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Hi everyone… I’m back with again 2 chapters back to back that I hope you’ll enjoy… I keep saying that it’s on the ending track but I don’t know why I’m finding myself, writing more and more… hope I’m not boring you guys, or else, let’s pass to the speedy mode and pass directly to the end… let me know what you would prefer, please!
No more bak bak… here’s the first part of the 2 chapters…
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At the first rays of sunrise, Maheswari mansion is waken by a melodious singing voice, hastily everyone comes down gathering in the temple where Swara, who was wearing a dark blue sari on a silver blouse and skirt matching the embordiments decorating it extremities, her yet wet long silky hair loosened over her shoulders, the shining jewelries shining at her neck and wrists giving her the imperial look everyone missed for so long, was doing aarti.
At her side was Sanskar, in a casual jean and his over used by his wife blue t-shirt, a classic vest fitting his muscular stature. If his hands where joined, his eyes were focused on his wife a proud smile illuminating his face.
It was blissful to see them both like that for the first time since God knows how much time, at the end of the prayer everyone had tears at his eyes…
She turns to him first, blushing discreetly when their eyes meet which makes him grin wider while he takes the blessings and prasad. His eyes don’t leave her when she goes to take blessings from the elders and offering prasad to everyone.
Durga Prasad keeps his hand over her head saying:
“- the smile of our house has finally come back… be happy beta and long life”
His last words make them feel awkward, but Swara smiles happily to him.
At their surprise, dining table was already set by all kind food plates. Sujatta exclaims happily:
“- aree chore! When have you done all that?”
Annapurna smiles to Sujatta’s childish reaction and comes closer saying:
“- beta, you shouldn’t have tired yourself so much, you have to take rest”
Swara shakes her head, her eyes closed to say no, she opens them saying:
“- nahi bade ma, I’m happy doing it, it has been so long time since I didn’t feel like this home’s bahu… let me enjoy those sweet moments again”
Her words bring tears to both the old woman and her sister in law who blesses her again wishing her happiness.
Ragini starts serving everyone without a word as Sanskar obliged Swara to take the seat next to him without complaining, she looks worriedly to her sister who kept avoiding her eyes since this morning.
After the breakfast, Durga Prasad and Ram Prasad excuses themselves to join their work, Laksh and Sanskar are about to follow but when Sanskar turns back about saying something to Swara, he’s surprised to find her just behind him, he frowns asking:
“- you’re going somewhere?”
She blinks few times surprised before replying as if it was so obvious:
“- to work!”
“- what!?”
He’s not the only one surprised, Ragini who was handing his suitcase to Laksh is about saying something, but her husband stops her.
Sujatta exclaims horrified:
“- have you gone mad, choree!? You’re not well… what…”
Annapurna stops her closing her eyes irritated:
“- Swara beta… you’ve been in coma for a whole week until yesterday, you should be resting and taking care of yourself…”
Swara replies trying to plead her cause:
“-EXACTLY Bade Ma!!!… I’ve been absent for a whole week… it’s…”
Sanskar’s calm voice interrupts her:
“- Mrs Maheshwari… don’t even try, you will gently stay here and take the rest you’re desperately in need of”
Swara narrows her eyes angrily and putting her wrists on her hips she tells him:
“- Mr Maheshwari… you may not know because you were engrossed in your saving the world mission, but my lovely husband has gifted me a huge Academy as a birthday present… the job of director with it!”
“- that’s what I’m saying, Mrs Maheshwari… you own this academy… you don’t have to work for it as an employee…”
“- what a strange argument! You’re owner in Maheshwari’s Industries too… will you stay at home and let your work?”
“- if I need rest, yes!”
“- but I’m fine!”
“- no you aren’t!!! you’re recovering from coma and didn’t really take rest the last night…”
His last reflection makes her blush like hell looking down and vanishing her anger in some fog of other embarrassing feelings, thanks to God, no one seems noting the real sense of his words…
Sujatta complains frowning:
“- aree!!! Won’t ever stop fighting like cat and mouse!?”
“- BUT WE’RE NOT FIGHTING!!!”
They both replied on the same angry tone looking to her, which makes everyone smile in disbelief… it hasn’t been long before they’re back to their bak bak…
When Swara looks up to Sanskar, she’s surprised to see that he came closer, palming her cheek in his hand, he says on a serious tone looking straight in her eyes:
“- you’re pregnant, princess… and as much as remember, I made a promise to protect this baby whatever happens…”
His words shock all the present persons around them, Swara was at loss of arguments, what to say to that?
