Mantra - 2 Months Ago

"Where was he?"

Her eyes scanned around ,trying to find the owner of those pair of eyes ,which left her quite restless but he was gone.

" C'mon Swara! Who are you looking for? You don't even know him."

Swara pushed aside the thoughts of handsome stranger.Acknowledging the applause of crowd ,she made her way towards Anjali and her fiance

The girls quickly shared a hug .

"Engaged huh ...Congrats " Swara whispered in her ear.

"Thanks Swara" Anjali whispered back. "That marks end of my single hood days. "

Anjali introduced Swara to her fiance, Aakash Mehra -Sole Heir & MD - Mehra group of industries .On their insistence, Swara joined them for a drink. Anjali and Swara met in Mantra few weeks back, they hit if off instantly and being regulars to Mantra helped them bond well . Anjali Mishra, daughter of one of the business tycoons in Kolkata .This alliance didn't surprise Swara .Mehra's & Mishra's - That's how things seemed to work these days. Alliances sounded more like acquisitions and mergers.

Few minutes with Aakash ,she was happy for Anjali . A nice guy , easy going simple and sweet, didn't have an air of being a sole heir and from the looks of it, the duo looked very much in love .

Their discussion which started on a casual note, turned towards desired life partner - Traits

"Hold on" Aakash sounded surprised."Are u telling me you nearly met 10 guys and liked none? Not even One! I mean seriously ? Lekin Kyu ? Don't get me wrong Swara. I am just curious."

"Never Mind Aakash" Swara replied casually "Actually my Dida & Dadi are bent upon solving the same - 'The curious case of Swara Bose ',oops sorry Gadodia " - She gave a careless laugh, sipping her drink. "Well , The case is mutual - The guys I met ,they didn't like me and it's vice versa"

Surprised first, disbelief crossed features of Aakash.

"C'mon yaar...I mean look at you .You are pretty and definitely smart ,I deduced that bit aur Anjali bol rahi thi ,you are daughter of Gadodia's - Well they are one of the reputed business families in Marwari society.

"Wahi tho problem hain" Swara cut in between " Sab ko Swara Gadodia chahiye ...Swara Bose nahi. The name of Gadodia carries some expectations which I don't seem to meet."

She paused ,looking at puzzled expression of Aakash and Anjali. "Ok Let me make it simple for you guys."She turned to Aakash , "Ek sawaal poochungi, answer with utmost honesty .Will you ?"

Aakash leaned back into his chair, holding the drink - "Shoot"

"Would you be fine, if your partner sings in a bar like this and would want to continue post marriage?"

Taken aback by question ,Aakash stirred uncomfortably in his seat

"Well,.I would say No ,but Swara...I mean,see not everybody will be comfortable with the idea of you know..."He paused

"I get it.Thanks for being honest .Everybody seems to be looking for ,"Swara paused for a second "Let me spell it out for you, in my Dadi's words .Sundar Sanskaari , Susheel ,Adarsh bahu kind.. jo ghar pe betke pati, bachon, ghar ko sambhale , pooja paat kare ,rasoi ka kaam dekhe ..etc "

"You Mean to say all this is wrong?" Aakash crossed her.

Anjali watched the debate unfolding between her fiance and friend with utmost interest.

"Hey!Trust me, I am no way demeaning the worth of any of ladies who manage house. I know it's no way lesser than any job .In fact, it's tougher than many of jobs out there ,and I would love to do that ..." Swara paused .

Aakash took over ."Lekin ? C'mon Swara...Marriage is also about two families coming together ,not just two people . Don't you think it's important to adhere to norms which works in favor of both of them? .Shaadi ke baad har ladki ko badalna padta hain ..uski sasural ki hisaab se."

"Exactly!sirf ladki se aise expectations kyu rakhi jaati hain? I don't get it. Anyways In my case ... I need someone who would accept me as I am and for what I am, not for what they expect me to be.

