In this story, Swara and Ragini are staying together in an apartment in Mumbai, while their family is in Udaipur. They work in different companies. Characters in this story will be introduced as the story progresses.
Now, let's move on to the story
It was evening. Swara Gadodia entered her apartment bedroom and lay down on her bed, feeling so exhausted. The day at her office was a tiresome one and she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Soon she slipped into a dream.
She was sitting by the side of a beautiful pond full of lotus flowers. She didn't see someone approaching her from behind and then she could feel someone's palms on her eyes. She smiled and turned around after removing the hands from her face, only to face the most handsome man in her world. She cried happily "Sanskaar" and hugged him tightly.
Suddenly she sat up bolt upright and tried to visualize the dream again in her mind's eye. It has been a long while since she had actually seen him. Four years to be precise. As though remembering something she got up and flipped open her laptop. She desperately searched through her old folders and found the one which she was looking for. The folder named Payal's wedding. She opened it and browsed through its contents. Finally she got the picture she was looking for - The one with a handsome man who was standing with her best friend Payal, who was clad in bridal attire. The mere sight of him made her feel a jolt in her stomach and the same old feeling of fatal attraction engulfed her being. Just then the doorbell rang through her senses and she dragged herself to reality .She closed her laptop ran along to open the door. She knew it was her sister, Ragini, who was also her roommate.
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Ragini and Swara were having their dinner and Ragini could guess by now that something was wrong with her otherwise talkative sister Swara , who had been extremely silent since she met her that evening.
Ra: Swara, tum teek toh ho..?
Sw: (suddenly looking up from her food) M-m-main teek hoon..M-m-mujhe kya hoga..?
Ra: Dekho jhoot mat bolo haan Swara..Main tumhe ache se jaanti hoon..Jab se main aayi hoon tum kitni silent ho..
Sw: (slowly) Hmm..Sach kahoon toh main kisi ke baare mein soch rahi thi..
Ra: Acha..Kaun?
Sw:(nervously)Woh..Sanskaar..Sanskaar Maheshwari
Ra: Kaun?? Woh kaun hain..?
Swara then started to narrate the story to Ragini
############### FLASH BACK##############
Jaipur
4 years ago, on the eve of Payal's wedding day
Swara was looking gorgeous in a traditional lehanga choli and she was walking quickly along a crowded corridor so as to reach her friend Payal's room. She had been Swara's best friend during their college days. She needed to be with her friend, to help her get ready for her wedding eve. She wasn't paying attention to someone who was walking towards her, a man who was walking with greatest difficulty only because he was extremely drunk.
She walked right into him, he fell backwards trying to hold upon Swara who also fell down only to be landed right on top of him. What she saw in front of her eyes was the most handsome person she had ever met in her entire life. She suddenly got a shock when a shout issued from his mouth.
Man: GET UP!!! I said GET UP!!
She immediately got up and tried to help him up seeing that he was struggling to get on his feet.
Man: (shouts) STAY AWAY FROM ME.
Finally he got up and staggered away muttering things like "I don't need anyone" ..."Mujhe..koi nahin chahiye".
Several people stood watching the scene.
One lady: Peekar aaya hain shayad
Another lady: Ram Prasad Maheshwari ji ka beta hain. Dulhan ka bhai.
Swara who still stood watching the drunken person's back, was shocked to hear this. She thought ' Payal ka bhai..!!'..She didn't waste much time after that and hurried along to reach Payal's room which was at the farther end of the corridor.
While Swara was helping Payal to get ready she casually started asking the thing which was troubling her.
Sw: Acha Payal ..Main tumhare bhaiyya se mili thi thode der pehle corridor main..(and uncertainly added)..Bahut drunk the shaayad..(watching Payal nervously)
Pa:(stopped smiling) Sanskaar bhaiyya honge..Woh aise hi hain.. Do saal pehle unki girl friend, Kavita ki maut huyi thi na..Tab se woh aise hi hain..
Sw: Acha..(Feeling so shocked)
That night, Swara couldn't sleep at all. She couldn't stop thinking about Sanskaar. She felt terribly bad, thinking about the ways with which fate could play ridiculous games in our life. She had searched for him all among the crowd during the evening function but couln't find him anywhere. What she couldn't understand was that, why she was so desperate to see him again.
