Episode 4:-

Both Swasan agreed to their parents' proposal, and the wedding was scheduled for ten days later. The ceremony was kept simple because Sanskar didn't want to appear in front of many people. In the business world, he was known only by his name; all dealings were handled by Rajnath, or Sanskar made appearances only with a select few.

Swara tried to discuss her connection with the Maheshwaris and the Gadodias with Sanskar, but their busy schedules with wedding preparations and work projects left no time for a calm conversation. She decided to wait until after the wedding to ask him.

Finally, the wedding was over, and now they were sitting in Sanskar's room, eating ice cream from a large two-liter tub. Swara was enthusiastically devouring the ice cream while Sanskar struggled to keep up, with Swara playfully teasing him. Eventually, Sanskar grew tired and sat down with a sad pout.

Flashback after Marriage

Both Swasan entered Sanskar's room. Swara was feeling nervous, unsure about what would happen next. Sanskar noticed her anxiety and went over to her. He took her hand, guided her to sit on the bed, and knelt in front of her.

"Swar, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We'll take our relationship slowly. I will never force you into anything. Remember, we are best friends, and maybe, with time, you'll fall in love with me," he said with a wink.

Swara, initially nervous, rolled her eyes at his statement and gave him a playful smack on the arm.

"Huh, me falling in love with you? Yeah, right," she said, twitching her nose.

Sanskar grinned, "Oh, why not? I'm quite handsome and hot, you know."

Swara replied, "Yeah, yeah, hot. Don't worry; from tomorrow, I'll fry an egg on you," she teased.

Sanskar laughed and kissed her knuckles. "Okay, enough. Go and change out of that heavy dress."

Swara sighed in relief. "Oh, yes. I felt like choreographer Ganesh was sitting on me," she said, exasperated.

Sanskar burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Swara, you're something else. Go ahead."

Swara giggled and went to change. When she returned, her eyes sparkled at the sight of a large tub of ice cream in Sanskar's hand, along with two spoons.

"Ice cream!" she exclaimed, running toward him. She grabbed one spoon and started eating ice cream while sitting cross-legged on the bed.

Sanskar feigned disappointment. "I brought this tub for both of us, and here you are enjoying it alone," he said, trying to take a spoonful, but Swara wouldn't let him.

Flashback Ends

Sanskar pouted sadly. "Swara, this isn't fair," he said, turning away.

Swara smiled at his antics, walked over to him, and held the spoon up to his mouth. Sanskar initially looked at her with a hint of complaint but then ate the ice cream with a wide grin. They fed each other ice cream until more than half the tub was gone. Suddenly, Swara started sneezing continuously.

Sanskar's concern grew as he saw her condition. Her nose turned bright red.

"Swara, what's wrong?" he asked, worried.

Swara sneezed repeatedly. "I... (achoo)... am... (achoo)... allergic to ice cream... (achoo)... If I eat more than one cup... (achoo)... I start... (achoo)... sneezing..."

Sanskar panicked, quickly grabbing the medicine box and giving her medication to stop the sneezing.

After about 15 minutes, Swara finally calmed down, but her condition was still poor, and her nose looked like a red cherry.

Sanskar, a bit irritated, asked, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Swara sheepishly replied, "Actually, Mom never let me eat more than one scoop of ice cream, so I got excited seeing this large tub... Sorry," she said, grabbing her ears in apology.

Sanskar smiled, gently removing her hands from her ears and holding them in his own. "Swara, I have no one in my life besides Shakshi Mom and Raj Dad. Then Beauty and Dida came along, and now you. I can't afford to lose any of you because my own family betrayed me. You know why I didn't go to my real parents? Because they can't tell right from wrong. My real father, Vikram Maheshwari, is a top businessman, but he couldn't see his brother's true nature. How could I go to them? They might not have done anything directly bad, but they can't distinguish between good and evil. As the head of the family, Vikram and Suman never paid attention to their children or their actions. Arjun is a spoiled brat, and they remain oblivious to it. Why be nice when you can't even recognize a person's true intentions?"

Swara, now recalling she needed to ask Sanskar about the Maheshwaris and the Gadodias, was left deep in thought.

Swara: Sanskarrr...

Sanskar, lost in thought, replied, "Hmm?"

Swara: "What is my relation with the Maheshwaris and the Gadodias?"

Sanskar's head jerked towards her. "What?"

Swara: "Please don't play dumb. I overheard you when Mom and Maa were talking to us about marriage."

Sanskar stammered, "Swar...aa... I... wo...hh..."

Swara: "Please, Sanskar, nothing will happen to me. I know nobody told me because of my memory loss, but I want to know. Please, please, please..." She made a pleading puppy face.

Sanskar sighed. "Okay, okay... fighter plane, relax. I'll tell you, but promise me you won't panic or do anything rash."

Swara: "Pinky promise." Sanskar smiled and caressed her cheek gently. He then began explaining her entire past—from Anjali's marriage to Raj (Rajveer) to everything else he knew, including her marriage to Arjun and her subsequent disappearance.

Swara listened with her mouth agape and eyes wide open. When Sanskar finished, he looked at her.

Sanskar: "Swaraaaaa?"

Swara: "OOO MMMMM GGGGG... My marriage to your jerk brother? Eeeuuu... I loved him?" She said, putting her finger on her chin, deep in thought.

Sanskar was stunned by her reaction. He had expected a similar response to his past revelations, but her reaction was quite different.

Sanskar found her endearing as she put her finger on her chin, thinking with narrowed eyes.

