KOLKATA

A very modest looking two-story house, neither too simple nor too pompous stands upright in front of all of them...!! Huge iron gates supported by two white marble pillars is one of the striking features of the house that can attract any passer-by...!! A small garden, on either side of the pavement, houses the most delicate and beautiful flowers having a soft and shiny grass bed which is capable of soothing the onlookers just by a single view of it...!! Along with the flowers one can also find a few fruit trees along the edges of the boundary wall...!! The house, elegant in its own way, looks much more peaceful and comforting than any mansion, giving a homely appeal...!!

Just the first look of the house brings a slight smile on Swara's face. Sanskaar smiles looking at her and stands right behind her...

Sanskaar: What are you looking at...?!!

Swara: It's so beautiful...!! No wonder why your Grandma wants to live here only...!!

Sanskaar: Yup...!! This is one of the most comforting place I have ever visited...!! Grandpa built it long ago with his hard earned money and after he left this world, Grandma refused to leave this place...!!

Swara: So, she lives here all by her own...?!!

Sanskaar: Not exactly...!! One of our most trusted person, Shakuntala Aunty, is here as her caretaker...!! Aunty is like a sister to Dad and Bade Papa, and she's been living here ever since her husband died and her son refused to support her...!! There are a few helpers who take care of the household chores...!! And once in a while, we also keep visiting here...!!

Swara: I'm glad I'm here...!!

Sanskaar: You'll be even more glad once you meet Grandma...!! She is one of her kind...!! People often say that I have taken my mores after her...!!

Swara: (says in a seemingly exciting way) I can't wait to meet everyone...!!

Sanskaar smiles and Annapurna pushes the doorbell...!! Within a minute, a lady in her late forties with simple yet calm features opens the door and hugs Annapurna and Sujata...!!

Annapurna: How are you Shakuntala...?!!

Shakuntala: (smiles) I'm fine...!! How's everything going...?!! It's been a while we last met...!!

Sujata: Everything is just going perfectly...!! Look, even your daughter is going to get married...!!

Shakuntala smiles and hugs Uttara...!! Both Durga Prasad and Ram Prasad give her a side hug at the same time...!!

Shakuntala: Please come in...!! Maa has been waiting for quite sometime...!!

Everyone enters the house...!! Sanskaar and Laksh walk briskly and stand on either side of Shakuntala having Swara and Ragini coming right after them...

As soon as Shakuntala looks at them, both of them loop their arms with her arms giving a wide grin...

Sanskaar: How are you doing, Suku baby...?!!

Laksh: We missed you so much...!!

Shakuntala: When are you both going to grow up...?!!

Laksh: Don't complain, we know you missed us...!!

Shakuntala: Of course...!! You both are just like my son...!!

Sanskaar: God...!! I don't believe you...!! Why do you forget this every time...?!! We are not like your son, we 'are' your son...!! Okay...!!

Shakuntala: Okay...!! Okay...!! I got it...!! By the way who are these two beautiful ladies...?!!

She smiles looking at Swara and Ragini to which both of them join their hands and bow their heads to take her blessings...!!

Laksh: This is Swara and that's... Ragini...!!

Sanskaar gives a naughty smile and whispers in her ear...

Sanskaar: Suku baby, they are your future daughter-in-laws...!!

Shakuntala: Really...?!!

Sanskaar immediately signals her to be quiet by keeping finger on his lips...

Shakuntala: (whispers in Sanskaar's ear) But who is yours and who is Laksh's...??

Sanskaar: You guess...!!

Shakuntala looks at Swara and Ragini for a moment before smiling and turning towards Sanskaar...

Shakuntala: I got it...!!

Sanskaar: What...?!!

Shakuntala: I'll tell you later...!! First let's meet your Grandma...!!

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Everyone is sitting in the central hall of the house...!!

Grandma: I'm so glad that you all accepted my request and came here...!!

Annapurna: Maa, you don't have to request us for anything...!! Just order...!!

Grandma: If that's the case, then I have made some rules for everyone...!! Since there are five rooms downstairs and only two rooms upstairs, I have made a few arrangements...!! All the elders will be staying on the ground floor whereas all the children will be staying upstairs...!! Sanskaar, Laksh and my Chotu Yash in one room; Uttara, Swara and Ragini in another...!!

Everyone agrees without a single word...!! Grandma looks at Shakuntala and asks...

Grandma: Suku, when are the Mehrotras coming...?!?!

