"So you're not gonna listen me?" Her voice bolted around the room. Grabbing one end of the blanket she was pulling it to snatch from him but his hold was strong compared to hers. Jai was laying on bed while covering himself from head to toe with the quit.

It was rishab and ahana's wedding for which naira was insisting him to come with her. She was convincing him from morning but him being a lazy ass wasn't hearing her. At last he used the nonsense tricks of him by hiding under the blanket.

"JAI!!" She yelled but he did nothing than giggling at her tones.

"You aren't coming?" She asked glaring at his figure again.

"Naa!" There comes his reply which pissed her.

"I'm asking you for last time. If you don't accompany me now then from tomorrow I'm not gonna come to meet you here. It's a last warning jai." She told but he didn't reply anything.

Getting disappointed naira walked out from there. She knew that he will agree with her and so she hid outside his room so that he would think she left.

Jai's body twitched as the long time silence wiggled his eyebrows in concern. He threw the quilt aside and jumped down from the bed.
"Naira!" His voice reached her ears but she made no sound and stood silently.

He slowly walked near the door and opened it little bit to just poke outside. Some servants passed from the corridor which made him shut the door immediately as he feels scared from unknown people.

His face fell as sadness was what spread in his heart. She left him and that hurt him a lot. Sitting in the usual corner behind the couch, he felt tears already streaming down his cheeks. He silently sobbed thinking that she left him and now she won't come as he didn't hear to what she was saying.

There naira was waiting for him outside. She felt suspicious at the silence so deciding to peep inside she opened the door and scanned through the gap but the room was empty. Her eyes reached near the couch from where she saw the little view of his feet. Her heart fluttered at the thought and she instantly ran inside.

"Jai? What happened? Why are you crying? Please don't cry. Look, I am here only. Okay, I am sorry. I won't force you, but please don't cry. Please jai!" She wiped his tears cupping his face with both her palms.

"Yo_you are also leaving me! Eve_ryone hate me__" He hiccuped between his sobs.

"No jai! No one hates you. Everyone loves you. And I'm not leaving you, see I am here before you." She stated convincingly and he moved fast to hug her. Her tiny figure got stuck with his big one as though he behaves like a child but none can ignore the fact that he was a well grown man.

Naira was too short before him as his height and features both are larger than hers. She gasped at the touch. Everytime he touched her she had felt some kind of effect on her body. She always ignored it but day by day the realisation was hitting her. She drew in a deep breathe and ruffled his hair. Sensing that he calmed down she broke the hug and sat before him, while wiping his tears.

"I am sorry! Don't come with me, I won't force you now. You take some rest and i will come later. Didi is calling me, please let me go." She requested and he shook his head clutching her palms tightly.

"I_i will come with you." He sounded slowly. Naira was surprised, she was happy that finally he agreed to come out. She was insisting him from last few days and now finally he agreed. She bent down and kissed on both of his palms.

"Thank you so much jai! Thank you!" Jai shyly lowered his eyes and then followed her action, kissing over her palms just like she did. He looked at her with a big grin and naira shook her head unbelievably.

"Let's get ready! I have arranged your clothes, change it fast till then I will wait outside." She said and didn't give him any chance to speak knowing it would be awkward to stay in the room.

❃❃

The rituals begin and in the mandap rishab and ahana were performing them as per the instructions of priests. With them both, aditya, rajeev and prerna had also taken their seats. Guests and the relatives, everybody were engaged in the wedding rituals.

At the time from the upstairs naira and jai descended. Naira's face plastered with a big smile as behind her a nervous jai was walking. His fingers were tucked around the end of her chunari and other hand was in her ones. Before they could reach down he stopped her in mid and shook his head fearfully but a single assuring look from her calmed him down.

"I am with you!" She whispered slowly and brought him beside her. They both walked down hand in hand and soon became the center of attraction.

Rishab lifted his face and his eyes stuck over the figure of his younger brother which was claded in a creamy jodhpuri blazer and white trouser underneath.

Whereas the singhania's younger princess was cladded in a cream coloured beautifully designed lehenga which was increasing her already beautiful self.

Naira looked at the surprised faces of their family as for few minutes she felt like giggling. Rishab and ahana were smiling widely, whereas rahul was shocked and prerna-rajeev had tears. They tried a lot to bring him out of the room, to introduce him with new people so that his health could improve but he never allowed any of them to come near him. He always used to get scared.

