"Hey Swara, where were you?" Nikhil called her early Friday's morning.

"Hi Nikhil, I am getting ready for office" Today was Swara's turn to make morning tea for her roommates.

"Swara what happened with your residency? Yaar it's been more three months you are there" he was back to his stance.

"I checked yesterday, for my residency it is in final stage... may be 1 – 2 months more" she replied rubbing her forehead.

"Ok then once yours is done come back to India we will get marry and then we can apply mine as well, right?"

"How can we apply yours? Yours will take time. You know what agent had informed us. He had clearly said I cannot sponsor you as my spouse, till the time I am in this contract, which has still 8 months to go."

"Yes, but nobody knows about it so I think it should be fine."

"Have you lost your brain anywhere? As per those papers I am already married to someone else. So how can I sponsor you?" Swara whisper yelled.

"Swara listen" Nikhil was cut by Swara.

"Nikhil can we please talk about something else."

"Come on Swara. This is the most important in our life right now. How can you be so distant about it? You know it is needed for us to have bright future..."

"Nikhil please don't start your daily soap. I am tired of listening this every day. Even if you ask this to me again and again, it is not going to make any changes. So, if you want to talk something else then we will else I am cutting this call."

"Swara don't you dare to talk to me like this" Nikhil argued from other side.

"Bye Nikhil. I am getting late" She disconnected their call.

As usual in the evening, Sanskar picked Swara from their decided location and left for Granny's home for their weekend.

"So Swara, do you know how to cook Moong Daal Ka Halwa?" Granny whispered.

"Yes Granny, but I am not going to cook it since you are not allowed to eat it" Swara was peeling oranges as part of Granny's evening snack. She pressed to suppress her chuckle.

"Who told you that I am not allowed?" Granny passed stern glare towards Sanskar who was working on his Mac sitting on couch.

Sanskar gave lip side smile feeling her heated gaze.

"Hmm Si... I mean... he... he ... told ... me..." Swara bit her tongue.

'She will start her question bank if I call him Sir. And this monster will kill me if I take his name. Hey Kanhaji where did you stuck me?'

"Who is this 'he'?" Granny stressed still not moving her eyes from her grandson.

"You... your... your grandson"

Sanskar passed quick glance at them before focusing back on his Mac screen.

"Oh! you don't call him by his name? or are you feeling shy in front of me" Granny turned her attention toward Swara with teasing smile and wiggling eyes.

'Shy... oh come on Granny. I don't want to spoil the taste of my mouth. I don't know why you put his name as Sanskar. He does not even know the meaning of his name forget about behaving as per his name.'

Swara lowered her gaze.

"Sanskar she does not call you by your name? What does she call you when you both are alone?" Granny was on full on teasing mood.

'If I tell her she calls me Sir then Granny will kill me.'

"Did she give you any nickname? Anything exclusive?"

Swara widened her eyes looking at new drama of Granny.

"Nope. She calls me by my first name" Sanskar passed smile with pressed lips where as Swara looked at him being horrified.

"So Swara my child, are you feeling shy to call him in front of me? Don't be. I am too modern. You can even call him with any nickname if you have given."

'Yes, Granny I have so many nicknames... Rakshas, Monster, Iceberg, Hitler... List is endless'

Swara just passed quick tight smile shaking her head in denial.

"Swara I have never heard you calling him. In fact, whenever you both come here you both don't even talk to each other. He dug his head in that stupid Mac and you get busy with me or your books. It's your time to go out. Spend time together. Make beautiful memories. These starting days of marriage are very important My Child. It will form strong bond between you two forming solid foundation based on trust, love and respect." Granny passed her wisdom.

Swara and Sanskar shared quick eyelock.

"I know him. He is workaholic. Weekdays he would be busy with his work and on weekends you both come here. Why are you spoiling your initial days of this beautiful phase for old soul like me? One day or other I will be gone and..."

"Granny please" Swara interrupted keeping her palm on Granny's mouth.

"You are not going anywhere" she became teary.

Sanskar was looking at her intently.

"Swara..."

"No, you have to listen to us. You are fit and fine. Nothing has happened to you. You are going to live hundred years from now. You will be with us for forever. You will see so many things. We will go out. Then we will have so much fun. In fact, you will see your great grandchild getting married." Swara started blabbering while motivating Granny.

"So, am I expecting news of my great grandchild soon?" Granny's question made Swara realize what blunder she made recently.

She mentally hit her forehead for thousand times.

She turned to look at Sanskar for any help, but he ignored shrugging his shoulders. 'You need to clear your own mess.'

But Granny helped her grinning widely, "Is it true Sanskar?"

"You only ask her Granny, if she said that means ..." Sanskar kept on typing.

Swara felt his eyes shined with glint of naughtiness for just a moment, when she stared at him. But they were back to cold and empty with in a blink.