Shakuntala: They said that they'll be here in five ten minutes...!!

Within ten minutes, Uttara's to be in-laws, Mr. And Mrs. Mehrotra, Aman (her fiancée), his Grandma (who is also Sanskaar's Grandma's friend) and Tarun (Aman's younger brother) arrive and are welcomed by all...!!

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It's lunch time now and everyone is seated in the dinning area, which is quite different from what we see in the modern times...!! Where at one place now-a-days we find huge dinning tables and beautifully crafted chairs, here at this place everyone is made to sit on slightly raised wooden seats with cushions kept on the floor along with small tables for each individual who are made to sit in a semi-circle...!! (A/N : I have the scene of movie 'Vivah' in my mind, so you can understand what I'm trying to explain over here)

First, the elders have their lunch and now it's the turn of the younger ones...!! Swara smiles looking at Sanskaar and tries to sit beside him, but Sanskaar, on purpose, goes and sits in between Laksh and Yash...!! Left with no other option, Swara goes to sit in between Ragini and Tarun...!!

Swara: (to Tarun) Excuse me...!! Can I sit here...?!!

Tarun: (gives a flirtatious smile) How can I refuse such a beautiful lady who is asking with so much love...!! Of course, this seat has been waiting for you only...!!

Even though a little confused, Swara gives a slight smile and sits beside him...!! So, everyone is sitting like this: Aman, Uttara, Yash, Sanskaar, Laksh, Ragini, Swara and Tarun...!!

Everyone starts having their lunch whereas Tarun keeps on flirting with Swara from time to time...!! Everything is going on quietly when Aman starts talking...

Aman: By the way Laksh, after Uttara who will get married first, Sanskaar or you...?!!

Laksh: Bhai, of course...!!

Aman: So, what type of girl would you like to marry...?!!

Laksh: (smiles and looks at Ragini from the corner of his eyes) The one who is sitting next to me...!!

Uttara: (shocked) You two are together...?!! And how come, I never got to know anything...?!!

Aman: But I got one thing...!! That one or the other way Sanskaar must be knowing...!!

Sanskaar: (smiles) I know in every way Jiju as I was the one who helped them out...!!

Swara: (speaks almost immediately) Excuse me...!! 'We' were the one who helped them out...!!

Laksh: Yup right...!! Both of them helped me...!!

Ragini: But I was the one who proposed him...!!

Laksh: That's because you didn't answer to my proposal...!!

Uttara: Alright...!! Alright, now don't start fighting...!!

Aman: Now, Sanskaar what type of girl do you want...?!!

Sanskaar: Someone bold, hot and beautiful...!! I don't like any shy type traditional girl...!!

Swara: (gets irked) Excuse me, what's wrong with shy type traditional girl...?!!

Sanskaar: Neither they suit to my taste nor to my personality...!!

Laksh and Ragini, getting a bit confused at their weird behavior, keep looking at Swara and Sanskaar's faces alternatively giving them a 'WE-WANT-AN-EXPLANATION-LATER' look...!!

Tarun: But I like shy type traditional girls and it looks like I'm about to find someone really soon...!!

He smirks looking at Swara wriggling his eyebrows suggestively...!! Only Sanskaar knows how much he wanted to give a flying punch on his face to wipe that smirk away...!!

Sanskaar: I'm done...!! I'm going upstairs...!!

Saying this he walks away and Swara keeps looking at his retreating figure until he gets out of her sight...!!

Tarun: So, are you friends with him...?!!

Swara: (coming out of her momentary trance) Huhh...?!!

Tarun: You and Sanskaar...!! Are you friends...?!!

Swara: (tries to avoid eye contact with him and remembers what Sanskaar said) Umm... he is... just an acquaintance...!! We are not too close...!!

Tarun: Hmm...!! Good, try to avoid him...!!

Swara: Excuse me...!!

Tarun: Trust me, I have known him for quite some time...!! He is a kind of player...!! Not good for girls like you...!!

Swara: (rolls her fist in anger) He is not like that...!!

Tarun: I know he doesn't look like one but you know, looks can be deceiving...!! If you want, we can be friends in here...!! That way you won't feel lonely...!!

Swara: No thank you...!! I don't make friends that easily...!!

Saying this, she too, gets up and walks away...!!

Later, the Mehrotras leave for their place after setting a time to arrive the next day for welcoming the guests...!!

