Aditya devoured the tea in sips, an eye over the rim of his cup which took a good glimpse of his room.

"Aditya, slow down." Reema cautioned. The served beverage was still hot and the young man hardly cared for it.

"I'm in a rush maasi." He made an excuse, "Going to office?" Aditya's cup rattled as he placed it on its saucer, "No, I got to submit certain details in the mail and I misplaced the file somewhere."

"Was it black leather?" Reema had a vague recollection of a certain file she came across the earlier morning. "Yes, the very one." He agreed.

"Earlier, I found it in the wine house." A memory flashed only then, Ah! Last night the wine house turned out to be his work place, "I did leave it there. Thank you." He handed over the tea set to her.

"You overworked and slept there, again?" Concern laced her words. Though he stopped by the residence, Aditya took adobe in the Wine house and rather came up only to appease his requirements.

"Burdens only deepen wounds, they don't heal Adi." He did subject himself to such self torment and the guilty heart does not allow him to rest either. Aditya pressed his eyes down.

Reema's hand cradled to his face, "Speak to her." She observed the hesitation he carried when he tried to reach out for Swara but ultimately gave up, "I'll do." Aditya said.

"We got carried away too far. Continue your work." Reema gave a gentle pat over his shoulder. Both left the room, with Reema back to Kitchen and Aditya strode to Wine house.

Three and half weeks it had been since the fateful night which brought silence to the residence from then on. On the exterior surface, Swara seemed to recover from worsening health.

Shekhar rather feigned ignorance and hushed around. Their fight had been on hold and they either brought it to talk upon. With each passing time, it felt like a ticking bomb.

Oddly, the stillness present reflected the same as the aftermath of the destructive storm. Alongside it left behind damages; scars for many and stabs for few. Aditya sighed.

Rich tunes of harmonious piano's music greeted the very moment he stepped in. Music? Oh! Swara must be there - with a muse, Aditya took light steps ahead. Fragments rushed through him.

Back in his memory- seated before the grand instrument, little Swara with her big doe hazels focused and tiny hands placed with accuracy, played tunes. Giggles filled the house every time she got it right.

A fond fragment it was. Aditya stood by the shelf and took a clear view. Swara before him, stood tall with grown fingers running on the piano ivories and another hand handled the music sheets.

Same doe hazels focused as she governed the raise and fall of the tune. A sloppy grin appeared on his lips. To watch Swara evolve despite thunder and thorns only to bloom so bright made him happy.

"You play well now." Startled at the sudden voice directed towards her, Swara looked at him. Good gracious! Too much indulgence  turned her blind towards the surroundings.

Her brother... For the remaining days, silence ruled over them. Their eyes would clash but neither of them were ready to spill words contained. She tried but--- "Thank you," was all she could say.

"You got the piano shifted here?" As he struck a casual conversation, Aditya strolled to the couch. The eye contact weighed upon him and the other reason was the file; he must have left it here.

"My practice sessions might disturb you'll. So I got it shifted here in the morning." She answered. Swara placed the papers down and took her mug to sip the hot chocolate with short glances behind her.

"Your music's never a disturbance." Aditya provided a befitted reply. Her music managed to become a dawn at their dark residence. For him; it relieved him from his stiffened heart.

Swara dared not to blink. He appreciated? -- her brother did it. Days and nights, she had waited for it; longed for it and it happened. Just like that. But for reasons she could not answer, "It wasn't?"

"Never." He affirmed strongly, "Crap! Where did I keep the file?" Aditya seemed pissed when he didn't find the possession, neither did he remember where he placed the file.

File? Swara had a certain recollection that guided her to the other side of the shelf. Her prediction did turn out to be true. The file lay on the small bar table alongside a half drunk wine bottle.

No matter what, he could not remember where he replaced the file. Though the last memory did seem vague in his mind; he remained confident in it. He completed the paper works seated in the couch and---

Wine! Oh, yes! He took a pause to sip in some drinks. Once, twice and thrice and more-- he didn't stop nor did he have remembrance of when he did. Maybe, it should be there.

