"Bhabhi Saa, shall I help you rearrange your hair? Just so that you look less ermmm delightfully rumpled?" - That was the best (there are more but my foolish mind and blissful heart love this and wholeheartedly agree with Sanskaar - she could look even more delightfully rumpled; if the sense of propriety had not reared its ugly head 😉).
😆😆- I just felt that her naughty teasing sister in law to be would voice such a thought! She is after all Sanskaar's sister!
How did Pawan manage to keep a straight face - but it was not for long, how could he resist the mighty General Sanskaar treasuring Swara's ivory combs and pins? And the mighty General is quite dense in truly identifying women's emotions, he did not realise Swara loved him till she literally screamed it in his face and he cannot see Uttara falling for Pawan (I am sure he will give both his blessing and a significant payback for all the teasing he has and would endure till that day).
Pawan avoided looking at Swara but eventually couldn't of course let his friend and general off the hook so easily 😆 Yes how the mighty are fallen- collecting pins now after having done all other sorts of blissful follies previously 😉. Sanskaar doesn't see Swara's love before now as he dared not and as for Uttara- he is totally clueless and as a brother best he remains so for now 😉😆. As to how Sanskaar will react, again I have some surprises planned there but that is another story for another day 😃
Sujatha's declaration - was as you said unexpected and individualistic as she is - but it was what I sort of expected (I did mention that Sujatha's opposition to Swara was more because she felt she had to rather any deep feelings for the same). But an open statement was very welcome. Here's hoping that she does not do a volte-face in future.
Yes you did say that about Sujata and she did voice in her usual rather crass but honest manner what she was thinking/ feeling. As to about faces- in DK anyone save SwaSan can pull that stunt so cannot say!
Ending of Part 1 - Why do I have a feeling that you wrote as you did so that the most easily achieved logical assumption would be Ragini but is not? Ragini did scheme to have Swara removed from her path to marry Lakshya but not to stop her marriage with Sanskaar. So it must be someone else. Someone else who has had a very very long time to nurse their hatred but who is also aware of quite a few facts / secrets which she is sure of disrupting Swara's marriage to Sanskaar. There was a niggling doubt it could be Kavita but then she would have to be at the Palace - not possible - she could not stay hidden for long. Kaveri - no way (does not have a ''husband') and that leaves Janaki and Annapurna (Sujatha, in my opinion, does not have a personal hatred towards Swara even if we pretend that she did not mean a word she uttered at the feast and Sharmishta should have no plausible reason to hate Swara), Annapurna again does not have an apparent reason to hate Swara which means it could be Janaki - all this thinking worries me. [I wrote this at a stretch and re-reading it - makes me confused - but am leaving it, if it make any sense to you, do let me know😕😕].
See the Ragini thing- you may be right or I may have deliberately thrown it in like that to raise this very sort of doubt 😉 And one thing I would disagree with- Ragini originally plotted to keep Swara away from Lakshya as she never imagined she would ever be back with hero Sanskaar and he would want her as wife. So Ragini would have a HUGE problem if Swara married Sanskaar- that put her right under her nose and Lakshya's and in a more powerful position than Ragini herself. I like the deductions about KavKav- they are not at the Palace as 29 has revealed already! Aha- very interesting theories - some others have wondered Janaki recently but you have very intriguingly not written off Annapurna as most seem to have entirely written her off. Just because someone's motive isn't immediately obvious it doesn't mean it's not there 😉
Finally, the day for the men to be leaving for the battle draws nigh - and Swara is taken over by a foreboding, which considering part 3 was well placed. The exchange of the protective talismans, actually they truly did not need any 'external' talismans, their love is enough but was symbolic and a reiteration of their love for each other especially when Sanskaar says "it is a black stone, now on gold. I will replace it with a "Mangalsutra" but until then it is a sign that we are wed in our hearts anyway, my love. Wear this and stay safe for me. I think I must go now but I will see you in the morning before we set off." It is a promise that he would be back for her and a request that she stay safe for him. (Slightly ominous😲). And they again spend the night together - and despite their newly admitted love for each other - was of secure promises and faith in their future together.
What can I say about the observations about the talismans and especially Sanskaar's words and Swara's instincts? Astute as ever 😉 They move towards dangerous times so
And then, disaster strikes and Kavita makes her reappearance! Her death was suspicious and her mother is devious, so her being alive is not so surprising, though her 'demands' are - though she does appear to slightly contradict herself - "she would never mention this again if Sanskaar didn't want her, but she felt she couldn't give up on their love now that she knew what awaited her without seeing what he wanted too. If he didn't accept her, she would never blame him but she wouldn't live either, as she didn't think she could bear the life that she was to be thrust into unless he could retrieve her from it. She also felt terrible asking for another woman's relation to be broken because of her, but she hoped that like hers did to him, Sanskaar's heart still also belonged only to her."
And yes, Kavita had to be dealt with and her death was indeed suspicious- I needed to lay all this to rest and so it comes to this. Remember what she asks for is what she voices to Sanskaar. You will see her motives and motivations and even her desires and any shading of her character in 29 and then more of this should make sense! 😊
and also "If Sanskaar told her that he wanted her back, she would send him another message to meet her somehow and she hoped that he could then help her escape her mother's clutches but before she made any further plans, she felt she had to know what his intentions were."
Well, I get a tiny hope that she is sort of prepared to lose Sanskaar to Swara but hopes that he might rescue her from her mother's clutches as she says that she would rather die than belong to another man and just might not morph into an evil scheming maid on the lines of Kaveri and Ragini and that mysterious letter writer-who-is-not-named.😡😡
As above 😃
Sanskaar's letter cleared up any doubts either Pawan or the reader could have, clear and to the point, especially when he makes it clear that he loves Swara and has moved on from Kavita.
That was the whole aim of this- to show how differently Sanskaar reacted compared to what most people's fears would have been. There was NO doubt in him that it will always be Swara that is his choice no matter what. Whether Swara will know this or not is a different matter of course.
But I am again a trifle worried - if this letter is indeed from Kavita and she is aware that Sanskaar has left for battle leaving Swara alone... On the other hand, if this is a letter written by the mysterious writer who knows that Swara is alone and of Sanskaar's intentions towards Kavita, could she not manipulate the situation with Swara. Sanskaar and Pawan had an inkling too, they did draw up an amended plan of action - would it be enough. Guess Swara does need all the protection she can get!
Very interesting and acute possibility again drawn 👏👏. Yes those scenarios are both entirely likely and probable, especially about manipulating Swara- are you thinking of swapped letters? Sanskaar and Pawan have some plan- we shall see what and whether it is effective enough!
Chapter 29 - please...
Done! 😃
