"Swara, every person has the freedom to live his life on his own terms. Each one of us can have our own choices, which is not incorrect. Suppressing our own preferences for someone else is wrong."  He was trying to convince her to go out for dinner.

"I know Sanskar but I have been married into a family which is pure vegetarian." She countered back.

"But you grew up eating non-veg all your life. And I know you like it." He turned reasonable.

"Of course I love it, especially Dida's speciality fish curry." She made a puppy face.

"Then?"

"Sanskar you know Mom and Badi Ma will never like it." Swara and her logics.

"You are not going to cook non-veg inside this house or even eat. I am talking about, let's go out and eat." He was extreme when it came to logics.

"You are saying as if you will be breaking down on fish fry, Chicken 65 and mutton biryani with me." She huffed with amazement.

"Of course why not?"

"Sujata Maheshwari ka ladla chora chicken... mutton... fish khayega. This is the joke of the day." She pulled his cheeks jokingly before leaving their room.

Swara remembered the day when Sanskar came early from his office and was trying his best to convince her for dinner at a newly opened Italian restaurant in Kolkata.

Swara and Sanskar were returning back to their home after the party. Both were sitting on the back seat where her husband was busy with one business call.

Her decision to join her husband for this party resulted in an eye opener evening for her. Her heart riled with unknowns about her husband.

He ate non-veg.

He enjoyed it, his face was showing it.

He had a few drinks.

She turned to look at her husband, he was still on call. Feeling her gaze, he turned to her. He raised his eyebrows to question her perplexed look. She nodded her head in negative with a small smile, again turning back to see the moving road and traffic outside of the window.

She had so many questions going around her mind. All the other guests attending the party were congratulating her husband for some "Golden Connect Project" about which she had no clue. She felt culpable for being unaware about her own husband's achievements.

"What happened, Swara?" his concerned voice made her turn to face him.

"Nothing," she nodded, masking her face with a fake smile and mumbled, "Let's go home and then talk." She wanted to talk to him about today but of course not in front of any stranger who was driving their car.

Both returned back to their home, freshened up and settled down.

Swara was playing with her fingers thinking about ways to broach the topic for their discussion.

"It's not like I don't want to tell you or hide it from you that I love to eat non-veg food... it's just that I did not get a chance." He turned defensive, he knew what was going on in her head by one single look.

"No Sanskar, you had a chance, it was me who missed the bus." She lowered her eyes, biting her lips, being dismayed. "I remember, you used to plan dinner outs for us a few times back but I... I disappointed you." Tears started welling up in her eyes.

"No Swara... I never was." he lied but one tearful stare from her made him shut up.

'No Swara, don't dig into your past. Start fresh.' She mumbled her own mantra, closing her eyes for a moment.

"When did you start eating non-veg? I mean here at home... it is not at all possible." She conveniently diverted the topic to casual talks.

"From school days" Sanskar smiled when he saw her eyeballs popped out of their sockets.

"I had a few friends who used to bring it in their lunch box. It used to smell really delicious so one day I tasted it. And I loved it at first bite." He told her in a low voice as he was sharing his deepest secret with her.

"Did you tell Mom?" her mouth was wide open.

"No, I played safe. I asked her, why can't we eat non-veg? It smells great when my friends open their lunch boxes during recess."

"Then?"

"Mom changed my school." He replied seriously yet rolling his eyes.

Swara bursted into laughter when her mind processed his words. He also started laughing remembering his old day.

Their room filled with laughter after a long 8 months of waiting.

"I mostly stayed out of the house so I developed likings for different food."  They talked a bit more before calling off for the day.

Sanskar drifted immediately into deep slumber but Swara was wide awake. She wanted to know more about her husband. She opened her phone with a google search app.

Google returned her with multiple links when she searched for 'Golden Connect Project.' It was a project to build highways connecting all major cities of India. The project was assigned to the Karma Group of Constructions. Her heart swelled with pride over his success.

She started to read about Karma, it came as a sweet shock when she read that her husband started Karma during his university years, much before Kavita's entry in his life. Till today, she was under the assumption that he built Karma to take his revenge over his family.

She herself did not realise how much time passed to read about Karma. It was started as a very small scale startup which today stood with its magnificent glory... All credit goes to her workaholic and hardworking husband.

'Sanskar Maheshwari, young, dynamic, meticulous planner and workaholic businessman won the Times Today Upcoming South Asian young entrepreneur award for 2022.' She came across the news while reading about different articles.

Again one more moment where she missed being by his side due to her parents' fight with her grandmother over her mother's late pregnancy. She remembered he was asking or should we say begging her to join him on his Singapore visit.

'Why Sanskar you should have told me you won the award, I would have joined you.' She turned her face to look at his.

'Really? But your mother was facing hardships from your grandmother so how would you have really gone with him leaving behind your poor mother?' her own mind chided her. She knew maybe that time even though he would have told her about the award, she was so engrossed in her own family drama, she would have surely declined.