Aditya turned to move ahead only to be greeted by the file he had been searching for, "Bar table." Swara informed as she handed it over to him. Her tone seemed dropped, wrong.

Control! Swara breathed. She wanted to thrash him, so hard. For the past five days she had noticed traces left behind by Aditya- the bottles. Reema had told her about it as well.

Swara visibly stiffened; jaws clenched, hands fisted and anger swam through her eyes, "I disappointed you," Aditya's question somehow ended up with a statement.

"Does it matter to you?" She walked back to the instrument. It did come out stern but Swara could not keep it under her control, "It does. It always do." She pressed her hazel down.

"Then," She faced him, "Spoiling your health is the punishment you give yourself?" Aditya had no answer after all her words held the truth, "A mistake of yours would end up everyone in agony, again."

She was right. A mistake of his would ruin it for every person who loved and cared for him. Thousands of people depended on him for their daily bread and-- Aditya sighed.

"Speak to her."

Maybe, he should take up Reema's words into consideration. Hide and seek may never stop, not until he conveys what he actually wanted to, "I-- I'm sorry." Aditya started.

"For everything." Swara gulped. The searing ache seemed to find a way back to her again, "I messed it up that night. Truly." The guilt Aditya emitted made her spirit to lay even more low.

"From the beginning-- until now, we faced a handful of bitter incidents. They managed to stain each of us but--- you, you remained to be a victim always to those and ended up as a survivor. People remember victims but hardly survivors.

We forgot you. I-- forgot you." Aditya exhaled with teary eyes, "At a point, regardless of me wanting to reflect my blunders I didn't know how to get back to you."

"A conversation," Swara hissed fighting back her own tears, "Just one and I could have come back to you." Each syllable broke into painful whispers.

"I just-- couldn't." He accepted, "Back then, I created my own conception to hate him and you. But then, the hate I showed-- they never belonged to you and I realised it very late." Aditya made a genuine confession.

Tears brimmed more. Swara had always pondered what Aditya felt for her; honestly. For she depended more on those fragments before destructive incidents ruined them.

"All I ask is for another chance." A request was all Aditya could make, an earnest plea. Even if Swara objected to it again, he would gladly accept it. For all the faults laid upon him.

One side- Her yearned to be loved by her brother weighted her down but the other side- The same person blessed with cuts and scars that still remained raw.

"I'm not sure." Torn between the two, Swara felt helpless, "For years I tried to come near, each time it was the distance that stood tall between us." She tried to reason her own musing as she sniffed.

"I kept trying to the level that I had to accept this forced distance at one point. I-- can't get back." The fact that he installed the very forced distance made him feel bitter. It would be a no from her side- Aditya almost decided.

"Give me time," It surprised Aditya; she could tell with the way his eyes darted. Swara could not mention a particular period to process her healing, "To put all the past behind and-- start anew."

"It's all yours." He beamed. Lending time was better than a rejection or left unanswered, "At the end, I just want us to be back. Together." Aditya confessed another wish he held in secret.

It was a sort of assurance he wanted to provide her from the beginning, she wanted from him too. He failed to reflect them through action but he'd do it all now. 

For the first time in a while, Swara found her own lips spread up. Together - she liked that. If not for now, his assured words would lead to the happiness she once lost, the hope that once shattered.

~

"Aditi now. Something you are jealous of?" Jay asked as he and the rest of his team climbed up the stairs.

"Swara's wardrobe." Aditi's words gained response in gasps, "Wardrobe?" Arya questioned, "She's got the best fashion packed in her wardrobe. Each one beats the before." A smitten Aditi confessed.

"Oh please! My aunt piles me up with  clothes." Swara protested, "So any credits regarding my fashion is her, not me." The addition of trends felt nice but definitely not when a big wardrobe's still insufficient to place them.

"I thought it would be Jay's practice sessions, given how you remain grumpy when he's not there?" Arya's words made everyone shift their eyes to a flustered Aditi, "That's-- Both."

