SwaSan SS ~Remember Me~ Updated Epilogue on Page 45 - 04/09 - Page 7

Originally posted by: sneharay

Nice update.. 👍🏼

Originally posted by: Sujayricky

Awesome update 👏
Seriously every updates of this story is giving me goosebumps 😆
Starting with past was awesome
And in present swara attraction towards ananya was lovely
Update soon can't wait for next part

Originally posted by: humblepinky

Nice update..

Originally posted by: Rachana12

Hey

read all the chapters in one go in words marvellous plz do pm me um curious to know the reason behind sanskars cold behaviour towards swara and her relation with ananya

Originally posted by: Nynaeve

Dear Shreetha,

Unres page 9

Nyna

Originally posted by: blindassassin

Hi shreetha

For the past one week I was searching for the story on the forum ,forgot the title so couldn't locate. Today when I saw it thought u have finally updated but now disappointed , please update soon. You have written it beautifully, I loved the dream sequence, waiting for more

Veena.

Originally posted by: sneharay

Update

Hello Friends.. Thank you so much for your support.. Here is the next update and I hope you all like it.. Please share your views and ignore mistakes..

Chapter 5:

Sanskaar Maheshwari's behavior did not change with her even the slightest bit over the next couple of weeks. He was absent most of the time, hardly seen around by any of the family members, and if he ever was nearby"he rarely conversed a single word with her unless absolutely necessary. Swara did not know how to feel about his behavior"insulted or hurt. Nonetheless, she surprisingly found herself not taking his snub too personally, reminding herself of the hardships he has undergone and must still go through. Being a single father and handling such a grand company altogether is no easy task. Sure Sanskaar Maheshwari has his family to look after Ananya, but he too has responsibilities of his own towards his daughter.

Swara took his absences to her full advantage by spending it with Ananya, who she dotted on and received equal adoration as well. Already a month and a half of her stay in Mumbai had gone by and she felt so settled in the lifestyle she has found in the city amongst the particular family. Guilt presided on her whenever she thought of never leaving"the idea of home in Australia never appealing to her...

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Hearing a baby's cry into the night jolted Swara out of her sleep. It took a few seconds for it to sink down that the cries belonged to Ananya, coming from the nursery. She unraveled herself from her blankets and quietly peeped out of her room not to disturb her slumbering sister. Covering herself properly with her nightdress, she hurriedly makes her way across the long hallway, apprehension building in her of what could possibly be wrong with Ananya as she rarely cries this loud that too at night. She stops breathlessly by the nursery door and refrains from entering as she hears hushed voices coming from inside...

Curiously, Swara looks through the crack of the door and watches Sanskaar Maheshwari attempting to soothe his daughter, who is bundled in his arms, and Ragini lingering beside him with a worried look. He makes hushing sounds to ease Ananya's crying and in some moments succeeds as she settles down somewhat, but seems to be clearly irritated.

Ragini: Bhaiya... for how long will you continue on like this? Having to raise a child on your own and handle a time consuming company is not such an easy thing to do"even for you...

Sanskaar Maheshwari continues to cradle Ananya in his arms, in the meanwhile, speaking indifferently to his sister with his eyes resting on his daughter...

Sanskaar: Tum ho na... Maa hai... You all take care of her as well...just like your daughter...

Ragini: But neither one of us can replace the absence of her mother"can we Bhaiya?

Her brother remains silent but wears a frown on his distressed face. A silence exists between them in which Sanskaar Maheshwari stubbornly refuses to answer his sister's question, a question he had no answer to. He hears his sister sigh.

Ragini: Bhaiya... Please listen to me... Ananya needs a mother...

Sanskaar: (intervenes) I am her mother and father... She is fine... We are both just fine... (harshly)

Swara feels shivers as she hears his cold tone and is surprised how his sister is unaffected by this. Perhaps she has become used to it...

Ragini: I agree that you are there for her... We all are here for Ananya... and love her just the same... But that can in no way replace the position of a mother in her life...Every girl needs her mother... Otherwise they will live their life with that void haunting them...

Sanskaar: What do you wish for me to do then? ... Where shall I bring her mother from when she herself is--...

His raised voice begins to trail off and a brief look of pain sweeps across his face as his jaw tightens and features remain firm...

Sanskaar: ... What you want is not possible Ragini... It is not possible for me and Anu... (adds)

Ragini: It can be Bhaiya if you would just try... How long can we deprive Ananya of a mother? ... You must do something about this soon... It is not fair for her to live without a mother to take care of her... to love her... and to support her...

