SWASAN – CAPTIVATED FOREVER!
Heyy, It’s Anjali back with the next chapter!!!
Thnxx for comments and to my silent readers….
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ALL CHAPTER LINKS : All Parts Here
CHAPTER LINK : Chapter 2
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Sanskaar dances with Swara
CHAPTER 3
FEW DAYS LATER
Swara leaned forward and inspected the splendour of the army as they showed their military prowess.
Reshmi (whispering) : Oh Swara! How could you not help but fall in love with each of the men?
Swara turned to her companion and chuckled.
She sometimes found her friend just a little silly in her enthusiasms, but really she had a point on this occasion. Swara would not have missed the outing for anything in the world. On the other hand, when she had tried a short while ago to draw Mr Singhania into a discussion on whether the necessity for military discipline ought to outweigh the human right to individuality, but he hadn’t even responded and just gave her a grunt.
Reshmi (still whispering) : Just look at the men on the horses. How do horses survive in such temperatures anyways? I’m freezing.
Swara nodded her agreement. As much as she found Captain Rohan Singhania annoying, He certainly did look splendid in his complete dress.
Rudra : Hello, My lovely ladies. May I join you?
Reshmi (smiling at Swara’s elder brother) : Hello Mr Oberoi! It’s so nice to see you.
Swara (drily) : Yes, Elder brother! Please do join us as we talk about our boy crushes.
Rudra (pulling Swara’s ear as he took a seat next to theirs) : You’re too cheeky for your own good, Swara! Anyways, Call me Rudra, Miss Singhania! I’ve told you that before.
Reshmi : I will, Rudra, Only if you call me Reshmi.
He smiled at that.
Swara : So, How is volunteering at the embassy working for you?
Rudra (turning serious) : I like it. It’s great. It’s starting to become serious now.
Swara (her ears perking up) : What do you mean?
Rudra : I don’t know. There seems to be some unrest. Though we thought we could stay here for some time, I think that soon it’ll be too dangerous to stay here. (looking at Swara sternly) If it becomes dangerous, You will go home, Swara. Shivaay will have my head if you don’t.
Swara : But.. But, When will it happen? What is going on?
Rudra : The political situation is very uneasy right now, Swara. I can’t tell anymore about it now.
Swara was interested. She focused her entire attention on her brother meaning to ask more about the political situation.
Finally, an interesting conversation but someone called his name and he excused himself to go talk to the person.
Captain Rohan Singhania walked up and sat next to them.
Rohan : Hello Swara, Reshmi! Did you notice me?
Swara (smiling) : Yes we did. We noticed ALL of you.
Rohan : How did I look? Splendid, right?
Reshmi : Ofcourse bhai! It was a wonderful spectacle.
Rohan (pompously) : Seriously, I don’t know why they bother fighting us. We can beat them anytime. Our army and airforce can crush anyone’s.
Swara wanted to snort and crush this man’s ego. But then Mrs Singhania joined them.
Mrs Singhania : Ofcourse Rohan beta! You are absolutely right. The army is really lucky that they have you. Don’t you agree, Swara beta? Our army looks splendid. We are really lucky to have them fighting for our country.
Swara felt a bit guilt at that. Maybe she was judging Rohan too harshly. But seriously, The arrogance of the man. It irked her to hell.
Her thoughts were diverted at that point when her eyes alighted on the figure of Mr Sanskaar Maheshwari, who was walking a short distance away with a gentleman Swara did not know. She recognized the man immediately. She had not seen him since the evening they had met, but she had not forgotten their waltz—or their conversation.
Although honesty forced her to admit that she had enjoyed herself at the time, she remembered with disapproval. He had treated her with a familiarity she resented—he had persisted in calling her Shona even when she had commanded him not to. And he had quite deliberately set out to shock her, telling her about the causes of his banishment from India, and using that word—erotic—to describe their dance.
He had used it twice. He had used his charms on her as if he thought she were a girl who didn’t know the world and therefore quite unable to discover what his thoughts were.
She had made up her mind after the ball that if he approached her ever again, she would give him the cut direct. She was not going to dance to anyone’s tune. She was an Oberoi, after all.
