・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Tanisha held the door as Swara and Udayan walked out, it was her subtle way of apologising and she waited till they turned round the corner, before closing the door. Walking back to the table she looked at Sanskaar, disappointment visible on her face, "That was rude of you."

Sanskaar raked his fingers through his hair, he felt he was curt not rude, though he did not attempt to dispute her words. He could have explained it but then the interview had been harder on him than he had expected. It would have been straightforward if Ragini had taken the interviews, there would not have been so much of formality involved and they could have dispensed with the whole series altogether; in fact, Ragini could have answered more than half of the questions on her own. It would have been easy if Swara had been more like her spineless father, he need not feel that twinge of remorse for the way they might have to manipulate her. It would have been best if he had not decided that a subtle hidden battle was preferable to open conflict, though they did not have much of a choice; in the absence of clear proofs they would not easily win.

He sighed and looked at Tani, "I guess I was. What do we do about it?"

Tani gave a wan smile and ruffling his hair, answered, "I will do something, we could use this as an opportunity to give something else for her to focus on. But you have to admit she is one adorable kid, always was, but now as a grown up woman she is quite charming."

Sanskaar simply nodded, Swara being sweet and adorable was precisely what would make it difficult for all of them, apart from the fact that Ragini had always been over protective about her baby sister.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Swara shivered, it was neither on account of the heavy torrential rain that had descended on the city nor was it due to the air conditioning. Despite knowing the same; she could not stop herself from rubbing her arms in a vain attempt to stop those shivers. A shiver caused when she recalled how Sanskaar had laughed when they had reached the last question of the interview.

She was in her home, in her own room and she could not help think about the interview. Swara had switched the order of the questions a bit, hence she had saved the question regarding the next interviewee for the last and Sanskaar's answer had rattled them. There had been a stunned silence while they realised that they had been abruptly dismissed and that Tanisha had held the door for them as a gesture of apology.

It was not only the last question; she had found the whole interview to be different and disturbing. First was the timing, instead of having it in the morning as they had the previous ones, Tanisha had requested that the interview be held in the afternoon. They had agreed but Swara had spent the whole day in restless anticipation so she was quite keyed up by the scheduled time for the interview. Then when they entered the room it was to find that Sanskaar and Tanisha were already present, with Sanskaar seated behind the large wooden desk. It had not given Swara any chance to take in the surroundings of the room and she had just sat observing him while Udayan got the recorders ready.

Since it was already late by the time the interview was done, Swara had directly gone home from the SNLRS office, a journey which took them three hours on account of the traffic and the heavy rains. Udayan was trying to scrawl out the transcript of the interview while she had switched off and was dozing a bit, when her mobile rang. If she had been surprised to see who had called, she was even more surprised to hear what the caller had to say, though her curiosity made her agree to the meeting without even consulting Udayan.

And now in the privacy of her room she decided to go over the transcript, which, despite Udayan scrawling it out in a moving car, was quite legible. However, she wanted to hear Sanskaar speak also, so she plugged in her earphones and played the recording as she read the transcript.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Interview with Sanskaar Maheshwari

[The room is identical in design and size to the other two rooms, similar layout and the same grey furnishings, only this time the colour of the accents is blue and the photograph on the wall is a print, I think, and has five palm prints, each in one colour; blue, pink, green, yellow and red. could be of the founders of SNLRS - goes with the accent scheme too.) ~ Udayan

Swara was thankful for Udayan, she had not even focused on any aspect of the room, Sanskaar had gotten all her attention, she could not even recall how Tanisha was dressed.

Interviewed by Swara Gadodia

August 21, 2017

Kolkata, India

Interview conducted in English

SG: Good afternoon. At the outset, I would like to thank you, for agreeing to this interview.

SM: "Good Evening, it is my pleasure to meet the two of you"

Swara remembered that Sanskaar had glanced at his wrist watch before answering her, the time must have been a minute or two after four, hence the 'good evening'. She gritted her teeth, as the audio played back his voice, she could feel a hint of hidden condescension in his voice.

