Ragini woke up next to her husband and felt a brief smile flicker across her face until she realized that it had been too cold, she wondered if the AC was set at low temperature but the coldness combined with shivers made her wonder if she was sick , and her worry came true the moment her husband woke up and gently leaned into kiss her instead end up taking a step back as if she was on fire, " Ragini,you are burning up" he shouted to her as if it was a news to her . Then went into near panic as he first rushed out of their room to bring in his mom and waited for his mom to somehow magically make her feel better.  

         
 " Yes Lucky, Ragini got high fever . Stop starring at me like that and call the doctor will you" his mother spoke up which made him do exactly as instructed ,then he continued to linger and hover around her till the doctor arrived and even then her laksh wanted a magical cure not the doctor to leave with just a prescription of tablets and an injection that ragini had to admit hurt quite a lot. 

           
Ragini had been sick quite a few times in her life but her mother never doted upon her as Laksh mom did and even though laksh was still panicking ,he hardly left the room . At first it was oddly satisfying to be taken care of but soon she could see the line of stress in her husband face and demanded him to take a walk outside before he exhausts himself . She hoped not seeing her would somehow make him stop worrying about her .

       
By the time Laksh returned back, he seemed to be calmer than before and Ragini thought her plan worked until she found herself starring at her cousin, Laksh was calm because now there was another person to take care of her. She felt oddly happy to know he would care about her so much even when her body felt like it was on fire, Swara had insisted to take care of her for the next few hours ,giving Laksh mother a break.  

       Ragini looked at her cousin who was genuinely  worried about her and knew Laksh was right that she could have found herself overcoming the jealousy if she accepted Swara as more than her cousin and never felt the need to compete  with her every single day. Her mother played a crucial part to make her feel inferior but Ragini should have never let her mother way of thinking define her .

   " I was always jealous of you Swara " the admission came out of nowhere but the surprise in Swara face indicated that it came quite as a shock to her cousin, it maybe the after effects of her medication but she wanted to tell her cousin everything ,and so she did .

Ragini was oddly relieved when Swara didn't say anything but listened to her until the end.

" Ragini, i know aunt controlled you but i never knew she used me to do so. You were never inferior to me infact no one is inferior to anyone ,everyone of us are equals and i would never undermine your position in this family, you are like my sister Ragini. Yes we may not gave gotten along better but we spend most of her life together and if you look at it we are going to spend the rest of our life together as well, so stop letting aunt undermine you , " her cousin spoke up yet again Ragini had to admit her cousin was right . Then they talked with each other for quite a long time

  It was the first time Ragini realized Swara had been not free from her mother meddling as well, She always looked at Sharmistha aunty as someone who was lovable but realized that awhile her mother used sternness to get her away,Sharmistha aunty used tears. Ragini only now realized they both had lot in common if only she had learnt to see Swara life from her point of view 

" I am sorry Swara, no matter what i should have never let you get married because of me" Ragini spoke up feeling rather ashamed of herself, now that she had seen laksh love and care, she knew he would have married her eventually even if not that day and she could have waited for him instead of assuming it was her last chance to escape

 " Sanskar isn't not that bad Ragini that you had to continue to apologize to me . If you think about it, My mother would have eventually got her way and i am glad it was Sanskar in the end at least he understands me but i do wonder if he regrets it, today he got a call from kavita " Swara answered back surprising Ragini by the mere gesture of her cousin confiding in her but it seemed Swara was really worried that if she got in the way of Sanskar and kavita. 

 " Swara, you told me Sanskar told you that it was the first time they talked and also that she only called to apologize, why would you assume Kavita wanted another chance with him, did he say anything in the regard" Ragini asked her cousin and found her answer when she remained silent.

 " Talk with him Swara, ask him then continue to worry about it, " Ragini told her cousin and soon drifted off to sleep when the medication began to work.

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Swara was nervous as she went outside Ragini room to search for Sanskar, admitting to Ragini had established that she was really concerned about it and her cousin had been right that she need to talk with Sanskar and if he really wanted to get back together with Kavita ,she would walk away oddly the thought didnt sit right with her . She was surprised to find him not alone but with lot of strangers, he introduced her as his wife to them and they all promptly offered her congratulations . And he then introduced them to her and Swara learnt there were his employees. 

