The Best of Things
(Ragya, SwaSan) Fan Fiction Series
By Bubble
Chapter 40
Over the few days that they had the house to themselves, Ragini tried to be much friendlier with Swara, but met with a curious wall of rebuff.
The day before the elders returned, they had had breakfast and Sanskaar and Lakshya were preparing to leave for work, when Ragini said, "Ghamshamji has brought home two kilos of lovely nimboo, Swara - shall we make nimboo-mirchi ka achaar?"
Swara looked up from the plates she was carrying, "Nai, Ragini, mujhe kuch kaam hai... you make it."
Ragini nodded, a little disappointed.
Sanskaar didn't say anything but Swara found Lakshya looking steadily at her.
"What?!" she asked him aggressively. Just because he'd settled matters with Ragini didn't mean everyone had to turn honey sweet towards her!
"Nothing! Gussa kyun ho rahi ho?" said Lakshya, hastily backing off.
***
"You're still hurt at what Ragini did, aren't you?" Sanskaar asked her that evening.
Swara was folding clothes. She looked up at him and then away.
"Yes, I guess," she muttered.
The truth was that this latest incident had broken Swara's hope that Ragini would ever stop manipulating everyone around her to have her own way. This small behind the scenes plotting was nothing in severity compared to some of the other things Ragini had done against Swara... she had drugged her, tried to blacken her name, pushed her off a bridge... but the reason Swara could forgive her was that Ragini had been desperate herself... desperate to have Lakshya and therefore had sought more and more drastic means to achieve that. But this latest assault... why had she done it? Lakshya had accepted her... she was happy, and had every chance to convert that into something good and solid... then why had she targetted Swara again?
She had snatched Swara's love from her, she had vilified her, left her without the support of anyone except Sanskaar, her Maa and Dida. Now, when Swara was inching towards finding her own happiness with a man who had stood staunchly by her throughout her ordeal, why was Ragini so bent on taking that away as well? She had nothing to gain now... so the answer must be... sheer spite. That hurt Swara very badly. Tears rolled down her face, as she smoothed out the kurta she was folding.
"Swara!" Sanskaar instantly concerned... annoyed with himself for raking it up. "Baby, it's ok... you know what she's like..." He took the kurta away and pulled her close. The hurt and grief had caught up with Swara, her shoulders heaving with unhappiness.
"Why does she hate me so much, Sanskaar?" she sobbed into his shoulder, "I can understand trying to get me out of the way before but I'm not standing in her way now... I have left her all that she wanted, why can't she bear to see me happy?"
"Shhh," Sanskaar let her cry it out, soothing her gently...
A little while later, she raised her head from his chest, and he tenderly dabbed her face dry with his handkerchief. "Done?"
"Done!" she nodded.
"It's not that she hates you, Swara, she's insecure... Lakshya doesn't love her and she's afraid it won't take any time at all for him to turn to you if you're around," he said.
"But what can I do about that..." Swara asked, on a note of childish defiance, "I'm married to his brother, and this is my home too! So everyone has to just deal with that!"
Sanskaar laughed. "Exactly! And she will." And then he became a little serious, "But don't shed any more tears on this, darling... I can't bear it, Swara, tum jaanti ho tumhaare aansoo mere dil par tehzaab banke tapakte hain..."
She shook her head and hugged him close.
***
The elders returned home and Annapurna took charge again, happy with the way the daughters-in-law had dealt with the house in her absence.
Later that week, Swara received a call from her father at breakfast. Sharmishta had taken ill again with a viral fever that was rife across Kolkata. Daada and Daadi were away visiting relatives in Jodhpur and Shekhar was at his wit's end trying to cope with his work and a sick wife. Could Swara come and help?
"Haan Baba! Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Of course, main abhi aati hoon. Aap Maa ka khayal rakhiye, I'll be there in a short while."
She turned to Annapurna and explained, who immediately said, "Haan, haan, beta, zaroor jao! In fact, tell Kamla to make a meal, take a carrier from here, so that lunch is taken care of! Give your mother our best wishes."
Swara ran upstairs to put a few things together and Sanskaar went up after her. Lakshya scratched his chin and looked at Ragini who looked back at him - the same thought had struck them both.
+++
Swara came out of her room and Sanskaar brought out a small weekender bag with her things. Lakshya and Ragini were coming up and they met on the landing.
"Swara, we have an idea," Lakshya said.
They turned to look at him. "Instead of you, let Ragini go and look after Maa."
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
