His eyes felt heavy. There were some bright lights around. Some vague echos of sounds and some distinct beeping. And then everything went black.

When he next opened his eyes, he felt disoriented. The room was strange. The lights were dim. There was a mild beeping sound that he could make out on his side. He was lying down on a bed. His body felt heavy, almost lethargic to move. His lips felt dry, as did he mouth. He slowly turned his head around and could make a woman sitting with her head slouched down on the bed. Her hair falling over her face hiding it. He felt someone, he presumed her, holding his hand. As his cognitive abilities slowly returned, he realized it was Swara. He tried to get up but a sharp pain shot through his arm and he fell down on his bed almost gasping from breath. His eyes watering as a result. That had roused Swara

"Sanskar!" Swara had called out "Are you okay?" she asked panicking

It had taken him a few breaths before the pain subsided and he nodded. He tried to speak but his throat was parched

"Don't! Don't try talk. Wait I will get you some water" She had rushed to get a glass of water for him while he still caught his breath. Belatedly he realized his ribs hurt a bit with that movement. She rushed back with the glass and a straw. She very gently helped him raise a bit in his bed, enough to drink some water before she helped him rest back.

"Sanskar! Don't move, Okay? I am just going to get the doctor quickly and let him know you are awake" She was gone before he could respond. By then he had gathered that he was in a hospital, though he wasn't sure what had happened. Before he could think more, the doctor came in and did some checks. Swara sat with him again, after the doctor had gone but not before warning them that Sanskar shouldn't strain much and that the nurse would sedate him again soon.

Swara sat down close to him, gently holding his hand again. The lights had been made slightly brighter now. He could finally see that her eyes were red. She had been crying. He could understand why, seeing his state, but he still didn't like seeing her in this state.

"Swara, are you okay?" He asked quietly

"I should be asking you this." she said worry still etching her face "and you aren't supposed to strain yourself. Don't talk much"

"I wont strain myself. I promise. But I need to know" he added

"I am okay" but her voice broke "now that you are awake and fine. But for the longest time I wasn't" she said tearing

"Hey, please don't cry. I cannot see you like this" he said rubbing his thumb across her hand since he couldn't move much "What happened?"

"What do you remember?" she asked softly

Sanskar closed his eyes for a while trying to remember before speaking "I was driving back home. Mom wasn't well. I remember getting a call from Adarsh Bhaiyaa. Something about Parineeta Bhabhi making a rangoli on Diwali and him having to buy a gift for her. He was stuck with the auditors; he asked me to get it for her instead. I told him I would once I checked on Mom. He was surprised to hear about Mom since he had heard her when Parineet bhabhi called." He was talking slowly and softly.

"Sanskar. Try not to talk much. May be we can talk later once you have had some rest" Swara tried to cut in, worried

He gave her a small smile. "I am okay. I want to know" She nodded slightly hearing this, though she kept a watchful eye on him. "Where were we? On yes, Mom. I realized it must be her drama again. And then you called. You confirmed my doubt about Mom and I also realized you too had been helping bhabhi with the rangoli. I decided to go shopping and get something for both. I was done shopping and just exiting the shop when you called again" he looked at her

"You had left our conversation midway and promised to call back. I waited for a bit. When you didn't call, I called you" Swara filled in, trying to prevent him from talking more than necessary

"Yes. I was just heading towards the car when there was a loud noise, almost...almost like an explosion. That is all I remember" he said, looking at her now and she had fresh streak of tears flowing down her eyes "Swara" he called concerned

"There was a" she choked for a second before getting hold of herself a bit "a bomb in your car"

"What?' Sanskar had asked shocked

Swara nodded "Yes. Someone had planted a bomb. Police said that it was probably set to go off within an hour of you leaving the office" she broke down again

"Swara. Please. Please don't cry. I am okay. Everything is okay" he said rubbing and squeezing her hand all through. He made to raise off the bed again seeing her, but she quickly stepped in and got him to lay back down

"Please don't move. I" Swara said taking a deep breath to reign in her emotions "I will be fine"

"You saved me" Sanskar said quietly as she sat down again holding his hand "You and Adarsh Bhaiyaa" When she looked at him inquiringly, he added "If I hadn't spoken to you, I wouldn't have realized Mom was doing her drama again. I would have been on my way home, in the car when the bomb blewup"

Swara gently caressed his cheek and gave a small kiss on his forehead before saying "I am glad that I did then, because these last few hours I have felt dead. I cannot take anything happening to you."

