Swasan SS - Elixir

Chapter 3

Hi! So the usual mix of poison and elixir is here. Poison is the past while Elixir is the present. Enjoy, carefully.

Poison
Life is an hourglass, where memories are the sand that keeps filling the empty glass orb. You live on, as long as the sand keep falling, as long as the orb remains empty, you can go on. But just like in an hourglass this process is not eternal, one day the sand finishes, one day the orb filled up to the rim, one day you cannot tolerate it any more.
Either the hour glass as to be rotated, the sand has to be redirected towards a new and empty orb or the glass that keeps holding the sand has to shatter, crack and spill the sand it holds inside. Similarly patients wear thin, controls and tempers are cracked if one keeps pushing on more bitter experiences in to another’s mind. Either they have to withdraw or face the sharp edged cracking glass.
But everyone who punches against the glass cannot take the stinging cuts the cracks make on skin. Looking at Adarsh and his shaking, sweaty face that was obvious… He was slammed against the car bonnet, his forehead was already bleeding and his arms were raised covering his face from the punch that he knew was coming. In his bloodshot, fearfully wide eyes a Sanskar seething in monstrous anger was reflected.
‘Devar ji!’ It was Parineeta, her voice chocking with fear and breathing heavily as she came running along that darkened lane. ‘Let him go! Please!’
Shaking with the unbearable rage that had overcame him, Sanskar turned to her. His eyes flashed with fury and his fist still in position to attack.
‘Bhabhi, please stay away.’
‘No, Sanskar don’t!’ She came closer utilizing the moment he spent answering her and grabbed his airborne arm.  ‘Please don’t!’
Sanskar took a deep breath and looked in to her pleading eyes, his frustration fainting to be replaced with a profound look of self loathing.
Adarsh brushed off his hold and straightened himself, eyeing his cousin in disgust.
‘So you have proved in the end that I was right all along Sanskar. You can’t control your anger.’ His voice had a hint of haughtiness in it that did not match the situation he was in, just a moment ago.
Sanskar gave him a swift, faded grin, that almost shone ghostly in his rigid features for a moment. ‘Yes Bhai. You were right all along. I can never match up to you. No one can compete with you at inferiority.’
‘Insult me all you want,’ Adarsh replied. ‘But in reality you’re just admitting that you are inferior to me Sanskar. I told you not to push me in to competing, now see the result? You have nothing! You lost everything! If you have even a trace of sense left, admit it brother, you are nothing without the Maheshwari name.’
‘No!’ Sanskar snapped. ‘Speak of yourself. It was an empire made for you. Where I am supposed to be a servant. You want to compete right? Then compete on equal ground Bhai. Keep your empire I’ll build my own.’
‘When will you come out of this fantasy of yours?’ His tone was mocking.
‘When I find you knelt at my feet,’ Sanskar said spitefully before turning around to leave. He stopped for a last word, that would cut open a new wound on already wounded Adarsh. ‘Thank your wife for saving your life. Otherwise this story would have ended today. Wish everyone is as forgiving in this world.’
The memory, of the look Adarsh gave him then still stayed vivid in Sanskar’s mind. That night he had chosen to retreat, to rotate the hourglass instead of cracking the glass. It gave him a sense of satisfaction, to know that he was still in control of his life, even with innumerable attempts destiny had thrown to take it away. There was an hourglass on his table as well, which he rotated before looking up at her once more.
Swara Bose. His uncle’s latest find. She came with a sentimental back-story to her. He could not simply refuse to employ her. But at the moment he could see through that plan. Sanskar almost pitied his uncle’s attempts to heal him, why would not the man just accept that he will never be the same? He should try, sometimes seriously.
‘You’re the sixteenth PA, he sent. Do you know that?’ He asked her sarcastically. ‘The longest record is a week. Let’s see how long you’ll manage.’
‘Six months sir,’ Swara told him, shortly. Amused Sanskar raised his eyebrows. ‘My deal with DP sir is to work with you for Six months. Then whether you fire me or not I will leave myself.’
‘I can pay his debut,’ offered Sanskar. ‘You can leave right now.’
‘I don’t want you charity, sir. I will work and earn my debut.’
Sanskar pressed his lips together, his fingers tapping the polished top of his table.
