" A rose for a rose"
"No Swayam she'll slap you there only"
"Then what should I say Rey?"
"See Swayam, you know Sharon from a long time, so it shouldn't be a problem in choosing the best lines for her, especially when it comes to you"
"I guess you are right"
Just then, Rey's phone rang. It was Taani.
"Rey where are you" she yelled from other end of the line "We'll be late for our first valentine. You were supposed to pick me up half an hour before!"
"I am sorry Taani. I'll be there in 5 minutes" he said and hung her up.
"I am sorry Swayam. I need to go. "
"It's okay Rey" Swayam said dejectedly. "I'll think of something"
Rey felt bad as he could not help his best friend. But he was sure, that Swayam could handle the situation very well. Obviously, it was related to Sharon.
"Swayam, you are the most experienced in these matters. You'll handle it."
"Thanks Rey. You get going now. Taani must be waiting."
Rey hung his head and sat in his car and sped off.
There was still a trace of awkwardness in the fact that his best friend was dating his sister. Swayam still felt awkward about it. But he could not help it.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Rey.
"What is it Rey?" he asked.
"Swayam, why don't you bring her to the valentines day bash? All of us are there. She'll feel good."
"Thanks for the idea Rey. I'll see what I can do'Bye" he cut the call.
"Sharon!" someone exclaimed from other end of the line.
"Don't shout simmi. I am here."
"But why aren't you coming to the valentines party?"
"It's a couple party simmi and I don't have a date."
"Of course you do. Swayam?"
"No simmi. You guys go and have fun. I'll be here at home. We'll catch up later. "
"Sharon but'"
"No simmi'Go and have fun. I am just not in a mood."
"Fine Sharon'as you wish."
"Thanks simmi. Bye"
Sharon sat on the couch and cupped her face. True, she didn't want to go out. She didn't want to face Swayam. She knew Swayam very well and was well aware of the fact that Swayam would not leave her easily. This time, he was determined to get the truth from her.
She did not tell him about her asthma. She was afraid, that she would lose him, as well as his dance. She could not be the reason for him stopping his dance. She could not let him give up dance for her. That would be selfish. And she could not be selfish, at least not with him.
Suddenly, she heard a voice, of someone landing on the floor with a thud. The voice came from her room.
But who could it be ? Sharon wondered. Window se, only Swayam used to come and this time, she was sure it was not him because he was in the valentines bash with Aashi. Aashi had asked him. Sharon did not wait to hear his answer but she was pretty sure that he had agreed to the proposal. And right now, maybe he was having fun in the valentines party.
She slowly walked towards her room and opened the door. "YOU!!" she exclaimed, flabbergasted.
Swayam had landed with a thud. He got up and dusted his jacket properly and put on an expression which clearly indicated "yeah me"
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked. She was still surprised.
"I am here for you Sharon" he said calmly.
"Why? I mean, weren't you supposed to be in the valentines bash?"
"It's only for couples."
"So? Didn't aashi ask you? And you said yes right?"
Swayam let out a light smile "Aashi asked me but I said no. Bharat didn't have a partner either so she went with him. "
"But isn't that rude?" she asked him. "she asked you and you said no?That's rude"
"No it isn't. I am mature enough to take my own decisions. I had mentally promised myself that I would go only with you to the party."
"But I am not coming."
"I know. I am here to ask you the reason." He slowly proceeded towards her. She was taking small steps backwards, until she came close to the wall. He pinned her to the wall.
"That's none of your business." She said.
"It is Sharon. It does matter to me."
Sharon tried getting out but it was of no use. He didn't let her to.
"I don't think I am answerable to you."
"Yes you are Sharon!" His brow corrugated.
"Let me get out Swayam!" she said.
"Not this time. Answer me Sharon!" This time, he said it in a more firm way, such that she was shocked as well as scared for one second.
"Just go Swayam!" she said. "Leave!" "Right now!"
"Do you trust me Sharon?" he asked all of a sudden.
This time, Sharon had no other option. She made an eye contact with him. She had to make him forget about her, but at the same time, she could not lie to him. He meant a lot to her. She didn't want to lose him and at the same time, she didn't want him to be affected, even a little bit, because of her. She had to. She was lying for so many days. She could do it once more.
Swayam could see it all in her eyes. The confusion, the fake aggression, the very fact that she was trying to lie to him, but couldn't. The pain, the anguish, every single emotion was visible in those hazel eyes.
"No I don't" she avoided an eye contact deliberately and mentally cursed herself for taking such a step. She trusted him even more than herself but if this lie was going to do any better to both of them, she decided to go ahead.
Swayam's grip loosened. She was not pinned to the wall anymore. He took small steps back, while Sharon was still feeling bad about saying such a thing. She wished she could go back in time and make some changes. She was controlling her tears. Tears of regret, tears of pain and anxiety. She realised that Swayam was doing the same.
Swayam had to admit. For a second, he felt that Sharon had stopped trusting him. And then he remembered, Sharon was behaving in the same way for more than a month. He had become used to her uncanny and vague behavior. He was still trying to decipher her moves but couldn't. And he was here, to demand an answer to all his questions. He wanted to do this without putting any pressure. But he was her boyfriend and he had every right to know what was wrong with her.
"Sharon you don't'?" he began.
"Just go Swayam!" She said, this time with utmost asparity. She needed some time to compose herself. She wanted to cry her heart out, but she could not do so in front of Swayam. She yelled at him. So naturally her asthma aggravated and her coughing sensation started.
