her like that.
"Tum mere liye bohot special ho." Sanskar wanted to voice out his feelings for her but something pulled him back. No, he wouldn't confess his love for her like this. And not before getting assured that Swara trusted him enough.
But before he could even think of anything else, he saw the door of the room being pushed away only to reveal the intruder... and Sanskar's eyes widened.
"Papa!" He exclaimed. 'Shit!' was his first reaction when he saw his father Ramprasad entering the room, looking at both of them with questions rising in his eyes.
Swara, suddenly being alert about the dean, she looked at him. "Good evening Sir." She greeted him immediately, which Ram acknowledged.
"Good evening Dr Swara. May I know what is going on here?! And I actually wanted to talk to you about something and... wait! Sanskar?!"
Sanskar made weird expressions and raised a hand towards his face as if protecting himself from Ram, so that he wouldn't know he was here but even that attempt of his failed as Ram had seen him.
"Sanskar?!" Ram uttered in disbelief, and Sanskar closed his eyes as he realised he was now in trouble. "You, here?! What are you doing here on a patient's bed when you are a doctor?"
"Ugh, sir." Swara decided to let him know about it, afterall he was his father. "Sanskar ko chot lagi hai."
"WHAT?!" Ram seemed shocked. "But how, Sanskar? What's wrong with you? Bohot dino se isse dekh raha hoon, apne hi khayalo hi khoya rehta hai."
"Papa!" Sanskar grumbled in frustration. "Stop embarrassing me. Please. Like come on, this is so frightening. You are not supposed to talk so rudely with patients."
"Yeah, you teach me what to do!" Ram told him in annoyance.
"I am not your teacher, you are." Sanskar rolled his eyes and Swara could already witness this somewhat sour relationship that Sanskar shared with his father.
"Hey bhagwan! Iss ladke ka kuch nahi ho sakta." Ram declared to himself shaking his head and then he looked at Sanskar. "Now how did you hurt yourself like this?"
"Wow papa!" Sanskar commented sarcastically. "So much for having a doctor-father." He said exactly what would annoy his father.
"Sanskar, please stop fooling around. Now will you tell me what happened?" Ram asked, this time in a worried tone.
"Alright." Sanskar uttered. "I fell off the stairs..."
"WHAT?!" Ram exclaimed in shock, and within a moment he stepped near to him keeping his palm on his shoulder. "Sanskar, how can you be so careless? Kaise hua yeh sab?" He asked him in genuine concern.
"Dad," Sanskar uttered. "Relax, I'm fine."
And the response made Swara frown. Just a few seconds ago Sanskar was freaking out in pain and now he was saying that he was fine.
"Okay then." Ram told him in a comforting tone. "Take care of yourself. I have some work to do, so I'll meet you later. Till then..." He thought of something and his eyes travelled towards Swara who was looking at him. "Dr Swara, can you please look after Sanskar?"
And the question made Swara almost stumble on her calm demeanor, but kept a composed face. Well, not that she had any problem but with Sanskar... it was something else.
"Y-Yeah sir." Swara nodded her head obediently and Sanskar shot Ram a 'he's hopeless' look.
"Alright. Take care Sanskar." Ram nodded his head and after patting his shoulder with concern, he turned around and left the room... leaving the two of them alone.
For Swara, it was yet another challenge for her.
In this case, she was supposed to look after Sanskar. But there was something else that was bothering her.
"Sanskar..." Swara began with uncertainity once Ram left the room, and Sanskar looked at her. "You told sir that you are fine... why did you lie when few minutes ago you were actually... you know..."
"Oh!" Sanskar nodded his head as if he didn't care. "Just like that. Because anyway if I will tell him that my arms and legs are paining, it's not like he is going to do anything." He stated as a fact and that raised Swara's confusion about it more.
"But Sanskar... he is your father na?"
"Just for namesake." Sanskar mumbled to himself and turned his gaze towards Swara as she was still staring at him, trying hard to understand what was really up with him. "In reality, he has never given any time for his son and now I no longer even expect anything from him. Uhm... Anyway, leave this." He brought her attention to himself. "So as he said... you have to look after me. But honestly you know what, I don't mind being your patient!" He winked at her and Swara took a deep breath, slightly twisting her lips, knowing that it wasn't going to be that easy for her. How was she supposed to stay sane knowing that Sanskar knowingly or unknowingly always created a kind of heat in her heart? And it was inevitable.
