Arya, Aditi, Swara and Sanskaar walked out the reception hall exhausted but still the satisfaction of dancing their hearts out without any worries after a long time made them feel ease. It was the reception of their past school head girl and the initiative she made to call and inform, taking a promise it's a must to attend made them come. Though Sanskaar didn't know the bride personally everyone dragged him along and he too enjoyed a lot.

"It was one heck of a blasting night." Arya streched out his sore arms and others couldn't agree more. Sure it was a mood buster after having an amount of revision exams and tests that tired them all the way. It was a very needed break for them.

"Ari, Drop me home okay?" Aditi said as she adjusted her lehenga dupatta properly. She had enough of entertainment and with Swara being her dancing partner, they brought the dance floor on fire with their killing moves. Jay was once again away from the city for his matches and his absence was the only void.

"I will diti." Arya stressed the name gritting his teeth. The girl sure knows how to make him annoyed. Swara giggle while Sanskaar chuckled as their banters are not new for them. They loved pulling each other's leg way too much and Jay would at times become a referee or he would just sit beside the other two and watch the drama.

"Make sure you both go back home safely keeping your banters aside when you ride." Sanskaar shook his head in disbelief when he saw both of them nod but continued their raillery as they bid bye and started their way back home.

Swara pulled up her Ivory beige and lilac net shaded  lehanga skirt as she walked along with Sanskaar back to their house. The breeze has been too chilly that she wrapped her arms, rubbing back and forth to get some warmth. Wearing a sleeveless dress sure had it's pros and cons. Sanskaar sighed, he had nothing offer her since he was cladded in a kurta.

As he watched her, Sanskaar couldn't help but admire how effing gorgeous she looked in that lilac lehanga set adored with scattered sequins and the shaded, embroidered net dupatta pinned on one side. The traditional wear and especially that lilac, ivory beige colour suited her complextion greatly, it made her look so different in his eyes that he wondered if she had always been that gorgeous or it was just now he had been noticing her?

"You should wear more ethnic wear. You look very beautiful." As he complimented, her cheeks naturally turned crimson but then she had a afflictive grin on her face. Sanskaar had noticed Swara blushing around him quite often and he had conveniently slide it off but truth to be told, Swara did look quite adorable.

"You too." Swara complimented back and Sanskaar tilted his head infront of her, "What? Beautiful?" He enquired teasingly. A couple of matching bangles tingled in her hands, her jhumkas danced in her ears and the breeze managed to pull way the loose strands that hide the side of her face as she let out a small melody laughter shaking her head in no. That instantly made Sanskaar's smile wide even more.

"Handsome." She finally made the right compliment. He did look too handsome for his own good in his a ivory kurta with silver embroidery works, hair gelled and styled neatly that girls were oogling at him for his looks while Sanskaar didn't enjoy the unnecessary attraction he had been gaining that he often sulked at that.

"The temperature has been falling down these days, I guess winter would come earlier this year." Sanskaar looked up, the sky was darkening and there was a high chances to receive showers at the moment.

"Is it?" Her doe eyes sparkled at that information. She's been waiting for the winter ever since she had come back, after all it was her favourite season. Swara couldn't wait for the day to come already. Sanskaar smiled knowing the reason of that sparkle in her eyes.

Even before they would reach their house, drops like dew from the sky falling tip slowly landed on the earth. Those tiny drops of water kissed Swara and Sanskaar's exposed skin that made both look up at the sky. Swara had a serene smile as the wind had started to pick up its speed that made her loose wavy hair fly and the little drops of water that touched her skin brought the feeling of tranquility.

The wind managed to mess up his styled hair and let out few of his midnight locks fall down to his forehead, "We should find a shelter before we get drenched." Sanskaar suggested as he kept looking around for a safe place.

"Drenching doesn't seem to be a bad idea." Swara shifted her gaze to Sanskaar with excitement dripped in her words. Sanskaar looked at Swara with his eyebrows lifted up, "I wouldn't mind too if we weren't dressed up this way." And only then Swara understood he was hinting at their attire they wore.

"Gosh! Swara let's run." Sanskaar hastily whispered when the drizzle soon start picking up speed for a downpour. With their hands entwined together, they ran to the nearest buliding which did provide them a some shade and a tea stall was next to it.

