Shashank came to meet Dev who was unconscious along with Ishwari and Alia while Nalini was already there with Pragati. "How is my son? My boy," he said talking to Dev who was unconscious, Nalini glared at him. She stood up and pushed him away from Dev. "Don't you dare come near Dev!" she shouted at him angrily. "Aray? He's my son, why are you stopping me from nearing him?" he asked. "Don't act innocent, because I know you weren't interested in finding Dev," she said boiling in anger. Ishwari looked on. Alia came to her. "Didi, what are you saying? Why won't he be interested in finding bhai?" she asked.

Nalini went to Ishwari. "Aunty, you know when I came that day asking about Dev and you refused that you didn't know anything? As soon as you had left, he dragged me to his room and grabbed my neck and even pulled my hair threatening to stop finding Dev, he even threw money at my face to stop my search, now tell me what to think of it? He is such a cheapster, aunty I am not lying, please believe me, he didn't ever wanted Dev to be found," she told her while crying and Ishwari looked on.

Shashank came to her and held her arm turning her to him. "Stop it Nalini! I am his father, you stop lying," he said angrily. Nalini turned to Ishwari. "See his reaction, how he's reacting at me, doesn't that gives you your answer?" she asked. Ishwari was quiet. "Stop lying I said," he said very angrily grabbing her arm tightly. Pragati made him leave. "I have full faith in my sister, she never lies, if she's saying you did it means you did it, you stop lying," Pragati said to him.

"I am not lying, you both are lying, you both get lost," he said. "Nalini, let's leave," Pragati said. "But Dev...," she was cut in between. "Nalini, we will return later, come," Pragati whispered and went taking her. Alia came to Ishwari. "Mom, why did didi say like that?" she asked, Ishwari didn't say anything, she just hugged her, Alia hugged her back. Shashank looked on. "Don't tell me you both believe that girl," he said, they broke the hug. Alia came to him. "Right now I don't know what to believe and what not to believe, you met bhai that's enough, now please let him rest," she said, he left from there.

************************************

"Why didn't you tell me he did all that?" Pragati asked Nalini. "I didn't want to bother you," she said. They shared a hug. "We will go there again half an hour later, don't worry," Pragati said, she nodded. "By the way, do you know how did Dev get so much money for your medicines?" Pragati asked. "Di please, I can't talk about it," Nalini said and Pragati looked on.

************************************

Nalini and Pragati came back to hospital and saw that Ishwari and Alia were still there but Shashank wasn't. They walked inside. Ishwari hugged Nalini. "I know you were telling the truth, I do believe you," she told her. "Thanks aunty," Nalini said. Dev began to gain consciousness. Their attention diverted to him. "Dev?" Ishwari exclaimed and neared him, he opened his eyes. She smiled happily. She caressed his face. "Mom," he said smiling faintly. Nalini came to him. "How are you baby?" he asked. "I should be asking you that, how are you Dev?" she asked. "I am just the way you can see me," he said and smiled at her, she smiled back.

"I hope you didn't get an attack in my absence," he said. "I did but the pain was much less than that of losing you," she said, he smiled at her. "Where is my munchkin? Aloo jaan, where is she?" he asked, Ishwari looked back at Alia and she walked to him, he lit up seeing her. "How are you bhai? I missed you so much," she said. "My jaan, I am fine, but did you miss me when there was no one to scare you?" he asked and she smiled sadly. "Of course I did," she said. "Poor baby even went on hunger and thirst strike when you went missing," Ishwari told him.

He looked at Alia. "Why? You shouldn't have done that," he said. "I did it because I wanted God to have mercy on me and you and our parents so that you return," she said. "She even donated blood for you even when she was extremely weak, she always wanted me to worry for you more than her," Ishwari told him. Dev looked at her emotionally. "I have been saying this since childhood, dabbay mein dabba dabbay mein cake, meri behna laakho'n mein ek," (My sister is a unique piece) he said and they all smiled.

************************************

Ishita was sitting holding her tummy. "Baby, you're craving for it again, right? The same chocolate, but if I eat too much of it, my teeth may decay, I don't want dental procedures to happen to me, please bear it a little," she said and eyed the chocolate on the bedside table. Raman came to her and noticed her sad. "What happen? You're thinking whether to have the second chocolate or not?" he asked and she remained quiet. "Look don't be afraid of dental decay, just take proper care of your teeth thats it, now don't make your baby crave so much, have it," he said and she nodded.

He watched as she tore open the wrapper and began to eat it. He admired her, she noticed him watching her. "You want?" she asked and he didn't reply, she shrugged and continued eating. While eating, she saw him watching her continuously. "Raman!" she said snapping him out of thoughts. "You want?" she asked and he smiled. "Yes or no? I am confused," she asked. "Yes," he said and she gave it to him. He took a small bite and returned it to her. She smiled and continued eating.

He kept on watching her. She was busy in enjoying the chocolate and once again saw him looking at her. She chuckled and snapped her fingers in front of him. He blinked. "Want it?" she asked and he shook his head. "So then why are you staring at me like this?" she asked, he was embarrassed. She giggled. "Listen, please bring this daily, okay?" she asked and he nodded. She smiled and he watched as her lips were fully coated in chocolate. "Ishita your lips... ," he said but his voice trailed off. "Beautiful, right?" she asked and he smiled looking down.

