Like a sheeny beam of light,
Piercing the dark,
Without me knowing the slightest bit,
You slowly paved your way into my shattered heart.

Supporting me at my weakest, loving at my strongest,
You unknowingly, My Love, made me better than the best!
My love for you, Oh Dear, will never fade away,
Now holding your hand, I promise forever and ever I will stay!

©GS_Stella

= ✨ = ✨ =

What had he done?

How could he betray the trust she had in him?

What the hell was he thinking?

He had never been so disappointed in himself. Pangs of remorse kept on hitting him again and again as he threw a glance back at the events of past few days. Just one simple nod of his head and everything he knew was going to change. His mother never failed to find a way to break his resolve and this time she had used her ultimate weapon… His daughter!

= ✨ = ✨ =

“You know that’s not possible, Maa”, he almost growled at his mother’s nonsensical proposition that she had been posing in front of him for a long time now.

“But why, Sanskaar? It’s been an year that Anvita left all of us. I, too, feel the loss of her. She wasn’t my daughter-in-law. She was my daughter but you have to understand Vaanya needs a mother and you need a life partner. You’re just 28”, his mother, Sujata Ram Prasad Maheshwari, shouted back with the same intensity.

“No! I don’t need anyone else and as far as Vaanya is concerned, I am her father and her mother too. I can take care of my daughter”, he said pulling his daughter closer to his chest.

“No, you can’t, Sanskaar. Your 10 am to 6 pm job won’t allow you to give Vaanya the time she deserves. Can’t you see her? She is more than a year old and still she hasn’t spoken a single word yet. Do you even realize how serious this is?”, his mother sighed with unshed tears lingering in her eyes and the realization had hit him hard like a whirlwind. She was right! Though some children speak a little late than usual but his daughter hadn’t uttered even a single thing… nothing except for crying. There was nothing that mattered to him more than Vaanya and her not able to speak wasn’t even the last thing he wished for.

His mother had hit on the right nerve and even before he could realize the words rolled down his tongue, “But what if she fails to be a mother for my daughter?”

And a smile of relief almost made its way to Sujata’s lips, “She won’t. I promise. She’s is the best mother you could ask for Vaanya. Trust me, son. You do trust me, right?”

He nodded and she took it as his approval for the marriage.

Was there any turning back?

Well, nothing had been so difficult for him to decide so far!

= ✨ = ✨ =

The little one wiggled in his arms and Sanskaar patted her head lightly which instantly drew her back into sleep. He sighed looking at the children playing in the park and their mothers caressing them with all the love they had, and that instantly reminded him where had he failed. He gave everything within his might to his daughter, even more than that, but failed to give her what she needed the most… Her Mother! But a step mother? How could he expect some lady to raise his daughter as her own? Wasn’t he putting Vaanya’s future in danger? So much of disturbing questions had been swirling around in his head in endless deadly whirlpools and he thought that maybe going out for some fresh air might put his agitated self at ease but even the cool air brushing lightly against his skin seemed to be putting his entire being on fire.

The sorrow that he had buried deep inside his heart for so long had now started to reflect out and the fatigue engraved on his worn face had become more profound. His eyes that once held love, light, laughter and blazing fire in them were now holding nothing but an aching hollowness. That’s exactly what all was left in him… A deceiving hollow shell of the man he once was.

The continuous ringing of his phone broke the unintentional trance he was pulled in and he saw the mobile screen flashing his mother’s name. “Yes Maa. We are coming”, saying this he disconnected the call before pushing the phone back into the pocket of his track pants. Sighing one more time Sanskaar got up from the bench he had been sitting on for more than two hours now and made his way back home, silently praying for something to guide his way ahead… even the slightest hint would do!

= ✨ = ✨ =

The moment he entered the house, he heard an over excited voice of his father, Mr. Ram Prasad Maheshwari, “Aah! There he is. My son, Sanskaar.”

Sanskaar’s head immediately shot up to see whom his father had been introducing him to and was taken aback to see the end result of the consent he had given in the spur of moment two days ago, for standing in front of him were an elderly couple with a girl he had never seen before. And he just wished she wasn’t the one he thought she was.

His mother made her way towards him with a smile gracing her features that he was seeing after such a long time and she spoke keeping a hand on his shoulder, “This is my son, Sanskaar… My granddaughter, Vaanya. And Sanskaar, this is Swara… the girl I have been talking about.”

And there came his only wish crumbling down mercilessly to his feet! She was exactly the one he wished she wasn’t.

