SWASAN – CAPTIVATED FOREVER!
Heyy, It’s Anjali back with the next chapter!!!
Thnxx for comments and to my silent readers….
HAVE FUN!!!
PREV
Sanskaar invites Swara and her family to his house
CHAPTER 18
Sanskaar looked out the window to see the guests in the garden and thought about his company branches in Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore. He would take a greater interest in the branches, He decided. Sanskaar had meticulously lead the branches in US to great success, but had left the Indian counterparts in charge of capable men.
All that would change now, He thought. He would be the frontrunner for all the branches and for Maheshwari Group of Companies. The gentlemen he had reacquainted himself with were no more young themselves and thought him lucky to have escaped their ‘so called’ dreary lives. He had described himself as being too old to his mother the morning he met Swara in the park. He was also bored and had been idle for five long years. Nevertheless, he felt years older in experience than those companions, who no longer felt quite like friends.
Even though he disliked the notion, He knew he would have to earn back his image and his peers’ respect again.
He deeply resented the fact that it had to be earned, that he had been robbed of both his good name and five years of his life, but he would only rob himself of more time if he allowed himself to wallow in bitterness.
Shivaay Singh Oberoi was his Achilles’ heel, though. He could not seem to talk himself out of his deep desire to harm the man.
Sighing, Sanskaar walked out of the room to join the ladies in the garden. His mother had cautioned him that he should be seen talking amicably to Swara under the gaze of both their families.
The garden seemed to be full of fashionably dressed ladies—it really was quite daunting to walk in upon them as the only male. His mother sat on a small chaise close to the refreshment table, Swara Singh Oberoi beside her, looking astonishingly youthful and lovely in white. Sanskaar greeted both of them, kissed his mother’s cheek, asked Swara how she did, and turned away to make himself agreeable to the other guests.
Although there was no noticeable pause in any of the conversations, Sanskaar guessed that every eye had watched his approach to Swara and every ear had strained to catch every word they exchanged.
An account of this afternoon’s visit would doubtless enliven conversations at dinner tables and drawing rooms this evening.
Would the scandal now be at an end?
Or would everyone be waiting for a betrothal announcement to be made before either party to the scandal could be accepted back fully into the fold?
Sanskaar found that he rather liked Ragini Gadodia, even though she still seemed slightly hostile. She was petite but her forthright manner made her formidable, not to mention her husband’s name and their sterling reputation in Kolkata. She spoke plainly to Sanskaar and he knew she was testing him. Gauri Singh Oberoi had also shown up. The plans of going back home had been postponed for some time.
She was gracious and amiable and pretty and treated Sanskaar kindly. Ragini’s sister-in-law Tanya was a sensible, pretty young lady.
The Oberois were the last to leave.
Annapurna : Sanskaar beta! Ragini has invited us all to Gadodia House three days hence.
Sanskaar looked in some surprise at Ragini Gadodia. He had not expected that after this afternoon, any of the Oberois would encourage further encounters between himself and Swara.
Ragini : Tanya’s engagement ceremony is to take place that day. She’s to marry Deepam Ahuja next month. Though both were willing to postpone the function because of Rudra…. Shivaay and Laksh both felt it would be unfair to the couple. So we decided to go ahead with the celebrations.
Swara (wistfully) : Rudra would have loved it.
Sanskaar gave her a quick glance before turning to Ragini and nodded with a gracious smile.
Sanskaar : It’s very kind of you to issue an invitation. We will be delighted to attend.
He darted a glance at Swara, who was playing the part of haughty grand lady, as she had been doing all afternoon. He half smiled at her.
She rose to leave, and her sister and sister-in-law and Tanya followed suit. His mother, he noticed, linked an arm through one of Ragini’s, and Uttara moved between Gauri and Tanya. Sanskaar, considerably amused at such an unsubtle maneuver, offered his arm to Swara.
His mother, he concluded, must approve of her.
There was a space of perhaps two minutes when they were virtually alone together, and he took the oppurtunity to speak with her.
Sanskaar (whispering) : Will it upset you if I attend this function, Shona?
