"What? Why are you showing me these grumpy expressions?" Her chided voice came as she looked sideways at her friend, who was balled up on the couch and a big pout was hanging on his handsome face. With each second he was giving her a look which was irritating her.

Again she asked the same but he didn't answer and twitched his nose. He hugged the pillow and sat there watching the television screen where she had played a movie which was completely boring for him.
Where on other hand naira was stunned with his ignorance. She hitted the pillow on his arm to take his attention.

"Monkey!" She grumbled irritatedly.

"You Female monkey!" He uninterestedly stated, shocking her to core. She wanted to laugh at his expressions but at the same time to beat him up for troubling her a lot. From evening he was troubling her about anything and now ignoring her.

"Jai!! What do you want?"

"Ice-cream!" He cutely stated in a desperate manner not forgetting to trick her with his cutest puppy eyes.

Naira's heart melted at this but she maintained the stern expression, then crossing her arms before her chest she smirked at him and shook her head "No ways you are getting it!"

"Why?" He grumbled like a child and hid his face on her lap which immediately tickled her.

"Pleaseee!" He cried up making voices.

"You are turning too moody! And it's dinner time so forget about it!" She declared and got up from her seat then flipping her hair back walked further out of his room.

Jai jumped out of the couch and ran behind her. She smiled in victory and kept walking till the living room knowing well that he will follow her. She wanted him to have food with whole family, which he sometimes does but that was so rare.

She was living in Agnihotri mansion from last few days as aditya had gone for a business tour and unwillingly tough he had to permit her for living with ahana as she was insisting a lot.

"Nairaaa!" She turned at the lowest wave of whisper and wiggled her eyebrows as suddenly he disappeared from there. She looked here and there and then found him hiding behind the pillar under the staircase.

"What are you doing here?"

"No one is there na?" He inquired and then checked himself by peeping out of there till his sight reach.

"You're behaving as if someone will eat you. Don't be so dramatic and come out!" She pulled him out, dragging him towards the kitchen. There were no one around except the servants who were setting the vessels on dinning table.

"Ice-cream!" He yelped sweetly as soon as his attention get diverted on the bowl she had brought. He grabbed it immediately then dipping a finger licked it and moaned at how tasty it it. His shiny eyes gazed at hers as he smiled to fullest and again ate it.

Naira let out a warm chuckle as her own heart satisfied in seconds just by his sweet smile. She felt the pleasure inside.

Jai's eyes twinkled with the wave of mischievousness as he looked at her who already was seeing him. He gestured her to come closer and just when she leaned herself little more he applied the cream coated finger above her cheek. Naira gasped with open mouth and he giggled loudly clapping his palm over the lap.

Naira showed him a stern look and he silenced at it but that didn't last for as he again did the same act and ran with the bowl giggling at her. She chased him till the living room and saw him sitting on there while enjoying the cold ice-cream. A smile appeared on her face as she carved to see him happy always. Her body pushed her towards him as she came from behind and wrapped her arms over his neck, leaning on his shoulder. Jai smilingly looked in her eyes. She couldn't control more and pecked on his cheek immediately. He shyly averted his gaze which left her giggling. Naira sat before him and turned his face at her, but he was still blushing like a shy kid.

She laughed at his expression and cupped his face then rubbing her thumbs on the corners of his lips cleaned the chocolate from there.

Jai was overwhelmed with so much love and care for him. Feeling her care, her love, her concern and being her center of attention had deepened his desire to be with her always. He didn't know about life, what it means and what not? But he knew one thing and that was naira. For him, she was everything. She could tease him, love him, scold him like no other do. He wanted her and nothing else. He wanted to marry her so that she would always live with him and save him from the monster in his life. Living in the same home he didn't get the comfort which he gets from her. She was his saviour and he wanted to feel secure near her forever.

The childish urge grew and coming closer to her he pressed his lips on her forehead just the way he had seen rishab doing with ahana everyday before leaving for work.

"I love you!" He said and naira felt tears in her eyes. How could this man unknown from the world love her so much? His actions conveyed the love his heart has not for once but for everytime.

"Say na!!" He urged breaking her trance.

"What?"

"Say I love you too!" He told to which she chuckled out.

"But why?"

"Whenever bhai says 'I love you' bhabhi replied back in 'I love you too.' Don't you know this simple thing?" He asked huffing as his cheeks puffed out cutely. She laughed more and hugged him.

"I love you too!" He excitedly jumped on his place amusing her more about how sweet he is.

"HOW DARE YOU?"

Jai flinched at the voice as the bowl from his hold dropped down and he held on naira's hand more tightly. Naira patted his palm then looked at the entrance, where her father was standing with a tribble expression. His face was red in anger as he walked towards them with big steps and grabbed on jai's collar dragging him away from her.

"Dad__"

Before she could even move jai had already fallen down on the floor with his palm on his cheek and a fear residing in his heart of those horrible nightmares and tortures he suffers from. He cried and slided backward, his sobs reached to her ear clenching her heart terribly in pain.