“Hello!”, she said in a small sweet voice and the next moment the sleeping Vaanya opened her eyes. Swara couldn’t help but smile looking at the little bundle of joy looking out for the source of the voice with her innocent doe eyes.

She forwarded her arms to allow Sanskaar to hold her once but fearing the safety of his daughter he stepped back securing her more in his embrace.

“I won’t hurt her. I promise”, she said and if it hadn’t been the look in her eyes Sanskaar would have never been convinced. But one look into her eyes and he did what he never expected himself to do. He gave Vaanya in her arms.

‘What was it in her eyes?’, he wondered to himself.

‘Sincerity, may be’, his inner self chimed.

“Hello, Vaanya”, Swara whispered softly as if fearing that even her voice might hurt this delicate being she had gathered in her arms and kissed her forehead but what Vaanya did next was something no one had ever expected.

“Mammahh!”, she voiced her first ever word wrapping her tiny fingers around Swara’s index finger. This was the feeling she had been seeking for last one year. Though she had touched her for the first time, Vaanya knew this was the warm embrace she had been yearning for. She smiled and Swara instantly fell in love with her then and there only.

Every pair of witnessing eyes glimmered with unshed tears. Even Sanskaar couldn’t help the tear drop that shone at the corner of his eyes. His mother was right. He couldn’t find a better mother for his daughter. He had finally received the hint he had been waiting for.

= ✨ = ✨ =

Swara smiled looking around at the small backyard garden Sanskaar had behind his paternal house as they took their seats on the chairs kept in the corner… to have some ‘talk’ in the words of his mother. Fiddling with her fingers nervously she kept looking all around thinking how to start the conversation.

“Beautiful flowers”, she finally said breaking the long torturous silence and Sanskaar gave her a confused look. She smiled signaling towards the flowers of the garden.

“Oh! Anvita planted them. She loved daisies”, he said almost reliving those memories where both of them created the small garden two years ago and Swara smiled looking the serene expression etched across his face before saying, “They are indeed very beautiful!”

“Why do you want to marry me?”, Sanskaar finally voiced out his thoughts.

“Why? Don’t you want to marry me?”, she posed back a question tilting her head sideways.

“That’s not the question over here. It’s not about me, Swara”, her name rolled out of his tongue so effortlessly that it took even him by surprise. She smiled once again, “I want a family of my own and here… I’m getting one.”

“Just look at you Swara. You are at least three to four years younger to me. I’m a widower and even father to a year old child. You still want to marry me? Your grandparents agreed to it?”

“Oh! About that… all my grandparents have agreed to this marriage. I don’t see a strong reason to deny this proposal”, she retorted and Sanskaar got confused, “All the grandparents? You mean four of them?”

Swara chuckled, “Not four. I have fourteen grandfathers, eleven grandmothers and seven children.”

“What the hell?”, Sanskaar whispered yelled with his eyes as wide as saucers almost ready to bulge out of their sockets and Swara gave out a laugh for this was the exact reaction she was expecting. Holding back her laughter moments later she spoke again, “I work in a NGO. They all live there. Even the Dada and Dadi inside are from there only. That’s where I met Sujata Aunty for the first time.”

“And what about your real family?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. Never met them. Everyone at the NGO is my family but I always wanted to have a family whom I could call my own, and you are giving me one. So, I don’t see why I shouldn’t marry you. Um… but if you don’t want to marry me then that’s another case.”

“But then also you could marry someone more appropriate.”

“And what’s wrong with you?”

This girl was impossible!

Sanskaar sighed, “Nothing is right with me. What if I’m not a good person?”

“That you are. The way you hold your daughter, anyone can tell how loving you are. Instead of talking about yourself, here you are worried about my future with you because you think I deserve someone better than you, that shows how caring you are. You’re the most genuine person I have ever met and I already respect you very much. Vaanya is such a lovely child and I would be more than happy to have you all as my family”, she said each and every word with so much sincerity that Sanskaar fell short of words and at that moment he realized there was no turning back now. Vaanya had already accepted her and now it was his turn to do the same.

= ✨ = ✨ =

It had been four months ever since he married Swara and the moment they got married, Swara was instantly a mother and a daughter-in-law but now as time had started to pass he had come to realize that along with those two relations, she even wanted to be a wife. He could feel that and with that came the guilt of destroying an innocent life for his own selfish reasons. He had promised Anvita to love her all his life, then how could he give the rights of his wife to Swara! The thought and the guilt had been eating him up each and every moment but to his dismay he couldn’t find any escape.

