The wedding rituals of Swara and Sanskar were a mixture of Marwari and Bengali Ceremonies.The Sangeet ceremony on the previous night of the wedding was held at Maheshwari House.It was a memory trip for Swara and Sanskar because Swara's friends enacted the whole sequence of their story. Ishan helped them in narrating it.The Finale of the dance performances had Swara and Sanskar dancing to the tune of 'Tum Ho.....Mere Liye'. After the problems they faced, they were finally going to be together as man and wife. Nothing could have dented their happiness. They lost themselves in the moment and enchanted everyone with their spins and twirls.

Karan, Nadira, Ishan, Nivedita and many of her friends from Baadi and office attended the Sangeet Function.They expected a huge crowd at the wedding too. Sanskar's friend, the cabinet Minister would be attending along with his colleagues.The Documentary on Refugee Camps was a huge hit and the Minister was officially declared as the front-runner for the post of the leader of the party.

The families were slowly getting over the trauma of Ragini's illness. Her treatment had started with vigor and urgency. Swara was heartbroken for Ragini but life had to go on. There was nothing she could do other than make sure that her sister was under the best care. If Dadi had told someone earlier, they could have averted the downward spiral of the illness but then, mental illness is still considered taboo in India. People don't realize that like other illness, this could also be treated with proper care and medicines. When Swara brooded over Ragini and Hridoy, Dida advised her to accept life as it comes. Her wise words made Swara cherish her relationship with Sanskar. Not everyone in the world was lucky to attain a true soul mate.

After the Sangeet function and dinner, the family gathered in the lounge to discuss the wedding preparations. The guests had left some hours ago and it was just the family. Swara and Sanskar were listening to the elders' discussion when Nivedita came back with Ishan. She had left after dinner but now she returned. Swara knew the reason but others were surprised to see her. Sanskar nudged Swara 'Did they forget something?' Swara shook her head and said 'She has a surprise for you...' Sanskar looked at her questioningly.

Nivedita approached Durga Prasad and spoke....

'I am sorry that I did not tell you earlier about it but I think it is time to let you know......' Everyone looked at her with confusion and surprise,

'Niraj........' she called. A seven to eight year old boy walked in through the entrance door. He stopped hesitatingly at all the strange faces but Ishan propelled him forward and he shyly walked towards his mother and Durga Prasad.

Sanskar was stunned and shocked. For, there stood a mini version of Suraj. There was no doubt about the same gentle face, same innocent eyes and similar stance. Swara laced her fingers through Sanskar's and he asked her hesitatingly...'Is it?' and Swara nodded...Sanskar was emotionally moved....

Sujata was stunned. She saw her sister's eyes and Suraj's innocence in the little angelic boy. Tears blurred her eyes. She could not believe at the good fortune. Ram Prasad saw a little version of his nephew. But it was Durga Prasad who was shocked beyond anything. He walked to the child and bent down to his level. His fingers caressed the boy's face but the boy flinched and he looked at his mother. Nivedita moved closer to the boy and said 'Your grandfather....'

The boy watched Durga Prasad's face intently and asked 'Are you?' Durga Prasad nodded and studied the boy emotionally. Was it really true? His Mohini and Suraj were rolled into this little one. The same eyes, same innocence and the same smile! He murmured 'God has given him back to me...' and looked at his brother, 'Ram, see the miracle of god....Suraj has sent his son to me...'Saying this, he wept again. Ram Prasad and Sujata comforted him. Nobody had any words to express their happiness....

'Why did you not tell me before?' Durga Prasad asked Nivedita but Sanskar answered for her,

'How could she Bade papa? Remember, we blamed her....' Durga Prasad nodded. He faced Nivedita and put his palms together as if he was asking for her forgiveness. She was humbled and said

'No, please don't ....' She too cried and held his hands. Sanskar touched the boy and knelt down, 'Hi, I am Sanskar, your uncle...'he extended his hands and the boy grabbed it happily as if all the emotional scenes were boring him. Sanskar laughed and hugged him....'What is Niraj?' he asked

Niraj instantly replied 'Ni of Nivedita and Raj of papa's name Suraj....' he proudly explained.

Sanskar asked Ishan if he knew about it..Ishan nodded.

He also informed him that he had already proposed to Nivedita and that she had accepted. He wanted to adopt the boy... But before that, Nivedita wanted to reveal about the existence of Niraj to his father Suraj's family...Sanskar hugged him.

Swara watched everyone and wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She was sure that the love and care that Suraj missed in his life would be compensated by the abundance of love that Niraj would be getting from his grandfather, Sujata, Sanskar and Ram Prasad. Even Laksh seemed taken in by the little boy.