And with that, Swara went and shut the door close, and Sanskar got up and sat on the bed.
After closing the door, she turned around and saw Sanskar looking around, as if thinking something. Swara made his way towards him, and a feeling of awkwardness aroused her.
Swara cleared her throat to bring Sanskar back to his senses. Sanskar turned to look at Swara and she averted her gaze from him.
"R-Remove your... blazer..." Swara somehow managed to utter.
It took a moment for Sanskar to realise what she just said. And the words... his eyes widened as he looked on shocked.
"Uh, what?"
Swara sighed sharply. "I said remove your blazer Sanskar. And..." she licked her lips to calm her nervousness down. "R-Remove your t-shirt too. I have to check you."
"WHAT THE..." was the first reaction Swara received from Sanskar.
"What?!" Swara somehow managed to speak off. She knew that whenever a person got hurt, the first thing a doctor had to do was check if there was any kind of injury or any arising case of blood clot situations. Hell, it was hard for her too but she had already decided that she would examine him with her eyes extra cautious and away from watching some things. What things, one might ask? Seeing a guy's abs wasn't something she was supposed to do and it wasn't something that her sanity could take, especially when it was Sanskar's. His gaze already affected her enough. She wouldn't admit it openly, though.
"Swara I... I am not going to... you know... I can't!" Sanskar stated to Swara in horror.
"What you can't?!" Swara asked in frustration. Okay, now her hormones were definitely messing her up. But wait, she was twenty two, right? Then how on earth were her hormones on play?
"S-Swara, are you serious? I mean... I... uhm... don't I look good with my t-shirt and blazer on?!" Sanskar asked her in a silly way and Swara shaked her head vigorously, staring at him in disbelief.
"That's not what I said!" She snapped at him. "I n-needed to check if in case you have got some injury or something on your back. Sanskar, this is for medical purposes. Not anything like you are thinking!" She told him in annoyance and a realisation dawned upon Sanskar's facial features.
"Ohhhh!" Sanskar sighed in realisation. "Well, then you are always welcome!" He smiled, feeling sorry for his own stupidity.
"Wait, what were you thinking?!" Swara asked him in disbelief. He wasn't thinking something else, right?
"I... umm... you know..." Sanskar licked his lips in nervousness and Swara looked at him. "I thought that you... you wanted to check me out!" He blurted in one breath and Swara gave him an ultra-deadly glare, to which Sanskar raised his hands in self-defence. "Don't look at me like that! Your words sounded like that, it's not my fault! And anyway since I'm a daily gym-trainer, most girls die to see my beautifully maintained six pack. So I thought... you know. But you could have been the lucky girl to see it..."
Swara ended up sighing to herself, as if this was hopeless. Coming up with nothing else to argue with him, she rolled her eyes, and as usual Sanskar noticed her every action.
"Huh, tumhare six pack dekhne mein kise interest hoga." Swara mumbled to herself inaudibly. "Okay, maybe someone will be. But I am not! Mai shareef ghar ki shareef ladki hoon. Not interested in these things." Swara's extra brilliant mind chided to her, and she couldn't help but get irked by her own inner-voice.
"Argh! Just great!" Swara uttered to herself in frustration. "Swara, now even you are going crazy after being with this Sanskar. Congratulations!"
"Kuch... kaha tumne Swara?" Sanskar asked her tilting his head sideways, as if trying to analyze her. In a playful way, of course.
"Nahi, kuch nahi!" Swara threw her words in the air. "Anyways, I'll just come. Till that time, you sleep here only. I'll bring a heat bag for you for the time being and then later I can do your checkup."
"Sure." Sanskar nodded his head cutely.
And within a moment, Swara turned around on her heels and walked out of the room, somehow trying to get her own heartbeats under control that she'd been struggling with ever since she was with him. Why did her heart race so much whenever he was with her? Why?!
This guy would be the death of her!
Once Swara left the room, Sanskar took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Shit! This was harder than I thought. I'm still feeling embarrassed about that t-shirt part." Sanskar said to himself chuckling. Things didn't look that easy as it seemed, but he still loved doing this and he still couldn't stop smiling to himself.
