Episode:-2

Maheswari Mansion...

In the past three years, many changes have occurred. Aarini and Arjun's marriage has not been what it seemed. It's not because Arjun loves Swara or Aarini has tried to make their relationship work; the truth is different.

In the first year and a half of their marriage, Aarini and Arjun focused on completing their studies. When the time came to develop their marital relationship, Aarini revealed her true colors. She was more interested in becoming a model and did not want to compromise her figure. Arjun was merely a means to an end for her—a source of financial stability.

Initially, Arjun tried to get close to Aarini, but she rejected him. In turn, Arjun showed his true nature. He had no real affection for Aarini and only wanted her for physical gratification. When Aarini refused to meet his needs, he began dating other girls.

Both Aarini and Arjun live separate lives, only maintaining the façade of a married couple for the sake of appearances. Aarini works as a model, a career her family opposed but Arjun manipulated them into accepting. In exchange for this, Aarini allowed him to pursue other relationships.

In the Meheswari family, only two people are genuinely good: Aarav and Priya. They live abroad and are loving and supportive. The rest of the family is problematic. Ram and Sujata are particularly unsupportive. Ram and Sujata are responsible for spoiling Arjun, while Sujata pushes Aarini into modeling.

Ram and Sujata's influence has made both Aarini and Arjun morally questionable. Ram and Sujata are aware of their children's behavior but have done nothing to correct it. They have also manipulated Suman and Vikram, who are oblivious to the true nature of their children. Suman and Vikram blindly trust Ram and Sujata because they have been deceived by their sweet words.

Suman and Vikram have three children: Aarav, Uttara, and Arjun. Aarav and Pari are married and live abroad, while Uttara is married and has a two-year-old son. Despite Suman's desire to give Uttara more love, Sujata constantly interferes. This dynamic has led to Suman and Vikram being distant from their other children and unaware of the problems within their family.

Gadodia side:-

Savita forced Raj to marry a girl of her choice, but the marriage ended within a week because Savita wanted to control her daughter-in-law, and the girl refused to accept this. Six months later, Savita arranged another marriage for Raj with a girl from a village who only knew how to say "yes" or "no" to Savita.

Raj, blind to his mother's manipulations, always complied with her demands. His new wife ended up being more of a servant to Savita than a partner to Raj.

In the meantime, those who harmed Swara and her mother continue to live their lives as they please. Aarini pushed Swara into the river because she wanted Arjun as her financial support. Sujata mistreated Anjali severely. Arjun saw Swara only as a means to satisfy his desires. Savita ruined Anjali's life, while Raj, unable to trust Anjali, used abusive language against his daughter.

Swasan side:-

Swara got ready, took blessings from Dida and Anjali, and left for Sanskar's office. Meanwhile, Aarini was arriving in Mumbai for a modeling project.

At the same traffic signal, Swara was on her scooty, while Sanskar and Aarini were in their cars. The weather was chilly, and Swara was wearing a coat. She noticed an old woman sitting by the roadside, shivering.

Swara parked her scooty and went to the woman, giving her a coat to her. The old lady thanked Swara and blessed her. Swara smiled faintly and turned, just as Sanskar noticed the scene. He respected Swara's kindness but did not see her face.

Sanskar, observing Swara's white-pink face, saw her color change to a pale hue. Confused, he followed her gaze and saw a woman in a car. As Swara started sweating and holding her head, Sanskar looked back at the woman, who turned out to be Aarini. Before Sanskar could process this, Aarini's car drove away. He noted the car's number and the name "Maheshwari's" written on it.

Swara, now faint and holding her head, walked toward her scooty. Sanskar, seeing her condition, hurried to her. He patted her and called his driver to look after her scooty, then took Swara to the hospital.

Upon arrival, Sanskar informed Shakshi about Swara's condition without knowing her identity. Shakshi, waiting in the general ward, was shocked to see Swara in Sanskar's arms. Anjali, also present, cried out, "Swara!"

Sanskar laid Swara on the bed, and Shakshi, along with another doctor, examined her. Anjali cried as Sanskar tried to comfort her.

The doctor explained that Swara seemed to have put pressure on her mind, likely triggered by something she saw, exacerbated by her past trauma. Shakshi and Anjali were worried, and Sanskar was stunned, having only known Swara as Anjali's daughter but not the full story.

Anjali, tearful, asked, "Shakshi, what happened to my Swara?"

Shakshi assured her, "Nothing will happen to her. Sanskar, where did you find Swara?"

