It was a small lie that shouldn't have caused any outcome and yet Swara was in tears because of her grandmothers word and how in spite of all the time that passed she was still the little girl looking from outside the house and not fully accepted inside.

So Sanskar comforting hug might have been a small gesture but it spoke volumes to her broken heart. By the time she stopped crying and walked back inside the house with him. Her Grandmother seemed to have decided to forget the conversation and go back to pretend as if it never happened.

Swara let it go as well because they had a bigger threat to worry about that hurt feelings between them. When her grandfather assured her that the house in the hometown is still on his name, Swara was vastly relieved because her Grandparents will have a home regardless of Sahil's manipulation.

It was hard for her grandmother to accept their house in town is closed off by Sahil but she was more worried about where Ragini and Swara will stay from now onwards more than the house.

" Move back home, leave the job and return home. I shouldn't have let two young girls live alone for this long" her grandmother spoke up and even her grandfather who initially supported Ragini and Swara's decision inclined to agree with her because of Sahil.

" Swara beta, listen to your grandmother. I can't let you girls stay there alone after I heard what that Sahil did to both of you. If you stay there he will continue to pester you and I am worried about that" her grandfather told her.

"You don't have to worry about your granddaughters, they are living with our family  and we will ensure they are safe. My lawyers are already working to resolve the legal issues with Sahil. " Sanskar spoke up assuring her Grandparents that they didn't pester Swara to change her mind after that but throughout the night Swara was worried about them.

Her first instinct had been to ensure her Grandparents safety, but she can't stay here forever either. She wasn't sure how long it will take to resolve Sahil's issue or even if they will be able to do anything to stop him from threatening them.

When Ragini called later that night to tell about Sahil encounter. She was more worried as it didn't seem like Sahil was giving up yet.

Her mother used to tell Swara when she was a kid that every problem, pain or worry will seem lighter after a good night sleep and that Swara shouldn't skip her sleep. With that hope and the knowledge she is not alone in her battle and Sanskar is sleeping in the same house to help her was enough to let Swara fall into deep sleep.

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

Sanskar was used to sleeping in comfort. While the couch in the Swara's house was big enough, his thoughts were too jumbled for him to sleep.

Sanskar mind was filled with thoughts about Swara, the daughter who was unwanted enough that her father bargained her hand in marriage, and a grandmother who continued to differentiate between the two siblings.

Sanskar realized he had been lucky to have his family by his side through everything, when he lost Kavitha he felt like his world had stopped moving forward. That he had failed to recognize or treasure the love he had on his family.

Sanskar knew his parents worried about his drinking habit, he knew his mother worried about his wellbeing because in a way she lost the carefree son of her and instead got a shell of her son in return.

In all the times since Kavitha death, he never really tried to move on or find it in himself to accept her loss because he felt it would make their love a distant memory. And now he was wondering if he was holding onto something that should have been let go long time ago.

The realization came with the acquaintance of Swara, he might not be able to realize the extent she changed his life outlook yet but he understood that she was the reason for his change of heart.

When Swara wanted to visit her Grandparents, he had been quick to cancel his appointments and join her on the trip but if talking with her grandparents had let him know anything it is that they need to resolve Sahil's issue sooner than later.

He was still not fully asleep that the small noise at the door woke him up immediately. He glanced at the clock and it was close to 2 Am that he was worried Sahil has resorted to some underhand methods again.

Sanskar couldn't guess the number of people outside the door but he did know he would do everything with in his power to keep Swara and her grandparents safe.

He moved his big couch to the door blocking it for some more time and went to wake up Swara next. And Swara almost screamed when he gently tapped her to wake her but at the glance of his face she relaxed until he spoke up.

" Someone is at the door, go to your Grandparents room and lock the door, move some furniture's against the door and call the police. I will try to keep them from reaching you by any means until help arrives" Sanskar spoke up and she was already shaking her head in answer unwilling to let him face the danger alone.

"You can't face them alone " Swara spoke up and his heart warmed at her concern.

"I can handle it, and it will be until the police arrive Sanskar spoke up and it had convinced her enough to agree with him but before she could reach her grandparents room, the small noise outside the door turned into incessant knocking with a loud voice to accompany it.

" Maa...... Open the door" the voice was slurred and it was rude but one look at Swara, Sanskar had the answer to who their guest of the night was and before he could stop her, Swara moved past him to open the door while trying to push the sofa away from the door.

Sanskar knew she wasn't trying to open the door because it was her father on the other side but she must have been trying to keep her Grandparents from waking up but Sanskar was worried that her father wasn't alone by any means thus he tried to stop her but before he could Swara had unlocked the door and there stood Sahil and Swara's father side by side.