Swara : No, why should it?
Her eyes sparked up at him, and he knew that there must have been some spirited family discussion over him.
Sanskaar : Did Shivaay approve of you coming here today?
Swara : Well, I’m here, Aren’t I?
Sanskaar : And does he know your sister would be inviting me?
Swara : I don’t think so. He has nothing to do with it. It’s a Gadodia function.
Sanskaar : I don’t think I should come. You’re still grieving and it wouldn’t be fair.
Swara turned and looked at him with a very direct look.
Swara : Why does Shivaay stop you from seeing me, Sanskaar? You are successful, albeit with a mysterious past. You have quadrupled your fortune, You protected me in Srinagar and even though you did not have to, You even offerred to marry me. Why does he hate you so much, then?
Sanskaar : Shona, Are you sure he hates me? May he not just simply disapprove of me? Were you so disappointed, then? Would you have said yes to my proposal?
Swara : You know I wouldn’t have.
Sanskaar bent down and kissed her cheek softly.
Sanskaar : Then I should be glad Shivaay stopped me from getting my heartbroken.
Swara (scoffing) : Nonsense. I think i liked it better when you were my friend and none of this extra complications.
They walked outside and caught up with the others. As he, his mother and sister watched the car speed out of the driveway, His mother turned to him with sparkling eyes.
Annapurna : I can now say that my son has superb choice in women. I would love for Swara to be my daughter-in-law. She would be an excellent Maheshwari.
Sanskaar : That may not happen, Ma. I have been rejected by Shivaay, Remember?
But she had not. Not yet. And he was to see her again before the eyes of the whole Kolkatan society. At a celebration party, no less.
He gazed after the departing car with narrowed eyes. Had he just told her he would be unable to attend with her because she was grieving and so wouldn’t dance?
They would see about that.
———————————–
Swara had been out every morning. She had gone shopping, to the park and even out for dinner last night. Nowhere had she been ignored. If the guests had seemed somewhat distant, they had also been polite. And they had not had a great deal of opportunity to snub her anyway since the formidable Annapurna Maheshwari had kept her by her side all night. Swara had found her charming.
But an engagement party with Kolkata’s biggest who’s whos was an entirely different matter. She would discover there whether the scandal had affected her standing in the society. Not that she really cared. If they were tired of her, then she was mortally weary of them—or so she told herself.
Except, she admitted to herself in unguarded moments, that it was also going to seem flat and dull after all that had happened since she left there a couple of months ago.
She dressed carefully for the night. She couldn’t wear any of her bright dresses, It would be considered crass. Nor could she wear black. It was considered inauspicious. Finally she settled on a dark green lehenga with small golden sequins on the border and a matching green saree-type blouse. A transparent green dupatta completed the outfit. She matched the dress with golden jhumkis and a small green bindi and glass bangles adorned in her hands.
She would not be able to dance. She thought wistfully of waltzing beneath the swaying lamps and the stars in the Persephone Gardens and felt guilty that she could want to dance again when Rudra was so recently gone. He had been at that picnic. He had scolded her roundly for allowing Sanskaar to pay her such particular attention.
She still could not believe that she would never see him again.
Om was driving the car with Gauri beside him while Swara sat with Shivaay at the back.
She wondered as the other three conversed if Shivaay knew that Mr Maheshwari had been invited tonight.
She was, she had been realizing with the greatest reluctance over the past few days, ever so slightly in love with him. No, perhaps even that was self-deception.
She had been attracted to him from the start. And then, when she had found an intelligent, compassionate man behind the rakish facade, she had come to like and respect him.
And finally, when she had turned to him in the passion of her grief over Rudra, they had shared an intimacy that had put all his other kisses to shame.
It was not that alone that had made her fall in love with him, but it had certainly made her realize that she had been deceiving herself by thinking of him only as a friend. He was a great deal more than a friend.
Shivaay : Ragini has made arrangements to make sure you’re not embarassed inside. You may talk to whomever you please, But please don’t dance.
Swara (raising an eyebrow) : Whoever I please? Does that include Sanskaar Maheshwari too?