On his way back from the office one day, he stopped his bike near the bridge where he saw Anvita for the first time. They had even named it ‘Our Bridge’, for whenever they got some time, they used to come here to add up a little more to the memories they had created there. He didn’t know why but he felt he can finally get some answers to his questions over there.

The darkened canvas stretching over his head threatened a heavy downpour any next moment but that couldn’t stop him from climbing up the small bridge. He almost felt as if he saw her standing there smiling at him and the seething avalanche of tears he had been holding for so long broke free and tears continued one after another, and with him cried the skies attempting to wash away all the pain he had been suffering. Sanskaar fell down to his knees as her smiling face vanished once again into the oblivion.

What was he supposed to do?

“Anvita”, he whispered closing his eyes but all he could see and feel were those sincere eyes that always left him tongue tied, that carefree smile that had been lighting up his life for last four months, that loving voice that his Vaanya loved more than anything else and that selfless soul that had been unknowingly soothing the anguish contained within his own soul without even trying.

And that was when he realized that his heart had already moved on. Yes, he couldn’t give her Anvita’s place in his heart but at least he could give her the place she deserved… not only in his house but also in his life and in his heart.

= ✨ = ✨ =

Putting Vaanya to sleep in her cradle, Swara paced back and forth in her room for Sanskaar hadn’t returned home yet. Though it wasn’t late enough but the heavy downpour outside had left her worried. Though she had never voiced out her feelings but she cared for him… more than he wanted… more than he expected. She cared for him just the way a wife is supposed to care for her husband.

“I won’t be able to give you Anvita’s place, Swara and I ask for your forgiveness now itself”, his words from the first night after their wedding rang in her ears. She was fine with it… until these foreign feelings started budding inside of her. One look from his eyes and she felt as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Though he had no feelings for her but she couldn’t help but crave for his attention. She wanted him to look at her and if possible then with love. Was it wrong for her to feel that way?

The tangled feelings and the ache building up in her heart had become unbearable lately and today she was so worried that she felt as if her heart would leap out of her chest any next moment.

She leaned near the cradle to check on Vaanya for one more time when the ringing doorbell caught her attention. She stormed out of the room to open the door for she knew who it could be. Her parents-in-law weren’t at home. They had gone out to attend a marriage ceremony and would be back the next morning. That meant it was ‘him’ at the door.

Opening the door, Swara gasped on finding Sanskaar shivering at the doorstep drenched from head to toe. “Sanskaar! What… Why did you go out in the rain? You could have waited somewhere for the rain to slow down a bit”, she spoke hurriedly but the next moment Sanskaar’s eyes went all blurry and before Swara could do anything darkness engulfed him in its merciless embrace and he fell down on her shoulder unconsciously. A tear drop rolled down her cheeks as she touched him and found him burning with high fever.

Why couldn’t he share his pain with her?

= ✨ = ✨ =

Hours later when Sanskaar opened his drowsy eyes he found himself on his bed in much warmer clothes than before, several medicines and a bowl of supposedly cold water, which was warm by now, kept on the side table and Swara sleeping on the chair kept next to the bed with her upper half lying uncomfortably on the bed as she had held his hand.

‘She doesn’t deserve this. She is worthy of much more’, his heart reprimanded and surprisingly his mind agreed. And for the first time the thought of Anvita didn’t cross his mind as he lifted Swara up in his arms and tucked her into the bed covering her with the comforter.

How uncomfortable it would have been for her sleeping on the couch for last four months?! Though he wanted to sleep there, it would have been much more appropriate but she had insisted him to stay on the bed as with his six feet height he wouldn’t fit in the couch and she was almost a feet shorter to him.

Sighing he glanced at the clock. It was 1:30 am. Knowing that he won’t be able to sleep anymore he walked up to the window and opened it. The rain had stopped by now and his lips curved up a little on feeling the cool air ruffling his hair.

“Would you have wanted the same Anvita?”, he whispered looking out of the window and the next moment he felt a cool breeze patting him as if not only Anvita but each and every force and power out there would have wanted the same.

He smiled and felt a palm on his left shoulder. Without turning around he knew it was Swara… not because there wasn’t anyone else in the house but because he could feel her touch.

“What are you doing here? You had fever Sanskaar. You should be resting now”, Swara tried to scold him but couldn’t make it out effectively because of her sleepy voice.

“I’m fine Swara. The fever has come down”, he said still looking out of the window.

“But still…”

“I’m sorry”, he said cutting her in between and catching her by surprise.

“For what?”

“For everything. For marrying you even when I wasn’t sure whether I would ever be able to love you or not. For…”

“It’s okay, Sanskaar.”

