Mauli phoned Ishwari. She picked it on fifth ring. "Hallo?" she spoke. "Hallo Ishwari, where are you right now? Can we meet?" Mauli spoke on the other end of the phone. "Sure, I am at the City Hospital right now," Ishwari told her. "What? Is everything alright?" she asked. "Dev is admitted here, he was kidnapped and injured, he had a head injury, a wound on face and had blood loss, it's his third day here in hospital," Ishwari told and Mauli got shocked. "Why didn't you tell me? Even I would've come to meet him," she asked on the verge of tears.

"I am so sorry Mauli, I was just so tensed, really sorry, I know you're really close to my children, so sorry," Ishwari said. "Anyways, I am coming right now," Mauli said and disconnected the call. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Dev was kidnapped? Injured? Yet Ishwari never told me, why? She used to share everything with me. No, I don't care, whatever, what if she didn't share before, she shared it now, I will go, if those children trusted someone else other than parents, it was always me, I should also be there for them, but I can't tell Preeta right now, she will be tensed," she said and stood up and wiped her tears. She wore her sandals, took her mini bag and rushed out of her house.

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

Ishwari came to Dev along with Alia. "Are you feeling better now?" she asked, Dev smiled. "The son who has a mother like you will always have a speedy recovery no matter what had happened," he said and she smiled and hugged him, he hugged her back but fought back tears. They broke the hug. "Bhai, are you sure you are okay?" Alia asked, he looked on.

"No, you don't seem to be okay to me," she said. "Yes yes, I am fine," he said and she smiled slightly. "Do you both remember Mauli? My and your father's common friend?" Ishwari asked. "Mauli aunty?" Dev asked. "Mom, Mauli aunty?" Alia asked excitedly and Ishwari nodded. Alia smiled.

Flashback :

Since Dev and Alia were little, Mauli used to pamper them a lot like their own kids, she always had a different kind of love for kids especially them. Whenever Alia would meet Mauli, she would always run to her. She always picked her up twirling her and kissed her forehead.

"You are my bff, I like to play with you," Alia always said and Mauli couldn't help but smile and her fondness always grew for her, she was such a sweet kid after all. Dev also ran to Mauli. "Hi Mauli aunty," he would say and she would smile. "Hi, missed me?" she would always say and he would always shy away and giggle. "Aray why are you blushing? Cute boy, am I your girlfriend?" she would always tease and he always blushed, he was really shy in childhood, the only woman from who he didn't shy away was his mother, Ishwari.

"Okay come, hug me, won't you hug me?" Mauli asked him, he hugged her and she hugged him back. "You see one day you will have a girlfriend and remember to blush like this in front of her," she said and he laughed.

They even got to have slumber parties at her house, Ishwari and Karan never objected because she was their closest friend, the one they could trust blindly. She would always have a lot of fun with them, telling them bedtime stories, tickling them but in a limit, and always giving them everything they wanted, they had always trusted her like anything. In short, in their parents absence, they could always rely on her. "East to west, Mauli aunty is the best," Alia said and she picked her and hugged her. "My baby," Mauli said and she smiled contently. Dev also grew bold and didn't shy from her anymore, the trio were fond of each other beyond limits. The bond was unbreakable and they were inseparable.

Fb end.

The siblings smiled recalling their well spent childhood moments along with her. "Bhai, now who will you look at and blush? Mauli aunty or Nalini didi?" Alia asked teasingly.

Dev chuckled. "Now he's a big boy and has a girlfriend, so now of course he will blush only for Nalini, right Dev?" Ishwari asked and Dev giggled. "Mom, you also?" he asked and she messed up his hair. Nalini stood up and came to him. "Wow, he blushes since childhood? Awww, my boyfriend is so girly," she said and kissed his cheek, he blushed. "Awwww," Alia and Ishwari teased in unison and laughed. Dev hugged Nalini hiding his face. "Okay enough, don't tease him too much," she said and they placed their fingers on their lips. Dev broke the hug and she kissed his forehead. "My red tomato," she said and he smiled blushing at her and she chuckled. Mauli walked inside with Sagar and everyone's attention diverted to her.

