Episode # 9: - (Is this the end)

The trio brothers were ready to punish the goons, but Swathi stopped them, insisting they rest first. Since no one had rested, they needed to take Swara home.

Karan decided they would take Swara to the Maheshwari mansion. Given that she was refusing to let anyone near her, they spoke with the doctor and arranged to move her to the mansion while she was still asleep.

Throughout the conversation, Sanskar remained silent, listening to their plans. Eventually, he fell asleep due to the effects of the medication, with Ath peacefully resting on his chest.

Three hours later, Sanskar woke up to find Ath sitting on his lap, eating from his mother's hand. The little boy was clapping his hands and making baby noises. Sanskar kissed Ath's forehead and gently placed him on the bed before heading to the washroom to change. His wound was no longer painful, just covered with a bandage.

About two hours later, they left the hospital with Swara in Karan's lap. Sanskar watched them with a small smile. Deep down, he wished he could hold Swara in his arms, but he was plagued by fear—fear of his past, fear that he might hurt her, fear that he didn't deserve to love or be loved. In essence, he was afraid of himself.

Maheshwari Mansion: -

It was almost night, and everyone was exhausted. After settling Swara into a room next to Sanskar's, they retired to their rooms after dinner. Sanskar remained quiet throughout the evening.

Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, unable to find sleep. He kept his hands under his head, lost in thought, not realizing that it was already past 11 PM. No one came to his room, as everyone was following his orders to rest properly. Tomorrow, they would deal with everything. For the goons, escaping the reach of "The Black Tigers" was an impossible feat.

They were silent for now, but the storm brewing behind their silence was anything but ordinary.

Sanskar's thoughts lingered on Swara as he sat up straight on his bed. For a few minutes, he fought with himself, debating whether he should go check on her or not. Finally, he decided he would.

He walked to her room and opened the door slowly. As he entered, he frowned deeply; Swara was not on her bed. Looking around, he heard the sound of running water. Relieved, he was about to leave when something stopped him. He decided to sit down on the nearby couch and wait for her.

After about 20 to 25 minutes, he grew curious and approached the washroom door. He knocked, but there was no response. He knocked again, calling her name, but once more, he was met with silence.

The sound of running water continued as Sanskar hesitantly tried the bathroom door, which was fortunately unlocked. He opened it slowly and was shocked by the sight before him.

Swara stood under the shower fully clothed, scrubbing her arms and hands vigorously. She was crying bitterly. Sanskar stood frozen, numb from the scene. After a moment, he took silent steps toward her.

Swara lost in her world of anguish, didn't notice him at first. Her arms were red and bleeding from her harsh scrubbing. Suddenly, Sanskar's hands grasped her wrists, halting her frantic movements.

She looked up to see his dark brown eyes locked onto hers. Her expression was vacant, tears streaming down her face. Though her gaze was blank, Sanskar's eyes could see the deep pain behind her facade.

"Don't do this," Sanskar said softly, his voice almost lost amidst the sound of the shower. He tightened his grip on her hands, not caring that he was getting drenched in the process. Swara's eyes, initially blank, began to fill with more tears as she stared at him.

Sanskar's hold was the only thing keeping her upright; otherwise, she would have collapsed on the floor. As she started to sway, he quickly pulled her into a tight embrace. Her hands fell limp at her sides as she cried uncontrollably. Sanskar stood there, holding her close, trying to absorb her pain through his embrace.

Suddenly, Swara pushed him away and resumed her frantic rubbing of her arms. Sanskar, taken aback by her sudden movement, struggled to keep calm and attempted to stop her.

"Swara, please stop doing this," he pleaded, reaching out to grasp her hands. But she shoved him away, her arms still marked from her relentless scratching. Sanskar's patience snapped, and he firmly gripped her shoulders.

"Enough, Swara, enough!" he said, shaking her slightly. Her terrified eyes met his as he spoke. Sanskar took a deep breath, his gaze softening as he continued, "Stop doing this, please. If not for yourself, then for your brother Karan, please?"

He gently cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away some of her tears. Swara, still sobbing, lifted her arms and pointed to the injuries, shaking her head vigorously as she cried.

Sanskar tried to understand her distress when Swara insisted she was "all dirty," shaking her head at his reassurances. Despite his gentle attempts to stop her, she continued rubbing her arms, her actions growing more frantic.

Sanskar, feeling helpless, realized that forceful restraint was not an option given her bleeding arms. After about ten minutes of her relentless rubbing, Swara suddenly clutched her head and began to fall. Sanskar quickly caught her, holding her close as her head rested against his chest. When he realized she was unconscious, he carefully carried her outside and called for Swathi.

Swathi arrived in seconds, shocked by Swara's condition. Sanskar instructed her to change Swara's clothes while he asked Rishi, who had been waiting outside, to call the doctor. Before leaving to change his clothes, Sanskar told Rishi not to inform Karan about Swara's condition.

When Sanskar returned, Swathi had already changed Swara into fresh clothes and was tending to her wounds. The doctor arrived shortly thereafter, treating her injuries and noting that she was weak both physically and mentally. He attached a glucose drip to help stabilize her.

