At the hospital.
Swayam was allowed to be discharged the next day evening. But until then he was to be kept under observation and against hospital rules, he was allowed to have visitors anytime. And so his teammates took turns in sitting by his side. The most annoying ones being the boys not remaining quiet while he laughed at their jokes, hurting his rib area. Simmi, Rinni and Neha sat along Swayam's bedside and patiently narrated the stories of what he had missed out in Mumbai.
Rey sat for a few hours with Swayam but the latter asked him to renew his friendship with Sharon and that she needed a friend right then. He asked Rey to be with Sharon and forced him to go to Rai Prakash's near her.
Finally the turn came to Kria to sit with Swayam. He welcomed her beside her with a smile. He was anxious to know what she knew and how she had judged him to be.
"Kria I promise I'll tell you everything you need to know once I'm out of here!"
"Swayam! You don't have to... I already know! Tumhaari ma ne mujhe sab baat bataayi!"
"Oh.." his face fell blank. But then a smile produced on his lips.
"Why are you smiling?"
"You addressed me as "tum". That means you have forgiven me and everything is okay between us.."
"Swayam actually it's you who have to forgive me! I mean agar mein prejudice hokar tumhaare baare sochte nahi toh shaayad tum Mumbai jhodke yahaan nahi aate!"
"Kria.. meine tumhaari wajah se Mumbai nahi jhoda tha.. haan par sach kahun toh ek wajah tumse bhi judi thi..."
She raised her eyebrows and set her chin on her right hand to listen to his reasons. But he didn't reply. "Swayam.." she called his name.
"I'll tell you another time Kria... Because I want Sharon to know about it first." He said. He had it all planned.
"Ohhh... Okay... Wait, Sharon se yaad aaya! Team ne mujhe bataaya about your plan of organising some dance reality show?" Kria asked.
"Oh Haan... IDL..." He replied.
"..aur tum Sharon ko judge banana chaahte ho!" Kria gave out a broad smile trying to tease Swayam with Sharon's name.
"Yea.. meine call kiya tha use.." he said while recollecting his conversation with Sharon on the phone.
"Hello, Sanjeev bro! Sharon kaisi hein?" Swayam asked once Sanjeev received his call.
"Swayam! Haan bhai woh theek hein all thanks to you! Usse baat karna chaahega? Bahut miss kar rahi hein tujhe!!"
"Haan bro! Please! Mein bhi miss kar raha hun use bro!!" Swayam replied.
"...Abhi Swayam tumse baat karna chaahte hein.." Sanjeev said holding up the phone to Sharon. As she held the phone to her ear Swayam started speaking.
"Sharon. Uhm kuch baat karni hein..."
"Swayam.. kya baat hein?"
"Uhm.. tum ab kaisi ho? I mean hospital se discharge and.."
"Oh I'm fine! Woh kuch bhi nahi tha.. I'm fine now! ...Yahin poochna tha?"
"Ugh nahi... Actually I'm planning to organise a reality show in India.. I wanted to know whether you are interested in it or not..."
"Swayam, I need to know more about it... and by the way meri agency bhi abhi nahi rahi.." she cleared her stand.
"Oh don't worry about that.. agar tum chaaho toh for time being.. tum meri.. ugh meri company ke saath sign kar sakti ho! Just for time being..." He offered.
"I don't know Swayam.. actually kal se jo bhi ho rahi hein kuch samajh nahi aa rahi mujhe! Aaj subah Rey, Kria, Neha aur Amar mujhse milne aayi.. that was odd.. ab jaane pata nahi kaha gaye yeh log.." she said.
"Sharon.. tum bas aur rest lo... Sab theek ho jayega! I promise!" He said affirmatively.
"Swayam, I need to talk to you... Kya tum yahaan aa sakte ho?" She asked her voice sounding a little bit of desperation.
"Ugh Sharon I'm a little busy at the moment.. par theek hote hi... I mean sab kaam khatam karte hi mein aake milunga tumse... And we'll discuss my plan later..." He said.
Next day..
Shekhawat Mansion, NYC.
Swayam was brought back to his house and the team remained with him for a few hours until he asked them to leave. He knew knew they were in between doing programs and dealing with their examinations and didn't want them to waste time on him.
"..guys I'm telling I'm okay! You all need to go and get ready for me!!" He said.
"Par Swayam tum..." They started to reply but Swayam cut them in between.
"Write your exams well guys! Agar pass nahi honge toh mere show mein bhi participate nahi honge... So please go yaar!!" Swayam said and there was no convincing him otherwise.
"... I'll be coming there at the end of next month... Tum log jaao abhi!! Cole ne tum logon ka ticket reserve kar diye hein... Wait kar raha hein woh baahar... Ab jaao!!"
The teammates took turns in hugging Swayam and bidding goodbye. Rey had messaged them that he would be returning back after a day. Since he was asked to accompany by Sharon and make her feel alright, he wanted to stick to his promise and stay with her.
Swayam's parents and Taani talked to each and everyone of the team and made sure nobody left with any hurt or dissatisfaction.
As soon as they left his father moved to his study while his mother sat beside Swayam on the sofa and Taani went to kitchen to prepare his favourite orange juice. That was when the phone kept near the sofa started ringing. Without much thinking Swayam lifted the phone.
"Hello?" Swayam answered.
"............." There was no reply from the other side. Swayam could hear the heavy breathing on the other side of the phone.
"NANDINI!! SWAYAM SE KAHO KI WOH PHONE KAAT DE!" Rishi shouted from his study.
"Beta phone rakh dohh neeche!" Mrs. Shekhawat asked her son to do exactly what his father asked. But it was as if Swayam wanted an end to the mystery.
"Hello yeh mein kisse baat kar raha hun?" Swayam looked down in the caller ID and recognised it as an STD code of Rajasthan.
"............." Still heavy breathing.
"Beta suna nahi Papa ne kya kaha... Phone rakh do.." Swayam's mother repeatedly asked Swayam to keep the phone. But he didn't. It was like he wanted to know what this phone call meant. And he had figured out who it may be on the other end of the line.
"Chacha?" He finally decided to address his uncle.
"................" The breathing stopped. Swayam heard something fall down and breaking. Some weird sounds followed followed by foot steps and chattering of people could be heard. And then again it all got silent.
"Sanam Chacha..." Swayam spelled out the name of his relative.
Sanam Singh Shekhawat. The Shekhawat who wore the crown in the royal bloodline. The next thing that happened caught the breaths of all the four in the house. Rishi, Nandini, Swayam and Taani, they felt there nerves hearing the deep and dry voice through the phone for the first time.
"........Swayam. Beta tum kaise ho?"