Sanskaar's heart clenched as he strode out of the insurance building. Another hope had crashed down into nothing; another crack over the faith he stressed himself to hold.

It took a night. A whole night to decline with tears and eventually accept with a stone heart of what the evil fate placed upon him; to bring a smile to deceive Asha.

On the note, Sanskaar approached the doctor once again to clarify about the procedures and mainly about the draft cost required for all those treatments and meds.

The doctor called it a high risk to go for a bypass owing to Asha's age but sowed hopes that if her health was stable, she could overcome. That alone lifted his spirits up.

First, Angioplasty to check on the damages of heart vessels and if only possible they could proceed for the bypass. Both treatments were priced in lakhs.

He had been on a mission since then; to save money. Sanskaar already made plans to look out for multiple part time now that he was on an academic break.

Part time could barely take care of the medicines but for surgery, he needed more. Sanskaar looked out for several ways and one among them was insurance.

He reached out to the insurance agency only to be declined. Because what his grandfather had insured on Asha was a basic health insurance that did not include surgical expenses.

Five days of plan got turned down in a minute. The hope had started to slip between his fingers, slow and steady despite how hard he tried to hold.

With days that passed, the weight had become heavier and heavier and vaguely started to leave marks on him. Sleepless nights, loss of appetite and faint traces of dark circles were the proof.

Time was less and there was a battle; not so far that awaited to be faced with Asha's life at stake.

He cannot lose.

A frustrated hand went through his already messed up hair. Events as these made him weary but he couldn't stop the run because the moment he did, everything would crumble. Sanskaar exhaled.

He should look for a better alternative. Again.

~

Onions in the sauce pan sizzled in the oil. Swara stirred them, too and fro while her mind often drifted to her own musings

Her phone rang.

In instance, she dropped the wooden spatula on the pan and rushed to the counter. Swara's curiosity dropped into displeasure.

Some stupid loan call it was. Not him.

Five days down and Sanskaar seemed oddly busy. Neither her texts received proper replies nor the calls mostly went unanswered.

A day before, he texted that he was taking up another part-time in day hours to spend time. Swara was not convinced, but then she knew him.

Sanskaar was not a person to slack leisurely and enjoy the day. He would rather prefer to be productive even if that means to stress himself.

Just the latter part didn't fit well for her But that's what he was- Sincerely Hardworking. Swara shook her head, a small smile creeped to her lips.

She missed him. The absence of his warmth had started to toll over her mood. It was bearable only because of those texts and a shirt she held close.

Later this evening, Swara had planned to pay a surprise visit to Sanskaar in the cafe. She didn't stop by the cafe after her recitals.

Now that she'd visit, she could claim both- her boyfriend and his hand-made chai. That alone could set everything right. Everything perfect.

A thought struck her. So sudden that it snatched off her smile. If she accepted the offer to Julliard's-- this would often happen. Mistimings.

After all India and the US had different time zones. His dawn would be her night and vice versa. Miles would part them from meeting in person. So how would she handle that?

Long - distance relationship might be difficult to maintain. Yet, it was all worth if they work out. Together. Swara made a mental note to talk about it to him.

Reema entered the kitchen only to gasp aloud, "Swara!" She called out and rushed towards the stove to put it off.

Onions on the pan- oh god! Swara's realisation was too late for the once fine onions were now burnt. She placed the pan in the basin and turned the faucet on.

"What's wrong, child?" Reema asked, "Sorry-- I just--" Swara pressed her eyes down in annoyance as she cursed herself for being so careless.

Reema noticed her still dazed and confused. The routine of mistakes continued to be the same ever since the mail came, "You have ten minutes."

Mia wanted masala pasta for her snack and she would arrive from school in ten minutes, "I'll start it again." She turned to grab some onions.

Focus Swara! - she mumbled to herself.

~

Asha approved Sanskaar for more part time at day time. So his lunch timings often shifted between late afternoon to early evenings.

To all that she spoke, her darling grandson reciprocated to her conversation and by side munched his food. He gave focus to both her and food, "Pick the call Sunny. It's been ringing for a while now."

Sanskaar glanced at the phone beside the table. Calls from the law school bombarded his phone from the morning in regards to admission.

Instead of picking the call, he kept it on silent, "It's not an important call." Sanskaar had other works that seeked for his priority. Others shall be looked after later on.

But Asha noticed changes. Sanskaar's usual charm had dropped and instead he looked alert. A sort of tension visible on his face.