"I cannot live without you either"

"Sanskar, Let's go away from here" she said suddenly "Lets get away from this revenge and these enemies. Please. Please Sanskar" she pleaded

"I cannot Swara" he added quietly squeezing her hand

"Why?" she questioned fervently "Are we not more important than this revenge? Are we worth nothing?"

"Swara, you mean everything to me. You are my world and that is why I need to do this. I need to finish this"

"I don't understand Sanskar"

"I wont be at peace unless the blood on my hands is washed off. I wont be whole. You deserve someone whole"

"I don't care about this whole and parts, Sanskar. I love you just the way you are. I want you alive"

"Swara, I am yours, but I want to be yours with my whole self. I need to be yours in entirety. Each and every iota of me" he begged her to understand "I don't want the past to cast even a slight shadow on our lives. Please"

She nodded finally, giving into his need to find closure. "Promise me" she said, still holding his hand "Promise me you will be safe. Promise me you wont land yourself up in hospital again". He squeezed her hand gently in promise.

He looked at her for a while as she gently ran her fingers through his hair "Swara, I should have said this a long time ago. I know I have been showing it through my actions, but I never said it before" Swara looked at him questioningly "I love you, Swara. I really love you a lot"

Swara had a warm smile on her face as she said "You didn't need to say it. I knew. I always knew. But I am still glad you did. I love you too, more than I can put in words"

Ragini quietly made her way into the hospital room, trying her best not to make much noise and disturb Sanskar or Swara. Sanskar had been sedated already but she was still being cautious. Swara was sitting by Sanskar's bed holding his hand.

Ragini watched them silently for a few minutes before softly uttering "You love him." Swara had turned slightly to look at her "You love him, don't you?" Ragini softly asked again. Swara nodded gently before going back to watching Sanskar

"You don't love Laksh then?" Ragini asked.

Swara turned around, looked her in the eye, and shook her head saying "No". While she was glancing at Ragini once in a while, her entire attention was only on Sanskar.

They were both silent for a long while before Ragini spoke again "I really wanted to give up my love for Laksh. I wanted him to have his love. I wanted him to be happy." She looking at her sister who was engrossed in her husband, but Ragini also knew that Swara was listening to what she way saying. She wanted to be honest for once, after a long time "But as it came closer to becoming a reality, I realized I was weak. I couldn't bear the thought of losing him"

She sniffed quietly for a while before talking again. She wanted to get the weight off her chest finally "I have done a lot of bad things. Things that don't deserve forgiveness"

"I forgave you long back" Swara added quietly "I let go off my past to embrace my future."

Ragini nodded listening to this, understanding what Swara meant. "I know this doesn't mean anything now, but I never meant for you to go into the Ganges. I only meant for you to be away from the wedding to show that you had run away. I had left you sitting by the banks. I had no idea that your life would come at risk" she let out an emotional sob as she spoke this.

Swara had been silent all this while, listening to Ragini almost absently but her eyes soaking in only her husband.

Ragini composed herself again "There is something else that I want to tell you"

Ram Prasad was standing outside his son's hospital room. He was looking inside the room through the glass panel that ran along the wall in the room. His eyes focused solely on his son who had been asleep. His daughter-in-law Swara keeping a vigilant eye on his son and ensuing he was well. He felt a presence next to him. He didn't need to turn around to see who it was; the person's reflection was clear in the glass.

"The doctors have said he will be fine now. He will recover soon" Durga Prasad told his brother.

Ram Prasad nodded "Yes, my son is very strong. He will recover quickly"

They stood there silently for a while before Ram Prasad brought his hand up to rest against the glass, in a way touching his son from afar "He has been the best son a father can ask for, but I have never been a good father to him" his voice was emotional as he spoke "That wont happen again. From now on, I will be the father I should have been. I will stand in front of him; I will be his shield. His enemies will have to face me before they can even get close to him" he added firmly.