Enemy Within

Chapter 3

Sanskar was back home after five long years, that is if it could be called home for no other reason but because people he loved lived there. It had the warmth from those very people, who loved him back too. And yet, there were barriers to that very warmth, which stopped it from being a true home for him now. Because for him, home had meant where he could freely laugh and cry without being judged, where he was surrounded by people who had his back rather than one where he had to watch his back from some of them.

He had learnt a while back that the most efficient way to hit an enemy was from within. As in the battlefield, so in the real life, it takes a lot of effort to make strike down the enemy's army when you fight from outside the enemy's parameters. Access directly into the enemy's strong hold or an ally inside the enemy lines, can wreak much more damage to the enemy, with minimal effort, than any external attack could. Some compromises had to be made to achieve his purpose.

But then, not everything had been bad. His Mom, Sujata and his Badi Maa, Annapurna, had tears in their eyes seeing him after all these years. They had showered him with love. His bhabhi Parineeta had welcomed him warmly. His sister Uttara, hadn't been able to contain her happiness and had attached herself to him for the longest time before Badi Maa asked her to give him some time to relax and unpack. But five years had left their mark as well. As children, Uttara was closest to him and shared intense rivalry with Laksh. His absence had meant that she now had as close a relation with Laksh as him. He wasn't bothered by it, he had after all chosen to leave everyone. Things couldn't have stood still, people had to move on in their lives, he understood that. No, what bothered him was that, thanks to Durga Prasad he unfortunately, was stuck in time. It would be soon time for him to move on too.

Evening was a raucous affair with his return. A lot of his favorites had been prepared by his Mom and Badi Maa. Things came to a slight pause when Sanskar walked over to the table and instead of taking his old seat, took the one at the opposite end from Durga Prasad.

Sujata quickly exclaimed "Sanskar, why are you sitting there?

Annapura adding with "Your usual seat has remained unoccupied all this while, waiting for your return"

Sanskar quietly responded with "Badi Maa, I have promised Dad that the old Sanskar wouldn't return to repeat the incident. I want to show that this is a new Sanskar, who has returned now, and has no intention of repeating the mistakes of old Sanskar. I don't think it would be right to, now, occupy the seat belonging to the old Sanskar"

Both the ladies quietened down by this. Sanskar had been honest in his comment. The one who had returned to Maheshwari Mansion was the new Sanskar and not the old one.

Durga Prasad looked at him critically, his eyes conveying his message, one that he didn't want to mask, one that he wanted to announce to Sanskar quite vocally. 'So you have brought the fight to me, not just into my business and but also into my house. You know that if someone comes to me as a friend, I treat them as one. You have come to me as an enemy and that is preciously how I will treat you. If fight is what you want, fight is what you shall have.'

But then, Durga Prasad knew that his old discipline would still get the message, even when it wasn't verbalized. Sanskar looked back at him, straight in the eye, giving a slight nod to indicate that the message had been received. Sanskar rested back in his chair, while his mother continued to serve him, thinking 'Let the game begin'

Laksh, who had stayed away from home for most of the day since his return, had caught him after dinner as Sanskar was entering his room. It was clear that he had still been fuming since the board meeting. He was itching to give it back to Sanskar, verbally, at least since Sanskar was sure he had been warned off against any physical violence by Durga Prasad.

"I am on to you. I know what you are trying to do"

"Your deduction powers must have improved since I left the house. So why don't you enlighten me, what am I trying to do?"

"Don't act smart"

"Is there another Laksh behind me that you are talking to?" Sanskar looked behind him as if searching for someone "Or did you forget, unlike you, I don't need to pretend to be smart"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Sanskar asked smirking

"I am warning you..." Laksh was now on the verge of losing it

Sanskar stood in front of Laksh, calm, his hands slid comfortably in his pocket, nonchalance clearly displayed through his body language. "Can you make it quick?"

"What?" Laksh had been thrown away a bit by Sanskar's reaction

"It is just that I am tired. I had a long day at the board meeting and want to get some sleep. I guess you don't know" he paused for a second "Oh! But you were there too, right?"

"You...." Laksh said, his fingers curling into a tight fight ready to knock Sanksar off. A timely call from Badi Maa, had Laksh retreating to back to his room, leaving Sanskar to head back to his own, for his first night back at the Maheshwari House.

Swara had tagged along with Ragini to visit the Maheshwari house. Laksh's mom had asked someone from her family, other than her, to come over and take to get some things that they would need ahead of Swara's engagement with Laksh tomorrow. Her sister Ragini, had volunteered to get these and Swara had tagged along.

As they were talking, Annapurna saw someone and hailed him. Hearing the name 'Sanskar', Swara looked over to find out who he was. Laksh had been quite upset the entire day yesterday over his cousin Sanskar, and she had spent a good bit of her time trying to calm him down in person and later on phone. She was curious to know who this person was who had rankled her fiancé so much.

The man walked over to them. He was talk, lean with dark black straight hair, cut smart. He had an intense look about him, dressed in a sharp business suit, his walk almost commanding attention. While he nodded at both Ragini and her, as they were introduced, he didn't seem particularly interested in talking to them. He definitely had an attitude about him. She could understand why Laksh was upset, this man was clearly arrogant.

Annapurna asked Ragini to join her in the room to pass the things to her, while asking Swara to grab a quick bite while she waited. Sanskar by this time had already brushed past them, after his mom had asked him over to have some breakfast. Left there by herself, and hailed over by Parineeta bhabhi, she reluctantly joined Sanskar on the table. The man was clearly busy eating his toast, taking a sip of his coffee, while also reading some message on the phone. The silence was getting to Swara; she wasn't used to siting quiet.

Her conversations with Laksh and her first impression, fresh in her mind, she commented "So you are him."

Despite his multi-tasking, he raised his eyebrow a bit, but didn't comment further. On sensing her staring at him intensely, he kept his phone aside.

"My fame seems to have preceded our introduction. I am sure my cousin Lucky must have been very generous in his praise" he commented with a smirk

"After meeting you, I think he didn't do you enough justice. You are worse than what he described" she added shortly, clearly not liking his lack of ability to have a civil conversation.

"I live to please you, Miss Bose. Or should I say Miss Gadodia. Or is it future Mrs Maheshwari" He added sarcastically, knowing it would affect her

"Excuse me!" she snapped, but Sanskar cut in before she could complete

"Bose-Gadodia-Maheshwari! I agree with you, it is too long. BGM, now that sounds better. Miss BGM. So you were saying?" he added with a clear fake smile

Swara was clearly angry now, letting out a quick "arrghh" to release her exasperation, she walked away from there, not keen to get into a fight in front of her new family.

"Where did Swara go?" Parineeta bhabhi asked Sanskar as she came back to the table with some parathas for her

"Oh, I think she wanted to go and see what Badi Maa had to give" Sanskar said with a warm smile "I better be off too, I am getting late for office"

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