Sanskar, pulling her cheeks: "No, my Shona, you never loved him. He just manipulated the family so he could satisfy his desires after marrying you."

Swara started cursing Arjun. "Huhhhh... donkeyyy... idiot... I will punch him if he ever comes in front of me. And that Gadodia family? I will burn them alive for hurting my mother. As for the Maheshwaris, I'll throw them in the gutter! Huhh... But Sanskar, what happened that day?"

Sanskar: "Um, Shona, only you and Aarini know what happened. Since you lost your memory, Aarini is the only one who knows now."

Swara: "That's why I felt so restless when I saw Aarini."

Sanskar: "Yes, dear. Okay, now let's get some sleep. It's very late."

Swara: "Okay."

They both went to sleep on opposite sides of the bed, feeling comfortable as friends.

Two Days Later

In the morning, both woke up. (Swasan had already informed their parents that Swara knew about her past.) Swara was brushing her hair, deep in thought. Sanskar, who had just returned from the bathroom, noticed her preoccupation.

Sanskar: "Swaraaa?? What's wrong? Where are you lost?"

Swara snapped back to reality. "No, Sanskar, I was just thinking. They've done so much harm, but we're the ones who suffered, and they're still living their lives peacefully."

Sanskar sighed. "Swara, just forget about them."

Swara: "But, Sanskar, if they ever come in front of you, would you be able to hide your hatred? I might have lost my memory, but I still feel bad. You know everything. Can you control yourself if you see them?"

Sanskar thought for a moment. Swara was right—he despised them intensely. Even though he avoided them, would he be able to control himself if they appeared before him?

A voice interrupted their conversation. "We have a solution for this." Rajnath and Shakshi entered the room, with Anjali and Dida behind them.

Swara: "Maa, Dida!" She rushed to them and hugged them tightly.

Sanskar also took blessings from everyone.

Sanskar: "What solution, Dad?"

Rajnath spoke with a determined voice, "Beta, it's time for you to step into the light. We never pressured you because you were alone, but now Swara is with you, and you both share the same pain. Shakshi and I never wanted to let those responsible for Shourya's death and your suffering go unpunished. But back then, you weren't in a condition to face them, so we held back. Now, I believe the time has come to seek justice for all the wrongs done to you, to Swara, and her family. I know neither of you would do this for yourselves, but as best friends, I believe you'll do it for each other. We want you both to take revenge—not for yourselves, but for each other."

Shakshi added softly, "We'll wait for your answer, and we hope it will be a positive one."

Anjali walked over to Swara, cupping her face gently with one hand. "Shona, I never told you about your past because I didn't want to burden you with stress. But I've seen that, beyond your pain, Sanskar's pain matters to you deeply. So, my child, if not for yourself, then for him, think about this."

With that, the elders left Swara and Sanskar alone in the room.

Sanskar broke the silence, reflecting on Rajnath's words. "I forgot in my pain that Mom and Dad also lost their son because of my so-called family. I know they hid their pain for my sake, but I think they're right. It's high time. That family has enjoyed their lives without consequence for too long. What do you say, Swara?"

Swara smirked and replied with resolve, "Yes, my bestie. They treated my maa and dida terribly, and it's time to make them pay. I might forgive what they did to me, but not what they did to Maa, Dida, and you. So, dear hubby and bestie, let's go give our parents this good news."

With that, she grabbed his hand and dragged him like a woman on a mission, while Sanskar laughed at her enthusiasm.

As they came downstairs, Swara announced cheerfully, "Maa, Mom, Dad, Dida...we're both ready!"

Sanskar couldn't help but smile at Swara's excitement as he turned to Rajnath.

"So, Dad, what's the plan?" Sanskar asked, eager to get started.

They all gathered and discussed the detailed plan (which will be revealed later). One thing was certain—Rajnath and Shakshi had never come face-to-face with the Maheshwari family after Sanskar was declared dead. They had hired some random people to send Sanskar's fake body to the Maheshwaris, keeping their identity and plan under wraps.

One week later...

A grand business party was taking place in Kolkata. Every prominent businessman was present, but the hot topic of the evening was the anticipated appearance of Sanskar Goenka, the son of Rajnath and Sakshi Goenka, who would be stepping into the spotlight with his lovely wife for the first time. The room buzzed with gossip about this mysterious couple.

The Maheshwari family was also present. Arjun was busy searching for his next target, while Aarini tried to impress influential businessmen connected to the modeling and fashion industry. Ramta, on the other hand, was engaged in flaunting their luxurious lifestyle and expensive jewelry, while Vikram and Suman engaged in small talk.

Suddenly, all eyes turned toward the entrance. The Goenka family had finally arrived.

Rajnath and Shakshi stepped out of the first car, exuding grace and authority. A few moments later, a sleek Lamborghini pulled up. A man in a full black suit stepped out, turned back, and offered his hand to his wife. The couple walked into the spotlight, revealing themselves as none other than Sanskar and Swara.

The Maheshwari family gasped in disbelief upon seeing them. Aarini's face turned pale, and Arjun burned with jealousy as he noticed Sanskar's arm securely wrapped around Swara's bare waist. Swara, looking stunning in a sari, met Sanskar's gaze, and together they cast a smirk toward the Maheshwaris before exchanging a knowing look with Rajnath and Shakshi.

The scene froze on Swara and Sanskar's smirking faces, juxtaposed against the shocked expressions of the Maheshwari family.

To be continued...