Morning sun rays disturbed Swara's sleep, she opened her eyes to find her self in completely new surroundings.

But in a moment realization hit her earning small content smile on her face.

Last days events replayed in front of her eyes.

Sanskar's assurance and acceptance for their marriage increased her hope about beautiful married life.

Thinking about him, her eyes fell on his peaceful face.

He was sleeping on nearby couch holding one pillow near his chest.

She kept on observing his face remembering their journey over the year.

From strangers to soulmates.

She did not realize how time passed. It was just a blink of an eye.

Sanskar lazily opened his eyes to see Swara's sinful beauty. Her eyes were on him.

"Good Morning" he stretched his arms not moving his intense gaze from her face.

"Good Morning"

"How are you feeling now?" He came closer and sat on bed besides her.

"Much better" she tried to get up.

"Great" he kissed her forehead. "I will go and get freshen up."

He got up to go towards washroom.

Swara got down from bed and were moving towards door.

"Where are you going?" He turned.

"I need to get my brush and ..."

"Swara whatever you need is inside. I have already shifted all your stuff. Just lie down. Don't get up. You need rest." He made her sit back on bed.

'Hitler is back' Swara gave tight smile with slight nod.

They both got freshen up and Julia brought their breakfast in room.

Sanskar was stretching his back as it was paining.

"Why did you sleep on couch? Look at your height it is so small for you."

"You wanted me to sleep with you?" He teased her.

Instantly, her face turned cherry red realizing hidden meaning.

"Ahh... no... I mean. No... You are so mean Sanskar." She hit him on shoulder.

He laughed at her flushed face.

"Swara, I know, even though I accepted our marriage but let's take our time. Also I know, you will need your parents acceptance for this relationship." He held her hand in his.

Her heart elated with a thought about him prioritizing her choices.

"I am thinking to tell them today everything. It's high time now."

"But they are coming in a week."

"I don't trust Nikhil. He will surely take this situation to turn in his favour."

'I need to see if he is behind that Mall incident or not. If yes, then you are dead Mr. Nikhil.' Sanskar nodded his head.

"Do you want me to talk to them?" He cupped her face.

"What will you talk to them?"

"Simple, there were some unforeseen circumstances and due to which we got married last year in contract marriage and now we want to continue. So accept."

"So ACCEPT?" She raised her eyes.

"Yes" it was obvious for him.

"There is no any Please, Sorry or Approve. Just Accept." She rolled her eyes. 'Always just order... Hitler.'

"No... Its ok. I will talk to them. Don't want to ruin your first impression in front of my Ma and Papa." He chuckled hearing her.

Finally, after their breakfast Swara connected with her parents over video call using Sanskar's iPad. He was standing infront of her away from camera view but keeping his eyes on her.

"So all packing done?" Swara asked after talking about random things with her parents.

"Yes all done. We are so excited to see you Shona" Reva cheered up.

"Me too."

She gave brief glance at Sanskar with anticipation who responded with assured blink. She gulped heavily before breaking the ice.

"Papa, Ma. I want to confess something. It's been long time I am hiding something from both of you."

"What happened Shona?" Reva became concerned looking at nervous Swara.

"Ma, a year back. I ... I had no other option ... I thought a lot... But there was this only option for safeguarding our family's future."

"I... I ... I got... I got married in a contract marriage for my Canadian Residency." Swara closed her eyes tightly.

"You got what?" Anurag could not believe.

Swara stayed silent. Tears started forming in her eyes.

"Married?" Reva was shocked too.

She could not match her eyes with her parents surprised ones.

Sanskar clutched his fist not being able to see tears in her eyes.

"Shona, I want answers? Speak up." Anurag demanded from other side.

"Yes Papa. Nikhil's immigration agent informed us about this contract marriage. He said, it will be easy to get residency. We had loan on our head. You were guarantor for that loan. Bank had issued notice to pay loan. I did not had any option. So I agreed."

Swara explained them every event happened over the year starting from her contract marriage with Sanskar, her job, he being her boss, their visits to Granny, his help and support, Granny's death, they living together now a days.

"Papa, Nikhil is here in Canada. He was emotionally blackmailing me over this contract marriage after your bypass. I did not want you two to get to know about this from him. I am tired of hiding things from you both."

"I am sorry Ma, Papa." She started crying bitterly.

"I am sorry."

"Please say something." Swara asked when she saw her parents becoming statue.

"What she has done?" Anurag asked his wife in disbelief.

"Shona how could you do all this?" Reva sobbed heavily. "You did not even let us know anything."

"Ma... I just did not want our family to face harsh time due to other's mistakes."