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

Arjun came to Preeta, she was in a deep slumber. He smiled seeing her sleep so peacefully. He placed his hand on her tummy. "Baby, your father is eagerly waiting for you to come, and as soon as you come, I will love you a lot, I love you from now only, my baby, I never knew I would become a father one day, that too of two children, one is my Raunak and another one is you," he said emotionally.

He looked at Preeta who was still sleeping and moved away her hand, she turned in her sleep and placed her hand over his hand. She pressed his hand and a smile spread across his lips. The warmth of her hand gave him immense peace. Her fringe came across her face and he slowly tucked it behind her ear. She smiled in her sleep. He smiled even more to see her enlightened smile. She moved away her hand from his hand and yawned opening her eyes slowly.

Her eyes met his eyes and she blinked and got up on her elbow staring at him who hadn't even realized that she's awake. She smiled seeing him smiling already at her. She waved her hand in front of him but he didn't respond. She chuckled and sat up all of a sudden and kissed his cheek and fell back on the bed surprising him. She laughed. He gasped. "Hey, what was that?" he asked feeling amazed while she couldn't stop laughing. "You tell me what was this, why were you staring like this? You were smiling and didn't even realize that I was awake, I even waved my hand in front of you yet you didn't notice so I simply...," her voice trailed off as she burst out laughing.

He smiled looking down. "Look baby, mumma acts funny from now only, it's guaranteed that your life would be fun filled whenever you come," he said assuring the baby. She touched her tummy and smiled. "Life changed so suddenly, I thought I will never smile again, but here I am, a fun lover again, should I reduce the antidepressants dose?" she asked. "Really? Do you feel like doing it? I mean, can you be naturally happy now?" he asked.

She sat up. "Of course I can be happy, now I will have a life I once dreamt of," she said cupping her tummy, he smiled and nodded. "Take it half from now onwards," he said and she smiled and hugged him. "Thanks for coming in my life, my baby's life, now my baby won't be called fatherless nor I would be called characterless, all thanks goes to you, and Mauli, she is such a great person, and you too, I wish you both were there in my life since forever," she said. He hugged her back. "You are not characterless, don't call yourself that again. When a man takes away a girl's virginity then he's cool but the girl is characterless, how does that makes sense? A few drops of blood doesn't signifies love nor faithfulness, how and when did you got to become characterless? He's characterless, he almost ruined your life, I promise to not spare him," he said and she smiled. "You said all this and that's enough, karma will pay him, I don't want his children to go through mental torture of seeing their father go to jail and get his character tarnished, it's not their fault, why to punish them for his deeds?" she asked.

He smiled. "But your virtue gave you your karma Preeta, see you're going to marry soon, have a child, and what not, and you know what? Mom dad has fixed our engagement tomorrow itself," he told him and they broke the hug. "What? Really? Yes yes yes!" she exclaimed and hugged him again tighter than before, he smiled. "Slowly Preeta slowly, don't forget that little angel," he said hugging her back and she loosened the hug and eventually broke it.

"I can't believe this, tomorrow is our engagement, ours, when are you taking me to select the ring? Don't tell me it's already selected," she said excitedly. "Relax bubba it's not yet selected, I told mom and dad that we both will do it, happy?" he asked cupping her face and she nodded. "Arjun thank you so much for this awesome surprise, I feel tickles in my tummy, even the dress is yet to be selected," she told him. He giggled. "Relax relax, even that would be done," he said and she had a sigh of relief. "Fine, I am going to change," she said and stood up and went to washroom taking her clothes.

Such a big change in such a small time can only be made with love. I clearly remember how was she when she came here, depressed and disturbed soul, and now she's slowly becoming free spirited girl. I hope she stays like this forever. Always be like this only Preeta, happy and carefree. He thought to himself with a smile.