Sanskar explained the situation and mentioned the car's number and the name "Maheshwari's." Anjali was shocked and stumbled, prompting Shakshi to support her.

Anjali, distressed, said, "Not again. I won't let my daughter be harmed by those Maheshwari and Gadodias." She hurried to Swara's side.

Sanskar, confused, asked, "Mom, what happened?"

Shakshi decided to explain everything to Sanskar. She recounted Anjali's past and Swara's accident, though Sanskar couldn't learn all the details due to Swara's memory loss.

Feeling troubled, Sanskar decided to have Swara sent to his office once she recovered. He told Shakshi, "I'm going now. If you need anything, call me." He turned to leave but stopped when he heard Shakshi say, "They are the same Meheswaris."

Sanskar, shocked, turned swiftly towards Shakshi. "What?"

Shakshi confirmed with a nod, and Sanskar left abruptly. Shakshi, sighing, went inside to Anjali, who was with Swara, now feeling better.

Shakshi said, "Swara, you can go to Sanskar's office after resting here for an hour."

Swara agreed, "Okay, Aunty." She rested as Anjali kissed her forehead and returned to her work.

Swara thought, "Who was that girl? I feel like I've seen her somewhere," but the pain in her head made her stop thinking about Aarini.

Meanwhile, Sanskar arrived at his office in a foul mood, locked himself in his cabin, and sat heavily in his chair.

Sanskar, grabbing his hair in frustration, muttered, "Damn it. Those people again. Can't they ever find peace? Now they're causing beauty and her daughter more sorrow."

He opened a drawer and found a photo of himself with another boy.

Sanskar, with teary eyes, said, "I miss you, dude." The boy in the photo was Shaurya Goenka, Sanskar's best friend and more like a brother to him.

Sanskar, determined and angry, vowed, "My so-called real family is responsible for your death. I will never forgive them, never."

Flashback

12 Years Ago

When Sanskar was 15 and Arjun was 14, Arjun was already exhibiting a stubborn and hostile attitude. Sanskar, though a child of Ramta, received motherly affection from Suman, while Sujata was preoccupied with her social life. This favoritism led to Arjun's jealousy and resentment towards Sanskar.

Arjun's animosity towards Sanskar was extreme. On one occasion, Arjun pushed Sanskar from the roof. Sanskar, having recognized Arjun's voice before being pushed, narrowly escaped death by falling into the swimming pool below. Despite numerous such incidents, Sanskar never revealed Arjun's actions to anyone, which he later regarded as a grave mistake.

Sanskar, studying at a hostel in another city, met Shaurya, a lively and fun-loving boy. Shaurya, noticing Sanskar's sadness, reached out to him and became his friend. Sanskar confided in Shaurya about Arjun's mistreatment, and Shaurya, ever optimistic, reassured him that Arjun might change with time.

Over the next 4.5 years, Shaurya and Sanskar's bond grew unbreakable. Sanskar even began living with Shaurya's family, who had become his second family. Shaurya's parents, Shakshi and Rajnath, were aware of Sanskar's situation and treated him as their son. Sanskar visited his biological family only once a year.

As Sanskar and Shaurya approached their 20th birthdays, tragedy struck. Shaurya died, but in reality, he took the bullet meant for Sanskar. The incident occurred while Shaurya was driving Sanskar's car on a highway. A bullet hit Shaurya in the chest, causing the car to go off balance and fall from a cliff.

Rajnath and Shakshi learned of the accident from an acquaintance and arrived at the hospital, devastated by Shaurya's death. Sanskar survived because, despite his severe injuries, Shaurya had managed to push him out of the car before it plunged.

Sanskar mourned deeply for Shaurya, while Shakshi was in shock and Rajnath was heartbroken. Rajnath, however, urged Sanskar to return home. Upon arriving at his family mansion, Sanskar received two devastating shocks. First, he overheard Arjun talking on the phone in the garden, revealing his deep-seated hatred for Sanskar. Then, upon entering his house, Sanskar discovered another horrific truth that shattered him completely. (Will be revealed later.)

Sanskar fled from the mansion and returned to Shakshi and Rajnath, breaking down before them. Shakshi, deeply grieving for her son, was jolted by Sanskar's distress, realizing how much she loved him as her own.

Rajnath and Shakshi were shocked by Sanskar's revelations about his family. Sanskar vowed never to return to his selfish family, who had only exploited him.

