*** O SAATHIYA (EPILOGUE) ***

“Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.”

- Plato

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“Swara, won’t Vaanya say anything else?”, Sanskaar finally asked after a lot of debating with his own self, while getting ready for his office. Swara’s eyes immediately shot up from the clothes she had been arranging in the cupboard to look at her husband as he struggled to get his tie at the right place, or rather had been fighting with it and she instantly knew something had been bothering him.

Leaving the clothes where they were, she walked to stand in front of her husband taking the tie from his hand and wrapping it around his neck herself. “What happened, Sanskaar? Are you okay?”, she asked wrapping the sleek black tie around his neck, tying the knot patiently as he took a deep breath shaking his head vigorously, “Actually, Vaanya… Um… leave it. It’s nothing. That doesn’t matter.”

Swara furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed the worry lines etched across his forehead, but before she could enquire any further, Sanskaar spoke, “Can you please get the breakfast ready? I’m getting late for the office.”

She nodded her head with a small smile and sprinted off to the kitchen but somewhere in her mind Sanskaar’s expressions had still been bothering her.

It had been one whole month since they went to that bridge and she could very well see how hard he had been trying for their relationship. And that was more than enough for her. She was ready to give him all the time he needed because just like he promised she knew he would come to her. She could feel those hard walls around his heart breaking. The kiss they had shared was still as fresh as a blooming flower in her memory and the occasional hugs he had been giving her for last one week had always left her heart racing irrationally. Each and every little memory they had shared together was something she would cherish for a lifetime.

Sanskaar’s urgent voice pulled Swara out of her reverie and she ran out of the kitchen with his breakfast. He smiled at her as she placed a plate with two slices of bread and omelette along with a glass of orange juice in front of him. Thank God, he was back to his usual smiling self! Or let’s say he had been trying to but for sure he couldn’t hide his eyes from Swara. She knew him much better than he had expected. She could read his unusually silent eyes and understand his silence.

Grabbing the breakfast, Sanskaar set off for his office after kissing Vaanya’s forehead and giving quick hugs to his mother and Swara.

As he was out of her sight, Swara sighed turning around but even she couldn’t help as his words from earlier rang in her ears. There was definitely something he wanted to say and… the next moment her eyes went wide as realization had finally struck her. How hadn’t she realized it yet? Of course, he would want this. And soon enough a huge goofy smile crept up to her lips for she knew what exactly she was supposed to do. Sanskaar owned the whole of her heart and Swara very well knew how to cherish it!

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It had been two days ever since then. Swara’s and Vaanya’s eyes followed Sanskaar as he came back from the office and entered their room smiling at them…

“What are my two princesses doing?”, he asked kissing Vaanya’s forehead as usual and the little one giggled at the tingling sensation. She had always loved the way her father treated her and the twinkle in her eyes always spoke enough for him to understand.

“We are playing, right baby?”, Swara replied with a smile and nodding his head Sanskaar turned towards the cupboard untying his tie.

Swara mouthed something to Vaanya as she saw Sanskaar opening the cupboard to take out his t-shirt and track pants and with a little nudge from her mother the little one chimes excitedly, “Dadda!”

And Sanskaar’s heartbeat stopped for a moment… His hands froze on the handle of the cupboard and he took in a sharp breath trying to hold back the tears threatening to well up his eyes. He wasn’t expected this all of a sudden. Did his princess say exactly what he had heard?

Still not able to believe, he turned around slowly to look back at them and found Vaanya playing with her little teddy bear and Swara looked at him with eyes filled with unshed tears and the most beautiful smile he had ever seen on her lips. And that confirmed… He hadn’t been hearing things.

“What… What did she say?”, he fumbled with words as his feet kept moving involuntarily in their direction.

“Exactly the same thing you have always wanted to hear”, said Swara smiling at him and standing up from the bed as he picked up Vaanya in his arms. “Princess… Vaanya… What did you say right now?”

Vaanya looked at her father with her big innocent eyes and then at her mother and with another encouraging smile from her, she chortled holding the bridge of his nose, “Dadda!” And Sanskaar was exhilarated. The biggest of the biggest smiles broke on his lips as he ran out of the room with Vaanya still in his arms, “Mom! Dad!”