I have some passions and dreams in life . I want to live them, my way . Like Music ,I love singing here . I plan to a own flower boutique ,where every flower would be handpicked from my garden ,which I have already started working on .

About adhering norms, Aakash, there's nothing wrong when you change for someone you love.I feel it should come naturally, not forced out of you. I don't like being forced to change my way .If I did, one day I might hate myself for whatever adjustment or compromise I made . All the guys I met and their mom's especially didn't seem too impressed with idea of singer and entrepreneur daughter- in -law. So,The Saga continues..." Swara paused, looked at the struck duo and finished her drink in one gulp.

A minute of silence ruled their table.

Next minute Anjali broke into a wide grin, reached out and hugged Swara "That's super impressive ,Sweet heart . I just hope ki jaldi se tujhe na tere prince charming mil jaaye."

"Well Anjali ..He need not be a prince actually ,Like you know rich and all. I wouldn't mind if he comes by walk ,not on a white horse but he should be a charmer ,definitely."

"Absolutely"

The girls shared a hi 5 ,as Aakash shook his head hopelessly.

"You girls are never gonna get tired of fairy tales and prince charming concepts ."

Swara was quick to reply "Like you guys don't have Meri sapno ki raani concept."

"I can't argue with a logic like that,Hence I give up " Aakash raised his hands in defeat.

Then it was Anjali's turn

"Aakash ,after hearing out Swara, I was just thinking ,I might come up with some new demands on living my passions ,you know."

Aakash would have had a heart attack, if he missed out on the quick wink Anjali gave to Swara . The girls broke into a fit of giggles, it was then he realized, he was up for a leg pulling session.

"Swara,Lady you are infectious and your thoughts as well .They seem to be rubbing off my darling would be wife so.. no more enlightenments please . shaadi tho ho jaane do yaar."

They shared a laugh and Aakash took over again "But on a serious note Swara, I am really looking forward to see whom you would end up with , who would be your prince charming."

"Guys... I am not any damsel in distress to be rescued but I wouldn't mind having a prince for myself. Chalo, I have to make a move now." She picked up her bag, guitar ,gave a quick hug to anjali, congratulated duo once again and stepped out of Mantra.

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On her way to home ,Swara reeled in events ,that changed her life, few, months back.

They were a small happy family: her mother Sharmistha, her Dida Shoba. Swara only had vague recollection of her dad Anirban Bose - A writer .He passed away when she was - 3 years old .Sharmistha worked as a school teacher while Shoba taught music to the kids. They lived in a small farmhouse located midst of a huge garden ,sprawled across an acre which they fondly named " Gulmohar."

Swara's appreciation, love for gardening had been acquired at her mother's knees. Sharmishtha and Swara would spend endless hours tending their flower garden .She smiled at the memory of how she loved playing around with water pipe on pretext of watering plants , would get drenched in spite of her mom's protest and like always Dida would come to her rescue. Dida and Swara would quietly settle down around a corner ,listening to rant of Sharmistha, how she had to deal with ,not one, but two kids.

Such fond memories .

Then Comes Music . Initially she would just sit with group of kids when her Dida teached, but soon she fell in love with Music.It seeped into her life ,like an inseparable aspect. She always felt life seemed to go on without effort when filled with music. Her most prized possession had been a guitar ,gifted by her mom, on her 16th birthday.

It's not at all surprising that her aspirations and dreams are linked with two of her favorite childhood activities .- Music and Gardening. She loved singing and flower boutique -One day it would be the, best one in the city .

Following her passion for music, Swara enrolled herself in music academy and that's where she met Ragini Gadodia. Their first meet was via a jugalbandi of rock and classical music. If Ragini was shy and timid ,Swara was bubbly, dynamic and outgoing. Despite their nature being poles apart ,they bonded over their first love - Music .With passage of time ,the bond just deepened.