Next day was the wedding day and Swara looked stunning in a blue sari and was escorting the bride, Payal who too looked extremely beautiful in her bridal attire. As they were walking down the staircase Payal exclaimed happilly,"Bhaiyya!!". Swara too was surprised to see Sanskaar Maheshwari in a whole new avtar. He stood at the bottom of the stairs wearing a blue colour Sherwani, his face was cleanly shaven and he was even smiling pleasantly at Payal. She just couldn't take her eyes off him. She watched as Payal happily hugged her brother as soon as they reached downstairs.
Pa:(pulling off from the hug) Bhaiyyaaa...You are looking so handsome. I am happy to see you like this.
'Handsome?!',Swara thought,' was an understatement'. According to her he was looking ravishingly hot and she felt a strange urge to hug him and kiss him at that very moment. Somehow she shook off such feelings and tried to look casual.
Sanskaar didn't reply and he just smiled at Payal. He took hold of her shoulders and slowly led her to the Mandap as Swara and the others who were earlier escorting the bride, followed. All through the wedding ceremony she was busy staring at Sanskaar and was only half aware of what was going around her. However she had remembered to capture one picture of his, in her digital camera, when he was posing for a photograph with Payal.
Though Payal had gone to U.S after her marriage, Swara and Payal always kept in touch with each other.
############END OF FLASH BACK#############
Ragini sat on Swara's bed looking at the same picture in the laptop as Swara finished telling her the story and about the dream which she had had earlier in the evening.
Ra: Swara, He is really handsome.
Sw: (sadly got up and went to the window and looked out)Mujhe pata hain Ragini. Par main kya karti. Us din main unse teek se baat bhi nahin kar payi.
Ra: (shaking her head) Aur tum aaj bhi pachthaa rahi ho..
Swara didn't reply for this. Ragini also got up and walked up to Swara and stood behind her gently holding her shoulders.
Ra: Dekho Swara. Chaar saal beet gaye aur tum ab tak usse bhool nahin paayi. Iska matlab ye hi hua naa ki tum donon ke beech mein kuch connection hain
Swara happily turned around to face Ragini.
Sw: SACH!!??..Tum bhi aise sochti ho..?Mujhe toh laga ki main ek budhoo hoon jo itni silly silly baaton mein believe karti hain.
Swara hugged Ragini happily...
*******************
It was a beautiful Sunday. Swara and Ragini had spent the whole morning and afternoon by shopping. Finally they got tired and decided to have a break. They came over to the beach, which was full of people and sat down on the sand, relishing the sea breeze and the gentle rays of the setting sun. Swara always loved to watch the sun set. Suddenly something soft hit the back of her head and she was surprised to find a big soft ball, which landed on her lap. She turned and looked around to find where it came from. A small girl came running playfully towards her from among the crowd.
Girl: Aunty Aunty..Please, ball de do..
Sw: (keeping the ball away from the girl) Teek hain..Main yeh ball tabhi doongi, jab aap apna naam bataa denge..
Girl:(sweetly) Mera naam Suhani hain...Ab ball do naa..
Sw: (smiling)Ok Suhani..Yeh lo ball (gives the ball to Suhani)
Su:Thank you Aunty..Bye..
Swara happily watched the girl run away and turned to talk to Ragini who was sitting right next to her.
Sw:Cute girl..Hain na, Ragini?
Ra:Haan Swara..tumhe bache bahut pasand hain na..
Sw:Of course I do..Acha, icecream khaye..?
Ra: (smiles) Teek hain, uss aadmi se khareedte hain...(indicating an ice cream vendor a short distance away)
Meanwhile, a short distance away, unseen by Swara and Ragini, Suhani was playing with the ball and a man was watching her play, walking alongside with her. Even though he was watching Suhani, his mind was full of one question. "Maine uss ladki ko kahaan dekha tha?".
{{ Some minutes ago, when Suhani's ball had hit that girl's head and she ran after it, he had followed her to ensure that Suhani was safe and he could only just see a glimpse of that girl's face when she turned around to see where the ball had came from. After that he could only see the back of her head as she was talking with Suhani. And as he stood there watching Suhani talking with that girl, Suhani got her ball and came running back to him and yet again he saw the girl's face as she turned to look at Suhani running away from her. It was then that he saw her face clearly and a thought struck him "Haven't I seen her before?". And then she again turned away from him and Suhani dragged him away tugging at his hand.}}
He decided to ask Suhani. He went and knelt down beside the small girl and took hold of her arms and turned her gently to face him.
Man: Suhani, Tum uss ladki ko jaanti ho?
Su: Aap kiski baat kar rahe hain?
Man:(impatiently, yet lovingly)Uss ladkiii..Jinse tumne ball lee thi..Abhi thodi der pehle..
