Malignant Ardor

8. The Past Returns

Lakshya swiveled in his chair. He was no stranger to Tunes. Everytime Swara brought work home, he would sit down with her and ask her about it. She would patiently explain him each step, each process, each review. He missed staying at home for the past 2 years. When he left home for MBA, things were getting back to normal. She had joined Tunes and was performing excellently. She had almost fully recovered from the hard blow.

When he came back, though Swara stayed the same support system for him, outside the family, she had grown cold to emotions and took decisions that earned double take from industry professionals. They didn't expect such bold actions by the once cheerful daughter of Shekhar Gadodia. He wished he was there with her during that stage.

Lucky didn't know Sanskaar, but as couple Swara-Sanskaar made sense. Swara had shared with him the story of the Maheshwaris. While Sanskaar lost his fiancée in the accident, Swara had left her fiancé on the day of marriage. Both were intensely protective of their siblings and it bordered madness, according to Lucky. The more he thought of them, the more it got complicated.

~~~~~

He would put an end to all complications, Sanskaar thought. He had made one mistake and he would rectify it.

“Sir, there's a guest for you.”

“I know. Seat him in the main hall. Is Swara in her room?”

“Yes.”

He dismissed the helper. Either he would make it up to Swara or she would hate him more after today. He pushed the door lightly to find it open. Swara stood by the window scrolling through her phone. “Come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

Swara walked by his side. Once they reached the top of the stairs and Swara saw the guest, she fired Sanskaar, “Were you not satisfied yet, that you brought me to meet him?”

Sanskaar didn't bother answering her. No matter what he said, it would be meaningless. He shook hands with the guest and introduced Swara.

“Come on, Swara. I don't think we need an introduction here.” The guest jeered.

~~~~~~

Swara kept her hands close to her torso shielding herself, keeping them from flying across to claw the guy's face. The past she had been trying to forget for 4 years, its name that was forbidden to take in her presence stood before her in the main hall of Maheshwari mansion.

“What are you doing in my house, Danny?”

“Good to know that you still remember my name. But darling, is this your house?”

Swara glanced at Sanskaar who had fixed his icy glare on Danny's face. This wasn't Sanskaar's invite, she inferred. Then how did this guy dare to come here? Swara wondered.

~~~~~~

Swara had tried hard to suppress her pain. She was not going to show Danny her weak self. If anything, he would see the lioness Swara Gadodia.

“Darling, I know you are just a prisoner in this mansion. So, don't call it your house.”

“Sanskaar, what is he doing here?” Swara asked.

“He came to apologise to you.”

“Apologise? Who talked about apologise? I thought we would celebrate with some drinks while your wifey…”

“Danny! Don't you dare!” The firm voice echoed the main hall. She saw his arrogance, madness and ignorance before. This was the first time Swara was in the radar of his anger.

“What's this supposed celebration for?” Swara asked.

“For staging this wedding! I was the creator of this story, Swara Gadodia. And Sanskaar was my accomplice.” Danny proudly announced.

There was some backstory to it as she saw Sanskaar's jaw tightening with fury. If he was so furious, why doesn't he just throw this garbage out?

~~~~~

Sanskaar thought back to the day he had burnt Swara under the misguided impression that she would hurt his sister.

He had gone through the report Kabir had prepared. The minute he saw Swara's picture, his heart skipped a beat - Her name is Swara Gadodia. When he heard about her character, he could not match her to the girl he knew.

She had been 2 years junior to him in business school. The star guitarist and sunshine of her group. It was hard for anyone to be sad or upset around her. She was an optimist who made everything seem good- strike that, beautiful.

Sanskaar kept to his academics and people rarely knew him out of the class. A reserved identity who took no nonsense from anyone. Yet this sunshine had reached him. He kept the memories close yet had missed her name. It surely wasn't a crush or one sided love because Sanskaar Maheshwari wasn't permitted to deal in such feelings.

Sanskaar turned to her biodata - Single. He clearly remembered her having a boyfriend, a silent simpleton called Danny. The whole college knew the love story. Then where was Danny after 8 years?

Sanskaar asked Kabir to find Danny. It took a week. He met Danny and asked what happened between him and Swara?

“We broke up! Why do you ask?”

What? Broke up? How? Sanskaar's thoughts ran.

“My sister is going to get married to Swara's brother Lakshya.”

Danny laughed hysterically. Sanskaar thought what changed this guy? In college, he was known only as Swara's boyfriend. Because he was a nobody. A pushover, some called him. Sanskaar himself had wondered what Swara saw in him.

“That brother, Lakshya, has no 'lakshya' in his life. A puppet in his sister's hands. Heard he just returned after completing his studies. Then why doesn't he join Tunes? Because his Didi hasn't passed the instruction yet. Your sister would be at mercy of Swara. Better don't go through this. Or… you can take my help and solve this issue.”

Sanskaar didn't like this guy already. “Don't you love Swara? What happened that you are talking like this?”

“Made a mistake loving her. But I got saved. We actually wanted to elope and get married but thanks to my luck, I came to my senses.”

“Swara's family didn't accept you?”

“No, Swara didn't accept my lifestyle. My family owns a small trading company. We don't match the Gadodias you see. After college, I couldn't find a proper job. I was living through daily small jobs. Swara was ashamed of my poverty.”

“So?” Sanskaar hated hearing this with every word. Probably, Swara had changed. Everyone changes. He did too. He felt the business changes Swara made were indirectly substantiating Danny's words.

“So, she asked me to leave my family and live with hers after marriage. It hurt my self respect and in that moment all my love could not piece me back to accept Swara.”

Sanskaar had already established that Swara was the decision maker in Gadodia family. And going by the turn of events, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Ragini would be at Swara's mercy after marriage.

“How can you help me solve this problem, you mentioned earlier?” Why was he listening to this guy?

Danny slid forward in his seat. “If you want to send your sister into that house, you need to get Swara out of there. Even better, if you don't have other commitments, you could marry her yourself and then use her to make life simple for your sister.”

Sanskaar had been disgusted by the idea. For a moment, he could not believe that Danny was the same guy Swara loved. But he had gone through his own struggles and that bitterness was clear in his words.