Ragini - such a sweetheart she is, her best friend, her partner in crimes and now her half sister. It was not until the day, Ragini visited Gulmohar on Swara's insistence to meet her mom and dida ,Swara got to know this truth. Ragini was instantly drawn towards warmth and love showered upon by Swara's family ,especially Sharmistha. She lost her mother Janaki, in an accident at age of 5. Though her Dadi Parvati brought her up showering utmost love and care, Ragini missed presence of her mom. Looking at Sharmistha she was reminded of Janaki in a way .

Over casual chat ,Swara noticed how her mother stiffened at mention of Sekhar Gadodia- Ragini's Dad. Though she quickly covered it up, she seemed visibly upset rest of the day after Ragini left . It took a lot of coaxing for Swara to get things out from Dida.

Sekhar & Sharmistha were in love during their college days but Parvati was against the alliance as Sharmistha was a Bengali . Sekhar couldn't go against his mother and was married to Janaki. Meanwhile Sharmistha realized she was pregnant with Sekhar's child but she intended to stay away from Sekhar's life and bring up her unborn child as a single mother .She didn't see a point in putting up a fight, when Sekhar himself was not ready to take a stand and she didn't want the marriage to happen out of 'majboori ' .

While Sekhar had no clue about Sharmistha being pregnant It was then, Anirban, classmate of Sharmistha offered to marry her. Anirban had been childhood friend of Sharmistha, their neighbour as well. He always had a soft corner for Sharmistha ,though he never dared to express his feelings knowing She was in love with Sekhar .He expressed his desire to stand by her, marry & give his name to the child.

Sharmishtha accepted the proposal only after lot of insistence from her mother Shobha and a promise from Anirban that he would be nothing more than a friend .Anirban stood on his word .He loved Swara like his own daughter and was extremely caring and supportive towards Sharmistha and dida ,but as fate would have it ,he lost his life soon over a chronic illness.

On other side, though Sekhar played the role of dutiful husband to Janaki, Sharmistha always held a place in his heart.

.As dida narrated the events ,Swara went through myriad of emotions raging from shock of realization about Sekhar being her dad ,angry & sad about how her mother had been wronged and immensely proud of Anirban - Her Baba. She found Sharmistha standing at doorway, not saying a word but her eyes gave it away - no tears but an unexplainable pain in her eyes which Swara didn't fail to notice. Swara rushed into her mother's arms .Shomi hugged her back, offering the comfort and drawing same from her daughter.

Swara knew her next question would throw her mother into loops but she wanted an answer .

"Maa ..kya aaj bhi aap Ragini ki papa?I mean Sekhar ji se..."

Sharmishta stiffened for a moment but she gathered back herself ," It doesn't matter, Swara. I don't have any complaints nor I hold any grudge against Sekhar.He had given me the best gift of my life- My Shona."She dropped a loving kiss on her daughter's forehead and held her close .

Swara had her answer. Now it's time to set things right.

Though initially apprehensive, Swara shared these details with Ragini who was equally shocked ,was in complete denial mode for few days, torn between conflicting emotions .The thought of Swara being her sister warmed her up, but on other hand ,coming to terms with the fact that her dad had been in love with some else, other than her mom ...May be he never loved her - troubled Ragini .

Finally one day ,she decided to confront her dad.One night, she walked up to her dad's study room , started off casual chat about her college.She carefully diverted the discussion towards his college days .On mention of Sharmistha , Sekhar was struck..He was flooded with memories of "his mysti". A thin mist formed in his eyes, which he was quick to cover up but Ragini didn't back off She felt it's right time - to bring some facts into light and make things right. And Sekhar had give in at the end .

He agreed on how he had to bow down before his mom's wish to choose Janaki over Sharmistha .Last news he heard of Sharmistha - Her marriage with Anirban. But he was in no place or had right to question, after what he had done. Though it hurt him , he was happy that she chose to move on .

With revelation of further details by Ragini about Anirban's death and Swara being his daughter, Sekhar was shell shocked. For one moment, he was furious on Sharmistha about truth being hidden, but next minute he knew why she had chosen to keep it that way .He knew her too well. He yearned to ,see them just once , sought forgiveness and if given chance - to mend things.