It was Shivaay’s turn to raise his eyebrow. Swara shrugged.
Swara : Ragini invited him the other day when we went to his house for the garden tea party.
Shivaay (his voice soft) : And no one thought to tell me until now?
Swara : This is Ragini’s house. She is welcome to invite whoever she wants.
Shivaay’s voice grew softer.
Shivaay : True.
Swara realised that Sanskaar Maheshwari had never answered her question about Shivaay’s aversion towards him. He had expertly dodged the question.
The four got down and walked inside the palatial Gadodia House where she greeted a busy Ragini and Laksh and then congratulated Tanya and her fiance.
Swara settled in for what she fully expected to be a tedious evening. And indeed it did not start well. A couple of men and women spoke to her and though she was glad that they thought kindly of her, She found their thoughts quite childish. This was disturbing as they all were of similar ages.
It was quite enough to make her want to scream, especially as she could not even make the time pass quickly by dancing but was forced to sit on a sofa with each of them in turn, making laboured conversation about such inconsequential matters that she twice forgot what she was talking about in the middle of a sentence. Yet politeness compelled her to smile and fan her face and look for all the world as if she had never been so well entertained in her life.
It was over an hour later that Sanskaar Maheshwari arrived with his mother and cousin. He was looking very splendid indeed, Swara saw, in gray and black. But she could not even allow herself the luxury of feasting her eyes on him. She was very aware of the buzz of heightened interest in the room. It had been bad enough when she arrived, but now the two partners in crime of recent scandal were there together. The party was bound to be declared a resounding success tomorrow.
The man disappeared from the room while his mother and cousin joined a group within it. Some time later, he joined his mother and they made their way over to herself and Ragini.
Ragini : Mrs Maheshwari! You look lovely. So does Uttara. I spoke to her a while earlier.
Annapurna : Thank you, my dear, but I think the young ones outshine me. Just look at Tanya, Uttara, yourself and Swara here.
Swara smiled at the sincere compliment, then turned to Sanskaar.
Sanskaar : Mrs Gadodia, Do you think it would be acceptable if I walked with Miss Oberoi for a while?
After giving him an assessing look, Ragini agreed. Swara found that Shivaay was no where in the room. She saw Sanskaar looking at her. His expression was sober and polite, but she knew him quite well enough to recognize the laughter lurking in his eyes.
She took his arm, careful to keep her own expression cool, slightly bored, slightly haughty.
Sanskaar : Are you enjoying the night, Shona?
Swara (sighing) : I am about to die of boredom. I cannot dance, let alone waltz.
Sanskaar : I think the next song is a waltz as well.
Swara : That’s so cruel.
After the excruciating boredom and inactivity of the last hour or so, her feet itched to dance.
Sanskaar : We could gossip about those gossiping about us right now.
Swara laughed.
Swara : I like your mother. She’s very kind and loving.
Sanskaar : She likes you too, My Shona! Now that I have come home, she is eager to see me settle down with a wife.
Swara felt herself flushing. Was he flirting with her – Again?
Swara : Really?
Sanskaar : Yes. I think mothers have one sole purpose in life when their kids are above the age of eighteen. Pester them about marriage and grandkids.
Swara : Oh!
He was twenty eight. Eight years older than she. It should have seemed like too wide an age gap. But why did it not matter how old she was? How old he was?
Sanskaar bent down a little closer to her.
Sanskaar : Ma doesn’t think that eight years is too big of a gap between a husband and wife.
Swara : Mr Maheshwari. This is a needless conversation.
Sanskaar (bending down even closer) : Is it, My dear Shona? Just because your brother has rejected me. Even though you’re my friend. Even though you take my breath away every time we kiss? Everytime you smile?
Swara stepped back and spoke a little harsher than she had intended.
Swara : You should tell all this drivel to someone you can love.
Sanskaar traced a finger on Swara’s cheek.
Sanskaar : But Ma thinks I love you. As does Uttara. I am beginning to think they are right.
