Fanaa - Destroyed in Love - A Swasan FF

Chapter 5

Still at checkout desk of supermarket...

Sanskaar eyed her cart as she was paying for it. Stationary, books... He remembered her saying this was something she did for them. How often...?

"How often do you do this?" he asked with a quiet sort of seriousness.

"Hmm?" Swara looked up, a little confused. Didn't she see him smiling a moment ago?

"Ye jo tum bacho ke liye le rahi ho," he gestured towards the cart.

"Oh. Mahine me ek bar." She answered with her customary smile. "Actually unka wish list hota hai...I tell them to make one. Aur us hisaab se le leti hu ye sab," she explained, pushing the cart towards exit. "And then school ke liye unhe jo chahiye wo bhi, periodically."

He held the door open for her; they stepped out.

Still considering, he slid his hands in his pockets. She couldn't possibly buy them stationary forever. Didn't she say she was a student, that day when they met at Little Flowers. And the place needed financing for other things, he thought fast. Everyday things, repairs, maintenance. And there was no telling how many more children they would take in. Baby Angel took the tally to twenty five. Father Benedict and his team of nuns seemed to have open hearts and wide open arms that could encompass the whole world. Little Flowers needed more than the gracious contributions of patrons like Swara and Kunal, even himself. It needed regular funding, steady income. What about a trust fund...

"Umm, Sanskaar?" she said cautiously. She had been pretty sure he had forgiven that moment of glee, but now he looked all serious.

"Yes?" he turned to her, jerked out of his thoughts. They were standing by the parking lot, and she seemed to be waiting for him to say something. Now why did she look so solemn and serious?

"thank you," she said gravely.

"Kis liye?" he enquired.

"For helping me out in shopping and of course for the lift." She gestured with one hand towards his car. She wished he didn't look so serious. Damn her careless habits and inability to control laughter, she didn't like insulting people.

He nodded. "That's absolutely fine Swara, thanks ki koi zaroorat nahi."

"And I'm sorry," her eyes shone with the sincerity of those quietly spoken words.

He brows went up quizzically.

"For that...Ashirwad." She added. "Wo jan boochke nai tha, I couldn't help it. Bura laga hoga na..."

For an instant he was struck. The girl threw him for loops, with her spontaneous smiles and apologies by turn. His first urge was to put her off her distress, then he though what the heck. I can give you some back, you imp, he thought with an inward smile.

"Of course laga," he said in a quiet tone he reserved for disciplining unruly employees. "agar koi aap pe haste hain tho bura tho lage ga na swara."

She swallowed. Damn. Wishing she wasn't always so impulsive, she apologized again. "I'm sorry, Sanskaar."

Hell, he thought. She took it so seriously. Her eyes... "Its alright, I was just kidding," he smiled, hoping she would take it lightly. She could be such a serious little thing at times...

She nodded. "Ok."

"Friends?" he asked, holding out a hand, smiling the lethal smile that started his fan club at Maheshwari Inc.

A little dazzled by the wattage of the smile, she returned it with one of her own, shook his hand. "Friends."

"Then lets seal it," he gave her a friendly wink.