Chapter 10:
Scene 1:
Location: Lakshya’s house
Sanskar comes to Lakshya’s house and knocks on the door. A girl comes and opens the door.
Sanskar: hello beta!
Girl: I don’t say hello to strangers.
Sanskar: I am a friend of your papa.
Girl: papa’s friend na, not mine. So stay out. (Lakshya comes)
Lakshya: princess! What are you doing? (notices Sanskar) arey, Sanskar! Why are you standing there? come inside.
Girl: papa! I don’t like him.
Lakshya: beta! Don’t say like this. say sorry to uncle! (she runs away) I am sorry on her behalf.
Sanskar: no no, it’s okay. Children do like that with every stranger.
Lakshya: but she is not like that. I don’ know why…..
Sanskar: what’s her name?
Lakshya: Swara! (smile on Sanskar’s face faded instantly)
Sanskar: (in mind) is this the effect of name? I would have been surprised if she would have liked me. (to Lakshya) nice name! I love Swara.
Lakshya: don’t worry! She will get used to you after some time.
Sanskar: yeah!
Scene 2:
Location: Sanskar’s apartment
Sanskar was packing his bag when Lakshya came.
Lakshya: what are you doing, Sanskar?
Sanskar: packing my bags.
Lakshya: why?
Sanskar: I am going.
Lakshya: to Rishikesh?
Sanskar: no
Lakshya: then?
Sanskar: Mumbai.
Lakshya: why?
Sanskar: tomorrow is my flight. I am going to US.
Lakshya: what? But why? And all of the sudden?
Sanskar: I have to go. Then why not today?
Lakshya: are you running from something? Or should I say someone?
Sanskar: no.
Lakshya: what happened to you that day?
Sanskar: nothing. I just fell down.
Lakshya: you are lying!
Sanskar: no!
Lakshya: yes!
Sanskar: and why do you think so?
Lakshya: because your injuries are not like that. I am not a psychologist but still I could tell that you were in severe depression.
Sanskar: I have no depression.
Lakshya: you have.
Sanskar: I have just the pressure of work. Nothing else.
Lakshya: there is nothing like that. There is some other reason.
Sanskar: (sarcastically) and would you please like to cast some light over “some other reason”?
Lakshya: are you involved in some girl?
Sanskar: girl? Are you crazy? I mean….
Lakshya: don’t try to lie. I know it and I just want confirmation from you. If you lie to me, you will never see my face again. Keep your hands on your heart and tell me the truth.
Sanskar: frankly speaking…… yes!
Lakshya: what? Really? (Sanskar nods) I can’t believe it.
Sanskar: (irked) first you were sure that I am involved in some girl and now you are not ready to believe it.
Lakshya: I just shot arrow in darkness and got the truth out.
Sanskar: I feel like kicking you hard, you idiot.
Lakshya: so tell me who is that madam who have snatched the smile of my best friend.
Sanskar: she has not snatched anything from me. In fact, I am here just because of her. If I had not met her, I would never be here and who knows I would have been alive till now or not. She is the most important part of life.
Lakshya: then?
Sanskar: then…… then I lost her. I lost her forever.
Lakshya: she died?
Sanskar: (looks sharply at him) shut up! She is alive. She is alive in my heart.
Lakshya: then? You can’t marry her?
Sanskar: I don’t want to talk about it. Change the topic please!
Lakshya: why can’t you talk about her?
Sanskar: because it gives me pain. I have not seen her since past nine years. But still I remember her every small facial feature.
Lakshya: ok fine! I will not ask any question about her. Just answer my this question that what is her name?
Sanskar: Swara!
Lakshya: (surprised) what? (he never thought that he will tell him this name. Now he got to know why Sanskar always tried to get closer to his daughter. He never called her by name and he always complained about it but he did not budge.) is this the reason you always bring so many gifts for my daughter, Swara?
Sanskar: yes!
Lakshya: if you can’t be with her, then forget her. May be it is better for you to stay far away from her.
Sanskar: shut up! There was nothing good when I got separated from my Swara. (starts packing his things)
Lakshya: what are you doing?
Sanskar: I am doing my final packing. I am going. (they both sit in car)
Lakshya: Sanskar!
Sanskar: hm?
Lakshya: don’t go.
Sanskar: I can’t live here, Lakshya. I get suffocated here. Her memories start haunting me. I can’t adjust here because this land reminds me of her.
Lakshya: does she loves you?
Sanskar: what do you think? If she loved me then why she left me?
Lakshya: she did not loved you? (Sanskar shook her head) what? Are you crazy? You are spoiling your life for a girl who does not love you?
Sanskar: she does not love me because I did not deserved her love. I was very bad. I never cared for anyone. Not even my parents. My mom always used to cry and begged me to stop troubling them but I didn’t paid any heed. I felt good seeing people cry. I used to do every kind of sin, small or big. I never left any sin. She hated me for the right reason. When your daughter said that she does not like me, it reminded me of her. She always said that she does not like me.
Lakshya: how did you met her first time?
Sanskar: I was going to do a sin and she saved me from it. She saved my life. Fault was mine. I knew that she loves someone else and still I fell in love with her.
Lakshya: she hated you? Did you ever told her your feelings?