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The next day, the guests start arriving and the arrangement for their stay is made in a nearby guest house...!! Sanskaar and Laksh are welcoming the guests when they see Ragini coming their way, wearing a yellow and pink lehenga with beautiful dangling earrings, matching bangles and high heels...!! She smiles and stands next to Laksh...

Laksh: God...!! You look... beautiful...!!

Ragini: (smiles and blushes) Thank you...!! You, too, are looking very handsome...!!

Sanskaar: (smiles naughtily) Wow Ragini...!! You are actually looking like a girl...!!

Ragini: Shut up Sanskaar and don't wow me because your head is going to blow off once you'll see your girl...!!

Sanskaar: Swara...?!! What about her...?!!

Ragini: I'll just say that you shouldn't have said what you said yesterday...!! Now, you'll have to protect your girlfriend from the eyes of all the men over here...!!

Sanskaar: And why is it so...?!!

Ragini: You'll get to know once you'll see her...!! Speaking of which, what's wrong with you both...??

Laksh: Why are you behaving like strangers...?!!

Sanskaar: It's nothing like that...!!

Laksh: Don't try to fool us...!!

Sanskaar: Alright...!! But you are not supposed to tell this to anyone...!! (Laksh and Ragini nod their head) I gave her a challenge...!!

Ragini: What challenge...?!!

Sanskaar: That we won't tell anyone about our relationship and she has to show me that she loves me and has to impress me...!!

Laksh: What are you Tom Cruise...?? Why will she try to impress you...?!!

Sanskaar: (smirks) I know...!! I know...!! I'm a lot more handsome and I'm something which he can never become...!!

Laksh: (furrows his brow) And what's that...?!!

Sanskaar: (smiling widely) Swara's boyfriend which he can never become...!!

Ragini: (imitating his smile) Alright Mr. Boyfriend, now you are going to regret why you gave that challenge to your girlfriend...!! (Sanskaar gives her a confused look) Look over there...!! She's coming...!!

Sanskaar turns around and just the first look of his lady love knocks the breath out of him...!! Dolled up in a beautiful royal blue off-shoulder blouse along with a blue and off white lehenga, and dupatta, she looked ravishing would be an understatement...!! Adorned with traditional earrings, bangles, high heels and pulling out her long hairs into a side fishtail braid, she draws the attention of every pair of eyes present over there...!!

Laksh blows a low whistle looking at her which brings Sanskaar out of his dreamland and he realizes that everyone is staring at his girlfriend without blinking even for once...!!

Laksh: God...!! I didn't know that she could look... umm... that... hot...!! Actually, red hot...!!

Sanskaar hits the back of his head and glares at him angrily...

Sanskaar: Shut up Laksh...!!

He turns to go to her but before he could reach her Tarun comes and stands in between them checking her out from the top of her head to her last finger nail visible...!!

Tarun: (smirking) Woah...!! I never knew that someone could look that hot in a traditional outfit...!!

Swara feels a little uncomfortable under his gaze but still she gives him a slight smile without saying anything and shifting on her legs nervously...!!

Tarun: Well, I would love to hear a 'Thank you' in your sweet voice...!!

Swara tries to avoid him looking everywhere but him and trying to find someone who could help her out when her eyes land on Sanskaar, who is standing right behind Tarun fuming vigorously...!!

Tarun: (trying to her draw her attention back to him) Well, never mind...!! You can thank me later...!! Will you answer my question...?!! A very simple one...!!

On getting no answer from her, he calls her again...

Tarun: Swara...!!

Swara: Huhh...?!! What...?!!

Tarun: Will you answer my question...?!!

Swara: What...?!!

Tarun: Are you single...?!!

And this one question blows Sanskaar off and before Swara could answer back, he pushes Tarun away, holds her hand and drags her away from everyone else...!!

Tarun: I don't understand what's his problem...!!

He tries to go after them but Laksh stops him...

Laksh: Tarun...!! What are you doing here...?!! Come, Aman jiju was searching for you...!!

Saying this Laksh and Ragini drag Tarun in a direction opposite to where Sanskaar took Swara few moments ago...!!

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Sanskaar drags Swara to the boys' room upstairs and locks the door...

Swara: What happened...?!! Why are you behaving like that...?!!!

Sanskaar: (angrily) What do you think you are wearing...?!!

Swara: (looks at her dress before making an eye-contact with him) Clothes...?!!

Sanskaar: And why these clothes...?!! You know how... how that... duffer Tarun was looking at you...?!!