'Hey Durga maa, how many blunders I have done in the past for which I need to ask his forgiveness.?' She looked upwards for help from the almighty with a heavy heart.

Her eyes found one clip over the internet, it was her husband. Looking at the trophy in his hands this must have been captured from the award ceremony. She played that clip.

The interviewer asked in a professional tone. "Mr. Maheshwari you have achieved success at such a young age, whom do you want to give credit for?"

She could see a bright smile on his face from the video, "Swara, my wife. She is my strength, I just can't even think to take a step without her. She is my home."

Just a few lines but it stirred every emotion inside Swara. She closed her eyes and let tears streamed over her cheeks.

She wiped her tears and moved to his side. She caressed his forehead, shifting his hairs back. She kissed his forehead.

"I always knew you are my home Sanskar. I am sorry, I realised it too late." She laid down on her side of bed still holding his hand and staring at his face.

Next morning, Sanskar was getting ready to leave for the office being workaholic, even though it was Saturday.

Whereas Swara was downstairs in the kitchen with other ladies of Maheshwari family preparing for breakfast. Her eyes were continuously moving towards the watch. She knew her husband is another synonym for punctuality.

"Swara, can you please go and wake up Mishka? She has her music class from 9. I will go and see if Laksh is awake or not." Ragini requested,by passing a quick glance at the watch which showed the current time as 8:30.

"Ragini but Sanskar will be leaving by 9, he was saying he has few important meetings. I have to take his breakfast to our room before he leaves." Swara took out piping hot idlis.

"Ohh that's great then Sanskar can drop Mishka to her music class. Can you please ask him?" Out of her talk, Ragini only focused on what she meant.

"Ragini, how can Sanskar drop Mishka? I told you he has important meetings." Swara turned defensive.

"If you tell him, he won't deny. See Laksh might be still in bed, and I don't want Mishka to miss her class. Last Saturday as well she missed it. Please. Pretty please." Ragini almost begged.

"No Ragini, but I don't think I will ask Sanskar. Why don't you ask Laksh? Or change her timings based on your two's schedule." Swara filled Sanskar's breakfast plate and left from the kitchen leaving shocked Ragini behind. It was not only Ragini who was left in a flabbergasted state but Annapurna and Sujata as well.

Sanskar was trying to put on his tie, even though he learned to make a knot but still it always pissed him off.

"Shit." he shook his head annoyingly.

He felt the touch of delicate fingers on his tie strap.

"This is my right." She came face to face with him and started making a knot. "See, even this tie strap knows it."

"Swara, it's ok, I would have managed. I mean you were busy downstairs, I don't want to push my things on you." He hesitated a bit.

"But I like to do your things." She completed his tie knot and smiled brightly staring in his perplexed eyes. "Breakfast is here. Let's have it."

Both had their breakfast together with casual talks.

She went inside to get his suit. "Sanskar have you taken your handkerchief and what about your wallet?" she asked from inside.

"Can you get it please?" He was ready to leave.

She came out to make him wear his suit, then handed over his belongings. He was silent but his eyes were filled with astonished feelings but his brain was running with different thoughts at marathon speed.

'Is she ok?'

'Why is she here? She has to be in the kitchen this time.'

'Is she trying to convince me?'

'May be yes. Maybe No. For sure it is yes.'

'So this is only for temporary.'

'Don't you dare to flatten Mr. Sanskar Maheshwari. She will be back to normal soon.'

"What are you thinking?" her voice helped him to come out from his dreamland.

"Are you ok?" he blurted out without a thought.

"Of course I am ok. Why? What will happen to me?" She was clueless about his question.

"Ohh... ok nothing." he shook his head.

"Will you come early?" She started following him.

"I will try Swara." Both were now walking in the corridor heading towards stairs.

She gave him company till the main door, she stood there till his driver drove his car out of the main gate of their house.

'She seriously needs a psychiatric session.' he was dumbfounded by her weird behaviour. He always wanted her to be around him whenever he was at home but he never thought in his wildest of the dreams that he would live his thoughts in real life.

A few more days passed which increased Sanskar's concern towards Swara. His wife was sticking to him like a magnet to any iron rod.

It was night time when all family members were settling down for dinner. Fortunately, Sanskar too joined them but he was mostly busy with his phone.

"Sanskar, I made paneer tikka masala today. It's your favourite." Annapurna kept working on to normalise her relations with her nephew.

Swara who was sitting beside Sanskar bit her lips hearing her Badi Ma knowing the true preferences of her husband.

"Thank you Badi ma." Sanskar replied with a small smile. He was still not on much talking terms with other family members. He was keeping a safe distance with them.

'I thought, chicken tikka masala is your favourite. Unfortunately you have to settle down with paneer instead of chicken for today.' his phone beeped with messages. He pressed his lips and passed a quick glance to his wife.

