Swasan SS - Elixir

Chapter 2

Poison (Past)
Her eyes a tone darker than the sky reflected the ions of stars sparkling above her writing thousand fates across the glossy surface of the heavens above. Her hair, flew away with the breeze that whispered sweet nothings in the night's ear, and whipped against the trees. She was beautiful, a tad more than the night itself.
'Shona?' Her Dida called over. 'What are you doing dear?' The old woman grasped her elbow trying to yank her away from the street where she stood. 'Middle of a road is a place where you watch stars?'
Swara smiled at her dreamily.
'You know Dida, I just spotted it again!'
'What?'
'There,' she picked up the wrinkled hand of the old woman and pointed at the sky. 'Ma's star!'
Shobha's eyes laced with tears. She had just recalled telling a child Swara her mother was a star on the sky. True, she had grown up to the reality that people never become stars on the sky but still she would believe Dida's words, with her eyes closed. That star was her mother's even if it was not her mother herself.
*
Her eyes were glossy like the night sky as well; they shimmered in the headlights of her car, as she gathered speed. Her hair flew with the wind that whistled past her matching the tune she played on her radio. She was striking, just like the night.
Her phone rang loudly.
'Ragz?'
'Yep Lucky?'
'Where are you? Everyone's going crazy looking for you!'
'I'm already crazy baby!' She said in a singsong tone as she took a turn. 'You're not catching me tonight!'
'Dadi will kill you!'
She sang along with the lines of the song that played. She had no mother either, and her father was away abroad looking after the business that would one day be hers. But she was not some naive darling to hold her Dadi's hand all the time. She was a free bird, as always.
'She has to catch me first! And here we GO!!'
Screeech! Thump!
Ragini slammed the breaks.
'Ragz?' Lakshya yelled at the phone nervously.
'Oh shit!' Was all Ragini could mutter. She was distracted with the phone call and hit the old woman who now lay on a pool of blood in the middle of the road.
'Dida!' Was all Swara could yell. She was distracted with the star shining so innocently or else she might have saved her grandmother from this danger.
Her dark eyes stinging with tears met Ragini's dark eyes widened with fear as their worlds collided with one incident and entangled forever.
*
Elixir (Present)
Swara switched her phone on. She could not recall buying that, but decided to add it to the list of forgotten things for the moment. She had been talking with her Dida for almost two hours before she left commanding her to take some rest and handing her that phone.
She had five missed calls from someone called Lakshya. Ah, yes, he was Ragini's husband, she recalled faintly and his cousin. Why was he calling her for? Then she went through her phone book, ogling at the names that seemed unfamiliar to her.
Then suddenly Swara stopped, her fingers cold and taking a deep breath. What was she doing? She was looking for his number. Her mind told her slyly. After all she was annoyed at him. What kind of a husband is he, here she has lost her memory and he had not even visited her!
Sanskar... That name was not in her contacts. Puzzled she erased the word she typed and on its place typed a new search term. 'Maheshwari'
There was only one entry under that name.
D.P Maheshwari Sir, who was that?
Swara sighed. Can it be possible that she had never called her husband? Was there some sort of problem between them? Why was not he in her contacts? She was so lost in her thoughts that its ringing jerked her and she dropped the phone. Stretching her arm to pick it up and reaching under her bed she saw the name flashing there.
'Boss' calling
So she was working for someone as well. Swara sighed as she picked up the phone. It seemed her husband was filthily rich, then why would she need a job? Obviously her 'boss' would know she is hospitalized, why would he or she call her?
Thinking along those lines she picked up the phone.
'Swara?'
And the time froze. It was the same voice. It was voice that had brought her back from that vivid dream, in to this harsh reality. She could recognize it anywhere. But the words it had said in the dream... Heat rushed in to her cheeks, that voice had said it loved her!
'Swara are you still there?' The voice asked once more.
'Huh?' She said as if in a trance. 'Hmm yes, yes sir I'm listening,' she invented hastily.
'What?' The voice sounded confused now. 'Are you alright Swara? It's Sanskar, Dida said she gave you the phone and asked me to call you. why are you calling me 'sir'?'
Clutching her heart to see if it was actually beating as fast as she felt, Swara inhaled deeply.
'Sanskar,' she said gradually. That name sounded strange from her lips as if tasting it she muttered again. 'Sanskar.'
He said nothing in reply. She pronounced his name as if it was an element of some spell, musical and seductive, with a tone that along would cast the listener in to a trance. She had never taken his name that way, Sanskar gulped nervously listening to, which he knew perfectly was, Swara muttering to herself.
'Did I call you that?' She broke his trance cruelly. 'Then why do I have saved your number as 'Boss' in my contacts?'
'Huh what? Yes, yes you called me that.' Sanskar replied running a nervous hand through his hair. 'I used to be your boss, a long time ago.'
Swara lent back to her pillows, pressing his voice further in to her ear, trying to imagine what it might have been to talk to him, face to face. Then she suddenly remembered those eyes once more and her own eyes closed on their own accord.
'Meet me,' she muttered.
'Huh?'
'I want to see you.'
'I don't think that would be a very good idea Swara. You need to rest.'
'We won't be playing basketball, I just want to talk.' She snapped and listening to his silence gasped. 'I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to...'
