Chapter 4 link: Chapter 4
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“Myself Swara!”
“Sanskar.” The man smiled.
“Shall I ask you a thing?”
“Sure.” He said, puzzled.
“Did you touch the feet of the doctors the moment you were born?”
“What?”
“No? Achhaa, then you must have looked exactly like Alok Nath back then! That’s why they named you SANSKAR! I mean, so sanskaari! Isn’t it?” Swara laughed hard while Sanskar seemed visibly pissed off.
“Hahaha! Very funny!” He replied sarcastically.
“Indeed it is!” Swara added, still laughing. “By the way, just imagine! Had I not saved you today, toh news mein headlines aate- ‘Gaur se dekhiye is chehre ko! Sanskar naam ke ladke ne kiya asanskaari kaam!’ Hahahahaha” Swara laughed harder, pissing Sanskar more than before, which was soon interrupted by her phone which was ringing.
“Hahaha hello?” Her eyes widened as soon as she heard the voice from the other side. “Oh no! I’m so late! Aaj toh tu gayi Swara!” Swara thought. Mustering her lost courage, she answered, “Yes yes Ragu. I’m on my way. I’m coming. I’ll reach there on time.” Swara sighed as she cut the call, only to find Sanskar missing. She looked around and saw him walking towards his car. Her face enlightened as she found a solution to her problem. She quickly ran towards his car, screaming, “Sanskaaaaaaar!! Ruko!”
“Ab kya ho gaya isey?” Sanskar thought, rolling his eyes as he stopped while still holding his car’s door. Swara stopped opposite him and quickly opened the door and sat inside. Sanskar watched her ‘fast-as-light’ action in complete shock. So shocked he was that he failed to react at all to her antics.
“What are you looking at? This is your car na?”
“Y-e-s” Sanskar answered hesitatingly.
“So come sit and drive! Or I’ll be late!”
“Excuse me?”
“This guy! You’re sitting or shall I drive on my own?” Swara threatened Sanskar.
“Yeah. Coming.” Puzzled, he sat on the driver’s seat and began driving.
“Arey pehle puch toh lo ki mujhe jaana kahan hai?” Swara giggled. “Never mind! I’ll tell you myself. Actually, I have to reach Shahdara within 20 mins. And that’s not possible if I go via metro. And Ragu took my scooty. So, I had to take lift from you.” Swara said innocently.
“Oh! So you’ve planned to get admitted to the mental hospital finally!” Sanskar rolled his eyes as he said.
“Not yet.” Swara replied sternly.
Sanskar looked at her and smiled. “Do you always take lift like this only?”
“What?”
“Never mind!” Sanskar rolled his eyes. He tried to calm down for he was irritated by this forced-lift. But still, he tried to remain calm.
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Sanskar asked after a while.
“No. I saw you for the first time in my life. But if this was a try, then I must say it was a really bad one!” Swara said playfully.
“Ahh never!” Sanskar again rolled his eyes. Swara got busy in her phone while Sanskar was driving silently.
Roads at Delhi are never traffic-proof during evenings. Never. Soon SwaSan too got stuck in one such jam. Sanskar was getting impatient due to this and Swara’s banter was making it worse.
“God! This traffic! I’ll be late today! Urrrgghhh! They’ll kill me for sure today! Sanskaaaar! Do something! I don’t wanna die so young!”
“Madam, I’m not your chauffeur! Even I have some work. But here I am! Stuck in this damn traffic with you!” Sanskar angrily retorted.
Hurt, Swara immediately opened the door and stepped out. “I’m so sorry Sanskar to have wasted your time. You may go.” Swara snapped at Sanskar and walked away. Sanskar too drove away being angry. He didn’t go much far when he realised it was getting dark already and it wouldn’t be safe for Swara to roam around at this time. Dilli dilwalo ki zaroor hai, but when it comes to safety, this very ‘dil’ can’t trust this city.
“I shouldn’t have left her like that.” Sanskar drove back to the very same place where Swara had walked away from his car. But she wasn’t there. “Where did she go? I just left her 10 mins. ago! I hope she’s not into some problem.” Sanskar worried.
Meanwhile Swara had kept walking mumbling to herself. “How rude! Bhalaai ka toh zamaana hi nahi raha! Even I should have left him there itself! Jab log uski pitaai karte na ladki chhedne ke liye, tab pata chalta! Idiot! Duffer! What did he think, he’ll insult me and I’ll request him ki Sanskar, please help me?! Never. Swara aaj tak na kisi ke saamne jhuki hai aur na kabhi jhukegi! And I’m completely capable of helping myself. God! I’m tired of walking already. And even this GPS isn’t working! Urrrggghhhh!” Swara fumed.
Tired, she stood there for a while. “Not a single place to sit! Anyway, roads don’t offer one a seat!” Thought she. As she was standing looking around for some lift or so, she found some men staring at her leeringly, which made her uncomfortable. She started walking and so did those men.
“Damn! These men are following me. It’s dark too!” Tensed, she took out her phone to call the nearest police station, but alas! Nil battery!
“WTF! This had to die right now!! Ab kya karungi main?!” Swara worried. The men were fast approaching her and she had to think of something really soon.
Precap: Swara senses someone close to her and she reacts.