SG: So, Mr Maheshwari, could you tell us a few words about yourself?

Sanskaar had not answered that question, instead Tanisha had handed them a single sheet of paper on which the pertinent details were printed. She would read it later and for the time being she just read the points Udayan had noted, '36 years old, Bachelors in Civil Engineering, Masters in Construction Management from Jefferson in the US and a MBA in Strategic Management from IIM Calcutta (recent - four years ago), mother died during child birth and father died eight years ago'

SG: Tell me about the toughest decision you had to make in the last six months.

SM: "It is not tough, but it did involve a lot of contemplation, the acquisition of Maheshawari group. It was difficult for it means that going forward there could be no mention of the Maheshwari name."

SG: Tell me how you think other people would describe you.

SM: "Loved as a friend, feared as an enemy."

SG: What do you do when not working?

SM: "Reading and writing."

Swara wished she had asked what Sanskaar wrote then decided it would most probably related to business, though the later question had given her answers.

SG: What do you hate most about being rich and famous?

SM: "They can even get away with murder."

SG: Of the many things you do, which one makes your heart beat the fastest?

SM: "The thrill of a challenge and the anticipation of victory."

SG: Where do you see yourself in the competition?

SM: "What makes you think I have competition?"

Swara had no smart comeback to that answer and had decided to continue.

SG: Where do you think you will be after 25 years?

SM: "Probably dead, hopefully alive."

SG: What advice would you give your younger Self?

SM: "Don't get cross, get even."

SG: "That is from Jeffery Archer's 'Not a penny more, not a penny less' right?"

Sanskaar had nodded and smiled, the warmth of which reached Swara even now though she wondered how someone could be so warm and cold at the same time.

SG: What things in your life would you give up in an instant if it got you to an even better place than you are now?

SM: [pause] "I am not sure, sometimes I think I would give anything and at other times I wonder if it is even possible that things could get better."

SG: Okay, this is something like a rapid fire round, most can be answered in a couple of words:

What would you change your name to? "Once a Maheshwari, always a Maheshwari."

What's your biggest pet peeve? "People who lie."

What's your annoying habit? "coffee, I drink too much coffee."

Who is your inspiration? "The leopard."

Swara had not expected this and the annotation by Udayan 'part of the panther lineage (consists of lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards), had the largest distribution of all wild cats, exceptionally adaptable, able climbers, agile runners and powerful swimmers, ferocious hunters often known as ambush predators' gave facts but threw little light on the 'why' of the answer.

Swara read those notes a dozen times, she understood what Udayan had written but she could not fathom why Sanskaar answered as he did. She was not sure if there was a hidden motive or whether he was simply joking with her.

Do you speak any other languages? "Apart from English, Hindi, Marwadi and Bengali?"

Where would you like to visit? "Any place where I can walk in peace."

Who is the messiest person you know? "Every irresponsible person is a messy one, for they create a mess wherever they go and in whatever they do. How do you expect me to pick one out of this list?"

'Another cryptic answer,' noted Swara.

What's the most interesting thing you've read or seen this week? "There was this article that the The Navi Mumbai Animal Protection Cell said it has filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board after several stray dogs in Navi Mumbai's Taloja industrial area were caught on camera with their fur dyed bright blue.' Apart from the concerns about pollution destroying the ecological system I wonder, 'why blue, why not any other colour, after all, dyes come in all colours?' "

What would you like remembered about you? "Just being remembered would be fine."

That answer had come after a long silence and Swara had almost given up hopes of getting one; now that he had answered, she was unable to make out anything from the wistfulness in his answer.

What sports do you enjoy watching? "Football."

What is your biggest/weirdest fear? "I do not have enough time."

What pet would you love to have? "I have one, a dog. More specifically, a German Shepherd, named Rache."

