“Yohan” screamed Sahil entering his nursing home. Yohan who was inside his cabin came out running as he heard Sahil’s voice. “Sahil bhai” said Yohan approaching him. Sahil who placed Swara on stretcher said “Yohan. Please look Swara fainted again. I mean she is shocked. I’m really scared. Please do something” Tears flowed from his eyes like there was no barrier. His face was burning and had turned pink. Yohan held him and said “Sahil bhai relax. Relax.” and he moved the stretcher inside. Ragini kept moving with the stretcher patting Swara’s cheek. Yohan looked at her and tried consoling her.
“Ragini” said Yohan holding her. “Yohan shona dee” said Ragini and burst into a cry. “Shhh” said Yohan placing his finger on her lips. He hugged her and consoled her holding her head. He signed Sanskar to console Ragini and he approached them. “Ragini” said Sanskar and Ragini turned and hugged him. He kept his hand on her head and patted consoling her. He signed Yohan that he will take care of her. Yohan smiled weakly and headed in. Sahil sat on a chair with a thud and stared to infinity. Tears were still flowing from his eyes but he wasn’t bothered to wipe them. Ragini came out of Sanskar’s embrace and looked at Sahil painfully. She approached him and kneeled down. “I’m sorry. I said I will take of her but I failed as a sister” said Ragini and bent her head sobbing.
“What is that which is most important to you in your life?” asked Sahil sitting on rock beside Swara when they were enjoying their Sunday on Hill near to their college. Swara smiled widely and said “My family” Sahil smiled widely. “And who is most important person in your life whom you cannot see broken?” asked Sahil. “My Ragu maa. She is my life. No no more than my life. Me and my twin monkey brother cannot tolerate a tear drop from her eye. She is our world” said Swara with twinkling eyes. “And you are mine” said Sahil in his mind lost in her beautiful face.
Sahil came back to present. He cupped Ragini’s face and wiped her tears with his thumb. “Shhh Ragu. Nothing will happen to Shona. She has to be alright for her Ragu maa. You are the best sister in the world. You have taken care of her like a mom. And moms are never wrong. Sumi aunty might have given her birth but you are her true mom. She will be all ok. Just have faith. Ok. I still trust you the way I used to trust you before. You are the only one who can take care of her. So stop worrying ok” said Sahil with a weak smile through his tears. Ragini smiled a bit. “Now go have some water” said Sahil and he signed Sanskar to her outside and Sanskar complied. “Come back Shona. Your Ragu maa needs you. Please” said Sahil and cried bending his head and holding the chair tightly.
“Ragini” said Sanskar as they were sitting on the bench outside the garden. Ragini looked at him with tears in her eyes. He wiped her tears. “Nothing will happen to Swara. She will be fine” said Sanskar. “I cannot live without her. I cannot” said Ragini. “Shhh” said Sanskar and dragged her in his embrace and rocked her holding her head. “Relax” said Sanskar patting her head. Time seemed to be moving with difficulty.
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“Where is this Bandar. He said he will be here in 10 minutes and its more than that. I could have waited near the party only” said Swara looking at her watch and around. It was dark and a deserted road. She saw drunkard approaching her. And she walked swiftly from there. She was so scared due to his approach that she was not able to grasp where she was going and which way.
“Where did this chipkali go now. I told her to wait here. Ahhh” said Vikram frustrated as he did not find Swara in a place he specified her to stand. He looked around and got down from his bike. He parked it and walked in a direction.
“Thank god. Now I should call that bandar” said Swara as she found that the person who was following her disappeared. As she removed her phone from her pocket she heard Vikram screaming “Shona…..” she jerked and looked back she could only grasp that some vehicle was about to mow her down beneath it. And she closed her eyes not able to meet the eyes with her death. But she felt some strong arm dragging her and she opened her eyes and twirled. As she was pulled by the force she saw Vikram getting hit by the car and he smiled looking at her with tearful eyes as if he knew that was the last time he was seeing her. She hit a electrical pole and her vision blurred but still she could sense Vikram’s body flying in air and falling with a thud on the road. Swara looked with tears in her eyes at Vikram who was looking at her with tears in his eyes. She felt so helpless. She tried all her force to move. Her twin was bleeding and she was not able to move her muscles which were paining like hell. More than that Vikram’s condition made her shiver. She wanted to scream.