“No, it’s not okay, Swara. It’s not okay. I can see that in your eyes”, he whispered finally facing her as a tear drop rolled down his cheek.

“W-What?”, she stuttered fearing what had he noticed. Please say he hadn’t noticed that she had fallen in love with him. That would make each and everything so complicated.

“I can see you have feelings for me, Swara and…”

“And I know you can’t give me Anvita’s p… place”, she said choking at her own breath by the end but nevertheless continued, “I promise… I promise my feelings will never come in between us. I will never express my love for you but please… please don’t leave me.”

Sanskaar was taken aback by her words. Was she so scared? What good had he done to deserve such a pure soul who wanted to love him without even expecting anything in return?!

“Who said anything about leaving, Swara”, he whispered slowly to her as if making a kid understand, “It’s true I can’t give you Anvita’s place…”

And those words pierced her heart scarring it like never before. She closed her eyes tightly for she didn’t want him to see the pain.

“But I can always give you the place you deserve”, he added and her eyes flew open instantly. Did he really say what she had heard or was she hearing extra?

“W-What”, she stammered and he smiled, “I can’t promise you instantly, Swara but I promise I will come to you. I just need some time. I really want to give this relationship a chance. I owe you that much for loving me so selflessly.”

Swara couldn’t believe what she had just heard but her crazily thumping heart assured her that she hadn’t been hearing things. He wanted to give her a chance. He wanted to give her love a chance and that was so much more than she could have asked for.

“So… So, you are not leaving me?”, she was still so unsure that she wanted the confirmation from no one else but him.

“No. I want you to stay with me, Swara. Forever. You will do that much for me, right?”, he asked her hopefully and she nodded her head vigorously with a wide grin on her face letting him know how much his words meant to her.

“Thank you so much”, she exclaimed wrapping her arms around his neck and Sanskaar chuckled placing his palm at the small of her back. “You don’t know how much this means to me”, she whispered tightening her embrace and felt him nod his head against her shoulder.

Pulling away from the hug she looked at him and raising her hands slowly she wiped off the tear drop that had silently escaped his eyes.

“Anvita would have wanted the same, right?”, he asked her and she nodded her head with a smile, “She would have wanted you to be happy. She’ll be so proud of you seeing how stronger you have emerged after facing everything.”

“Thank you so much for being there”, he whispered so lightly that if she hadn’t been so close to him she would have imagined him speaking.

“Always. I’ll be there for you without even asking”, she said caressing his cheek before placing a soft kiss on his forehead and Sanskaar finally felt what love is after such a long time.

= ✨ = ✨ =

“Swara! Where are my glasses beta?”, Ram asked shuffling through the newspaper kept on the table, scattering every other thing around.

“It’s on the table beside the television, Papa”, Swara shouted from inside the kitchen warming up the milk for Vaanya.

“Swara, have you seen where have I kept the knife beta? I need to cut the vegetables for lunch”, Sujata asked looking around the boxes kept on the rack of the kitchen and Swara chuckled, “Maa, you kept it near the vegetable stand only.”

Sujata literally slapped her forehead, “Buddhi ho gayi hoon main lagta hai. Yaa phir yeh tere sasurji ki sangat ka asar hai.” (It feels like I have grown old now. Or it is the side effects of being with father-in-law.)

“Areyy, what have I done?”, Ram exclaimed stretching the newspaper in front of his face and sitting on his usual chair near the window of the veranda of their house.

Swara had been pouring the milk into Vaanya’s sipper when she started crying. In an instant leaving everything, Swara ran to their daughter, picking her up in her arms, “Oh ho! Sorry my princess. Mumma is late in bringing your milk. Very sorry.” And Vaanya laughed seeing her mother’s weird expressions… in fact everyone laughed except for a pair of eyes that had been looking at her with nothing but admiration. Sanskaar had been witnessing everything sitting on the dinning table having his breakfast and he couldn’t have felt prouder of his decision of giving their relationship a chance. She was the Wonder Woman of their house. If anyone would have asked him then in a heartbeat he would have accepted that it was the best decision he had ever made.

Walking up to Swara who was now cooing their daughter to sleep, he asked, “Swara, are you free today?”

“Um… almost. I just have to visit the NGO for a little while. Why?”, she said tucking Vaanya back into the cradle.

“Do you mind if I accompany you? It’s a weekend after all and I haven’t met all your family members yet”, Sujata who had been cutting vegetables until now had all her ears perked up as soon as her son’s words got registered in her brain.

“Are… are you sure? Shall we take Vaanya too?”, Swara asked and he smiled, “No. Actually I wanted to take you somewhere else too. Maa, can take care of Vaanya for the time being. Right, Maa?”