She just rolled her eyes, shrugged her shoulders and filled his plate with food.

"Laksh, when are you joining the office?" Durga Prasad's authoritative voice broke Swara and Sanskar's moment.

"Papa, I will join from tomorrow."  Laksh replied, munching on his food.

"Meet Mr. Singh and get up to date yourself about current affairs." again an order from the head of the family.  He continued, "Sanskar you can handover Mehta's deal to him. It will lessen your burden." Durga prasad was very well aware about his nephew, he was taking too much toll on himself to manage two business houses.

"Ok. Bade Papa." His short answer could not be missed from Durga Prasad's eyes but he knew his nephew needed time to get back to himself. He was ready to give him the time he needed.

"Bhai, can we meet tomorrow to go over the deal?" Laksh asked carefully.

"Tomorrow, I am quite busy. But my assistant will brief you." Sanskar replied monotonously not meeting his eyes with his younger brother.

Laksh and others got the message delivered from Sanskar.

It was evening, Maheshwari ladies were busy in dinner preparations, "Ragini aunty, we have not finished the project. Teachers told us to submit it tomorrow." Mishka asked entering the kitchen, capturing attention from Swara and Ragini.

"Ohh god. I totally forgot about it." Ragini hit her forehead.

"What happened, Mishka?" Swara asked looking at her tearful eyes.

"This project was assigned to us two weeks back, Ragini aunty said she will do it but ..." the young girl trailed off.

"Mishka, I was busy. I have a lot of responsibilities. And I told you to do it yourself, I will check and then if any improvements are required we will do it." Ragini was annoyed now.

"I did it a couple of times but you said it was all wrong. So I erased everything." Mishka replied innocently.

"Ok.. fine. Do one thing, get your things here and do it. Me and your Ragini aunty will help you." Swara tried to intervene.

Later Mishka brought her stuff to the kitchen, settling down on one chair and table. She got help mostly from Swara, as Ragini said she would look after dinner preparations.

"So we need to change these things over here and then we are done." Swara pointed out some details from her laptop.

"Swara, Laksh just called me. He met with some old friends. They all are going for dinner. He asked me to join him. Can you please look after dinner preparations?" Ragini was ready to leave.

"This is so last moment, Ragini." Swara continued, "you said you will look after dinner preparations so I concentrated on Mishka. Now you are saying you need to leave."

"Swara please. You are my sweet sister na?" Ragini made the most innocent face.

"Sorry Ragini, we divided work earlier, I did my part now it's your turn. I can help you but I won't appreciate it if you would leave in the middle. Rest it's your choice." Swara huffed, shaking her head in irritation.

Ragini later gave a call to her husband cancelling her plans. It was unbelievable for Ragini to hear negative answers from Swara. Her sister Swara was always accommodating to her requests no matter what it was... but the Swara she has recently been facing was a different one. This new Swara has her own say in everything, she was not a puppet doll who would dance on the fingertips of others.

After Mishka's project was done, Swara helped Ragini in kitchen work but till the time Sanskar returned back to home. The moment he stepped inside she left her sister alone to follow her husband.

A few more days passed within a blink, Annapurna and Sujata were attending one guest in their living room. Gauri Massi visited their home to invite Maheshwari family for her daughter in laws baby shower.

"This is such good news. We will surely come." her mother in laws accepted the invite immediately.

Swara heard when she came along with servants with refreshments.

"Swara, Raguni, now stop family planning. Start thinking about a baby. See Jeevika and my son Viren got married last year only but I told them, "I want to see my grandchild's face as soon as possible." Gauri massi flaunted and continued, "Annapurna, how can you be so acceptable. It's been two years since your son's marriage now."

Annapurna and Sujata covered up somehow on behalf of Swara and Ragini. Later Gauri Massi left.

"Swara, Ragini, whatever Gauri Bhabhi said was not entirely wrong. This house has been waiting for someone's little steps for a long time." Annapurna's words fell on Sanskar's ears who had returned much earlier than his expected time.

'So all her efforts were to convince me to have a baby?' his eyes filled with tears. He waited for her answer. She was clueless about his presence behind her.

Ragini blushed profusely which was counted as her consent by her mother in law, whereas Swara was rooted to her place. Sujata could not believe on sudden ask from her Jiji

'No, me and Sanskar are not ready for kid. Right now, I just want to focus on Sanskar. Nothing else.' she gulped heavily.

"What do you think about Swara?" Annapurna turned hopeful.

"Badi Ma, I... I think." She licked her own lips whereas Sanskar held his breath.

He knew his wife, she had never said no to any of their family members till today. Her one positive response to his family would put their relationship again on stake. He also wanted to have a baby but not for anyone else but when they both wanted it.

"It will be too early for me and Sanskar to think about the baby at this moment." she voiced out but he felt a huge burden lifted away from his shoulders.

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