He smiles tenderly to her before backing off taking his suitcase too, then taking a deep breath he tells her:
“- SO… Mrs Maheshwari you’ll be a good girl and return to your room for some rest… I’m sure that those over caring ladies here are having lot of plans to feed you like a French duck…”
Uttra giggles at his words at the disgusted expression Swara was throwing at him. He turns to the old ladies and says:
“- Ma… Bade Ma… give me a favor… please… take it easy on the amount of food you’ll put in her small mouth, she’ll have plenty time to become fat until giving birth to our small baby… so, no hurry for now!”
“- Sanskar”
The both ladies exclaims amused trying to stop him while Swara’s mouth forms a perfet offended O, she starts hitting on his shoulder shouting:
“- who are you treating fat, Mr Maheshwari!? How dare you!?”
“- but I’m talking about when you’ll have a huge belly in front of you… so big that I should start thinking of the way to… Aie… aie…”
She continues her slaps with her both hands making everyone laugh at their childish behavior…
“- ok… ok… stop hitting… you’re hurt your hands… sorry mere cuty Shone… though you’ll look like a tasty laddoo in some months…”
“- Sanskar!” exclaims both bade ma and Sujatta, Swara almost screams in shock at his lack of manners and suggestive words! She doubles her effort angrily at Sanskar’s great pleasure… he tries to defend him self :
“- I’m not talking about now… it’s AIE!!!”
If he was faking hurt first, a slap near the wound on his arm makes him wince sincerely shocking her, she screams:
“- oh my god! I’m sorry Sanskar… I’m…”
She was looking worriedly to the form on bandage under his clothes her face expressing more pain than he really feels, he smiles to her making her look up to him:
“- I’m ok, Swara… it’s nothing…”
“- but…”
“- AND… if you’ll be a wise girl, I’ll take you to the Academy later… ok?”
He has changed quickly the subject snatching a sparkling joyful expression from her worried eyes, with a last meaningful look in her eyes he whispers a promising good bye before finally leaving. Laksh who was watching all the scene silently follows him after wishing a good day to his wife.
At the moment Sanskar gets out of the mansion, his smiling face tuns serious, a shadow of sadness darkening his eyes, he hears his brother coming behind him and closes them briefly before putting his joyful expression on back… Laksh grips his elbow to make him look to him:
“- what are you doing Sanskar?”
“- what?”
“- don’t play smartness with me… what’s the meaning of all this drama, bhai?… how can you act so insensitive at the situation…”
“- Laksh’… I’m not acting and very frankly… it’s not really the moment of this kind of conversation… and ha… sorry but you’ll manage the work alone for a bit more…”
Laksh frowns not understanding what he means, he asks:
“- you’re not going to the office?”
“- nahi… I have few things to deal with before, ok?”
Laksh shakes his head to say yes, a bit surprised. He sees his brother turning his back to him about climbing in his car, but stops and turns toward him again:
“- and ha… I don’t want Swara to know about that, ok?”
Laksh shakes his head again assuring him an agreement again, he wonders what was turning in his brother’s head.
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After lunch, Ragini brings Swara back to her bedroom. She honestly admitted that she feels a bit tired and needs to lie down. Fortunately, workers have finished. The room has been cleaned and the broken stuff replaced… she smiles at the moment she sits on her bed looking around.
Ragini helps her lying putting confortable pillows under her head and when she’s about going, Swara grips her hand stopping her. She looks back to her questioningly:
“- why are you mad at me, Ragini?”
her voice was small, shaken by the repressed tears filling her eyes, Ragini’s heart aches at her childish look while she tries to keep a neutral face. As Swara doesn’t let go of her hand, she swallows before replying:
“- I’m not mad at you, Swara… you take rest, you’re exhausted”
Those are the first words Ragini addressed her today, tears flows over her cheeks when she whispers at her turning back stature:
“- I’m sorry…”
This time Ragini breaks in tears sitting next to her while Swara gets up hugging her crying too:
“- why are you doing this, Swara?… aren’t you the one always repeating that life is precious than anything else?… how can you be so careless? Don’t have you a pity of me… ma… don’t you know what are you doing to Sanskar?”