Swara could feel her heart beating against her ribs. She could hear her pulse throbbing in her ears. She could see that the floor had filled with dancers and that the music was about to begin. Tanya was going to waltz with Deepam. They were smiling warmly into each other’s eyes, oblivious to all around them. Swara was so glad Tanya had found love this spring.
Swara : This is not the time to talk of all this…… How I wish I could dance.
The music had begun. Sanskaar looked at the dancers once, then pulled Swara as he began walking towards the side doors.
Sanskaar : We can dance, Shona, If that’s what you want.
Swara : No! I shouldn’t. Not with everyone right here.
Sanskaar : I agree. You shouldn’t dance here, but you can dance with me in private. There is a small room near the corridor. I noticed it earlier.We can use that.
Swara was slighly doubtful of this plan. She was horribly tempted, though. Not just because she longed to waltz and not just because he was Sanskaar Maheshwari and she had just realized that perhaps he was falling in love with her as she was falling for him. She was also bored. She was feeling hemmed in by propriety and strict chaperonage again after the freedom and sense of purpose and responsibility she had known in Srinagar. It seemed to her that the last weeks of heavy grief had been endless. And it would be just for a very short while. No one would ever know.
She could waltz again. Right now. With Sanskaar Maheshwari.
She could dance with the man who seemed to have captivated her.
She took his arm again, and he whisked her out through the doors before she could persuade herself to observe a more strict decorum.
———————————-
It was a square room, not too large, with a sofa and a few chairs arranged around the perimeter. Gervase had discovered it earlier and guessed that it had been set aside for those guests who would wish to rest in quiet for a short while.
He had dimmed the lights and shut the door. It had been a fortunate find. A private room would serve better than the balcony, his original choice.
He lit the candles on the mantelpiece now and turned to Swara. Behind her he had left the door slightly ajar. What he should do, he thought as she smiled at him, was take her back to the crowd right now at this very moment before someone opened that door and it was too late. He liked her too much for this. She had done nothing to deserve this.
Sanskaar extended an arm and she took it, smiling widely. He set his right hand behind her waist and took her right hand in his. She set her other hand on his shoulder.
They danced in silence, lights and music and voices and laughter mingling beyond the slightly open door, dim lights and intimacy within. She tilted back her head and smiled at him again. He smiled back. Perhaps no one would come. Perhaps he would be lucky and they could enjoy this for some more time.
After a few minutes he drew her closer. He turned her hand to rest palm-inward over his heart, his own hand spread over the back of it. He felt her other hand slide inward along his shoulder and come to rest behind his neck. She turned her face and, with a soft sigh, rested her cheek against his shirt and danced on with him, their bodies touching.
She was all slender, warm femininity. She felt familiar—and dear.
After a few minutes, Sanskaar cupped Swara’s cheeks and raised her eyes to his.
Sanskaar : Shona?
Swara pulled him closer.
Swara (whispering) : Yes!
He lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss began as a gentle brush of dry, closed lips… The pressure increasing until he had gained the soft opening of her mouth, and then Swara felt the subtle intrusion of his tongue. Her head tilted back helplessly as she was supported by his palms, the hammering in her heart sending her blood through her veins, making her feel weak yet hot at the same time.
Sanskaar took more of her, kissing her at every angle, kissing deeply. His hands lowered and as they touched her bare waist, Sanskaar and Swara both shuddered with desire. Sanskaar’s hands rose higher until he was almost touching her br*asts but at the last minute, he felt sudden panic.
No! He was losing himself in passion while in the process of betraying her. She had done nothing to deserve this of him. He simply could not do it. He must get her out of this room undetected and hurry her back to everyone else before someone made the discovery that they were neither there nor in the dining room. He was desperate suddenly to save her—and himself.
He loosened his hold on her and lifted his head.
Too late.
The door was now more than half open and a number of guests were either openly peering inside or going to tell others about the newest scandal Swara Singh Oberoi and Sanskaar Maheshwari had caused.
Shivaay Singh Oberoi, one hand on the door, had already stepped inside the room and was shutting it firmly behind his back.
——————————————