Rajnath and Shakshi decided to adopt Sanskar as their own. They arranged for a fake death story for Sanskar's family and left their old life behind, relocating to Mumbai with Sanskar. For the past 7 years, Sanskar has lived with Shakshi and Rajnath as their son, maintaining a cheerful facade while still grieving the loss of Shaurya and the betrayal of his biological family.

Flashback Ends

Sanskar was jolted from his thoughts by a knock on the door. He had initially intended to say he wanted to be alone, but he brushed that thought aside and went to open it, only to be met with a gentle knock on his forehead.

"Ouch!" Sanskar exclaimed, looking up to see Swara standing there, her hand over her mouth in shock.

Swara's face was a mix of surprise and apology. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Sanskar. I was looking behind me and didn't realize I'd knocked on your forehead."

Sanskar couldn't help but smile at her flustered expression. "It's okay. Come on in." They both settled into their seats.

"How are you feeling now?" Sanskar asked, his concern evident.

Swara offered a slight smile. "I'm fine. Thank you for helping me, and I apologize for being late."

"No worries," Sanskar said reassuringly. "You had a valid reason. Now, Ms. Swara, as you know, I value professionalism in my office, so I hope you'll cooperate."

Swara looked puzzled. "But you haven't even seen my file yet?"

Sanskar smiled. "While we were on our way, I took a look at your file. I was impressed and was planning to discuss it with you. But then I realized you're Swara, Anjali's daughter."

"Oh, okay. Thank you," Swara said, feeling a bit more at ease. "So, what will my role be?"

"Since you've just graduated," Sanskar explained, "we'll start with some training. You'll also work as my assistant, managing my meetings and schedule."

Swara nodded. "Alright. When can I start?"

"If you're ready," Sanskar said, "you can start now. I have no problem with that."

Swara's dedication impressed Sanskar. He called his other assistant and instructed him to provide Swara with all the necessary details.

They both dived into their work. After four hours, Sanskar turned to Swara. "Swara, we need to head to the airport. One of our clients is arriving, and we need to welcome them."

Swara nodded. "Okay, sir."

Sanskar glanced at Swara with a puppy-like expression. "Swara, you can call me Sanskar. Since our mothers are friends, we should be friends too, right?"

Swara offered a slight smile. "Alright, Sanskar." They shook hands. Sanskar noticed that Swara rarely smiled fully, often remaining serious.

They headed to the airport together. Due to a 40-minute flight delay, they stood in the parking lot. Swara, who was gazing absentmindedly, spotted Aarini, who was leaving. Swara started to sweat again and stepped aside, bumping into someone.

Sanskar, who was on his phone, gave Swara a confused look before noticing where she was staring. "That girl again," he thought, noticing Swara's fearful expression. He gently turned her towards him, ensuring she was facing away from Aarini.

Swara's anxiety was evident as she tried to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "What happened?" Sanskar asked, concerned.

Swara, her voice trembling, replied, "I don't know who that girl is, but whenever I see her, I get scared and start having flashes."

Sanskar, holding her shoulders, asked, "What kind of flashes?"

Swara, clutching her head, responded, "I... I don't know. It's like someone is being pushed into a river."

Sanskar thought, Maybe that girl was involved in Swara's accident. He shook off the thought and focused on comforting her. "Let's change the subject. Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

Swara looked shocked. "What?"

Sanskar teased, "Why are you so surprised? I just asked if you've had a boyfriend."

Swara wrinkled her nose. "No, I don't like the idea of having a boyfriend and I never will."

Sanskar pretended to be heartbroken. "Oh, even after seeing such a handsome guy like me, you don't want a boyfriend? You're breaking my heart!"

Swara looked at him with wide eyes, then rolled her eyes and said, "From which angle are you handsome?"

Sanskar exclaimed, "What?!"

Swara put her fingers in her ears playfully, and Sanskar stared at her in shock, blinking rapidly. Swara burst into laughter, her first genuine laugh in three years.

Sanskar, delighted to hear her laugh, mentally congratulated himself for making her smile. "You look great when you laugh," he said with a smile.

Swara, catching her breath, replied, "I don't know, Sanskar. For the past three years, I've been like this. I know my mom and dida want me to be happy, but something always stops me. Even after losing my memory, I still couldn't laugh fully."

Sanskar reassured her, "Everything will be alright. Don't worry."

Swara nodded. "Yeah." They chatted for a while until Sanskar's client arrived, and then they parted ways for the day.

To be continued...