Definitely, pyaar mein insaan kuch bhi kar leta hai, now he realised it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rajat wanted to inform Sanskar about the medical camp, and also about how he wanted to take Swara and Anushka along with them as volunteers.
But... after a little birdie told him that 'Sanskar just met with an accident was just sleeping in a room', Rajat made his way towards the door and banged it open, only to see that Sanskar was lying down comfortably, his eyes open as if thinking something.
"Oye! What the hell happened to you?!" Rajat brought him out of his daze and Sanskar raised his head in jolt only to see Rajat at the door. "So much happened with you or bhai ko batana jaruri bhi nahi samjha. What kind of best friend are you?!"
"Bro, calm down. Will you?" Sanskar mumbled laughing much to Rajat's discomposure.
"'Calm down'! Seriously, calm down?" Rajat scolded him. "What if something would have happened to you? You know what, you almost freaked me out. Woh toh accha hai ki I heard it from Ram uncle when he was telling about your accident to Durgaprasad uncle, otherwise I wouldn't have come to know about it. You know, you're such a buffoon... an idiot, a careless dumbhead..."
"Rajat, SHAANTI! Please!" Sanskar interrupted loudly and Rajat was all set to pounce on him. "Itna bada crime toh nahi kiya hai mene that you are cursing me so much!" He pushed himself up and sat on the bed and rolled his eyes, but Rajat scrunched his eyebrows as he noticed something really fishy. He... looked fine?
"Wait... you are looking fine to me. Are you alright now?" Rajat asked him for clarification and Sanskar smiled nodding his head.
"I'm alright, okay? Now stop calling me by those bad names. You know... they make me question my own nature." He told him frowning in an adorable way.
Rajat still failed to understand what was going on.
"Rajat, listen." Sanskar sighed looking at him. "Nothing happened to me. Neither I fell off the stairs nor I hurted myself. I just... actually... I won't say that it was a plan because it's not. It is just... something that you know... for Swara."
"Then why on earth are you doing this act?" Rajat asked him instantly. He still couldn't understand why his best friend was doing something like that. Like come on, even this thing needed guts, that's what Rajat thought. "I mean falling off the stairs, really?"
"I don't know why did it even cross my mind to be honest." Sanskar confessed to Rajat truthfully. "I wasn't even going to do this or planning to do any of this. I don't know why did I feel this urge to put up this thing. Maybe it's because... I think I want Swara to know me well enough. I want her to see a side of me that is stupid and childish, and somewhere I feel like that will deepen her trust on me more and also to make her feel comfortable enough to be around me. You know... it's like she has covered herself with a wall around her that doesn't allow her to open up at all, and that is something that I want to happen. I want her to open up and not worry about getting judged by any person. I know this whole thing is messed up anyway but..."
"Messed up? Are you seriously saying that you messed up?" Rajat exclaimed in excitement. "Bro, mere sher! Tune toh sixer maar diya yaar! Damn, now I think even I should start using these tricks to bring Anushka closer to me." He smiled chuckling at his own thoughts but Sanskar in this case was serious.
"Pata hai tumhe..." Sanskar smiled to himself thinking about Swara. "Swara is more than what she shows to the world. I want her to open up in front of me, I want her to be herself, her real self around me. The one who she truly is. I don't want her to feel burdened by any kind of boundaries, by what had happened with her with her past. Mujhe uske liye jo kuch bhi karna pade, I just want to see that smile of hers on her face. I don't mind becoming even a clown for her. All I want to do is... just bring out the chirpiness that she has deep inside her surface. Sometimes even irking her somehow becomes the best way to make her break off her shackles and make her express herself. You have also seen it yourself, Rajat, I have annoyed her many times. And trust me, that's the only way she doesn't contain herself in any kind of boundary."
He almost poured his heart out without even him realising and Rajat just wondered... when did things escalate to that level? Sanskar was really in love with Swara, he thought.
"Sanskar?" Rajat called out to him.
"Haan?" He looked at him.
"I think you love Swara." Rajat stated to him and Sanskar smiled shaking his head. "It's not even something to think about, Rajat. I have already realised that I love Swara. And to be very honest... my feelings for her got multiplied after I came to know about her past."
"Wait, how do you know about her past?" Rajat asked in shock. Even Anushka never told him about Swara's past, then how come Sanskar came to know it?
