A deafening sound of broken glasses’ interrupts the recite of Laksh and Ragini, startling both of them…
Trying to contain his anger imagining the situation where Swara has been suddenly thrown, Sanskar was unaware of the force he pressed on his cup of coffee breaking it… When blood starts oozing from his palm, Ragini exclaims shocked:
“- oh God!!! You’re bleeding…”
Laksh tries to take his hand in his making a bandage with his handkerchief but Sanskar jerks his hand away, tying awkwardly the tissue around his injury alone, he ignores the stunned looks both Laksh and Ragini are giving him… all over the past year, they knew that doctor Kapoor is an eccentric but his reactions are still so unpredictable! Especially whenever it comes to Swara.
Ragini tries to explain apologetically:
“- don’t judge us, please doctor… What did you want me to do?… I was helpless… I had no right to snatch that right from my elder sister…
”
As he doesn’t reply still concentrated on his hand, she adds looking to Laksh:
“- it’s our destiny… Who can fight with fate… In our childhood, our families kept talking about our future relationship so much that we finished by believe that we’re meant for each other… it became the greatest reality of our lives… but things changed years after and the time we realized what was going on us, it was already late…”
She wipes her tears when Laksh takes her hand in his, disgusted at the sight of their closeness, Sanskar looks away when she continues:
“- Laksh’ is the unique heir of Maheshwari’s empire and the planned relation with Gadodias had to be with their heiress… Swara being the elder, she…”
“- Oh stop it!… Just stop it!”
Suddenly, rising his hand at her face, Sanskar’s menacing look shuts her immediately, Laksh is about to intervene when he says pointing His finger at their faces:
“- … ‘I think that Ragini has a secret lover’… Last page of Swara’s last dairy before going to Ladakh… Keep your justifications to your conscience, I’m no one to judge you here… But as it’s you who came to me… Let me tell you what I see…”
Looking to Laksh, he smirks continuing:
“- during long years of Swara’s absence, you were a happy hidden couple waiting for family to unite you officially… perfect children of perfect traditional families in light and passionate lovers in darkness… so romantic, hai na?…”
Looking back to ragini he adds:
“- It’s so easy to put it on Swara’s shoulders her unwanted come back… Ragini ji… You were unable to get out of your so perfect image in front of the family… Let’s her fight alone… it’s easier to be a victim… The martyr of love!”
She looks down bursting out crying at his accusing tone… somewhere he’s only saying what she thinks since two years now. Sanskar brushes back his hair closing his eyes in an attempt to contain his anger… when he opens them again, he smirks approaching Laksh’ s face and says:
“- After all, if you could hide your affair for so many years from everyone, who could catch you even after marriage…!!”
“- Sanskar!!!!”
Fuming with rage, Laksh grips his collar forcefully, he yells as Ragini sobs more:
“- who the hell do you think yourself!? You weren’t there… You even don’t know us… how dare you!? we would never…”
holding his fists in his hands on his neck, Sanskar smirks again taking them off , he says his piercing eyes pinning his making him shiver:
“- come on Lucky… Your would be sister in law presented you as Swara’s fiancé a year after that, when we all know that you never broke up!”
Laksh looks away feeling tears beaming at his eyes… He recalls in a flashback his conversation with Ragini that night after the party’s end:
***Flashback***
Gadodias mansion’s terrace….
“- what do you mean, Ragini! Have you gone mad!?… I can’t hide it from Swara… She’s my best friend! We were planning to tell her everything after our engagement…”
Laksh was walking around in the little space frustrated like a lion in cage, arguing and waving his hands in frustration, he brushes his hair back with one of them as Ragini takes the other in hers saying, tears drowning her face:
“- exactly Laksh!!! After Our engagement… Our engagement which will never happen… don’t you see?… It’s over now, Laksh!… Our destinies are sealed…”
Making a pause looking down, she gulps hardly before saying:
“- Swara is no more your best friend… She’s your… Your… Fiancée… Your f… Future…w… Wif…”
She’s unable to say it, turning away her gaze grazing the horizon, she cries badly recalling all the memories of their love story. That love story which she even doesn’t know when it started… They grew up knowing that their families made an unbreakable promise so many years ago… Their children will turn their friendship to relationship… From teasing pranks in childhood to friendship in school… Their feelings matured with them when they reached the same college. But, knowing their families mentalities, they kept their love as a secret from everyone… And just waited…
She looks down to the beautiful bracelet he offered her in the last valentine day and remembers Swara’s reaction noticing it that day, she didn’t stop teasing her playfully saying that She’ll finish by break the poor childhood fiancé’s heart having already a boy friend….