‘I showed you the easy exit Miss Bose,’ he said calmly. ‘Now if you’d like the hard way I don’t mind. But I despise babysitters. I won’t let you accomplish your mission at all.’
Swara almost smiled. This was the ‘downright unpleasantness’ DP sir was talking about.
‘I hate babies as well sir. I won’t be a babysitter as long as you’re not a baby. So we both can come to an agreement on that point.’
‘Very well,’ said Sanskar. ‘That would be the first and last agreement we’d ever come to. Now will you do me a favor Miss Bose?’
She said nothing.
‘I’ve a meeting in fifteen minutes and its presentation file must be delivered to the receptionist by now. Can you bring that for me?’
‘Fifth floor,’ Swara muttered to herself. ‘He wants me to go down three floors?’
‘Take the elevator,’ Sanskar pointed out the obvious. ‘And yes, Miss Bose, please don’t waste your time here. Go on quickly.’
Nodding slightly Swara went out of his cabin and Sanskar smirked.
‘I know you’re claustrophobic, you won’t take the elevator,’ he muttered. ‘Now seventy three stairs up and down would be enough for the day, right Miss Bose?’
*
Elixir
The hourglass of her life has already rotated. She was once more an empty shinning orb of glass, ready to be filled with the sand of emotions and experiences. But, he was on the edge of cracking, filled with too bitter sand of his own.
‘You were here before.’ Was the first thing she said after staring at him for a long while. ‘When I woke up first, you were here, then you left, why did you leave?’
Sanskar shook his head, trying to smile.
‘You didn’t remember me; I had no reason to stay.’
‘I dreamed about you later,’ she said in a faint voice. As if that would lift up his spirits or excuse her earlier ignorance. ‘You and I were sitting somewhere, there were so many candles, and is that my imagination or a part of my lost memory?’
Sanskar was no longer smiling. His face was pale and weary.
‘I don’t remember,’ he said casually. ‘Maybe it’s just a dream.’
‘It was too real for a dream, I almost felt your touch,’ she stopped suddenly and blushed, averting her eyes.
‘You said you have questions to ask,’ Sanskar volunteered to get themselves off that awkward discussion. ‘Shoot.’
‘Was ours a love marriage or an arranged marriage?’
Sanskar mentally slapped himself. Was that the best distraction he could come up with? Now how was he going to explain the odd circumstances of their marriage?
‘Arranged,’ he said finally.
‘Strange,’ said Swara. ‘I had clearly told Dida I would never marry without love, still she arranged a marriage for me?’
Sanskar cleared his throat.
‘I… I left her no choice actually.’
She started at him.
‘So I take it, it was your proposal?’ Sanskar nodded. ‘And I agreed? Just like that?’
‘Sort of, you had to agree.’
‘You make it sound like you forced me Sanskar. You have zero level explanation ability do you know that?’
Sanskar gazed at her. She had understood the unspoken and yet failed to grasp it. Yet he was the one with zero explanation ability?
‘I didn’t force you.’ He said after a moment.
*
Poison
Ragini checked herself in the mirror. She could hardly recognize herself. In the complete Indian attire she looked different, she felt suffocated. But there was nothing she could do, her Dadi had finally found her the perfect restrain.
She closed her eyes and remembered the horrible sight of that car crash, the sticky blood on her hands or the venomous look that girl had given her. She sighed. After coming home he had washed her hands many times, still they smelled like blood. It was revolting.
She stood up, ready to leave with her grandmother. They were going to attend a pooja, in the Maheshwari Mansion. Ragini was supposed to impress her future mother in law there. She looked around startled as her phone rang loudly.
From somewhere outside she heard Dadi, complaining about her loud ring tone. According to her it did not match the image of a cultural and innocent girl. Pressing her lips together she answered the phone.
‘Yes Lucky?’
‘Are you coming or not?’
‘No, I have to meet you first.’
There was a pause.
‘Why?’
‘We were in a huge misunderstanding do you know that?’
‘What Ragz, we’re going to get married and then sweeesh! We’re out of this circus!’
‘Exactly,’ said Ragini as she shut her bed room door. ‘That is the misconception.’
‘I don’t follow you yet,’ said Lakshya frowning.
‘Do you know who they have proposed for me?’
‘Of cause, it’s me!’
‘No, Lucky it’s your cousin. Sanskar.’
There was a long heavy pause.
*
Tell me how it was like, I am waiting to know!
I’m sorry if it was not up to your taste.
Thanks for reading!