SwaSan – Admiration Over Coffee
One shot
A girl dressed up in a black and white combined kurti along with white leggings and a dupatta draped around her neck stood in front of a house. She rang the bell and waited for a few minutes but, to her disappointment didn’t get any response.
“He bhagwaan! Kab kholenge?”, (Oh God! When will they open?) she muttered ringing the bell again.
A smile crept over her face as a lady in her mid-fifties opened the door. She smiled and asked, “Yes?”
“Aunty, actually I saw this advertisement on the newspaper for a room on rent. I’m new to this city so, I thought to come here seeing the advertisement”, she replied politely with a gentle smile on her face.
“Come inside”, the lady said letting the door wide open and allowing her to enter. She went inside with her luggage as the lady said, “Sit down.”
She smiled and settling down on the sofa asked, “Aunty, can I stay here?”
“Sure beta. I don’t have a problem. Just that I’ll let you know a few things and also about what we would offer you”, the lady replied.
The lady settling down on the sofa explained her everything that they would provide and whatever they won’t allow. She smiled and replied, “That seems to be pretty homely. Don’t worry aunty, I’ll abide by the rules and regulations.”
The lady smiled and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Oh.. I’m Swara, Swara Bose”, she replied as the lady said, “I’m Sujata Maheshwari. Why are you in this city? For studies or for a job?”
“Aunty, I’m here for an internship. I’m a nutritionist by profession so, I’ll go back to Kolkata as soon as the internship gets over”, she replied.
“Maa, maa”, shouted a boy in his mid-twenties while climbing downstairs. “Yes, Sanskaar”, the lady replied turning around.
He came and stood in the hall and looking towards Swara asked, “Who’s she?”
“She’s our tenant. I told you about the advertisement, right?”, the lady replied calmly.
“Maa, I told you not to publish the advertisement”, he said annoyed.
“Sanskaar, I also told we are giving this room on rent. I’m not listening to anything now. What am I supposed to do the entire day when you’re at office? At least if someone stays here on rent, I can talk to them”, said the lady. “She’s Swara and she’s going to stay here till the time she’s in Delhi”, she added.
“Aunty, you can call me Sona”, Swara said.
“Sona”, Sanskaar uttered as Swara interrupted saying, “It’s Swara for you.” Sujata giggled as both of them stared at each other.
“Maa”, Sanskaar started after a fraction of seconds but, Sujata interrupted saying, “I’m not listening.”
He looked at Swara and gave her a disgusted look. “Khadhus”, she muttered and followed Sujata towards her room.
It had been almost a month after Swara’s arrival at Sanskaar’s house and after their first meet. Things aren’t always what they seem to be at the beginning and things did turn out to be different for Sanskaar and Swara as well. Over the month, Sanskaar and Swara had grown closer and had become very good friends. Sujata and Swara shared a bond which was worth admiring.
One day, Swara and Sanskaar were sitting and talking in Sanskaar’s room when Sujata knocked the door and said, “Coffee.”
“Maa, you don’t know I’ve been waiting for this coffee for such a long time”, replied Swara mimicking Sanskaar. Sanskaar stared at her while Swara and Sujata burst out laughing.
“Why can’t you go make your coffee if you want it so badly every time?”, asked Swara when Sujata went out of the room serving them coffee. Sanskaar made a ‘I am lazy’ expression making Swara giggle which made Sanskaar admire her adoringly.
“Well, Sanskaar, you’ve got me addicted to this coffee now. I hated coffee so much”, said Swara as a smile crept over Sanskaar’s face.
“Thank God you like it now or else, I would’ve never been able to tell that you’re my best friend”, remarked Sanskaar squeezing Swara’s hand.
Swara jerked his hand away and replied, “Whatever. Well, I need to go now. Talk to you later.”
Sanskaar smiled and said, “Sure.”