"It has chocolate all over it," he told her and she looked in the mirror and then at him. He got a tissue and gave it to her. She took it and wiped her lips. "How childish, eating chocolate oftens leads me back to my childhood, where there were my parents and me as a single child, people say that being a single child is awesome because you get all your parents love, but at the same time it's lonely as there's no one else around your age to play with you, I wished to have a sister so badly, or a brother, that emptiness doesn't strikes you only in childhood, it can strike even in this age in which I am. See now no siblings and no parents as well, and having no parents hurts even more. You know when I fell in love with Shashank, I wanted him to be with me, I depended on him, got pregnant, but getting pregnant isn't a mistake of mine, being dependent on him was a big mistake. If only I knew he would leave me, I wouldn't have ever mistakened his lust for love, and see, here I am, single and pregnant, orphan with a fatherless child growing in my womb," she said fighting back tears.

He looked on as she lowered her head trying her best not to cry. She looked up at the ceiling resting her head against the bed board with tears glistening in her eyes. He sighed and held her hand slowly, she didn't meet her eyes with him. "You know, when your child will come in this world, he will know how lucky he is to get a mother like you who loves her child so much, I can see it how badly you want him not to be a fatherless child, but you forgot what I said earlier, that I will treat him like my own child," he said.

She remained quiet as her tears began to fall. "Look, on his birth certificate, I will sign as his father, I promise," he said and she met her eyes with him. "Like you accepted Raunak?" she asked and sobbed. "Yes, just like Raunak," he said assuring her and she wiped her tear. "And what about me? Who will accept me? The one who is pregnant without marriage? Shashank refused to accept me or my child," she said.

"So what if he refused? I will talk to my parents and tell them its my child," he said. "And Raunak?" she asked. "I will tell that his custody was given to me by Prerna," he said. "Truth for Raunak but a lie for my child? Won't they ask why to accept Raunak when his father is alive?" she asked. "They will but I will tell that his father won't be able to look after him," he said. "And how will you lie to them about my child?" she asked. "Its simple, I will say that we were in love and we did it before marriage by mistake," he said.

"Truth has to come out some day, and don't forget they already know you can't produce a child," she said. "Fine then I will simply say I was in love with you and knew you were pregnant so I decided to accept your child and raise him as my own," he said, she looked away as tears never stopped flowing. He wiped her tears and she looked on. "What happen?" he asked. "Antidepressants works in a limit, it can't always keep me happy," she said palming her mouth, he looked on.

"My child, it might get affected," she said holding her tummy. "No no, nothing would happen, look, I will prescribe some other antidepressants which you can take twice a day and it will keep you happy, and it also won't affect your pregnancy, please stop crying," he said and took a tissue wiping her tears, she looked at him emotionally. "I will just come," he said and went. After sometime he came and gave her another medicines. "It will even make you sleep," he said and she had one and lied down to sleep. He watched her as she slept.

************************************

Next day Mauli went to a walk with Sagar.

Dekhun Main Tujhe Yaa Dekhun Kudrat Ke Nazaare
(Should I watch you or the beauty of nature;)
Mushkilon Main Hai Ye Dil Mera
(this thought troubled my heart.)
Mana Teri Surat Ki Hai Chaandi SauTakka Billo
(I agree that your face is stunning,)
Mere Dil Ka Sona Bhi Khara
(but my heart is as pure as gold.)

Ye Teri Chaand Baaliyan Hai Honthon Pe Ye Gaaliyaan
(Girl, your earrings are as lovely as the moon, and you speak foul language.)
Ye Teri Chaand Baaliyan Hai Honthon Pe Ye Gaaliyaan
(Your earrings are as beautiful as the moon, and you use foul language.)

Sochne Ka Mauka Na Diya Hai
(You didn’t give me a chance to think about it.)
Main To Tere Peeche Ho Liya
(I began to follow you around.)

Suit Patiala Tera Juuti Amritsaria,

(You’re dressed in a stunning Patiala suit and Amritsar-inspired footwear.)

Dil Kamzor Hai Mera

(My heart is weak.)

Muk Jaane Nakhre Tere Mera Ishq Naio Muk Na

(Your temper tantrums would come to an end, but love would not.)

Pakka Hai Promise Jatt Da

(That is my commitment to you.)

Lade Naino Ke Peche Aaha Tu Door Se Mujhko Khenche Aaha
(I was drawn to you as soon as our eyes met.)
Lade Naino Ke Peche Haan Ji Tu Door Se Mujhako Khenche Oho
(As soon as our gazes met, I was drawn to you.)

Dor Tu Patang Main Tera Haye
(I am the kite attached to you, and you are the thread.)
Main To Teri Chhat Pe Ja Gira
(I landed on your roof like a kite.)
Main To Tere Peeche Ho Liya Hoye Hoye Main To Tere Peeche
and I began following you around.

Alia came to Ishwari when she was sitting with Dev. "Mom, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said. "Tell me," Ishwari said. "Not here mom, in loneliness," she said. "Okay, Nalini, please take care," Ishwari said and stood up and the duo went outside. Nalini sat near Dev. "You know what? Pragati asked me today that how did you get so much money for my medicines," she told him. "So did you tell all of it?" he asked. "I didn't utter a single word," she said and he smiled. "Good then," he said. "But what if she or Alia gets to know it someday?" she asked.

"Look, if you tell then their hearts would definitely break, especially mom's heart, but even if I tell it by myself, then also they would get hurt, but it's enough yaar, I can't hide it anymore, its a burden on my chest," he said and got teary eyed. She cupped his cheek. "I am with you, but I am still scared for your safety," she told him. "I know, before I am made to be taken away from you again, I will tell, even if I die after that," he said and she palmed his mouth. "Shut up, nothing would happen," she said and hugged him tight, he hugged her back.