SwaSan SS ~Mere Ajnabee~ Updated Last Chapter on Page 38 on 13/10 - Page 3

Originally posted by: ria.april18

Nice update...loved the stark contrast between the two worlds of swara and sanskar...now waiting for their two different worlds to meet..update ASAP...😳

Originally posted by: sneharay

Nice Update 👍🏼

Originally posted by: humblepinky

Update soon..

Originally posted by: Kaveetha

Dear shreetha,

Another one from you.. 😳

This is a really nice story dear. Very interesting.

Like to read more. So update soon dear. 😃

Hello Friends.. Thank you so much for your support.. Here is the next installment of this story.. I hope you like it.. Please do let me know your views and ignore mistakes..

Chapter 2:

Sanskaar awkwardly lets his mother's friend, embrace him into a warm affectionate hug. As he nervously lets out a chuckle and murmur to her that he is just as pleased to meet her, he looks behind Sharmishta's shoulder and spots two figures lurking behind...a man and a girl. Before he has time to even take their appearances in, his Sharmishta Aunty takes his face into her hands, drawing his attention back onto her, and pinches his cheeks.

Sharmishta: You are much cuter than I had imagined! Oh your mother is such a tease in not sending me a picture of you beforehand! But I must say, it was fun thinking of how you would look like! (Cheekily confesses)

Sanskaar manages to smile politely back at her. His taxi driver is kind enough to drop off his luggage at the front door, intruding in on Sharmishta's welcoming way of introducing herself. Sharmishta takes notice to the driver then to his suitcase, her hospitality finally kicks in.

Sharmishta: Oh, how rude of me! Please, come in. It's cold outside!

Sanskaar: Thank you... (relieved)

Without warning Sharmishta strips him from his jacket and hangs it onto the coat rack nearby. Regaining himself from the unexpected action, he takes the time to let his eyes wander around the small lovely home. He contains a laughing grin as he sees everything decked in the festivity for Christmas which is more than three weeks away. His mother, he is sure, must have told them about his conversion to Christianity.

Sharmishta: I hope you don't find the house too small... I know that it's not what you're used to back in your home in America.

Startled out of his thoughts, Sanskaar looks over to Sharmishta, who seems a little apprehensive about his views on their house. Honestly, he hadn't been degrading their home or comparing it to his in any way. In fact, he finds the Gadodia residence quite homey-looking and nice.

Sanskaar: Not at all Aunty... It's just great.

Sharmishta flashes him a pleased smile. She takes his arm into her hands, steering him into the depths of her home. Again Sanskaar's eyes focus back over to where he had taken notice to the two figures from before, but now see only the man who looks at him grimly with his arms folded across his chest.

Sharmishta: Shekar... Darling, don't just stand there. Get our guest's luggage and put them into his room.

Disgruntled by this, Shekar straightens from his posture and grumpily comes forth to set to the task. That is until Sanskaar stops him from lowering and picking his suitcase into his hands.

Sanskaar: I've got it Uncle... you don't have to worry.

Without a word Shekar merely gives him a look before treading off into the safety of the family room across the hall. Sanskaar gives Sharmishta a curious look from this.

Sharmishta: (nervously) Don't mind him beta... He is just a little upset. We do have three daughters as you know.

Actually he didn't have a clue. He hadn't heard that Kavitha had any siblings. But how delightful...The father already thinks of him as a pervert...His four weeks living in this house will just be dandy.

The shuffling of feet storming down the stairs right by diverts Sanskaar's attention onto a bright looking young girl, adorably cute in a Santa hat and candy canes strapped firmly in her fingers. She approaches him and dots at him with her wide eyes through her thin rimmed glasses.

Uttara: Hi Sanskaar! I've been looking very forward in meeting you!

Sharmishta: Uttara, do not address him by his name. He is much older than you. Be respectful. Call him bhaiya.

Uttara: Mom, I would do that if he wasn't so handsome, but he is and I am not favorable to the idea of making him related to me.

Uttara Gadodia, by the way, is the most outspoken out of the Gadodia girls and one Shekar and Sharmishta try their best to tame but to no success.

Sharmishta seems like she will die from embarrassment whereas Sanskaar just wants to burst out laughing, not knowing whether he should feel flattered from her blunt comment or amused. He may just even like this chit of a girl, he muses to himself. He can tell right away that she is the little party animal out of Sharmishta's daughters. He returns Uttara's sly smile after she winks at him.

