Dedicated to everyone who joined me in this journey, You are all so amazing and I am glad to finally be able to complete the journey the second time around . 

A week later .

       
Annapurna Maheshwari stared at the gloomy dark skies , it spelled an upcoming storm just like the storm in her house. She looked upon the sky and found solace in the nature fury .

From the day she was born, She knew she was different from others. Her ability to love unconditionally was what sets her apart from everyone .
She took pride in her loyalty towards her family but tonight that loyalty was split into two sides just like her heart .
 
Her love was put into test once before and she had chosen her son over her Ram and Sujatha. Tonight when the battle was between her two sons she couldn't choose. Yet she had to choose, it all started an month ago ever since swara came between her sons. While Annapurna knew removing Swara was the solution, she hadn't been able to act on it due to the fact her sons were around her 24*7.
        
And she was too late today morning Annapurna woke up to find her son got married without her blessings. She had learnt to control her emotions for a long time  but seeing Swara in her house was the last straw of her patience.
       
Annapurna could have accepted her if only for Sanskar happiness but Laksh walked out of the house after seeing them married it happened twelve hours ago and yet no sign of Laksh . She was furious with Swara . Even while her  heart was bleeding Swara was laughing with Sanskar they didn't  understand how fragile Laksh mindset was and she was terrified for him.
    
Her husband was not in the country and she never felt so helpless in her whole life except the one night where Sujatha threatened to take away her son .
        
While the rain continued to  splatter on the windows, Annapurna waited for the return of her son .The son she didn't give birth to but loved more than herself.  And when the sun came up, it brought with it the news that shattered her willpower to remain sane .

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

                       
Swara was seated in the  couch of their bedroom. When she proposed marriage to Sanskar, she didn't mean a real one. Yet he had said yes in answer and Swara didn't like to disappoint him but she didn't propose a real marriage back that day .
   
  "We got married for all the wrong reasons back then Sanskar, not this time. This time we will get married when we are both ready, I Love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you but I have dreams apart from marriage as well, which includes finishing my degree. 
     
What I meant when I asked to get married had been, that it would propel your bade maa to react, if she thinks we are married,   " Swara finished speaking up, she hated the fact she didn't tell him clearly about her plan and instead made him think it was for real .
 
Swara knew  Sanskar was consumed with fear. She understood he lived an life where Kavita got killed by Laksh's  mom and he knew he lost her as well, sometime she wondered if her death wasn't an accident as Sanskar hoped, even Sanskar admitted that he never thought along the lines when he assumed his bade papa had been the one to kill Kavita but after finding out about his bade maa, he had wondered often he said if it was also one of her handiwork . 
         
It was not easy for him to hold on to the hope for their future  until the threat to her life was gone  but even so she didn't want to flee to an different country as an protective or remain in hiding. Swara refused to let  Sanskar became distanced from her , he was with her but not really as it was like he was preparing himself that he might lose her once again .
       
And it was that desperation in his eyes that made Swara realize they need to face Annapurna than ran away, she wanted to marry Sanskar but this time she wanted to do it when they both are ready, she still has to finish her studies, build her dance academy and so on .
     
And So they come up with fake marriage it was like stepping in to lion den and wait for it to make an move, Swara didn't believe in violence but still managed to hide an small dagger in her clothes while sleeping, she also had an tracker hidden in her dress all some precaution in case his bade maa reacts .
          
Sanskar refused to sleep the whole night. Swara was restless but not terrified as Sanskar was with her.When the sun light came up they knew the last stage of their plan needs to be acted out it was a cruel one for sure but they couldn't find an different way .

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

Sanskar Maheshwari was terrified for his Shona, but he knew she was right. When they decided to face his aunt they did their homework. Sanskar tracked down the doctor who treated his aunt during her miscarriage and the following months where she was locked up in her room .

         
While his uncle and the world believes everything was normal with his wife. Sanskar knew it was an clever front to hide behind the real person, they extensively discussed about how to bring out the truth from his aunt mouth. And the idea came from Laksh,  it was cruel one but they had no other choice .

     
And he need to see it through for her , He looked up to see his wife sleeping in the couch, technically not his wife yet but for him it was all an formality. Swara was his better half . The other part of him after all they both went through in their life, they deserved an chance to live together. And he would fight for that chance even if it was the scariest battle he ever faced so far .

       
He got up to greet swara with an smile that didn't reach his eyes. Swara understood his fear so she went to him and took his face in her hands and gave him small chaste kiss in his lips and withdrew only for his hand to draw her back into his arms and deepen their kiss till they forget their fears and remember only their love for each other,  they stood in each other embrace for a long time and with an kiss to Swara's forehead . Sanskar broke off from their moment.
         
" If I can I will keep changing my past till you are safe, but I can't .So promise me that you will take care of yourself, I can't lose you again. Even moon seems like an nice place to live for the next fifty years, " Sanskar voice held the fear he kept hidden from her.  He was terrified for her .

     
" I won't let anything happen to me, Go on it is time to put an end to our troubles, " his Shona answered back,  and he wondered how she remained calm when his heart was far from it .

And yet he listened to her  and  walked out of their room with one longing look at Swara, he prayed and hoped his swara will survive this last hurdle in their life .

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

              
Annapurna Maheshwari knew something was wrong as she gazed upon Sanskar face, his face was grim and it didn't help that she had an awful dream last night where Laksh was trapped in an car with Sujatha and Ram, in the dream he died with them .

           
It shook her up so badly that she was still shaking when Sanskar came to her with the news that shattered her reason to live, Her son was in car accident just like her dream  and it was too much for heart to take that she fainted .
   