Sanskar: no!
Lakshya: you are the most foolish man of this world. I mean you never told your feelings to the girl you love? You are really dumb!
Sanskar: it would not make any difference because she loved someone else.
Lakshya: at least you would not be sulking all these years.
Sanskar: this was my punishment. But now I have changed myself. She said that she will live with that person who would love God, who would act upon the orders given by them. And see, now I offer my pujas regularly, I keep fasts, I recite Holy Vedah daily. I have everything but still I feel like I have nothing. She is above everything for me. I wish she one time sees me. I have become all like she wanted her life partner to be. Please pray to God to make me meet her once. I have many regrets. I want to say sorry to her.
Lakshya: you should forget her and move on. See a good girl and marry.
Sanskar: I am married, Lakshya.
Lakshya: what? To whom?
Sanskar: Swara!
Lakshya: but she hated you, then how?
Sanskar: she did not wanted to marry her fiancé, so she told me and I agreed to help her. Then we married so that I can get her out of that hell through belfry but her dad wanted to shift her to a secret place, so she came to my house through the walls. I dropped her on some road. I loved her and wanted to marry her so I lied that the guy she loves has married. She went and after some time, she called me for divorce and I joked that I would not give her divorce. Before I could tell her that I was joking, she cut the call. I tried to contact her many times but she had switched off the phone. After that, I tried to find her out but failed. But now I feel lonely without her. I know that she will never come to me but still I love her. I regret why I lied to her and joked with her. I should have understood her condition. She was already in emotional stress.
Lakshya: get free of all your regrets Sanskar! Because so much time has passed. She will be safe and sound. And she will be living her life normally. If she would have contacted you again, you would have told her that you were joking. This is not your fault. So feel easy.
Sanskar: how could I feel easy when she is far from me? I just want to see her once. I want to see whether she is fine or not. Forgetting her is not under my control. I don’t know why but I can’t forget her. I see her everywhere. I even see her instead of me in the mirror.
Lakshya: it’s just the waste of time.
Sanskar: what?
Lakshya: talking to you……. (Sanskar stood up and started watching outside the window. Lakshya felt the old and cold Sanskar coming back and shook his head helplessly)
Scene 3:
Location: US, Sanskar’s apartment
Sanskar was working on his computer when his phone ringed. It was DP from Pakistan.
Sanskar: hello dad! how are you and mom?
DP: we are fine and I hope you are also fine.
Sanskar: what do you want to say?
DP: I want you to settle in India.
Sanskar: what?
DP: yeah! Your mom misses you very much. We have become lonely. Especially after the marriage of Anita, we feel alone. I want you to pursue our family business ahead.
Sanskar: but I can’t dad.
DP: why?
Sanskar: because I don’t like to work in your firm. I am feeling relaxed in this organization.
DP: what is your problem, man? You don’t come to India since you have went to US. You just come once in year and that too for some limited days.
Sanskar: it’s the pressure of work.
DP: don’t lie to me. You became workaholic yourself. No one spends twenty hours a day in office.
Sanskar: you don’t understand …….
DP: I completely understand. Why do you avoid India?
Sanskar: I don’t avoid India. It’s just that I am used to with this environment. So I can’t adjust in India.
DP: but you have become that religious types, then how are you used to that environment. You even feel suffocated here because of so much freedom.
Sanskar: dad please! Don’t force me.
DP: then tell me the reason!
Sanskar: there is no reason dad. And I told you my point of view……
DP: ok fine! I will not force you. But I am telling you that my business needs you.
Sanskar: Oh please dad! Bhai can handle that. And I have to work. Bye! (cuts the call and throws phone on bed) I am sorry dad! but I can’t live there. The moment I set my foot on Indian soil, I start imagining Swara everywhere. The hope of finding her starts making place in my heart and I know that I can never find her. I am trying to overcome the pain! (He gets up to go to washroom when he sees illusion of Swara. He smiles) you!
Swara: (smiling) yes!
Sanskar: what are you doing here? I told you to go and never come back. Then why…..
Swara: when my home is your heart, then where else could I go?
Sanskar: I can’t live in the world of fantasies. Please go! I know you are not Swara.
Swara: Sanskar! I am Swara, your Swara.
Sanskar: (crying) I don’t know where are you?
Swara: I am here with you.
Sanskar: no, you are not with me. I don’t know are you safe or not. I even don’t know if you are alive or not?
Swara: you pray for me so much that no trouble could come in my way.
Sanskar: (tears streaming down) you are happy na!
Swara: I am very happy!
Sanskar: I love you, Swara!
Swara: you are just like I have imagined Adarsh! (smile fades form his face instantly and his face turns red with anger)
Sanskar: (shouting) he does not loves you! (illusion disappears and he stands in front of mirror. He is talking with himself.) Adarsh Bhattia! You snatched my Swara from me. Just because of you, she came out of her home. Now where would I find her? I hate you Adarsh Bhattia. (thinking) maybe Swara did not believe me and went to him for help. If this is the case, then she would have married him. Oh God! (grip on grill tightened and now his hands were bleeding but he was in deep thoughts. After sometime, he gulps his sleeping pills and lays on his bed. After some time, he fell in deep sleep)