CHAPTER 4
Laksh Maheshwari walked towards his house, a file in his hand. The file pertained to a project Sanskaar was heading and he had come home to discuss it with Sanskaar. He didnt want to bother his brother with it considering the present circumstances but Sanskaar himself had insisted that he bring the file home so that they could go over it together. He had agreed. He knew Sanskaar was trying to get back to his normal routine. Actually all of them were. But Laksh knew it wasn't going to be easy. Kavita would be missed always. After all she had been an integral part of all their lives, the perfect daughter in law, sister in law, wife and mother. He himself missed her a lot. They had become good friends over the last few years.
Lost in these thoughts, he barely noticed someone coming his way until he collided with the person.
"Oops sorry. " he said reflexively and looked at the person in front of him.
Swara stood in front of him. He could say she had been crying.
"Are you ok?" asked her.
"Yes." She stuttered trying to leave.
"Wait. Let me drop you home." He offered.
"No Lucky.I have my car outside." She said leaving.
He knew it was as hard for Swara as it was for his family. Kavita had been her soul sister. Perhaps she had come to meet Ananya and was missing Kavita, He thought. He went straight to his brother's room and saw Sanskaar standing expressionless.
"Sanskaar, was Swara here? I met her down stairs and she was crying. " Laksh asked.
Sanskaar merely nodded. Before Laksh could ask him anything further Ananya came into the room running and handed her a father a glass of water.
"Papa, where is Maasi? " she askedlooking around the room.
"Yes. She had to go home urgently. " Sanskaar replied.
"But she didn't even say bye to me. " the little girl said disappointed.
"Anu she had to leave urgently. I told you sheis a busy person. " Sanskaar replied dryly.
Laksh saw the child grow sad. She was his princess and he hated seeing her sad. He picked her up and said
"Why don't we go see your Maasi? "
Ananya looked at her father making a puppy face.
"Sanskaar, we will be back soon. I wanted to check on Swara anyway. " Laksh told him.
Sanskaar looked at his daughter and nodded.
"Princess, You go get ready. Chachu will get these papers signed by your Papa. Then we will go." Laksh told her.
The next half hour the brothers were busy discussing their file. Sanskaar signed the papers and gave them to Laksh.
" I think Anu is waiting. She likes Swara I think. She will feel better if she spends some time with Swara. And Swara too looked really sad today. She was crying her eyes out I guess. " Laksh said leaving the room.
Sanskaar sat down. Was she really that sad? He didn't like to see her sad. He never did. She was right in a way. She had asked him to marry Kavita but it was also his decision. He had no right to blame her alone and he didn't regret marrying Kavi. She was the perfect wife and friend. He missed her. But he had never loved her the way he loved Swara. That made him angry with himself and he took it out on Swara. He had been crazy to think that seeing her sad would make him happy. Never. Her pain always affected him. Pulled him to her.
He remembered the first time he had seen her. He was around 8 or 9 at the time. It was Ragini's Naamkaran ceremony that day. The Gadodias were their friends and business partners. Naturally the whole family attended the ceremony. He remembered his mom talking all the way about how the girl and her Uttara would be good friends growing up. He also remembered her mention Janaki aunty's stepdaughter who was half Bengali and would probably never fit in.
They had arrived at Gadodia house which was filled with guests. Someone showed them the newborn's crib. It was then he saw her. Dressed in a fluffy white frock with a tiara. Her long hair lay in waves. Had someone attached a pair of wings to the dress he would have been sure she was a fairy. But that wasn't the only thing about her. He saw Janki Aunty tell her something before she left to meet the guests. He saw her move closer to the crib and look at her little sister with a strange determination. The very way he and Laksh looked at Uttara. Severely protective. At the same time she was worried. She looked at the people around like they were beings from a strange land. Like she wanted to run away from them. She was afraid of them.
He saw another girl about her age approach her. This friend of hers told her something and she seemed to relax and smiled. Little had he then known that these two girls would grow up to be the most important women in his life. One his soulmate and other his wife.
He learned more about Swara as he grew up but met her rarely. She stayed away from pubic attention as far as possible. It was when she befriended Laksh that she became a part of his life. They had met at guitar classes and became good friends. And so she visited them often with Ragini who was friends with Uttara.