Sanskar winced. Her apologies hurt, as usual.
'It's okay.' He said shortly. 'I'm busy right now, but I will come to see you.'
'When?'
'Soon.'
'Sanskar?' There it was that spellbinding sound once more.
'Hmm.'
'Are you avoiding me?' She sounded hurt, and a bit insecure. 'Is everything...I mean I don't remember but...everything's alright between us right?'
Sanskar took a deep breath closing his eyes for a moment.
'We're going to be alright, trust me.'
*
Poison
When it is wee and young even the lions protect their cubs, keep them away from danger all though they do not involve in parenting. But as they grow stronger, they are driven away, once they are gone, no matter how intertwined their past was the lion feel threatened by the young...sometimes its own.
Durga Prasad had heard it, read it, but this was the first time he was living the lion's vantage point. He had departed from the conference where he was to sit, sit and watch as his nephew conquered the project all by himself, he could not help but think he was on the path of becoming the old and feeble lion himself. He was threatened by a cub, he himself had protected once upon a time.
Sanskar no longer lived with them. He had ties with the family of cause, but after that incident; that blow; the brothers had parted forever. The Lakshagraha burned that night and the Pandavas had to exile. Now, watching Sanskar in his new found avatar Durga Prasad felt a thrill of fear, much like Dritharashtra would have when he set eyes upon the pandavas.
He was no longer the sweet boy he knew. He was no longer sentimental. He was rather mechanic and scheming, the glitter in his eyes no longer demanded affection, and it was simply a thirst for success. The cub had indeed grown in to a glorious lion. Adarsh would never be able to outsmart him, he acknowledged with a sigh. Sanskar would not bow down to seniority again. Then Lakshya... He was worried about Lakshya. He was still the cub, protected by the mother lioness. What would happen when at a point they would be required to collide?
No, he shook his head to himself.
An action has to be taken. The lion has to be tamed, before it turns its claws upon his family. But how? He owed Sanskar a lot, including the life of his firstborn. There is no way he could harm him, no, he could not even think that. Perhaps, he might find a way to bring back that former character, the Sanskar who he knew would bow down to him. Yes, that should be the answer.
'You're a doctor right?' A voice shrieked in the corridor Durga Prasad stepped in to. With a jerk he recalled he was in the hospital, visiting a very ill acquaintance of his. It was a girl, in front of him, with her face tear stained yet her eyes blazing in anger. 'You're a doctor, not an entrepreneur, ever wondered why? Because you think of lives, not the money saving them would obtain!'
'I have already explained you Miss.' The Doctor said in a hefty tone. 'Her skull is damaged, she needs to undergo this surgery immediately but I can't proceed until the payment is done.'
Swara waved her hands, apparently too frustrated to speak and the doctor left, shaking his head at her behavior. She leaned against the wall, raising her chin so that the tears threatening to spill over the edges of her eyes would not fall and sobbed silently.
'Dida!' She muttered to herself.
Watching her Durga Prasad's lips curled slightly.
'The restrain was found.
*
Ragini was shaking watching the death glare her grandmother threw at her. She had just arrived in time to shelve the police case and make sure Ragini's name would appear nowhere. Parvati Gadodia had that kind of a power and ability. She could do anything to protect her sweetheart, but nobody would protect her sweetheart from her wrath.
'Look at yourself!' She snapped. 'What are you wearing?'
Nervously Ragini wiped her sweaty palms against her trousers.
'Here I'm trying to make you the daughter in law of those Maheshwaris and you,' she barked once more. 'You run around ruining my reputation like some Barbie doll!'
'Dadi ma please!'
'I'm not going to bail you out this time Lado, let your father come, let him deal this once and for all!'
Ragini's eyes widened with fear.
'Please Dadi ma, police will arrest me!'
'Suit you,' she replied.
'Please Dadi ma. Please, just this once I promise I'll do anything you want to!'
Parvati smirked to herself. She had already dealt with the police. But Ragini did not know. It was an opportunity of a life time.
'Very well,' she huffed. 'Then from now on you will do exactly as I say, agreed?'
'Yes, yes Dadi ma, whatever you say!'
*
'Why are you helping me sir?' Swara asked Durga Prasad. She was glad that god had sent her help, but she was wise enough not to jump in to the first train available. 'I think it is obvious that it would take me years to repay you. Perhaps even then I might not be able to, then why? I know every aid comes with a price.'
'True.' Durga Prasad agreed. 'I want you to work for me.'
Swara raised her eyebrows.
'Work? But you don't even know what my qualifications are. How can you employ me just like that?'
'I have saved your Dida's life Miss Bose, you owe me this much right? You are the only person who can do what I want.'
'What?'
'I want you to be someone's personal assistant. I want you to follow that person everywhere, day or night whenever, wherever.'
Swara raised her eyebrows further. This sounded a little fishy and a lot dangerous. She could sense that the offer was not as transparent as it seemed.
'This person might not favor you, heavens, he might be downright unpleasant, but still you have to stick to him, like a thread to a needle. Can you do that for me Miss Bose?'
They stood in front of the OT, her Dida was fighting for life in there. And here, in order to save her, she would have to deal with this 'downright unpleasant' person. Swara took a long breath. So she was to follow someone who would not want her. Very well, she liked challenges.
'Deal.'
*