The priest called them asking for their attentions towards the rituals.

Naira held on his arm and brought him near the mandap. He was confusingly noticing the rituals then looked towards her and asked in a low voice. "What are they doing?"

"They are marrying each other. After completing these rituals they will be husband and wife." She told but this created more questions in his mind.

"What is that?" Naira glared at him but then giggled at his innocence.

"That means from now onward, Ahana di will stay with your Rishab bhai and they will be best friends. They would live together in any situation and support each other." He nodded and again snapped at her.

"Like me and you? We are also best friends!" Naira's eyes softened. She couldn't describe him the meaning of marriage as for that his mind isn't capable. She didn't say much but also couldn't leave the topic which could create misunderstanding in his mind.

"No! Our friendship is unique. I also don't know what is it. When I will get to know then I will share with you, okay?" She hopefully stated, wanting no other questions about it from him. Jai, first didn't react much but then shook his head positively making her sigh.

The marriage completed as everyone showered flowers over the couple, naira showed him the same and jai was the excited one to follow her. She chuckled and threw petals on him which he reciprocated instantly. He laughed openly which was the center of admiration for his parents and both brothers.

※※

It was the night and the family members were busy in post marriage rituals. Naira, Aditya and the other relatives had left as now only the Agnihotris were there.

After naira went jai also disappeared from the crowd as his comfort space was only with naira. He as usual stayed in his room avoiding others. At this time jai was alone and laying on the bed with a photo album of his and naira's pictures which she had given him while returning to her home. He was awfully looking at the beautiful pictures and giggling while reminding their moments.

Suddenly the lights turn off and he flinched on his place. His hold over the blanket got tight as he moved his head around to face only darkness. Sweat was dripping over his forehead as it was scaring him a lot.
"N_naira_! N_ai_ra!" He called out her name thinking she would come for protecting him from whatever fear he had.

Jai's heart beat grew high as he heard some foot steps in his direction. He jumped down from the bed and sat in a corner where little light of moon was luminating. He was highly scared to call someone as for him if he made any voice then the person present there will harm him.

"Jai! Jai!" A masculine voice reverberated in the room as he composed himself and more fear throbbed in his heart. The voice was familiar, and he knew who is it! The same person who is torturing him from a long time. He wanted to tell about this to someone but then none believe him. He had tried once in front of rahul but that got ignored and later he got the punishment too.

His mind was racing through millions of thoughts when suddenly the person from behind grabbed the collar of his night suit and pulled him up.
"No! No! Pl_pleas leave me! Pl_pl_ease! Don't beat me pl_ease!" He held over the arm and closed his eyes as tight as he could and kept requesting him to stop.

"Shh! Jai, you know how much I love you. I love my good boy but you keep behaving like a bad one. Isn't that unfair, child?" He said and then the dim light flashed over his face revealing the devil. It was none other than Mihir.

Jai felt numb and tears flooded out of his eyes. He struggled hard and finally succeeded by pushing him back and running towards the doorway but mihir threw the metal vase on his leg which cause him to fall with a thud. His cheek got hit with the floor and instantly blood started oozing out from the cheek bone.

"Ahh!" He groaned and tried to push himself forward out of that devil's grip but the fate was not with him.

His body wiggled in pain as a tight slap from the wooden stick landed on his back. He cried more but the assault over him didn't stop. Mihir kept hitting him untill he got the satisfaction. He lastly kicked in his stomach and threw the stick on side.

"Shh! Is it paining?" His asked laughing at jai's condition. Jai was silent or can say was too tired to even cry. The little life inside him was yearning for someone, who can save him but like he had to accept the reality that none was there for him.

"I am so sorry. You don't force me to behave in such way with you, be a good boy jai. If you hadn't come out then I wouldn't have punish you. Promise me that from next time you won't go against my wish." He said with disgust coated in his voice. He wasn't a penny guilty for his act, for taking advantage of the innocent soul.

Where on other hand jai was struggling to keep his eyes open. He finally passed out by the mid of night. His body was sore and even the single movement was causing immense pain to him.