When she  woke up  it was to see the face she despises. Swara was in her room . Her room then everything came rushing back into her memory , she started to scream Laksh name over and over again hoping to see his face. But still all she saw was Swara in her room .

     
" Sanskar went to the hospital, You please calm down maa. He will call as soon as he reaches the hospital " Swara spoke up, she  knew it was cruel to lie to an mother but they need her to break down. And the only way was to take away what she treasured the most.

Annapurna was furious that Swara called her maa but her worry for Laksh kept her from lashing out and then came the call from Sanskar . He didn't call her but his wife. And Annapurna hated losing her son love but Laksh came first,  so she forced herself to ask Swara about Laksh .
           
Annapurna didn't wait for Swara answer, the fake tears in Swara eyes was the answer to her question. Her sweet son was dead and the person who killed him was acting like she deserve to cry over him. At the moment something inside her snapped and the only thing she saw was the knife that Swara was using to cut fruits for her. It was like the weapon was handed over to her to punish the one who killed her son .
           
She didn't think twice before she grabbed the knife and stabbed Swara over and over again in her fury she failed to see her movements were halted in midair by an hand .An hand that belonged to her son Sanskar .

       
She didn't let that keep her from trying to have another attempt at Swara because she was still standing . And moment later she realized she wasn't even bleeding.  She didn't understand how Swara was still standing and she grew furious and tried to choke Swara but her attempt failed as Sanskar refused to relase her hand .
  
By then Annapurna was  was shaking with anger. It took an few more attempts and then she fainted again because she saw Laksh standing at near the room looking shocked to see her .

Annapurna Maheshwari opened her eyes yet again  this time to see the beloved face of her son Laksh, he was alive right before her it was all a dream  or so she thought and so she was beginning to relax but something felt wrong, the room was dark. Except an small candle light that let her see her son .

     
" Are you fine Laksh beta , do you know how worried I was when i thought you left me?  , " Annapurna didn't care that her voice cracked as she looked at her son .
  
" You are not my mom "Laksh spoke up, and the single sentence was enough to make Annapurna speechless .

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

          
Laksh was pretty shaken with what he saw an hour ago but still they need to hear the whole confession, so they need to her push her bit more till she breaks because the attempt on Swara life might be viewed as an event of grief by an mother .

 " What are you saying ..I am your mother .me ..who said otherwise, " Laksh noticed the desperation in her voice and it hit him hard that he was hurting her but yet he forged on .

  
" You cant lie anymore,  Can't you see you are dead and so am I .You followed me even in death but here I do know what you did to my parents . I just saw them, all I wanted to tell you was I hate you. You killed them , " Laksh lashed back, at her and saw her frozen in shock

If his mom was having an normal day, she would have been able to notice Laksh shaking hands as he lies over and over to break the person he called mom. And it broke her . It was like Annapurna was finally free to say everything .

In the darkness of the room stood four silent figures who listened along with Laksh as Annapurna Maheshwari finally told the truth, she wanted to win back Laksh's love and since she believed he knew everything she didn't hide anything .
 
Swara held Sanskar hand as Annapurna confessed to killing his parents, She knew Sanskar hoped it was madnesses that caused his parents death. But his bade ma  wasn't mad, she was plain evil .She admit to pretending to be mad so she can have Laksh .

        
She did go to depression after the miscarriage but everything else was preplanned with the single objective of having Laksh, it never occurred to Swara that someone could go to such lengths.  But while Laksh, Sanskar and Swara expected this out burst . It was her husband who was taken by surprise. Sanskar didn't tell him anything expect to lie that he will not be in town that weekend .

It was such an shock to the man who was married to her for half of his life. And then there was the an doctor who expected to find Annapurna mad instead of an cold blooded killer .

Swara knew both Laksh and Sanskar had convinced themselves Annapurna actions were due to her mental health, they wanted it to be something that can be treated but it didn't happen that way. So it put them in an position of debating whether to make her pay for the crimes she committed. Sanskar who wanted Swara to be safe wanted to file an complaint .

Laksh couldn't blame him yet the cries and hysterical confession of Annapurna shocked him,  the guilt his parents were dead because someone wanted him more, the guilt the person who loved him most is someone he can't love back after what she did, he was shocked and confused but in the end it was Durga prasad Maheshwari who decided that his wife will pay for her crimes .

Annapurna Maheshwari remained tied up after her confession and she was silent as she realized what happened. The truth was she was scared to live an life where she no longer had the love of his sons. The fear consumed her for the whole hour while everyone decided her fate until she lost her mind. In an twist of fate no one really believed her this time. And so she didn't end up in prison as everyone decided but an place where she was treated for mental imbalance. 

Laksh broke down as Annapurna was taken to the hospital, Swara remained by Sanskar side who was shaken up by the events and Durga Prasad Maheshwari locked himself in his room unwilling to face his nephews who have lost their parents because of his wife . 
               
Swara life as the fake bahu of the Maheshwari came to an end that day but as she walked out of the house with Sanskar later that night . She knew one day in the future she will return to the house as wife of Sanskar Maheshwari .

         
Today might not be the day they got married but she knew her life is destined to be Swara Sanskar Maheshwari.  And with that hope she walked out of the house holding her future husband hand, they had won the final battle that stood between their happiness, yet they held on to the scars  inflicted by it . 
     
Swara knew no one in the Maheshwari household came unscathed by the turn of events and yet they had each other and her to keep them together inspire of their loss. They found a way to move on and Swara stood by his side till the end because a love like theirs which transcends through time was meant to have its happily ever after .

P.S :" The End .Let me know your thought and Feedback .Hit the votes if you liked it and we do have two epilogue left which I will updates ASAP .

Juanita Reid