Ragini smiles behind her tears recalling her mimics… How she wished returning back in time to that last night before her sister’s trip to confess her love story to her instead of promising a, open hearted talk after her return… Now everything is over!
Laksh’a hand over her shoulder startles her, her heart aches more at the sight of his teary eyes:
“- kya hya, ragini? Difficult to say it, na? then why was it so easy for you congratulate her?… you so easily just moved on defeated but not me… Let’s tell her the truth… I can’t betray her…”
Ragini smiles sadly wiping her tears before saying taking his hand off her shoulder:
“- you see… You’re already acting like a protective husband, Laksh..”
Seeing him turn away irritated, she faces him taking a deep breath before explaining:
“- do you think that I want to betray her?… Swara is My Sister… and this why I’m protecting her from this bitter truth!”
Making a pause thinking of the consequences of revealing the truth fearfully, her unfocused eyes looks back to him again as she adds:
“ – Laksh… Laksh’, Swara is already refusing this relationship… she’s already suffering from this situation just at the idea that she came between our planned marriage… What will she feel if she knows that it’s not a planned marriage?… how will she accept to break our love?… I can’t do this to her… not knowing that whatever can happen now, she’ll be Mrs. Swara Lakshya Maheshwari in two weeks from now…”
Laksh’ closes his eyes unable to hear those three words… Mrs Swara Lakshya Maheshwari…
***End of flashback***
“- Enough!!!”…
The word escaped Sanskar’s lips unconsciously expressing his urge to stop the story here… because, the most he knows, the most he feels miserable about Swara’s state!
This young woman has been fooled by the whole world around her when she didn’t ask for anything but some happiness for others before herself.
Thinking about the woman she was before being his patient, that bubbly and joyful girl with a strange mixture of smartness and ingenuity like only her could have, he feels strangling with helplessness because he wanted to go back in past too and avoid all this drama… but it was impossible!
In her dairies, Laksh’ and Ragini were the closest persons to her heart… was it her destiny to be betrayed by the most trustful persons around her? After her Dadi and Baba… losing faith in her Ragini and Laksh’ has surely been a shock! And suddenly, he doesn’t want to know… he feels like the remaining story is worst that what already happened…
He stands up arranging his clothes without looking to them, pays bills and moves out saying nothing letting them stunned!
His feet lead him to the next park where he stands between trees letting the freshness of air invades his lungs for a needed breath. Deep inside, he knows that he’s wrong getting so involved in this case but he was helpless… memories of Swara’s eyes and smile submerge him, he thinks of the past year… her coming out from coma, her first smile, first meal, first words, first steps… their long walks and talks and her huge eyes discovering the world he showed her with wonder.
His phone rings and he picks up without checking the contact…
“- San-na-skar?”
A tender smile curves his lips as tears form in his eyes hearing her voice, he smiles wider as she asks:
“- A… are you okey?”
How could she worry for him when she’s the one to be worried for!?… he takes a deep breath before replying:
“- ha princess… I’m fine!… and you? How are you? Are you taking you medicines? Making your exercises? Where is Maria?”
“- Arey San-na-skar… slowly talk! One question by one question… okey?”
He can’t help but let go of a small laugh wiping an unwelcomed tear pearling at his eye’s corner, he hears her count all the activities she did today assuring him that she’s following all his instructions…
“- but San-na-skar?… when will you come to take me from here?”
Her innocent question compresses his heart with pain, it was the same since she returned back to her family. Helpless face to her stubbornness about talking to him menacing to run away or stop her treatment, Maria finished by make her talk with him via her own phone secretly when no one could notice… unlike anyone else’ point of view, the nurse was sure that the man who succeeded where everyone else failed to bring her back, is the real cure to her.
He’s taking a huge risk by keeping contact with her, but despite anything else, it’s as a doctor that he’s acting so immaturely continuing that unnamed relationship in secret… he smirks at himself thinking bitterly that somewhere, he’s not better than Ragini and Laksh’…
“- San-na-skar? Do you hear me?”
“- ha ha… I hear you, princess but deko… I told you na? you have to be patient and take full care of yourself, hai na? and soon… very soon, your…”
His words are suspended as he sees Laksh’ standing in front of him, Ragin at his side and from their looks, he was sure that they knew who is on the other side… he simply hangs off!
