The Best of Things
(Ragya, Swasan) Fan Fiction Series +16
By Bubble
Chapter 60
Swara was laughing in sheer relief and the brothers shook their heads, thankful for the release in tension. In spite of almost forcing Swara into the water, Sanskaar had been quite worried.
They sat a tea stall nearby. The girls both had their hair open and drying out in the pale sunlight, and they shivered happily, glad to have overcome the ordeal. After the initial dip, Swara had actually had tremendous fun - her fear had indeed flown with the river and they had gambolled in the river for nearly twenty minutes before Ragini and Swara had headed off to the bathrooms to change into dry clothes.
Sanskaar put an arm around Swara and drew her into a buffeting hug. "My brave girl! I'm so proud of you," he said. The tea came, hot and warming, and they sipped gratefully.
But Swara's teeth continued to chatter from the cold and Sanskaar started to fret over it. "This is a temple town and there's no alcohol here but I wish we could give her a small shot of brandy!" he said to Lakshya.
"Sanskaar, don't worry. Just another tea will stop the chattering, isme mein kya hai?" Swara said, reassuringly.
But the chattering wouldn't stop and a strange look of pain crossed Sanskaar's face. Lakshya asked him quietly, "Kya baat hai, bhai?"
Sanskaar shook his head as if shaking off memories. Then he said, "I couldn't get her warm enough to stop her teeth chattering that day."
Lakshya and Ragini both turned pale - they knew which day Sanskaar was talking about. Sanskaar met their eyes and went on, "The doctors had pumped out water from her lungs and they had dressed her wounds, particularly the one on the forehead, but they hadn't changed her out of the wet bridal clothes. When I found her... she was shivering with the cold... I didn't have time to get them to attend to it because the mahurat was approaching... I carried her out of the hospital to drive her back... I turned up the heat in the car... but her teeth wouldn't stop chattering... I felt very helpless!"
Swara felt tears sting her eyes... Sanskaar had been desperate that day, trying to make sure that her life did not fall apart... guilt, remorse, pity, horror, urgency... each emotion had consumed him.
A movement from Lakshya made Swara turn sharply. He had backed his chair a little away from the table and doubled up, as if in pain.
"Lucky!" Sanskaar exclaimed.
A few moments later, Lakshya managed to raise himself and hide his face in his folded arms on the table. His frame was racked with grief. Ragini, sitting next to him, was ashen at his palpable anguish and remorse.
They let him have a little time, looking at each other with stricken eyes.
"Laksh!" said Swara, tentatively, touching his head.
He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up, eyes wet. "I'm sorry, Swara! I'm so so sorry! I should have been there, looking for you... It should have been me... searching for you! I'm sorry! For letting you down, for not being there... for all that trauma!"
"It's okay, Lakshya... it's ok!! You didn't know...!" said Swara, "You weren't to know! You were..."
...misled.
Swara stopped herself from completing the sentence. She must not make Ragini feel worse in an effort to comfort Lakshya! There was no point in going over this again.
She put a hand over his and said urgently, "Dekho, listen to me, we've had an emotional day... but it's all ok now, right? We're all letting the past go... tum bhi jaane do, Laksh! Bhool jao in sab baaton ko!" She held his hand tightly, an appeal in her eyes.
He rubbed his face on his sleeve again and came up with small smile and a nod. Swara smiled back brightly.
She looked around the table and saw three emotional faces around her. "If we continue to make scenes in every place we stop... they're never going to let us come back here! And I need another glass of tea!"
Sanskaar and Lakshya laughed... finally, even Ragini managed a smile. They all felt entitled to a second round of tea.
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