Sanskar nodded his head and stood up from the bed. He walked towards the window folding his arms, and Rajat watched his every action.
"Swara's mother told me," Sanskar confessed and Rajat looked on with a solemn expression. "...that what Swara has undergone in her life. She told me yesterday only. She trusted me with her daughter, that is why she wanted me to know about her past. Somewhere, I think she came to know that I have feelings for Swara and... like how I was there by her side when she was broken for her mother. And you know what... even words will fail to express how strong Swara has been all this while. After coming to know about her past, I respect and adore her even more. Rajat, Swara ki ek shaadi tooti thi." Sanskar confessed without looking at Rajat, his chest filled with pain while saying it and Rajat listened. "The man she trusted the most, he broke her by ditching her on her wedding day. Uske family ka sab ke saamne tamasha bana kar rakh diya uss insaan ne, Swara ki zindagi barbaad kar di, he played with her feelings. Though there was no love between them but it still hurted her a lot. It made her believe that it was so wrong to trust anyone in this world, and that man turned out to be just like her father. Rajat... I can't see Swara in pain, in any kind of pain. She deserves all happiness in this world and I... I want to give it to her. I want to be there for her whenever she needs someone. I want her to believe that she can trust me and I have promised her mother, mai Swara ka saath kabhi nahi chhodunga and that is why Rajat... I am doing all this. I want her to trust me."
"My god, Sanskar." Rajat walked towards Sanskar and kept his palm on his shoulder, turning him around to face him and he could see those unshed tears in Sanskar's eyes. Seeing it melted Rajat's heart. "Sachcha pyaar hai yeh Sanskar. You don't want her to see in pain. You want to make her smile. Trust me yaar, even Swara will see it one day that if there is anyone in this world on whom she can trust, who she can love... it's you. I know it Sanskar, Swara also does feel something for you. The only thing is she is hesitant on admitting them because for her it's not that easy..."
That's exactly what Sharmishtha had told Sanskar.
"I know Rajat." Sanskar nodded his head. "I know Swara likes me and I am sure about it. But the only thing is I want her to be affirmative about it and that will happen... only if she realises that I love her too and that she can trust me enough."
"Trust me, she will one day." Rajat gave him a positive smile and with that, Sanskar smiled too. "And you already know ki meri kahi hui har baat sach hoti hi hai! You can always try me!" Rajat chirped and Sanskar smiled nodding his head.
Because he knew, that Rajat was right.
And he was also sure, if not love yet, then atleast his presence was something that affected her. And he could see it.
He could see through her without even her knowing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was almost night time and Sanskar was sleeping on the bed, waiting for Swara. She had come to check him some times ago, and after she declared that he had no injury or anything else... well, did I mention Sanskar didn't remove his t-shirt and blazer like Swara before had asked him too...
Swara opened the door and found Sanskar sleeping on the bed. For Sanskar, though, he was having rest after all the stress he had on his shoulders. It finally involved him into taking a day off to have a one-day good rest. Okay, now that was one plus point for doing this act.
"Were you even hurt or were you just exaggerating about your said accident all this while?" Swara asked him in amusement after she entered the room, and Sanskar was just solemnly looking at her. He also saw her carrying a bowl in her hand, but thinking it to be something else and not something related to him, he ignored it.
"The pain went away. I'm fine now." He admitted to her. He realised he couldn't do this act anymore because he wasn't so practical. He was emotional, a person who couldn't control his fluttering heart whenever she was near him.
"Accha?" Swara asked him in a challenging way.
"Pain is meant to go away with time." Sanskar stated but he wished Swara would find the hidden meaning behind his statement. "It doesn't stay for long."
"You're right." Swara smiled nodding her head and she came to him, forwarding him a bowl and Sanskar frowned looking at it. What was it and why was she giving that to him?
"What is this, Swara?"
"It's soup!" Swara replied to him and Sanskar scrunched her eyebrows down. "Actually... Maa says that soup helps in reducing pain. So I made this for you."
Seeing this sweet gesture of Swara, Sanskar couldn't resist that smile playing on his lips. 'For you', that was something that stirred something in his heart.
"This is for me?" Sanskar asked Swara once again to be sure and she nodded her head in yes.
"Have it fast." Swara handed him the bowl and Sanskar had no choice but to take it. "Or else it will become cold."
