4. Angel

Sanskar stared at her in complete silence while she was busy working.

If he was the fire, then she was his water.

If he was the devil, then she was his angel.

If he was an addict, then she was his drug.

If he was the beast, then she was his beauty.

If he was the sky, then she was his moon.

She was only his—Sanskar's Swara.

Her beauty was successful in mesmerizing him. He just wanted to touch her, kiss her and claim her as his. But he knew this moment was far from the right time.

Swara was busy working when she heard the sound of thunder. She screamed, clutching the laptop. Another round of lightning struck again. She was trembling. She screamed and shut her eyes when a rumble of thunder rumbled overhead.

Sanskar ran to her and hugged her. She clung to him as her life depended on it. He patted her back to calm her down.

"Swara, calm down," Sanskar said soothingly, rubbing his hands on her back.

Swara did not say anything but just stood there hugging him. When he felt that she was cooling down, he released her from the hug.

But she still clutched onto his shirt. Her tears had dampened his shirt. She placed her head on his chest while he smelt her hair. Something moved in his heart. What was she doing to him?

He tilted her chin to look deep into her eyes. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

She nodded weakly as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. She still didn't have the guts to look at him in the eyes.

"Go wash your face. I will drop you home," he said while walking out.

She went inside the washroom and splashed her face with water. She wiped her face with a towel and went out.

"Come, sit in the car. I will drop you," he said.

"No, Sir. I can manage. Thanks for your help," she said.

Swara stepped aside and started walking. She had only taken a few steps when he grabbed her wrist, making her shudder.

No one had ever dared to refuse Sanskar Maheswari. But this girl refused him. Rejected his proposal to help her. Sanskar's ego overcame his care.

Holding her wrist, he stepped closer to her, making her lower her eyes in discomfort. He could sense that he was scaring her. Her heart was beating erratically in fear. In that silent street, there was no one. She looked around and thought of an excuse. Looking back at his face, she gulped.

"I am sorry, Sir. But my Baba won't like the idea of someone dropping me," she said with her eyes downcast.

"Look, Swara, it's very late, and it can rain again anytime. Moreover, this area is not safe for girls. So, it would help if you came with me. I will drop you home safely," he reasoned.

Swara looked here and there and scanned the whole area. He was right. It was not safe. So, she accepted the proposal of taking a lift from him and slid into the passenger seat of his car.

♡♡♡

"Wow, Di! Lift from your hot boss," Ragini winked.

"Ragu, please don't start again. You know I am not interested in any of it, right?" Swara said.

"Di, I think you should start thinking about relationships again", Ragini said seriously.

"I am not ready to be in a relationship yet," Swara stated.

Ragini realized that Swara was still uncomfortable talking about relationships, so she decided not to butt in.

"Good night, Di," Ragini said and drifted off to sleep.

But slumber was far away from Swara’s eyes. She was tossing and turning on the bed. She kept thinking about the moments she had spent with Sanskar. She never shared a good equation with boys. In fact, she was never comfortable with men in general, but with Sanskar, it was different. She felt a sense of calmness with him. All her thoughts were revolving around him. When she hugged him, his arms seemed to be the safest place for her.

Swara was a sweet, shy and innocent girl. She was not old-fashioned but preferred to stay away from relationships and be with a limited set of people with whom she was comfortable. Until a few years ago, she used to be bold and outgoing. She used to live the life of a princess. Her sparkling eyes expressed thousands of feelings. But after the death of her mother, her life changed drastically. Her stepmother tortured her, and her father was helpless. She certainly deserved someone who could touch her soul.

♡♡♡

"Hey, Swara. How are you?" one of her colleagues asked while sitting next to her.

"Hi. I am good," Swara replied reluctantly.

"Let's go out and have lunch," Nikhil suggested smilingly.

"No, I am not hungry,” she declined politely.

"Come on, Swara. It's lunch hour now. Don't be a workaholic. Let's go," Nikhil pressed.

"No, Nikhil, I am seriously not hungry," she smiled.

"Okay, fine. Let's talk. Is that okay with you?" he asked.

“Hmm," she nodded in response.

"I heard Sanskar Sir said sorry to you. In fact, he behaves respectfully with you. Are you guys dating?" he asked.

"No. It's not like that. He is a very good man. He respects women, and I respect him for that," she smiled.

"What? Are you kidding? Does he respect women? No, he uses them like tissue paper. Kavita ma'am is his girlfriend, but still, he spends every night with different girls. He is not loyal. He is a Casanova,'' he laughed.

"What?" Swara's mouth hung open in a perfect ‘O’.

"Since you told me that you are not dating him, I think my track is clear,'' Nikhil winked, touching Swara's hands.

Sanskar came out of his cabin and saw Nikhil sitting near Swara and talking to her amiably. He gritted his teeth in anger. He was stunned to see his Angel smiling while talking to him. He had never seen her smile. Her smile was enough to mesmerize him. Though, he was boiling in anger at the same time as he saw Nikhil touching Swara's shoulder.

"Mr Sharma, if you are done flirting, I want you in my cabin now," Sanskar said in a dangerous and stern voice.

Nikhil followed him to his cabin.

"Yes, Sir?" Nikhil asked.

"I do not pay for you to flirt with girls in my office," Sanskar said.

"That.. sir... I was helping her with the presentation," Nikhil said sheepishly.

"Did she ask you for help?" Sanskar asked.

Nikhil just stood numb.

"Mr Sharma, I need an answer," Sanskar said.

"No," Nikhil said, looking down.

"I don't want you to be around her again. Understood? Now get out," Sanskar said. "Daisy, send Miss Gadodia to my cabin," Sanskar yelled at Daisy.