"Jai! Don't cry, naira is near you. See I am here!" She tried to convince him but he was too scared for that. He hurried up and hid behind her hiding his face with her odhani.

"Na_ira__" He hiccuped behind her while shivering and crying in fear.

"Dad! What's this? Why did you slap him?" She asked being shocked with her father's unusual action. She had seen from the very starting he has been holding something in his heart towards jai, a kind of displeasure was flashing on his face but he never word it out knowing it could hurt prerna and rajeev who are his good friends.

"You are asking this to me? Can't you see his behavior? And why the hell you are getting close to him?" He burst out in anger.

"Dad! Are you thinking before speaking? Just tell me why did you raise your hand?"

"You're questioning me? Didn't you realize how he is taking advantage? He just kissed you and you don't have any objection? He is just pretending to be not fine." Naira felt shame at her father's words for herself. She looked back at jai, who was shaking and sobbing. She wiped his tears and shook her head, whole time soothing him with her gestures.

"I don't feel any discomfort with what he did. His actions are pure, please don't stain it by your words dad! I know you are just possesive for me but that doesn't mean you will hurt an innocent man. He doesn't even know the meanings of your words. He is a child, dad__"

"Oh! So now he is a child who just proposed you for marriage? I couldn't see a child in this act. You will regret later and i don't want any bad eye on my daughter. Just come with me Or i will kill him today, here itself." Aditya greeted his teeth glaring at jai.

"Dad please!!"

"What please naira? And why are you defending him? You should have slapped him on the first place for misbehaving with you." He scolded her and naira was surprised. She had never seen her father like this before. He was always a calm and composed person but out of sudden what happened to him?

"Adi? What's the matter? Why are you yelling?" Prerna came wondering at her friend but she suddenly paused and looked at her sobbing son. "Jai?" She ran to him and cupped his face but he shifted aside. At that time his comfort space was only naira.

"Aunty, please wait for some time. He is getting scared." Naira hesitantly spoke not wanting to hurt prerna which she did as prerna understood her words and agreed. She was panicking at sudden burst out of her son.

"What happened jai? Tell mumma_" He sobbed more clutching on naira's odhani.

"Naira, let's go!" Aditya stated and pulled her by holding her wrist. He did it little forcefully which made her drag away from jai. Jai's hand slipped from hers. The sudden seperation made him conscious and he composed himself more pulling something before him to hid behind. Prerna understood her child's act and came near him. She felt hesitant but later jai hugged her being scared and sobbing.

"Dad!! I love him!" Her voice raised and it reverberated around the hall.

Aditya turned with a shocked expression. He glared at his daughter and for first time he felt anger over her.

"Have you gone mad?"

"Whatever you call but i love jai. I love him and his any act can never hurt me. He never misbehaved with me, everything has my consent and happiness." She declared and turned towards jai. Walking to him she smiled and wiped his tears.

"I love you very much jai. Do you also love me?" She confessed her true feeling, tough he won't understand it properly but she didn't care about that. The importance she has in his life was far more than anything. She doesn't need anything else than him and his happiness.

Jai looked at her and sniffled while shaking his head positively. Prerna was surprised. She stared at naira for sometime and then realised that it was true. The love she could see in her eyes was true. Till now she was just happy that someone was there for her son but after what naira confessed her happiness has no bound. She always wanted a girl like naira for her jai and it happened already. Her jai got the precious gem like naira, who cares for him, loves him and keeps him happy more than that she had changed her innocent child.
Her arrival was like the ray of light in the world of darkness. She was really the sunshine of her jai's life. She was in a deep regret after ayesha's demise but now she had the opportunity to correct everything, she won't repeat the same mistake again, which had cost for her son's life.

"Shut up naira!" Aditya bolted up again. This time he pulled her and dragged out of there giving no chance to converse more.

"Na_ira___ Naira__" He called her with the broken voice as tears again welled up in his eyes. He couldn't tolerate this more.

"Dad! Dad please!"

"SHUT UP!" He warned her and continued going out with her.

"Jai! I will come, promise I will come to you." Her voice reached to them but he was already crying a lot.

Prerna embraced her child, while her own eyes full of tears. She and her jai were alone there as rajeev, rishab and rahul were at office and ahana also had joined them. Except from all of them the one person behind everything was standing and looking that with a devilish smirk.

"Stupid girl! She was trying to mess with me, now I will see how she meets him. And this jai! I will make sure that he won't live longer now. His birth anniversary and death anniversary will be on some day. I promise!" His eyes darkened with the desire of revenge as giving one last look at the mother-son duo he left from there.

❃❃

"I love him and I will marry him, you can't change my feelings dad!" She declared before slamming the door of her room. Aditya was frustrated with her behavior. He just left from there but not before locking the door from outside. In any case he didn't want his daughter near jai.

Naira threw the pillow in frustration, she sat greeted her teeths while thinking about any way to meet jai. It's been two days since that incident. She didn't even talk with him as her mobile was near Aditya but she got it by the help of one of their servant.