Aditi didn't expect her exclaim to turn out so loud that she gained attention from the strangers, "Wardrobe first and next me, I'm upset." Jay sighed and she tried to explain, "You know I always lov--"

"Couple silly fights in private. I can't bear to bleed my ears in an auspicious time." Arya's hands at most closed both his ears and shook his head. "Shut up!" The chorus from both Jay and Aditi made the rest laugh.

"Next one. New year resolutions, Arya?" Sanskaar took up the chance to question, "I'm planning to make muscles." Arya declared with pride.

"What's in your head Arya? Do you aim to be a photographer or a gym trainer?" Swara teased, "Or do you plan to be equal to Jay?" Sanskaar added.

"Are you both planning to get me murdered? Jay and me for a duel is never going to happen. I wish to live long." Arya whined. God! Both of them seemed to set a dead trap for him.

"Okay, next--"

"For god sake stop! These endless steps already suck the life out of me and you want me to answer?" Aditi paused, a hand on her waist as she took deep breaths.

"Look who complains? The idea provider herself." Arya rolled his eyes, "I never knew it was going to be so tiring." Aditi claimed. The idea of questions and answers was hers. She found the activity to keep them engaged as they could reach up the hills.

Sanskaar took a glance at the way ahead. Hardly a few meters remained to reach their destination, "Hang in there Aditi. We are almost there."

"Then the final question to Swara." Jay suggested, "Aditi, your turn." He nudged her, "Sum up the year in words." She came up with a simple question.

"Mm-- One of the toughest year; for many incidents pushed me to the bottom." Each of them slashed the layers she built to keep her agony,

"But---" Swara looked at Sanskaar, "There were a few of them that made me feel very special." Unaware of her, a soft beam of smile lightened her face that Sanskaar's heart thumped.

To begin with, Swara had so much to convey but doubted if words could ever suffice her emotions in them. To all her dark nights, Sanskaar stayed like an unwavering sunshine.

"A bitter sweet year then." Arya's words of conclusion brought both Swara and Sanskaar back to reality, "We are here!" Jay declared as they climbed on the last step.

"Woah! That's a huge crowd." Arya exclaimed at the sight of the crowd. Surprisingly, people seemed to be more interested in watching fireworks shows like them.

"Yet, it's worth the wait. We need to stick together until then." Twenty minutes early- Sanskaar thought as he shot a glance at his wrist watch, "Do we have water?" Jay asked.

Just then, Aditi checked up the bottles only to realise they ran out of water, "We still have time. I'd get it." On that note, Sanskaar excused himself to buy some bottles.

Since the gathering happened after a long time, they planned to make some celebrations and it turned out to be more eventful as they were on the last day of the year.

With rounds of discussions, Sanskaar's plan to watch the fireworks show on the hills clicked them most. The girls gushed together with the mere imagination of the fireworks and the boys found the idea good.

He didn't return yet? - Swara's gaze followed the direction Sanskaar went by and had not returned yet. Ten minutes passed by and the sense of worry didn't let her stand at the place.

She fished out her phone, maybe she should try to contact him? And just, "My phone could not survive my schedule." His words came to her mind. Right! She had no other choice but to search for him, herself.

Impatience; one would vouch the term for her actions, the urge she had to reach out for him. Rather, Swara could categorize it somewhere between the fear of losing and the want to have him beside.

Before Jay and Arya offered help, she had started ahead. Chatters and laughters of young lads in high spirits filled up most of the place as she walked past them.

The crisp wintry air carried a toasty smell of roasted chestnuts, tints of fruity cinnamon rolls hung by. Swara's feet strolled against them all, her gaze roamed over the crowd.

A sort of anxiety rose to her throat and strangled her with each time she passed by another stranger. Where are you? - Swara looked around with an earnest plea to find him.

Her heart sank from her chest to her stomach; the rising pulse in her ears almost messed Swara more, until a voice behind her paused it all.

"Swara?"