Ragini says looking to the phone in his hand:
“- Don’t worry Doctor… we’re not as bad as you’re imagining, we know that if we’re enjoying Swara’s presence, it’s only due to you and your apolitically correct methods…”
Brushing his hand in his hair back, Sanskar says in a deep breath turning away:
“- deko… like you so brightly resumed, I’m no one to judge you both, all I wanted is to have the opportunity to help Swara… and very frankly I still don’t understand why are you here? And what do you want from me exactly?…”
Laksh puts a hand on his shoulder making him look back to him:
“- you wanted to know what happened on that wedding day? You’re wondering why no one stopped this drama at the beginning?… so hear the story until the end, maybe only then you’ll understand that no one betrayed Swara… you’re not Maheshwari or Gadodia’s son, you can’t imagine what it can be to confront them!”
*** Flashback ***
Swara’s room, three days after the engagement party…
Ragini sits at her sister’s side, her heart aching at the sight of her pale face, circled with blue and swollen with tears eyes. She takes her hand in hers saying:
“- Swara, please… until when will you stay without food? You’ll fall ill…”
Swara looks to her keenly for a moment, then pressing her hand over hers, she asks on a reassuring tone:
“- you tell me, Ragini… until when will you act like everything is ok?… is it because you’re happy to escape this arranged marriage?”
Shocked by her words, Ragini snatches her hands from her standing up and turning her back to her, she says on a wavering with emotion voice:
“- what are you saying, Swara?”
“- It’s okey, Ragini… I’m not blaming you for anything you know? If one us can have the life she’s dreaming of, it’s enough for the both hai na?… I know that you’re living a secret love story and this why it was so easy for you to just congratulate me for snatching your promised husband from you by my simple presence in this mansion…”
Ragini wipes her tears breathing heavily before turning to her faking a smile:
“- there is nothing like that Swara… you’re my elder sister, I have to be happy for your happiness…”
Swara bends her head on one side like to detail her sister’s face more before whispering:
“- do I look like a happy elder sister, Ragini?… are you convincing me or yourself…”
Ragini wants to find proper words to help her sister vainly when the phone rings startling both of them… Swara picks up immediately composing herself taking a deep breath before saying a sad smile on her lips:
“- Hi Arjun! How are you beta?… doctor was good with you, na?…”
“-… ha ha I know it’s boring, but what have we said? Soon you’ll be able stronger than me…”
“- … sure… don’t worry…”
“- … I know sweetheart! I would also like to be there but I can’t for the moment…”
Tears start flowing over her cheeks and she wipes them hurriedly like if the small boy was seeing her.
“- ha ha baba… I’ll do… but you’ve promised to be quite, kaka doctor is so childish… he’ll not be able to handle you plus himself…”
The loud laugh of the small kid reaches even Ragini’s ears making her smile too, she’s happy to see Swara’s smile even for a moment…
“- accha… give him the phone…”
Leaving her bed, Swara goes to the balcony to talk with the doctor accompanying Arjun to United States for his heart transplant operation… she’s surprised at her changed tone:
“- hi…”
“- kuch nahi… I’m fine…”
“- hmm…”
“- sorry, I know that it’s not simple to handle him alone…”
“- I don’t know for the moment… I hope being able to join you before the operation…”
“- okey…”
“- promise…”
“- take care of yourself…”
From the balcony, she sees her baba, Dadi, Durga Prasad and Annapurna taking enjoying their tea time talking about the wedding preparation as if the bride wasn’t refuting the whole idea since three days!
After the scene she made after the party fighting like a lioness with her elders, she’s a prisoner of the Gadodia’s mansion and they’re prisoners of her behavior refusing to eat and drink or even discuss the matter… Durga Prasad cancelled his business trip and arguing became the daily program!
Tomorrow is the first rasm with exchanging rings… she’s not the suicide drama partisan, but she’ll not capitulate to them whatever would be circumstances…
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Next day…
“- Kya!!!!!!!!!!”
Swara is on phone in her room, clothes and jewelries lying on the floor in the after she refused to get ready for the exchanging rings festivities… she shouts over her phone:
“- how is it possible?… but they’ve already signed all required papers…”
“- …”
“- but Arjun doesn’t have three month! His state is deteriorating and we cancelled all the other researches… we’ll never find another donor in time!”
