"I am happy to see Sanskaar so happy these days," Sujata (Sanskaar's mother) said, a look of pure relief on her face as she watched her son leave for the office.

"You are right, Sujata, I was so worried about him for a long time, but I feel so satisfied now," Annapoorna (Sanskaar's Badi Maa) smiled warmly.

"And to top it all off, he's back in business and winning deal after deal!" Ram (Sanskaar's father) announced proudly, as if offering a crowning glory to their relief.

The news put everyone at ease. Sanskaar was the smartest one, the quickest to learn the business, but his performance over the last year had truly perplexed them.

"Maybe it's because he was newly married and then soon became a father. It's an imbalance he struggled to manage, and that happens," Bade Papa mused, sipping his tea.

"Or it's because of Swara, his secretary," Adarsh laughed, trying to tease Ragini, who instantly shot a look at him.

"Adarsh!" Pari glared at her husband, angered by his careless joke.

"Wife, I was just teasing her! We know our Sanskaar," Adarsh chuckled, returning his attention to his food.

Pari sighed, watching Ragini. She had been observing their relationship for a long time and always felt something was off. She had asked Ragini about it, hoping to help as a big sister, but Ragini had strongly denied anything was wrong.

Maa and Choti Maa had also sensed a tension, but they had brushed their worries aside after Ragini's pregnancy, deciding the couple was simply introverted and talked less than others.

Pari remembered Sanskaar being happy in the initial months of their marriage, but slowly, she felt he started to pretend. She had asked him, too, but he had dismissed it, citing the pressure of maintaining the quality of his work.

But there's truth in the saying that no one can observe and understand subtle emotions like women can. Seeing Sanskaar genuinely happy after so many months, she couldn't miss the unmistakable charm on his face.

She only hoped that this newfound glow was purely a result of his successful business deals.

Inside Ragini, her heartbeat was a frantic drum, going up and down, a sickening rhythm of fear. Adarsh had made the comment so casually, yet the havoc it created within her was suffocating. Giving the excuse of needing to check on Lavya, she hurried upstairs.

She had been observing him, too. He was rarely coming home, and she had seen him talking happily on the phone, his voice light and bright. To her bad luck, she had been at her mother's house because her father wasn't well.

Sanskaar had come to visit her father in the hospital once, but after that, he never came back to her parents' house. She realized she hadn't heard from him since he'd spoken to her father.

He hadn't called her, nor had he asked when she would be coming home.

In the past, whenever she went to her parents' house, even if only for two days, he would always visit her. But this time, he hadn't.

A conversation she'd had long back with Pari Bhabhi came flooding back:

"Ragini, if Lavya is asleep, you can give her to me. I'll make her sleep with me," Pari Bhabhi had suggested with a naughty smile.

"No, Bhabhi, it's fine," Ragini had replied with an awkward smile.

"Give some time to your husband as well, Ragini. I'm seeing you're too busy with the baby."

"I know it's a little difficult after the baby, but intimacy is also important," Pari Bhabhi had whispered into Ragini's ear, giving a discreet wink.

"Bhabhi, what are you..." Ragini had stammered, feeling deeply awkward.

"Ragini, intimacy is so important to remind each other, 'I am here with you.'" Pari Bhabhi had smiled, her expression turning gentle.

"Too much waiting for a husband is also not good. They keep their patience during pregnancy and even right after delivery, but if the wait is too long, they start attracting toward others. I'm telling you this because I was just talking to my friend yesterday, and she told me something sad," Pari Bhabhi had concluded quietly.

"Why am I remembering everything now, everything I didn't pay any attention to then?" Ragini thought, the realization of her fear making her truly restless.

"I really need to talk with Sanskaar " She thought taking long breath as she felt suffocating.

******

Swara gasped, a startled sound escaping her lips as a hand settled on her waist. A rush of relief followed the initial shock, the familiar, comforting touch instantly recognizable.

"You scared me," Swara said, rolling her eyes playfully as she turned to face him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, quickly placing a soft, possessive kiss on her lips, making her eyes widen in surprise.

"Sanskaar! We're at the office," Swara exclaimed, lightly swatting his chest, though she didn't try to pull away as Sanskaar circled her waist with his arms, drawing her closer.

"So what? I love you," Sanskaar countered, pulling her flush against him and placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

"But our relationship isn't 'normal,' you know. I know you don't love your wife, but it feels so wrong to keep Ragini in the dark. I feel so guilty," Swara confessed, looking up at him with troubled, pleading eyes.

She was deeply in love with Sanskaar, but the heavy cloak of deceit regarding Ragini was against her nature, weighing on her conscience.

"Are you feeling insecure that I won't divorce her?" Sanskaar asked, his gaze searching hers, understanding that such worries were a natural human reaction to their complicated situation.

"It's not about insecurity, and I'm not saying you have to divorce her right this minute. It's about the truth," Swara insisted.

"I know loving each other isn't a crime, but hiding it still feels like one. I know you two don't have a loving marriage, but she still has a right to know the reality of your life. If someone finds out, everyone will blame you for cheating; no one will understand your reasons." Swara shared her deep-seated worries, her hopeful eyes pleading for his understanding.

"And I know you won't tell anyone that Lavya isn't your biological daughter because you want to protect Ragini's dignity in front of the family. That's why you need to talk to Ragini first," Swara concluded, laying out the difficult reality.

"I know," Sanskaar acknowledged, pulling her into a tight, reassuring hug.

"You're worried about my family turning against me." He held her gaze.

"You're right. It’s not fair to hide such things, and I promise you, I'm going to discuss all of this with Ragini soon."

Swara smiled, a genuine relief washing over her. She wasn't in a hurry to marry Sanskaar or insecure his divorce; her only concern was the truth.

Given the increasingly open way he cared for her, someone was bound to find out eventually. She didn't want the situation to spiral out of control, realizing it was far better to address it before things became unmanageable.

Every day, he made her fall more deeply in love with him. He could easily secure a divorce and reveal the truth about Lavya, yet he had clearly stated that Lavya would always be his daughter and that he would never expose the truth of her parentage to his family. His desire to protect Ragini’s dignity and handle the situation calmly filled Swara with pride. She come out thought when he spoke.

"Now give me my morning dose," Sanskaar murmured, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

"What dose?" Swara countered, gently freeing herself from his embrace and taking a few steps backward, feigning complete ignorance of his intentions.

"Oh, really?" He raised a playful eyebrow and advanced toward her, closing the distance quickly. In no time, her back hit the solid wall, and he caged her with his arms.

"Sanskaar, someone will come!" Swara stammered, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"The door is locked," he whispered huskily. With that, he claimed her lips, initiating a deep, passionate kiss. His hand slipped beneath her jacket, moving to cup and gently massage her breasts. He pinched her nipple lightly, making her gasp and open her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss, his tongue intertwining with hers.

They finally broke apart, both breathing heavily. Swara struggled to catch her breath while his hand continued to explore the curve of her body. He started to slip his hand into her trousers, but she swiftly caught his wrist, stopping him.

"We can't do this here. It's the office," Swara managed to whisper, her chest still heaving.

"I wish we were at our house," Sanskaar replied, a suggestive wink adding to his mischievous expression.

To be continued...