The morning sun rose up and with that slowly jai's eyeball moved. He opened his eyes as the big dots came before his sight which later converted into clear vision. He groaned at the soreness in every tissue of his body. The blood on his cheek bone clotted and now it was causing more pain. He drew in a deep breath with tear drops falling down his eyes.

"Oh, jai woke up?" Again the scary voice came and he shifted on his place, groaning and hissing out of pain.

Mihir crouched down and held his arm. Jai tried to push him back but a single glare from him failed all his struggles. He knew what's going to happen with him now. This isn't something new as the same thing is happening to him from last 2-3 years and none had any clue.

He injected a drug in his body and threw the used needle in dustbin then cleaning his hands left the room before inquiring if anyone was around.

❃❃

Putting a big smile on lips naira made her way out of singhania villa. She opened the door of her car and sat inside but got interrupted when a call came huddling her way.

"Naira? Where are you going princess? Isn't it too early for office?" Aditya said bending till the window of car.

"Sorry dad! I didn't inform you. Actually, I'm going to meet jai. He must be waiting for me." Her answer dropped his smile as something felt weird to him. Somewhere he wasn't liking the closeness of his daughter with jai, who wasn't a normal person. Though he was his friend's son but when the topic came with his daughter he didn't felt it good.

"Naira, it's not good to visit there daily! Now it's your sister's home and maybe they would not like your regular visit_"

"Dad, you know jai. He fears to come out of his room, he can't come to meet me that's why I'm going." She explained him politely.

"But there's no need to meet him naira. He isn't in good terms, what if he ends up hurting you? Prerna also told that sometimes he looses control and behaves abnormally__"

"He can never hurt me dad. I promise from next time he would come to meet me, please let me fulfill my duty as a friend towards him. I'm assuring you, he isn't like you are thinking. Jai is very nice guy, don't know why everyone treats him like that but believe me he is more than you are thinking." She squeezed his palm and then hugged him. "Now, can i go?" Unwilling aditya had to permit her as he had no proper reasons to stop her. Naira gave him a quick peck over the cheek and drove the car away from there.

❃❃

"Jai! Jai stop it! What are you doing? Please listen to me jai!" A frustrating voice of rishabh ranged as he stepped forward but again get pushed back by his younger brother who was for them suddenly acting abnormal.

"Leave me! Leave me! Don't come near me!" He babbled and started shattering the things around his room. He threw the books from the shell in rishabh's direction.

"Stop it jai! What happened? Tell me, I am here. Please don't harm yourself." He said as after seeing the injury on his face, they assumed that he himself caused it.

Rajeev had a hard time handling prerna whereas rahul and rishab were still struggling with jai, who wasn't in anyone's grip. Rahul somehow managed to reach near him but before he could grab him jai got alert and pushed him away. His back got hit with the wal behind and the stings of pain rushed through his body causing more pain.

There from outside naira came running at the noise. She reached near her sister who was standing beside prerna.
She didn't has to ask anything as before that her ears sensed his voice. She was shocked to see jai's condition.

"Jai_"

"Naira! Don't go, he can harm you. He isn't in normal condition." Rahul stopped her but only if she had paid attention to anything. Her focus was on him and only him.

"Jai! What are you doing? See, don't do that. It will harm you, tell me what's the matter. We are friends, right? Please calm down." Her soothing voice reached his ears as the tears of pain gathered in his eyes. He collided on his knees then scratching his head with both his palms yelled. It was paining him a lot. The drug which was injected in his body was giving him an immense headache that he just wanted to get rid of it.

Naira immediately jumped near him as she crouched to his height and cupped his face. Her eyes scanned through his injury and she looked towards rishabh.
"Jiju? How did this happen?"

"He was throwing things here and there, maybe that time." His information was undigested as looking at the scar, it wasn't seeming fresh.

"Shh! Calm down jai, I'm here! I won't let anything happen to my best friend now. Listen to your naira and stop crying." She hugged him sideways tightly not letting him move anywhere.

❃❃

Soon after the doctor arrived, jai was again injected by a sleeping drug. As the doctor was appointed by mihir himself so he didn't reveal anything and covered up it by telling that jai got a panick attack. Everyone was normal with this but naira was not satisfied. She could sense something more as the way jai was reacting didn't look like a panick attack or something.

She wanted to ask more but jai had held her hand in his grip before passing out which didn't allow her to move.