Su: Acha woh..Main nahin jaanti(sweetly)
Man: Par tum uss se aise baat jar rahi thi jaise tum usse pehle se jaanti ho.
Su: Unhone mera naam poocha..maine bataa di..bas..
Man: Acha..Tumne uska naam poccha..?
Su:(impatiently)Nahin toh..Par aap humse yeh sab kyun pooch rahe hain..?
He stood up and said moreover to himself than to the little girl, "Hmm..Kyun ki mujhe lagta hain, ki maine usse kahin dekha hain.."
**********************************************
Many days passed and one evening Swara was relaxing in her bed after dinner. Ragini was in the bathroom having a quick shower when Ragini's cell phone began to ring. Swara got up and walked up to Ragini's bedside table and saw the name flashing on the phone's screen - "Lakshya calling"
Sw: Lakshya..Ab yeh kaun hain..? Ragini ne iske baare mein kabhi kuch nahin bataayi..
She went to the bathroom and knocked the door..
Sw:Ragini..Call for you..Koi Lakshya hain..Main phone uthaake kahoon ke tum kuchh der baad usse phone karogi..?
Ra:(from inside the bathroom) Nahin nahin Swara..Main bas aa hi rahi hoon..
And saying so, Ragini opened the bathroom door quickly and picked up the call.
Ra:Hiii Lakshya(blushing slightly)
And to Swara's surprise she suddenly went out of the room talking to Lakshya over the phone. Swara wondered what was up with her sister and decided to wait till she came back after sometime diconnecting the call. Ragini came back and sat down on her bed. Swara went up to her and hugged her.
Sw: (naughtily)Kaun tha woh..? Tum usse pasand karti ho na..Tumhare chehre pe saaf likha hain..
Ra:(blushing) Lakshya mere colleague hain..Humare office mein join kiye huye sirf ek hi hafta hua hain ..Issi liye tumse unke baare mein kuch batane ki samay nahin mila..Mujhe laga tha ke humare beech kuch connection hain, par main sure nahin thi mere feelings ke baare mein..Aaj unke saath mujhe ek work assignment mila, aur unke saath zyaada baatcheeth karne ko mila..(blushes and holds Swara's both hands)..Aur aaj main samajh gayi ki main unhe kitni chaahne lagi hoon..Aur mujhe yeh bhi lagne laga ki woh bhi mujhe pasand karte hain..(then excitedly) Aur tumhe pata hain Swara, unhone abhi kya poocha phone pe.. he ask me out for a date. Kal Sunday hain na..Kal subah se shaam tak, sirf main aur woh ghoomne chalenge..Main kyaa jawaab doon?
Ragini nervously awaited her sisters answer. Swara was amazed to see the happiness and excitement which was coursing through her shy and introvert sister's face. After a moment of thought, Swara answered.
Sw:Sunday means day after tomorrow..You should go, Ragini..Agar tumhe lagta hain ki Lakshya accha ladka hain toh..
Ra: Haan Swara..(laughed merrily) Woh bahut achhe hain..I trust him..
Sw: Ok Ragini..Usse haan bolo..Main tumhari saath hoon..(hugs her lovingly)
**************************************
It was Sunday evening, and Swara really started missing Ragini by now, who had gone out with Lakshya in the morning itself. She had spent the whole morning and afternoon all alone and now she decided to go out and enjoy some evening sunshine. She put on her new orange color kurti which suited her perfectly, along with a nice pair of jeans. She left her hair open and put on a cute pair of ear rings and she came out of her apartment looking really pretty.
She took a rickshaw to the beach which was her favorite hangout place. She reached there soon and went and sat down on the sand. As she gazed at the setting sun, she realized that it was high time she too had someone special in her life. Now, even Ragini had found herself a boyfriend. She closed her eyes and Sanskaar's smiling face swam into her mind's vision. A miserable smile appeared on her lips and she thought "Where are you Sanskaar? Won't I ever meet you again?". A small tear drop formed in the corner of her eye. Suddenly, she felt something hit the back of her head and she opened her eyes surprised at the sudden blow. She then found a ball lying in her lap and was delighted to realize that this was the same ball which had landed in her lap a few weeks ago. "Excuse me..could you please pass the ball.." This time it was not the voice of Suhani. She looked up at the direction of the voice and couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked away the tears in her eyes, just to make sure she was actually seeing what she saw. Yes, the man was Sanskaar himself..
Sanskaar Maheshwari!!
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End of Part one😊