Sanskar felt that his brother would finally rest in peace because his son was among the people who loved him and where he rightfully belonged. Sanskar watched his uncle Durga Prasad. He was amazed at the transformation. It looked like there was a new lease of life injected into him.
Sanskar looked at Swara and asked 'When did you know?'

'Quite some time back but I am meeting him only now. He was staying at his grandfather's house.' Swara told him

'Life is indeed strange Swara. When it closes one door' Sanskar began

'It opens another....'Swara completed the sentence for him and they hugged each other.They were not aware that Laksh was watching them. He moved away to his room. He would never stop loving Swara but he was happy for her. At least she found somebody she loved.The doctor had informed him that Ragini was not in good condition. She needed rigorous treatment and they were not sure of the result. Laksh did not tell about this to anyone because he did not want to spoil everyone's mood before the wedding. But he asked the doctor to give his best care. Laksh also decided to give up on gambling because his father was planning to make him the Managing director. Ram Prasad would guide him in his new responsibilities. His heart ached at the loss of his first love Swara. Tomorrow, she would be out of his reach forever but he was slowly coming to terms with it.

The day of the wedding dawned bright and beautiful. The day remained lovely with pleasant breeze and mild sunshine. It was a typical Bengali wedding. The shehnai recital and blowing of conch shells brought the Baadi alive with their festive notes. Swara looked beautiful in the red saree. Sanskar did not take his eyes off her. Ishan and others teased him a lot. The Maheshwari family was jubilant and their happiness knew no bounds after the arrival of Niraj. Annapurna did not attend the wedding even after Laksh went to meet her. He said his mother was regretting her past deeds and it was best to leave her alone.

Guruji's presence made Sujata happy and he blessed the couple with his spiritual powers.

As the wedding reached its final round of rituals, DESTINY could not control the tears of happiness. Her tears turned into a light drizzle when Sanskar and Swara left Baadi after bidaai. The light rain made everyone happy because drizzle during any occasion was considered to be a good omen. Grihapravesh at Maheshwari House was also a grand affair and by the time the wedding was officially over, Swara was tired. When they reached their room, Sanskar carried her across the threshold. They kissed each other but they were emotionally drained. So much happened in the last couple of days...They fell asleep in each other's arms as soon as their head touched the pillow.....

But Swara would never forget the next couple of weeks of her life. Magical was a mild word compared to the love that she shared with Sanskar. He kept the destination of their honeymoon a surprise. They drove down to a resort in Sundarbans. Sanskar had booked a tree top hut from which one could see the Mangroves and wetlands. Swara had never seen anything like this in her life. She was fascinated by the sun rise that they saw every morning from their hut.The sight of the first rays of dawn every morning brought out the goose bumps in her.They cuddled into each other's arms to revel in the beauty of the rising sun.They spent the days exploring the wetlands in boats rowing across the complex network of tidal ways. Sometimes they halted at the small islands they came across. Swara took as many photos as possible of the rare species of birds and deer. At nights they made love with passion and ardor, exploring each others' weaknesses and strength. They fell asleep every night listening to the folk-songs of the fisher women from the nearby islands.They fell more and more in love with each other.

Soon, it was time to get back to the real world because it was the custom for the couple to spend a few days at the bride's house. After spending three days at Baadi, Sanskar took Swara to his pent house apartment by the banks of the river. Swara loved this apartment because so many memorable moments were made here.They cooked together, messing up the kitchen and learnt about each other's favorite dishes.They slept in the terrace under the moon lit sky, listening to the gush of the river and sirens of the ships.They shopped for each other and listened to their favorite music.They read books for each other and watched crazy movies rolling out in laughter at the sheer stupidity of it. Days passed and it was time for them to join back the family. Swara and Sanskar loved each other with an intensity that never ceased to amaze them.

Thus began a beautiful journey of eternal love for Swara and Sanskar. A new life enriched with their promise to love, protect and be each other's strength forever.

AFTER ONE YEAR 

Swara leaned over the railing of the yacht and enjoyed the feel of the breeze on her face.They were sailing in their favorite Yacht 'SwaSan' and the coast line of the city of Hong Kong came into view. After one year of their marriage, she could not have been happier. She did not think that it was possible for her to live anymore without Sanskar. She loved him more than anything in her life. And she waited for this perfect moment to share her special happiness with him. Just before they left for Hong Kong, the doctor confirmed her pregnancy. She was elated but she wanted to wait till the right moment to share it with Sanskar. She did not think that there was a better place than this yacht which was lovingly named after them to tell Sanskar the news.

