Silence!

Absolute silence!

Everyone in the Maheshwari mansion has come to a standstill, shock clearly evident on their faces, as a gorgeous girl lands in Sanskaar’s arms. And that’s the reason no one has, actually, seen Durga Prasad and Annapurna whispering to each other, neither do they notice the way he holds his wife back from helping his son. He, obviously, does not want the major part of his plan to get ruined.

Meanwhile, all that Swara sees is6 Sanskaar’s face too close to that girl to her liking, her hands resting on his arms and his arms seeking around her waist. A single movement and they may, quite possibly, do the unforgivable. Oh. My. God! Why aren’t they getting up? Only she knows how much she yearns to slap their hands off each other and tear them apart. But can she do that? Um… she does not know herself!

Ouch!

Sanskaar’s grunt, as the pain shoots up, breaks everyone’s stance and Laksh has been the first one to reach out to him. Meanwhile, the girl slowly lifts up her head muttering innumerous apologies as her eyes meet Sanskaar’s. Noticing her eyes all filled with nothing but guilt, Sanskaar closes his eyes holding his forehead. What is he supposed to do? He is absolutely clueless when it comes to girls!

Laksh: B-Bhai! Are you alright?

Sanskaar: Does it look like that I am?

The irked expression on Sanskaar’s face almost has Laksh chuckle but the way his brother has been grumping, he realizes that laughing at his distress not a very safe act at the very moment. He, obviously, does not want himself getting beaten up by his brother early in the morning, that too in front of such a beautiful guest! Turning towards the girl, he has apparently never seen before, Laksh gives his best smile, making Ragini raise her eyebrow at him.

Laksh: Hello, gorgeous! May I know your name, please?

And instead of replying, she gives a hearty laugh shaking her head as she looks to and fro from Sanskaar to Laksh. “I’m pretty sure that you are Laksh. Right, Lucky?”

That, instantly, takes Laksh by surprise. Not only she knows his name but has called him by the name only his close ones know about. But he doesn’t seem to know her nor does he even remember seeing her ever before.

Laksh: Am I supposed to know you?

That one statement earns him a playful slap on his arms and the next moment Ragini steps next to him as she glares at their ‘so-called’ guest. But too much to her shock, she is ignored the way she has never been before, as their guest has her complete concentration on her husband, and the case with her husband seems very much the same. Is she allowed to strangle him? She so wishes to!

“My God! I don’t believe that you forgot me. I am Anshika,” their guest introduces herself and Laksh’s eyes widen with surprise and following the surprise, a huge smile breaks on his face.

Laksh: An-Anshika? That chubby Anshika!

And she nods her head vigorously in agreement with a huge smile on her face as well, very much mirroring the Laksh’s smile. The next instant, to everyone’s surprise and piquing Ragini’s displeasure on a whole new level, Laksh throws his arms around her wrapping her in a tight bear hug.

Laksh: (pulling away) Oh my God! I don’t believe this. Where have you been and… when did you become so hot?

Excuse me! Ragini gets all furious and before anyone understands what has happened Laksh gets awarded with a whack… a really hard whack. He almost stumbles backwards holding his stomach as he gives his wife a disbelieving look, who in turn looks like nothing but the most innocent being ever to grace the humanity.

Laksh: Why did you do that?

Ragini: Oops! My hand slipped. Sorry!

Laksh: Gosh! I have the most craziest being as my wife.

Ragini shrugs her shoulders and that’s when Anshika forwards her hand towards Ragini for a handshake. Ragini raises an eyebrow at her and then narrows her eyes at Anshika’s hand.

Anshika: Hi, I’m Anshika Dutta. Laksh’s and Shlok’s childhood friend. I heard that Laksh got married but I didn’t know that you were that beautiful.

Ragini: (tries hard to smile) Ragini ‘Laksh’ Maheshwari and thanks for the compliment!

Anshika: It was nice meeting you. And Shlok?

Anshika’s eyes finally meet Sanskaar’s and he gets taken aback as the realization dawns upon him. If she’s Shlok’s childhood friend, then they must be having so many childhood memories together. What is he supposed to do if she asks anything about them?

Sanskaar: Y-Yes?

Anshika: I heard that even you got married. I just hope that it was a joke, wasn’t it?

Sanskaar: W-What? Yes… I mean, no!

Shoot! What is he even saying? From the corner of his eyes he gives Swara a quick glance and finds her already fuming with anger, her face in the verge of going scarlet red. Angry is not even the word he can use to describe her. At this very moment, she is like the agitated lava. One trigger and she will burst into the most fearsome volcano! He is officially doomed!

