When The World Is Against You

Reliving The Worst Nightmare

(Flashback: 3 hours ago)
"Hey bhagwan, kitni badi hoti hai Sanskaar ki shopping list. Ek baar check karleti hu. Sab laayi toh hu na? Kuch chhut gaya toh mayoos hojaega bechara...." Swara kept on talking to herself and checked her shopping bag.
"Crayons, Sketch pad, Watercolor, Pencil and Pencil case, Chocolates, Colorbook.... haan sab hai," She breathed out in relief with a fond smile thinking about her cute husband.
"Sanskaar ki dawai ka v waqt hogaya. Thank god main time pr agayi," but a quiet sob had her abrubtly halted in mid-corridor.
"Ye iss waqt kaun ro raha hai? Kahi Sanskaar..... kahi chot toh nahi lagi usko"
She hurried to her room only to be faced with closed door.
"Sanskaar...... Sanskaar..... Darwaja kholo baba. Sanskaar kya hua? Sanskaar dekho main wapas agayi na? Darwaja kholdo," and started to panic.
Sanskaar never locks the door.
"Sanskaar...."
All of sudden something hard is smashed on the back of her head and she is crashed into the side table nearby. But before passing out, she clearly saw cruel fire in the eyes of her half-sister Ragini.
*************
She felt strong arms around her lithe body, desperately trying to protect her from some type of liquid.
Her head was pounding restlessly and her whole body felt like lead.
"Swara....."
Sanskaar was calling her but his voice was too unclear, too far away. She had to open her eyes. She had to. Sanskaar was scared. She had to open.
Slowly her senses sharpened. And the whole room reeked of petrol.
PETROL?
She woke up with groan.
"Sanskaar?"
"Swara...."
Finally her blurry vision adjusted to be focused on her Sanskaar hovering over her. He was so worried.
Something splashed on her again.
She sat up abruptly.
It was petrol. And her dotting brother-in-laws were pouring it on her and Sanskaar.
She clutched Sanskaar fearfully.
"Laksh? Adarsh bhaiyya?"
"Tumhe itni jaldi wapas ane ki kya jaroorat thi Swara. Thora aur shopping karleti..." Ragini spoke to her in mocking tone, "Tab tak hum humara kaam khatam karlete. Aur tumhe v kuch nahi hota"
Sanskaar hid behind her as soon as Laksh crouched beside them.
"Swara...Swara...Swara.... Kab sudhrogi tum? Har baar har waqt galat jagah pohoch jati ho. Abb koi aur bali ka bakra dhundna padega na hume? Hum toh soch rahe the k Sanskaar ki death k baad tumpr ilzam laga denge. Pr abb tum khud uske saath marrjaogi toh kaun hoga gunehgar?"