She dialled prerna's number untill she picked it up. "Aunty? Aunty, how is jai? Is he fine now? Can you please go near him? I want to talk him aunty, please!" She spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything.

"Hold on naira! Jai is with me, I will make you talk with him." She said and reached to jai who was laying on the bed with little high temperature. After that day he was shivering whole night out of fear. Aditya's slap made him remember about mihir's threat. He had hardly forgot about that but everything freshen up again and he spoilt his health with the amount of stress and fear.

Prerna creased his head lovingly as she pecked on his forehead and called him "jai? Look who has called you." She said smilingly but he barely focused on it. Prerna turned the call on speaker and continued her talks.

"Naira, your friend doesn't want to talk you I think. Let it be, we both will talk if he doesn't want." She pretended.

"Oh? That's the case? Okay then, I will call you later aunty. Now if he doesn't want to talk then what can we do? Bye bye aunty__" She pretended and that trick did a great work. Jai flipped back and grabbed the phone. His heart overwhelmed with emotions and he cried out.

"Naira__!" His voice pierced in her heart as she realised him crying at the incident.

Where prerna cupped his cheek and wiped his tears trying to calm him.
"Jai!" Her soft voice made him sniffle as she waited and then continued again. "My jai is a very very strong boy, do you know? He doesn't cry over small things infact he made others happy. Now if you will cry like this then i will also do the same. Do you want your naira to cry?"

"No! No!" He replied back and rubbed his face with the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"_jai is not crying. Naira also don't cry." He cutely stated making her chuckle with tears.

"Now perfect! I love my smiling jai. And what's the need of crying and all? Jai knows that his naira will never leave him, doesn't he?"

"Yeah__yeah__nai_ra will not leave." He whispered back with the peace she had given.

"Okay then finish your dinner and sleep after taking all the medicines, okay? If you won't then naira will not come to meet." She huffed her cheeks as a pout appeared on his face too. Prerna laughed at their conversation which grew up her son's pout more.

"Please come. Please! I am missing you." He sadly told as his smile dropped changing into sadness.

"I will, promise! But till then please take care of yourself. I don't want my jai to look weak and ugly. I need my sweet, handsome and smiling jai by tomorrow. Mind it?" He nodded like a child and kissed on the mobile screen. His act made her smile as she could feel his love still being far away from him.

"Good night jai!"

"Good night! I love you a lot." He told spreading his arms little more. Naira blushed as she realised prerna's presence. She didn't replied and just hummed it before hanging up.

Whereas prerna smiled happily, finally jai was getting normal again. She kissed on his head and he slept putting his head on her lap. "Do_Don't leave mum_ma!" He whispered and clutched on her gown.

"I won't!" She patted on his head kissing there each time. Soon after that he passed out and she kept sitting there. Rajeev entered in his son's room as after seeing the sight his face glowed up with a smile.

"Is he fine?" She turned and smiled at him.

"Better than before." Rajeev sat beside her and creased his little son's cheek. He remembered the time when his son used to do a lot of things with him. They used to go for a morning jog together, then together at office and later the night they had some quality time. He was carving for his son, for his mischievous child who never used to rest him in peace. He was missing the quarrels, fights and arguments he always had with him. That was like golden time which he had lost long back.

"Rajeev?" Prerna voiced out noticing tears in her husband's eyes.

"I am missing my jai, prerna! We have lost him somewhere. Don't know where my child has gone." His statement turned her heart heavy as her tears matched with his.
They both noticed his relaxed face, their baby's innocence has their heart.

"Rajeev!" She called as he wiped his tears and looked in her direction. "I am having a feeling that now everything will be fine. Our jai will recover soon."

"How prerna?" He asked but he had lost the hope now. Even the doctors can't do anything then what miracle has gone happen.

"Have you seen naira and jai? Did you notice how jai becomes a very different person with naira. Before naira's arrival he never talked with us, but after they both met. Jai started talking to us, now he shares his fear with us. I think naira is best for jai_" She explained with a big smile.

"Don't even think about it prerna. Aditya is very angry with what happened. And for our son we can't spoil naira's life. There's no possibility about when jai will get his memory back. Naira can't waste her life behind jai__"

"She loves him rajeev__"

"That's won't last for long. After getting the weight of responsibilities she would feel suffocated and that will drain all the love and sympathy she has for jai. In all this only jai will suffer, he is too innocent for handling heartbreak prerna. And I fear, what if same thing happened? What if we loose our jai in all this?" He sounded his fear out and she couldn't speak more about that topic.

Rajeev climbed on the bed as he adjusted jai's head and covered him with quilt. "Go and take some rest. I am staying here tonight, he needs someone." He told but she rejected.

"I don't want to leave him." He understood and didn't force further.

"Fine then, lay down here only and try to sleep. I don't want you to fall sick." She nodded and laid beside her son, who instantly wrapped an arm around her arm to make sure that none will hurt him.

Jai's parents stayed there the whole night keeping an eye over his fever as each time changing the wet strip to cool down his body temperature....

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