It was almost evening and naira was sitting beside her friend who wasn't yet awake. While the other members of family were attaining Ahana's 'Muhdikhai' ceremony. Though everyone were little sad after the incident but somehow naira convinced them assuring she will take care of jai.

Finally after a long time jai got his senses. He shifted on his place and then groaned due to the sourness of body. He could still feel the pain on his back as those were yet to treat. His eyelashes separated as he looked around and then his sight came up with naira. A wave of satisfaction rushed through his senses but the next moment he remembered mihir's threat. If he talked with naira then he will torture him more. But he can't ignore his friend too, after all she is the only one who loves and cares for him or else the others never bother for anything.

"Nai_" He said but the pain hitted him back there hurdling his movements.

A cry left his mouth and he sobbed like a child that he was. He wasn't able to tolerate it. This was enough and more for him, the everyday torture was pissing him off. And cherry on the top he couldn't even share it with anyone.

The sobbing voice took away her attention and naira climbed on bed grabbing his arm. His back was facing her and his face was dug in the pillow. Naira creased his hair and talked to him so that he calmed down but his heart was too heavy to calm down.
While rubbing his arm her vision caught the sight of a certain mark. Her eyebrows wiggled and she put her fingers over it to get a painful hiss from him.

"Jai? What are you hiding? Tell me fast." She inquired but he shook his head and wiped his tears.

But naira wasn't someone to give upon. She little did pulled the collar of his t-shirt down from back side and more such mark got visible. Her eyes widened when she realized they were fresh and were seeming like someone had intentionally tortured him and beat him in such way.

She turned little nervous and hesitant to pull his shirt up as though she wanted to see those marks but then it doesn't seem good. She didn't want to take advantage of the situation which could be assumed by her act. Still covering her hesitancy she rolled it upwards and the next moment when her body felt numb. Her eyes teared up with an unknown pain clenching her heart.

How could anyone stoop so low? Whoever did this with him will have to pay! She decided as those marks on his back were horrible. Just by giving it a look she could feel the pain then how was he bearing all that?

"Who did this jai? Look at me and say, who the hell did this? I swear, I will not leave that person. Look at me jai__" She yelled and turned him to look at her.

Her eyes softened sensing those tearful innocent gaze over her. Her fingers brushed over his injured cheek as couldn't stay back with the overwhelming emotions she hugged him as tight as she could. Getting the warmness he let go of his tears and sobbed more.

"Shh! Don't! Don't cry." She wiped both of there tears.

"I will call everyone. They should know what's happening." She stated and tried to stand up but before that a tug covered her wrist. Looking back she met with jai's requesting eyes. He doesn't want her to tell about this to anyone? Why? Why was he bearing all this? For whom?

"Please__pl_ease don't tell. H_he will beat me. I_it is p_paining, pl_ease don't tell them." He hiccuped and his voice breaking due to all the sobbing.

Naira suspiciously came near him and held his shoulder. She asked him a lot about the person but he didn't tell anything knowing if mihir got to know then he would harm him and naira too.

Getting no more information naira too sushed the topic as atleast she knew that the person is a man and now she would look behind the men in his family. She could doubt anyone as the thing she noticed was everyone loves him then who must be the person.

For that time keeping the topic aside she decided to treat him first. As none know about those marks and the thing that someone beaten him she decided to keep it private.

Naira took some warm water then dripping a cotton strip in it applied on those marks. Jai was hissing in pain but at the same time it was relaxing also.

"Ahh_"

"Sorry! I will be gentle." She said and blew air with her mouth.

She then applied the ointment over those marks so that it will heal soon.

Just then she finished her work, jai turned around and kept his head on her lap. He hugged her waist and hid his face there. Naira was shocked, never before she had this close with any man except for her father, she didn't feel comfortable with unknown man but don't know where that feelings has subsided. Just in few days jai has become so important to her that his any act never make her feel awkward or uncomfortable. Was it because of his childish behavior? Or because she has started feeling something for him?

She was clueless with this unknown yet beautiful feeling. But one thing was sure that she was not going to spare that person who is doing such inhumanity act with her innocent jai. She would soon reveal that evil before everyone.

Naira smiling stroke his hair which soothed him. He closed his eyes and remained like that while naira told him about here and there to light his mood.