Sharmishta: I'm sorry Sanskaar beta, please excuse my daughter. This is Uttara by the way...My youngest.

Sanskaar: It's nice to meet you Uttara... (Courteously)

Uttara: (chirpily) Likewise... Candy cane?

She offers willingly, startling Sanskaar for a second as she shoves it into his view. He politely smiles it off.

Sanskaar: No thank you...

Uttara: But I thought you Americans were crazy about your candy canes? (Honestly looking confused)

Sanskaar: (grinning a little) I guess I'm the odd ball then...

Uttara: Suit yourself...More for me then... (shrugging)

Sharmishta: (curiously) Uttara, where is your sister? She hasn't come yet to see Sanskaar...

Sanskaar listens intently, wondering whether she is speaking about Kavitha or not. Uttara cheekily gives her mother an answer along with a reply, spoken in a hinting tone.

Uttara: Swara Di has a headache so she's sleeping it off.

Sharmishta looks clearly displeased by this, along with seeming a little infuriated. Sanskaar is unable to understand what is going on and feels like there is something amiss. He watches as Sharmishta composes herself together and smiles in his direction.

Sharmishta: Swara... my second oldest... (Informative)

Sanskaar nods his head, taking this information in. Kavitha, Swara, and Uttara... The Gadodias' three daughters...One down...Two more to go...

Sharmishta: (adding on apologetically) Kavitha, my oldest, isn't here at present. She has gone on a small vacation with her friends in Dubai. She will be back just a week before you return to America.

Okay, scratch that. Hold off on one of the sisters for a little awhile...Just one more to go.

Sanskaar: She's not here?

Sharmishta: Yes. You will meet her later on. (Saying even more regretfully than before) I'm sorry for not informing you about that before. It was sudden.

Sanskaar: (politely) No... That's fine. I'll see her when I can.

She'll be back a week before he leaves. He felt like laughing at the stupidity of this whole trip. Why had he come if he was only going to get to know her for only a week and then come to a decision based on that if she is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with? Oh well, at least he doesn't have to go into a full fledge confrontation with her right now, something he had been dreading the moment he had agreed to his mother.

Sharmishta seems a little relaxed as well, glad to know he is "understanding" of the situation. She leads him on in where she tries her best in settling him into their home. For the rest of the day he received Sharmishta's, Uttara's, and somewhat of Shekar's company. Especially Uttara who made him feel at ease knowing that he has someone that he can get along with during his stay. It was the absence of the other sister that secretly irked him though. For how long does a person need to sleep off a headache?...

***********


Swara stubbornly remained in her room despite her mother's angry demands that she immediately introduce herself to their guest. Her mother was "gracious" enough to come drop by her door in between devoting her time to Sanskaar. It was after her father warned Sharmishta off that her mother stopped harassing her.

She lies on her stomach in bed while ducking her head into her folded arms and letting her mind wander into her own inner thoughts. She had been genuinely surprised on seeing Annapurna Aunty's son. He didn't match up to anything she had imagined him to be. In fact, he was far better looking than the horrid prejudice depictions she had made of him...Far better.

He fits the description of lean tall and handsome to the tee. A gallant height of 6'1"...with a head full of thick jet black hair, nicely cut for his face structure... dark molten chocolate eyes...overlapped with long eyelashes and finely shaped dark eyebrows... a chiseled like nose...strong jaw line...rugged features...enticing light skin...and a well fit physique of a body which defines masculinity. Hot warmth gushed into her instantly by his sight and she felt her former pride and confidence being stripped from her in a flash. Surprisingly intimidated by his presence, she had stealthily slipped away to the refuge of her room. She didn't want to do anything with the spoilt American brat, she reminded herself.

Swara springs up from her mattress as her cell rings and she sees her sister's name flash across the screen. She hurriedly picks it up to answer.

Swara: Hi Di, how's Dubai?!

Her sister involves her into a very lengthy conversation about all the wonderful things of the city and wishing that she could stay forever.

Swara: Well it's nice to know that someone is having fun...

Kavitha: Oh haan, I forgot... How's things back at home? My husband-to-be is coming today isn't he? (giggling at her own joke)

Swara: Di, don't even joke about that. At this rate, he may even live with us and become a ghar jaamaye.