As she waited for Sanskar, her mind went back to the past year. Ishan and Nivedita got married and they spent half the year in India and half the year in Sydney. Niraj was adopted by Ishan but he continued to enjoy the attention of his grandfather, Sujata and Ram Prasad. He would often spend time in Maheshwari House with his family.They doted on him. Sanskar too enjoyed his nephew's stay. He loved to teach him outdoor games.

Adarsh did not return back to the family but Sanskar's detectives spotted him in Mumbai and trailed him. Adarsh had started his own business and was working alone to build it up. As long as he was not giving trouble, Sanskar did not mind. Laksh was too busy in learning the new responsibilities of his family business and he would travel abroad often. He was planning to expand it in US. Ragini was still under medical treatment and care. Swara and Nivedita would visit Ragini at intervals but she was never aware of it.

Annapurna continued to live in Ashram and Durga Prasad had no intentions of calling her back. Sujata and Ram Prasad tried to advise him to bring her back. But he was not interested. Sanskar asked them to give his uncle more time. Right now, Niraj occupied all his thoughts and time.

Roopali , Annapurna's sister in law recovered well from the Paralysis under the best medical care. She sold the family house at Midnapore and lived in a Senior citizens House in Kolkata. She seemed to enjoy this new phase in her life.

Ishan and Sanskar did not leave any stone unturned to find the identity of the girl that Ragini had injured. She belonged to a middle class family in Ranchi and she was doing her diploma course in Kolkata. Her family and hostel had filed her name in the missing person list. Sanskar was successful in uniting the family and the girl.

Like Ishan guessed, the publicity of Sisodia's activities made him quiet. His men went underground and he admitted to his crimes.

Swara sighed at the events that happened in their lives. A good year that was filled with love and happiness! She continued to work for SM24 though her colleagues looked at her with new respect now.

Her life with Sanskar was exciting and enriching. Each day with him was new and different. Like their personalities, they had strong opinions and views.They often clashed over them but loved to learn each other's feelings. One day, after a minor difference of opinion, Sanskar took her to a concert. It was quite a popular band and Swara's favorite one. She was excited to hear them live. When they reached the venue, it was empty. The auditorium was lit up with candles and only the two of them occupied the audience seats. Swara was surprised.The band appeared on the stage and announced.....

'This concert is dedicated to Swara Sanskar Maheshwari from 

Someone who loves you to eternity

Someone who knows no life without you

Someone who promises to be with you till the end of this universe and

Someone who can't see pain or tears in your eyes.....

Yours and only yours Sanskar Maheshwari...'

The lead singer concluded the dedication and took a bow..Tears coursed down unchecked from Swara's eyes..She did not know what to say. She looked at Sanskar and kissed him...

'Why?' she asked him

Sanskar shrugged his shoulders and said, 'I wanted to do this when we fought over Laksh's visit to your house. Remember you scared me with your doubts on our marriage. I drove around the city and wanted to do something special but the storm arrived and I could not..' he explained

The band played all her favorite songs and they made it a memorable evening for Swara and Sanskar....

The fond memory of the musical evening made her smile and she stretched her hand to touch the jumping fish but strong arms slid around her waist and stopped her.

'No, don't lean like that...' he said pulling her back to him and wrapping his arms around her,

'Where were you? I missed you.' She said

'I was making arrangements for Scuba diving...' he nuzzled her neck and replied

'Scuba diving? Who is going?' she asked

'We are going... who else? I will teach you...'

'But Sanskar I can't....'she said

'You can't? Why not?' he asked straightening and turning her around to face him

'I am pregnant.....'She blurted out and watched his face for reaction...

The moment seemed to pause for him. His heart skipped a beat at her words......The seagulls wailed and somewhere a dolphin made sound. He could hear the waves dashing at the yacht and the wind whipping across....

'What?' his words came out in whisper 'When?'

Swara smile and caressed his face with her fingers...'I came to know about it just before we left Kolkata...I wanted to share it with you in some place special. ' she explained

He cupped her face and kissed her forehead 'I love you Swara...'

Swara hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder 'I love you too Sanskar...'

They stood together and relished the moment, with pride and joy filling their hearts at the new life they had created together with their love...

As the sun started to set in the horizon, Swara and Sanskar looked forward to a new dawn, a new sunrise and a new life...........

THE END

Note:

I would like to thank my friend Anup for encouraging me to write a story for this page. Without his support, this ff would not have been possible. I would also like to thank the admin and editors of this page for giving me enough freedom to write it in my own way and not interfere with my work.This story would not have been possible without the Creatives and PH of 'Swaragini ' for giving us SwaSan and last but not the least is my gratitude to for living the roles of Sanskar and Swara. They made us dream and weave new stories. Thank you so much...

Thank you friends...

Keep in touch, enjoy life and love yourself. Take care.........

Song Credits: From Movies

Rock Star

Tamasha

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil