"Dad then I'll be going." Swara bidded bye to her father.
"Princess, don't worry you are there to make him fine." Shekhar spoke to ease his daughter's tension. He knew it was something big that she herself could not digest but he was bonded to do that.. he promised and even if it was not swara then he himself had to say but he thought letting swara to tell sanskaar would be a better choice.
Swara only nodded and took a hug from her father. She was worried and tensed of how she was going to convey to him when she herself felt so terrible and what will happen to him... But she had to hold herself to hold him when he breaks down. She definitely knows the news would break his heart because it was such a hear breaking news.
On the entire journey to her house swara tried her level best to calm her worried heart and entered the house taking a deep breathe in.
Sanskaar stood by the balcony of swara's house where they confessed all confused because it was all of a sudden she wanted to meet up at the evening and when he asked what it was she just told it was something very important that she had to let him know. As the cracking sound of the door hit his eardrums sanskaar turned to see swara closing the door.
Swara turned and saw sanskaar standing in the balcony with a smile spread on his face and the evening sun on the background.... Mr. Sunny with the sun!
Swara walked and stood beside him.
"What is it? You look serious." Sanskaar caught her expressions as she didn't look like how she usually does.
"Sanskaar.." She held his hand which was rested by the railing. "You got to listen to me no matter what and you should not stop me in the middle." Sanskaar was even more confused hearing her words wondering what was she even talking about.
"Fine." But he assured since he didn't want to argue with her. When swara says something like that the matter has always been seriously and judging by her expressions the matter seems deadly serious to him and so he preferred to keep his words short and let her convey to him.
Swara turned to look the sky where the sun was all about to rest for the day and let the darkness consume the light. Swara tightened her grip on sanskaar's as she started narrating.
"It's about your biological father, sanskaar." Sanskaar's world froze for a second. Did he hear the words wrong or was she..... He didn't want hear a single word about him. Just with his mention sanskaar's mind was already flooded with unwanted memories.
"Swara please..."
"No sanskaar. You got to hear me out today." Swara knew it already that this would happen but he really has to hear it out... to know the truth.
"Please." As swara pleaded sanskaar could not stop but give a thought. He didn't know what swara was going to say about him... Maybe something was there otherwise she would not pick a topic which he hates, his mind snapped at him and at last he reconsidered his thoughts again.
"Mm.. fine." Swara smiled a little hearing him agree to her plead.
"I'm there for you.. always!" Swara assured as she thought it would be needed after her narration.
"I know." He whispered softly.
Swara again looked on to the sky as it was dusking and she saw the stars appearing on the semi-dark sky and the crescent moon has already appeared. The wind has already started turning chilly. Taking in breathe again swara started to talk.
"Your Grandfather loved your father so much because his face and the way he smile was so identical to his wife who passed away soon when Raj Malhotra, your father was a child which always evoked the memory of his wife. That was the reason he was spoiled, mischievous and turned into a disagreeable, Bad- tempered man. However, Love is fair to everyone even to a man like him... And he met your mother. He beseeched his father to let him marry her as if he knew how to love. The love remained twisted that one could say it's deformed. Then when found she no longer loved him, he was enraged. He even forced her to bear him a baby... You."
Swara paused for a minute and looked at sanskaar who stood with his eyes fixed on the dark sky yet his eyes reflected mixed emotions to her... She wishes to stop but.. she can't.
"The gap between them widened was not that he intended. At one point of time he realized that he must be gentle to her. For her, he would give it a try... However, an evil fate ambushed him and ruined him all. The airport window glass which was on construction fell on him.... He was in the hospital with several wounds yet.. he wanted to meet her. He waited for and she came.... He was excited, happy to confess but she demanded divorce. He laughed at his own self.. how badly he treated and left the precious treasures.. her, their child and now that he wanted them back, she wanted to leave. Yet he accepted thinking it as his his punishment. They were divorced."
Sanskaar felt a huge lump on his throat.. his father loved his mother, loved him but.. he felt his heart breaking little by little.
"He secretly admired his love and his child when they played in the park. He was guilty that he was not able to give that laugh and smile on their faces... That was when he saw his best friend, Ram Maheshwari. The only man you would love his wife and his child as his own... He played a cupid by sending unknown messages to her parents about ram and hers to ram. He knew his best friend would love her and give her all that they deserve and not like him... At the end they were married and he stood at one corner with tears seeing his best friend and his love as a married couple.... Just like he thought his love was treated well and his child was receiving all the love. It hurted him but he was happy when he saw them happy. Just like another night he reached the bar to have alcohol unknown that his drinks was spiked. He drank and that without his own knowledge he stabbed his own best friend."
A lone tear fell down from his eyes and swara felt his pain.
