Yay! Silver Jubilee!!….. Finally?? I wrote the 25th chapter!!..
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Varun awaited, calm and patient. Though he wanted a reply to the confession, he did a minute ago, he was much more eager to know whether she forgave him. He wanted to know her answer. Swara never showed her love neither did she show any attention or affection towards him. Eventually, he thought he did wrong.
Swara was puzzled what to say. This wasn’t easy for her, she was confused what to reply!!.. The tension of silence aroused in the atmosphere and it turned awkward!!.. Not prepared, she didn’t what to say in return and he kept quiet not to embarrass or disappoint her with his sudden move. He was finally happy! He did it. He confessed his feelings!!..
“Varun actually…” Swara started and kept quiet again. Varun kept waiting, figitating his fingers. His face turned pale as Swara moved and sat down on the car. Swara kept thinking what Sanskar said.
**Flashback starts**
Third person’s pov
“Thank You, Varun” Sanskar shook hands and hugged each other.
“I did it for my sister, Sanskar. I never knew where Kavita went and finally here. I found her in Sparsh” Varun spoke caressing Sparsh’s face.
“Where is my chocolate, uncle?” Sparsh said and jumped on Varun.
“Come I’ll get you one” Varun took Sparsh away.
“I hope you will sort out the things” Sanskar sighed “I know what is going on between you two. I know you had problem of Varun bringing Sparsh to you. I know you Swara. From when did you turn like this? I know you hate Kavita but for what do you hate her?” Swara stared at him confused “I mean you hate her because you think she ruined your life? Your past, she made you miserable and your past? Isn’t it?” Swara nodded.
“Listen, Swara. We should only expect something from them, whom we know. You knew me and what I did after that you didn’t forgive me, it’s totally correct! I was the one who initiated, I slapped you. If the one you believed the most, you acknowledged about, you trusted upon didn’t even think about you then how can you expect some other person to think about you, when she even didn’t meet you? How could you expect Kavita to not love me, to not have a relationship with me, to think about you before sleeping with me? Then if you can forgive me, why not Kavita? If you can forget what I did then why can’t you forget what Kavita did? Why do you bother about Sparsh? Sparsh is a kid, Swara. He knows nothing! He’s innocent but you punished him. You didn’t think about Varun? About his happiness? He loves Sparsh, he is his sister’s son! He may not love the person who did this to you but he loves his sister, he loves his sister’s son. I won’t say you are completely responsible but still, you have to understand” Swara nodded.
“Without siblings you get quite a skewed vision of yourself and of the world. I always felt I didn’t understand how it worked. I remember feeling quite lonely because bhai was quite elder to me” he sighed “After we get married, does it mean that we stop loving and caring for our family? Does that mean we should forget our family, that has given us so much? Does that mean our priorities are only our soul mate? Our life partner? No. Swara, family means a lot. Everyone attribute all his success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from their families. All that we are, or hope to be, we owe to our family, our parents and our near and dear ones. No one succeeds without effort… Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance. We definitely love and care for all the relations we have but that doesn’t means we should forget our family our friends. We should maintain both. Both are our priorities” Sanskar handed his flight tickets on her hand.
“What’s this?” she stared at those two tickets “You are going back, Mumbai isn’t it?”
“No. I’m going back Kolkata” tears brimming out “After 8 long years” he smiled remembering his days in Kolkata “I know everyone would be angry. But I know them, Swara. It’s my family and I had to return one day. So I’m returning. I’m returning back to Kolkata. Dad wouldn’t even let me enter the house but I know he needs me now and when I’ll be there, touching his feet, he would forgive me”
“Your wish” Swara shrugged and kept a hand on his shoulder “All the best”
“Thank you and to you too”
“Me? Why are you wishing me?”
“You have to say this to Varun. You have to ask sorry” she nodded “You both need to understand, the problems, the situations and then deal with it”
“Yes! I’ll” she smiled.
Their trance broke when Sparsh yelled “Dad, I got my choco. Lets leave”
Sanskar smiled and took Sparsh in his arms. Swara stared at the father son leaving, a satisfactory smile curving her face.
**Flashback ends**
Varun stopped the car as they reached home.
“Why did you stop the car?” Swara asked.
“We’re home” Varun pointed out. She sighed and looked around. She reached home, finally!!..
Swara got out of the car and Varun parked it. Swara looked around for Ansh but he was no where.