"But I am still alive to take care of my family. I would have done anything to safeguard you all." Anurag was disappoint.

Swara started sobbing heavily which was too much to take in for Sanskar.

"I understand, we did a mistake, but it was me who had threatened her from disclosing anything about our marriage. " Sanskar intervened for the first time sitting beside Swara.

Swara looked at him in bewilderment.

"Let's face it together." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Who is he?" Anurag asked seeing Sanskar's image on camera.

"I am her husband. I understand, you are shocked with recent revelations but you should be proud of your daughter who is a sunshine in the dark for me."

"She is the one who brought a new life in dead person." His eyes were reflecting his truthfulness.

"Now, I have to listen about my daughter from a stranger." Anurag passed death glare.

"Papa please" she pleaded, "we both want to stay in this marriage. We need your approval for relation."

"Why are you telling us this now? You are big enough to take your own decisions. So just go ahead and do whatever you want." Anurag moved away from cameras focus.

"Papa please listen. Ma please tell him to talk to me."

"What have you done Shona? I had trust in you and you..." Reva cried her heart out.

"Ma, I am sorry."

"Its not that easy Shona. Did you ever think what would have happened if you would have got stuck in any danger. You know how cruel this world is." Her anger filled voice was laced with concern.

"We heard lot of things and here my own daughter pushed herself in danger."

"I am sorry Ma."

"I can't even imagine you can do something like this." Reva shook her head in disappointment.

"Ma, you are just blaming Di but Nikhil is the one who pushed her till the edge." Rohan interrupted for the first time.

"Nikhil is not my blood. She is my blood, she has my upbringing. How can she hid such a big thing from us? She should have at least talk to us." Reva rebuked.

"Mrs. Mehra please try to understand your daughter. She did everything for your family. You and Mr. Mehra means a world to her." Reva saw Sanskar holding her daughter in his secured embrace. His determined voice earned attention from Anurag as well.

"You will not understand what I am feeling." Reva shushed him in one line.

"Ma at least listen to her" Rohan pleaded.

"Di, do you really want to stay in this marriage? Or is someone forcing you?" Rohan took charge of discussion in his hands. He passed quick look towards Sanskar.

"Yes, Rohan, I want to stay in this marriage with my heart. Over this last year, I understood Sanskar is the one for me. I cannot live without him. He is the one who protected me from every danger. He supported me in every step of my life and the best example was Papa' s bypass surgery. It was him who took care of every thing." It came as one more shock for Mehra family.

"Still you did wrong by hiding things from us." Reva also left from there to join her husband.

"Ma" Swara started crying bitterly.

Sanskar pulled her more close to console.

"Give some time to them." He wiped her tears.

Rohan stared in his sister's eyes. His sister had fell head over heals for her so called contractual husband.

"Do you want to stay in this marriage?" Rohan asked Sanskar in stern voice.

"Yes of course."

"If you ever think to hurt my Di then you will need to face me. Dare you bring even a single tear in her eyes."

Sanskar raised his eyebrows at his threatening.

"For your kind information your sister is now MY WIFE, infact my LIFE. Of course, I will take care of my life." Swara rolled her eyes looking at his sarcastic reply.

"Rohan, Ma and Papa?"

"Di don't worry about them. I will talk to them."

"Papa and Ma will come here na? I am scared if they cancel their plans."

"Di, I said I will handle. Then leave this on me. Be ready to pick up them from Toronto airport on next Monday."

Both brother and sister talked for some time.

"Bye Di"

"Bye Rohan, take care of Ma and Papa. Also take care of yourself." Swara cut call with her brother.

Swara burried her face in Sanskar's chest crying bitterly. Her parents tormented face was replaying in front of her eyes.

Sanskar kept caressing her hairs saying soothing words to calm her down.

"I must say your brother has some guts to threaten me. Till today, nobody has talked to me in this tone." He teased pressing his lips to suppress his chuckle.

"Of course. Now that you are dealing with doting brother of your wife."

She took deep breath.

"I am feeling heavy as well as relaxed." She was mumbled against his chest.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Heavy because, I don't how Ma and Papa will take this. I just hope they will be fine. Rohan said but... still."

"Swara they love you. And I think more than angry they are hurt thinking you did not trust them enough to share your miseries. I feel they were concerned about you as well. Their daughter was far away from them that too with one stranger, obviously it would have scared the hell out of them."

"Yes, I guess you are right."

"Just give them some time. They will be fine." He pulled her more closer to him.

"Hmm"

"You are lucky Swara. Your parents loves you." His eyes filled with unknown emotions.

She stared in his moist eyes.

"And I love you" finally she confessed pecking his lips.