Sujata gave them their biggest smile nodding her head and Swara chuckled before looking back at Sanskaar, “I’ll be going there around 11 am.”

“Fine then. I have something to do before that. Then we can go together. Is that okay with you?”

Swara nodded her head with the most beautiful smile Sanskaar had ever seen on her lips and that assured him that he was on the right path and with time everything would surely turn out better.

= ✨ = ✨ =

Swara narrowed her eyes as Sanskaar stopped his bike in front of their house and handed her a huge bag, “Sanskaar, what’s this?”

“Um… I thought we are visiting your NGO for the first time together, so, why not take something for them. I know it’s not much but this is all I could get from my savings”, he explained scratching the back of his neck as Swara opened the bag to have a look inside and the next moment her eyes widen, “Sketch books and paints. They were your savings, Sanskaar. You didn’t have to do this.”

“But I wanted to, Swara. And I thought everyone loves to paint. So, I brought this”, he said smiling sheepishly and she raised an eyebrow at him, “And you got this idea after watching Taare Zameen Par last night.”

Sanskaar shrugged his shoulders and without even giving it a second thought she kissed his cheek smiling widely at him, “Thank you so much, Sanskaar! That was really very thoughtful of you.”

= ✨ = ✨ =

“So, where are we going now”, Swara asked keeping her palm on his shoulder taking her place at the back seat of his bike. They were now returning from her NGO after spending almost three hours with them and Swara hadn’t seen Sanskaar so lively before. He won the hearts of each and everyone over there and all of them loved him as much as they loved her. She could see how much efforts he had been putting up for her and that only made her heart dance with ecstasy.

Sanskaar smiled, “Somewhere very special.”

About an hour later Sanskaar stopped his bike in front of the same bridge and Swara looked around in amazement, “This is gorgeous, Sanskaar. How come I never came here before!”

“Maybe because this is a little outside the city. This is where I met Anvita for the first time”, he said following her as she climbed up the bridge still spellbound by her surroundings. Touching the wooden railing of the bridge tenderly she spoke, “This place must be holding so many memories of both of you, right?”

Sanskaar smiled, “Yes, it does. Also this bridge holds a memory of ours.” Swara immediately turned towards him and asked with her voice full of surprise, “Our memory? But I’m visiting this place for the first time.”

Sanskaar sighed, “Yes, but… this is the place where I realized that I wanted to give our relationship a chance. Even though you were not here but your feel was there with me. So, I wanted you to see this place where our story started.”

OUR STORY!!

Those two words rang in her ears like the most melodious music and in an instant she wrapped her arms around his waist resting her head on his chest listening to his calm soothing heart beats. Sanskaar pulled her closer sighing with contentment and enfolds his arms around her waist completing the embrace.

“Sanskaar?”, Swara whispered.

“Hmm?”

“If you don’t mind can I create one more memory here, with both of us in it”, she asked for his permission shyly looking down at their feet. Sanskaar smiled and tilted her head up holding her chin, “What is it?”

“Close your eyes!”, she requested and without asking anything he complied. Taking a deep breath she hitched herself up on her tiptoes bringing her lips closer to his ears.

“I love you!”, she whispered before placing her lips tenderly over his. Sanskaar took in a deep breath out of surprise and she pulled away immediately fearing the rejection only to be pushed back as he held the back of her head capturing her lips in his all over again.

“Now, this is how you’re supposed to kiss your husband”, Sanskaar smiled at her after pulling back as she still had her eyes closed and her breathing coming out in small pants.

“Can I kiss you, Swara?”, he asked leaning towards her ears and her eyes shot open immediately.

“You just did!”

“Again?”, he said as his eyes twinkled mischievously and she nodded her head lightly just enough for letting him know that being his was the thing she desired more than anything else. Engulfing her in his arms he pulled her to himself again for another kiss and she silently whispered to herself…

“Thank you, Anvita.”

Love is not always about saying and wording out the feelings, rather its about showing by acting upon it. If someone is meant to be yours, no matter what, he will find a way to you. All you need is to have belief and faith in the power and might of your love.

= ✨ = ✨ =

A/N

And here is another boring thing written by me. I just hope I haven’t put you all to sleep. 😂😂😂

Well, jokes apart… I know this is a pretty long OS on a very simple concept with nothing extraordinary, so, it’s very much understandable if it’s not that interesting. I just hope you all liked it. Do share your views about this one. That really means a lot to me. See you all soon.

With love,
Stella ❤️