The elderly couple emerged out of their room hurriedly hearing the urgent voice of their son. They had never heard him so excited. “What happened Sanskaar? ”, his mother asked him and he laughed hysterically, “She said it, Mom! Dad, she said it!”

“What?”, his father was still confused and so was his mother.

“Princess, please say it again! For me”, Sanskaar cajoled looking at his daughter with hopeful eyes, and instantly wrapping her little arms around his neck she said the exact same word that he wished to hear from her again and again and again. He could never get enough of it. That was the most soulful music to his ears. A tear drop rolled down his cheek as he peppered her face with numerous kisses.

“Mamma”, Vaanya said stretching her hands towards Swara and Swara smiled before taking her hand in hers and placing a small kiss on her palm.

“You did all this!”, Sanskaar’s words made Swara look at him and her breath get stuck in her throat by the intensity of emotions lingering in his eyes. He had never looked at her that way! Even the unshed tears shining in his eyes couldn’t hide this feeling of extreme adoration he was holding for her as if she was the most precious thing he had in his life.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. You don’t even know what this means to me!”

“I know, Sanskaar!”

“But did you know that I…”, he paused and she completed, “That you wanted this?” She asked and he just meekly nodded his head.

“Ardhangni hoon main tumhari Sanskaar! Your better half. I don’t need words to understand what your heart desires. I just understand”, she said with a smile and tear drop escaped from the corner of her eye too.  Sanskaar tenderly brushed off the traitorous tear before leaning in to press his lips to her forehead and he whispered again, “Thank you!”

Swara held his hand still caressing her cheek and her eyes closed on their own accord. And the two pairs of experienced eyes shed tears of happiness on seeing how finally everything had started falling into place. Ram and Sujata couldn’t be happier for their son had finally started living again… not only for others but for himself too.

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Hardly a month later… With still an hour left for Sanskaar to wrap up his day’s work before leaving the office, he received a message from his father that read…

Sanskaar, your mother and I are leaving for your Bade Papa’s house along with Vaanya for a day. Nothing has happened. It’s just a simple visit we have planned and we’ll be coming tomorrow morning. Son, you’re sensible enough and I know you’ll understand what I am saying. Swara is the best daughter-in-law we could ask for. She has not only done what we asked for but also what we had never expected. Your mother and I, we both think that she deserves your time, Son. We know you have feelings for her. Just let her know as well. And just know this too, that we are proud of you. Both of you!

Love,
Dad

Sanskaar took in a sharp breath placing his palm over his heart that had started thumping crazily. It was time. Finally, it was time to accept his feelings for her… to let her know that she owned the whole of his heart… to let her know that she was the best thing he had in his life… to let her know that he was just a mere body and she was his soul.

Anvita was his past… a lovely past. But Swara was his present that undoubtedly made him believe of a beautiful future worth cherishing for. He wanted to share not only his joys but also his worries with her, his hopes for the future, his dreams of their lives ahead… Everything… Everything that meant something to him was nothing if she wasn’t by his side. He wanted to show her how beautiful she was inside and out. He wanted to hold her hand as and when they go out for a walk. He wanted to have the most peaceful sleep with his head on her lap. He wanted to embrace her tight just to hear her heartbeats screaming his name. She wasn’t just his true friend but most possibly his soulmate too and that filled his entire being with a renewed strength. She was the serenity succoring his clamorous life. With her life seemed special, completely enthralling and worthwhile. If this was what falling in love was… then he would accept it in a heart beat that… Sanskaar Maheshwari was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with his wife, Swara Sanskaar Maheshwari!

All the while as he finished his work, Sanskaar couldn’t help but smile on his self-realization. His heart couldn’t stop this summersaults that it had been doing continuously inside his chest ever since he had accepted that he loved her. He really did! And now, he just couldn’t wait to get back to her and love her the way she deserved to be.

= ✨ = ✨ =

The night fell and Swara furrowed her eyebrows seeing Sanskaar entering the house with a duffle bag in his hand that wasn’t his. She came to him with a glass of water and enquired, “Whose bag is it?”

He cleared his throat before picking up the glass and gulping down the whole content down his throat in one go. “Um… It’s… office work. Yeah! Some important office work”, he stuttered nervously loosening the tie around his neck. He couldn’t comprehend himself what had made him so jittery and jumpy all of a sudden. Even at the time of Anvita, he wasn’t so nervy but with Swara it was different. It was something he had never felt before and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act on these foreign budding feelings.