         
Swara decided to leave thinking their visit was about work until Sanskar voice halted her little hesitantly, she never known to be hesitant and she had her answer when she learned that Swara and Sanskar had been invited to a post wedding party by his employees.  " We would like it if you both could honor us with your presence " one of them spoke up and Swara felt oddly out of her element. She had been to lot of parties hosted by her uncle but she had never been the center of focus unlike tonight.

         
And then there was her cousin, leaving her alone tonight didnt sit well but neither could she deny the request. Sanskar was their boss and it was a given that they would want to throw a party for his wedding, if only they had thought to inform her well in advance but then again she didnt even knew she would be getting married . Swara found herself saying yes and the look of relief in Sanskar face told her that she made the right decision.

         
Swara excused herself as she went to check on Ragini and found her still asleep then went to check on her wardrobe and found herself at loss on what to wear,she had failed to bring her modern dresses thinking she wont have a chance to wear them now that she was married but she realized none of her clothes fit the party theme , she got few designer sarees but it didn't suit the party theme and her silk sarees that would suit for a wedding than a party. She belatedly realized her saree collection was dismissal because most of it were gifts from her aunt or her mother .   

     
Swara choose comfortable clothes over luxurious ones and it showed in her lack of choices , it was new feeling to realize that Sanskar was CEO of a firm and yet he never acted like one in the house or with her unlike her uncle who always acted like the world rested on his shoulders. He choose to walk in the moment and his eyes glanced around the sarees she threw all over the bed.

         
" Sorry for the short notice, they had asked me about it before marriage and i had agreed to it. It totally escaped my mind until they came to invite us personally " Sanskar voice held a note of regret and she knew he had agreed to it back when his bride was supposed to be Kavitha, she felt like asking her questions to him now but realized it would come across as her being jealous so decided to ask him later.

       
" It okay Sanskar, but i have nothing to wear " She lamented as her glance reverted back to the bed . She had been taken back when he left with the promise to return soon and she wondered what was going on his mind, in the meanwhile she checked on Ragini again who had insisted that she was fine and Swara should totally attend the party, Swara had been worried if Ragini would feel bad at being left out but her cousin was maybe too sick that it didn't seem to matter to her at the moment.

           
When she returned back to her home ,it was to find an array of  new clothes  and Sanskar looked at her waiting for her to take a pick , she could only laugh at first because she didnt expect him to raid an entire shop for her but since it was getting late ,she decided to accept his gift with a simple thanks. She then starred at the new dresses until her eyes seemed to lock on one red dress, she picked it out and was glad that it looked good one her . 

               
There was no dilemma after all . She was dressed up in  the next thirty minutes and came down to the hall. Little nervous about his reactions also about Laksh mom as well .But one look at his face,she needed no compliments today. She felt like she is the prettiest person in the entire world .

The thought made her blush and her cheeks turned a shade pink which led sanskar to know  about it as well so he tried to rein in his  adoration of how beautiful she looks so has not to make her feel uncomfortable. Sujatha seemed perfectly okay with it and insisted Laksh take a picture of the two. As they look good together.

               
Swara realized the truth in it because Sanskar was dressed to impress as well ,she had never seen in dressed up for a party before and he looked too good that she had been glad that her dress made her feel like a princess as well . By the time they drove to the party ,swara noticed that Sanskar had been stealing glances at her often and She loved the fact he keeps staring at her. It made her feel happy for some unknown reasons to her for now. 

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Lakshya could barely hide his glee seeing his plan work . He so wanted to be there to oversee the plans .Too bad that he has to trust his employees to stay on track. He couldn't leave Ragini alone for the night when she had been sick but he trusted his plan to work. The moment he learnt about the party from his assistant laksh had decided to intervene and make it a night they would remember, if the party went well as he hoped then his brother and Swara would be in love by the end of the night. 

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Juanita Reid