Swara: But you only said that you like bold and hot girls...!! I was just trying to become one...!!

Sanskaar: God...!! You are unbelievable...!!

Swara: (looks at him smiling and batting her eyelashes) So, are you impressed now...?!!

Sanskaar: Seriously, do I look impressed from any angle...?!!

Swara smirks looking at him and starts moving towards him with slow yet steady steps...

Sanskaar: What do you think you are doing...?!!

Swara: Trying to see all your angles to find from where are you impressed...!!

Sanskaar: What...?!!

He starts retreating backwards as Swara comes near him...

Sanskaar: Don't come near me...!! I'm still angry...!!

Swara: Really...!! I don't think so...!!

Saying this she holds his hand but Sanskaar pulls his hand away...

Sanskaar: Don't touch me...!!

Swara: You think you can stop me...!!

She pulls him with a jerk but loses her balance too and both of them fall on the bed...!! Swara smiles looking at him pinned underneath her...

Swara: So, you won't touch me...?!!

Sanskaar: (looking away) No...!!

Swara: Then that means you won't kiss me also...!! Right...?!!

Sanskaar eyes travel to her full pink lips pulled into the most beautiful smile he has ever seen and looking as inviting as ever...!! Only he knows how much he wants to feel them against his lips...!! Trying to tear his gaze away from her lips he tries to look away but fails miserably as his eyes land on her bare shoulders...!! His hands itched to feel her milky white smooth skin...!! Seeing her so close, he could feel his self control breaking down...!! He closes his eyes and shakes his head to get all the weird thoughts out of his mind...!! When he opens his eyes again he finds Swara smirking at him...

Swara: Staring is bad manner, Mr. Maheshwari...!!

Sanskaar: I wasn't staring...!!

Swara: Well, I'm not complaining...!! It's all yours...!!

Sanskaar: Why the he'll haven't you opened your hairs...!! And don't use my dialogue on me...!!

Swara: Answer my question then...!!

Sanskaar: What...?!!

Swara: So, you won't kiss me then...?!!

Sanskaar: (trying to look away from her lips) No...!!

Swara smiles and leans a bit closer to him...

Swara: Now...!!

Sanskaar: No...!!

Swara: (leaning towards his lips) Now...!!

Sanskaar: (closing his eyes) No...!!

Swara smiles seeing the effect she is having on him and leans a bit more closer entwining their hands together so that he could feel her soft minty breath against his lips...

Sanskaar: (opens his eyes immediately) Are you trying to strangle me or what...?!! Move away...!!

Swara: (pulling herself back) Alright...!! Then, I'll go to Tarun...!! At least he thinks I'm pretty hot...!!

She tries to get up but Sanskaar holds her back and pins her on the bed...

Sanskaar: You are not going anywhere...!!

Swara: I feel that something is burning...!! Looks like someone is jealous...!!

Sanskaar: I'm not jealous...!!

Swara: Then let me go...!! You don't even bother to say that I look beautiful...!! After all, all I did was for you only...!!

Sanskaar: When did I say that you are not looking beautiful...?!!

Swara: Well, technically you haven't said anything about how I'm looking...!!

Sanskaar: Alright...!! You look beautiful...!! Even beautiful would be an understatement...!! No word can describe how you are looking today...!! Happy...?!! Now, you won't go anywhere...!!

Swara: Kiss me and I won't go anywhere...!!

Sanskaar: No...!! I told you I won't be easy...!!

Swara: And I told you I love doing difficult things...!! Don't test me...!!

Sanskaar: Do anything you like but I won't kiss you...!!

Swara: Don't challenge me...!!

Sanskaar: Well I think I'm already doing that...!!

Swara: Well then Mr. Maheshwari...!! I promise that in next twenty four hours you'll kiss me...!!

Sanskaar: (looks at his wrist watch) It's 12:30 pm right now...!! I'll be waiting...!!

Saying this he gets up from the bed and Swara stands to go away but Sanskaar holds her hand and covers her shoulders using her dupatta...!!

Sanskaar: Now, you can go...!!

Swara: Ya...!! I wasn't even planning on staying back...!!

Saying this she goes out of the room stomping her feet against the floor whereas Sanskaar smiles seeing her expressions...

Sanskaar: (to himself) I can't wait to see what you'll do...!! And trust me if I lose in the challenge, nobody could be happier than me...!!

Episode ends...!!

Precap: Rain romance... 😍😍

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