Anshika: (laughs) What? Yes or no?

Sanskaar: I-I mean, yes, I got married. And no, it’s not a joke!

Anshika: Too bad! I thought I still had a chance.

Sanskaar: Chance? For what?

Anshika: To get married! Because that’s why I’m here, right? Durga Uncle?

Wait! What? Sanskaar chokes on his own breath and starts coughing out vehemently. Swara instantly reaches by his side, rubbing his back in order to ease him. Marriage? His father has set his alliance? Without even informing him once? Or is he reading too much in between the lines? His father, surely, knows that the only person he has eyes for is Swara.

Durga Prasad, who has been secretly applauding his own idea, gets taken aback for a moment at the mention of his own name.

Durga Prasad: What? Oh! Yes. Yes. You all know that Anshika is my friend’s daughter and that her father shifted to Canada when she was hardly seven years old. Recently, I received a call from Mr. Arvind Dutta, stating that Anshika wishes to choose her own life partner. And so, here she is! She will be living with us for a few days before she makes a decision.

Sanskaar hisses with the shooting pain at his back as Swara fists his shirt along with the blazer rather roughly, all this while scowling at Anshika, who at the same time keeps smiling whilst looking at Sanskaar. He is destined for ruination! His father will be the death of him!

Sanskaar: (whispers) Swara, can you please leave my shirt? My back is paining like anything right now.

Swara leaves his shirt with a gasp muttering a silent apology. She lowers her eyes but still keeps following each and every move of his. Durga Prasad brings Anshika to introduce her to all the family members, and as they reach Swara, Anshika looks at Sanskaar once again.

Anshika: Shlok, you did not introduce her to me?

Swara, irked with the way she has been staring at Sanskaar, forwards her hand herself for a handshake.

Swara: Swara. Swara Maheshwari. Your friend’s wife.

She says without a fail, without a moment of hesitation, and Sanskaar’s heart skips a beat. A small smile starts creeping up to his lips which he suppresses instantly as he notices Swara frowning at his peculiar smile.

Swara: My dear husband?

Sanskaar: (gulps and clears his throat) Y-Yes?

Swara: Since, your back is paining, I don’t think you will be able to go to the office for a couple of days!

Anshika: What? Seriously! Is it that bad? I’m… I’m so sorry! My leg slipped. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please let me help you out. Shall I give you a massage?

She takes a step forward towards Sanskaar but Swara stands midway blocking her before she reaches him.

Swara: I’m there for him. I’m his wife and if he needs a massage, I can very much give him that as well.

Sanskaar: (almost screams) WHAT!!

Swara: Shut up!

With the declaration been made, without even a single word, Swara gets a hold of his hand, and pulls Sanskaar along with her all the way to the room upstairs. But in the spur of moment what she fails to realize is that this is the first time. First time, ever since she has come to know that he is not Shlok but Sanskaar, they are going to enter the room together. The room that used to be theirs… the room where their love story actually began! And now, unbeknownst to them, this room is going to witness a whole new start to the passion that is going to unfurl.

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Swara pulls him inside the room, locks the door and without even turning to look at him makes her way towards the cupboard to fetch the first aid box.

Swara: (opening the cupboard) Sit down on the bed immediately! Don’t utter a single word. I’m so angry right now!

But Sanskaar takes all his leisure time in reaching the bed. All this while he just keeps glancing at each and every corner of the room, with a gentle smile gracing his lips, in a feeble attempt to relive all the best memories of his life. The memories of the comforting love that he will, surely, treasure for all his life. The moments when he hesitated her closeness, to the ones he could not hold back any longer, to that one moment she made him feel that he was no longer someone unwanted, that even he mattered in someone’s life; all of these make him feel nostalgic to a limit that he feels a teardrop or two escape his eyes silently.

Taking a deep breath he closes his eyes, strengthening his resolve even more that no matter what he won’t let the most precious thing of his life go away. He won’t let Swara go away!

A soft tap on his shoulder makes him open his eyes and the very next moment he finds Swara scrunching her eyebrows whilst looking at him, but her expressions change the instant she notices a tiny teardrop shining at the corner of Sanskaar’s eye. Her hand moves on its own accord and wipes off his tear so softly that he feels as if a feather has just touched him for a brief moment. And just when he thinks that their sweet moment has come to an end, he feels her hand rest on his cheek as she takes in his distraught condition.

