SWASAN – CAPTIVATED FOREVER!
Heyy, It’s Anjali back with the next chapter!!!
Thnxx for comments and to my silent readers….
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ALL CHAPTER LINKS : All Parts here
CHAPTER LINK : Chapter 5 here
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Swara and Sanskaar kiss
CHAPTER 6
Rudra : Well Swara! I see that you’ve had a lot of fun tonight. Well heard too.
Swara (rolling her eyes) : Come on Rudra! You know better than to pay attention to the gossip. They’re just jealous that they didn’t think of a midnight picnic.
Rudra : I agree with you, Swara! But you know what I mean. I just hope you haven’t gone and fallen in love with Sanskaar Maheshwari.
Swara stopped and stared at him flabbergasted.
Swara : In love with Sanskar Mahe…. Are you completely mad, Rudra? I don’t go around falling in love with every person who happens to pay attention to me.
Rudra (giving a relieved sigh) : Well! I’m thankful for that. Shivaay would have my head if anything like this had happened in his absence. Swara Singh Oberoi, 20 years old and head over heels in love with Sanskaar Maheshwari, 28 years old probably. Shivaay would have killed me on the spot.
Rudra shuddered and Swara laughed. Rudra gave her a sheepish smile then turned serious.
Rudra : All kidding aside. Shivaay seriously wouldn’t approve of Sanskaar Maheshwari.
Swara (surprised) : Why? He’s done nothing wrong. He’s been a gentleman.
Swara refused to think of the kiss.
Rudra : There, You’re wrong, Swara. The man has a decidedly shady reputation. He has been out of the country, not always in the best company, and rumor has it that he left Kolkata under some cloud in the first place.
Swara remained silent.
Rudra : Sanskaar is not the man to marry. You should remember that.
Swara (looking at him scornfully) : Rudra! I thought I loved you best. My loving, easygoing brother. But today, you have been more overbearing than our dearest eldest brother. I am 20 years old. I have no intentions of getting married. Not to Sanskaar Maheshwari, nor anyone else.
Rudra : Age has nothing to do with falling in love. Anyways, What about Captain Rohan Singhania? I thought you liked him.
Swara (sighing) : I don’t know. He has been very irritating of late. I find him absolutely pompous. He is handsome enough to turn any girl’s head, but he boasts and he postures. I keep trying to make allowances for his youth, but then I remember that he is four years older than I am.
Rudra (chuckling) : I know how you are, Swara. I don’t mean to annoy you. But the world isn’t kind to anyone. And we just want ur baby sister to be fine. Do you want me to have a word with Mr Maheshwari? I do an amazing impersonation of Shivaay.
Swara (glaring at him) : Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare talk to him OR call me your BABY sister. I will turn 21 in 2 months. 2 months, You understand?
He laughed and cuffed her jaw lightly with his closed fist.
Rudra : Come on! I have to leave now and I see the Singhanias waiting for you. I have to go back to the embassy soon after.
Swara nodded and wondered what he would say—and do—if she told him this whole entertainment had been conceived and organized for her benefit. And that she had gone quite deliberately into the semi private avenues with Sanskaar Maheshwari and allowed him to kiss her there—even though she had known very well that he had nothing but dalliance on his mind.
Rudra would conjure up his very own fireworks display to rival the ones during Diwali. He would probably take the Sanskaar Maheshwari apart limb from limb and lay out the pieces across the forest floor.
And what would Shivaay say and do? Not to mention Omkara and Ragini. Each of the Oberois were terrifying when angry. The idea really did not bear thinking of.
But she was not going to start feeling guilty. No harm had been done. Quite the contrary. A wily, dangerous man had thought to toy with her, and she had turned his weapons against him and come away from the experience quite unscathed. She was rather proud of herself.
Perhaps Mr Maheshwari, who really was a quite despicable man, would think twice before wasting his time and money on a young girl again.
After all, she was Swara Singh Oberoi and she did not dance to anyone’s tunes.
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Two days had passed since the midnight picnic. Two days of not speaking to Swara Singh Oberoi. Sanskaar had seen her last night at the dinner hosted by Saket, but since her brother was with her the entire time, He didn’t approach her.
There was indeed gossip and speculation about them in the drawing rooms of J and K, enough that several people would surely include word of it in their calls home to Kolkata and it would become the on dit there too. The lady concerned was, after all, Swara Singh Oberoi, sister of Shivaay Singh Oberoi.
His scheme was working very nicely indeed. And he was not at all concerned that matters were proceeding slowly. He was in no hurry.
He spotted her now, across the pathway, apparently walking towards the cable car station. He approached her and her companions, Reshmi Singhania and some other lady who he had been introduced to a few days ago, but who he could not recall.
Swara was looking very pretty in a cream coloured kurti and black tights with long earrings and her hair in a fishtail braid. God, The girl was enchanting in every outfit. His insides tightened but he shook his head and focused.
Sanskaar smiled at the ladies and muttered a greeting. Swara Singh Oberoi inclined her head graciously in return—she was playing the grand lady this morning, perhaps in response to the gossip that was still focused on them. She might have ridden on past without a word if Reshmi had not spoken up.