Sanskar stared at the soup and then at Swara, realising how much she'd to do for him. With the first sip from the soup... Sanskar fell in love with it. Not only because of how delicious this soup was but also because... it was made by Swara. Until that day, Sanskar never realised that even a soup could be so tasty. He was never a fan of soup, but today, after having Swara's hand-made soup, he craved for more.
"How's it? It's made good, haina?" Swara asked him in anxiety and Sanskar stared at her.
"Good?! No way, Swara. It is..."
"Is it... is it bad?" Swara asked him in nervousness, and that made Sanskar stare at her in disbelief. God, atleast she would had let him complete! "I'm sorry, actually I don't make soup often so I'm not very good at this..."
"Swara, suno!" Sanskar immediately shut her up and with the sudden voice, she became silent. "It's not just good. It's delicious, okay? So stop cursing your hand-made soup. In fact, I never had a soup like this before." He stated to her and Swara sighed in satisfaction.
"Okay... thanks." She replied him with a small smile. "By the way, you know... I remembered something." She told him and Sanskar, while having the soup, looked at her.
"What?" He asked in amusement.
"The day when I first came in this hospital." Swara revealed to him. "When I was falling off the stairs, it was you who saved me. And then... you told me to be careful. And see today... it's you who fell off the stairs. And the same way... I wish I was there to save you or else you wouldn't had fallen down." She said, and a kind of euphoria emerged in Sanskar's heart.
"Oh, yes!" Sanskar smiled as if remembering, well the reality was he remembered each and every moment of his with her. "I remember. The first time we met."
"Not first time." Swara corrected him. "Technically that was the second time. The first time we met was when I was finding the interview room and you'd helped me."
"Wow, you remember so much." Sanskar winked at her and Swara rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but smile as she was talking with Sanskar all this while. "And what else do you remember?"
"Oh, then I came to know what an antique piece you actually were, totally opposite to what I expected a normal senior doctor to be. You know... professional, rough and tough, and bold, but you were nothing like that. You were more professional than that, friendly, and a hidden prankster who had the guts to punish me without any freaking reason!" Swara unknowingly opened up to him and Sanskar was just admiring her. The smile on her lips, the glow in her eyes... it was all that he wanted to see and cherish.
And that's when he realised...
Swara Bose was slowly opening up, being more herself. And Sanskar couldn't be happier that he was able to make it happen.
"Swara..." He called out to her.
"Hmm?" She looked at him and he smiled.
"You look lovely whenever you smile." He confessed with sincerity but Swara narrowed her eyes towards him.
"You're flirting with me again!" She infered from his words.
"No, seriously." He shaked his head in assurance. "Do you know... that you look like a small innocent girl whenever you smile. And seriously."
"A small 'innocent' girl, seriously Sanskar?"
"Ohkay..." He sighed giving up. "Don't wanna believe me, don't. But I'm speaking the truth. And I'm serious!"
Swara smiled shaking his head.
"Well," she pursed her lips trying not to smile and made her tone sound upbeat. "Then thanks to you. Because somewhere, you are the reason behind this smile."
She uttered to him so softly as if it was almost inaudible to him. But as for Sanskar, he never failed to go even a single thing from her unnoticed. Swara's statement... it rendered a feeling of satisfaction and ecstacy in his heart, hearing it directly from her that he was the reason behind her smile.
And some time later, when Swara left the room and closed the door shut because it was night time, Sanskar finally smiled to himself as if he wanted nothing more than to let Swara in his life, his world. And he was doing just that.
"And trust me Swara, I always will be and you don't even need to ask for it!" And that was his sole determination.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Precap :- Party time for interns, and something to happen...
A/N :- I wanted to add a SwaSan scene in the last, but couldn't because this chapter became too long.
Anyway, liked this chapter? I just think Sanskar can be so naughty at times. Yet we don't see this side of him often, agreed or not?
Waiting to hear your views about SwaSan or anyone in general 😄 What do you think will happen further, anyway? A clue :- a lot of events are gonna come up for SwaSan.
My semester exams are coming up next week so I'm afraid updates won't be very often, atleast till 23rd October (that's the last day of my exams). After that, I'll be free again and my weekly updates will begin again. Apologies for making you all wait so long ❤