“- …”
“- calm down please… you’ll fall ill too!”
“- …”
“- I really don’t…”
Turning around, Swara’s eyes widen with surprise seeing her father standing in the middle of her room… his arms folded on his chest, his eyes emotionless. A shiver runs over her spine starting to understand what is going on:
“- … I’ll call you back!”
She hangs off frowning as she sees Shekar bands down picking up all the stuffs she has thrown in her anger… he says calmly:
“- a clinically dead person is in his family’s hands, you know beta?… he’s no more master of his destiny… he’s all theirs and it’s their decision to stop machines or not…”
Putting the clothes on the nearby chair, he continues:
“- that small American boy got a terrible accident, it has been weeks since doctors announced to his family that their poor child is no more, there was just that small body surviving due to machines…”
Putting jewelries in their boxes back, he adds not looking to her yet:
“- they’re so good people that they decided that their child’s death will help another child to live… how sweet? … hai na?”
Shekar steps closer to her, looking finally in her filled with heavy tears eyes:
“- they found a small Indian trisomic kid to save and all was set for the operation to be done in… some days? A week?”
“- what have you done, Baba?”
Her trembling lips whisper in a strangled breath as tears roll over her cheeks making him frown, he explains wiping them with his thumb:
“- kuch nahi… in fact, now or later… machines aren’t tired from keeping him with them, so not wait for Christmas… the last Christmas he can have with them… there no hurry for him…”
“- Baba!!!!! How could you do that!?”
“- main?… what have I done? Those poor people are so sad for their son… why letting him go so eagerly? Some more time will make no difference…”
Swara chokes in her tears as she realizes exactly what was her father’s point, she closes her eyes panting as he says:
“- difference is… for you so beloved Arjun… whose life is now in danger just because of you!”
Unconscious of her acts, she pushes on his chest screaming madly:
“- how can you be so cruel!!! You’re killing him… Arjun will never survive until Christmas!!!! You’re…”
He grips her wrists forcefully pushing her hard so she collapses on the ground and says coldly:
“- I did nothing! You and your stubbornness did it all!!! Now… get ready and come down for the ceremony or stay here and pray for your small boy’s leaving soul!”
When she looks up to him, he turns back to her at the door and says:
“- and ha! It’s Christmas OR on the wedding day! like you see… I still give you choice!”
She sees him join Durga Prasad and Dadi who were standing in the corridor and together they let her there… inconsolably crying at her helplessness… when her phone rings again, she wipes her tears and composes herself before replying:
“- … don’t worry, Arjun will have this heart! You just take care of you both”
*** End Of Flashback ***
Sanskar couldn’t stop his tears from running out of his reddened with anger and sadness eyes. When Ragini talks again, he looks away avoiding their eyes:
“- after that, Swara agreed for all the rituals preceding the wedding day but… suddenly, on that day, she became restless… more than never before, she didn’t sleep for days before and without professional make up, she looked like a zombie between the four walls of her room…”
Laksh’ adds as Ragini’s tears submerge her again:
“- She waited for the news about Arjun’s state after the operation until she was called for the mandap but there wasn’t!”
Sanskar whispers palming his face and breathing deeply at the idea of her mental and emotional state at that moment:
“- there was complications… heart transplant operations are never won in advance…”
Laksh and Ragini look to each other remembering the starting of the ceremony:
*** Flashback ***
Swara’s printed with mehendi hands are tightly clutching her phone in her hands, she checks it again and again as the priest starts his anthems… she’s unaware of worried looks Laksh’ was giving her until her sister approaches to tie their shawls together.
She looks up to his face and is shocked to see his reddened with repressed tears eyes, he wasn’t looking to her anymore, his gaze was focused behind them to Ragini whose tears escape her lowered lashes soaking their shawls… she barely can stop her choke seeing their furtive eye lock!
In that moment, she understood… as they’re asked to stand up to start their rounds around the fire, her eyes goes from his eyes to Ragini’s reading their silent lamentations… she checks her phone again as Laksh’ starts moving the knot stretching between them… no messages or call… just the screen showing her that photo taken in Ladakh… the group photo… Arjun on her lap and “him” at her side the accompanying doctor which face is hald hidden by Arjun’s small hands… she whispers inaudibly:
“- please forgive… Sanskar!”
Before she could make any step, she falls to the floor unconscious… her eyes closed as she gathered herself in a ball… she’ll never open them again…
To be continued…