He was stunned with her sudden confession.

"Yes Sanskar, I don't know when but I fell for you. I love you from core of my heart." her eyes shined with her honesty.

"Swara... I"

"Shhsh... just don't say anything. I don't expect you to love me back. Just stay with me always. Just like this." She clinged to his body. She knew his insecurities about this new emotion.

He kept on caressing her hairs without any word.

"I don't know what love is all about. Except Granny and Grandpa, I never experienced this emotion but I know, you are my life. Your smile, your eyes brings me on my knees. I can do anything and everything for your happiness. My life starts with your name and ends on your name. If this everything is called as love then Mrs. Swara Sanskar Maheshwari I love you."

Swara raised her eyes to look at him in bewilderment.

"Yes, Swara, I love you" he kissed her forehead to seal the promise.

They stayed in each other's embrace for long time remembering their journey till the date.

Next day, Swara was getting ready for her office when her phone beeped with message, 'Ma and Papa are fine. They are coming to you. They are hurt but give them time they will accept.'

She was in continuous touch with her brother to know about her parents. She even called them couple of times trying to talk to them but they refused.

One message brought bright smile on her face.

"I can do anything for this smile" Sanskar back hugged her.

"They are not cancelling their plans." She jumped with happiness.

"Now fulfill your duty of obedient wife." He showed her tie strap.

She rolled her eyes and then started making knot for his tie.

Sanskar parked his car in his private underground parking of office.

"Ok, I will go and then you come after five minutes." Swara told him as per habit getting out of the car.

"Swara, everyone knows about our marriage so now no need for this hide and seek." He chuckled closing car door.

"No but still I will go first." Her heart started running marathon thinking about everyone's reaction.

"Let's go Mrs. Maheshwari" he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She wiggled.

"Bye" She ran away earning loud laugh from Sanskar.

Swara entered Sunshine floor with bowed head, biting her lower lip. She could feel continuous gaze on her. She straight went towards her cubical and started working.

"Good Morning Mrs. Maheshwari" Brittany greeted her.

"Brittany?" Swara raised her head.

"I did not know that love was blooming on this floor." She teased.

"Brittany please." Swara blushed profusely.

Not only Brittany but all other colleagues were teasing her making her cheeks cherry red.

It was 10:30 when Swara walked towards Sanskar's cabin.

"Is he inside?" She asked Mike as usual.

"Mam, you don't need permission. You can straight walk in." Mike stood up while replying back, giving respect to his master's wife.

"Why?"

"Because he knows you are Mrs. Sanskar Maheshwari" she heard Sanskar's teasings from back. He was returning from one meeting room.

It was a shock for Mike to see this side of his boss.

"Come let's do breakfast together." He pulled her inside cabin.

"How can you hold my hand in front of Mike? We are in office."

"I can hold my wife in front of any one."

She gaped like a fish and Sanskar shook his head looking at her antics.

During lunch time Swara went with her friends for lunch in office cafeteria.

"How? When?" Ayesha asked impatiently.

"What?"

"Your marriage with my crush." Ayesha rolled her eyes.

"He is my husband."

"Ohh somebody is becoming possessive."

"Ayesha, it just happened. We did not even realized. Love found its way." She remembered her journey with her soulmate.

After coming back to home, Swara helped Julia for dinner preparations while Sanskar was busy with his office meetings in study.

At night, post dinner, Swara talked to her parents, who were at least giving answers in monosyllables which was enough for Swara to increase her hope to earn their forgiveness sooner.

Swara and Sanskar were calling off for the day when Swara's mobile started ringing flashing, 'Nikhil Calling'

"Sanskar" she showed her phone.

He cut the call. Again it started flashing with the same name.

Sanskar picked up the call.

"Swara what the..."

"Dare you take my wife's name." Nikhil staggered hearing cold voice from other end.

"Listen Mr. Nikhil, I am hell possessive when it comes to my loved ones. Swara is the one whom I love more than my life. So stay away from her, else I won't be thinking twice before ruining your life to the fullest. Keep this in your mind as I don't like to repeat myself again." He cut the call without giving any chance for Nikhil to reply back.

He blocked Nikhil's number before passing phone to Swara.

"Good Night" he kissed her forehead like nothing happened.

"What was that?" she was still in daze.

"He should know you belonged to me and only me." He pecked her lips.

Sanskar was staring at Swara's sleeping figure while lying on the couch. Her small smile was spreading peace in his heart.

His phone beeped with message.

'Sir, its Nikhil and Ms. Serena who were behind Mall's incident. They both were spotted on Mall's surveillance camera as well as near food joint from where Mam bought food.'

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

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