It was nearly 4 in the morning. Sanskar, Swathi, and Rishi sat quietly in Swara's room. Sanskar shared everything that had happened, his voice carrying a mix of worry and exhaustion.

"We should not tell anything to Karan," Sanskar said quietly, his gaze fixed on Swara's sleeping form.

"How can we hide this from him?" Swathi asked, her worry evident in her voice.

"We will deal with it later," Rishi said, trying to offer some comfort. "For now, she's finally sleeping peacefully, and that's what matters."

Sanskar remained silent, his focus solely on Swara. A deep, unsettling feeling gnawed at him, a premonition that something bad was about to happen. After about half an hour, the trio left Swara's room, each lost in their thoughts.

Unbeknownst to them, Karan had been standing just outside Swara's room, hidden behind the door. Tears glistened in his eyes as he listened to their conversation. He quietly left, wiping his tears as he walked away, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation.

Next Morning: -

Sanskar was drifting in and out of sleep when a soft banging sound disturbed his rest. Groggily, he got out of bed and opened the door, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

There, on the floor, sat Ath, holding a small toy and banging it against the door. As soon as Ath saw Sanskar, he started making cheerful baby noises, clapping his hands, and reaching up to be picked up.

Sanskar scooped him up and carried him back to his room. He was exhausted, so he gently placed Ath on the bed and lay down beside him. Ath, sensing that Sanskar was settling back in, crawled onto his chest and snuggled close, quickly falling asleep against him.

Sanskar, now fully awake, watched Ath with a soft, affectionate gaze, the exhaustion of the day melting away in the presence of the little one's warmth.

Dining hall: -

"Where is Atharv?" Rishi asked Swathi, who was handing him a glass of juice.

"He's in his chachu's room," Swathi replied with a chuckle.

Rishi smiled slightly and then turned to Karan, who was eating silently.

"What's wrong, Karan?" Rishi asked. Swathi and RV looked at Karan as well. Karan just shook his head and said, "Nothing, just tired." They were not entirely convinced but decided to let it go for the moment.

Suddenly, a guard burst into the room, causing everyone to get up from the dining table, confusion etched on their faces.

"What happened?" RV asked the guard.

"Sir, it's about the ma'am who came with you yesterday," the guard said, catching his breath.

"Swara?" Karan asked, his face paling.

The guard nodded and, with a grave tone, told them that Swara was standing at the edge of the terrace. The news left them stunned, their breaths catching in their throats.

Karan was the first to dash outside, followed closely by the others. When they reached the terrace, they saw Swara standing precariously at the edge.

"Swaraaaaaa!" Karan shouted urgently. But Swara didn't respond, her expression vacant and detached.

RV bolted inside to find a way to save her, while Karan, Rishi, and Swathi tried to approach her carefully. Just as Swara took a step forward, someone yanked her back from the edge. The trio rushed inside behind the RV.

RV arrived to see that Sanskar had already managed to pull Swara away from the edge. Sanskar, who had been heading downstairs when the guard's message reached him, had sprinted up to the terrace and intervened. He held Swara tightly in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably, staring down.

RV and Sanskar were about to speak to her when Karan stormed over, grabbing Swara from Sanskar's embrace. Without warning, Karan slapped Swara hard across the cheek. The impact left everyone stunned. Swara's eyes widened in shock as she clutched her cheek, tears streaming down her face.

"You want to die?" Karan's voice was laced with anger and pain as he faced Swara. Swara looked at him with tear-filled eyes, unable to respond. Karan's frustration and heartache poured out in his next words.

"Go, I said go and die!" he shouted, pushing her toward the edge of the terrace. The threat was chilling, and the group watched in horror. Karan's eyes, filled with tears and anguish, met Swara's. "But remember one thing, Swara. The moment you die, I will also kill myself."

The gravity of Karan's words left everyone stunned, including Swara, who seemed frozen in shock.

"What did you think?" Karan continued, his voice trembling with emotion. "That I made you my sister just for namesake? No. The moment I said you were my sister, I gave you a place in my heart above everyone else, above these people who were my family before you." He gestured towards Rishi, RV, and Swathi, who were standing in silence, their eyes filled with tears.

"But what did I get in return?" Karan's voice cracked, his tears spilling freely. "You want to die without a second thought about me? About the one who considers you his sister?"

The raw pain in Karan's voice was palpable. Swara's sobs grew louder as she looked down, her body trembling with grief.

"I thought you were family," Karan said, his voice breaking. "I thought you would come to me with your pain, that you would lean on me. But now I see it was only me who thought of you as family. From now on, I won't expect anything from you."

Karan's words were a knife to the heart. The emotional toll was evident in everyone's eyes. Sanskar, who had been silently witnessing the unfolding drama, felt a heavy ache in his chest. Swathi, Rishi, and RV were all struggling to hold back their tears. The depth of Karan's love and his subsequent heartbreak was almost unbearable to watch.

Swara's cries echoed on the empty terrace, her sobs muffled by the wind. Her shoulders shook with each sob, her body collapsing into itself as the weight of Karan's words settled in her heart.

Karan's face was etched with misery as he turned and walked away. He had said all he needed to say, his voice filled with a mixture of finality and resignation. 

To be continued...

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