That second, that voice took her breath away. Apart from him the rest of the vision blurred; the crowd's noise had become distant. A sense of relief washed by her only then.

Sanskaar had a mere suspicion if it was really her. After a minute of inner debate, he came up with the idea to call her out. When it turned out to be true, he strode forward with swift steps to reach Swara.

By then, she managed to embrace him and the very moment comfort seeped through.  Swara's steps towards healing brought along certain issues which shackled her strong self.

Sanskaar had been there, witnessed all of them in every form- at times they were tears, sometimes they were sleepless nights and most of the time it was the ache. Each of them brought tremors to her process.

Of all, Swara let herself lay depending upon  either Jay nor him to hold on. Their absence affected her, way too much that she had her thinking multiply to far fetched thoughts as losing.

"It took me more time." Swara stepped back. He did or maybe it was her who couldn't mind enough patience, "But I never knew I'd get navigated by my princess."

Sanskaar and his ways; an instant smile lit her up. A buzz from Swara's phone got both of their attention. She picked up the call while Sanskaar had started to walk ahead, Swara held him back.

"We can't get back there. There's an overwhelming crowd that wouldn't let us reach them. So Jay asked us to stay out." She conveyed the message Jay shared.

Would it be fine? - He glanced at the water bottles and mused. Previous years never seemed to have such a crowd, Sanskaar only suggested on that basis. At the moment; they were split into two teams instead of one.

"We'd gather once the crowd scatters away." Swara made a soft intrudence in his musings. Just like that, she knew Sanskaar disliked the idea of being separated but neither did they have a choice nor time to go back.

"Then---" He spared a look by his watch, hardly five minutes left, "Come with me." Even before he received her answer, they were already on the run.

As they ran, Swara glanced at the hand that guided her holding hers. Not too harsh, not too delicately handled - Sanskaar's hold on her always remained in the same energy. Like a constant remembrance that she could neither be caged nor left by.

Sanskaar took a brief glimpse of a beaming Swara who ran along with him. No enquires, no words yet, she appeared cheerful and enjoyed the sudden action. A grin reflected to light up his face.

They swam in the opposite direction of the people and halted when they reached the other side of the hill, "This--- made me late." Sanskaar reasoned.

A minute or two happened for either of them to catch up their surroundings as they steadied their breath. Swara looked around. Serenity had been the first word that rose in her mind when she observed the view.

"Climb up a little, you can have a better view." Sanskaar suggested as he pointed at the tree nearby where its roots and stones were tangled and slightly elevated from the plain ground they stood.

She managed to ascend upon the stones and reached near the tree's bark. The dark sky greeted the city covered in pristine white and various hues reflected from the buildings.

"So beautiful." A dazed Swara savoured the venue with twinkled hazels. Sanskaar climbed up but a wrong placement of foot made him slip. Right on time, Swara reached out for him.

Sanskaar grasped her helping hand that almost brought her down along too. They stumbled, however they found a proper balance,

"Uff! That was close." She stared below at those tangled roots which tripped him down. Certainly, Swara thought they both would lose balance.

Sanskaar stood there, unmoved and eyes fixed to her side profile. Flutters and pounds cannot define the exact state of his heart which brimmed with emotions.

Hurdles in life pushed him down, sometimes harder. Irrespective of his own fall, Sanskaar had lifted up others and hardly waited to get that kind gesture back.

The blame may fall on circumstances but he knew, Sanskaar already knew that he had none to provide that hand which led him to rise on his own.

At the moment, Swara yet again made another change in his notions. "Ask me something." He watched her hazels shift back to him.

Sudden realisation struck her of how awfully close they were- his hand around her waist, hers on his shoulder and their foreheads barely an inch away.

"Sum up the year?" Stupid brain! - Swara chid at her self. Her mind had to betray exactly when she required and come with such a stupid question.

On the other hand, neither could she charge guilt, for the proximity seemed too much to endure. The distant sound of the countdown from ten filled up the silence.