She scanned her room to search for the inhaler.
"Sharon you okay?" Swayam asked her, concern evident in his voice, but she didn't pay any heed and started searching for the inhaler.
He tried to go near her, but she seemed to shun him every time he did that.
Finally, she found the inhaler and ran to use it.
She used it, inspite of knowing that Swayam was in the room. But she didn't care. Her health was more important than anything else.
Swayam was shocked. He knew that there was something wrong with her but he didn't know about the whole inhaler thing. Why was she using it? He had seen the inhaler with her in Goa, but he didn't ask her then. She didn't let him to. He knew that there was some problem with her health. And he even knew that she would tell him everything on her own. So he didn't utter a word and gave her some time to compose herself entirely.
Sharon sat on her bed, dejectedly. She looked ashen and she had failed miserably in concealing the truth. The truth was out. Swayam had come to know about it. She capitulated and decided to tell him everything.
Swayam slowly went towards her and knelt down near her. He was expecting her to say something.
"Swayam'" she began.
"Go on Sharon. I am listening."
Her eyes were moist and this time she could not control her tears. "I have asthma . Which means I cannot dance. I have to stay away from every physical activity. I did not tell you this because I felt you would'." She sobbed.
"Stop dancing too?"
Sharon nodded her head.
It was not easy for a person like Swayam to absorb the truth. He was upset, alright and more than upset, he was shocked. For Sharon Rai Prakash, dance was everything. Dance was something that had bound both of them. Moreover, Swayam had started dancing because of her. She was a part of him and he could sense everything that she felt. The pain, the guilt, everything was visible. She had been too strong to digest the truth.
He knew he had to be rational. Optimism was required in this stage. He had to bring her out of this pessimistic attitude.
"I know Swayam you started dancing because of me. But I really want you to follow your aspirations and dreams. I don't want you to stop dancing because of me."
"Sharon'listen'" He wiped her tears. Even then, she was sobbing lightly.
He wanted to cry too, but couldn't. He couldn't cry in front of her. She would feel even more guilty. He suppressed his tears with difficulty.
"We'll find out a way to cure you." He said, trying to increase her hope.
"It's a chronic disease Swayam." She was still letting out silent sobs.
"You danced in Goa right?The way you danced in Goa, you can keep on doing that'. We'll find out a way. If you and me are together in this."
"Swayam no. I can't drag you into this. It's my problem. I can handle it on my own."
"You are a part of me Sharon. If you are affected in some way, I will be affected in that way too. We are in this together."
"Swayam'" her sobs turned into tears again.
"Sharon stop crying." He wiped her tears again and pulled her into a hug.
"I promise you Sharon. We'll find out a way. You will start dancing very soon. Trust me. You trust me right."
She nodded her head. "Yes Swayam'a lot" Maybe for her this lying session was over. She couldn't lie to him more. It had been a challenge all this while.
His arms were enveloped around her. She felt safe and cozy, and even though it was only for sometime, he gave her the confidence that everything would be back to normal.
They stayed like that for sometime and then broke apart.
"You should sleep Sharon. You are tired."
"All this is normal for me Swayam. It's okay."
"Sharon, look at you. You have already cried so much. And just think about it, if you get dark circles'won't it be horrifying for you?"
She hit him playfully. "Fine I'll sleep. You go. It's late. "
"I'll go only after putting you to sleep."
"I am not a kid Swayam. Okay fine. I am sleeping." She lay on the bed and Swayam put the blanket over her.He turned to leave when he realized that someone had held his arm firmly. Well, that someone was Sharon.
"What?" He turned. "Do you want something."
"Yes. A promise. That you will never go away from dance even if I do."
"You won't Sharon. I promise that I will never go away. And you won't either. I can assure you."
"So much confidence and optimism? From where do you get it Swayam?"
"Let's say, you have to be optimistic for making things happen." He shrugged.
Sharon smiled. It was time to reveal something else too.
"Swayam, and one more thing."
"Yes say."
"I still like you very very very very very much."
Swayam smiled at her sweet gesture. "And I love you. I'll always continue too"
Sharon felt that she was the luckiest girl in the world to have such a sweet boyfriend.
"Go to sleep Sharon. Good night."
"Good night." She said.
She shut her eyes and Swayam suddenly remembered that he had to give her something. But he could not wake her up. He took the rose that he had been hiding in his coat for a while and placed it near her.
"Happy valentines day Sharon. I love you a lot."
Instead of leaving her alone in the house, Swayam chose to sit there itself throughout the night. There was a couch in her room on which he could sit. He sat there looking at her, but in some time dozed off to sleep, himself.
At around 3 am, Sharon woke up to drink some water. Before anything else, she saw Swayam, who was sitting on the couch nearby. He was sleeping and he looked like a cute baby, in sleep. She smiled, looking at him. And obviously, while drinking water, she didn't miss out the rose. She knew that he had kept it there. Who else, apart from Swayam could give her a rose? It was so sweet of him to give her a red rose on valentines day. She wished she could give him one too. For love. Even though she liked him a lot, she could give him a rose. She had never felt like that for anyone else apart from Swayam. She turned to look at him. He was still sleeping and she didn't mind his presence in her room. Instead, she felt secure. She took the rose in her hand and gave him a flying kiss.
"Happy valentines day Swayam" she said and smiled.
How was it guys? Good?Bad?Worse?Yuk?Criticism is allowed! And I haven't proof read it so please ignore the errors!! For more works on SwaRon, add me (tanha29) to your buddy lists!!
comment:
p_commentcount