Again another silence prevails in which Ananya drifts into a restless sleep, making soft little sounds during. Sanskaar Maheshwari hugs her close for a long moment and then plants an affectionate kiss on her forehead before gingerly laying her down in the crib. He gazes at her with fond eyes and watches as she sucks on her thumb. He gently runs his hand along her dark hair...

Ragini: Bhaiya... She will not come back unless you do something to make her do so...

He stops in his actions and Swara silently sees his body grow stiff from her words. She anticipates for his reply...

Sanskaar: She will come back to us on her own time...It can possibly take years, but she will eventually return back home... I know she will... (softly)

Comes his answer after a long moment. Slowly he turns around and squarely looks at his sister in the eye.

Sanskaar: Go to sleep Ragini... it is late at night... I am here with her.

Ragini opens her mouth to protest, but rethinks and chooses to remain silent. She nods her head obediently and makes way to leave the room. Swara moves aside, creeping into the shadows of the darkness, and watches Ragini's back disappear down the hall. She quietly glances back into the room and stares as he speaks to his resting daughter in a low whisper...

"She will have to come back Anu... For you and me...for us...There is still hope."

Stepping slowly away from the nursery, Swara lowers her eyes and turns back to the direction of her bedroom, leaving a broken man to his silent agony...

*******************


For the first time after so long, Swara dreamt of something else for a change... a startling, yet pleasant dream. It had come to her as a shock at first, but deep down inside she knew that she yearned for it to come true. She had dreamt that she, Swara, was the mother of Ananya and the wife of Sanskaar Maheshwari, not Kavitha. How perfect of a dream it was. Ananya simply adored Swara, calling for her "Maa" every chance she would get. Swara would smother the baby girl with endless amounts of motherly love, protecting and nurturing her with all her might...And Sanskaar Maheshwari... Sanskaar Maheshwari differed from the one in reality... He actually smiled... that too much more often. He was kind, warm hearted, and completely loving. He too dotted on her just as his daughter had...

Swara blushed to herself from her own silly dream. How impossible the dream was, but oh how much she wanted it. She wanted the little girl to call her mother"she wanted to nurture her, love her, care for her"she wanted all the happiness that came with being a mother. But most of all, she wanted Sanskaar Maheshwari, the man who unknowingly has captured her heart. Strange isn't it where one finds love? She didn't believe that such a thing could happen, her falling in love with a man like him, but it did and it has. If it isn't love, then what is it? This restlessness, this need for attention from him, to want a single glance from him, to please him, the breathlessness she feels when he does look at her, the flutter of her heart when the rare times he smiles. She feels this strong pull whenever he is near.

Slowly but surely she has fallen in love with him. Those secluded moments in which Swara has seen his true self will never fade from her mind, that of the protective father and broken lover. She has seen that Sanskaar Maheshwari does love and that too passionately. But it is from that very love that he has received pain.

She has heard many times from Ragini in private that Sanskaar Maheshwari had been a very happy man before the disappearance of his wife. He was always immersed in the happenings at home, never as isolated as he is now.

"He was always so cheerful... it took a lot to put him in a foul mood... He enjoyed fooling around too whenever he got the chance. Sanskaar Bhaiya used to be so warm loving... But now it is hard to even imagine him as that anymore..."

Swara remembered once asking Ragini, "Do you think Kavitha will ever come back for Ananya and Mr. Maheshwari?" Her best friend remained silent for some time before answering with a sad look, "I don't know Swara... Perhaps she will... But it seems more probable that she won't."

Kavitha is a distant memory that the Maheshwari family is trying to forget and fail to even mention once. It is clear that she is to be remained in the dark, never to be dug up again. She is the past... and Swara wants to become the future...

*******************

Early morning Swara promptly made Ananya's milk and even took the bottle of milk to feed her in the nursery, where she would be. She arrived at the nursery and shyly entered through the half-opened door after noting that Sanskaar Maheshwari was present there as well. Her cheeks tinged with the color pink as his eyes met with hers. He seemed much more handsome this morning, dressed in a black blazer with a dark blue t-shirt underneath, his hair wet from shower and fresh for the new day. Or maybe it was simply due to Swara's discovered feelings that she viewed him in that way. Whatever the case, she stood in front of him with a bustling heart and lowered eyes.

Swara: Good morning Mr. Maheshwari...

Sanskaar: (swiftly) Good morning...

He turns his attention back onto Ananya, who sits on his lap, playing with her father's pen and chewing lightly on the top. On seeing this, Sanskaar pries it away from her, tucking it neatly back into his pocket. He looks back up, noting that Swara is still stuck in her place.

Sanskaar: You may come in... you do not have to wait outside the door...

Swara slowly enters in and walks up to him near the crib. She hands over the bottle with a shy smile. Sanskaar stares at the bottle in her hand for a moment before gathering Ananya in his arms and standing up from his seat. He surprises Swara as he places the eager child into her arms.