The next morning, Sanskaar woke up and found his coffee on the bed-side table. “How come maa served it so early?”, thought Sanskaar. He shooed away his thoughts and picked up the mug to find a different one along with a quote on it.
“If I did anything right in my life, it was when I gave my heart to you”, he read. “Strange! Love quotes”, he muttered when someone knocked the door. He turned around and found Swara at the doorstep. He arched his eyebrows as Swara said, “Your coffee.”
“What do you mean? Maa already gave it na”, replied Sanskaar.
“No, aunty just sent it through me”, said Swara.
“What about this then?”, asked Sanskaar showing Swara the other mug. Swara stepped inside the room and reading the quote in the mug started laughing.
“Why are you laughing?”, asked a confused Sanskaar.
“So, you’ve a secret admirer Mr. Sanskaar Maheshwari”, remarked Swara.
“What rubbish!”, remarked Sanskaar as Swara said, “Well, you’ve the coffee given by your secret and I’m having the one aunty prepared.” “Give that to me”, shouted Sanskaar but, Swara ran out of the room before he could catch hold of her.
The next morning, Sanskaar found another cup of coffee. “I just want to thank you for being my reason to look forward to the next day”, Sanskaar read the quote. “Well, this secret admirer seems to be a really interesting person”, thought Sanskaar and sipped his coffee.
Now, it had been a long time the secret admirer was preparing coffee for him. Things change with time and so did it happen with Sanskaar. He had secretly started admiring and loving his secret admirer. He loved the fact that the secret admirer no matter what always served him his coffee with the best ever quotes.
One another day, Sanskaar woke up and found his coffee beside. He picked it up and read the quote, “I want you. All of you. Your flaws. Your mistakes. Your imperfections. I want you, and only you.” He smiled and sipped the coffee.
Suddenly, something struck his mind and he rushed out of his room. He went downstairs and barged into Swara’s room. “Sona, Sona”, he called out when Sujata entered the room. “Sanskaar, Sona left”, she said.
“Maa, why didn’t you call me?”, asked a disappointed Sanskaar. “You were sleeping so, I thought not to disturb you”, replied Sujata.
“Maa, I wanted to talk to her before she left”, said Sanskaar. Sujata patted his back and said, “You can talk to her over the phone.” Sanskaar nodded his head in a yes and walked away to his room.
The next day, much to Sanskaar’s disappointment he didn’t find a coffee from his secret admirer. Things turned out to be worse without Swara and the secret admirer’s coffee in his life even for a day.
Days passed by and now, a month was over. Sanskaar was disappointed over the fact that neither Swara was there in his life anymore nor the secret admirer.
He was sitting in his balcony looking at the sky when something struck him and he quickly picked up his laptop. He worked on the laptop for a while and then, rushed downstairs.
“Maa, maa”, he screamed. Sujata came out of the kitchen and asked, “Why are you shouting Sanskaar? What’s it?”
“Maa, I’m going to Kolkata tomorrow”, said Sanskaar as Sujata looked at him in confusion. “Why Kolkata all of a sudden?”, asked Sujata.
Sanskaar lifted his mom and twirling her around said, “Aap ki bahu ko laane.” (To bring your daughters-in-law) “Matlab..”, (Means..) said Sujata excited. “Haa ma”, replied Sanskaar.
“Acha, ab mujhe chod. Jab woh aayegi tab usse uthana”, (Okay, now leave me. When she comes then you pick her up) said Sujata as Sanskaar blushed a little and put his mom down. “Maa, aap bhi na”, (Maa, you also na) said Sanskaar and ran away to his room.
The next day, Sanskaar left for Kolkata and after reaching there he straight away went to Swara’s home. He rang the bell and after a while a man in his mid-fifties opened the door. “Yes?”, asked the man. “Uncle, is Sona there?”, asked Sanskaar. “Who are you?”, asked the man frowning. “Uncle, I’m Sona’s friend. She used to stay at our home when she came to Delhi for her internship”, replied Sanskaar.