The scene was captured by prerna. Her heart was overwhelmed after seeing naira and jai, she felt it truly good. Her son who always scares from everyone is opening himself before that particular girl. None had the power to make him feel good like naira had. She was really something to her son. Her heart wished to bound them like this forever.

❃❃

Two months passed in the flow and with that the beautiful feelings bloomed in the innocent hearts. With the time, jai and naira came more closer that now living without naira was like a punishment for him. Sometimes he started insisting to go with her as he couldn't stay alone whole night. Jai had grown more and more possessive about her. If some day she won't come he started marching around the whole mansion and keep dancing over the heads of his family members.

It had been naira's daily routine to spend 2-3 hours with him before heading for her office and later in the evening some hours. But this grown closeness wasn't pleasant for everyone. Prerna, rajeev, rishab and sometime rahul were happy for jai as he had resumed meeting them, talking to them and showing emotions. But aditya wasn't happy with all these. He didn't want his daughter around jai. He was acting over protective and this forced him to behave unusually with jai.

Whereas mihir was in different zone. The way jai was recovering and behaving has given him a high pressure. His plans were getting destroyed. Before naira's entry, he used to inject weekly dosages to jai so that his state get more vulnerable and it was well working but from that day naira had taken a high charge over his habits including his medicines too. Till now everything is fine as he could manage to supply wrong drugs but his fear was their closeness. He started conspiring against naira to throw both of them apart.

❃❃

Again it was a Sunday, when naira had brought her friend for a little trip in the park nearby Agnihotri villa. They both had a good time together. Jai would do some cute acts which would leave her in pure awe. She started admiring him in very beautiful way that she had never for anyone. She was now aware of her feelings but it was just that couldn't come out from her heart by seeing the situations around. Before anything she wanted to treat him and gave him his normal life then maybe she would confess her feelings.

It was when naira was sitting on the bench and jai had gone somewhere, saying he would back in seconds. She remained sitting there knowing he won't go anywhere.

Jai returned with a grin on his face and that wasn't something unnoticed by her. She narrowed her eyes smilingly and flipped her eyebrows asking him what?

"What are you hiding behind Jai?" She asked and he instantly acted as if he was blushing. That was so adorable that she felt like kissing him right there on his cute pout__

'Huh? Seriously? Control you silly girl.'

She scolded herself and blushingly shrugged the thoughts. When her trance broke she realised him sitting on both his knees before her and his hands stretched forward with a beautiful red rose in his grip.

"Jai_"

"Marry me please!" His statement shocked her to core as that left her with wide eyes and open mouth.

She absorbed the shock and returned back to the running world where he was still waiting for her. She held his hand and asked "Who told you to do this jai?"

"Bhai!" He innocently answered confusing her further more.

"What exactly did he tell you?" She inquired knowing his innocent mind has done some blunder with his brother's advice.

"Not me! He was telling rahul to marry the girl whom he loves, so that she would never leave him. And i love you. Please marry me! We will stay together then and then you don't have to travel a lot. I will give you a lot space in my room, you can keep anything there. Promise! And i will behave like a good boy_" He told and then confessed what he want. She could sense the sparks of innocence rushing through his every act. He had already attracted her a lot that anything he does seem good to her heart. She never felt like judging him on anything.

"Mere Bholuram, Marriage is a very big decision we can't take it alone. We will marry but not now_"

"Why?" He pouted and his sweet smile dropped. Naira felt bad but she had no other option. She can't take any advantage of his state, atleast not till he recover completely. She couldn't act cheap.

She made him sit beside her and took the flower in her palm.

"Jai? Don't be sad_"

"Why can't we marry? Bhai also got married and rahul is also doing it then why not me?"

"Because you are still a baby! An idiot baby! First you will have to grow up, then do something from which my father will get impress and then we will marry!" She explained and seriously it was so illogical. She couldn't think anything more as his questions were confusing her.

"Why to impress your father?_" One more bomb blasted on her with a new question.

"So that he doesn't have to worry for me, just like jiju did! He impressed dad by working hard and see ahana di married him. If you love me then do something_" The last line was something with she wanted to tease him. She laughed like hell seeing his expressions.

Keeping no more control naira leaned forward then cupped his face and planted a kiss on his cheek. Jai shyly turned his face to which she chuckled and hugged him sideways.....

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