She sobs badly continuing as she breaks their hug:
“- when I knew about it, I didn’t even try to convince you, I thought that it was abvious, that there was no decision to take at all… then Sankar appeared again and even if you were unconscious, I was confident, I was sure you’ll be fine, now he’s with you… but… but… you have no right to do that, Swara…”
Swara wipes her sister’s tears smiling through her own ones saying:
“- don’t worry Ragini… everything will be fine…”
“- no Swara… it won’t… it won’t… and… and you don’t give anyone the right to face you with the reality with this stupid decision you’ve taken… how can you believe that this baby’s life is more precious than yours?…”
“- so you’re asking me to kill my child?”
“- ha!!! Ha Swara!”
Ragini was conscious that her words were too harsh but she doesn’t care, all she sees is the danger surrounding her sister and she’s standing here helpless… she adds:
“- Swara… Swara… you and Sanskar are still so young, life is in front of you… this baccha isn’t yet born… you’re not killing him, you’re preserving your life…”
“- said the woman who mourned the pillow she handled as a baby for months!”
Swara interrupts her unable to hear her talk about the possibility of losing her baby again… Ragini looks to her for a moment before replying with a blank tone:
“- no Swara… said the child who lost her mother so young that she barely remembers her face…”
“- it was an accident, Ragini… like anyone can have an accident anytime… Janki ma didn’t have a choice just like all of us… who knows when he’ll die? How and where?”
“- YOU DO!!!”
“- NAHI!… I did… or I thought that I knew, many months ago when doctor told me about it, but look at me… I’m still here… alive and happy… if someone told me then that I’ll survive until today and get pregnant too, I would never believe him…”
Ragini sighs closing her eyes, she takes her hands in hers and pleads:
“- Swara… you can’t fool me with your sweet words, you know the issue of your decision about keeping this baby… and you know that nothing that you’ll say can convince me…”
Swara takes her hands from her sister’s and wipes her face taking a deep breath closing her eyes, she opens them to tell her on an angry tone too:
“- so what Ragini?… i’m not backing off from my decision… if you’ll keep believe that I’ll die… if you’ll keep being angry at me, then fine… go away… I don’t need you!… see you at my last rites, little sister!”
Folding her arms on her chest, she looks away closing her eyes again and breathing heavily, she thought that dealing with Sanskar was the worst in her situation… she wasn’t expecting her sister’s over protectiveness!
Ragini doesn’t move, she looks to her absent mindedly for a long moment, unbearable memories envading her head, hateful memories she had obliged herself to forget so she could live peacefully… memories of lies and betrayal… of heartless deeds leading her to that bridge’s edge where she crossed the last line toward the dark side and murdered her sister! That dark side where she lived for a while before her angelic sister’s love brough her back with her endless unconditional love…
But then she crossed the line again… memories of fight… harsh words… tiring photos and burning face’s image haunt her again… she doesn’t even hear herself saying:
“- you’re right Swara… the little sister who pushed you in the river and made your Shradh rites doesn’t deserve to have her place at your side…”
Swara looks back to her in shock, Ragini’s pale face doesn’t express anything, only her endless tears were talking for her, she drags her in her arms hugging her tightly soothing:
“- nahi Ragini… I didn’t mean that…”
Ragini burst out crying more in her sister’s arms, she pleads:
“- I’m sorry Swara… really… if I could return back… I don’t know how I’ve been so bad with you… I don’t know how you could forgive me over and over not even waiting for my repentence… I know that my words hurt you but… but… won’t you forgive me for being hell scared to lose you now?”
Swara breaks the hug smiling to her, wipping her sister’s tears, she shakes her head to say no before exclaiming:
“- aree drama queen… you’re not losing me, buddu… everything will be fine, believe me… I think pregancy’s hormons are playing on my nerves!”
She holds her ear like a small girl making her sister smile and says:
“- sorry Ragini… I shouldn’t have said that…”
“- Swara…”
Ragini takes off her hand from her ear stopping from apologizing, she wants to say something, but Swara hugs her again:
“- I need you strong, Ragini… your strength will give me the force to win this battle”
Ragini agrees holding her back, but she wasn’t convinced… she closes her eyes letting go of two tears discreetly, then looks to her again smiling:
“- accha sonu… enough amotions for today, hai na?… now lay down and close your eyes, you really need to take rest or Sanskar will kill us for not taking care of his future laddoo!”
Swara giggles doing as she’s told and closes her eyes letting go of a long sigh of relief, a cute smile printed on her lips at the memory of her husband teasing words.
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Note: next chapter is already here too… but first tell me what do you think about this one 🙂
LOT OF THANKS TO THE SILENT READERS TOO 🙂