“Where is Ansh?” Swara asked Varun as she thought Ansh was with him.
“He preferred staying with Ma. He wanted to stay there and I obliged” Varun said and Swara sighed.
“It’s good! You don’t need to bother about him now. At least you can get time for yourself and whomever who wants to come and stay home. It’s okay! After all my house has become charity!” she poured a glass of water for herself.
“Swara… I…”
“I know… What you want to say” she drank the glass of water and rolled her eyes. She sat on the floor.
Varun sighed and continued “Why don’t you look at yourself, Swara? From when did you become selfish? Sparsh was like family, didn’t you feel that? Look how happy Ansh was and how he’s now!!.. But you won’t understand” he sighed “Okay! Do one thing. Tell me what you want?” she sat beside her on the floor.
“Okay! Let me be clear. Why did you think about divorce?”
“I was irritated by your behavior, Swara. The way you behave, with Sparsh. The way you took everything! Swara I was wrong, I know! I shouldn’t have given divorce papers but I was so angry. You know, how much uncontrollable I’m when my anger reaches peak? I just thought of scaring you. It’s… It’s just that!!..”
“And you thought of divorce? Was it so easy for you? You promise to love me, to care for me but only this much love you have for me?” Swara cried.
“Shh… Don’t cry” Varun whispered, soothingly.
“Why won’t I? And why shouldn’t I?” she shrugged her hands from him “You made me cry all night this one month, two weeks and two days” she was crying like a child now. Varun couldn’t control but laugh.
As he laughed, she started admiring him!!.. His laugh, those lips, those… Urrghh! What was she thinking? She hit her head by her hand and pressed her hand on his lips.
“Don’t laugh that much. You are looking like a kid. Be serious, I’m serious can’t you see?” she spoke, smirking.
“Oh! I see” he laughed again and she hit him hard on his head. She kept hitting him with the magazine she found beside the table.
“Ouch! Are you planning to make yourself widow?” he rubbed the injury.
“Shhh…” she shushed him coming closer “Never say that. I’m sorry, Varun. I know I’m wrong!”
“No. I’m wrong. I gave you those divorce papers then even after knowing your past…. I….”
“Shhh… Past is past and we should never move back and look at it” she pulled herself up from the floor and walked to her room. After a couple of minutes, she was back with some papers.
“What are these?” he asked as she handed him.
“Read it yourself! Are you illiterate?” her hands folded across her chest.
He saw the divorce papers and looked at her “I’m sorry for being your misery, Swara” he looked down. Swara gave him a questionable look and glared at him.
“Because of me you were crying and then because of my sister your past….”
“I said no? Past is past!” she smiled and hugged him “I’m happy, I got my best friend back”
Both smiled looking at each other. Varun lit up the matches he carried in his pocket and then burned the papers up.
“From when did you start smoking?” she asked curiously, lifting herself up from his arms.
“I didn’t smoke” Varun said biting his tongue as he lied.
“Huh? Again lie” she sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Ah! Okay sorry. I was grief stricken” Varun acted to be really a suffering, miserable person. Swara laughed whole heartedly and Varun smiled at it. He saw her smiling after years, openly, lovingly!!.. Swara sensed his gaze on her and continued.
“I’m sorry Varun. I should have known your love for Kavita as I too have a sister. Instead I misunderstood you and all these…ahh!! Sparsh”
“I understand” Varun interfered “And it’s okay! Raat gyi baat gyi” he comforted her.
“No it isn’t okay. I must have understood the way, Ansh is my responsibility, same goes to you for Sparsh and..” Varun pressed his fingers on her lips.
“Keep quiet, Swara. I said leave it. I really don’t want to talk about it. I am sleepy” Varun acted and Swara laughed.
“We are looking like two drowsy drunk persons” Swara laughed.
Varun stood up, took her in her arms and left for their bedroom.
“I missed our room” Varun spoke and kissed the top of her head. Swara smiled and held his hands.
“Sleep, it’s late” Swara spoke.
“You sleep. I’ll freshen up and come” she nodded.
After he entered the room, he glanced Swara and sighed. He recalled the happenings in these two years and what happened today!!.. He laughed at their madness. He lied down beside Swara and saw her with all his love.
“I love you, Swara. Good night” he shifted to his side and slept.
“I love you too”Swara uttered in her sleep, smiling and turning towards the otherside.