SWASAN – CAPTIVATED FOREVER!
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Rudra is missing
CHAPTER 10
The previous night Swara hadn’t slept for a long time. She had volunteered to help the whole night and would have helped more if she could this morning.
However, she was also eager to hurry back to the Singhania House. Captain Rohan Singhania would be there. Perhaps he would have more news of Rudra and of the other officers she knew. At the same time, she dreaded meeting him again. Would he try to hold her to the promises he thought she had made? Or would he be embarrassed by the memories and be as ready to forget as she?
Mr Singhania and Reshmi were at breakfast. The latter got to her feet when she saw Swara, hugged her tightly, and burst into tears.
Reshmi : Thank God you’re back. We don’t know anything about the victims yet, but Rohan is being treated. Mumma has been with him ever since he returned.
Swara (concerned) : How is his leg?
Reshmi : The doctor is saying there is no risk of infection but with the scant supplies, Papa has decided that we’ll return immediately to Kolkata and get him treated properly. But Rohan is expected to make a full recovery.
Swara sighed in relief. Mr Singhania asked the girls to have their breakfast and excused himself.
Reshmi (in a surprised voice) : Swara! Is that blood on your dress? Why do you have blood on your dress? Where were you?
Swara told her what had happened since she went to visit Mrs Raichand.
Reshmi (her eyes shining) : You helped the wounded? How brave of you. I’ll come with you when you return even though just the thought of so much blood makes me feel faint. I have almost completely recovered from my migraine.
Mrs Singhania (coming in to the dining room) : You are going nowhere except to pack, Reshmi. (smiling at Swara) I’m so glad you’re back. I think you will be happy that Rohan is back, safe and sound.
Swara : I’m glad his wounds aren’t serious, Mrs Singhania.
Mrs Singhania : Tomorrow we will leave for Kolkata. You must be glad to see your family again, Swara.
Swara (smiling) : Did Rudra come here yesterday?
Mrs Singhania (perplexed) : No beta! I don’t think so. By the way, Rohan was asking about you. He is sleeping right now but he asked if you would come see him later.
Swara’s heart sank—he had spoken of her. He would wish to see her. But at least he was safe. What about Rudra? And there were twenty men at Mrs. Raichand’s who all needed almost constant tending. Many of their lives hung in the balance. More than anything else at that moment, though, she needed to sleep. She was silently thankful that Captain Rohan had taken medicine and was in no condition to receive a visitor. Later she would have to see him—and later too she would deal with the prospect of going back home and abandoning all the misery here.
She ate a slice of toast and drank a cup of tea, more because she felt she ought than because she was hungry. Reshmi took her arm then and led her up to her room. She kissed Swara’s cheek before leaving.
Reshmi : I do love you. I think it was terribly brave of you to go and help those people. I would love for you to be my sister in truth.
Swara smiled wanly as she went into her room and closed the door behind her. She sank onto her bed and closed her eyes. But just before she drifted off to sleep, she remembered something.
She had kissed him on the cheek last evening. Not because they had been flirting or dallying. Not because he had challenged her or because she had felt challenged. But because he had shown compassion for her and for Mrs Raichand. Because he had been at the borders for hours earlier in the day, trying to make sure that all the wounded had somewhere to go to recover and be comfortable.
Because she had felt his kindness.
Because he had somehow been transformed in her eyes from a potentially dangerous man whose flirtations it had been a challenge to resist to a friend.
Was that a fanciful thought?
She fell asleep before she could answer her own question.
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Sanskaar had gone early in the morning to Mrs Raichand’s house to ask Swara if he could accompany her to Mr Singhania’s house, but when he reached there, he found out that she had already left.
He decided to go there and greet her but before that, he went back to the borders to see if any other news had been found about Rudra. Finding nothing, He went to the Singhania house and met Mr Singhania.
Mr Singhania : It’s very kind of you to come and enquire about Rohan. He’s being treated but we would like to take him back to Kolkata as soon as possible.
Sanskaar : So you are leaving?
