All looked at Sujata as if she had grown another head.
Sujata: Yes I knew about them, I had caught Lucky proposing Swara at our farmhouse and…..
Adresh: Whattt!!!!! You knew it all the while mom and even then you decided to be quit. You were quit even when Lucky was going to announce his engagement to Kavya….. Why mom? Why you did this to Swara….. I always thought that for you Swara was more like a daughter you never had. If it was about money and status why that never mattered in case of Pari why mom??? (Adresh was really hurt)
Laksh: Well mom I too need few answers you were more excited for our marriage than us than why mom?? (Nearly in tears)
Swara: (Cutting them) Its me and Laksh who told badi maa to be quit and…….
Sujata: It’s enough Swara you need not defend me always. My silence had done enough damages, now atleast I must confess the entire truth or it will be wrong on both of you specially you Swara……
Swara: Badi maa but…..
Sujata: It’s ok Swara today even your swear won’t stop me. Everyone here deservers truth and the truth is that Laksh and Swara did not drift apart or lost touch, I had asked Swara to go away from Laksh’s life and she did that for me without any question….
Shomi: (Shocked) Why would you do that to her didi…. I thought that you considered her as your own daughter…. Why did you do this to her……
Laksh: Why mom? Was all your love and affection for us just a mere show…. Did you feel she was far below your status….. Did your son’s love and happiness never matter to you? (Almost pleading)
Swara: Shut up Laksh!!!! Is this the way you talk to your mom…. (Shouted)
Laksh: Are you still defending her Swara . You suffered all this time. Thinking you betrayed me I have been giving you more than hell all this time, my anger, my accusations, my threat towards your brother…. I nearly….. (He stopped himself from saying any further)
Sujata: What are you talking about? How dare you treat Swara badly? Why did you not tell him the truth dear? Why? (shocked)
Adresh: Hold on its all very confusing. One of you who know the entire story speak and others please hold your horses….
Swara raised her hand and said…
Swara: I would
Laksh: You don’t need to paint rosy picture of any one….. Just tell the entire story as it happened not your attitude towards it…..
Swara: Lucky it’s my turn to speak, and as Adresh bhai said hold your horses…
Laksh just kept quite after giving Swara some deadly glares and she royally ignored those and began to speak
Swara: As you all know Laksh and I were in relationship and only badi maa knew about it. She was really very happy about it and her feeling in this regard was as pure as Ganges…. (Said looking at Shomi and Laksh) We were going to announce it after Ram uncle came back from his Germany trip and my exams getting over. But as we all knew he never came back and only bad news came…. Few days after his funeral his new business partner Mr.Patel came from USA to visit you all and he met with badi maa privately…..
Adresh: Why would he meet mom privately…… And why not us?
Swara: I will answer that too…! He and Ram uncle had came to an understanding about a key venture uncle was keen on doing. It was his dream project. The financial risk of the project was mainly of Mr.Patel so Ram uncle in all fairness gave him a large chunk of his business ownership, as collateral. Everything would have been reverted once the project started in all respect.
Adresh: (Cut her in between) That can never be true….. Dad could never take such decision without consulting me or Lucky, or at least our team of advisors. I never heard of such deal ill date, have you Lucky?
Laksh: Bhai is right dad can never do that. It’s not his style of working…… Never.
Sujata: (Sternly) It was meant to a surprise for you both. The new project would have been next big thing of the century, so it was much under wraps. Only a few people including me were taken into confidence, he was waiting for the patents to confirmed before announcing it.
Laksh and Adresh could not believe they gave each other a confused look and were disturbed. Then to break the silence Shomi asked Swara to continue
Swara: then in the meeting Mr.Patel put forth another idea to save the investment….. he proposed marriage between Laksh and his daughter, to avoid the takeover of Maheshwari Industries by his company.
Adresh: (Unbelieving) This is insane . It’s groom buying…..
Sujata: But in exchange the older deal would negate. All paper destroyed and ther would be no takeover.
LAksh could take no more, so with pain he just got up and walked to the opposite the room. He just could not believe whatever happened behind his back, he was so stupid not to sense a thing.
Adresh: (Getting angry with his maybe for first time in his life) So for this you asked Swara to break up with Lucky? You let your son’s life become part of some idiotic deal. How could you mom? How could you?
Swara: Stop it bhiya… It’s not badi maa’s fault. Yes she was not thinking about her son. She was thinking about thousands of families employed with of Maheshwari Industries and their families, about the shareholders who had put their hard earned money in this of Maheshwari Industries, she was thinking of Ram uncle and his legacy and reputation in market…….. When so much was at stakes the emotions of two people were too minor when compared.
All were emotional hearing this….. Sujata just wiped her tears….
Shomi: You were right didi, this is what should have been done. You took a right decision…..
Adresh: I am sorry mom. But you should have taken me into confidence. We would definitely found a solution for it. We would have mom (Feeling guilty)
Sujata: Do you really think it was my first and only thought? It was my last and most painful resort…… What did you think when your father died I was shut in a room and was gravening your father’s death, I was not that lucky. Being the wife of Ramprasad Maheshwari I never had that privilege. I was sitting in room and calling people who could help us and sending emails to find a solution for this…..
Parineeta: So that was the reason for your sudden trip to US barely one month after dad’s death…..
Swara: (Trying to change the topic) So how come that marriage never took place?
Adresh: (Jokingly) Well the girl ran away with her boyfriend within hours of meeting Lucky…..
Swara: (Keeping a hand at her heart) Lucky is not that bad bhaiya…. I accept he has his faults but…..
Laksh: Why didn’t you let Adresh bhai be married off to that girl, he would have been a happy man. Right Bhabi….
Parineeta: You might be right Lucky…
Sujata: Well there is always a net time…(Raising her eyebrows)
Eyereyone: NOOOOOO……
Sujata: Fine I quit….
Laksh: And maa if there is a problem next time please talk to one of us, other than off course Swara, rather than trying to find solutions yourself, I had enough for a lifetime……
Saying this he was about to kiss Swara but stopped seeing Shomi…..
Shomi: You two would always have my and Shekar’s blessings…..
Listing to her, Laksh just gave Swara a passionate kiss much to the shock of the family,
AB ITNA THO BANTA HAI……
Sorry for such late update…. But writing the last episode of this book was really emotional….. Thanks to all my readers for being with me throughout my journey….. I never wanted this book to be complete….. but as it said every good thing comes to an end so has this. I really hope that that you will be with me for my other books too….. A heartfelt bye for now……