                      ***************

Swara didn't learn her lesson yet, she could blame it on her sleepiness or her fear about intruders and the anger that followed through when she heard her father's voice.

Swara had enough of the cowardliness of her father, he ran when things took a hard turn and now he had the audacity to come back home in the middle of the night waking up her Grandparents.

Swara was going to kick him out of her house and she was really not scared because she had Sanskar with her and she witnessed how he easily he handed her father a year ago. But she was shocked to see Sahil beside him and all the answer turned into confusion as she turned to look at Sanskar.

" I take it that you have joined hands together to keep up with your stupid bargain again? Or is it that you were never separated in the first place? " Sanskar spoke first and Swara's world toppled over to realize at the implication behind his statement.

Swara had believed her father ran away leaving her with his debt but what if he never really ran in the first place like Sanskar claimed because it was the only reason that made sense to see Sahil and her father together.

Her father had no reason to be in touch with Sahil who was his creditor unless he was never on the run for his debts.

"Sahil like the chase, he was prepared to wait for her to accept and all he wanted was for me to stay away from the scene but he doesn't want to wait anymore. He thinks you are engaged to him and wants his money back. " Shekhar Gadodia spoke up confirming Swara suspicion and proving Sanskar was right in his guess.

" You will get your money back if you had contacted my lawyers tomorrow instead of wasting it being here and if I see you anywhere near my fiancee or her sister or her Grandparents ever again. You will see the extent of power the Maheshwari clan got and we won't stop until you are left destitute. Also anymore money you lend to this man will not be repaid by me. I am doing it this time for my fiancée peace of mind" Sanskar spoke up and Swara who surprised to see Sahil nod of head in turn.

Swara couldn't understand how quickly Sahil had backed off but with the new revelation she understood it was never really about the money but the chase for him. When faced with a tougher opponent than him, he backed off because he had no interest in losing his business fighting the Maheshwari's.

Snakes like him didn't deserve to be roamed free much less paid like Sanskar agreed to do so but she was glad to see the back of him for now as Sahil left their house without a word or glance at her.

Swara had assumed he was obsessed with her but realized he was more obsessed with seeing her in fear and chasing her than the real her. She didn't know what she could do but she felt the need to stop him from targeting anyone again.

But at the moment she didn't have time to think about him because the next moment she heard her father's voice spoke up making her realize Sahil may be a snake but Shekher Gadodia was a monster.

" How much will you pay me for letting you marry my daughter ?" Shekher Gadodia spoke up leaving Swara repulsed by the man that stood before her.

Being drunk only brought out his inner monster. Swara stumbled a step at his words, she didn't really have any expectation out of him unlike Ragini who still silently nursed out a hope that he will return back a changed man yet even for her those words were a blow to hear.

Because no one would want to hear such words from the man who supposed to be the one who stood against the world to protect her, so when a hand gently gripped her shoulder in a show of support, she felt overwhelmed by gratitude for Sanskar's mere presence beside her.

She couldn't pinpoint what she felt for him but she knew his gesture of protectiveness soothed her heart.

"I heard you were richer than Sahil, I am just bit down on luck. If you helped my establish back my business than we all could live happily like before, it not like Swara doesn't want to marry you. " Shekhar Gadodia speech was slurred and he would have continued spouting those venomous words if not for the slap that shocked him out of his drunkenness.

Because it came from his mother who never even raised her voice against him. And Swara stood stunned to see her grandmother standing before her son as she slapped him again and again until Swara had to hold her back.

" Who do you think you are to be in charge of my granddaughter marriage and how dare you ask for money from her fiancée?. Get out of this house and never come back" her grandmother spoke up as she stood glaring at her son.

A year ago, her grandmother fully supported her son to marry her off to anyone she can find and now she was fighting with her son for her. Just few hours earlier Swara felt hurt by her grandmother's harsh words when she assumed Swara stole Ragini's date.

Swara heart broke by those words because during this year, she believed her grandmother was softening towards her and seemed to really care about her until those words which made Swara feel like all hope was lost of ever gaining acceptance from her.

And it warmed her heart now to realize that she didn't imagine the closeness with her family after all. It also made her finally believe that she part of the Gadodia family as well. She always had her sister support and her grandfather but hearing her grandmother claim her as her granddaughter made the last bit of resistance in her heart fade away.

Swara had always wished her mother never sent her back to the Gadodia's and maybe for the first time since she arrived to this family, she liked having a family who support her.

P.S: " That is it for now. Sorry everyone for the delay in updates but I am really busy and got a writer's block that it hard to update but I will try to complete this book regardless of my present scenario and I am grateful for all your patience"