He thought it was safest for Swara to go back to her family. But then, a strange sadness enveloped him as he knew he would never be able to talk to her once they were in Kolkata. Shivaay would never allow it.
Mr Singhania : Tomorrow morning. I have booked a cab that will take us to Amritsar and from there, A chartered plane back to Kolkata.
Sanskaar opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, Swara strode into the room. She was looking somewhat pale, but her hair had been freshly brushed and coiled, and she wore a clean dress.
Swara : Mr Maheshwari? Have you heard anything about my brother?
Sanskaar : I’m sorry.
Swara’s eyes dimmed again. Sanskaar felt bad that he couldn’t bring any good news for her. He looked at her as she straightened her shoulders and turned to Mr Singhania.
Swara : I am leaving for Mrs Raichand’s house.
Mr Singhania (shaking his head) : I can’t allow that. It’s not safe outside. And there must be wounded men there in her house. It’s no place for a girl with privileges.
Swara : Why? Why am I not allowed to help the people in need? They fought for us. The soldiers gave up their lives for us. My brothers may not like me being in danger, but they’ll surely be proud of my reasons.
Sanskaar : If I may interject, I’ll go with her until Mrs Raichand’s house. She’ll be safe.
She looked gratefully at him and left quickly to fetch her bag while Mr Singhania blustered with indecision, muttering about his wife’s being still asleep in her chamber.
Five minutes later they were out on the street, walking towards their destination.
Sanskaar : Did you see Captain Rohan yet?
Swara shook her head.
Swara : He was still sleeping when I went there. He needs his rest. I will see him this evening.
Sanskaar wondered how much she cared for the man. Her feelings during that day had been confused and in tumult. Perhaps knowing him wounded had aroused her affections for him. She looked up at him with that characteristic direct glance of hers and appeared to guess his thoughts.
Swara : I don’t love him, Mr Maheshwari. He is one out of thousands of wounded men. He has a loving family, a houseful of servants, and a quiet, luxurious home to contribute to his comfort. I am needed more elsewhere.
Sanskaar : Tomorrow you’ll be going home. Are you ready?
Swara : I guess so but what about you? Are you going back home? Are you still banished?
Sanskaar (chuckling) : My father is dead, Shona, and my mother has begged me to return home. I’m thinking I’ll oblige her now.
Swara : So she’s your whole family? Your mother?
Sanskaar : I have a brother, Adarsh who’s married and has two children and a cousin Uttara, who came to live with us after her parents died.
Swara : That sounds like a lovely family. I think it’s important you spend time with them. I love mine. They would do anything for me.
Sanskaar : Really? Your eldest brother too? I’ve heard he’s ruthless and cold.
Swara’s eyes grew fierce.
Swara : That’s absolutely untrue and very mean. Shivaay is distant, not cold. He does not know how to laugh, it is true. But he has had the weight of many responsibilities on his shoulders since he became the head of the family at age 17—younger than I am now. He loves us. He just doesn’t show it the way we do. He takes his duties very seriously and rules those in his care or employ with firm discipline.
Sanskaar : Including you?
Swara : You mean, does he discipline us? Ofcourse he did. We were young and had only him to guide us. But… We Oberois are not scared of him. We love him and respect him.
It was hard to imagine anyone loving Shivaay Singh Oberoi—though he himself had once admired him and aspired to be one of his small inner circle of friends.
They had reached Mrs. Raichand’s house by that time, and it was immediately apparent from the open doors and general bustling air that new wounded were being moved in.
Sanskaar took one of Swara’s hands in both of his and raised it to his lips.
Sanskaar : Go Shona! Help them. I’ll come around soon and inform you about Rudra.
She turned away and ran lightly up the steps.
When, he wondered, looking after her, had she become in his eyes a person in her own right and not just the sister of Shivaay Singh Oberoi? Yesterday? And that person was someone he liked and even admired.
Even the age difference between them no longer seemed so huge. 8 years seemed nothing now.
She was a woman of principle and compassion—compassion without sentimentality.
He felt more ashamed than ever of his earlier dealings with her. And yet without those he would not even have met her and got to know her, would he?
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