Episode 23
It was 7 in the evening, Swara was in her room in her oversized t-shirt and shorts reading a thriller novel when the door of her room opened and Laksh entered her room drinking coffee from a mug. She just got up and sat straight and tried to make herself presentable as possible. She was remembering the events of last day and trying not to blush
Laksh: Hello….! How is your health? (Trying to look at her face instead of her long exposed legs)
Swara: You should have knocked…..
Laksh: Well I am already in…..
Swara: I am not coming to office for few days…
Laksh: Well you need not…
Swara: (Cutting him) Have you fired me?(Thinking how can he be so calm and quit after all that happened he must really get Oscar for this cool act…)
Laksh: No I mean you can come back when you are fully recovered and…
Swara: Ya I know you don’t want your other employee catching anything I do remember your speech…… (Sarcastically)
Laksh: Well is that an invitation? (Looking at had the caption-“I have a different flavor”)
Swara: You wish!!! I mean off course not….( Folding her hands in front)
Laksh went on to his tea and he was quit for sometime then he suddenly spoke. He at room everywhere but her. His eyes stopped at a beautiful Tajmahal miniature which he had gifted her. He wondered she still kept it. But she had the ring too….
Swara: Do you want it back (as Laksh was looking at it)
Laksh: No you keep it. I don’t have the habit of talking my gifts back. Or for that matter anything I gave….
Swara: (thinks: but you took back the ring and never returned my heart)
Laksh: Why did you not tell me about Vorm earlier?
Swara: Well it was not a big deal. I could have handled him just fine. I did it before too. And I don’t think you were in any mood to listen.
Laksh: Well I saw how well you handled him….
Swara: Listen about that…
Laksh: Well Swara you don’t have to worry about him now he is never going to harass you again…. Ever. I mean I fired him.
Swara: (Looking into his eyes) you mean you fired him for me?
Laksh: No not at all. There were lots of complaints against him. HR department had a full file on him.
Swara: Fine.
Laksh: I am sorry Swara for what happened in the farm house yesterday (Looking towards window)
Swara: It’s ok…….. It’s all forgotten…… Let’s leave it behind
Laksh: (A little hurt) Just like that….
Swara: Then what were you hopping to listen…..
Laksh: Well let me make it clear that I don’t have habit of forcing women..
Swara: Really
Laksh: Ya and don’t tell me you were more than willing that’s why we went that far…. And don’t try to cover it up I know the difference…..
Swara: Hmmmm…
Laksh: Ok then bye….(and went to door)
Swara: (calling him back) I am sorry Laksh….
Laksh: What???
Swara: I am sorry Laksh for what I did to you…. I should not have done it….
Laksh: Do you really mean your words or just…..
Swara: Yes from bottom of my heart…
Laksh: Then Why…..
Swara: I think I was a little confused, immature at that time… but believe me it’s something that pinches my conscious each night before I sleep.
Laksh: I think it’s the closure I needed we all do things once in a while that we are not proud of……
Swara: That documents…..
Laksh: Well they were fake when inquired.
Swara: So you where just bluffing all the while.
Laksh: And you feel for it….
Swara: So we are even now.
Laksh: It depend what you consider even….
Swara: Hmmmm…
Laksh: Well we are now neither friends nor enemies but just acutance with a past
Swara: Prefect…
Laksh: That’s not all I had something more to tell you….
Swara: What? (Not liking the tone of his voice his heart dropped a few feet)
Laksh: Well to say I am engaged (said as a matter of fact)
Swara: Congrats Laksh who is the lucky girl (trying not to cry)
Laksh: Well her name is Kavya Punj, she is a model and the daughter of Mr. Suraj Punj the owner of Punj Industries in Europe.
Swara: Wow someone from your same class and background….. She will suit you (her heart just felt like it has been hit by dragger)
Laksh: Ya she is nice….
Swara: So when is the marriage? (Better ask when is my funeral)
Laksh: Well it’s nothing official as in now….. I have not even told mom or bhai yet… It’s just that we met dated for some times and felt that we should marry, and met her parents….
Swara: So you have decided to elope…
Laksh: Nothing like that… (why was she making it difficult)
Swara: Well cognates again….
Laksh: Thanks I think I should leave…. Get well soon…. (and he just ran from there)
He did not know did he just inform her about his upcoming marriage or death, well it really felt like the latter. Well telling your ex about your marriage is never easy…….
Swara just cried her heart out as soon as he left the room. She just doesn’t know what hurt most….. His marriage…. Or his attitude when he told it…..
But it’s rightly said that when you try to be strong for too long you break the hardest…..