"You." He confessed, "Only you." Sanskaar noticed how her hazels darted wide in surprise and gently melted into soft brown. But that held the truth; Swara had been the best thing ever that happened to him the year.

Was she worthy enough to be chosen like that? - Swara had no answer. Rather, fragments of memories came up where she doubted if she ever deserved that honour - to be loved; to be chosen.

Despite all, she had a number of people who cherished her like no after, the void never seemed to decease. Instead, it turned bigger and better which made Swara to be in greed of it.

Sanskaar choosing her may not entirely consume the hollow but did make a better difference. As if, the years of withering winter had started to cease and tiny flowers of hopes had begun to bloom.

Three.... Two.... One... Happy New Year

In the distance, loud cheers and exclaims filled in. A burst sound led to brightening the sky by the awaited fireworks, "Look there!" Swara gestured to look up as she tugged his jacket.

Rather, Sanskaar chose otherwise. Of how her hazels melted along the dark night and glittered like northern lights when the spectrum of colours blasted.

It brought fragments of memories he ever laid his eyes on her back in the school corridor. Swara still looked beautiful as then, harsh and bitter incidents couldn't snatch her smile away.

"It's like colour showers." She commented. Another fire shot up, scattered gold and sparkled in the night sky.

Nothing interested Sanskaar- neither the fireworks nor the spectacular view he had before him. It was just her--- only her, every damn time.

"Happy new year, my Sunny boy." Swara engulfed him in a hug, her gaze still fixed upon the sky with an unwavering smile. Of all new year eve celebrations- the very one would forever top her list.

Love and to be loved makes our chaotic life a little more simple to live life - it were words of his grandfather that he once shared with Swara when she asked him what love feels like.

At that moment, Sanskaar knew it. He knew these evolved emotions which were either left unnamed, indeed had a name that any of them confessed verbally.

She withdrew a little from him, her eyebrows knitted closely, "Stop staring!" His gaze did not put her to the edge but it managed to trouble her heart with flutters.

Red shades had already started to colour her features. What was even the need to pass such soft and warming looks? Swara could hardly bear the torture.

"Or else, I-- I'm going."  She needed to escape. The soaring emotions down her veins would certainly bring her death otherwise.

An easy tug and she was brought back to him, threateningly close this time, Swara could sense it all with her dropped lashes. His fingers curled beneath her chin and tilted her face upward.

Mustering a little courage she looked at him, their eyes met, "Will you go?" Sanskaar's breath fanned against her when he spoke which made her heart pound. She knew, she could not leave.

Swara could see him, only him at the moment. Of how those enchanting black eyes seemingly exposed the genuine feelings he had for her- all warm in a soft gaze.

Hardly an inch parted them away. Those curled fingers slide to her cheek in a smooth move. No longer did Sanskaar have control over the rein of emotions anymore.

Swara's lashes drooped at the faint brush of his lips over hers, gentle and hesitant. Butterflies fluttered down her stomach, almost made her feel vividly alive.

Just a hand over his chest, all she felt was a skip of beat in response. Swara gave into the simmer that grew between them, letting him hold her close and kiss her deep.

Sanskaar's hand cradled at the back of her neck, slipped to her nape in a tender move. Blood roared by his ears and turned them into a pair of blushing ears.

A little flutter of lashes, he had a blur view of illuminations set up in the sky and Swara closer to him stole the entire show. She tuned the fireworks within him instead.

Equal passion surged in them as they held each other; devouring and reading each other's lips gently. A sense of euphoria seared through their veins.

They parted. Sanskaar pressed his forehead against hers, as they tried to catch their uneven breath. It felt so beautiful to share such an intimate moment.

Her heaved chest had started to find a proper pace, Swara exhaled. His touch still lingered upon her; still felt warm against the cold and it made her flush.

Soft notes of fresh flowers reeled with him from her. They remained there, close, savouring the sweet moment, Dim shades coloured them each time a fireworks crackled.

"Is this what love looks like?"

He mused as yet, another colour shaded them-- Just as the thought casted its own colours upon him.