Mr Maheshwari had seen her. His eyes met and held hers, an expression on his face that was not quite a smile—it was half mocking, half amused. It lit his lazy eyes and tugged at the corners of his mouth. Swara disdained to be the first to look away. She raised her eyebrows in what she hoped was a fair imitation of Shivaay when he wished to intimidate someone.
Mr Maheshwari winked at her and before Swara could summon an expression of outrage, He excused himself from his companion and walked over to her little group.
Oh blo*dy hell!
He kept looking at her the entire distance. At the last minute possible, he turned to Mrs Singhania but not before winking at Swara once more.
Sanskaar (pleasantly) : Mrs Singhania! How nice to meet you again. I hope you are well?
Mrs Singhania : Ah, Mr Maheshwari! Ofcourse I am indeed well. Have you seen the wonderful display my son and his cohort just did? Weren’t they absolutely marvelous?
Sanskaar : The show was definitely splendid. How do you do, Captain Rohan? Ms Oberoi?
Rohan (his manner turning sour) : Oh! It’s you again. How do you do, Mr Maheshwari? I thought you’ll be busy with your friends? Speaking of which, Swara! Why don’t we go and I’ll introduce to few of my friends who you haven’t met yet? Let them all know that I’m acquainted with you.
Swara looked at Rohan with barely concealed annoyance. Could this man think about anyone other than himself. She found herself almost grateful when Sanskaar spoke ignoring Rohan’s rudeness.
Sanskaar : Actually, I came here to invite you all for a moonlight picnic that I’m hosting this Saturday.
Reshmi (who had been talking to someone on the phone suddenly chimed in) : A moonlit picnic, Mr Maheshwari?
Sanskaar (giving a cheeky grin) : Yes, Ms Singhania! I have been asked by General Raichand to host it in the Persephone Gardens. I had offered to sponsor for an event for the army carnival. Would you all please attend, Mrs Singhania? Your entire family and Ms Oberoi, along with her brother, if he can come.
Mrs Singhania graciously accepted the invitation for everyone.
Mrs Singhania : We would love to attend, Mr Maheshwari. I shall extend your invitation to Mr Rudra Singh Oberoi also. Thank you very much for the kind invitation.
He did not linger. He maneuvered his way through the crowd again to rejoin his friend a short distance away. But before doing so he looked fully at Swara, gave her another wink, and favored her with that half-smile again, as if they shared some amusing secret. She half expected him to call her Shona.
She felt considerably ruffled. How dared he? He had not addressed a single word to her other than a how do you do. He had scarcely even looked at her once he was close. And yet she had been given the distinct impression that they were all invited to his picnic because of her.
What was he up to?
She wished they could have been alone when he invited her. She then could have given him the Oberoi stare down and refused it.
No.. How she wanted to shout the word at his face.
It would serve him right if he really was planning his picnic for her sake and she failed to attend.
Rohan (annoyed) : I find that man so irritating. He refuses to agree with any of my wishes. He refuses to even acknowledge that I’m in the army. He dances with Swara when I had asked to dance with her.
Swara (her irritation increasing) : I did dance with you, Rohan. Sanskaar Maheshwari was introduced to me and he asked for a dance. I.. It was I who accepted.
Rohan (hastily) : I’m sorry. I just find that man insufferable. I don’t want you to feel like you have to be civil to the annoying man. If he’s not proper with you…
Swara : IF he did not behave in a civilised manner, I will take care of it. I would give him the cut direct, especially if he were indeed impudent. But he was a perfect gentleman, and right now, you are not behaving like one.
Rohan (his lips thinning) : I’m sorry.
It was the closest she had come to quarreling openly with him. But really, he could be very tiresome. And possessiveness was something she would tolerate in no man who was not her husband—or even in her husband.
But now look what he had provoked her into, she thought, turning her eyes on the departing figure of Sanskaar Maheshwari. Here she was defending the man when she was feeling more than a little annoyed with him.
What was he up to?
Swara (thinking) : This picnic? Is it for me? What the hell are you up to, Mr Maheshwari? And why the hell can I not stop thinking about you?
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PRECAP : The midnight picnic
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Hope you all like itt 🙂 🙂
Will upload SNFM asap <3 <3
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