Sanskaar: You may feed her... as it is, I am running late this morning so do not have time.

Swara: Ji...

Sanskaar gives Ananya an affectionate pat on the cheek and a last look to Swara before walking over to the door. Just as he reaches it, he halts in his steps as he hears a sweet voice shyly hold him back...

"Mr. Maheshwari..." Sanskaar looks over his shoulder and at Swara who meets his gaze with kind eyes.

Swara: When will you come back?

Sanskaar raises a brow out of query from her question and Swara blushes from this. She quickly speaks to explain herself...

Swara: It's... It's just that...We all planned that this evening we will go see a movie... Even Laksh bhaiya... (adding softly)

Sanskaar Maheshwari continues to seem indifferent, standing there looking at her with blank eyes. Swara fumbles with her next words and asks sheepishly...

Swara: You... you will come, right?

Sanskaar: I don't watch movies.

He replies curtly and adamantly that Swara finds no response to his steel behavior. But seeing him move to leave once more, Swara opens her mouth to speak anything to keep him back...

Swara: (hastily) Then we can do something else...if you want...

Sanskaar looks at her with his set jaw and stone-like face.

Sanskaar: No thank you... You all can carry on though... There will be no need to wait for me...

Sanskaar answers briskly, looking at her with his blazing eyes, which silence Swara and causing her to nod her head understandingly.

Swara: Ji...

Comes her soft reply. She lowers her eyes to the ground, disappointed with his distant behavior, and glances back up only to find no one at the door...

*****************

After lunch Swara left to the nursery where she picked Ananya from her play pin and placed her onto her bed where she laid down beside her, playing lovingly with her. Ananya takes interest to Swara's dupatta and waves it around excitedly causing Swara to giggle at the joy the young girl takes from a piece of fabric compared to the hundreds of toys she has for herself in the nursery. Swara gives her a sound kiss and nuzzles her nose. She lies down onto her back and lets out a sigh while Ananya distracts herself with the other toys around her which Swara had taken with her, in the meanwhile, still firmly holding onto the dupatta.

Swara: Anu... Tumhara Papa bhi nah... Ek number ka khadoos hai... Sirf kaam ke bhaare mein sochte hai... apne bhaare mein kabhi nahi... After all one should loosen up at times and have fun, isn't it?

Ananya simply gives a gurgling sound which Swara takes as an agreement to her question. She smiles at the child and takes her into her arms.

Swara: But you know Anu... no matter how much I complain about your father... It will not change what I feel for him...yes, despite his flaws I see a wonderful man... You are lucky to have him as your papa...

Ananya smiles impishly at Swara while giggling. Swara hugs her close and places her on her lap while caressing her hair...

Swara: Tum hi to ho...Jiske saath main yeh sab kehsakti hoon... you will keep my secret...

The infant continues to make little bubbling sounds as she plays with her soft toys, dragging Swara's chunni along with her hand movements. Swara holds her close against her bosom, cherishing the feel of the little girl in her arms and the possibilities that the near future holds for her...

******************

Respecting Sanskaar's wish, everyone carried out their plan for their evening, even having decided which movie they wished to see. Swara, however, was not in the mood to go any longer. She made a lame excuse of not feeling well and requested to stay home. Annapurna offered to stay as well, not wanting for Swara to be alone despite the many servants that would be home with her, but Swara managed to encourage her to join the others. As they left, Swara found herself bored, but knew she would feel out of place if she had gone as well. The thought of Sanskaar Maheshwari working away while the rest of them had fun did not appeal to her so much, it felt unfair.

Near nightfall, Swara began in making dinner in spite of the cook's protests. She knew that everyone would eat out after the movie so did not bother in preparing dinner for a huge crowd. She, however, knew that a certain someone would be on his way home any time soon, famished from a long day at work. After preparing the meal, Swara instructed Ramu kaka to inform her once Sanskaar sir arrived so she could serve him herself. To waste time, Swara headed to the nursery to spend quality time with Ananya after dismissing the nanny to go home. She carried her to her room as usual and placed her on the bed as earlier in the day. Ananya seemed to enjoy whenever Swara came to take her, always eager to go along and never once protesting. She has a similar fascination with herself as she does with her.

In the midst of watching Ananya, Swara time to time would glance at the clock, wondering when Sanskaar would be home. She already knew that the others would be arriving late, but he can't possibly still be wrapped up in work at this hour"it's not healthy.

Swara did not realize that during spending time with Ananya and waiting for Sanskaar that she slowly drifted into a deep slumber...

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Thank you,

Shreetha..