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Chapter-18
**One Step Ahead**

Sanskar's POV:

My drugs are what I need right now but because of Swara, I can't even find them. She has definitely hidden them somewhere. She has a habit of interfering in others' matters. With an intention to shout at her, I strode towards her room. As I entered her room, she was sleeping. A bit of her hair was on her face. I went to her side and successfully tucked the lock of her hair behind her ears. Her saree had moved up a little ,showing her creamy white waist. I couldn't stop myself from kissing her cheeks. I thought she would get up and start screaming at me. But she was sound asleep. Due to lack of response, I kissed her forehead. She stirred in her sleep but didn't wake up. She was muttering something in her sleep.

"I still hate you so much for trapping me in this marriage," she said in her sleep.

I felt hurt after listening to that but I knew I deserved it.

"I have enough time to turn your hate into love," I said to her.

I sat on the sofa thinking about her. 

She had done some magic on me!

Her words were like a constant echo in my mind. Even though it was morning, her words were as loud as if she was speaking right in my ear. Even though considerable time had passed since she said it, the impact the words had was still fresh.

I couldn't believe that I was sitting there on the couch since the previous night doing nothing but staring at her.

When she said she hated me, I felt like the blood in my veins had turned frosty. I didn't understand why I felt so but it did pain me immensely, something I had never felt before. Her words kept slamming into my heart. I felt as if someone had gashed my heart into two halves.

I do not want her to hate me.

Swara is the most special woman in my life, after my mom.

Marrying her was the best ever decision I had made in my life which I would never regret. But I couldn't keep her with me. She was too naive to be with me.

That fact was that I didn't deserve her.

The reason why I asked Kavita to come here was to keep my mind away from Swara. I thought by spending time with Kavita I could get over Swara.

But no. No matter how hard I tried, I could never erase her thoughts from my mind.

Neither could I let her go, nor could I keep her with me. That was why I always ended up hurting her.

I was watching her affectionately. She was sleeping soundly, her soft breathing calmed me down. I felt protective of her. I had never felt anything like that before. A man who had only seen pain and cruelty was seeing a ray of hope for the first time. The feeling was very premature for me. I knew deep inside me that I cared for my wife way too much.

She was like an untouched flower whom I didn't want to crush.

"Sanskar Beta," Geeta Aunty came in and was shocked to see me in Swara's room.

I raised my hand to stop Aunty, my eyes still fixed on Swara. Not wanting to leave her, I stood and went out.

"Let her sleep; don't let anyone come near her room," I said to Aunty.

♡♡♡

For the last few minutes, Swara was awake but still had not opened her eyes. The morning laziness was yet to leave her eyes. She was aware of someone's presence in her room. Swara opened her eyes and saw Sanskar sitting on the study table, surrounded by numerous files and doing something on his laptop. Getting up from bed, she adjusted her saree. She opened the cupboard and walked towards the washroom with her clothes in hand. Swara returned after a bath. Her eyes landed on Sanskar and he was still in the same position. Ignoring him, she started wiping her wet hair with a towel. She smiled while wearing her earrings which matched her purple saree. She looked at her mangalsutra and smiled while applying the vermilion. She felt more mature and confident of herself. But her smile faded when she saw Sanskar watching her.

"Why are you staring at me?" Swara asked.

"My wish," Sanskar replied smiling.

"First of all, what are you doing in my room?" she asked while combing her hair.

"This is my room," he replied.

"I live here, so this is my room," she snapped back.

"Before you came along, this was my room. All my files are here. I came to do my work and not to stare at you while you were sleeping," Sanskar said, looking in the other direction.

Then he realised what a blunder he made.

"Shit!" he cursed himself.

"When did I say that you were staring at me while I was asleep?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Whatever!" he turned back.

"You are so confusing," she muttered under her breath.

He turned back and wiped the pinch of sindoor from the tip of her nose.

"Why are you touching me?" she asked angrily.

"Is it wrong to touch your wife?" he asked.

"Yes, it is wrong to touch her without her consent," she replied.

"Sshh!" Sanskar placed his hands on his lips. "You look so beautiful," he whispered near her ear.

He then kissed her neck. For a second, she felt good when his lips touched her skin. But then she remembered how he had always hurt her. So, she pushed him off in anger. She knew this would happen. That was why he had married her, so that he could claim his rights on her at every moment.

"Stay away from me. I am not interested in being with you. Go to that Kavita," Swara replied while going out.

"Swara? What happened? Why are you so angry? Has Sanskar done something? Tell me. I will break his bones," Kabir pacified an angry Swara who was descending down the stairs.

"No, he has not done anything. It's just that I am angry at my fate," she said.

"Come. Let's walk in the garden. It will help you relax a bit," Kabir suggested.

"Why is Sanskar like this?" she asked.

"Like what?" he rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes he acts like he hates me and sometimes he behaves as if we are a perfect couple. Why can't he be clear?" she asked.

"He doesn't hate you Swara," he smiled.

"You know what he did today?" she asked.

"Did he force you?" he asked worriedly.

Swara immediately shook her head.

"No. But he is behaving very romantically. He is... behaving.. as... a.. hus... husband," she said.

"That's good. See, I told you to give him a second chance. Everything is getting better. He is taking one step forward in your relationship," he said.

"How can I forgive him that easily? Because of him, I have suffered a lot. I cannot give myself to him," she said.

"Don't accept him. I won't force you. At least appreciate his efforts. He is really putting effort for you both," he said.

"If he really wants me to accept him then why did he bring Kavita here? He even kissed her cheeks in front of me," she said with a sad pout.

He laughed after hearing this

"Why are you laughing? Did I crack a joke? You are the worst brother. I hate you," she said angrily.

"Sorry. But you really look cute when you get jealous," he was still laughing.

"Why will I get jealous of that Kavita? I am better than her," Swara walked off.

♡♡♡

Swara was standing in front of the mirror, glancing at herself.

"Am I really better than Kavita?" Swara asked.

She looked at her face and placed both her hands on her face.

"No, her face is more beautiful than mine," she said sadly. "Her figure is more attractive than mine. Her legs, her hands... no, she is more beautiful than me.

"She wears modern clothes but I dress up like a typical wife. Kavita looks like a model but I look like a potato. It's obvious that Sanskar would be more attracted to her, not me. I don't have any factor in me that can make me more attractive than Kavita," Swara said to herself.

"Sanskar must be really ashamed of me. That's why he brought Kavita here," she said.

Sanskar was standing outside the room, smiling at Swara's cute antics.

"How can she even compare herself with Kavita? Swara is much more beautiful than Kavita. Why will I be ashamed of Swara? She is my wife. Who in their right mind would be ashamed of her? This girl is really stupid," Sanskar rolled his eyes in amusement.

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