"Now I can look around this room without hurting my eyes," Aahana chuckled.

Sameer and Aahana were standing in Sameer's renovated room. The room was now coloured in beige and turquoise. Sameer looked around his new room. The black colour used to be a reminder of the darkness in his life but with Aahana he hoped to see the light again.

Aahana looked at her husband, who was admiring the room. "I have heard that you were fond of painting?" she asked him. Sameer looked at her questioningly. She gestured towards the study table in the right corner of the room. There were papers, colours and paintbrushes.

"It was a long time back, Aahana," Sameer whispered. Aahana chuckled and led him towards the table, "I am not telling you to create a masterpiece. Just paint." Sameer looked unsure so Aahana continued, "Sameer, since past so many years, you have buried yourself in the office work. You need a life beyond it. Painting will help you bring out your thoughts."

"My drawings are very.....sad," Sameer mumbled. Aahana smiled. Sameer reminded her of a small child who would get upset seeing a sad face. She kneeled down in front of him and looked into his eyes. "Sameer, if you have a glass filled with water and you want to fill it with milk, first you will have to remove the water. When your heart is filled with sadness, with pain, then until you get rid of these thoughts, how will you feel happiness."

"Will the pain go away? Will I never feel sad again?" Sameer asked innocently. "No Sameer," Aahana sighed, "Do you like pizza?" Sameer nodded. "Do you feel happy when you eat it once?" Sameer nodded again. "And the next time you eat it, did you feel happy again? Or was it only a one time happiness?" "I felt happy again," Sameer replied.

"Similarly, you will feel sad again but you will be able to come out of it. You will be able to believe that it was not your fault. Sameer, it's okay to feel sad. It is an emotion," Aahana explained him. He sighed. 

~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~

Kapoor Mills

"Sir, they are here for the meeting," Naina entered the cabin and told Sameer. Sameer nodded and followed her to the Meeting Room.

"Wow! What a change!" Naina thought to herself, "I never knew getting married will bring such drastic changes in Sameer sir. He rarely gets angry now and seems much more relaxed."

It was true. It had been three months since Aahana had begun Sameer's treatment. She had convinced him to consult a psychiatrist and together the two doctors had left no stone unturned to help Sameer see the light a little more clearly. Sometimes he wondered about the involvement of two doctors but he trusted Aahana and let her heal him. 

The most difficult task during these months was to avoid interactions with Malini. While at home, Sameer could always take Aahana's help to get away but the option was not available while he worked at his office. To overcome that situation, Sameer had kept his schedule busy. He would personally take interest in all the ongoing projects. As a result, every time Malini came to meet him, he was away for some task or another.

His involvement also had another benefit. His image among his employees changed. He was no more the ruthless man. Although no one dared to anger him, they could feel the changes in him. His eyes were softer than before and his words were carefully chosen. 

Aahana had heard about these changes from her best friend, Priyanka, who had teased her endlessly. "What did you do that the man changed so much?" she had asked. Aahana had just smiled. She was happy knowing the changes in Sameer.

Everyone was happy seeing the changes in Sameer, everyone but Malini. His changes were bothering her. She had not seen much of him in the past three months. Why? How? She feared that her secret might be out. But Aahana gave her no outwardly signs of the anger bottled up inside her. She treated her with respect, though fake one. 

~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~

Kapoor House 

Sameer entered his room and saw Aahana waiting for him. She looked at him and said, "When do you want to lodge an FIR against her?"

___________________________________________

So, how is it?

Just one more chapter to go probably...

~Purnima