Kavitha: What do you mean by that?

Swara: He came this morning. And all I have ever heard since then is Maa and Uttara laughing their little behinds off and gushing over him. I think they really like him, especially Maa.

Kavitha: You don't?

Swara: Well I... (hesitant)...

Kavitha: Come on yaar, tell your sis the details. What is he like? How does he look?

Swara: (sheepishly admitting) Well... I don't really know anything about him considering that I haven't even personally introduced myself yet to him.

Kavitha: (slightly gasps) Swara, you haven't even met him yet? Then what have you been doing since he's been here?

Swara: Hiding in my room... (meekly)

Kavitha: Is he that bad that you are letting a stranger make you hide in your own house?

Swara: Di... I don't know... I just don't feel like meeting him yet. I'm still heated up right now that we had to go out of our way to make him feel welcomed and meet up to his American standards.

Kavitha: I don't know Swara... if Uttara seems to like him then he can't be as bad as you make him sound.

Swara: You know perfectly as well as I do that Uttara loves everyone.

Kavitha: (agreeing) That's true... So you don't even know how he looks like at all?

Swara: (growing slightly shy) Well... no... I do. I caught a glimpse of him before.

Kavitha: So, how does he look? (casually)

Swara: He's... decent... He's not as bad looking as I thought him to be. (admitting, embarrassed)

Kavitha: Haila... Swara Gadodia... are you getting shy on me? That too because of a stranger?

Swara: No, I'm not... (defensive)

Kavitha: Yes you are... Oh, now you really have to tell me all about how he looks like. I mean, if he's making you all shy, he's got to be damn good looking, no?

Swara: (silent) ...

Kavitha: (giggling) Accha Swara, how about we do this. How about you marry him instead and we'll all be happy. You, me, Uttara, Papa, and especially Maa. (pulling her leg)

Swara: (blushing) Dddiii!

Kavitha: Think about it! It makes sense you know. (continuing to mock her)

Swara: No it doesn't... because I'm not going to marry some ajnabee. Besides, he's here for you, not me. Remember?

Kavitha: Arre, nothing's been finalized. And nothing's going to be, remember? (imitating her) Because I won't let it be. I'm not going to be married off to some American stranger either.

Swara: Come sister...you are in trying to throw me under the bus to save yourself.

Kavitha: Oh pish posh... I know you like him. Don't deny it. Marrying him won't seem so bad after a while to you. By the way, you'll make me your maid of honor, won't you? I'm assuming you will have a Christian wedding considering that he is Christian?

Swara cuts off in the middle of her sister's laughter, not able to stand her teasing anymore...

***********

It was at one in the morning when Swara finally gave into her stomach's grumbling. She purposely avoided dinner. She knew the reason why, she just didn't know why she was choosing to do so. What was it that made her distance herself away? She has no clue.

Creeping out of her room and tiptoeing downstairs, behaving as quiet as a mouse, Swara makes her way over to the kitchen to satisfy her paining hunger. She opens the fridge to check the leftovers from dinner and makes a face at the meal her mother had chosen to make. She scratches the leftover idea out and instead decides to settle on some ice cream. You can never go wrong in that. She stands on her toes as she opens the cupboards and reaches for a bowl. After withdrawing a spoon from one of the drawers, she turns to walk over to the fridge, but stills in her spot on seeing someone standing before her in the dim darkness and screams as she drops her spoon, that makes a clatter sound against the kitchen floor. Her screaming

becomes muffled as the person's hand clasps her mouth to silence her...

***********

Sanskaar had woken up with a desire to quench his growing thirst. Since he is alienated in the guest room which is on the ground floor, whereas everyone else sleeps on the top, he didn't resist in walking over to the kitchen which is nearby. As he approached the entryway, he lingers by it as he sees someone presiding in the area, their back faced toward him. He can tell it is a girl with the little use of light he has as he clearly sees the mid-length layered hair let out, resting against the person's back, and the lacy tang top paired with pajama pants the girl wears. Thinking that it is Uttara, he goes near to see what she is doing so late at night, but before he can even take another act of action, the girl turns around---meeting him eye to eye. His breath is caught in his throat after the realization that the girl is nowhere close to being Uttara passes by...

He hears her let out a startled gasp before screaming. Instantly his hand flies to her mouth, worried that she will wake everyone.

--------

Thank you,

Shreetha..