Udayan had scrawled 'sounds to be German, if so, it means vengeance.'

What is the best/worst purchase you've ever made? "In recent years, all are planned and thought out - nothing to grade them as good to bad."

What's your biggest mistake in the kitchen? "Not having an island counter layout, which I have had rectified."

What's the most useless talent you have? "Writing poetry."

Do you sing in the shower? "Mmm...yes and outside too."

Where did you grow up? "Here, in this city itself"

What were you like as a kid? "Mischievous yet rule abiding."

What did you enjoy doing with your friends? "everything, studies, games, parties."

Were you a good student? "Yes, a brilliant one, if I had to be truthful."

What did you want to be when you were a kid? "Run a very successful business with my friends as partners."

Were your parents strict? "My father was firm, never strict; I never knew my mother, she died while giving birth to me but I have been told that she would have simply pampered me."

What were your best/worst subjects in school? "I had no trouble with any of the subjects, though I loved Literature the most."

What is your favourite movie? "Paycheck."

What is your favourite song? "I have a dozen of them, in fact, most of Mohammad Rafi's songs are my favourites but currently this is the song, or rather these lines, which haunt me...

ऐसी ही रिम-झिम, ऐसी फ़ुवारें, ऐसी ही थी बरसात

खुद से जुदा और, जग से पराये, हम दोनों थे साथ

फिर से वो सावन, अब क्यूँ न आये

दिन ढल जाये हाय ...

दिन ढल जाये हाय, रात ना जायतू

तो न आए तेरी, याद सताये,

दिन ढल जाये ...

"Suits this weather, too."

Swara had been too dazed, lost in the melody of his voice to do more than nod, even the ever stoic Udayan had seemed stunned. However, when she heard it again, in the confines of her room, she could make out the pain and anger in his voice. She heard him sing a couple of times more and suddenly remembered what he had done; seeing her dazed face he had presumed that she did not understand the lyrics, so pulling a writing pad to his lap he had written something and given the paper to her. She pulled it out and read; it was a rough translation of those words:

it had often rained this way
the same soft misty spray
the very same gentle shower;

each lost from oneself,
apart from everyone else,
the two of us were together.

where did those seasons go,
why is it that they come no more,

though the days simply pass by...

though the days simply pass by
the nights just refuse to go away
though you will never again come by
memories of you will always stay.

Swara read and re-read those lines, her eyes misting and wondering why Sanskaar was so quick in labelling his poetic talent as useless.

What's your favourite place to eat? "Anywhere outside."

What are your favourite clothes? : "anything I can wear."

What was your favourite game? : "board games - Monopoly, field games - football."

What was your favourite toy? : "my construction vehicles set, I still have them."

SG: Is there anything that you would like to share about the next person I would have to interview?

SM: "That is such an unnecessary question," he then laughed before continuing, " It is Nikita Mehrotra, Sid's sister and my fiance, who has been dead for these eight years."

It was a mocking laugh and one that still echoed in her ears and Swara shivered again as she felt that Sanskaar was not a man whom one should cross. His answers had been cryptic and appeared to be mean differently than what could be gleaned from the first reading of them. Each time she read, she could find different meanings to those answers.

It was then she realised something else; all of the three men were not to be taken lightly, despite what they projected, yet they seemed to allow Tanisha to overrule them. It could mean that Tanisha was to be equally feared and Swara had simply agreed to meet her the next day, without even bothering to find out the reason for the sudden meet.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

"Okay, it is done, I have spoken to Swara."

Tanisha did not expect a reply, she could make out that Sanskaar was disturbed so she softly continued, "I have around half an hour's work more, so if you can manage with your thoughts till then, I will drop you home after I finish."

Sanksaar nodded, grateful for her company, her words and mostly, her understanding. As the cabin door closed once again, he found himself thinking, though this time it was not about Swara and her questions, it was about her sister and her denunciation...