Reshmi : Good morning, Mr Maheshwari! Isn’t it an absolutely fine day?
Sanskaar nodded amiably and agreed with her.
Reshmi : Swara and I thought it would be fun to go to the top of the peak via cable car and take in the view of the city. We invited Ms Piya Sinha as well.
Sanskaar (thinking) : Miss Singhania! You are a treasure. I really didn’t want to plead ignorance of the girl’s name and get into trouble.
Sanskaar (smiling) : Ofcourse. We were introduced just a few days ago.
Piya (smiling) : Mr Maheshwari! I thoroughly enjoyed myself at your midnight picnic.
Sanskaar : I’m so glad to hear that, Ms Sinha! What about you, Ms Oberoi?
She looked at him, but her gaze seemed worried, serious.
Swara : Mr Maheshwari? Do you have any idea about the political situation here? Are we going to be under attack?
Before Sanskaar could answer, Reshmi turned to Swara and looked at her protestingly.
Reshmi : Come on, Swara! You know, Bhai told that there was nothing to worry about. That we shouldn’t be bothered?
Swara kept looking at Sanskaar, a slight frown creasing her brow.
Sanskaar : May I join you on your ride up?
Swara nodded, but it seemed to Sanskaar to be almost absent minded.
He accompanied the ladies to the station and soon, Misses Singhania and Sinha were ensconced in one while Swara and he took their seats in the next one.
Swara : Do you know how irritating it is? To be told not to worry, To be told not to care about all this just because they don’t like their women to be well versed in our country’s politics. What is wrong with everyone? I don’t need to know all the gory details. But surely I can know a little? The truth.
Sanskaar (gently) : We men don’t like to worry our loved ones. We try to keep them safe.
Swara (shaking her head) : There’s a difference between ignorance and safety, Mr Maheshwari! But tell me, Do you think we will soon be attacked? Will our borders be under seige?
Sanskaar had a strong urge to take her into his arms and hug her and assure her that no harm would befall anyone as long as she is there, but he realised that honesty was the best policy he could use right now.
Sanskaar : I think it might be true, Swara. All the facts point towards another confrontation. This mightbe ugly and long.
Swara (sighing) : Mr Singhania wants us to leave. Rudra insists that I leave. Shivaay will probably call soon and ask me to come back. But Mrs Singhania refuses to leave until it becomes impossible to stay. She insists upon remaining close to Captain Rohan, and I can only applaud her resolve. There is so little that we are allowed to do. At least we can stand by our men.
Sanskaar (looking straight at her) : And you? You wish to stay by Captain Rohan’s side?
Swara (scowling) : That is none of your business.
He smiled at her.
But she was not bent upon quarreling with him, it seemed.
Swara : I suppose that when the time comes I will be hurried away to safety long before there is any real danger to my person. But the men of the armies cannot be whisked away, can they? They must remain and fight. And die.
Sanskaar kept a hand on his shoulder and smiled kindly.
Sanskaar : Not everyone dies. There are countless veterans among us. We may be facing a difficult time, but we are united, Shona! Don’t worry. We shall persevere.
It was not the sort of gloomy conversation he would normally make to a woman, especially to a very young and delicately nurtured lady. But she was not as other ladies were—he was increasingly aware of that.
Swara (giving him a sweet smile) : Thank you, Mr Maheshwari! It was nice to have someone talk to me properly instead of treating me like a child.
Sanskaar smiled and got up. He gestured for her to do the same and then closed her eyes with his palm.
Swara (gasping) : Mr Maheshwari!
Sanskaar (whispering near her ear) : Shhh! Wait a minute.
He released his palm and she opened her eyes to look at the horizon. The green, blue, brown… The swirl of colours on the ground mixing with the blue of the sky. The amazing features of nature where the cable line seemed to pass between the clouds. The intrinsic beauty that filled Swara’a eyes.
Sanskaar : Where there is ugliness, There is beauty. I believe it was you who told me that, Shona!
She couldn’t do anything but nod.
She turned and saw him looking at her with something that seemed akin to concern and care?
Sanskaar brushed her lips softly with his and moved back.
Sanskaar : We are nearing the top. Let us sit back and enjoy the rest of our ride.
Swara nodded and sat down. They reached the top and Swara smiled at Sanskaar.
Swara : Thank you for the company, Mr Maheshwari. I enjoyed myself a lot.
Sanskaar was surprised to hear her speaking so civilly to him but if Swara wanted to be friends with him, Who was he to refuse?
Sanskaar : Until next time, Ms Oberoi! (leaning down slightly so that her companions couldn’t hear her) I do believe I managed to steal a kiss from you, after all.
He grinned at her while she scowled. He waved his goodbyes and walked away from them. Ah, He couldn’t resist teasing her. Then he frowned.
Sanskaar (thinking) : Swara Singh Oberoi! As seductive and innocent as you are, You are a means to an end. I cannot forget that. Never ever.
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Hey…. Will post snfm asapppp 🙂 🙂 :* :*
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Hope you like this chapter..
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I’m going for part fiction part truth in the next few chapters. So indulge me and don’t comment on the realistic nature.. 🙁
I will write it realisticall, i hope, But the entire scene may be unrealistic.
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