“Vikram…………..” screamed Swara sitting on her bed as she woke up from the effect of drowsy sedatives. Tears flowed from her eyes which were red. She felt difficult to breath and felt hell thirsty. Her throat burned. She looked around to realize where she was. “Shona dee” said Yohan standing beside her. She took a minute to recognize him. He was smiling looking at her through his tears. “Yo… Yohan” said Swara with difficulty. Yohan’s smile widened as she called him by his name and recognized him. She wiped her face which was full of sweat and her tears which covered her pink face. “Ahhh” she held her head which was still paining. “Shona dee relax” said Yohan holding her shoulder and consoling her. He made her lie on the bed and injected an injection. “Some more time. She will gain consciousness” thought Yohan caressing her hair sitting beside her.
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“Leave him. Leave my bhayyu. Where are you people taking him. Leave” screamed Ragini trying to stop the people who were taking Vikram’s lifeless body covered in a white cloth. Swara was watching it standing hiding behind the pillar. Everything happened after that replayed in her subconscious mind. How their life changed and how Ragini used to manage her without complaining once also. And Sahil’s arrival in her life and her moments with him, then Kavya and her engagement party and the incidents happened there. Sumi’s conversation with Shekar’s portrait recently and Sanskar consoling her and Ragini was in the middle of the road and was about to hit by the truck. Everything looked like just happening in front of her eyes. The head lights of the truck became more and more intense and triggered Swara’s brain cells and she opened her eyes with a jerk. Tears flowed from her eye and she started breathing heavily. She looked around to find someone.
“Yohan” said Swara weakly as she found Yohan who was resting his head beside her sleeping on his chair. Yohan slightly opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Swara who was awake.
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“Sir shall I get you tea. You must be tired” said Ragini keeping her hand on Sahil’s shoulder. Sahil smiled weakly and nodded his head as he also needed some refreshment. “Come” said Sanskar calling Ragini and she followed him to canteen.
“Sahil bhai” said Yohan coming out of the room happy. Sahil got up with a jerk and stood and looked at him with lot of questions in his eyes regarding Swara’s health. Yohan held his shoulder and said “Swara dee is fine. She gained consciousness. Come” And he dragged Sahil inside. Sahil was nervous. He thought he lost her and he didn’t know how to face her. He let a deep breath escape his body to relax his anxiety. He looked at the clock which showed 6 o clock. He wondered how horrible the night was. As he entered he saw Swara who looked at him. He wished the time to stop there so that he can cherish the most beautiful moment of his life when his shona was back to life. He approached her hesitant. Swara looked around to hide her excitement. He went and stood beside her.
“I will die if you leave me and go anywhere?” she remembered Sahil’s words and a smile appeared on her face.
“Sahil” said Swara with a calm voice. Sahil who was staring ground looked at her shocked. She was calling him like the way she was alright. He wiped his tears and sat beside her. He smiled widely through her tears. “Swara. You… You… got your memory back?” asked Sahil excited. Swara nodded her head happy. “Wait I will get Ragini she will be damn happy” said Sahil getting up. He stopped and turned. He leaned and kissed her forehead and ran out. Swara smiled at his kiddish behavior.
“Ragini…. Ragini….” screamed Sahil approaching her when she was walking with a tea glass in her hand. Ragini placed the tea glass aside and said “What happened sir?” She found him jumping like a kid who has got his favorite chocolate. “Swara… Swara… got her memory back and she is talking normally” said Sahil excited. Ragini’s eyes popped due to shock. She couldn’t believe her ears. She closed her mouth to control her excitement. She sobbed as she was not able to hold her excitement. “What happened?” asked Sahil worried. Ragini kept sobbing. “Ohho you girls bhi na. If you are sad you will cry and if you are happy then also you will cry. No stop crying” said Sahil wiping her tears. “Come she is waiting” said Sahil dragging her. She followed him. She looked at Sanskar who smiled at her and signed her to carry on.