“Oh..Come inside. Sharmishtha, see who has come”, said the man bringing Sanskaar inside the house. “Sharmishtha, Sona used to stay in their house when she went to Delhi”, said the man. Sharmishtha stood up and greeted him. They talked for a while and amidst all this Sanskaar was searching for Swara everywhere.
After about an hour, Sanskaar asked, “Aunty, where’s Swara?” “She must be coming in sometime”, replied Sharmishtha.
“Aunty, can I go and meet her. I wanted to surprise her. Please, can you let me know the address?”, asked Sanskaar. “Sure”, Sharmishtha replied while Swara’s father handed him the address.
Sanskaar drove away to the address and finally found Swara there. He took an appointment from the reception and went inside like any other patient. He settled down on the chair while Swara was busy checking the list of patients she had to be attended in the day.
“Yes?”, said Swara lifting her head up. She was shocked to see Sanskaar sitting in front of her and squealed, “Sanskaar!” She quickly hugged him and after a while, both of them settled down.
“How come here?”, asked Swara to Sanskaar who busy admiring her after one whole month. “Sanskaar!”, she called out snapping her fingers in front of his eyes.
“Ya?”, replied Sanskaar coming out from his thoughts. “How come you’re here?”, she repeated stretching a bit on the words. “Oh.. actually just wanted you to attend my marriage so, thought of coming and inviting you for the marriage”, replied Sanskaar.
Swara’s eyes welled up but, she controlled herself and asked, “So, when’s the marriage?” “The end of this month”, replied Sanskaar as Swara pretended to be happy.
“Umm..Sanskaar, I’ll just be back. Okay? Don’t go anywhere”, said Swara and excusing herself went outside. Sanskaar smiled and followed her outside.
Swara stood beside her car in the parking lot and cried to herself. She blamed herself for not confessing her love at the right time. Suddenly, someone placed their hand on her shoulder. She quickly wiped off her tears and turned around to find no one. She closed her eyes and muttered, “Stop daydreaming Sona! Sanskaar is getting married. He would never come to you.”
“Only if you could open your eyes and look down”, said a voice. “Now, I can hear his voice in my imagination also”, she remarked.
“Only if you could open your eyes and look down”, repeated the voice as Swara slightly opened her eyes and looked down to find Sanskaar kneeling down before him.
“Sanskaar?”, she uttered confusedly in a choked voice.
“Everybody has an addiction, mine just happens to be you”, he said. Swara looked at him in confusion.
“Will you be Mrs. Swara Maheshwari forever?”, asked Sanskaar as Swara’s eyes gleamed in happiness and excitement. She nodded her head in a yes but, suddenly said, “No.”
Sanskaar looked at her shocked and asked, “Why?”
“I won’t accept such a simple proposal”, replied Swara.
Sanskaar smiled and said, “Since our love story started with quotes so, I would like to take your hand also by a quote.”
“The only thing I want to change in you is that ringless finger on your left hand. May I?”, proposed Sanskaar taking out a ring from his pocket.
Swara nodded her head in a yes as he slid the finger onto her left hand ring finger. He stood up and said, “So, Mrs. Maheshwari?”
“I can’t do this. You’re going to get married”, said Swara and was about to give him the ring back when he said, “Only if you’re the bride, I can get married.”
Swara looked at him in shock and within a fraction of seconds started hitting his chest. “You! What do you think of yourself huh? I thought I lost you. My heart had skipped a beat and you were joking around. I won’t leave you Mr. Sanskaar Maheshwari”, complained Swara continuing to hit him.
Sanskaar held onto her hands and pulled her closer. “I love you!”, whispered Sanskaar. These three words were enough to make Swara forget her anger and melt down for Sanskaar. She looked into his eye and the only thing visible was the eternal love he had towards her.
Swara smiled and hugging him tightly said, “I love you too!” Sanskaar smiled and hugged her back.
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A/N: Thank you for spending your valuable time to read this.