After buying the needed medicines for his grandmother which were over, Sanskaar walked out of the pharmacy and started  walking back home until his whatsapp pinged with a message. He halted his steps and a bright smile spread on his lips as he noticed the message was from Swara.

Swara:

Where are you?

                     4:34 PM

Free?

        4:34 PM

Instead of replying her back he called her. Swara blinked as she watched her mobile vibrating on the table but then she couldn't attend the call and so she texted him.

Swara:

Can't attend the call now. Are
you free because it's been
quite a long since I saw you.

                 4:37 PM

Swara clicked the send button and sighed. It's been five days since their holidays started. Like before she couldn't make up to go to cafè as she spent time with her maasi and another day she went to watch Jay's finals who ultimately won  for her delight. The next day she got caught by her SG and she's still stuck there. Swara kind of missed him and so without any delay she texted him.

Sanskaar:

You didn't come to cafè for all the five days :(  Anyways I'm actually in the market to buy grandma's medicines.

            4:38 PM

Sanskaar texted her back the moment he saw her text. Even he missed her.

Swara:

That's great! I'm there only. Let's meet up in M-Fashion's main block entrance in 10?

           4:39 PM

Sanskaar:

Okay :)

           4:40 PM

Sanskaar tucked his mobile in his jean and started walking without wasting any time while his face glowed with a happy grin. Why not? After all he was going to meet his best friend after 5 whole days which felt like 145683290....... years for him. He finally reached the place before 2 minutes and so he texted Swara that he was there.

Swara smiled at the message and quickly excused herself from the crew and walked downstairs greeting the people she knew. She saw Sanskaar waiting for her, wearing a crisp white shirt and black jean. Maybe she should tell how super handsome he looked in that white shirt but then shrugged the thought since she didn't want to hear his self praise.

Sanskaar who was fiddling with his phone, paused his actions when his eyes met Swara who waved her hand at him with a beautiful smile spread on her red coated lips.

Swara walked with elegance, cladded  in a v neckline black party gown that reached till her mid thigh which had a golden buttons and a golden belt around her petite waist with puffed transparent sleeves that reached till her elbow pairing along with the black stockings that covered her slender legs since she didn't want to expose her skin. Lips coated in bright red with black smoky eye make up with a thin layer of khol right under her eyes. Her silky hair was left loose with loose waves that bounced everytime she took a step forward with long golden droplets on her ears that shone under the lights. She wore a shiny glass black heels which had minute works in golden complimenting her dress.

Sanskaar stood stunned for minutes until Swara walked close to him and hugged him. The sight of her walking towards him made a deep effect unknowingly as his heart fluttered like a bird held fast in a fist that he was afraid she might hear him.

"Damn! You look amazing. You no more look like a high school student but a young, super gorgeous woman." That was the first thing Sanskaar said as soon as they broke their friendly hug.

"Thank you." A tint of red appeared on her chubby cheeks naturally and she mumbled a thank you looking everywhere else and not him as she tugged her locks behind her ear. Sanskaar couldn't help but adore how cute she looked when she blushed.

"By the way--" Sanskaar's words left incomplete when he heard a feminine voice calling out Swara's name that gained both their attention. Swara and Sanskaar turned to the source of voice.

"Hey SG!" Swara greeted her aunt with a smile while Shafali stood there with confusion and questioning eyes.

"Shona, What are you doing here? Photoshoot is already over?" Shafali question her niece. As far as she remembered Swara by now should have been in the photoshoot studio but she was here downstairs. There was no way the shoot could have got over.

"Nah! It isn't over. The team and I worked 2 hours straight and we badly needed a break so we have an hour." Swara explained and Shafali nodded. Swara was totally tired and she had a urge to grab some beverage to lessen the mild headache that was caused due to bright lights and camera flashes. Of course the building had the coffee machine but then she didn't like the taste of it.

Sankaar watched the scenario and blinked his eyes as saw the duo speak forgetting him. Photoshoot? He had no idea of what were they even talking about. He faked coughed to gain attention which made Swara remember that even he was there. She quickly walked towards him and dragged him with her. 

"Sanskaar meet--"

"Shafali Gagodia, owner of M-fashion." Sanskaar completed her words. He knew after all she was the latest fashion sensation among youths by introducing branded clothings and Shafali smiled at the boy, quite impressed.

"My aunt and Mia's mother." Swara said with a smile. "And SG this is Sanskaar, my classmate and best friend." She introduced him to her aunt and Sanskaar had a very happy grin with her mention of him as her best friend. 