"No Granny nothing is like that" Swara replied instantly. 'How can he be so blunt?'

She kept on glaring at Sanskar every now and then, he had pressed his lips.

'Was he smiling after throwing me in this embarrassing situation? But today first time I saw something in his eyes even though it stayed for just a second.'

It was night, Swara was still with Granny post their dinner where as Sanskar was downstairs handling his late-night business calls.

"Swara you have melodious voice. Have you ever tried to learn music?" Granny questioned.

"Yes Granny, I have used to learn singing and guitar playing but then there were some issues because of which I could not cherish it for longer time" Swara remembered how she convinced her parents for not spending extra money for her musical classes due to their crunchy monthly budget.

"Swara my child, don't feel bad about it. Sanskar told me how it was difficult for you to manage all alone. Childhood is the most blissful phase of anyone's life but you and Sanskar both had to face too much in that tender age." Granny caressed her face with moist eyes.

Swara kept on staring at Granny's face blankly.

"Sanskar told me you grew up in an orphanage. But don't feel alone now me and Sanskar are your family." She kissed Swara's forehead.

Swara was dumbstruck with Granny's words. She got tongue tied. She blinked her eyes to push back her tears when her mind registered the meaning.

Granny kept on showering her love over her but Swara's mind and heart filled with extreme hatred towards her contractual husband.

'How can he say like this? He knows my parents are very much alive. I have beautiful family. You are the worst person I have ever met in my life.'

After making Granny sleep, Swara went to her room she cried her heart out. She talked with her parents which gave much relief to her tormented heart.

She waited for Sanskar to come back but when even after one hour he didi not come, she went downstairs and for the first time without knocking she entered inside his study.

Sanskar was as usual working on his Mac.

"How dare you Sir?" Swara's moist yet anger filled voice boomed inside his study.

"How the hell you enter ...?" he was interrupted.

"How many lies you have told to Granny?" she ignored his barking's for the first time.

"I am not answerable to you." he gritted his teeth.

"You are Mr. Maheshwari. You are answerable to me. Because you lied about me, about my life, my family, my parents. This everything is just a simple lie"

"But you are going to get what you want. So don't complain and don't you dare to raise your voice against me" He took a threatening step towards her. Till today nobody had talked to him in high pitch.

"Yes, I agree. And that's why I was quite till today. But you lied about my parents. You ... You ... told Granny... I am... I am an or... orphan" she stammered sobbing bitterly.

"So, what's a big deal in that? If I would have talked about your parents, she would have asked about them which would have created more mess. And for your information, I said you grew up in an orphanage."

"Is it something different?"

"I don't owe any explanations to anyone. So, GET OUT" Sanskar showed her door.

"You owe me an explanation because here you are referring about me and my parents." Swara took a step towards him.

"Parents... if you would have care about them then you would not have been here today. Nobody .... I repeat nobody cares for anyone else other than they themselves. We human beings are born to be selfish. AND I AM PROUD THAT I AM SELFISH." He ridiculed.

"You are talking about yourself, but I am not selfish like you. I am not heatless like you." tears were rolling over her chubby cheeks.

"Look who we have here, the most selfish person. If you would not have been selfish then you would have never agreed for the deal, we did. You are selfish because you wanted to have bright future with your fiancée. Your jerk fiancée is selfish because he made a deal over his future wife just for Residency. Your parents are selfish because they don't care about their daughter who is living with a stranger as his on-paper wife."

"Enough" Swara screamed her lungs out. It was hard for her to hear insulting words about her family.

"I kept my mouth shut till today as I thought even though you are selfish, heartless, rude, arrogant and stone hearted person for everyone but for Granny... You care for her. I played along with you for her happiness. But that does not mean you can do whatever you want... I will tell granny I am not an orphan, and my parents are very much alive."

"Dare you Swara if you split even a word to Granny" Sanskar held her with shoulders and pulled her forcibly. His face was just few inches away from her.

Swara shivered for a moment looking at his bloodshot eyes. He was breathing heavily.

She could feel his hot breath fanning over her face, his intense proximity passed shudders down her spine.

"Do you even know the meaning of an Orphan?" her teary sobbed voice broke their painful eye lock.

Sanskar left her releasing his hold from her shoulder realizing their close proximity. He turned his back while shuffling his hairs.

"You don't even know the meaning of it. Do you even know what it feels when a kid is left abandoned to fight with the world all alone? How would a small kid face the harsh reality of this word. How many scars would have broken his innocent soul? I cannot even imagine that pain. Nobody can understand that pain. A person like you who is such a cold and heartless... never ever. I hate you from bottom of my heart. I hate the day you step in my life. I just wish Granny should never see this devil side of yours."

Swara turned to go out.

"Orphan?" Swara halted hearing Sanskar's painful chuckle. "Nobody understands the meaning of Orphan more than me."

***********************************

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