That's when Swara and Ragini joined forces to get their parents together. The reunion was an emotional moment for all of them. Sekhar wanted mysti and Swara in his life. This time he was not ready to back out .With her son and her laado being adamant ,Parvati Gadodia didn't have an option other than to accept the alliance.

Sekhar and Sharmistha got married in a close knit affair.The Bose family moved to Gadodia mansion. It took time for the things to fall into place for both Bose and Gadodia's. Though Parvati was initially reluctant ,in next few months she realized, Sharmistha was perfect choice for her son, which softened her . Ragini didn't find it tough to accept Sharmistha though Swara took some time to warm up to Sekhar .

Been brought up in an open and friendly environment, Swara found it difficult to get accustomed to strict and autocratic rules of dadi. Swara ignored occasional taunts on her dressing style , outgoing nature but when it become too much to tolerate ,she made her stance clear on, how she would lead life on her own terms and conditions. Sekhar totally supported her ,Ragini as well took a stand for Swara which only infuriated Dadi further .But as days passed Parvati realized, her underlying fear that Swara might be a bad influence on her "laado" as she fondly called Ragini ,was not valid. The two girls shared an amazing bond and adored each other. They were different yet beautiful in their own way .Swara was more than happy with acceptance from her Dadi'.

But the real fight was between Shoba and Parvati. The clash of two cultures where none of them were ready to back out, they fought over trivial issues. Rest of family ,just ignored those fights and took it in good humour.

Things were sailing smooth until a proposal for sale of of GulMohar came up by a third party . Sekhar considered the proposition but Swara vehemently opposed the same. Sekhar tried reasoning out saying Gulmohar - since its no longer their stay and is standing idle they could consider this proposition . Swara was adamant .That place was her home for long .Heck even now.It held many memories...dear ones .It's not just a piece of land to be sold and it would no longer be .

That's when she considered the prospect of making a career out of gardening and owning a boutique. Gulmohar already had a huge garden ,only it was not tended in a commercial way .She couldn't think of a better place to start off. Proposal met family's approval but Dadi was not so happy. She didn't like how they were losing out crores over Swara's childish "Jidd" and "chori" going out to do a business like "mard" didn't sit well with her either.

Swara intended to prove that her decision was right - she would do whatever it takes to make her venture a success .She started off with a bit of research, took some online courses on farming, visited some of commercial farming ventures and finally decided on rose farming

She always loved roses for their vibrant colors and it held out better prospects in span of 3- 4 months .Planning to start it small with supply of roses to other boutiques at first ,then expand the same, she prepared a outline of her business model - She surveyed Gulmohar land - got soil tested and it was on perfect Ph level required for roses .She decided to opt for mix of rose varieties - Floribunda & Hybrid Tea from commercial point of view, prepared a detailed project on estimated investment -sales - Profit margin and ROI.

All she needed was a solid investment to start off with. She took out all her savings but they hardly accounted to the required amount. Sekhar offered investment himself but Swara very well knew, dadi wouldn't be comfortable with the same. Moreover she wanted this to be on her own.

Sekhar smiled thinking how Swara was totally like mysti.- standing up for herself , putting up a fight . He went through her business model , had detailed discussion on same ,offered money on loan basis making it clear this was purely from business perspective as he felt - her model held a lot of potential to succeed . That's how Swara's dream started off .

Ragini was super excited and wanted to be part of same but dadi was totally against it. Meanwhile her alliance got fixed with Laksh- heir of one more elite Marwari family which closed doors for her ,for a while.

Now Swara was under radar. She didn't want to get married any sooner After lot of lectures from older ladies in house, she decided to meet guys with *conditions apply clause* - Dida wanted a bengali chora where as Dadi wanted a Marwari guy for her. She met few of them, but none were working out - This got Dida and Dadi worried but Swara was more than happy.