"It's so cold." Sanskaar said as he ruffled his hair locks that has turned damp while Swara herself was smoothing her hair and dusting her dress off from the mist, "That it is." Swara agreed as she wrapped her bare arms with her dupatta. The rain and wind has both picked up the speed.

"Chai?" He pointed at the stall and Swara nodded hastily making him chuckle at her cuteness. Sanskaar went to buy them chai while Swara called up Reema to let her know she's safe with Sanskaar and will come back soon.

And when Sanskaar came up with two streaming chai in his hands, Swara was already urging to get it from him but then he had to hand over the glass with a precaution of saying it was hot. Nevertheless Swara took the glass though hissed immediately at that scorching hotness of the glass making Sanskaar to glare at her.

The ferocious fragrant of the chai always managed to satisfy the cravings of their insides and the warmth in their hands amidst the cold weather was soothing. Along with the pitter patter sound of the rain, the melodic voice of Kishore Kumar's 'Humein Tumse Pyaar Kitna' hit their ears from the radio that immediately broke a smile on their faces as they sipped their chai.

"Everytime girlfriend gets angry, Dada would sing this song. It was their favourite." Swara shifted her gaze from the watching the rain to him. A ghost of a smile spread on his face and she could see his eyes sparkling and expressions look fondly. Sipping his chai, Sanskaar reminiscenced how his dada would bring her favourite flowers, sing and dance to manofy his wife while the little Sanskaar would also dance with him making Asha's anger melt.

"Cold wind, rain, a hot cup of chai, Kishore Kumar's song and you-- how relaxing." Swara mused sipping her chai in peace. It's been a month since the chaos in her house gradually decreased because of the commotion of cancelling the engagement and along with exams Swara was definitely exhausted.

Sanskaar smiled. The month was hectic for him as well and it's been days he stood by in peace sipping the chai and watching the rain with sense of calmness and nostalgia. He had been running days with attending school where they write exams and tests, evenings and nights were spend on his part time jobs and late nights with the preparation for the next day exam-- he hardly had time to watch what was happening around him.

"Sanskaar?" Swara called out making Sanskaar to come back from his memory lane, "Hmm?" He hummed as he watched her play with those little drops of rain happily.

"How does it look to be in love?" When Swara asked the question Sanskaar was actually take aback. He hadn't expected her to ask a question like that while the girl kept looking at him for an explanation, "What's with that sudden question?"

"Mm-- Apart from reading books on love or watching series which gives a wider imagination I don't know how it actually feels or looks to be in love." Swara confessed honestly and that confused Sanskaar even more.

"You haven't seen your parents?" Even without his realisation, Sanskaar had kind of hit her soft spot hard and she let out a bitter chuckle.

"Ah! I haven't told you, have I?" Sanskaar was even more puzzled at that sentence she just uttered, "Well, mom and dad divorced. It's almost two decades ever since that happened." She continued and Sanskaar's eyes widened in amusement. He couldn't digest the fact already and once again Swara looked calm as ever.

"Is it because--" He hesitated and Swara knew what exactly he was asking about, "No. They were divorced even before my existence." She answered.

"Oh! They don't look like a divorced couple." Sanskaar softly mused. As far as he remembered Mr. and Mrs. Gagodia was one power couple and they complement each other just with their presence, "Because they aren't supposed to look like one. They are acting to be a couple because they had to run a business and they didn't want their personal affairs to become a hot topic. I got to know they divorced because they had different perspective of life and wanted to embark the journey which was far away from each other's."

Swara confessed. Her parents had a wedding in exchange of a deal and her grandfather's constant pester of heir made them have Aditya. But even after Aditya's birth they both couldn't cope up and adjust with their differences and thus it lead to a mutual divorce that no one knew about. And Aditya was left to choose a side, his mother or father-- but when Sharmistha refused to have Aditya in her custody, Shekhar had no bitter feelings and he was ready to grow Aditya happily.

But that void of not having his mother made Aditya carry sour feelings that even when Sharmistha came back to him realising her mistake Aditya could not make peace with it. The latter truths gradually got him more distant from everyone and when his only dream of becoming a professional motorcycle racer was brutally snatched, Swara could no more recognise the brother she played and been happy with. Swara sighed, she really hoped things would get better soon.