"You killed her"

He agreed he had killed Nikita; for he had unbuckled her seat belt to pull her in for a hug and a kiss. One minute she was in his arms, in the next there had been the blinding glare of headlights and she had screamed. A scream of terror, a cry of desperation as though she had known what would happen in the next instant; it still rang in his ears. The thundering SUV had crashed into the side rear towards his part of the car and though the impact had deployed the air bags, it had not been enough, not with her seat belt unfastened. He had stared in numb horror, trapped in his place, between the loosened seat back and the inflated air bag, pinned against the steering wheel; he watched as Niki had been flung through the windshield like a rag doll, the force carrying her clear of the curving car and she had hit the asphalt edge with her head. There were nights when he was sure he could hear the cracking of the bones against the hard earth.

"You are a murderer."

She was right; for he should not have taken the detour. And Niki had not died instantaneously, death would have been a blessed relief. No, she had only lost consciousness and when the other driver had tried to steady his SUV he had overcompensated and had rammed into Sanskaar's side of the car. This time, the blow had caused their car to swirl back in the same curve and had run over Niki, crushing her waist and hips to a mass of bones and muscle. She did not die even then; the paramedics had struggled to place her mangled body in the stretcher and taken her to the hospital; she was beyond saving but none could offer her that release, they had to wait for death to claim her.

She had been alive for six days after that, with rare periods of lucidity and her lips moving in soundless chant, she would have been asking for them, calling for him. And he had been mostly unconscious, unaware all that time yet aware that something was terribly wrong.

Nikita had breathed her last when Ragini had finally reached the hospital, flying non-stop from half the way across the world with quite a few layovers; she had come as fast as she could, but then she was late anyway, there was nothing she could have done. She had seen Niki, held her hand as the life ebbed away and that had turned her mad with grief; he learnt all that later.

Sanskaar never knew how Ragini had managed to march into the critical ICU where he was kept, still in a haze with the pain and the drugs, unaware of what exactly had happened. Laksh was a little too late to stop her and all the words she had screamed.

"And it is because of you and your carelessness that Ram Uncle is dead."

She had screeched it as Laksh finally dragged her out of the ward; he had not known that though he should have realised, there was no way his father would not be beside him in any other case. He had hoped to die then; the physical pain and the grief had been too agonising for him to bear yet it appeared life had not finished with him and that death did not want him.

A week later, along with the confirmation of his father's and Niki's death, he received the final prognosis. And that truth had broken him. He had been so deranged with grief that they had died, broken with guilt that he had survived and wracked with what he would have to live with that he had tried to kill himself, only to fail and earn the wrath of Dr Malhotra.

It did not end there, if Ragini had been angry with grief over Niki's death, Laksh had gone berserk over his attempt at suicide and had shut Ragini out of their lives; Siddharth who had been caught in the cross fire between Laksh and Ragini was too burdened with his own demons to intervene and the stand-off had almost destroyed their friendship of two and a half decades.

For three years he had survived with guilt and anger, alive only because he was waiting for death to claim him. His kept his anger simmering, till a chance encounter and a sliver of gossip had given him a motive, a reason to live. He built his body and honed his resolve, though he concealed it as well as he could, for that knowledge was a potent weapon, replacing the white hot anger with a cold icy revenge. It had taken him another five years of meticulous planning, patient gathering of facts that had been buried and a lot of contemplation to come to the stage of announcing his presence to the world. He knew it would not bring back everything he had lost but he would have his revenge. He also hoped to salvage their friendship and was determined to save one of their dreams; SNLRS would not be allowed to die.

And here ends Sanskaar's interview, this update is even longer than the previous ones, though I hope you found it interesting and that it does give you some answers. Do let me know what you think about Sanskaar and his answers, also about this update in general. I love reading your comments and all feedback, good or bad, is always welcome.

Next would be Chapter 8. Facade, where we would learn a little about Nikita, the way the things unfolded  as per Ragini's point of view, and it would also pave the way for Swara's next step.

love,
Nyna