Hello Friends.. Thank you so much for your love and support.. And I am sorry for the delay.. Here is the next chapter of this story.. I hope you like it.. Please share your views and ignore mistakes..
Chapter 5:
It's dark and they are alone. Frightened for the safety of her and her sister, Swara desperately searches to see if Sanskaar is coming anytime soon.
"Chalo Uttara," Swara murmurs to her, indicating that they go and wait back inside.
The whistling from one of the men, though, draws her attention back to them. Uttara creeps behind her sister's back, afraid of the men who they have become bait to. They smile sleazily at the sisters.
"Hey laadki... tum darti ho kyun? We mean no harm...," one of the men comments. His friend, who stands beside him, smiles even wider than before which penetrates fear into the pit of Swara's stomach.
"Excuse us," Swara says coldly to them, making a movement to leave with Uttara by her side, but the sudden touch on her arm prevents her from doing so. Her skin crawls when she sees it belongs to one of the men.
"Arre, kahan jaarahi ho? We just want some fun...," he continues, defensively. The same man comes even closer; crossing all limits, and touches Uttara's cheek. Swara, who was still and stiff before, is enraged by the man's audacity in touching her sister. She surprises him by smacking his hand away and glaring hard at him.
Swara: (hisses) Don't touch her.
"Waah... Did you see that Sunil? This one's got an attitude... Hmmm, I like it," he says with approval in his voice. Sunil, his friend, gives a throaty laugh.
Sunil: Of course you would Rakesh... You are always into the hot tempered ones... How about you take her while I'll deal with the other one?
Rakesh: (grinning) It's like you read my mind...
Uttara, who is close to tears, flies into the safety of her sister's arms.
Uttara: (squeaks in fear) Dddii----
Rakesh: (raising a brow) Sisters? ... Even more interesting... Sunil, this is our lucky night yaar.
Sunil: What are you waiting for then? Let's enjoy our night to the fullest...
All of Swara's senses become alert as she sees Sunil come forth, his eyes set onto her younger sister. Acting as a guard, she stands in his way and pushes him aside. The men laugh at her weak attempt as she barely manages to move Sunil away, who is much stronger compared to her.
Rakesh surprises her in taking a grip of her wrist and pulling her towards him, tearing her away from Uttara. He wraps his arm around her waist, keeping her firmly in his possession, and chuckles as Swara pounds hard on his chest in an attempt to get him away from her.
"Get off of me!" she cries angrily.
He takes her chin into his fingers and makes her eyes meet his. From behind her, Swara can hear Uttara whimpering and Sunil taunting her in between making lewd comments. Tears spring up in her eyes as she feels helpless in being unable to protect her sister.
Rakesh: You have quite a fight in you, gorgeous... Why don't you come and use the effort in something else instead...
Before she can even properly react from his words, out of nowhere, she sees a fist slam hard into Rakesh's jaw. In an instant she feels the gritty man's hands release her. Sunil's attention is diverted as he hears his friend's moaning pain. Swara and Uttara look on with shock as Sanskaar stands over Rakesh's body, his hand rolled into a fist.
Sunil: Hey, who the hell do you think you are, man?!
Sunil aggressively pushes Sanskaar, getting ready to start a full fledge fight. Sanskaar aims a punch into his stomach and throws him onto the ground as well by twisting his arm and shoving him forward.
Swara: (gasps) Sanskaar, look out!
Following Swara's eyes behind him, he turns and instantly faces a blow at his eye. Rakesh heaves in anger and proceeds into a fist fight with Sanskaar, who is boiling in rage himself as the vision of the man holding Swara so close to him and touching her is permanently burned in his mind. With wide eyes, Swara watches Sanskaar being entangled into a fight with both men. Uttara goes back to her sister's side and joins in helplessly watching Sanskaar being hit roughly, yet bringing a well comeback in beating the life out of the p*rv*rts. Seeing how seriously he is injuring the men, Swara steps in to stop him.
Swara: (choking on her forming tears) Sanskaar, please, stop! You'll kill them!
He ignores her begging cries and resumes in beating the men till he is content with the damage he makes. It isn't until Swara holds him back by grabbing onto his arm that he listens. He stares into her glistening doe eyes as she whispers pleadingly...
Swara: Please...
He somehow calms down a little at the sight of her and from her frightened voice. He aims a look over at Uttara, who is equally terrified with enlarged round eyes. He glances back over to the men who lay on the ground, groaning, and aims one last kick in Rakesh's ribs before turning his full attention back over to Uttara and Swara.
He gathers Uttara close into a comforting hug, as she is in a pool of tears, and places a subtle touch on Swara's shoulder while looking at her with full concern.
Sanskaar: You're alright, aren't you? Did they harm you two in any way?