Her stint at Mantra' started on quite an accidental note . She would stop on her way back from Gulmohar' to quickly grab a snack .One such evening, she sang in their live music session just for fun. But her voice captivated the audience and she received an standing ovation .Mantra team offered her a job as part time singer on total flexible basis .Swara was more than willing to take it up. Every evening or alternate days after her work at Gulmohar ,she would drop in , sing few numbers .

Could she complain when she gets to live her both passions - Life was going great .

She reached Gadodia Mansion , parked her activa, made her way into home God knows what her granny's would be fighting over .Good !she's back on time .

To her surprise, Hall was silent .Wondering about the same, she made way towards her room , stopped by Ragin's room .Ragini was on call .Her red, warm cheeks confirmed - It was Laksh

Swara's lips curved into a mischievous smile. Lost in her own world and musings ,Ragini startled at knock on door .

"Swara tum kab aayi? woh hum Laksh ji se"Ragini mumbled "Dadi, Maa aur dida sab mandir gaye the aur ..."she paused

"Aur Iss liye tum apni laksh ji se baat kar rahi thi." Moving forward Swara snatched phone from Ragini.

"Kyu laksh Jiju kya baat hain ,aap ki timing tho bahut sahi hain.Kahi mandir bhejne ka plan aap ka tho nahi " Swara teased Laksh.

Ragini tried getting hold of phone but Swara played around. Laksh by now has got used to leg pulling by Swara - he didn't mind having some fun

"Kaash!Ab kya kare saali ji ...jab time milta hain tabhi kaam chalana padta hain and now stop your teasing session and let me talk to Ragini before old ladies association drops in, Please," Laksh pleaded

"Ok! Ok ! Fine", Smiling, Swara handed over phone to Ragini who stood with a pout ,gave her a quick hug and rushed to her room

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Post her conversation with Laksh, Ragini walked into Swara's room. She found Swara in balcony ,settled leisurely on her plush chair , playing with strings of her guitar.

"Tho kaisa raha aaj humari behen ka din" She asked ,settling besides her.

" Kyu ho gayi baat apne 'woh' se" Swara teased Ragini.

"Ab bas bhi karo Swara." Ragini blushed a shade deeper. "Bahut tang kar rahi ho aaj kal..dekhna jab tumhare 'woh' aayenge na, tab hum tumhe itna tang karenge."

"Haan baba karlo ...lekin pehle aane tho do .. btw pata hain anjali hain na haan Wahi mishra's ki beti, uski shaadi fix hogayi aur."Swara shared snippets of her discussion with Aakash and Anjali.

They both stayed in silence for a while.

"Swara,They say Matches are made in heaven. The one made for you, Your Prince Charming ,you will find him soon."

"Oh stop it yaar," Swara dismissed,"This prince charming and all . They all exist only in fairy tales."

"Kya pata Swara ?I had mine ...you might have one too."

Before Swara could say something,"Look," Ragini exclaimed looking at shooting star in sky "Let's make a wish." Ragini closed her eyes .

Rgaini's words echoed in Swara's mind "I had mine ..you might have one too." May be ..No harm in giving a try.

She closed her eyes and wished for her fairy tale love story, If she had one written...

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Few miles away

He pressed the play button for umpteen time.In Fact he had lost count of the same. He managed to capture only a bit of it, when she closed her eyes humming last few notes

Her sweet voice echoed in his ears. - Chura liya hain tumne jo dilko

He paused the video ,looked at the freezed frame of petite girl who managed to intrigue him like none , he just couldn't get her out of his mind and that moment when their eyes met, the feeling coursed through him and that pull. And he knew she was affected too .The way her eyes looked out ...for him

He smirked.

"Hmm ... Ab tumne Sanskaar Maheswari ka dil chura hi liya hain tho, I can't let you go." His smirk widened."Get ready Swara Bose - I am coming for you."

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Swara stirred in her sleep ,holding the pillow and drawing it closer. She had a small smile on her lips as she dreamt of his eyes. Little did she know, her prince charming was on his way to write her - his - their fairytale love story ..soon