"So let me answer your question." Sensing how Swara was getting too lost in her thoughts, Sanskaar tried to deviate her mind, "Dada had always told me love and to be loved is what that makes our chaotic lives a little more simpler than we ever imagined. A step forward towards to heal the cracks that left us numb at times, losening the burden of void and heaviness and letting us breathe some fresh air after we stripped ourselves naked to the demons last midnight."

His words sounded so beautiful to her ears that she already wanted to fall in love but there were million of excuses that stopped her from getting involved on such thoughts and the biggest fear was becoming a burden to someone. While for Sanskaar 'love' was always been an overwhelmed feeling that he was not ready to move in with. Maybe if he was just like another teenage boy he would have liked to know what it was but for him, he was always far away from that category. He had responsibility to carry, things to take care of and make his goals come true-- he hardly had any time to even think about about it nor would he like to think now.

After having their chai savouring it's bestest taste, Sanskaar returned back the empty glasses and joined Swara. The rain still doesn't seem to stop the it's downpour and if this goes on, they would only end up standing all night owing to the fact there wasn't a single vehicle passing by.

"Ouch!" Swara let out a small cry when her chocker hooks tangled with her hair. Sanskaar looked at the struggle she had that made her shoulders heaved up to avoid pain.

"May I?" Sanskaar offered help and he raised his hands a little while Swara hummed in response. He moved closer as he tried to free her tresses from the chain. Swara batted her eyelashes when his redolent fragrance hit her nostrils and his breathe that fanned against her nape brought goosebumps and brought new sensations in her. Everytime his finger slightly brush her skin inadvertently a chill would run down her spine and she couldn't even breathe properly as she stood frozen and cheeks flushed at that proximity.

Sanskaar himself was affected but her floral fragrance but he knew he can't let it affect him, he tried to concentrate on unclapsing her loose strands. He tried his best to make sure his fingers don't touch her skin since he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. 

"Swara?"

"Ha?" Swara managed to mumble irrespective of the odd effects she had been facing. She didn't want to make it look obviously and unnecessarily worry Sanskaar.

"You said you haven't known how love works right?" He started speaking softly while fingers were still working, "The books and series we read and watch hardly exhibit love in reality. Sometimes the dreamy rainbows suddenly becomes a bolting thunderstorm, Sweetest actuality turns into terrific nightmares, sudden heartwarming and grieving heartbreaks. Like Newton's third law, For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."He finally released her tresses from the hold.

Swara couldn't help herself but shift her gaze to Sanskaar who stared at her as well. In the dusk,  conversing these fleeting words with fluttering feelings made them both confused at their self. As they face hardly inches away, a sudden spark lit up their hearts and waves of unknown emotions rushed through their veins. The wind had soften to the level of breeze that it played with their locks.

Her loose curls fell across her face obscuring his view for a moment and instinctively he gently took it off her face with a beaming smile. That freaking smile already made Swara's heart go haywire and unknowingly her lips curved up too. Sanskaar's smile sure do anything and everything to her.

Realising their closeness both stepped back a little awkward.

"Mm-- we-- should leave." Swara's words stuttered even though she looked away from him. Good thing the rain has paused from it's downpour.

Sanskaar agreed while his ears turned red in embarassment as he cursed himself for letting himself driven by an unknown emotion and not reining it away.

Fisting her lehanga in her palms, Swara walked slowly until Sanskaar once again spoke, "And you'll find that person soon, Swara." He walked forward but that very sentence got Swara froze in the spot. That husky tone and those words were once again making her heart drop into her stomach. Her cheeks were turning more scarlet than even.

"Swara? Come." Sanskaar turned back and signed her to come when he found her not coming with him.

And just like that Swara knew Sanskaar was lethal and slowly coming a drug to her health. She was turning into someone she never knew and her body don't remain in her control at his presence.

"Oh my dear heart! Stop fluttering, stop making me feel butterflies, stop skipping beats whenever you see him!" She pleaded mentally to herself

But who knew whether heart would be pleased to here or rather continue paving another way she never knew?