By chance -- did he get the reports and meet the doctor? She watched her grandson come back from the kitchen after washing his hands.

He spoke none regarding the reports from the hospital and that was very unlikely of him. Usually the day Sanskaar would collect reports, there would be a ruckus on her instability of health.

Maybe, she should ask. "San--"

"I might be late tonight dadi. Make sure to eat on time." Sanskaar pressed a brief kiss on her forehead. He was about to consult his grandfather's friend for a certain idea that came to him.

That brief gesture made Asha's bitter words get stuck in her throat. It was the same warmth; same solace so how can she snatch that away from him?

"Take care." She caressed his hair instead. The disease was hers to suffer; not her grandson's. Just the thought alone silenced Asha from confessing for the past two months.

A touch of Asha alone laced moisture in Sanskaar's eyes. The suppressed emotions he buried within had surfaced on him. But he can't let her know, just not yet.

He left.

Hoping she didn't notice. While Asha already did. There was something about the way he looked today. She was a mother and she knew,

Sanskaar was lost.

~

Swara excepted Sanskaar to greet at the cash counter in the cafe. He was not there. At least she expected him to surprise her with the chai order. And it was not him either.

It was confusion that occurred to her. If he was doing it on purpose, Swara least enjoyed whatever he tried to pull.

She remained seated for a while. The ordered chai on the table, gaze all around to find the particular person they searched. But he did not show up.

On that take, Swara striked a conversation with the cafe's owner to pass time. And just like that the owner actually spilled about how Sanskaar took an off today.

"On leave?' Swara could still not believe. Sanskaar would never slack down from his routine unless if there would be an emergency.

She quickly fished out her mobile to make a call. The call rang for a long time. Swara's legs tapped on the ground in desperation and it paused once the call was attended.

"Hi Swara." He greeted. It was stupid how his mere voice could lift up her lips. And she had to control because the owner stood infront of her. 

"Where are you?" Curiosity evident in her voice as Swara posed a direct question to him.

"Me? I'm at-- the cafe?" The smile slowly faded. Cafe? And she was here too, so why could she not see him? Why did the owner say he was on off?

"Oh" was all Swara could answer back, "Yeah. Are you there-- I mean, are you here in the cafe?" The urgency in his tone confirmed what it was. A lie.  Her mouth had gone dry and her happy features drained further.

It hurt. So bad that she felt her heart being pricked with thorns. Seldom, Sanskaar hid matters from her and even if he did, he used to assure he would let her know.

And Sanskaar always came around. But he never lied, not even for once.

"Swara?" He called for her. She left a heavy exhale, "No. I couldn't come." If she was not wrong, she heard him a sigh of relief.

"I'll call you again." Swara's eyes stung and it started to blur her vision by the time the call got disconnected.

Sanskaar may not know. It was the first crack he brought upon her. Them. And Swara hated it- for it was made out of a lie. 

"Do you want to reheat your chai? You haven't taken a sip from it." The owner brought her from trance. She blinked away the tears and looked at the table. 

Chai- she didn't take even a sip. Nor did she want to. 

"No uncle." Swara denied the kind offer. What was the use when it would never taste the same as his- She inhaled to fill some lost air in her. 

With an polite excuse, she was out of the cafe and way back to her residence. It wasn't like she had not taken a stroll on these lane alone. It felt strange today. 

Was the lane had been quite a long one? Swara wondered. She always felt them to be the shortest earlier, as if her mansion appeared to her sight with few strides when they walked together.

 Oddly, It made her feel so lonely.

And was the nights these days cold as her aunt complaints or was it just today? Her frozen hands were on her arms that ached for warmth. Unlike the recent nights she often termed it as warmest when they hold hands.

It made her feel so cold.

Because he was not beside her - Her conscience screamed the answer she refused to hear. Sanskaar made it all enduring and now that he was not present,

Nothing was the same, anymore. 

But she had to take this walk. Alone.  

~

People always extend condolence to those who become victims of others lies. But how often do we hear the tale from the other side we curse? 

Each time they remember, the truth chokes them by throat and their own lie becomes a cage. A dungeon.

Sanskaar strode on the pathway, guilty eyes fixed over a particular contact in his phone. Swara. He never dreamt of such a day to come; to lie to her. 

The blame sure fell on the circumstances. But Sanskaar held himself liable for what he did. Lying to that one person who gave him nothing but concern and love.