Swara furrowed her eyebrows at her husband. She couldn’t help but pry, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah! Why?”

“Then why are you sweating at this time of year, Sanskaar? It’s October”, she said wiping the tiny droplets of sweat on his forehead and the next moment her eyes went wide with realization, “Wait a second… You aren’t doing anything illegal, right? Even Maa Papa are not at home. They will return tomorrow. What am I supposed to do? If you are doing anything illegal then you can tell me. Of course, I won’t support you but we can sort this out together…”

“Yes, of course we can… Wait… What…”, Sanskaar gave her a disbelieving look and Swara’s rant came to an abrupt impasse as she looked at him apprehensively.

“Why would I do something illegal, Swara?” How could she even come to that conclusion?!

“Well, you have a duffle bag… and you are nervous too. Usually in the movies they kill someone and put the body in the duffle bag. So, I thought you are also… Aren’t you?”, she looked at him sheepishly and Sanskaar couldn’t help but chuckle.

Well, yeah! That explained the whole chaos!

“I’m not a murderer, Swara and for sure I’m not doing anything illegal. I really think you should stop watching those super thriller movies. Neither they are good for your health nor mine”, he said still chuckling and Swara tried making some weird angry faces that had him rolling on his stomach out of laughter. Not literally, of course.

“How rude, Sanskaar! Why are you laughing?”, she huffed angrily sitting on the sofa and crossing her arms across her chest and that instantly pulled his lip in a tight thin line, very much obviously showing how hard he was trying not to break into another round of laughter.

She was adorable! And getting angry was so not her thing!

“Okay! Okay! Sorry. But to assure you again I’m not doing anything illegal and this bag… Um… it has some stuff. Office stuff. I’m going into the room to do my work. Make sure not to disturb me.”

“What about dinner?”

“Just call me then. I’ll come”, giving her one last almost jittery smile Sanskaar went inside the room leaving a completely flabbergasted Swara behind. He was definitely up to something!

= ✨ = ✨ =

“So, this was your office work?!”, Swara stood awestruck at the doorstep of her room with Sanskaar right behind her. The moment she opened the door, the room fragrant with subtle aroma of roses and daisies and illuminated with flickering candles caught her off-guard. This was what he had been doing all this while keeping her out of the room! It was nothing extravagant and she wouldn’t have even wanted that. To her, their small room never looked that beautiful ever before. The efforts that he had put in here, for her, wasn’t just adoration but something much deeper… something much more passionate… something much more ardent… and that had left Swara breathless.

Did this mean that he…

Sanskaar leaned near to her and Swara’s eyes closed involuntarily feeling his warm breath caressing the nape of her neck as he whispered, “Would you have wanted me to tell you the truth then? I can tell you now.”

“What truth?”, she breathed out and the next moment Sanskaar had pinned her to the nearest wall with his hands gripping her waist firmly. Swara gasped and her heart skipped a beat as he bent down towards her again, brushing his lips against her cheek lightly and still that light touch sent shiver through her nerves, shivers that made her whole body tremble. And then he said those magical words that she had been dying to hear…

“I love you, Swara.”

“Sanskaar… I…”, and the words failed her. Her mind wasn’t in a state to form anything coherent roll down her tongue.

“Will you let me love you, Swara?”, he whispered again.

And her hands instantly brushed his arms traveling all the way up to grasp his shoulders as if they were the only stable thing in her entire dizzy world. His eyes bore into hers and the twinkle in those enticing orbs was enough for him to understand what she wanted. His arms went around her waist and effortlessly he had swept her off her feet pulling her up and the next instant his lips descended down to hers stopping a breath away, still giving her an opportunity to pull back but even he knew that it wasn’t even the last thing she would do right now. Swara closed her eyes and she felt him smile as soon as his lips touched hers.

He kissed lightly, gently, almost carefully and she finally understood why those love stories mentioned kiss as melting because she could feel her entire being dissolving in his. As she felt her heart on the verge of exploding she entwined her finger with his hair pulling him closer and the intensity of kiss evoked sensations within her that she had never felt before. They broke apart for a breath and then his lips had captured hers again… this time kissing her harder, deeper, with a fervent urgent need clouding their hearts for he showed her exactly how much he loved her!