Swara: What happened, Sanskaar? Is the pain too much to bear?

Sanskaar: (chuckles and shakes his head) Don’t worry too much about me, Swara. You will lose the game!

This guy! Every time… every time he just has to open his mouth and ruin the moment! Aggravated, Swara pinches his cheek, rather painfully, leaving it all red. Sanskaar instantly jumps back rubbing his cheek and this time Swara is the one who chuckles.

Sanskaar: Ow! Ow! Ow! You are a devil.

Swara: That I am. Now, sit down quietly.

She orders and Sanskaar grumps as he sits down without a single word more, keeping the finger on his lips. Swara smiles at how adorable he looks stomping and fussing around like a kid and unknowingly this very moment makes a very special place in her heart, very much like all the other moments they have spent together.

Sanskaar: I am telling you again. You will lose the game.

Swara: To hell with your game, Sanskaar. Now, shut up and take off you shirt!

Sanskaar: Oh, okay! Wait… WHATTT?!

Sanskaar almost feels his head reeling, as if he will faint any next moment and unconsciously his hands travel up to his shirt, fisting the fabric in his palm. Swara rolls her eyes and almost feels the urge to bang her head against the table.

Swara: Stop overreacting!

Sanskaar: Overreacting? Do you even realize you have asked me to take off my clothes?

Swara: Not all clothes, Sanskaar. Just your blazer and your shirt. Or else how am I supposed to apply the pain relief cream?

Sanskaar: I-I can ask Laksh for that. I’m leaving!

Swara: Fine. Go ahead and let that friend of yours know that we are not just any normal husband and wife. And then don’t come running to me when she tries to hit on you!

Sanskaar raises an eyebrow as Swara keeps blabbering and then in one swift motion he pulls her down onto the bed, right next to him. With their faces merely inches apart, he leans closer… so close that she can feel his breath teasing her lips and they quiver under the merciless assault. His eyes drown deeper into hers as if they are trying to find some treasure hidden in those deep orbs. Swara’s entire being shuddered under his intense gaze and her breath almost ceases as his lips move to speak, slightly brushing against her own lips.

Sanskaar: Shall I take this as that you are jealous, Swara?

And her heart skips a beat. A whisper has never felt so seductive to her before. His husky voice sends her entire being into a frenzy. Is this the same Sanskaar who trembled and ran away every moment she tried to come closer to him? Where is that Sanskaar? The one in front of her seems so much alike, yet so different. And she doesn’t know herself whether she is enjoying this change or is she terrified!

Swara: I… I…

Sanskaar: What happened, Swara? Can’t you find your own voice?

He whispers again as his lips continue their heart stopping assault, peppering soft kisses beginning all the way from the corner of her mouth, to her cheeks and finding their way to her earlobes. He isn’t going by the rules. She knows that quite well! But it seems that she is lacking the strength to oppose him or at least stop him. Is she enjoying this as well? She closes her eyes taking a deep breath but shudders the very next instant as Sanskaar blows on her earlobe, kissing it softly. Swara’s hands find their way up to his arms and she holds them tightly as he bites on her ear lightly.

Sanskaar: (whispers) Say it, Swara. Are you jealous?

And she jumps away at an electrifying speed as the enticing stance gets broken. With her palm over her crazily thudding heart, she takes continuous deep breaths to ease that erratic thudding. Is she really jealous? Is she allowed to get jealous for him? For Sanskaar? The person who has redeemed her and has sacrificed his all just to see her smile… Can she get jealous for him?

Sanskaar gets up from the bed and walks towards her at slow, excruciating pace, but his unfazed gaze at her makes Swara step back unconsciously.

Sanskaar: What happened, Swara?

Swara: I… I… should go and get hot water bag for you. Yeah, right!

And paying no heed to his incessant callings, she just dashes out of the room, running aimlessly to wherever her feet can take her. Bad idea! Bad idea! Being alone with him in a room is an utterly bad idea!

He has become dangerous!

Charming, alluring… yet so dangerous!

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A/N

Hello everyone!

So, here is the new chapter as promised. I hope you would have enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much for all the love and support. That really means a lot to me!

Also, I would like to inform you all about a GRAMMAR BOOK that I have started on my Wattpad profile GS_Stella27. So, if you find it helpful, then please do give it a look and also help me spread a word about it. That would mean a lot to me.

See you all soon. Till then, stay blessed and happy reading!

With love,
Stella ❤️