Enemy Within

Chapter 15

The sounds of sirens surrounded him, even as his senses started to become dull. Bright lights and strange blurry faces greeted him when he next opened his eyes, before darkness engulfed him again.

When he finally woke up, he found himself in a hospital room again with Swara resting with her head next to him. He looked at her for while. As if sensing it, Swara rose from her position to see that he was awake. She silently went and brightened the lights a bit and got him some water to drink. She helped him in drinking the water and in resting back down in his bed, but she didn't meet his eyes all through it. He knew why.

"Swara, I am sorry" he told her once she settled down into the chair next to him.

"For what?" she asked

"For making you cry again and putting you through this"

"If you knew what you were putting me through, why did you do it Sanskar?" She was angry at him

"Because I couldn't see you in risk"

"And what about me? I have to see you put yourself through risk? Do you not realize what I go through?" she asked angrily wiping her tears

"I do. I did, when I saw him fire those shots at you. At that moment, I knew that my life would mean nothing if you weren't there in it. I would be dead anyway, if you were fatally hurt." His eyes were moist as he said it, remembering the fear he went through. "You know you would have done the same thing if our places were reversed" he added quietly

She broke down and hugged him gently, taking care not to touch his injured regions. He wound his uninjured arm around her, gently rubbing her back. "I am okay. I promise you nothing like this will happen again"

"Don't. Don't promise anything Sanskar. I am worried that if you promise it, the reverse might happen"

"So much confidence in me?" he asked with a chuckle

"Sanskar. Please don't. Don't even joke about this" she said looking at him, as she caressed his cheek

"Is everyone okay? No one else was hurt, right?" he asked, concern showing through his face now

She shook her head "No. Everyone else was unharmed, though you did knock Ragini out of your way to get to me. But she was fine too"

"It is finally over, Swara" he said quietly, a gentle smile gracing his lips "I am finally free of my past."

Swara rested her forehead against his "No more games now"

"No. No more games now." He confirmed "Just us and the rest of our life together"

It had been a month since the shooting. His wounds had finally healed, though he could feel some tenderness once in a while. Doctors had said it was nothing out of the ordinary and that it too would go away in next few days.

He was standing outside Laksh's room. He knocked on the door. Laksh came over and opened the door, surprised to see him there. Sanskar handed him some papers, which Laksh accepted, still confused about what was going in.

"I have already lost one brother. I don't want to lose another one" Sanskar said, explaining the papers.

Laksh's eyes widened looking at the papers "These are...." He trailed off, still surprised

Sanskar nodded "I am transferring my holdings in Maheshwari Industries to you"

Laksh looked up from the papers at him "If you don't want to lose a brother, why are you leaving the family and the house again?" he asked