With tears blurring her vision, Swara shakes her head as a response. Sanskaar seems clearly relieved from hearing this, but not completely satisfied. He places them both into the car and taking charge of the wheel, drives them safely home...
************
Sharmishta: Sanskaar beta, what has happened to you?!
Sharmishta exclaims in worry as she opens the door only to see her friend's son with a swollen eye and a trickle of blood running down his jaw and the knuckles of his hands. She also takes in her daughters' appearances, who are drenched from head to toe. Shekar, worried in seeing Uttara trembling so much, quickly engulfs her into his fatherly hug and soothingly asks her what had happened. It is Swara though who narrates everything to them in between tears. Sharmishta gasps while Shekar looks outraged; sharing the same look of anger that Sanskaar wears on his face. If it hadn't been for Swara, he may have actually ended up killing those men. The audacity they had in trying to lure themselves girls for some pastime fun disgusted him to no ends.
Shekar: Uttara, Swara, go to your rooms.
Swara: Par Papa----
Shekar: (his voice booming) Now.
Casting a fleeting look at Sanskaar, who meets her eyes, Swara listens obediently and walks over to the stairs with her sister in tow. Sanskaar glances up at Shekar, who directs his focus over to him instead. He watches with anticipation as he comes forward to him. What he does though slightly surprises Sanskaar. He places a hand onto his shoulder and looks at him with genuine gratitude. The man, who had only looked at him with indifference since he had come here, now was replaced with someone else...
Shekar: Beta, I don't even know where to begin... If it hadn't been for you...
Sanskaar places his own hand over Shekar's, stopping him as he sees a father's pained expression grow in him. He is obviously upset about what his daughters had to face.
Sanskaar: I only did what anyone else would have done, Uncle.
Shekar: Still, I don't even know how to thank you---
Sanskaar: You don't need to because it was the right thing to do.
Shekar: ...Beta, forgive me. I have behaved very rudely since you have come.
Sanskaar gives him a weak smile in an attempt to brush off the matter.
Sanskaar: You are elder than me, you shouldn't have to ask for forgiveness from someone who is younger.
Shekar gives him a small smile in return. Sharmishta affectionately runs her hand on his hair and kisses him on his forehead.
Sharmishta: Go to your room, son. I will come in some time to check your injuries. In the meantime, you need to lie down and get some rest...
**********
After Swara successfully put Uttara to sleep in her room, she drifts into the depths of her own overwhelming thoughts. The flashes from the incident continue to preoccupy her mind. The way Sanskaar had stepped in and handled the situation taunted her. She had been so wrong about Sanskaar Maheshwari. She felt ashamed for behaving the way she did with him. She had judged him beforehand without bothering to get to know him first to see what person he really is. She assumed him of being an American brat she has been accustomed in hearing about. Tears begin to rebuild in her eyes as she dwells on the fact that Sanskaar is the one who had saved her and her sister from meeting a terrible fate, a fate that would have tormented her for the rest of her life.
Swara quickly brushes away her tears as she hears her bedroom door open and her mother appear from behind it. Sharmishta joins her daughter on her bed and worriedly tends to Uttara, soothingly running her hand down her hair and securely placing the blankets over her.
Sharmishta: How frightened was she? (her voice shaky)
Swara: ... I've never seen Uttara so afraid before in her life...
Swara watches as tears build in her mother's eyes. She, however, quickly blinks them away.
Sharmishta: You two are safe now... That is all that matters.
She says, but Swara knows her mother is comforting her own self more than her.
Swara: (quietly stating) Sanskaar saved us Maa...
Sharmishta: I know... Me and your father are so lucky that he was there with you two. (her voice trembling) ... He is in a pretty bad shape though.
A moment later she hears her mother let out a watery chuckle and speak in a tired tone.
Sharmishta: How will I explain to his mother that it hasn't even been a full week since he has been here with us and already he is hurt?
Swara finally notes a bottle in her mother's hands along with a small packet of cotton balls.
Swara: (ignoring her question) Maa, what are those for?
Sharmishta follows her gaze toward her hands.
Sharmishta: I wanted to check up on Uttara quickly before going to Sanskaar. He has wounds that need to be taken care of.
Swara didn't know what made her say it, but she did so anyway...
Swara: I'll go... I'll check up on him instead. You can stay here with Uttara, I know that's what you really want to do at the moment.
Sharmishta: (reluctant on the idea) Par---
Swara, though, already has risen from the bed and takes the materials from Sharmishta's hands.
Swara: Maa... I need to thank him anyways. I'll take care of it... You just stay with Uttara.
Sharmishta looks at Swara for a second before nodding her head and smiling faintly at her...
************
Thank you,
Shreetha..
Veer Hanuman
Anupamaa