"Jay is going to be jealous if he knows that you got another best friend other than him." Shafali chuckled with the thought of how super protective Jay was when it comes to Swara. 

"Why? Even he has a g---" Swara paused abruptly when she realised what she was about to blurt out and make a blunder. "Friends! Many friends and I don't complain." She quickly managed to say something else and internally sighed when she saw her aunt nod. Jay had not told anyone about Aditi and if he got to know about how she was about to blurt then there would be a news of her death in headlines of every newspaper and news tomorrow which she least wanted. 

"But I must say you look too handsome for a high school student." Shafali complimented him as they shook hands. Sanskaar immediately sensed her to be a fun person to talk and was not so typical and arrogant like how few media show her. He quickly mumbled a thank you with his signature smile flaunting all his charms. 

"SG if you are planning to get him infront of your camera then that's not happening. He isn't interested." Swara said even before Shafali could offer him to be a model. Most of the times Swara knew what others would say even before they would and point out things. 

"Busted! Anyways you spoiled the question I was about ask." Shafali threw dragers at her niece which she royally ignored. Sanskaar couldn't help but smile seeing them.

"Leave me my niece..." And talk went on. Sanskaar was actually comfortable talking and Shafali was much surprised and impressed with they way he talked and carried himself and not to forget the tint of mischief his alluring eyes had.

Swara had her mouth in a perfect 'O' looking both of them not even looking at her but talking and laughing like long lost friends who met after a long time.

"SG get yourself a best friend I'm not sharing my best friend to anyone." Swara butted in making Shafali and Sanskaar giggle at her pout.

"Okay Sanskaar let's meet again soon." Shafali gave a warm hug to the boy to which Sanskaar reciprocated too.

"That's enough, we are having coffee outside." With that Swara dragged Sanskaar with her to the entrance and he stopped her.

"My best friend is angry?" Sanskaar nudged her shoulders while she shrugged his hands with a pout and her arms folded near her chest. Sanskaar had the very urge to pinch her cheeks and tell how cute she looked but then before that he had to change her mind.

"My dear Cinderella-- Oops black Cinderella, will you have the pleasure to run away with me?" Sanskaar asked with a playful grin and Swara looked at him with a raised eyebrow asking him why.

"You already look breathtaking and I really don't want my best friend to be shared to others so let's run away." He winked and forwarded his hand to her.

"What about your girlfriend?" She played along with him understanding his play.

"She's at home and of course she won't know. Let's go?" Swara chuckled with a nod and placed her hand his. He interlaced his fingers with hers and they both ran outside, laughing looking at each other and they halted when they found a coffee shop.

Sanskaar quickly them hot streaming coffee in paper cups. Swara got hers from him and thanked him.

"Actually I have a doubt, how come your aunt still have her family surname when she's married?" Sanskaar asked the doubt he had from the start and till was still confusing for him.

"We'll have a seat in the park?" Swara asked pointing at the opposite side of the road where the park was. He nodded and both walked a little and stood with people who were waiting to cross the road.

"SG had a abusive marriage." Swara left her words hung while Sanskaar gasped in shock. Abusive? He couldn't believe that the women he met minutes ago smiling and laughing with him had undergone such a drastic life.

"Her husband was all lovely and dovely but then he started abusing her just because he demanded to get money from my father and she opposed. He tried to rape her even though she was conceived with Mia at that time. My aunt charged cases on him for doing that to her and they got divorced. When she returned to us and asked permission to claim the same surname for Mia, dad gave in without a word." She explained sadly, Somewhere she always wished her aunt could lead a happy life but then it collapsed in a blink of minute. Sanskaar held her left hand in his, in a tight grip. Swara acknowledged it but didn't say a word and they both crossed the road.

"My aunt is a kind of a sassy yet a kind and strong headed women. Do something wrong she couldn't take it and make sure you go through hell. My grandfather, Rishabh Gagodia who the leading and a successful actor years back took my aunt to the shooting spots to get her the spark of acting since dad chose business. My aunt went and seeing her excitement my grandfather was really happy atleast he could have a successor but she proved it wrong because she went to shooting spot not to see them act but to see their costumes." Swara laughed and so did Sanskaar as they sat on a empty bench.

Swara's laughter was more like soothing melody that played for him. He could see how her eyes twinkled like stars she loved when she laughed genuinely. Even though he had no much beliefs about god, he made a small prayer to keep her smile and laugh intact always.

She noticed him lost for a minute but then shook her head to continue the tale.