"When he got his consciousness he received a life prisoner sentence from the jail. He was not able to believe that he killed his best friend and when he heard his love and son devasted and suffering his guilt increased more and more at the end he fell ill. My father who was the one who took their divorce case and the case of stabbing was called by the police as they said he wanted to meet him. When dad went he saw him in the hospital bed... He was devasted just like the little child and her. He confessed everything to my father and told her not to say and while mumbling his last words that he loves her... He pretended to be asleep to make everyone leave him alone. He took the respirator off and they found... That his body was no longer...warmer."
Sanskaar's breathe hitched and he felt hard to even breathe because of the pain in his heart.. it was unbearable. He had no more strength. Sanskaar fell down on his knees with tears rushing down to his cheeks from his eyes.
"Sanskaar." She quickly sat down and pulled her towards him. Sanskaar wrapped his arms around as he cried badly.
"Why? Why?" He mumbled still crying. It hurted him.. the truth.. it hurted him really badly. Swara held him strong battling with her own tears.
"I hated him for my entire life swara but he..." Tears fell again. It was so unbearable for him. For his entire life he hated his father who gave birth to him.. he thought his life was in a mess because him, it was only because of him they were suffering all these years.
Swara pulled him and cupped his face. Sanskaar's face all red and tears running from his eyes to his cheeks.
"You don't hate him... you have been upset with him for not treating your mother and you properly. Hate is a big word sanskaar." Swara said wiping his tears while tears which was brimming in her eyes fell down.
"I'm such a terrible son.." He felt so bad.
"No sanskaar. If it was not you then mom would have not recovered and uttra would been left alone without love. You had a choice of being like other boys and hang out but you chose your family... You took the responsibility inspite of knowing the heavy burden you did so well. Trust me both your fathers would be proud of their son no matter what." Swara explained him choosing her words carefully.
"Mother deserves to know it. I'll go tell her." Sanskaar was about to stand but swara stopped him.
"No sanskaar, your father didn't want her to know." Swara said.
"But why?" Sanskaar was surprised.
"He felt this was his punishment by letting her hate him throughout her entire life." Sanskaar sighed.
"And I have one more thing." She pulled herself out of the hug and took a letter from her purse and forwarded it to him.
"This.. " sanskaar looked at her and the letter.
"This letter was meant to be handed over to you. It was written by your father and it was his last wish to give this to you when you are older." With trembling hands sanskaar took the letter.
Sanskaar had no things of his father with him. It was all destroyed years back and now the letter in his hand will be only with him.
The paper of the level has turned yellow and it looked untouched and unopened for years and it was on the stage of getting torn anytime. Sanskaar opened the letter carefully making sure not to make any damage.
As he opened the musty smell of the yellowing paper mixed with jet-black hit his nostrils and his eyes fell on the first line which read,
My dear son Sanskaar,
Emotions hit his heart again. How much he wished to hear him call like that in real. It might be a letter but the love in those words was deeply felt by him. Tears brimmed his eyes yet again.
If you are reading this letter then by now you should have known the truth. All I would say is I'm sorry for all my doings.
Sanskaar's heart sank.
I'm sorry for not taking care of you, showering all the love that you deserve as a child and not treating your mother properly. I feel guilty about it even now.
Seeing sanskaar breaking yet again swara wrapped her arms around him as if trying to assure all will be fine and she's going to be there with him no matter what.
You have resemblance of your mother the most just like I was when I was young. I wish to hold you in my arms right now but I lost the right when I snatched the happiness in your life but trust me my son, I love you so much but it was just I didn't know how to express it.
How nice it would have been if his father had told her everything? How nice it would have been if they have resolved the matter when his mother asked him for divorce?....
I believe you are not as I am as I trust your mother's upbringings and I remember... You should have got a little sister by then, how is she? My blessings are always with her too just like you. As for your mother, I loved her and I still love her no matter what untill my last breathe I take in. I love you my son and my heartfelt sorry to you. May you always achieve whatever you do.
Yours lovingly,
Your Father.
Sanskaar closed the letter still with tears.
"They deserved a happy ending, swara." He mumbled with broken voice.
"Not every story has a happy ending, sanskaar. Some love stories have been buried inside... silently, that no one knows." Sanskaar crashed into her arms again while swara was there with him for the entire time to comfort him.
We human beings tend to see only one side of the truth forgetting about the other side. Like every coin two sides everyone has their own point of view, sufferings and it's just everyone sees only one side and not the other. Behind every smile there is a cry, behind every laugh there is a tear and behind every person there is a story which is buried deep inside within them.
A bonus chapter to know how the other side of my character and a special dedication to my lovely readers... Another bonus chapter coming soon😉😎.
Love,
Diya ❤