= ✨ = ✨ =

“Swara, it’s Sanskaar’s birthday in two weeks”, Sujata informed Swara one day while working in the kitchen and a huge goofy smile instantly made way to her lips. “Then we should do something for him, Maa”, she chirped excitedly. And why not… It was his first birthday after their marriage. The way Sanskaar had been treating her for last five months had made her life a pure bliss and she couldn’t have asked for more. And now, it was her turn to make him feel the same.

“Sanskaar, can I ask you something?”, she asked him the same day as he sat on their bed looking at some file.

“Anything, My Love! You don’t even have to ask”, he replied closing the file with all his attention focused on no one but her. And his special smile which played on his lips just for her always left her breathless.

“What do you want as gift for your birthday?”, she finally asked pulling herself out of the trance he always mystically pulled her into and that made Sanskaar’s smile widen, “I don’t want anything, Swara. You have already given me more than I could have ever expected.”

“No, Sanskaar! This is your first birthday after our marriage. I do want to give you something. Won’t you give me anything when it’s my birthday? Please, tell me!”

Well, she definitely had a point!

“Alright. Alright. If you really want to give me something then… Um… I want you to call everyone from your NGO on my birthday.”

“What? No. No. Sanskaar, that would be too much for you to handle”, she was shocked for she knew he was saying this because she loved being with them. He was doing it for her!

“That’s it, Swara. Either you’re doing this or I don’t want any other gift”, he was adamant and Swara just nodded her head.

= ✨ = ✨ =

Sanskaar chuckled as everyone formed a human train. It was his birthday and his hardly two years old daughter was having the most fun. Swara, as she had promised, invited everyone from the NGO and he never had his house so full of people. And Vaanya who he had expected to be frightened of strangers was enthralled, jumping up and down with excitement.

And that way all of them somehow ended up becoming a train. No matter old or child, Vaanya had pulled everyone in her train with her being the most unstable and tumbling engine ever, yet the cutest as she tried making the sound of the engine…

“Kooo… Chukk… Chukk… Chukk”

Amidst all these his eyes finally landed on Swara and she signaled him to come inside. Getting up from the chair at backyard, he walked up to his room and found her standing near the window. The same window where almost seven months ago he had promised that he would come to her.

Walking up to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist placing a light kiss on her shoulder before asking, “What is it? ”

“I have a gift for you”, she said smiling at him before pulling up a rectangular box and placing it in from of him.

“One more gift? Swara, I said I don’t want anything else.”

“Shhh! This one is special!”

“Special?”, he asked raising an eyebrow and she nodded. Taking the box into his hands he carefully opened the wrapping and the next moment his eyes went wide.

“Swara, don’t you think it’s a bit small for me?”, he asked holding up a small t-shirt in front of her and she chuckled.

“See everything, Mr. Impatient!”

Sanskaar took everything out slowly. A t-shirt, a pair of shorts, socks and shoes that might fit in his fingers if two or three of them are put together… and then finally a piece of paper.

‘Dr. Shraddha Sharma Clinic’, with this being the title all he could see was a single word…

POSITIVE!!!

His eyes instantly found Swara’s as she smiled with tears lingering in her eyes, “You’re going to be a father, Mr. Maheshwari. Again!”

And the next moment she was pulled in his embrace as he showered her face with numerous kisses and finally he whispered, “Thank you! Thank you so much. This is the best birthday gift ever! You’re the best thing ever!”

She looked up at him brushing off the lone tear away from his cheek and pressed her lips lightly to his, “I love you, Sanskaar!”

“I love you. I love you. I love you more than anything else”, he exclaimed excitedly as he picked her up in his arms and twirled her around.

Was it possible to fall in love with the same person again and again? Because they were… falling for each other with every passing moment that too much harder and deeper than before!

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A/N

Phew!!! Finally I did it!! As promised, this was the epilogue as you all requested. I dedicate this to ektakhan19 and Virman_superhit. ❤️❤️

I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Please share your views about it. That would really mean a lot to me.

Now an IMPORTANT NOTICE… The next update of The Hidden Half might get delayed a little bit. I have already given up three updates this week and I still have one more OS to write for a contest. Moreover, I have exams coming up and I can’t give all my time to writing stories. I hope you all understand.

So, that’s all we have for now! See you all soon. Till then stay blessed and happy reading!

With love,
Stella ❤️