"Before she was pregnant with Mia, SG secretly sent some approval papers to the officials and started a small shop with her own designs and with few designers who was willing to work with her. The day she was divorced was the same day she got approval from the officials. In all this Mia was the only hope in her life to live further and that's how M-fashion began."  Swara completed with a smile. Mia was not just her aunt's hope but everyone's that time. In complete silence of mansion, the little one's voice echoed so soothing to all their hearts bringing the fading hopes.

"Right! I totally forgot to ask you this, are you doing modelling or something like that?" He asked. Sanskaar totally forgot to ask the question he left hanging as her aunt came.

"No Sanskaar, it's for SG's personal catalogue. This way I earn money just like you do." Swara reasoned and sipped her coffee.

"But why?" He asked. Sanskaar stared at her demanding her answer. It wasn't like she didn't have money, she had everything with her but why? That's was his questions.

"I understand, You earn to take care of your grandmother and both your needs. I earn money for my own satisfaction so that I can buy whatever I want without being questioned." She elaborated further and he looked at her surprised.

"So what's the need now?" He asked with a smile.

"Tomorrow we have an art exhibition and I promised to help them with some bills and my savings have decreased too." Swara replied, "By the way if you have time then can you come tomorrow? I promise it would be fun." She asked further.

"Sure!" He nodded and continued, "I'm am impressed like I don't how but all the Gagodia women's are tigress, be it your aunt, your mother or you." Sanskaar mused making Swara chuckled and they fell into silence sipping in their own coffee watching the yellowish orange leaves falling down on the ground with every mild yet crisp air that touched them, filling up the ground.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Sanskaar sipped his warm coffee watching the leaves withering down.

"Leaves are falling down making the tree stand alone, you call that beautiful?" Swara immediately questioned him and he smiled.

"It's chaotically beautiful. That's how are life is Swara. No matter how much you want to hold on to something, if they are fated to, they will fall-- no matter what. The more we fall, we rise." Sanskaar bent down to take a leaf that was near him and continued, "These teach us how beautiful it is to fall, how beautiful it is to let go of things and cherish the changes you undergo be it happiness or sadness. People say autumn is depressing and I would never agree because autumn is just a reflection of human that nature gave us to see. Moreover it makes you see yourself in every tree like how they show those hidden colours they've hidden all the year and fall one day. Don't we all have an autumn face in your life hidden from the world we live? " Swara looked completely taken aback, his words weaved magics in her soul more than her heart. It was a kind of an enlightment for her. Swara had never gave so much thoughts to autumn and all she herself found was how painful it would be to leave something you wanted to hold on to but she never gave a point to these...

"You should love autumn so much, don't you?" She asked and he nodded with a goofy smile. He couldn't have known much of these if his grandfather didn't explain him to his childish question of why leaves fall years back.

"Which season do you like?" Sanskaar asked to know more about her.

"Winter!" Swara immediately answered with a grin.

"Why?" He questioned.

"Cold yet soft wind, peddling rain or fall of pure white snowflakes, some hot chai near you, warm blankets around you and  holidays, doesn't it give you comfort just with the mention of these? And moreover only when the winter comes you can find who's the warmed person near you. I'm excited for the winter already. It's been so long since I saw snowflakes in Shimla." Swara was thrilled with the thoughts of winter. Snow covers everything like a fluffy white blanket and makes for a picturesque panorama.

"We still have a lot of time for that." Sanskaar chuckled seeing her thrilling face.

"Yup but still." Swara grinned.

"Swara, if you have time now how about visiting my home?" He asked suddenly making Swara completely surprised.

"Now?" She blinked her eyes and clicked the unlock button to see the time. She still had 40 minutes.

"Yup, Let's go." Sanskaar stood up and threw both their cups in the trash.

"Sanskaar but--" She hesitated a bit. It wasn't like she didn't want to meet but still she hesitated.

"Why hesitation? Come on Swara, you were eager to meet my girlfriend and even she is so why not now?" He said. Sanskaar was much eager to let these two of them meet since they both have a surprise waiting.

"Okay fine! Let's go." Swara knew once he decide, he wouldn't change it no matter what and so gave in and he gave his famous grin and she smiled.

☆ I walk, fall and stumble,
but I still will walk, even if
The blazing sun gives me burns,
The torrential rain makes me drench,
The raking golden leaves wither on my way,
The freezing gust gives me frost bite.

I will still walk and crawl
Towards my new beginnings
To breathe the fragrance of flowers,
To let the joy conquer my heart
And let my soul renew with glow.

This is how I survive! ☆

Excited for the next chapter?

Your favourite season? Why?

This story is on #24 of SwaSan, to all all my active readers. Thank you for making this happen ❤️

Love,
Diya❤️