He still had the choice. One confession can bring  her supporting arms around him. One text or call could bring them back normal which was something he could not do. 

Swara treated his joy as her very own and so did the principle followed for the sorrow. However, the situation was not about it. It was beyond sorrow. Beyond every ache. 

It was grave and how could he willingly bring that upon her?  Sanskaar's thumb hovered over her name. The name that was a symbol of his love, admiration and strength for him. And would remain the same forever. 

"Sanskaar?" 

He looked ahead. Surprisingly, It was Aditya Gagodia dressed in a finest suit. But on a local pathway? That was quite a wonder. 

Neither did Aditya knew about the sudden meetup with this boy. Just as that he spotted as he walked down the lane to get his usual coffee from the famous coffee house. 

Once they completed the initial stage of greets, "I promised to treat you one day. You should come." Aditya asked Sanskaar to tag along and only on insistence, he joined him. 

What came to Sanskaar's sight was rather a old coffee shop and not anything fancy. The moment they entered, the entire place had a classic touch and something very different. Very rare to find.

"They make the best coffee." Aditya assured. A hot coffee awaited to be drunk before him and Aditya, he softly sighed each time he took a sip. 

Taking pleasure in simple things, the siblings had that similar resemblance.

He tasted the coffee and he must admit, it was too good, "I should bring Swara here next time." Sanskaar mused, sipping his beverage and felt his muscles relax a bit. 

Aditya paused. We love to share good things we hold dear to us. It is not by compelltion but by choice; for them to also experience such merry things.

This was not the topic he wanted to start. Yet, the curiosity in him had become too high that he words started to spill.

"She claims that you make the best chai though. I don't think she'd come over it any time soon." Aditya took another sip as he gauged the younger boy's expressions, "I've heard so much about you from Swara and Jay." He added. 

"I hope they aren't bad." Sanskaar gave a smile, "They are always full of praises for you-- especially Swara." Sanskaar's hand paused from taking the mug at that emphasis of her name. A sort of alarm blared in his mind,

"Do you like her?"

Sanskaar exhaled sharply. Swara and him had a whole life ahead. They had a whole career to make, a job to settle before they come to this point.

But if time demanded, he didn't want to back off from revealing,

"We hold feelings for each other."  

Aditya expected the boy to deny in fear or rather chicken out. But he seemed unfazed with that serious confession he made, "Are you sure?" 

"We are." When it came about Swara, he never harboured doubts about it. They took so long for this love to bloom and it would be a joke if he was not confident. 

"An honest law member in making." Aditya commented instead, " Good." He took another sip in the means of concealing his smile. 

Sanskaar graced a sad smile at the mention of law. These days, the word felt like a far fetched dream in the haunted life he merely existed. 

"Thank you Sanskaar." That brought back to reality, "You've supported Swara and been with her throughout the painful journey. I am so glad she has someone to lean on both good and bad times."

Gratitude was small. Whatever Sanskaar did was big and he may not realise. His sister was able to survive and fight only because she had such gem of friends around.

"She only needed a hand for a backup. Swara did everything else on her." Pride was evident in Sanskaar's voice as he spoke.

"And after a long time she's happy. Truly." Aditya recollected the past and the last few days. Such a drastic change it was, "I hope it stays with her."

Sanskaar had observed it. Swara became more carefree, more sparkling and more in light. It was refreshing to see her achieve, "She deserves that kind of happiness."

Aditya reached out for the younger boy's hands with an unwavered smile on his lips.

Sanskaar was startled at the sudden touch. Yet, he gave in. An unfamiliar hands now held in his fingers in a protective manner.

"And so do you Sanskaar." Aditya's grasp tightened, "Happiness belongs to all of us. For others it is a place, for some it is a person. And for Swara- it is you."

His eyes darted, "I hope to see you two for a long time." Aditya smiled. The warmest one but Sanskaar could not reciprocate the same sentiments.

How can Swara entrust her happiness upon him? On a person like him to whom happiness never favoured or been with?

He was nothing but a ruin at this point. A ruin that shall become shambles with one strong wind of life.

After years of struggles she had just tasted the fruit of joy. This anguish was his to face; not hers to undergo. Swara just retrieved everything she once lost.

So how could her happiness be etched to a ruin like him?

Only then it dawned on Sanskaar. If her happiness cannot be depended on him, if he cannot let her stake herself on him,

What about love? It was still there. Still the same- pure and strong despite whatever horrible events life threw and drowned him with.

But everything else? It was a diminishing echo.