Malignant Ardor

13. The SwaSan Connection

Sanskaar had eavesdropped on the conversation in Ragini's room. He walked back to his room with mixed feelings.

What he thought was his love for his sister had started to hurt her in more ways than one. And he didn't care to stop and ask her what she wanted.

Swara had defended him before Ragini saying that she was a mutual party while she knew very well the circumstances that had forced her to agree.

Today, he respected Swara for the way she juggled between the responsibilities. She spoke as an elder sibling understanding his perspective, be more of a friend rather than a sister-in-law and answered for him as a wife.

'I will fulfil this relationship with the same devotion that I have given to all other relationships in my life', she had said. And today she proved it. That day he couldn't agree more with his Chachi that 'his father would be turning in his grave'. And today his parents would have been proud of his choice.

Sanskaar Maheshwari! Can you get a grip on yourself? This marriage was a deal and she is just keeping to her part of it. He reminded himself.

However, somewhere in his heart, he knew this marriage was for the keeps. For both of them. They connected on a weird cloud of motives and priorities. Like Ragini said, their relationship hasn't reached love yet. It wouldn't take long to reach that stage, countered his heart.

~~~~~

Sanskaar had an important meeting at the office. He was meeting some foreign delegates. So he dressed in a proper formal suit. The only thing missing was a tie.

He chose a black tie from his dressing room wardrobe and walked out to the dresser. Due to the injury on his right hand, he was unable to tie the knot properly. One try, fail. Second try, fail. Sanskaar was getting impatient and considered going without the tie.

Swara watched him struggling and came to him. She extended her palm for him to pass the tie. "Take the wallet and keys. I will knot it by then."

She draped the tie around her neck and made the knot. Sanskaar watched her hands move with precision, out of the corner of his eye. She seemed an expert. When she stood before him and showed him the knot for approval, he saw the perfect knot with folds in exact places and not a crease on the rest of the cloth. He nodded.

Swara removed the tie carefully, resulting in her hair gathered on one shoulder. She looked so gorgeous that he couldn't take his eyes off her.

She snapped her fingers to bring him to the present. He blinked, clearing the expression from his eyes and bent his head down. Swara slid the tie to its place and adjusted his collar. He tried to do the adjusting himself but Swara glared at him to let her do it.

Swara brushed the lint off his suit and placed a clip to pin the tie to its place. She looked at him approvingly.

'Sanskaar Maheshwari, can you get going now? You have a meeting', Sanskaar reminded himself and left the room.

~~~~~

Ragini reached the place and waited for Lucky. She wanted to talk to him after her conversation with Swara. He had been here then and probably must have already confronted his Di for the unexpected wedding.

"Hi, Ragini!" Lucky greeted her.

"Hi... Lucky..."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Have you spoken to Swara Bhabhi yet?"

"I spoke to her the first day of her marriage. She tried to explain, however, what I was interested in was how could she marry a stranger for my sake."

"Did you get your answer?"

"Not really. She just asked me to take charge of Tunes in her absence."

"Why didn't you push for the satisfactory reply?"

"Gosh! You ask a lot of questions. Look, she would have given an elaborate answer which might have taken me days to decipher. If she saw some reason in this marriage, I take it at face value. Not just this,  any decision. My Di has a very clear perspective of right or wrong. And this decision obviously fell on the Right side. Anyway, what can we do now? Ask them to separate? What's the point of it?"

"Maybe you are right. I have been angry at Bhai since yesterday but nothing came out of it."

"Exactly! As long as they mutually agreed to the marriage and fulfilling it seriously, there's nothing much we need to worry about. Even my parents are coming to terms with it based on this logic."

"They didn't agree mutually. Swara was blackmailed by Sanskaar and for your mother's reputation, Swara sacrificed herself." Came a voice.

Lucky quickly identified the person."Danny? What are you saying?"