“Abhi mujhme kahi baki thodi si hai zindagi… Jagi dhadkan nayi jaana zinda hu mai tho abhi
Ragini entered the room hesitant. Her heart beat was at peak
Kuch aisi lagan iss lamhe me hai yeh lamha kaha tha mera
Ragini collapsed beside Swara
“Ragu…” said Swara weakly
Ab hai samane isse chulu zara mar jaavu ya jeelu zara….
Kushiya chumlu ya rolu zara mar javu ya jeelu zara
Ragini’s emotions busted like a water from sprinklers. She held Swara’s hand and cried her heart out bending her head. “Shona dee” said Ragini and hugged Swara. Swara’s tears flowed looking at Ragini. “Shh relax Ragu.. Bacha see I’m fine” said Swara rubbing her back. She craved for this love from two long years which looked like two births. Two worst years of her life. She sobbed more as she got back her elder sister. She felt tired of fighting back.
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“Sanskar” said Ragini as she came out of the room. But she did not find him. She looked around but he wasn’t there. She felt bad. She wanted to share her excitement with him. She headed back to the room sad. “What happened?” asked Sahil to Ragini. Before she could say anything Sahil’s phone beeped. He found Sanskar’s message. “Please inform Ragini that Ananya was crying so I’m leaving home. Her phone is not reachable” read Sahil. He showed it to Ragini. And she smiled nodding her head. Swara looked at them confused. “What happened?” asked Swara. “Nothing dee. Ohho see I forgot to inform maa. I will just go home and get her” said Ragini and headed out happy.
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“Shona…” said Sumi entering Swara’s room. Swara who was drinking water with the help of Sahil looked at Sumi. Sumi sat on the bed and hugged her. Both of them sobbed holding each other. Ragini wiped the tear which was trying to escape her eye. Her smile spread on her face glowing it. Yohan looked at her and nodded his head to not to cry. Ragini smiled and signed ok.
“Shona dee is perfectly fine. You can take her home today itself” said Yohan checking Swara. Ragini smiled happily and hugged Swara. Swara encircled her hands around Ragini’s neck smiling happily.
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“Kya hua Ragu?” asked Swara sleeping on her bed when she found Ragini trying to call someone restlessly. Ragini looked at Swara and smiled and said “Nothing dee” She slept beside Swara and said “Today I will listen lori from my dee” Swara smiled and patted Ragini’s head and started singing
“Phoolo ka taaro ka sabka kehna hai…. Phoolo ka taaro ka sabka kehna hai”
Swara remembered how she used to behave like a kid and Ragini used to manage her.
Ek hazaro me meri behna hai…..
Swara remembered how Ragini sacrificed so many things for her
Saari umar hame sang rehna hai…..
She remembered their family hug when she came back from her hostel and the way Vikram used to torture her and how she used to take revenge from him. And how they both used to take care of Ragini.
A tear escaped from her eye. She looked at the sky. She felt Vikram’s presence. Ragini was fast asleep. She moved to the window and looked at the stars. “I miss you Bandar… I miss you… Can’t we have those moments back in our life…. I want to torture you again… I want you to tease me again… Call me chipkali na once please” said Swara. She held the window and sobbed closing her eyes tightly. “Now I will fulfill our duty. Duty towards our chotu. She has suffered a lot. She fought her life alone. No more. I will fulfill all your wishes Bandar. Stay happy and stay at peace” said Swara wiping her tears. Vikram smiled through his tears from the sky and said “Welcome back chipkali. I miss you too. I know you will fulfill our duties. Our duty to keep our chotu happy. To bring all the happiness in our Bacha’s life. I know you will do it. After all you are my brave chipkali”