But she was always Laksh's friend. Her interaction with him was limited to a polite greeting mostly. His carefree, jovial brother was more her type than he. Years later she once told him how shevregarded him a arrogant and boring guy. But he had always cared for her. Always watching out for her and Laksh. They both had a strong affinity for trouble. He remembered the time the duo had tried to climb a tree to get into their neighbour's place to get back their ball. Swara was about 10 at the time and Laksh 12 or 13. Laksh managed to do it but Swara was left stuck on a tree. Sanskaar had caught them and he told himself not to help her. But then he saw her looking around frightened and his brother telling her that he had to get back to their side of the wall if he had to help her and asking her to hold on. He couldn't bear to see her like that. He Had helped her climb down with much difficulty. She had mumbled a quick thank you before running away.That was how it always was.
When he was about 14 years old his uncle had started a project with a company in London. His father wasentrusted with it and so they had moved to London. Laksh who had always been with him had insisted on going with them. So the brothers along with his parents had left Kolkata. A year later their parents returned to Kolkata while they stayed on there till their graduation. Over time Swara and Laksh did not stay in touch. So he had no idea about her. When they returned to Kolkata, they heard that Swara was pursuing her studies away from home.
As soon as he returned to Kolkata, he had joined their company while Laksh wanted to study further. 2 years later his mother and aunt were asking him about marriage. Since he felt that he going to find a girl himself, He had asked them to choose a suitable bride for him. And a month later his mom told him that she had found the best girl for him. Kavita Aggarwal.
He met her once and decided that she would be a suitable bride for him. And so everything was going right until that day when Swara returned. Kavita often talked about her and for some reason he listened intently.
And then he had seen her again. And he had played a little game. Perhaps that was the start of it.
****fb*****
It was the day before the engagement. Laksh was supposed to take some shagun for Kavita but he was caught up in something else. So Sanskaar had taken it instead. The shagun in his hand, he walked into the house. The house was being decorated. He had just entered the house when he saw a girl standing on a small table trying to fix the flowers on the wall. She was moving towards the edge and a small movement would cause a bad fall. Instinctively he hurried to her and caught her in his arms. She hadn't realised how close she was to the edge and had closed her eyes in panic. It looked like she was still waiting for the impact. The closed eyes, the pursed lips and the fear on her face made him smile. He knew it was her.
"You shouldn't be this careless. 1 more step and you would be finished, daydreamer. " he said laughing.
She opened her eyes and looked at him surprised. Then realising the position they were in she blushed. He put her on the floor. Her eyes fell on the shagun he had placed on the nearby table.
"Not even a thanks? I just saved you from the embarrassment of going around in a wheelchair during a wedding. " he said with a wink.
With a quick thanks she hurried into the house. He smiled to himself and went on to the drawing room. He saw Kavita speaking to someone over the phone.
"Sanskaar? Swara told me Laksh was here. Oh...she mist have thought you were Laksh. She hasn't seen you guys in a long time and I told her Laksh was bringing the shagun. " Kavita said.
He had been right. It was Swara indeed.
"But why did she run away? Laksh was her friend. " Sanskaar asked confused.
"She is seeing him after so many years. Maybe she didn't know how to react. They haven't seen each other for years now. We were talking about him last night." Kavita said.
"Oh. You were talking about my brother. Did you talk about me too? What does your dear friend think of me?" He asked smiling.
Kavita gave him a sly smile.
"Come on Kavita. Tell me. From your smile I think it is not very good. " he said.
"No. Nothing like that. " Kavita stuttered slightly nervous.
"Kavita, I know I am your fiance. But I am also your friend. I have known you and her since we were kids. I know she was never that comfortable around me. I just asked it in jest. Come on. Tell me." He urged her.
"She thinks you would still be the way you were as a teenager." She said smiling.
"Oh. You mean the arrogant and goody two shoes boy she hated? Hmm. " he said thoughtfully. The years spent away from home had made him more amiable and outgoing. He had learnt to take things lightly when possible.
But she didnt know that and it should have mattered. But it did to him. He didnt know why, it just did. He smiled.
"Kavi, don't you think I should let her know that I have changed a little? She thinks I am Laksh and I won't correct her. Lets see if I am changed enough for that. " he said with a wink.
"What? You are not serious right? " Kavita asked surprised.
He nodded.
"I can't lie to her. " Kavita told him.
"You don't have to. Just don't tell her. Meri kasam. " he urged.
Kavita looked at him surprised. Then she nodded, clearly not happy.
"Don't worry. It is only a harmless prank. " he said.
***fb ends ****
That was what he thought. A harmless joke. Little did he know that he had that day sown the seed for his own destruction. And he had dragged her along.
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
